"I don't see why we had to come all the way out here."

Kendall laughed, emerald eyes flashing. "It's your birthday. I wanted to do something special."

You look at him, eyebrow raised. "And going out to dinner wouldn't have been special?"

"Not quite enough, no."

It was your 21st birthday, and out of nowhere, Kendall decided to take you on a special trip, just you and him. You were so excited, expecting a tropical oasis, like Cabo or Bora Bora, or someplace for the two of you to just... relax.

You stated out the foggy car window. "Where are we even going?"

He answered simply. "I don't know. Wherever the road takes us, I suppose."

"What road? I can't even see the road!"

Kendall had managed to get two plane tickets to a destination of his choosing, surprising you with them at a little family dinner. You immediately packed your bags, a bit confused when Kendall put away the bikinis and handed you some scarves.

Kendall laughed again. "What? You don't think this place is nice?"

"It is nice," you murmured past the blanket wrapped around you. "I just wish we could've gone somewhere warmer... like Hawaii."

It was true. You had always dreamed of traveling to Hawaii, with the sandy beaches and the turquoise-clear waters. And something about going with Kendall made the trip even more tempting.

Kendall scoffed. "Hawaii? Really, babe?"

"What? You don't think that place is nice?"

Rolling his eyes, Kendall made a turn. "Yeah, but... Hawaii is too... Expected."

"Expected?"

"Well, yeah. Everyone goes to Hawaii."

"Kendall, you and I both know I can name hundreds of other places we could've gone. Like, for example, the Caribbean, Bora Bora, Cabo, Tahiti..."

You let out a squeak when Kendall silences you, crushing your lips with his. Involuntary growls leave his throat as you try to pull away. You finally get him to release by biting on his lower lip.

"Ow," he groans.

"I don't appreciate the foreplay, Mister."

Kendall smirks.

"Oh come on, you have to admit, Colorado is nice."

It's your turn to roll your eyes. You deliberately let them linger on his before looking away. "Yeah, nice for a sunburned Cancun goddess."

He stares at you for a moment. You decide to try and look past the bulky clothing and the snowshoes and try to imagine a relaxing weekend in the snow. But the more you think about it, the longer you yearn for the scalding sun and refreshing margaritas.

"Alright. Where's the hotel?"

Grinning, Kendall wraps his hand around yours, other hand still clutching the steering wheel. He looks toward the iPhone sitting on the dashboard. "Use the GPS."

It takes you a few minutes to warm up your already numbing fingers to type in the address. Breathing out in frustration, you shut off the phone. "No signal."

"Damn," he says, brushing at the hair sweeping across his forehead. He scrunches his eyebrows together pensively. "It could be worse."

As if on command, the car's engine slowly flutters to a standstill. Kendall growls.

Shivering slightly with the heater now off, you snuggle against the thick jacket you're wearing.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kendall pops the hood. As he opens the door, the freezing winds thrust up against the car.

You whimper a little.

The view is shocking when Kendall steps out, because for a moment, he is drowned out by white. Everything, white. You panic for a moment before he reappears, nose a little red.

Just his presence brings the temperature in the car even lower, and you notice he is shivering slightly. You automatically begin trying to warm his hands with yours, but to no avail.

"I think I packed a few extra blankets in the trunk." He grabs the door handle, as if to step out again, but you stop him.

"No way you're going out there again. I'll go."

He shakes his head, snow falling from his knitted beanie. "One of us has to stay warm... In case of an emergency."

Kendall and his fucking stubbornness, you think to yourself. But no. You were not getting beat this time.

"Well I don't want you going out there and getting sick."

He sniffles.

"See? There's a sign. This can't be good..." You fumble for the car door handle, and notice that Kendall doesn't stop you.

Stepping out into the snow and ice, you realized immediately how could it really is. You missed the warmth of the car. You missed Los Angeles. You missed the sun.

Pulling your parka a bit closer to your chest, you unlock the trunk. Like Kendall said, two fluffy blankets were stacked on top of the suitcases.

You snatched them in your arms, already noticing the huge difference they made, and scrambled back inside the car. Kendall had his gloves off, breathing against his hands to warm them up. "Here," you say, handing him the green blanket.

He doesn't say anything as he spreads it out across himself, now completely engulfed in lime green. You spread your turquoise blue blanket across your body and are immediately reminded of Hawaii.

"I'm sorry," Kendall finally speaks, teeth chattering and lips chapped.

"For what?"

