Requested by: Anonymous on Tumblr

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Brave' or 'ROTG'

Tossing her fiery curls over her shoulder, the young woman set the water bucket onto the ground with a thump, the water sloshing over the rim. She puffed out her cheeks as she stood up and rolled her sleeves to her elbow. After a quick moment of debate and shifting eyes, she bent over and grabbed the hem of her dark green dress. She pulled it up and tucked it into her belt. Nodding at the freer movement that pleased her and the fact that her hem wasn't dragging through the muck which would please her mother, she turned to Angus.

"Hi, boy," she said in a hushed tone as she reached out and stroked his soft cheek.

He gave a soft whiny as he nudged his nose into her shoulder.

"Angus," she chuckled.

His nostrils flared as he nudged her hips, prying around her.

"I've got nothing, you greedy beast," she reprimanded lightly as she stepped away.

Picking up an old cloth that hung of the side of the stall, she squatted and shoved her hand into the bucket—fully expecting water to encase her hand, not ice chafing her knuckles. She growled in pain as her blue eyes flashed to the hardened water. "Jack," she growled as she stood up.

She heard his chuckling before she saw him. He landed on the side of the stall across from her. A smirk pulled at his lips as he sat down on the wood wall. His staff planted in the hay as his fingers and toes curled around it.

"Unfreeze it," she ordered.

"Bossy much, princess?" he teased as he rested his forehead against his staff.

"Jack," she warned, her hands resting on her hips as she shifted her weight to one leg.

"I can't," he said simply. "I can only freeze."

"Well, then!" she exclaimed, tossing the cloth at him which fell pathetically a few feet in front of him.

He chuckled as her anger grew.

"I wouldn't be laughing, Frosty. Someone needs to get more water, and it's not gonna be me."

"Yeah, well, I can't do it," he smirked.

"Why?"

"What do you think it'll look like to everyone if they see a bucket floating around and filling itself up?"

"Oh," she mumbled, her frame slumping.

"Yeah."

She snapped back up, a stray curl falling into her eye. "But—" she began before she was cut off.

The spirit of winter leapt across the stall, aided by the wind, and landed softly in front of her. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her to him, lifting her feet from the ground as he pressed his lips to hers. After a moment he set her back down with a smirk. "You talk too much, princess."

"You can't take anything seriously."

He shrugged. "Enjoy the fun. How long has it been?"

"I have fun," she protested. "I just know how to be serious when I need to be."

"Not always," he argued.

"Well, no," she admitted slowly.

He chuckled as he spun her around. "And that's why I like you."

She laughed as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly. "I wonder what this looks like to others?" she mused.

Her question was answered by a throat clearing.

Two pairs of blue eyes darted towards the Queen whose brows were raised quizzically at her daughter. "I was going to ask if you wished to go for a ride," she said, "but I will leave you to your—um—well, your…" she faltered as she finished with a regal wave of a hand to make up for her lack of words.

"Oh, ah," her daughter mumbled as she quickly withdrew her arms from the invisible teen. "Mum!" she greeted, clamping her hands together. "I was—uh… I was just…"

"Brilliant cover up," he said as he ran his fingers through his snow white locks.

"Can you do any better?" she hissed out the corner of her mouth.

He opened his mouth to respond before his retort withered on his tongue, and he slouched away.

"Merida, I don't want to know. I won't ask," the older woman stated simply before turning on her heel and walked back to the castle muttering to herself about what could possibly be going through her daughters head.

"Great," the red head exclaimed as she turned to the Guardian of Fun, "now my Mum thinks I've lost it."

"You never had it," he countered.

She huffed. "Don't think you've gotten out of helping me bathe Angus."

"As you wish, princess," he smirked as he pecked her cheek.