"Snowed-In Hearts" - Morgan "Hallmark" AU Christmas Scenario Special (Patreon)

Chapter One

I have a very love/hate relationship with my car.

Currently it’s leaning more into the hate side considering it’s left me stranded in the middle of nowhere—a middle of nowhere that’s piled under mountains of snow that I’d just been thinking were oh-so pretty.

The bitter icy air easily seeps through my thin jacket. It’s a coat designed for style, not function. A piece of clothing that is perfect for the party I was on my way to before my car decided to go completely kaput.

My teeth knock together as I hug my arms around myself, grimacing as melting snow drips into my boots and freezes my feet.

But I trudge onwards.

Staying with the car would have been the sensible option, I know, but the curl of smoke over the tops of the trees promises a warmth I can’t resist at this point.

The setting sun blazes through the forest, shining blindingly bright on the carpet of snow. I shield my eyes from it, trying to blink away the stinging tears it causes, but it doesn’t help.

Squeezing my eyes shut to give them some relief is the worst idea I’ve made since this whole day began.

In my blinded state, my toes catch on a snow-covered rock I don’t see.

“Agh!” I flail around as I fall forwards, the floundering motion unsurprisingly not helping at all with keeping me balanced. Twisting on the spot, my shoulder slams with a headache-inducing crack into the trunk of a tree. My head follows not long after.

The blazing brightness of the snow is nothing to the flash of white that flares across my vision.

But the cold drift on the ground at least cushions my fall as I plummet into it.

I manage to roll myself onto my back with a groaned wince, the edges of my vision as fuzzy as the fluffy branches of the pine trees surrounding me.

That’s when another blurry image enters my view.

It’s definitely a person. I can at least make out that shape.

They cock their head at me and grunt, “What the fuck are you doing?”

Then I pass out.

--

--

Chapter Three

“Ouch!” I flinch away from Morgan’s touch as she pokes at my bruised and swollen shoulder.

She frowns. “I have to check it.”

“Do you have to check it so roughly?” I growl.

“Do you want to get sepsis and die?” she snipes.

I purse my lips before sighing and glancing away in reluctant permission.

I can feel her lean closer to inspect the wound. She is silent during her examination, which for some weird reason has my heart beating hard enough I can feel it in my throat.

Shifting my focus to the window next to the sofa I’m laying on, I stare out as soft flakes of snow dance down across every inch of forest outside. “How long do you think it’ll be until we can leave?”

Morgan makes to glance out of the window for a second before shaking her head. “Could be a couple of weeks.”

I swing my head back around. “Weeks?! Oww!” The sharp motion sends a static shock of pain bursting from my shoulder through every part of me.

“When I told you not to move, I meant it,” she states.

I thin my lips to stop from letting a harsh reply spill free.

She stands and shrugs. “I can probably nurse your injury through enough to keep you stable. But we’ll have to get you to a doctor as soon as the snow clears.” Without another glance, she strides away across the log cabin’s sparse living room toward the kitchen.

I raise my uninjured hand up. “Hey, wait.”

She pauses in the doorway and glances over her shoulder at me with a brow raised.

I chew at my lip for a moment before muttering, “…Thank you.”

There’s no response before she disappears through the doorway. The door clicks shut between us.

--

--

Chapter Six

Morgan swings her gaze about the living room with a frown. “What the hell is wrong with it?”

“Nothing,” I defend, raising up my hand, my other arm incapable of motion with how tightly she’s knotted the makeshift sling. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You called my cabin ‘rustic’,” she snorts in response, folding her arms.

“And rustic isn’t bad…per se…” I mumble, shrugging my good shoulder.

She flings a hand towards the front door. “If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to leave.”

I scoff. “Oh please. You’re starting to love my company.”

She arches a brow.

“Like my company?”

She stays silent.

“Ok fine. You’re at least starting to tolerate my company?” I ask through a defeated breath.

She shrugs. “It’s not like I’d planned to spend my Christmas nursing someone who doesn’t know the first thing about survival.”

“Wow,” I say, shaking my head. “Are you this nice to all your patients?”

She gathers up the empty soup bowl and cutlery before standing from her chair placed next to the sofa I’m on.

She smirks. “Only the ones whose company I tolerate.”

--

--

Chapter Nine

I don’t understand how there can be so much snow up there.

It’s been nearly two weeks since I got stuck in this cabin. Neither my injury seems to be healing, or the snow seems to be showing signs of stopping.

I release a sigh, watching as my breath turns to mist against the windowpane.

The bright moon casts a cold glow over the snow-capped forest, not helping with trying to warm myself. I drag the blankets up further around my body but doing that means it exposes my feet.

A shiver rips through me, aggravating my injury and making me wince.

“You’re going to freeze out here,” Morgan’s gruff voice announces from the bedroom doorway.

I turn my head to face her, struggling to function for a second as she leans casually in the doorway with only a bralette and a pair of tattered pyjama bottoms slung low on her hips.

“I, uh…” For a second, I think the heat flaming across my skin must be from the radiating warmth of the fire from the bedroom, but I soon realise it’s my own internal combustion at seeing her like this.

