lion.hearted

Anna used to think that she had absolutely no problems. That she squashed them all done before they had the ability to become issues. However, it was clear that she had just spent her time ignoring them in favour of fixing more insignificant things. It had been easier then, maybe not any happier but certainly easier. “How about all the time?” She asked, chuckling as she happily followed Bellamy’s lead. The coat was nice, and it did ward off the cool air, but there was nothing quite like a good hot chocolate. Her chuckling intensified to laughter, moving her stance side to side as though modelling the coat teasing. “I might be tempted to steal it from you, the mornings before work just keep getting colder and colder,” She shivered just remembering the snowy walks into the office. Still, she doubted that Bellamy would be too pleased if she ran off with his coat, whether he naturally ran warmer or not. “You’re kidding right - marshmallows, whip cream, chocolate powder. I turn into a five year old when it comes to hot chocolate.”

“I’d say, that maybe you should start considering a new outlook.” His words were enveloped in a tone of understanding, not scrutiny as he spoke. “Some family, even as intolerable as they may seem, is better than none at all.” Curling his lips into another smile, he glanced sideways towards Anna, deciding not to push further on the subject. “I can always buy another coat, but I can’t buy another friend, so consider it yours if you like it so much.” Maybe that was just who he was, the constant good guy, the one always watching out for others before himself. But the gleam in her eyes, that little sparkle, it made him feel self-assured, jacket be damned. “Oh good, I was worried I was dealing with an amateur and would have to show you the ropes. Because nothing rubs me worst, then a woman, who can’t handle the pressure of deciding their marshmallow to whip cream ratio.”

“Not a huge fan of snow, no. Never really seen the point in nostalgia either.” Norah replied, curtly. She hated winter with a passion, hated the cold really and besides snow had never been all that fascinating to her. She found more beauty in leaves changing colors during fall or the bloom of flowers in spring. As for the man’s comment on nostalgia, she couldn’t relate to it either. She’d always believed in moving forward, living her past behind even if the paths she took were uncertain at best but then again that mindset had everything to do with how shitty her past had been for the most part. She didn’t have many happy memories to feel nostalgic about. She struggled once more to light the cigarette in her hand, the blasted wind extinguishing the tiny flame she was able to produce every time. “Fuck!” She swore under her breath and then turning towards at the man, running her hand through unruly black curls she asked, avoiding his gaze. “You don’t happen to have a lighter, do you?”

Though he hardly knew her, Bellamy could pick up the tones of bitterness. As if she had a wheelhouse of problems, all just rotating subconsciously without a spoken word. “Memories shape us into who we are today, why not reflect on them?” He questions, more out of general curiosity than a serious need to know. But at the question of a lighter, he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t,” Lips twitched into an uncertain smile before he turned his gaze to the few buildings surrounding them. “I’m sure one of the bars around here might, or at least one of the occupants inside?” It was just a suggestion, not that Bellamy spent much time in bars. But hey, he’d seen it on television and Nikki had commented on their fruitfulness of cigarettes and whiskey. “If you’d like, I can come with you to try one of those places?”

Julian’s head turned from where he’d had his shoulders drawn up to his ears, scarf wrapped around his neck and breath puffing into the cold air. Usually, he was the kind to strike up random conversation at a red light, but he had to admit to being pleasantly surprised to be the one approached this time. “I like the snow. It’s just extended time in the cold that I’m not the hugest fan of,” he explained with a chuckle, lowering his shoulders a bit. Having grown up in Chicago and spent the majority of his life in New York, he certainly wasn’t unfamiliar with the cold. Still, he preferred the more tropical temperatures of some of his go-to hideouts all around the world. “Where did you grow up?”

It wasn’t often that those around him asked questions regarding his past, not that he minded. Most were more comfortable talking about themselves, expressing their thoughts and concerns in a string of statements. Plus, it helped that Bellamy was such a good listener, always intentive and nodding along. As if every person he met was the most exciting individual in the world. “More than a few places, but I spent a lot of time in Miami weirdly enough.” All palm trees and sandy beaches, not that Bel made it out often. Instead, most hours were spent behind a desk, fingers clicking atop a keyboard. “What about you?”  

