This chapter is kind of cuddly, while the next one is smutty.
You glanced at the bleak, grey sky through the cold glass window. You wished it would snow, but right now, all you were getting was an ugly line of clouds and a disturbing lack of sunlight. They were forecasting sleet at best, which wasn't beautiful or soft. And it was supposed to be like that for a while. You made a mug of hot chocolate and curled up on the couch. You tugged a blanket over your legs and stared at the steely atmosphere.
You started to cry, tears silently rolling down your cheeks. You set your mug on the table and buried your face in your hands. It felt like everything was falling apart. You couldn't take it anymore.
You felt like the sky was a metaphor for your life at the moment. Bleak, cold, and hopeless, with no end or break in sight.
You felt a hand on your back followed by a soothing voice asking, "Are you alright?"
"No," you replied. "I hate this weather. There is nothing to look forward to. No snow that makes it worthwhile or anything."
"Is that the problem? That it won't snow?" Loki inquired gently.
"Well, that's part of the problem. Everything just feels so hopeless," you answered, turning to look at the sky and point out how bleak it was.
You gasped as you saw fluffy white flakes drifting through the air. Snow danced on the wind, swirling in a waltz and flurrying in a tango. You rushed to the window, almost knocking over your hot chocolate in the process, and looked at the clouds, which looked like they had lifted a heavy load. You watched as the snow grew heavier and heavier, coating the ground and piling in drifts.
You hurried into your room to throw on boots and a knit sweater over your pajama pants and shirt. You shrugged on a jacket and ran back out. You dashed to the hooks by the door and snatched your gloves, scarf, and hat. You sprinted down the steps of your apartment building, not bothering to wait for the elevator. You burst out of the entrance to the building onto the green in front.
By the time you had made it outside, the snow had covered the ground with a few inches and the world was silenced in white. You spun in circles with your arms out, catching flakes all over your body. You stopped and looked at Loki, who had followed you out in your excitement. He stood near the door and watched.
"Join me!" you shouted. Loki just stood where he was. "I'm perfectly content to watch," he responded.
"I don't think so," you said as you lightheartedly hurled a snowball at him. It hit him and burst on his suit jacket, leaving a white star of snow.
He glanced down at his jacket and overcoat and frowned. He raised his hands and two snowballs appeared. He stared at you and whispered jokingly, "Run."
You took off and hide behind a tree, leaning with you back against it. You stuck your head around the trunk and started to taunt Loki, only to be faced with the snowballs floating in the air. You threw your hands over your face as they dove down and crashed against your jacket.
"That's not fair!" you shouted, bending down to pack more snow into ammunition. You leapt out from behind the tree and hurled the snowballs in your hands and quickly started preparing more. You heard one crash next to you and jumped. You stood up with an armful of snowballs. You started walking towards Loki while throwing your, launching a snowball every few steps. He walked towards you as well, conjuring snowballs quickly and tossing them at you.
The two of you stood about five feet away from each other. "Truce?" Loki inquired, dissolving his ammunition into flakes and holding out his hand. "Truce," you confirmed, extending your hand to his.
You shrieked as what felt like a mountain of snow fell on you, some slipping down the collar of your jacket and down your spine. Loki grinned, obviously pleased with his trick. You stood frozen with your shoulders up around your ears and your mouth hanging open. You slowly dropped your shoulders and brought a gloved hand up to wipe off the snow clinging to your face. "Oh, it's on!" you hissed at Loki, shooting him a glare. You watched as his smug grin turned into a look of concern.
You lunged at Loki and he took off across the green. He had an advantage over you with his long legs. You realized he was quickly getting away from you and started to run faster.
You yelped as you found yourself face-to-face with Loki on his chest. While running he had tripped on a branch hidden in the snow. He had ended up sprawled in the snow and was turning over to warn you when you tripped and ended up on top of him.
You placed your hands on either side of his head and pushed yourself up a little so you could see him. "Gotcha. I win," you proclaimed triumphantly.
"I don't think so," Loki retorted, rolling over and pinning you into the snow with his knees on either side of you.
"Let me go!" you whined, struggling to escape.
"Never," he replied, leaning down to pepper your face with kisses. You stopped fighting and leaned up to kiss him. Your tongues found their ways to each other's and he nibbled on your lips. He started to move down your neck and you giggled as he reached the edge of your sweater. He stopped and looked at you. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Not in public," you laughed.
"And why not? Shouldn't I be able to kiss my girlfriend whenever and wherever I want?"
"Well, I think people are okay with kissing but you had gone a little further than that."
"Oh, right," he laughed.
Loki rolled over onto the snow. He tried to lace his fingers in between yours but found he couldn't with your glove on. You let go just long enough to take it off and stuff it into your pocket. You watched as snowflakes fell and stuck in his raven hair, giving him a crown of frost, as you slipped your hand back into his.
"Did you do all of this?" you questioned.
"Yes."
"For me?" you asked, timidly
"I did it for a girl who is too beautiful to be sad. It pains me to see you like that. If conjuring snow can make you happy, then who am I to do anything other than cause a bit of wintry mischief?" Loki said softly.
You turned to lay your head on his chest and he lightly ran his fingers through your hair with his free hand.
You lay there together for a while, listening to the silence around you and feeling completely alone together.
"Loki?" you whispered after a while.
"Mmm…"
"I can't feel my hand, or anything else, really."
"Oh, I suppose you can't stand the cold like I can. Do you want to go in?"
"I don't think I have a choice," you said, rubbing your hand, trying to work feeling back into it. You slipped it back into your glove and stood up, starting to head inside. Loki was standing up as you took a few steps. "Wait –" he started as you tripped and landed in the snow.
"– that branch is still there," he stated softly. You groaned into the snow and turned over onto your back. Loki stepped over to you and bent down. "I think the cold's gotten to your brain," he joked as he bent down, slipping his hands underneath you and lifting you into his arms.