Chapter Text
It was quite raucous outside in the below freezing temperatures where a violent snowstorm had occurred. The windows were covered from top to bottom with a harsh icy fog, making it nearly impossible to peer out into the tall snow covered pine trees. There was nothing quite interesting out into those pitch dark forests anyway. Even for Winters, this was entirely unlike the normal degrees it usually is. At this time of night, you would usually be able to see the beautiful dark colours of blues, purples, and greens with dozens of twinkling stars displaying up in the night sky. Unfortunately, the cruel snowstorm seemed to cover the natural beauty of Winters for tonight.
A young redheaded boy sat upright at the edge of his bed. His gaze appeared to be primarily focused on the opaque window that was not too far from within reach. The numerous snowflakes that danced in the chilly wind had grabbed Tony's attention.
"Jeez, I can't even remember the last time the snow fell this heavy. When was it again... Sometime in 198X?" Tony asked himself curiously, trying to recall the last snowfall that had gotten down to these temperatures.
"I would assume so." Jeff chirped in from across the room. The blond boy slouched sluggishly on the cold hard wood planks of their dorm that the two boys had shared together in his unkempt white collared shirt. His pine green blazer was absent and hung in the nearby closet. A rather small toolbox settled in front of him with parts of useless scraps scattered across the floor. The light from the nearby bedside lamp dimly illuminated a soft orange glow onto Jeff's blueprints that made it accessible for Jeff to see in such pure darkness.
"What did you say the degrees were tonight again, Jeff?" Tony leisurely turned over his head to face towards him.
"Around -25°C or -13°F with a wind chill of about -29°F, if I'm correct. So, typically way below average than normal. I'd even say this is quite abnormal." Jeff recapped, all while not narrowing his eyes to his dumbfounded best friend even once. His eyes studied the mass amount of cursive writing and homework that were widely disorganized.
"I shouldn't even be surprised you recalled that on the top of your head." Tony giggled.
"It's just an estimate." Jeff let out a barely audible chuckle before he quietly resumed to his silent project he had been wearily repairing, reconditioning it persistently after many failed attempts every night and day ever since he safely returned back all in one piece to the Boarding School. Rehabilitating it back just for it to be unsuccessful has severely worn Jeff out and taken a toll on his mental health, affecting it critically to the point where his sleep schedule was more obfuscated than the theories Jeff studies constantly.
With all the frequent all nighers Jeff was pulling, it also brutally affected his mood. He tended to be more fatigued during the day and would often take endless naps. The gentle hue of the lamp gave light to Jeff's pale skin, making his vast eye bags and dark circles extremely noticable. This strange device seemed to hold a significant importance to him for whatever reason that Tony couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Ah I see, well it's a very s-sharp educated guess." Tony stumbled with his words while stating that.
Jeff could suddenly pick up a faint sound of teeth chattering and a shaky breath from where he was sitting. This made Jeff's eyes advert to the trembling boy that settled with his legs tucked up against his chest. Tony had wrapped his body up with a convenient blanket but from what Jeff could descry, it only slightly served its purpose. His lips quivered uncontrollably and his facial expression was quite perturbed as well.
"Are you cold?" Jeff asked with a slight concerned tone in his voice. He lifted his head up ever so slightly to check up on his roommate, his glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose as he did so but quickly pushed them back into place.
"Oh, just a little. I-I just wish they'd turn up the heat in here sometimes. It's a shame the t-thermostat can only be allowed at such l-lame degrees." Tony murmured, still shaking profusely. Jeff nodded his head in agreement.
"I'd say your shorts are the one to blame. I'm just surprised your legs haven't got frostbite and fallen off. I was so sure they were going to one of these days." Jeff teased as he adjusted his glasses correctly.
"I'm surprised too. I guess they're just immune to the cold, hm?" A smile trembled to Tony's quivering lips.
"Your legs might be, but I can't say the same for the rest of your limbs. May I fetch you another blanket?" Jeff offered, only marginally struggling to get back up on his feet.
"That'd be thoughtful if there were any more. T-this is the only one in the dorm right now. Oh, I knew I should've snuck in a backup blanket when I overheard the conversations about the h-hazardous snowstorm tonight." Tony sighed.
"You know, I'm so c-cold right now that I could actually wear pants!" Tony jokingly exclaimed.
The two boys chuckled simultaneously. As Tony was laughing for a bit, he caught a glimpse of Jeff heading for the door and exiting their dorm. Before he could ask on where he was headed, Jeff was already out the door. Tony was caught off guard by this but ultimately assumed that Jeff just forgot something in one of his classes or in Maxwell's laboratory so he stayed put on where he was, patiently waiting for him to return.
Tony sat tight, awkwardly twiddling with his thumbs as his eyes darted across the room. He was shivering like crazy now. At this rate, he was desperate for even a little warmth. The candles that were dully lit around the silent dorm only provided the slightest of comfort.
A small period of time had passed by and Jeff had still not arrived back. Tony was getting more paranoid by the minute which was certainly not helping with his current situation. Tony sighed heavily and glanced over to the left to where the window had been fogged up to distract himself from his negative thoughts. The only sound that filled the emptiness of the dorm was the sound of hail that would regularly pelt against the window.
