Hello & Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you guys! Since I'm getting nowhere with my main story, I decided to write a bunch of holiday oneshots leading up to Christmas. Five stories in total with multiple ships from the games and show. First up is SequelShipping (Rosa/Hugh). Hope you guys have a great week!

Rosa dreaded the winter months. It was always cold, muggy, no reason to be outside at all. The snow often reached heights of above the knees making travel a huge hassle. If it wasn't something important it was better to stay inside in the warm confines of one's home, maybe light a fire and drink hot coffee. A decent afternoon consisted of those calm activities, along with resting on the sofa and reading a book or flipping through television channels. There wasn't much to do when the weather failed to cooperate. She preferred the sunny, warm beaches and eating ice cream to cool down. Undella Town was her favorite place this time of year but even that place was terrible in the winter.

Looking out of his snow covered window, she found it odd that people were out playing in the freezing snow. Many hurled snowballs at each other from behind shoddy forts and nailed themselves in the face repeatedly. She shivered at how cold it must feel getting pelted by those little balls of frozen rain. Others, like her boyfriend and his kid sister, rolled huge amounts of snow and stacked them on top of one another to create a misshapen snowman. The midsection was the biggest of the three pieces while the base was the smallest yet held up the entire thing. Seeing Hugh frown and his sister laugh at their poor job made her giggle.

What she loved about him the most was how loving he was to his sister despite being a bit of a hothead. He went above and beyond to protect her and made she had all she needed. His devotion was definitely appealing and often made her wonder if he'd be the same if they were to have kids someday. She brought it up repeatedly just to see the look on his face, but in truth it was far off into the future. They were still kids themselves. It didn't stop her from imagining what they would turn out like, though.

While they worked on adding the last details, she left the windowsill and began heating up a pot of milk to have the chocolate ready once they came inside. With Hugh's sister visiting she couldn't make her favorite coffee blend and had to settle for hot chocolate. Not that she minded, chocolate brought a sense of calm and wouldn't make her crash after a few hours. As the pot boiled, she grabbed three mugs from the cupboard and the chocolate mix and a big bag of marshmallows from the pantry. She poured the steaming milk into the mugs and started mixing in the ingredients, setting aside the marshmallows so they could each decide how much they wanted.

Just as she finished separating the cups, the door swung open and let a strong breeze chill the air inside.
"Don't forget to take your shoes off."
"I won't!"
Rosa wrapped her thin jacket tighter around her body to combat the sudden drop in temperature. Hugh came in first, leaving the door wide open while his sister followed. He dusted the snowflakes that collected off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door. His sister did the same but with a little wiggle instead that made her laugh quietly.

"Hey, Rosa." He walked into the kitchen where she stood and kissed her on the cheek.
Her body recoiled slightly with the numbing coldness of his face.
"You're freezing, Hugh! At least warn me next time." She gently pushed him away but like the joker that he was, he only forced himself closer and hugged her tighter. His frigid fingers ran underneath her shirt and touched bare skin, making her jump in surprise at his icy touch. Another reason she hated winter. Hugh always messed with her for avoiding the snowy weather.

"That's not fair! Please, stop!" She laughed as she tried to pull away. Finally, after a few more playful kisses on her cheek, Hugh let her go and walked over to the counter where the drinks were.
"You made hot chocolate?"
"Yes. I figured you two would need something hot after being outside so long."
"It wasn't that cold. You should've been out there with us. We made a snowman." Hugh ripped open the bag of marshmallows and popped a few into his mouth. "Come get some chocolate, bubbles." He called to his sister.

"Yum! Can I get marshmallows, please?"
"How many do you want?"
"Two!"
She watched their loving exchange and couldn't help but admire the bond the two of them shared. Being an only child was really hard growing up. Sure she had tons of friends and her mom to keep her company, but having a sibling was something she always wanted. They seemed to have a lasting connection that friends don't usually ever attain. Friends come and go but a brother or sister would always be there no matter what. Now that she was with Hugh, it was like she had a little sister as well. Granted she could never take his place but it wouldn't stop her from showing her things only a big sister could.

"Rosa, how many do you want?"
She snapped her focus back to Hugh who awaited a response.
"I'll take two, please."
Hugh grabbed the last two mugs and handed hers over.

"What do you say, bubbles?" He looked down to his side and asked his sister.
"Thank you, Rosa!" She wore a foamy mustache while looking up and beaming a wide smile.
"You're so welcome. How about we watch a movie tonight?"
"Yay! Can I pick one?"
"Of course. We'll be there in a minute."
She bounced off to the living and began scouring the row of movies on the shelf by the television.

Night was setting in, the streetlights came in one at a time through the window. The snow was still falling and the streets were empty. They had settled in on the couch, covered by a large blanket, and turned on the movie she had picked. Rosa brought over a plate of fresh baked cookies that they ate while sipping their chocolate. As it went on, she huddled closer to Hugh and practically lay on top of him. His arm went over her shoulder and welcomed the extra warmth. His sister fell asleep halfway through the animated movie and she was on her way to joining her. Hugh tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, pushing her towards sleep with his caresses.

Though she still hated winter, the quality time she spent with friends and family was better than any gift she could ever receive. She had a loving boyfriend, a healthy life, and a possible little sister to care for. Nothing could beat the happiness and love she had for the brother and sister who resided next to her.

Before closing her eyes and joining the slumber, she cocked her head up and looked at her boyfriend. "I love you, Hugh."
He finished off his chocolate and had the same foamy coating his sister had earlier. "I love you, too, dummy."

She craned her neck up and caught his lips, tasting the sweet flavor of chocolate.