Cabin Fever

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Chris shivered, rubbing his upper arms with his hands.

"Of course, we're going the right way." Josh waved his flashlight in a circle, turning to look at Chris. "I grew up here, remember?"

"Right, Right." Chris' teeth were about to chatter. The wind was cutting straight through both of his jackets. "So how come we're going to this cabin again?"

"I just want to make sure everything is all in one piece up there before everyone gets here tomorrow. We're probably going to have to send Mike and Jessica up here or something. You know how they get when they're all in the same room as Matt and Emily."

"Drama City." Chris shook his head.

"You got that right." He pulled open the gate leading further up the path. "Thanks for walking out here with me, bro. I know how much you hate the cold."

"It's fine. It's dangerous to come out here alone, especially with the storm."

Josh smiled and reached around, taking one of Chris' hands as he led him up the path. "I didn't know you cared so much."

Chris nearly moaned from the heat of Josh's hand. How was he still so warm with subzero winds whistling around them. "Of course, I do, dork. Don't be weird."

Josh only laughed and kept pulling Chris along. Their boots crunched in the snow, but it was hard to hear with all the wind. Chris didn't know how Josh could see—snowflakes were clinking to his glasses, piling along the bottom edges like it did on window ledges.

"Here we are." Josh let go of Chris' hand and stepped up onto the porch. "Be careful on those steps; they're a little icy."

Chris stepped carefully while Josh unlocked the door.

It wasn't much warmer inside, but at least there wasn't any wind in here.

Josh flipped the light switch, but the light remained off. He did a few more times before giving up. "Guess the power's out."

"That would explain why it's so cold in here." Chris shivered again, cleaning off his glasses with numb fingers.

Josh chuckled before kissing the tip of Chris' nose. "I'll get a fire going for you, okay?"

Chris's face flushed and he smiled. "Thanks."

"You'll want to take your coat and boots off through; you'll warm up quicker that way." Josh was hunched over the fire stove, putting in fresh logs. He struck a match and lit the kindling before going around the room to light some of the candles in corners and on tables.

"Right; I'll go see if there's any blankets or something."

Josh clicked his lighter shut. "I'll get it."

Chris smiled and unlaced his boots. His boyfriend might have done crazy things like drag him through the snow in the middle of a storm after sundown, but at least he was attentive. He sat his boots neatly by the door before hanging both his coats up on the rack. He could see his breath, but at least the fire was helping. He crossed over to the stove and held his hands out to it, making a happy noise in the back of this throat while his fingers started to defrost.

When Josh didn't come back after a while, Chris stepped further into the cabin, looking for him. It was cute, the little cabin. Somewhere he'd love to spend time in the early fall, when the leaves were colors and the snowstorms were minimal.

He found Josh standing in the hallway, quilt in one hand and picture frame in the other. He was oddly still, spacing like he did sometimes. Chris had seen him do it before. He stepped towards him slowly, setting a hand gingerly on his shoulder.

"Josh? Everything okay?"

He's still for a moment more before he sighs, holding the photo up so Chris can see it better. It was a picture of Hannah in her tennis clothes.

"I miss them." Josh sat the picture down and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know you do." Chris wrapped his arms around Josh's shoulders. "Are you sure that you still want everyone to come up here? It's not too late to call it off."

Josh closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Josh turns and smiles at Chris, nuzzling his boyfriend's nose with his own. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Come on." Josh runs his fingers through Chris' hair before draping the quilt around them both. "Let's get you warmed up by that fire."

They sat on the floor in front of the stove rather than on the couch. Chris tucked his head against Josh's shoulder, and Josh kept his arms looped around Chris.

"Does everything look okay for if Mike and Jessica come up here?"

"Mhm." Josh ran his fingers through Chris' hair, stroking it gently. "It's still pretty clean. I guess my parents had it checked on before we got here."

"That's good." Chris closed his eyes.

"I'm assuming you don't want to head back out in the storm anytime soon."

"How could you tell?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "Are you warming up?"

"Yeah." He reached up and pulled Josh's beanie off, brushing a few stray snowflakes from his curls. "Are you?"

"I wasn't cold."

"Bullshit you weren't cold." Chris pushed his vest off, too.

"Not like you were."

Chris slid his hands over Josh's chest, brushing the buttons of his flannel.

Josh chuckled, sliding his hands through Chris' hair again. "You trying to strip me down, Cochise?"

"You said something about it helping you warm up quicker."

Josh laughed. "I wasn't cold."

"I was."

"Oh yeah?" Josh pushed Chris's flannel off. "You were?"

Chris nodded and then they were kissing. Josh's stubble scraped against Chris' chin. Chris didn't mind—just wrapped his arms around Josh's shoulders.

He finally felt like he was starting to thaw out, feeling returning to all his limbs, his fingertips, his ears, his nose. Josh's hand slid around his hip, thumbing the hem of his thermal shirt. He slides onto Josh's lap, breaking the kiss to let Josh pull the shirt up over his head.

"Three shirts and two coats?" Josh runs his tongue over Chris' Adam's apple. "Wow, bro, you're king of the layers."

Chris lets out a whine and sets his hands on Josh's shoulders. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it? Get me up here in the cabin after trekking through the snow. Light a fire and get me all riled…"

"Maybe..." Josh brushed Chris' hip again, rolling his thumb there.

"Just kiss me." Chris moaned, grinding his hips against Josh's before unbuttoning a few buttons on his shirt.

The kiss is rougher this time; tongues brushing together and Josh scraping Chris' lower lip with his teeth. He pushed Josh's shirt off his shoulders, running his fingers over his skin.

"Mmm…" Josh went back to kissing the side of Chris' neck.

Chris gasped, tipping his head back and rutting his hips against Josh's again.

"Fuck," Josh rolled his thumb against his hip.

Chris ran his hands down Josh's stomach, sliding back off Josh's lap. He swirled his thumb over the button of Josh's jeans, biting his lower lip.

"Everything okay?"

Chris nodded, still thumbing at the button. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" Josh was cupping Chris' jaw, looking in his eyes; soft, not lustful. "We can stop."

"I don't want to stop…I just don't know if…if we should go, you know, all the way yet." He was blushing.

"That's fine." Josh smiled, brushing Chris' lower lip with his thumb. "No rush, okay?"

Chris smiled, turning to kiss the palm of Josh's hand. "Okay."

He climbed back onto Josh's lap, tucking his head against Josh's shoulder. He felt Josh's mouth against his forehead, placing a soft kiss there.

"You're the best, you know." Chris pulled out, cupping Josh's face and smiling.

"I try." Josh smiled back and they were kissing again, softer than before.

By the time they finished, the fire had died down a little. Josh got up, pulling his jeans back on before sliding in a few more logs.

"That should hold us for a while longer."

Chris nodded, tucking his head back against Josh's chest once he pulled him back to lay down on the blanket by the floor.

"We should head back before too long though." He ran his fingers through Chris' hair. "Mike said something about trying to get up here early."

"You know he doesn't rise before ten, especially when he's on vacation."

"Are you trying to tell me you'd rather stay here?"

"Why not?" Chris raised his brows, looking up at Josh. "The house is so big and empty, especially with only us there. It's cozier here."

Josh nodded. He closed his eyes and Chris pulled another blanket over the top of them. "I understand that completely."