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It’s nine o’clock in the morning, and Astrid Hofferson is jostled out of her peaceful slumber by a slightly heavier weight bouncing on her. Nearly about ready to reward the supposed ‘intruder’ with a sock to the jaw, she’s surprised, though slightly annoyed when she sees that it is none other than the familiar, curly haired red-head she knows so well.
“Astrid! Astrid! Wake up! Wake up!”
Astrid groans and throws the covers back over her head. But apparently that wasn’t enough to make the curly red-haired intruder go away. Her body is being shaken, this time more roughly and with more force.
“Astriiiidddd!” The younger girl whines. “ASTRID!”
“For Christ’s sakes!” The blonde rips the covers off her head and glares up at the girl who’s practically straddling her lap. “What do you want?”
“Ootside!” The girl points. “Look!”
Hefting a heavy sigh, Astrid uses her palms to wipe the remaining traces of sleep from her eyes. She lifts herself up on her elbows and turns to look out the window. Her eyes widen. To her surprise, delicate blooms of crystal white catch her eye. Snow came as heaven’s sunlit glitter to bring their world to a new shine.
“Isnae it pretty?” She beams.
“It is…” Astrid murmurs, finding it rather difficult to still be upset.
“Let’s go ootside!”
Astrid turns to give her a sharp look with squinted eyes. “What?”
“Ootside! Ye know? Tae play in the snow?!”
“At this time in the morning? Are you insane?”
“Oh, come on, Lass!” The curly haired red-head crosses her arms. “Please?”
“Merida, there’s no way in hell I’m going out there!”
“Please, Lassie! Pleeeeaaaaassse?”
“No!”
Merida groans and throws her head back. “Uch! Why not?!”
“Well, for starters, it’s winter, and it’s probably balls cold outside!” Astrid scowls at her. “And two, you knowI hate being woken up earlier than ten-thirty in the morning!”
“Uch! Yer no fun!”
“And you’re annoying!”
There’s a smirk on Astrid’s face at the way Merida Ferguson’s eyes flickered a little, but she’s still maintaining her determined expression. Her point is proven when the red-head drops her brows to a frown and her mouth situates itself into a semi-pout. And it didn’t help when she sticks her tongue out at her like a five-year-old and crosses her arms over her chest.
Astrid merely chuckles and rolls her eyes. She lays herself back down onto the mattress.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she tugs the covers over her shoulders, “I’m going back to sleep.” She rests her head against the pillow and closes her eyes. “Wake me up at eleven.”
Once upon a time, that would’ve worked in the past with her ex-girlfriend. But unfortunately for Astrid, sometimes she seems to forget exactly who she’s dealing with. And she unfortunately fails to see the way Merida’s frown merges to a deep glare.
“If ye don’t get oot of bed,” her thick Scottish accent is dark and threatening, “then I’ll tickle ye…”
Astrid snaps an eye open. She slowly cranes her neck to glare up at the younger girl straddling her. Her brows merge to a scowl, and the red-head is greeting her with a devilish smirk. Both of them challenging each other.
“…You wouldn’t.”
“I think we bothknow…” She leans in slightly closer, “I would…”
“Don’t you dare…”
Her lips pull into a wicked grin. “Oor else… what?”
Astrid’s gaze lock intensely onto her girlfriend’s with mirthful, yet ever so slightly scared eyes. And to her dismay, she instantly begins to regret her choice in words when her girlfriend raises her hands and mimics a spider on each one.
“Merida…” Astrid glares as she lifts up a finger, “I’m warningyou…”
“Awww, is ma wee lassie scared?”
“Merida! Don’t. You. Dare… or else I’ll-“
“Too late!”
Before Astrid has a chance to utter out another word, the ‘spiders’ darted forward as they seek out the sensitive spots on her body and tickling them with relentless abandon. Unfortunately for Astrid, she’s found herself in rather unsettling situation as she convulses and screams with a combination of laughter mixed with annoyance.
“AH-EEEE!” She manages to roar through a high-pitched scream. “M-MER-IDAAAAA! STOOOOP-AHHH-EEEEEEEEEEE!”
Of course, not one to let her girlfriend get away, Merida continues straddling Astrid’s hips and attacks, every manic giggle is like fuel for her hands.
