Work Text:
Gun has never been one to turn down an adventure or a new experience, especially when it involved vacationing with his friends. Which is how he ended up renting a cabin with his friends for the weekend at a snowy Moscow resort.
He had begged Off to come with them, lying curled up beside him on his bed in their shared hotel room after a long shoot. “Papii, please. It’s just for the weekend and I promise it’ll be fun. Wouldn’t it be perfect to be surrounded by snow so close to Christmas?”
“No thank you. I’ve had enough snow and cold to last me a lifetime this week.” He had burrowed further into the pile of blankets on his bed and taken out his phone. “I don’t know why I agreed to come to Moscow in the middle of winter in the first place but you guys have fun.”
Gun had given up on pouting at him after that because he knew it was no use. They were visiting Moscow for the week filming for a new travel show they were doing and Off hadn’t stopped complaining about the cold since they’d gotten here. Gun agreed that it was incredibly cold here but it was also beautiful and new and exciting and there was no way he was going to pass up this opportunity.
Which is why it was so unfair that he woke up feeling sick on his first morning at the resort. He had groaned and rolled over, rubbing a hand over his irritated stomach and willing it to calm down. Maybe he’d eaten too many toasted marshmallows last night.
White had patted his back and given him some stomach medicine and told him to go back to sleep. And he had, right after he’d watched mournfully as his friends left without him to go into town, promising they’d be back soon. It was also deeply unfair that he didn’t get to take any photos wearing his new green snowsuit because he looked really cute in it.
He doesn’t know how long he slept but he was startled awake by his phone ringing on the bedside table.
It was White, “Hi, Gun, how are you feeling?”
Gun sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He sat still for a moment and was relieved to feel no lingering stomach ache. “I’m fine,” he said. “Where are you guys?”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone and Gun felt a prickle of fear run up his spine. “Um … have you had a chance to look outside yet?”
From the hesitancy in White’s voice, Gun already knew there was going to be bad news. He raced downstairs and looked out the large window at the front of the cabin to a sea of white as far as the eye could see. He’d never seen this much snow in his life and it looked like there was more to come as it was snowing heavily.
“Gun, I’m really sorry …”
Gun felt his stomach drop.
“The roads are blocked. We can’t get back to the cabin tonight. It’s supposed to snow like this all night but they are saying that it’s supposed to stop sometime tomorrow morning.”
He stared helplessly at the falling snow and felt himself fill with dread. This couldn’t be happening. Please no …
“I am so sorry to leave you out there all alone.” He sounded worried, “Gun, are you going to be okay? I know you hate being alone but I don’t think there’s anything we can do right now.”
Gun didn’t want to worry him. He hated worrying his friends and family and he’s gotten good at putting up a strong front over the years when he needed to, even when that was the last thing he was feeling. “I’ll be okay,” he said, even though he felt like crying. “I’ll just decorate the tree and eat all of the cookies without you.”
White didn’t sound convinced, “Okay, if you’re sure …”
“I’ll be okay, White,” Gun tried to reassure him and himself.
He sighed, “All right, take care of yourself, okay? Put on some music so it doesn’t feel as lonely. I’ll call you again in an hour.”
They hung up and Gun felt his eyes fill with tears. He couldn’t believe this was happening. This was like something out of his worst nightmares. Trapped alone in a cabin in the woods in a strange country with no one to talk to or to help him if something went wrong.
He sank slowly down onto one of the couches and watched the falling snow. He hugged himself to try and stop his body’s sudden trembling; from fear or cold, he wasn’t sure. Probably a combination of both.
❅ ❅ ❅
Off stretched lazily in his hotel bed and ran a hand over his grumbling stomach. He needed to go downstairs and get breakfast at some point but he was too comfortable and warm at the moment. It was nice to have this weekend off before they headed back to Thailand but it would have been nice to have been staying in a warmer country. Off had had just about all he could take of this kind of cold and snow. He had no plans of leaving this hotel until their departure on Monday.
He glanced over at the other bed in the room and wondered how his little adventurer was doing. It would have been nice to spend some time on vacation with him this weekend but a cabin in the middle of a cold, snowy forest was not on his top list of destinations and he wasn’t big on socializing in a big group of people either.
Opening his Instagram app, he scrolled through his feed and was surprised to find barely any pictures of Gun and nothing on his Stories. There were a few group pictures of him with his friends posing in front of a cabin and some inside the cabin but nothing after that. Nothing from today. Looking at White’s page, he found pictures of the group in a town that must have been close to the resort but Gun was missing from all of the pictures and Stories. For someone who usually took a million pictures and videos when he was on vacation, it was strange. Something didn’t feel right.
