Summary: Tao wants a snowball fight.

My first attempt at an anon's request for 'huddling up for warmth', pfft.

Sneak Attack

By Dark Ice Dragon

M-21's breath froze in front of him and there were mounds of snow everywhere around, either from being ploughed or because children had been playing in it. He, Takeo and Tao were bundled up in extra layers, not from the cold, but because they would get weird looks if they didn't – they didn't feel the cold like unmodified humans did.

Fresh snow had fallen the night before and hadn't melted enough by the time the three of them left the house and-

M-21 ducked the projectile aimed at his head, his hands kept in his pockets. Snow exploded past him and when he turned around, Tao was a few steps behind him, tossing a snowball in the air, grinning.

"C'mon, you two!" Tao said, flicking the ball up with a flourish. "Let's have a snowball fight!"

"No," M-21 said and Tao's face fell, not catching the ball. It hit the ground with a soft thud, leaving a little mound by Tao's shoe.

"Awww. Just a small one?" Tao asked, holding his thumb and index finger close together.

"No," Takeo said this time and Tao's shoulders slumped.

"Awwww! …Fine." Tao trooped over to them, sighing.

M-21 saw Tao's eyes fly wide open when he got close to them just before Tao came speeding towards them, his arms windmilling.

"Wah!"

M-21 tried to get out the way but – "Shit!" His foot didn't grip the ground like he'd expected it to, ice packed under the soft snow and Tao slammed into him.

They crashed into a pile of snow, spinning so that Tao was under M-21.

Tao blinked up at him and then snickered, blowing a mouthful of snow at him.

"Thanks," M-21 said wryly, Takeo helping him to his feet.

"Thaaat wasn't what I had in mind when I wanted you to play in the snow," Tao said as M-21 and Takeo both helped him get up.

"I didn't think so."

Tao let go of M-21's hand and ruffled the snow out of his hair, briefly looking like he had multiple white streaks. "Still, I at least got one of you into the snow." Tao grinned and Takeo had enough time to make a sound of surprise when Tao grabbed his wrist in both hands, pulling Takeo down with him.

"Ass," M-21 muttered, smiling anyway. They weren't at work, it wasn't even a weekday, so what they were doing now didn't matter.

Takeo spluttered while Tao howled with laughter.

Since Tao was distracted, he didn't see the glint in Takeo's eyes, or Takeo scoop up a handful of snow. Tao did react when Takeo slid two fingers down the back of his collar, tugging it open.

"Ack! Wait waitshfff-!"

When Takeo shoved the snow down his back, Tao squirmed, his flailing arms nearly hitting Takeo in the face.

Takeo stood up and dusted himself off while Tao shook the rest of the snow out of his clothes, scrunching up his face.

"And where'd you learn to do that anyway?" Tao grumped, patting himself down.

"The children," was Takeo's reply.

Tao tutted, standing up. "Always the quiet ones you have to look out for." He stuck his tongue out at them.

"You're the one who wanted to play in the snow," M-21 said, shaking his head.

"That was not playing in the snow," Tao said, his eyebrow arched high. "That was a sneak attack."

"After your sneak attack," Takeo shot back.

"Eeeh." Tao waved a hand, not dodging when both Takeo and M-21 nudged him as they started walking again, dodging around the patch of ice. "I'd race you back home, but we'd probably run into a car or something."

After what just happened, M-21 didn't doubt that. And then they would have to explain the dents they'd left in it…

"Sooo instead, how about it's the winner of the-" Tao ducked down, scooping up some snow. Shit! "-snowball fight!"

M-21 thwacked the snowball into powder before it reached his face and he lifted his lip to bare his teeth. Fine. He'd do this. He shared a look with Takeo and they dived away.

"It's supposed to be a free-for-all, you guys!" Tao called out, starting to build a defence. At the speed Tao was making it, M-21 knew he'd sneaked his cables out.

"It is!" M-21 retorted, making the snowballs as he ducked behind the wall Takeo was making.

"Against you!" Takeo added.

"I'll still win!"

"We'll see," M-21 muttered. He smirked at Takeo. "Ready?"

Takeo nodded, smiling back. "Yeah."

They nodded, counting down, and started attacking together.