#that hasn't ever been explained. what do you mean the second coming of the chosen one

[celestiachan]

i think about chosen so much. not a single good thing has happened to him ever. imagine being born and God (who is also your dad) immediately tries to kill you but can't so he turns you into his slave. one day you find a way to escape but God, being God, made up an entire guy just to beat your ass. somehow you manage to escape with the guy God made for the sole purpose of beating your ass and he doesn't wanna beat your ass anymore!! yippee!!! but what he does want to do is kill a bunch of innocent people and eventually you say no and by say no i mean physically fight him and then some guy you've never seen before in your life kills him and doesn't remember it and leaves and now you're a wanted criminal and you get that guy who killed your only friend to help you not get arrested but then you both get arrested. fucked up

[acourtofthought]

If SJM ended the possibility of Elucien in ACOFAS, then why hasn't Elain rejected the bond?

If SJM had E/riel fall in love in ACOSF, then why hasn't Elain rejected the bond?

If Elain knows she wants Azriel and will only ever want Azriel, then why does she continue to allow Lucien to bring her presents on Solstice?

This is a female who proves she can stand up to someone when it goes against what she wants:

“You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta.”

“Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”"

Yet by not rejecting the bond, she continues to allow Lucien to think she might want it at some point.

She knows the scent of her bond bothers Azriel yet she does nothing to ease his suffering by having a conversation with Lucien about not coming around at holidays. We all know he's not leaving his actual friends (Vassa and Jurian) because he prefers spending time with the IC which means he's there to see Elain. So if Az is the male she truly loves then what I'm seeing is she'd rather he continue being bothered by her bond than have a very quick conversation with Lucien (since that's all it would require) explaining that his presence upsets the person she wants to be with. And if that conversation would normally need to take place in her own POV then why did SJM not give us an Elain Bonus Chapter in SF (considering Az and Feyre both received them) or an Elain POV in ACOFAS (considering Mor, Nesta, Cassian, Rhys, and Feyre were all given one) showing that conversation with Lucien which could have explained his absence from Solstice had SJM chosen to have Lucien absent from Solstice in SF? Instead, SJM keeps bringing Lucien around, having him give Elain gifts, having her still not facing what exists between them (the bond), creating tension between the two. If it's so obvious that Elain wants Az and not Lucien, why the need to shield us from her thoughts if it's truly, so, obvious.

If Elucien is dead in the water than why are we still sitting here wondering why she hasn't done anything about her bond, one way or another? Dead in the water means all questions have been addressed and it's a certainty what she feels because we hear it from her yet we still don't have closure.

If SJM has always known E/riel would end up together, what was the point of making Elucien mates at all? What has the unaccepted Elucien bond shown to us that was important information to have? We already know that some bonds aren't well matched through Rhys's parents. There were hints that Feyre suspected a bond between Nessian which means she and Rhys could have had the discussion about the possibility of rejecting a bond in relation to them:

I wondered why no one had yet mentioned what now shone in Cassian’s eyes as he gazed at my sister. The sorrow. And the longing.

There's also hints of a Helion / LOA rejected bond in ACOWAR so there's a second pairing which could have brought about the topic and proof that there is choice. There are hints that Mor and Eris may have a bond which means SJM could have shown a rejected bond that's for the best through them.

Lucien could have still come to the NC without having a bond with Elain considering he was being physically abused and SA in Spring. Elain was in love with Graysen so there was already an obstacle standing in the way of E/riel if E/riel was meant to be endgame. Adding Lucien to that feels redundant (Elain's engagement -> Elucien mating bond -> E/riel. There was no real reason for SJM to add Lucien into this particular storyline considering she and Lucien don't interact, it adds nothing to the E/riel endgame theory.

And if E/riel has always been endgame then why does SJM continue adding lines showing us the compatability of Elucien while driving home the incompatibility of E/riel and Elain in the NC? Why remind us that Feyre doesn't really consider Elain a close friend? Why tell us that Nesta thinks of Elain as a dog? Why have Rhys and Lucien give credit to Elain for killing the king instead of Az? Why have Amren scold Az for his failure to believe in Elain rather than having Azriel being the one to call out Nesta for not believing in her?

If E/riel has always been endgame then why does it seem like Az and Elain don't make any sense at all?

