It was Christmas Eve in Gothenburg, and Brigitte Lindholm was glued to her phone. All bundled up in a heavy black coat that reached down to her knees, with a yellow scarf and warm black pants, she sat by the window in the warm glow of the holo-fire, awaiting a text from a very special someone. Her cat was curled up in her lap, purring softly. Outside, snowflakes were drifting lazily down from the sky, and the ground was frosted with a glistening layer of snow and ice.

“Come on ,” Brigitte groaned. Hana had been supposed to meet her more than two hours ago. “What’s taking so long?” By some miracle, she and Hana had managed to convince Winston to give them two whole weeks for themselves, and Hana had just flown in to Sweden this morning after delivering her end of year report to MEKA. Even though their vacation had only just started, every second Brigitte couldn’t spend with Hana just felt like a waste of precious time. At last, her phone beeped and Hana’s message tab popped open.

[Sorry I’m late! Flight was delayed cuz of the snow lol. I’m here now though!

(\__/)

( • . •)

/ >♥️<\]

Brigitte sprang up from her seat, startling her cat and sending her bolting into the next room. “Sorry, Mitzi!” She called out as she rushed down the hall. She only paused a moment when she reached the door, if only to stop herself from slamming it open in Hana’s face. She likely wouldn’t have anyways, since in her excitement she wound up spending several seconds fumbling with the lock. Her heart was pounding and her entire body was bursting with energy as she finally managed to open the door.

“BRIGITTE!!!”

“Hej Han–OOF!” Brigitte was caught off guard as Hana threw herself bodily into her arms. Only their sheer difference in weight kept Brigitte from toppling over backwards into the hall. Hana looked cozy in her puffy pink jacket and thick baby blue leggings. She had a medium sized pink shoulder bag and a massive suitcase sat at the base of the stairs.

“You’re energetic!” Brigitte teased, giving Hana an affectionate squeeze. “What have you been eating?”

“They make Eggnog flavored Mtn Dew!!” Hana beamed, reluctantly releasing her girlfriend.

Brigitte feigned disgust. “Yuck! That sounds like something only you could enjoy.”

Hana nodded vigorously. “I’m probably hopped up on enough caffeine to kill a small horse! Also I’m really happy to see you..."

Brigitte laughed and ruffled her girlfriend’s snow-covered hair. “Me too Hana.” She sighed as her girlfriend bobbed up and down excitedly on the balls of her feet. “I’m not gonna get any sleep tonight, am I?”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll tire out eventually!” Hana paused. “Um… would you mind helping me get my suitcase up the stairs? After all, you’re so big and strong …”

Brigitte rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she walked down the stairs. “How about you save the ham for Christmas dinner, Kanin?” she joked, crouching down and lifting up Hana’s suitcase. “Fan!” She gasped under its weight. “ WHAT do you have in here?!”

“Some stuff…” Hana replied sheepishly, watching as Brigitte struggled up the stairs and set the suitcase down in the hallway with a loud *thump*. Seeing Brigitte lift heavy things with ease was hot, sure, but for Hana there was something adorably relatable about seeing her girlfriend struggling with a suitcase–even if it probably weighed more than Brigitte herself. As Brigitte stood up, arched her back, and rolled her shoulders, Hana realized she was staring and quickly composed herself. “So, where should we go?” she asked as Brigitte turned around to face her.

“Hey, wasn’t this whole date your idea?” Brigitte said breathlessly, stepping out of the hall and closing the door behind her.

“Yeah, but I don’t know where anything is! I’ve never been to Gothenburg before! Besides, you’re the one who asked me where to go when we were in Busan. It’s only fair!”

“Well…” Brigitte thought for a moment as Hana looked up at her from the base of the stairs. “How about we start by going to the ice skating rink, and then we can go for a walk through King’s Park!”

“That’s it?” Hana asked, visibly disappointed.

