will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He smiled at her, scrunching his nose up slightly. “Signs of a good start. And look, we’re almost there!” Jack points. “Just over that hill there, you’ll see my family home.”

Katelynn looked, running off ahead to see, trying hard not to trip on the thick snow, hair flailing out behind her as she ran.

When she finally reached the top, she looked over, admiring the scenery.

There was a small wooden walk way leading down the slight slope. It vanished into some thick trees and awaiting them down at the bottom of the slope was the stream Jack spoke of. Despite the cold, it was still running, she could hear it. Then there were more trees but they thinned out and revealed a nicely sized field.

And there it was. A house. Big enough for a small family. There was a thick garden under a slight blanket of snow at the back, and at the front. There were fences, empty fields, and an abandoned dog house. Despite sitting there in a field alone, the house looked… loved.

Jack approached her and stood besides her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “And there you have it. Maple Family Home.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

But then he had her. His arms wrapping around her; she almost slipped but he held her up, held her against him as he laughed, really never having laughed this loudly out in public like this before. Technically it was just the two of them, but still. 

“Oh God,” he laughs, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I love you.” Jack whispers, “So much. I can’t not tell you this.”

Katelynn’s laughter subsided into gently giggles, panting a bit from the run and being warmed by his arms. “J-Jack..” She turned in his arms, leaning up to kiss his lips in response, getting lost in the moment for a bit.

Pulling back a bit, she smiled at him. “We haven’t even arrived at your house yet..and we’re already having so much fun..”

He smiled at her, scrunching his nose up slightly. “Signs of a good start. And look, we’re almost there!” Jack points. “Just over that hill there, you’ll see my family home.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“Ah!”

Jack laughed as the two ended up running along the big field that was lined with huge trees. Thankfully the field was flat, without any pot holes, or rocks to trip up on or this moment could have been messed with. They tossed snowballs back and forth at one another, their laughter sounding more and more like children than grown adults. Funny how they could do that with one another, out here where time seemed to stop.

She was sure if they weren’t alone, people would have looked in their direction at how loud Katelynn was laughing, running away from Jack playfully and squealing, avoiding fallen branches on the ground.

She didn’t even have time to catch snow anymore as Jack was gaining ground on her, causing a new squeal of excitement.

“Oh no you’re going to capture me!”

But then he had her. His arms wrapping around her; she almost slipped but he held her up, held her against him as he laughed, really never having laughed this loudly out in public like this before. Technically it was just the two of them, but still. 

“Oh God,” he laughs, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I love you.” Jack whispers, “So much. I can’t not tell you this.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“Same goes for you!” Jack points out, “How do you know it was a he? Hmmm?” he asks, moving his snow ball from side to side, grinning. “Go on!” he laughs, before tossing his snowball at her. Not hard, never hard, laughing as he does. Gosh, he hasn’t had a snowball fight since he was a kid.

She tried to duck but it clipped her on the shoulder, exploding into a white mess over her hair as she tried to toss her own back at him, squealing and laughing, grabbing some more snow and running on ahead to avoid him.

“You won’t be able to get me again!” She laughed, tossing another at him.

“Ah!”

Jack laughed as the two ended up running along the big field that was lined with huge trees. Thankfully the field was flat, without any pot holes, or rocks to trip up on or this moment could have been messed with. They tossed snowballs back and forth at one another, their laughter sounding more and more like children than grown adults. Funny how they could do that with one another, out here where time seemed to stop.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack had already grabbed another snowball in his hands, grinning at her as he kept his front to her, watching her. “I don’t know, have you seen her?” he asks back just as playfully, and boldly.

“And how do you know it was a she?” she asked playfully, hand on her hip. “Could have been some..um..” She looked around the forest, seeing who she could accuse..”Fell off the tree! Yeah.”

“Same goes for you!” Jack points out, “How do you know it was a he? Hmmm?” he asks, moving his snow ball from side to side, grinning. “Go on!” he laughs, before tossing his snowball at her. Not hard, never hard, laughing as he does. Gosh, he hasn’t had a snowball fight since he was a kid.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He let her go ahead of him a moment before quickly returning the favor, his snow ball falling down against her lower back; probably smacking her bum, it’s hard to tell. Jack, however, can’t hide his laugh as he moves around her carefully among the snow and mush, grinning.

“Yeah did you see that??” he asks.

