Fic: Snowy Day

[badly_knitted]

 


Title: Snowy Day
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Meriel, Nosy.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1237
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: It’s a snowy day and Meriel wants to play outside. Such a shame that Nosy has to stay indoors.
Written For: Challenge 320: Wrap at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
 


 
Waking up to find the world outside transformed into a winter wonderland by a heavy overnight snowfall, six-year-old Meriel was so excited she fidgeted right through breakfast, casting longing glances towards the French doors leading out onto the flat’s rooftop garden. The moment she finished eating she was out of her chair and running to look out at the beautiful sight. The snow was completely untouched! She would be the first person to set foot on it!

 
“Can I go outside and play in the snow, Taddy? Please?”
 

Ianto smiled as he joined his restless daughter. Meriel was standing with her nose all but pressed against the glass, watching the snowflakes that were still drifting down. 
 

“Well, alright, but you’ll have to wrap up warm,” he told her. “Put on your warmest jeans and a thick sweater, two pairs of socks, and then your coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and boots. I don’t want you catching a chill.”

 
“Okay, Taddy.” Meriel dashed back to her bedroom to change out of her indoor clothes into something warmer, and was back in less than ten minutes, all bundled up, asking her Taddy to help her with her boots. With two pairs of thick socks on her feet she needed another pair of hands to get the bright blue Wellies all the way on.
 

Ianto tucked the little girl’s scarf inside her coat so it wouldn’t get in her way, then zipped the coat closed and pulled the hood up over Meriel’s woolly hat. 
 

“There you go, sweetheart. Pop your gloves on then you’ll be all wrapped up and cosy.”

 
“Thanks, Taddy. But what about Nosy?”
 

Ianto regarded the family Fluff. “Ah, well, Nosy isn’t waterproof. It would get all cold and soggy if it went out in the snow so I’m afraid you’ll have to play by yourself.”
 

“Poor Nosy.” Meriel looked sadly at her best friend. “It’s never built a snowman, or had a snowball fight, or caught snowflakes on its tongue.”

 
“Humm,” Nosy agreed mournfully. It wouldn’t get cold out in the snow, not with so much thick fur all over its long body, but it knew from experience that snow melted, turning into water, and getting its fluff wet was horrible.

 
“I know it’s sad,” Ianto said, “but nobody makes snow suits for Fluffs, and even if they did, Nosy wouldn’t be able to slither if it was wearing one.”
 

That was certainly true; slithering in clothes was impossible; Meriel had tried. She knelt down and kissed her friend’s fluffy snout. “Don’t be sad, Nosy. You can watch me through the windows, and I’ll bring you some snow so you can feel what it’s like. It’s very cold and wet, but it looks so pretty! It’s like magic, and it’s such fun to play in.”

 
“Just don’t stay outside too long; come back in when you start getting cold.”
 

“I will, Taddy, I promise.
 

Scrambling back to her feet, Meriel dashed over to the French doors and slipped outside as quickly as she could so as not to let too much cold air inside the toasty warm flat. Nosy followed her, but stopped just inside where it could watch through the glass as Meriel ran around scooping snow together to build a snowman on the raised wooden decking, where Nosy and her Taddy could both see it. This was going to be the best snowman she’d ever made and she was going to build it all by herself!

 
Usually her daddy helped, but today was his day at work. He would probably be very disappointed when he came home because he liked playing in the snow, but maybe Taddy would let them both play outside later, after it got dark, with the outside Christmas lights twinkling prettily. Right now though, the important thing was to build a snowman for poor Nosy. 

 
With all the running around she was doing Meriel didn’t feel at all cold, except for maybe her nose, her toes and her fingers, because the snow was so cold to touch and even though her gloves were mostly waterproof some of the wetness still seeped through. It was okay though because the snowman was almost done. Meriel had made a hole in the top of the snowman’s body to sit the head in, a clever trick her Taddy had taught her last winter, so the big snowball head didn’t roll off when she set it in place and it was easy to pack more snow around it so it stayed where she wanted it. Then all that was needed were a few pebbles to give the snowman eyes and a big smile.
 

Once the snowman was done, Meriel had a brilliant idea. She rolled more snow into balls, laid them out in a wiggly line, then packed snow around them to make a snow Fluff. Seeing what she was doing, Nosy squiggled its long body with delight.

 
Coming back indoors once she was done, Meriel stamped the worst of the snow off her boots onto the doormat and started to wrestle her way out of her coat and gloves, Nosy assisting with the unwrapping. Taddy came out of the kitchen to help with her boots.
 

“Do you see what I made, Taddy?”
 

“I see; a snowman and his snow Fluff. Such a clever idea!”
 

Meriel beamed with happiness. “Can you take pictures of them? I want Daddy to see them, but the snow might melt before he gets home.”

 
That seemed unlikely, but Ianto would have wanted a record of his daughter’s artistry anyway so he fetched his camera and slipped outside to snap off a few quick pictures before darting back indoors, shivering.

 
“It’s so cold out there!”
 

“You should’ve wrapped up warm first, Taddy,” Meriel scolded. “Like you told me to.”
 

“You’re right, I should’ve listened to my own advice and put my coat and hat on first. Well, now we’re both cold, why don’t I make us some hot chocolate while you change into some dry clothes? Then I can dry the things you’re wearing so they’ll be nice and warm for you if you want to go outside again later.”

 
Meriel was always amazed at how brilliant her Taddy was; her Daddy said her Taddy knew everything and he really did! She hurried to her room to get into dry clothes, bringing the wet ones back for Taddy to dry.
 

Soon the three of them were sitting by the French doors, wrapped up in a big old duvet and sipping hot chocolate while watching big, fat snowflakes drifting lazily down from the sky. If it kept snowing like that the snow Fluff would get buried.

 
Taddy smiled when Meriel said that. “If it does then you’ll just have to build another one, maybe bigger than this one.”
 

That sounded like an excellent idea. “Daddy could help me!”

 
“I bet he’d love to when he gets home,” Taddy agreed.
 

That was for later though; for now Meriel, Nosy, and Taddy were warm and dry and happy, making up stories about the snowman and his loyal, brave snow Fluff. This was such a lovely way to spend a cold winter’s day, with two of her very favourite people in the whole world. Meriel snuggled between her Taddy and her Fluff, picking the half melted marshmallows out of her hot chocolate and eating them, all the while thinking what a lucky girl she was.
 

The End