missingthekeep | [for Meredith]

Entry tags:

[for Meredith]

Let it not be said that Sean has no Christmas spirit. Granted, the only reason he's up on the roof in the first place, stringing lights stolen from some nearby trees along the edges of his bloody cabin, is because he needs the distraction, but the point here is that he's doing it at all. The fact that he's heading towards another major holiday without Maeve, one of many, many more to come, the memory of how hard last year had been, running into Moira and everything that entailed, Sean isn't so oblivious as to not realize this is really just about finding something to keep his thoughts from heading to any of the old dark places and he hasn't suddenly turned over some festive new leaf. Really, it's almost the opposite, like he's cheapening genuine appreciation for the season by faking it for all the wrong reasons, but he doesn't care. He's up there, he's got his lights, he's got his Christmas spirit, and he's distracted enough by the simple act of not falling off for all the confusing thoughts and worries that having a girlfriend from the future show up apparently bring to be miles away. It'd be nice if he didn't have to look so damned ridiculous while he's at it, but it's a small enough price to pay for peace of mind, however brief.

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Sean had been planning on closing the gap between them before she could widen it any further, but instinct spurs him to turn and seek cover behind a tree just off the path when she nicks him again. "Ye know that I'd nae have it any other way, luv," he calls back at her, unable (or maybe just unwilling) to suppress his laughter as he crouches down to take his time making himself a couple snowballs. Any new worries he's got hovering about him, about Maeve or Moira or whatever, they're all still there, but giving in to them is an exhausting business, and he's got to keep his energy up right now. It's only logical.

"'Specially since ye went an' started it," he adds, peeking out from behind the tree to see where she's gotten herself to before he goes after her.

Meredith's got no sense of strategy. She's competitive, it's true, in play as much as in her erstwhile career, but planning ahead isn't a strength, so while he's making more, she's ducking behind a tree with a snowball cupped in her hands. She bites her lip to keep from laughing and it's a relief even when it bubbles over anyway. Just for a little while, she needs to be anything but serious or worried or thinking of the future when it feels like she's coming up on the finish line, the disappearing act at the beginning of this year hanging over the one about to start. Her luck's just never been good enough to believe in.

For instance, now she looks back over her shoulder and around the trunk to find him closing in on her. Immediately, instinctively, she throws all she's got, brows flying up as she laughs. "I guess I did," she allows, scrambling forward again.

Sean gives a shout when she catches him, but he's ready for her this time and doesn't stop to pelt her with his cache, one right after the other, until he's practically on top of her.

"Think ye'll be the one t'end it as well?" he asks breathlessly, cocky as hell and feeling downright mischievous. It's got to be an odd look on him.

"Yes," she shoots back, playfully defiant, though she's got nothing left to throw and all she's done is put up her hands to fend off his attack. Half bent already, she leans down to scoop up a handful, standing up straight again to press it flat against his forehead. "I always win." That's a blatant lie but she doesn't care, voice half gone with rising laughter.

He scrunches his face up into a frown, but otherwise doesn't flinch when he gets a face full of the white stuff. Instead, Sean just takes a moment to brush snow out of his hair and his eyes, letting her bask adorably in the success of her little stunt for a few seconds before he lunges at Meredith. "That's it," he growls, throwing his arms around her waist to drag her inelegantly down to the ground, "no more playin' nice."

Meredith yelps, hands thumping uselessly against his chest. Laughing, breathless and startled, she struggles without actually putting much effort into trying to get free. "Is that all you've got?" she asks, though it might be undermined by the sudden shiver caused by snow slipping past her collar, cold on her neck, when she eases up a little. "Seems pretty nice to me."

It's difficult to argue with that, especially with the way she settles beneath him in spite of the cold that's no doubt creeping in on them both. "Mmm," Sean murmurs, at once contended and a little smug, voice lowering as he ducks his head and leans in closer, keeping her pinned. "S'pose it does, at that." As he moves, though, he slowly, casually reaches one hand out to the side and brings it back in, dragging with him a tidy little pile of snow until he can push it against her neck, right down the top of her jacket.

The cold hits like a shockwave, sudden and biting, and even though Meredith would have to admit she's brought it entirely on herself, she lets out another yelp. Flinching away, she pushes herself back from him so she can sit. "Hey," she protests, though she doesn't entirely mean it, "not okay." She'd mean it even less if sitting up didn't send the snow sliding downward. Reaching beside her, she scoops up a handful of snow to fling at him, petulant.

He makes only a half-hearted attempt to get out of the way of the assault, and while Sean's not one to grow less stubborn on a matter, even in hindsight, he at least has it in him to look fairly sheepish as he turns back to her, sitting up on his knees and shaking snow off of himself. That doesn't mean he's about to back down.

"That mean I win?"

