How do you like to start your day? Personally I like getting up nice and late- leisurely- getting slowly dressed and having a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, waking at six am to a chorus of scratching outside your door, as if hell itself had released its devils, the only thing to do is face the day.

Carpe diem, right?

I roll off the sofa, landing with a thud on the floorboards. As I lace up my boots I flick at a spider clambering over my mountain of boxes. The blistering cold inside the bare house seemed to have seeped into my bones, and now it massaged the hair on the back of my neck to life. I blew out a breath of wispy smoke before throwing open the door.

God damnit.

They were back again. The raccoons. I knew I shouldn't have left that trash on the porch last night, but I was tired and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I licked my lips, wincing at how the cold had shredded them into chapped leather and reached for my handy broom, tucked behind the doorframe, bracing myself.

I swung it up into the air in a defiant war pose, rearing up to smack the greedy beggars off my property for good.

"RAAARGH! GET AWAY YOU HUMANOID HAND HAVING THIEF CAT-oof..."

I forgot about the ice. The raccoons scattered as I scrambled up off the ground, rubbing my bruised butt, nursing my bruised dignity. Hey, at least no one was around to see that disaster. I think I'd positively faint of embarrassment if-

"Are you okay?"

My head snapped up, whiplash fast as I turned to stare at the man standing in front of me.

He narrowed his brown eyes, raising one thick dark brow as I gawped. Who's awake at this time? Who looks that good at this time?

He had on woollen gloves, one elegant hand gripping the rail to stop himself befalling the same fate as me, and a matching scarf draped haphazardly around his neck.

I dimly registered my childish tinker bell pajamas before my face lit up red in a Christmas tree like display of embarrassment and I turned heel and ran.

Except, I'd forgotten about the ice- again. A pair of strong arms lifted me as I started to fall.
"Steady there. I don't think you could handle another fall sweetheart."
"Thank you; I know, I know- I'm a moron."
"Well you're a pretty cute one."

The sudden statement startled a smile out of me, leading to a wince as my lips cracked and I tasted the metallic sting of blood.

"Ouch."
"Careful. The weather's so cold, you should probably put on some lip balm."

I scrambled out of his grasp and opened the door, tilting my head to the entrance.

"I think I have some lip balm in my house but, you see, thing is, I just moved in. I'll need help finding it. Why don't you come inside?"