Falling Harder Than The Snow

"We figured it out, my love." The word slipped out of her mouth without thought. There was no question Blake loved Orianna. Her heart thudded when she thought she'd gone too far.

"My love?" Orianna twisted back to face Blake. There was the briefest flutter of her heart as perhaps Ori didn't share the feeling. "I love you, Blake." Orianna unequivocally shattered that quick burst of fear with a kiss.

"Whew, that's out of the way."

"To think, all it took was getting snowed in so neither of us could run away after the kiss."

"Ori, if I'd known..." Blake started to apologize.

"Nope, that's the past. No more regrets, my love." Ori came in with another fiery kiss. "How about we figure out if we can get to your car?" The world got significantly colder as Orianna rolled off the bed.

"My God..." Blake stared as Ori stretched. The question of dreaming again came into her mind as Blake didn't think she could hold a candle to her girlfriend's stunning beauty.

"Better get used to it. I'm very real. And don't typically get dressed until after breakfast." Ori winked before spinning and grabbing the curtains to throw them wide.

"Ori! The hotel is overlooking downtown!" Blake yelped out while Orianna basked in the cloud-filtered light. Like her typical dance moves, the woman had an elegant strength in her smooth stance. Her enchanting body looked fantastic, bathed in the diffuse light.

"It's so beautiful out there." Orianna beckoned Blake to join her.

"The view from here is pretty nice." Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, chicken woman."

"Chicken woman?" Blake giggled at the strained insult.

Against her better judgment, Blake joined Ori. Downtown was covered in a multitude of snow; however, the sidewalks were clean, and people were bustling to pick up their last Christmas treasures. Things were open even though light snow was still falling hard enough to cover recently parked cars in a layer of white.

"People are going to see us," Blake warned but didn't retreat.

"Tinted windows. I wouldn't go pressing these two on the glass." Ori grabbed Blake's breasts, "but no one is going to see you."

Orianna -- After getting dressed

The recovery company wasn't making out-of-town runs and couldn't get up the pass to pluck Blake's car from the snow today, so the girls made the best of being snowed in. They caught tremendous coffee at Artie's and met the friendly owner and his husband as they were baking hundreds of cookies with the assistance of Devon. He was a man who was married to the police lieutenant who had given them directions last night.

The bald, dark-complected man had a massive smile and showed everyone who came to the shop a picture of his infant girl in her Christmas jammies with his beautiful wife and their similarly costumed pup. Ori missed Lidia when she saw the inquisitive dog with two different colored eyes and a slightly lopsided smiling expression.

I want that. Ori smiled as she imagined being in the place of Emily and Blake beside her. Her Dad had been the one that was into the goofy holiday stuff. Maybe it was why Orianna initially gravitated toward Blake, at least at first. The literature and band nerd wasn't the type of friend Ori would have come across if some upperclassman hadn't played a trick on her the first day in her hometown.

"It doesn't look like you two are going to get out of here today, so are you going to take us up on our hospitality?" The middle-aged owner of Artie's asked with a wide smile as he glanced up from decorating cookies.

"I don't know, we don't have dresses. We don't have much more than what we have on." Ori explained.

"It's this and an oversized T-shirt to sleep in."

"Well, I can handle much of that at my sporting goods store down the block. Ingrid can help you find some comfy wear and undergarments if you need them. There's even a pre-Christmas party sale going on today." Bill, Artie's husband, was busy packaging cookies while the other two handled baking and decorating duties.

"What's the dress code for the dance?"

"Anywhere from casual to semi-formal. Em's threatening me with a dress that's going to knock me on my ass." Devon grinned happily. "It'll be the first real night out since the baby took over our schedules. Both sets of grandparents are going to watch Luna tonight. But if you don't have anything more than you have on now, you won't be out of place. You two make a cute couple, by the way."

"You knew?" Blake seemed slightly shocked.

"I had a good feeling when you wouldn't stop talking about Orianna when you came in to get dinner last night. Dev just confirmed a suspicion."

"That and you two keep peeking over and smiling," Bill smirked.

"It's new, but I'm in love already." Blake grabbed Ori's hand.

"The dating part is new. We were best friends for a decade. Then we finally figured things out last night." Ori added.

"It's funny how getting stranded in this town has that effect on people, isn't it." Artie grinned as he elbowed Devon lightly.

