#astralock

She leaned down to examine a blue and white plaid scarf, rubbing the material between her fingers. The shop wasn’t a designer shop, but the scarf was still pleasantly rough between her fingers, rough and woolen and warm. As she stood up straight, her bodyguard leaned close.

“Your Majesty,” Harlock whispered, “The roads are growing worse, we should leave soon.”

“Yes, yes, let me buy this first,” she said, picking up the scarf and joining the line as it wrapped around the outside of the pathway, passing the kid’s section. Harlock fell into line with her.

“We’re going to be here for hours,” Harlock said.

“Then tell the driver to drive off while he can still drive safely. Home is not that far.”

She could feel Harlock’s eyes bore into the back of her head. “Your Majesty-”

Astra turned her head as other’s in line started to turn theirs. “Harlock, we’re in public.”

Harlock frowned. “Fine, Astra, that’s really not advisable.”

Astra placed a hand on Harlock’s forearm. “I have all my faith in you. And I’m not having someone risk his life to drive me back.”

Harlock sighed, admitting defeat. “Let me make a call.”

Astra watched as Harlock stepped out of line, walking behind a display of Christmas dresses to put a finger up to her ear. When she got back, the line had made it past the corner and they could now see the cash register.

“I don’t even know why you’re buying that. You’re already wearing a scarf.”

Astra self-consciously adjusted the aqua and black striped scarf that was loosely hanging around her neck. “Maybe it’s an impulse purchase.”

Harlock sighed.

After another twenty minutes of waiting, they made it up to the registers with little incident. By the time they got up there, Astra was leaning on Harlock, legs grown tired of standing. As she mapped out the route from the mall to the palace she began to dread having the driver leave early, but this was worth it, and having the car spin out of control because it slipped on the snow was not worth it.

When they reacted the register, the cashier didn’t even blink at the sleek black credit card. She rung up the scarf, as well as the pack of gum Harlock slapped down last minute, staring down Astra as she did so. The cashier put both in a bag and handed it to Astra with a hollow “Happy holidays!”

They exited the mall and were immediately were hit by the snow. It had grown more intense since Harlock last checked, snow falling steadily. A fine layer already accumulating on the sidewalk and starting on the parking lot.

Harlock pulled her trench coat closer to herself, muttering to herself.

“Come on, Your Majesty, I already can’t feel my legs.”

“Wait.”

Harlock stopped on a dime, turning to face Astra. “What?”

Astra pulled the scarf out of the bag. She looped it around Harlock’s neck, who stood still the entire time, just looking at her.

“You’re going to need this.”

Harlock looked down at the scarf. “Have you been planning this the entire time?”

Astra shrugged. “You lost your last scarf in the assassination attempt, and I only had time to go out and buy it today.” She looked up, “The snow does make the whole thing more picturesque, though.”

Harlock glanced up at the snow falling as well. The sky was gray with storm clouds.

She looked bac to Astra, with snowflakes melting on her glasses and eyebrows. “I suppose. Is that all the surprises you have in store?”

“One more.”

Astra pulled Harlock close by the scarf, snowflakes falling off. When they were close enough, she kissed her. Their lips were cold and chapped, but when Harlock brought her hand on the back of Astra’s head and deepened the kiss, Astra felt her whole-body fill with warmth.

They parted, their breaths coming out in puffs, making Harlock’s glasses steam.

“Okay, I don’t mind that we went to the mall now,” Harlock whispered.

Astra smiled. “But now we should get out of the snow.”

“Yes, yes we should. Your Majesty.”