A/N: I tried to do a bulk upload of stories I've had lingering almost finished, and it never worked.
This story was inspired by Headspace's Sleepcasts again. It just makes me happy! And sleepy... enjoy!
Snow Covered Park
Jay had never really been one for silence. He was a man with a Presence, you would always know he was there and he was loud. Silence wasn't really his thing, until now.
He was sat, icy fingered in Auradonia Park staring at the whiteness that had enveloped the normally busy little area. It was muffled and everything sounded cloudy, and Jay slowly inhaled, and the breath burned his lungs cold. It was comforting in that moment; with the world oddly quiet, and all seemed at peace, for once this included Jay.
He was still entranced by snow, even after so many years in picturesque Auradon rather than the gritty Isle. Snow still made him stop charging around and take notice of the world about him. He had donned a beanie, pulled on his thick woollen coat, wrapped a Jane-made scarf around his neck, tugged on his winter boots and grabbed the gloves from the table before all but running out to the park below his apartment. Now he stood, alone on an early winter's morning surrounded by snow.
He swept snow from a park bench and tugged his coat beneath his legs before he sat down. He turned his coffee cup in gloved hands, idly watching the steam rising in whirls and swirls while his breath puffed in front of him. Pursing his lips, he blew icy rings, and plumes of frozen breath, he couldn't help but make a small 'choo-choo' noise. He heard the odd bird or two and heard the sprinkle of snow as the creatures hopped from branch to branch, displacing the fluffy white layer.
There was an occasional car rumbling somewhere on the northern edge of the park where the road was closest, but it was rare and everything felt as though it was wrapped in cotton wool. Finally, as the cold started to nip at his nose, Jay stood and stretched, feeling the satisfying pop as his back cracked. Placing his used cup in the recycling bin, he set off purposefully for the west side, where a small stream ran through; he wanted to see if it had frozen over or not.
Unable to resist temptation he veered from the gritted path to the fresh snow on the grass and tramped his way through. He moved in loops, changing his footsteps as he did, leaping from foot to foot before jumping with two feet, leaving behind an odd mixture of tracks. He shuffled the last part, building a snow bank around his ankles that started to soak through his trousers, not that he cared too much. He appreciated the crunch of the snow as it compacted beneath the soles of his boots and carefully made the last few steps before the water's edge, leaving perfect footsteps behind him.
The stream was still running, it was icy on the edges but still bubbling away, much fuller than usual because of the melt. It was dragging stray leaves and twigs with it, and there were more birds nearby. It was almost noisy compared the circles he had been weaving on the way here. Jay laughed, startling the wildlife into a hesitant silence before they cautiously started their twittering once more.
Tramping away from the water, Jay felt rosy cheeked and content as he drifted through the park. He ducked down beneath branches, and he shivered when the snow dripped down the back of his neck. He continued to make footprints in the new snow, giggling to himself as he wrote out words in huge letters, starting with his name. He managed to spell out Lonnie in sloppy cursive, before making a huge leap for the dot of his exclamation point.
Jay soon ended up at the park gates again, and he stared back at all the fresh snow he had made his mark on with a childish grin. With a sudden realisation that made him jerk his gaze skyward he saw it was snowing again - all of his work would soon be covered and ready for the next person to run amok in.