OMG two updates in less than a week?! Wow I surprised myself. Hope you guys like it. Only two more chapters and an epilogue to go!

Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be. –AntonChekhov

Over the course of my life I had never really liked the person I was, especially when I arrived in Mineral Town. I had always felt like I was a burden, like I didn't belong. I felt as if I was an outcast, and had thought it would be better for me to return to the city.

But I had no place else to go. All I had was my miserable grandfather, and each day of living hell that I lived through. Even when I had felt so strong for Mary, I didn't like who I was. I had always thought that if we were together that she would change that. But with Claire I had no desire to change. I was fine being myself.

And yet I had changed. Those who were closest to me realized it. Grandpa knew, Mary knew, and even Jack. The only ones that remained oblivious were Claire and I. Maybe because it was something that had happened gradually over time, maybe I didn't recognize it because it had been a long process, or perhaps I had just not wanted to admit it.

But with Claire…I liked the person I was. I never thought ill of myself when she was around. I simply was.

Claire didn't mind if I was fitly from work, and she didn't mind my roughness or my short temper. And the more I was around her, the stronger I felt for her…the more I became a better person. I had patience where there had once been irritation. I had the ability to be gentle where I was once rough, and where there had once been anger and resentment filling me, I was rather happy with things the way they were.

Claire had that effect on people.

Freezing cold. Certain parts of my anatomy had retreated inside of me cold. And here I was hiking up this damn mountain. In the freezing cold. That I hated by the way. And why?

"You didn't really have to do this you know," her soft voice floated through my cold ears and I looked at the blond woman, squeezing her hand slightly and continuing to plow through the snow and up the mountain.

"I wanted to," I finally responded after a long pregnant silence. I could sit here and complain all I wanted. But the reason I was doing this was because I wanted to. For her.

I let out a relived sigh when we crested the area by the lake, my breath crystallizing in a small warm puff for a second. I dropped the bag in front of the large tree stump by the entrance of the lake, causing Claire to jump as the snow crunched beneath it. I pulled her towards the tree stump, pushing her back into it and causing her to sit.

"Jack said…that before…well he said that you really liked the winter," I began as I unzipped the bag, pulling out a pair of pink shoes. Well they were actually ice-skates that Jack had fished out of Claire's belongings without her knowing. "And I wanted to bring you up here to do this…and I would…well I would…you know do it with you if I knew how. But I don't…" I rambled on, placing the skates in her lap and putting her hands on them so she didn't end up slicing her hands on the blade or something.

They looked fairly sharp, and I wasn't familiar with this particular hobby. But the moment she moved her fingers down and felt the steel beneath them, her face lit up. And in that moment the trek up the mountain didn't seem like that big of an inconvenience.

It was ironic that a year ago I was a little further up the mountain and heart broken. And yet there I was a year to the day later, and I couldn't have been happier.

"Gray…" she began, her face flushing a light pink to mach her tiny scarf she'd gotten for her birthday. Jack had sent away for some matching earmuffs that she had worn since the first snowflake had fallen. I had personally never cared for pink, but on Claire…well it was closely becoming my second favorite color. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling off her snow boots and putting on the skates. She had a gentle smile on her face as she laced up the straps, and when she was done she sat patiently on the stump.

"Ah…it's…it's no problem," I mumbled out, pulling my hat down over my face. Things like that, how softly she spoke to me…it did something to me.

Being with Claire, and my feelings for her. The fact that I fell in love with her. They didn't happen instantly. It was something that happened over time. And maybe it was because of that that I felt unsure. It was because there wasn't this instant feeling of love that I was confusing affection with friendship. Not to mention I had never been the brightest crayon in the box anyway.

I lead the woman out onto the frozen lake, giving her a reassuring smile. But I knew it was more for me than it was for her. She very well couldn't see it after all. But to me…I was reassuring myself. I didn't want to hurt her, I didn't want her to be hurt because of my negligence.

I didn't mean to.

Ever.

I never wanted it to happen…

I smiled at the feeling of the soft wool glove against my calloused skin, our fingers cupping as I walked backwards, pulling her to me. She was giggling at her own clumsiness, wobbling back and forth. But I wouldn't let her fall. And she knew that. Because Claire trusted me.

To bad I hadn't trusted myself.