“AHHH! OKAY! O-KAAYY-EEEEE! I’M S-SOORRR-EEEEAHHHHH!”
“Wha’s that?! Yer what?”
Astrid’s legs thrash underneath the red-head uncontrollably and her head begins to pound from all her screaming. It’s a good thing that their window is closed, because their neighbors would’ve been quick to phone the police, believing that a young woman is in the process of being brutally assaulted.
“AHHHHH! I’M SORRRRYYYYY-EEEEEE!”
Apparently, that was all Merida needed to hear. Her attack abruptly comes to a stop, and she’s laughing and snorting as she watches her girlfriend flop back against the pillow like a dead fish and is in the process of panting.
“That’s wha’ ye get, lassie!” She grins down at her and shakes her head.
Astrid raises a weak finger, breathing heavily. “…I… hate… you…”
Her eyes widen as a pair of hands grab hold of her wrists and pin them above her head. Merida is still sitting astride her and she’s leaning down so their noses are touching. A twinkle of mischief in those blue-green eyes of hers.
“Ye love me.”
Astrid glares up at her. She’s caught by surprise when a pair of lips latch onto hers. A tender, but slightly rough kiss and as always, she loses herself in the moment. Breaking the kiss, Merida grins down at her.
“So… will ye come ootside?”
‘Damn her…’
With a scowl and an eyeroll, Astrid lets out a heavy sigh mixed with a frustrated groan.
“Fine! I’ll come outside with you, okay?!”
“YAY!!!!!”
The red-head squeals and Astrid wishes she had access to her earplugs at this very moment. Merida places another kiss to her lips and is giggling.
“Yer tha best!”
A scoff. “Yea, yea. Now get off me!”
Fortunately, Astrid is released from her temporary confinement and is able to breathe fully. Merida eagerly hops off the bed and is bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Come on, come on! Let’s get changed, lassie!”
She races into the bathroom and slams the door shut. Astrid glares at the door and shakes her head. ‘Be in a relationship!’ They say. ‘It’s amazing!’ They say. Dragging a hand down her face, she flops back onto her pillow and closes her eyes.
‘I know I’m going to regret this…’
“Lassie! Come on!”
A groan. “I’m coming already, sheesh!”
Reluctantly, she eases herself out of the bed, and trudges toward the bathroom with slouched shoulders and a look on her face that says ‘She owes me BIG time…’
Just as she anticipated, outside is cold. It licks at her face, creeps under her three layers of shirts and spreads across her skin like the lacy tide on a frigid winter beach. Her teeth are already chattering and there’s a grimace on her face.
“You’ve got be kidding me.” Astrid growls.
It doesn’t help that her annoying and younger red-headed girlfriend is feeling the opposite. She’s twirling around on the balls of her feet like a clumsy ballerina, her arms are spread wide open, and she’s cackling like a hyena as she’s embracing the snowflakes falling from the sky, bathing her in pristine powder.
“This is tha best day e’ver!”
Astrid rolls her eyes. Her lips are already tinged purple and blue. She hugs herself around her middle tighter. Her coat is thin, and she’s instantly regretting not wearing her other coat that always feels too bulky.
“Isnae it beautiful, Lass?!”
‘No! It’s really not!’
“Yea, yea, it’s great.” She mutters and rolls her eyes again. “Alright, you had your fun! Can we go inside now?”
“Are ye kidding?” Merida comes to a stop and frowns at her. “We just got oot here!”
“Merida, I’m freezing my ass off right now! It’s cold, okay? Can we please just go inside?”
“But it’s sae much fun!”
She’s all bright eyes and pink cheeks. She’s prancing and running through the snowfall like a little kid going nuts in a candy store. The sight of her girlfriend all bundled up and playing in the snow was always endearing and usually puts a huge smile on her face, if it wasn’t for the biting cold chilling her fingers into clumsy numbness and the fact that she’s grumpy from having been woken up earlier than usual.
Astrid huffs and scowls as the cloud of breath coalesces in front of her. She waves it away with an impatient glare. “Merida, you have fiveseconds to get your assback inside the house!”
Merida’s laughter fills the cold air around them. “Oor else what, Lass? Ye gonna spank me wee ass? I’d like tha’ verymuch!”
