Devil on my shoulder

Date | 2nd of December 2021
Time | Around noon
Weather | It is snowing, and cold
Surroundings | there are starting to come more people out Christmas shopping
Attire | A big winter coat, a red beanie and black jeans, and some black boots


It was like this year had just flown her by. She wasn’t even sure what she had really used her time on. Finding herself maybe? Figuring out what she wanted. She had met this beautiful Aasimar, a creature she had never thought she would once meet again. It had been so easy to bond with her, even though her own connection had been severely weakened after darkens had come to wonderland. But it had also brought some of her own passion for staying in the woods and meditating back. Then the sweet girl had found her lost sister, gotten herself a boyfriend, and a whole bunch of new family members. So that of course meant that there was less time to all friendship, which Willow understood of course. Ace also seemed rather occupied, so she hadn’t been able to bother him as much as she used to. No, everything just seemed to go past so slow and yet to fast at the same time.

She was more or less window shopping as she walked down the street, covered in Christmas spirit and people walking around getting shopping down before the big event coming at the end of the year.

That was when she passed someone that seemed so familiar. Like pull towards that soul of another, that made you stop up and turn around. “Malcolm?” she asked, feeling how a smile formed on her lips. One might think she wouldn’t be happy to see him again, but after everything he had went through when she had met him. She never held it against him that he had pushed her away and sought out an explanation for all that had happened to him in such a small amount of time. “Hi” she laughed gently looking at him with such warmth. “fancy meeting you here”

He liked his walks, if anything you saw at least Malcolm out walking somewhere at least twice a day, it didn't matter if it was a long or short walk. He became restless if he didn't move, which was most likely his own fault since he had spent so much of his time moving from one place to another on foot. But since most of his family had found themselves simply just making a choice to stay here in Athena, or Gaia to be more specific, he had thought to himself: why not stay a little while. Till he at least would get enough and who knew where he would end up next? Malcolm had been on his way over the road, and he was indeed very careful whenever he stepped out on the road, it was mostly not all people who were careful and on these slippery roads, he did not like it. And just before he entered the pedestrian street, a car had almost run into him - again, having his heart in his throat, but all it really had taken was a small spell to make the car turn into toy size and picked it up as he walked down the street. "You should really be more careful," he mumbled annoyed feeling the cold on his skin while he looked at the small car, then he shook his head throwing the toy over his shoulder, at least no one got hurt.

Malcolm passed someone on the street, making his brows press together for a moment and stopped. He pressed his brows a bit more together, but it changed the second that he heard his name be spoken, and then turned around. "Willow," he breathed out letting the tension in his brows loosen. Well, now it was a handful of years since he had last seen her, made it pretty clear he did not want to see her, that she needed to stay away from him. It had been a handful of years with chaos and confusion, no point of him existence and he had just been feeling soulless. However, despite how it had ended last time they had spoken, he chuckled a little, perhaps it was the warmth or the way she looked at him that couldn't really not help but lighten a bit of his mood. "Yeah, who would have thought, don't tell me you have been stalking me Rowe," he teased a little taking a step closer towards her.

Oh, he actually spoke her name, and didn’t run away. Now that was a good sign if she had ever seen one. Her smile became even bigger, happier even as she bounced a little towards him, as he asked if she had been stalking him. She shrugged, and let her eyes travel up his figure towards his face. He really hadn’t changed much, she didn’t really know what she had expected after so many years, what would happen. But maybe it had been the reason of him just wanting to walk away from everything. Not really deal with the trauma the car accident had left him. Just wanting to shut everyone out. Of course, she had wished he had stayed with her, but you couldn’t always get what you wanted. That was a lesson she had quickly come to realize.

“Yes Malcolm, I’m so absolutely obsessed with you that I started to stalk you instead” she shook her head with a small chuckle letting her tongue glide over her cold lips. “So, are you busy, or do you want to grab a cup of something warm and walk a little around together?” she asked putting her hands deeper down the pocket, almost holding her breath while she waited. You never really know with this warlock, what he wanted to do, what he didn’t want to do. And you always had to be on your toes, and ready to just go along with whatever was going to happen next.

