Rosie wasn't sure either of them was fit to drive. She sat in the passenger seat with her head in one hand, bottle of water clutched in the other. Eddie squinted painfully through the windshield, guttural burps rearing up regularly. She made him stop at her favorite diner, and ordered enough breakfast for four people to go. They sat in front of the TV and shoveled as much as they could into their expiring faces. Murdock continued to try and attack Eddie's hands.

"Little shit!"

"He's trying to play, you know." Rosie turned her hand into a spider and ran it toward the cat. Murdock immediately sprung and pounced, talons digging into her skin. "Ouch."

"He's a little shit."

"Not wrong." She inspected the marks now striped across her fingers.

The door swung open, and Gabrielle bumbled into the entryway. By the sounds of her, she was suffering just as much as they were. She hardly made it to the door when Murdock leapt at her, running up her leg with purpose.

"Fuck! Get off, you asshole!" She removed him by the scruff of the neck and placed him on the counter. Murdock swiped, hissed, and tried to jump on her again. "Have you been getting him worked up again?"

"No." Rosie lied.

"Breakfast?" Eddie pointed at the trays in front of them, mouth full of pancake.

"Not hungry. Clean that up when you're done."

"Yes, Mom." Rosie shot back, chugging some orange juice.

"If I was your mom I'da taught you how to clean up."

"We're not even finished."

"And not to drink from the carton."

"It's my carton. I bought it." Rosie passed the drink to Eddie. He hesitated to take any. He didn't have a glass, either, and clearly wanted to be left out.

"You're a slob."

"Since when!"

"Since -" A huff. Gabrielle stepped away. "Forget it!"

"Even you don't know what you're talking about!"

A door slammed. Gabrielle could be heard thundering around in her room.

Eddie gulped down some juice. "I gotta ask."

"Shoot."

"I thought you two were...friends?"

"We were. After I moved in. Kinda."

"You didn't know her before?"

Rosie shook her head. "I mean...we knew about each other. And we'd met a few times. Charlie told me she had a spare room soooo -"

"Charlie?"

"It was better than staying with him again."

"He invited you to live with him?"

"Just temporarily. While I was looking." She caught his expression. "I didn't, Eddie."

"I know you didn't," Eddie pondered the way Charlie had behaved at the party. "You don't think he's...still interested?"

"He has a girlfriend."

"That doesn't mean he's not."

"Does it matter?"

He'd been studying her face while they talked about her ex. He knew it was a silly thing to worry about. People stayed in touch with exes all the time. Stayed friends. Nothing ever happened. Still, the revulsion she showed when she referred to Charlie lifted Eddie's spirits. There was no threat there. Not as far as she was concerned.

"No. I guess it doesn't."

They spent most of New Year's Day recovering, and that meant a day in bed. A good excuse to catch up on their exercise. Eddie was currently lying beside her, slowing getting his breath. His hair was matted and stuck out from all angles. He wiped a layer of sweat from his face, more little droplets glistening on his chest.

Rosie stretched out alongside him, snuggling in as his arm crooked around her. She tried in vain to arrange his bangs over his forehead, then pushed them back instead, frowning thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Just trying to see what you'd look like with short hair."

"Goofy?"

"Already goofy." He pinched her side. "Ow!"

"Rude."

"Still cute, though."

"Can't help it with this face." He added a big grin for emphasis.

He wasn't wrong, but still tried to turn away when Rosie squeezed his cheeks. "Right."

"You know I had a buzz cut in middle school?"

"No!" She turned excitedly. "Are there photos?"

Eddie shook his damp head. "Most of the photos got destroyed."

"Oh. Yeah."

A small rattle. Eddie chucked a box toward the trashcan. It hit the wall and bounced aside. "All out."

"We used all of them?"

"You're surprised?"

"Not really."

"We can get more tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

He raised a limp hand against her. "I am done for today."

"What!"

"I'm not touching you again."

Rosie wailed emotionally as he tried to roll on his side, tugging Eddie by the waist. He swatted her hands away from his overused nethers.

"Off me, woman!"

"I need moooore."

"Off!" He directed her hands up to his chest. "Succubus."

"That's a big word."

"Thanks. Read it in a book once."

"You can read?"

It was her turn to try and get away. Eddie spun entrapping her quickly with arms and legs.

"What did you say?"

"I'm just impressed."

He snarled and bit her chest. "What did you say?"

"Ouch!" She struggled, pulling what hair she could reach. "Nothing!"

"You said something! Apologize."

"Uh-uh!"

His hand made a loud clap when it connected with her rear. Rosie flinched. "A-po-lo-gize!"

"You know, if you don't want any more." Rosie purred back. "This is not the way."

Eddie laughed. "You're unreal."

"I am?"

He released her and kissed her nose. "You are."

