Archive of Our Own

Clove hated the cold.

Especially since she grew up in sunny La Jolla, California. Weekends spent surfing at Windansea Beach and sitting in the corner booth at Harry's Coffee Shop with her closest friend, Glimmer. She'd been too cold places before like the Ukiah mountains up north or Madison, Wisconsin to visit her dad. But those places weren't during the Holidays; they were quick weekend trips during winter break before Christmas. So, when Clove's mother, Eve, told her that they were going to Canada this year to celebrate the Holidays with her boyfriend's family, she was less than pleased with the idea.

Clove stared down at her suitcase and sighed. She'd overpacked, of course, but Neil said they were to pack whatever they needed. So, Clove packed almost her entire closet; boots, sweaters of all different colors, jeans, leggings, and sweatpants. Occasionally there was a nice outfit thrown in there in case her mother decided going out for dinner was their best solution. Neil, her moms' boyfriend, also let them know that they would be staying at a rental home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and one very large kitchen. Which of course, was meant for her cookaholic mother.

Clove's sister, Ivy, was flying into Vancouver separately after visiting their father. Clove had planned on visiting him later in January after finals with her, but Ivy dropped the news that she'd be too busy with her project in France and that December was the only time she could travel. It only disappointed her a little; Clove was used to traveling alone.

"Sweetie?" There was a knock on her door, then it cracked open. Her mother's head peeking around the corner, "You all set?"

"Yeah."

"Make sure you have your passport, wallet, phone chargers, books you want to read on the plane, lap-"

"Mom," Clove interrupted, "I got it."

Eve smiled, "I'm just making sure. I'd hate to have you forget something."

"I'll be downstairs in a minute."

Clove was a Senior in High School this year, so bringing her book bag filled with homework was an obligation. The black Jansport bag slung over her shoulder as she grabbed both her suitcase and duffle bag. Clove let out a low grunt by the weight and trudged downstairs. Neil caught sight of the girl and chuckled, grabbing her duffle bag and carrying it out to the car. Clove shoved her suitcase into the trunk and blew some hairs out of her face before turning around to look back at their house. Clove didn't want to leave. She wanted to visit the San Diego Bay with Glimmer to see the Light Event or have lunch at Balboa Park under the sun. She wanted to celebrate Christmas at home, in front of a warm fireplace sipping wine with her mother as they watched another rerun of A Christmas Story. But instead, she was crawling into the back seat of her mom's Range Rover, getting ready to fly out to Canada.

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Airports are like zoos, but for humans. At least that's what Clove thought as she quickly followed behind her mom and Neil.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Eve asked, looking around frantically.

"Positive."

"What time is take off?"

"Uh," Neil looked at his ticket, "four."

Clove glanced at her phone. It was only three sixteen. She had one earbud in playing some random playlist Glimmer had created for her flight, the other one was tucked around her ear.

"Ah!" Neil stopped suddenly, "Here we are!"

There weren't a lot of people at the gate, Clove noticed. A family with younger kids huddled together in a blanket, two younger men with laptops up and headphones in, both wearing Canada hockey team jerseys and then a couple of randomly scattered people here and there.

Clove sat next to her mother and pulled her hoodies sleeves over her hands. The airport's air conditioner was on full blast after the heat wave this afternoon and while she was grateful for the cool air - she wished they were under the sun instead given they were about to embark on twenty-degree weather.

Neil leaned over and tapped her knee. Clove pulled out her other headphone and paused her music, "Yes?"

"Excited?"

No. "Yeah, of course."

"Me too. I can't for you guys to meet the family. They've been looking forward to this for months." Neil grinned.

"I'm excited too." Eve smiled, "From what you told me, they sound lovely."

"I do have a brother, he has a son named Marvel. If I'm right, I think they normally visit this resort we're going to every year with another family - Marvel's best friend... Uh..." Neil rubbed his chin, "Rauls? I think their last name is Rauls. I'll ask when we arrive."

Clove stretched her legs out in front of her and tapped her feet slightly together, listening to her mother and Neil discuss the game plan. She cocked her head slightly and pursed her lips, "What's the resort called again?"

Neil flicked his attention to the girl, "Sun Peaks Resort."

"It's beautiful." Eve added, "And the ski hills are so big."

"Ski hills?" Clove sat up, "I've only skied, like, twice."

"Well, I guess there's some room to learn. We will be there for a week after all."

Clove shrugged, "Maybe."

Eve nudged her daughter lightly, "We can also go shopping."

Clove smiled as best as she could, "Heck yeah."

There was a crackle above them then an intercom announced first class. Neil rose from his seat and looked at the two women seated next to him, "That's us."

Clove grabbed her backpack and stood up following in pursuit of her mother and Neil. The lady scanned her ticket then checked her passport before letting them board the plane. Clove was more than excited when she discovered she had one single seat all to herself. She tucked the backpack under her and plopped down. The seat wasn't comfortable, but she was grateful to be alone.

A little after four, the plane began its departure. Clove shoved her earbuds back in and pressed play. Glimmer had a great taste in music. Probably because she listened to Clove's music a lot, but either way, when Clove heard the familiar beats of Young the Giants song Something to Believe In, she smiled. She made a mental reminder to text Glimmer about her good work when they landed.

Clove watched the ground beneath her get further and further away from the higher they flew. Eventually, her eyes fell into a slumber and the three hours turned into three minutes.

_______________________

Snow. Everywhere.

Clove felt the inside of her nose freeze the second she stepped outside. The breeze was so cold it made her teeth chatter.

"It's beautiful here." Eve smiled, looking around.

Neil smiled, "Just wait till we get to the resort. We'll be spending the night at my brothers' house and then drive up to Sun Peaks to get our house."

Clove shivered in her jacket, desperate for warmth. Thankfully, a car pulled up and parked directly in front of them. The man driving got out and smiled, "Neil!"

"Fred!" Neil yelled, embracing the man in a tight hug.

"It's been too long."

"Indeed." Neil smiled, turning around to face the two girls.

Eve reached out a hand and gave Fred a warm smile, "You must be his brother."

"I am." Fred nodded, pulling Eve into a gentle embrace, "It's great to meet you."

A tall, brown-haired boy got out of the passenger seat and rubbed his arms quickly, "It's so cold."

Clove watched the scene unfold before Neil walked up to her, motioning to the boy, "This is Marvel. My Nephew. Marvel, this is Clove, Eve's daughter."

Marvel smiled, "What's up?"

Clove just shrugged and gave him a slight smile.

"Need help with the bags?" he looked down at her bags, nodding.

"Um, sure."

Marvel grabbed her suitcase and lugged it into the back of the black car. Clove shoving her duffle bag next to it, then climbed into the back seat next to Marvel and her mom while Neil took the front.

"So, we're coming back at eight tomorrow morning to pick up Ivy?" Fred asked as he began to drive.

"Yup! Bright and early." Eve gleamed.

"And then from here, we go to the resort?"

"That's the plan," Neil chimed in.

Fred nodded, "Glad we are all on the same page."

It was dark outside so Clove couldn't see much out the car window. Marvel had headphones in, watching some YouTube video on his phone as they swerved through mountains. It wasn't until they reached the town of Kamloops (Clove saw the billboard), that she started to see more of the land. It was mainly trees decorated with lights and the occasional decorated street posts. As they drove by some of the houses Clove gawked into the homes who had their window curtains sprung open. Christmas trees illuminating the living rooms of strangers. It was a very relaxing ride, even if the reflection of Marvel's phone appeared in her window every so often and her mom's laughter was just a bit too high pitched.

When the car started to drive in a curvy pattern, Clove realized how close they had gotten to Neil's brothers' home. She leaned forwards and peaked around the passenger's seat only to see a beautiful brick home with a ton of windows. Each window had a small glow, like a candle, close to the bottom. White lights dangled from the roof and the smaller bushes out front were littered in twinkling colors.

"Is this your house?" Clove asked, a little breathless at the sight.

Up front, Fred smiled, "It is. We built it last year."

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you, Clove."

Fred pulled up a bit further then pressed his garage door button above him. When they finally parked inside, Clove was the first one out of the car. Marvel followed in her steps and helped to grab her things.

"Thanks," Clove smiles.

"Course. Follow me to your room."

So, Clove does, looking around their mud room as they enter the house. There are a washing machine and dryer in the room with them, a basket of towels tucked under a counter. The two of them kick off their boots and trudge through the living room. Clove eyes everything carefully. Their house smells like cinnamon and pine tree. When they enter the living room, her eyes widen at the sight of their tree. The tall ceiling allowing the tree to be about seven feet, decorated with white lights that twinkle and silver tinsel. An array of ornaments litters the branches one by one. Next to the tree, a fireplace crackle.

"Wow, Eve breathes out, "this is beautiful."

Fred smiles so hard his cheeks hurt, "Thank you. My wife does most of the decorating."

Marvel nudged Clove, "Your room is upstairs."

Clove nodded, following him once again as he led her up the stairwell that curved ever so slightly. Once upstairs, Clove leaned over the railing that overlooked the living room and smiled. It's too bad they had to leave this place for a resort.

A few moments later, Marvel swung open a door and bobbed his head, "Here's your space."

Clove stepped inside and glanced around. There was one single queen-sized bed in the center of the room with a white dresser directly across from it; a TV resting on top. Two nightstands on either side of the bed both adorned with lamps. There're some poinsettias scattered across the room as well.

"Your mom must really like decorating, huh?" Clove asks, glancing at Marvel.

"Yeah." Marvel chuckles, setting Clove's suitcase on the bed. He crosses his arms and watches her as she sets her duffle bag down, "You live in California?"

Clove nodded.

"I've only been there once." Marvel hums, "San Francisco area."

"That's a nice area to visit."

"It was nice, yeah. You live... where again?" Marvel quirked up an eyebrow.

"La Jolla," Clove smiled, "Just a bit outside of San Diego."

"Ah," he nodded, "sounds fancy."

"It's alright." Clove smiled warmly at him, "Thanks for helping me to my room."

"Yeah, of course. You excited about the resort?"

"I am, but I'm not much of a skier."

Marvel chuckled, "Don't worry about it. You could snowboard or inner tube with Cato's sister Sonya."

"Cato?" Clove asks, glancing at him as she unzipped her bag.

"Yeah, his family goes every year. He works at the ski shop with me. Super cool guy. You'll probably meet him." Marvel smiled, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen. My birthday was in November."

"Oh, hell ya." Marvel fist bumped the air, "Old enough to hit the bars."

Clove chuckled, "I'm not exactly the best... drinker in the world. I get a bit carried away."

"Don't worry about it. Nikolo, Cato's brother, gets drunk off like two sips."

