"This is so white!" I exclaimed, pressing my nose on the cold glass pane. My breath fogged up the glass, making my vision of the snowy landscape blurry. The gentle undulations of the snow-covered slopes stretched miles on end, dotted with tall pines whose leaves swayed with a gentle sprinkling of snow like icing sugar.

"Not quite the most eloquent adjective, but white works," he chuckled beside me.

"Look, there's snowy. He looks good." I pointed at the tiny crooked snowman with a stick nose and button eyes. We made it first thing in the evening as soon as we had stepped out of the car the day before.

"He's chubby like us." He poked the flab on my stomach.

"I think he looks more like daddy," I teased. He chuckled.

"Isn't it so pretty? I can't believe I'm seeing a real snowfall," I squealed, turning back to the picturesque view. "This is a winter wonderland."

"I don't know about the snow, but I can't believe I'm on honeymoon with a snow-white." He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ears and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek. I blushed.

"I am not..."

"Room service." A pleasant voice jolted me out from the reverie of the snow and my husband's affection.

He padded silently across the carpeted floor and opened the door. A young butler sashayed in and placed two mugs and a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the tiny table. Then he gave a small salute and sauntered off.

"Hot chocolate! Delicious," I mumbled as the aroma hit my nose.

"Which of us?" he winked.

I laughed and crossed the distance between us, grabbing him gently by the collar, drawing his face closer and planted a sloppy kiss on his nose.

"I'll have my hot chocolate later. Pass me the mug for now," I whispered seductively.

The grin on his face was an unmistakable wonder, like a little boy who just got his favourite toy.

I kissed his lips adoringly before letting go and patting his chest.

We dragged the chairs to the window and munched on the cookies, looking out at the gentle snow falling like powder.

"So, what do you want to do first?" he took an audible sip out of his mug. "We could go sightseeing or skiing or..."

"I would rather spend today playing in the snow," I pouted my lips at him.

"Prancing in the snow it is then," he grinned.

❄️❄️❄️

We finished our breakfast and threw on our warmest coats, complete with beanie caps, earmuffs and wool mufflers. The moment I stepped down from the porch, I heard the snow crunch under my feet. It sent a shiver through me, which had nothing to do with the weather. Seeing snow had been my dream since I was a child and now I was there with the love of my life, on our honeymoon. 

I took a few more wobbly steps, feeling the dampness through the boots with my feet sinking into the soft ground.

"Whoo-whoo!" I screamed, throwing my hands into the air and galloping off to the row of trees in the lodge's periphery. In my haste, my shoes caught in the snow and I lost my balance, throwing my hands out to break my fall, and fell face-first into the snow. The ice was so cold it burned on my skin and I yelped, trying to get back up on my feet.

I looked around to witness if anyone had seen the embarrassing moment, but it was just him, his hands folded across his chest, grinning from ear to ear.

"Why weren't you coming after me?"

"It's too fun to watch you like a little baby bear playing in the snow...oww."

I had balled some snow into a lump and aimed it at him. It struck his chest and exploded into a white spray.

"You are not getting away with this." There was pure mischief in his eyes.

And wham, another snowball hit him.

"Come on, fight me," I laughed. And a snowball hit me square in the centre of one of my girls. I squealed and tried to backtrack, not before a perfect aim landed on the other side.

I screamed and took off in the other direction, throwing snowballs at random. Most of my missiles missed him, but his aim was on point.

"Wait till I catch you," he crooned in a suggestive voice, sprinting after me.

A dash of warmth flowed through my body at the insinuation in those words. Four years, two of those spent without meeting each other in person and the rest two trying to juggle different cities, jobs and timelines, we had craved for something which was so basic in every relationship-human touch. We had learnt to take comfort in each other's voices and silences when we couldn't find their arms within reach. Long-distance hadn't been easy, but we had proved to ourselves that we could when there is love and dedication. 

"Got ya!" His big, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. He had caught up with me while I had been slowed down by my daydreaming. "Time to claim my prize," he announced, flipping me around.

I hid my face in my palms, realizing that my gloves were wet. A chill was creeping up my leggings, too. I should have worn leather pants which wouldn't get wet.

"My nose is getting cold," I whined.

"Then let me warm you up." He grabbed my waist suddenly, squashing me against his chest. Then he rubbed his nose on mine. 

His skin was warm and his hot breath blowing on my face was keeping the cold at bay. Slowly, he seized my lower lip with both of his. The lips chapped from cold felt pleasantly rough as if I was the matchstick he was trying to set ablaze with gentle friction. Slowly, his big lips engulfed both of mine and we kissed deeply. The falling snow kept settling slowly on our coats while we lost ourselves in the feel of our lips dancing in an almost choreographed sequence.

"I want my hot chocolate, now," I whispered in between kisses.

"All yours for life now," he whispered, taking my hand in his and dragging me towards the lodge.

❄️❄️❄️