Notes:

[f/n]= first name

[f/c]= favorite color

You like hot chocolate in this fic~

A small yawn stretches my lips as I tiredly rub at my eyes. I glance back down at the story I'm reading, but I decide I've had enough reading for one day. I did kind of go on a reading splurge, and now I can't really get into the story anymore. So instead, I peek at the companion sitting beside me, Rose Lalonde. Her knitting needles click together as she entwines [f/c] colored yarn into what looks like is going to be a scarf. Rose's house has a fancy fireplace, and I try to secretly admire the glow of the fire dancing across Rose's smooth and pale skin. She glances at me, and I quickly focus my gaze on the story as if I've been intently reading it.

"[f/n]?" Rose says inquiringly.

"Yes?" I reply nonchalantly, hoping she hasn't noticed that I was checking her out.

"Would you care for some hot chocolate?" she asks with a small smile that I could swear is a smirk.

"Yes, please," I respond with a small smile of my own.

"Then wait for me, I shall return shorty," she commands as she puts aside her knitting needles.

"Sure, thank you!" I call after her as she walks away. With nothing better to do, I hum a little tune to myself as my eyes sweep across the room for anything of interest. Rose's yarn basket containing yarn of various colors rests beside the sofa I sit on. Knitting is a hobby of hers I find adorable. I can't count the number of items she has knitted herself, and I have to say, her work always looks professionally done. On the sofa, there are two squiddles tangled together, a gift from Jade. One is light purple, while the other happens to be my favorite color. It's more than likely a coincidence, but I can't help but feel a bit bubbly inside at the thought of the cuddling squiddles representing me and Rose.

"I've returned," Rose announces, bringing me back from my daydreams. "Here." She hands me a cup of hot chocolate, steam rising from its surface.

"Thanks," I say gratefully as I take the warm cup from her hands, our fingers grazing in the process. Her skin is so soft, I can't help but think to myself. She settles beside me as I blow on the hot chocolate so I don't burn my tongue.

"I take it you're bored," Rose states matter of factly.

"No, I'm not!" I lie, but it's really only a half lie. I am bored, but I'm not bored of the person I'm with.

"I know you've been staring at that story for ten minutes without actually reading it, [f/n]," she points out with a knowing smile. "Would you like to go outside for a bit? We could engage in snowball fights and the like."

"Sure," I rely, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. I'm the one out of the two who tends to, well, act a bit childishly, like rolling around in the snow. Rose, on the other hand, is graceful and sophisticated, not someone I could imagine making snow angels. Well, unless she's drunk. When drunk, Rose can be quite childish herself, and even then I still adore her. "You didn't drink any eggnog though, did you?" I tease.

With a chuckle, Rose replies, "It's sad when people think I have to be drunk to have any fun. No, I'm plenty sober. Now let's not waste any more time and get outside, shall we?"

"Yes, milady!" I say with mock sophistication before chugging the hot chocolate. After grabbing my coat and swiftly tugging it on, I open the door and wave my hands in an imitation of a butler. "After you."

With that soft giggle of hers that can barely be heard, she says, "Thank you kindly," before heading out the door. I follow after her, flinching slightly as the cold wind stabs at me. "What would you like to partake in?"

"Hmm," I hum in thought. I want to do something not too wild, because I'm not sure if Rose wants to be plummeted by a bunch of snowballs right away. I know, I can channel her creativity! In a singsong voice, I ask, "Do you want to build a snowman?"

She rolls her eyes with a smirk, but replies in singsong as well, "Come on let's go and play."

I laugh giddily at her response before I dig my hand into the snow. Rose follows suit, and soon we're both patting the cold white powder into a firm snowball. Somehow, we end up having a race as we dash through the snow, our snowballs progressively becoming bigger. The race ends, however, when I utterly lose control of my boulder sized snowball and I have to chase it across Rose's premises because the thing frickin' refuses to stop. Eventually, though, I catch it. "Got you, you bastard!" I cry in victory.

"[f/n]!" Rose gasps with mock offense. "Don't talk to our snow baby in such a manner!"

God, I must have it really, really bad, because the mere mention of raising a child with Rose, in the form of a snow baby, has me blushing. "Sorry," I mumble as I roll the the snowball into proper position. I glance at Rose's snowball and compare the size of her's to mine. "Looks like mine will be the bottom. Help me lift yours." Together, we carefully try to lift the snowball without causing it to crumble. With success, we manage to heft the snowball on top of mine.

"How about you make the head, and I'll gather accessories?" Rose offers.

"Sure," I reply, my hands already patting at snow. "Get only the best for our child!"

"Only the best for our baby," she agrees before disappearing into her house.

