#24daysofreylo Day 6: Frost. “Ben Frost” 👀❄️ This is also for @beccashalome ‘s #decromcom challenge on Instagram (#decromcom), except I’m just now realizing this is not really a rom com scenario 😂🥲😅 But it’s a meet-cute, which is the first prompt, so IT COUNTS 🥶
Here’s the story blurb I wrote to accompany this:
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Ben Frost swooped low between the snowy trees, whipping up a cloud of freezing air as he went. It was another day of nothing, just him, the North wind, and whatever critters he could find to chase.
He contemplated going up to the waterfall to see if it needed refreezing, when he heard the soft crunching sound of footfalls.
He frowned. It didn’t sound like a deer. In fact, it sounded like—
His eyes widened, his heart picking up with his excitement.
A human.
He let the wind push him up above the treetops, where he settled into the crook of his staff, his gaze searching around for movement.
There!
He tumbled with the gust aimed in their direction, whooping and laughing as he went.
Was he a hunter? Or lost? Why would anyone come out so far into the forest, especially—
Ben’s eyes widened again as he dropped close enough to see the person’s face.
Especially a *girl*.
“What in the world brought you here, silly girl?” He murmured. She shivered, then stopped and looked around, as if she’d heard something.
Ben sighed. “It’s just you and me,” he reassured her. He had long given up hope that anyone could hear him, but sometimes it was nice to pretend.
She shook herself and continued on, her boots sinking into the snow.
Ben continued speaking, knowing she wouldn’t respond but still glad to have someone to converse at that wasn’t the Moon.
“You must be cold. You should probably stop and make camp pretty soon, because the sun is going down and there’s nobody for miles.”
No response, so he shrugged.
“Suit yourself, girly.”
He settled on his staff, following her as she tromped on, she a silent audience to his random chatter about weird things he’d seen, complaints about the Guardians being spoilsports, and general thoughts and feelings about the world. Every now and then he sent small bursts of wind into the trees, entranced by how she always stopped to look up and listen to the icicles make melodic tinkling noises whenever he did. Her soft smile made him smile in response, although his heart ached.
“You’re kinda pretty, Freckles,” he murmured as he drifted close enough to get a good look at her. “Do you mind if I call you Freckles? It’s just that you have so many and—“
The ground cracked, the echo resounding from below and above. Freckles froze, her breath coming quickly as they both noticed that the space they had thought was a clearing, was actually a large pond frozen over and camouflaged under a blanket of snow.
“Oh shit,” Freckles hissed, making Ben startle, both at the sound of her voice and at the coarse language.
She carefully took a step back, her foot landing in her own foot print.
“Smart girl,” Ben said, eyeing the way she’d come with a worried brow. “Just go slow.”
She made it another two steps before another crack vibrated beneath her feet, and then like a rabbit she pivoted and began to sprint.
“No, stop!” Ben cried, waving his arms in front of her and flinching as she ran right through him.
As he predicted, the weight of her bounding steps were too much for the ice, and Ben watched in dismay as her foot broke through, making her fall forward and break the ice further.
Freckles screamed, clawing at the snow, trying to find purchase to pull herself out, but she only slipped further into the frigid water as the ice shifted and tilted.
She gasped for air, the cold punching the breath from her lungs, and Ben ran his hand through his hair, horrified and desperate.
“No, no, nonono!” He looked up at the moon peeking out behind the clouds. “Please!” He yelled. “Please help her!” There was no answer, and Freckles was whimpering, sinking deeper as her strength waned.
Ben grasped his staff, squeezing his eyes shut, and wished with all his heart that he could do something, that he could save her. The wind blew around them, whipping snow and ice around with his hair, and then he heard her rasp,
“P-please, s-sir, h-h-help,”
And he opened his eyes to see her looking up.
At him.
Without delay he leaned down, grabbing her wrist—they could touch!—and then willed the wind to lift him, settling his feet on his staff to stabilize the added weight as he lifted the girl from the freezing water.
“I got you, Freckles,” he whispered, staring right into her wide gaze, her expression one of wonder. He probably looked the same, a part of him shocked that this was working at all.
Whatever happened after this, whether she’d stop being able to see him and he’d be left alone and unheard again, Ben didn’t care. This interaction, no matter how terrifying, would sustain him for another century.
He just needed to make sure she survived being cold and wet now.
//end (or tbc…?)
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