A little short inspired by a wonderful picture by a wonderful artist. This ship is growing on me. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
White flakes fluttered through the air with a calming grace to their movement, a cool breeze mustering the strength to carry them to their inevitable ends—or so it seemed. They would become the ivory blanket that had enveloped the lands of Fiore in this seemingly never-ending winter. Some may find the cold demoralizing, after all—most life required the sun's warmth in order to thrive and blossom. However, the surprisingly vacant streets of Crocus, a city known for its events that hoarded tourists by the thousands, seemed to be the temporary home to naught but three.
The flushed pink of cheeks as frozen air braced them contrasted with the significantly paler hues of hair—aside from Lector, of course, there wasn't much of a change of colour for the more-than-merry exceed. And of course, his blond partner could be considered comparably jolly as the trio gathered the necessities to last until all transport was back into action. And what better way to spend his time, than with the woman that had captured a heart that was seemingly untameable?
Watching her now, it was plain to see that the key magician was quite at home in the snow—of course, her normal attire was predominantly white; perhaps something Sting should have taken into account prior to this moment. Not to mention the pure, unblemished surface of the untrodden white mass—Purity. Yukino was pure, an attribute that the Holy Dragon found most endearing. Albeit the normally outgoing man had chosen to hide away the true feelings he held towards her, there was one soul who had been given the confirmed knowledge of this information. Rogue—a brotherly figure and best friend, had been entrusted with this secret, and of course the man of shadows was true to his word—not a soul was told. He had, however, made sure to leave the man to his lonesome with Yukino at as many given points as possible; Sting wasn't sure whether or not he should be thankful for the quality time with the silverette, or irritated at the fact that his comrade found his apparently more reserved nature in the woman's company amusing.
That didn't matter to him, now, though. Sting was with her. The late afternoon was drawing to a close, now—shops began their closure, the fair majority of tourist attractions ceasing activity, be it for the day or until the snow cleared. Street lights flickered into life as their hotel loomed in sight (a thought that all 3 found most encouraging), and it seemed as though their reserved room would be their next point of call.
"It's getting dark, Sting-sama. Though it would seem a waste to return to our hotel room now when there's still a lot of the day to spend."
The blonde was caught slightly off-guard by her sudden utterance; however his composure was regained quickly enough for the lady not to notice. "Yeah. It's not like there's much we can do, though."
A rare smile stretched those pale lips, honey eyes serene; yet so alive and active as she sought his attention to continue her speech. "..Perhaps we could just admire the scenery for a little while?" Oh, she could have said anything and it would have evoked a positive response—Yukino had that effect on him. A soft grin was given in return, accompanying a nod of approval. "Sure. There's the river, I guess." Indeed—and a nearby bridge would be their perfect host in order to get a better view. "Mhm. That sounds perfect."
Following after the two mages as their way was made to higher ground, the auburn exceed could only smirk at their backs as idle conversation continued. Though he hadn't been directly informed of Sting's obvious interest in the girl—he knew. Though he wouldn't bring it up in case of hindering his dragon's plans, it didn't mean that he couldn't have some subtle fun with it at Sting's expense. Deciding that today wouldn't be appropriate for fun and games, Lector remained the innocent—contently sipping whatever warm beverage Yukino had purchased in order to help keep him warm until they had found a satisfactory location. That location happened to be the bridge wall, upon which he was placed by the aforementioned Celestial Wizard. Her kind actions towards both of the exceeds were yet another of her appealing assets, lips curving upwards at the mere thought of her ability to make them beyond happy in such short spaces of time.
For a minute or two, quiet descended upon the trio as the colourless liquid floated on by—the only thing that seemed to be able to do so as the rest of the world froze over. Each delicate snow drop pattered against its rushing surface, whereupon they would melt and merge with the quickening pace of the river. For someone who was seem not to care for such things, the blond became rather immersed in its movement, resting his arms against the brick surface in order to further relax.
"I love the snow."
Once again, the person Sting least expected to break the silence was the key mage, though as he looked to her porcelain visage, he was more than glad that she had done so. Upon her was quite possibly the largest, most genuine smile he had ever seen the woman wear—and my god, it was beautiful. Perhaps it was lucky that Yukino hadn't a clue that he was staring at her, because he was really staring; cherishing the sight before it was gone, much like the flakes as they were washed away. Yes—the smile would eventually go, which wasn't an appealing thought. But he soon came to realize that in its absence, would come the ability to create reason for its return. And that, he vowed to himself, he would do.
In an ideal world, where Sting Eucliffe was brave—he would have followed his heart's intent to tell her that actually, though he liked the snow, there wasn't a single thing comparable to her. But, of course, that thought was quickly suppressed, pushed aside for the time being. Maybe, if it were to snow in the year to come, he'd bring her to this exact spot and confess right there, right then—but for now, a different (and far less satisfying) response to her statement would have to do.
"…Yeah. Me too."