By the time she returns, carrying a box of various items, I've got the head safely secured on the snowman. "What'cha get?" I ask her.

"Buttons, a scarf, a carrot, and and a top hat," she informs me.

"I assume our snowman is a boy?" I question her.

"He will be quite the gentleman," she replies with a small smile. Together we wrap the scarf around the snowman's neck, form a smiley face with buttons, place the top hat on his head, and drill the carrot in as his nose.

As we step back to admire our work, I ask, "What will we name him?"

"Cthulhu," Rose immediately replies.

"Rose, no."

"Why not?" she asks innocently.

"I don't want a tentababy, I just don't," I reply seriously, but my voice is filled with constrained laughter.

She grins at me in amusement. "Then how about Damien? I rather like the name Damien."

"Probably because it almost sounds like demon," I say with a giggle. "But sure, I don't mind." I turn my attention to the snowman. "Welcome to the family, Damien."

But the warm family welcome is ruined when suddenly, my head is blasted with cold and firm snow. Stunned, I turn around to see Rose smirking at me with another snowball in her hand. Just as it registers what happened, she tosses the other snowball at me. I swiftly drop to the ground, just barely dodging the snowball. I stand up and dust off the snow as Rose chuckles at me. With a playful glare, I grind out, "It's. On."

I scoop up some snow as Rose quickly does the same. But I'm quicker, and soon a snowball is flying through the air and splatters against Rose's head, the snow blending together with Rose's pure white hair. "I am a merciless warrior, [f/n], and you shall be slaughtered!" she says with playful sinisterness.

"Well I'm a level 99 paladin and I'm born to slay beings of darkness," I joke as we plummet each other with snowballs.

We continue our battle even as I start to feel breathless. I heft one of the finer snowballs I've made with all my might. One of Rose's snowballs hits my shoulder as I am throwing, but my snowball hits her square in the face. Rose rubs her cheek as I laugh at the perfection of my throw. "You will pay for that!" Rose cries before lunging towards me. Taken by surprise, I am unable to dodge as she tackles me to the ground.

"Get off me, you fiend!" I laugh as I try to shake her off of me, but to no avail. I give up struggling as I admit surrender, my eyes flying to Rose's face in mirth. The laughter dies in my throat, however, when her violet eyes stare at me in such a seducing manner. Heat rushes to my face as my heart starts to pound. Nervous laughter replaces the amused laughter I had moments ago. "Ok, Rose, seriously, you can get off me now."

"I do recall you mentioning how your snowball was the bottom," she purrs rather suggestively. "Kind of like the situation we're in now."

My blush deepens as I squirm under her gaze. "So I'm on the bottom, what are you implying?"

"That I'm the topper in this relationship," she replies before swooping down and capturing my lips with her own. All of my senses die except for the sense of touch. Her lips are as soft as I imagined them, as well as nice and plush. Warm, too, very warm. I'm left dumbstruck for a long while before Rose pulls away. "[f/n]?"

"Uh," I breath out, the world seeming to fade back into existence. "Why, why did you…?"

Rose almost looks nervous as she tells me, "I am quite infatuated with you, [f/n]." She's trying to look confident, but her cheeks are colored a beautiful shade of pink.

"Really?" I say with disbelief. It seems too good to be true.

"Of course!" she replies firmly. "As I am the darkness that comforts the night, you are the sun that brings me life."

"I'm not as poetic as you," I say slowly, "but I will say I love you, too. I've been in love with you for a long time! But, erm, as much as I enjoy this situation, this snow is freezing. Can we get inside?"

With one more peck on the lips, Rose replies, "Of course, hon. I even have clothes you can change into before the snow melts and wettens your clothing."

"Thank you, love," I say with a loving smile, the nickname sweet on my tongue. Rose stands up and offers her hand, which I gratefully take. Her hand is cold, yet it manages to warm up my heart. Hand in hand, we enter her household.

"I shall return with your attire," Rose informs me as I lay shivering by the fire.

"Thanks," I chatter as she walks away.

When she returns, she is carrying a [f/c] colored sweater. "I had this knitted a while back, for I was planning to give it you once I admitted my feelings," she informs me as she hands me the sweater decorated with various patterns.

"Thank you," I say warmly as I take the sweater. "I'll be right back!" I quickly leave to a bathroom and change my clothes. When I return, Rose is sitting by the fire with a blanket in her lap.

"Care to share warmth?" she asks me, and I nod with a blush. I sit down beside her and she wraps us in a blanket. I snuggle against her as her head rests on my shoulder. I don't complain about how her hair tickles my cheek, for I'm enjoying the moment too much. Soon enough, we're both warm and snug as we gaze at the fire in comfortable silence.

Forever after, we will keep each other warm even on the coldest of days.

The End