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Guest was cold.
The snow came down in glittering flakes, piling on the shoulders of his sweater. The wind bit at his face. His breaths came out in foggy clouds. Even with the cozy scarf wrapped around his neck, made of thick dark blue yarn, it still managed to chew at the fair skin of his cheeks. His steps were paced, quickening his strides in hopes to find a warmer place. He shivered with every movement, focusing on the small wooden shop in front of him with a neon sign that said: “Snowy Rentals.”
He hadn’t expected himself to be out here. Usually, on cold days like this, he’d be snuggled up by the fire with a wooly blanket draped over him and a gambler curled up on his lap, watching the flame in front of them dance in respect to their dear relationship. But now, Guest found himself hurrying towards the outdoor rental shop with two cups of hot chocolate—one in each hand, fluffy white marshmallows sloshing around in the sweet liquid. One for him, and one for Chance. Except Chance’s had a few more things to it, like an extra amount of milk, a cookie straw, and a candy cane just for the sake of taste.
After a bit of listening to pleas, Guest had sighed and reluctantly agreed to go ice skating with his boyfriend, another sentinel named Chance who wore a designer suit every time they could. Hell, Guest squinted once he got closer to the shop and saw the gambler inside, dressed in a three-piece velvet suit to keep themselves warm for the occasion. They had two pairs of ice skates dangling from their hands.
Chance put down the two pairs of skates and rushed over to the rental shop’s doors to open it for Guest, allowing the veteran to enter. A warm rush of air washed over him—the heater of the shop blanketing him in what he needed. Guest chuckled as he felt one of his hands become empty when his boyfriend carefully took one of the cups of hot chocolate, their eyes sparkling underneath their glasses.
“Not surprised you got my favorite. Even the candy cane is on the right side, just how I like it…” Chance took a purposeful sip of their hot chocolate, practically melting in the warmth that it brought into their body. They parted, pressing it against their chest to gain the heat from the cup.
Guest grinned, taking a sip of his drink as well, feeling the heat course through him. “You don’t need to be—I’ve known you long enough to understand your pickiness.”
“I’m not that picky!” Chance argued, then looked down at the two pairs of ice skates sitting on the bench beside them. One pair was plain, the inside made of white, fluffy cotton. The other pair was decked out with holiday decorations and intricate designs, such as the boots both being dark red to match their suit with snowflakes and glitter adorning it. “Well, I don’t think so.”
The veteran nodded. “Fancy pants.” Guest took his skates and walked back outside, Chance following suit, grabbing their pair and going with him. Outside was a winter wonderland—snow falling like angelic dust, glittering in the moonlight, decorated trees glowing with colorful lights. A few feet away was a closed off area, barricaded by thick yet short walls of snow. An ice-coated flooring sat in the area, shining with multicolor lights that changed every few seconds. The rink for ice skating awaited them. A few other people were already there, spinning around on the ice like they were mean’t to do it.
Once they got closer, Guest and Chance slipped on their ice skates with ease. Chance bent down to help Guest tie his up, lacing the simple brown ties together in knots. The leather boots of the skate were warm while the metal blades were cool and painted with half-melted snow.
Chance looked up at Guest with a cheesy little smirk on their face. “Have you ever ice skated before?”
Guest shook his head. “Never got to before I met you.”
“Well, you’re learning something new today, soldier boy. Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.”
Slowly, Chance stepped off the snowy ground and onto the ice, moving their feet so the blades pushed them forward. They wobbled a bit before turning around to face Guest, who looked a bit nervous to step onto the ice before him. The veteran gulped, looking at Chance like they were oblivious to the fact that he might fall the second he did.
“Come on, Guest! You can do it! Just step on the ice and push your feet to the side, and glide.”