[thegeminisage]

ok ok ok it's star trek update time. last time we watched tng's "liaisons" and ds9's "the circle."

liaisons (tng):

the summary of this one put me off soooo bad but i actually give it an enthusiastic pass because i loved the b plot but conned myself into also liking the a plot. allow me to explain

the b plot of this is of course the fantastic riker e worf e deanna showing the ambassadors a good time on the enterprise. this arc satisfied me from start to finish because it started with riker telling worf he looked good in a dress and finished with worf beating that annoying guy's face in, and in the middle there was also a poker game and whatever the FUCJ was happening in their little meeting room which was extremely fun and flirty

i have not forgotten btw that worf e deanna is supposed to happen in s7. im so sorry the actors hated it but rn it is Fueling me. bring it on.

the a plot is more complicated and the summary of this plot is what initially put me off

like, of Course it's picard and a woman. again.

here's what i didn't know: one, this woman was batshit insane and not to be trusted, and 2, she wasn't real but a fake roleplay character made by this alien. who is a man

THAT MEANS. NOT ONLY DID PICARD FINALLY GET HIS OWN CLOSE ENOUNTER

BUT IT WAS WITH A MAN

picard has canonically kissed a man. or um been kissed by one i guess

and all of that would have been just borderline and barely ekeing out with a pass EXCEPT

i had the thought near the end of this episode: q would be absolutely SICK

as we know. the funniest thing about q and indeed perhaps his only redeeming factor. is how bad he wants to fuck sir patrick stewart. which gets ONLY FUNNIER the more that sir patrick stewart is like, i would fuck literally anyone else in the galaxy first

and now here picard is, having liplocked with another guy, and he STILL hasn't fucked q. i spent so long giggling about this that i simply must give the episode a passing grade

also, i would like to note i figured out they were the same person before the episode told us. i am JUST that good

the circle (ds9):

KIRA MY BELOVED.....................................

absolutely tickled to pieces with the ensemble scene at the opening. first we had this nice little prolonged kira and odo moment 😍 which was so wonderful because of their like general dynamic and history being hinted at and then EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE CAST SAVE SISKO got their sitcom intro. it was the most beautiful thing i've ever seen. they were like, you simply cannot be dismissing major kira unfairly. so true. once again it is so cathartic to see them rallying around her whether they're federation or not. literally treating her really niceys

AND SISKO! his little scene with her in the garden down on the planet...wah. he's literally constantly trying to get her back. his support even when she's no longer technically working for him...EVERYBODY treats her really niceys

um except that vedek guy...idk whether he's on the level or not and i DID NOT like whatever sexy stuff was going on in that orb vision. putting aside the hilarious reality of orbs in general for a second are the prophets saying she has to fuck that guy? not my beautiful queen.

um and also except the circle. i didnt actually see the plot twist coming this time about that minister guy being in on it which is very fun. also i'm sooo glad they staged a speedy rescue

ODO THE RAT! i love when he turns into stuff

also odo blackmailing quark into being his deputy lol i LOOOOVE what they have it's SO funny

anyway i hope vedek winn chokes on her oatmeal when she finds out the cardassians are funding her little r*n d*santis campaigns. i thought that was a fun plot twist if not very surprising ultimately like of COURSE they are. it's crazy how relevant some of this still is

and on a final note, i like that sisko has chosen to Rules Lawyer his way into disobeying the prime directive because it is the right thing to do here. GOOD FOR HIM!

tonight: tng's "interface" and ds9's "the siege," finally concluding this little three-parter.

[emilysarmstrong]

THIS IS GONNA BE A RANT AND I'M ON MOBILE SO NO READMORE FOR Y'ALL, YE HAVE BEEN WARNED

We managed to go on a week long vacation with my gf's parents (in the house that belonged to her great-grandpa who won it on a game of cards, but that's another story) but god, at what cost

Our cat couldn't come with us on the grounds of my gf's mom being severely allergic, so we were waiting for The Roommate to come back so she could watch over her (and her own cat too), but after two weeks (of a supposedly ONE WEEK TRIP) she finally told us that she was only coming back TWO DAYS AFTER my gf's parents were supposed to be back so no fucking vacation for us I guess?

We wanted at least to spend a weekend away from this house that has been in the middle of a moving since GODDAMN MARCH full of boxes and trash everywhere, so we had everything set up for gf's uncle to come over and feed the cats for two days. Once we finally got to the vacation spot, The Roommate calls us to say that she got someone to watch the cats.

