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A very rare, very dangerous snowstorm had hit Ketterdam.
It’d lasted for three days, and Wylan was stuck at his workshop the whole time, and Jesper had been so antsy he was pretty sure Kaz was about to launch him out the damn window. Still, the blizzard had ended, and now Jesper was rushing towards Wylan’s workshop as quickly as he dared. He’d managed to get a horse and everything. Legally, of course. Clutching his hat close to his head, fisting the reins in his other hand, Jesper leaned close to the poor thing’s neck. He knew he shouldn’t be running the horse so hard. Not on icy cobblestone roads. He couldn’t bring himself to care, though. His breath and the horse’s fogged out in front of him.
He could feel and hear the horse’s thundering hoofbeats and breaths under him. The saddle was a bit cold. His jacket was a bit too tight, with one of Wylan’s thrown on underneath it, despite the fact they weren’t the same size. He’d just wanted to warm it up. His boyfriend needed some warmth, needed some company at the very least. Jesper needed to see him. Needed to make sure he was alive.
Kaz probably wouldn’t have let him go normally.
He also knew that Jesper would go anyways if Kaz had told him no.
Praying to all of Inej’s Saints that he did not believe in, Jesper practically threw himself off the horse. With a heavy snort, the bay shook snow from her mane. “Sorry, girl,” Jesper patted her flank, adding, “I swear, I’ll get you all the sugarcubes I can when we’re back at the Slat. Just gotta get my dumbass first.”
She nodded her head. He took that as a “go get him, then”, and hurried off to find Wylan. The workshop door was frosted over. Just a bit of metal manipulation, though, and he managed to get through. Frost showered down on his shoulders.
Hopefully, Wylan was close to the entrance, at least. Jesper would search the whole workshop for him. In a heartbeat. “Wylan?” He called, a bit of desperation leaking into his voice. His eyes wandered the workshop.
It was way too cold in the workshop.
He didn’t know if it was because of a broken window or just a lack of fires, but it was far too cold, and he needed to find Wylan now. He didn’t feel any of the heat he felt in the Club. Wylan, Wylan, if I were an adorable little alchemist bomb-maker where would I be?
He ended up heading to the bed he and Wylan kept in the shop. It was meant to be used for quick little trysts, when things were a bit too hot and heavy for them to make it very hard. Another time, he’d like to throw Wylan onto his bed and ravish him. Tonight, that would have to wait. He had to find Wylan, make sure that he was okay.
Stomping up the stairs to their little loft, Jesper looked around. Already, he was calling for his boyfriend again. “Wylan? Wyla—”
Wylan was curled on the bed, wrapped in ratty blankets. He didn’t seem to be shivering. No. No, no—
He rushed to Wylan’s side, reaching out to him. His hands hovered over his boyfriend for a moment. “Wylan? Wylan, Wylan, no, no, please—” His fingers were shaking, fluttering like birds. He didn’t know where or if he should touch his boyfriend. If he would brush his fingers against his neck and find his skin cold, clammy. Dead. Please don’t be—please don’t be dead. I can’t let you be dead—he steeled himself, reaching out to press his fingers against Wylan’s neck. He clamped his mouth shut, holding his breath. Please. Please, Wylan.
Wylan’s skin was cold. But there, faint and thready, there was a heartbeat. Sighing in relief, Jesper dropped his head forward. His forehead bumped against Wylan’s.
Pulling back, Jesper pulled his jackets off and wrapped the smaller one around Wylan, over the blankets. Wylan had pulled his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around himself and lips pale blue. Jesper pulled out the little knife that Kaz had forced him to have, holding it under Wylan’s nose to watch for his breathing. It was there, just barely fogging up the metal.
“Alright. Okay.” His mind wandered through what everyone in the Barrel knew. Wylan needed warmth. Honestly, he wished that he could teleport, or tell Kaz immediately to start the fires. They’d have to get him in the warmest room. One of Kaz’s, then—either his chambers or his office. The office was more likely.
Quickly, Jesper stripped himself of his scarves and wrapped them around Wylan, too. Then, he scooped his boyfriend up and started rushing towards his horse. In his arms, Wylan wasn’t shivering. Bad sign. Very bad sign.
He didn’t remember galloping back to the Slat. He just remembered pushing his horse as hard as he could, leaving the horse with one of the Dregs, and then hauling ass with Wylan in his arms up to Kaz’s office.
Kaz and Inej were sitting at the table, looking at plans for something. As soon as Jesper shouldered the door open, both were standing, though. Kaz’s eyes flicked down to Wylan, whatever angry words dying out immediately. “Get him to the fire. Inej, get more firewood and go downstairs for the usual fare. I’ll find some of his clothes. Jesper, strip him and yourself, use that blanket for cover. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Right.” Jesper said, dragging Wylan over to the fireplace. In the hearth, there was a fire roaring.
Wylan still wasn’t shivering.
