Swapping elements

A New Perspective

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.