Guest took a deep breath, then set his left skate blade on the ice. His eyes widened when he realized he was still up, but that didn’t last long. He stepped in with his other foot and fell, letting out a noise of shock as he fell on his bottom onto the frigid floor beneath him. “Woah—”
Chance burst out laughing. “Easy, soldier boy. Step with your strongest foot first.” They skated over to Guest and reached out their hand, helping the veteran up with a couple of grunts. Chance held onto him, guiding him away from the entrance, looking up and down constantly to watch his movements.
“Step with your right foot, then your left. Got it?”
Guest did as told. He moved without falling, yet he did it very unsteadily. “Jeez, why’d they make the blades of these things so thin? I can’t move without thinking I’m gonna snap my ankles in half.”
“Just hold onto me, you won’t fall when I’ve got you.” Chance led Guest farther and farther away from the entrance, into the soul of the ice skating rink. People glided around them, taking glances at the veteran’s rather clumsy movements and then going along. The gambler watched Guest’s footing—the way he pushed his right foot out first, then his left. Just how you’re supposed to. Chance smiled.
“You’re getting the hang of it!” The gambler exclaimed happily, making Guest stifle a sore laugh. Their movements started to sync, Guest and Chance pushing each other forwards in a harmony across the ice. Though Chance was quicker, and Guest struggled to keep up, they lugged him along without any room for complaints. This was their moment, and Chance was taking it as an opportunity to show affection.
When the veteran was getting good, Chance spoke up. “Now, I’m going to let go of you. See if you can skate to where I am.” The gambler separated from Guest, skating backwards a few feet away. They rested themselves on a wall made of snow.
Uneasy, Guest bent his knees. “Uh, Chance?”
“Do what you did earlier—just without my aid.”
“I don’t think I can, I’ll try.” Guest pushed his right foot to the side, then the left, moving ever so slowly towards Chance. His legs shook with every movement, yearning for something to hold onto, waving his arms side to side to gain balance. He almost fell forward when Chance rushed over and caught him, not-so gracefully dancing across the ice with the veteran draped in their arms.
“Gotcha! Goodness, you’re heavy.” Chance said, having to bend their knees a little as they carried Guest along with them. “You might as well call me Prince Charming for that save, wouldn’t you think?”
“Very funny.” Guest found himself resting on one of the snowy walls and watching Chance do their thing a few minutes later, gliding gracefully and dancing across the ice like a professional. Their movements were elegant, like they were the music charm in a jewlery box, spinning and gliding around without much effort to move their feet. They lept into the air and landed, yet almost fell, then spun back around to Guest, who was wide-eyed and clapping his hands in applause.
Chance bowed playfully. “Thank you, thank you! Picked up some skills a while back with an old… friend of mine.” A dark cloud seemed to appear over their head, but it cleared when the gambler flashed a cheery smile, making Guest smile back.
They reached out their hand again. “Care for a dance?”
The veteran gladly took it and was pulled back into the rink. This time, Chance didn’t let go of him, moving him along, syncing their glides. Snowflakes fell around them, and the gambler caught one on their tongue, humming to get Guest’s attention.
Chance let the snowflake melt into water, then swallowed. “Try catching one on your tongue.”
They both stuck their tongues out, hoping for anything to land. Guest felt something cold land on the tip of his tongue and laughed, feeling it dissolve. “I got one!”
“Nice one, soldier boy!”
Guest and Chance laughed into the night, moving across the ice in mix-matched patterns of gracefulness and clumsiness. By the time the clock struck midnight, they were returning their rentals and planning on what to do next. Guest tightened the scarf around his neck while Chance fixed their fedora, brushing off the snow that had piled up on the brim while they were busy.
“So, what now? Wanna head back home?” Guest offered, thinking about getting cozy by the fire with Chance curled up in his lap. They also had a pet bunny, Spade, waiting for them back at the place.
“Mmm,” Chance considered it. “Maybe one more cup of hot chocolate to go.”
“For the both of us?” Guest asked.
“Do you like the candy cane on the right side of the mug?”
Guest planted a cold kiss on Chance’s cheek. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Alright, let’s go get one more cup for the road. We’re getting extra marshmallows this time, too!”
♡