It took a while for Heat and Snow to balance out from their sudden switch. As promised, their servants immediately took on all the responsibilities of the weather and everything the two brothers controlled. Due to that, Cinder and Flurry were the only ones left to tend to the brothers. Though they hadn't really known too much about each other before, they found that working together was almost natural. The two of them began to lean on each other as they dealt with two very different elements who were suddenly as far out of their depth as was possible.

Snow slept a lot for the first few days as he recovered from his cold. He found the whole situation disheartening as he realized just how cold could incapacitate his twin. He thought back and suddenly saw all the times in their childhood when Heat had snapped and blasted him with fire or magma in a new light. It hadn't been that he was being playful in his own gruff way. He had been in actual physical pain from even the smallest of touches. Snow was angry at himself for never having realized the true cause of his brother's reactions to his touch.

Heat, on the other hand, was absolutely fascinated by his sudden enjoyment of not just cold but also his own element of heat. He would wander through the snowy half of the island for an hour or more before stepping across the barrier just to feel the pleasure of heat warming his chilled skin. It was glorious for him, and he marveled that his brother had such a different experience of the world. It really put everything into perspective, even the reason that Snow constantly touched him.

There was something about wandering in the cold that made him yearn for company, for a friendly touch. He had to fight back the urge to touch Snow when he visited to check on him. Every time he came into contact with his brother's hot skin, Snow would flinch, though he never pulled away. In fact, he leaned into his touch most of the time. Still, Heat resisted because he knew how painful it was.

When Snow awoke a few days in feeling warm and refreshed instead of achy and tired, he was relieved to finally be through the cold. He got up and took a long, hot shower, lingering just a bit to enjoy the pleasure of his long-denied desire. When he stepped out, he wasn't quite sure what to do. There were no towels, and he couldn't freeze the water away like he usually did. He eventually just dressed, figuring he'd be dry fast enough. When he came out into his bedroom, he was startled to see Heat sipping on a smoothie. The glass was sweating, so it must have been cold. A bowl of steaming oatmeal sat on the bedside table, and Snow smiled a bit.

"Hey, hothead," he said.

"You look like you're over your cold," Heat said. He gestured at the bowl. "I figured you'd like a hot breakfast."

"Mm, I wouldn't mind," Snow said. "Mother sends you oats?"

"She doesn't send you oats?" Heat looked surprised.

"Ah, no," Snow said. "Oatmeal's not exactly good cold, so…" He ran his bare fingers through his damp hair.

Heat stared. He had never seen his brother disheveled before. He always styled his hair and froze it in place, but now it was thawed and messy. The white had a tinge of orange to it now, and it glowed slightly from his inner heat. It was strangely intimate to see his brother unkempt. Snow always projected a smooth-talking, cheerful confidence, but seeing him tousled and hesitant made Heat wonder how much of that was an act.

"What are you staring at?" Snow asked, and Heat looked at his brother's wary expression. He reached up and touched his hair then flushed and looked away. "I must look awful," he grumbled.

Heat suddenly wondered what he looked like. He hadn't bothered to check. His own stubborn hair wanted to do nothing but stand straight up. "You look orange," he said idly.

Snow looked startled. "What?"

Heat shrugged. "You look orange." He paused. "Is my hair blue?" he reached up and touched his hair.

Snow looked bemused as he walked over. "It's kind of pale pink," he said analytically. "Your skin has a blue tint, though." He lifted his own hand and studied it. "Hm. I am orange." He tittered and his eyes shone. "Orange you glad we switched?"

Heat snorted and tried to hide a smile. "Your jokes are awful, icicle."

Snow shrugged. "Even if they are awful, they make me feel better."

"Feel better?" Heat asked. "So you still don't feel well?"

Snow was flustered by the question, and he strode over to pick up the oatmeal. "I'm over the cold."

Heat squinted at him, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That doesn't answer the question."

Snow shrugged, averting his gaze. "It doesn't matter, Heat."

Heat considered how his brother was avoiding answering, and a realization dawned on him. "Snow?"

"Yeah?" Snow muttered, spooning his breakfast into his mouth.

"Do you… do you not feel okay?"

That red flush began creeping up Snow's pale orange cheeks again. "Flurry!" he called.

