Day 03 - Use the words: kitchen, date, music (Shawn/Hunter)

Hunter wasn't sure how, but he had managed to coax Shawn into spending the weeks leading up to Christmas in Nashua. This was bordering on a miracle as, being the true Texan boy that he was, Shawn dreaded the cold. Or, well, loathed it was probably more like it. But they had a loop of shows in New England, followed by another bunch in the New York and New Jersey area so it wasn't like it didn't make sense.

That, however, did not stop Shawn from moaning about it at every chance he got.

He had put on the thickest sweater he could find in Hunter's closet before he had dared as much as even contemplate making his way down the stairs. It was 9 am, and while Hunter had already sneaked out of bed an hour ago, Shawn had opted to stay hidden under the covers. And that was where he would have stayed if it wasn't for a growling stomach.

The smell of coffee was in the air, and for once Hunter had forgone their usually healthy diet in favor of pancakes with chocolate syrup in addition to the scrambled egg whites, fresh fruits and yogurt. If Shawn was willingly putting up with the New Hampshire winter, the least Hunter could do was spoil him a little as he knew the man had a sweet tooth.

Looking up from setting the table, he spotted Shawn leaning against the door to the kitchen.

"Morning, babe. Sleep well?"

Shawn put on the most miserable expression he could muster while rubbing his arms.

"I'm freezing to death here."

Hunter chuckled, "You're such a drama queen. It's not like the heating isn't working."

"It's still too fuckin' cold."

Taking pity on him, Hunter put the last plate down and walked over to Shawn, wrapping his arms around him. "Better?"

"For now." Shawn looked up at Hunter and kissed him. "Good morning to you, too, by the way."

Hunter smiled and took Shawn's hand. "C'mon, breakfast is ready."

They both sat down to eat with the radio playing quietly in the background. The station had already reverted to only playing Christmas music and Shawn was quietly humming along to "Let It Snow".

Hunter watched him for a moment, biting his lip to keep himself from stating the obvious.

Shawn did notice him staring, though. "What?"

"Oh, nothing."

A raspberry was thrown in his direction, but Hunter caught it with ease and popped it into his mouth.

"Tell me already. You can't keep shit to yourself for long anyway."

"But it's fun to irritate you." Off the glare he got in response, Hunter gave in. "Alright, alright." Hands up in surrender, he asked, "You really don't see the irony?"

Shawn raised an eyebrow, clearly clueless.

"You, humming along to a song about snow while you just got done complaining about the cold."

"You're such a smart-ass, Hunter."

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Hunter leaned across the table, closer to Shawn. "And yet you love me."

"Only the good Lord knows why."

Before they could continue their banter, their attention was drawn back to the radio.

"…More heavy snow is to be expected in the afternoon with temperatures below 20°. The National Weather Service has issued an official warning for the Boston area. It is strongly advised to stay home if you can as roads are expected to be extremely icy and slippery..."

Shawn groaned. "There go our dinner plans for tonight."

They had made reservations at their favorite high-end restaurant in Boston, for no other reason than to enjoy each other's company. And they had actually hoped to maybe even make it into town early to get some Christmas shopping for their families and friends done before they had to go back to work on the weekend.

Hunter looked towards the window. The small snowflakes from earlier this morning had indeed turned into a heavy snowfall with no end in sight. The whole yard was already covered in white. While, contrary to Shawn, he did love this kind of weather, it did definitely mess up their plans.

Shawn's gaze had followed Hunter's and the disappointment definitely showed on his face.

"Told ya, I hate winter," he scowled. "We should've gone to Texas. At least we can't get snowed in there."

Hunter, ever the optimist, was determined to make the best out of the situation. He slid his chair next to Shawn's and intertwined their fingers. "Don't be like that."

When Shawn's demeanor didn't change, Hunter moved one hand to Shawn's face, gently stroking his cheek. His expression finally softened when their eyes met. "We'll just make it a date night at home."

Shawn seemed skeptical and huffed, "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. Sure, it won't be as fancy as at the restaurant, but let's just cook something nice together, put up some candles and have a quiet night in. As long as it's the two of us, we got everything we need, don't we?"

There was the hint of a genuine smile now after all. "I love you, you know?"

"Told you, didn't I?"

Gently, Shawn squeezed Hunter's hand. "Sorry for bein' such a pain earlier."

Hunter pressed a kiss to the tip of Shawn's nose. "You're my pain so I guess that's alright."

"And that, darlin', was awfully sappy."

Hunter laughed. "Maybe."