Baby, It's Cold Outside

It was Christmas Eve and snow fell in fat, white flakes on the other side of the glass adding to the 6 inches already blanketing the ground. Katie leaned against the frame of the large bay window and watched the snow falling in her front yard.

She sighed heavily before speaking to her fiancée, "I hope they don't cancel my flight." Tom didn't respond, instead he pulled his coat on and fetched the keys to her car. She listened as he walked out the front door; Tom shut the door hard behind himself, letting his disappointment show. She watched as he trudged through the deep snow to her Mercedes SUV, he'd also taken the time to pull on gloves and a hat. Katie smiled to herself as Tom dug around the backseat for a few moments before producing the ice scraper and setting to work on cleaning off her vehicle.

Katie had purchased her single plane ticket a month prior to ensure she would get herself a seat. It bothered her to know she wouldn't be spending Christmas with Tom, but he would join her at her family's home just a few days after the holiday. Tom had not been happy when she'd informed him that she would be making the journey back home to the U.S. without him, but he knew it was important for her to see her family, especially since she'd moved halfway around the world for him.

Tom, on the other hand, could not stand the idea of being apart on Christmas. The thought of Katie being so far away from him on a day meant to be spent together ate away at him and as the time for her to depart grew closer, his frustration became more and more evident. He'd agreed to host a benefit the day following Christmas and now he was kicking himself in the ass for it.

"Sonofabitch," Tom muttered as the snow he'd just cleaned off the Mercedes' windshield was replaced by a new, thinner coating. He sighed heavily, knowing she was watching him from the warmth of their home. He looked out into the street and knew there was no way, even with four wheel drive, that she would make it all the way in town to the airport.

Katie watched her future husband walk back up the walkway to their front door, she met him in the foyer as he shoot the snow and ice from himself.

"Baby," He started, "I don't think you're going to make your flight." He pulled his gloves off, followed by his hat, "It's not letting up out there," He could see the disappointment on her face, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," She said as he kicked his boots off, "I-" The lights flickered in their home for a moment before going dark.

"Shit," Tom groaned, shutting the front door and pulling out his phone for light, "Stay put, I'll get a fire going."

"Okay," Katie said. Tom paused as he walked by to brush his lips against her cheek. Katie felt her way into the living room where the fireplace was and settled on the couch. She dialed her mother's number on her cell phone, but all she got was an error tone.

Tom collected firewood from the shed behind the house and moved it into the mud room just off the kitchen before locking the back door. He brought a few logs into the living room.

"My phone's not working," Katie informed him, as he set down the logs he looked at his own phone, only to see he had no signal either.

"The cell towers must have lost power too," Tom said, setting the useless device on the coffee table. He carefully arranged the logs in the fireplace, to ensure even burning. Katie watched as he poured a small amount of lighter fluid onto the dry logs and lit a match. In moments they had a warm and cozy fire. Katie got off the couch and retrieved a few blankets and pillows. Tom joined her in the living room holding eggnog and a bottle of baileys.

"Grab two glasses?" He asked with a smile on his face, she returned his grin and fetched the glasses from the dark kitchen. She settled on the couch next to him as he pulled the coffee table closer. He carefully mixed them drinks before handing her a glass. She took a sip of the sweet and decadent beverage, feeling the alcohol warm her from the inside.

"My mom's going to be worried," Katie sighed, leaning her head on Tom shoulder as he pulled one of the blankets around them.

"I know, baby," He kissed the top of her head, wishing to ease her worries, "We'll call as soon as we can." She sipped on her drink while watching the shadows the fire created dance across the walls and ceiling.



Hours later the power hadn't come back on and Tom was adding more logs to the fire while Katie looked through the drawers of the coffee table.

"Aha!" She grinned, feeling the effects of the drinks she had.

"What did you find, love?" Tom smiled, glancing back at her.

"Cards," She answered happily, they'd moved the couch closer to the fireplace so they could get more warmth from the fire. Tom sat down next to her and covered back up with the blanket, "Wanna play go fish?"

Tom laughed, "Strip go-fish?" Katie rolled her eyes and tossed the cards onto the table, "Is that a no?"

"Yes," She smirked, "I don't want to freeze while losing to you in cards."

"You wouldn't freeze," He smirked, pulling her closer to him, "I'd keep you warm," He said, his voice low and his lips just centimeters from hers. She closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. Tom kissed her back warmly as her fingers played with the hem of his long sleeved tee, she was itching to pull it off and expose his muscled torso. She slipped her hands under the thin material and let her fingers trail over his stomach, making him mumble softly against her lips.

"Why didn't we think of this earlier?" Tommy smirked as he broke their kiss and pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it over his shoulder. Katie giggled as he scooped her up and moved down onto the plush rug in front of the fireplace. Tom quickly removed the rest of his clothes and did the same for Katie before he grabbed a pillow and placed it beneath her head as he settled on top of her to resume things.



Tom and Katie laid entwined with one another, covered by a mound of blankets, in front of the dwindling fire. She had her head resting on his chest as her finger tips traced delicate patterns at the base of his neck.

"I love you," Tommy's voice was deep and hushed, his breathing was still a little fast, "More than anything."

"I love you too," Katie answered, leaning up on her elbow to kiss him sweetly. Her breathing matched his.

Just as she settled back on his chest, light flooded the house as the power was restored. The two lovebirds remained on the floor, focused only on one another as the snow continued to fall.