Brigitte hopped down the stairs and pulled Hana in by the shoulder for a side hug. “I said we can start with that. We’ll see what else we want to do afterwards, okay?”

Hana looked up at her girlfriend with a smile and nodded, feeling her heart flutter as the warm light from a nearby streetlamp illuminated her girlfriends freckled cheeks. She’s so pretty… Hana thought. She felt her cheeks grow slightly warm, and she hoped the fact that they were already rosy from the cold hid her blush.

Brigitte dropped her arm from Hana’s shoulder and gently took hold of her hand as they started to walk. The streets were mostly empty–it seemed everyone was spending their Christmas Eve cozying up around a warm holo-fire. There were a few couples here and there enjoying the night, but by and large the Korean and the Swede had the night--and the city--to themselves.

“It’s so pretty!” Hana murmured as she gazed around in wonder. “I’ve never seen so many old buildings before!” She went quiet for a moment and when she spoke again her tone had changed. “…almost everything historic in Korea got destroyed in the Crisis…” she said quietly.

Brigitte stopped walking and turned to face Hana. She knew that Hana was prone to anxiety attacks, especially when she thought about the death and destruction the omnics had caused in her homeland. “Hey,” Brigitte said, gently lifting the brunette’s chin with her index finger, “Let’s not think about that right now, Kanin. Tonight, all that matters is us, okay? You and me.” Hana nodded. Memory lane for her was often more akin to a dark and dangerous back alley, and Brigitte was doing her best to keep her happy on their special night. “Want me to carry you?” Brigitte offered. Hana hopped up into her arms without an answer, but Brigitte was ready and caught the smaller girl without difficulty. She held her close and Hana buried her head against the larger girl’s chest as Brigitte started walking again. The warm embrace of Brigitte’s strong arms was the one place in the world Hana felt truly safe. Her lifetime best friend Dae-hyun came close, but, for Hana, there was just something about Brigitte that could make the outside world and all its horrors melt away.

They walked on in silence for a minute or so, Brigitte gently cradling her girlfriend in her arms, and Hana focusing on the steady sway of Brigitte’s gait, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the rhythmic beating of the big girl’s strong heart, trying to calm her own heart and breathing to match. Eventually, Hana’s nerves began to return to normal, and she looked up from Brigitte’s chest.

Brigitte felt Hana stirring and looked down at her with a soft smile. “Your hair smells nice,” she said warmly.

Hana managed a soft smile in return. “Thanks,” she said, for both Brigitte’s compliment, and for her support.

Brigitte responded by planting a small kiss on Hana’s forehead. “Anytime, Kanin. Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. I’m okay now.” Brigitte gently set Hana back down on the sidewalk and grasped her hand with a firm squeeze.

“Come on,” Brigitte said. We’re almost at the ice rink.”

“It’s open tonight?” Hana asked, the thought just now occurring to her.

Brigitte snorted. “No,” she said, as if it was obvious.

“Ooo, you’re a baaad girl!” Hana teased. Brigitte’s laugh rang out bright and pure through the night, and Hana couldn’t hide the dumb grin that spread across her face. Her girlfriends laugh was such a beautiful sound. “But seriously,” she asked, her heart still fluttering. “You’re not worried about being caught?”

Brigitte shook her head, still smiling as well. “Papa’s friends with the guy who runs the place, and I’ve been sneaking out to skate there after hours ever since I was a little kid. Eventually they just told me the keycode to get in.”

Hana chuckled and leaned her head against the taller girl’s arm. “I keep forgetting you have a mischievous streak,” she said. “You’re always so sweet !”

“Well I keep forgetting you have a sweet streak,” Brigitte replied sassily. “You’re always so mischievous!”

“That’s me!” Hana giggled. “Sweeter than Mtn Dew, spicier than flaming Doritos!”

“Ugh,” Brigitte groaned. “You’re even worse than Reinhardt, I swear.”

“You’re the one who’s dating me,” Hana countered with a wink.

“ You’re the one who asked me out!” Brigitte protested.

