Winter absolutely blows.
Sure, Christmas and New Years is a blast, but once that’s over? The coziness and magic flips you the bird as it floats away on arctic winds until next year.
Steve Harrington hates this time of year. Call it one too many sled accidents or too many nearly ice bitten fingers, but nothing could make put on a bright side on his days until spring.
“Hey, Steeeeevie!”
Something hits the back of Steve’s head, cold and hard.
“Oh shit, my aim is getting better,” Eddie says with a wide smile, already rolling more snow into a ball. Steve just looks at him in exasperation. Not today, dude.
Steve flips him the bird, muttering asshole under his breathe.
“Hey, why such a Scrooge today?”
“I would only be a Scrooge if it was before Christmas. It’s after, so I’m just being, I don’t know, Steve.”
“Well someone needs to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol again and take a note from Michael Caine.”
“Who?”
Eddie throws another ball, narrowly missing Steve as he jumps out of the way. “The dude who played Scrooge.” He leans down to grab more snow, “Because, if my memory serves me right,” Eddie starts rolling the snow in his hands, face dramatically showing deep thought, “he has a change of heart and is jolly with Christmas spirit always after his three ghostly encounters.” He winds up and launches the third ball.
Steve instinctively reaches his hand out, the snow ball crumbling on contact.
“Dude, knock it off!”
Eddie smiles widely, but Steve can see the mischief in his eyes from ten feet away.
“Make me, big boy.” Eddie turns heel and runs to shelter behind a nearby tree, poking his head out just enough to see Steve chuckle to himself and lean down to grab some snow of his own.
“Oh, it’s on.” Steve expertly balls the snow in his glove-covered hand. “Do you forget that I played third base for four years?”
Eddie snorts, “Of course it was third base.”
Steve levels him with a look. “Ha ha, so funny. What are you, twelve?”
“Twelve and a half, thank you very much!” Eddie says, popping out and throwing another ball. Steve ducks and throws himself behind a bush.
“And that I got MVP two years in a row?” Steve crouches down, slowly making his way around the edge of the trees.
“Not all four? Two year cold spell, huh? Happens to the best of us.”
Steve sneaks closer and closer until he’s right behind Eddie. He leans into Eddie’s space, whispering, “And that I’m sneaky like a ninja…” Eddie turns suddenly, eyes widening in surprise, a big goofy grin on his face, as Steve matches the smile and smashes the snow ball on Eddie’s curly head.
Both laugh as Eddie shakes his head, snow going in every direction, but smiles still stuck on both of the boy’s faces. Eddie looks up at Steve, a smirk growing slowly into a grin. “You’re gonna pay for that.”
Steve quickly starts running away, Eddie close on his tail. Steve doesn’t get too far, doesn’t really try, because he can’t get away from Eddie. Doesn’t want to get away from him.
“ARGH!” Eddie makes what sounds like a viking yell and hurls himself at Steve, knocking them both into the powdery snow.
They roll around for a minute, laughing and trying to put more snow in the other’s face and hair. Steve rolls Eddie over, pinning him to the ground.
“Okay, okay, I surrender,” Eddie says, putting his hand up and waving an invisible white flag.
Steve stays there, looking down at Eddie’s beaming face. He can’t help but lean down and kiss him, his heart so full from this beautiful man he gets to call his.
Eddie kisses him back, but is unable to hold back the smile, teeth clacking together in the end. He looks up at Steve and says, “Feel better, Stevie?”
And Steve does. He really, really does.
