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There was nothing Neil looked forward to nowadays more than a good old snow day. Growing up, snow has always been a nuisance, and later a danger when he was on the run. But once he settled down, the fear and frustration he has always associated with the cold began to melt away. He very much enjoyed the snow now, it meant less people out and about, plus the fluffy snow was quite fun to play with. Dan and Matt had introduced him to the joy of snowball fights, and now he could barely resist playing with it whenever he saw a fresh pile of snow.
Now that he had Atlas, Neil found the snow days even more fun. The dog loved frolicking out in the snow with him, and Neil always loved seeing him act goofy. It had become a tradition, now, that whenever fresh snow began to fall, Atlas would show up at his little house and the two of them would prance off into the white expanse.
That was what had happened today, Atlas dragging his giant parka out of the closet and barking until Neil had put it on. It was a surprisingly windy day, so Neil had been thankful for the coat. They had ventured out past Neil’s garden and into the trees today, chasing each other about before stumbling across deep drifts of snow.
Neil let out a giggle as Atlas dove head first into a little pile of snow, popping up a second later and shaking snow everywhere. When Atlas looked back, Neil copied his movement with a grin, hopping into the pile of snow next to him and laughing when his boots disappeared into the cold. Atlas boofed (Neil thought it was quite a happy sound) and ran up to another pile, launching himself in without hesitation. When he popped back up, he tilted his head back at Neil and let his tongue loll out, and Neil could tell that it was game on. Running up to the pile closest to him, he belly flopped into the snow, laughing at the cloud of white that puffed up when he landed. He picked his head up and watched Atlas dive into another pile, wiggling around until he was belly up, feet kicking playfully in the air. They took turns watching each other leap into piles, seeing who could find the deepest. Neil could feel himself grinning, his cheeks flushed from the cold and gently aching from how wide he was smiling. It was a good feeling. There was a reason he loved Atlas so much. Whenever the giant dog was around, Neil found himself full of such a content feeling, even when they weren’t doing anything. But when they were out playing? Neil could confidently say that he had never felt happier or more at peace. There was a certain simpleness to frolicking in the forest that made his happiness feel uncomplicated. He didn’t have to worry about socializing, or acting normal. He was simply allowed to be, and he got to do it with a gentle giant of a dog. Perhaps Matt and Dan were right all those years ago when they told him he should get a pet; dogs certainly were a man’s best friend. But Neil couldn’t help but feel like other dogs wouldn’t be able to hold a torch to Atlas. He was quite happy with his part-time companion, and if he was making Atlas happier too? Neil couldn’t see any downsides. Atlas was his puppy, even if he slept in a different house.
Shaking snow out of his hair, Neil cheered as Atlas practically disappeared into a particularly large snow drift.
“That’s the biggest one yet!” Neil grinned as Atlas’s head popped comically out of the snow, a small pile balanced precariously on top of his head. Atlas just boofed in response, his tail sending snow flying as it wagged.
Neil leapt into a pile of his own and pouted when it only reached his knees. “How come you always find the deep ones?” Atlas merely shook himself free of the snow in response, bounding a few feet away before looking back at Neil. He raised his paw slowly before slapping it dramatically down into the tiny pile, wagging his tail. Neil couldn’t help it as he laughed again.
“You’re adorable.”
Atlas seemed to pout at that, sitting down and sneezing at Neil indignantly, the way he’d been doing more recently.
That just made Neil laugh again. “You like to act big and tough, but you’re always gonna be my adorable puppy.”
Atlas just flopped over dramatically, rolling around in the snow. Neil took that as an opportunity to run over and leap into a pile right next to the dog, showering Atlas in little clumps of snow. In a flash Atlas is back on his feet and shovelling snow onto Neil with his snout mercilessly. Neil let out a surprised guffaw and threw his arms up in defense.
“I yield, I yield!”
Atlas growled lightly, stopping his assault and crouching down playfully. Neil just laughed, reaching out to dust the snow off of his snout.
“Your nose must be cold.” Neil leaned in and gave Atlas a quick kiss right on the tip of his snout. “Yup, definitely cold.”
Atlas growled again, turning his head to the side and pawing at his nose.
Neil gasped. “Did you just wipe off my kiss?” He gave a dramatic pout and wiped away fake tears. “I thought you loved me puppy...” He dropped his head down with a dramatic sigh.
Atlas growled and shuffled forward, shoving his nose into Neil’s face and nuzzling him aggressively. Neil couldn’t help but laugh as he was nuzzled into falling over, Atlas standing above him. Seemingly satisfied, Atlas gently leaned in and licked Neil’s cheek, making Neil’s heart swell.