The doors opened after a few moments and Flurry came in. The ice servant held some snow in his hand and he swallowed a mouthful as he peered at the two brothers. He noticed at once that Snow was uncomfortable, and Heat looked like he was having some kind of revelation. Flurry focused back on his sire as Cinder padded in behind him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get some snow for Mr. Heat Blister here. He's too hot again."

"Certainly," Flurry said. He and Cinder turned and left. Heat stared at his brother as he squirmed under his gaze. His face was very red now, and he was clearly not going to directly answer the question. In a strange way, that was answer enough. Heat's heart ached for his brother. Even standing there in the element that belonged to his twin, Heat could not imagine why Snow wouldn't feel okay.

"Snow," he said gently, reaching over.

Snow took several steps away and continued to eat. He looked a little scared, and his eyes gleamed in his natural glow as he blinked rapidly. Heat realized something else as he watched his brother squirm and fight back tears. He'd never once seen Snow cry. Not in their adult lives, at least. He'd stopped pretty young, and Heat had always felt jealous that he hadn't matured as fast as Snow. Could there have been something behind the mask of maturity that had stopped the outward flow of tears?

Flurry and Cinder both carried a bucket of snow into the room, and they paused to take in the two brothers again. Snow looked desperately uncomfortable and a bit fragile, and Heat somehow had an even more astonished expression on his face. Heat gazed almost sadly at his brother, but he was starting to become a bit too pale. They had to interrupt.

"Heat, sir, you must cool down," Flurry said. He hurried over and guided him to a chair.

Cinder noticed the flush on Snow's face as he finished his oatmeal. He said nothing about Snow being distressed. Instead, he hustled for a hot cup of tea and guided Snow into another chair. Snow took the tea, still looking flustered. He took a sip and was immediately delighted by the spicy drink.

"Ooh, this is good," Snow said, brightening. "What is it?"

"Cinnamon apple tea, sir," Cinder said. "It's one of your brother's favorites."

Snow sipped the steaming beverage again and looked very pleased. "I can see why. It's delicious!"

Flurry brought a third bucket of snow in as Heat used the last of the first two.

"Eat this," he said, setting the bucket down. "You look much better now. But you must remember to keep cool, Heat, sir. Though Snow doesn't usually get sick from getting too hot for a short amount of time, heat stroke is possible for him. It makes him very ill indeed."

Heat could remember the few times his brother had gotten sick. It had lasted for weeks, and it had left him nearly helpless while their mother waited on him hand and foot. At the time, he'd been jealous, but he was beginning to look at things differently.

"You're right," Heat grumbled. "But I still don't really fully comprehend heat and how it affects me now."

"If I may suggest something, sir, perhaps you could ask Snow to teach you how to regulate your temperature better," Flurry said politely.

Cinder overheard this and nodded earnestly. "Indeed. That would be good for you to learn, too, sir." He looked at Snow. "I would recommend you two spend the day outside and learn about your opposite."

Snow swallowed the last of his tea and eyed his brother warily. "What do you say, hothead? Can you stand my ghastly company for a few hours?"

"You aren't that bad, Snow," Heat said seriously.

Snow squirmed again, looking away. "Yes or no?" he muttered.

Heat studied him. "I guess I can handle you for a couple measly hours. So get moving, slurry brain."

Snow relaxed and grinned. "Cool your jetstream, bro! You'll get too hot again if you don't."

Heat snorted as Snow stood up and handed Cinder his empty cup. "Thanks."

"You are quite welcome, Snow, sir."

Snow strode over to his brother and slung an arm around him. Heat watched him flinch, but he didn't let go. He couldn't help but lean into his brother's warmth. Snow noticed and his eyes sparkled again as an affectionate smile played around his lips. He didn't say one teasing word about it as he squeezed Heat tightly.

"Let's go, icicle breath," Snow said fondly. "You're sweating bullets again. We need to fix that."

Heat smiled and squeezed Snow back as they strolled out toward the barrier.

Cinder blinked after them and he shook his head. "I thought you had to be wrong," he said, turning to Flurry.

Flurry shrugged and measured his words, as he always did when talking about Snow. "I'm not surprised that I'm right. I was only unsure of Heat's reaction. If you weren't lying, this was the obvious outcome."

