miserable and magical

prompt: a love story that takes place in winter

"How's your first snow?"

 I sniffled. "Awful."

"How so?"

"It's not what I thought it would be. It was supposed to be magical. But it's only snow cones, but without the flavoring. And I wouldn't want to roll around a flavorless snow cone."

He laughed. "Snow is just not for everybody, especially for someone who grew up in a tropical country."

"I guess. It's just really cold here. I have to put on a dozen layers of clothing before I go out or I'll freeze to death."

"I guess you can't wait to go home, then. You have two weeks and three days left, right?" He looked at me with sad eyes. "But who's counting?" He smiled. It wasn't a genuine smile and I felt it stab right through me.

"This sucks."

"What?"

"This." I pointed a finger at him and then at me. "Me meeting you on my first trip here, on Christmas break. Me having to leave in two weeks and three days." I sighed. "Me falling in love with you in less than a three weeks."

"I know." We sat there in my aunt's porch, overlooking her backyard covered in snow. The coldness of the breeze that frequently blew over making me shudder. He put his arm around me and I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"This is going to sound corny and I will deny having said it if you told anyone I did," he kissed me on the top of my head, "but I feel like I've been waiting for you, you know?" It was his turn to sigh. "Not even waiting for someone like you. When I saw you slip on the steps and land flat on your butt, something inside me said 'Oh, there you are.' I was waiting for you. Exactly you."

"That was why it took you a long time to come and rescue me. You were having an epiphany."

"Maybe."

I pulled away from him. He looked down on me, again with those sad eyes.

"What happens after this?"

"Well, I would go in and sit in front of the fireplace to thaw. Maybe have hot chocolate too." He laughed and stopped abruptly.

"God, I love you." He sighed again. "Seriously, what happens?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Would you stay if you could?"

"Absolutely."

"Even with the snow?"

"You balance out the misery the snow makes me feel. It's like being miserable and feeling magical at the same time."

"Are you trying to be poetic? Because that doesn't make sense at all." I nudged him with my shoulder.

"We'll figure something out, won't we?"

"Of course we will."