She scoffs and throws her head back. After three years of dating, sometimes she has to wonder if she’s the girlfriend, or if she’s merely a mother struggling to discipline her disobedient child.
“Woo-hoo!!!”
Her point is proven at the sight of her girlfriend bundled in the mounds of snow, and Astrid has to clench her teeth at the possible mess she is going to make once they head back inside. Merida is throwing snow up in the air, catching the snowflakes on the tip of her tongue. She flops herself back, and her arms and legs swipe up and down, making a snow angel.
“You keep doing that, and I’m leaving you out here.” Astrid trudges towards her and glares down at her. “You’re dead if you think I’m cleaning this snow up.”
“It’s just snow, Lass.” Merida chuckles. She sits up and rolls her eyes. “It will melt. Lighten up will ye?”
Astrid scoffs and crosses her arms.
“Why don’ ye come and make a snow angel wi’ me?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Come on, Lass! Stop bein’ such a stick in tha’ mud!”
“Why don’t you stop being so irresponsible!”
“Wha’ do ye mean? I’m just havin’ some fun!”
“Ugh!” Astrid pinches the bridge of her nose and groans. “You know what, I’m not gonna stand here and argue with you. I’m going back inside.”
Merida gapes. “Are ye serious?!”
“Yes, I am!” She turns on her heel and begins trudging through the snow to head back into their little bungalow. “I’m going back to bed!”
She would’ve made it successfully had she not felt something cold and slushy and wet hit her square in the back. She pauses in mid-step, closes her eyes as a grimace forms on her face. She mentally counts down from ten. Then to five. She balls her hands into a tight fist and blows out a large breath from her nostrils. Then with every fiber of her being, she slowly turns towards her girlfriend, scowling at her. The red-head does nothing but smirk.
“You did not just throw a snowball at me.”
An innocent giggle. “I don’ know wha’ yer talkin’ aboot.” She shrugs. “It wasnae me.”
‘Bullshit!’
Astrid glowers at her. “You really wanna go there?”
Merida smirks, eyes challenging. “If tha shoe fits, wear‘em.”
There’s a burning sensation in Astrid’s chest. The urge to go inside and warm up is immediately pushed to the back of her head. She grits her teeth and finds herself slowly squatting down, refusing to take her eyes off the red-head smirking at her. Her hands grab onto a fistful of the white snow, her fingers are already frostbitten, but she doesn’t care.
Right now, world war 3 is about to take place.
“I’m giving you five seconds…” She growls, “to run.”
With a cackle, Merida jumps to her feet and kicks snow at her. “Try an’ catch me!”
That was enough to fuel Astrid’s anger. She lunges to her feet and sprints after her girlfriend, who in turn, takes off and is screaming and laughing. With all the force she has, Astrid hurls the snowball at her girlfriend. She lets out a frustrated shriek as it flies just past Merida’s shoulder instead of hitting her square in the back. Merida immediately takes shelter behind a nearby tree, and Astrid slows to an abrupt stop. Merida sticks her tongue at her, and Astrid growls in response.
“Ha ha! Ye can’ catch me!”
That was enough to fuel more of Astrid’s frustration. She squats down to grab another fistful of snow, only to shriek and glare at her girlfriend. Another icy snowball hits her in the shoulder and with all her might, lunges to her feet and hurls the snowball at Merida. The red-head ducks behind the tree, but apparently not fast enough as a smirk appears on Astrid’s face. Judging from the shriek that echoes from behind the tree, told Astrid that she indeed did hit her target. It hits Merida in her thigh.
“Ha! Who’s laughing now?!”
Astrid ducks out of the way as another icy snowball is thrown in her direction. Thankfully, she’s able to dodge it in the nick of time. She grabs another one, and launches it at the tree. She shrieks again, as another snowball hits her in the thigh. Merida peeks out from behind the tree. She sticks out her tongue.
“Still me, Lassie!”
“Ugh! That does it!”
For a while, the two girlfriends are hurling snowballs at each other. Some missing their target, while some others eventually hit their targets. Astrid is just happy that none of their neighbors had come out to complain about all the screaming and the noise they’re making. After all, it isDecember. Almost everyone on their street is on holidays, and Christmas is indeed just around the corner. So, in reality, they don’t really have much to lose.
