Title is taken from RENT. Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Much to Abby's disappointment, Kate was silent for the entire drive home. While Abby was feeling perky and alive, Kate's eyelids sagged and every so often her head would jerk forward, reminding her body that she was still behind the wheel of a moving car and staying awake was still essential. Abby had trouble understanding how, on a beautiful, crisp winter night, anybody could be so uninterested. Then again, Abby wasn't the one stuck hunched over a desk, reading over boring papers and being forced to banter with obnoxious co-workers all day. Maybe it was the gallon of caffeine pumping through her bloodstream, but Abby felt undeniably refreshed.
The car came to a stop in the parking garage near Kate's building. The two women got out, their mannerisms reflecting their moods. Abby unbuckled her seatbelt, gathered her handbag, stepped out and shut the door in one swift motion, while Kate, making no effort to conceal her yawns, moved slowly and lazily as though she were made of molasses. Abby bounced up and down on her heels.
"Perfect night," she remarked, breaking the silence that had been driving her crazy for the past thirty minutes.
"Perfect for crawling into bed and falling asleep," Kate agreed.
"Don't you feel the least bit…" At a loss for words, Abby waved her hands in the air and wiggled her fingers. "…Sparkly?" Kate smiled as much as her energy – or lack thereof – would allow and shook her head. Of all the things Kate loved about Abby, her eccentricity at ridiculous hours of the night was surprisingly high on the list.
"Not at all," Kate admitted, moving to Abby's side of the car and linking arms with her. "But I love you anyway."
Their arms didn't stay linked for long. Once outside the parking garage, Abby was so excited it had begun to snow that she jogged ahead and twirled around, arms outstretched, catching snowflakes on her tongue. She scooped up a fistful of the ankle-deep snow that lined the curb from the last snowfall and let it sprinkle to the ground.
Kate liked winter as much as the next person, but she didn't feel like she was six years old every time it snowed.
"Look at this!" Abby gushed, running toward the small park across from Kate's building. "There's fresh snow on the ground and no one's walked on it yet! There's no one around for miles!" Kate refrained from making a sarcastic comment as three cars drove past. "It's all ours!" Abby danced in a circle as she neared the middle of the park. Kate's shoulders slumped.
"Abby, it's beautiful, it really is, but I'm so tired."
"It won't be fresh in the morning!" Abby protested. "Come on, we can make snow angels!" Abby dropped to the ground and spread her arms and legs, and Kate reluctantly realized that she had no choice but to follow her.
Sprawled out in the snow, Abby closed her eyes and sighed contentedly at the sky. It didn't matter that the snow was slowly soaking through her clothes. She'd be wrapped in blankets and Kate's warm embrace soon enough.
Kate's tired figures loomed over Abby's angelic one.
"Can we go inside now?"
"Come on, Kate. Make a snow angel first." Abby's eyes were still closed. The snowflakes made little geometric patterns on her jet-black hair and then melted to make room for the new ones.
"You mean lie down in the snow until I'm soaked and freezing? No way. I just want to—fuck!" Abby had grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her down into the snow. Abby giggled and licked Kate's ear.
"Well, okay, if that's really what you want." Kate blushed and groaned.
"Shut up."
"Come on. Seriously. Haven't you done this before?" Abby emphasized 'this' by sweeping her arms and legs through the snow again.
"Yeah, when I was a kid. Not anytime recently." The snow began to seep through Kate's various layers of clothing, which she had to admit was beginning to wake her up. She waved her arms and legs for good measure, causing snow to fall inside the sleeves of her coat and the bottoms of her pants. She shivered, but she was enjoying herself. A little. And she'd never admit it to Abby. "There. I made a snow angel. And it's now…" She lifted her arm and checked her watch. "…Eleven-ten at night. Can we go in now?" Abby sprang to her feet and extended her arm, offering to pull Kate up. Grabbing hold of Kate's hand and pulling, she softly said, "You're my snow angel, Kate," with just enough seriousness to make Kate shiver again.
Once she was on her feet, Kate gave her girl a peck on the lips, which she assessed to be safe since the park was empty otherwise, and then turned around to look at the angels in the snow.
"Something's missing," she said, kneeling by the two indented heads. With one gloved finger, she drew a halo above each. She paused, looked over at Abby and then at Abby's angel, and added a pair of horns underneath the halo. Abby smiled and nodded in approval. Kate just smirked.
Abby was glad that Kate had managed to pep up tonight. But now she knelt in the snow staring at the two angels, apparently lost in thought. She hadn't said anything for the past few minutes.
"How'd we end up together?" she finally ventured. Abby could tell that Kate was about to explore her deep and meaningful chasms of thought, so she opted not to respond. "I mean, look at us. You're wild and free and your lips are the same color as your hair, and I'm…I'm everything you're not. I don't deserve you, Abby. I don't deserve a snow angel like you." Abby stared in Kate's general direction. She wondered how a short late-night romp in the snow could suddenly turn this emotional, but she could see that her girlfriend was entering that dangerous, self-doubting place in her mind. Abby's own mind screamed at her to do something. Go over there and tell Kate she deserves everything she has, that she is a smart, passionate, beautiful person. Tell her that her girlfriend loves her and cares about her more than anything. Just do something, Abby, anything.
Something cold and wet came into contact with the side of Kate's head. She jolted upright.
"Abby!" she shrieked, leaping to her feet. Abby just smiled as innocently as a horned snow angel could. Kate shook her head, an evil smile mocking Abby's creeping across her face. "You are so going to pay for that."
Kate sprinted after Abby. The two howled with laughter and felt a composite age of about twelve. Kate finally caught up to Abby and threw her arms around her waist. Abby tried to free herself, and in so doing both women ended up back in the snow. They rolled over each other a few times until Abby had Kate pinned underneath her. Kate blew the snow off of her face.
"I'm cold," she whispered, suddenly overcome by passion. Abby leaned in and brushed Kate's lips with her own, leaving them tingling with happiness and her insides tingling with the desire for more.
"Don't worry," Abby whispered back in her low, sultry voice. "I'll make sure you're warm tonight." Kate let out a slow, shuddering breath.
"Ehhngj," she murmured.
Arms linked once more, Abby and Kate crossed the street to Kate's apartment building.
"Have fun?" Abby asked.
"Yeah," Kate admitted. "Thank you for making me do that."
"Anytime." Abby smiled. "Kate, you deserve everything you have. You are a smart, passionate, beautiful person and I love you and care about you more than anything." Kate leaned into Abby's side and nuzzled her cheek against her shoulder.
"I love you too, Abby."
A snowflake landed on her nose.