Malcolm chuckled a little and shook his head a bit, "I knew it." He couldn't help rolling his eyes a little bit, not because he was annoyed or anything, but he wondered how it had came to the point where Willow had suddenly found her way here to town, now he wasn't paranoid enough to think she had tracked him down or anything. Then, she asked if he was keen on getting something to drink and go for a walk. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, not when he thought about it at least. He was sure Willson wouldn't complain about him not suddenly sitting in his living room. And he was sure that none of his cousins appreciated him just swinging by - maybe he should pick his uncle a visit, just to annoy him. Malcolm breathed out. "Okay then, a cup of warm coffee and a stroll," he agreed breaking his silence with a nod and looked to the side. Then he started walking in the direction where he had spotted a little coffee van not many days ago, he looked back, "well come one then," he waved her over to follow him, not really wasting any seconds, luckily he did not have to cross anymore streets - right now at least, because the last thing he wanted to deal with was more cars. Making it to the coffee truck, he ordered a coffee with an extra shot of expresso - just because he could, then looked towards Willow for her to order as well.

“Yay!” she exclaimed with a happy glee, and then put her hands together, looking at him. Of course, he just started walking without waiting for her, or talking about where they were going. At least he hadn’t changed, and she had always liked him. Just for the person he was, he was so, different. A true unpolished gem, that very few understood to appreciate. He looked back, and saw she hadn’t moved, a big smile formed on his lips as he told her she should come. So, she did.  Running after him, and as she caught up, she didn’t give him a chance, to take his hand away before she had found it and gave it a squeeze. Letting it go again when they came to the coffee truck. Her fingers danced over her lips not really knowing what she wanted. “hmm” a soft hum left her, as she waved to the man that he should just start on Malcolm’s order. “I guess, I’m just going to have, a warm coco please” she said with a sweet smile, as the man behind the coffee machine looked at her, clearly swallowing a lump in his throat as he nodded and then went back to his work. When he was done, he handed them both their order and then turned to another costumer that had joined them while they had been standing there. “Sir I think you forgot our payment” she said a little confused, the man looked back at them and quickly shook his head. “Everything is fine” he smiled brightly, and she then nodded “Thank you!” she beamed brightly, and then looked towards Malcolm biting her lip as they walked away. “What? Just as well use my good aura for something” she said with no remorse for just turning the poor vendors head, without even having to kiss him.

There was something about her energy that always had been quite hypnotic, and he knew a huge part of it came to play in what she was - but once you had gotten behind that, there was still an appealing energy about her that was hard to shake off. Yet, he had fully been able to once - well he had had his reasons. Malcolm hadn't had anyone take nor squeeze his hand in ages, so she caught him a bit off guard but not for very long. Malcolm moved his light eyes towards Willow's thoughtful expression. With the hawk eye for detail and complexity of noticing people's body language, he couldn't help but chuckle a little by the man in the truck, he acted like a teenage boy who had just made eye contact with his first crush. Malcolm took his coffee without complain, and looked as Willow mentioned he had forgot to take their payment and Malcolm nodded a little as a short thank you. Then he walked off and looked towards the little beam of light by his side. "I said nothing," he pointed out with a chuckle,"but very valid point, may I add," Malcolm pointed out, even lifting his free hand to point towards her to let the movement speak for him. Well, he had nothing against her using her aura as long as she was careful. Malcolm took a sip of his coffee just as they entered the park grounds. The snow had made it so incredibly beautiful, one thing that never changed no matter how much time past, it was the beauty of nature - it was timeless. Well, when you put aside of the thought on how much of humanity that had come to destroy so much. "So, what brings you to town?" Malcolm genuinely wondered and looked towards Willow with a soft smile.

