A Change Would Do You Good.

[drownondryland]

The end of the year is the start of something new. A chance to leave behind the old and start over. An opportunity to begin fresh, to say to yourself, this time, I'm gonna do it better.

It had been a strange month. Granted, it had been a quiet month - even Christmas had come and gone with very little fuss, though Meredith was accustomed to even

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[playingsmart]

Sam had been out skating that day, now warm from the exertion and cold from the air. It was easy to recognise the woman walking in front of him. Meredith had a certain sort of stride when she was lost in thought that he'd noticed over the weeks. That it looked like one of those moments didn't stop him from calling out to her as he picked up his pace, "Mere!"

[drownondryland]

That was a distraction she didn't mind. Turning at the sound of her name, Meredith smiled. "Sam," she said, stopping to let him catch up with her. "Hello. I was just heading inside." He looked like he'd been busy. It was that or the cold, getting his cheeks ruddy like that. She liked the look on him.

[playingsmart]

"Me too," he was a little bit breathless from the jog up that last stretch of boardwalk. When the warm weather broke again - if it did - he'd have to make a bit more of an effort than usual with his trying to stay in shape. "There was a skating party out by the waterfall."

[drownondryland]

"Oh, that sounds fun." Meredith hadn't heard about it, but that didn't surprise her. It seemed like a lot of parties just happened around here. As she spoke, she started walking again. "Can the waterfall hold that many people?"

[playingsmart]

"I think a lot of people were more interested in drinking the mulled wine and standing around talking," and possibly he should have been, considering both of his falls. "Which, I can understand the attraction to?"

[drownondryland]

"Ooh, mulled wine and everything," she said, teasing a bit. As much as people seemed to complain about the cold, a lot of them seemed to get pretty into it, too. "Yes, I can see the attraction. You do talk a lot."

[playingsmart]

"I'm impressed," Sam couldn't not smile at that, raising an eyebrow, as he walked, his arm slipping around her waist, "it usually takes an observant person much less time to notice that."

[drownondryland]

"Oh, you think I haven't noticed before?" Meredith asked, sliding her arm around him in kind. "That's not the kind of thing that escapes my notice. Luckily for you, I like it."

[playingsmart]

"It is lucky for me. I might be forced to extreme measures otherwise. A vow of silence, for example." He chuckled, knowing just how hard - in fact likely impossible - that would be, "or I could tease you about the fact that I think you just admitted to liking me."

[drownondryland]

Meredith pressed her free hand to her mouth in mock horror. "Did I?" she asked, shaking her head. "No, I think you're mistaken. Maybe we should check your hearing."

[playingsmart]

"I am actually known for my hearing and my recall," Sam pointed out blithely with the slightest of smiles, "I think that your memory might be the slipping thing."

[drownondryland]

"The slipping thing?" Meredith echoed, laughing a little. "Mm, yes, that would be the very technical, very scientific name for it. Maybe I just need reminding."

[playingsmart]

"The slipping thing is a highly technical insider term, only known to those with the appropriate security clearance," he tried to sound serious, but gave up in lieu of laughing at them both. "Reminded that you liked me, or that you said that you liked me? I can do both."

[drownondryland]

"The first, I think," she said, grinning. "You already did the second. Anyway, that isn't what I said. I said I like how you talk. You don't necessarily figure into that." Except that he very much did.