"How many siblings does this Cato guy have?" Clove stood up straighter and raised her eyebrows.

"Three. Sonya, who is sixteen. Then Nikolo and Nikki, who are both nineteen and also twins. And Cato is twenty."

"Wow," Clove chuckled, "his parents must really love each other."

Marvel snorted, "I suppose so."

Clove looked back at her bags. "My sister's name is Ivy."

"Yeah, I heard that in the car. She's where again?"

"France." Clove glanced at Marvel, "She studies music there."

"Cool." Marvel smiled, "I'm an only child. Although, sometimes I wish I had siblings. It gets a bit lonely."

Clove shrugged, "At least you get a bit spoiled."

"True," Marvel smirked. Clove reached into her bag and started pulling out some pj's and Marvel cleared his throat, "Well. I'll leave you to unpack and stuff. If you need anything, my room is right next door. I'm just playing some Xbox."

"Sounds good." Clove nodded, "Thanks again."

"No problem."

Clove shut the door after Marvel left, looking around her new room slowly. She slid off her airport clothes put on some sweatpants and a baggy sweater. Clove had two options, go converse with the adults downstairs or sit in bed and read.

She chose option two and pulled out her book, Trial by Fire by Emily Alexander.

Clove crawled under the duvets and took a deep breath. Her mom's laughter loud enough to be heard even all the way up here. After about thirty minutes of reading, the iPhone on her nightstand chimed and Clove quickly answered; Glimmer's face popping up on the screen.

"Glim," Clove smiled. "Hey."

"Hey girl, how's Canada?"

"It's fine. We got to Neil's brothers' house about an hour ago. I've been reading in bed since Marvel showed me the room."

Glimmer smirked, "Marvel?"

"Neil's' son." Clove rolled her eyes, "Don't be weird."

"I wanna see this boy."

"Glim, no. He's in his room playing Xbox"

"So, he's probably doing nothing. Go introduce me."

Clove bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before crawling out of the bed. The room was much colder now that she had gotten used to her own body heat under the blankets. When she cracked the door open, she nearly jumped five feet in the air as Marvel strolled by her door as if he had read her mind.

Marvel turned towards the girl and smiled, "Hey."

"Is that him?" Glimmer asked.

Clove quickly turned the volume down on her phone and gave Marvel an awkward wave, "Hello."

"You on Facetime?"

"Yeah." Clove nodded, glancing down at Glimmer's face. Her mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear anything.

Marvel walked up to her and put his face in the frame, blinking for a second before smiling. Clove turned up the volume on the phone as Glimmer talked, "...must be Marvel."

"I am Marvel."

"I'm Glimmer, aka, Clove's best friend."

"Nice to, sort of... meet you." Marvel chucked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Clove pressed her lips together to keep from smirking.

"Make sure you keep an eye on this one." Glimmer nodded at her phone, "She is a rebellious type."

"Oh really?" Marvel glanced at Clove.

"Oh yeah."

"I'm really not."

"She really is." Glimmer scoffed, "One time she-"

"Alright, we have to go downstairs." Clove interrupted.

Marvel chuckled next to her, "Do we?"

"Well, I do at least."

"I'll follow you."

Clove nodded then looked back at her phone where Glimmer was staring at her. A small playful smirk planted on her lips, "I'll text you."

"Kay. Love you."

Clove smiled, "Love you too."

Glimmer ended the Facetime call and Clove slid the iPhone into her sweatpants pocket before following Marvel downstairs. His house was beautifully decorated in every corner. Christmas holly garland wrapped around the stairwell railing and lights were nailed to the top of the walls in the hallway. Marvel glanced over his shoulder at the girl as he led the way. Their parents' voices echoing from the living room, so he led them to the kitchen.

"So, if you want to, I can add you to a group chat with everyone?" Marvel asked, opening a cupboard. "Also, do you want any hot chocolate?"

"Sure, hot chocolate is fine" Clove smiled, taking a seat at the kitchens island counter. "And what's this group chat you speak of?"

"Cato, Nikolo, Nikki, Sonya, and I have this group chat where we just go over the plans of what's to come this week. Also, to just keep in touch and talk shit." Marvel opened the fridge and pulled out the milk and Hershey's chocolate bottle.

Clove hummed, "Sure. Why not?"

"Ivy can join when she gets here." Marvel glanced at Clove as he began squeezing chocolate into their mugs. "I don't wanna add her without warning."

Clove chuckled, "Probably the best idea."

"You have a Snapchat?"

"Yeah."

"Add me. My username is Marvelous69."

Clove snorted, "You're kidding."

Marvel set the chocolate down and smirked, "Not at all."

Clove laughed and pulled out her phone. She opened the Snapchat app and typed in his username then pressed 'add' before locking the screen and setting it down on the counter. Marvel poured the milk into the mugs then placed them both into the microwave before pulling out his own phone, "Are you, CosmiClove?"

Clove nodded, "Yup."

"I like how the C in cosmic becomes your name."

"Thanks," Clove chuckled, "I made it when I was in seventh grade so it's probably the worst username I've ever thought of. I tried to be creative."

"I like it." Marvel smiled. "I also added you and I need your number for the group chat."

"Oh, right." Clove folded her hands on the counter, "It's um, 320-555-9002."

"Sweet." Marvel typed in the number quickly, then added a message as he added her the group chat. "Alright, you are... in."

Clove looked at the screen of her phone as it lit up. Sure enough, there was a message from an unknown number, which she knew was Marvel. The group chat title was 'dumbass club' when she unlocked her phone and looked at the text.

Marvel: Hey shit heads this is clove, my uncle neils girlfriend's daughter. She's gonna be in this gc now so lets get this bread.

A few seconds later, another message.

(945)5552311: Hello, Clove! I'm Sonya. :)

(945)5554332: Sup, i'm nikolo

(945)5556514: Welcome Clove :) I'm Nikki! You have Snapchat?

Clove: Yeah, I do. It's CosmiClove. & hello everyone! haha

Marvel smiled, "Already adding the sister on Snapchat. Nice."

Clove scrunched her nose up, "We meet them all, when?"

"Tomorrow probably." Marvel shrugged, opening the microwave.

Clove's phone buzzed again.

(945)5551086: Cloooooooooooooove. Welcome to the dumbass club. Im cato, the leader

Sonya: It's true, he is the biggest dumbass.

Cato: That's rude

Clove chuckled, reading the texts, then shut off her screen and smiled as Marvel slid over a mug. She inhaled deeply, "Thank you. It smells so good."

"Of course."

Clove's phone buzzed again, but this time it was for Snapchat.

Marvel smirked, "Someone's popular."

Clove rolled her eyes, "I think it's just them adding me on Snapchat."

"Oh," Marvel chuckled, "well still."

Clove shrugged, grabbing her phone with one hand and pulling up Snapchat. She added the usernames in order; SonyaRauls13, NikkiRauls, Nikololol, and TheCatoRauls. Right away, she had a photo from Sonya. When she opened it, a blonde girl was smiling with a bunny filter on her. The caption read "can't wait to meet you!". Clove smiled and took a selfie with the caption, "i can't wait either!"

"So, you're still in high school?"

Clove nodded, taking a sip of her hot cocoa.

"You graduate this year?"

"Yeah, thankfully. I don't know if I could tolerate another year."

Marvel chuckled, "I feel. I graduated last year."

"Lucky."

From the living room, Clove heard her mother laugh as Neil shouted some joke. "They seem to be having fun."

Marvel shrugged, "Wine will do that to you." Clove's phone buzzed again, this time the photo was from Cato. Marvel glanced down at the screen and chuckled, "See. Told you. Miss popular."

Clove stuck her tongue out then unlocked the screen. She didn't know what she was expecting to see, but she wasn't prepared for what she did see. He had blond hair, like his sister, but there wasn't a filter on his face. He had a beanie on, hair tousled over his forehead, mouth in a crooked grin, and the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. Even more blue than his sisters. His caption was a simple "hola cosmiclove". Clove could feel her cheeks heat up when Marvel chuckled into his mug, his eyes glued to her face as she slowly tapped away the photo.

"You're blushing," Marvel says, smirking. Clove shot Marvel a look then locked her phone screen, quickly setting it aside, "You're not going to respond?"

"Shut up."

"Just going to leave the guy on read?"

"I'll respond later," Clove sipped her hot cocoa quickly, ignoring the burning on her tongue.

"What if he doesn't wanna talk later?"

"Will you stop." Clove chuckled, "I don't even know the guy."

"But when you do, you'll flip the switch just like all the others." Marvel quirked up an eyebrow.

"The others? What's that supposed to mean?" Clove gave him a confused glanced. Marvel just shrugged, taking another long sip of hot chocolate. Clove sighed and rose from her stool, "Well then I'm going to head up to my room. Thanks again for the hot chocolate."

"Sure, you can just leave your mug on the counter. I'll take care of it tonight."

Clove nodded, setting the mug on the counter. "Night."

"Goodnight. See ya bright and early."

Clove didn't bother saying goodnight to her mother and Neil. She knew that going into the living room would only lead to a conversation she didn't want to have. Especially knowing they've had a few glasses of wine. So instead she walked into her room and closed the door quietly. Crawling back onto her bed, she opened up Snapchat again and turned the camera towards her face. Her green eyes looking back at her, freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. She smiled into the camera, scrunched up her nose and fixed her hair then frowned. Then she grinned at the camera this time, then she added a filter that made her mouth huge, and then she only showed half her face.

"Jesus," Clove muttered under her breath. Finally, she pressed her lips together in a small smile, tilting her head a bit, and took the photo. "That's as good as it's going to get."

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she thought of what to say. Clove ended up going with "bonjour thecatorauls". The second she pressed send, she texted Glimmer.

Clove: Situation.

Glim: OOOOh boy, whats up?

Clove: Marvel has a friend and he may as well be the cutest boy I have ever laid my eyes on.

Glim: UM PICS???

Clove: I don't have any! I'm looking him up on Instagram right now. Can I Facetime you on my laptop?

Glim: Yeah. I'll get mine too.

Clove quickly grabbed her laptop and pulled up Facetime, waiting for the cue to call Glimmer. The minute she said go, Glimmer's face appeared on her screen within seconds.

"I found him." Clove spits out. Showing her the phone screen.

"What's his username? I'll just look him up."

"The Cato Rauls. All one word."

Glimmer snorted, "What kinda username is that."

"It's better than Cosmic Clove."

"Very true."

Clove scrolled through Cato's feed slowly. Most of the photos were of landscape or animals so it wasn't until she hit May where she finally found a photo of him. He had a white shirt on with a dark blue plaid shirt on. His arm was around a girl with bright orange hair. She had on a cute blue sundress with big white heels to match. The caption he wrote was a simple "happy birthday loser". Clove glanced at Glimmer, who was also looking at her phone on her laptop screen.

