#snowy reflections

[missedmilemarkers]

[honorhearted]

❄💋 (i will NOT turn this into another thread aka lies i have to tell myself xD)

Send me ❄💋 for our muses to kiss in the snow. / @laviexenrose

The park was relatively barren that afternoon, only giving way to the occasional jogger with their dog. With the ground laden with snow, and their breath fogging in front of their mouths, Ben couldn’t blame the rest of the world for choosing to burrow in on itself. Still, he’d never been much for adhering to the rest of the world, so with a fond smile, he held Isabelle’s gloved hand in his, gently squeezing while they trekked along through the swath of sparkling white.

Slowly, flecks of snow spiraled around and around, and Ben lifted a hand to catch a few into his palm. “You know, they say that no two snowflakes are alike,” he said. With a grin in Isabelle’s direction, he quipped, “I’d hate to be the sap who had to put that theory to the test.”

Stooping over, he gathered up a handful of snow between his gloved hands and packed it together, listening to the calming quiet that always accompanied this sort of weather. It was perhaps eerie to be this quiet in a city -- unnatural -- but it brought a sense of peace to Ben’s otherwise restless heart.

“When I was a kid, Samuel and I used to gather up snow and place it into our freezer,” he said. “We never wanted the snow to leave, so we’d just keep it in there undisturbed, long after all the snow had melted away outside.” With a grin, he explained, “Once summer rolled around, we’d finally take them out and have snowball fights in our yard. I’d forgotten how much I miss that...”

Expression softening, Ben looked in between Isabelle and the white orb in his hands, a hint of embarrassment flooding his face as he confessed, “That’s the last truly fond memory I have...until now. With you. Before we met, I didn’t think I’d ever feel warmth again. There was this icy chill in my chest, blocking everything off -- shutting everyone out -- but then you brought on the thaw, and suddenly, I was worried I might drown...” He was feeling too much, experiencing too much all at once, and it terrified him.

With a knot in his throat, Ben moved to speak, but then Isabelle’s mouth was suddenly on his, soft and warm and ardent in her enthusiasm. Deepening their kiss, he drank of her with an eager disbelief that never failed to accompany her touch -- why me? Why choose me? -- but then a mischievous sparkle came to his eye, and the moment Isabelle lowered back down to her feet, he playfully slapped the snowball over her head, causing the snow to scatter and shower down haphazardly around her shoulders.

With a laugh, Ben kissed her chilled brow before leaping back in preparation for her attack, his palms uplifting as he warned, “I’m a lot faster than you, and I’ve been known to have a wicked throwing arm. Do you really want to risk entering a snowball fight with a champion?”

[missedmilemarkers]