Astrid is bending down and gathering up another snowball, when something cold and icy and wet hits her square in the face. She lets out a piercing shriek, and her eyes widen in fury. Slowly, she turns and glowers at her girlfriend, who in turn is bent over, cackling and snorting. Astrid grits her teeth, feeling the fury building inside of her.
“Oh, you are so done!!”
Abandoning her snowball, she jumps to her feet and lunges toward her girlfriend. Unfortunately for Merida, she was too busy catching her breath from laughing, that she fails to see her older girlfriend charging towards her. She screeches as the cold snow meets her back. She’s tackled to the ground, and Astrid is straddling her. Glaring down at her, Astrid pins Merida’s arms above her head.
“You did that on purpose!” Astrid growls at her through clenched teeth.
“Sae wha’ if I did?” Merida challenges her. “Wha’ ye gonna do aboot it?”
“You really wanna know?”
“Try me!”
“Fine. You asked for it.”
Merida hadn’t been expecting it. But Astrid fingers are seeking out sensitive spots on her body, and Merida is shrieking and thrashing about underneath her. It’s too bad that Astrid is a bit stronger than she is, because she’s having difficulty trying to escape from underneath her.
“LASSSSIEEEEEEEE! STOOOOOOPP!” She shrieks, her screams echoing like thunder around them. “I’M SOOORRRYYY-AHHHHHH!”
“This is what you get!”
“OKAAAYYY! OKAAAY-AHHHHH! I SURRRENDER! I GIVE UP!”
Astrid’s tickling comes to an abrupt stop. Merida is panting, and a smirk appears on Astrid’s face. Ah, revenge was so sweet.
“You promise to stop throwing snowballs at me?”
Merida takes a deep breath. “I…p-promise…” She pants the last word.
“Good.”
Unable to control herself at the position they’re in, Astrid leans down and crashes their lips together. Merida is more than eager to welcome it. Their tongues are meshing and fighting for dominance, but Astrid always wins that battle. When she breaks away from the kiss, Merida whines.
“Why’d ye stop?”
Astrid chuckles and rolls her eyes. “Well, as crazy as this may sound, I doubt our neighbors want to find us making out in the snow, babe.”
Merida frowns. “Who cares!”
“Believe it or not, I do.”
“Yer no fun.”
“Are you kidding me? I just spent the last few minutes pelting you with snowballs.” Astrid scoffs. “And you’re stillaccusing me of not being fun?”
“Yup!”
Another scoff. “You are annoying.”
“I know.”
Astrid lets out another groan. Clearly, this morning isn’t going to end soon. So, she may as well suck it up and accept that. “What else do you want to do outside, Merida?”
“Hm…” She ponders. A wicked grin appears on her face. “Let’s build a snowman!”
Astrid cocks a brow. “A snowman?”
“Yup!”
“No.”
“Oh, come on! It will be fun! Please?”
A sigh. “Babe, I’m tired and-“
“Pleeeeaaaassse?”
Yes. It’s still balls cold outside. And frankly, straddling her girlfriend in the snow-covered mounds isn’t really helping. But the last things she needs is to hear her girlfriend’s constant string of “yer no fun! Yer such a stick in tha’ mud!”With a heavy sigh, Astrid shakes her head.
“Alright, fine.”
“Yay!” Merida release her wrists from Astrid’s grip and wraps her arounds the blonde’s neck. She kisses her cheek. “Yer tha best!”
“Yea, yea. Whatever.”
“Guid! now get aff me an’ let's build a snowman!”
‘I know I’m going to regret this…’
Easing off her girlfriend, Astrid grabs Merida’s hand and pulls her up from the ground. Dusting herself off, Merida grins and immediately goes to prance around in the snow.
“Come on, Lass!”
Astrid rolls her eyes and goes to find a patch of snow to start with.
“Hou's it comin ower thare, lass?” Asks an eager Merida as she dusts off her hands.
Astrid is panting as she brings over the second roll of snowball. She places it on top of the big mound of a snowball that her girlfriend finished rolling in the span of three seconds. They both take a step back and admire their handy work.
“He’s looking pretty good so far.” Complements Astrid.
