AN: I don't own anything from Burton's Corpse Bride...it's for the best, too :3
OooOooOooO
As the horses trotted through the snow and jostled the whole ride Victor felt slightly ill, he didn't mean to be the town Scrooge, but Christmas was one of those holidays that he just had to hold his breathe and hope for the best at. Looking back, Victor knew that he could have avoided this whole sleigh ride fiasco. It had all happened one evening in the parlor when Victoria had had inquired about what Victor wanted for Christmas.
"I don't really need anything, Victoria." he smiled in what he hoped had been a winning sort of fashion, but Victoria only looked up from her sewing, "Surely you would like something, Victor?" His eyes darted around a bit, he really didn't like the concerned look that Victoria was giving him, "Socks would be nice…they're always—", Victoria interrupted him, "socks." Smiling nervously, Victor nodded, "Yes, but they always have a way of becoming—", "Socks." She did it again, "Would you get me a pair of socks for Christmas?" she asked and Victor hurriedly answered, "No! Never, Victoria, that'd be…what kind of husband would I be to get my wife socks?" Victoria smiled, "Precisely."
Going to Victoria, he held out his hand and she giggled before taking it, "My, dear, what would you like for Christmas?" he held her and she closed her eyes against his chest. "Something romantic." she whispered and kissed his chin (that was all she could reach). Blushing, Victor looked down at her and blinked a few times, "Romantic?" Victoria nodded and eyed the piano, "Like when you play a song for me." She blinked up at him now and Victor misunderstood her as being sarcastic, he thought he'd join in the joke with something lame, "Like a sleigh ride in the snow?" He laughed and her eyes lit up, "Yes! Oh, Victor, that would be beautiful." Victor's laugh diminished and he saw that she was serious: she wanted a sleigh ride! "Victoria, I was only…" but upon looking at her happy face he couldn't stop what had been joked, "only going to take yes for an answer." He tried smiling just as he was now doing in the blasted sleigh.
The idea of a sleigh ride, Victor decided, is only romantic until you're out there with an icy wind to whistle in your ears and make you want to scream. That's not to mention the constant bumping along and the horse isn't as lovely a creature up close as it is a good storybook picture away. And what on earth was that horrible flapping sound Victor wondered and turned to the back of the sleigh toward where the sound was coming only to see that the bloody contraption had a large 'Van Dort Fish' advertisement pasted to it poorly. "Is everything alright, darling?" Victoria asked, who unlike Victor had a charming rosy glow to her complexion. Victor couldn't help but feel a little better when he looked at Victoria; he was so in love with her and was about to answer when the horse came to a stop. "Oh my, I suppose things aren't alright now." Victoria blinked at the stopped horse. Victor slumped the slightest bit, "I'll go see what the problem is."
He stepped onto the hard snow and he made a crunching noise all the way to the horse. It wasn't injured Victor decided after looking it over, and it couldn't have been tired, they'd only been out for a short bit. Tilting his head and looking at the horse with concern, Victor wasn't sure what to do, "Come on, now" he pleaded. He didn't want to look like a complete idiot in front of his wife, so he ceased talking to the horse and instead reverted to patting his leg as though it were a dog, which he quickly decided was no better. "Is everything alright, Victor?" Victoria called. "Ah," Victor rubbed his forehead, "Yes, dear, shouldn't take a second longer to get him going", he patted the horse's hide and waved up to Victoria as if to give an 'everything's under control, ma'am' type look, but she looked terrified and Victor didn't understand why until she started coming closer to him and then passed by! Victor swung around to watch the sleigh take off without him, "VICTORIA!" He ran after the sleigh at full speed with his long legs. "Victor!" he heard her squeal in fright. Luckily the horse was only trotting along and Victor soon caught up with it, "Vic-tor-i-a" Victor panted as he ran by. "Oh Victor!" she reached out for him to grab on, but he shook his head and pointed at the reigns, "Ge-et the rei-eigns, da-ar-ling!" Victoria gasped, "Right, of course, get the reigns!" she agreed and gave a hard tug, but the horse now was turning onto Victor who shamelessly gave out a shriek, "NO-O-O!" and ran away from it. Victoria screamed, "I'm sorry!" and gave another tug and the horses pressed onto Victor's trail faster. With both of them screaming Victor continued to run as far as he could, but his legs were giving out quickly so he stepped to the side if the horse. Now head to head, Victor and the horse continued to run, and Victor thought of only one thing to do. Without any further thought he haplessly jumped onto the rampaging beast but didn't get on in quite the normal way, his body laid folded over the horse so that his head and feet went down where his legs should have. Before they knew it, the horse had dragged them back over the bridge and quickly it skidded to a halt in the town square.
"I say, young chap, that's no way to ride a horse!", "Oh my God!" and, "Is that Van Dort junior?" were a few of the things said at the scene before the town crier belted out, "VICTOR VAN DO-ORT, RIDING LIKE A BAT OUT OF HEH-ELL!" Victor quickly got off the horse and glared at the beast for a second before going to Victoria to see if she was okay.
"Oh, Victor! I'm so sorry!"
"You sorry? I'm sorry, I'm such a fool."
"Of course not! I'm the one who almost ran you down."
"I didn't mean to ruin everything"
Now all eyes were upon the two, whether from a window or just on the cobble street and listening intently to the conversation, even the town crier listened up.
"Victoria." Victor looked at the ground, "I never even wanted to do this whole sleigh ride thing." he twirled his finger as he said so. "What?" she looked at him intently, "Why did you say you thought it was a good idea?" she was completely confused. Victor looked up, "I was only joking. I thought you were being sarcastic about playing on the piano." Victoria brought her hand to her mouth in surprise, "I never meant it that way, oh Victor, I love how you play…ever since the very first time we met I've loved your music." Victor didn't know what to say exactly, and an onlooker spoke instead, "Well aren't you going to kiss her already!" Victor burned bright red, but Victoria batted her lashes and smiled, "Merry Christmas, love." she said and kissed Victor who froze up for just a second before kissing her back. And they stood together smiling at each other as the horse grazed on the Everglot mansion vines and the town crier reported the most scandalous event of their time; the village wouldn't soon forget that Christmas day.