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Eddie?"

He deliberately looked away from the flutter of her lashes. "Go the fuck to sleep."

The next day went mostly the same. Rosie went out in the morning to get essentials from the drug store. Eddie dozed off into a light sleep after she left, and woke to the sound of yelling from the kitchen. Gabrielle was on one again, and Rosie was giving as good as she got.

The bedroom door swung open and slammed shut. Rosie threw the bag onto the side table, wrenching off her coat.

"Everything okay?"

She started, clearly not realizing he was awake. "Just another mood."

He reached out and she laid down in his arms, a great huff escaping her. Her cheeks were red with anger as she slowly simmered there. "Can I ask why you don't just... move?"

A groan. "I got this for a really good price. Gabs keeps reminding me."

"I'm sure she does."

"Besides, this is only for another few months." She paused. "After that we can find something else."

Eddie's heart leapt. We. "A few months isn't worth your sanity."

"That ship has sailed, Babe."

"No doubt."

That earned him a jab. He gnawed her neck. At least she was laughing again. Rosie wriggled free and pulled her coat back on.

"Get up."

He grumbled and tried to grab her again. "Nooooo!"

Jeans hit him in the face."Up. It snowed again."

"Is that impressive?"

"Just move your ass!"

Rosie wrapped him up again, gloves and all. Eddie didn't miss the fact that she picked up her camera on the way out. Gabrielle was silently fuming on the sofa, and shot him a glare as they passed. He stared back.

"Are we there yet?"

"Two more flights."

Eddie puffed loudly. "Are we there yet?"

"Ask again and I'll push you down."

"Are we -"

Rosie stopped so he bumped into her. He had to grab the rail for balance.

"Oops. Sorry." There was a padlock on the door, but whoever had put it there clearly didn't understand how chains worked. She pushed down the handle and eased the door out as far as it could go. She slid through the sizeable gap, ducking under the chain. They stepped out onto the roof of the building - sided on their left by a steep gable. On their right, a waist-high wall marked the drop down onto the street below. Two crows flapped away when they saw them.

There was a bench in one corner, and a few pots for dead plants. Someone had tried to make this a nice terrace, once. Eddie trudged over to the wall and peered carefully down. He didn't get heady easily, but only took a minute to view the filthy alley.

Whump! He should have expected it, really. Cold, wet, the remains of the snowball rained from the back of his hood as he backed away. Rosie had another ready when he faced her.

"Don't you dare."

Like a red flag to a bull. She dared. Got him in the thigh this time.

"That's freezing!"

"It's snow, dumbass."

He danced away from the next, inspecting the piles on the wall and struggling with his gloved hands. Another sailed past his head. "Wait!"

"Bullseye." Rosie cackled as a missile exploded against his ass.

"Ugh!" The cold seeped through his jeans. Eddie felt his balls retreat back into his body. Finally with his own in hand, he tossed.

She spluttered as it went off in the complete wrong direction. How had she made so many so fast? She picked one up from the pile and hefted it. Missed. "Shit!"

Eddie was closing the distance between them strategically. Didn't hit her once, but that didn't matter. A ball shattered against his chest. Okay, maybe it did. "Yes!"

Rosie just brushed the frost off her leg and reached for the next. "Stay back!"

"You started this." He lurched forward menacingly, making her skip backwards. Away from her cache.

"Back!" Another got his shoulder.

If he could just... "Gotcha!"

"Grrrr!" Rosie kicked as she was lifted off her feet. Pushed the snowball into his stomach.

He winced. "Stoppit!"

"Leggo!"

Eddie somehow managed to trap her legs under one arm, upper body held by the other. He was going to drop her, he knew. So he might as well make it seem deliberate. Rosie screeched as she hit the snow. It wasn't very deep, but enough to leave an imprint. She swore. Called him all sorts of names. Eddie was too busy crying with laughter.

"That hat really helped."

"Fuck you!" She shivered as melt ran down her hair and into her sweater.

He tried to kiss her, but she palmed him away with icy gloves. Eddie sat: his rear was already soaked. The camera was in a leather purse at her side. He took it out and made sure it hadn't gotten wet. "Smile."

Once Rosie got over her shock, the pictures got better. She showed him how to use the timer, and they ended up using the whole roll. Them and their new son.

"Alfonso." Rosie patted the sodden hat on his head.

"We're not naming him that."

"Alfie for short?"

"No."

She stepped back, making sure the twigs were even. "He's lopsided."

"I love him anyway." Eddie straightened to admire his own handiwork. "Babe. Look. It's a boy."

Rosie guffawed. "That's what you've been doing?"

"Put your arm around him." He strode over and positioned the camera, then jogged back to pose. As soon as it flashed he wheeled and booted Alfonso in the face.

"That's your child!"

"I'm not ready for kids."