I don't own COTT. I feel in love with this couple through many stages and many different stories. Lurvs the AxT. And yes...the characters are a tiny bit OOC...but uhhh I tried?

Stormy Weather

This sucked…this all in all was the worst possible day of my life. It was cold outside, it was cold inside, it was cold just about freaking everywhere and it didn't help that inside happened to be a stupid little cave on the side of a cliff face. Ask me how we got there and I might just punch you in the jaw, but to make a long story it involved Cronus, bad moods and a whole lot of falling.

Smashing onto a ledge was both a blessing and a curse, blessing because I lived, curse because I was in major oriented pain. It didn't help at all that a stupid purple haired dork nit wit had decided to fly off the cliff as well and land right splat on top of me.

I was already decked out in poufy winter wear with fuzzy hood, thick I can't hold anything in my hands gloves, fat ass socks and mega heavy boots. Cronus just HAD to show up on the worst snow day of the century didn't he, and of course Jay being Jay decided that neither snow, nor heat, nor wind, nor rain would keep up from trying to defeat the psychotic god of time.

Archie and I decided that instead of waiting for the guys to find out that we were stranded on a tiny little ledge we would find some shelter just so that the wind would not send us flying all over the place again. The little cave had almost been unseen until Archie had basically fallen right into it through the thick packing of snow.

So here we were sitting on the cold frosty ground both glaring at a tiny little fire daring it to go out on us. There had been random twigs in the cave, probably from birds that had passed by and debated on the location as a home only to change their minds half way through and of course there was the handy dandy PMR.

I would have to thank Odie later for creating the whacked out option that would make the PMR allow us to create fire.

"Fuck its cold," muttered Archie as he rubbed his gloved hands together before holding them up to his face. He too was dressed in a nice marshmallow like blue jacket with a furry hood. I glared at him as he took a glance at me and rolled his eyes. "Get over it, I said I was sorry for falling on top of you, alright already?"

"I want to take off these boots," I demanded glaring at the black clunking things that I didn't know I even owned until today.

"Whatever you want drama queen, go ahead and lose all of your toes for all I care."

"Oh hoe, Archie but that's the thing…you do care."

Silence. The only noise within the darkness of the cave was that of the wind howling outside our make shift door.

Within minutes of falling into the cave and getting settled the wind managed to pack all the snow back onto the entrance in a kind of cold comfort. Archie sighed, I sighed, we both sighed and I threw my boots at the cave wall with a loud thump.

"Much better, movement shall be better for my toes," I murmured as I pulled my hair in front of my face as to allow the long strands to warm my cheeks and neck.

Archie just glanced at me with one eyebrow and shrugged before turning back to the fire and blowing on it gently as to keep it let for a little bit longer. "How long do you think we'll have to be stuck in here for?"

"I hope it won't be too long, god this pisses me off."

"Really I couldn't tell, but that isn't all there is to it now? The only reason you could have even been thrown over a cliff face in the first place would have been because your mind was wandering off elsewhere."

"Shut up."

"Sheesh drama queen, get over it already, it's been almost two months and your still being a total bitch about life. At least only take out your frustrations on the guy that you're mad at," muttered Archie as he too started picking on the laced of his boots.

I scowled at him, "yah you're one to tell me, you being all oh woe is me when Atlanta started dating Neil! Man out did by Mr. I Love Myself you were."

"Hey at least I'm over it now and never took out my frustration on some innocent bystanders. I took six freaking weeks, two weeks less than your current record." Archie started to pull at his boots again and suddenly stopped, pulling his hands away.

I sighed and held my knees to my chest curling my toes inward only just feeling the cold start to seep into the ends. "Ever since Medilia transferred over to our school Jay has just been almost all over her. Must be their blood or something, Jason and Medea now Jay and Medilia, I wish we never had to see her witchy face again. But god the feeling that flowed into me, jeez it was terrifying; it was weird and definitely unexpected."

"Man you really are like Queen Bitch."

Silence.

"You watched Mean Girls before…"

Archie shot straight up and stared at me looking as though he was a deer caught in the headlight, "Shit, no. Fuck, Atlanta told me she wanted to watch it for the laugh and of course being stupid me I just followed her okay, not like I actually wanted to see it myself."

