written for the honorarytitansecretgiftexchange2020 for rivaltierno! this fic also uses the teen titans go comic canon titans south.
Heating Up Among Snowflakes
Snowflakes fluttered outside Titans South's tower. They were carried by a gentle, chilling breeze. Hot Spot watched a few loop-de-loop in mid-air, fascinated. As a Moroccan native, snowfall rarely fell in his neck of the woods. He was accustomed to blistering heat and sunshine, and the swath of soft gray clouds filling every inch of the sky seemed unreal.
He peered out the window to the stretch of land surrounding the tower. Already, a blanket of snow swept across the landscape as far as he could see. The once bare branches of the elm trees were sprinkled with a light layer of snow, which he suspected would only increase as the day continued.
He let his gaze fall to the footprints in the snow. Pantha had taken Wildebeest out minutes ago for some holiday shopping, leaving him and the remaining members to their own devices. He furrowed his brow, wishing he had gone with them for their advice on the matter which controlled his thoughts.
Hot Spot drummed his fingers on the windowsill. He felt the chill seep into his skin and grimaced, stepping backwards. While the snow appealed to him as aesthetically delightful, the frigid weather was something he could go without as he rubbed his arms.
"Not getting used to the cold?"
Yiping, Hot Spot's shoulders twitched upwards, and his fiery exterior quickly powered up. His white eyes found the smirking reflection in the window, and he sighed. Shoulders slumping as he deactivated his form, Hot Spot ran his fingers through his short hair and faced Herald with as much poise as he could muster for someone who yelped.
"You should wear a bell," he snapped. "You're quieter than Jericho, man."
Herald chuckled. He stepped closer and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hot Spot. He surveyed the outside, marveling at the snow trickling in the wind. It was so unlike the realm where he once resided. With its creatures bordering on phantasmic and spiderwebs of inky energy connecting to violet planetoids, the average person would have been driven mad in a matter of hours.
Although Herald was used to that brand of chaos, he enjoyed the peace that came with returning to his initial world. The weather was always changing. Seasons came and went. He could estimate the time of the day by the position of the sun or moon.
Standing next to Hot Spot, he appreciated the snow all the better. The patterns on snowflakes were unique, infinitesimal and intricate. While he could not see or touch them to fully appreciate them, they inspired him all the same.
Hot Spot observed Herald's expression. Slight dimples formed at the corners of his lips. Calmness surrounded him, which in turn soothed Hot Spot's prior annoyance. He was focused on a snowflake that hit the window, following it roll down in a watery stream until it was no more. It seemed insignificant, like a muddy detail in otherwise spotless prose. Watching one snowflake until it was no more was one of Herald's quirks that Hot Spot could not understand, and he sighed, heaving out a breath that fogged up the window.
They caught eyes. Herald peered down at him, their difference in height a mere inch. Hot Spot knew warmth was radiating off him when Herald glanced at his shoulder, and his nose wrinkled at the realization he had slowly heated up.
"My bad. I didn't scorch you, right?" Hot Spot asked, but Herald shook his head.
"Don't worry. It was nice," he said, hitching his thumb at the window. "Works wonders when we're right next to the window."
"Heh, I guess this really is sweater weather."
Herald snickered. "Jericho's been bundling up in these massive grandma sweaters. Have you seen him?"
"Not since breakfast when he came down with his comforters wrapped around him," Hot Spot recalled with a cheek-splitting smile. The memory of Jericho dragging his feet to the breakfast table with his three wool blankets cocooned around him elicited laughter from the back of his throat. "The blankets made him look like some kind of sheep."
He snorted. "Seriously? I missed that?"
"That's what you get for going to check in on limbo so early in the morning," Hot Spot jeered, lightly digging his elbow into him.
Herald reached into his cloak and removed his treasured trumpet. He flipped it between his fingers, Hot Spot observing how his limber digits settled in to place on the valves. Herald tapped them rhythmically, the clicking forming a song pleasant to Hot Spot's ears, and Hot Spot marveled at how Herald was able to create music without using it as a proper instrument.
"By the way, this is your first winter here, right?" Herald asked, and Hot Spot nodded. "Yeah, it's been awhile since I've experienced it. Wanna check it out with me?"
His mouth twitched upwards. He ran his fingers through his hair, grinning and shrugging. "Sure, sounds fine, I-" He furrowed his brows. "Oh, wait a sec, let me grab my coat."
"Actually, I think we can go out as we are."
Hot Spot tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. He resisted the urge to insult him, pushing down the volatile rudeness of his past self with a mental shove. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
He tapped Hot Spot's shoulder. "You can keep me warm. All I have to do is stand next to you in your powered up form, right?"
The idea was sound in function, but executing it would prove difficult. Heat flushed Hot Spot's cheeks. His skin burned at the idea of standing so close to Herald for a period of time. Shooting a glance at his arms, he noticed his suit had already changed to his fiery red hue, but before he could deactivate his power, he noticed the grin widening on Herald's face.