"That's pretty amazing," Cinder said admiringly. "Heat's so easy to read, but I was sure Snow would be… cold."

Flurry glanced over. "What makes you say that?"

Cinder shook his head, suddenly realizing he was perilously close to offending his new friend. "Never mind."

There was a pause as Flurry studied him. "You misunderstand. I'm not scolding you," he said. "I legitimately can't see why you would think Snow would be cold to Heat's warmth. Ice always melts when it gets warm. And Snow has been iced up for a very, very long time."

Cinder's mouth fell open at the astute observation. He stared at Flurry with new eyes. "You are certainly sharp, Flurry."

"Ice can be very sharp," Flurry replied with a smile. "But the sharper the ice, the narrower the tip. I know much about Snow, but little about Heat. I am enjoying the learning experience so far."

"I'd say I am, too," Cinder said thoughtfully. "Snow is certainly not what I expected."

"He has as many layers as a glacier," Flurry said with a chuckle. Then the happiness faded from his eyes and he looked very sad. "Of course, I fear he might finally be cracking under the pressure. And if he splinters, I'm afraid that nobody will be able to pick up the pieces."

Cinder walked over and reached out to take Flurry's hand, ignoring the bite of cold. "What's wrong with him?"

Flurry looked miserable. "I don't dare to tell you, Cinder. If I break Snow's trust, things will implode." He paused then reached over to place his chilly hands on Cinder's cheeks and peered anxiously into his eyes. "You make sure Heat knows that, Cinder," he said fervently. "You make sure he knows how important Snow's trust is. It is the most precious thing he has to give, and he hasn't tried in ages of time. He must treat it with care. A misunderstanding could utterly shatter my sire, and it'll be too late."

"Too late?" Cinder asked worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"The entire balance of nature is on a razor's edge," Flurry replied somberly. "If even one of Mother Nature's twelve children simply stopped caring, the world would be in chaos."

"And you think Snow might stop caring if Heat breaks his trust?" Cinder asked.

"No," Flurry replied solemnly. "I know he will."

Cinder stiffened. "Then I shall stress it emphatically," he promised.

Heat stood just outside the door, stunned by the earnestness of Flurry's conviction. Was his brother really that close to losing his cool? That disturbed him. He waited for a minute to make sure the servants began talking about something else before pushing the door open.

"Flurry?" Heat asked.

"Yes, sir?" Flurry asked, straightening up.

"Icicle nose wants something called a cryometer?"

Flurry nodded at once. "Of course, sir. I'll fetch it at once."

Heat grunted and headed back outside. He stopped in the doorway of his castle and peered down at the barrier. Snow was sitting morosely by the crack, his gaze leveled on the lava that was bubbling up. Heat knew his brother wasn't feeling okay, and that only cinched it. Snow probably rarely felt okay, if ever. Guilt gnawed at his gut. He should have realized how much Snow was hurting. The thought of Snow's bright, peppy smile haunted him, and he wondered if it was ever real.

As if hearing his thoughts, Snow looked up at Heat, and a genuine, warm smile lifted his mouth. The lava that had been bubbling like a cauldron in the crack splitting their island in half settled down. "Took you long enough, sulfur breath."

Heat smiled at his brother. "Ah, go freeze your head," he quipped back.

It warmed him to see Snow break out in a gleeful laugh. The lava erupted upward, and as soon as he noticed, Snow stopped laughing. He glanced at his brother, looking afraid. Heat shrugged at him, and Snow relaxed a little, though a tightness remained around his eyes. Heat recalled Flurry's warning about how fragile Snow's trust was. He had never been so good with fragile things, but he had never been so determined to handle anything with as much care as he was going to handle the delicate trust of his twin. Maybe he'd eventually tell him what was wrong.

"Come on!" Snow whined. "You're slower than molasses in wintertime!"

Heat burst out laughing. "Oh, look who's hot to trot now!" Heat mocked back. "Take your own advice and cool your jetstream, frostbite!"

Snow laughed again, the sound so free, and Heat smiled as he headed down to spend the morning learning about the chill of winter. Hopefully, he could start to warm up the cold spot in Snow's heart that remained even after their powers had been switched.