Bonus Chapter
The Sparks of Winter
Vince
The snow in the mountains this December was relentless, falling in thick, heavy flakes that blanketed the world like a freshly shaken snow globe.
It could have been postcard-perfect, a serene holiday scene.
.. if I weren't currently locked in the most ridiculous, high-stakes snowball fight of my life with Andy.
And, of course, Andy was heartlessly ruthless.
"Fuck!" I yelled, spitting out a mouthful of snow after his latest perfectly aimed hit landed square on my face. The sting burned against my frozen skin, and I could barely feel my cheeks anymore. "Andy! Are you serious? We said no headshots!"
His laughter rang out from somewhere ahead, bright and unapologetic, carried on the icy wind. He spun just enough to launch another snowball, this one grazing my shoulder with infuriating precision.
"No... you said no headshots. I never agreed to that," he called, already darting behind a tree. His voice floated back, laced with playful laughter. "Snowball fights don't have rules, Vince... Honestly, you're giving 'never been in snow before' vibes."
"What the hell does that even mean?! Stop talking to Malia so much," I shot back, trying not to trip over my own boots.
"Aww, poor baby... Want me to come over and kiss it better?"
"Oh, you're so dead," I growled, shoving my freezing hands into the snow to pack my next shot. The icy bite numbed my fingers, but I ignored it. Each step forward was a battle against the powder swallowing my boots, but there was no way in hell I was backing down now.
Not when he was being so damn cocky about it.
Andy, naturally, had no problem moving around out here. He darted between the trees like he was born in the snow... which he was, we both were, but the point was his effortless grace and my lack thereof was really pissing me off. He continued, laughing every time I missed.
I hurled another snowball with all the precision I could muster, only to watch it explode uselessly against the bark of his latest hiding spot.
His laughter rang out again, sharp and teasing, each note chipping away at my patience.
And then, of course, I fucking tripped.
The snow gave way beneath me, and I hit the ground hard, all the air whooshing out of my lungs. For a second, I just lay there, staring up at the gray, snow-heavy sky, trying to decide if this was rock bottom.
The crunch of boots on snow pulled my attention.
"You okay, old man?" Andy asked, his breath visible in the freezing air as he leaned over me. His blue eyes sparkled, and his lips twitched like he was holding back a laugh. I reached for his outstretched hand, letting him think he was helping me up.
And then I yanked him down into the snow with me.
"Gotcha," I said, grinning as he landed beside me with a startled yell.
Snow flew up in a flurry around us, laughter echoing through the crisp air as we wrestled like a couple of kids. My breath fogged in the cold, and Andy's laughter broke into gasps as he tried and failed to escape.
Grinning, I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down the back of his jacket. He yelped, thrashing harder.
"Vince!" he managed between fits of laughter. "What the hell!"
"You said no rules," I teased, managing to pin him beneath me despite his squirming.
His face was flushed pink, his breath coming in short bursts as he glared up at me. "Okay, okay! You win! Stop shoving snow down my jacket, you dork!"
"Say it," I demanded, leaning in close. "Say I'm the king of snowball fights."
"...Never."
I smirked and packed more snow together in my hands, my threat clear.
"Fine! You're the king of snowball fights," he wheezed, his laugh bubbling up despite his protest. "God... you're ridiculous."
I finally let him go, and we collapsed on our backs side by side in the snow, breathing hard. Our laughter faded into silence, the stillness of the mountains settling around us.
Andy turned his face up to the sky, his golden hair sticking out in every direction, messy and still somehow perfect. Snowflakes caught on his light brown lashes, and his lips curved into a soft smile.
"This is nice," he said, his voice quiet.
I turned my head to get a better look at him, the snowflakes clinging to his lashes, his cheeks flushed pink from the cold. His lips were parted, that soft, teasing smile playing there... like he didn't even realize how much he killed me just by looking at me.
"Yeah," I said, nudging his shoulder lightly with mine. "It really is."
"How did your call go earlier?" Andy asked, his blue eyes locking onto mine, full of quiet curiosity. God, those eyes... they melted me even out here, freezing our asses off.
