The night air was a bit colder than I had thought it was going to be, and I held my arms tight around my body as we walked from the bar. I felt an arm drape itself across my shoulders and the wing of his trench coat settled around me, drawing me in with its warmth. I smiled and slid an arm about his waist, snuggling in as much as I could without disrupting our walking.

I knew he had something planned. I didn't know what, but it was enough to make him grin more often than usual. I could also see it in his eyes, the smug satisfaction of something he felt going right.

I slapped a hand against his belly playfully. "So, cowboy, where are we going?"

He smirked. "I thought we'd go and take in the sights in the park. They'll have the decorations up for Christmas. I seem to recall you saying that you loved looking at the lights.

I blushed. I had said that, something that my family did when I was little. We'd pile into the car and tour the neighborhood, looking at the 'neatos', as I called them. It was a sweet touch, something thoughtful.

"If I had known, I'd have brought another jacket," I said, pulling the lip of his closer around my shoulder.

"You got a problem with being tucked in with me?" he asked, a taunt in his voice.

"What if I do?" I retorted, facing him and halting our progress. I tilted my head invitingly.

He shrugged. "Well, I could relearn how to sleep alone, but we've already turned your room into an exercise gym."

He was still chuckling when I shoved him into the snowdrift.

Bastard drug me with him.

Good thing it's always warm when he kisses me.

Snow went right down the collar of my shirt. That was going to be cold later.

Well, at the rate things were going, before too long, snow down the back of a shirt won't be a big problem, really.

I shake the snow out of my hair and sit up. "Now what warranted that, Ms. Valentine?"

She snickered. "That's what you get for spurning a woman," she said, a haughty tone in her voice.

"Well, what do I get for doing this?" I asked, leaning forward.

She smiled.

At that point the snowball I had scooped together with one hand nailed her in the face. She sat there for a moment, surprise on her face. Then she was up, scooping up double handfuls of snow herself.

It felt good to stop acting our age for a little while. I didn't feel self-conscious about having a snow fight with her as I would have anyone else. I ducked behind a fence, dodging a slushball and made another snowball, poking my head out just in time to catch the next one she threw full in the face.

I sputtered and shook it out of my face and hair.

Time for plan b.

I grabbed a huge handful and ran up to her, sending her shrieking away. I caught her and wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her off the ground and made to try and shove the snow down the back of her collar.

My empty hand, ignored for the most part, dropped the velvet box into the pocket of her sweater. Then she kicked, knocking me off balance, depositing me on my back with the handful of snow going right into my face.

Heh. I'll go with it.

Goal was accomplished, anyway.

I can't help but laugh. He tried to drop a handful of snow down my blouse and wound up with it in his face instead. I get up and brush off my skirt, holding out a hand to help him up. He took it and stood, knocking snow off his clothes and then his hair. I ran a hand through my hair as well, fingers brushing through the tresses with ease. It was longer now, brushing against my shoulders.

He pecks me on the nose, grinning like a kid. Now I know something's up. I mean, sure, that was fun, but he's got that cow eating grin at full power. The only other times I've seen him smile like that is when teases me with the key to the Redtail. Normally it means he's pulled off some prank or scam.

I stick my hands in his back pockets. "Just what are you smiling about, Spike Speigel?"

"You'll find out," he said cryptically, the grin not fading.

I eyed him for another minute, then slid around so his jacket was covering me again, guiding him towards the hotel with a finger hooked through a belt loop.

"I suppose I have to teach you that trying to dump snow down a lady's clothes isn't nice," I said, leaning my head against his chest.

"Yeah, but you aren't exactly complaining about the outcome of that fight, I notice," he said, kissing the top of my head.

I shrug and pull in close as a particularly cold breeze blows past.

We reach the hotel and get a room on the fifth floor. As the elevator starts up, I stick my hands in the pockets of my sweater.

Hmm?

What's this?

Oh.

Oh my...

I see the look on her face as she opens the box. I can't help but smile at her shock. If jaws really could drop, hers would have been on the floor of the car. I turn and look at her.

"Something wrong, Faye?"

She was just staring at the box, not moving, not speaking. She takes the ring out of the box and just stares at it, not believing. She tears her eyes from the ring, looking at me.

I guess it was a good choice. It had a perfectly round diamond in the center, flanked by two stones the same shade as her eyes. The silver metal set off her skin tone perfectly, I thought.

Her jaw worked, trying to form words. I chuckled as I took it and slid it onto her hand. A perfect fit, of course. "Spike," she manages to get out.

I was already dropping to a knee. I may have a devil-may-care about most things, but I wanted to do this right.

"Faye," I started. She didn't let me get any further. She hauled me up by the jacket and kissed me fully.

"Do you really have to ask?" she said.

I chuckle. "I guess not,"

She smiles at me as we walk towards the hotel room. "I must say," she begins.

"What?" I ask.

"Well, you have good taste." She said.

I shrugged. "That's what you get when your dad runs a jewelry store," I said.

She smiled. "So, this is what you had planned all night," she said, as though accusing me of eating the last doughnut.

Which I've done on occasion and gotten called on it.

"I'm not done yet," I said.

She perked an eyebrow up. "Oh?"

I nodded.

Wait till she saw what I asked Jet and Ed to do while we were gone.