Chapter Text
A cold wet smack to the back of his head and Xie Wang spins around to find the source of the attack. Ye Baiyi standing with one of his grins and a ball of snow in one hand.
“What are you doing?” Xie Wang’s eyes narrow. Did he upset the other man in some form to be treated in such a way.
“Have you never had a snowball fight in your life?” He says this jokingly but from Xie Wang’s slow blink he sees the truth. Grin slipping a moment. Time enough to fix that. Lobs the snowball in hand at his chest this time.
Xie Wang easily intercepts with a knife thrown through the center.
He can already see this will take some doing. “Alright, first rule, no knives. Only snowballs.”
Presses his lips together thoughtfully, Xie Wang frowns. He’s familiar with rules. He can work with this. Gathers up a packed ball of snow of his own and considers a spot to maximize the damage.
Ye Baiyi can see the way the other man is eying him up. “You do not need to take this so seriously. You are not aiming to kill.”
“Why attack if not to find weaknesses?”
“This is a game.”
“Games may be deadly as well.”
“Not this one.”
“Why.”
“Those are not the types of games I enjoy playing.”
“Then what is the point?”
“Fun.” Ye Baiyi is tiring of this back and forth and starts forming another snowball. Dodges seconds before a ball of white speeds by. It smacks into a snowbank beside him, breaking open to reveal small stones.
Not quite what he had in mind. “Snowballs without rocks.”
“I thought that would be fun. It isn't like I included poisoned needles or anything dangerous to someone like you.” The slightest upturned lip. Xie Wang knows aspects of his education have been sorely lacking. He knows fun. Fun is...It matters not that he cannot define it as long as he can identify it. It is time spent in pleasant company. Xie Wang can hear that note of impatience creeping into the other man's voice and is rather enjoying this after all.
Casting his eyes upward, Ye Baiyi lets out a huff. Warm breath billowing into the cold air. “Fun without injury would be preferable.”
When he looks back at where Xie Wang should be he is gone. Looking about there is no trace of him. Given up? Certainly not. Cautiously paces towards where Ye Baiyi last saw him. Feels a grasp around his ankle and finds himself pulled downward.
Xie Wang pulls himself free of the snow by Ye Baiyi’s feet.
Not quite cheating. Ingenious. And apparently being nearly buried alive just months ago did not bother the little scorpion one bit. Still not quite the snowball fight Ye Baiyi was looking for. He drops a ready snowball on Xie Wang’s face.
Keeping a firm grasp on the other man, Xie Wang lunges as the snow drops. Tackling Ye Baiyi and they both go down.
They lay panting in the snow. Xie Wang rolling on top of Ye Baiyi with a smile. Shakes the flurries out of his hair. “What now, old man? Do you admit defeat?” A snowball the size of Ye Baiyi’s head is in held above in hands.
“Never.” Not the worst position he’s been in.
Xie Wang drops the snowball directly onto Ye Baiyi’s face. View is obscured in pure white for a moment. Cold and he hears the most particular sound. Uses a sleeve to brush aside the snow and sees Xie Wang’s face scrunched up and red. Back of hand pressed against mouth. How about that. Turns out scorpions snort when laughing.
The cold is beginning to soak through but Xie Wang cannot stop the sounds bubbling out of him. The sight of Ye Baiyi’s surprise and sound of muffled indignation too much to take. Laughter burns with the chill as he inhales and he can feel the moisture freeze around his eyes. Icy fingers sharp against his rapidly warming face.
Ye Baiyi looks on in stunned amusement at Xie Wang with his eyes squeezed shut and the crystallization of those water droplets on his lashes. When was the last time he has seen anyone filled with such amusement. They should get into snowball fights more often if this is to be their reality. Other parts of the world begin creeping in though, including his body’s sudden interest in finding the pressure of a warm body. That and the freezing frost on his back.
“Alright, so now you know how to handle a snowball fight should the need ever arise. Maybe we can spring this on Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing. Let’s get back inside and warm up.” He wonders if either of them know how to play in the snow as well.
Brushing fingers against the corner of his eyes, Xie Wang tilts his head. “I believe you are already getting plenty heated. I would find it very agreeable if we were to warm up together.” Hand trailing down robes before he detangles himself and stands. Extending a hand to Ye Baiyi.
Ye Baiyi grips Xie Wang’s fingers to pull himself up. And contemplates ways to encourage more laughter in their activities later in the day.