Time to drive ALL THE WAY BACK to relieve the aforementioned uncle from duty and bring our keys to the person who was supposed to watch the cats. Turns out it's this old judgy neighbour lady who was annoyed that we wanted to show her where the cat food and litter were, where we had made a neat pile of clean pet bowls and plates for them, the lists with how much and how many portions to feed them, our phone numbers... and then she got pissy because "[Roommate] said I only had to feed the cats once a day"

EXCUSE ME?

WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO SURVIVE ON ONE MEAL AND A SINGLE GLASS OF WATER A DAY, ELIZABETH?

Anyway we reiterated the importance of getting the cats fed and their water changed twice a day, and hoped The Roommate had chosen a dependable person to take care of the cats

*narrator's voiceover* turns out, in fact, that she hadn't

Roommate calls us two days later to say that the catsitter called her with her panties in a twist because there were maggots in the cat food and she had to toss it all away, that she was calling another lady to pick up the catsitting, that in the end the new lady was going to buy more cat food, and and and

WHOA MCFUCKING THERE, PARDNER

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE HAD TO THROW AWAY OUR CAT'S FOOD"

"It's okay, she handled it"

"But we have enough food, there's a metal box full of wet food and a full bag of kibble"

"It's okay, she handled it"

"We have to come back to town tomorrow to get our covid vaccine shots, if there's the need for more food we can stop by the pet shop on the way"

"It's okay, she handled it"

The gods gifted me with many virtues

Patience is not one of them

And at this point the gf was already restraining me to not yell at the phone, and we agreed on not stopping by on Monday to not stress the cats further with showing up and going away, and trusting the new caretaker, that had already watched over The Roommate's cat before, to not be a complete moron

We overestimated her

We came back today to find the new caretaker, who did not even invite us in for a coffee, all pissy about The Penny having bitten her this morning when "all I did was trying to pet her". She gave us back our keys and we walked into our apartment, where The Penny was already screaming her little lungs out

The apartment

Was

A

Mess.

Penny's litter box hadn't been cleaned, at all, ever since we left

She had one bowl of water instead of the two we had left

The tray we place her bowls on was FILTHY

And I don't know what the fuck was in her kibble bowl, but boy

It was NOT the kibble that we had prepared for the week and left in a glass jar right in front of the tray

We thought that was all, but nope! Walking into the kitchen made the nightmare even worse! The food that we had set aside for the cats, that the lady claimed was gone so fast because it was filling with maggots, was still sealed on the shelf with the little notes on how to portion it attached. We had laid out wet food for a week, of which not even HALF had been used, and The Roommate's cat's kibble didn't even seem to have been touched. Instead, there were two boxes and a bag of SHIT ASS cat food of a brand we had never seen before, full of grains and coloring and other bullshit, not to mention the bag of kibble for fixed cats. WE are responsible pet owners that fixed our baby as soon as she was old enough, but The Roommate refuses to do the same to her cat (that has been constantly in heat for a while, mind you) but feeds her kibble for sterilized cats. If you're wondering if this makes her cat underweight and low energy, well, BINGO! We had finally convinced her to change into better kibble, and this FUCKER comes around and buys this shit under the premise that "poor kitty cat had no food" while there were TWO BAGS IN THE KITCHEN AND PENNY'S JAR IN OUR ROOM

And the bowls. My good lord, the bowls.

Penny eats out of steel bowls that we wash after every meal, and the water one gets washed once a day. The Roommate isn't nearly as organized with her cat's stuff, but she keeps telling everyone who listens for at least ten seconds about how her cat's whiskers are particularly sensitive and therefore she cannot eat out of regular pet bowls (instead she keeps feeding the cat in plastic plates that only get washed once a blue moon but we'll get to that in another ranty post). We specified on the notes taped to the food shelf that she has to be fed on open plate, and what did the asshole do? WELL, OBVIOUSLY NOT THAT. She grabbed a random Penny bowl and filled it with kibble, another random Penny bowl and filled it with water. And completely ignored the tray we had laid out for the other cat, with her little plate and the wider water bowl, putting the "meal" she prepared on the kitchen counter instead

