Smoke And Mirrors

"This is amazing," Sierra says, looking at the lights above their heads. It's almost Christmas and Christmas decoration is everywhere. She starts spinning around in circles, looking at everything that surrounds her. Garrett chuckles at her movements.

She stops spinning around and widens her eyes at him. "What's so funny?" She brushes a strand of her hair out of her face with her gloved hand. Garrett chuckles again and shakes his head. "Nothing."

Sierra shrugs her shoulders. While spinning around, she noticed a cute looking café. It's pretty cold outside and she wouldn't mind a hot chocolate or something and warm a bit up.

She grabs Garrett's hand and pulls him toward the café she has seen. Garrett's hands are cold and red, but Sierra doesn't notice because of her mittens. He wishes he was as smart as Sierra and that had taken gloves with him.

"Let's warm up over there." She points at the café she is pulling Garrett to. She doesn't even wait for an answer, but pushes open the door. Since it's already past midnight, the café is as good as empty. Most people are sitting home during the winter holidays.

She searches for a place to sit and finds one at the back of the café. Before she takes a seat, she first pulls her coat hangs it over the back of her chair. She is wearing a loose, knitted sweater under her thick coat. As always she is wearing a black skinny jeans and lace up boots. She also takes of the knitted hat and scarf.

"I feel like taking a hot chocolate," Sierra says. She smiles at Garrett, who's heart skips a beat and then starts pounding twice as fast. Her smile is really gorgeous.

He nods his head. "Sounds good. I'll take one, too." Her smile grows wider and Garrett's heart starts pounding faster. Gorgeous as in really, really gorgeous.

A waitress is making her way toward the two musicians and smiles a them, asking what they would like to order. Sierra can tell the smile on the girls face is fake. That she rather want to be home, than doing this. That everyone who walks in is annoying. This girl is so easy to figure out. Most of the people are.

Except for Garrett. Which is good and bad at the same time. She wishes she could figure if he is enjoying this or not. What if he actually doesn't want to be here with her?

Damn Sierra, stop thinking like that, she says to herself. But he doesn't seems like someone who would tell if he didn't like it, just to not hurt the person. He is probably just trying to be polite.

But all her doubts disappear when he sends her a smile, one and all honesty. His smile isn't bad, either. Her insides warm up. She blames it on the hot chocolate she is sipping of.

Garrett follows her movements and sips of his hot chocolate, too. A small amount of whipped cream stays on his upper lip when he pulls his mug away from his mouth. Sierra laughs. She leans in and wipes the whipped cream away at the same time Garrett wants to lick it off with his tongue. So instead of licking the whipped cream off, he licks Sierra's fingers.

She makes a face. "Ew, disgusting." She giggles and wipes her fingers off at Garrett's sleeve. You have to know, Sierra doesn't giggle a lot. She's not a girly girl type, who giggles at everything.

While sitting in her chair, a strand of hair falls in front of her face and she brushes it away. Garrett noticed that happens often. She seems shy and innocent, with a faint smile on her face.

"I think we should head back soon," Sierra says, while she looks up from her still half full mug of hot chocolate. She starts to get tired. Not of Garrett, of course. It's just been a long day and she starts to long for her bed.

Garrett nods his head. "What time is it actually?" he asks. Sierra looks at an imaginary watch and says: "Time to buy a watch."

Garrett snores. It is actually not that funny, but the ways she says it so dryly makes it funny. Sierra looks at Garrett, an amused look on her face. He is cute when he snores like that.

When their mugs are empty and the bill is paid, they stand from their chairs and put back on their coats. Garrett has to wait for Sierra, since he is hat-, scarf- and mittenless and she is not. Fascinated, he follows every move she is making.

She notices him looking at her. "What?" she asks with an eyebrow raised. She puts on her last mitten and starts heading toward the door. Garrett shrugs his shoulder and follows her. "Nothing."

The cold hits them in the face. Sierra squeals and points at the sky. "It's snowing," she says, excitement in her voice. Since Florida is this hot and all, she never really has seen snow. It's so amazing, it fascinating.

Wait?

Sierra squealed?

"You've never seen snow before?" Garrett asks. The snow is falling on his head and sticks in his hair. Sierra shakes her head. "Only on television," she says. A snowflake falls on her eyelashes. She blinks a few times and the flake melts.

She bends down to grab an amount of snow and throws it at Garrett. The ball hits him in the face. He wrinkles his nose and squeezes his eyes shut. Sierra's heart flutters. That's really cute.

Garrett brushes the snow of his clothes and says: "Let's go back." What Sierra doesn't know is that he is going to take revenge on their way back to the venue.

Sierra hops toward him and together they are making their way back to the venue. Sierra walks close to Garrett. She is lucky it's gold outside, so she can use that as an excuse. He looks at her profile and swings an arm around her shoulder.

What Sierra didn't expect is that his hand would be full of snow and it would end up under her shirt. She yells. The snow is making its way down her back and she shivers.

"I will never, ever throw any snow at you anymore." Garrett grins victoriously. "After this," Sierra yells. She grabs a handful of snow and starts running after Garrett. He tries to grab some snow, too, but it is not easy when he is running away from Sierra.

Cold, wet and tired, but happy they arrive back at the venue. "I need some warm soup and a blanket," Sierra groans. "And my bed." Garrett laughs, but doesn't answer.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Sierra says. They are standing still at the door of VersaEmerge's bus. "Yeah," Garrett nods his head. She smiles and then head inside the bus.

The warmth hits her in the face and makes her eyelids immediatley grow heavy. She takes off her coat, scarf, hat and mittens. She then bumps off her shoes. When she gets up to head toward the bunk area, she is stopped by a voice.

"Where were you?" Blake asks. "Did you get lost again." Sierra looks at him and smiles a bit ashamed. "Yeah." Blake grins. He doesn't have to know she wasn't alone this time.

Tired, but content she crawls in her bunk and falls asleep almost immediatley.