“You’ll have to come in here,” she states, already moving towards me.

I frown. “What? You said anywhere but the living room was off limits.”

She gingerly wraps an arm around my middle to help me to stand. My twisted ankle throbs as I try to put weight on it, leaning against Morgan for support. She’s so deliciously warm.

“I’ll make an exception for tonight,” she mutters.

We hobble towards the bedroom. I didn’t realise just how frozen I’d gotten until the flush of heat from the fire hits me.

I release a relieved breath as frozen parts of me begin to tingle with feeling again.

Morgan helps me to sit on the bed, swinging around to shove my feet and legs beneath the snug duvet.

My head rolls to look at the other side of the bed before back to Morgan standing beside me. “Uh…where are you going to sleep?”

She nudges her chin towards the empty space. “There.”

A hitch catches in my throat. “…Oh.”

A smirk lifts her lips, her grey eyes shimmering with the flicker of the firelight. “Don’t worry, I won’t try anything.” Her smirk grows. “I’m way more interested in sleep than you.”

…I’m not sure why I feel such a well of disappointment at that.

--

--

Chapter Thirteen

The aching pain of my shoulder thrums hotly across my shoulders, coiling up my neck and giving me a slamming headache. I try to rub at it, rolling my head around, letting the warmth of the flames seep across my skin as I sit cross-legged in front of it.

The fire is the only source of light in the night-shadowed living room. The vibrant glow seeps out across the room, spilling over the rug I’m sat on and pooling against the stone floor beyond it. The ashy scent of it is soon mixed with something stringent and herby as Morgan walks in from the kitchen.

“Here,” she says, holding up the small bowl in her hands. “This is the best thing I have until we can get out of here and get you to a real doctor.”

I smile at her as she comes to sit cross-legged at my side. “You’re doing a good job as a substitute.”

She scoffs but nods at my veiled gratitude.

Settling down the bowl next to her, she gestures at my robe. “Can I?”

I nod.

Her fingertips whisper across my skin as she gently pulls down the shoulder of the robe. My breath shivers out of my lungs, and I bite at my lower lip to stop another sigh as her fingers roam a little lower.

I can’t believe how much just her touch is like a flood of instant pain relief.

She scoops a little of the mushy paste onto her fingers before carefully smearing it over my still swollen shoulder. It’s cool and oddly soothing, even if the consistency makes my nose wrinkle.

I slide my gaze over to Morgan. Her eyes flick to meet mine.

My pulse thunders through my veins.

Clearing my throat, I snap my attention away back to the fire.

“Where did you learn this?” I ask, trying to break the sizzling tension that’s beginning to tingle in the air around us.

“From a friend,” she replies.

My brows shoot up. “I didn’t think you had any of those.”

She chuckles low. “Not many.”

“Do you have any family?”

She shakes her head. “Not really.”

“Is that why you live out here all alone?”

“No.” Her lips kick up at one side. “Why? Did you think I lived out here in the hope some annoying, attractive stranger might stumble on me one day?”

I know she’s teasing me, but my brain catches on one word that makes my stomach erupt in butterflies.

“You think I’m attractive?” I mumble.

She rocks back with her head cocked. “You missed out on the ‘annoying’ part.”

“I chose to ignore it,” I reply with a smile.

Her hand falls from my shoulder, drawing a hot trail down the curve of my back. The touch draws us together. This close, I can see strikes of silver play like lightning in her eyes as she gazes with intensity at me.

Anticipation swirls like ribbons around us, tying us closer and closer and closer.

Until Morgan springs onto her feet.

She shakes her head. “That should help with the swelling soon. I’ll go make some dinner.”

I blink as I watch her retreat into the kitchen.

A wash of cold swirls around me, so I draw my robe back up over my shoulder and scoot closer to the fire. But it doesn’t help.

--

--

Chapter Sixteen

“Ta da!” I fling my uninjured hand around at my work.

Morgan stands in the doorway, bundled up in thick layers dusted with falling snow, her eyes wide.

“What the fuck did you do to my lodge?” she exclaims.

I throw her a withered stare. “Seriously? I spent all afternoon adding some Christmas cheer to this place.”

We both look over as a piece of greenery slides out of place and flops onto the floor.

She sighs. “Yes. Because nothing screams Christmas cheer like a mess of fir branches and…what the hell is that thing?”

I glance over to where I stuck as big of a tree branch as I could manage one-handed into a pot filled with snow-soaked mud. “It’s our Christmas Tree.”

I expect a laugh or a derisive snort but instead she takes an unsteady breath.

“’Our’?” she asks.

My body seizes, not realizing I had even said it. “Oh. Uh. I meant yours. It’s your cabin and—”

“No,” she cuts in, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, shifting the firewood beneath her arm. “Ours is fine.”

It’s like my brain and body struggle to know how to respond to that. “Oh…ok.”

She walks across the living room, pausing by the attempted Christmas tree. A small smile tugs at her lips as she straightens the paper star on top before looking at me.

“Thanks,” she mumbles. “It looks…festive.”

