When I opened my eyes I was warm. Was that all a dream?

I turned over, rubbing my head as I did so. Then I froze, looking around in confusion.

Not a dream then. But where…?

I stood, surveying my surroundings.

The floors and walls were all made of wood. I had been lying on a rustic bed, and above it was a window through which all I could see was white. The room was small and bare of any other furniture than the bed, but on the wall adjacent to the window was a small, wooden door. I approached it, turning the knob and peeking through cautiously. It lead into a much bigger room, what appeared to be a joined kitchen and living room. In the living room area sat a table with two chairs, and beside them stood a small couch facing a fireplace that was steadily crackling away. On the other side of the room stood a fairly basic kitchen, but what surprised me was…

"You!" I said suddenly, recognizing the persons back. She immediately jumped and turned with a surprised expression. She was wearing a plain blue dress that fluttered around her knees. On top of it was a grey apron, which she promptly wiped her hands on when she spotted me.

"You're finally up!" She said happily, blinking her big blue eyes innocently, "You scared the hell out of me."

I froze. For such a pretty girl, she had such a foul mouth… And she was pretty, even I had to admit. Her long golden hair was plaited thickly down her back, brushing at her lower back when she turned her head. Her skin was pale (although that was common for people from the wintery north) but her cheeks were rosy. Hey eyes were a brilliant blue, framed perfectly by a set of dark, thick lashes. To top it all off was her pink lips, curved into a smile.

If Storm saw you… he'd propose. Definitely.

"What am I doing here?" I asked harshly, my throat sore. She rolled her eyes and continued to bustle around, collecting bowls and cooking implements as she did so.

"Well," She started in a loud voice, "I don't know what happened to you, but when I left the inn I realized quite quickly I was being followed," She turned to give me a wry smile, "By somebody slow," Did she just call me slow? "But I chose to ignore them. Until, that is, I realized that they were stupid enough to go out into a storm wearing summer clothing," She shook her head in disbelief, "So I decided to spare death from the pain of having to deal with the idiot, and I dragged him all the way back to my house."

"… Aren't you a bit too casual?" I asked slowly, staring at her in confusion.

"Well I don't know who you are outside of this storm," She said, turning and throwing me a wooden bowl, "But inside it, you're at my mercy," She grinned wickedly, "Which means you have to help me make dinner."

"What are you- Wait," I looked at her in horror, "Dinner?! How long have I been here?!"

She looked up at the roof thoughtfully, "Since last night."

"What?!" I shouted, dropping the bowl as I did so, "That's-! I have to get back, thank you for your hospitality," I turned to the door leading outside and ripped it open. Well, I tried to. It wouldn't budge, "Unlock the door, quickly!"

"It's not locked," She said, laughing softly, "You're not from around here, are you? That's a blizzard out there. We've been snowed in."

"But I have to get back!" I said, frantic, "How can you be so calm?!"

"Well," She said slowly, walking forward to pick up the bowl I had dropped, "How about you try telling that storm you have to get back? That seems to work," She said wryly, passing me the bowl again, "And I'm calm because there isn't anything to be done about the storm," She walked to the door beside the kitchen area, "But there is something to be done for dinner."

I felt like ripping out my hair. I'd been away for a whole day. By this stage they were probably panicking.

Or maybe not, the thought made my heart twist painfully.

"Are you coming or what?" She shouted from the next room. I hesitated, and then decided to follow her. After all, I didn't want to be too rude. Adding 'freeloader' to the image of the Judgment Knight probably wasn't a good idea.

When I entered the room she had disappeared to I froze. She was looking at me smugly as I took in the scene.

All around me was… life. Flowers, plants and vines surrounded the room. The whole room was made of glass, showing the whirling storm of snow raging outside in the dwindling light of the evening.

"Well?" She said expectantly, leaning forward in anticipation with big eyes, "What do you think?"

"This is amazing," I said, unable to believe what I was seeing. I realized a second too late that I wasn't acting like the Judgment Knight, "Ah! I mean-" I was flustered, feeling like shrinking under her amused gaze, "That-I-I"

"I knew it!" She said with a laugh, "You're not so scary."

Now I really feel like shrinking. I asked in a small voice, "Please don't tell anybody…"

Now it was her turn to be confused, "Why?"

"I'm the Judgment Knight," I said slowly, staring at her uncomprehendingly, "I'm not meant to be… Well I should be cold and heartless, so…"

She tilted her head, staring at me blankly before saying, "Why?"

"Just- Because," I said, not understanding her lack of, well… understanding.

"Weird guy," She muttered, turning and beginning to pluck fruits from the greenery carefully, "I'll keep your secret, so stop acting so stiff."

