anon prompt from tumblr! asking for "Malice Christmas fic where there's a mad snowstorm and there's only one bed left in the Blake house where they're residing?" this is less a "oh no! there's only one bed!" and more of a "we have to share body heat and a bed because it's cold", but something tells me you guys will like it regardles lol, please enjoy!

Snowstorms didn't happen very often in Ballarat; Matthew could count on one hand how many were this bad throughout his entire life. This winter had been a particular cold one, but no one had predicted it was going to get this bad.

They were alone in the Blake household; the Blakes were in Melbourne for a week-long series of guest lectures Lucien was doing at one of the universities. Alice gladly took over his police surgeon duties, and was over at the house to discuss the case one evening over dinner with Matthew when the storm started.

"I, uh… I hope you weren't planning on going anywhere soon, Alice," Matthew piped up from the kitchen sink.

"Hm?" she was half-listening, her attention more focused on the case file spread out on the kitchen table now that their dishes were cleared.

"You weren't planning on going anywhere, were you?" He asked.

"Not at this second."

"Ah… then I think you'll be here for awhile, it's snowing a lot more than I thought it would."

"Really?" Alice got up from the kitchen table and met him at the sink. Huge, white flakes fell steadily from the sky - already coating the ground in snow as gusts of wind sent flurries flying every which way. "Oh rats."

"You still might be able to make it home before it gets worse."

"And leave you here all alone? No, it's better if we stay together, especially if the power goes out."

As if speaking it into existence, the lights flickered around them before abruptly shutting off (and staying off) - plunging them into semi-darkness.

"Oh great," Matthew sighed. "Stay put, I'll go find a torch and then we can go looking for the emergency candles Jean put somewhere."

"Okay," Alice lightly squeezed his arm, to let him know where she was and also to reassure herself.

His hand landed on hers and squeezed back. "We'll be fine. The power outage might not last that long. If it does, we're well stocked in here."

"What are we going to do?"

"Mm… best place to stay is probably the studio. We can camp out in front of the fireplace with the doors closed to keep in most of the warmth."

"Good idea."

"As for what to do… I know there's a deck of cards around here somewhere, and there's always books to read."

"Sounds like we'll keep busy then."

"I'll be right back." He squeezed her hand once last time and she heard him limp away from her - cursing under his breath when he stubbed a toe on one of their chairs.

It didn't take him long to find a torch (luckily, lying right on Lucien's desk), and between the two of them they managed to find a wide array of candles all around the house - as well as a worn deck of cards and Alice pulled a few novels and journals she'd been meaning to borrow from Lucien.

Alice shivered as they brought their haul into the studio; the temperature was already dropping inside the house as the wind howled outside. She fought to keep her shivering to a minimum, not wanting to worry Matthew.

"Cold?"

Of course he'd notice. He'd always been keenly aware of her throughout their friendship and the beginnings of their relationship.

'If you could even call it that,' Alice thought. They'd gone out more, now that Lucien returned - stepping out, dating, courting, or whatever it was that the two of them did these days. They'd even shared a few tentative kisses on the doorstep of her flat when he walked her home.

A hand softly touching her elbow drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Matthew's worried face.

"Alice?"

She shivered again, and wrapped her arms around her torso in an effort to keep herself warm.

"It's… a little cold," she admitted softly.

The smile on his face was fond - thankfully not smug - and he slowly pulled her into his side, his hand smoothing up and down her upper arm.

"C'mon, I've got an idea on how to keep warm."

He wasn't sure if his idea would go over well with Alice, not when they'd taken so long to get to where they were in their fledgling courtship, but she'd been surprisingly open to it.

"You're sure you're alright with sharing a bed?" He asked her as they guided the mattress from his room through the house and into the studio - pushing the it in between the fireplace and the couch.

"It's basic survival, Matthew," she shrugged. "Sharing body heat is… not my usual way of getting warm, but I'll take it over freezing temperatures."

"I just… I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Just like I don't want you to be uncomfortable either," Alice grasped his hand (hers was already colder than usual). "Don't feel like you have to share on my account."

He smiled, "If you're fine with it, then I am too. C'mon, I've got a spare set of pajamas you can borrow. I'll even let you have my warmest pair of socks."

