Opal smiled with satisfaction as she made a tiny mark on the paper in front of her. She grasped her cello loosely in her left hand as she studied the musical score in front of her. It was half finished, and one of Opal's proudest accomplishments. She picked up the bow and started from the beginning. The music resounded in her airy attic practice room, causing the walls to vibrate slightly.

"It's beautiful," a voice said from the doorway when she finished what she'd written.

Opal turned to the door and lowered the bow to her lap. "You really think so?" she asked quietly.

"Definitely," Tyler said firmly. "It gets better every day."

She studied the musical notation carefully. Three pages crammed with notes and other markings that spelled out music to those with the ability to read it. Opal fingered a passage and frowned pensively.

"I think I could have done better on the transition on the second page...It just doesn't sound right," she said finally. "It's not me, you know?"

Tyler wrapped his arms around her shoulders and peered at the music. "Ope, you're entirely too hard on yourself. It sounded beautiful, leave it at that."

"But it's not right," she protested, burrowing into the warmth of his embrace. "I try to put myself into the music, and it just doesn't work."

"That's because no amount of musical notation could ever do you justice." Tyler shivered. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and no shoes. "It's cold up here. Freezing in fact. Let's go get a pizza or something."

"It is winter. You might be warmer if you wore some real clothes occasionally." Opal stood and carefully put her cello back in its case. "I know you love showing off your quote unquote 'beautiful body', but there's a point where pride becomes stupidity."

Tyler grinned and rubbed his muscular arms. "So I don't like wearing shoes or pants. Sue me."

"You can pay for a better lawyer than I can. I'll just nag you instead." She examined him critically. "But you did say you wanted a pizza. Most places say 'no shirt, no shoes, no service.' But then again," she grabbed her coat and strode towards the door. "You never did pay attention to things like rules."

Tyler looked down at his bare feet and wiggled his toes before following her outside. "Who needs rules? They just get in the way of everything."

Opal rolled her eyes. "Whatever. How'd you get into my house anyway?"

He shrugged. "I have my ways. And I have my shoes. See, they're right there." He pointed to the pair of sandals by the front door. "Come on, I'm hungry." He grabbed his shoes and held open the door for her.

"You're always hungry," she protested, stepping into the chill snow filled outdoors. She wondered how he had managed to get to her house without a car or real shoes in the snow.

Their breath misted on the cold December air, forming clouds of steam around their heads. Tyler playfully breathed a plume of mist into the air above Opal's head. She grinned and breathed back in his face.

Laughing, Tyler ran forward through the snow. He leapt into a snow bank and disappeared in a flurry of white powder. They were the only people outside, their laughter filling the silence of the snowfall.

Tyler burst out of the snow bank as Opal trudged past. "Oogley boogley boo! I am the ghost of John Jacob Jingleheimer Shmidt!"" He tackled her and they both fell into the soft snow.

"Ty! How dare you! If you're the ghost of John Jacob Jingleheimer Shmidt, though his name is my name too, I am the evil snow maiden! Hoohaha!!" She cackled delightedly and shoved a handful of snow in his face.

He grinned and blinked away the snow from his eyes. Tyler's t-shirt was soaked through, and his face was shrouded in a snowy mask.

"Alright then, Ms. Snow Maiden. Whatever you say." He wiped the snow from his face and stood up, leaving Opal floundering in the snow. He began to walk away.

"Hey! Get back here! Help me up! Please? Tyler!" Opal attempted to stand, failed, and fell back into the snow. She flung her arms in every direction, but it didn't help.

"What was that, Ms. Snow Maiden? Did you say something?" Tyler inquired.

Opal glared at him. "Just shut up and help me up."

Strong arms lifted her out of the snow and placed her on her feet. "Thank you. I thought you wanted something to eat."

"Well, yeah. But tackling you in the snow is more fun."

She sighed and shook her head. "For the last time, I will not sleep with you!" She managed to hold her serious expression for almost three seconds. Almost. She dissolved into giggles, and Tyler burst out laughing.

"Come on, snow maiden. I'm still hungry. The snow's not getting any warmer." He gallantly held out his arm for her to take.

She graciously took it. "If you wore a few extra clothes, and maybe a jacket, it would feel a whole lot warmer..."

Unseen, a pair of eyes watched them through the snow, and smiled sadly.