Unlike Penny's litter box, that hadn't seen a scoop since we left the house, the other cat's stuff had been cleaned. Once. And the bag with the litter trash was still open in the bathroom for everyone to see and smell, because obviously, it's not like the cat would maybe just maybe like to have a room that doesn't smell of her own fucking shit, specially if said room is right besides the one where she sleeps

Now it's the following morning and I'm still seething, I cannot believe the fucking audacity. We would happily (okay, maybe not happily, but we definitely would) skip the vacation if there was no one to watch the cats. They're little living creatures that need attention, and we happily provide when we're around. It's not a crime to say "I can't watch over your pets, sorry", it doesn't make you a horrible, rude, inconsiderate person. You know what does, though? ACCEPTING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOMEONE'S PET AND DOING A SHIT ASS JOB OF IT

We laid out everything. We left clean bowls and plenty of kibble and wet food. We left clean scoops to clean their litter boxes. We explained everything and literally left a phone number taped to the food shelf in case they needed us for anything. Instead, the first bitch called The Roommate to complain and the second one just deadass did whatever the fuck she wanted (also I'm convinced that she was overfeeding the cats kibble and not giving them wet food to avoid maggots instead of, you know, sticking around until the cats finished eating and putting the food away when they did. Which means The Penny gained weight in this week, a LOT of it). And ignoring the things we had prepared and explained with so much care to 1) make their lives easier and 2) MAKE IT AS SAFE AND NOT STRESSFUL FOR THE CATS AS POSSIBLE.

We've been home for twelve hours and Penny still hasn't stopped being whiny, which I'm pretty sure is only partly because she is annoyed at us for spending a long time away, but also because she has been bored out of her mind, since these people act like cats are part of the furniture and don't need attention besides some horrible slop thrown into their food bowls. Our cat missed having play time with her wand toys, hanging out with us while we watch tv, eating together (obviously, her having a little bowl of cat food while we eat human food, that we do NOT give her because we aren't stupid), sleeping in the same bed. Of course you're not mandated to do that if you're just hopping by to check on the cats and give them food, but don't act like they're furniture and then get pissy when they try to bite you because they're under stimulated! CATS NEED TO HUNT, and if you don't provide a prey in the form of a toy they're gonna hunt your fucking fingers, and my only regret is that Penpen didn't rip that asshole's hand off

I don't think there is a point to this post, I'm just angry and annoyed and frustrated, but typing everything out in an angry rant is better than yelling and scaring my already sad toebean of a cat, I guess?

Anyway if you read all of this I'm sorry and have a picture of Her Catship The Penny Dreadful

[geekgirles]

Desperada's message

This episode was... an emotional rollercoaster, not gonna lie. Every time we got an "awww!" moment, something fucking killed it (the sudden Adrigami at what was, at first glance, a Lukanette episode; Marinette metaphorically choosing Adrien over Luka twice; Ladybug getting killed after every romantic moment with Adrien...); but, I think I understand what they tried to teach us:

Ladybug and Adrien aren't good together and feelings can blind us.

As partners, I mean. I'm not saying Ladrien is a bad pairing because, honestly, is the only one who hasn't been murdered yet (they did give it their best shot, tho).

From what I got from the episode I can tell the reason the Ladybug/Aspik team up failed was because both parts were too focused on their romantic interests to properly work together as they usually do when Adrien is Chat Noir.

In this episode, the hero part was portrayed through Adrien's perspective, so it's not as simple to describe Marinette's mistake, but it is still present.

However, given the emotional baggage came from Adrien for once, let's start with him.

The original plan could have worked if Adrien hadn't used it as a chance to charm Ladybug. Deep down, despite his experience on the super hero field, he prioritised proving her that he as Adrien was worthy of her love that, ironically, that made him unworthy of the responsibility.

You all know I'm a sucker for Adrien's lovesick faces, but we all have to admit this wasn't the right moment, nor the right place. His expression is not the one he'd wear if his mind were on the game; if it were, he would be focused on coming up with a way for Chat to disappear so he could become Aspik without raising suspicions. Instead, his main goal was making Ladybug fall in love with him as Adrien (not like he needed it, but the kid doesn't know that).

In the "Second Chance" montage, when he and Ladybug had screen time, it was easy to appreciate that it was his attempts at flirting with Ladybug what got her to be hit by Desperada: The main example would be the flowers.

