Alexei’s chest ached with a strange sort of pressure at the sight, as if it was too full of emotion for him to even begin to bear. He knew he wasn’t much to offer anyone, let alone an immortal being. Alexei was a runaway ghost, without a present or a future. He wasn’t particularly kind, or good, or fun, or funny. But in the face of Jay’s sweet delight, sprawling about in the snow, Alexei thought maybe he could offer something at least. He could be a companion. A witness. To help Jay enjoy the simple pleasures he’d been clearly denied for so long.