And then Atlas was off, bounding across the field and jumping into pile after pile of snow. Neil scrambled up with a laugh, trying to catch up with him. They continued across the field, laughing as they went. Well, Neil was laughing, and he liked to think that Atlas’s little chuffs and sneezes were him laughing too.
They raced through the white expanse, Neil stumbling as the snow got thicker, and Atlas always circling around to make sure he kept up. As the snow thinned, Neil picked up his pace, doing his best to outrun Atlas. He saw a fork in the path ahead, one side leading toward a patch of snow covered trees, and one leading to a clear expanse thinly dusted with snow.
“This way puppy!” Neil shouted, sprinting towards the clearing. “Last one there has to let me brush his fur!!” He heard Atlas sniff indignantly beside him before he raced ahead and bound onto some rocks around the edge of the clearing. Neil just laughed, feet pounding hard on the icy ground. Suddenly, Neil felt his feet slip out from under him. Damn Ice. Except instead of sliding across the ground, Neil found himself suddenly engulfed with something very dark, and very cold.
Neil doesn’t think he had felt this cold in quite a while.
꧁❆꧂
The thing Andrew appreciated most about being around Neil as Atlas was that he could pretend things were simple. Neil wasn’t the sort of person who worried about social expectations much anyway, but as Atlas, there truly were none. Well, perhaps he should give Neil more credit-- he didn't seem to care much about Andrew’s silences and lack of expression when he was human either. Maybe being Atlas just made it easier for Andrew to let go of all of that as well. It took a bit of adjusting, but Andrew found it easy now, as Atlas at least, to show Neil affection. There was nothing he looked forward to more than the days where he and Neil would go on adventures together. As the weather had turned colder and snow had begun to fall, Andrew had discovered Neil’s childlike love for the stuff. That, of course, resulted in lots and lots of snow days together as Atlas. Andrew had to admit that bounding through the snow with Neil left a warm feeling in his chest. Sometimes, when he dared to inspect it, he realized it felt a lot like contentment. Closer even, to happiness some days.
This day had been no different, that warm feeling bubbling up in his chest, listening to Neil’s laugher as they chased each other. The snow was crisp and cold beneath his feet, and the wind filling his lungs made him feel like life was sparking through him. He’d spend his whole life like this if he could. He threw his head back as he ran, tongue lolling out as he panted. He heard Neil shout at him and he snorted. Last one there has to let me brush his fur. As if Neil wasn’t just going to do that anyway. Regardless, Andrew wasn’t one to let himself be shown up, so he launched himself onto some boulders that curved around the clearing. He had the perfect vantage point to pounce on Neil when he caught up, and he could already imagine Neil’s laughter when he caught him. He looked back to catch a glimpse of the redhead, but--
Neil wasn’t there.
Andrew froze, senses alert. He felt a deep unease settle in his chest; one that was only confirmed when he realized he couldn’t smell Neil’s scent. Dread pooled in his gut when his scanning eyes picked out a dark spot in the snow. Shit. The dark spot looked deceptively like a hole, but when red hair popped up suddenly with a gasp, Andrew knew it was much worse. Water. Shit! With a yowl of panic, Andrew scrambled down from the rocks as fast as he could, running in Neil’s direction. At the sound of his barks, he could see Neil look back at him, his eyes wide and panicked.
“Atlas, be careful!” Neil’s voice rang out, his teeth chattering painfully. “You’re gonna fall in too!”
Andrew felt himself growl and a whine broke out of his chest. Neil was right. He slowed to a walk and crouched low, but he didn't stop moving in Neil’s direction. He had to get him out. He cursed himself for not noticing the ice sooner, for not being able to keep Neil safe. Suddenly he heard the ice crack below him and he stopped in his tracks, whining frantically. He was still at least a few yards from Neil, whose head was barely above water.
“It’s gonna be okay puppy.” Neil’s voice was weaker than it was before, his lips pale and his hair slicked against his forehead. Andrew couldn’t help his whines and frantic barking, his heart pounding in his chest. It is clearly not okay. Neil is clearly not okay. His breaths came in short, shuddering puffs, and his arms were moving slower and slower in the water. Andrew needed to get to him, and fast .
He started creeping to the side, moving forward slightly as he moved, hoping to find a thicker spot in the ice. He made it only a few feet forward before the ice cracked perilously beneath his paws again.
“Puppy,” Neil’s voice is breathy now. “Don’t… gonna… fall.” His eyes were drooping, and Andrew wanted to tear apart the whole world. Fuck. Fuck! With every step forward the ice cracked louder. If Andrew thought he could pull both of them out of the water safely, he would have just jumped in himself, cold be damned. He was close though, only a few more steps and he could reach Neil’s freezing form. Flattening himself on the ice, he crawled forward slowly, too slowly, and ignored the further cracking of the ice beneath him. He didn’t have any other options here. After a particularly loud crack, Andrew had to stop, and he howled in frustration.