"He's got a girlfriend." Clove mumbled, "Or at least that's what May of 2018 is kinda telling me."

"But there isn't anything about her on his Instagram since." Glimmer says, looking at Clove. "So maybe they broke up."

Clove shrugged, locking her phone and tossing it aside. "Whatever. It doesn't matter either way. He lives in Canada and I live in Los Angeles... Also, I never intended on getting a boyfriend on this vacation. Not that he has any interest in me anyway. Or that I wanted to date him."

Glimmer rolled her eyes, setting her phone aside as well, "Whatever you say, sunshine."

Clove pressed her lips together, "I think I'm going to head to bed. I gotta get up early with the others to grab Ivy from the airport and then we're heading out to the resort. I'll text you when I wake up."

"Alright, Glimmer smiled, "goodnight, my love."

"Night, Glim."

And then the call ended. Clove rose from her spot on the bed and tucked her laptop back into her backpack and got her outfit for tomorrow ready; a plain red t-shirt with high-waisted pants and a black letterman jacket she got from Cross Country this year. Her shoes were still downstairs in the mudroom, as well as her jacket. After setting her outfit and things aside, she crawled back into bed.

_______________________

imessage

dumbass club

Marvel: Good morning fuckers. Clove and i are heading out to pick up ivy (her sis) and then we'll be at the resort. I know the only one awake rn is nikki so heyyyyyyyyy

Nikki: Ya, I went to yoga. Clove! I'm so excited to meet you.

Cato: uuuuhhhhh actually nikki ur not the only one awake. Im @ work rn....

Nikki: Oh, I didn't know you worked? What time are you done? I wanna hit the slopes tonight. I heard they're putting down some fresh powder.

Cato: im done at noon

Marvel: Thats around wat time clove and i will be arriving so if you want, you two could bring the sibs over. I don't think we have any plans

Cato: well find out and then let us know

Marvel: Will do chief

_______________________

Ivy had overpacked, of course, just like Clove. She brought three suitcases and two duffle bags, plus her backpack. When Ivy first saw Clove, she started sobbing right away. Then her mom popped out of the black van and Ivy almost fell over. It was a wholesome moment. Clove just wished she was at home when it happened.

"I'm Marvel," Marvel said, sticking his hand out to Ivy.

Ivy smiled, "Nice to meet you, finally."

Clove watched the interaction briefly before climbing back into the car and sitting in the furthest back seat she could get. She watched the others climb in after her, listening to Neil and Fred as they set up the GPS. Ivy sat down next to her sister and smiled.

"So," Ivy whispered, leaning into her sister, "Marvel is cute."

Clove chuckled, "That's what Glimmer said."

"Of course." Ivy smiled, taking a deep breath. She was thankful to finally be off a plane and surrounded by her family; even if it only was her sister and mom. Neil was a new member to the family whom she hadn't had the chance to sit down alone with to chat given she's been away in France for so long, "I'm excited to finally see the resort. I looked up some photos on Instagram."

"Why Instagram?" Clove asked.

"Uh, are you crazy? Instagram has updated photos from people who went there recently so you can see what it looks like at this exact moment. Also, they the resort has its own Instagram in itself and a separate Instagram for the ski resort." Ivy raised her eyebrows at Clove.

"Oh." Was all she could reply back before pulling up her phone and searching Sun Peaks Resort on Instagram. Sure enough, there was an Instagram account. The first photo was of a small-town area, or a shopping district, flooded with Christmas lights. As she continued scrolling through their feed of ski hills and mountain peaks, her finger hovered over a specific photo with a tall bond smiling next to two other boys. He had the same grin in the Snapchat he had sent her last night.

Her sister leaned over and nudged her shoulder, "Good thing you can't ski."

Clove glanced at Ivy before shutting off her phone.

Ivy snorted, "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Not at all." Clove sighed, "I know I can't ski, but Marvel said there are sledding and tubing hills I could do."

"Nothing like a grand ole time sledding," Ivy smirked.

"I suppose."

The car ride was a long four-hour drive. Clove read most of the ride, finishing her book Trial by Fire and then moving on to some YouTube videos. Ivy fell asleep an hour in; leaning her head onto Clove's shoulder. Marvel, Kit (Marvel's mom), and Eve also passed out, but the two men up front stayed alert and awake, making sure the directions were correct. The further up north they got, the more Clove was in awe by the beauty surrounding them, so she ignored the temptation to fall asleep.

Occasionally her ears would pop because of the constant hills the car had to overtake. Neil eventually caught her eye and asked if she wanted a piece of gum to help keep her ears from going crazy. She happily took the offer and popped a minty stick of Extra gum in her mouth.

When Fred announced they had reached their destination, it was Clove's job to wake everyone up one by one and repeat what he had just said. Marvel was correct, they had gotten to the resort a little after noon.

Fred pulled up to a large townhouse and parked the car, "This is where the Rivers are staying."

Eve smiled happily, "It's wonderful!"

Clove had to admit the area was beautiful. Each pine tree she saw had lights, ornaments, and a star at the top. Some even had some fake presents underneath. Clove smiled as she got out of the van and bundled up in her coat. The sun was warm, but the air was brisk.

"Marvel, can you help the girls carry some things while I set up the lock?" Fred asked, pulling out his wallet.

Marvel nodded, grabbing two of Ivy's bags before turning to Clove, who had already grabbed her things, "Our place is right next door. So maybe after this, you can help me unpack?"

Clove chuckled, "Sure."

Fred typed a code into the door then pushed it open. Thankfully, the heat had already been turned on inside, so it was a pleasant welcoming. Inside it was decorated similarly to his own home. Christmas Holly on the stairwell railing, poinsettias on almost every side table he could see, and a large Christmas tree in the corner of the living room decorated with white lights and silver garland.

Eve stepped in after him and gasped, "My gosh. I truly wasn't expecting this place to be so inviting."

"They do this every year around the Holidays. Isn't it beautiful?" Fred smiled, looking at the woman. Her eyes were wide in awe as she looked around.

"Wow," Ivy breathed out, "this is really nice."

Marvel and Clove stepped in after Neil, looking around the townhouse. Fred turned to face his son and Clove, smiling, "There are four bedrooms here so Ivy and Clove can pick whichever room you want."

Ivy looked at Clove then quickly took off up the stairs, Clove in hot pursuit. The first bedroom Ivy entered was very sleek. It had one giant queen bed in the center with a Christmas themed quilt on it. It even had its own small tree tucked into the corner. Clove walked in next to her sister and smiled, "Dibs."

Ivy shrugged, "Fine."

Clove set her things on the bed and looked around the room before watching her sister exit the room. "Better luck next time!"

Eve and Fred found their room and set their things down on the bed while Fred, Marvel, and Kit conversed downstairs. There was a knock at the door that took Marvel's attention. His feet carrying him over to swing the door open. Marvel smiled, "Rauls."

Cato reached his hand out for a quick fist bump, "Standford."

"How you been, dude?" Marvel pushed the door open some more so he could step inside. "Haven't seen you in like, a month."

"I've been good. Just glad to be on Winter break, honestly."

Fred smiled at the two boys, "Cato, so good to see you."

"You too, Fred." Cato smiled, looking at Kit, "And you as well Kit."

"You grow more and more each time I see you." Kit gushed.

Cato chuckled, "So is this where you're staying?"

Marvel shook his head, "No, we're next door. This is where the Rivers are staying."

On cue, Eve stepped into the room with Neil. She had to do a double take on Cato, looking up at him, surprised by his height, "Oh hello!"

Cato looked at Eve and smiled, "Hi. I'm Cato. A friend of Marvel's."

"Lovely to meet you," Eve reached her hand out, "I'm Ms. Rivers but you can call me Eve."

"Eve," Cato nodded, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You've gotten taller. If that's even possible." Neil chuckles, hugging the blond.

"Or maybe you're just getting shorter."

Neil swatted at his arm, "Good one."

Cato turned his head towards the stairwell when he heard footsteps. Two heads of dark brown hair bouncing as they stepped down. One of them in particular, he already knew was Clove. She was dressed in a pair of high-waisted pants with a red shirt tucked into them with a big letterman jacket over it. As she turned her head to look at the crowd, he quickly looked away and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Clove almost tripped at the bottom stair when she saw him standing in the room. He was much taller than the others, besides Marvel, dressed in a black sweater and jeans. Clove blinked a few times, quickly walking up next to her mom.

Eve smiled, "Girls, this is Cato."

Cato glanced at Eve before looking at the two girls. Ivy smiled at him and he gave her a quick wave, "You must be Ivy."

"I am indeed." Ivy chuckled. "How'd you know that?"

"Marvel."

"Ah."

Clove shifted in her stance when Cato's eyes trailed over to her own, "Hello."

"Cosmic Clove, right?" Cato asked with a playful grin on his lips.

"Yeah." Clove nodded, smiling a bit. She could feel her cheeks heat up, "But you can call me Clove for short if you want."

"I'll try to remember that." Cato smiled, giving her a quick wink.

Fuck, Clove thought to herself.

Marvel punched Cato's arm to get his attention, "Nikki here?"

"She's out with my mom and Sonya. Their shopping for some gifts."

Marvel turned to Ivy and Clove, "You two wanna tour of the resort?"

Cato chuckled, "I'll even show you behind the scenes."

Ivy shrugged, "I think I'll stay behind, but maybe later?"

Marvel nodded, "Sure. Clove?"

Clove glanced at her sister, "Yeah, I'll tag along."

Eve smiled, putting a hand on Clove's shoulder, "Make sure you have your phone. Keep in touch."

Clove nodded, "I'm gonna go grab my stuff and put my coat on."

Just as fast as she disappeared, she returned with a coat on; pulling a red beanie over her head. Marvel led the way out the door while Cato walked next to Clove, his hands back in the pocket of his jeans. Clove scrunched her nose up at the temperature change once they reached the outdoors. She glanced over her shoulder at the front door of the townhouse before carefully stepping down the icy porch stairs.

The townhouse was located close to almost everything they needed to access. Snow covered trails guiding them around the area as Marvel pointed out specific buildings or monuments. A group of kids were playing ice hockey on a shiny sheet of ice and next to that families were trying their best to skate on an ice rink. Quiet Christmas music played throughout the area and it smelled strong of burning wood. While the air was cold, the atmosphere made Clove feel warm. Either it was the atmosphere, or it was because of how close Cato was walking next to her. Their arms sometimes brushing whenever they stepped over mounds of snow. Neither one of them took their hands out of their pockets or tried to make conversation.