Pulling his jacket around himself tighter, Nikki looked at Bellamy with a raised brow. “I wouldn’t say I’m not a fan of the snow, I just don’t like freezing my ass off.” Nikki started before being cut off by Bellamy’s words, his small story about his younger sister and his home town, about nostalgia, and winter wonderlands. How these two got along was beyond Nikki at times. The two males were complete opposites, from the way they spoke, to each and every action, to the way they thought. Looking out at the snow, Nikki couldn’t see it. Back in New York, it snowed, it snowed just as much and he honestly didn’t have any memorable moments, even if he did, he’d tucked them away, so far he couldn’t see them anymore. “Is this the part where you start crying? ‘Cause I don’t know if I’m ready for that.” Nikki said as he turned to face the male, his words purely just to mess around with his friend. 

Always the pessimist, Bellamy wrinkled his nose at his friend. Sometimes it was just better to leave Nikki at his wit's end, rather than comment on every little thing. Mainly because between the two of them, the other was better with the comebacks. “Men don’t cry Nik, they tear up.” Bel corrects, chuckling as the toe of hit boot edges into the ice, working to create a tiny mound of snow. “So no, I will not be crying. But I can’t be held responsible if the cool air works its magic, and my eyes get a little watery.” He was only kidding, but he could already sense the eyeroll beginning in his friend before the other had even responded. “Do you wanna go get a beer, I hear bars are great for unfathomable sadness.”

Anna was not a glass half full kind of person, a consequence of always looking for what would go wrong was a general pessimism to life. Searching for the bad in good situations and making sure it didn’t happen often led to her not considering the good consequences. Apparently Bellamy didn’t have the same issue. “Maybe some of us don’t want more time with their families,” She muttered. It might have seemed as though she was unwilling to admit she hadn’t considered the other side, but for her that was true. It was why she dragged herself off to the library or into the office whenever she could - rain, shine and even snow. She smiled gratefully as she eyed the jacket, taking it from the man and slipping her arms into it. An extra layer didn’t hurt in these conditions. “However, I definitely could spare some time to spend it with a hot chocolate,” She laughed lightly, pushing herself along as she asked, “Won’t you be cold without this?”

Everyone in Bayfield had their problems, maybe even everyone in the world. But Bellamy didn’t dwell long on the thought, instead, he chuckled as he met the woman’s gaze. “Hey, no one can fault you for needing a break every once in a while.” He concludes, not agreeing with her entirely but also not denying her comments. “Don’t worry, I tend to run hot...” Smiling, he raises a hand, directing them towards the cafe he’d previously suggested. It small, but welcoming and Bellamy knew the owner. “You’re really doing me a favor, plus it looks better on you anyways.” No, he wasn’t flirting, just being honest without realizing the possible conflict in his words. But that was just who Bellamy was, the good guy who saw things as is, but always a little brighter than the normal person. “So Anna Banks, do you like marshmallows or are you more of an original girl?”

“I’m not opposed I’m just not used to this much of it,” Anna corrected as she pulled her scarf closer, hugging the fabric against her chest for much needed warmth. She too had some fond memories of white winters, she built snowmen in the street and was as ambitious as ever when it came to snowball fights, but DC only got a few days of snow a year if they were lucky and even then it was never as much as this. “I don’t mind the cold actually,” She was always prepared to wrap up when necessary, “I just don’t like how everything shuts down…pretty literally here.” A bit of snow falling from the sky and everybody went into meltdown, normal life put on hold and that was just something she had no time for.

Following her gaze about the townscape, Bellamy smiled, the corners of his lips twitching. “I guess it depends how you look at it.” He explains, turning his attention back to the woman. “In my mind, every time something closes down early like this in winter, it just reminds me that those people get those few extra hours with family. Which I’d say is worth every bit of inch of snow we’ve gotten this past week.” Noticing her rigid movements, Bellamy shrugged off one of his two coats and handed it to her. “Come on, I do happen to know one place that is still open, and they pour up a heck of a good hot chocolate.”