It propelled him to remain. He sensed Herald's excitement, radiating off him like an aura. If he was making Herald happy, then he did not want to crush it with his own special brand of stubbornness. He almost seemed warmer than him, but the thought was preposterous, and he quickly banished it.
Hot Spot followed Herald out of their tower, through the hallway and out the elevator to the vast stretch of land belonging to their team. Gazing at the sky, the Titans observed how the thick, coal gray clouds seemed painted in the sky. Hot Spot commented that such clouds might have earned the appreciation of Thunder and Lightning, to which Herald nodded.
"You warm?" Hot Spot, white eyes wide in wonder.
Sighing, Herald nodded and leaned closer. He avoided touching him, not wanting to be burned. The inch separating them provided a soothing heat that seeped through his cloak and into his skin. The warmth emanating off Hot Spot was a pleasant distraction from the biting chill in the air. Perhaps it was foolish to stand outside without a single layer of protective clothing, but Hot Spot's heat was enough for him.
Again, the gentle expression crossing Herald's face captivated Hot Spot. Standing next to him allowed Hot Spot to take in the delight in his expression. How his mouth stayed in a soft, confident grin, his eyes bright behind his mask, it was a face Hot Spot wanted to remember in his dreams.
The snowflakes trickled around them. Herald followed a few until they melted on Hot Spot's head. He wondered how they would have looked like on his tresses, welcomed until they inevitably melted. He imagined the smattering of snowflakes drifting down and landing in Hot Spot's hair, but Herald's thoughts turned humorous as he imagined the snow filling up in his thick collar until they reached his chin, his grin turning into a smirk.
"Oh, y'know, I was gonna head out with Pantha," Hot Spot commented, the words tumbling out when Herald's expression changed.
Herald cleared his throat, cheeks darkening. "Oh, oh, right. She was taking Wildebeest out to go shopping, right?" When he nodded, he added, "I think I saw Jericho tag along. Signed something about wanting to buy another guitar."
"Does he really need another one?" Hot Spot asked, incredulous.
"He can never have too many acoustics."
They chuckled, leaning into each other. Hot Spot's shoulder pressed into Herald's arm. The brief contact immediately jarred the pyrokinetic. He lurched away, muscles twitching. He shot Herald a look, pupils dilating at the thought of accidentally hurting him, but before an apology could pass his lips, Herald confused him by leaning into him again, his own scarlet face flushing hotter than the fire he controlled.
"You're not burning me. No need to jump away," Herald murmured, patting Hot Spot's arm.
"Wait, what? I'm not-?" Hot Spot itched the top of his bald head only to sigh. "Oh, wait. I control my body temperature. How is that something I could've forgotten?"
"I heard Starfire forgets her own strength every five missions and punches the sidewalk clean off the concrete. You're fine," Herald said, patting Hot Spot's shoulder.
The smile on Hot Spot's face spread naturally into his cheeks. If he was younger, then he would have thrown such kindness to the curb. It would have been met with his swift resistance, refusing to accept his reassurance to the very end.
But Herald's warmth was more genuine than his own powers. His kindness and assertiveness empowered him. The way he gazed at him with generous consideration despite his own occasional obstinacy made his heart flutter, not that he would openly admit it.
"You said you wanted to go with Pantha," Herald remarked, bringing Hot Spot out of his trance. "Why'd you stay here?"
He blinked, suddenly thankful his face was covered. If his real face was shown, then his cheeks would have blushed dark red. He itched his neck, cursing his sheepishness. His powers deactivated, his focus shifting towards honesty instead of maintaining his poise, and he sucked in a deep breath.
"I, uh, thought of going with them to, well, get you an early holiday present," he admitted, the words tumbling out of him, his voice mingling with embarrassment.
Herald let his jaw drop an inch. His breath stifled in his lungs. His hand briefly rose off Hot Spot's shoulder, and he quickly returned it. Herald pressed his thumb into Hot Spot's collarbone, his heartbeat pumping like a butterfly's wings. Heat swelled against his palm, racing up his arm and into his brain, a humid haze crossing his vision.
"Well, no need to go out and get one," Herald said, reaching up and pushing off his hood.
Hot Spot swallowed. "Why's that?"
He lowered his voice and almost closed the gap. "Because I'm looking at my gift."
Disgruntlement creased Hot Spot's brow and pursed his lips. He dipped his chin to his chest, mulling over the meaning of his words. If he counted the seconds, he would have reached five when his head snapped up in realization.
"That's cheesy. How could you say that with a straight face?" Hot Spot deadpanned, but he broke into a smile and traced his fingers down Herald's arm. "Not that I'm actually complaining."
Herald cupped Hot Spot's hand and held it between them. He ran his thumb across Hot Spot's calloused knuckles, saying, "I know you like it."
"Yeah, you know I do," Hot Spot whispered, and he nestled into him, the trickling snowflakes providing a pleasant chill on his warm skin.