"And this right here is the best bar at the resort. Every day at six pm, they serve hot chocolate with a bit of Brandy in it. It's absolutely delicious." Marvel announced, motioning to a bar that was all lit up in multiple colors.

Cato chuckled next to Clove, "Their beer is shit."

Clove glanced at Marvel before looking around the area, spinning in a slow circle, "This place is beautiful."

"Just wait till it's dark out." Marvel smiled. "It's even better then."

"Oh, I bet." Clove smiled back.

"You ski or snowboard at all?" Cato asked, looking at the girl.

"No," Clove shook her head. "Back home I surf and stuff, but I've never skied or snowboarded."

Cato's jaw dropped only a little, "Oh, Cosmic Clove, you have got to go skiing with me."

Clove buried her face into her jacket and shrugged. Her voice sounded anything but confident, "I don't know, The Cato Rauls."

Cato chuckled, "So are we both just going to call each other by our usernames?"

Clove wiggled her eyebrows, "I guess."

Marvel kicked snow at Cato, "Let's continue the tour. We gotta show you the ski shop. Maybe we can find Clove some mittens."

Clove glanced down at her hands, which were still lodged into her coat pocket, and nodded. Marvel continued walking, but this time Cato nudged Clove's shoulder lightly and smiled, "Don't worry. You can get my employee discount."

Clove scrunched her nose up, "And what's the discount?"

"Free," Cato smirked.

Clove rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to steal mittens."

"It really is free for me." Cato chuckled, "So pick out a pair and I'll pretend I'm buying them."

Clove looked at the boy for a moment as she walked next to him, "As long as you promise that you're not stealing."

"I pinky promise." Cato grinned, holding out his pinky.

Clove glanced down before looping her own pinky with his. Cato nudged her again before looking forwards; he was afraid that if he stared any longer, she might think he's insane.

Marvel led the way for quite a while. Every so often they would stop and Marvel would show Clove a or thing or two. Cato loved it, watching the girls' eyes light up whenever Marvel told her something completely absurd. He hadn't talked to her much, other than the one Snapchat he sent her the night she arrived. She fit in well with Marvel and Cato, joking along and teasing them back.

When they reached the ski shop, Marvel showed her the way to the mittens while Cato stopped at the locker room to grab his employee card. As Marvel and Clove approached the counter, Clove noticed the girl behind it was the same girl she saw on Cato's Instagram. She had big blue eyes and her hair was an even brighter orange in person. When she looked at Clove, the girl smiled big, "Just the mittens?"

"Just these, yeah." Clove nodded, glancing at Marvel.

Marvel leaned against the counter, "How ya doing, Finch?"

The girl shrugged as she scanned the mittens, "It's been a slow day here. Most of the skiers and boarders won't arrive until tomorrow and then Christmas is in two days, so..."

"Christmas is the busiest day," Cato interjected, walking up to them. He was behind the counter, handing over his card to the girl. "Do you work?"

"Nope."

"Neither do I. Maybe we can all go hit the slopes?" Cato asked, crossing his arms. He turned his head towards Clove and smiled when he noticed she was already looking, "Would you be down for some skiing lessons?"

Clove shifted in her stance, "As long as I don't die."

"You won't." The girl said, "Cato is a pro."

"Shut up, Finch." Cato chuckled, poking the girl's cheek.

She quickly swatted it away and smirked, "Don't let him fool you. It's true. He's been skiing since he was like, eight."

Clove smiled a bit, "That's awesome. I guess I can sort of trust you now then, huh?"

Cato winked at the girl and Clove blushed.

Marvel grabbed the mittens from Finch and held them out to Clove, "Here you go, m'lady."

Clove chuckled, "Thank you, good sir."

Cato lowered his arms, "I'll meet you guys outside."

Clove glanced at Cato and Finch before following Marvel back outside. The mittens were already keeping her hands much warmer than her pockets.

Back in the ski shop, Finch turned to Cato and raised her eyebrows, "So, is that her?"

Cato nodded, running a hand through his blond locks, "Yeah."

"She's really cute."

"I know. Wicked cute. Probably the cutest girl I've ever seen." Cato sighed. "But I don't wanna like, push myself on her you know? I just met her."

"Are you kidding, Rauls? That girl was staring at you the whole time."

Cato rubbed the back of his neck, "Shut up, she was not."

Finch scoffed, "Open your eyes, Rauls. You're an attractive guy and honestly one of my best friends. Stop doubting yourself and just talk to her. Maybe when Marvel isn't around. See if she wants to go ice skating or something."

"Finch, she just met me. I really don't wanna seem like that weird guy who-"

"If you think she's cute, then why not go for it?" Finch crossed her arms and looked over the boy's face. His nose was scrunched up in thought and he had his eyebrows pressed together, "Just ask the girl."

"Fine." Cato sighed, giving in. He put his hands up in defeat, "You win."

Finch smirked, "Good. I expect to hear details."

Cato gave her a thumbs up and a wink before quickly sliding over the counter, "Anything for you, sugar."

"That doesn't work on me, Rauls! I like girls! Your sister to be exact!" Finch called out before he walked outside.

Marvel and Clove had found themselves on a bench, talking about their families when Cato approached. Marvel rose up to his feet quickly and looked down at Clove, who stood up next to him, "What's next?"

"Cato?" A voice popped up. There was the sound of bags rustling before two girls with blonde hair rushed up to the scene, "Oh my god, Clove!"

Cato turned to look at his sisters as they ran up to hug the girl; a grin forming quickly.

Clove chuckled, "Hey, guys."

Nikki smiled, "Gosh you're so pretty!"

"Oh, thanks." Clove shyly responded, boot kicking the snow.

Sonya glanced at her brother, "Cato was excited to meet you."

Next to Clove, Marvel smirked. He loved when Cato's sisters sabotaged his cover. Clove glanced at Cato and awkwardly chuckled, feeling her cheeks heat up instantly. Even if she hated the cold, she was grateful that it had already turned her cheeks pink earlier, otherwise, she would have been busted.

"You must be Clove," another female voice asked. She was olde with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked a lot like Nikki, so Clove only assumed it was Cato's mother.

"Yeah, hello." Clove smiled at the woman, giving her a small wave.

"I'm Sandy." His mom said, "The three blonde's mother."

Marvel snorted, "As if genes didn't already tell us that."

Cato elbowed the boy, "Don't be a smartass."

Sandy chuckled, "Marvel, it's good to see you too."

"Yes, Mrs. Rauls. Always a pleasure." Marvel gave her a quick hug.

Sandy directed her attention back towards Clove, who was rocking on her heels slowly, "How do you like Canada so far?"

"It's beautiful here." Clove smiled. "Cold, but beautiful."

"You'll get used to it." Sandy shrugs, "It just takes some time."

Cato shoved his hands into his pocket, "How was shopping?"

"Great." Sonya says, "I love shopping here because they have a Patagonia store."

Nikki nodded, "I got almost all my friends' gifts, including your present, bro."

Clove smiled into her coat when she noticed Cato glance at her before speaking, "I still have to get some things."

"Well, you better get on that," Sonya says, poking her brother's arm before walking away. "I'm chilly so I'm going to keep walking. Clove, it was lovely to meet you. I'll probably see you tomorrow sometime."

Clove waved, "Yeah, for sure. See you soon. Nice to meet you."

Nikki smiled at Clove before following her sister in hot pursuit. Sandy looked up at her son and cupped his chin lightly, "Don't be home too late."

"Will do, ma." Cato chuckled.

Sandy looked at Marvel then Clove, "Keep an eye on these boys."

Clove gave her a thumbs up, "You got it."

"It was lovely to meet you. Tomorrow we'll have to talk some more." Sandy added, wiggling her fingers goodbye.

"I look forward to it."

As Clove watched the ladies walk away, Marvel and Cato shared a long glance before Marvel cleared his throat, "I think I'm gonna call it a night too."

"Oh," Clove said. "Alright."

Cato bit his tongue before looking at Clove, "If you wanted to stay out longer I could... I mean we could just walk around if you wanted. The sun starts going down around 4 and it's really pretty."

"I can let your mom know." Marvel suggested, "If you want."

Clove stayed silent for a moment, thinking over any possible outcome that could occur by staying with Cato. If she were to go home, she would probably just have to listen to her parents and Ivy talk about politics and reject every glass of wine that came her way, so Clove decided Cato was her best option. She shrugged, "Yeah, sure. That sounds nice."

Cato smiled, "Cool."

"I can text my mom, Marvel. But thank you," Clove looked at Marvel and smiled.

"Sounds good." Marvel nodded, "See ya tomorrow, Rauls. Clove, see ya later."

"Yeah, see ya."

"Bye, Stanford."

Cato and Clove watched Marvel walk away before they both turned to face each other. Clove immediately noticed a shift in the air. It wasn't awkward, but it was... something weird. Cato was just looking at her smiling, not saying a word and she was almost positive she was just looking at him like a love-sick puppy. Clove cleared her throat, "So, what's the best place to watch a sunset around here?"

He knew exactly where to go. It was his special spot that he found once while making sure everyone was off the ski hill one night. Located just a little off the main trails, up a hill and past the forest. A ten-minute walk and five-minute run. When they reached the top, Clove looked over the ground below them in awe. Pine trees protected most of the land, small frozen ponds peaking every now and then. Further ahead, mountain peaks kissed the clouds and large mansions scattered randomly across the land.

"Wow." Clove breathed out, shivering in her coat.

Cato glanced at her and smiled, "Right? I found this spot once when I was closing the ski hill. It's even better at night when the stars are out."

"It's beautiful."

Cato wanted to say, so are you, but this wasn't a cheesy Christmas movie, so he settled with, "Yeah."

Clove looked around her then at Cato, "Do we just sit on the snow?"

"I suppose." Cato chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, "I didn't really think that out."

"It's alright. I don't mind getting my butt a bit wet." Clove smiled then sat down slowly, pulling her knees to her chest. The snow was frozen enough that it didn't completely soak her bottom, but it was still cold nothing less. Cato sat down next to her and stretched his feet out in front of him. She glanced at him before taking a slow deep breath, "So, you live in Vancouver?"

"I actually live in a town called Whistler. It's a bit north of Vancouver. About an hour away."

Clove hummed, "That's cool. You like living here?"

"I love it." Cato smiled, looking at the side of her face. He studied her carefully as she took in the view in front of them. "I'm a pretty outdoorsy guy so being surrounded by nature is a huge bonus."

"I bet." Clove turned to look at him and smiled, "The girl at the ski shop said you were a "pro" at skiing. Care to explain?"