“Oh, we both now you don’t have to use words to be the loudest person in the room” she chuckled, taking a sup of her nice warm Choco. Her eyes diverted from them, as they started walking again, looking around in the park that they stepped into. She could feel the atmosphere, of the nature being almost in perfect balance here. She couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but it was like something had happened in Athena the last couple of years, making people that was connected to the nature aspect of the earth flock around here. She let her eyes travel towards him as he asked what had brought her here. “The energy” she whispered, almost in awe as she stood there. She took a step into the middle and closed her eyes. Feeling small specks of snow land on her face and melt.  “Which is weird, normally I wouldn’t be anywhere near here in the wintertime” she spoke looking towards him. “So” she turned around, standing in front of him taking him in. He looked good, annoyingly so. “I’ve heard that both Willson and Kieran is here as well, is that why you have stopped your long wandering of the world, and come back to the people you know?” she asked with a slight hint of a smile on her lips.

Malcolm chuckled, the energy brought her here? Well, she had a thing for being mysterious, he had always known that and right now he was just intrigued by her entire spirit. It was something despite how things had ended in the past always had brought him some sort of joy. But it was true, something had to be luring her towards here. Well, this wasn't the coldest of winters, he had after all experienced the Siberian cold - which was something else entirely. Malcolm stopped the moment she stepped up in front of him, making him raise his brows just a little bit. "You sure hear a lot of things," he pointed out, but it was only just a fact. But it was rather something to speak about when the families got together in one place, as far as Malcolm had heard from Ava, it was also the Radclyffees', not to mention the Addams' family - even the Sinclair's despite them not roaming the grounds of Gaia. "Well, maybe I just stopped walking for a moment and happened to end up around family," he lashed his arms a little bit out to the side with a little smirk. "Maybe I missed my family - someone has to keep Willson on his toes, otherwise he will just get too comfortable, of course he has a two year old now, so I guess she keeps him on his toes," Malcolm theorized and looked to the side shortly, as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well, other than that, I do have some torment of my uncle left to do before the new year. Keeping myself busy, as you can hear."

She gave him a mysterious smile, as he pointed out that she knew a lot of things. Or heard a lot of things. ”I’m that irresistible to many, getting in on the latest gossip is kind of my thing” she pointed out, letting her tongue glide over her lips. Her cursed lips. Keeping her from being together with those she wanted to be with. Of course, she could just turn to women, swear of all men. If her heart and brain was just wired the same. “That sure is a lot of maybes” she pointed out herself, looking at him, tilting her head a little while watching. A bigger smile formed on her lips as he told her that he had to keep his brother on his toes, but it wasn’t what made her smile. It was the fact that he had gotten a two-year-old. “Congratulations of being a Uncle, how many times is that now?” she asked rolling her eyes, as he then got to put in, that he also needed to torment his uncle to do. But for all the mischiefs and torments that he had planned, she was still very happy to see him. Even if she could still tell that grief and unresolved trauma was still hiding away behind his façade. “I’m really happy to see you again” she then told him, taking a step towards him, lifting her hand briefly letting it find his cheek and rested it there. Then she took it back and turned around in the beautiful park and the snow, she skipped a few steps ahead, spun around and giggled while enjoying the snow gliding down around her. All the while she sipped carefree from her hot drink.

"Oh I know you are - always getting away with everything. That is why you my fine lady, are my favorite person," he pointed out looking towards Willow. It was true, and now that Malcolm had had time to grieve - or what he had used the time on - but he was more than open to speak to her again, clearly. "Maybes are fun," he reminded her with a cheekier smile. Well, Malcolm had spent to much time away from his family that now he was close with them again was nice. He liked seeing his father again, Willson - Cassian, if he had to pick another Jones. "Am I supposed to keep count on that?" He asked when she asked him how many times that it was by now. Malcolm licked his lips a little tilting his head a little bit, "I'm happy to see you as well," he replied honestly, stopping as her hand touched his cheek, only shortly allowing her to steal his breath away from the touch. However, as she took it back and turned around he could breath out again. Malcolm had truly missed having her around, someone he could just talk to and there was never any judgment or any strange looks. She knew who she was talking with, so there was no pretending - not that Malcolm even could pretend if he wanted to.

