A/N: Since the fic pool is running dry, here's something I wrote for a secret santa exchange on tumblr. Seriously, there's a bit to read on there, so if you don't have it, it'd be worth to get it.
I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside
"I haven't been home in a week." She argues, slipping on her sweatpants at the edge of his bed.
"What, you need to feed the cat?" He laughs, still holding onto one of her hands, pulling lightly at it to try and get her back into bed.
"No." She smiles, making a bit of a face. He tugs once, hard, and she's lying back on her elbows, and he's hovering beside, and slightly above her. "But I need to get my mail..."
He leans down and kisses her, cutting off her list.
"Need to do some laundry..."
He kisses her again.
"Christmas shopping..."
He nudges her nose with his, and she falls flat onto her back, giving in.
"But who's gonna keep me warm?" He asks breathily, barely a whisper.
"Put a sweater on. I really can't stay." She mutters, pressing her mouth back to his, and arching her back to slide further back on the mattress so they can get a little more... comfortable.
"You don't wanna go out there." He whispers again, moving himself on top of her, moving his kisses down to her jaw.
"Well, no one wants to go out there... but... I have... things I... gotta do..." She gets it all out, impressively enough, cause he's working that spot on her neck that drives her insane so very well.
"It's cold outside." He murmurs, working his way back up. She opens her eyes when the contact breaks, and he's directly above her.
Her eyes search his, wondering wait the hell he's waiting for, she's clearly not leaving yet, she's giving him a little more time.
"15 minutes." She concedes firmly. There really is a long list of things she needs to do.
"Is that even enough?" He asks, eyebrow pointed, lowering his mouth to her neck again.
"Maybe twenty."
I've got to go away - baby it's cold outside
"Have fun." She mumbles, forehead still pressed firmly against his.
The crisp air brushes by them again and he takes his hands out of hers to pull up his jacket collar a little more, shield his face from the cold.
"I'll try." He shrugs, running his hands up and down her arms when he catches her shivering.
Her cardigan is thin. Neither had expected to be standing outside for more than a minute.
"You will. It's nice that you're going to see Sarah before the holidays." She says a little more brightly, trying to talk it up so he doesn't have another urge to stay 'a little longer'.
He was meant to leave this morning, but before they knew it was dark outside again.
He pulls away and looks up at the building behind her, considering how 'nice' it'll be.
"Yeah. Well, kids want their presents," He chuckles, rubbing her shoulders, easing a tension she hadn't known was built up.
"Yeah." She nods, keeping a soft smile on her lips.
She moves back towards him and let's her forehead rest on his shoulder, and he winds his arms around her, letting her burrow inside his jacket a little
"I'll be back in four days." He mumbles, kissing her forehead.
"This is the most time we've spent apart since you got home." She reminds him. Her hand rubs at the small of his back, making sure he's warm enough too.
"It'll be fine." He whispers into her ear, causing a new shiver to run down her spine. "I'll miss you."
Eventually he moves her to stand at an arms' length, and she folds her arms over her chest, trying to keep some of the warmth his hug provided. He lets his thumb run over her lip and he offers her a smile until she smiles back.
"Miss you already."
He tosses his keys in his hand just once before walking down the path from her apartment buildings doors to the parking lot.
When he gets about half way, he turns around and offers her a final wave.
"Drive safe!" She calls after him. "It's icy."
This evening has been so very nice - I'll hold your hands they're just like ice
She smiles dreamily at the string of lights he's mounted from his house and takes in a deep breath of the icy air.
He was climbing down the ladder while she bounced in place to keep warm, and before he hit the pavement he stopped.
Her grin was wide and childlike, and he could see the Christmas lights bouncing off her eyes.
She stayed outside with him the whole time, made a few snow angels to pass the time. It was her request, the lights, the tree, the decorations, but when she started talking about climbing up the ladder, he jumped in.
He made his way down the drive and once he reached her, she excitedly put an arm through his and held herself to him real close to as he admired his handiwork for the first time. He stood there with her for the full five minutes she needed to appreciate the view before he tugged at her ice cold hand and tugged her toward the door.
She whispers her appreciation and rests her head on his shoulder as they climbed the stairs to the porch.
He twists the knob on the front door, and pulls her into the house behind him. And then when the door is closed, he reaches for her other hand and rubs it between his.
He gives her a look, and she knows he's wondering where the giant gloves he gave her went, but she had told him that she packs snow better with her bare hands.
But he saves his sarcastic remarks and raises her freezing hands to his lips and kisses them.
My mother will start to worry - Beautiful what's your hurry
"I gotta meet Claire." Andy whispers, trying to pull herself away from Sam, barely, knocking her hip back against his, more playfully then forcefully.
"She can wait on you awhile." He insists, keeping his arm tightly around her waist as she pours the last of her coffee into her travel mug. "No hurry."
With his chin resting on her shoulder, and his secure hold around her, she leans back a little, wishing for all the world she could crawl back into bed with him.
She doesn't have to be turned around to know his eyes are shut and his hair is still mussed from the night before. He's got his worn pajama pants on without a shirt, and when a breeze comes through the crack in the window and he shivers, clutching her tighter to protect himself from the cold.
