Christmas is Cosima's favorite holiday. It brings a cheerful breeze to the air, and everyone she passes by has a smile on their face bright enough to power all the colorful lights strung along lampposts and shop windows throughout the city. Snow dances across the sky and sticks to the ends of her hair. Strangers chat vividly inside cafés, clutching a mug of hot chocolate between their frost bitten fingers. The Christmas season has her chest blooming with the warm and fuzzies.
But the one thing Cosima's most excited for is that this year, she and Delphine will be spending their first Christmas together.
Choosing a present for her girlfriend proved to be one of the more challenging tasks she ever undertaken. She had scoured numerous stores for weeks on end, feeling dissatisfied with the wide selection of gifts she could have picked out. She had finally found the perfect gift on her way home from class one day, in a small jewelry shop that she had never noticed before. Upon buying it, the woman at the counter ringing up her purchase commented that she thought no one would ever be interested in a piece like it, and that Cosima had definitely surprised her by choosing it.
Delphine had made her promise that the two of them wouldn't reveal what they had bought for each other until Christmas morning, which Cosima agreed to, albeit reluctantly. She was itching to give Delphine her gift, and had almost spoiled the surprise a multitude of times when she spoke about what she had gotten her sisters, her mind stopping just before it had tumbled from her lips.
She rounds the corner, hands stuffed into the pockets of her favorite red coat, beanie titled to one side as se strides down the block, grinning at a little boy in a Santa hat holding a handful of snow between his fingers. Greeting them with an airy "Happy Holidays!", she kicks the snow with the toe of her boots while practically skipping down the sidewalk.
Her neighbor greets her with a small wave as she steps onto her front porch. She returns the gesture, fumbling with the handle on her building's door. Prying it open, she slips inside, and passes by a few attendants and gives them a small wave, making her way through the hallway, following the strong scent of ginger and cinnamon to her door.
Cosima slides into her apartment and is greeted to the sight of Delphine at the kitchen counter, the sleeves of her too-large sweater rolled up her arms and hanging off her elbows, a bit of flour smudged across her cheek, her feet padding along to the beat of music pumping softly through the speakers of Cosima's stereo system.
The clicking of the door's lock grabs Delphine's attention and she greets Cosima with a warm smile, her eyes crinkling fondly.
"Bonjour, cherié," she coos, dropping a kiss to Cosima's cheek. "You were gone when I woke up, so I started on the cookies myself while I waited. Where did you run off to?"
"Just the corner market," she sets her groceries down on her desk. "Got some more baking supplies. We're going to bring so many goodies to Mrs. S's tomorrow; Sarah's going to flip when we fill Kira up on sugar." She laughs lightly along with Delphine. "It'll be totally worth it, though."
"Oui, il le fera." She beckons Cosima over with a wave of her hand. "Come. Help me make these gingerbread men."
"Right on." She sheds her jacket, setting it gently over the back of her sofa, and rolls up her sleeves while moving to the counter. Delphine hands her already baked cookies and asks her to decorate.
They spend the next few hours baking together, swiping flour across each other's noses, Cosima dipping her fingers into the batter, only to have to Delphine swat her hand away and scold her playfully (but she doesn't miss the chance to kiss away the bits of mixture left behind on Cosima's lips).
Once all the cookies have been made and the kitchen has been, relatively, tidied up, Delphine retires to the couch while Cosima moves to the cabinet, pulling out two mugs and grabbing the milk from the fridge. She allows it to boil on the stove, and then adds it to the two mugs filled with cocoa powder and a bit of sugar. After mixing them up, she strolls across the room and sets the two cups down on the table, snuggling up to Delphine on the sofa, throwing an arm around her waist as Delphine wraps one around her shoulder.
"I love Christmas," Cosima sighs as Delphine runs her fingers gently along her scalp.
"Me, too," Delphine murmurs into her hair. "It is such a peaceful time."
"And there are presents!" Cosima quips in a sing-song tone, earning a hearty chuckle from her girlfriend.
"You are like a small child."
"Dude, everyone loves presents, no matter how old you get. It's a proven scientific fact."
"Oh? Scientific, you say?"
"Yep! Scientific," she grins cheekily.
"Vous êtes adorable."
Cosima reaches forward to grab the mugs, handing one to Delphine, grin still in place. They sit and chat for a while, sipping their hot chocolate and watching children play in the snow in the park across the street from the window.
"Man, that looks like fun," Cosima frowns. "I used to love making snowmen like that."
"I have never made one before," Delphine states offhandedly, missing Cosima gape at her as she continues to observe the children. She seems to catch Cosima staring from the corner of her eye and raises a brow when she turns to face her. "What?"
"You're joking, right?"
"Non," she shakes her head lightly. "It didn't seem like something fun to do all alone."
"Get dressed."
"I am?"
"No, I mean in your snow gear," Cosima leaps from the couch and dashes into her bedroom, fishing two pairs of mittens from her drawer.
"Um, pourquoi?" Delphine calls from the living room, watching Cosima move about the bedroom with knitted brows, but still tugging on her jacket.
