Thank you for the reviews! Another fluffy chapter I'm afraid, but it's purely Merlin/Morgana and some progress between them, so I hope that's okay. Erm, yeah, I don't really know what to say with this chapter, apart from the fact that the weather has influenced it a lot. Again, sorry if it's too cheesy, especially the first bit, get ready to cringe, but I promise that I will get back to the main storyline next chapter.

Also, I have drawn a timeline in my little notebook to help me, I don't know if that's what you're supposed to do and I'm really stupid for not doing it in the first place, but now I have about 12 more chapters planned out and I hope I get there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Her eyelids flutter open and every part of her feels warm. Morgana becomes aware of someone huddled beside her, so she wriggles forwards slightly to get closer and more comfortable. Her eyes start to adjust to the light and she realises that the person is Merlin. He has one arm wound around her waist and the other curled around the back of her neck, pulling her into him. She sighs and revels in the calmness of the situation, until Merlin snorts himself awake, making her giggle.

"Hey," he whispers and she is disappointed when he removes his arms from her waist to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Hey," Morgana whispers back and secretly smiles when the limb returns to it's previous spot. Silence claims them and she closes her eyes again, allowing herself to go back to sleep.

The next time she wakes up, she is alone and her body feels cold from Merlin's absence. She rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling, only now noticing that they had spent the remainder of the night sleeping on the floor. She sits up and stretches her arms out in front of her, hearing clanking and hissing sounds coming from the kitchen. She decides to go out and investigate and finds Merlin dancing around the kitchen with two mugs in his hands, already dressed. He turns, sensing her presence and gives a goofy grin.

"Hey, sleep head. Cup of tea?"

"I'd love one," she says and walks over to give him a hand. "Why are you in such a happy mood?"

"Have you looked out of the window?"

She shakes her head and looks out into the garden, which is completely covered in white.

"Are we going to go out in it?" She sounds like a child, but she doesn't care.

"Well, unfortunately for me, it appears as though I won't be able to get into work this morning because of the treacherous snowy conditions... Of course we are!" He laughs and she does a little dance on the spot. He motions to the two steaming mugs on th counter. "But first, we have to drink these."

"I'm knocking mine back like a shot."

Merlin raises an eyebrow. "Fair enough. Do you take sugar?"

"Yes, four please."

He stares at her.

"What? I'm cutting down," she insists as he hands her the cup and, true to her word, she downs the liquid in 10 seconds flat, without stopping.

"You must have the lung capacity of a whale."

"Thanks," she croaks. "Ow, I think I've burnt my throat."

"Well, shoving a load of boiling hot water down it was never going to be a good idea.

"Stop being so sarcastic Merlin, it doesn't suit you," she says in annoyance. "I'm going to get dressed."

"Put something warm on."

"Yes, Dad," she says hoarsely and he hears her coughing and spluttering all the way up the stairs.

She comes back down ten minutes later and looks as though she has gained about 4 inches around her waist.

"Morgana, we aren't going on an expedition to the Arctic."

"You told me to dress up warmly, so I did!" She retorts.

"Alright, calm down! You must be gad you brought what seems like enough clothes for another 5 people. Although, if you just..." he trails off and then pulls the woolly hat she had been wearing over her eyes. "Perfect."

"Thanks, Merlin," Morgana says flatly as she lifts the material back up again. "I didn't think I would need my wellies, though," she comments and wiggles the dark green pair on her feet for emphasis.

"Neither did I. Ready?" He asks as he puts on his coat and holds open the kitchen door, leading to the garden.

"Yep."

"After you," Merlin offers and she frowns at his devious smile.

"You're planning something," she tells him, as they walk down the non-existant path.

"Perhaps," he smirks and then scoops her up into his arms and starts running towards the deeper snow.

"Merlin, don't even think about it!" She tries to be angry but it doesn't work. She screams in delight as he throws her down into the cold, white stuff. She grabs a handful of snow and condenses it into a ball before throwing it at his face, but it skims his ear.

"That was pathetic!" He laughs and she tries to get up, but he pushes her back down and starts shovelling heaps of snow onto her. "Do you surrender?" Merlin asks as her holds a handful of snow directly above her face.

"Yes! Yes, I surrender!" She admits but he lets it fall onto her anyway and runs away as fast as he can. She stands up quickly and aims a snowball at his back, but he ducks and trips over his own feet in the process. He soon picks himself up and soon it has turned into a fully fledged war, with clumps of snow whirling through the air.

"I demand a ceasefire!" Merlin yells as another snowball hits him square on the nose.

"That's just because you know I'm winning!"

"You are not!" He retorts.

"Yes I am!" Morgana disagrees and holds her arm behind her head, ready to throw again.

"Alright! Alright, you win!" He says quickly and she grins.

"Now what?"

"Snowman competition!" Merlin shouts and starts rolling a big ball of snow together.

"What? What's that?"

"See who can make the best snowman," he calls as if it is the most obvious thing ever and she immediately starts to puts handfuls of snow together, not wanting him to get ahead.

They both manage to finish the body part at the same time, but when Merlin goes up to the other end of the garden to make the head, Morgana gives his a few sly kicks before he gets back.