"No," Meredith says at once. Her insistence doesn't keep her from smiling at his question, though, as she inches closer, shaking her head. That combination of apology and triumph in his expression is absurdly appealing, but she doesn't back down, even in a corner with nowhere to go, knowing absolutely that she has no claim to victory. Anyway, she doesn't when it comes to fighting in the snow. "Never." Moving in closer, hands slipping to his shoulders, she pushes him sideways to try and pin him down in turn, grinning though she knows she won't pull it off unless he lets her, really. "I started it, I finish it."

Sean gives it a couple seconds of gritting his teeth and making a show of pushing right back before he lets her tip him over, slipping his arms back around her waist as he goes down hard.

"So ye keep sayin'," he laughs, as cocky as a person can be from the vantage point of the ground.

"Except I really don't know how to fight all that dirty in the snow," Meredith admits, laughing as she falls forward onto him as he goes, "because when it snowed at home or at school or wherever, I was usually inside with my books or my surgeries or people who were young enough to think they were too cool for that. Or boys. So I am at a distinct disadvantage here." Leaning her weight on him, she reaches up to shovel snow down towards his head as she speaks.

"Ach, ye poor thing," Sean deadpans, flashing her a teasing little pout before he glances upward and sees what she's doing. She's a quick learner, he'll give her that. "Jus' where are ye good at playin' dirty, then?" he asks with a chuckle, making a pointless effort to inch himself down out of the way of her hands, since the only real alternative is throwing her off of him and there's just no fun in that.

"Everything else," she jokes. Little things get omitted, and though she's referenced her past before, she likes to pretend it away these days, so she leaves out the boys she's stolen (temporarily, at least, or accidentally). "Taking surgeries. Getting my mother's attention, when she was still alive." It hasn't escaped Meredith's notice, either, the way this place works, that Ellis could show up fine any day now, remembering everything, not knowing all she's put Meredith through, and put her through that all over again. She knows it, but she chooses to ignore that, too. There's too much else to worry about already and she'd rather push snow past his collar with a smile.

Sean would see fit to comment on that, but she makes it pretty damn difficult to get too many words in edgewise before he's got the cold stabbing down onto his neck and lower. Letting out a sound that's half-laugh, half-yell, he sits up abruptly, taking her with him as he paws at the top of his jacket to get some of the snow out. "Alright, alright, alright! Ach, ye 'lil devil."

Meredith laughs, scrambling to wrap her arms around his shoulders, more to keep from slipping backwards than to get in his way, though it accomplishes that, too. "Does this mean I win?" she teases. Leaning her head against his a moment, she has to push away the urge just to curl up, bury her face in the crook of his neck, turn suddenly docile; she slips away instead, inches backwards, still fighting back laughter.

Chuckling, Sean leans forward even as she moves back, following her mostly out of instinct, not wanting to lose contact. His gut still doesn't want to give in just like that, but the cold now slowly creeping down his shirt seems to be insisting otherwise.

"How 'bout a tie?" he asks hopefully.

"I could live with a tie," Meredith allows, nodding slowly. She doesn't look away, wanting to move closer, waiting for him to be the one to do so instead. "I guess. To be nice. If we can go inside, I'm freezing." Accompanying the confession is a little rush of impatience, and she edges forward and leans toward him, something contracting in her chest.

Sean's all too happy to meet her halfway and he grins as he leans to kiss her, one hand slipping to the chilled skin of her neck, even if his hand's probably not much better. "Benevolent as always," he teases lightly, since hey, she did still start it. "Sounds fair ta me. We get ta warm each other up? Everyone wins there."

"How could I possibly say no to that?" Meredith asks, reasonably certain there's no way she could and no reason she should. Fingers tangled, stiff, in his damp collar, she kisses him again before pulling back to start to her feet, still holding on. "You shouldn't be out in wet clothes anyway."

"An' whose fault was that?" Sean asks incredulously, voice rising a bit as he stands up, though it quickly gives way to a fond chuckle and he slips an arm around her shoulders once they're both a bit more upright. "Honestly, ye've got some nerve, luv."

That, Meredith knows. To some degree, she's proud of it. "I didn't say it wasn't my fault," she laughs, leaning against him, an arm slipping around his waist. "And besides, you started that one." Her shirt's clinging to her back under the coat that now feels too heavy, after all; she learned it somewhere.

"Hey now, I was jus' defendin' meself the best way I had," Sean counters, but he's grinning as he says it, which lessons the effect somewhat as he heads them back towards his place. "A'right, so I guess we've both got some nerve." He's not about to complain about that, though, not really. He doesn't know about himself, but it's one of her best features.

"I'll say." It's one more thing on the long, if vague, list of things she loves about him. Meredith grins up at him, nudging him with her hip, playful. He's every bit as good at distracting her as she's ever been at doing the same for him. "At least we and our nerves don't have far to go."

"Mmm, praise the saints fer that," Sean murmurs, nudging her right back and leaning his face in towards what he can reach of her neck with a chuckle, absently twirling his fingers through a bit her hair. "'Cause I'm nae so sure mine could've made it otherwise."

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