Garden for the Yule Ball

"Alright." He closed the book and set it on the bench.

"Thank you. You're a lot cuter when people can see your face."

"I see."

Serenity giggled, sipping butterbeer from a wine glass boredly.

He looked at her. "Lovely night out, hm?"

"Not particularly. It's sort of cold, and snowy, but for Christmas it's good." She smiled at him, noting that talking about the weather means you were having trouble talking about something.

"Precisely. I prefer white Christmases to green and-or yellow ones." He paused. "And by that, I mean sand and sunlight and whatnot."

"Oh, I get it. I thought you meant pee or green poop."

He did a very miniscule eyeroll.

Serenity was silent. "I was joking! JOKING! Anyways-- Erm-- Do you think.." She ended her sentence quietly, looking too nervous to continue.

"Yes, Miss Rosensteel?"

"Do you think you'll like me when we're older or will you just break up with me and go out with someone out of the blue that used to be all ugly? Or do you think I'm gonna marry the wrong person over and over again and then realize that the one person I loved liked me a long time ago like in Gone with the Wind? And I'll end up a hopeful person that always says tomorrow is another day but is REALLY BITTER AND SAD DEEP INSIDE?!" Serenity sounded frantic.

After a moment, he smiled, and patted her head lovingly like one would to a beloved dog.

Serenity rolled her eyes quite visibly, muttering under her breath.
"Thanks. That helps my fears a lot."

He just kept smiling.

"Alright-- Assuming that DID help a little, you wouldn't get tired of me?" Serenity pulled her legs up on the bench with her, wrinkling her dress terribly again.

He was now petting her head, just smiling away...

Serenity crossed her arms angrily. Then she held up one hand, her pale, cold, lightly dusted with melted snowflakes, and tired hand flashing out and smacking him across the face, very strongly for a person so much shorter than her target. "What's your problem? You seem so weird! Have you gone insane in the past five minutes without your book?"

He said nothing. He looked at her again, not smiling anymore. "No, Miss Rosensteel. You should know the answer to that question."

"Thank you for enlightening me on your neverending answers to questions, Mister Illumination,"
Serenity said frostily, turning in the other direction and sitting absolutely still.
"It really helps to know what you're talking about."

"Miss Rosensteel."

"What?"

"Look at me, please."

Serenity shot her head back to stare at him, arms crossed defensively. "What?" Her usual happy voice sounded tired, extremely tired.

He hesitated for a moment. "Olivia told me you would be hoping for this." And then, he leaned over and kissed her.