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[fulminants]

[ Someone's chilling in boxers in a steaming hot spring he'd obviously made for himself. Problem is, everything around him is covered in an ungodly amount of snow. ]

You never actually miss the sight of hot babes in short skirts and plunging necklines until your spire gets dumped in a place so cold Satan would probably freeze his butthairs off. On the bright side, I think I might've spotted a yeti. Or that might've been someone's mother-in-law, who knows?

[ Still, Johnny looks largely unaffected by the mildly unfriendly climate. He's fishing an egg out of the hot spring, cracking it on the ice. It's hard-boiled. ]

So, anyway, Gailleann's basically stuck in Everwinter. When life gives you snowballs, make an awesome sport out of it, right? [ He bites into the egg, chews carefully, then swallows and adds: ] If you're sick of the tropical, muggy weather and want to come by, the Spire's open to you. The fires are always burning in Gaillean. Just don't try to kill anyone, and we're good.

More importantly: there's a new skating rink that my guys just worked overtime to make, and a bunch of awesome slopes I spent days creating; go nuts on it and tell me what you think! I'm always a fan of continuous improvement.

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video

[fulminants]

Eurgh.

[ Johnny makes a face. Bigass boy fairies, not his thing. And at this time the only dude he's happy thinking of naked is Jack. He grins at him. ]

Bring eggs, too. I wanna show you something.

[benumbing]

I'm putting two aside for breakfast.

[His. You're eating your own egg rations, Storm.

Jack comes out soon enough, bundled up save for his hands. He smiles when he sees him, a slow, wicked stretch of his lips.

A ball of ice forms in his palm. Jack sends it flying, but it melts into a splat against Johnny's shoulder.]

[fulminants]

[ But he's finished his egg rations!

When Johnny feels the unexpected cold burst splat on his shoulder, he yelps and jumps. ] Whoa, hey!

[benumbing]

[Too bad!]

It's just as I thought. [Jack sighs dramatically, but the smile never leaves his lips.] Skinny dipping? Even your balls should've retreated up into your stomach.

[fulminants]

Wanna touch them to find out?

[ He sets the locket aside, wading over to prop his arms against the side, grinning right back at him. Jack's sense of humor has always warmed him. ] And why are you still wearing clothes?

[benumbing]

Because not all of us have a core temperature of six hundred degrees, that's why.

[Jack crouches down at the edge, tipping Johnny's chin up with a finger to kiss him.]

But I might reconsider, if it's warm enough for me to come in.

[fulminants]

Mmmm.

[ He purrs into the kiss, leaning up to deepen it. Jack draws away too quickly, but Johnny's happy to oblige, splashing around a little as the water heats up, warmth steaming off the ice. ]

Definitely warm enough. Clothes off. Did I tell you about the time I went for a soak at the foot of Mount Fuji in the middle of winter? [ He looks up at the grey sky, flicking at an occasional snowflake. ]

[benumbing]

Isn't Mount Fuji supposed to be sacred?

[Sacred and, apparently, a great place for hot tubbing. Jack is so not surprised. Jack smiles at him, his thick coat coming off, followed by everything else a little quicker. He braces himself as he slides into the water, but Johnny already has it the perfect temperature.]

No, you never told me.

[fulminants]

Well... supposed to, I guess.

[ Johnny hums and puts his arm around him when he comes in, taking his duty to keep Jack warm very seriously. He looks up at the clear sky marred with the occasional heavy cloud, scant few snowflakes fluttering down. ]

You could see the stars just pretty much crowding each other out in the sky. And they had sake, too, for you to sample when you're chilling out there. Have you ever had it?

[benumbing]

[He can picture it, eyelids heavy as he looks up at the sky, imagining it bright and clear and full of stars. Was the night sky in Johnny's world the same as his? The same as this one? Jack wishes now that he'd thought to notice.]

I haven't. [Dear lord, an alcohol that Jack Benjamin hasn't drank. Someone alert the presses.] Is it good?

