Warmth (Anna)

(A/N: I wrote this over the summer but only finished it now hence the reason it takes place during the summer!) pure domestic fluff and reference to magical snowball fights- enjoy! :)

“I’m cold.” I whisper in the dark, pulling the blankets closer and curling into a ball. “Cold?” Farkas asks, “It’s the middle of the summer. How are you cold?” His confusion is understandable in normal circumstances, but Skyrim has a rather...unique climate, particularly to foreigners. “You might have forgotten...We’re in winterhold.” I retort. The moonlight shining through the large window, made of stained glass in the shape of the college’s symbol, casts an interesting pattern throughout the room. The iron used to create the symbol divides the pieces of glass, much better than the iron bars used to cover most of the other colleges windows. 

While Windhelm, slightly to the southwest of Winterhold is the snowiest place in this freezing wasteland, Dawnstar and Winterhold boast being the coldest. Both cities, though much of Winterhold has fallen into the sea sit on the sea of ghosts, the area where the college is located in particular in on a frozen glacier of sorts. Much colder than my native Daggerfall. Though we get snow in the winter it’s not nearly as cold year round, and is often quite temperate. 

“It’s still summer, at least it’s not snowing.” Something rumbles outside and I sit up looking out the window. “Looks like you jinxed yourself. It’s snowing outside.” Farkas sits up to look for himself, sighs, and mutters something. “Only in Skyrim...Snow in the middle of summer.” I laugh slightly  “Once it snowed in May in Daggerfall. Everyone freaked out, though, it was only a few flurries.”

 The moonlight shifts to where almost the entire room is lit up scattering light across the stone floor. A gust of wind blows outside and I’m reminded of the predicament that woke me up in the first place, the poorly insulated stone walls are no help. “They should really add more insulation or at least a better heating system. Why’d they have to build our quarters in a tower of all places? Whiterun has it figured out, build the sleeping quarters underground, who cares if heat rises?” Farkas shrugs “I’m not an architect so don’t ask me about foolish design but I’m not entirely sure they thought the decision through before beginning building.” He pauses “Anna, you’re shivering. Are you really that cold?” I give him a look, then my eyes drift to the dying fireplace. I gently push him out of the way and cast a fireball at the fireplace, reigniting it. Farkas looks at the relit fire, and back at me. “Well...that’s one way to do things, I guess.” 

He throws another blanket over my head, startling me. “And that’s another.” I lift the blanket up out of my face and wrap it around me. “Better?” He asks now with the combination of the added blanket and relit fire “Much better.” Blankets make everything better. 

Too awake now to go back to sleep at the moment we find ways to pass the time. Playfully teasing each other, watching the snow, reading or telling stories, wondering about the baffling way the school was built, in particular the slightly ominous halls beneath the school, and, for the most part, just sitting there and chatting. “And so they defeated the villain and lived happily ever after...the end.” Farkas finishes and closes the storybook setting it on the bedside table as I sit in his lap, perfectly content to sit and listen. He counts the number of books we’ve gone through and looks at the time. “Aren’t you tired? It’s nearly three in the morning.” I put my head on his shoulder and melt into him. “A little..one more story?.” 

I look out the window again, the snow hasn’t stopped. “The snow is pretty.” I whisper. Farkas lays down, taking me with him and pulling the covers and blankets back up. “Go to sleep.” He says softly, playing with a stray lock of my hair. “I’m still cold.” I reply and try to get even closer “But you’re warm.” I say laying my head on his chest and pulling the blanket up further, almost to my chin. He sneaks a hand under my shirt and runs it slowly along my side “Any better?” I nod slightly and close my eyes. “Daggerfall is usually much warmer this time of year, Never expected to need a fire and extra blankets, or have it snow in what’s usually the hottest streak of the summer.” I murmur as I drift off to sleep once more. 

-the next morning-

Something hits me lightly in the shoulder and I open my eyes rolling over and sitting up. It’s my stuffed rabbit. I rub my eyes still clearing away the remains of sleep and notice Farkas sitting at the edge of the bed with a smirk on his face. “Time to wake up.” I throw the rabbit back at him with much more force than he did to me. “But I was sleeping!” I pout, and he picks me up out of bed and sits me next to him. “It’s almost 11:30,  You should get dressed. And wear long sleeves, it snowed more than expected last night.” He bops my nose with the bunny “And you’re already cold enough under normal circumstances. The last thing you need is to catch a cold.” At the mention of the weather I glance at the window, the sky cleared and a few frozen islands can be seen further out on the sea. Getting up and going down the staircase I open the door and a gust of wind and snow blows in, startling me. Quickly I shut it and turn around “Yes, It’s much colder than expected.” I say matter of factly, grabbing my robe and heading back upstairs to the main floor of the little apartment. 

“Well it’s decided, We’re not going anywhere today. Not in that weather.” I announce sitting in a comfy chair. Farkas hands me a cup of tea “Not anywhere? Not even outside to play in the snow?” He asks with a slight grin, taking a sip of his tea. “This country has more than enough snow, particularly in this region.” I point out, and he shrugs “It’s still fun.” He looks at me “Oh come on you really don’t want to go throw a snowball at that snobby older student?” I think about it a moment then an idea pops into my head. “That door” I point across the room at the locked door “leads through to the library. The library has windows. Therefore, we can do that without having to go outside!” I explain curling up in my chair “One problem, to get the snow; you need to go outside.” He points out. “Not entirely true.” I conjure a small snowball. “Oh course. Magic.” He sighs “How did I forget the magic…” 

“Have you figured out how to get your endeavor past the librarian?” Farkas asks “I mean if you so much as ask him where a book is he’s hostile and threatens to tear you to pieces if you actually want to check anything out. It’s like skjor but worse!” I shrug “I find him the rare books he asks for so he’s not mean, or should I say as mean, to me.” We find a place near the fireplace and one of the windows looking out on the rooftop walkway and courtyard of sorts that overlooks the main courtyard and pretend to look busy while keeping an eye on the comings and goings of teachers and staff. 

“Here they come.” Farkas whispers looking over to the window. Carefully I unlock and open one of the window panels, just enough to get my hands through, and unleash havoc. The student is pelted with a swarm of snowballs that appear out of thin air, much to the amusement of others watching. They definitely needed to be taken down a notch. Quickly I shut and lock the window again as the fiasco continues. “That’s one way to check someone’s ego.” A professor says walking by with a wink before doing a subtle flourish of magic and the snowballs then turn into a snowman, and one with an attitude at that. 

We spend the rest of the day studying, reading, and overall avoiding having to go outside. The howling wind rattles the windows as I reluctantly get out of a nice warm bath and quickly grab a towel. Now where did I put my clothes? Farkas stands in the doorway “Looking for something?” He asks holding up my nightgown. I give him a look while simultaneously trying to stop myself from shivering and he tosses it to me before walking off. Once dressed I collapse into the very welcome softness of bed and curl up next to him. “Today was funny.” I say smiling to myself remembering when the snowman very sassily swatted the egotistical student with his hat. “Agreed. Just don’t try throwing any snowballs at me...for the third time.” He says slightly messing up my hair “Last time wasn’t even magical snowballs though! And it was a chip of ice really.” Farkas put his face in his hands “That’s not any better.” He sighs and pulls me closer until I’m in a more comfortable position. We lay there for a while talking, ignoring the storm outside, until sleep begins to  threaten to overtake me. Farkas moves my face up to look at him and smiles, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear “You look very sleepy.” I nod and rub my eyes, trying to stay awake, but between a long day and the warmth of the blankets it is rather difficult. Putting my head back down and closing my eyes I quickly fall asleep...