The moment you woke up, you found yourself in the arms of the man you love; sleeping soundly as the rays of sunlight glared through the windows. It was perhaps past the afternoon or night, whatever the time is. The half-empty mugs of hot chocolates were now cold and slightly iced. You rubbed your eyes and looked outside to see miles and miles of snow in the way.

"Lukas, wake up." You gave him a gentle nudge. "We're going to see the jotnar ring today, remember?"

"Five more minutes." He groaned and pulled you closer to his warm body.

You let him be for a moment only to make him believe that you would let him, and then you began to pester him again. Lukas finally gave in and turned to you with him on all fours above you; his drowsy expression turning into something a bit more awake and somehow annoyed.

You tried to breathe, but you couldn't find the right pacing when your heart pounded like a hurricane banging at your door. The chills tickling down your spine danced like soft feathers against it. The marvelous lavender eyes he bore into your soul looked like it had more color; specs of magenta were visible up close. The stare of his quiet and gentle gaze was somehow grumpy at the same time. It strangely intimidated you, but at the same time made you feel a bit giddy.

Lukas moved his face closer to yours; his hot breath blowing gently against your lips; the gap between the both of you was as big as a pebble down the stream. You wanted to say something, but you quickly shut your lips as you weren't sure what to say. In a situation like this you didn't know what to do, heck you never thought you'd ever be this close to anyone; as far as you can tell, you were only up to hugs and kisses, this one is a different story.

His lips brushed lightly against yours. You looked into his eyes curiously to see what ever he saw; and in them was the reflection of your eyes. He has a question for you and so did you. You had the answer, but you didn't want it to go too far.

"A kiss," You whispered as you snaked your arms around his neck, "won't hurt."

You pulled him in and pressed his lips against yours gently. You felt like this should go further or you'll regret it, but another part says to stay where you are; don't get out of bounds fron the safezone just yet; but you feel like there was something bad about to happen. A gut feeling struck you hard and you kept on ignoring it while it keeps going on in your mind.

As Lukas' kisses barely distracted you from your thoughts, he sensed that something was wrong. He pulled away and looked at you worriedly. His hand cupped your cheek and rubbed his thumb across your cheek; asking you if something was wrong, but you shrugged it off.

"I-I..." You trailed off. "I want to, but-"

"Don't pressure yourself into it."

Lukas pushed a lock of your hair behind your ear and kissed your forehead. The small and simple gesture was enough just to make your stomach churn giddily. He respects you as you are and you respect him as he is, just that you both constantly bicker at a point.

"You don't have to force yourself, there's always time for everything."

You immediately pulled him into a tight embrace. He was a bit fazed by this until you said: "Don't leave me, please."

Lukas would never leave you, not even in a million years. There were never times he thought about leaving you. It would kill him to leave you by yourself in a world like this. There was this wound reopening within you and he couldn't let that go easily. Somehow he felt like it was his fault in the first place for letting you in, for letting you be fully aware of this world you've been seeing glimpses of; yet it would kill him to take that away from you when your eyes shine brighter than the sun whenever you learn something new about the world he lives in. Curiosity herself is such a beauty.

God knows how much he loves you and so does the deities that probably existed.

"Never." Lukas wrapped his arms around you and kissed your temple before placing his head on top of yours.

You dug your face into his chest and smiled softly, yet sadly. There was this feeling in you that you couldn't let go. A warning at the back of your conscience that you decided to ignore; you thought it must be something old again. You've been sensing this nagging feeling since day one and you knew that it would be nothing new; just the usual troll in the bathroom and off we go to find new things; what could possibly go wrong today? Anything can go wrong today, it always has. Yet today felt so different.

A little while later the two of you prepared for the night. Mounted on top of the SUV was the largest spotlight you've ever seen; two giant backpacks were loaded at the back that contained food, a tent, hiking equipment, and a whole lot of other stuff. It almost looked like that the two of you were going on an expedition to a very unknown place. This amazed you, in a way of confusion.

Clouds came out of your lips as you waited for Lukas who was locking up. The porch had scratches and some chunks of wood around, even the window had scratches deep enough to be mistaken for carvings. The scene after destruction mesmerized you in a way that nobody could understand. Like how Lukas showed his scars, they mesmerized you in a way where you would want to heal them and to cherish them. You want to keep telling him that you'll be always there to help him up and to love him as he should be loved. It frustrates you a lot that you see yourself not doing enough for him, yet to him it always looks more than enough.