“And? You’re the one who said yes!” Hana playfully bumped against the bigger girl.

“Håll käften,” Brigitte grumbled. For once Hana had her.

“Victory is sweet !” Hana exclaimed triumphantly.

“Whatever. The rink is just up there.” Brigitte pointed to a large building about a block and a half up the road.

“Race ya there!” Hana giggled, taking off before Brigitte could respond.

“Not fair!” Brigitte called after her as she gave chase. She could have easily overtaken the shorter girl if she really wanted, but she was content to just stay close behind.

Hana had almost reached the building when she hit a patch of ice and her feet flew out from under her. She barely had time to let out a yelp of surprise before a strong and familiar pair of hands caught her and hoisted her back to her feet. “I’ve got you!” Brigitte said reassuringly.

“Gamsa,” Hana replied. “I still won, though.”

Brigitte playfully ruffled the shorter girl’s snow-frosted hair. “We’ll call it a draw.”

They arrived at the door and Brigitte hunched over the number pad and quickly punched in a lengthy code. There was an audible *click!* as the locking mechanism disengaged, and Brigitte pushed the door open.

“How do you remember such a long code?” Hana asked.

Brigitte chuckled. “When you’ve listened to as many of Reinhardt’s stories as I have, you get pretty good at remembering long, boring strings of information.”

As the door swung shut, Hana and Brigitte were briefly swallowed up by pitch darkness, before Brigitte made her way to the light switch and flipped on the maintenance lights, basking the whole facility in a dim, warm glow. She led Hana down a ramp that led from the main entrance and ticket booth down to the main lobby. The entire floor was covered in a dark red rubber that felt just a little weird to stand on. As they reached the door of the skate kiosk, Brigitte punched in another code to let them in the "Employees Only" section where all the skates were stored.

"It feels like I'm in a secret area in a video game," Hana wondered aloud.

Brigitte chuckled. "I suppose it does have that 'forbidden' quality to it!" Brigitte loved video games as much as the next person--indeed, probably somewhat more than the next person, as it was her second-favorite hobby after mechanical engineering--but there were few around who could match Hana's sheer adoration for the medium. "Pick out some skates that'll fit you, and we can hit the ice!"

Hana rummaged around a bit until she found a pair she liked, and laced them up. "So… now might be a good time to mention that I've never ice skated before," she admitted as she stood up. She could feel her ankles wobbling worryingly.

"That's okay, Kanin!" Brigitte replied, finishing her own skates and standing up herself. "I can hold you so you won't fall over!"

"Okay!" Hana slowly made her way over to the ice. As she put her first foot on the rink, she felt Brigitte's strong hands wrap around her waist. She was glad she was facing away from the Swede, as the feel of her girlfriend's hands there had caused her cheeks to glow bright red.

Brigitte was just as glad that Hana was facing away from her, since she could feel a blush spreading across her cheeks, up to her ears, and even down her neck, and she had to resist the urge to let go of Hana's waist to tug at her own scarf. Brigitte had always gotten flustered more easily than her girlfriend anyways, but holding on to Hana's waist as they stepped onto the rink, just the two of them together, just felt so… intimate.

Hana began to slowly waddle forward on the ice.

"You're just walking," Brigitte said.

"I'm scared," Hana admitted quietly. She felt Brigitte's hands tighten a little around her waist.

"I've got you," Brigitte reassured. "Just kick off with one foot and slide on the other. I won't let you fall."

Hana looked back and gave Brigitte a warm smile. "Okay." She straightened her right foot and pushed off with her left, sliding forward.

"Now the other foot," Brigitte encouraged. "Just keep going, one after the other!"

Hana skated a few more wobbly steps before she felt her feet whip out from under her. Immediately she felt the grip around her waist tighten, and Brigitte's strong arms lifted her back to her feet. "Gotcha Bunny!"

"Thanks," Hana said breathlessly, her heart pounding from the sudden shock.

