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Thalassa had never looked more ethereal than she did now, surrounded by dots of white slowly gracing her figure with frozen droplets of water. She puffed a cloud of warm air as she gazed up at the sky. She stood in silence, admiring how snowflakes would fall to the earth, creating a silvery blanket for the green lands. She was like an angel of snow in her natural state, resting her wings before taking flight. And Jove, sweet love struck Jove, wouldn't dare to miss seeing her fly.
His breathing rhythm was ragged, as the cold demanded his oxygen. If one were to ask him, his shortness of breath was not to be blamed on the weather, but on the angelic woman who seemed lost in her own world.
He peeked at her face, studying her soft features: how her eyes seemed glassed over, as she was deep in thought. If he made a peep, he was sure that she wouldn't be taken out of her trance. Alas, Jove could never bring himself to do such a thing, as disrupting an angel from heaven sounded like a mortal sin. He opted to sneak glances every now and then, wishing that she could look at him with the same child-like wonder someday. How he dreamed of the woman who owned his heart staring at him with the same awe of a toddler on their first snow day. How he–
"...Jove?" Thalassa was looking at him with her big, curious eyes now. A blush of red swept her cheeks, as she caught the man staring at her.
"Y–Yeah?!" Jove replied in a booming voice out of surprise. Smooth, Justice. Smooth.
"Oh! I…" She was taken aback by the loud noise that broke the silence of their wonderland. The o that her mouth formed quickly curled into a smile. Jove felt his ears burn.
"Have I told you how adorable you are today?" Another direct compliment out of the blue. Thalassa was a shy little thing, but Jove's constant affectionate badgering had allowed her to become much more open with her feelings.
"N…" His words were caught in his throat. Please don't look so gorgeous. I won't be able to help myself.
Content, Thalassa returned her gaze to the winter landscape, sighing and forming another cloud of humid air. She seemed satisfied with her view, despite her father only allowing her to go this far from the tent. Jove thought of his rules to be silly and worth breaking, but Thalassa, with her sincere and magical eyes, gently asked him to drop the retort.
One day, he'll prove the old man's ways to be wrong. One day.
Jove slowly reached for the hand beside his, grazing Thalassa's fingertips. He shyly brushed her hand, wondering if he was overstepping his boundaries. Thalassa quickly caught on and grabbed his hand as soon as she could. Her hand was incredibly warm in the cruel and vicious cold, slowly making Jove's hand feel the coziest it's ever been.
"One day," Jove whispered. Thalassa craned her neck to look at him.
"One day, I'll show you an even better view. A place even whiter. Maybe…" His grin grew wider. "Maybe even colder!" He locked eyes with her, preparing to make the most heartfelt promise on the planet
I promise. He mouthed, making sure that she was the only one who could see, who could understand his vow.
Before she could turn away, Jove could swear he saw a glint of a tear beside those sparkly eyes. Thalassa avoided looking back at the man beside her, pretending that the mundane snow surrounding them was the most interesting thing in the world.
Now was not the right time, they knew. As much as they wanted to hold the other in their embrace, things needed to be done. Rehearsals, packing up for the next show… They never stopped.
The flow of magic tricks, the rhythm of song, the unending travels; nothing stopped for Troupe Gramarye. And so, Jove made a decision.
As soon as everything slows down, I'll make my move. When the magic stops sparkling, when the songs pause, and when the cart stops; I'll sweep her off her feet. I'll take her away from here.
Thalassa squeezed his hand back, a certain gentleness to the gesture. Jove felt a smile grace his lips.
In this silent, pure white wonderland, holding the hand of his one true love, maybe this was enough for now. As a snowflake blessed his nose, he repeated a phrase to himself, ever so silent, making sure he was the only one who could hear it:
"...I promise."