"A few years ago, my truck got destroyed by an errant semi, and I had to spend a few days in town. I found Em, and I never left." Devon explained as he scooped out more gigantic chocolate chip cookies. He was the one that Mr. Calvin had talked about last night.

"Huh? Maybe this place is magic." Blake contemplated.

"You have no idea."

"If I wanted to get a dress, is somewhere open?" Ori was contemplating seeing Blake in a gown again.

"Lucelle's Boutique is next door to Bill's sporting goods store, and she's open. Em always finds great things there, but I don't know if you'll get the best fashion device from us three."

"Devon only understands that every dress Em wears is amazing, and Artie and I aren't that type of gays," Bill said with a cheerful laugh. "We're more the manly outdoors types."

"All my decorating and styling expertise pertains to cookies and my store." Artie nodded in agreement.

"We'll load up here at five when you two find your dresses. I know you don't have a car, so you can ride with us." Devon offered.

"Thank you. That would be great. Is... is it safe for us two to dance together?" Ori queried with trepidation. She felt terrible that her experience with small towns hadn't been great, and where her mom lived now had added to the tainted view.

"My Lord, yes. Bill and I wouldn't have stuck around all these years if it weren't." Artie's smile disappeared for the first time since they had entered the café. "We have had a few bigots and homophobes, but our community has let them know they disapprove of that bullshit. Plus, you'll have three strapping young men to keep you safe."

"And then there's Em, the real muscle regarding protection." Devon nodded to clarify Artie's point.

"Great. Thank you again." Blake grabbed Ori's hand, and they left with a wave. "We'll be back later to catch a ride."

The sporting goods store was a few blocks away, but the sidewalks were cleared off, and the wind had died to nothing. Blake wasn't letting go of Orianna's hand as they explored. Everything was quiet and muffled by the slowly falling flakes. This moment was a perfect slice of time that Ori wanted to preserve somewhere special in her memories. Blake's gorgeous in anything.

"Ori!" Blake stopped them in front of Lucielle's Boutique. "You would look so cute in that!"

"You sure it isn't too formal?" Ori stared at the long pink dress. It was sleeveless but not strapless. She had no strapless bras with her, even if they had access to their things left in the car. She needed to allow for padding as her additions to her nipples were a secret that only Blake would see.

"You're probably right." Blake acquiesced. "The charity ball in February would be a great place for it, though." Tess had already invited them to the event hosted by her mother's company.

"Oh, in that case, I'd have two places to wear it." Ori smiled and held the door open for Blake. "Are you asking me to the ball?"

"Yes, is it too soon to be planning things months out?" Blake looked suddenly flustered.

"For whom?" Ori stopped her in a small alcove of the shop. "I plan on moving into your room when we get home, my love. We're the only two that make the rules for this. I also hope you'll be with me when the trial starts."

"I was already going to do that before last night." Blake embraced her, and Ori hugged her back. "Remember, over a decade and no dereliction of duty as your best friend. That's not going to change just because we kiss now."

"Hope we keep doing far more than kissing." Ori giggled and pulled her out of the alcove before the shopkeeper started to get worried.

They wandered through the quaint boutique for a minute before Blake's eyes lit up again. She stopped in front of a beautiful gown. The color was a deep scarlet that would extraordinarily compliment the blonde's blue eyes. Ori felt the fabric that looked like crushed velvet on the accents and something silkier everywhere else. It had a full bust and a strapless design, highlighting another pair of incredible features of Ori's love.

"We just found you a dress for the ball, too." Ori grinned.

"I don't know. This seems like a lot for a Christmas party." Blake's eyes were dancing with joy even as she tried to decline.

"Well, I don't pay rent and haven't yet bought you much of a Christmas present." There was a decent photo of their Pathfinder group waiting back in Blake's car, but that seemed more impactful when they were still pretending to be just friends.

"That's a lot." Blake looked at the tag and shook her head.

"No peeking at the price tag! It would be a present for me, too." Ori waggled her eyebrows.

Blake -- A few hours later

"Can I do anything to help?" Blake was nervously pacing the coffee shop. The red dress that Ori had insisted upon buying for Blake was stunning as she caught glances in the mirror. Orianna hadn't seen it on her yet as she thought it would be fun to each take time getting ready while the other hung out at the café. Blake had to call her and hide in the lobby bathroom until Ori was in the room to accomplish it.

