I love Big Billy. He's just the type of guy I wanna hug and then take out for ice-cream, you know?
…
Sleeping in the dump sucked.
In the winter it was cold, and being so reptilian, Snake couldn't stand the cold. It made him sluggish and tired all the time, and the rest of the Gang didn't like that. Thought he was just being lazy, not wanting to go along with their schemes for mischief and whatnot, and, of course, that earned him a few punches from his leader. The Gang's leader, Ace.
It took a while, all of last year's fall and nearly all of that winter, until Big Billy, the lovable lug, finally asked him one night-
"Uh… Snake, are you cold?"
Snake, who had been curled up in a corner, where he always went when the seasons started to change for the worst, had looked up slowly, and, not seeing any harm in it, nodded yes.
"Well, uh… Why don't you shiver? People shiver when they're cold, right?"
Snake was a little taken-aback, not that Billy had made such an observation, he was actually pretty smart if you gave him some time, but that Billy was asking him a question. He usually went to Lil' Arturo with questions. Nearly smiling after a moment, Snake had decided to answer him with the same answer he had gotten when he had asked his mother the same thing about himself.
"Yes, Billy, people ssshiver when they're cold. It'sss a way for them to create warmth, but ssshivering is only for people, and other warm-blooded creatures. I'm not ex-sssactly warm-blooded. You could call me cold-blooded, but calling me ectothermic would be more accurate."
That was his mother's answer nearly to the letter, and he had known what Billy would ask next. He'd been in his position, after all.
"… What's that mean?"
Snake really had smiled at that, and had gone on with the rest of the answer, actually liking the fact that he was teaching someone something.
"It meansss that Isss can't regulate, control, my own body heat very well. I get warmth from outside sssources. That's what 'ectothermic' meansss."
Billy had tilted his head while he processed that, and then he had looked down at Snake with some need for confirmation on something. Another question had come.
"What do you mean by… uh, outside…"
"Sources?"
Billy had nodded, and then sat down gently next to Snake, being considerate to the rest of the sleeping Gang, showing that he was ready to stay for as long as it took for him to fully understand. Snake had looked up at him, noticing that he had a slight shiver himself, and that there were goose-bumps on his bare arms. He was cold, too, and Snake remembered thinking then and there that he should get him a jacket, somehow. Or at least a bigger shirt.
"Getting warmth from outside sssources just meansss that I get warmth from thingsss like… the Sun, first. And heatersss, and… anything that givesss off heat."
Billy sat thinking for a while after that, and Snake couldn't protest. Billy was emanating heat, and it was his first time feeling some warmth in a long time. He had to remind himself not to curl closer.
Snake had nearly dozed off when Billy had turned to him and said something that he didn't quite catch. When Billy repeated it, Snake had looked up drowsily, mumbling.
"Hmm… What?"
Billy repeated himself a third time, patiently, "There are no… outside… sources here?" Snake had nodded, and he could see Billy putting two and two together, and in a moment, Billy had looked down at him and stated-
"That's why you're so… uh, tired. You can't warm up…"
Snake had looked down, hissing out a 'yes'. Everything had been quiet for a moment, with Snake wondering when Billy was going to get up and lumber back to the other side of the hangout, until a heavy, very heavy, arm had dropped around his shoulders, which lurched forward under the weight. He grunted and hissed, and Billy had quickly lessened the weight he was putting on Snake's shoulders. After a pause, he asked The Question that had meant warmth in more ways that one.
"Can other people be, uh… heat sources?"
Snake had looked up at him, still moving very slowly, not sure if he had heard that correctly. He decided that he had, and nodded again. Billy smiled a little.
"Could I be one for you?"
There was something so supremely sweet about that way he asked that, like a little kid asking for permission from his parents to go outside and play with some friends, and Snake had almost said 'of course' as soon as he had heard it, but he was too weary for that.
He asked 'why' distrustfully, looking up at Billy with all the exhaustion of someone who had been kicked until they were down and then kicked some more.
But Billy had only smiled understandingly, already having an answer prepared for that question.
"Because you're cold and you need it…" He had paused, as if mulling over whether or not to say something big, something that might get him in trouble, but in the end, he had decided to say it.
"And because I, uh, I don't like seeing boss hurt you for something you can't help."
Snake's mouth had opened and closed a few times, like he had been trying to say something but he didn't know what, until he realized that nothing was going to come out and just nodded. Billy had dropped his arm around his upper back and pulled him close. Snake had fallen asleep too fast to even say 'thanksss'.
Well, now that he had Billy as his personal furnace, Snake supposed sleeping in the dump didn't suck so bad…
…