“I’ll say.” Merida gushes. “Now let’s roll the head!”
Astrid rolls her eyes, shakes her head and chuckles as she follows her girlfriend’s lead. They squat down in the snow bank. Together, they’re both rolling the third ball of snow into the size of a basketball. Merida allows Astrid take up the snowball and watches as her girlfriend reaches on her tip-toes to place the head in its rightful spot.
“Well?” Asks Astrid. “What do you think?”
“He looks amazing!” Merida claps her hands together and bounces on the balls of her feet. “But… we're missin ane more thing…”
Astrid frowns. “… What is that exactly?”
Merida grins, a devilish grin as she digs around her in pockets and holds out her palms like she’s presenting some sort of award. “Ta-dah! Decorations!”
Astrid eyes the three red buttons, the two little lumps of coal and a carrot laid out in her girlfriend’s hands. She chuckles and rolls her eyes, wondering how on earth Merida was able to fit those things in her pockets.
“Of course…” She sighs.
“Take some coal!”
Following her girlfriend’s orders, Astrid takes the two lumps of coal and presses them into the snowy face of her creation, bestowing the eyes as the dust dyed her fingers black. Merida was busy placing the three red buttons down the middle. Last but not least, she finally sticks the carrot into the snowy middle of the face. They wipe their snowy and dirty hands on their sleeves and take a step back. Merida is smiling in glee, while Astrid is chuckling.
If it is one thing Astrid would admit, is that their snowman is looking pretty damn adorable right now.
“Wait!” Merida holds up a finger. “He's missin ane more thing!”
Astrid cocks her brow. “What are you talking about? He looks fine.”
Merida shakes her head. “Hold on.”
Before Astrid could object or ask any further, she’s pinching the bridge of her nose and groaning as Merida is taking off her hat and scarf. Astrid watches as Merida wraps her plaid scarf around their snowy child, and then places her knitted hat on the snowman’s head. She takes a step back, claps her hands together and bounces on the balls of her feet like a little kid.
“Now he’s perfect!”
Astrid has to admit; the hat and scarf make their snowy child look a lot more life-like than he had without. And for once, she was starting to feel like she is in the Christmas mood. Her frustration and exhaustion from earlier had melted away. A smile graces her features.
“Awww, he looks so cute.” She giggles softly.
“He’s tha cutest snowman in aw o Scotland!”
Astrid chuckles and shakes her head.
A cold gust of wind spills over them and Merida is shivering and her teeth are chattering. Astrid wraps her arm around Merida’s shoulders and brings her closer towards her. They fit together like two puzzle pieces and Merida wraps her arms around Astrid’s waist. They hug each other, admiring their snowy child together.
“Wha’ should we name him?” Merida asks.
She cocks a brow. “You actually want to name him?”
A giggle. “Yes. Hou aboot... snowy?”
“Snowy? That’s kind of lame.”
“A’right. Hou aboot… fr-“
“Don’t you dare say Frosty…”
Merida frowns. “Fine. Jim Bob.”
“What? Merida, we are not naming him Jim Bob!”
Merida groans. “Fine. Hou aboot… Ollie?”
Astrid tilts her head to the side. Then she turns to look at their snowman.
“Hm, Ollie doesn’t sound bad.”
A grin. “Sae…”
Astrid chuckles. “Fine. Ollie it is then.”
“Yay!” She squeals and hugs Astrid tighter. “Yer tha best girlfriend ever!”
“I better be.”
Merida sticks her tongue at her. Not long after, Astrid presses their lips together and they share a tender kiss. Their tongues wrestle for dominance, but their kiss becomes softer. Resting her forehead against her girlfriend’s, Astrid places a kiss to the tip of Merida’s nose. Merida giggles.
“I love ye.”
A chuckle. “I love you too.”
They turn to look at their snowman. A Christmas miracle sits in front of them, and Astrid is just glad that she had pushed aside her pride and had gotten to enjoy this day with her girlfriend. Because after all, Christmas is just around the corner.
“Merry Christmas, Merida.” She says softly.
“Merry Christmas, Astrid.”
Little bits of snowflakes fall from the sky and shower them. But neither of them care. Right now, all they look forward to is more traditions to come around this time of year.