Cato chuckled, "I've been skiing since as long as I can remember, but I didn't start getting super competitive about it until I was eight. My dad and I would enter contests all the time just for shits and giggles. Then one day, I won first place and that feeling of accomplishment just kinda drove me to keep getting better. Then when we came here about five years ago, I tried out for a competition, won, got the job at the ski shop and ever since then we've been coming here for Christmas break."

"Damn," Clove raised her eyebrows, "that's insanely impressive."

Cato shrugged, "I don't mean to sound like I'm a hot shot or anything... hopefully, I didn't come off that way."

"No, no, not at all." Clove smiled. "It's really cool... that you ski and stuff."

Cato smiled at the girl, her nose was scrunched up and her green eyes sparkled when the sun hit them just right. The selfie she sent on Snapchat was nothing compared to the real thing. Cato cleared his throat, realizing he had been staring for a bit, "So, uh, you said you surfed?"

Clove perked up a bit, "Yeah. I love it."

"Marvel mentioned you were from California?"

"That would be correct," Clove nodded. "I live in La Jolla, a little outside of San Diego."

"Damn," Cato whistled. "I'd love to visit California someday."

"You've never been?" Clove raised her eyebrows.

"Nope. I've been to Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, New York, and Hawaii... but never California."

"Wisconsin? What did you go there for?" Clove asked.

"My dad has family there." Cato chuckled, "I know, it's not the ideal place to visit or live."

Clove chuckled, "No shit? My dad lives in Wisconsin."

Cato looked at her, eyes a bit wide, "You're serious?"

"Yeah, Madison." Clove smiled.

Cato pointed at her, "No way! That's where my cousins live! Well, they live around the Sun Prairie area, but still. Close enough."

"Small world." Clove smiled at him and he nodded.

"Indeed, it is." Cato hummed, looking across the land. He sniffled and leaned back, putting his gloves against the snow, "Tell me more about California. About you."

"Oh gosh," Clove shook her head and looked down at her knees. "What do you want to know?"

"Any hobbies other than surfing?"

Clove thought for a moment before answering, "I love to write. I'm in drama club... band as well. I run track and cross country. I absolutely love running. It's probably my favorite hobby other than surfing." Clove glanced at Cato when she could feel his eyes on her, "I love photography, dancing, singing. Honestly, I'm just someone that is almost always down to do whatever. So, hobbies come and go."

Cato smiled, "Adventurous. I like it."

"Life is too short to not enjoy it, you know?" Clove looked at him now. Her eyes meeting his for a brief second before she looked away again.

"I agree." Cato nodded, looking away from her slowly. "Any friends?"

Clove chuckled, "Any friends? Of course. I have a best friend named Glimmer."

"Glimmer?" Cato smirked, "Interesting name."

"She's an interesting character, but I love her to death."

"Hey, no harm, no foul." Cato chuckled, "You uh, gotta boyfriend?"

Clove could feel her stomach twist at his question. She shook her head no, "Nope. I'm a single pringle."

Thank god, Cato thought. He hummed, "Yeah, I don't have a girlfriend."

Clove glanced at him curiously, "Who was the girl in the shop?"

"Finch?" Cato looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, her."

Cato chuckled, "We're just friends. She's actually dating Nikki."

That caught Clove off guard, "Are you serious?"

"One hundred percent." Cato smirked, "Why? Did you think we were together?"

"I mean... kinda?" Clove chuckled.

Cato looked at her for a moment, "Did you stalk me on Instagram, Cosmic Clove?" Clove bit her bottom lip, which only made Cato smirk even more. He nudged her shoulder lightly, "You totally did."

"So, what?" Clove spits out quickly, "I wanted to know a little bit about you. I stalked your sisters too."

"How did you even find my Instagram?" Cato wiggled his eyebrows.

"I just searched The Cato Rauls on Instagram." Clove stuck her tongue out at him. "You're quite predictable."

"Good call on the username." Cato chuckled. He dug his hand into his front pant pocket and whipped out his phone, "What's your Instagram, Cosmic Clove?"

"Not that," Clove chuckled. "It's Clove dot Rivers."

Cato typed it in and followed her the second he saw her profile photo. She was hovering over his shoulder as he scrolled through her feed. There were a couple selfies, but most of the photos were of food, a beach, a surfboard, papers with writing utensils, and sunset pictures. He tapped on a specific photo when a blonde girl was kissing her cheek. Clove chuckled next to him and he glanced at her, "Is that Glimmer?"

Clove nodded, "Yeah. That's Glimmer."

"She's cute." Cato smiled, looking over the photo. Clove's nose was scrunched up, eyes squinted as she laughed in the photo; it was cute. Cato glanced up at the girl, "So are you."

Clove's eyes flicked up towards his face for a moment, her tummy fluttering, before looking back at her phone. She let out a tiny chuckle, "Thanks."

"Course." Cato glanced at her then continued scrolling through her feed.

"My Instagram is pretty boring. I hardly post anymore. Most of those are from the summer." Clove sighed and looked back at the snowy view. She shivered and stretched her feet out in front of her.

Cato locked his phone screen and put it back into his pocket, "Mine is the same way. As much as I like taking photos and stuff, I'm super lazy when it comes to posting them anywhere. I have way too many photos on my phone."

"Same," Clove chuckled, "but I'm not the best photographer."

"Sure, you are," Cato looked at Clove again. "From what I saw on your Instagram."

"Those are the once in a lifetime decent shots I actually get." Clove sighed, "But your Instagram is really good. Like, your shots are incredible."

Cato smirked, "Thanks, stalker."

Clove shoved his shoulder and laughed, "Shut up. I was just curious!"

Cato looked at her, watching her as she leaned her head back in a small fit of laughter. He could have sworn there was at least a thousand freckles on her face. When she looked forward again, the sun cast a warm glow across her right cheek. He was almost certain she was the most beautiful view he's ever seen. Clove felt eyes on her and slowly looked at the boy, smiling. He glanced at her lips quickly and broke the eye contact before he did anything stupid.

"Thank you for showing me this place," Clove's voice was soft as she looked over the side of the boys' face. "It's really pretty."

Cato nodded, looking at her again, "I figured I'd show you the sweet spots while you're here. You just gotta promise to show me the cool spots in California when I visit."

"Duh." Clove chuckled, "Just let me know when you're on the way."

Cato smiled, teeth and all, "Will do."

Although neither of them said, they both were thinking about it. Being around each other was easy. Like they had already known each other for years. Even if sometimes Clove felt intimidated by Cato's gaze, she couldn't help admitting that something about him made her want him to look.

A comfortable silence surrounded them as they stared off into the distance. When the sun began to set, Clove took a photo on her phone and posted it to Instagram, tagging Cato in the bottom left corner.

45 likes 1comment

clove.rivers i like you canada

thecatorauls it likes you too

_______________________

Clove's bed wasn't uncomfortable, but it definitely wasn't the best thing she's ever slept on. She rubbed her neck tiredly as she sat up, the sun leaking through the blinds, warming up a part of her blanket. She could smell food being made downstairs as she leaned over to grab her phone off the nightstand. She exhaled slowly when she saw the five notifications from Glimmer, two from Cato, and one from Ivy.

Glimmer: UMMMMMMM, You never told me about you and Cato!!!!!! Why would you tell me?? is it bc he's totally hot and you wanted him all to yourself? I don't blame you, honestly.

Glimmer: Wake up bitch we need to chat

Glimmer: God the girls that got to cato's ig bc u tagged him..... OOF

Glimmer: C L O V E he totally likes you uwu

Glimmer: I'm gonna dm this mother fucker

Cato: goodnight cosmic clove. be prepared to have a sore butt tomorrow

Cato: okay that sounded really weird, but I promise it's just me talking about skiing lol

Ivy: You like cato, wbk

Clove texted Cato first, leaning back against her headboard.

Clove: Good morning, The Cato Rauls. The sore butt comment was lovely to wake up to. I appreciate the humor, but if you're a pro at skiing, why should I worry about a sore butt, hm? ;)

It was much easier to text Cato than it was to face him. She glanced at her bedroom door when she heard ruckus downstairs then pulled up Glimmers texts.

Clove: First of all, Glim, there isn't anything to tell you about Cato bc nothing happened between the two of us, we just watched the sunset and talked about life and such. Don't worry about it. Also, if anything were to happen between the two of us, you would be the first person to know. I pinky promise! Love you.

Clove pushed her blankets off and stretched as she placed her feet on the carpet below her. The room was warm thankfully, so she peeled off the sweatshirt she had on and tossed it onto a chair in the corner of the room. Clove opened the bathroom door she shared with Ivy and began a quick routine; brushing her hair, teeth, and sliding on her glasses before slipping out of the room and down the stairs. It was easier to make out the voices the closer she got; Marvel, her mom, Fred, Kit, and Neil were all for sure in the room, but there was one voice she didn't recognize. A man's voice, that was much deeper than both Neil and Fred.

When Clove stepped into the kitchen, Eve caught her eye and smiled, "Good morning, sweetheart."

Clove waved, "Morning. It smells good in here."

"Right?" The unfamiliar voice said, "It tastes even better."

Clove turned to face the man. He was an older gentleman; dark blue sweater on and a bald head. She gave him a small smile, "I bet."

Marvel leaned forwards on the island and motioned to the man, "This is Mr. Rauls. Cato, Nikki, Nikolo, and Sonya's dad."

"Oh," Clove glanced at Marvel, "hi. Nice to meet you."

"Yes, you too." Mr. Rauls said, "You can call me Harry."

Clove nodded.

"You and Cato hung out last night I saw." Harry smiled, "At least that's what he told me and his mother when he got back."

Clove could feel everyone's eyes on her and it didn't help that her sister had walked in on cue to hear what he said. A giant smirk growing on her face the redder Clove's cheeks got. Clove pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, "Yeah he just showed me around the area. It's beautiful here."

"Cato knows all the cool spots around here. He likes to explore." Harry added, sipping whatever was in his mug.

"That's true." Fred agreed, "Pretty sure he had this place memorized within two hours the first time we came here."

Marvel chuckled, "Cato just likes an adventure."

"It was an adventure," Clove chuckled. "We hiked up a hill and trudged through a forest just to get there."

"That's Cato for ya," Harry smiled.

Clove smiled back, pushing some hair over her shoulder. Eve was stirring a pot on the stove while Marvel and his mom kept her company. Ivy sat down next to Fred and Neil, who were deep in conversation, and sipped her mug. Harry directed his attention back at his phone, typing furiously. Clove found it weird to have a house full of some-what strangers the day before Christmas Eve. She wished that her grandma was here, or even her dad. Just someone other than her sister and mother to make it feel more like Christmas and less like Vacation.

