Xenomorph

Tiny's Snowy Day

With the arrival of February, Gavin's injuries were mostly healed. He wasn't quite at the stage of returning to work yet, much to Tiny's relief, but he was getting stronger every day. His flesh was less tender and he no longer winced when he moved. He could sleep on his side without discomfort or stiffness, and had even stopped taking pain killers. The only thing really keeping him from work was rebuilding his strength. He'd regained a lot of the weight and muscle he'd lost, but he wasn't quite back to normal yet. Elijah wouldn't even hear of him going back to work until he hit his old weight, and neither would Gavin's boss. Tiny was pretty sure Elijah was bribing the man to keep Gavin home.

Whatever the case, Tiny was determined to enjoy whatever time they had left, and that meant keeping Gavin entertained. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot to do around the mansion that they hadn't already done before. Going in the pool was an everyday occurrence now, and they could watch television whenever they liked. Walking the mountain paths was pleasant, but the weather hadn't been good recently. They were trapped inside most days by snow.

Tiny had seen snow before, of course, but he'd never ventured out in it. Last winter Gavin had been in hospital, and until now Chloe and Elijah had insisted he take it easy. On snowy days, they'd stayed inside where it was warm, and the few times they'd gone walking in the garden the snow had almost been melted. That morning was different. Tiny was restless and Gavin was bored, as he had been for weeks. He had what Elijah called cabin fever. Tiny wasn't sure he understood this disease, but it was truly terrible. It put Gavin in a sour mood and made him less playful and more lethargic. Seeing the flurry of falling snowflakes seemed to cheer him somewhat as he looked out of his bedroom window.

It had been snowing all night by the looks of it, leaving a white blanket covering the driveway that was about five inches deep already. Snow always looked beautiful first thing in the morning when the sun was still low and unable to melt it. Tiny chittered curiously as he moved to sit at Gavin's feet where he leaned on the glass and looked out. His expression was dreamy and far off, probably thinking about something nice. A fond memory perhaps. He smiled at Tiny's interruption and looked down, nodding to the window with a questioning look.

"What do you think? You want to go out today?" In the snow? Tiny wasn't too sure as he looked at it. The snow would be wet and cold, two things Gavin certainly didn't need while he was in recovery. Despite that, he could almost feel Gavin's eagerness bubbling beneath the surface. His tone was hopeful and his green eyes were almost glittering with eagerness. "You'll probably enjoy it." Tiny remained unconvinced. He didn't like rain and muddy puddle water getting between his plates, so why would snow be any different? It was also cold. What was Gavin planning to do out there? "Just for a little while." Now he was offering compromises!

Tiny clicked, still unconvinced as Gavin headed to the bathroom to start his day. Tiny waited patiently, hopping on the bed and curling up in his warm bed. He could hear running water and the hum of Gavin's electric razor as he trimmed his stubble, but he didn't shower. He washed up and brushed his teeth before returning to find some warm clothes. His usual jeans, a long-sleeved top, and a thick black sweater. Tiny wasn't sure three layers would really be enough to fend off the cold as he grabbed his leather jacket and headed to the door.

They wouldn't go out straight away. Gavin hadn't had his breakfast yet, and since he'd stopped taking so much medication, he was drinking coffee again. It wasn't that he didn't like tea. In fact, he often preferred tea in the mornings, but he'd missed coffee. They arrived in the kitchen to be greeted with the sweet smell of pancakes as Chloe bustled about. The coffee maker was already running, a clear sign she'd heard them coming. She smiled as Gavin approached, accepting a kiss on the cheek as he grabbed a mug down and poured a coffee. Tiny hopped on the counter beside him and watched as he leaned back and cradled the mug beneath his nose, breathing in the nutty scent with a sigh.