I laughed lightly for the first time in a long time and Archie seemed to relax realizing exactly what I knew too. "It's okay man, I don't think you're any less manly then you were before," I laughed clearing my throat as I mentioned manly.

"Never mind, shut up."

Silence.

"I'm sorry," I muttered leaning down and placing my chin on my knees. "I didn't mean to take it out on you guys, I mean even though it's been a year since Atlanta started dating Neil it must have felt just like yesterday to you."

"As said, I'm over it now. She's happy and he's as good to her as Neil can ever be good to someone other than himself. Before I…I fell off the cliff I saw him tackling Atlanta to the ground so that she wouldn't get hit by Agnon's giant fist."

"What was that about?" I questioned as I leaned into him and stared deeply into his eyes. He fidgeted slightly and pulled at the collar of his coat as though he felt warm in this dingy little cave.

"Uh…the tackling?" Archie stuttered as he fished around trying to dodge his little pause in the previous sentence. I narrowed my eyes at him and scooted a little bit closer to the fidgeting dork. Suddenly my pocket started vibrating causing me to jump a mile high.

I cursed as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my PMR. How we ever got reception through solid rock, I could not explain. I flipped it open to be met with Odie's warm brown eyes and lots of red hood. "Are you guys okay?" his voice buzzed and squeaked through the little PMR.

"Yah, Archie and I found some shelter."

"Oh good…umm since you guys seem to be okay for the time being, can we get you tomorrow. The storm just picked up and it's even starting to cause Herry to fly around."

"I guess, I mean Archie would that be okay with you?" I asked him quietly, he simply nodded and looked away to the other wall where I would be able to see his face. "It's alright for now Odie, but the moment that the storm begins to calm down, come get us okay?"

"Will do!"

Suddenly the screen buzzed and screeched as the PMR obviously exchanged hands. I could see the door of the Brownstone close in the back ground as Neil grinned into the fuzzy screen. "Keep warm you two, survival one-oh-one naked bodies transmit more heat."

I glared into the screen as Atlanta grabbed the PMR from Neil her smiling face on the other end as she shoved Neil into the nearest bath room. Just as she opened her mouth the PMR buzzed out and the screen turned a grainy gray.

As glad as I was that Atlanta was happy and that Neil had finally started to talk about something else other than him, the fact that he was suggesting something like that sent a burning sensation to race all across my body.

"What the hell was that for?" I muttered as I tucked my PMR back into my pocket and looked back at Archie not forgetting what I was trying to get out of him earlier. Surprisingly enough I almost forgot the moment I saw his face, was it actually…no it couldn't have been…but it was…it was pink!

"Neil was just being stupid," muttered Archie as he looked away from me yet again. I crawled up to him with my eye twitching and shoved my face into his. He jolted back with a start and almost knocked his head on the nearby wall.

"Holy cows, you ARE blushing!" I exclaimed as a giggle bubbled into my throat and passed by my lips. I sat back again and clutched my stomach doubling over in laughter. Oh how the feeling felt, it had been so long since I had laughed like this.

Archie looked panicked for just a second before resolution seemed to spurn up on his face. Desperately and hoarsely he shouted, "I jumped!"

Silence.

"Huh?" I muttered while looking at him. He jumped? You can't jump in this freaking cave, standing was nearly impossible as it was…jumping was out of the question. And then it clicked. "You…you jumped down after me?" Archie's eye twitched slightly as he pulled at his collar before nodding.

I leaned back against the cave wall contemplating what he had just revealed to me, "You jumped down a huge cliff after me…you did that."

"Yah I did, so there you have it. I jumped after you," he muttered and leaned back against the wall as well.

I smiled at him before twisting my lips into a wicked grin, "that would explain the blushing." He was now the colour of my jacket and the intensity just kept rising. "It's cute."

The red flush of his cheeks suddenly stopped growing only to moments later burst into flames upon his face. I took this to my enjoyment never really experiencing the blushing Archie before. "I…he…you…she…we…blergh."

I laughed as I watched his brain turn to mush and his hands reach for his boots again. This time he managed to undo the lace and half pulled off one of his boots. I gasped as I noticed, or more frankly didn't notice something, "Archie you're not wearing your brace."