She made a small smirk when he told her that he had missed her. How else should she react, if not like that? Turning around she started walking away from Malcolm after she had taken her hand away from his cheek. There had always been a barrier with her, and the people that she either loved or fell in love with. How much she was actually allowed to touch them. Which made her reluctant, just as Malcolm had been when she had first stepped into his life to see if she could bring some light and goodness into it. Or at least some healing, before he needed to go his own way, and find himself again. She looked up and saw how snow was slowly coming down from the sky. A soft giggle left her, as it hit her face, closing her eyes spreading her arms up. Clearly not caring if she looked stupid for other people. She was having a time of her life.

He frowned a bit as she looked up, but his eyes moved towards the sky seeing the snow falling down, so beautiful, it was rather fun actually, watching the small frozen drops fall from the sky. The soft giggle made him look back towards her shortly down, a soft hum left him, watching the flakes all on her face, landing on the tip of her nose as she closed her eyes. Freeing, he could feel it in his chest, that freeing feeling she granted him with. Malcolm closed his eyes turning his head towards the sky as well, just taking a deeper breath in. Oddly how some people could just come and drag you right out of your own shadow, making you breath again as if you had been holding your breath for a while. He felt as if he could stay forever here, just standing here taking in the crisp air, taking in life once again.

She stood there for a while. Letting the small snowflakes kiss her skin with their cold touch. There was something freeing about just standing there, letting the world settle around them. Shield out the noise and the mess from other people. Not let it affect them, because they could create their own little world in this snow paradise. But she opened them taking a sip from her warm chocolate. Then she walked over towards him, hearing how the snow under her feet crunched against the weight. Her fingers gently touched his hand and gave him a quiet and soft smile. “So, how are you doing Malcolm?” she asked, knowing that the people with the biggest smiles or the snarkiest remarks usually were those that struggled the most. She knew it from herself, but Malcolm had always been better to hide his emotions than others. Even when she had seen him low, she was sure he had never really let her see him when he had been at his worst.

Standing here. Still for a moment. Just a little moment and took in the cold air through his nose, exhaling the warm from his mouth. Still, it was like the time stood still for a while, something the time never did for Malcolm. He was always quick, all around and never did anything in slowmotion, and here he was experiencing the feeling of time almost being sat on pause for what felt like the first time ever. And as he once again opened his eyes, she still just stood there taking in the cold air like he did. Then time started again, as she lifted her hand up to take a sip of her drink, and walked towards him. Malcolm exhaled slowly not taking his eyes from her, listening to the wonderful sound of the snow crunching underneath her feet. Sweet sound indeed. The warm fingertips, her hand touched his and he took a deeper breath in - but nothing less he smiled a little, just a small smile, almost copying what she did.

How are you doing Malcolm? He licked his lips a little before clicking his tongue and moved his eyes from her. Malcolm rarely lied if he ever did, but he was also a master of twisting his truths into something where he could either laugh at it or change the subject onto something else. And honestly. He had no idea how he truly felt right now. Or right now, he felt joy, bliss - overall, he never really took his time to reflect. "Well it sure is nice being around family for the Holidays," he chuckled a little and gave her a little smirk, which was true. It was nice seeing his father again, despite of the grief him, Willson and their carried, especially when suddenly faced with it again. Then there was the car crash not terribly long ago yet still long for some. "Survived a car crash and a witch fight with the Sinclair's I call that a win for the year," he nodded a little. He had been terrified of actually losing Cassian the second Rebekah had attacked, confused about suddenly having a brother he hadn't known anything about. But he didn't think too much about it. He had spent his given hours at Willson's when Willson let him in, or well, Willson couldn't really help himself for letting Malcolm stay either way. "How about you, how are you doing?"