"No, we got it, thank you though." Emily Rogers gave her a beguiling smile. The dark blue gown she was wearing looked only a couple shades lighter than the sky at midnight. Sparkly accents looked like constellations across the torso of the sleeveless dress. Devon hadn't been kidding about her being the muscle of the group. The dress looked fantastic with her pale skin and long, dark hair.

Devon had come in with a dark-colored suit that looked exquisitely tailored to his broad form. Luna happily babbled at him as he bounced the eight-month-old on his knee. She would get pictures with Santa before her grandparents took her home. "Weather's going to be better tomorrow, so we should be able to get you to your family by Christmas."

"I called in some favors to ensure the boys get your car into town early. As long as there's no damage to your car, you should be able to make Jackson, Wyoming, in a day." Em came by to grab Luna from her husband so he could finish taking boxes of cookies and insulated jugs of coffee and hot chocolate to a bright orange classic International Scout. The woman had told her earlier that she and her dad had restored the impressive-looking truck.

"They didn't get nearly as much snow northwest of us. Northeast seemed to take the brunt of the storm."

"Yeah, I-25 was closed north of Ft. Collins. It's why we ended up coming in this direction."

"Lucky us." Emily smiled. "How did you two end up in a ditch?"

"We were going to have to pull off in town anyway, but this giant deer wandered into the road, and I swerved to avoid it. The road was too slick, even with the chains on my tires, and we were suddenly in a ditch. We're both lucky as hell that it hadn't happened a few miles earlier. I don't know what we would have done if Mr. Calvin hadn't stopped; there's no way anyone would've seen us until after the storm."

"Wait, was it Sawyer Calvin." Devon stopped even with his arms loaded with cookies.

"Uh, yeah, that was him."

"Old man, bushy white beard?"

"Yeah."

"No way!" Devon and Emily exchanged a knowing smile but didn't elaborate at first.

"He's the truck driver that punted Devon's truck over a cliff a few years ago. We kind of owe him everything. He'll be playing Santa Claus tonight at the party."

"I would like to thank him again."

"So, was it an Elk?" Emily asked.

"Maybe? I don't think so, though. The antlers were the wrong shape, and don't elk have dark fur on their necks?" Blake questioned; she'd seen a herd at Yellowstone a few times. "Its neck was almost white. Then again, it could have been the snow."

"Weird, but there has always been some magic here." Emily smiled and then curiously got up and moved closer to Blake. "Umm... I know this is a night for fun and all, but is Orianna's last name Murphy by any chance?" She asked in a low, almost conspiratorial whisper.

"Why?" Blake suddenly had her protective instincts blaring in her head.

"Your girlfriend has a rather unique name; if she's the girl I think she is, let's just say we had a similar experience. It's how I ended up in this small town. I belong to a support group, and her name has been in the news lately." Emily explained as she rocked Luna in her arms. The sincerity in the woman's unique dual-colored, green, and brown eyes was absolute and had pain behind them.

"That's her." Blake swallowed hard. She hoped what she had said hadn't betrayed her love's privacy.

"Do... Can I talk to her later?" Emily's confidence faltered for a moment.

"That's on her. I'll let her know you want to and let her decide."

"Okay. I just want to share some resources with her and tell her I wish I could have been as brave as her."

"I'll ask."

Blake's phone chimed to announce that Orianna was on the way. She looked in the mirror again; everything was as good as she would make it, considering a reduced makeup kit and teensy curling iron. Blake wanted to impress her girlfriend on their first actual date. She forced herself not to peek out the windows at the front of the shop to spy on Ori first.

When Orianna stepped into the café, Blake's breath caught in her chest. Ori shined radiantly in her satin-textured, long, pink dress. She had no idea how the woman had tied the pink and yellow ribbons into her hair so majestically without assistance. It wasn't the same look from prom all those years ago, but it was close and so much better.

Although still lithe, the few extra pounds Ori had put on in the interceding years had only enhanced her entrancing beauty. A pair of dark snow boots didn't quite go with the elegant nature of the rest of the gown, but if Orianna looked any more perfect, it wouldn't be fair.

The hiking boots didn't quite pull the look together like Orianna's gleaming pink high heels on prom night, but they worked with limited resources. Those heels hadn't stayed on all night at the dance anyway. They had been traded for a pair of flats as Ori needed to boogie out on the floor that night.