Just as Tony was about to consider on getting up and scavenge for Jeff's sudden disappearance, he suddenly heard a small knock at the door. It had to be Jeff since he was one of the few people who even considered being polite and knock before entering a room.
"Come in!" The door slightly swung open and Jeff stepped in quietly. He gently shut the door behind him and walked towards the poor shivering boy. He held with what seemed to be a full cup of something in his hands. Once he got close enough to Tony, he extended his arms with the cup so Tony could easily take it.
"Ohh... Why thank you Jeff!" It was a nice comforting cup of tea.
"Of course, you looked like you were dying. It's peppermint tea by the way, your favorite." Jeff gave a faint smile to Tony which made dozens of butterflies flutter around in his stomach. He remembered his favorite kind of tea! Tony reciprocated and returned the smile back, happily sipping on his warm tea. It seemed to slowly cure his bright red nose and cheeks caused by the chilliness that lingered inside.
"Careful, it's quite hot." Jeff warned Tony as he was practically chugging the cup now.
"It's fine, it's only burning my tongue a little." Tony assured him.
"You should still slow down, savor it atleast." Jeff couldn't help but let out a tired chuckle.
"Hm, I guess you're right..." Tony discreetly set the tea on the right side of his nightstand, settling it down for later.
"You didn't have to do that, you know? Going out of your way to make a piping hot cup of tea in the middle of the night for me, you're too sweet Jeff." Tony charmingly confessed.
"It's quite alright Tony. It was my pleasure. You needed it anyway." Jeff calmly reassured Tony while giving him a simple pat on the back.
It was quiet for a moment. Then Tony thankfully randomly broke the extensive silence with a tight hug, his arms curled around the blonds shoulders with his pure black hat that was decorated with a fairly nice green ribbon nearly flying off his head. Jeff was caught off guard by this action but he did eventually requite, hugging him by the waist and pulling Tony into a delightful warm embrace. This only made Tony's cheeks flush a rosy red, more than they already were before.
Jeff could feel Tony's faint shivering when he held him close. He felt Tony's hands that were cold to the touch on the back of his neck and his diminutive shaky breath but he didn't mind all that much as it seemed to die down the longer their tight heartwarming hug lasted. Then, Jeff unexpectedly detected Tony nuzzling against his chest ever so slightly. This gesture strangely made Jeff's face burn up for an odd reason, glowing such a vivid reddish colour even. Jeff didn't precisely know why he felt weird whenever Tony got just a little too close to him or why his stomach would drop, turn, and flip inside out all of the sudden. It simply was just a feeling he had been struggling to cooperate and understand the concept of.
Jeff was fairly shy when it came to physical touch and didn't know how to handle this kind of affection too well. Tony was an exception though. He always was. Tony always brought some sort of peculiar feeling of warmth and comfort either it was from his heart-warming hugs or even just the smallest smile out of a kind gesture. It made Jeff feel good. He made the room feel good. That's what he does.
"You're very warm. I hope that's not too weird to say but you are." Tony snapped Jeff back to reality. Jeff has been staring into outer space for quite some time now.
"Oh, no that's not weird. You're just stating a fact."
"Yeah, warm like a blanket or a nice cup of tea. This is nice." Tony softly mumbled.
"Mhm. Are you still cold?" Jeff cleared his throat.
"No, not really. Thank you Jeff." Tony shook his head.
"Anytime Tony."
"I can head to bed now if you want, so you can work on whatever you were before. You don't have to stay with me." Tony yawned as he offered.
It appeared he had stayed up way later than he usually did. He typically followed the rest of the Snow Wood students bedtime but would break that cycle from time to time to stay with Jeff in the middle of the night.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I'm sure your project is more fascinating and important. Hey, maybe you could even show it to me in the morning. I'd love to see it." Tony confessed.
"I'd be more than happy too." Jeff agreed.
"It sounds lovely!" Tony's eyes brightened with delight. He adores it when Jeff would show off his super cool slightly useless inventions. It was just one of the most unique things in the world to him.
For what seemed like an eternity, Tony finally stopped clinging on and let go of his best mate so he could carry on with his nightly routine. He hopped off from the edge of his bed, leaving Jeff all by himself temporarily.
"Try to get some rest for tonight atleast. I know it's not easy but I can't stand to see you walk around like a literal zombie throughout the day. It's better to lie down and feel refreshed to start up again then to fear risking messing up and making multiple mistakes, okay? I only want what's best for you because I-"
...
"I care for you. And I worry for you." Tony panickedly switched up.
"I care for you too. I appreciate it that. I'll take some melatonin if that makes you feel any better." Jeff added as he walked back over to the comfy corner where all his precious trinkets were. He made himself comfortable once more, sitting with his legs crossed and his back hunched like the usual deal.
"It does. Goodnight Jeff." Tony warmly smiled before crawling back into his messy bedsheets in his striped pajamas that were kindly offered from the boarding school,
and waited to fall sound asleep peacefully for the night. It didn't take that long.
"Goodnight Tony."