Neil sucked in a deep breath and gave Atlas a weak smile. “Love you… puppy.” His arms were barely moving anymore and he had to tilt his head back to keep it above the water, and Andrew had had enough. With a desperate push forward, He snagged Neil’s parka with his teeth, snarling as he felt his paws crash through the ice. With a desperate jerk of his head, he managed to hoist Neil mostly onto the ice before he fell into the water himself. Using his snout, he pushed Neil as far onto the ice as he could before digging his claws into the ice and desperately pulling himself out as well. Still carefully crouching, he dragged Neil’s shivering form back onto sturdy ground, only feeling safe when they made it past the boulders on the edge of the clearing. Letting go of Neil briefly, he shook himself off before desperately nuzzling at Neil’s face, trying to get a reaction out of him. Neil reached out weakly and Andrew could hear him mumbling, but it was clear that he was going to have to drag him back to the house himself. Letting out a frustrated snarl, he gently picked Neil up around his middle, hoping that the parka was thick enough to protect from his teeth. Confident in his grip, he took off in a sprint towards Neil’s house. It wasn’t close.
As he ran, all he could think about is how he had let Neil down. Neil was supposed to be safe around him. Both as Andrew and as Atlas. Andrew was supposed to know these woods! He should have seen the ice, smelled the ice, and known to keep clear. He had let his guard down, and now Neil was the one paying for it. He should have been paying attention. Fuck. This was all his fault. He didn’t know if it made it better or worse, knowing that Neil wouldn't even try to blame him for this.
As Neil’s house came into view, Andrew felt like he could cry. Racing up the porch steps, he gently set Neil down before he bodily threw himself against the door. If only he had fucking hands at the moment. It seemed like the house felt his urgency though, and the door flew open on the second try. Picking Neil up again, he rushed him into the kitchen where the old wood stove stood, a few small embers gently burning. Andrew could have sworn Neil hadn’t had the fire going earlier, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Pawing open the grate, he carefully lifted a few logs inside, hoping the embers were enough to light them. Looking around, he saw a newspaper on the kitchen table and quickly threw that into the stove as well. That seemingly did the trick, the loose pages lighting up quickly and steadily spreading over to the thinner parts of the logs. Andrew could hear Neil shivering behind him, his teeth chattering violently. Nudging him into an upright position, he maneuvered him as close to the fire as he could safely manage.
“Thank you puppy.” Neil’s voice was still quiet, but the fact that he was talking made Andrew feel just a fraction better. With a whine, he scooted closer, nuzzling Neil’s ice cold face. Neil hissed, and Andrew wanted to kick himself. His fur was still wet-- it was probably just as cold as Neil was, if not colder. Standing up, he paced in a circle before gently tugging at Neil’s parka. That was still wet too and it was probably keeping Neil cold. He needed to get it off. Neil was still shivering violently even with the fire raging. Shit. They weren’t out of the woods yet. Andrew needed to get Neil out of his frozen clothes and warmed up quickly. The cold was still doing damage. With gentle bark, he tugged on the parka again, nudging Neil, trying to get him to understand.
Neil reached up to the zipper to try and take it off, but his fingers couldn’t manage to close around it. “I don’t think I can get this off puppy.” Neil sounded apologetic. “My fingers are too cold.”
Andrew snarled in frustration, pacing in a few circles again before turning back to Neil and trying to unzip him himself. His teeth clacked against the metal of the zipper, but he could only tug it down a few inches before the zipper slipped out of his maw. He tried a few more times, but it was pretty clear that Andrew wasn’t going to be able to get Neil undressed like this. He let out a low whine, pushing his head deep into Neil’s chest. He didn’t have time to dawdle, he needed to get Neil out of his clothes, but he couldn’t just turn into his human form with no warning.
Backing away from where Neil was still shivering, Andrew shook himself off. Screw his stupid double identity, Neil needed help from someone with opposable thumbs. Andrew wasn’t about to screw that up because of his own issues. He’d think of an excuse later. Running towards the front door, Andrew tried to ignore Neil’s panicked “Where are you going?”. He wasn’t leaving Neil, even if Neil might think he was. He’d make it up to him as Atlas later. Running onto the porch, Andrew took a few deep breaths before shifting into his human form. Shivering, he ran his hands through his hair and tried to school his expression before stepping inside.
