August 7: Snow Day
Title: Snow Day
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Rating: G
Crossover: Tin Man
Characters: DG, Oz
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the words, and that's up for philosophical debate.
Summary: DG and Oz argue. Sorta. It's hard to argue with a force of nature.
Word Count: 670 words
Author's notes: Part of the "Long Way Down" series. So full of schmoop your teeth may rot. Consider yourself warned.
§§§
“Do you seriously want to call her Snow?” Exhausted but not sleepy, DG watched Oz walk the floor of her private bedroom with their daughter cradled in his arms through the thick fringe of her eyelashes. She couldn’t remember seeing anything more touching…or hearing anything more goofy. “Think of the Snow White comparisons.”
Oz glanced up at her. “Only to you, me and your dad.”
“And the family pediatrician, and that fabric guy whose shop Az likes, oh and…” She yawned, though still not at all tired. “…I’m almost sure one of the stable-hands is a Slipper. Or maybe it was one of the mechanics. I can’t remember.”
“Gardener.”
“Really?”
“And a mechanic.”
“See. That’s way too many people who are going to think ‘Snow White’ whenever they hear the Baby Girl Osborne’s name.”
“Gale.”
DG pushed herself up on her elbows. “Look, Oz, I don’t care how cool and mysterious you were on the Other Side, we are not name our kid Gale Gale. That’s just wrong. Bad enough I’m Dorothigale…Gale.”
Smiling, Oz returned to her bedside. DG scooted over (quite unnecessarily as she was near the center of the very large bed) as he settled beside her. “I mean she’s Baby Girl Gale. Not ‘Osborne’. I took your name, remember?”
Flopping back into her the rather impressive mound of pillows her mother and sister and several nursemaids had heaped behind her, DG frowned up at the canopy overhead. “Oh. Right, I forgot.”
“S’okay.”
“Sometimes I forget I’m a princess.” She reached across the space between them to stroke Oz’s bare arm. She was cold now, but it had been so hot not long ago. “You’re a big part of that. Helping me forget. Thank you.”
Careful of their daughter, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. He toed off his shoes, then climbed fully onto the bed. When he was close enough, DG ran a finger over her daughters tiny, delicate features where the peaked out of her tight swaddling. She sighed. “So beautiful.”
Oz kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, briefly surrounded engulfed in the warmth of the people who now meant most to her.
“What color do you think her eyes will be?” Oz asked when they parted.
“Good question. Maybe hazel, since you’re blue and I’m green.”
“Maybe.”
“I am kinda sad she won’t have your red hair.” Her mother had confirmed early in the pregnancy that there were very few Gale redheads, and none of them were immediate family.
Oz shrugged. “I hardly ever have red hair myself. She’ll never notice.”
DG grinned. “I love you. So much. You and our ghost-white kid. Jeez, she didn’t have to inherit that from both of us.” A childish moue puckering her lips, she traced the fine veins visible under her daughter’s translucent skin with careful fingertips.
“Some people would say that’s a good thing.”
“Some people have never gotten sunburn walking from the house to their car.”
Oz chuckled. “Give her time. She’s never seen the sun before.”
“She hasn’t yet, has she? Oz, open the blinds. I want to show my daughter the suns.”
Tucking their child against DG’s side, Oz slipped off the bed and padded to the windows. "Hey there, pretty little baby. How do you like the name, Nora, hmm? Nora Snow Gale." She smirked. "Makes you sound like a force of nature, kiddo." DG pressed her nose close to her daughter’s head, covered though it was in a cap Azkadellia had knit for her, and watched her husband as if she’d never seen him before.
DG closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, Snow shifting in her swaddling. When she opened them, Oz was settling in beside them again. "She is a force of nature," he said softly. A smile pulled at his lips as he cradled DG’s cheek in his palm. "So’re you."
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Rating: G
Crossover: Tin Man
Characters: DG, Oz
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the words, and that's up for philosophical debate.
Summary: DG and Oz argue. Sorta. It's hard to argue with a force of nature.
Word Count: 670 words
Author's notes: Part of the "Long Way Down" series. So full of schmoop your teeth may rot. Consider yourself warned.
§§§
“Do you seriously want to call her Snow?” Exhausted but not sleepy, DG watched Oz walk the floor of her private bedroom with their daughter cradled in his arms through the thick fringe of her eyelashes. She couldn’t remember seeing anything more touching…or hearing anything more goofy. “Think of the Snow White comparisons.”
Oz glanced up at her. “Only to you, me and your dad.”
“And the family pediatrician, and that fabric guy whose shop Az likes, oh and…” She yawned, though still not at all tired. “…I’m almost sure one of the stable-hands is a Slipper. Or maybe it was one of the mechanics. I can’t remember.”
“Gardener.”
“Really?”
“And a mechanic.”
“See. That’s way too many people who are going to think ‘Snow White’ whenever they hear the Baby Girl Osborne’s name.”
“Gale.”
DG pushed herself up on her elbows. “Look, Oz, I don’t care how cool and mysterious you were on the Other Side, we are not name our kid Gale Gale. That’s just wrong. Bad enough I’m Dorothigale…Gale.”
Smiling, Oz returned to her bedside. DG scooted over (quite unnecessarily as she was near the center of the very large bed) as he settled beside her. “I mean she’s Baby Girl Gale. Not ‘Osborne’. I took your name, remember?”
Flopping back into her the rather impressive mound of pillows her mother and sister and several nursemaids had heaped behind her, DG frowned up at the canopy overhead. “Oh. Right, I forgot.”
“S’okay.”
“Sometimes I forget I’m a princess.” She reached across the space between them to stroke Oz’s bare arm. She was cold now, but it had been so hot not long ago. “You’re a big part of that. Helping me forget. Thank you.”
Careful of their daughter, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. He toed off his shoes, then climbed fully onto the bed. When he was close enough, DG ran a finger over her daughters tiny, delicate features where the peaked out of her tight swaddling. She sighed. “So beautiful.”
Oz kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, briefly surrounded engulfed in the warmth of the people who now meant most to her.
“What color do you think her eyes will be?” Oz asked when they parted.
“Good question. Maybe hazel, since you’re blue and I’m green.”
“Maybe.”
“I am kinda sad she won’t have your red hair.” Her mother had confirmed early in the pregnancy that there were very few Gale redheads, and none of them were immediate family.
Oz shrugged. “I hardly ever have red hair myself. She’ll never notice.”
DG grinned. “I love you. So much. You and our ghost-white kid. Jeez, she didn’t have to inherit that from both of us.” A childish moue puckering her lips, she traced the fine veins visible under her daughter’s translucent skin with careful fingertips.
“Some people would say that’s a good thing.”
“Some people have never gotten sunburn walking from the house to their car.”
Oz chuckled. “Give her time. She’s never seen the sun before.”
“She hasn’t yet, has she? Oz, open the blinds. I want to show my daughter the suns.”
Tucking their child against DG’s side, Oz slipped off the bed and padded to the windows. "Hey there, pretty little baby. How do you like the name, Nora, hmm? Nora Snow Gale." She smirked. "Makes you sound like a force of nature, kiddo." DG pressed her nose close to her daughter’s head, covered though it was in a cap Azkadellia had knit for her, and watched her husband as if she’d never seen him before.
DG closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, Snow shifting in her swaddling. When she opened them, Oz was settling in beside them again. "She is a force of nature," he said softly. A smile pulled at his lips as he cradled DG’s cheek in his palm. "So’re you."