Avery & Matt shorts - 1. More Snow?

Prompt #388: First Line--"Snow? Again? How much more are they expecting?"

Snow?

"Snow? Again? How much more are they expecting?" Avery turned from the french door to the deck. The snow had started up again this morning, laying more inches on top of the eight inches that was already there on Mrs. Andrew's deck.

His blond boyfriend chuckled from the living room where he was flicking the channels from the news back to his favorite show--The Big Bang Theory. "Just another three inches this time."

Avery leaned against the cold window and unconsciously started chewing on his thumbnail. He'd been stuck at Matt's mom's house for over a month now, and while he loved being here with people who cared for him, the fucking snow was driving him crazy. He hadn't let Erin or Matt or Mrs. Andrews know how much he was bothered by it. He knew they were worried about him enough as it was.

Three freakin' inches. That didn't sound like much, but it felt like three feet with the way it covered the roads in its bright white blanket. He hated the snow. When he'd lived with his father, heavy snow meant that school would be canceled, and he'd be stuck at home longer with his father. And his father would drink more. And that would mean Avery would hurt more. He hated being stuck inside in the snow.

"Aves?" Matt leaned back over the couch and looked at him.

Avery startled and moved to hide his unease by heading for the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"

"No," Matt said slowly, and Avery could feel him watching him carefully. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, why?" Avery forced a smile as he pulled down a glass.

But Matt was already off the couch and walking toward him. Avery looked up into those eyes that drowned him with love. Matt could tell something was wrong, that something was up. "Yeah, I don't believe that."

Matt's hand cupped his neck, his thumb tracing a line across his cheek. "You've been a little antsy lately. Is it something from your therapy sessions? Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No, it's not that," Avery said, instinctively crossing his arms and trying to curl into himself.

"It's something," Matt said, pulling Avery against his chest, and Avery's small fingers clutched at his boyfriend's sweat shirt. "You have to tell someone. No keeping things bottled up inside anymore, remember?"

Avery nodded against the thick torso of the man who loved him, of the man who had seen something in him worth holding onto. Avery only hoped that he could eventually overcome these fears, fears his father had instilled in him for years, and be at peace with the man holding him. But if he couldn't get over his fear and hate of the fucking snow, what kind of hope did that offer them?

"Do you want to call Dr. Morgan?" Matt asked gently. Avery knew that Matt would never try to force him to talk, but his therapist had told him that he needed to voice his fears and anxieties when they haunted him. And he should talk to someone, whether it be Matt, Erin, Mrs. Andrews, or even giving her a call when he needed to. But Avery didn't want to call Alice Morgan, it didn't feel like it was something he should bother her with.

"No, I'm fine," he mumbled, but as he turned to pacing in front of the back door, his eyes flicking out at the huge flake drifting down.

Matt caught his hands gently. "Will you tell me then?" Matt asked, apparently ignoring the fact that he'd said he was fine. He wasn't surprised, Matt saw through him better than anyone.

A door slammed from the front of the house. "I hate the fucking snow!" Erin's voice yelled from the front hall.

"I agree," Avery mumbled.

Matt frowned for a second before Erin came stomping in, her blonde curls drooping with the wet snow seeping into them. They both turned and stared at her pinched, annoyed face for a second before breaking into laughter.

"It's not funny," she exclaimed, slamming down her gloves on the table after whipping them off.

"What happened now?" Matt humored her since she looked like she was ready to explode.

"We spent two hours yesterday shoveling snow," she snapped, "and the stupid snowplow just plowed in the driveway again."

"Yeah, it sucks when that happens. Let me go get my coat, and I'll take care of it this time," Matt said.

"I'll come too," Avery said suddenly. Maybe if he got out of the house, he'd feel a little better.

Erin eyed him warily. She still treated him cautiously, afraid that he'd break down any minute. He was so tired of her and her mom treating him like he was so fragile. Yes, his father had nearly beat him to death, but he wasn't as weak as they seemed to think he was.

Matt grinned at him and waved him on, and suddenly he felt a bit better. Matt never looked at him like he couldn't do something. When he'd tried to coddle Avery when he came to live with them, Avery had only put up with it for so long. He may have let his father abuse him, but he didn't need pity either. Matt had quickly learned that Avery needed his love and support but not pity.

As Matt yanked on his coat and boots, Avery slipped on Matt's spare pair of boots and a coat that Matt's mom had bought him. He hadn't really been out yet since coming to live here. Having spent a couple weeks just curled up in bed, he'd finally felt strong enough to wander around the house, joining everyone for meals and socializing with more than just Matt and Dr. Morgan.

The coat still smelled new as he zipped it up and slipped on some gloves.

"Matt, are you sure that he--" Erin started worriedly.

Avery rolled his eyes, and Matt laughed. "Yeah, I think he'll be fine. Just take it easy, okay, Avery?"