“Neil?” His voice echoed gently through the house. “Are you home? The door was open.” He thanked his past self for stashing a set of clothes by the front door. He threw them on as fast as he could before walking into the kitchen, barely stopping himself from sprinting. When Neil looked up at him, he finally let himself rush as he bent down next to him. “What happened? You look fucking freezing.”
Neil’s teeth were still chattering. “Fell through the ice when I was playing with Atlas.” He gave a weak grin. “He saved me though, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Andrew had to stop himself from growling. “You don’t fucking look like it. You need to get warm. Your clothes are frozen.” It sent a shiver of anxiety up Andrew’s spine when he realized Neil’s clothes were in fact frozen- the fire had to be helping, but they were still stiff and stupidly cold to the touch.
“Yeah.” Neil sighed. “Couldn’t get them off.” He tried to flex his fingers, but they didn’t cooperate. The movement drew Andrews eyes to Neil’s hands and his worry mounted when he saw how pale they were. Shit, how long dis someone have to be in water for them to get frostbite? At least they weren’t blue, but at the same time, Andrew didn’t know if that only happened in movies or not.
“Can I undress you? Yes or no.” Andrew could hear how angry his voice was, but he was scared.
“Not how I thought this would happen.” Neil mumbled, and Andrew could feel his heart stutter in his chest.
“Yes or no?” He grit out.
Neil’s eyes darted up at the words, as if he was just realizing he said that out loud. “Yes.” he whispered, a faint dusting of a blush across his face. That’s probably a good sign, Andrew thought. Enough blood flow for a blush.
Leaning forward, he unzipped Neil’s parka. He helped Neil shrug it off, having to manhandle his arms through the holes. Andrew could feel Neil’s discomfort, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold, from the contact, or from the fact that Andrew was about to strip him down to a very vulnerable state. Brow furrowing, he opened his mouth before shutting again, not sure what to say. Neil didn't seem the type to like blasé reassurances, and Andrew wasn’t the type to give them. Shaking his head, he finished pulling Neil out of his parka before speaking.
“I’m going to take off your sweater and top layers first.” Andrew tried to keep his voice disinterested and clinical. Maybe if Neil knew exactly what Andrew was planning it would help calm him down “Then, I have to take off your jeans. Yes?”
Neil nodded. “It’s a yes.” He winced as Andrew lifted his arms up and pulled his sweater over his head. “Can I keep my shirt on?” His voice sounded small, and Andrew hated it. He hated that this situation was forcing Neil to do more than he would probably be comfortable with any other time.
Andrew bit his lip. “I can get you a dry one. The wet one probably can’t stay on.” Neil nodded mutely and Andrew felt an overwhelming surge of frustration. All this just for Neil to avoid getting even more cold-- He knew it would still be quite a while until Neil stopped shivering. Pausing in his undressing of Neil, Andrew got up to add more logs to the fire, poking it around to make it roar. Neil held his hands up to the stove, but then winced and pulled them away. “It’s too hot.” He frowned, looking frustrated. “It hurts.”
Briefly Andrew remembered a random factoid from some middle school health class. Don’t warm up a hypothermia victim too fast. Warming too fast can cause heart arrhythmias. He reached out and grabbed one of Neil’s hands and frowned when it felt just as cold as the snow outside.
“God your hands are warm.” Neil gave Andrew a weak grin. “They almost hurt too”
Andrew dropped his hands like they burned him. Shit. He was doing this all wrong, he was sure. He needed to do better. Grunting, he pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found Aaron’s contact and hit call.
“Hey Andr--”
“Hypothermia.” Andrew cut Aaron off. “What do I do.”
“What?” Aaron’s voice sounded annoyed before crossing over into worry. “What’s going on? Why do you need to know that?”
Andrew glared at his phone. “Neil. He fell through the ice. He's freezing.”
Aaron swore on the other line. “How long was he in the water?”
“I don’t know.” Andrew growled. “Five minutes?”
“Shit.” Andrew could hear Aaron flipping through a book. “What color are his extremities? Is he conscious? What is his heart rate like?”
“His fingers are completely white, but he is conscious.” Andrew looked at Neil, holding his fingers by his neck in silent question. Neil nodded. Pressing his fingers against Neil’s pulse point, he felt his frown deepen. “His pulse is pretty slow.”
“Definitely some form of hypothermia. Possibly frostbite too. Can Neil hear me?”
Andrew put the phone on speaker. “Neil can hear you.”
“Neil,” Aaron’s voice was professional. “Do your fingers feel warm at all? Or are they just numb? Andrew said they look white.”
Neil tries to move his fingers again. “They do feel sort of warm, that’s good, right?” His voice was broken up by chattering teeth.
