rooftop lovers

back to old times

Mandatory playing in the snow chapter

—

Bad stayed true to his oath.

Skeppy was over at his place, picking him up, bringing him places nearly every day of break. Skeppy loved taking Bad to the mall, to the park, and to nice restaurants. Though he enjoyed this, he wished he hadn't offered to pay for everything except when they ate out. It felt like he was spoiling Bad when it should've been the other way around.

Then again, that's how it was before. Skeppy enjoyed it despite his declining funds.

Maybe he'd have to take on a job.

Particularly on this day, the 29th of December, during the debatably most cramped week of the year with all of its holidays, Skeppy had decided to visit Bad to drop off some gifts. An envelope of cash for Bad's parents and brother, toys for his sisters and Lucy, and cards, cash, jewelry, plushies, and a beanie for Bad.

When out shopping a few days ago, he recalled a time when he asked how Bad's duck was, which Bad responded with, 'lonely'. So, he bought a mini sheep plush. Then, he passed a jewelry stand and saw an elaborate diamond-embedded necklace, chipped into the shape of the moon. Some of the link chains had been decorated with stars.

A salesperson had caught Skeppy's gawking, asking if he would like to buy the necklace.

"Would you like that one?" The man behind the glass display asked, pointing to the necklace. "Holiday gift? With its gem, I have to warn you, it's quite expensive."

Skeppy cleared his throat, imagining it on Bad. With the picture in his head, he had made his decision.

"That's fine," he halts his slouched stance, standing straight. "Do you think you have anything else like this that could match?"

The guy smiles, knowing the profit to come. "Yes, we do. It's just as pretty, believe me." He cruises over a few inches to the left, and Skeppy follows. There, in the display, in a comfortable velvet box, there was a necklace nearly identical to the last. Though, instead of the moon and stars, there were the sun and clouds. "If you don't like these, we do, of course, have ring versions."

"Show me the ring version!" Skeppy says instantly.

And that's how he left the store with two velvet boxes. In his head, he'd giggle to himself, thinking of when he'd go over to Bad's, lure him somewhere private, and introduce the rings in a fake proposal. Maybe he was unhealthily addicted to the idea. Maybe he reimagined it in his head dozens of times devising his execution, the outcomes, the settings, and what would happen after.

He had to stifle his laugh as he walked alone, giggling like a mad scientist in the mall. He had feared Bad wouldn't like the gifts, so he bought beanies for the two of them since both of them would walk with their hands clamped to their ears on these bitter winter days.

Now, when Skeppy came around to Bad's, gift bags in hand, he caught Bad and his younger sisters building a snowman in the gardens. By that time, the ground had been covered in four inches of snow though it seemed to be coming to a stop.

Skeppy finds this as a golden opportunity.

In front of his sisters.

He starts giggling again.

Laughing, he walks up to the unsuspecting siblings.

"Hey guys," Skeppy is weirdly optimistic.

Bad, who was patting snow to the biggest layer of the snowman, is now standing up to greet Skeppy. Bad's sisters wave and chant their hello's, the youngest the most cautious. Skeppy had gotten to know Bad's family better the more he'd come over. Sometimes, Bad would even take his sisters with him when they went out. His brother would usually stay in as he was the oldest and could do whatever he wanted.