Work Text:
Hot Chocolate And A Fireplace
The snow hadn't been there that morning, though, in hindsight, the clouds had definitely warned of it. It had been cold and windy but they had explored the forest beyond his mother's yard with their pokemon, sneaking in a make out session along the way. The first fluttering snow flakes had been nice as they gently swirled around the couple as they kissed in a clearing, but the storm picked up quickly, soon enough forcing them to run back to Delia’s house.
After changing into dry clothes and spending some time beside the fireplace, Ash was itching to head back outside. Sure it was still snowing — a lot — but it would be fun! They could have a snowball fight, they could look for pokemon, they could even just hike around the same area they had been earlier. The first option, however, was the one Ash was most hoping for.
"We should go back outside," he announced, ignoring Pikachu's complaint from the kitchen.
Umbreon gave a disgruntled huff from her spot by the fireplace, but Gary didn't even glance up from the article he was reading on his phone. "Not right now," he returned in the flat tone he took whenever he was focusing on something.
Why did he have to focus now? "Oh, c'mon!" Ash pressed. "It'll be fun!"
"Then you go."
Ash rolled his eyes at the stubborn retort. "You just don't want to get cold," he accused.
"Exactly. There's a fire and hot chocolate in here. Why would I want to go anywhere else?"
"Because we might see pokemon?" It was a slim chance, but playing in the snow was more important anyway.
"Even ice types take shelter in blizzards, Ash."
"Not all of them," Ash pointed out. Not that there were any pokemon like those in the area, but that didn't matter to him. He just wanted to go back outside with his boyfriend.
"We're in Pallet," Gary retorted. "Chances of legendaries are pretty slim."
"But not zero," Ash pressed with a grin.
"We're not going outside in this."
"We can bring the hot chocolate with us."
"Then it would be cold chocolate," Gary retorted primly, eliciting a snort from Ash.
"We could build a fire out there," he tried.
Gary glanced up at that, however briefly, before waving it off. "Not with the way the snow's coming down."
Ash sighed and slumped in his spot on the couch, pouting at his boyfriend. "How can I convince you to go outside with me?"
"Wait until the blizzard's over," was the dry reply as Gary helped himself to another cookie from the plate Delia had brought them while they were warming up.
"But, Gary," he whined.
"No, Ash."
"Why?"
"Because there's a fucking blizzard out there!"
"Pika, Pipichu!"
Ash's lips twitched at Pikachu's scold from where he was still attempting to help his mother with baking cookies in the kitchen. "When has that ever stopped you before?" he asked, somehow managing not to laugh.
"Enough times for there to be a pattern."
Ash supposed he had a point there. Adventurous as Gary was, and time spent in Sinnoh aside, he wasn't a fan of the cold or rain, and snow was just frozen rain. There was a reason he planned northern trips in the summer and tropical ones in the winter. For someone so nocturnal, he sure liked to follow the sunshine and warmth.
Still, dislike for the cold aside, it was odd for Gary to refuse to go outside with him, even with the extreme weather.
Had his boyfriend lost his nerve? Did he not feel well? Was he hiding a migraine?
There had to be a reason if he was being this stubborn.
Ash studied his boyfriend for a moment. He doubted very much that the reason was the first option, and he was too relaxed and at ease for it to be either of the latter two possibilities. He had to be missing something.
Then he noticed it: the wrist brace beneath the sleeve of Gary's hoodie. Of course. As his boyfriend, he really should have noticed sooner, but in his defense, Gary hadn't mentioned it and he hadn't been wearing it while they were outside this morning. Ash would have noticed with all the kissing they had done earlier, when Gary had playfully knocked his hat off his head and tangled his fingers deep in his hair, kissing him as intensely as ever.
"Oh! Your wrist is bothering you, isn't it?" The cast had come off a week ago, but he had complained about the cold making it hurt a few times through the healing process. It had only been a minor fracture but that didn't seem to make a difference when it came to the weather.
"It's just a little sore, I'm fine," Gary returned automatically and Ash fought not to sigh.
"Why didn't you just say that to begin with?" he asked.
Gary finally looked up at him with his usual teasing smirk. "Because arguing with you is fun."