It actually had hit her bottom, and Katelynn squealed a bit, looking back over at Jack. She laughed, bending down to pick up some more snow. “I actually missed the person responsible. Maybe you saw him?” she asked, a challenging grin on her face.

Jack had already grabbed another snowball in his hands, grinning at her as he kept his front to her, watching her. “I don’t know, have you seen her?” he asks back just as playfully, and boldly.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack yelped as he felt the snow strike his back and he turned around, and looked at Katelynn with a surprised look before over come with a grin. “Oh, wow. Katelynn. You didn’t see who threw that, did you?” he asked. “Biggest snowflake in the world, I think it was…!”

She pretended to appear innocent, looking around the forest. “Yeah it was. Somebody’s throwing stuff!” She bit her lip to hide the laugh that was bubbling up from her throat, continuing ahead of him.

He let her go ahead of him a moment before quickly returning the favor, his snow ball falling down against her lower back; probably smacking her bum, it’s hard to tell. Jack, however, can’t hide his laugh as he moves around her carefully among the snow and mush, grinning.

“Yeah did you see that??” he asks.

will-never-be-a-swan:

Katelynn was too busy being mesmerized by the scenery to comment, being careful not to slip and fall. The trees were black and gnarly, the ground white. Despite the lack of green and flowers, Katelynn loved it.

She continued on after Jack, gaining a bit of a grin as an idea popped into her head. Bending down with a bare hand, having forgotten her gloves, Katelynn collected some snow into a snow ball and tossed it gently at his back, then tried to appear nonchalant though her smile gave her away.

Jack yelped as he felt the snow strike his back and he turned around, and looked at Katelynn with a surprised look before over come with a grin. “Oh, wow. Katelynn. You didn’t see who threw that, did you?” he asked. “Biggest snowflake in the world, I think it was…!”

will-never-be-a-swan:

Holding onto her own bag, Katelynn nodded, turning this way and that to look up at the tall trees, remembering the forests of Washington where she grew up. The trees weren’t the exact same type but still.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she commented, following after Jack. She tried to avoid the muddy ground as best she could, grateful to have worn thick boots just in case.

The two walked until they came to a small bridge, Jack pausing to peer over the side. It wasn’t deep to where the stream ran beneath it, and he smiled faintly.

“I used to play here.” he whispers. “I’d look for fish, frogs, sometimes faeries.” he admits, looking at Katelynn with a small grin on his face. “Crazy huh? Now, this way.” he points off of the path, and begins to walk over the snow.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack let her sleep, and worked an arm around her shoulders gently, pulling her against him and rested his head against the top of hers. God, he adored her. How had he managed anything without her before? Look at him, on a bus, surrounded by people he didn’t know, going home again for the first time in a year. With his girlfriend. He never thought he’d have one, and yet here she was, in his arms, so beautiful and so wonderful for him.

He let his eyes shut too, lulled to sleep by her presence and the gentle motion of the bus, and is soon fast asleep as well.

She was floating on a wonderful cloud of happiness in her dream, laughter filling her mind as she ran around a huge field, Jack chasing after her and laughing with her, the rays of the sun on their backs.

It filled her with such warmth yet when the bus made a powerful lurch, Katelynn opened her eyes quickly, sitting up straight and looking out the window, the scenery outside unfamiliar to her eyes.

Are we almost there? she wondered, checking her cell phone for the time. They had managed to nap for a few hours and Katelynn felt a bit more refreshed, stretching back against the seat to wake up properly.

She looked over at Jack, seeing his wonderful face and reached over to barely trace a finger across his brow, memorizing every shape of his face.

“I love you..” she whispered gently, letting him sleep. She turned back to look out the window, waiting for their stop and wondering how much longer.

She couldn’t wait to reach his home.

He eventually awoke, and luckily he did since the next stop was theirs. Jack notified the bus driver thanks to a buzzer built into each seat. It wasn’t another half an hour though. 

When the bus finally stopped the two got off, and the bus driver retrieved their bags from the carrier. Handing the bags over he wished them a happy new year, and got back onto the bus. Jack stood back as the bus started, and drove away.

They were in a great field, some of the snow had melted out here, so there were patches of green. The trees were giants, like Jack said they would be. He pauses and takes in a deep breath, before looking around at his surroundings, before back at Katelynn.

“This is Elmer’s Drive.” he explains. “It hasn’t changed in a year. Now,” Jack adjusts his rucksack on his back. “we’re going to cut across Anderson’s field itself to get to my house.”