"Ready?" Lukas sat next to you by the steps.

"As you are." You turned to him and stared at him as if you were memorizing every detail about him even if you do.

"What's wrong?"

You places your forehead against his and breathed out before pressing your nose against his. The warmest gesture you've done felt besides every kiss you both shared.

"Just thinking how I love you too much." The both of you shared an eskimo kiss as the sparks flew all over again.

That lesbian movie you third-wheeled with Francine and Alice was right. Blue is the warmest color. It was the warmest color indeed even if your surroundings were capable of giving you frostbites, but it didn't. The most beautiful color and the warmest that felt like home. Your romance with this man started with the coldest of winters you've ever experienced and the warmest of beginnings.

No matter how many times you both shared so much intimacy towards each other it never seemed like it was ever going to fade away.

"Come on," His words strangely saddened you and these usually gave you an adrenaline. Now it didn't.

"We've got work to do."

"Alright."

•••••••••••

It was an eerie drive to the area. You were unusually quiet and not jumpy. The energy of this journey somehow faltered into thoughts. You gave yourself an assurance that everything was fine and that even after bad things happen it was going to be alright. So why worry?

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Lukas asked again since the last hour.

It was freaking him out a bit-- you being quiet and all. You seemed to be out of your own consciousness when you finally responded with a mindless hum of agreement. With your eyes darting aimlessly around the scenery and the glassy look in your eyes scared him. This wasn't like you at all. If you were quiet, then there must be a reason why you're staying quiet. The only reason you usually have was because of the beautiful scenery or if there was danger close by. You looked like a doll with your glassy eyes and your body only moving if the car went over a bump.

"I suggest you get yourself back together for the meantime." Lukas tried to speak calmly as he could, but he was frightened of your demeanor.

You hitched your breath and nodded. The dread in your system got worse every moment. You knew that whatever was going to happen was going to happen soon enough.

The moment you got off the car you looked at the plateau that looked like a beautiful disaster up ahead. The Jotnar that surrounded the area were all walking around; at least more than half a hundred were around. A view for anything tragic waiting to happen; yet this beautiful scene was ready to be another job for you guys. The rush of excitement in you somehow came back only to fill a fourth of the canister of your mood. The rest of the remaining seventy-five percent was just that bad feeling; but even with that the end of your journey with him was here. The final job before you could go back to the United Kingdom.

You inhaled and exhaled as the snow below your feet crunched dreadfully. Slowly and shakily, you took a few steps towards the end of the SUV admiring the herd of giants that could possibly destroy all of Europe if they all jumped together.

"Incredible..." Lukas watched you carefully as your eyes scanned the area.

It wasn't just you who was feeling uneasy. Lukas, too, had the same gut feeling as you. Maybe it was from his hunter's point of view where he recklessly makes you cram all of this information to make you into an instant huntress or was it because he feared for your own safety no matter how many times you have saved his life. It made his head spin, his hands colder, his lips paler, his chest tightening and his breathing heavier as the anxiety started to come up to him.

Between his lips escaped a small gasp that he could only hear. Lukas clutched his chest while his other hand held onto the SUV.

No, not now! He panicked in the inside knowing that it was acting up again. With all of these thoughts of you being in danger again and his thoughts of the dangers that could possibly happen, it affected him more than ever. He has gone this far without an attack. There was no way he was going to let it get in the way.

Relentlessly, he ignored the feeling and regained his breathing in a sluggish progression. His knees were feeling weak, but he brushed it off.

"So we're heading to that cave," His words were slightly shaky, "can you see it?"

You squinted your eyes and saw a large black hole on the plateau where another giant just came out.

"Yeah, I see it." You replied. "We're going there?"

"Driving, we're going to need a little more ground before we could hike our way towards the cave." Lukas patted the hood of his car. "The snow out there is thicker than I thought."

"Well fuck." You scrunched your nose when you looked at the depth. It wasn't too thick for Lukas' standards-- since he has lived in Hammerfest his whole life. The snow was just above your ankles and when he miscalculated on how thick the snow into the open field was, you were fucked.

The drive then continued, but without the usually comfortable silence. Instead the air around the both of you was uneasy and heavy. It was scary if someone was with the both of you third-wheeling.