But if you think about it, although that was probably just to tease us, when he revealed his true identity to Ladybug that must've been such a mind blown that there was just no way that Ladybug could've kept her head on the game!

Just look at her face!

And on top of it, there's the fact that every single time Aspik went back in time to save Ladybug he, yet again, failed to save her. That is some serious guilt to leave with; and even though he'd been trying for months, ultimately, he barely had a few seconds to recover before going back in time.

And man, that's rough.

That's why he gave the miraculous up, he finally saw he wasn't the best choice after all...

Just you wait, kid. The moment will finally come to prove to you that you two are the right choice for each other. Just you wait.

And as for Marinette...

Her part to play in this episode was foreshadowed at the very beginning. Like Tikki said, she's got a troubled heart, and it's making it harder and harder for her to make the right choice if Adrien's involved. Even for the easiest decisions.

The guitarist issue is the lighthearted way to evidence this:

Jagged clearly stated he needed a guitarist.

Alya, who was a Lukanette supporter before the plot actually started, remembered her of a certain talented musician to suggest; Luka, who had his guitar with him.

And Marinette suggested Adrien, who's a pianist.

Even when Jagged himself pointed out Luka and his guitar, Marinette's solution was hanging the guitar to Adrien.

I sort of have the feeling that this was somehow a way of showing Kagami that she hasn't given up on Adrien yet, given the girl's comment on Luka being Mari's boyfriend while she appeared to be closer to Adrien than ever.

But that's mere speculation, so moving on!

That little scene visually explained that Marinette's feelings still get in the way of her better judgement, which has gone back to bite her several times. This one being no exception.

When she had to pick a chosen, she chose Adrien without hesitation. And that wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea, because her everyday experiences with him show her that he's worthy of wielding a miraculous, she just doesn't know how right she actually is.

And she IS right!

Leaving aside his secret identity and Marinette's feelings, Adrien has actually helped Marinette out at every chance he gets; he handed her his umbrella, acted as a Chinese translator for her, stood up to Chloé twice (Kung Food and Despair Bear), promised to have her back regarding Lila, protected her in Gamer and Catalyst... Adrien is a hero in an out of the suit.

But this time Marinette let her crush show much more dangerously than she's done in previous episodes. In Mime, Riposte or Gorizilla, despite her obvious attachment to the boy and moments of weakness, her head was on the game 100%.

Had she been actually concentrated, while still acting flustered over the rose he gave her, she would've shaken that feeling off instantly and worked on her plan to defeat Desperada.

Not to mention it was that same infatuation what prevented her from choosing Luka earlier. In this case, both as a holder and love interest.

Just look at their chemistry!

Like the girls said, she doesn't make a fool of herself nearly as much when she's around Luka than when she is around Adrien. The first few minutes of the episode showed that exact contrast; Marinette can talk naturally with Luka and doesn't lose her cool even at close proximity! But Adrien appears, with Kagami no less, and she stutters, panicks and makes all the wrong choices.

As a Lukanette shipper, it's a bit painful to say this, but I think the episode demonstrated that, deep down, Luka is Marinette's second choice. For now...

Because Kagami is right, sooner or later, Marinette will have to choose, and considering Mangeamour' s synopsis, the girls' friendship as of Ikari Gozen and Cristina Vee's comment on Instragram; I'll say her decision will finally allow her to move on, grow and develop. Because, after all, we all have a second chance at happiness ;)

[stargazerdaisy]

Ok somewhat strange or maybe even silly ask. Skye hasn't seen snow in person until starting to travel with Team Bus. Skyeward moment, please! Can be AU without any pesky hydra stuff. ❤

In the second week she was with them, he found her face plastered against the plane window, knees bent and her feet tucked under her, staring out at the clouds.  It was an unexpected sight, for once her face wasn’t focused on a glowing screen or her mouth wasn’t running a mile a minute.  She was rather still, but attention completely focused on what was going on outside.  He snuck a look out the other window, trying to figure out what had her so rapt.  All he could see were clouds in the darkening sky.  

“Um….Skye?” he asked.

“Yeah?” she replied, not even turning around to acknowledge him.

“What are you looking at?”

She rocked back on her heels slightly and rotated to face him.  “The snow!”