She kept looking around the room until a pair of warm hands squeezed the sides of her hips quickly. Clove shot up and gasped, turning quickly to look at the culprit, who had his hands raised in defense already, "Cato."

"Scare ya?" He smirked, "I think I did."

"Yeah, duh." Clove gave him a playful look before glancing over her shoulder at the others, who were all too engrossed in their current state to notice his arrival.

"You know," Cato started, looking over the side of her face before she looked at him again, "you blush very easily." His comment only made her turn even redder and Cato smirked, "Maybe making a comment about it didn't help?"

"Shut up," Clove hissed under her breath, crossing her arms. She was right; talking to him in person was much harder.

"So, you ready to ski?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Cato chuckled, "I still can't believe you've never skied before."

"I have, it was just a really long time ago." Clove shrugged, "And I was god awful."

Cato smirked, "So not much has changed."

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious." Clove rolled her eyes.

"Rauls," Marvel said, walking up to the two of them. "You ready to ski?"

Cato smirked, even more, glancing at Clove, "Absolutely."

"Finch tagging along?"

"Yeah." Cato nodded, "She's out with Nikki right now. My mom and Sonya are baking cookies. They wanted to bring them over to meet Eve with. They're even doing a vegan recipe."

Clove chuckled, "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah." Cato smiled, "I'm telling you, right now, my mom takes new friends very seriously."

"That's really sweet of her to do that. My mom will probably cry." Clove smiled.

"Happy tears, I hope." Cato chuckled.

"Of course."

"What time do you wanna hit the slopes?" Marvel asks, crossing his arms.

Cato shrugs, "Maybe around 1? Finch said they're gonna put some more powder down around eleven since some of it got kinda wet this morning when the sun was out."

"It's eleven now." Marvel chuckled.

Clove raised her eyebrows, "Really? I slept in pretty late then."

"Well, you were out late," Marvel smirked, glancing at Cato.

"We weren't out that late. The sun was still setting when I dropped her off." Cato narrowed his eyes at Marvel.

"Tell that to your dad," Marvel nudged Cato's arm and chuckled.

Clove glanced over at Harry and shifted a bit in her stance. A little part of her was intimidated by him because he knew who she was before she knew who he was. The other part was flattered that Cato would even speak about who she was in front of his parents when Clove hadn't said a single word to her mother. Ivy, on the other hand, obviously knew how she felt towards the blond-haired boy. Thankfully for her though, Ivy only teased from afar and sent text messages about the situation rather announcing it as Marvel did to Cato.

Clove looked over Cato's face as he talked to Marvel. She did like him, that was without a doubt. He was cute, funny, and easy to talk to even when she gets intimated by him. The only downside about this situation was that after this vacation, Clove wasn't so sure she would ever see him again and they were only here for three more days. Cato turned his head slightly and Clove quickly looked away, biting the inside of her cheek when she felt his eyes on her.

"Clove," Cato said.

"Hm?" Clove hummed, turning to look at him.

"You sleep well?"

Marvel rolled his eyes and walked back next to Ivy, who was on her second cup of coffee now. Clove smiled, rubbing her hands against her arms, "Yeah, I did."

"That's good." Cato smiled back, "I know sometimes when I'm here I have a hard time sleeping because I'm so anxious. Either that or my family is loud as shit downstairs."

Clove chuckled, "Well thankfully, no one was too loud and although I'm excited for the day, I wasn't kept up because of it."

"That's good I suppose." Cato chuckled. He slid his hands into the pocket of his sweatpants and glanced at the adults, "So I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to go ice skating later. Just you and I?"

Clove's heart hammered in her chest, but she kept her composure strong, "That sounds really fun."

"Yeah?" Cato smiled, letting out a breath of relief. "I mean, like, it will be fun. Or at least I hope it is..." Cato rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from the girl for a moment. Her eyes refused to look away from him, "Do you know how to skate?"

"I do." Clove chuckled, "Glimmer and I skate all the time as little dates."

"So, you can't ski or snowboard, but you can skate?" Cato smirked.

"We don't have a lot of skiing options in La Jolla, idiot." Clove smirked back, poking his arm.

Cato glanced down at her hand, her quick touch still lingering, "Hey," Cato chuckled, "I'm not an idiot."

"Whatever you say, The Cato Rauls."

"Ooooh, you're still calling me that?"

"Till the day I die." Clove stuck her tongue out and walked towards her mom, who was pouring a cup of coffee into her mug. Cato watched her, grinning from ear to ear.

Oh boy, he was in trouble.

_______________________

Ski lifts were not Clove's favorite. Not that she was afraid of heights or anything, but the idea that she was sitting on a chair that was hanging on by a simple cable attachment is what made her nerves shake. She was seated in the middle of Cato and Nikolo, who was making it his duty to scare the shit out of Clove as much as possible.

Nikolo pointed to the ground below them, "Five bucks and I'll jump."

"No." Clove said sternly, leaning back as much as she can. She wanted to grab onto Cato, but didn't want to appear to chicken, "I mean no, please don't jump."

"I'd probably just break an ankle. Maybe an arm." Nikolo smirked.

"You'd break more than that, dumbass." Cato snorted, "We're pretty high up and the snow under these things aren't normally that deep. Plus, there are rocks everywhere."

"Okay big hoss," Nikolo rolled his eyes. "Jeez, just because you work here you think you know everything."

Cato smirked, "Because I do know everything."

Clove glanced at Cato and chuckled. Nikolo rolled his eyes and scoffed, "You're just trying to impress Clove."

"I think I'm more impressed with his knowledge of the height of this thing compared to your guts to jump off for five dollars." Clove egged on, nudging Nikolo gently with her shoulder.

He chuckled, "Picking favorites already. Just wait till he tries to teach you how to ski."

"She's gonna do great," Cato smiled, looking at his brother and then Clove who looked at him as well.

Cato had gone all out on ski gear; goggles, big jacket, nice thick pants, with his own skis and boots. You could just tell he knew what he was doing based on his outfit. Clove was a different story. Since she didn't have any skiing gear, Nikki had let her borrow some things. The jacket fit perfectly as did the boots, but the snow pants were a bit tight and she didn't have any googles she Clove went with a simple tight hat and a ski mask.

"I'll do my best," Clove finally said, looking forwards again.

They were close to getting off, so Cato began to explain what to do. When they reached the spot, he helped her and smiled when she cheered, "That was fucking terrifying, not going to lie."

"I'm heading to the black diamond," Nikolo said, slowly separating himself from the two of them.

"What's that?" Clove glanced at Cato.

"That's where the pro's go." Nikolo winked at her, "Someday you can join me."

Cato gave him a look before looking back at Clove who was chuckling, "We're gonna do the bunny hill."

Clove looked up at Cato, "I'm assuming that's where the less talented people go skiing?"

"Yes." Cato chuckled, "But you're not, not talented. You just need some practice before we move on to a green square or blue circle."

"These hills are weird."

"It's just what we call the levels of difficulty. C'mon. Follow me."

Cato pushed himself along next to Clove as they slid across the snow towards the hill they needed. The view was intimidating, granted Clove couldn't see the bottom of the slope. They were on the ski lift for at least ten minutes, so getting down at her skill would probably take a full half hour with her luck.

"I feel so bad," Clove frowned, looking at Cato.

"What?" Cato looked at her and pressed his eyebrows together, "Why?"

"Because you have to teach me how to do this instead of hanging out with your brother or Marvel."

Cato stopped skiing and looked at her. Clove didn't realize he had stopped until she no longer heard the material of his jacket rubbing against hers. She turned around and looked at him, raising her eyebrows. Cato stayed quiet for a moment, "Clove I want to be here." Clove kept her mouth shut, scared that if she opened it, she'd just spit out something stupid. So, Cato did the talking for her, "I like spending time with you. You're really fun to be around and absolutely hilarious. Don't think otherwise, alright?"

Clove smiled a little, pulling her ski mask down, "You think I'm funny?"

Cato chuckled, "Yeah, you dork."

"I think you're funny too." Clove paused, looking at the boy, "Funny looking."

Cato leaned his head back to laugh, "Smart ass."

"Am I a dork or a smart ass?" Clove asked, tilting her head to the side.

Cato skied up next to her again, "You're about to get no help going down."

Clove wiggled her eyebrows, "I could survive without you."

"Could you?" Cato asked, skiing ahead of her, "Then why don't you try."

Clove shrugged, pushing herself forwards. She got right up next to Cato, but once the decline got steeper and she felt herself speed up, she started to feel the panic bubble over.

Cato was hot on her heels though, watching her feet as she went. He made sure to call out what to do as she went down the hill, and she did her best to listen. Pointing her toes in to slow down and leaning left and right slowly to maneuver around. It was much easier than she had initially thought it would be and she wasn't sure if it was because she was trying her hardest to impress Cato or if it was because Cato was calling out what to do every couple of minutes, so she didn't go flying into a patch of trees.

Cato got up next to her and smiled, "See, it's not so bad, right?"

"No." Clove smiled back, "It's kind of relaxing."

"Right? Just wait until you get much better and can go zooming down some black diamonds. The adrenaline you get from those hills is unlike anything. Especially if you go off some ramps."

Clove scrunched her nose up, "I don't think I'll be able to go off any ramps."

"Never say never."

"Okay, Justin Bieber." Clove smirked.

Cato chuckled, shaking his head as he glided next to Clove. Only Clove wasn't expecting him to come up so fast and ended up turning herself directly into him, sending them both tumbling onto the ground. Clove groaned, sitting up as she rubbed her head.

"You alright?" Cato asked, sitting up.

Clove nodded, "You?"

Cato nodded as well and the two fell into silence, both looking at each other. Clove didn't know if this was the part where one of them was supposed to kiss each other. Maybe in a movie or a fanfiction that would have happened, but instead they broke out into a fit of laughter. Clove leaned into him, head on his shoulder as she laughed. When she pulled back and looked at him, his face was so close to hers she could see the golden specks he had in his eyes.

Kiss him, Clove told herself. She didn't know who was leaning in first, but her eyes were just about to close before they both noticed one of her skies making a beeline for the bottom of the hill all alone. Cato stood up quickly, "I gotta grab that."

Clove watched him race down the hill, stopping the ski before it got too far down. She looked at the foot that had one less ski and sighed, "Thanks a lot."

Cato looked back up at the girl who was still seated and yelled, "Slide down on your butt! I'll help you put the ski back on."

Clove hoisted herself a bit off the ground before carefully sliding down the decline. She halted at Cato's feet, who kneeled down to help her re-attach the ski and stand back up. Clove gave him a gentle smile, "Thanks."

"Sure thing, clutz," Cato smirked.