"Can I borrow a sweater too?" she asked with a smirk.

"If you're good."

As Alice changed, Matthew brought in more blankets from around the house and started a fire in the studio fireplace. When she shuffled back into the room - her makeup gone, his pajamas too big for her body, hair slightly rumpled from pulling the thickly knit sweater he'd given her over her head - Matthew smiled.

She smiled back, "You're turn. I'm going to go see if there's an old kettle we can use on the stove, make some tea."

"Good idea."

He returned to a steaming mug of tea - prepared exactly how he liked it - and Alice already cocooned in one of the blankets as she sipped on her own mug. Settling down on the mattress beside her with a groan, Matthew took the offered mug with a smile and a quiet "thank you". He could feel her watching him as they drank their tea in silence and he smiled into his mug.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked quietly.

A pretty pink blush spread across her face at being caught, but Alice cleared her throat and shifted next to him.

"Oh… it's, it's nothing, Matthew. I was just thinking how… nice this all is, even if we're stuck in a snowstorm without power."

He grinned, "It is nice… a bit like a vacation."

Alice smiled into her tea, "I can't remember the last time I had a vacation."

Matthew made a noise of outrage - echoing slightly in his mug. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not."

"Then we'll have to fix that in the future."

She looked up in surprise, catching the faint embarrassed flush traveling to the tips of Matthew's ears as he avoided her gaze. Usually that sort of statement, ones that took control out of her grasp, made decisions for her, caused her to bristle. Anyone other than Matthew would have gotten a sharp reply about how she was more than capable of planning and taking her own vacations thank you very much.

But Matthew, dear Matthew, was sincere and so matter of fact. He was kind and thoughtful in his own gruff way, and the idea of future plans, future vacations for just the two of them thrilled her and filled her with warmth. Maybe with him, vacations could be fun again.

"We'll see," was her answer.

The soft smile on his face warmed her more than the tea.

She put her empty mug to the side, stifling a yawn behind her hand as Matthew put another log on the fire.

"Falling asleep on me already, Alice?" he grinned.

"It's been a long day," she grinned back.

"C'mon then, I'm about dead on my feet too."

It was a bit of an awkward shuffle. Alice hadn't shared a bed with someone in years, certainly not since she arrived in Ballarat, and her skin prickled as she slid under the three blankets - keenly aware of Matthew's presence next to her under the covers. He'd graciously let her take the side closest to the fire and she curled up under the blankets with a sigh.

Blessed heat.

Her joy must have been apparent because Matthew chuckled next to her. "Still cold?"

"Mm-hm," she hummed drowsily as the combined warmth of the fire, blankets, and Matthew washed over her.

"Don't be afraid to come closer if you need to, Alice."

"You're sure?"

"No time to be shy in a power outage and a snowstorm."

Alice snorted into the blankets, but scooted closer to him nonetheless. His arm slid around her waist and she practically moaned in relief. He was so warm.

"God, you're like a living heater," she muttered.

He laughed as she pressed herself up against him, arms wrapping around his torso, legs tangling with his, and her nose in the crook of his neck - seeking more of his heat.

"Alice."

"Mm?"

"How is it," Matthew began, pausing when Alice curled further into his arms, "that even under 3 blankets, a thick sweater, and my thickest socks… that your feet are still that cold?"

She impishly snuck her hands under the hem of his pajama top, giggling at his muttered curse. "Maybe I just run cold."

"Cold-blooded," he grumbled.

Her hands slid around to his ticklish sides and she buried her giggles in the collar of the sweater she wore when Matthew pulled them away from his body. They died in her throat when he gently blew on her cold fingers as he warmed them in between his hands.

'Oh… that's… different.'

She caught his grin as he warmed her hands in his and her cheeks burned.

"Anything else feel cold?" He asked, his lips brushing against the backs of her fingers and she shivered involuntarily. Matthew grinned again, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he watched her.

His mischief was infectious and Alice smiled back as she nodded.

"Where?"