Aaron sucked in a breath. “Andrew, don’t get him too close to anything like a fire or give him any heat packs. It sounds like he has superficial frostbite.”
“What does that mean?” Andrew’s voice is tight.
“No permanent damage as long as you treat it right.” Aaron reassures. “If you warm it up too fast, you could burn him though. He shouldn’t warm up too fast because of the hypothermia either. Neil?” Aaron raised his voice a bit as he addressed Neil. “I’m going to read off a list of symptoms and you’re going to tell me if you have any of them, okay? This is just to tell how bad your hypothermia is, there are no wrong answers.” Aaron’s voice sounded almost soothing, and Andrew had the offhand thought that his brother was going to make a great doctor someday.
Neil nods before realizing Aaron can’t see him. “Yeah, okay.”
The sound of turning pages comes across the line before Aaron speaks again. “Andrew, you can help answer some of these too. Ready? Are you shivering uncontrollably?”
“Yes.” Andrew and Neil answered at the same time.
“Is your breathing shallow?”
Neil looks at Andrew and shrugs, so Andrew answers for him “Slightly, I’d say. It was way worse earlier.”
“Alright. Are you slurring your speech?”
Neil shrugs. “I was a lot earlier, but only a little bit now.”
Aaron hums. “Do you feel drowsiness or exhaustion?”
“Yeah,” Neil frowns. “I think I fell asleep when Atlas was carrying me home. I still feel tired.”
Aaron hums again, and Andrew wants to reach through the phone and strangle him. What does “hmm” mean?? “Do you have any confusion or memory loss?” Aaron continues on, unaware of Andrew's irritation.
Neil lets out a weak chuckle. “Is it bad if I’m not sure? I can’t remember.”
“Why don’t you briefly walk me through what you do remember?” Aaron’s voice is steady.
Neil shrugs again, seemingly forgetting that Aaron can’t see him. “Well, I remember I was running and then the next thing I knew I was in the water. I remember Atlas freaking out and then it’s kind of all a blur until Andrew got here.”
“Alright.” Andrew can hear Aaron writing something down. “Do you have any loss or coordination? Are you fumbling things or stumbling?”
“Yeah,” Neil holds his hands out and Andrew aches to hold them. “I can’t move my fingers very well, I couldn’t unzip my jacket earlier.”
“Oh. Shit.” Aaron’s curse makes Andrew’s heart jump into his throat. “Are you still in wet clothes? I didn’t even think to ask.”
“Yeah.” Neil nods again, looking at Andrew. “Andrew helped me take off my jacket and sweater, but i'm still in a long sleeve shirt and my jeans.”
“Okay. You need to get those off now. If you can’t do it yourself, you’ll probably have to have Andrew help you.”
Andrew finally butts in. “He wants to keep his shirt on.” His tone offers no excuses.
“Why does he--” Aaron cut himself off. “You know what, nevermind. I guess he can keep his shirt on for now, but jeans are really thick and he should probably take those off. His skin is going to feel very tender as it warms up, so any rough textures like that will probably hurt, so keep that in mind. If you're going to keep the shirt on, it’s probably best if you submerge yourself in lukewarm water. Do NOT make it hot, or even too warm, because it will burn you.”
Andrew nods at Neil before standing up. “I’m going to go fill the bath,” he tells them both. "What else should I do?” He walks into the bathroom and turns on the faucet of the clawfoot bath, silently grateful for how deep it is.
“Once you have him in the water, go heat up the kettle and make him some tea. With the leftover water, make him a warm water bottle. Make sure he drinks the tea slowly, and then wrap the hot water bottle in a bunch of towels and press it to either his neck, chest, or groin. Warming up those places will help his body start warming up everything else. Oh, and don’t let him hold the tea, it’ll probably be way too hot for his fingers.”
Andrew nodded, plugging the tub once the temperature was right. He made his way back to Neil in the kitchen and crouched down next to him again. “I’m going to help Neil into the bath, Aaron. I’m setting my phone on the ground but I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t hang up.”
“Sounds good.” Aaron agreed.
After setting down his phone and taking it off speaker, Andrew scooped Neil up effortlessly, despite the few inches the redhead had on him. Neil gasped, arms flying up around Andrew’s neck, and Andrew tried to fight down a blush. This was neither the time or the place to get caught up in his… whatever this was. Once they were in the bathroom, Andrew gently set Neil’s feet down, still supporting his upper body.
“Can you stand?” Andrew looked Neil in the eye and found himself practically holding his breath at how close their faces were.
“I think so.” Neil held his gaze, his blue eyes making Andrew feel exposed.
Andrew just nodded and grunted, letting Neil stand up by himself. “I’m going to take off your jeans now, yes or no?” He kept his eyes averted this time.