"Yeah, sure."

Avery followed Matt out front. Matt grabbed up the shovel sitting in the bushes by the front porch and handed Avery a second one. "You get the steps, and I'll go clear the end of the driveway."

Avery nodded and watched Matt's form head down the drive. He took a deep breath, tamping down the memories of being forced to shovel the drive for his dad, and the punishments for not doing it correctly. He focused all his attention on getting all the snow from the steps and path to the door, making sure it was perfect. He was almost done when something thudded against his back, sending a spill of snow over the clean sidewalk.

He turned and gaped at Matt who was grinning at him giddily, already forming another snowball. He glanced back down at the mess and quickly scooped it away. Another snowball spattered across his back. Avery turned to glare at his boyfriend, raising a hand to his hip.

Matt just spread his arms wide, acting like he was innocent or something.

"You're making a mess!" Avery huffed.

"So?" Matt shrugged, "It's snow. We'll sweep it up or it will melt eventually. It's not the end of the world."

Avery turned and angrily shoveled the snow out of the walkway. His father would never tolerate such a--

Another thump.

Avery growled as he glared back at his grinning boyfriend.

"Fuck, Avery! If you won't get him, I will!" Erin called, careening down the front steps and scooping up snow.

A snowball sailed past him to miss Matt by a few inches. Next thing he knew, snowballs were flying across the yard, some landing on the walkway, some landing on the shoveled drive. Neither Matt nor Erin seemed overly concerned by the mess they were making. His dad would have a fit with--

Avery stopped his train of thought suddenly. Why the hell was he thinking about what his dad would think of the mess? He wasn't with his father anymore. Why should he care what his father would have thought?

A chuckle rose from his throat as he turned his face up to stare at the flurries still floating down. Damn it, he'd still been letting his father control him, control his actions and how he felt, and he wasn't even here anymore. The snow wasn't his enemy any more. It wasn't something that trapped him like it had in the past.

"Avery?" Matt was suddenly next to him, eyeing him oddly.

Avery laughed out loud, causing both Matt and Erin to frown at him. "It's snowing!" he cried out, holding out his hands to catch the once-hated flakes.

Matt and Erin exchanged worried glances. "Aves, are you okay?"

Avery abruptly grabbed Matt's face in his cold, damp gloved ones, pulling Matt into a startled kiss. The movement threw the bigger man off balance and they tumbled into the nearly ten inches of snow blanketing the lawn. Avery just started laughing even more, before leaning in to kiss the cold lips of the man he loved. Matt's lips warmed under his assault, and Matt rolled onto his back, holding Avery tightly.

"I love you," Avery whispered, grinning giddily as their frosty breaths mingled.

"God, Avery, I love you too. So much," Matt choked, almost looking like he was going to cry at the smile on Avery's face. "Sorry, I hit you with snowballs. I didn't know you didn't like the snow that much."

"It wasn't you," Avery breathed. "Snow used to mean being stuck inside and..."

Matt's eyes widened with dawning understanding. "Oh, shit, Avery, I'm so sorry. I didn't--"

Avery put his gloved finger to Matt's lips. "Stop. It's not you, and I realized it's not the snow that I hated so much. It was him and what he made me feel."

"But if the snow brings back those--"

"No," Avery interrupted again, leaning down to kiss Matt's cold nose. "I'm making new memories of the snow now, just like I'm working on making new memories with you."

Matt stared up at him like he didn't know what to say. "God, you're beautiful," Matt finally breathed.

A chunk of snow suddenly hit Avery in the back of the head, debris from the projectile raining down into Matt's face. Avery squeaked at the cold snow leaking down into his collar, and Matt sputtered at the frosty pellets landing in his face.

"What the--" Matt stammered as they both turned to see Erin standing over them looking rather smug.

"You two keep that up, and you're going to melt the whole frickin' yard," she stated, her hands on her hips.

Matt and Avery exchanged quick glance, a sly smirk sliding onto their faces. In an instant, Matt and Avery were up and chasing a squealing Erin across the front yard. As they ran around the back, they heard Mrs. Andrew's four-wheel drive vehicle crunch over the remnants of the snow and pull into the drive. Avery saw her climb out and hesitated when he saw her frowning, his fears trying to creep back in.

Matt had just tackled Erin and they were rolling across the previously clean walkway. Avery watched Mrs. Andrews carefully as she stepped towards them with her hands on her hips.

"I see things haven't changed much," she grinned, apparently happy to see her two children laughing and horsing around like they used.

She leaned down and scooped up some snow before looking up at Avery. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get 'em!"

Avery laughed as Matt's mother doused him with a cold, wet snowball. Matt let out a rather girly sounding scream as he jumped up and took off back around the side of the house. As Avery followed, he couldn't help be feel a bit freer, lighter. Yeah, Snow? Again? Bring it on!