"What have you done!?" Merlin yells in annoyance and runs back to try and build it back up again.

"Who, me? I didn't do anything!" Morgana exclaims.

"Yes you did!"

"You didn't say there were any rules, so..." she trails off with a smile.

"Well, in that case," Merlin says smugly and walks over to her snowman and before she can stop him, he stomps on it.

"I'm reporting you for snowman abuse!" She tells him and pushes him away as she attempts to salvage the remains.

"There's no such thing!"

"Yes there is! It's called Merlin-is-a-big-horrible-brute-who-killed-my-snowman!"

"Please give £3 a month to help this poor, innocent snowman from being crushed," Merlin adds.

"See, you've heard of it, too!" Morgana giggles and Merlin laughs breathlessly, the morning tiring him out. "Do you know what, Merlin?" She walks over to him and pulls him close, winding her arms around his neck.

"No," she says dumbly, their faces inches apart.

"You get distracted far too easily," she smirks and before he has time to react, she shoves a bit of snow she had secretly been holding, down the back of his neck and then runs towards the house, squealing with laughter.

He stands there, stunned, as he watches her run down the path, trip over the boots that were too big for her anyway and face-plant into the snow.


"Well, that was fun."

"Yes, it was."

"I won the snowball fight," she says proudly.

"Fine," he says reluctantly. "I won at snowman building, though."

"I have snow all down my back now, thanks to you shoving it down my neck!"

"That's what you get for killing Aithusa!" She says defiantly.

"What?"

"That's what I named my snowman, before you destroyed it! Where is Aithusa, anyway? I haven't seen her for a while."

"Neither have I," he says calmly.

"Aren't you worried?"

"She'll come back when she's ready. Probably when she's pregnant with kittens or something."

Morgana turns to him, her eyes bright.

"Really?"

"No, not really," he says and she scowls at him. "Well, I hope not."

"Why? It would be cute!"

"Yes, cute but then I'd have to put up with 7 cats instead of 1! Aithusa's bad enough," he admits.

"I'd buy the kittens from you!" She grins.

"Yes, but you live here!"

"So?"

"I'm changing the subject!" Merlin yells and she laughs.

"Ok, then."

"Where did you learn to throw so well?" He asks.

"I don't know. But once I threw a snowball at this boy in my year and it hit him in the head and I knocked him unconscious."

"Morgana!"

"It was a provoked attack!" She explains. "He threw at snowball at my bum!"

"But still!" Merlin exclaims.

"I remember it bruised pretty badly."

"What, his head?"

She frowns. "No,my backside. I think Gwen had severe anxiety that day. Saying I could get arrested, blah, blah."

"And what did Arthur say?"

"Something about throwing it harder next time," she says casually.

"I don't think I want to meet your brother."

"Nah, he's okay. Just a bit overprotective," she smiles.

"I guess that's a good thing, though."

"Yeah...No! Merlin, why are you putting on 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas?"

"It's a good film," he shrugs and then holds the TV remote up high so that she can't reach it.

"I'll cry," Morgana threatens.

"So will I."

She manages to make it to the last 10 minutes of the film, before she cringes and runs out of the room.

"I can't watch it," Morgana calls from the hallway.

"It's finished now," Merlin tells her a few minutes later and she comes in with red eyes and wet cheeks. "You didn't even watch it and you still cried?"

"Yes, but I know what happens!" Morgana says and then flumps down on the sofa next to him. "You're a bastard for making me watch that."

"Don't swear, it doesn't suit your angelic features."

"Really?" She turns to him, suddenly interested. "Angelic features?"

"Yes, you are a rather attractive woman."

She raises an eyebrow. "Rather attractive?"

"Fine, beautiful,then."

She smiles at the compliment and looks out of the window.

"Thank you."

"I'm only telling the truth," Merlin says, matter-of-factly.

"You should do that more often. Any other confessions you'd like to make?" She asks with a grin.

"Confessions? Oh, I do have one..."

"Really? What is it?"

"I have this massive crush on someone, at the moment," he whispers.

She gives a dramatic gasp. "So have I!"

"Oh? Are you going to tell me who it is?"

"Nope," she laughs. "You have to guess."

"Gwaine?" Merlin suggests.

"No! I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

He panics. "No."

"Yes! Come on, it's fun!"

"No!"

Yes! Right, we'll both say it at the same time! Ready?"

"Er, yep."

"You," they both say at the same time.

Ugh, such a bad cliffhanger and probably the worst chapter EVER, but nevermind! It was really fun to write, especially the snowy stuff, and I hope you liked reading it.

As you might imagine, I am quite worried as to how you take to this chapter, eg, it's too soon or GET THEM INTO BED TOGETHER! I don't know, so please review and tell me - I'm not a mind reader, so if you don't tell me your thoughts then I won't know.

Any ways to improve, ideas and praise (although unlikely) is very welcome.

PS. Anyone who is up to writing me a new summary for this story will be loved forever because I'm terrible at writing them! So, if anyone could come up with a better one, please message me it!

Thank you for reading! :)