“Yes.” Neil leaned over the bath to support himself, and Andrew hated his mind for all the places it went at the sight. Not the time, not the place. Crouching down, Andrew unbuttoned Neil’s pants and began to slide them down, trying not to let them drag against Neil’s sensitive skin. Once they were around his ankles, Neil stepped out of them neatly and looked back at Andrew. Andrew kept his face blank.
“Do you need my help getting into the bath?” His voice was inflectionless, his brain trying to think of anything besides Neil standing in front of him in wet briefs and a thin shirt.
Neil nodded, reaching out and letting his hand hover over Andrew’s shoulders. “May I?”
Andrew nodded, but Neil didn’t move. Rolling his eyes, Andrew nodded again, grunting out a quiet “Yes, idiot.” and letting Neil use him to stabilize himself as he stepped into the tepid water. He let out a quiet hiss as he tried to get used to the temperature, and Andrew’s brow furrowed in concern. Making a quick about-face, he quickly trotted to the kitchen to grab his phone before coming back.
“Aaron, the water is hurting Neil.”
Neil frowned at Andrew’s statement, but he didn’t lower himself into the water any further, mostly proving his point.
“Yeah, that’s going to happen.” Aaron’s voice came through the line. “You can give him some painkillers, but besides that there isn’t too much you can do about it besides tough it out. As long as the water doesn't feel warm at all to you, it won’t hurt him.”
Andrew frowned but nodded. Moving the phone away from his mouth he turned to Neil. “Where do you keep your painkillers?”
Neil shrugged. “I don’t think I have any. I’ll be fine though.”
Andrew glared at Neil as he slowly lowered himself into the water, trying to hide his discomfort. Neil met his gaze, crossing his arms over his chest and Andrew couldn’t tell if he was trying to look intimidating or just trying to keep warm. After a silent standoff, Andrew huffed. “Fine. I’m going to make you tea. Where do you keep it?”
“It’s in the cabinet next to the sink. The chai is my favorite, but I think the box might be empty. If it is, regular black tea is fine.” Neil gave a small smile. “Thanks.”
Andrew growled. “Shut up. I’ll be back in a bit, try not to hurt yourself while I’m gone.” Turning around before Neil had a chance to respond, Andrew stormed off to the kitchen. Putting his phone back up to his ear, he made his way to the stove and picked up the kettle.
“Neil is in the bath and I’m making him tea, is there anything else I should know before hanging up?” Andrew filled the kettle and started it boiling before turning to look for the tea cabinet.
“God you’re dumb. ‘Don’t hurt yourself while I’m gone.’” Aaron’s voice lifted into a whiny mockery of Andrew. “What are you, twelve? You’re like the stupid kid throwing rocks at his crush on the playground. It’s pathetic.”
Andrew snarled, “I will hang up on you.”
“Wait wait wait!!” Aaron’s voice was colored with laughter. “There’s more stuff I have to tell you for Neill, don’t hang up.”
“You can text it.” Andrew pressed the end call button and put his phone back in his pocket. He’d have to get back at Aaron later. He felt his phone buzz a few times, but he’d look at it later. First, tea for Neil.
Locating the tea cabinet, Andrew pulled out a tin labeled ‘Masala Chai’ but frowned when he saw it was empty. Looking back into the cabinet, he located a decaf black tea and pulled that one out. Before putting the chai back, Andrew looked at the ingredients list out of curiosity. Black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black peppercorns. With a tilt of his head, Andrew opened a few cabinets until he found what resembled a spice cabinet. He remembered Neil talking about Dan and Matt gifting him a spice kit when he first moved in, and Andrew just hoped it contained more than the usual celery salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. He rustled around, managing to easily find cinnamon and black pepper. He saw that there were some more spices on the shelf above, but it was a little too tall for him to see. With a grumble, he hoisted himself onto the counter and kneeled so he could see better. To his relief, he saw a small bag of cardamom pods that had been previously opened, as well as a small jar of cloves. Hopping back off the counter, Andrew shuffled over to the fridge where he found a half full carton of milk as well as a jar labeled ‘Ginger Shots: Take Before Runs’. Convenient. Andrew would have to ask Neil about that later-- the handwriting on the label definitely wasn’t Neil’s, which peaked Andrew’s interest.