He opened Line and made a video call to Gun. He answered on the second ring and Off was shocked by what he saw. Gun’s face was streaked with tears, his eyes red and puffy like he’d been crying for a long time and his lips were trembling. “Gun? What’s going on? Are you okay? Tell me what happened.” Off couldn’t stop the questions from tumbling out. He’d never seen Gun so upset before.
Gun just stared at him mutely as fresh tears spilled down his face, then he got up and turned the camera away from himself. A large window came into view and then whiteness as far as the eye could see. Snow was also rapidly falling in fat clumps from the sky.
“Papii …” Gun had turned the camera back towards himself and was staring at him pleadingly.
Off sat up fully and gripped his phone, “Gun, tell me what happened. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
In haltering steps, Gun told him the whole story. By the end of it, his voice was shaking as he tried to talk through his tears.
“Oh, Gun …” Off felt his heart clench. It was unbearable to see him like this and not be able to pull him into his arms and comfort him. His usual moods varied between cheerful and playful, serious or angry. Seeing that sweet face of his pinched with fear and covered in tears was almost more than he could stand. He felt his protective instincts take over, “Listen, I’m going to talk to the staff here and make some calls, okay? It’s going to be okay. I’m going to figure something out.”
“Papii, don’t leave me. I don’t want to be here alone.”
“Calm down, everything’s going to be all right. Look at me,” Gun’s eyes had wandered away, probably looking at the falling snow outside. When he turned back, Off said, “I’ll call you back as soon as --”
He was cut off by Gun’s startled yelp as his screen suddenly went dim.
“Gun? Gun?!” Off touched his screen and was relieved to see that he was still connected to the call but his heart was still in his throat, “Gun talk to me.”
When he answered, his voice was barely above a shaky whisper, “I think the power just went out. Papii, I’m so scared …”
“Shh, calm down. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I just need you to stay calm while I figure something out, okay?”
Gun brought his phone closer to his face so Off could finally see him again, “Ok, Papii.” Even through the dim screen Off could see the pleading puppy dog eyes he was giving him. They were going to be the death of him, Off was sure of it.
“Put some warmer clothes on and then your snowsuit and try to start a fire if you can. How much battery do you have left?”
Gun’s eyes shifted upwards, “Oh… 40% ...”
“Okay, try not to use your phone. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have any updates.”
There was real fear in Gun’s voice when he said, “Please hurry.”
Off ended the call and threw his warmest clothes on. He wasn’t just going to leave Gun out there all alone in the dark and freezing cold. He couldn’t.
❅ ❅ ❅
Gun ended his third call with White that day and huddled further into the pile of blankets and jackets he had set up on the couch closest to the fireplace. He’d managed to light a small fire in the fireplace with some nearby matches but it kept going out. Just his luck. It seemed to be getting even colder, if that was possible, but he’d momentarily given up his attempts at another fire when White called.
The snow was supposed to stop by late morning tomorrow and at that point, they should be able to use the snow plows to clear the roads. Gun didn’t want to have to wait that long; through a long, cold, dark night but he wasn’t sure he had much of a choice. His last call with Off had been promising but that had been several hours ago and although it was only late afternoon, it was already starting to get dark. Off had found a local at the hotel who knew the area and had a snowmobile that could get through the heaviest snow. His girlfriend was also stranded in a cabin at the resort and he was coming up today to get her. It did sound encouraging but Gun knew that there was so much that could go wrong with the weather like this.
He sank back into his pile of blankets feeling miserable and scared. The sun was slowly fading and dark shadows were starting to creep into the corners of the cabin. The power hadn’t come back on and his phone battery was down to 15%. He hadn’t even been able to find a flashlight and hadn’t thought to bring one himself. Soon he would be surrounded by darkness.
Something banged against the front door and Gun nearly jumped out of his skin, trying to muffle his shocked scream. What if it’s a bear? The door swung open and a tall figure covered in snow stumbled in.
“Gun! Gun, are you in here?”
It’s Off’s voice and Gun has never felt so relieved in his life. He leapt off the couch and ran over to him, “Papii! You’re here!” He tried to throw his arms around him but was gently pushed back.
Off pushed his hood back and took off his scarf, shaking his hair out. “Don’t come any closer or you’ll get covered in snow like me.” He’s panting like he’s been running and even in the dim light, Gun can see that his face is bright red.
“You’re here. You came,” he says, taking a step back and twisting his hands together to stop himself from reaching for Off.
“Of course I did.” Off looked up from brushing snow off of himself, “Are you okay?” At Gun’s nod, he handed him the bag he was holding. “Take this and go put some more layers on. There’s also food and flashlights in there. And a portable charger.”
Gun took the bag and carried it into the kitchen. He set it on the island and then dashed back to the front of the cabin. “Let me take your clothes so I can hang them up.”
“I can do it, Gun,” Off says. “This stuff is wet and heavy. Where’s the bathroom?”
