PERCEPTION (SIGHT) – The snow begins to fall more heavily than you’ve seen in the past couple days. You notice the lieutenant raise his collar against the cold.
LOGIC – You’re well-dressed for this weather, in your revolutionary ushanka, fingerless gloves, and oversized anorak. But Kim’s jacket does not afford him the same warmth.
YOU – You run back toward the remains of the Feld building, coming to a stop beneath the boardwalk.
KIM KITSURAGI – “Detective, we really need to get back to the Whirling.”
YOU – “Wait. We should take a moment, make sure we’re ready to face whatever is waiting for us there. Whatever we find isn’t going to be any easier in this snow.”
EMPATHY – Both of you are still shaken by your confrontation with Ruby. Taking a moment to breathe, to gather your thoughts, will do you both good.
KIM KITSURAGI – “Okay.” He removes his lighter and his one daily cigarette from an interior jacket pocket.
PERCEPTION (SMELL) – The warm chestnut smoke he exhales from his lungs is sweet as it surrounds both of you.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) – The smoke rises to meet the falling snow. The broken boardwalk isn’t doing much to protect against the snow – you watch the flakes shimmer as they melt into his hair.
KIM KITSURAGI – His cigarette is warming, but not enough. The lieutenant tries to pull his collar even further up. You hear the rustle of nylon as he tries to sink further into his jacket.
SHIVERS – SHARE MY WARMTH, MY GIFT, WITH HIM.
YOU – You unzip the anorak, and wrap your arms around his waist.
ESPRIT DE CORPS – In the accumulation of all the trust you’ve cultivated this week, he returns the gesture, his arms reaching into the jacket to encircle you.
EMPATHY – You recently wondered if anyone would ever hold you again. He sometimes asks himself the same question. And for you both, the answer is so much better than you could have imagined. You promise yourself that you’ll never forget the press of his gloved hands, fingers splayed across your back.
YOU – You grab onto the jacket and hold it shut around him.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The condensation of your breath next to his ear does little to conceal its flush. His face is nestled into the soft, faux fur collar of the coat – you’re glad he can’t see the same redness on your face.
PERCEPTION (TOUCH) – You can feel the rise and fall of his chest, his steady heartbeat, and the growing warmth of his body. It would be so easy to press your lips to his ear or cheek – but even you know that this isn’t the time.
The scene near the Whirling grows increasingly tense – you know what you have to do now. This will be your greatest challenge, but you are bolstered in the knowledge that you can bear it as long as he’s with you.
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