I rub at the back of my neck, the ache from my shoulder seeming to relieve a little beneath her gaze. “I’m glad. I wanted to do something to show you how grateful I am for what you’ve done for me.”

She gazes at me for a long moment—a long moment in which I struggle to breathe.

Then she reaches out and plucks a pine needle from my jumper. “I’m starting to think I should thank you too.”

My eyes widen a little. “For what?”

Her attention traces across my features before falling to my lips. They part in a response I can’t, and don’t want, to stop.

“…I’m not sure.”

We stay that way for a while, her focus flickering across my lips with a tempting intensity that makes my mouth tingle with anticipation.

Then she walks away into the kitchen.

And I slump against the wall…not entirely sure just what happened.

--

--

Chapter Twenty

“Wait,” I say, slamming my uninjured hand down on the kitchen counter. “You’ve been living here alone for seven years?” My voice strains in disbelief.

Morgan shrugs. “It’s easier out here. Less people. Less complications.”

“People aren’t always complications,” I reply, folding my arms.

She smirks, sauntering over to me. I lean back until my hips rest against the counter behind me.

My throat tightens, my pulse rushing in my head as she leans in towards me. She smells like a forest fire: woody yet smoky. The scent swirls in my senses and draws a sighed breath from me.

She reaches out slowly…only to grab for the mug behind me and then walk away.

I bite back my groan of disappointment.

“People screw things up,” she continues. “I don’t need that in my life.”

I hold her gaze, searching for something I’m not sure of. “You don’t need anyone?”

Her smirk falls, and I can see her swallow hard. “I—”

“Argh!” Buzzing needles suddenly prickle across my vision as a flash of searing pain shoots out from my shoulder.

My body crumples to the floor as pain consumes every nerve and every sense. It burns with poisonous torture until I’m not even sure if I’m actually screaming in pain or just imagining it.

Hands grasp me close to a warm body.

“[Name]? [Name]!” Morgan’s panicked voice echoes wobbly at the edges of my consciousness. “What the hell is going on?”

I can’t respond.

The relief of darkness finally devours me.

-

…

A flash of something bright pierces my drowsy vision.

“Ungh…”

I can see moonlight above.

I’m moving.

A figure walks ahead of me, pulling on ropes.

My vision darkens again.

…

-

…

Cold. Everything that hurts is cold.

My eyes barely open.

Trees wash across my vision overhead.

I’m still moving.

How long has it been?

“Please, [Name]. Just hold on…” The desperate, whispered plea almost tempts me from the shadows…but the pain is too bright, and I fall again into the relief of the dark.

…

--

--

Chapter Twenty-One

“What…what happened?” I’m not sure the words make it past my dry throat, but the doctor thankfully understands my choked words.

“Your injury became infected,” she responds, checking over me as she talks. “It’s incredible you managed to stave it off as long as you did.”

I frown, blurrily sitting up in the bed, wincing in expectation of pain but finding none. My shoulder is newly bandaged, and my body is covered by a blue hospital blanket.

“It wasn’t me,” I rasp out. “Morgan…she….”

“Ah yes,” the doctor responds with a nod. “The woman who brought you in. She’s quite the hero.”

I tense. “Where is she?”

“Being treated for frostbite,” she replies. “She almost lost her fingers and toes getting you here.”

I fling the blanket off and make to get out of bed. “I need to see her. I have to—”

“You’re seriously going to injure yourself again after I spent all that damn effort getting you here?”

I didn’t realise just how numb every part of me was until the second I hear Morgan’s voice.

Slowly, I lift my gaze to meet hers in the doorway. Her fingers are bandaged, her freckled skin blistered and sore from the bitter cold.

“I…Morgan, I’m so sorry.”

The doctor glances between us before clearing her throat. “I’ll leave you both to catch up.” She then shuffles out of the room as Morgan walks towards me.

She helps me back into bed, replacing the blanket over my legs with a wince as she strains her injured fingers.

“I thought maybe you’d gone,” I say, trying to keep strength in the words but failing.

She shakes her head. “How could I? I never got to answer your question.”

I frown. “What?” Then a vague shiver of a memory comes back to me.

‘You don’t need anyone?’

It was the question I’d asked right before the pain had overtaken me.

A smirk pulls at her chapped lips. “Yes, by the way. My answer was yes. For the life of me I have no idea why, but dammit, I seriously can’t be doing without you now. Not from the second you flopped into the snow right in front of me.”

I break into a grin. “We have quite the meet-cute story.”

“A what?” she asks with a wrinkle of her nose.

I cup her cheek and lean in. “Never mind. How about we have just a happy end to our story instead?”

She sits on the bed beside me, wrapping her arms around my middle. “No. We’re only just beginning it, sweetheart/handsome.”

A happy tear trails down my cheek as we lean in and finally taste the kiss we’ve been so desperate for.

“Ouch.” Morgan flinches away with a wince, patting at her pained lips.

I wince. “Sorry. Here.” I kiss her cheek. “Better?”

She draws in closer, heat sparking in her grey eyes. “For now.”