He was asking about my addiction support group. The thing I did every single day without fail, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Out of pure, gut-wrenching fear. Fear of screwing it all up. Fear of losing the respect of my girls. Fear of losing Andy.
"Good," I said finally, keeping it short. He knew I didn't like to go into details about it.
Andy didn't push... he never did. He just gave me one of those small, understanding smiles that could settle the chaos in my head. His hand shifted beneath mine, and I squeezed it once, like it was the only thing tethering me to the ground.
The world around us was quiet now, the snow falling soft and steady, blanketing the trees in perfect stillness. For a second, lying here with him in the cold, I forgot about the past, the pressure, the constant fear.
Andy turned his head toward me, his face close enough that I could see the tiny flecks of frost in his hair. "You're doing amazing, Vince," he said quietly. Like it was a fact, not an opinion...
For a moment, everything felt perfect.
And then I remembered the surprise.
"Hey," I said, sitting up. "The sun's setting. You wanna see your next surprise?"
Andy gave me a suspicious look but took my hand when I offered it, letting me pull him to his feet. I leaned down to whisper in his ear, "It's in my pants."
"...Vince." He smacked my chest, laughing despite himself.
"Well," I said with a grin, "it is... but that's not the one I meant."
I led him through the snow toward the cabin I'd booked for that holiday weekend, the glow of sunset just starting to streak the sky behind us. I stopped him in the perfect spot, my hands on his shoulders to keep him still.
"Wait here," I said, running off toward the side of the cabin. My boots crunched against the snow, and I couldn't help the stupid grin on my face. I didn't know how Andy did this to me... how he made me feel like a giddy kid just by existing.
I found the switch, brushing snow off the casing before flipping it on.
The cabin lit up in an instant, strings of lights wrapping around the roof and porch, spilling their warm, golden glow onto the snow.
Even the nearby trees shimmered, their branches draped in twinkling lights that sparkled like something straight out of a Hallmark movie.
The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and pink.
Against the blanket of white snow, the scene was impossibly perfect.
I jogged back to Andy, still clumsy in the snow, and stopped beside him just in time to see his reaction.
He stared at the cabin, his blue eyes wide, his expression softening. "Vince... this is so beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you," I said automatically, grinning as his cheeks turned red.
"You're so corny," he said, rolling his eyes.
"You love it."
He shot me a glare, but his smirk nearly sent me.
I slipped my arms around him, pulling him close.
For a moment, we just stood there, the glow of the cabin lights painting the snow in soft gold.
The world felt too perfect to be real...
like something out of one of those Christmas rom-com movies Andy secretly loved but would never admit to watching.
He fit so perfectly against me, like he always did, and I couldn't stop myself from burying my face in his hair. His scent, a mix of pine from the trees and something uniquely him, was enough to ground me and make my heart ache all at once.
God, I loved him.
Every time I held him like this, it hit me all over again just how much.
.. The way he melted into my arms, his soft breaths visible in the chilly air.
The way he tipped his face up toward the cabin lights, his baby-blue eyes full of quiet wonder.
Andy never realized how beautiful he was, how every little thing he did had the power to undo me.
I tightened my grip slightly, like holding him a little closer could somehow keep this moment frozen forever. Just us, just here. My chest tightened with the thought, the weight of how much he meant to me pressing against my ribs.
"You good?" he asked softly, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts. His smile was gentle, laced with a teasing edge that made my heart twist in the best way.
"Yeah," I said, my own smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Just... you."
Andy rolled his eyes again, but the pink blooming across his cheeks wasn't just from the cold... He nudged me lightly with his shoulder. "Quit being such a sap."
"Can't help it," I murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "You just do this to me."
And then it happened... a sharp, startling pop from above, followed by a cascade of sparks crackling in the dark sky, lighting up the snow-covered ground around us.
Andy and I both flinched as the cabin lights flickered once, twice, and then... absolutely everything plunged into darkness, inside and out.
"Uh..." Andy tilted his head up toward the sparking power line above us, then turned back to me. "Was that part of the surprise, too?"
"...Fuck."