You looked out the window with the amazement in you gone; Lukas was cracking his knuckles constantly while driving; this could drive anyone mad from the silence alone including the cracking of the knuckles.

"Hey, if anything happens I want you to know that--"

"Nothing is going to happen." Lukas found your hand on your lap and intertwined his fingers with yours.

His eyes were still on the road, stern and concentrated, but when he glanced at your hand his expression softened. You looked back at him and held his hand as he clenched it a bit tighter.

"I promise that nothing is going to happen to you." Lukas kissed your knuckles and held your hand close as he drove.

The comfort came back-- not entirely, but it was there. It relieved the both of you and there was no more that could've been done. It was enough.

"I love you."

Lukas looked back at you breathlessly, still shaking in the inside. He gripped your hand a tightly.

"I love you too."

•••••••••••

The invisible clock ticked eerily as the two finally made their final destination of this journey together. The awful feeling the both of you were feeling was suddenly lost as Lukas handed you your backpack.

You turned your camera on for one last recording of your report. The presence of your camera seemed to be only a physicality to you because everything was already recorded into your mind in full HD. The journey to the north was all in your memories-- in that noggin of yours.

"This is (Full Name) and now... we are arriving at our last stop for this expedition." You said to the camera before attaching it on your helmet.

"We're going to get inside there and study the troll activity." Lukas talked as you zoomed the view at the cave. "Going there by car is too dangerous to risk destroying another miscellaneous item so we're hiking."

You suddenly had a throwback at your rental back in Oslo.

You let out a snort and gave a small laugh at the memory the first time you both met. That rental was probably over your insurance, you hope that the rental company doesn't find you.

The mood lightened up a bit. Lukas is right; there's no way in hell that something so tragic could happen. This is no dramatization of Romeo and Juliet or The Titanic-- no, it's just the two of you with your own romance.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The both of you gave each other a wicked smile. The game was back on.

"Hold on tight." He wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer.

"What are you-- HOLY SHIT!" You immediately latched onto him as your feet left the ground.

You glared at him while he laughed. The corners of his mouth reached his eyes as the pearly whites in his mouth shone brightly. You messed with his platinum blond hair, but you couldn't stop yourself from feeling how soft it was. You looked at his face to see the gentlest look on his face. It warmed your heart and you constantly ask yourself, "What did I ever do to deserve him?"

You stopped staring at him and looked down at your feet slowly planting themselves on something invisible. Once your feet were flat on the invisible floor Lukas slowly let go of you but still held your hand. You flexed your feet back and forth, bouncing on the balls of your heels to your toes. There was a solid bridge beneath your feet; an invisible bridge.

Your mouth gaped open. You took a step forward as the ground rippled with a rainbow around that foot and slowly fading away. You took a leap and the ripples grew bigger and so did the rainbows. You laughed out aloud and looked at Lukas with twinkling eyes of awe.

"This is like a mini Bifrost!" You laughed once again.

Lukas held your hand as you skipped through along the invisible bridge; following you as you go. The happiest people alive at the moment were the both of you.

With an unknown tragedy behind them nearing their happiness.

BEEP! BEEP!

"What the fuck?" You both stopped from the cheesy stuff you were doing and turned back to see a team of SUVs from a distance. And boy did that catch the attention of at least five of the giant trolls.

"Run." The famous word of every troll hunter. One of the first words you'd ever hear from one.

Everything went in slow motion. As you looked at his face, fear was evident in his eyes like a corpse who finally moved after all these years. You couldn't tell if this fear has been there since the beginning or not, but it was too real in his eyes.

You noticed an incoming giant hand from behind the both of you.

"HAND!" But the both of you were too late.

The giant hand hurled you both into the air-- with the both of you still holding hands --and semi-conscious. You felt like you were going to puke at a point for the unwanted somersaults done. The stars, the Northern Lights, the snow, and the lights from the SUVS from afar made your head spin on what to concentrate on.

After ten minutes of spinning in the air, the both of you landed-- more like smacked on --some glass-like or plastic-like surface with a side of your head flat on it.

"Ouch..." You groaned and pushed yourself up to see whatever the both of you landed on.

"Don't bother, just run."

You didn't ask anymore questions as soon as you got up and ran with Lukas through the air.

The river of lights above reflected the mini Bifrost the both of you were running on; the lights of the SUVs behind the both of you made the chase scene for you guys look cartoonish; and the worst part were the obstacles ahead were trolls.

