We sat with our backs up against a squat barricade of packed snow; our only defence against the unrelenting wind. On my left lay the tiefling, his yellow eyes clenched hard against the snowy whiteness. The occasional full-bodied shudder was the only sign that he still lived. And on my right sat Valen, solemn and silent as ever. Beneath me, I could feel the uncomfortable curve of his breastplate; the only thing stopping the snow from leaching into our clothes.

I had no memory of Valen building the barricade, as I'd passed in and out of consciousness. I only remembered his voice as it eventually pulled me out of the darkness. I'd blinked up at his pinched blue eyes, tight with worry, and had heard the crackling of a fire.

"Got marshmallows?"

It had been the first thing I'd said to him, as I'd fought against another full-bodied shiver. My voice had been raw, a croaky rasp. But it was worth it, just to see the relief pass across his face, softening the hard line of his mouth. Since then, I'd remained pressed hard against his side, unabashedly stealing his warmth as the stuttering fire did its best to stay lit.

"Well," I stammered as another hour passed with still there no portal. "This is less than ideal."

Valen scoffed. Leaning forward he fed the tiny fire another velox berry from his dwindling supply.

I'd spent the last few hours trying to think of another plan. Something, anything, which didn't rely solely on the yellow-eyed tiefling or his dubious contact. We'd been unable to wake him, and I'd begrudgingly admitted that the combination of the softsugar tea and his dip in the frigid water had probably earned him a few extra hours of sleep.

Not to mention whatever he'd gone through before saving me…

The potion I had slowly fed him had lightened the bruising on his face, and returned his deathly pallor to something closer to his usual tone. But I could only hope it had been enough to heal the other damage his armour hid.

But it will do nothing to raise his temperature…

The fire popped, shaking me from my thoughts.

Valen looked just as lost in thought; blowing warm air onto his gloves hands and staring into the flames. I could see his mind working behind troubled blue eyes and I felt the sudden urge to tuck a strand of his windswept hair behind a delicately pointed ear.

Scoffing, I shook my head, forcing my mind from that train of thought. But those ears weren't just for looks. He heard, turning to face me with a raised brow. At his expectant look, I fished for something to say.

"So," I started. "You really didn't have any plan?" My teeth chattered on each word. "I mean, beyond getting into Mephistar?"

"Sorry to disappoint." His shrug moved the cloak draped across both our shoulders, cold air rushing in between us. I pushed hard against his side to keep our small cocoon of warmth intact. "My plan ended at the doors of the palace." He almost sounded sheepish.

"Yeah. I noticed that," I could feel every point of contact between us. "You couldn't have come a little bit further in? Helped us get out?"

A faint smirk coloured his lips. "And just how was I supposed to know where you were? I would have run the risk of missing you entirely." He glanced at me side-on, his expression sly. "I knew you would find a way to use the attack to your advantage." I felt his shoulders move in another shrug. "All I had to do was wait by the doors."

The confidence in his tone almost made my freezing cheeks warm in a blush.

"I am pretty wiley," I joked.

But I couldn't stop my gaze from snagging on the sleeping tiefling on my other side, feeling a surprising flash of concern.

I sighed. "But I'd have died, without his help." I suddenly didn't feel like joking anymore.

Remembering the rotten stench of the demons that had come to my cell to kill me, my stomach roiled.

Lips set in a thin line, Valen considered the other tiefling. "Do not forget that it served his own purpose." He said carefully. "You helped him, just as much as he did you."

"I know that."

He huffed. "And it is beginning to look like he was lying about this portal."

"Then what do we do?"

At my tone, blue eyes darted back to me. He considered me for a moment, before he seemed to come to a decision. A little awkwardly, he placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me tight against him. His warmth was intoxicating. As he settled, his fingers grazed my neck, sending a jolt of electricity through me, before resting against my shoulder and then my arm. Taking a deep breath, I let myself relax.

I felt a jagged smile tug at my lips. "At least I'll freeze to death with good company," I murmured.

Valen gave my arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

For a while, the only sound was the wailing of the wind. And, try as I might, I could see nothing beyond the small bubble of light the fire offered. But, despite our exposed position and the sheer hopelessness of it all, I found my eyes were drifting shut when Valen eventually spoke again.

"I was thinking," he hummed, jolting me back into awareness. "We should seek out The City of Lost Souls." He drummed his fingers against my arm. "Perhaps the Reaper—"

Yawning, I shook my head. "Asmodeus said he'd dealt with him."

He scoffed. "Of course he did." A deep breath. "Well, it is a bearing, at the very least. We will come up with the next step once we are sure the Reaper cannot be of use." He raised his eyebrow at me pointedly. "You know well how much devils like to lie."

