AN: currently updating and re-working my old fics!

"I love you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I love you too, Dom." He smiled at her and dropped to one knee, pulling a ring from his breeches.

"Kel, will you marry me?" She looked into his eyes, and smiled.

"Of course, Dom." And then they kissed under the falling snow and she lost herself into his impossibly warm embrace.

Kel woke with a start, gasping for breath. She got dressed quickly underneath her sheets, trying to trap in the residual heat of her body. She found him standing outside the practice courts, where they'd decided to meet the day before. She jumped into Dom's waiting arms and kissed him. He pulled away and stared at her.

It had finally started to snow outside, with a single-mindedness that could only mean the arrival of midwinter. It was beautiful, but he couldn't pay it much attention - there was something much, much more beautiful in front of him. Her nose was slightly red from the cold and her eyes were over-bright and her breath came out in parchment-white wisps, and she was perfect. Looking at her made his heart hurt.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I love you too, Dom." He smiled and dropped to one knee, pulling a ring from his breeches.

"Kel, will you marry me?" Their kiss was long and sweet, devoid of secrecy for once. It didn't matter that they stood somewhere so public - in this torrential snowfall there was nobody around to see them embrace.

"I-I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he whispered, "without the secrecy, without people saying what's right or wrong."

"W-what are you saying, Dom?"

"I need you Kel, I can't live without you."

"But –Dom. I-I can't. You can't! You can't marry, Dom." He stayed on his knee, staring into her eyes and she could read the love there just as surely as she felt the coldness of the snow sliding down her neck.

But she hated the secrecy. She hated the drama. She hated everything they were doing, behind the back's of the people she loved. She did love him though, that was no lie. She watched him as he stayed on one knee, as he looked into her eyes with his sincere blue ones.

"Kel, please. I can't live without you." He had the ring pointed to her, it was a beautiful gold band. Simple gold, no scratches or flourishes.

"Kel..." Her world was tearing at its edges, she didn't know what to say and she didn't know what to do. Keladry of Mindelan was tired of always doing the same thing. She was tired of being perfect, tired of always facing all her problems. So Keladry of Mindelan did something she had never done before, she ran away. Because dreams are just dreams, and happily ever afters don't ever really happen.

Kel woke with a start, gasping for breath. The snow fell outside, with the same rhythm as it had had in her dream, and the dream within her dream. She looked at it, and quickly dressed. Outside, she jumped into Dom's waiting arms and kissed him. He pulled away and stared at her a little surprised.

"Kel, are you alright?"

"Dom, do you want to marry me?" She asked him, with a peculiar look in her eyes. Dom froze a little. He knew when he was swimming in interesting waters. Suddenly, he laughed loud and clear, bright blue eyes twinkling.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one to ask that?"

"No. I think it works better this way," she answered, smiling a little. "But I didn't mean now."

"I love you, Kel."

"I love you too, Dom."

"It's cold outside, maybe we should find somewhere warmer? Maybe you could explain the marriage talk?" Dom asked, eyes warm and kind.

"Sure," she shrugged. "Let's go back to my rooms. I have your midwinter present."

"It's not a ring, is it?"

"Not a peep out of you, Masbolle," she replied sternly. He laughed again, and the sound warmed her belly better than last night's whiskey. He grabbed her hand lightly and bumped his hip into hers deliberately, startling a laugh out of her. They ducked inside before they were buried by the snow. Inside his left pocket, unbeknownst to Kel, the weight of a small gold band rested peacefully against Dom's leg - a promise in some forgotten language that spoke of midwinter gifts and love.

xx

Ahh! 8 minutes till midnight! At least it's still technically Christmas. Hope you had a wonderful day!

Merry Midwinter everyone!

Keep Reading,

xxTunstall Chickxx

25/12/08 (updated, 03/03/2016)

P.S. Happy Kwanzaa!