[fulminants]

[ ...Johnny realizes halfway that the last thing he should do is bait his boyfriend back into drinking again. He draws him closer to snuggle, pressing soft kisses against the crown of his hair. ]

Nope. Totally tastes like crap. [ He splashes a little water on Jack's chest lightly, humming. ] You know, I've been doing some thinking on what we can try to grow here.

[benumbing]

[Jack snorts. He's not fooled, but he appreciates the efforts that Johnny goes to to keep him from that particular demon.]

Hmm, are any of Ariadne's architects still here? Maybe they could draw up some plans for a greenhouse.

[fulminants]

Yeah, I can ask her to send some of her guys over. Get you your oranges and kiwis back. [ He muses happily. Yes, it still bothers him. ] I could eat those juicy slices off you again.

[benumbing]

Is that what this is about?

[Jack's voice is a low, fond purr. Johnny's disappointment over their loss was a tangible thing. Jack closes his eyes completely and turns his face towards his.]

You don't need an excuse to put your mouth on me. But that reminds me, your eggs are in my coat pockets.

[fulminants]

It makes me mad that something you like got wrecked.

[ But Johnny tingles at that promise all the same, the idea of eating off him. His breath catching at just how damn beautiful Jack is, he leans in to kiss him, tipping his chin up so he can seal his mouth over his tenderly before he pulls away. He's reaching around in the pockets of Jack's discarded pants, closing around two of them as he laughs. ]

You totally meant that in the other way too, didn't you? [ He sets the eggs carefully in the water away from Jack, his hand heating them up so that they boiled nicely. ]

[benumbing]

What other way?

[Jack's voice is too innocent though, something he can't hope to pull off.]

It's going to be more than just keeping the cold out, you know. Even thawed, this ground might not be suitable for anything.

[fulminants]

[ Johnny's cupping his hands over the eggs, boiling them with care. He's got the timing down, more or less, and he buys zero of what his Jack is selling, the deviant. ] Oh, you know.

[ He thinks about it a moment. ] What about a greenhouse, like you said? We can ship soil. Maybe use some poop?

[benumbing]

[He was a prince once. His sunglasses cost nearly a month's salary for most people. He didn't have to do for himself unless he wanted to. The parties were neverending...

And now he's talking about poop.]

Second on the list of words you're never to say again. [Behind "sexiversary".] There is earth if we can melt down to it. But it might need a little fertilizer.

[fulminants]

What word?

[ Johnny asks innocently. Because Johnny maybe wants to hear him say it; because it'd be hilarious. Because he's very sure his prince, born with a pristine diamond spoon in his pretty mouth, has never uttered that word in his whole life. ]

[benumbing]

I refuse.

[He's so not saying it.]

[fulminants]

You realise I'm going to keep saying it if you don't tell me what I shouldn't say, right?

[ Johnny's smirking at him, but then the regs need his attention and he sets it on the edge, cracking one on the ice ledge. He peels the shell off, then holds the egg to his lips. ]

Anyway! Try this. It's got a very nice, semi-gooey center.

[benumbing]

Gooey?

[It's dubious, and he debates making that the third forbidden word. But the idea isn't so unappealing. Jack likes his eggs underdone. He cups Johnny's hand with his before taking a bite.]

Mm, needs butter.

[fulminants]

Really? Butter? [ A quick kiss to the lips takes care of the little smears of yolk, and he licks his own. Mmmhmm. ] Babe, this is a hotspring egg. You know, like those Japanese hotsprings?

[benumbing]

Yes, and I'm sure it's full of culture and tradition, but I like butter on my eggs.

[But he does take the rest of it to eat.]

[fulminants]

All right, wait for me.

[ Johnny rises from the makeshift hotspring -- turns out his boxers got lost somewhere, and he scampers into the spire with a mischievous grin. Do you hear yelps and the occasional exclamation? All a part of your imagination.

But minutes later, he comes out with a small plate of butter and a butter knife, beaming at him. ] Butter for that second egg.