once bitten (and twice shy)

7. romance equals hypothermia

🎄ROMANCE EQUALS HYPOTHERMIA🎄

Lin woke up absolutely freezing. And no, it wasn't just because he had gotten used to sleeping curled around Gen's warmth way too quick (shut up, that wasn't weird, he was fine, he was heavily in denial and fine with it, fuck off). It was because the snowstorm from the night before had caused a massive powercut.

"How is it that your rich family hasn't figured out a way to not be affected by power outages," Lin nearly growled as he padded into the kitchen, blanket billowing around him like a makeshift cape.

"Afraid money hasn't been able to buy that yet," Dean said, rubbing at bleary eyes.

"Well y'all should get on that," Michelle groaned, head against the countertop. "And a cure for hangovers."

"Good morning!" Nelly brightly called out, skipping as she burst into the room, ignoring the groan that Michelle let out at her noisy arrival. She was fully preoccupied and utterly incandescent, a fond looking Alex trailing after her, their hands intertwined. God, they were so cute Lin could barf. 

"How are you so awake at this hour?" he asked suspiciously. "Who are you and what have you done with Penelope Cortez?"

"It's our wedding!" she shot back, pulling Alex towards her so she could give her soon to be wife a firm kiss. See Lin's earlier statement; so cute he would barf. "There's nothing that could make me more excited."

Michelle suddenly bolted upright, hangover temporarily forgotten. "You're still planning on getting married today?" 

Alex raised a bemused brow. "It's the 26th of December is it not? Also known as the day that will be formerly known as Boxing Day and forevermore be decreed as Alex and Nelly's Anniversary?"

So cute he should barf.

"Because it's a terrible idea for an important event to fall on a holiday," Lin snarked, unable to help himself from smirking when Nelly shot him a withering glare. She hadn't been there to witness the spiral Alex had went down back when she was trying to propose and decided to do the deed on New Year's; Lin had to be a good friend and talk her down from highly illogical trains of thought when Nelly had first mentioned that she thought coinciding special days and holidays to be a foolish idea.

Anyway, he did his part of being a good friend then, he now reserved the right to retell the story in increasingly dramatic ways and tease Nelly about it until the end of all time. 

"Don't be an asshole," a low voice came behind Lin, causing him to almost jump out of his skin. Internally. Externally he was sure he came off as blasé as ever.

"Jesus Christ, Genevieve," he sighed, turning around to get a good look at her. Like him, she was wearing a blanket over her shoulders. Unlike him, she appeared to be wearing a couple more blankets underneath that, plus mittens, a hat, and the scarf he was now entirely sure was once his. "Is it you under all that?"

Her dark eyes flickered up to meet his, her glare holding no heat at all. He couldn't help the corner of his mouth from pulling up at the way she was bundled adorably up. "It's cold," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Nevermind that," Alex interjected. "Where's Miranda?"

"Asleep," both Lin and Gen chorused. "I made sure to give her an extra blanket this morning," Lin added. "To thank me for my troubles, she tried to steal my blanket off of me as well and I think also tried to cuss me out. All while asleep."

"I fucking love that girl," Michelle sighed. "Now, how are you two lovebirds planning on getting married when all the roads are blocked, we have no power or heating, and we have no idea when any of these problems get fixed?"