"We're gonna Lara Croft this-- SHIIIIIT!" The both of you jumped off the bridge as the mini Bifrost shattered into pieces.

"Dammit!" Lukas cursed underneath his breath.

The both of you managed to land on a troll's forearm. Lukas grabbed you before you could lose balance. Somehow the both of you managed to pull off all of that while carrying heavy-ass backpacks on your backs. The troll didn't seem to notice though, but you noticed the strong odor though.

"Oh wha--" You gagged at the stench.

"Okay, here's the game plan." Lukas immediately started to explain with the little time you both had left. "We beed to get to that cave's entrance as fast as we could before they can. We can hide in there on a troll or in a cave until they leave."

"Lukas, what are you talking about?" You looked at him with confusion. "All this hiding and strategy and the running away from the SUVs; what is going on?"

You held his hand even tighter as the color in his eyes drained a bit. He could remember the things that the association could do to you when they find out that you aren't actually with him just to train as a huntress for experience, or that you didn't become a hunter by choice but by accident. He saw that potential in you and he let you grow into that huntress that you could be. Then he showed you extended parts of your ancestry that were special to you in both good and bad ways.

Lukas couldn't bring himself to say it for the past few weeks since he has thought about the things that has happened to his friend's father. He could remember that day easily because his father brought him and his two other brothers along to show him what were the consequences.

Civilians or people outside of the association are to be erased of any supernatural memories with any hunter they have witnessed or been with.

The rule that should've been broken long ago.

"Your apprentice status is not going to protect you any longer."

His weary eyes pierced through your memories as the situation became clearer to you. You were a wanted woman in this association of hunters and huntresses. They knew about the report you were doing for college-- hell you even forgot that this report was for college! You believed that the both of you were going to release this to the world through this college report, but you were wrong. Even a report for a class was not going to slip away from the association's watch.

You're not the first person to be in this kind of position (Y/n).

The words he said to you before you both confessed lurked back into the surface of your mind. You weren't the first and you were as sure as hell that you will never be the last; the cycle will always continue.

"We have to get to the cave." Words that were unknown to you exited your mouth as Lukas stared at you for a moment.

The look in your eyes were distant. He couldn't tell if there were tears forming or not.

"We need to get to the cave." The emphasis gave you life again.

There was no way in hell you were going to let them make you forget about this man you love. No one can take you and your man away from each other for a long time; and trolls have tried that numerous times.

Lukas made another rainbow bridge, but it looked more clearer to you. The forms of ice and patterns of snowflakes appeared on the nearly invisible bridge and illuminated a bit more brightly, yet it was different with the occasional lightning that appeared on it.

The both of you looked at each other. The scene felt all too familiar-- like it came out of a movie cliché or somewhere in a book. Both eyes met with the same goal, and that is to get to that cave with the other by their side.

Lukas held your hand and gripped it tightly. You returned his gesture with a tighter grip and a small cloud coming out of your mouth. The tired look on the outside, but something thrilling was inside the both of you. You guys didn't just want to survive from this. You both wanted to live the moment while you can.

"To the cave!" You yelled and ran alongside with Lukas who yelled too.

The both of you let out your battlecries even if there was no enemy to put down. You flew up, higher and higher as you ran through the air like madmen. The more you both felt alive, the higher you both flew above-- literally.

You looked down to see the SUVs catching up even if there were large obstacles in the way that could easily crush them. Your adrenaline boasted the potential that you've never felt before. Lukas started to give the trolls direction to the SUVs below by creating more sounds of howls and screams. Your heart pounded faster than the taiko drums you've heard when Kiku's relatives came to visit Paris. It felt like a strong shot of vodka with the best coffee in the world was in your veins to keep you going.

A storm was starting to pick up. How perfect.

"We're getting closer!" Lukas yelled.

The both of you ran nonstop and somehow aren't put of breath just yet. The snow was growing thicker and so did the snowfall that was turning into (perhaps) hail.

You and Lukas had the biggest and the craziest smiles on your faces; the loudest screams and the biggest hearts. If that feeling of doubt of safety was ever gonna happen, might as well live the day now and seize it.

"Hold on!" You immediately clung onto Lukas as the bridge was no more than a memory that has been left to be cherished.