Bringing the milk and ginger juice over to the rest of his ingredients, Andrew pulled a saucepan off from where it hung on the wall and poured in a decent portion of milk. By then, the kettle had begun to boil, and Andrew pulled it off the heat before it could whistle too loudly. Pulling a mug out from one of the cabinets, he poured in the boiling water and set down the kettle in order to open a tea bag. Letting the tea steep, he turned back to the milk and began adding the spices. He gave a few liberal shakes of cinnamon, and pinch of black pepper, and only a few cloves and cardamom pods. He knew cloves and cardamom could be quite strong, so he hoped he did a good job eyeballing it. Lastly, he added a splash of ginger juice before putting both that and the milk back in the fridge. Taking the teabag out of the mug, he tossed it before gently pouring the steeped tea into the simmering milk. Well, it definitely smelled good. He decided to let it simmer a bit longer to help the spices infuse. Turning back to the cabinets, he rummaged around until he managed to find a thick walled water bottle. He filled it with the leftover water from the kettle, and then began to wrap it up with the kitchen towels. Content with his work, he pulled out his phone to check the texts Aaron had left.
Defective Clone: you’re such a loser lol
Defective Clone: anyway neil probably shouldnt stay in the bath too long, it’s mostly to help with the frostbite. I know he doesnt want to take his shirt off but u have to make him change into all dry clothes, ok? Then just bundle him up in as many blankets as u can. The more layers the better.
Defective Clone: also body heat helps ☺
Defective Clone: also u should wrap his hands (and feet?) with some gauze bc sometimes skin will blister after rewarming from frostbite. If he gets blisters u should bring him to a doc to get them drained + get some antibiotics. he will probably be fine, but ppl sometimes get pneumonia after hypothermia so u should keep on eye on him this next week. Bet u will love that lol
Andrew felt a particular need to strangle his brother in that moment, but alas, the technology to reach through phone screens had yet to be invented. One day. Andrew typed back a quick response:
Me: im telling nicky u didn’t like the last disney movie he showed u
Aaron’s response was instant.
Defective Clone: NO
Defective Clone: NO WAIT DONT
There were perks, sometimes, to having an annoying cousin. Andrew just sent back a smiley emoji and put his phone away.
Deciding the chai had infused enough, Andrew turned off the stovetop and poured the chai into the mug from earlier. Picking up the mug and hot water bottle, he made his way past the bathroom and into Neil’s bedroom where he set the mug and the bottle back down. Being in Neil’s bedroom without him gave Andrew the heebie jeebies, so he quickly made his way back to the bathroom where Neil was laying in the bath with his eyes closed.
“Alright icicle boy, time to get you dry and warmed up.”
Neil’s eyes popped open at his voice, and he gave a small smile. “That sounds good .I know it sounds silly but I didn’t really feel that cold earlier. I definitely do now, though. I could do with a few blankets.”
Andrew nodded and grabbed a towel from where it hung on the back of the door. “We’ll find you a change of clothes up in your room.” He held out the towel for Neil, wrapping him up tightly before stepping back. Silently, they both walked into the bedroom.
Neil sighed as he sat down on the bed. “God, I feel like I just ran two marathons, I’m exhausted.”
Andrew merely hummed before opening the top drawer of Neil’s dresser. He sorted through the shirts he found there until he found a nice thick one. Shuffling through the rest of the drawers, he picked out a pair of briefs as well as some warm looking sweatpants and wooly socks. Turning back around, he placed them on the bed next to Neil. “Do you need my help?”
Neil shook his head. “I think I got it.”
Andrew gave a single nod before stepping out of the room. He turned back before closing the door. “Where is your first aid kit?”
“In the bathroom down the hall, there’s some stuff in the wall cabinet but there’s a bigger box under the sink too.”
Andrew nodded and closed the door, making his way to the bathroom and rummaging around until he found a roll of gauze and some scissors. Making his way back down the hall, he gave a single knock on the door.
“You can come back in.” It sounded like Neil was shivering again, and it made Andrew frown. Walking inside, Andrew watched as Neil finished pulling up the sweatpants.
“Go get under the blankets, you’re gonna break your teeth off if they keep chattering like that. Neil huffed but obliged. Andrew walked over and fluffed up the pillows behind him before placing the warm water bottle on his chest. “Hold that there.” Neil wrapped his arms around the water bottle as Andrew picked up the mug of chai. "I don't want you touching the mug because it's too hot. I'll hold it for you." There was a silent question at the end of Andrew's sentence.
Neil nodded. "That's okay. Thank you." Andrew just scowled and held the mug up to Neil's lips. “Wow, this chai is way better than whenever I make it.” A pleasantly surprised expression crossed Neil's face.
“I made it.” Andrew shrugged.
Neil blushed. “Heh, I guess they do say that things always taste better when someone you care about makes them for you.”
It was Andrew’s turn to blush, his ears feeling hot as he combatted his flush with a frown. “No, idiot, I meant I made it from scratch.” He held the mug back up to Neil’s lips before he could respond.
