25 Days of Kingbury

Day 2: Broken Heater

Samuel woke up shivering and nearly frozen. He reached for his blankets to find he was already wrapped in them. He turned over and tried to snuggle with George, but he was gone.

He rolled over and tried to warm up. He had to get up eventually. Samuel tumbled out of bed and dragged the comforters with him. He put on his glasses, trudged outside of his and George's bedroom and started towards the heater. 

George was already there, his breath visible in the cold. He tapped at the controls, trying and failing to make it work.

"What's wrong?" Samuel asked, his voice shaking a little from the cold.

George tapped the screen again, no longer trying to fix it, but in anger. "The damned thing's broken. It says it's twenty-five degrees when the room is closer to below six!"

"Calm down, Georgie. I'm sure it'll be fine. It'll just take a few moments to warm up, that's all."

"But it will not! I've been standing out here for the past half an hour trying to get this god-forsaken heater to work! It's more likely colder in here that it is outside."

Samuel wrapped his arms around George and tried to warm him up. "Don't let it worry you. We'll just put on another layer of winter PJs and I'll put on a pot of cocoa."

George melted to Samuel's touch. "That sounds lovely. You always seem to make things better, Samuel."

Samuel smiled. "I try."

Samuel gathered up all of his winter clothes, scooping them out of drawers and his closet. George did the same, and when they were finished, they stuffed the dryer with everything they could fit. 

Samuel got up to get the cocoa started. When he came with two steaming mugs, he saw George undressing in their room.

Samuel raised an eyebrow. The action was not unwelcome, just questionable.

George noticed him and explained. "I had an idea, I found a load of blankets up in the attic. We could go under the covers and cuddle until our clothes are ready. Our shared body heat should keep up warm."

Samuel shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."

George approached him and touched the buttons on Samuel's pajamas. "May I?"

Samuel nodded. George undid the top button. In a few moments, his pajama top was hanging off his shoulders. Samuel immediately felt the cold and shivered. "Can I go under the covers? It's freezing."

"Go ahead, baby." 

Samuel dove under the covers and curled up. "Do you wanna join me?"

George nodded and curled up next to his husband. "I love you, baby."

Samuel smiled. "I love you, too."