Looking out the window, he sees white, thick snowflakes. It's early December and colder in america than it's been in a long time. Today is his day off and he knows exactly what he wants to do with it.
He checks the contents of his backpack to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything.
"Okay, so skates are in there, gloves, scarf, tea and cookies. Wonderful, that will be a surprise." He is pleased and leaves the house. He has already announced to his girlfriend the night before that he has a little surprise for her and that she should be warmly dressed in front of her apartment at 11:00 am in the morning.
When he arrives at her place, she beams at him from afar. He can't help it at the sight of her and starts smiling too. He gets out of the car and they both move towards each other.
"Hey honey, you look really damn cute in that bobble hat." He grabs the piece of wool on either side of her ears and lovingly pulls her to him to bridge the last few inches for a kiss. She giggles into the kiss, putting some distance between him and herself.
"Thanks, I picked out the one with the pom-pom on it especially so you'd have something to laugh about." She kisses him again, breathing as she goes. "I can't wait for the surprise and now let's go, it's cold." They both have to laugh and get into the car.
As he turns into the parking lot her eyes brighten and a big grin forms on her lips.
"We're going ice skating? Are you serious Street?" She looks at him incredulously and waits.
"Yeah sure, there's nothing better in weather like this and a little birdie told me you love it." He grins mischievously at her.
"Luca." She laughs and he joins in.
"Exactly and now off to the rink with us. I even brought your skates Chris." He informs her. Questioningly she looks at him, but then she realizes.
"Luca." They both say in chorus.
Holding hands, they skate to the rink. It is relatively empty, which Street is glad about, skating is not exactly his greatest talent.
"So let's put these things on and do some pirouettes." He jokes and Chris can hear his uncertainty.
"Don't worry Jim, I'll guide you, nothing can happen to you." She has to stifle a giggle.
"Go ahead and make fun of me. I'll be fine." He says confidently and slowly wobbles onto the ice.
Carefully he skates off while holding on to the rail. Chris watches the scene with amusement and she skates her laps safely.
"Come here, give me your hand. We'll start gently." She hands him hers and gently she pulls him more toward the center of the rink. "See, it's working out pretty well already." She smiles at him.
"You realize, I hope, how much I must love you to put myself in mortal danger like that." He says in a serious tone and has to stifle a mischievous grin.
"You're so brave Street." She tries to echo just as seriously.
After a few laps, Street becomes more confident and even dares to ride a few meters by himself. Chris is careful to stay close to him so she can intervene if he gets too confident, which can happen with him. A few minutes later they ride hand in hand, smiling at each other in love.
"You make me so happy." It comes suddenly from him and he looks at her with a love in his gaze that makes Chris get goosebumps.
"I love you Jim." She says and without thinking she stops abruptly, turns in front of him, takes his face in her hands and kisses him deeply.
"I love you too." He strokes her cheek with his fingers. "But nonetheless, I want to go for another ride by myself now. After all, I'm getting better by the minute!" He shouts while he is already running and before Chris can say anything to warn him it has happened.
The band door has opened as another couple enters the rink and since he only has Chris in his sights, he hasn't noticed. With a huge thud, he lands on his butt. Completely stunned he sits on the ice and somehow he is very embarrassed.
"Street, are you okay?" She stands next to him and looks at him with concern. He looks up at her and grins.
"Sure I am, nothing knocks me out that fast and um just so you know, it's your fault!" He laughs and shimmies back up the rail.
The ride home is relatively quiet. Chris is simply content and reviews the beautiful morning. She looks over at Street and observes his concentrated gaze on the road. Automatically she has to smile and she realizes once again how much she loves this chaotic and loving man. She notices Street blinking over at her.
"Are you okay?" He asks, frowning.
"Yes. Everything is perfect." She reaches for his hand resting on the automatic switch and squeezes it. "Thank you for the lovely surprise Jim." She says softly. A big glow forms on his lips.
"Happy to do it again anytime." He says, taking her hand that is resting on his and kissing her knuckles.
Once home, Chris tends to the contents of Street's backpack. By now it's gotten dark outside and he's thinking about what they could do now. He quickly gets the answer from his stomach. He growls.
