Closed Words tucked between needles and snow Solo

It was early, and he was tired, numb maybe to the cold chill biting at his nose and ruffling the few strands of hair free from his new favorite hat.

He breathed out a long sigh, clutching gloved fingers together. Snow sunk into the fabric, cold and numbing with the snowball held between the fabric. He’d needed some things, bits and bobbles from outside, needed to find something, but it was hard with all the snow.

It was early, too early for his usual rounds. The habit of sleeping till the last possible second, to maybe skip part of his first lesson was strong but today was different. This holiday was different.

One unlike the rest.



He wouldn’t be going home this holiday, though one thing or another wasn’t solely to blame. His parents were busy, along with his aunt on some trip. Something about helping, and a fun trip but he couldn’t quite remember all the details on why the trip was so important. A baby being born, something about it being the kid of his mum and his dad going with her to show support but he hadn’t been given all the details. Only that they wanted to visit and it’d been a rough time for the newborn and mother.

He could have gone, but it’d felt weird. Like he’d be tagging along to something not really meant for him. His other aunt had offered to pick him up to spend Christmas with her but a trip to the US hadn’t sounded appealing, and he was pretty sure he remembered something about her going to spend the holidays with some friends. He didn’t want to ruin her plans last minute.

So staying at home? Alone?

Any other time, maybe.

During the holidays? No thank you. Not only did it sound painfully boring but the one movie about the kid being left home alone during Christmas had made him very paranoid this season after it kept being brought up.

Here however? Well, Elsian knew for a fact a few of his friends were staying here for the holidays. Why go home or suffer through trips during the most horrible time to travel when he could stay here? It wasn’t even a question really. Anyone with a lick of sense would stay, and while Elsi might not have had the best track record even he knew the right answer was to stay.

Of course, it led to some issues.

One being how Dorion was apparently fed up with him being the most amazing gift giver ever and had decided to single handedly ruin his reputation and shower him in gifts. He, quite literally, couldn’t keep up.

Another being he was struggling to finish the gifts for this year…

And the 3rd being that…well, he wasn’t home.

But despite it all Elsian wasn’t one to be easily swayed from plans nor traditions when it came to the holidays. At least, not when his mind was made up. And he was very determined to keep some of his traditions this year despite the very sudden change in plans his whole family had not foreseen.


So the traditional handmade gifts were a must. At this point, a self made tradition slowly grew over time as he too, grew up.

There was holiday baking to be done and sweater making. A special gift, and decorations meant for 1 only. Ribbons had to be bought, and gifts wrapped. Stockings, silly and magical-

But first he needed some bloody p- oh!

He dropped the snowball, letting it smash into the ground as he ducked down to dig through the snow and pine needles of this tree patch. Hand dusting aways snow from some pinecones. Finally, now he could-

There was a shadow overhead. Blocking out the gray sky and suddenly something heavy smacking into his head and shoulder as an owl swooped down. “ACK-!” He yelped, half falling into the snow before catching himself with one hand on the snowy ground with a rustle of ice and feathers as the bird also made a crash landing into a pile near him. The other hand went to the back of his head to rub it soothingly as he glared at the menace in question. “Did you really need to drop it on me?” He huffed, sitting up with a wince.

The bird, of course, didn’t answer. Only shook its wings and stared at him before taking to the sky again.

He stared after it for a moment, rubbing his head before looking back down to the snow and twigs and pinecones. A new item, or rather 4, stared back at him.

Brushing away snow and twigs he shook his bag off from over his neck. Letting it fall to the ground and fully sitting down, ignoring the chill as he began to pull at the paper, slowly revealing each book and skimming through them each, briefly and with a growing interest before carefully putting them in his bag to read through later. The letter was saved for last. Though not on purpose.

“What’s this…”

Buried under some snow, it must’ve gotten loose in the fall.

Carefully, he plucked it from the ground. Dusting away bits of ice from the envelope with his gloves before plucking them from his hands when they made it too hard to open it. Cold and a bit numb from the cold, his fingers eventually pulled the paper out from within, green eyes immediately taking in the words with interest, then fondness, then something else that made his fingers almost crumple the paper at the edges, warm but sharp.

“Oh.” Gaze darting to his bag and back to the paper he felt his stomach flip and his chest tighten with something like a frail hope before squashing down the urge to flip through the books there and now.

There were better places to read. “Later.” He said.

Because he still had work to do. Things to collect before he dragged himself back to the castle and to his study period.

Later.