Brigitte bent down and slid her hands forward around Hana's stomach, pulling the smaller girl into a hug. Hana leaned back into Brigitte's comforting bulk, pressing her own hands over Brigitte's and resting her head back on the big girl's shoulder as she took a moment to steady her breathing and heartbeat. "Ready to try again, Kanin?" Brigitte asked.

"Yeah! Take two! Lights, camera, action!"

Brigitte moved her hands back to Hana's hips, loosening her grip and allowing her girlfriend a bit more freedom to skate. As they skated together, Hana fell a few more times, but she was getting better with each try. Eventually, she started to feel more confident.

"I want to try it on my own," she requested, having gone several minutes since her last fall.

"You sure?" Brigitte asked. "I might not be able to catch you if you fall."

"I'll be fine ," Hana said, sounding more cocky than reassuring. "I've got this!"

Nervously, Brigitte let go of Hana and followed closely behind her as she began to skate on her own. Hana was a little wobbly, but she seemed to have herself under control until, once again, she lost her balance. Without Brigitte to catch her, she fell backwards onto the ice, landing hard. "Whaa-OWW!"

"Hana!!" Brigitte rushed over and knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?? Did you hit your head??"

"I… I think so?" Hana said sitting up and rubbing the back of her head.

Brigitte held up three fingers in front of Hana. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," Hana said without hesitation. "Our anniversary is November 3rd. For breakfast today I had a bowl of Lúcio-Ohs. You ask me the same questions every time I hit my head, and I've only actually concussed myself once."

"You do have a thick skull, bunny," Brigitte teased, laying down on the ice and resting her head in Hana's lap. "Otherwise you'd be learning from all your dumb mistakes."

"Dagchyeo!" Hana retorted playfully. "You're so mean!" She sighed and began stroking Brigitte's hair absentmindedly.

Brigitte felt her heartbeat quicken slightly. She loved it when Hana played with her hair, but their height difference made it such a rare occurrence. She closed her eyes and felt her body relax.

Hana giggled. "You're so adorable when you do that. Like a big cat!"

Without opening her eyes, Brigitte made a fist and pawed at the air. "Nyah," she said lazily. She felt a small hand whap her on the shoulder.

"You stop that!" Hana said, blushing brightly as she felt her heart flutter. Brigitte was just too cute.

They lay on the ice for a minute or two just enjoying the time together, Hana all the while stroking Brigitte's hair. For a while the outside world melted away, and all that was left was the gentle sound of their breathing, and the low hum of the rink's refrigeration system. Eventually, the smaller girl decided to speak up. "You're not going to fall asleep on me, are you?" She asked.

"No," Brigitte said with a smile, her eyes still closed. "We haven't even been to the park yet!"

"Good, because my ass is cold and I want to do some more skating."

"Only if you don't make me let go this time."

"Ugh. Deal."

Brigitte sat up and climbed to her feet. Hana tried to stand up as well, but she couldn't get a grip with her skates. Brigitte grabbed her underneath her arms and scooped her back up onto her feet, before sliding her hands back down to the smaller girl's waist. They continued to skate together for another half hour or so, during which Hana fell multiple times--or she would have, had Brigitte not been there to hold her. Eventually, Hana was ready to move on, and she led Brigitte back to the edge of the rink.

As Hana stepped back onto the rubber floor, she felt Brigitte's hands leave her waist. "Wait!" She exclaimed. "Don't let go yet."

"Why not?" Brigitte asked, though she immediately returned her hands to the smaller girl's waist. "Everything okay, Bun?"

"Yeah," Hana assured, "It just still feels weird to walk on skates. I'm nervous I might roll my ankle or something."

"Want me to carry you back to your boots?" Brigitte asked. Hana's concern was reasonable--she was still quite wobbly, and a rolled ankle would be a rough way to cut their date short.

Hana nodded and Brigitte picked her up and carried her bridal-style into the back room, setting her down so they both could put on their boots. "How's your head, Kanin?" Brigitte asked softly.

