Work Text:
The sun. The life of our world. Shining, brilliant majesty providing love and warmth for everyone as they go about their daily lives. Food, energy, power. The sun is the most important thing to our survival as a human species. It is also the most important thing to wake up Angela in the morning, grumbling as a sunbeam stabbed her eyes through the open window, forcing her to consciousness.
“Fuckface..” Mercy flopped over in her king sized bed, grasping at the covers before fully opening her eyes. Fareeha was missing from her side of the bed, her pillow dented without a head to utilize it. Angela, ever the opportunist, sleepily grabbed the pillow, shoving her face against it and inhaling deeply before finally dragging herself out of bed. “Just as good as a cup of coffee~...Maybe not quite.”
Fareeha, having had a much more normal experience of waking up, was busying herself with a bowl of cereal and the morning newspaper. The weather had warmed up, the snow slightly melted as it continued to fall from the winter sky. Children had taken to playing in the street, the suburb more lively than usual. Pharah watched from the kitchen window as a crooked snowman was slowly put together in the middle of the road; it looked like all the neighborhood kids had pitched in to help build the behemoth. It looked entertaining...fun, almost. Fareeha had difficulties with that word; everything she did was either work or a time-killer. At least, until she met her wife.
Speaking of which, Angela strolled into the kitchen, looking much more awake than normal, wearing the same extra-large shirt she slept in with a pillow tucked under her arm.
“Guten morgen, sweetheart.” Mercy kissed Pharah’s cheek as she walked by, going to the stove and setting a kettle of water to boil. Fareeha touched her cheek gingerly before returning the greeting.
“Mornin, babe.” She set down the newspaper, taking a sip of her morning protein shake. Pharah’s version of a cup of coffee. “What’s up with the pillow? And the cheery attitude?”
“Oh, you know.” Angela squeezed the cushion, blushing lightly as she went about making her cup of java. “New experiment. Testing how strenuous exercise and endorphin production affect one’s morning exhaustion. Also, I need to wash your pillow. Danke.”
Fareeha finished her shake, keeping her mouth damn shut until they moved onto a new topic. Angela sat across from her, toting her steaming coffee with culinary pride. Looked like Amari was going to have to speak first.
“Hey. Babe. So.” The security guard cleared her throat, not often the one to suggest something. “Those kids. The ones in the street.” Mercy raised a brow as she looked over her shoulder, the children dancing around their snowman like a cult of satanic priests.
“Ja, I see them. What of it?” Dr. Ziegler looked back at her partner, who was currently twiddling her thumbs uncomfortably. “Do you want to do that?”
Fareeha nodded, the event looked interesting and new to her. It reminded her of the television specials she saw as a child.
“I think I might have a devil costume in the attic…” Mercy trailed off, muttering about demons as she held her mug to her lips, staring at the ceiling. Pharah looked at her in confused disgust.
“Not that! I meant...building a snowman.” Angela paused as an uncomfortable silence spread between them. The possible ex-cult leader slowly opened her mouth.
“.....ooooohhhhh.”
“Alright! Snowman! Let’s do this!” The doctor clapped loudly, totally pumped. Fareeha stood next to her, bundled up in multiple coats but just as excited nonetheless. Angela had her arm outstretched, pointing at the snow-filled backyard.
“Um.” Pharah stepped into the snowbank, waiting for her spouse. “Are you going to help me?” Angela looked at her in complete and utter apathy at the notion of doing manual labor.
“Alright! Snowman! Let’s do this!” The doctor stood in the shin-deep snow, Fareeha having convinced her to help in exchange for a sleepless night. The two wasted no time in starting, rolling a ball the size of a basketball, then a beach ball, continuing until it reached the height of a small dumpster. Pharah put her hands on her hips, feeling more alive than ever.
“It looks amazing.” The major complimented her work, an orb of not-particularly-amazing snow in the middle of the yard. Angela had already started on the middle section, bent over as she guided the second ball through patches of unblemished snow. Fareeha joined in, and soon the couple had a ball the size of a tire, working together to place it atop the first large mound.
“Aaaaaand...done!” Fareeha smiled as the watermelon-sized head stuck in place, the soldier’s arms above her head to accomplish the feat of their six-foot snowman. Pharah stepped back, admiring their creation proudly before looking around. Her wife was missing. Fareeha cupped her hands around her mouth, just about to call out as someone tapped her from behind. She jumped.
“Ta-dah!” Angela held a scarf, sun hat, and a small bag of coal. “Decorations!”
“Fucking dammit, babe.” Fareeha gasped, her heart beating in surprise. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. How?”
“Oh, sorry!” The person who might or might not have stalked various people in the past apologized, grinning as she wrapped a plaid scarf around their snowy child. “Here, make a face.” Angela handed her the bag of coals, adjusting the sun hat just so on the snowman’s head. Fareeha gingerly took a piece of charcoal from the bag, pressing it into the snowy face of her creation, bestowing it an eye as the dust dyed her fingers black.
Fareeha wiped her dirty hands on her sleeve, staring at the finished snowman in front of them. The familiar, homely looking friend stood tall in the backyard, its charcoal smile slightly misshapen in an endearing fashion. Angela had ran back inside, returning with cups of hot chocolate as the lovebirds sat in the snow. Fareeha sipped her cocoa, feeling like the kid she was never fully able to be.
“Sweetheart?” Angela called from the other room, several days later. Pharah stood in the living room, staring out the window with the curtain pulled aside. Their snowman stood straight in the yard, its hat brimmed with snow and its face missing an ebony eye. Fareeha couldn’t help it as a smile spread across her lips, the sight heartwarming no matter how many times she looked at it. “Sweetheart!” Fareeha let the curtain fall closed as she turned, going to see what Angela could possibly want.