I felt the sting of shame and bristled. Did I? Asmodeus had never outright lied to me. It didn't make sense for him to start now. The same went for the yellow-eyed tiefling. They dealt in half truths and deceptions.

Before I could reply, my stomach clenched painfully, emitting a loud grumble. At the sound, Valen pulled away from me momentarily, fishing through his pocket. A moment later he pulled out a small leather pouch.

"Here. You must be hungry."

I could feel myself salivating. "Starving," I agreed.

Again, there was that look of concern; his eyes glancing over me so quickly I almost missed it.

I snatched the pouch from his hands, peeking inside to see some kind of jerked meat, torn into bite sized strips. The smell of it was overwhelming.

Smiling, I shoved a handful into my mouth.

It was hard, far too salty; but oh so wonderful. Barely five seconds later, still chewing noisily, I went back for another handful.

I let my eyes flutter shut. "Food," I groaned through a mouth full of food, drawing out the 'o'. "Gods, I love you."

...oh.

Hand frozen in the pouch, I blinked down at it in surprise.

Because my first instinct was to correct myself; to say I had been talking about the food.

It would have been easy.

But I didn't.

…Because I realised just how much I meant it.

I loved him.

I loved this stubborn man. This impossible tiefling who I'd told myself to keep away from, again and again. Who had come to hell — not once, but twice — for me.

And I needed him to know that I meant it.

Heart fluttering in my chest, I glanced up at him—

—to find him watching me carefully, watching as the thoughts played across my face.

Gently, he placed his hand atop mine, drawing it away from the pouch of food. He raised his other to my cheek, tracing the line of my lips with a thumb.

But then his eyes crinkled in laughter as he plucked a crumb of the jerky from my face. And I immediately felt the swell of need evaporate in a short burst of surprised laughter.

"You are a mess, my lady," he chuckled, flicking the food into the fire.

I rubbed a wrist against my smiling mouth, as I looked down at my equally messy clothes, nose scrunched in distaste.

"Yeah, I think these need to be burned."

But when I looked up for his reply — though his smile was still in place — his eyes were tentative.

"Jane, I… I need to tell you something."

A vice squeezed my chest, and for a moment I forgot the cold. His hands were back on my own. Eyes imploring.

"It is something I wanted to tell you in Waterdeep… but I was foolish. I didn't think…"

He didn't think I would leave so soon…

I flushed at the memory of his touch. And again I thought of that look I had seen in his eyes. He hadn't needed to say anything — not then, and not now. It had all been written on his face.

And it had been enough of a declaration for me to decide, then and there, to stay.

Valen cleared his throat, attempting to find the words, and I saw the heat of a blush climbing his neck. At his flustered nervousness, I felt the pressure in my chest disappear.

But I didn't let him say what he wanted to.

Because I already knew how he felt. I'd known for a while now.

It was time he knew.

I felt the flutter of butterflies in my chest.

"I love you, Valen."

He inhaled, eyes darting between my own. HIs lips pulled into a smile that lit up his whole face, as my free hand snaked up his neck.

He drew in another steadying breath to speak.

"Jane, I—"

I didn't stop to think. I leant across and kissed him.

It took him the barest second to react, then he twisted and kissed me back, arms winding tight around me, the hard planes of his body pressed against mine.

All too soon, I felt him pulling away.

Tightening my grip on his neck I tried to keep him there, for just a moment longer. I felt the ghost of a smile curve against my lips.

Reaching up, he caught my hand in his, and I huffed in frustration as he pulled away.

"You are impossible." He sounded exasperated, but his smile remained.

And then I heard the crackling of the fire, the howling of the wind, and I remembered where we were.

I tightened my grip on his hand, snaking my other up his chest.

I sighed. "Why did I have to be so damn stupid?" I pressed my flushed cheek against his chest. "We're both going to die here. And don't tell me it's not my own damn fault we're in this mess."

I felt his chest move in what might have been a huff of laughter — maybe a light scoff. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic."

I slapped his chest lightly, scowling through a bitter little smile.

I let myself enjoy the moment. Knowing that it would come to an end, and there was nothing he or I could do about it.

But Valen didn't allow me the moment to wallow. He lifted my chin and forced me to meet his eyes.

"This is all your fault." He brushed the hair back from my cheeks, cupping my face in his rough hands. "We are probably going to die here." He skimmed his lips over mine. "And what I was trying to say, before my lady very rudely interrupted, is that I love you. With all my heart."

He kissed me again, and this time, he didn't stop – not until my cheeks were flushed and my heart was racing, not until I could barely remember where we were and what that meant. Not until we felt the heat of the fire waning.

And, once the fire was fed, we slept curled up against each other, beneath the starless sky of Cania.