Hazy Shade of Winter

Heavenly. That was the only word powerful enough to begin to describe how she felt when she was so close to Zephyr. So close that the only smell she breathed in was his, the only sound she heard were his breaths and heartbeats, the only thing she felt was where her body touched his. So much was different, but this... this felt eternal. Even over years of separation this still felt as good as it ever did and it made her want to just never get up. Cae could think these thoughts a million times and never get tired of them even for a moment. The only really question that remained was, could it last?

Could it? They'd held together longer this time, so far things had become very peaceful, something she was great full for. Hope for a happy reunion had long been dead. Of course this still wasn't quite what she'd really wished and yearned for but it was pleasant and she was growing ever more fearful that it would break apart at any moment. They'd quickly run out of easy words and the tension in her stomach was building faster than she could push it away. If minds had claws, the claws in hers would be digging desperately into the serenity she feared losing. Crystalline eyes blinked with quickness when she became aware of his shaking. He'd press closer to her and every part of the ivory woman wished she could... just, do anything to ease their pain. If anything could make her feel truly powerless it was seeing this man in such a state.

It felt like her world was standing still, even after he answered her question she found herself immobile. What was it... Looking at him with a searching gaze like she might be able to unravel all the secrets hidden in his mind with her eyes alone the woman tried to understand something that whispered unintelligibly at the back of her mind. While she did so a snowflake would descend lazily from the heavens, settling on the end of her nose for only a heartbeat before it melted away. It would be followed by dozens more like it, though she noticed none of them. Her eyes and mind remained focused on Zephyr. Even after much pondering she could not grasp what it was that was different about him though she was positive something in the time they'd been apart had altered him somehow. Words failed her many times as she tried to formulate a thought, a question, anything at all. It was fear that held her back for she was beginning to tremble as he had though she couldn't stop despite efforts to pull herself closer to him, and press into his body in a feeble attempt at ceasing the involuntary movement. If only she could blame the cold for her shivering.

Her mouth seemed frozen shut. That had to be the only explanation for why she took so long to find the strength to open it, her words sounding equally as shaky and unstable as her body, "Will... will there ever be a right time? I had so much in my head before i saw you, so much I wanted to say and to ask. Now I just can't and... I don't want this to stop Zeph. But I also don't know when we'll ever be able to say everything we need to." He had to feel the same way, right?