She nodded when he explained that it was nice being around family for the holidays. She could understand that, not that she had been able to be around family for any of these holidays that was celebrated in this dimension. Not that she missed Wonderland, there was nothing left for her there other than darkness and misery. Especially after she had experienced this world. Even with all the pollution. And Ace, that grumpy bastard seemed rather occupied, so she hadn’t really been around and demanded that he use some time on her. She raised her brows as he then told her that he had survived a car crash and a fight with the Sinclair’s. She shook her head. “No, no, wait up” she didn’t even have a smile on her lips even though he looked like it was almost like he had just told her how the weather had been for the last couple of weeks. “You can’t just, tell me you were in an accident, like it was you slipping on ice because it’s a little slippery because of the winter, and then follow up with a magic fight with the Sinclair’s” she made a small pout, not looking very intimidating even with her brows pressed together as she tried to look mad at him for just springing that on her, and then think that he could just skip to – how are you doing. She almost grabbed his hand, and started moving her hands to her shoulder, clapping him down his body to see if he was injured in any way. “Nah, we are not doing, how I’m doing before I know you are absolutely fine!”

Malcolm took a sharper breath in when she wasn't letting him slip away with a casual little comment about the chaos. He didn't like the chaos, but well, he could thrive in it somehow, make it work. However, he stopped for a moment and just looked at her. It was because he rarely waned to get to the deep part of what was going on, he didn't mind casually dropping the hints of torment and how tragic everything were, but getting under the surface, no - he didn't like that. Then she started clapping down his body, as checking if he had some broken bones or bruises well hidden - he didn't, "hey hey hey,  you really think I would walk about like some ragdoll?" He asked and blinked a few times, keeping his eyes on her. Now, yes Malcolm could take other people's pain and transfer it to himself, just like he could take his own pain and transfer to others, and he did in smaller doses to get rid of injuries easier - was it fair? Most likely not, but oh well. And here people thought they just had random bruises time to time. "I don't think I can be absolutely fine Willzy, but hey," he placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a small squeeze. "But I'm as good as I can be," he assured her with a warmer smile, jokes aside and all.

Willow raised a brow to his; do you think I would walk about like some ragdoll. Almost asking him if that was even a question. Of course, she would think that. It was Malcolm after all. A man that had decided that he would walk father than any person had ever done before. Because he would rather do that, facing his demons that way than actually talk with someone about it. Like her. She had been there, right there in front of him for so many years. But he had never really seen him. For a while she had thought it might be the fact that he never really could be with her. Because of what she was, her curse. But then she had realized it was the grief of losing his wife, and the loss of his mother. Which she couldn’t blame him for or did for that matter. So, she was a friend. That was more than enough.
She scrunched her nose as he told her that he didn’t think he could ever be absolutely fine. “Okay, then I’ll just have to stay forever” she teased with a smirk on her lips, dropping the empty paper cup where the hot chocolate had been in. As her hands grabbed his face moving it a little back and forth. How she wished she could lean forward and pull him down into a kiss. It tingled in her entire body to do it, but she couldn’t. She would never be able to do that. “Good” she hummed when he told her that he was as good as he could be. “Something you want to do now?” she asked, letting go of him to pick her cup up, so she could throw it out.

Then I’ll just have to stay forever, he let out a smaller chuckle. It was always rather out of this world to realize that your mind had been so clouded with grief and your own darkness that your vision had been so blurred that you couldn't even see what was right in front of your eyes. "I think I could work with that," he however pointed out, which was completely different than when he had tried to throw her out of his life just years ago. Right now, he found comfort in that she hadn't given completely up on him despite of how out of it he had been - sometimes still was. Malcolm let out a small tender laugh as she grabbed his face, still letting his eyes stay glued to hers. Malcolm would rather say he was as good as could be rather than to lie and say everything was fine, nor come with one big long speech about how he would be fine by a long shot - or even dig deeper. But everyone who knew Malcolm also knew all you had to was ask, sometimes ask twice and then he despite being scared to death sometimes would simply just reply. There wasn't much about him keeping secret even if he seemed so, but he was good at keeping them - till he was asked about it however, people just needed to know the right questions. "Well, now you can't completely dismiss my question about how you are, now can you?" He reminded her as she let go of his face, and he downed the last bits of coffee before like her, he threw the cup out. "Other than that, I just want to enjoy my given time with you - to be frank."