Taking his hand, Gun leads him into the bathroom before running back to the kitchen to grab a flashlight and some warmer clothing from the bag. Together they hang Off’s wet jacket and clothes over the curtain rod and the taps in the shower. Off doesn’t protest when Gun starts stripping him, pulling his sweater and then his shirt over his head. And if Gun’s hands linger a little longer than strictly necessary while he runs a towel over his damp skin, he doesn’t mention that either.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get us out of here tonight,” Off murmurs as Gun runs a towel through his hair. “The snowmobile kept getting stuck and apparently there was something wrong with the engine so the guy who helped me, Adrian, had to let me off near your cabin before the whole thing broke down. But according to both him and White, the snow plows should have the roads cleared by afternoon tomorrow at the latest.”
Gun leans over where Off is sitting on the toilet seat and tugs at a piece of his hair, “Papii, why are you apologizing to me? I’m just happy that you’re here and you’re safe. You didn’t have to come out here like this.” He felt his voice waver a little at the end. He really didn’t know what he would have done if Off hadn’t come out here to be with him.
A hand reached up and stroked the top of his head, “Hey, no more crying. I’m right here and everything’s going to be okay now.”
Gun sniffs and ducks his head, willing the tears back.
“And didn’t I tell you to put some more layers on? Come meet me on the couch -- I need to sit down. Journeying through the arctic tundra is exhausting,” Off says as he shuffles out of the bathroom. “Remind me to never visit the northern hemisphere in the winter ever again.”
Once he’s pulled on another pair of sweatpants and two more sweaters, Gun finds Off sitting in the pile of jackets and blankets on the couch in the living room. He’s slumped over slightly and Gun can tell from the dim light coming from the flashlight on the coffee table that he’s already half asleep. He feels his heart swell in his chest. My knight in shining armor, he thinks fondly as he crawls into his lap and presses his face into his favorite place against his neck.
Off shifts under him and puts his arms around him, pulling him against his chest and rubbing a hand up and down his back. “You’re okay, right? Not half frozen yet?”
“I’m okay now that you’re here.” Gun tightens his arms around Off’s shoulders and presses kisses against his neck and then up across his face.
Off indulges him as always and Gun shivers a little when he feels one of his hands work its way under his layers of shirts and sweaters to stroke against the bare skin of his back. “Feels pretty warm to me although what the hell do I know.”
“I tried but I couldn’t keep the fire going …”
“It’s okay,” Off says as he gently tilts them back so that they’re both lying on their sides, tangled up together amongst the piles of clothing on the couch. “I’ll get up and figure it out in a minute.”
❅ ❅ ❅
Off did not expect to be spending his weekend in a cold cabin in the middle of a forest in Moscow helping Gun decorate a Christmas tree but he’s not complaining. Things could have been better. He could be lying on his couch back in Thailand where the weather actually stayed at reasonable temperatures (and if it didn’t, there was always air conditioning), or back at his hotel room in Moscow where it was warm and comfortable but beggars couldn’t be choosers and there was no way he could have left Gun alone out here and lived with himself.
Gun no longer looked like a scared, sad little puppy jumping at shadows and that was good enough for him. He was currently happily chattering away about his trip so far and his friends and how he plans to decorate the little tree he has at home. Off could listen to him all night and not get tired of it. There was just something special about him that could put him at ease and calm him down even when he was at his most irritable. He’d always found it refreshing to be around someone who was so open and honest about his feelings, someone who was genuine and didn’t play games, who didn’t have a big ego despite all of his talent and success.
He wanted to share what he enjoyed, what made him happy without expecting anything in return and Off sometimes wondered what he’d done to become one of the lucky few that Gun wanted to share everything with.
“Papii, you shouldn’t put that one there. The color and shape is almost the same as the one next to it.”
Off lifted the purple bauble he was holding to examine it critically, “Oh … my bad. Where should I put it?’
Gun sighed and took the ornament from him, giving him a green one instead, “Here, I’ll find a place for it, you take this one.”
Chuckling, Off carefully hung the green ball near the purple one that was already on the tree before reaching over to take another ornament from the basket on the table next to the tree. “Is my color coordination not doing it for you?”
Gun laughed, “What color coordination?”
“Hey! Don’t insult the guy you’re relying on to reach the taller branches.”
Gun gave him a challenging look, “The tree’s not that tall. I don’t need you.” He waved the little Santa he was holding in Off’s face and then turned to stretch up on his tiptoes to hang it on one of the taller branches. Or tried to. It slipped from his hand and Gun would have toppled over with it if Off hadn’t been there to catch him and place steadying hands on his shoulders.
He leaned down and whispered next to Gun’s ear, “You were saying?”
Gun shivered and shot him a glare over his shoulder, “Fine, then I’ll leave the rest for you.”