Don't poke me where it hurts… I thought, but tried to oblige. After all, she hadn't run away screaming at the sight of me. Always a good sign.

I followed her cautiously, holding the bowl in front of me warily as she plopped the different fruits, vegetables and herbs in it. Slowly it began to fill higher and higher, making me curious.

"Are you expecting to eat all of these?"

She stopped, looking from the tomato in her hand with shock to the almost full bowl, "Ahh!" She exclaimed, looking flustered, "I took too many!"

… You're absent-minded, huh?

She stood for a moment, stuck in an internal debate before exclaiming loudly, "Ah whatever! I'll just freeze the leftovers."

She stormed out of the room angrily, tossing her hair behind her as I watched, bemused. I was following her out when I saw a small cluster of Sunflowers to the side. I put the bowl down and walked over to them, running my hands over the petals and feeling nostalgic.

"What?" I jumped and turned to see her peeking around the corner of the door with a cheeky expression, "So the cruel and cold-hearted Judgment Knight likes sunflowers?"

I flushed and she laughed, exiting the room properly. I followed, grabbing the bowl and trying to keep my calm. When I entered she was wielding a large knife and looking at me expectantly.

"Do you cook?" I shook my head and she sighed, nodding to herself before grabbing the bowl and setting it in front of herself, "Well today you'll learn something new then."

She passed me a knife and I moved to stand on the opposite side of the bench, trying to appear diligent. She grabbed a round tomato and put in on the bench, balancing the blade of her knife over it, "All you have to do is hold it like this then push," She said, forcing the knife down. It caught on the skin before finally giving way and sending the guts of the tomato oozing out. I frowned, looking at it closely.

"Are you sure?" I said slowly, looking at the mangled tomato, "Don't you think you should maybe," I copied her but drew the knife back and forth, cutting clean through the tomato, "Do it like this?"

She flushed slightly and shook her head, "No it's definitely this way!"

"But it makes the tomato go all squishy…" I said, looking between our two tomato's in confusion. Mine had definitely held together more, "I'm pretty sure it's better to slice than crush…"

"Nuh-uh!" She said, crushing another tomato, "It's definitely this way!"

I looked at her, realization dawning on me, "You don't cook either, do you?"

She looked embarrassed, "Brother usually does it… But I always watch! I'm sure it goes like this!"

"You're too stubborn," I argued, "Isn't this way better?"

"You see! I'll definitely beat you! I don't care if you're the Judgment Knight or whatever!" She said fiercely, beginning to crush them in earnest.

I smiled to myself as I continued, slicing them cleanly and pushing them to the side quickly. We continued in silence for some time before I started to laugh to myself, unable to control it any longer.

"What are you laughing at?" She said in an outraged voice, face red.

"I'm having a tomato race," I managed, shaking my head, "I'm arguing with a strange girl and cutting tomato's," I sighed, still smiling as I said, "If the others saw me they might faint in surprise."

"Oh? Afraid of hurting your big, bad reputation?" She said cheekily, a grin tugging on her face as well, "Just wait until you tell your friends you got beat by a 'strange' girl!"

The smile faded slightly and I shook my head, "I don't have friends to tell, I'm afraid."

She looked shocked before turning uncomfortable, "Oh. I'm… sorry."

"Don't be," I shook my head, "I may not have friends but I have lots of comrades."

She looked confused, "The difference?"

"Well," I started, unsure, "Comrades are people you fight together with. Friends are… people you talk to for enjoyment?"

"Oh," She said suddenly before becoming excited, "We're talking for enjoyment, aren't we?"

I laughed, "I suppose. I'm not sure it's the same thing."

"Oh," She looked down sadly, eyebrows knotted in worry, "We're not friends?"

I immediately felt guilty, "We can be friends, if you want," I said quickly.

"You're really…" She looked away and I stilled, afraid she would begin to cry. Instead she began to laugh loudly, "You're such a softy! Don't look so worried, jeez!"

"You tricked me," I said indignantly.

"Yep," She said happily, grinning widely and revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, "But that's okay, cause we're friends now."

"Oh?" I said, arching an eyebrow, "Then you won't be too disappointed that your friend beat you at tomato racing.

She looked down at our tomato piles in shock before exclaiming, "No fair! You must have cheated!"

"More importantly," I said slowly, looking at the two mountains of tomato's in front of me, "What are we cooking?"

She looked at me blankly, "Tomato's?"

"Just tomatos?" I said incredulously.

She shook her head, "No! Do you think I'm an idiot?!"

Oh thank the God of Light that I won't have to survive off of only tomato's…

"There's potato and spring onion too!"

… You're cruel, God of Light.