She couldn’t help but wink as he told her that he could work with that.
“Good” she breathed, knowing that it would be a cold day in hell she would let him walk away from her again. Or at least in the way he had done last time. Not that she needed him to commit to her in a romantic way. She had always known that was never really in the cards for her. Which she was okay with. There was other way to experience love. Through family and friendship. Being with someone that made your life feel like every day was the best day of your life. Just because they were there beside you. And that was what it felt like when she had Malcolm close. So, just him being there, in any capacity that he could muster. Was more than enough for her.
After she had thrown out the cup she turned towards him, as he told her that she couldn’t completely dismiss his question. “Maybe I dismissed it because there isn’t really anything to tell?” she said with a small smirk, shrugging her shoulders a little. “In all honesty I’m doing really well, I have a roof over my head, I like my job and I just try to enjoy every day the best I can” she shrugged, there wasn’t really anything exciting or extreme going on. She was just her. Small little Willow in the world of the unknown.
“And if you just want to enjoy my company, then let’s go look at all the amazing Christmas lights” she said with a small smile, walking back taking his hand pulling him along.

He chuckled a little bit, "maybe - or maybe not, one might never know," Malcolm mused a little lower as his eyes turned to the path ahead of them. But he was happy to know that she was doing quite well, trying to enjoy each day to best ability as it should be. Then she pulled him along to go on a hunt to find Christmas lights. A softer laugh escaped the warlock as they traced over the show and out of the park area to get to a smaller village where people had of heart to decorate with everything from the most charming lights to the craziest. Malcolm had always wondered who had come up with the idea that you needed to light up your home in the spirit of Christmas, it was rather crazy how Christmas had evolved over the years, he had seen many things develop, this being one of them - not that he for one paid the most attention to all of it. Stopping by the beginning of the village and seeing how the sun began to set in the horizon, they had arrived the perfect time for their little light watch. Malcolm lifted his hand up and spun Willow around briefly letting a small laugh escape him once again as he looked at her. Pulling her into his embrace with her back against his chest, with his arms crossed around her and his head besides her, he looked ahead of the road. "Let's go explore the lights, shall we?" He spoke in a slightly lower cheerful voice, before slowly letting go of her again, to simply take her hand like she had taken his before, and started walking.

A brilliant laugh left Willow as he spun her around. Closing her eyes, enjoying the short moment of feeling weightless and how wind was pushed against her already frosty cheeks. She always loved how Malcolm brought out this side of her. Willow had of course always had it, but you learned how to tame yourself when you were around people not understanding what could seem crazy was just, you, being you. It came as natural to her as breathing. She closed her eyes as he pulled her into his embrace, feeling his chest press against her back. She could stay there forever if he let her, looking up when he asked if they should go explore the lights she nodded. “let’s” she said with a soft smile and took his hand again after he let her out of his embrace. Pulling him along, a bouncy skip in her step, kicking up snow each time she put one foot in front of the other.

Even if Malcolm was a person who never was hiding his true self, the crazy part of him, there was still a part of it he kept unleashed. Because he truly also wished to get a bit better, hoping that sometimes he could retain the chaos within him, just a little bit. But whenever he was near Willow, it was like everything just fell right into place, like the world around him opened with hope and light. The feeling of if he just had her by his side they would be unstoppable, which was perhaps what had scared him the most back when he felt like he had lost everything, that someone could take that pain away that he felt like he deserved. Malcolm had wanted to feel the pain, to drown himself in it, and he had. Luckily it hadn't taken him out completely. Pretty sure his family would never have forgiven him if he had let it, they sure would find a way to bring him back just to kill him for the action. No, Malcolm was too stubborn to go swimming in sea of grief.