"Honey, do you want to cook something? I'm hungry as hell." He calls out towards the bedroom where Chris is.
"Good idea, what are you in the mood for?" She replies as she walks back into the living room.
"How about pasta and salmon sauce?" He's already standing by in the kitchen, just waiting for his girlfriend to go.
"Sounds wonderful." She comes closer, propping her arms on the counter and looking at him with a grin. "I baked some gingerbread with almonds yesterday. We could nibble those on the sofa with tea later." She adds.
"Sounds like a plan. Sofa with you is always great." He grins mischievously and sets to work on the salmon.
Chris joins him and starts boiling the cream. She seasons the sauce properly and adds a squeeze of lemon at the end.
"Here, try some." She lifts the spoon with a dab of sauce on it. He carefully puts it in his mouth and tastes.
"Mmm that tastes fantastic. Then I can add the salmon now, or?" He wants to know.
"Yes, put it in. I'll add a bit of chives, then we'll have something green as well." The water for the pasta is also already on and while the two wait for it to boil, they exchange wild and hot kisses. Chris sits on the counter and clasps her legs around Street.
"Somehow I could do without dinner right now." He murmurs between kisses, sliding his hand down her left side. But the next moment there is a loud growl from his stomach.
"I guess your body sees it differently dimples." She giggles reluctantly lets go of him. "Come on, I'll throw the noodles in the water and you set the table?" She gives him a wait and see look and with much protest he does as she suggested.
The two enjoy the meal and exchange amorous glances. They always have a topic of conversation and every now and then they have to laugh out loud as they talk about old SWAT missions and experiences with their team.
"Remember when Luca wanted to sleep over at one of our places and we were desperate to find him a place to stay?" Street has to laugh at the thought.
"Oh yeah, that was one of those times. And then Duke came along. I think the two of them really understand each other blindly and we couldn't have done anything better." Chris says.
"That's true, but I still don't like to think back on that day." He pauses and she frowns, but actually knows what he means and grabs his hand.
"I almost lost you then." He whispers and swallows for a moment.
"But you didn't. I told you then that you wouldn't get rid of me so easily." She smirks, trying to distract him from his dark thoughts.
"Even though your persistence and stubbornness sometimes drive me to the brink of insanity, I also love you for exactly that." He leans in and kisses her tenderly.
"I love you too, but don't distract me now, it's your turn to put away the dishwasher." She reminds him and raises an eyebrow.
"Crap, I thought it was working." He winks at her and sets about clearing the table.
Not half an hour later, they're both sitting on the sofa. Chris has snuggled into Streets side and he has an arm around her. Next to them on a small table are the gingerbread and two cups of fruit tea.
"So what do we want to look at?" She asks him, looking up at him. Street looks a little uneasy and bites his lower lip. "What's up?"
"Um I don't even dare ask this right now, but can we maybe watch Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella? I loved that movie as a kid and I think it's just part of the run-up to Christmas." He looks at her almost apologetically and smiles sheepishly.
Chris can't help it and starts laughing. She doesn't laugh at him, but at that moment he looks like a little boy and she just loves that look so much.
"Are you laughing at me now?" He asks almost indignantly.
"What, no! I really like that movie too. We can watch it. You just looked so cute, I couldn't help it." She admits, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well, I'm glad we two are in harmony on that point too." He says with relief and kisses her temple. "Let's do this." He presses play and the two are enchanted by the movie and have arrived in the fairy tale world.
At the end of the movie, Chris stretches and yawns.
"That was such a beautiful day. We need to do something like this more often, yeah?" She looks into his eyes with a smile and gets only a nod from him. "What?" She asks.
"Nothing, just enjoying your laugh. I love you with all my heart Chris. More than anything in the world." His words touch her so much that she gets tears in her eyes. She runs her fingers down his cheek.
"Oh Jim, I love you too. You're the most important person to me." He kisses her passionately and the kisses get wilder and wilder.
Without further ado, he stands up without breaking the kiss, picks her up in his arms and walks with her to the bedroom. Chris manages to flip the light switch with a single kick of her foot and so the two spend a wonderful, passionate night.
