I Love You, Wyatt

[Interlude]

December 2011

It seems the longer Jacob walks, the colder it gets. The constant downpour of snow makes it awfully difficult for him to see more than two feet in front of him.

"I'm going to die out here," Jacob randomly says aloud to no one in particular. There is no one else outside — that, he is sure of.

There's nobody else insane enough to be out and about in fourteen-degree weather in the thinnest jumper known to man.

If he had the choice, Jacob would've used his old beat-up Toyota. But, his father took it out to God knows where two nights ago and has yet to return home since.

It was strange, he recalls. Santiago had sat across from Jacob at their round dining table and quietly ate his dinner, all while staring contemplatively at his son over each bite of rice.

He'd drank his cup of water (water!) after polishing off his meal. Santiago had stood up wordlessly, swiped the car keys off the counter, and replaced them with two twenty dollar bills from his pocket. He'd jammed some shoes on his feet and left the house.

Jacob hasn't heard from him since.

"Cold and alone," Jacob continues dramatically as he trudges on in the slushed ice.

His whole face, at this point, is nipped pink — from the tip of his nose and ears to his cheeks and gradually drying lips (doesn't help that he keeps licking them every fifteen seconds).

"I can see the engraving on my tombstone now — here lies Jacob Manu Reyes. Son. Wonderful cook. Lover of lilac, Wyatt, and gummy bears". He snorts. "If they manage to find me in this death tra — ah!" Jacob cuts himself off with a scream as he falls through a particularly deep pile of snow.

At that moment, death doesn't sound too bad.

Anything.

Anything at all is a better alternative to this un-Godly weather. He has to ask himself for a moment if the trip to Wyatt's house is really that necessary.

Then, he remembers how Wyatt has been acting for the past two months. Or, rather, how he's been acting when they weren't the only two people in the room for the past two months.

He stands up and dusts as much snow as he can off of himself. He shivers as a gust of cold air passes through him, making him sneeze.

Jacob wraps his arms around his shivering form as his teeth chatter. His fingers, he can't really feel them anymore.

He is pretty sure this is what frostbite feels like. Jacob is not looking forward to the cold he is sure to get after this trip.

But, all he can really do is keep walking. There is no real point in turning back now.

Today is Jacob's birthday.

School is out for winter break as of last Friday. And today, the nineteenth, is his birthday. One that Wyatt excitedly talked to him about for weeks on end as if it were his own, saying he has the best gift ever and that they'd spend the entire day together.

But, it's almost midnight.

And, Jacob hasn't seen or heard from Wyatt all day. Not from lack of trying on his part, though.

The second Jacob woke up that morning, he texted. Later that day, he called two or three (ten) times. Then, he just continued to spam him with texts, wondering if something terrible has happened and he couldn't make due on his promise.

He sighs. Hopefully, all his questions would be answered when they see each other, he thought as he crosses the street.

Jacob could kiss the freezing lamp post the moment Wyatt's house comes into view. He instantly feels warmer at the thought that he might not actually freeze to death as he'd initially thought.

The lights are on and his curtains are pulled apart, giving Jacob a perfect view of Wyatt's well-decorated parlor.

The Christmas tree is already set up, and from what he could see, there is also an overflow of presents sitting under it.

There are a few cars in the driveway, all of which are familiar; Wyatt's, his mom's, and Brian's.

Before he could think much of it, Wyatt comes into view. The smile that subconsciously makes its way onto Jacob's face at the sight of his boyfriend is almost instantly wiped off when he notices Brian, Felix, Caleb, and Giselle trailing in right after him.

And, okay. When the fuck did they start hanging out with each other?

He frowns when Giselle sits on his lap and Wyatt makes no move to push her off. In fact, Wyatt pulls her closer, cheekily kissing the corner of her lips.

Before Jacob can so much as blink, Wyatt plants a kiss right on her lips.

It isn't long until they are all over each other, the kiss quickly getting heated. He can't hear it, but all the guys are hooting and hollering at the scene, laughing along with the cuddled up pair.

With shaking hands, Jacob pulls out his phone and dials Wyatt's number, not once tearing his eyes away from his boyfriend.

It rings and rings until, finally, he sees Wyatt pick up his phone. He reads the caller I.D. blankly before shutting his phone off altogether.

That warmth Jacob felt earlier is instantly stripped away and replaced with the most chilling cold imaginable.