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Winter was Doc’s least favorite season. It was cold, and dry, and he could barely take a few steps outside of his house without feeling like his limbs were going to fall off.
It was an honest shame, considering how much he loved playing in the snow as a child. He would fondly remember when he and his siblings would run around outside together, throwing snowballs and ice skating on the nearby frozen over pool.
It was something he could only have the luxury of remembering now, due to his deteriorating health.
Now, though, the young man was seated at a desk in his apartment, wrapped up in blankets and looking over medical records of fellow Port Mafia members. Like usual, it was late into the night and he couldn’t for life of him fall asleep, and busying himself with work related to his job was the only productive thing he could think of.
Something that was a bit unusual, though, was how lonely Doc was. He typically valued his alone time greatly, especially with how much of his job required tending to others. He had things to keep himself busy, sure, but he would still miss the company of The Flags no matter what he did to distract himself.
With a sigh, Doc gets up from out of his rolling chair, taking all of his blankets back to his bed along with him. As he sets all of his things neatly down, he hears a knock at the front door. Inconvenient it wasn’t his bedroom door, that would have been less space to walk.
Doc quickly seats himself in his wheelchair before heading out of his room and towards the front door, calling out as he does so.
“Who is it?” His tired voice nearly catches in his throat, which confuses him briefly before releasing how poorly his neck brace was adjusted. He’d have to fix that later.
“Just me. Iceman.” The voice from the other side of the door comes out muffled, but it’s recognizable and most certainly welcome. Doc grins as he unlocks the door, letting it creak open as he awaits his surprise guest.
Iceman was in his pajamas, something which both amuses and surprises Doc with how put together he usually is. Doc gestures for him to come inside, waiting until he’s done taking off his shoes before wheeling back to bedroom whit Iceman following behind him.
“So, to what do I owe this visit?” Doc questions as the pair make their way into his room, watching as the other man sits down in the rolling chair, albeit a bit reluctantly as it creaks under the weight.
“I couldn’t sleep. Figured you couldn’t either with how you were talking earlier today.” Iceman awkwardly folds his hands in his lap, turning to look out the one large window in the room.
Doc pulls himself out of his chair and onto his bed, sighing contently when his head hits his sheets. They’re as soft as usual, and as he curls up for momentary warmth he almost forgets he had just let someone inside his house.
Silence fills the room again, and Doc rolls over to stare at Iceman, who is seemingly lost in thought.
“You… usually sleep quite a lot. Have you missed a night?” Iceman raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms, breaking the silence and looking away from the window to where Doc was now sitting back up crisscrossed on his bed.
“Hehe, more than I’d like to admit, truthfully. Three of them, to be exact.” Iceman’s expression doesn’t change as Doc answers, simply watching as the other pulls down his shirt from where it had risen up when he flopped down on the bed.
“Bring me my IV poll, will you?” Doc grins up at Iceman as he silently obliges, gaze following him as he stands up to bring the younger man exactly what he had asked for. He sits back down and watches as Doc adjusts everything into place, noticing how he had never bothered seeing Doc hook up his IV before.
So he waits, and watches.
“What are you doing all the way over there? You didn’t seriously expect to show up unannounced this late and not spend the night.” Doc’s tone is playful to a degree that almost shocks Iceman, but that signature toothy smile wasn’t one he would turn down.
Iceman slowly gets up from the chair, shuffling his way over to bed. When he sits down he is met with an excess of blankets, something he finds comfort in as he thinks to how little blankets he has at his own apartment.
“Your neck brace looks too tight.” Iceman’s voice is quiet, lacking any hint of being concerned. He hated not expressing tone clearly, but when Doc moved to offer Iceman to fix the brace, he could tell he understood.
And something about that felt so nice.
Doc waits patiently as Iceman readjusts the brace, hands folded in his lap as the man’s hands brush the back of his neck. It was comforting, really. Whenever he let himself get close to the others like this. It was something he’d never admit to liking.
When Iceman finishes adjusting and pulls back, Doc looks over to thank but is stopped upon seeing just how sleepy and tired the other man looks. It was rare to see him so unguarded, so comfortable with other people.
Though he supposed it wasn’t that odd, considering the base level of being open around your partners. Something all of The Flags had come to accept about their shared relationship. And now that he thinks about it, Doc never got to spend that much time with Iceman.
They both sit there in silence once again, and before anything is said Doc leans forward and softly presses his chapped lips against Iceman’s cold cheek. It’s almost unnoticeable with how fast the younger man pulls back.
Iceman stares, as stoic as ever. But his shoulders were no longer tensed, and he looked overall calmer. Although with how tired he must’ve been it was probably all expected, Doc thought.
Why not do it again, especially with how comfortable Iceman was.
“I appreciate you. Come ‘ere.” Doc takes Iceman’s face in his freezing hands with a sly grin, briefly shocked when Iceman moves in and connects their lips himself. It’s soft, short, and Doc is content with how fully Iceman relaxes.
When the two pull back, Doc takes note of the small smile that graces Iceman’s face. Something only he and the other Flags would ever get the opportunity and luck to see.
Doc takes Iceman’s hand in his own, fingers tangling together without a word. Their breathing remains the only sound in the room, and it was comforting now more than ever.
Iceman brings his soft gaze back up to Doc’s, gesturing with his head at the pillows lying out on the bed. Doc grins and nods, standing up to lean against the wall as Iceman straightens out the bedsheets.
Once he has everything settled, the pair wordlessly slip into the warm bed together, Iceman giving Doc plenty of room to adjust where the line for his IV rests.
Doc wasn’t usually one for sleeping in the same bed with people, but he was far too sleepy to complain at that point. It was nice anyway, so there wasn’t really any reason to complain.
With Doc’s arms wrapped around Iceman, the pair quickly fall asleep, content in the warmth of the other.