Bonedust

C’mon! It’s snow !” Excitement bubbling in his stomach, he hurried into the bathroom to take a leak and run a brush through his hair. He tied it back with a band, then dressed in jeans and a hoodie, yanking on his coat after it. Urban just stood there, looking out. “Urban?” He frowned, sidling closer after he tied his shoes.
    Urban turned towards him, a look of irritation on his face. “I hate winter.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know. I like summer. I love the heat. I love the sun—not the sun in the winter, because it’s a cold mistress, but summer sun. Sun bathing. Swimming. I’m a freakin’ snake. Heat lamps ring a bell? I like the heat.” Urban grumbled, hunching his shoulders.
    Gabriel couldn’t help but smirk. “You look like a spoiled child,” he said, wrapping an arm around Urban’s waist, drawing him closer. His hands skimmed the man’s bare chest before he kissed the side of his mouth. “C’mon… Please?” He raised an eyebrow, his tongue flicking out to graze Urban’s lip ring. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
    Urban’s eyes met his quickly, simmering with a heat that made Gabriel’s stomach flip. “You promise?”
    Part of him was screaming, fear making him recoil: Goddess, no! I take it back! The rest of him coiled in anticipation, heat rising to his cheeks as a grin spread across his face. He leaned in for another quick kiss, then bounced away, nimble in his sneakers. His hand rested on the doorknob. “C’mon then. Pandora wants to go.”
    Pan gave a half-bark and lunged to the door. Her claws scraped the wood and he couldn’t open it fast enough. She shot out like a bottle rocket and danced around, paw prints marring the virgin snow. She snuffed around and looked back with a pile of white on her nose. Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh and shut the door behind him.
    The wind bit at his cheeks, blustering snow all around him like hundreds of white tumbleweeds. He reached out, cupping a handful of feather light fluff and threw it up in the air. It fell down and he stuck his tongue out, catching a flake. It melted immediately, tasting of winter. His fingers tingled with cold and he skirted around the edge of the building as the door swung open.
    He bent down, cupping a snowball between his hands. Urban hunched his shoulders and bent down to ruffle the snow from Pandora’s cinnamon and cream coat. Gabriel grinned recklessly, hauled back his arm and let the snowball fly. It smacked into Urban’s neck with a splatter of white and a yell from the other man. “Gabriel! Holy fuck that’s cold!”
    Pandora raced around with barks and yips, not bothered by the way her master hopped up and down, blowing on his hands to keep them warm. Gabriel cackled and danced towards him, stopping for a quick peck on the lips.
    “Oh, hell no you don’t,” Urban growled, reaching down to shovel snow into his palm. Gabriel wheeled away, his shoes slipping on slush as the snowball collided with his chest. His laughter blew out in white puffs as he lobbed another.
    Gabriel kept them coming; when Urban realized he wasn’t going to relent until Gabe got his way, the snowball fight was on. The snake flung them faster than Gabriel could make them, Pandora bouncing back and forth between them as she tried to catch the snowballs mid-air.
    Snow slammed home at the back of Gabriel’s neck, melting and trailing icy water down his back. He couldn’t suppress a shiver. His hands were red and were numb with cold. He rubbed them together and blew on them with his breath to try and warm them up. Urban swung another snowball and it landed pathetically at Gabe’s feet as he raised both hands. “Truce?”
    “Only if I win.” Urban flashed a grin, though his teeth chattered.
    “Deal.” Gabriel skirted inside, shucking off his shoes and jacket. They dropped to the floor in a pile and he moved to huddle next to the heater. “Goddess, I didn’t realize how cold it was.”
    Urban shrugged off his own coat. “It’s freakin’ winter, whaddaya expect?” He sidled up close and their shoulders bumped together. Gabriel yelped as icy hands slid up his shirt to press against his skin. Urban placed a kiss at the back of Gabe’s neck and Gabriel could feel the man smiling. “Cold, huh?”
    “It’s winter. What did I expect?” Gabe shot back, wiggling out of the way. “Get off, you’re freezing!”
    “Just for now.” Urban’s hands slid around to the front, pulling Gabriel flush against him. His