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The local cable network had really been putting in their hours because Scott was enraptured. Scott was so enraptured in fact that he completely lost track of time. At some point he finally thought to look away and check the time, only to find out he was meant to be at work a good twenty minutes ago.
After shutting off the TV, Scott ran over to their rickety coat rack next to the door. He was already mostly dressed for work. The only thing he wasn’t dressed for was the weather. The air was beginning to crisp up again, making it just cold enough to need some sort of sweater or jacket. The only thing of Scott’s on the rack was his heavy down coat which was definitely overkill and would only have Scott overheating on his way to work. However, hanging right beside that was Wallace’s sweatshirt. He’d just worn it to get the mail earlier and hadn’t bothered to put it back in its usual storage.
Scott glanced behind him at the bathroom door. Wallace still had a good ten more minutes left in the shower. If Scott left immediately then he would be way too far for Wallace to chase him down and rip it back off him. After the quickest weighing of the options, Scott snatched it off the hook and pulled it on.
Before he could get caught or regret his actions, Scott grabbed his keys and left the apartment. Trudging his way to the bus stop reassured him in his decision to borrow the sweatshirt though. The wind would freeze his nose and ears, but the thick layer of fleece kept all of his torso nice and toasty. By the time he made it to the bus stop, Scott was happily rocking back on his heels, keeping his hands nice and warm in the deep pockets of Wallace’s sweatshirt.
Scott found another while twiddling his fingers in the pockets. Pressed flat into the seam was a crumpled up ten dollar bill. Safe to say, stealing Wallace’s sweatshirt left Scott in a great mood.
Later, once Scott’s shift at the Gilded Palace of Flying Burritos was over, he got to go back home and sit right back down in front of the TV. Wallace was sitting in the easy chair reading one of his novels, so Scott kept the volume on low.
“Weren’t you watching that all morning already? You literally just got home.” Wallace frowned from over the top of the paperback.
The shrug Scott gave in response knocked the sweatshirt’s hood loose from his head. “It’s really good. What if when I take a break from watching they start to think that nobody cares about it and then discontinue it? I just want them to know that I’m here and enjoying it, you know?”
“Sure. Whatever you say, Scott.” Wallace was about to return to his book, but something caught his attention causing him to put it face down on his lap. “Are you wearing my sweatshirt right now?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“But I did!” Scott paused. “But I guess I shouldn’t have because it smells kind of a lot like you.”
Wallace rubbed his temples. “We’ve lived together for more than a year now. We sleep in the same bed . We probably don’t smell all that different.”
Giving the sweatshirt a deep sniff, Scott shook his head no. “I don’t know what to tell you, man. It smells like something which means it doesn’t smell like me.”
“Are you trying to imply that I stink?”
“No. It doesn’t smell bad. It actually smells pretty good.” Scott had been looking down at the sweatshirt, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was he was smelling but the deep sigh from Wallace made him look back up.
“Just…Go back to watching your stupid show, Scott.” Wallace had buried his face in his hands, but Scott could still make out a pretty vibrant blush tinting the tips of his ears.
Scott turned back to the TV, but a question kept burrowing its way into his focus. “You’re okay with me wearing it, then?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine.”
It wasn’t until his eyes stubbornly refused to keep themselves open that Scott finally turned the TV off. By then, Wallace had changed locations and had now cozied up with his book on the mattress. Scott’s ass was sore from sitting on their poorly carpeted floor for hours on end. Looking at how comfortable Wallace was, he couldn’t wait to lay down too.
As Scott tucked himself in, Wallace paused in his reading to look at him. “You’re still wearing my sweater.”
Was it really so bad to wear something of Wallace’s? Honestly, Scott thought it wouldn’t be too big of a deal. Maybe he’d be scolded a few times or asked to take it off, but they lived together! They didn’t own separate closets. Scott was a little surprised that they hadn’t swapped clothes already. “I was serious about taking it off. I mean, if you’re really worked up about it.”
Wallace played with the corner of his novel. “It wasn’t an accusation or anything, just,” He huffed. “I was just pointing it out, that's all.”
“Well, then I’m going to keep it on, okay?”
“Okay, but maybe fix the things before you pass out.”
“What things?”
Wallace huffed, laid his book down, and leaned over Scott. Almost tentatively, Wallace curled his hand around the strings coming from his neckline. It was odd to witness. Scott couldn’t recount a single memory where Wallace was tentative . The pressure across his collarbones was so light it was practically non-existent. Wallace kept gently tugging on the string till both lines were both perfectly even.
When Wallace pulled away, Scott missed it. There was always a healthy distance between the two of them as they slept and he had never thought to change it. That little taste of contact however, had Scott immediately willing to sink right into Wallace.
“There. I just…wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get lost while you slept.”
“Huh. Yeah. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Scott shook the back of Wallace’s easy chair. “Come on! It’s the first snow. You can’t not be a little excited.”
He was getting very excited causing the chair to rock violently back and forth. Wallace needed to grip the armchair just to stay in it. “Jeez, Scott. It’s like you weren’t born and raised in Canada.” Despite his protesting though, Wallace did pull himself up to standing.
“Yes!” Scott ran over to the coat rack. He was wearing Wallace’s sweatshirt again, but unfortunately that wouldn’t be enough against the snowy weather. He pulled on his winter coat and was about to open the front door when Wallace stopped him.
“Wait. It’s still way too cold. You’re going to need something more.”
Scott turned around to tease Wallace about worrying. “Jeez, Wallace. It’s like I wasn’t born and and raised in–”
“You can borrow this.” Outstretched towards Scott was Wallace’s scarf. It was well loved, clear from the loose ends and tiny stain along the bottom. Wallace had probably been wearing it since before the two of them met. Scott spent too long staring wide eyed at it apparently, if Wallace’s huff of exaggeration was anything to go by. So, instead of waiting for Scott to put it on himself, Wallace took the initiative and brought himself into Scott’s space.
Without looking up at Scott’s face, Wallace began draping the scarf over him. He seemed to move in slow motion. There were short puffs of breath that normally Scott wouldn’t be able to hear and yet could hear almost nothing but. It was like the whole room was also being blanketed in snow because all he could hear was Wallace’s scarf moving against his jacket and their own two breaths.
Once it was wrapped securely two times around, Wallace tugged it even tighter. The movement caused Scott to sway even closer toward him than he already was. “Thank you,” Scott breathed.
A hand smoothed out one of the scarf ends and Wallace looked back up at Scott’s eyes, holding his gaze. Suddenly there was nothing else that Scott could even dare turn away towards. A single pulse rang between the two and then Scott felt lips press gently into his. Of course they weren’t chapped in the slightest. Before Scott could even attempt to reach out and keep Wallace kissing him, he had already pulled away. “It’s really no problem,” Wallace breathed back. “Have fun in the snow.”
He was beginning to pull back away from Scott and that was something that Scott definitely couldn’t stand happening. He quickly held on to the hand still lingering on his chest. “No, that’s okay. I’m born and raised in Canada. I’ve already seen it.”