"Geogjeongma," Hana replied. "It's fine , just a little sore!"

Brigitte finished lacing up her big winter boots and walked over to Hana, placing a kiss on the back of her head. "You tell me if that changes, Lovar?"

Hana sighed. "Yagsoghabnida. Now can we go to the park?"

Brigitte ruffled Hana's hair and helped her to her feet. "Yes, we can go." She led Hana back up the ramp and opened the door, the night immediately welcoming them back with a blast of cold air. Brigitte swung the door shut, punching in yet another code to lock it shut. "Follow me Kanin, King's Park is just up the street!"

The snow had picked up while they were inside--just enough to add to the romance of the night. "You know," Hana said as they walked, "before our vacation is over, we should go snowboarding together!"

"Have you snowboarded before?" Brigitte asked.

"I've played Steep 6 ," Hana offered sheepishly.

Brigitte laughed and wrapped her arm around Hana's waist. "Maybe we'll start with skiing then. It's a bit easier for beginners!" Hana just grumbled in response. "Aww, cheer up Kanin! The park's right across the street!"

King's Park was all dolled up for the season. Decorations dotted the open areas, and lights lined the pathways and climbed the trees, bathing the entire park in a warm, multicolored glow. A foot of snow blanketed the ground, and an inch or so had even built up on the recently-plowed walkways.

"It's beautiful ," Hana gasped. "The snow, the lights … it's all so romantic!" She looked up at Brigitte, smiling brightly.

Brigitte looked at her as well. In the soft, warm light of the park, Hana's skin seemed to glow. "Det är inte lika vackert som du…" she mumbled quietly, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks.

"Gongjeonghaji anh-a!" Hana complained. "You know I don't speak that much Swedish!"

"I said… it's not as beautiful as you…" Brigitte admitted, even more quietly than before. She could feel her entire face heating up.

Hana giggled. "Are you blushing?!" She teased, though she could feel her own cheeks redden.

"Yeah…" Brigitte confessed, so quietly that Hana might not have even heard her had they not been alone.

Kiss her . This one thought was screaming in Hana's brain. She and Brigitte had kissed each other many times before, but it had always been playful forehead kisses, affectionate pecks on the cheek, or other, similarly innocent displays of affection. Kiss her you idiot, before the moment slips away. She reached up on her tiptoes and grabbed the lapels of Brigitte's coat, closing her eyes and pulling the larger girl down until their lips met.

The move had caught Brigitte off guard, but she quickly melted into the kiss as well, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around Hana's slender waist. After a moment, she felt Hana's tongue sweep across her lower lip, and, almost without thinking, she parted her lips slightly to let it in. This is real , she thought, her heart pounding. This is real. It was almost too perfect--kissing the love of her life in the park on Christmas Eve as the snow fell around them--but the pressure of Hana's body against hers and the warmth of her breath against her skin left no doubt. This is real.

Their lips pulled apart and reconnected, the kiss ebbing and flowing like the tide. Brigitte felt Hana's hands move from her collar down her chest and around to her back, slowly drifting lower and lower as they awaited a signal to stop. Brigitte had no intention of giving one. Her own right hand drifted up the gentle curve of Hana's back to the nape of her neck, as her left hand pulled the smaller girl's waist closer. Inspired by Hana's own boldness, Brigitte allowed her left hand to drift further down Hana's back, her right hand soon joining it. Her heartbeat hammered in her chest as she waited for Hana to grab her hands and move them back up to a less intimate spot, but Hana had no intention of doing this, either.

Eventually, Hana's hands slid back up to Brigitte's waist and she gently pulled away, allowing her lips to tug slightly at Brigitte's as they parted. Brigitte opened her eyes to see Hana doing the same, and they stared at each other for a moment, overcome with emotions.

At last, Hana spoke. "Salanghae,"she said softly.

"Jag älskar dig också," Brigitte replied. Somehow, neither of them needed a translation.