Eventually she got the hang of it again, and she skated perfectly in my opinion. But I kept a hold of her hand, her glove covered fingers held securely in between my frozen digits. And I walked next to her, sometimes jogging as she sped up. I didn't want to let her go. Because the truth was I was afraid she would get hurt.

I wanted to protect her. And she let me. Even when she didn't need it.

It had been a while, long enough for my skin to lose feeling when the snow began to fall. I stopped, causing Claire to jerk back and her skates to make an abrasive scrapping sound on the ice as she tumbled into me.

I wrapped one arm around her waist to secure her, my eyes narrowed on the falling snow. It was a lot…and I knew that we wouldn't make it down the mountain if it continued or Goddess forbid snowed harder.

"Gray what is it?" she whispered, her small hands squeezing my forarm around her waist. I looked down at her, her face furrowed in slight confusion.

"The weather just changed," I said quietly, looking back to the large bag by the tree stump. "You need to take those off. I'm afraid the fun is over," I muttered, turning her in the direction and holding her hand as I walked over towards the bag,

"Will it be okay to walk back in the snow?" she asked, squeezing my hand tightly as she turned her head in my direction. I frowned at her worried expression and chewed on the inside of my cheek.

"We're not walking back…we're going to have to take shelter in the mines," I said firmly, trying my best to sound sure of the plan and not cause her to fret. And for the most part I knew the winter mine was safe. I could build a small fire that wouldn't cause a lot of smoke, and I had a blanket in the bag. I had spent my share of nights in this mine over the last few years.

But I didn't know if Claire would be alright. She was so small, and I didn't imagine that she generated that much body heat. But I would do my best to protect her.

"It's fine Gray," she finally said as I sat her down on the stump. She didn't hesitate as she began to unlace her skates. "I trust you to do what is best for our safety," she added thoughtfully as the skates hit the snow.

I blinked at her a moment as I grabbed her snow boots from the bag and replaced them with her ice-skates. I placed the boots in front of her and couldn't help but to grin up at her.

"That…that means a lot to me. That you…believe in me to make the right decisions."

And she always did. And if I had trouble, she would help me. She would decide for me. And every time but once…well she had only been wrong once.

"Are you sure you're warm enough? I can give you my jacket if you're cold," I said worriedly, looking at the petite woman curled up on the cold ground and resting against my chest. She shook her head and just moved more against me, burying her head under the blanket. I hadn't been able to build a fire. All the wood around the lake was just to wet to light.

"You're body heat is enough," she murmured out, though it was hard to believe her since she was shivering like crazy. I sighed and shook my head, moving and leaning my back against the wall. It would be uncomfortable for me, but if I didn't do it then the woman might freeze to death.

"Claire come here," I said sternly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in my direction. I pulled her in between my legs, were her back rested against my chest. Then I grabbed the large blanket and wrapped it around us. I rested my chin on the top of her head and sighed again. "Better?" I murmured out, and I felt her nod some.

"Y-yeah. It's better…" she managed out through slightly chattering teeth.

With in twenty minutes Claire had stopped shaking and was asleep. I stayed awake most of the night, listening to the howling wind of the snow storm. I should have been scared, or worried for myself. But the only thing on my mind was keeping her safe. Keeping her warm, and keeping her alive.

All in all…it was the most terrifying night of my life. And at some point I had shifted and removed my jacket to put it around her as well. Because I didn't want her to suffer at all.

I wasn't sure exactly when sleep claimed me that night, but I didn't wake up until I felt her small warm body leave mine. I had opened my eyes to see Jack clinging to her, mumbling thanks to the Goddess that she was fine. And I had wearily met his gaze over her shoulder, and I couldn't help it.

I had smiled at him. A reassuring smile. And he had returned it. Because he and I both knew something in that moment.

I would never let anything happen to her if I could help it.

Because I loved her.

…and I never wanted what I had with her to end. But I was stupid. I didn't know at the time- at the end…what I wanted. And Claire…Claire had decided for me. She thought she knew what I would want the most.

But she was wrong.

Because more than anything in this world…

I wanted her.

Those moments with Claire…those memories that are so important to me now are fading, and the blur into one long dream. But I want to cling to them and not let them go. And because of that…I never want to wake up.