AN: Two stories from me so close together!? Madness! I know, I don't even understand what's happened. I think I met some influential people, and hey, if they keep me writing like this, then you guys that follow me better hope I keep them around and don't kill them like I was planning...I mean...*Cough*
Joking aside, enjoy this small tail of York and Carolina spending their night together, in a rather different way.
I'm not a huge fan of Yorkalina, but everyone else seems to be, especially after last weeks episode.
"I want to show you something." His voice was a mere whisper in the dark; he slunk through the field of black in near silence before reaching out for her hand. With a sigh and a smile Carolina was whisked from her room and led through the oddly quiet halls, her only guidance being the hand she held and the not-so-delicate footsteps she knew to be York's. The lights above weakly shone, lower tones of that used in the day; and all around, windows were covered with surprisingly slender and decorative blinds of a gentle cream colour. Her eyes trailed along them, moving between the ceilings lights and the covered windows, already familiar with the late hour's atmosphere.
"Where are we going, York?" Her voice came out far more powerful than she intended, but the brunette guiding her took little note of it, probably because he was used to her commanding nature. He turned to face her, a roguish smile to his face.
"You'll see." Was all she got out of him before he turned to refocus on his destination. Not two steps later, a thought seemed to occur to him and from the pocket of his usual night-clothes he pulled a piece of thick, red cloth, something that could, once have been a scarf. He whirled around her before a single word could leave her mouth, and as she attempted to query his actions, York over-ruled her voice with his own.
"I want it to be a complete surprise though," He fiddled with the fabric for a brief moment before slipping it over Carolina's eyes and securing it under her vibrantly red ponytail. "so no peeking allowed."
Carolina's hand automatically moved to pull her blindfold away, now irritated that her sleep had been interrupted for this. York wasn't taking a premature no for an answer, his hand immediately curled around her surprisingly delicate wrist before moving it away.
"Come on 'Lina, do it for me?" He whined his question and pulled an puppy-dog face, despite knowing she couldn't witness it.
"Don't call me 'Lina!" Was enough permission for York to move around her again and lead the way, holding onto a single hand. Surprisingly, Carolina complied with his wish and left the blindfold alone, trusting York to guide her safely through the Mother of Invention's halls; somehow, with a light smile curling her lips.
Their journey was both brief and quiet as they made their way through the ships halls, York bearing a bright smile. The pair halted outside a room, paused by the door barring entry; locked as far as Carolina could tell. There was a moments muttering from the male soldier as he attempted to recall the code that would grant them entry. A few beeps and low cursing's later the welcome sound of the door gliding open reached Carolina's ears before she was tugged forward, into the room by York's large, soft hands.
"Just give me a moment," His voice moved away from her as he left their spot in the center "and don't take the blindfold off until I tell you." The sincerity in his voice was enough to freeze even the tough team leader in her movements. Carolina allowed her hand to drop back to her sides and her other senses to try and understand their location, alongside the nature of York's surprise.
There was some beeping to her far left where she last heard York's low, purring voice that echoed throughout the room; leaving her the impression that the room was bare and contained few items. The temperature seemed to be regulated and as far as the lost leader could tell, there was nothing of importance.
Then it all shifted in a single moment, her senses exploded with the sheer, crisp force of what the final beep from York's end of the room had done. The room had drastically dropped in temperature, leaving her to shiver slightly, feeling quite awkward, stood how she was. The softest whisper of wind trailed past her ears, across the nape of her neck to toy with her hair and set the embers alight. It danced across her skin, mingling with the persistent cold and guiding small, delicate and wet something's to her skin where they sunk in. That moment when she heard York reach her, his footsteps loud and crisp, she knew exactly what he had done for her. The pressing darkness of the thick cloth fell away in a rush of white and green and blue and grey.
"You told me once," York appeared in front of Carolina, preventing her from drinking in the classic winter scene of a park with grand, towering trees and a frozen lake with snow-dusted benches looking out towards it, scarred by footsteps and attempts to cross the solid water. "how you never got snow back home; it's not real, but Filss and I worked hard on this." He stepped away to allow her the chance to absorb the entirety of the room's environment. The air slipped across her cheeks sharply, turning them a delicate pink as her eyes moved across the numerous fir trees, pine needles a lush, rich green decorated with dollops of snow. "We did our best to make it real." York's voice pierced her single moment of memorization in a hope of curing his concern. It seemed hard for him to get a read on the red-head that stood out sharply against the dulled white.
"What do you think?" He queried Carolina as her eyes turned to the false heavens from which the snow fell, watching the clouds emit the tiniest pieces of white that sank through the air in the most intricate dance. Her eyes followed a single piece to the floor, where it became lost amongst all the others exactly like it. She still didn't answer York as she stooped down and trailed her fingers through the white sea on which they stood. Scooping a puddle up in her cupped palms, feeling the precision of its coolness; Carolina stood slowly as she toyed with what she held. She began to shape it with her fingers into something closely resembling a ball. Her toying smile was all the answer York needed; he dived out of the way as the solidly packed snow hurtled towards where he stood.
"You sure you want to play this game against a pro like me?" York asked in a jokingly arrogant tone, collecting snow for himself and shaping it in the form of a single weapon; this time, the answer knocked his only tool from his hand.
"Positive." Her voice accompanied the throw. The brunette looked up with an expression that closely resembled awe; she with fire for hair bore something much more smug. In her left hand sat another snow ball, perfectly ready to take York down.
"Five," She began counting, lifting her eyebrows as an indication of what was about to happen.
"four," York gasped and began packing snow together.
"three, two, one." With the final word, each of them started the performance of their lives.
For the whole of twenty minutes the pair ducked and wove around the onslaught of snow, shot by the other. It wasn't long before each bore a nose redder than Rudolph's and cheeks the colour of cotton candy. It was undeniably fun for each of them, the mere fact that York had worked so hard just to see her smile seemed to strike Carolina as she raised her arm to let loose another attack. Her actions paused, giving York time enough to hit her and let loose some laughter. The cold splash in the face was enough to stir her into action. Flinging the snowball she held with terrifying precision she hastily scooped up another lot of snow, making her way towards York.
She chose to rush at him, taking the male by complete surprise as they both tumbled to the floor.
"You know," York's cheeky grin suggested the comment he was about to make, "this part normally comes after dinner." snow to the face was his punishment. After her growl and short-lived moment of violence, their eyes locked and tenderness never before seen in Carolina grew. She lifted her frozen hand to carefully wiped the snow away, her fingers drawn to his scar, trailing down the marks and tickling his flushed skin.
"Thank you, York."
He responded with a laugh and an innocent "For what?"
"Watching out for me," Carolina's mind rushed with a flurry of thoughts, her emotions stretched and tugged. "like a guardian angel."
She knew what was right and wrong, she knew the rules and regulations, but in that single moment, she had been saved, and it was always right to thank your saviour.
"It depends on if you believe in that stuff." He spoke softly, lifting a hand to tuck away an annoying strand of free hair that had begun to tickle his face. Her eyes searched York's contemplating all that had occurred tonight, each attacking thought she had pushed away and all the moments of joy. Screw rules, she wasn't going to push any longer. Lips a whisper away from York's, she spoke softly.
"I believe in you."