"I didn't see you coming." Clove gave him a playful look and shifted herself to a more comfortable stance before she started gliding down the hill again.

"I think you wanted to crash into me." Cato glanced at her, "You just can't get enough of me, huh?"

Clove was blushing, but he couldn't see that. Her face mask hid it well and the wind whiplash had already turned her nose a bright pink, "I don't need to crash into you to prove I wanna be closer to you."

Cato was the one who almost fell over this time, looking at her as they slowly slid down the hill. She refused to turn to look at him, but she knew he was staring. He smiled, "Is that so?"

"It is so," Clove nodded, glancing at him. "You're pretty cool. Even with a username like The Cato Rauls."

Cato chuckled, "Coming from Cosmic Clove, I'm going to have to disagree with my username being a bit whack."

"I made my Snapchat when I was in eighth grade. You can't give me shit for that username. At least it's not all my social media."

"Well played."

Clove scrunched up her nose and chuckled. The two of them continued their conversation as they trotted down the hill. Cato giving Clove some tips whenever he noticed her struggling. On the really twisty parts towards the bottom, Clove felt confident enough to race Cato and although she lost by a mile, she was still proud for skiing all by herself. Cato even gave her a quick hug as a little congratulations.

They met up with the others around 3 and got lunch in the cafeteria inside the ski lodge. Clove learned more about Nikki and Finch. They started dating last year after graduating high school and now they both study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Finch studies Physical Therapy and Nikki studies Sociology. Marvel and Nikolo took a year off but will be attending Capilano University next fall in the field of Criminal Justice together as roommates. Sonya is a Sophomore in High School this year, hoping to go to Dartmouth in New Hampshire when she graduates. And Cato studies at the University of Toronto for Sports Management.

It was no surprise to Clove when she found out. It should have been the most obvious thing in the world, to be honest. Cato was a fairly active guy. At least from what he told her. He played basketball, football, and baseball in high school and now he was an incredible skier with many awards to prove it. Not to mention, the guy was about six feet tall and built like an absolute unit.

Cato then went on to tell Clove that next year after he graduated, he wanted to move to Colorado, where he would take on more professional skiing and work with more athletes. It was interesting to listen to and Clove enjoyed spending the afternoon talking about something other than herself.

That is until Natalie asked the question, "What do you wanna do when you graduate High School, Clove?"

Clove swallowed her food and shrugged, "I really wanna study Psychology at USC."

Natalie smiled, "Gosh, I would love to attend USC. California is like my dream."

"You've never been there either?" Clove asked, stealing a fry off of Marvel's plate.

"Nope. Never." Nikki frowned, "I've always wanted to go, but I can't convince my parents to take us... or me for that matter."

"Well," Sonya added, "maybe when I go to New Hampshire; you, me, Cato, Marvel, and Nikolo can go and visit Clove in La Jolla."

Clove chuckled, "That would be awesome. I could show you guys all the cool places."

"That's years away, silly." Nikki frowned at her sister, "You're only a Sophomore."

"True," Sonya shrugged, "but at least Clove would be in college by then. So, we would just be chillin' on campus with her."

Clove nodded, "She's got a point and since she'll be eighteen, more parties."

Cato gasped, "You party?"

Marvel snorted, "Are you serious? Clove Rivers parties? I don't believe that."

Clove scoffed, "What makes you think I don't like to party?"

"I don't know. When I first met you, you seemed kind of timid... not exactly the outgoing type."

Clove put a hand to her chest, "I'm the most out-going person I know. Other than, maybe, Glimmer."

Cato chuckled, "Hey, she's got a point. The girl went skiing, is out with us, and overall laughs at the things Marvel says even though it's far from funny. That itself is a power move."

Clove laughed, "Oh god. Marvel is funny. I wouldn't pity laugh."

Sonya pointed at Clove, "We all pity laugh, sweetheart."

Marvel pouted his bottom lip then turned to face Ivy, who sat down next to Finch and Nikki. She pulled her hat off and sighed, "That line in there was crazy long."

"What were you waiting for?" Marvel asks, looking at the sister.

"I wanted to get some coffee, but me and five hundred other people decided it was the best time to get coffee as well."

Finch smiled, "Yeah, after a long slope session everyone needs a boost of energy."

"I saw a Starbucks not too far from our house, Ivy. Maybe you and I can get some on the way back?" Clove said.

Ivy nodded, "Sure."

Cato shifted in his seat and leaned closer to the girl, "Actually, Clove... I was wondering if you wanted to go ice skating after this?"

"Oh yeah," Clove smiled, looking at Cato. "That's fine. I totally forgot about that."

Cato shrugged, "If you don't wanna go that's fine. I was just-"

"No, no," Clove chuckled. "I want to go."

"Cool." Cato smiled.

Ivy pressed her hands against the table, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"You can join us," Nikki said. "Finch and I were gonna head that way anyway. We want to check out some of the shops. I still need to get some Christmas presents for a few of my friends."

Ivy pulled her eyebrows together, "Are you sure? I don't want to impose on your time."

Finch waved her off, "It's no problem. The more the merrier. Plus, we could always use more hands. Nikki here is a monster when it comes to over purchasing things."

Nikki nodded quickly, "Yeah. You might need to take away my wallet at some point. Otherwise, my bank will call and that's not good."

Finch smiled at Nikki, nudging her lightly with her arm. Clove watched the two girls carefully as she dipped her fry into the ketchup. They seemed to really like each other, at least that's what it looked like. Nikki would occasionally lean over and whisper something in the girls' ear and Finch would giggle. Or, Finch would lean over and feed her a fry. The two were definitely unafraid of PDA as well. At one point, Nikki went to throw away her things and Finch followed only to kiss her by the trash can.

It was cute. Well, they were cute, and a little part of Clove was jealous that the two girls could just be open about their feelings while she tried to pretend Cato didn't make her stomach twist with a million different emotions.

When lunch was finally over, Cato and Clove said goodbye to the group before turning in their skies and heading off towards the ice rink. They made small talk, granted both of them were nervous beyond words.

"So," Cato asked, "you said you've ice skated before?"

Clove nodded as she walked, taking in her surroundings. The sun was starting to set so the sky was painted bright orange, "Yeah. Glimmer and I go ice skating for fun sometimes."

"Ah," Cato hummed, "that's right."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Cato asked, looking at her.

"Do you know how to ice skate?"

Cato rolled his eyes playfully, "Duh."

"Are you sure?" Clove smirked, "Because if not I could always teach you. I know a thing or two about skating."

Cato nudged her lightly, "Oh do you now?"

"Mhm."

"Well," Cato chuckled, "I may have to ask for your help here and there."

The ice rink was, even more, lit up tonight than it was the day she arrived; given it was also much darker outside. Lights above the rink projected snowflakes on the ice and colorful Christmas lights were strung around the entire rink. There weren't a lot of people as well, which was nice considering Clove wanted to spend more time next to Cato than she did with other people.

As the two of them approached the counter to get their skies, Cato pulled out his wallet and handed the man a twenty-dollar bill.

"What are you doing?" Clove asked, looking at Cato.

"Paying for you?"

"What, no... You don't need to do that, Cato." Clove frowned, "I can pay for myself."

Cato shook his head, "No way, I asked you to come here with me, which means I pay for you."

Clove sighed, "Fine, but that just means tomorrow I get to pay for whatever we do."

Cato looked at the girl for a moment, "Does that mean you want to hang out tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Clove smiled, "Of course that's what it means."

Cato smiled then looked at the man when he asked what size skates they needed, "I need an eleven and she needs..."

"Eight please." Clove said, glancing up at Cato.

The man nodded, disappeared for a brief moment, then returned with two pairs of skates in his hand, "Here you kids are. Enjoy."

Clove was the first one to put her skates on, lacing them quickly and standing up. Cato was quick to follow, walking carefully next to her as they approached the ice. Cato and Clove adjusted to the skating easily, going at a steady pace as they circled the rink. The two of them didn't say much as first as they went along. At one point, Cato slipped up and almost tripped over himself and it got a small chuckle out of Clove.

"I thought you knew how to skate?" Clove teased, elbowing him lightly.

Cato glanced at her and shook his head, "Shut up."

Clove chuckled, "Me? Shut up?" Clove smirked, speeding up ahead of him a bit, "I'm just teasing you."

Cato watched the girl as she spun around in a slow circle, then faced him as she skated backward, "You weren't kidding when you said you knew how to skate."

Clove shrugged, "Sometimes the beach isn't enough. Plus, it's easier to skate when the weather is warm."

"Well don't you just have it all," Cato chuckled.

"I'd like to think so, but I know I'm missing some things."

"Like what?"

Clove spun around and slowed down so she was next to him again, "Well, for starters, I don't get a white Christmas at home."

"Oh yeah, that must suck." Cato smirked, "Not having to shovel your driveway, scrape ice off your car..."

Clove nudged him, "I'm serious. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like it's Christmas because it's like... eighty degrees outside."

Cato hummed, "What else are you missing?"

Clove thought for a moment, "Being able to do what we did today. Well, I guess anything related to snow."

Cato chuckled, "If you want snow so bad why don't you just go live with your dad in Wisconsin?"

"We aren't that close," Clove glanced at him.

"Oh," Cato looked away from the girl, "sorry."

"Don't be. We don't hate each other or anything. In fact, I'm going to be visiting him after this."

"That'll be fun."

Clove nodded.

There was a brief moment where Cato was tempted to grab the girls' hand and skate alongside her like the couples around them were doing, but he didn't know how comfortable she was with that idea, so he settled with extending his arm in a linking motion. Clove looked at his arm then him and chuckled, happily linking her arm with his. It was much warmer the closer she got to him and he still smelled good.

When the sun had completely gone down, the two of them were still on the ice. Clove had beaten him in three races, but Cato took the crown on round four. There were fewer people now, which left an open rink for Clove to spin around and do moves she learned from Glimmer back at home. Cato watched her, leaning back against the rink's railings, smiling.

Clove felt his eyes on her and spun around to face him again, smiling. She slowly skated up to him, scraping some ice up on his pant leg, "Hey."

Cato glanced down at his shoe then looked at the girl. She had a goofy grin on her face and the lights above them were reflecting in her eyes. Each freckle dotted across her rosy cheeks hidden under her mittens as she huffed hot air into them. When she lowered her hands, Cato couldn't help himself. His hand raised slowly, pushing some stray hairs out of her face carefully and looked at her lips.

Clove didn't know who leaned in first, but their lips almost touched before someone shouted "Rauls!" loudly from across the rink.

Cato turned his head over his shoulder and looked at the girl, "Kristin?"