After another sip, Neil smiled shyly. “Thank you, Andrew. You’re incredible.”
This was not helping Andrew’s blush. “Shut up,” he said, forcing the mug back to Neil’s lips. Feeding him tea was proving to be quite convenient at shutting him up.
Or maybe not. “Really,” Neil piped up again. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come in time.” Andrew didn’t respond, merely putting the mug back to Neil’s lips with a pointed glare. After another sip, Neil let out a small laugh. “You know, making me drink this every time I talk isn’t going to stop me from thanking you.”
Andrew glared harder and brought the mug up again. “It should.”
Neil’s eyes sparkled with mirth but he obediently took another sip. “Fine, if you don’t want to talk about everything you did for me, we can talk about Atlas. Where is he by the way?”
Andrew froze, wracking his mind for excuses. “Um. He looked really cold. And wet. So I left him in the truck with the heater on.”
Neil frowned. “Your car has been running this entire time? That’s probably a huge waste of gas.” He looked almost guilty.
“It doesn’t matter.” Andrew huffed. “Atlas is fine and probably warm again. Drink your tea.”
Neil chuffed and took another sip. “Well I’m glad Atlas is okay. He really saved my life today. He really is a great dog you know.” Neil’s eyes sparkled with admiration and Andrew found himself having to look away.
“Yeah, well, he loves you too I’m sure.”
Neil beamed at Andrew’s words. “He really does, doesn’t he? Thank you for letting me have him over all the time. Both you and him do a really great job of making me feel not lonely.”
“Whatever.” Andrew moved to silence Neil with the mug, but frowned when he saw it was empty. Setting it on the bedside table, he picked up the gauze and scissors and showed them to Neil. “Aaron says I need to wrap your hands. Frostbite can cause blisters after your skin warms up and the gauze will keep them clean and prevent chafing.”
Neil nodded and held out his hands in front of himself. Andrew sat down on the edge of the bed and got to work wrapping them, taking care to be gentle. He avoided touching Neil’s hands as much as possible, even though he very much wanted to just hold them. Done with the first hand, he carefully cut the gauze and tucked the end into the wrapping. He repeated the process on the other side before setting down his supplies and standing up.
“I’m going to go get you more blankets. You should sleep.”
Neil nestled himself deeper into the pillows with a nod. “There should be some more blankets in the attic.”
Andrew cringed at the thought of venturing into Neil’s attic, but he nodded anyway, leaving Neil to rest. Something about this house always set Andrew on edge, especially when he ventured places inside alone. There was just something Not Right about the whole place, and the attic was one of the creepiest parts. Taking a deep breath, Andrew opened the attic hatch and pulled down the ladder. Quietly climbing up, he sighed in relief when he saw a pile of folded blankets just an arms reach away. Grabbing as many as he could carry, Andrew quickly climbed back down and closed the hatch, letting out a shudder. Creepy ass house.
Spoils in hand, Andrew made his way back to the bedroom. He felt himself almost smile when he saw Neil lying peacefully with his eyes closed, snoring gently. He needed the rest. As gently as he could, Andrew unfolded the blankets and piled them on top of Neil’s sleeping form, tucking in each layer as he went. His job finished, Andrew picked up the empty mug and the gauze to put away before walking out of Neil’s room. Putting away the gauze, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen where he washed out the mug and set it to dry. Staring at the door, he contemplated going home. He really didn’t have a reason to stay; Neil was sleeping peacefully and was going to be fine. Plus it would be weird if he slept here without Neil’s permission. He started toward the door reluctantly before a thought struck him. Andrew might not have permission to sleep in Neil’s home, but Atlas did. Pushing away thoughts of how screwed he was if Neil ever figured him out, Andrew shifted into his wolf form. He stretched quietly, letting go of the tension from the whole afternoon before silently trotting off to Neil’s room. Gently nosing the door open, Andrew hopped up onto Neil’s bed as gently as he could. His weight on the bed was enough to wake Neil, though, and he whined when Neil tried to sit up.
“Puppy?” Neil whispered. “I’m glad you're back.” His voice was tired and his words drifted together a bit as he settled back into the mattress. “Come cuddle?”
Andrew chuffed, walking over to Neil’s head and nudging him further under the covers. Once he was satisfied, he walked a small circle on the bed to tramp down the bedding before curling bodily around Neil’s torso. He placed his head on top of where the hot water bottle was rapidly cooling before gently licking the tip of Neil’s nose.
Neil smiled through a yawn. Closing his eyes, he nestled up as close to Andrew as he could get. “Love you too puppy.”
And with that, his faint snores began again.