Practice stuff, thought I'd share. Diane is fairly OOC but that's probably because I'm sleepy and my characters and setting come across as massively sleepy too. :)

Also, it's September, but it's as cold as in winter ;_; I just got sick again too.

The apartment was still and sleepy, the first heavy snowfall shutting him away underneath a veil of quietness. In the kitchen, the kettle was bubbling softly, signaling that his tea would soon be ready to be made. From the living room, a soft trickle of music could be heard, probably a Christmas carol of sorts. And his study was completely silent - perhaps Oslow's wagging tail could be counted as a sort of noise, but he doubted it.

If there was a time when he truly liked winter, this was it. King studied the prints on his desk with half-lidded eyes, nestling his face further into the Chastiefol. His hound settled on top of his slippers, looking out at the hallway. Everything was so still and sleepy...

The phone vibrated softly in his back pocket, and he sighed softly. He didn't feel like dealing with any emergencies or pranks right now.

However, when he finally pulled it out and checked messages, his eyes widened and he coughed.

"Bus broke down in the middle of the street three blocks away from u. Coming over for the night!

-Diane"

"Jeez." He smiled, imagining a really pissed girl stomping away along the sidewalk, before freeing his feet from Oslow's grasp and hopping barefoot to the kitchen. He'd better make that tea now.

It took Diane no less than 20 minutes to make it to his door, and when he let her in, she looked like a floofed penguin straight out of a hurricane. It didn't help that she had to linger outside to stomp out the snow and dust herself. When she managed to her pry her boots off her feet, she shuffled straight to his couch, throwing off her coat on the flood and falling face-first into the pillows.

"Your scarf is still on." King observed gently, setting the tea set on the table and sitting next to her. She grumbled something in response, and he raised an eyebrow at her, tugging the material away from her face. "What?"

"I can't feel my feet," Diane blew a half-hearted raspberry, "Plus the bus stood there for like fifteen minutes before it let us out, and god was it crowded. Then I was worried you wouldn't be home and I'll be stuck. And then I had the pleasure of climbing up that stupid, narrow staircase of yours."

King frowned, "wouldn't Matrona take you in?"

"She moved. Again."

"Well, it's a good thing I was home then," he said reassuringly, and she nodded, sipping her tea.

"I know, right? You're a lifesaver."

They sat like that for a while, cuddled up on themselves. Diane eventually got a hold of the TV remote, switched on the 'fireplace' and blinked away at it as it burned. Oslow bumped his nose against their legs from time to time, demanding a pat on the head, while King was just content to sit down, even though those blueprints in his study would require his attention very, very soon.

The sleepy atmosphere was overwhelming, settling over their heads like a warm blanket as they finished their cups.

"So, did anything today?" Diane asked, eventually snapping him out of his thoughts, just as he simulated applying a different base motion on Spear #12 shutdown.

He blinked at her. "Just science stuff."

"Said the beautiful fairy to a geology major." She snorted, before grinning. "And aside from that?"

King shrugged. "Sleeping, I guess. Let Oslow out to run around and he went crazy. I watched him from the balcony."

"Lazy, lazy guy." Diane smiled, before yawning and stretching out further on the couch.

"And you are tired as heck," the boy observed. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."

"Ne."

Her cold toes poked into his leg, so he moved away carefully, only for them to follow and dig mercilessly into his hip. She stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck right back. "Diane."

"Neee." She answered, this time muffling herself by her scarf, turning and curling herself around his pillows.

King looked at her and sighed. "Fine, I give up. I'll be in the study if you need me."

Hopping to his feet, he looked over his flat, making sure the windows were closed and she wouldn't catch a cold. Then he refilled his cup of tea, turned on his heel and headed for the blueprints with the drink in hand - though not before stepping over his dog on the way there.

When he put his cup at the desk, he'd heard her again.

"Hey, King."

"Hmmm?" He hummed loudly, grabbing at the papers and starting to rearrange them.

"Just so we're clear, can I stay here for the night? I mean the road is uncross able and I, uh..."

"Do you really think you need to ask me?" He answered her, sitting by his workplace.

Her sigh of relief told him she didn't, anymore.

Thanks for sticking around :)

C-D