You turn your head to face him, and notice that his face is starkly white, contrasting against the lively green of his irises. No color floods his cheeks. You begin to worry. "...Sorry for what?"

"Bringing you here. It's my fault."

You sigh. "Oh Kendall, no matter where we would have gone, I would have been just as happy to spend the time with you. Albeit, this freezing cold is a little less comfortable than sun kissed skin would have been, but I don't really care now. I just want us both safe and out of here."

Kendall says nothing for a second, then smiles crookedly.

You rifle for your purse, then dig into the pocket on the inside for your iPhone. To your surprise, you find one bar of signal in the car. You immediately call James.

"C'mon, pick up, pick up..."

Kendall stared dejectedly out the window.

The dial tone rings harshly in your ear, and you hang up the phone.

Suddenly, it beeps.

You checked the phone. "Low battery," you mutter in defeat.

Kendall looks away, and his face seems even paler than before.

"Just try and get the m-most out of it. Call Dustin."

You oblige, your numb fingers moving rapidly across the touch screen. You find Dustin's number and press 'call.'

After a few rings, a low, guttural voice picks up. "Hello?"

"Dustin! ...You gotta help us."

The other end is full of static due to low signal. "Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"The car broke down, and we're stuck in a storm... Some kind of blizzard."

Nothing is heard for a few seconds, and you begin to wonder if he hung up or if the signal is low again. "Dustin?"

"I'm calling the guys. Are you two okay?"

"...Kendall's really weak. Maybe hypothermia? I'm not as bad. I've been keeping him awake." You pause for a minute, letting the information sink in. "I tried calling James. He didn't answer."

Voices were heard in the background of the other end before Dustin spoke. "I'm giving the phone to Logan. He wants to know all of Kendall's symptoms."

Your heart beat sped up as Logan started speaking into the line.

"Uh, his breathing is staggered, and his face is really pale. His fingers are kind of bluish."

A sigh created static. "Definitely stage one. He'll be okay, if we get you guys out of there soon. Do you know where you're at?"

"No." You state simply.

"Did you pass anything we could use to find you?"

You rack your brain to think of something... Anything. "Oh! We passed a small motel. Moose Cabin, I think it was called. It was abandoned... Then we started going off-trail."

Logan mutters something. To himself, or maybe to Dustin, you're not sure.

"Okay. We'll head out in a minute. Try keeping the headlights on or something. To let us know you're there if the search goes well into nighttime. And don't go outside anymore. You're going to need as much body heat as you can to provide for the both of you. Oh, and one last thing, check for a first aid kit in the glove compartment or something. There should be some emergency blanket of some kind—"

"Logan?"

You pull the phone away and see the screen is entirely blank.

"Crap," you mutter, as you realize your only form of communications are both dead.

You look across to Kendall, who is having trouble staying awake. You grab his hands and begin to warm them up. They feel like ice.

"If we get out of this..." Kendall grimaces, biting down on his lower lip. "I'm taking you to Hawaii."

Something flickers across his face, almost smug. You smile.

"I better keep us alive, then."

You suddenly remember what Logan told you and you dig around in the glove compartment, looking for the first aid kit. It's bigger than you expected, and you set it on your lap, watching Kendall's eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

"Lemme guess... Logan." Kendall says groggily, words slurring.

You grab him by the shoulders. "C'mon, stay awake."

His head tilts back. "Can't. Tired."

Your eyes begin to cloud. "Kendall. No, you have to stay awake!"

"S-So tired."

Tears now stream down your cheeks. "Kendall, for me... Please."

With his thumb, Kendall wipes at a tear about to drip off your chin. "...Just... think of it as a... rain check."

Smiling softly, he hands you a small velvet box, decorated with ribbon.

"Happy Birthday."

You stare at the box, eyes glistening with unshed tears. It takes you a moment to undo the bow with your trembling fingers, but once you do, your heart sinks with some sick feeling you can't describe.

You push it away and open the box, immediately regretting it.

Inside the box, a golden chain lay across the fluffy white cotton backing, with a delicate chain twisting into the words, 'Marry Me?' and at the bottom of the box, was the ring.

You turn to Kendall and grit your teeth.

Putting your boots and gloves on, you take off your blanket and spread it across his body. Remembering Logan's advice, you flip on the headlights and step outside.

The snow is dizzyingly white and you stagger for a moment.

A rock sits at your feet, buried under the sparkling snow.

And suddenly, you fall to your knees and the rock is across the field. Sobs force their way out of your throat, and you can't stop crying.

'...Just... think of it as a... rain check.'