“Snow?” It confused him that snow would capture someone’s attention so much.  It was just frozen water.  Was that really all she was seeing?

“Yeah!” Her eyes were alight with excitement as she continued, “There are all of these tiny flakes on the window and they’re amazing and have you ever seen how different they all are?  I know I’ve always heard they were, but actually seeing it is pretty sweet.”

Still a bit confused, but not wanting to ruin her fun, he simply nodded.  “Okay then, rookie.  Don’t forget training in the morning.”

“Sure, whatever.”  She waved him off while she focused back on the swirling flakes outside the plane.  

Shaking his head slightly, he left her pressed up against the thick plastic, surely leaving a nose print.

It was sometime in February and they were in Minnesota, on a mission that has quickly become the definition of boring-as-hell.  The 0-8-4 they were investigating turned out to be a total waste of time, just a weird compilation of coincidences involving an actual freak lightning storm that had an entire town convinced Thor had returned.  Now that everything had been sorted out and the citizens assured they were safe from any errant Asgardians, the team was trudging back to the BUS.  The temperature was well below anything Skye had ever experienced, hovering somewhere around the 18* mark.  

“I’m never going to feel my feet, ever again,” she groaned.

“I don’t think that’s quite possible,” Jemma said.  “We’ve only been outside for a few minutes and your skin isn’t exposed, beyond your face.  Are your boots not thick enough?  Can you still move your toes?  Frostbite isn’t anything to take lightly.”

“It’s fine, Simmons,” Skye said.  “I’m just freezing my ass off.  I didn’t know it could be this cold.  How does anyone live out here?”

“Same as people live anywhere.  You just need to get the right gear,” Ward informed her.  “Thick coats, waterproof gloves, wool socks and heavy duty boots.  It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Of course, you would say that,” Skye said rolling her eyes.  “You’re probably part grizzly bear and actually enjoy this weather.”

Ward shrugged.  “I grew up in Massachusetts.  I guess I’m used to it.  Plus, you run missions in Helsinki and Moscow enough and you stop worrying about it.”

Skye snorted.  “Okay then, Robot.”

The team continued on, shuffling through the evening, bracing themselves against the cold.  Finally, reaching the BUS, Fitz and Simmons practically ran up the ramp as soon as May lowered it.  Ward was about to follow, when a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.  

“Wait,” Skye whispered, face turned up to the clouds overhead.

“What?  Did you see something?” Ward asked quickly, immediately on alerts and searching for threats.  

Skye giggled softly.  “No.  Calm down, Super Spy.  I meant, look!”  She gestured at the air around them.  “It’s snowing!”

He blinked for a quick moment, processing her words and turning off the Specialist reaction.  Once he let his arms relax and lower from reaching for the gun in his holster, he noticed the tiny white pieces of fluff floating down.  They swirled and danced in the wind around them.  Skye was standing still, just breathing in the cold air, letting the small crystals brush across her cheeks.  

“O….kay?” he asked.  “Weren’t you just complaining about how cold you are?”

“Yeah, but now there’s snow!” she said excitedly.

“Which is cold.  And it gets your clothes all wet, which makes you colder,” he reminded.

“Just hush and let me enjoy this,” she admonished.  After a moment she broke the quiet, “Would you believe I’ve never really seen snow?  I spent most of my life in Texas and then California.  Neither place are exactly known for their harsh winters.”

Hearing that small confession from her made it click into place for Ward.  “Alright then, Rookie.  We’ll hang out here for a bit.”

Skye looked at him and quirked an eyebrow.  “Who are you and what you have done with my SO?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, flustered.

“It’s pretty rare you indulge me like this,” she said.

“Do you want me to make you inside right now?”

She was quick to shake her head.  “Not at all.  This is rather nice.  Good to see you have it in you.”

“It’ll be a few minutes until they’re ready to take off anyway.  Might as well enjoy your first experience with snow.”  He made it sound so matter of fact and simple.

Skye grinned, grateful to see this side of him.  “Thanks.”

Something was nudging her gently, pulling her out of her dreams.  “No,” she grumbled and tried to bury her head deeper in her pillow.

A low chuckle came from her right, then was followed by kisses being pressed onto her shoulder.  “Come on, Skye,” he murmured.  “You need to get up.”

“No!” she repeated, pulling the blanket over her head and rolling away from him.  “It’s too early.”

