"Chocolate for you, Valkyrie?" China smiles cordially as she stands to go to the kitchen, to attend to beverages for her guest and herself.
"Just tea, thanks," says Valkyrie, politely as she can. The room is warm, as overheated as any indoor place in the Irish winter, and Valkyrie is beginning to regret not wearing anything under her jacket, as it is far too hot.
"What kind?"
"Whatever. Earl Grey works, I suppose."
"All-right, then." China is still smiling as she returns to the coffee table, next to which Valkyrie is slumped. "So, how has your first week of the Christmas season been? Anything particularly interesting happen?"
Valkyrie sighs, frowning and closing her eyes for a moment. "God. It's been hectic. Far too many exciting things for me thus far. I need some peace."
"I think you'll find that I'm a very peaceful person, Valkyrie," China says with a strange look on her face. "If you want me to be, of course."
As she leans herself weakly into the kiss, all Valkyrie can think of is how cool China's skin is and how at ease it puts her, an island of sanity in the world that she now calls home.
A/N: If anyone knows where I got the second-to-last line from, I would love to know. Because I'm pretty sure I didn't come up with it, but I cannot for the life of me remember who did.
~Mademise Morte, December 7