Here's the first one-shot for my story Can I Lay Back Into The Dark?
These one-shots will still have all the fun of the story but the settings are more relaxed and character focused. They are cute AF guys. Keeping with the theme of ridiculously long story names because I'm angsty, this is called 'I am the Sand, You are the Sea.' I hope you enjoy and as always let me know what you think, the support means everything.
P.S- If you haven't read my first story, you should totally do that. These one-shots will need a little context, beyond that you should read it cause it's great, sorry bout it.
Take it to the heart, and wash it out
Go back to the start, it's raging now
Be a better fighter, lover, oh please
I don't want you to break me down
Take it to the Heart - Odette
It snowed in Wakeford all the time, in fact, the winters in Massachusetts could be worse than any you would ever see in Indiana but to Allison and Daniel, the first snow of 1984 was special. The first of the snowflakes that coated the Edwards overgrown front lawn was bittersweet. Hawkins had revealed terror they could never forget but had also given both children a family that they could never replace. The first snow represented both.
She was dreaming of running. Fast. Up her favourite track in Hawkins for the first time since her accident. The chill of winter pierced her lungs and the tread of her runners crunched against the last of Fall's leaves. When she reached the top, she pulled her long ponytail away from her neck and took rest against the wooden barrier. The view was perfect. The fog over the lake, the grey of the cold trees and sky, the unflappable peace of the woods. With her heart racing, she overlooked the best of Hawkins, Indiana; she felt at peace.
"ALLISON!"
Pulled from her pleasant dreams, the first in weeks, Allison Edwards attempted to pull herself from her bed as quickly as possible. A feat her groggy mind quickly found impossible as her legs twisted in her blanket and her bottom found purchase on the hard floor. "Shit. Jesus. Christ. Ow," The girl lamented, tossing her long dark hair off her face with a huff. Breathing heavily, Allison rubbed her eyes and yawned confused as to why she had even felt the need to rush from her warm bed.
"ALLISON, COME QUICK!"
Oh yeah, Allison remembered hearing the screeching of a pre-pubescent boy. Kicking her legs at the blanket Allison managed to free herself and stood patting her sore butt with a pout, sliding on her slippers and stomping down the stairs with a frustrated grunt. The old clock that hung in the family room told her it was eight- thirty and she had to refrain from clenching her jaw so tight she shattered her teeth.
"Daniel Jay Edwards, I swear to you in the name of Ripley, may she strike me down I will murder you if you shout one more time," Allison warned after she stomped over to the window, her brother's mouth open to shout again. He wasn't looking at her but was taking in the white wonderland that covered the world around them. "Wow." She breathed, joining him in the alcove, her hands finding the window just like his as they watched on in wonder.
"Yeah, wow," Daniel parroted.
Concerns had started to rise over the lack of snow this season, Dustin's Mom had been complaining to Allison just days ago when she dropped Daniel off to play that a Christmas without snow just wasn't Christmas.
Allison informed the woman that it was currently summer in Australia and they indeed would not be having snow.
When the women fell into a tizzy about how that wasn't how God wanted Christmas celebrated, Allison kept the lack of snow in the Holy Land a secret, she was worried it would hospitalise the poor lady.
"Got your snow gear out?" Allison asked earning a squeal of excitement from the younger teen before he dashed off to change. Allison followed him up with a chuckle, just spotting a flash of his blond head before it darted into his room. Allison quickly put on her layers, finishing with a blue snow jacket and a matching beanie before leaving her room. Daniel had beat her out unsurprisingly, pulling on his jacket as he stood at her door fidgeting like an excited puppy.
"Alright, let's go then." Allison laughs following Daniel down a grin on her face. The second Daniel opened the front door the cold air blew through the house turning both their noses pink. Neither cared quickly checking how deep the snow was before launching their bodies in to make angels. Allison gave her 'angel' a set of horns and a tail before running over to inspect her brothers work. He had apparently given up on making a figure of himself and had instead chosen to launch himself into the thicker buildups of snow.
Carefully, while Daniel was distracted Allison made the inevitable first snowball, an evil grin pulling at her mouth as she stalked her oblivious brother. She checked for sticks before she threw, this one was for the face, and catapulted the sizable mound. It sailed through the air and hit Daniel square between the eyes just as he turned to locate his older sister.
Allison collapsed into the snow with shrieking laughter and the look of total bewilderment on Daniel's little face as he tried to blink snow from his lashes. Her laughter doubled when his face hardened, and he began preparing his first retaliation snowball at a blinding speed. Allison didn't even have time to stand before the first snowball from Daniel smashed into her shoulder and the all-out war started.
The two hurtled snow at each other until they could barely stand anymore. Allison's calves were burning from trying to move through the snow and she knew her Mother was going to be furious that she had done so much running despite the fact that she had had her cast removed from her ankle nearly two weeks ago but it had felt good for the two to properly let loose.
Daniel pointed at their neighbour across the road who scowled at the pair as he began to shovel the snow from his footpath. "Well that's the fun police, it was good while it lasted." Daniel panted, collapsing beside Allison. She noted that several people down the cul-de-sac had already begun trying to shovel their driveways and it made her frown.
"It's the Eve of Christmas Eve, where do these people need to go? Why ruin our magical winter land when they are just gonna have to come out and shovel again tomorrow? Grinches, the lot of them." Allison proclaimed earning a chuckle from Daniel. They sat in silence for a moment just enjoying the crisp air that surrounded them and the methodical scrape of shovelling around them.
"What are you two up to out here?"
The pair turned and beamed at their rosy-cheeked Mother who had wrapped herself in a dressing gown and clutched onto a mug of something steaming. She smiled back at the pair, both happy to realise that Mary didn't look to carry a heavy burden on her shoulders for the first time in seven weeks. She just looked like their Mom, and that was a sight for sore eyes.
"Good Morning, Mom!" Daniel spoke excitedly, waving slightly. "We wanted to enjoy the first snow before everyone else!" Mary looked over at the pristine snow that coated the road and compared it to her trampled dirty snow that sat on her front yard and smirked,
"Yes, I can see that." She laughed. "Come inside, I made some hot chocolate to warm you both up." Daniel stood quickly offering a helping hand to Allison who was starting to feel stiff from the cold and the solid amount of exercise she had just done for the first time in nearly two months.
"You pushed yourself too hard didn't you?"
Allison grimaced at her Mother's smug voice, straightening up and putting on a mask of indifference. "Nope, I'm just a little stiff from the cold." She wouldn't mention that it was her Ankle that was stiff or that she wished she'd listened to her Mother's warnings.
"There is a heat pack in the kitchen, go rest it on the aching parts then well get you in a warm bath." Her Mother replied, earning a sheepish grin from the brunette.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You are welcome, baby, just take it easy for the rest of the day, if you don't, I'll invite Steve over to babysit you again."
Allison's eyes widened with horror, "Oh my God, Mom, no! please not again last time he wouldn't let me leave my bed and if you hadn't come home when you did, he was going to carry me to the bathroom!" Mary laughed at her daughter who sat down and placed the green heat pack on her face.
"Well do as I tell you then."
"Yeah, Allison do as she tells you," Daniel pipes in falling into the chair opposite. "Your best friend is crazy, I don't want him babysitting us either." Allison laughs, smiling as her Mom sets a hot chocolate with two white marshmallows in front of her. The first snow really was special because for the Edwards family it gave them what they craved; a blank canvas.