Clove lowered her head and slid back from him slowly. She felt his body turn to face away from her and watched as his feet disappeared from her line of sight. If this was the universes way of telling her that Cato was just some fantasy, it was doing a good job.

Kristin smiled as Cato skated up to the edge of the rink she was standing by, "How have you been?"

"Great." Cato smiled back, leaning over the railing to give her a one-armed hug, "You?"

"I'm doing really well. The family and I are just here for the night before we head off to Alaska to see my cousins. You here with your family?" Kristin asked. Her eyes shifted a tad over his shoulder at the girl he was just standing by.

"Yeah, family. Marvel and his family are here too. Then, his dad's brother is here with his girlfriend." Cato looked over his shoulder at Clove, who was looking down at the ice as she dug her toe into the ice. "Clove is her daughter."

Kristin looked at the girl, who looked up when she heard her name. She sent her a warm smile before looking back at Cato, "She's cute. Is she your girlfriend?"

Cato looked back at Kristin and shook his head no, "No, she's not. She lives in California."

"That explains why you looked like a ghost next to her. She's super tan." Kristin chuckles.

Clove watched the two of them from afar. Cato leaned his head back and chuckled. Kristin smiled at him and Clove decided she was tired of not hearing them and skated over next to Cato, who looked at her and smiled, "Hey."

"You must be Clove," Kristin said, glancing at Cato. "I'm Kristin. An old friend of Cato's."

"Yeah, I'm Clove. Nice to meet you." Clove smiled.

"You too." Kristin smiled then took a step back from the railing, "Well, I let you two get back to skating. I just wanted to say hi."

"It was nice to see you," Cato said, waving at Kristin slightly.

"You too, Rauls."

Kristin gave Clove a small nod before walking off, Clove's eyes watching her until she disappeared behind a wall. Cato turned to face her and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "So, do you wanna keep skating or do you wanna head back?"

Clove shrugged lightly, "Maybe we should head back. I gotta get up early and make Christmas cookies with my mom and sister."

Cato nodded, "Okay, sure."

Clove pressed her lips together then led the way off the rink, finding the bench with her boots and sitting down. Cato plopped next to her, untying his skates slowly.

He didn't wanna take her home.

The walk back to her place was quiet. Both of them had their hands shoved into their coat pockets, the only sound was the snow crunching under their boots. Every so often they'd catch each other's eyes in stolen glances, but they never said a word.

When they walked up the stairs to Clove's place, Cato shoved his hands further into the pockets of his pants and looked down at the girl.

"I had a lot of fun," Clove smiled a bit, looking up at his blue eyes.

"Me too." Cato nodded, "You got pretty good at skiing."

"Thanks to you," Clove nudged his arm lightly and smiled more.

Cato grinned, "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Cato nodded gently, rocking on his heels a bit. "Night, Cosmic Clove."

Clove poked his chest, "Goodnight, The Cato Rauls."

And then Cato watched the front door close wishing he would have kissed her.

_______________________

Sandy had brought over the vegan cookies while everyone had gone skiing yesterday, so for breakfast Clove poured herself a cup of coffee and ate three. Ivy and her mom were setting up the cookie recipe as she scrolled through Instagram, liking every photo she saw. There was a buzz and then a quick notification at the top of the screen that sent her swirling when she saw it.

Cato: hows the cooking?

Clove: I'm eating your mom's cookies while drinking coffee.

Cato: so theres no cooking?

Clove: Not from me at least. My mom and sister are getting into it right now. I woke up ten minutes ago.

Cato: damn, up early compared to yesterday ;)

Clove: My mom got me up. :p Merry Christmas Eve, by the way.

Cato: you too, cosmic clove.

_______________________

Clove never had a problem celebrating the holidays with other people, but this year it felt very foreign. Maybe it was because instead of being at home, she was seated inside a fancy townhouse at a nice ski resort in Canada. Or it could be because for the first time in years, she was celebrating with more than just her mom and sister; she was with strangers. At least that's what it felt like as she watched the people around her move. Marvel and Ivy seated on the couch talking about school, Kit and Fred talking to Neil and her mom, and then there was Clove, seated on the lazy boy drinking hot chocolate scrolling through Instagram.

Cato and she had been texting on and off during the day, but Clove didn't want to bother him too much considering it was Christmas Eve and he was probably with his family. No one had really asked about their Ice Skating "date" or whatever it was, but it sure did feel like a date.

Especially when they almost kissed.

The idea of kissing Cato made Clove's stomach twirl. The butterflies making her shift in her seat, glancing around to make sure no one could notice she was blushing – which she totally was. Clove could only imagine what would be happening if they actually had kissed. Would it make things awkward? Would Cato stop texting her and pretend like she never existed? Or would something more come out of it?

No. Nothing could come out of it. They lived too far apart with two very different lives.

Clove pushed the thought of her head and headed into the kitchen, careful not to disrupt the adults in their conversation so she wouldn't get sucked in. When she reached the sink, Clove poured the rest of her hot chocolate down the drain and pulled up Cato's number; her fingers hovering over the letters when the keyboard appeared. Finally, she mustered up the courage.

Clove: How's your Christmas Eve?

Cato responded almost right away. Like he was he waiting for her text.

Cato: it's good. Hows yours?

Clove: I can't complain. Although I'm still getting adjusted to the whole... new family thing.

Cato: marvel's family is great. im sure you'll warm up eventually

Clove: It's not that I need to "warm up" it's just that it's always been my mom and sister... it's weird to have more.

Clove: Sorry, I don't mean to be a Debbie downer.

Cato: ur not a debbie downer, lol. whats going on right now?

Clove glanced towards the living-room and sighed.

Clove: Just conversation. Why?

Clove stared at her screen for what seemed like forever until a knock on the door snapped her focus away.

"I got it!" Clove called out, shoving her phone into her jeans pocket before rushing up to the front door. When she pulled it open, Cato turned around to face her with a grin on his face. Clove returned the smile, "What are you doing here?"

Cato shrugged, "I figured you could use some company. Or... at least some more company?"

"Come on in," Clove chuckled. Cato stepped around the girl, holding a bag. Clove glanced at his hand, "What's the bag?"

Cato looked down at the bag and then chuckled nervously, "It's, uh, it's for you."

"What?" Clove raised her eyebrows. "Is it cookies?"

"No, it's a gift."

"You... got me a gift?"

"Yeah," Cato nodded a bit and glanced away from the girl. "I was out shopping with Nikki and saw it in the store and... I don't know... You might not like it, but I thought I'd get it for you."

Clove smiled, "You shouldn't have gotten me anything, Cato. I... I feel bad."

"Don't feel bad. Just open it." Cato handed over the bag and Clove hesitantly grabbed it.

"It's heavy."

"Well, it's a gift."

Clove stuck out her tongue then reached into the bag slowly. The first thing she pulled out was a small polaroid picture. She raised it closer to her face and studied it carefully. It had Cato's family on it and scribbled on the white space was "a very Rauls Christmas". Clove looked up at the blond and chuckled, "What's this for?"

Cato nudged his head at the bag, "There's more."

Clove set the picture back in the bag and pulled out the next gift. A Santa hat, like the one his family was wearing in the photo, "I'm getting mixed signals here."

"Just put the hat on and get the next thing." Cato chuckled.

Clove slid the hat on and reached back into the bag, this time pulling out a square box. She quickly shook her head, "Cato... are you serious? These things are... so expensive."

"Shut up," Cato smiled, "it's nothing."

"Rauls," Clove looked up at him and pouted, "I can't take this..."

"Sure, you can. I know your Instagram is filled with photography, so I figured, what better way than to help you with that than getting you a polaroid camera?"

Clove looked at the box; a red polaroid camera on the front, "But..."

"Clove," Cato said, looking at the girl carefully.

Clove looked up at him and this time, when Cato leaned in, no one interrupted them. No one was there to jump in and ruin the moment. No one but them.

His lips felt like fire against hers and she wasted no time leaning more into him, putting her arms around his neck afraid that if she pulled away too soon, she wouldn't ever be able to do this again. And a little part of her knew she wouldn't.

The kiss didn't last long, but it felt like hours to her. When Cato pulled back slowly and smiled at her, she swore that if every Christmas was like this, she'd come to Canada every year.

Cato gently stroked some hair away from her face, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Clove smiled, biting down on her bottom lip. "Now, let's take a polaroid."

Clove grabbed Cato's wrist and dragged him into the living-room where Marvel caught her eye. She walked up and handed him the camera, "Can you take a photo of Cato and me?"

"Sure," Marvel chuckled, standing up from the couch. "How about you stand in front of the tree?"

Cato and Clove moved together, Cato wrapping an arm around her waist slowly. He glanced down at the girl, who smiled up at him.

God, she was beautiful.

"Something is missing," Marvel said, looking at the two of them. "Cato needs a Santa hat."

"Here," Ivy said, reaching a hand out. "He can wear mine."

Cato chuckled then grabbed the hat from Ivy, pulling it over his head. Marvel raised the camera again, "Alright, smile."

That was easy. The grins already on their faces, Cato and Clove looked at Marvel.

When the polaroid was done, Clove grabbed a sharpie and on the empty white space she wrote, "Cato and Clove. Christmas 2018."

Looking at it, Clove smiled then she looked around the room. She looked at Marvel and his family, Neil and her mother, Ivy, and Cato and for the first time she arrived, she didn't hate the cold. In fact, she had never felt warmer. The kind of warm even California couldn't bring her. The people around her weren't strangers, they were family and Cato was the star on top of the tree.

All these moments - these footprints in knee-high snow, hilltop sunsets, and skating rinks might soon turn into a flight back home, but for now, they were home and Clove was perfectly okay with that.

Clove leaned into Cato, seated on the couch and smiled, "Thank you. For the gift."

Cato shrugged, looking over the girls' face, "I should have gotten you more."

"No," Cato shook her head, "this trip... has been amazing for many reasons, but you... are the main reason. You taught me how to ski, took me skating, showed me the sunset." Clove grabbed his hand and squeezed, "Thank you."

Cato smiled, "You're welcome, Clove."

Clove sat up just a little and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, but it lingered. Even when Marvel and Ivy made gagging sounds in the background.

"Who wants cookies!?" Eve yelled, walking into the living room with a platter full. Kit smiled, sitting next to Fred on another couch while Neil wrapped an arm around Eve.

"I sure do," Marvel chuckled, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie.

"Help yourself." Even smiled, "Eat as much as you can."

Clove stood up next to her mother and smiled, "Thanks."

Eve pulled her daughter into a hug, "No, thank you. For coming."

Clove shrugged, "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else."

And it was true.

With an overpacked suitcase, Santa hat, and rosy cheeks, Clove was exactly where she wanted to be.