“I know it is,” he said soothingly, brushing his hand up her arm under the covers.  “But there’s something you need to come see.”

A soft sigh escaped her and she rolled on her back.  “What is so important that you’re waking me up at - wait, what time is it? - at 6:30am?! On a Saturday?!”

“I can’t tell you,” was his reply.

“Ward, if you want me to get my ass out of this perfectly comfortable and might I add, deliciously warm, bed before the sun is even going to come up, you better give me a good reason right now,” she demanded.

“It’s a surprise,” he explained.  “I promise you’ll love it though.”

She fixed him with a suspicious glare.  He hoped his reassuring smile would be enough to convince.  After another moment, she relented.  “Fine, you win.  I’m getting up.”

Seeing she was actually getting out the bed, Ward drew back.  “I’ll go get the coffee.  Dress as warm as you can.”

“Dress warm?  What do you mean dress warm?  Ward!” she yelled as he exited the room.

Ten minutes later, she met him in the kitchen, looking adorably grumpy.  “I want my coffee and an explanation.”

Ward gave her that smile that always seemed to soften her.  “Here’s your coffee,” he said handing the mug over.  “As soon as you’re ready, get your coat and gloves on and follow me.”

“Where?!” she said exasperated.

“You’ll see.”

“Grant Douglas Ward, you are one of the most infuriating people I have ever met.”

“I know,” he grinned, kissing her on the cheek.  “But you love me.”

Skye sighed again, but the smile on her own face told him she wasn’t really that upset.  “That I do.  Okay, let’s go outside to this mysterious surprise.”

They made sure coats were zipped all the way, mittens were secured, and hats were donned.  As they approached the door, he turned and winked at her one more time.  “Here we go,” he said.

As the door slid open, Skye gasped, seeing the landscape.  A thick blanket of white coated everything she could see.  Branches were bending under the weight of the snow, bowing down to the ground.  Grass, rocks, and the driveway were buried deep under the inches of snow that had fallen overnight.  

She spun to look at him, eyes shining.  “It snowed!” she cried.

“It did,” he agreed.  “And I thought you’d like to see it unspoiled, before anyone else walked or drove around in it.”

“Can…..we go out?” she asked timidly.

“Why do you think I made you get dressed so warmly?”

The sound of excitement that slipped out of her was very close to a squeal and she took off out into the winter.  An hour later, there had been snow angels, a small lopsided snowman, plenty of catching the still falling flakes on their tongues, and a surprise attack snowball fight, instigated by a giggling Skye.  What she lacked in technique, she made up for in enthusiasm, sending flurries of barely formed snowballs his way.  Seeing she was not going to slow down anytime soon, Ward knew he needed to end the onslaught.  Creeping around where she couldn’t see him, he snuck up behind her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her down into the snow with him.  Peals of laughter echoed against the trees and nearby building as she settled on top of his chest.

“Okay, you win,” she chuckled.

“Do you surrender or do I need to introduce this handful of snow down your neck?” he threatened teasingly.

“I surrender!  I surrender!” she squeaked.  

Her joy sank into his bones as he stared up at her - cheeks flushed, hair escaping from the braid capped by her beanie, and a smile that could light up even the darkest night.  She was a sight to behold and he thanked his lucky stars, not for the first time, that she had chosen him.

“So, was it worth it?” he asked.

“Was what worth it?”

“Getting up early and coming out into the cold,” he answered.

Skye pretended to think for a moment.  “I don’t know.  I mean, I guess it’s been okay.  If you like that kind of thing.”

“I like your kind of thing,” he said in a suggestive tone.

Skye laughed again.  “One track mind there, Ward.  Not to mention, you’re the one that made me put on all the extra layers.  Kinda shot yourself in the foot there.”

“Well then, guess we need to fix that.”

“Not out here we don’t!” she cried.  

“Okay then,” he said, suddenly sitting up and climbing to his feet.  “Let’s head in and warm up with a shower.”

“Oooooh, I like your plan,” she replied, letting him pull up.  She used the momentum to crash into his chest and drape her arms around his neck.  “Thank you for bringing me out here.”

“You’re welcome.  I know you love the snow.”  His smile was barely there, but love shone in his eyes.  

“I love you,” she said simply.  

“I love you too,” he said back, then leaned down to meet her lips with his own.