12 Days of Christmas.

December 7th

"Fuck it's cold."

Your words hung in front of you in a thick cloud, the warmth of your breath reacting with the cold air. The ground crunched beneath your boots, each blade of grass coated in frost as you trudged across Richmond Park .

When you woke up and looked out the window to see a crisp, icy morning, taking Tess for a walk in your favourite place seemed like a wonderful idea - peaceful, relaxing, even. Tom had gone to have lunch with his grandparents, and you quite fancied doing something with your time alone. Now you were there, however, unable to feel your fingers and your face so numb you could hardly think, you were less keen on the idea.

Admittedly, it was beautiful. An almost eerie silence covered the park, hardly anyone else braving the cold save the odd dedicated cyclist. You watched Tessa sniffing intently around the edge of a stream, the water frozen solid. You called her name, anxious she might break the ice - going into the water after her was not on your agenda for the day. Ever obedient, she turned and trotted back to your side. She looked up at you expectantly, as if to say, 'where to next?'

Rubbing your hands together in an effort to generate even a little warmth, you looked around you as you considered her silent question. Going left was not an option - you could see the deer from where you stood, huddled together for warmth amidst a cluster of trees whose bare branches were surely providing little shelter from the frigid wind. You could carry on to your right, up to Isabella Plantation with its winter rhododendrons in bloom, and maybe grab a hot drink from the cafe - the owner there always had treats for Tessa, after all. Or you could turn around and make your way back home, back to central heating and fluffy blankets...yeah, home sounded a lot more appealing - especially as big fat drops of rain started to fall.

-

By the time you got back, you were soaked through and well and truly frozen. Your hands shook as you fumbled with your keys, fingers numb and uncooperative. You swore under your breath when you tried and failed for the third time to slot your key into the lock, the bunch falling to the ground with a clatter. Tessa gave them a cursory sniff - anything that falls from human-height could well be food, after all - before returning her attention to scratching at the front door. You'd just bent down to retrieve your keys when the door swung open, Tessa darting past Tom's legs into the flat.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled, looking down at you crouched on the front step, icy rain falling in sheets behind you.

"Dropped my keys," you grumbled as you got to your feet. "Too cold - hands don't work."

Tom stepped back to let you in, shutting the door behind you as you made a beeline for the hall radiator. You pressed your thighs to the hot bars, throwing back your wet hood and holding your hands out over the heat. Your skin tingled at the sudden change in temperature, your teeth chattering as you shivered. Tom's hands on your shoulders made you jump, the top of your head very nearly colliding with his nose.

"Come on," he murmured in your ear, pulling your coat off your shoulders. "D'you want me to run you a bath to warm you up?"

You just nodded as you wriggled your arms out of the sleeves, too cold and miserable to talk. Tom tugged on your hand, leading you down the hall to the bathroom and sitting you down on the closed toilet seat. You tried to untie your boots, but your fingers were still too numb, so you sat in silence as he turned on the hot water and dropped in a bubble bar from the basket on the side, shoulders pulled up around your ears and arms crossed across your chest.

"Seriously?" Tom smirked at you, looking up at him through wet lashes and shuffling your feet. "You're lucky you're cute."

You smiled back at him as he knelt down in front of you, tugging on your laces. He pulled off your boots, setting them neatly by the door. You wiggled your toes, reaching down to take off your wet socks and chucking them aside.