Title: Snowy Day
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Meriel, Nosy.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1044
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: It’s a snowy day and Meriel wants to play outside. Such a shame that Nosy has to stay indoors.
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 320: Wrap.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.



“If you want to play outside you’ll have to wrap up warm,” Ianto told his daughter. Meriel was standing at the French doors leading out into the rooftop garden, her nose all but pressed against the glass, watching the snowflakes drifting down. “Put on your warmest jeans and a thick sweater, two pairs of socks, and then your coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and boots.”

“Okay, Taddy.” Six-year-old 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 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. All wrapped up and cosy.”

“Thanks, Taddy. But what about Nosy?”

“Ah, well, Nosy isn’t waterproof. It would get all cold and soggy if it went out in the snow.”

“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, not with so much thick fur, but getting wet was horrible.

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

That was certainly true. Meriel 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!”

“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, 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 it 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, 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 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 it 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, Meriel stamped 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 put my coat and hat on. 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; he really did know everything! 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 make another one, maybe bigger than this one.”

“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 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