Big Book Of Honeyphosna One Shots

Winter's Coming (S)

TW: None

It started so slowly that Honeydew was sure he was imagining it. He had been building the factory walls ever higher, when a snowflake settled on his nose. He looked at it, cross-eyed as it melted, and realising what it was, he stared skywards, his mouth falling open. All around him, snow was beginning to fall. He put down the marble block he was holding, nearly dropping it on his foot in haste, and clambered down the scaffolding as quickly as his legs could carry him. Sliding down the ladder, he saw Lalna fiddling with the sorting machine, a paint brush in his hand.

"Lalna, it's snowing!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

"Of course it is," Lalna answered without looking up.

"No, really! Come and look!" Honeydew said, pulling the man's arm toward the ladder.

Lalna sighed and put down his paint brush, letting himself be dragged. Climbing up the ladder, practically pushed up by Honeydew, he gazed around him. It was beginning to come down thickly now, huge wet flakes nestling in his hair as he stood dumbstruck.

"But, but... this can't happen!" Lalna stammered. "There isn't a snow biome for miles! How...?"

"I told you!" Honeydew called up the ladder, still standing on the floor below.

Lalna hurried back down. "But we don't have a proper roof yet!" he whined, panicking. "How are we going to work in this?!"

"It's nearly night anyway," Honeydew said cheerfully, "It'll have stopped by morning. We could make snowcreepers!" he said, grinning widely.

"Hey, where's Xephos? Didn't he go out?" asked Lalna, suddenly aware of the spaceman's absence.

No sooner had he said it than they heard him shout outside; a yell which stopped all too abruptly. Lalna jumped down the ladder, while Honeydew climbed down after him. They hurried out the door, Lalna flying ahead, but they soon found him. The river beside the factory had begun to ice over, and as Honeydew turned the corner, he saw his friend soaked to the bone, grasping at the bank trying to climb up. A few behind metres him, there was a large jagged hole in the ice, the water within it still rippling, and a piece of Xephos' red shirt caught on a sharpened edge where the man had fallen through.

"Well don't just stand there!" Xephos shouted, spluttering.

Honeydew hurried over, grabbing his friend's hand and tugging him upward. Lalna hovered behind Xephos, gripping him under the arms. Just as Xephos had one foot on the bank, he slipped suddenly, the already treacherous mud only made worse by the falling snow, and the three fell in a heap beside the rapidly freezing river.

"You muppets," Honeydew said simply, buried beneath his friends.

Lalna couldn't help it, he began to laugh, and Honeydew laughed with him. Xephos scowled at them, trying to disapprove, before it spread to him and he too grinned widely.

"We are flipping useless at this," he said chuckling.

They laughed in agreement, before Lalna said "Come on, let's get inside. It's bloody freezing out here."

They began to stand, brushing themselves off, but behind them Xephos yelled and fell to the ground again, frustratedly trying to stand up. Honeydew and Lalna turned, and bent to help him, but he waved their hands away, saying "No, it's fine, just give me a minute," obviously annoyed with himself.

"Xephos, your ankle..." Lalna said, gesturing to where Xephos' leg jutted out behind him, his toes pointing away at an unnatural angle.

"It's fine," Xephos repeated firmly, letting out an exasperated breath, but Honeydew took one look at him and pulled the man's arm over his shoulders, holding him half up as Lalna knelt down to examine him. "Hold still," the scientist said.