He didn’t even stir as Jesper stripped him, way too pliant even as Jesper held him close. This was different from their usual nights together. Not in a fun way, either. He needed hot chocolate, something warm, something that could heat him up on the inside. But Inej would be getting that, not Jesper.
When Wylan was finally divested of his clothes and Jesper’s scarves, Jesper wrapped them both in the blanket and started stripping himself as well. Body heat worked best. He had seen Wylan like this plenty of times. Sure, usually he was awake and not dying of hypothermia.
Jesper pulled his boyfriend to his chest, wrapping his arms around Wylan’s middle and bracing him in as best he could. Wylan’s skin was chilly against his own. There was a faint tremor, though. “Easy, Mercher.” He whispered, brushing his hair back. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be fine.”
The door opened, and Inej and Kaz walked inside. Crossing to the fire, Kaz stoked it and then added another log into the flames. It crackled, embers sparking. Meanwhile, Inej crouched at Wylan and Jesper’s side, brushing her knuckles against Wylan’s forehead. Her dark eyes narrowed a bit. “He’s still cold.”
“He’ll be cold for a while.” Kaz hummed. “I’ll be back. Inej, keep an eye on them. I trust you more than I trust him.” Cane clicking against the hardwood floors, he vanished out the door.
“Here.” Jesper turned to find Inej pressing a mug of hot chocolate into his hands. Quietly, she added, “Drink.”
Much to his surprise, Inej began to pull her own scarves off, throwing them around his and Wylan’s shoulders. The fire caught golden highlights in her hair, turned her skin the color of the brushed bronze bannisters Jesper had seen in a few Mercher mansions. Her gaze flicked to him, then to his drink, and back. She raised her brows. “Right. Right, drink. I know.” He took a sip, adding, “Thank you.”
Gently, he held Wylan closer to him, if that was possible.
Wylan stirred to soft voices, soft blankets, and soft skin against his back.
With a low groan, he tried to crack his eyes open. They felt stuck closed with frost or something. He managed to rasp in a breath, though. Jesper shifted behind him, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck and staying there. Wylan shivered again. He didn’t know if it was from the cold or the kiss. Still, Jesper let out a soft, amused noise and pulled away.
“Are you still going to be gross, or are you going to tell us what his pulse is?” Kaz asked.
Okay, so Wylan was cuddling with Jesper—apparently naked, now that he realized he was feeling the blankets against his bare hip and thigh—and Kaz was in the room. Someone’s fingers brushed through his hair. Not Jesper’s. He could feel his boyfriend’s hands on his skin, still. They definitely weren’t Kaz’s, because Kaz didn’t touch anyone but Inej without his gloves and these hands were bare. That, of course, left Inej.
He shouldn’t be surprised. Slowly, Wylan cracked his eyes open. Inej was hovering above him, eyes soft. Jesper was curled up behind him, still holding him. His skin was so warm. Wylan sighed under his breath, eyes fluttering. His leg ached. Jesper either seemed to know or could feel it, because he moved his hand down to rub the top of Wylan’s leg.
“Too bad we don’t have one of those Fabrikator machines.” Jesper said.
“Should I have kicked you from my office and let Inej handle your boyfriend?” Kaz replied, voice sharpening. “Perhaps Nina would have been willing to come by, or someone we hired. There would be plenty of people—”
Behind him, Wylan felt Jesper shift as he propped himself up on one elbow, retorting, “But that would make Wylan uncomfortable.”
“Lay down.” Inej shoved Jesper down. “Your moving is making him uncomfortable. Wylan, are you awake enough to drink something for me? It’s some hot chocolate.”
With a low groan, Wylan cracked his eyes open. He was lying on his side in Kaz’s office, which made sense with how hot the fire was stoked. Curled around his back was Jesper, and Inej was sitting by his head with her fingers in his hair. She was being rather gentle. He appreciated it. Smiling softly, Inej turned and pulled a mug of hot chocolate into view.
“Here, I’ll help ya.” Jesper whispered, slowly easing Wylan upright.
It ended up being a bit more intimate than Wylan expected, Jesper still curled around him with his chest pressed to Wylan’s back. He didn’t think he minded, blankets wrapped around them like a cocoon and then hot chocolate being pressed into his hands. He clutched it close to his chest, sipping carefully. It was the perfect temperature.
“Thank you.” He whispered, voice rasping as he glanced at Inej and then Kaz.
Behind him, Jesper huffed. “You’re just going to ignore me? Wow, I feel so loved, Mercher.”
Tilting his head back to rest on his boyfriend’s shoulder, Wylan smiled at him. “Thank you, too, Jesper.”
“Of course. I deserve all the thanks.” Jesper yelped as Kaz whacked him on the back of the head with a paperback book. Thankfully, Kaz managed not to hit Wylan with said book, though Wylan doubted that was an accident.
Glancing at Inej with a soft snort, Wylan took a sip of his hot chocolate and let the warmth fill his chest.