i may just take your breath away - jemily college au

Snowman

The bed was warm, comfortable, and JJ felt absolutely at peace, despite the impending doom of finals that weighed on her. Emily had her arm tossed casually around JJ, with her face buried in the mess of blonde hair.

Only a few minutes prior, they had put away their laptops and resigned themselves to the evening. JJ's eyes had grown too tired, and not even her reading glasses made staring at the screen any more bearable.

Emily rolled over in bed, glancing out the window that overlooked the head of her bed. Her brown eyes took in the blizzard that was cascading down from the heavens. JJ glanced up at her. Emily's face was illuminated by the soft light of the streetlamps below, giving her an ethereal glow. JJ loved how Emily looked in profile; her nose had such a graceful curve and her lips always looked incredibly kissable.

Her heart incredibly warm as she unabashedly stared at her girlfriend. That was new! The warmth. The comfort. JJ basked in it.

Emily's black hair was messy and her normally perfectly trimmed bangs were growing long, pushed to each side so that they didn't cover her vision. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat, as the nearby radiator fogged up the windows and made even the perpetually-freezing Emily sweat.

She continued to watch as Emily used the sleeve of her oversized t-shirt to wipe away the condensation that was obstructing her view. While there had been snow on the ground so far, there hadn't been a real snow storm yet. They had been dealing with the icy snow that mostly melted into annoying slush by the end of the day. Tonight's storm seemed different. It was the kind that fell in fluffy white balls and coated the whole world in a layer of cotton. Even the roads were filled up with snow, with no cars driving about to marr the perfect white landscape.

"Jayje," Emily whispered to the blonde. "Want to go outside?"

JJ gave her an incredulous look.

"It's like twenty degrees out," JJ warned, "and you're always cold. Why would you want to go out in this weather?"

"To build a snowman," Emily answered. "I haven't built one in years. Please?"

JJ thought for a moment, searching for a viable reason to say no.

She had an essay due the next day, at 11:59 PM on the dot. She was mostly done with it. If mostly meant a rough draft. It was okay, as JJ was excellent at working under pressure. Usually that pressure was self imposed, as she always found she worked better under stress—especially when it allowed her to focus on something. It was always easier to worry about soccer championships or exams than dwelling on her crumbling family life.

But she didn't need to do the essay now. Realistically she should be getting a good night's sleep, but building a snowman definitely sounded a lot more fun.

"Why not?"

After emerging from bed, they donned a few layers over their pyjamas. JJ picked up her coat that had been draped over Emily's chair, and wrapped her blue scarf tightly around her neck in anticipation for the wet cold of the night. She made sure that Emily bundled up tight, going so far to tug on her zipper until it was right to the top of Emily's coat.

Emily grabbed an extra hat for the proposed snowman, then rummaged through her minifridge for a moment before retrieving a small plastic container of mixed veggies to decorate the face.

They quietly made their way downstairs, not bothering to lock Emily's door. It was the middle of the night, and anyone who would want to break in was already asleep. They chatted quietly as they moved through the hall, trying not to make too much noise.