"Yah, I can't wear that stupid thing when wearing my boots and the boots give my ankle enough support to walk around and fight." I bit my lip as I scooted closer to him once again and gently pulled off his boot off his foot as to not put any strain on his ankle. "You know, you don't have to pity me. You're not as oblivious as Atlanta, I know you know. I basically just told you."

I paused trying to pick out my words as I pulled off his other boot and chucked it against the wall. They landed messily beside my discarded boots as well. "You don't understand Archie…" he scoffed at me and crossed his arms, I almost felt sad about the fact that he was trying to build walls around himself, just to keep me out. "I'm not Queen Bitch to anyone but…you."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better," he muttered as he unzipped his jacket and leaned back on his two arms with his eyebrow raised at me.

"Listen, please," he nodded and I continued, "When Atlanta started going out with Neil I felt almost relieved. I brushed it off as the contentment of the fact that I wouldn't have to see you two flail around like fish without water anymore, but then Medilia returned and Jay started to…you know date the girl. It was then that I realized what was going on, when I felt happy for Jay and nothing else. I thought I had loved him more than a friend, but I didn't…there had always been someone else out there for me and I just hadn't hit my head hard enough to realize it."

Archie looked at me with almost wide eyes as I shifted to sit down beside him. I played with my gloves and finally tugged them off throwing them to the corner before also unzipping my jacket, the cave suddenly getting much warmer than it was before. He followed my example and also ditched his gloves.

"I couldn't tell you either because…because I was too scared and I didn't know what was going on with you and your feelings for Atlanta so I kept it to myself. And you know what happens when I keep things to myself for far too long. I go happy mental or Queen Bitch as you like to say."

"Hm, never really noticed the happy mental thing," Archie muttered as he lightly placed his warm hand over mine. I shook my head and took his hand into mine and clutched it tightly.

"However, my moodiness did land us here…right now, right?" I murmured and looked up at him through sleepy eyes. He nodded down at me as he squeezed my fingers reassuringly. Maybe despite the cold and the wind roaring outside of our little cave this could have been the happiest day of my life. "You always keep on waiting Archie, a whole year of liking me…I never would have guessed. You could have lost me just like you lost Atlanta."

"I like taking the gamble."

"Well I think some of Neil's luck finally rubbed off on you," I muttered yet again turning up to face him. A thought flashed through my mind and suddenly my sleepiness dissipated into an endless void. I looked away from his eyes and scanned the whole entire cave just to make sure that nothing else was in there with us.

"What's on your mind?" Archie asked as he looked down at me. I shook my head and he chuckled mumbling out a faint "drama queen."

I smiled up at him and leaned closer to his face, "so what if I am?" He blinked and grinned down at me as leaned in closer, my lips only millimetres away from his. "Say it Archie…"

He chuckled again and leaned down, just before touching his lips to mine he murmured softly, "I love you my drama queen."

The kiss was short but unbelievably pleasant and before I knew it, the warrior had pushed me gently to the ground his arms on either side of my head and his body gently pressing against mine. I gasped as our bodies meshed in a way that felt absolutely perfect. "Archie, be careful your ankle."

He shook his head at me and grinned, "That doesn't matter, what does matter is that I want to hear it from you too."

I looked up at him as he leaned down to kiss me again. His chest pressed up against mine as our bodies meshed; pulling away he smiled down at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer feeling his warmth radiate throughout my whole entire body. I didn't even notice when something fell out of my jacket pocket and landed with a clunk opening to reveal a grainy screen.

"I love you, you dork," I murmured as I pulled him down to my lips feeling them touch again in a warm embrace. My mind and body raced as I felt his lips grin against mine and him adding more pressure to the already intense display of his love. My body once again raced with a burning sensation as he gently licked my bottom lip.

In the back of my mind I heard a slight buzzing sound before voices suddenly flooded into the cave. "I have them connected again…OH HOLY ZEUS!" That was Odie.

"Whoa, I didn't think that they would actually…" That was Neil.

"Uh…let's just…" That was Atlanta.

And with a loud click Archie and I were left alone in our dark, cold haven.