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Being back in Merica again, Greyson discovered that it didn't feel like home anymore. He'd spent such a long time travelling the world as The Toll that he felt untethered to any one place. Still, he'd asked Jeri to come with him to his old home town. They had been at sea together in the months following the events on the Atoll and the spread of the ten diseases. Finally back where he started off, Greyson wanted to feel a sense of past normalcy that he had lost since he was first marked unsavoury.
So here he was now, hand in hand with Jeri in the snow, headed to their first official date. They'd gotten together since leaving the islands, and by the time they arrived in WestMerica, it looked like a picture from a child's book. Christmas decorations were all around them - the holiday had remained a strong tradition in Merica, despite Christianity having long since been rendered obsolete. However, Jeri hadn't ever celebrated it, and Greyson couldn't have cared less, so they were headed to an ice skating rink to enjoy the season without any particular celebrations.
It had taken Greyson an embarrassingly long time to think of that idea. They had been in town for a few days already and Greyson had introduced Jeri to all of his once favourite places. Then, he'd conveniently seen a notice advertising a new ice rink. He knew, of course, that it had been no coincidence. The Thunderhead still tried to be nice to him, which he appreciated but it didn't manage to change his mind. Still, he took the opportunity (and Jeri's hand) and headed to the rink. Neither of them had ever actually been ice skating, but Jeri was excited by the idea and Greyson mostly wanted to see them happy.
About five seconds after stepping on the ice, however, Greyson was unsure of how good an idea this had been. He could barely stay upright and was holding on to the railing for dear life. Jeri laughed next to him, trying to keep some stability.
"Good to know neither of us are naturals, honey, it would've sucked all the fun out of it." They said in between laughs.
"Is falling on ice your idea of fun?" Greyson asked, not being able to keep the grin off his face. He had regained most of his balance and the two of them were actually slowly moving along.
"Is it not yours?" Jeri teased and tried to mimic the movements of the people around them. Greyson followed suit and managed to go about a metre before slipping spectacularly. Jeri went up to where he was sitting on the ice and peered down at him.
"How's the weather down there?" They grinned. Greyson looked up at them with a fake grumpy look that just made Jeri laugh harder.
"Cold and wet," He answered, putting a hand up. "Help me get up?"
Miraculously, Jeri was able to get him back up without them both toppling over. It was, however, the first of multiple incidents, each of which sent them both into laughing fits over the next two hours. Eventually, Greyson staggered out of the rink and flopped down on a bench.
"Is this what defeats you?" Jeri came over to him, laughing. "A whole bunch of scythes couldn't kill you but an ice rink is the true enemy."
Greyson laughed too. "Who knew?"
By the time they actually left the ice rink the winter sun was beginning to set and it was getting colder. Greyson walked a bit closer to Jeri, who took their intertwined hands and put them both in their pocket. They used the opportunity to lean his head against Greyson's shoulder. They always teased him for being too tall, but it was worth it at times like this when their heights matched perfectly. As they were waiting at a stoplight, the ad board opposite them flashed to advertise a seasonal drink deal at a nearby cafe.
"Oh look at that!" Jeri exclaimed once they crossed and got a better look. "It looks delicious, let's go try it!"
"Sure, why not?" Greyson said.
The coffee shop turned out to be a quaint little place, decked out for the holidays. Greyson walked up to the counter to place their order while Jeri took a seat on a table next to the huge window.
"Check this out," Greyson said when they returned with their drinks. "They've got little raindeers on their cups."
"That's adorable." Jeri replied, their eyes fixed on Greyson's messy hair and his flushed face. He caught their stare and smiled. Jeri averted their gaze to the cups. "Oh, the reindeer are cute too."
"If you keep staring, your hot cocoa is going to turn into a block of solid chocolate." Greyson teased.
"I don't think that's how it works," Jeri laughed. "But if it did it would be worth it."
Greyson was glad his face was already red from the cold. Jeri loved joking around with how easily he blushed, but their darker skin gave them an advantage. Really, Greyson didn't mind blushing all the time if it meant he could take Jeri's hand, as he had now, and walk with them in the darkened streets of his home town. When they got to their apartment, Jeri settled on the couch and turned on the TV while he went to fetch their favourite blanket. As he was about to go back to the living room, he noticed his old earpiece on a shelf.
"Thanks for the help, Thunderhead," He whispered to it. "But I've got it handled."
"Honey, did you drown in that blanket?" Jeri shouted from the sofa. Greyson laughed and entered the room.
"We've been outside all day, you're not gonna freeze in a minute."
"Just get over here!" Jeri rolled their eyes fondly. Greyson gladly did as they said and joined them on the couch, covering them both with the blanket. Jeri snuggled into his side and they dozed off, the sound of the TV providing a soft background noise.