Part of her wanted to be bold and point to her lips - a tiny thrill thrummed through her at the thought of kissing Matthew when they were alone and cut off from any other distractions - but she didn't want to overstep. Shyly, she pointed to her forehead and smiled when Matthew dutifully pressed a kiss to it. His lips stayed against her skin, gently bestowing soft kisses wherever he felt like - each one warming her down to her toes.

"Good?" Matthew asked, his voice low and rumbling through his chest - she felt it more than heard.

She nodded, smiling when he pressed one last kiss to her forehead. "We should probably sleep… maybe the storm will blow over by morning."

"Maybe," he wrapped his arms around her again.

Alice snuck her arms around his waist and burrowed as close to him as she could possibly get. She felt him press a kiss to the crown of her head as his hands swept up and down her back - lulling her to sleep.

"Goodnight, Matthew," she yawned.

"Night, Alice, sweet dreams."

"You too," Alice mumbled, feeling him chuckle under her ear right before she drifted off - surrounded by his comforting presence and heat.

Alice woke to an empty bed and a dying fire in the fireplace. Shivering beneath the blankets ('So the power is still out,' she thought), she slowly sat up and stirred the fire back to life by stoking the embers back up into a decent flame and placing a new log on top. Faint clanging in the kitchen alerted Alice to Matthew's location and she stretched with a groan.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she stood and shuffled from the studio. Matthew puttered around the kitchen in the faint light of a few candles he'd pilfered from the studio, and Alice could smell cooking toast and eggs emanating from the stove. With a yawn, she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist - smiling when he covered her hands with his.

"Sleep well?" Matthew asked as she rested her head on his back.

"Mm-hm," she hummed. "You?"

"I did. I got some breakfast going if you're hungry."

"Is it still storming outside?" Alice yawned.

"Yeah," Matthew shifted and pulled her around to his side, letting her duck below his arm as he kept an eye on their breakfast. "It's still going strong outside, more snow fell overnight… I think we'll be in here for a bit."

She yawned again, "At least we've got things to keep us entertained."

"That we do. Now, pull down a couple of plates and I'll serve this with some tea, how's that?"

Leaning up to press a sleepy kiss to Matthew's cheek, Alice smiled at his blush, "It sounds perfect."

After a filling breakfast and tea, Alice and Matthew retreated back to the warmth of the studio where they passed the hours filling out puzzles, playing card games, or simply laying together dozing intermittently. Alice worked her way through the books and journals she'd been wanting to read, her head leaning against Matthew's shoulder as he napped.

It was nice, this time with just the two of them - Alice hadn't felt this relaxed in years. Matthew made her laugh more than she had in some time and she found herself wanting to tell him everything and anything about her past, her likes and dislikes, her burdens… and she knew he wouldn't judge her.

He told her stories of his childhood in Ballarat, of other snowstorms like this, of Lucien's antics when they were younger and in school together, of Lucien's father, and of his early policing years in Melbourne. Matthew was so much more animated when telling stories to her than he had been around others. When they were all gathered around the kitchen table, he kept to the background - preferring Lucien or Jean to take the spotlight as he interrupted with blythe comments and interjections.

She loved seeing his face light up - eyes shining in the firelight - as she heard his stories, his side of things for once, and in the middle of one such story, Alice leaned in before her brain could catch up and stopped him with a soft kiss.

Matthew froze and she drew back - cheeks burning and her heartbeat roaring in her ears.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

His lips - gentle and warm against hers - interrupted her and his thumb caressed her cheek.

"Don't be sorry," Matthew whispered. "You just caught me off guard, sweetheart."

The tiny thrill from last night shot up her spine and fizzed throughout her body at Matthew's term of endearment. She'd never been a sweetheart, never been called beautiful - let alone considered pretty - and Alice hoped she'd hear Matthew call her 'sweetheart' a lot more.

"So… you didn't mind?"

He shook his head, his nose nuzzling against hers until she smiled. "It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. In fact, I'd like to continue kissing you."

Alice cupped his face with her hands and drew him in for a kiss. "Good."

Matthew wrapped his arms around her and gently guided her down to the mattress without breaking the kiss. They laid there - legs tangled together, Matthew's hands warm against her back through the sweater - trading soft kisses and conversation as the storm continued outside.

