the book of fluff (that usually isn't)

coldest winter

hi so i got this idea from sweetlifehoying's one shot "homeless"

it's really more inspired by it but i didn't want to steal the idea so

everyone go read their book it's fabulous 78/10

also i am really bad at coming up with ideas for happy one shots but i really need happy right now so please feel free to make requests

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Mitch bit his lip worriedly as he stared at the boy in his arms, running his fingers through his hair. Scott coughed weakly and pulled the blanket tighter around himself, but it did nothing to stop the violent shivers shaking his body. "You're going to be okay, Scotty. I promise," Mitch whispered, kissing his hair, though he wasn't sure if that was true.

It was in the middle of December, and temperatures had been dropping to record lows. Scott and Mitch had been homeless for years, but they had never experienced a winter as cold as this. Scott got sick easily enough as it was, but the snow blanketing the ground and the endless wind whipping through the alley they lived in had driven him over the edge. This was the sickest Mitch had ever seen him, and if he was being honest, he was afraid Scott wouldn't make it. They hadn't eaten in weeks, and they had no money of any kind to pay for medicine or even a thicker blanket. All Mitch could do was sit and watch his angel slowly dying. It hurt him more than anything.

"I love you," Mitch whispered, pulling Scott closer to his chest as though his body had any heat to give off. Scott set his head in Mitch's neck, his eyes closed, and Mitch hated how his skin felt like ice. "I l-love you t-t-too," Scott whispered back, his teeth chattering and his frozen fingers gripping tighter at the blanket. Mitch bit his lip worriedly, but he did his best to tuck their thin blanket around Scott's body to keep any cold from seeping in through the cracks.

It was a while before Mitch felt Scott fall into a pitiful sleep. He carefully maneuvered his way out from under him and wrapped the blanket around him tighter, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back soon, my love," he whispered, and he forced himself to leave no matter how much Scott's shivering form begged him to stay.

Mitch wrapped his arms around himself tightly as though he could shield himself from the cold. He walked for hours, searching in vain for some money or food. He was getting more desperate by the minute. He always tried not to steal, but if he didn't get medicine for Scott soon, he would die, and drastic times called for drastic measures.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here all alone?"

Mitch turned at the sound of the voice, and fear crawled up his throat when he saw the man. "P-Please, sir, leave me alone," he begged weakly, but the man ignored him. He advanced towards Mitch, his eyes still raking up and down his body. "Come on, let me show you a good time." Mitch whimpered as he felt the man grab his hips and pull him closer, fighting the urge to run all the way back to Scott. "S-Sir, I have to go home. My boyfriend, h-he's sick, I was just trying to find medicine for him." The man clicked his tongue and tilted Mitch's head up, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Are you homeless?" he asked, and Mitch nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." The man nodded and pulled away, digging in his pocket for a moment before he extracted his wallet. "Tell you what. You come home with me and let me fuck you, and I'll give you one hundred dollars, to do with what you will."

Mitch's eyes widened. "One hundred dollars?" he practically squeaked. Already, his mind was racing with the possibilities. He could get Scott medicine, he could buy a bigger blanket, a jacket, food. "It's a deal, sir," he said immediately, and the man did not waste another second before grabbing his wrist and pulling him along behind him.

+++

Mitch clutched the one hundred dollar bill tightly in his hand as he edged into a twenty-four-hour store. It was later that night, and Mitch's internal clock was practically screaming at him to get back to Scott. He had been gone for the whole day, and in this cold, there was no way Scott was still asleep. Still, he knew if he didn't spend this money now, there was a very high chance it would get stolen.

Mitch timidly made his way up to the pharmacist's window, nervously folding and unfolding the one hundred dollar bill. "E-Excuse me? Ma'am?" he asked quietly, and the woman looked up from her phone. Immediately, she smiled and slid her phone into a pocket. "How may I help you, sir?" Mitch hesitated, holding the money protectively to his chest. "Um, my boyfriend is sick, and I wanted to know what medicine would help him get better..."

"Well, what are his symptoms?"

"He coughs, and he has a fever, and his throat hurts, and he's very shaky and I'm scared he's going to die."

"It's okay, sir. He won't die." The woman searched the shelves behind her for a moment before she pulled out a bottle. "Here. This should help with all of his symptoms." She handed him the bottle, and he took it gratefully. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "How much?" The woman just offered him a kind smile. "Ten dollars." Mitch nodded shakily and handed her the money, and she gave him nine ten dollar bills in return. "Have a nice night, sir."

Mitch went back to the main section of the store and grabbed the thickest blanket he could find, then added some new clothes and as much food as he could carry. When he checked out, he still had twenty dollars left, so he slid that into the pocket of the new jacket he bought and made his way back to the alley he called his home.

Scott was curled up at the end of the alley, shivering violently. Mitch's eyes widened and he quickly set the bags down to help him back to their usual spot. "Baby, what are you doing? You have to stay here, where it's warmer," he murmured, wrapping the blanket around him again. Scott stared up at him, relief in his eyes. "Y-You c-came back-k," he whispered weakly, and Mitch nodded as he bent to kiss his forehead. "Of course I came back, angel. I promised I wouldn't ever leave you, didn't I?" He didn't wait for a response before he walked back to the front of the alley to pick up the bags. "I got something for you." Scott furrowed his eyebrows and tried to shrink farther into the blanket as another gust of wind blew through the alley, a fresh wave of shivering shaking him. "A p-p-present?" he whispered quieter, breaking into a coughing fit after. Mitch nodded and sat down beside him, rubbing his back. "Yes, honey. I found some money, and I got us a lot of things," he murmured, wrapping his arms around Scott as he pushed himself into his embrace.

"Y-You f-f-found the m-money?" Scott asked in a hoarse whisper once he'd calmed down, setting his head on Mitch's shoulder. Mitch nodded, even though it was a lie. "Yeah. Here." He rifled in the first bag for a moment before he pulled out the medicine, and he removed one arm from around Scott so he could open it. "I know it won't taste good, but it'll help you feel better, okay? If you take this we'll both make it to spring and then we can focus on getting back on our feet." Scott frowned slightly, but he watched quietly as Mitch carefully poured the correct amount of medicine into the little cup provided. "Drink this, sweetheart," Mitch murmured, and Scott forced himself to remove a hand from under the blanket to take the cup. Mitch made sure he drank it all before he pressed a kiss to his forehead and hugged him close. "Thank you, baby." Scott shuddered and leaned against him, his hand retreating back under the blanket as soon as Mitch had taken the cup from him.

Mitch stashed the bottle of medicine in between them, and he reached into the third bag to pull out the new blanket. Scott's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Oh, my gosh, Mitchy..." he whispered as Mitch shook it out of its folded state and spread it over the both of them. "There's more, baby," Mitch murmured, and he got the two sweatshirts out of the second bag, giving the biggest and warmest one to Scot and keeping the one with the money for himself. Scott's breathing hitched as he pulled it on, and tears filled his eyes as he attacked Mitch in a hug after he'd put his own sweatshirt on. "What w-would I do w-without y-you?" he whispered, burying his face in Mitch's neck. Mitch smiled and wrapped his arms around him, his heart warming with pride. "I got us food too, my love. And there's even twenty dollars extra for when we run out."

Scott sobbed softly and hugged him as tightly as he could, which wasn't very tight since he was still weak from sickness. "I love you. So much." Mitch smiled more and kissed Scott's forehead. "I love you too, angel."