“I could hold you up to hang them in the higher branches like they do for little kids in those Christmas movies …” Off decides to stop his teasing when he sees Gun raise his finger at him. He knows he’s in trouble when the finger comes out.
He’s still laughing quietly to himself while Gun leaves and then returns from the kitchen carrying a small platter. There are two plates on it with what looks like marshmallows, pieces of a chocolate bar and some kind of cookie or cracker.
“My friend taught me how to make these. Do you want to try them?” Gun holds the platter up for Off to take a closer look.
He isn’t really much for sweets but Off doesn’t think he has it in him to deny Gun anything right now. So he says, “Sure,” and turns away to finish placing the last ornament, a sparkly sign that spells out ‘Merry Christmas’ on the very top of the tree.
When he turns back around, Gun is kneeling in front of the fireplace and holding two long sticks. He slides the tip of one of the sticks through a marshmallow he’s holding and hands the other stick to Off.
Off takes the stick and follows his lead, sticking a marshmallow on the end of his and then holding it over the fire. He’s pretty proud of himself for getting the fire going again and managing to keep it from going out. It was getting colder and they really needed it tonight.
“They’re ready,” Gun says.
Off looks up from where he was staring into the crackling flames to find Gun holding his stick out towards him. He takes it wordlessly and at Gun’s direction, holds one of them out to hover over the platter between them. Then he watches as Gun places a piece of the chocolate on top of one of the cookies and then carefully lifts it to hold under the marshmallow on the end of the stick. He takes another cookie and sandwiches the marshmallow between the two, tugging to pull the marshmallow off the stick and into the middle of his makeshift sandwich.
He giggles as pieces of melted marshmallow and chocolate drip down onto the platter, “It’s kind of messy but it’s really good!”
Something loosens in his chest as Off watches him set the dessert down and set up another one. He looks otherworldly in the soft light of the fireplace, not just cute but beautiful, the firelight and shadows tracing his delicate features in shades of gold. Warmth spreads through him as he watches Gun struggle with the second marshmallow as it gets stuck on the end of the stick while he’s trying to pull it off.
“Papii, you’re not even trying to help me!” Gun is laughing when he meets his eyes, his adorable dimples on full display and his nose scrunched up in the way it only does when he’s truly happy.
“Sorry … sorry,” Off smiles back at him and tries to refocus on the task at hand, tugging the stick he’s holding back towards himself while Gun pulls at the other end. They finally manage to get it off and Gun hands him one of the little sandwiches. It’s too sweet but Off eats the entire thing anyway, barely paying attention to what he’s doing as he watches Gun struggle to eat his without chocolate and melted marshmallow getting everywhere.
He doesn’t seem to notice the mess he’s made of his face as he looks up and asks, “Is it too sweet?”
Suddenly overwhelmed with affection, Off reaches over and swipes at a streak of chocolate next to his mouth, bringing his thumb to his mouth and sucking it off. His waggles his eyebrows, “Not half as sweet as you.”
Gun scoffs and rolls his eyes at that but he stills when Off leans over and licks at the mixture of chocolate and melted marshmallow at the corner of his mouth.When he pulls back, Gun is staring at him with questions in his eyes, his face flushed in shades of peach, “Do you mean it?” His words come out soft and unsteady and Off wants to wipe the uncertainty from his eyes.
“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t mean it.” Gently cupping his face, Off leans over and kisses him soft and slow, letting his lips linger and deepening the kiss to chase the sweetness that lingers from the dessert in Gun’s mouth.
When he pulls back, Gun is swaying towards him but they both jump apart at the loud cracking sound from outside. “What was that?!” Gun is clutching at his shoulders and staring wide-eyed at the front door.
“It’s probably just a big chunk of ice falling or something,” Off reassures him. Or at least, he hoped that’s what it was. Regardless, he wasn’t letting Gun get worked up about it, especially right before bed. His nerves had taken enough of a beating today.
“But what if it’s … a wolf or a bear?” Gun is still sitting stock still on his knees, staring at the door.
Off cups the back of his neck and brings their foreheads together, “Shh, calm down. It was probably just ice falling off some trees outside. Let’s go to bed.” He strokes the delicate nape of his neck, leaning over to kiss his temple before getting up and carrying the dessert tray into the kitchen.
They’d dragged one of the mattresses from upstairs next to the fireplace and piled it high with every blanket they could find. Off sat down on the mattress and tugged Gun into his lap. He was trembling, whether from fear or the cold or excitement, Off wasn’t sure. He soothed him by running a hand through his hair, down the side of his face and stopping at the side of his neck to caress the skin there.
Gun looked up at him with big eyes and in that moment, Off would have done anything he asked, no matter how impossible. “Distract me?”
He presses him down into the blankets. He’s warm and sweet and pliant and Off intends to keep him that way.