Lucien let out a sigh as he and Jean finally got back home after the snowstorm delayed their return to Ballarat by nearly a week. Unlocking the front door, they were greeted with a dark and cold house.

He heard the light switch click a few times as Jean tested it out, "Power's out?"

"Must be," his wife answered. "I hope Matthew stayed warm."

Orange light flickered at the end of the hallway and Lucien followed it. "I think he did, my darling. Someone's in the studio."

She made a surprised noise and followed him, "That makes sense."

Lucien grinned, tangling his fingers with Jean's as he quietly opened the studio doors. A fire crackled in the fireplace, spilling warmth and an orange glow over the room.

"Matthew?" He called out softly (they'd gotten back fairly late from Melbourne, he didn't want to disturb his friend if he was sleeping).

Lucien heard a surprised grunt and the Blakes walked further in to see Matthew's mattress on the floor in front of the couch. Matthew lay in a nest of blankets and looked up from the book he held in one hand, his other arm wrapped around one Doctor Alice Harvey - dead to the world as she pressed up against Matthew's side, her hand curled possessively around the collar of his pajamas.

"You made it back," Matthew observed - gently soothing Alice when she stirred.

"The roads have cleared, but it looks like most of Ballarat is still without power," Jean confirmed as they joined Matthew. "Have both of you been here the whole time?"

Matthew nodded, "Alice was here talking about a case over dinner when it started. We decided to hunker down until it passed." He looked to Lucien. "Could you check up on her, Lucien? I think she caught something… she's running hot, coughing and sneezing but…"

"But what?" Lucien asked even as he moved closer.

"This is the first time she's slept soundly in a couple of days so…"

"You don't want to disturb her," Lucien smiled and patted Matthew's shoulder when his friend nodded. "I can always wait for her to wake up. Jean and I should get into more comfortable clothes… is there room for the two of us to join your slumber party?"

Matthew huffed a laugh, "The more the merrier, I suppose."

Lucien grinned and held out a hand to Jean, "Come on, my darling, let's go find our warmest pajamas."

"And then make some tea," Jean nodded.

The Blakes changed into comfortable and warm clothes, Jean bearing a tray of freshly brewed tea (made from melted snow, at Matthew's suggestion for fresh water) and Lucien bringing in more blankets and pillows. Alice stirred in Matthew's arms as Jean prepared a cup for each of them.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Lucien heard his friend whisper and he grinned at the squeak of protest Alice let out when Matthew tried to cajole her awake.

"Alice," Matthew tried again.

"No, cold," Alice pouted - her voice cracking and dying in a high-pitched squeak.

(Jean added a generous amount of honey to Alice's tea)

"C'mon, sweetheart," Matthew pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead. "Jean and Lucien have come back and Lucien wants to take a look at what's making you sick."

Alice frowned, her hand tightening briefly on his pajamas before she sighed and slowly opened her eyes. Rubbing at them with the heel of her hand, the rumpled pathologist yawned and sat up - Matthew not far behind. She begrudgingly let Lucien examine her, protesting when his stethoscope was "beyond freezing", and frowning when he looked at her eyes with a penlight.

"Only a bit more and then I'll leave you be, Alice. Throat examination and a temperature check."

"So long it's not the thermometer you use on dead bodies."

Lucien chuckled and took a quick look at her throat, checking how swollen her lymph nodes were (he caught sight of a darkening love bite where her neck and shoulder met as he tilted her chin up) before he stuck the thermometer under her tongue. Alice leaned up against Matthew, accepting the tea from Jean as they waited for the thermometer to finish. He slid it out of Alice's mouth and checked it.

"You've got a fever, Alice, but it's not too high. Based on what Matthew told me of your symptoms, I think you've just got a cold. Plenty of rest and fluids should help."

Alice just grunted into her tea.

"Thank you, Lucien," Matthew answered for her, his hand rubbing up and down Alice's back as she slowly woke up more.

"You're welcome, Matthew. Now, what do we do for fun in here?"

Alice's cheeks flushed a dark pink (making Lucien wonder just what they got up to in the days before this - he had his suspicions based on the love bite), but Matthew grinned and pulled out the deck of cards, "Here's a start."