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Blizzards aren’t an abnormal occurrence for Dex. Maine has them and Dex deals with them. He and the snow have a mutual understanding. As long as there’s no snow in like, June, he’s fine. He knows how to manage a November blizzard. He remembers, just about ten minutes after he gets the weather alert on his phone, that a good portion of his team probably does not understand blizzards. Chowder and Bitty are from the land of the forever warm, and Dex can’t ever imagine Nursey having to deal for himself during a snowstorm.
Lardo might want somebody other than herself and Ransom that have a flying fuck how to handle a snowstorm at the Haus right now. For the good of the team, it’s probably a good idea that he goes. Not that he’s worried about them or anything.
“This is probably dumb.” Dex mutters before yelling to his roommates that he’s going to stay at a friend’s for the storm and they better not be dead when he gets back. He grabs a worn blue duffle bag and fills it with a change of clothes, his laptop, and his phone charger. Dex grabs his wallet off the counter and slaps his thigh to make sure he has his phone. He won’t be back before it hits.
Dex stops by the Stop and Shop on his way to the Haus, picking up extra butter and flour along with the things off of his Mom’s old Blizzard Check list. If Dex is flushing, he’ll blame it on the cold and not on the idea that Bitty might be pleased with him. If anything, this is to add to the cookie count over the next few days.
Dex is cold all the way through when he gets to the Haus, eyelashes covered in frost. His hands are clenched too-tight around the groceries and he has to work to uncurl his fingers to open the door.
It’s not warm inside.
Dex can still see his breath inside the door. All of the lights are out, and the den is eerily quiet without the TV on. “Hello?” He calls out.
“Kitchen!”
Dex toes off his boots and kicks them into the corner. He shakes the snow off of his coat, but doesn’t remove it. He walks carefully, making sure not slip on the slick wooden floor.
The team, sans Lardo, is piled around the table. Ransom and Holster have shoved their chairs together to fashion a couch, leaned up against the wall. Chowder’s sitting under the table, in a blanket nest with Nursey. Bitty’s in the kitchen, propping his face up on his fists, elbows on the counter.
“I brought groceries.” Dex says in place of a greeting.
Bitty moves, taking the bags from Dex’s hands. “Thank you dear.” He says absentmindedly. The mood in the room is painfully dull.
“What’s wrong?” Dex asks, because overall very confused.
“The power’s out.” Holster explains. “That means, no TV, no computers, and-“
“No internet.” Bitty finishes mournfully.
“The heater’s also on the fritz, so we’re chilling.” Nursey informs from the floor. He and Chowder are holding hands.
Dex reminds himself that punching Nursey’s lights out is not a good way to start the storm. “Oh.” Dex says, and spending the blizzard cold and in the dark is somehow worse than spending it up in his dorm. “Well fuck that noise.”
His friends look at him like he’s lost his mind, and Dex finally decides to shrug off his coat. “Come on, let’s make this a party.”
Dex sends everybody upstairs to close their doors and sends Nursey to go and find some fucking crayons, because everybody has crayons. Lardo shows up from checking up on the rest of the team as Dex folds down the table leaves to make room for the couch. He’s already got the kitchen chairs stashed in the den. “The power’s out.” He explains. “We’re having a kitchen party.”
Lardo grins, standing on his toes to ruffle his hair under his hair before sticking her hat on his head. “Nice work, kid.”
Between the couch and table, blankets are draped to make cozy tents. The crayons that Nursey manages to scrounge up are placed inside of bowls and lit on fire for makeshift candles. Dex pulls the bag of flour out of the grocery bags he brought, presenting it to Bitty. “Betty’s going to be our furnace.” He says. “We could take turns?”
Bitty grins as he takes the bag. “I think I’ve got just the thing.”