Sapphic September: A Collection

Abstract Angels (McFoster)

Fandom: Hannibal

Pairing: McFoster (Reba/Molly)

Prompts: vanilla, holiday

Summary: Reba decorates Christmas cookies with Molly and Wally. Post-fall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reba let go of the last few sprinkles and lifted her hands away. "How does it look?"

In front of her was an angel-shaped sugar cookie that had been slathered in vanilla frosting, piped with rainbow icing, and covered in sprinkles. It didn't resemble an angel beyond the general shape, but it had a unique, abstract look to it that wasn't unappealing.

Instead of giving a serious answer, Molly made eye contact with Wally across the table and said teasingly, "Do you want to tell her, or should I?"

Wally grinned, and Reba laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"No, it's not bad," Wally said immediately. He leaned over the table and tipped his head to the side to get a better look at her masterpiece. "It looks kinda like a Jackson Pollock painting." He glanced up and caught Molly's expression, and added sheepishly, "We talked about him in art class."

Reba smiled. "Well, I suppose if it's a Pollock, it must be good."

Molly smiled back and gently touched her arm. She could tell that Reba was not only cool with their teasing, but also pleasantly surprised by the sincerity of Wally's defense — Molly was, too. Wally had been understandably wary of Reba after everything with Will, withdrawn and sullen in her presence. But over time his demeanor thawed. It helped that Reba and Molly were friends first, their connection born of a desire for understanding and companionship. By the time they had begun a romantic relationship, nearly two years after their first meeting, Wally had all but accepted Reba's presence in their lives. Still, small gestures like going out of his way to make sure Reba's feelings weren't hurt by their ribbing was wonderful improvement.

"Are you done decorating it, then?" Wally asked, his hand already hovering near the cookie.

"Yes, I think so."

Wally scooped it up and put it on the baking rack with the other finished cookies, then placed another plain angel-shaped cookie in front of her. Reba caught the movement, and her brow wrinkled subtly. "Hold on, are you giving me another one?"

"Well, yeah," Wally said. "We can't have just one abstract angel! It needs companions."

The corner of Reba's mouth turned up into an amused, grateful smile. "Oh, well in that case, I suppose I can decorate one or two more."

Wally passed her the vanilla icing, then went back to decorating his gingerbread people. Molly smiled and joined her son and girlfriend, pressing imprints of snowflakes onto a set of circular iced cookies. Comfortable silence settled around them. The only sounds beyond the kitchen were of the dogs' nails clacking on the hardwood floor in the hallway and living room, where they were relegated so that they wouldn't try to steal any of the cookies.

Once they were done, Molly packed everything away in cookie tins, Reba did the dishes, and Wally prepared a smaller batch of dog-friendly cookies for the dogs. With the treats safely in the oven, Wally took the dogs outside to roam around. Reba poured two glasses of red wine. Then she and Molly moved into the living room with the drinks and sat on the couch.

"This has been so nice," Reba sighed, settling back into Molly's warmth and sipping her wine. "It's been so long since I've had this nice of a day. Thank you for inviting me over."

"Of course, thank you for coming." Molly kissed the top of her head. "I look forward to many more days like this to come. Merry early Christmas, love."

Reba tucked her head into the crook of Molly's neck, smiled, and let out a soft, contented sound. "Merry early Christmas to you too, Mol."