You squealed as a bubble brought you both into the air like that one Phineas and Ferb episode. You landed on the bubble and bounced. Laughter ended up in the bubble as the both of you lied down in relaxation; watching the river above, the trolls that ignored this gentle ride, and the memories that came flooding down into each others minds. You were safe for now. It was enough.

It was crazy enough for you to think that this wild ride could become peaceful somehow. The unknown laxative that had been covered up by the adrenaline, flowing in you as the time to rest has come.

"You alright?" Lukas asked as he wheezed heavily.

"I should be asking you that." You got up on your elbows and looked at Lukas.

He was still lying down with his chest rising up and down. His breath sound ragged and unsteady. You quietly cursed for forgetting about his power's limits. You crawled towards him and turned him over to face you.

"Oh shit, wait."

Lukas looked worst than he did when you guys fought that dragon-- almost corpse-like if it wasn't for the glow in his eyes. The only signs of life were the color in his eyes and the rising of his chest. It was a state of disaster.

Your hands scrambled through your backpack looking for your water and first aid, but just as you were about to grab the bottle of water you felt a burn on your chest. You bit your lip to withstand the pain.

It felt like someone was branding on you or something; a hot metal being pressed on your chest and creating a mark. You figured that it was just the weapon glowing again, but this time it was more painful. You tried to ignore it yet the pain still lingered.

"Here- ah!"You gritted your teeth before you could spill the water over him. You breathed in and out before giving him the water.

The looked down to see the bubble nearing the cave. You were getting close. You have come this far and there was no way that you were stopping this. Not unless--

You looked at Lukas; his state was in worse than your debts in college last year. If you had to rate his state, it would be buying ramen once a month and drinking to fill yout stomach; in short, he was borderline to passing out from using his powers too much.

It was now or never.

I'm sorry. You silently apologized as you steered the bubbles towards the ground.

Lukas was half-concious, but unaware of what you were doing. The constant use of his powers these past weeks took a toll on him. It wasn't uncommon for him to be like this before he met you, but he felt so angry and responsible for ignoring his limits. He may be a powerful sorcerer, yes, but he was still human. His physical and mental states may be at his best, yet he is still fragile like glass; if you place glass under unbearable heat, it will start to melt.

Suddenly hesitation pierces through your head as you realized what would happen to you if you do this; but you couldn't careless now. As long as Lukas lives, you'll live.

I'll live, love cannot die. You held back the tears as you grabbed the flare gun from your bag. There was no way of tunring back now.

"W-What are you doing?" Lukas shivered with his hands reaching for yours. His weak grip made your eyes widen as his glassy eyes gleamed with the tears that started to form.

"You can't." His lips quivered.

You brought your face closer to his and connected your forehead against his. Time seemed to stop when the tips of both noses touched to start the warmth. The dance of the flames started to flicker against the cold storm, trying to make it through the night.

"I can and I'm sorry." The tears in your eyes dripped down on his cheek.

His eyes were closed and so were yours as the raindrops from the sky in your eyes fell on the waterfalls streaming down his cheeks. There were heavy downpours heard and the crashing of water against another body. The sky cried out to the water below that maybe someday they'll return.

"I love you," you hiccuped, "I love you so much, Lukas."

His shaky hands wrapped your face as you brought your warm lips against his frostbitten lips. The salty tears touching his lips, stinging him but he couldn't careless. This was it. The last adventure. The last kiss. The last moment they would be in together. The final moments before everything could fall into the depths of the dark abyss of Chaos' beginning.

You lifted the flare gun up into the sky. The shot you took was shaky, but it went up; it went up high into the storm and glowed brighter than anything besides the two golden hearts that beated as one. All the memories flooded into your minds from the beginning to the end. You both wouldn't let each other go, not until the last moment.

You could hear the vehicles closing in near the area. The trolls roared aloud as daylight broke over the horizon like the phoenix. The light against his pale face gave him color as the tears from your eyes somehow turned into small crystals as they dropped. Lukas' eyes widened as you smiled sadly. You breathed as you brushed your lips against his.

The cars were now at a full stop behind the both of you. Berwald was one of the men as expected, but Matthias' appearance was unexpected. Now there was a mystery to Lukas. Though his eyes didn't stay at them. His heart beat raced in panic as the group came closer.

"Hey, hey, hey." His full attention was at you now. "I'm still here, and don't worry."

A soft smile curved on your lips as your farewell to him echoed through his ears before they removed you away from him.

"I'll be back, I promise."