In which Xander finds Grayson in need of some body heat :)
Characters belong to me and the lovely @marydublin5 <3
((More Xander and Grayson))
It was fucking freezing as Xander stepped out of the bus. He grumbled, wondering why they couldn’t have parked a little closer to the stadium. But he was ultimately blaming it all on Micah—he was the one who insisted on doing a surprise winter tour. At least tonight was the last show before they’d take a break for the holidays.
Visible puffs of air pushed past Xander’s lips as he tread carefully from the bus to the stadium with his hand tucked firmly in his pockets. There wasn’t snow, but the ground was covered in a thin layer of ice that crunched under every step. He was late for sound check, but he took his sweet time. If Micah was annoyed, he’d warm up after Xander made him a few pre-show drinks.
As he approached the back door of the stadium, he spotted a small figure pacing the icy ground by the wall. At first, he thought it might be Everly; venue workers were always sending her on random maintenance chores when they assumed she was at their disposal. But it wasn’t her. It was Grayson, staring so hard at the ground that he didn’t even notice Xander.
When Xander closed the distance, he meant to make some quip to startle Grayson. But when it became clear that he was practically hunched into himself to ward off the cold, Xander’s sly mood vanished.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Xander demanded.
Well, he managed to startle him anyway.
Grayson came to such a sudden stop that he almost tripped over his own feet. Then he tilted his head back with a heavy sigh, looking too relieved to be embarrassed.
“Th-the door was s-supposed to be kept o-open,” Grayson managed to say through chattering teeth.
“Looks like someone didn’t get the memo.” Xander stepped past him to grab the handle and tug, but it was firmly locked. “Shit. May as well take the front entrance.” He looked down at Grayson, who swayed like was about to pass out. “Whoa…”
Xander dropped to a crouch in front of him, reaching out to pinch the front of the threadbare jacket he was wearing. The fabric was hardly more than a second shirt.
“Why aren’t you in something warmer?”
Grayson blinked hard to rouse himself and shrugged. “It’s all I’ve got.”
Huffing, Xander let go of the jacket and wrapped his hand around Grayson’s waist without warning. “Guess we’ll have to share.”
He swept up Grayson as he stood, using his free hand to unzip the front of his own jacket.
Grayson squirmed at the surprise handling—not to free himself and fall, but to show his indignance. “H-hey you don’t have to—”
“I’m sure as hell not gonna wait for you to walk to the front. Also, I wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if you froze to death. So in you go.”
The affronted squirms stopped suddenly when Xander held him close to his chest. Shuddering, Grayson leaned himself hard against Xander’s shirt, desperate for the warmth of his body heat now that it was within reach. Even Xander paused at the sensation, his breath catching. Grayson must have noticed, because he looked straight up and met Xander’s gaze.
Pushing back, Grayson somehow had the capacity to be bashful. “S-s-sorr—”
“Don’t even start. It was my idea.” He adjusted his grip and firmly held Grayson against himself, zipping the jacket up until it covered Grayson to his chest. Even through the leather, Xander could feel the shivers vibrating through to his hand. Grayson couldn’t afford to be outside for much longer, even tucked away. Xander started toward the front of the stadium.
Grayson gradually relaxed, his little breaths slowing and his tension melting away. Xander smiled to himself when he knew for sure Grayson wasn’t looking, hugging him closer with the excuse that the wind was picking up.
“I’m surprised Everly didn’t send Micah to go out and find you,” Xander said.
“I guess she thought I might be with you, since you weren’t around either.”
“Huh. Now why would she think that?”
Grayson went tense again. “B-beats me.”
Xander glanced down and found Grayson looking up searchingly. When they made eye contact, Grayson hurriedly looked away, face flushing. Xander scoffed and shook his head.
“That’s just talent,” Xander said matter-of-factly.
“Only you could find a way to be this shy while you’re half-dead.”
“Shut up.” Grayson buried his face into Xander’s shirt to exit the conversation.