"We're building a snowman!" Cosima exclaims, her grin widening. "Hurry up!" She tosses Delphine a pair of mittens, which her girlfriend barely manages to catch through her surprise. Before she can protest, and small blush creeps across her cheeks as Cosima tugs a beanie over her hair and buttons up her jacket for her. She takes hold of Delphine's hands and drags her out the door and into the street. Delphine's chuckles as they race into the park spur her excitement, and she doesn't give Delphine much time to react before she hurls a snowball at her stomach.
Cosima wakes to Delphine's nose buried in the collar of her sweater, her cold toes pressing against Cosima's shins, and her arm hugging Cosima's waist. Rubbing away the sleep from her eyes, Cosima picks up her glasses from the night stand and positions them on her nose, glancing at the alarm clock. She smiles.
It's 8:37 on Christmas morning.
Her heart thumps softly as she shakes Delphine's shoulder, trying to wake her up. Her girlfriend responds with a low mewl and nuzzles her face further into Cosima's chest.
"Babe," Cosima whispers into her ear. "Babe, wake up."
"Five more minutes," Delphine grumbles.
"It's Christmas," Cosima let the excitement get the better of her and she giggles gingerly into Delphine's ear. "C'mon, get up! We need to open presents."
With a low groan, still full of sleep, Delphine rolls onto her back and stretches her arms above her head, a yawn peeling over her face. She lulls her head to the side and smiles at Cosima tiredly.
"Joyeux Noël," she breathes. Cosima leans over to kiss her lips delicately, Delphine following after her as she pulls away. Cosima chuckles.
"I'm so ready to give you your present," she states, brushing Delphine's bangs back from her forehead.
"I am excited for you to get yours as well."
"Well, let's get going!" She tosses the blankets off her and skips over to the living room, leaving Delphine choking back her attempted request to cuddle. The French woman sighs lightly then snickers, rolling her eyes and standing, sliding into her slippers and stalking off after her girlfriend.
Cosima's legs are bouncing with excitement when she finally seats herself down on the sofa next to her. She all but thrusts Delphine's present into her hands, refusing to open her gift until Delphine opens hers.
With a coy smile, Delphine pulls out the wrapping paper, brows rising as she pulls out a jewelry box.
"What is this?" She asks, her heart fluttering lightly at Cosima's smile.
She rolls her eyes. "I can't tell you, that'll ruin it. See for yourself." she finishes with a wide grin.
Prying open the lid, Delphine lets out a hearty laugh, glancing over to find Cosima looking genuinely pleased with herself.
"Is this a Guanine molecule shaped necklace?" She asks with an amused grin.
"Yep," Cosima's smile brightens. "And, the best part," she reaches behind her and reveals a similar looking box. "I have a cytosine one to go with it, because," her cheeks tint a hue of crimson, "you're my base pair."
"Cosima," Delphine shakes her head lightly, laughter bubbling from her lips. "I love you. Je t'aime beaucoup." She slides across the sofa and gathers her into an embrace. "You are such a dork."
Cosima squeezes her gently and pulls away, smiling fondly at her.
"Would you like to put it on me?" Delphine asks, holding the necklace out to her. Cosima nods frantically.
"It would be my pleasure," her grin is all teeth as she sweeps Delphine's hair to the side and clips the necklace together, pressing a kiss where the metal meets her creamy skin. Delphine returns the favor and pulls Cosima into her lap, grabbing an envelope from her purse and holding it out to her.
"You got me mail for Christmas?" Cosima teases, and Delphine bites her shoulder playfully.
"Brat," she giggles into the fabric of Cosima's sweater. "Open it."
Cosima tears the letter open and pulls out two stubs, flipping them over to read them. "Are these plane tickets?"
"Oui."
"To San Francisco?" Her voice rises in its pitch as she spins in Delphine's lap to gape at her, wide eyed and incredulous, a grin pulling at her lips.
"Oui. I thought you'd might like to visit you family back there," she tugs gently on a dreadlock. "I already talked to your mother about it and made the arrangements, and she was quite surprised that I had called her." Delphine cocked an eyebrow. "She is very upset you did not tell her you had a girlfriend."
Cosima's eyes narrow. "You didn't."
"Oh, but I did."
"I'm not sure whether I should be stoked about visiting home or mad that you talked to my mother."
Delphine grins smugly. "You should be glad I'm such a charming woman. I did, indeed, sweep her off her feet with my elegance."
"Wipe that stupid smirk off your face."
"Make me."
Cosima glances over Delphine's shoulder, and came back with a smug grin of her own. "It's only 8:50. We don't have to be at Mrs. S's until eleven. So," she trails her fingers up Delphine's forearm and tangles them into her hair. "I have at least an entire hour to get payback."
Delphine's teeth sink into her lower lip as Cosima pushes her back along the sofa, placing the plane tickets on the coffee table before pressing her body down against Delphine's.
"Thank you," she kisses Delphine's collar. "For," she kisses her pulse point. "The," she kisses her jaw. "Present," she kisses under her ear.
"I'm really happy," she husks, her breath trickling down Delphine's spine.
Delphine swallows dryly. "I'm glad you like it." Cosima presses a finger against Delphine's lips.
"Shhh," she hums. "Less talking, more Christmas celebrating."