"So, beautiful..." Orianna whispered as she was staring as well.

Orianna -- And Hour later

Ori stepped in to help take pictures of the residents with Santa as the woman playing the photographer role had to comfort her crying baby. The man sitting in the oversized padded chair looked to come directly out of a storybook that Orianna's father used to read to her as a little girl.

"You want to talk to Santa?" Blake smiled as she took the tripod away from Ori in a slow period in the line of children. "You haven't gotten a picture since you were a little girl."

Blake's red dress was very distracting. The red looked spectacular on her pale skin and contrasted beautifully with her blue eyes and carefully coifed blonde locks. Blake had to know that so many men and women were checking her out, but she'd always been oblivious to most attention. Blake typically downplayed her sexiness with more casual wear and a light touch on her makeup and hair. People still stared at the radiant beauty.

"Are you sure?" Ori wanted to partially recreate another joyful memory. Blake nodded. "Would that be alright with you, Santa?"

"Of course." He nodded and let Orianna come take a seat on his lap. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"I already got everything I wanted for Christmas." Ori looked over at Blake and smiled as the woman took a picture of her on her Pixel. "Though, if I were being a little greedy, maybe getting Blake's car out of the snow so I can get her home to her family?"

"Ho ho ho! That will be no trouble. The roads between here and Jackson will be clear tomorrow. I apologize for Rudolph's indiscretion last night. He always gets a little antsy close to Christmas."

"Your truck?" Ori remembered the string of lights spelling out the name on the side of the semi.

"No. My reindeer in the middle of the road. You did notice the red nose, right? It doesn't really start glowing until Christmas Eve, though." Ori blinked in disbelief. "Merry Christmas, Ori. Your mother still loves you very much. It'll take some time, but she'll come around. March will be tough, but keep gathering strength from yourself and the woman you love." March was when the trial was scheduled to happen.

"Thanks?" Ori was confused about where the rotund old man could have gotten his information.

"Isn't it odd that the only room available had a single bed or that you grabbed the wrong suitcase from the car?" Mr. Calvin whispered.

"I... what?"

"You two needed a little shove, and I expended a sprinkling of Christmas cheer on you two." The man shrugged.

"Thank you." Ori planted a light kiss on the man's rosy cheeks.

"No trouble at all, Orianna." The man flashed a winning smile as he gave a deep belly laugh. "Ho ho ho! If you will excuse me, though, another truckload of the wee ones just pulled in. Let Blake know I'm sorry for the wreck, but it was the only way you two would finally talk and more."

"I will. Thank you." Orianna said with even more confidence this time, though she didn't include a kiss. She shuffled back over to take photos on the enormous camera on a tripod.

"What did you two talk about?" Blake stood beside her and grabbed phones from parents to take a picture of them, their children, and Santa.

"He apologized for Rudolph in the road."

"What?"

"He also knew about us and my mother and the hotel. He might be the genuine article. We didn't tell him anything about where we were going, right?" Ori was questioning her crazy thoughts.

"No, we let him do most of the talking." Blake looked flabbergasted. "Actual Santa?"

"Devon and Emily did say he was magic." Ori shrugged as she captured another photo. Her brief time working at a portrait studio was finally being put to use. It was her worst job, but she learned how to get children's attention toward the lens.

In a few minutes, the woman who started the night behind the camera returned and took over. Spending time with Santa only occupied the first hour of the dance. After that, children either went home with babysitters or family members, and the bar opened. A lot of the town was within walking distance of the community center, and for anyone else who was drinking, there were designated drivers and shuttles back home.

Emily and Devon were playing the designated driver role for their group. They explained that they would wait to celebrate their anniversary until they ensured everyone was home safe. Artie and Bill were enjoying a little spike to their hot chocolates and offered one to Blake and Ori, which they accepted.

Soon, it was time for one of Orianna's favorite things: dancing. It was a skill that had made her popular in high school, as she was the dance team captain by the time she was a junior. Ori thought, not for the first time, about trying to find the boy who had given her the wrong directions to Mrs. Q's class a decade ago and thank him for her best friend and love. Their paths may have never really crossed if it weren't for a simple meeting before class. They would have still shared an English class, but she doubted there would have been more than that.