When it passes and his shivers cease, he grabs the now full travel mug from her hands and takes a drink from it, hoping to warm up from the inside out.
"Fifteen minutes, just to warm me up again." He offers, now swaying them slightly, just shifting from foot to foot.
She takes the mug from his hand and places it back down on the counter top and turns in his arms.
"Two minutes, right here. Take it or leave it." She deals, putting her hands on his arms and rubbing for some friction.
He considers it behind half mast, tired eyes and then nods falling forward to hide his face in her neck. leans into his shoulder, continuing to rub his arms. The simple solution would be her going to grab him a blanket off the couch, or tell him to put a shirt on, but as Christmas gets closer, he's been getting affectionate. And a little... well she doesn't want to say clingy, because she's known clingy and this isn't it, but clingy for Sam.
She has a feeling that it has to do that he still has fond memories of Christmas before his family revealed itself as something other than loving, and he holds onto that. She wants to make sure it stays that way. It's one of her favourite times of year, and while he grumbles and grouches about excessive decorations and the insane consumerism, she thinks it's one of his too.
My father will be pacing the floor - listen to that fire place roar
"He's probably already awake." Andy says, pulling her mouth away from his.
About ten minutes ago, Sam woke her with sloppy kisses trailing from her shoulder to her neck to her jaw and back down again.
Things snowballed from there. As they generally do.
"He'll put the coffee on, light a fire, read for a bit." Sam insists, pressing her body down with his and pretending to be asleep again. "Tommy'll keep himself busy."
Andy takes a few deep breaths, realizing that that is most likely what her father is doing out in her apartment and accepts his answer.
She kisses the side of his head, trying to get him to lift it again, maybe remove the majority of his body weight, and go back to what he was doing. But it seems he was more tired than he thought because he seems to wake up again when she nudges him.
"You need a little more sleep huh?" She asks, smiling at his sleepy eyes and confused expression.
She kisses him quickly and rolls herself out from under him, reaching immediately for her sweatshirt on the floor next to the bed.
Shoving her arms through it quickly, she stands and moves to where she kicked off her slippers the night before, and when she's properly bundled, and ready to move through the cool house, she turns back to the bed.
Sam is on his stomach, where she'd been lying, arms tucked under his pillow, face facing her and a soft snore filling the room.
She smiles and leaves the room, for fear of waking him, or losing the will to go wish her father a Merry Christmas.
She feels the wall of heat as she enters the living room, and sure enough, Tommy had lit a fire. And watching her dad lean over the fire, poking at the coals, it really felt like Christmas morning.
So really I'd better scurry... well maybe just a half a drink more - Put some records on while I pour
He swings his front door open to find Andy standing on his front porch, party hat on her head, and a noise maker in her mouth.
Her eye makeup is definitely heavier than usual and under her open jacket he sees a black sequined dress. What he's really wondering is how she got away from Price, Peck and Stewart before midnight.
"McNally..." He greets curiously, raising an eyebrow as a smile graces his lips.
She doesn't say anything, but he sees her tongue peek out to wet her bottom lip a little, and then she pulls it under her teeth.
She takes two little steps forward, slight and purposeful saunter of her hips and raises an eyebrow to him, before stumbling slightly to the side.
She's a little drunk, but mostly the heels she's wearing are tall and she's not that used to them yet.
Before he can get sucked into her look and exactly just how she's silently proposing they ring in the new year, he steps out onto the porch where she is and takes her hands in his.
"I can see the wheels turning in that dirty little head of yours but I've got some bad news." He says, placing his hands under her elbows, helping to steady her. "Sarah's inside, so you're gonna have to save the seduction for later."
She seems to sober slightly at the mention of Sarah and she pulls her hands away from his forearms that she'd been massaging moments before.
"Sarah?" She asks, straightening up slightly.
From drop dead sexy and confident less than a minute ago, she has a deer in headlights expression on her face and she suddenly seems... insecure.
"Yeah, she and Peter came into the city for a party, but their friends had to cancel last minute, I invited them over for a drink." He explains, stepping closer to her as she takes her steps away.
He can tell she's in flight mode but he wants to tread carefully for the moment.
"Okay, well, I can come back later then." She smiles fakely, backing down the stairs of the porch.
"Hey, hey." He says reaching out for her arm before she's too far away.
He pulls her gently until her body follows and she steps back up to where she was, and he gets her closer, and a better grip in case she tries to flea again.
"You wanna come in, join us for a drink?"
"You want me to meet her tonight?" She asks, fear lingering in her question.
When he nods his head confidently, she smiles just small.
"Well, maybe just one."
He feels behind him for the door knob and as he opens finally pushes it open, the soft voice of Leon Redbone floods out into the air.
"Sammy get in here! Two minutes to midnight!"
Sarah's voice catches Andy's attention, and her stare finally breaks from his, and the scared Bambi look comes back. But before she can speak or make a move, he pulls her with him into the doorway, and pulls off her jacket.
Just as she's about to make her way into the kitchen and meet probably the most important person in Sam's life, he leans in close to whisper in her ear.
"There's no going back."
She turns her head enough to show him her smile and whispers the expected response.
"I don't wanna go back."