He chuckled a little before letting her pull him along down the lighted up streets to look at all the lights, feeling the snow underneath his boots. There were barely any cars driving down the street and it truly felt like they had the entire space to themselves. Laughing how she kicked the snow up, now he could pull a few snow tricks himself, and with a gentle movement of his hand, he took some the snow ahead and let it move to the air and let it spread over them like the most beautiful snowfall.

Willow’s eyes got big when she saw how he manipulated the snow around them. The beautiful snowfall that was happening around them. She had to let go of his hand, and started dancing around in the falling snow, closing her eyes for a moment. Turning around herself a couple of times, before she had to stop, a little dizzy she placed her hands against her cheeks. Looking up towards Malcolm, she gave him a giant smile. One of those where people would describe them as a sun. Which had been the reason why she had become a nurse. To see how people reacted when she came in. She had never decided on a what kind of nurse she wanted to become, mostly because she both liked to work with kids and adults. Some of the elderly could be so much fun to hang around, but there were also many that could be quite heart-breaking to work with. Those that hadn’t lived the life they had hoped and had so many regrets now that death was knocking on their doors.
But she was there, to make sure that they would at least have someone in their life to remember that had been kind, smiling and caring. No matter what mistakes they had made in the past, she wouldn’t judge. She never did, ever. She ran back to Malcolm and grabbed his hand. Pulling him along laughing on the way. Not caring what people would think, she let go again. Grabbed some snow formed it into a ball and threw it towards Malcolm’s shoulder. “Your move Jones!” she giggled running away trying to outsmart him, now that he had magical advantage.

It was possible that this was the most at peace he ever found himself, he had done a lot to keep himself from feeling that which had let him to push her away in the past, because he knew she would be the only one to cure his heart from the toxin spreading. Yet, how did you heal from something you believed you didn't deserve to be healed from? When you had chosen to keep the pain to remind yourself of the hurt only for the sake of hurting? Not that Malcolm was completely over what had happened, truth was he carried a lot of sorrows still heavy on his shoulders. But right now today being reunited with Willow it was like his shoulders were less weighted down. It was nice, and he completely forgot everything that had happened prior today as he just watched her dance to gracefully in the snow, a sight he could play on repeat in his mind for an eternity. So, perhaps he was just standing there still with a brighter smile on his lips than many had seen in what felt like forever.

Then she ran back to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of trance, making him laugh as they ran down the street like they were the only two people left on his planet. Then letting go again he stopped running looking towards her with a bit of a little smirk on his lips, then watching her form snow into a ball then throwing it as him, hitting his shoulder. Malcolm looked down at his shoulder where the remains of the snow, before brushing it off with a little laugh, "you cheeky little thing." He then lifted his eyes up to see her run off down the street, then picking up a snow ball himself throwing it, cheating a little bit keeping it in the air as he ran to follow her, letting it fly next to him, till he got close enough to aim her on the back of her left shoulder. Then grabbing her from behind the second he could and spun her around, then letting go again.

A laugh left her. One of those laughs where there were no restrains on it. It was free and wild. Like a spring wind, blowing over the trees. Giving the promise off warm and better weather. It didn’t stop, she couldn’t really help herself from feeling the joy overwhelm her in a sense where she welcomed it into her heart, and just let herself be happy for a moment. Just this brief moment, of pure and innocent happiness.
“Cheating!” she squealed as he grabbed her and had used magic to aim at her. She breathed heavily and looked at him with a mysterious, if not somewhat sneaky grin. Then with her own powers, she made a lot of snow lift from the ground and drizzle over them. Almost covering them in the white frozen water. She laughed again, spun around and started running away from him, making snow fly from the ground and dance around the air. Almost as if she was doing a routine for a play. But if all fairness, she was just playing around. Letting this be one of those evenings, where she didn’t think about the consequences but just did whatever came to mind.