"You are so weird." That made Gary laugh and Ash couldn't help but join in. He shook his head as he stood from the couch — there was something that could help with the soreness and it would only take a moment to fetch from upstairs. "I'll be right back," Ash told Gary, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
When he returned to the living room, Gary was back to reading the article on his phone. Something to do with lapras migration patterns being impacted by strandings. It was more complicated than Ash thought it should have been and he hadn't quite been able to follow along when Gary explained it. No matter.
Ash held up the tube of lotion he had retrieved from his bedroom. He had his own aches and pains to contend with on a regular basis — the result of throwing himself in harms way too many times to count. His left knee in particular liked to cause him grief and this warming lotion always did the trick to soothe it.
"Take the brace off for a minute," he said as he sat back down next to Gary. "This will help, I promise."
Gary eyed the tube warily but tugged up the sleeve of his hoodie and undid the velcro straps holding the brace around his wrist. He tossed the brace on the coffee table and reached to take the tube from Ash, only for Ash to lightly bat away his hand.
"I've got it," Ash assured him with an easy smile.
"I can do it myself."
"I know," Ash returned with a shrug as he squeezed some of the lotion into his hand. "I'm still doing it for you anyway." He took Gary's hand in his and began to rub it in along his wrist as gently as he could. The injury was healed, he didn't have to be quite so delicate, but he chose to be as careful as possible anyway.
A fond smile worked its way across his face as he felt the warmth from the lotion seep into his fingers — he liked taking care of his boyfriend, on the rare occasion that Gary actually let him. His boyfriend still wasn't quite used to this whole being taken of thing and, by the time Ash was done, his cheeks were thoroughly pink. Ash wisely drew no attention to this detail, despite the tease on the tip of his tongue.
"There," he said quietly as he lifted his hands from Gary's. "Feel better?"
Gary rotated his wrist experimentally and nodded approvingly. "Good as new," he replied easily.
"Good," Ash returned. He put the lotion on the coffee table and reached for their now-empty hot chocolate mugs. "Stay here, alright?" He mused Gary's hair as he stood to head to the kitchen, grinning at the way Gary swatted his hand away and attempted to fix it.
He returned to the living room a few short minutes later, mugs full of fresh hot chocolate — extra chocolatey and covered in whipped cream, just the way Gary liked it. The wrist brace was still on the table, though several more of the cookies on the plate his mother had left were missing. That was just fine because Delia followed him into the room with a fresh platter, this time with snickerdoodles and sugar cookies shaped like snowmen. She was outdoing herself this year, trying all sorts of new recipes, apparently intent on packing a little extra weight on him and Gary before they headed off on their next adventure (Alola in January — Gary's favorite time to go).
Ash grinned at the way Gary's eyes lit up at the fresh mug of hot chocolate. He sat down next to him and passed him his mug before accepting the plate of fresh cookies from his mother. Gary took one of each and Ash set the plate on the coffee table before taking two of his own and settling next to his boyfriend. Once the two cookies he had picked out were gone, he wrapped an arm around Gary's shoulders and tugged him closer to him. Gary stiffened against him but quickly relaxed, resting his head against Ash's shoulder.
A quiet fell between the young couple as they sipped their drinks and simply enjoyed the moment. The fire crackled across the room and Ash watched the flames dance while his fingers absently trailed up and down Gary's arm. It was peaceful, even with the wind howling outside.
"Admit it: this is nicer than being outside in a blizzard," Gary said after a few minutes.
Ash snorted in amusement. He always had to ruin the moment — not that he was about to let the moment be ruined. "You're not getting out of a snowball fight when it passes — and no using Alakazam this time!" he retorted, though he pressed a kiss to Gary's hair despite his boyfriend's laugh.
"You know what would make it better?"
"I swear if you say going outside…"
Ash laughed and reached for the television remote. "There's a competition in Paldea today. Wanna watch?"
"Okay," Gary agreed easily.
Ash had to fight back another laugh as he turned on the tv. So predictable, but then again, so was he. If they couldn't be outside having a snowball fight, then he supposed this was the next best thing. Cuddling with hot chocolate and a plateful of sugary treats at their fingertips, a fire crackling pleasantly as they watched a competition? The only thing better would be that snowball fight.
But that could wait until after the blizzard was over.