Let it snow.

"Today riches and honours have been lavished on me, but one gift has been lacking, the most important one of all, the only one that matters, the gift of youth."

Knut Hamsun

Sun penetrated the great dustiness of the grey and white clouds and became brighter than ever, beaming over each and every of the snow covered houses. The roofs, the windows, the doorsteps were all enticed with a hearty layer of ivory snow, as it glistened in the early morning sun. Not a sound to be heard on the abandoned streets, they inspired a certain desire to delight in these bequests of nature. Upon opening her eyes, a certain girl surveyed her surroundings. It came to her that she had fallen into a deep sleep without any intention of doing so. It was still quite early for the sun's rays indicated her of that and the silence to be present made her feel like she was gone from the world entirely. As if she were in a deep forest, where the only sounds were those of the animals and trees, blowing in the wind. Elena observed Damon, sleeping calmly beside her, looking almost intoxicated with the pleasure of sleep.

Elena poked him gently. Damon responded by laughing unconsciously, which made Elena mirror his emotion. With both of them freshly awake, they descended down the stairs, already dressed and were out the door in a mere moment. Their boots swept away the layers of snow as they made their way into town, the air felt pure, their breath crystalized every step of the way, the sun made them squint with its overpowering vividness. And so they went on hand in hand, giggling due to their inability to scarcely move. Damon held on to Elena's waist, not wanting to let her stray from him at any given moment. Now they could already see the tall, leafless trees, stripped bare from the stinging cold, at the very center of the jolly park. Laughter, people, life came from the place and the pair thought it would be charming to enjoy themselves with the rest of society.

Slightly shivering they walked along the almost snowless paths of the park, delighting in absolutely everything they saw - each tree, entwined with Christmas lights, each child, who threw snowballs restlessly at his friend, each dog that gently and calmly observed the winter wonderland. Damon and Elena came upon something that they both immediately agreed upon. The ice rink. Filled with people, the ice was letting off dusky air from its chilly surface. Damon and Elena rented their skates and were soon on the rink along with the other couples. Damon held Elena's hand passionately, desperately afraid for her, although she had told him that she knows how to skate. His mistrust was wrongly placed as Elena, giggling, let go of his tight hold and skated beautifully in circles first around him and then further away. Damon was forced to use all the skills he had to even catch up to her. He approached her unsure of his own stability, but once he was beside her, he put his arms around her and pulled her close.

The two of them were in the middle of the rink. Others passed by giving them a glance, observing the true romanticism that was present and radiating from the two. Elena's hands, in brightly white mittens, graced Damon's chest as she held on to him, her smile glorious beyond words and her eyes expressing true happiness. Damon delighted in her luminous attitude and charmed by her leaned towards her and his lips touched upon hers for a mere moment, for he was afraid of Elena's reaction. As they came apart his eyes searched for hers and when he found them, the black eyes, deep as night waters, stared right into him, and yet expressed desire and a certain cheerfulness. Damon wasted not a moment more; he pulled her as close as he could and softly caressing her cheek kissed her icy and cherry coloured lips once more, this time lasting what seemed to be eternity. Elena's heart beat dramatically and she felt herself tremble from pleasure and belonging. The sun beamed upon them, enlightening them with its joyous nature and canary rays, making them forget the moment and yet remember it most amongst all that had happened before.

They reclined in the royal blue settees and awaited their already ordered hot chocolates. It was now sunset and most of the early morning and day birds were gone. Lilac and amber revelled in the approaching night skies and made the ambiance all the more lovely. They sat in the café that was located right in the middle of the park; shaped like a gazebo it provided a perfectly cosy atmosphere and made one feel perhaps too snug.

Elena looked up from the small booklet that had been left on the table, which announced some event that resembled a Christmas celebration. Her cheeks glowed with the radiance of a dimmed cerise, her eyes looked watery and dazzling. Finally she spoke;

"This has been a wonderful day. I wish to have more of them," Damon smiled gently. Elena's smile could melt his heart time after time.

"Supposing we do have more of them? Perhaps we could make each day until Christmas this exciting and unforgettable. It would certainly make a charmingly memorable winter!" Elena smiled in agreement and nodded approvingly.

"I love this café. I have so many gay memories from here. I used to come here with my parents quite a lot when I was little and I remember each time I enjoyed a large piece of chocolate cake. I could not live without it. Then as I grew up, I remember coming here with Caroline, you know her don't you? We used to observe passers-by and comment on them and try to ascertain their personality and character just by their appearance. Now, I have also been here with you. I think you've made this place become different in my eyes. It still incredibly homely and wonderful, but there is something distinct about it now," Damon looked at her intently; her eyes looked down at the table, her long hair falling prettily along her shoulders, her smile light and airy. There was not a creature more beautiful than her. He was sure of that.

The waiter brought them their hot chocolates; the dark, fragrant and delicious liquid was in large white cups, rimmed and ornate with gold snowflakes. Elena sipped the beverage and delighted in the warmth it gave.

"What do you propose we do tomorrow?" Damon asked curiously.

"Do you think we should make plans or rather be spontaneous? I would rather think of things last minute. I find that much more exciting," Elena said, her eyes sparkling.

"I suppose you're right, darling," Damon stopped abruptly and tried to comprehend why on earth had he called her that, but unfortunately Elena had noticed.

"Darling?" She giggled cheerfully, "You make it sound like we're married," Damon smirked. They spent the rest of their afternoon at the café, delighting in each other's company and the feeling of Christmas that surrounded them. It was truly heaven as the lights went out and the small, beaming, golden lights appeared on each prop outside and inside and also throughout the forest of the park. They made their way home well past nine in the evening and considered the day well spent as they had spent it together in perfect harmony. What kept them excited beyond recognition was the promise of another unpredicted and surprising day, where they could once more enjoy their newfound love for each other.

Elena climbed under the covers of her perfectly starched and white bed. The smell of the raspberry tea beside her bed made her feel all the more content. Once she had cozied underneath the heap of blankets in her scarlet red pyjamas, she took her tea and began watching her favourite film 'Roman Holiday' with Audrey Hepburn. Such a wonderful day she had had and now was pleasantly tired after all the running and strolling around. The anticipation she felt for tomorrow, could not be described in words, so she lost herself in a different world altogether and awaited another adventure.


Note/ Sorry for my absence, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will most definitely post another one this week as compensation! I hope you are having a charming winter and please review!