Snowed In (1)

f o u r t e e n

"Well I'm glad that I can be of some entertainment for you." I grumble, a grin pulling at my lips from the way his eyes are fixed on me. As if he'll start laughing at any moment.

He bites his lip before releasing a sigh, laying flat on his back once again with his hands resting on his stomach.

"What time is it?" He asks me quietly as he rubs his eyes. I watch the movement, my heart doing a little flip when he pulls his hands away revealing puffy tired eyes. I feel myself smiling softly.

"It's uh..." I clear my throat, shaking my head slightly, "four twelve." I inform him as I open my laptop back up before closing it once I've seen the clock.

He groans from his place on the floor next me, rolling over again towards me and onto his stomach, his cheek pressed to the floor and his left arm brushing mine. I laugh, laying flat on my back and looking over at his smushed face. A surprised expression overtaking his handsome features.

"What? Wow it does not feel like it." He sighs.

"Really? You look dead." I tell him, poking his cheek. I instantly regret it when I realize that was kind of a weird thing to do.

Luckily, he reacts with a smile. Bringing his arms up to rest his head on them, his eyes meet mine. "Yeah I am but it's okay."

"Really?" I ask once again, my lips pressing together.

"Yeah." He nods with a yawn. "You're fun to hang out with. I'm glad your mom made you come over." He gives me a knowing look.

My mouth opens slightly. "She didn't exactly make me per say. I'd say she more suggested...strongly."

Winter gives me a skeptical look. "Sure. Because you definitely wanted to come over and meet the guy who caught you singing Mariah Carey in your bedroom."

"I thought you said you couldn't hear..." I ask him in embarrassment, holding the heels of my hands to my eyes as my cheeks burn.

I feel a large hand wrap around my wrist, pulling it away from my eyes.

"Stop it. Don't be embarrassed, it was really funny and I actually thought it was cool." He says lowly in a calming tone.

I sigh, my gaze meeting his. "Are you serious? That was the most awkward thing to have ever occurred in my entire life. And you lied! Who does that?" I whine.

"I'm sorry I just figured it was easier on you to think I didn't know you were tone deaf." He informs me with a slight wince as if preparing to be beaten.

My mouth drops open. "I am not tone deaf!"

"Relax, I'm only kidding. Your runs make me melt." He says dramatically with a wink.

Rolling my eyes I mumble, "I hate you."

"No you don't." Winter shrugs his shoulders slightly, his back muscles moving his t shirt slightly up and down. My eyes fix on his Christmas pajama pants and my mental smile widens in amusement.

"Sam, are you checking out my butt?" His voice rings in my ears bringing an instant traveling heat up my neck. All thoughts of Winter witnessing my terrible singing go out of window.

I mentally slap myself as hard as I possibly can when I realize that based on how he's laying, it indeed looks like my gaze is set on his backside.

"Oh my gosh, no." The words tumble out instantly. "I-I promise I was just thinking about how funny you wearing Christmas pajamas is." I explain awkwardly.

Winter laughs loudly, despite Dakota sleeping a few feet away, raising his head. "Relax, it's okay. My mom has good genes. It's understandable." He says in a teasing tone, the words nipping at my embarrassment like an annoying little brother.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "Winter, you are the absolute worst."

"I know." He laughs. "But does this mean you weren't checking out my butt?"

"No! I wasn't checking out your butt!" I whisper/yell, my face turning a deeper shade of red. I now realize that my face tends to become a tomato any time this guy opens his mouth.

He narrows his eyes at me. "Well that's just hurtful, Sam. Are you saying my butt isn't good enough to check out?" He says, clearly milking this situation.

I close my eyes and breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. "Oh my word, shut up. You are terrible."

Winter lays his forehead on his arms while his shoulders shake with laughter. "You're just too easy. Your face turned so red." He wheezes.

My eyes roll as he laughs so hard that no sound comes out. I can't control the smile that spreads as I watch him roll onto his back again and clutch his stomach, his face turning its own shade of red.

"Calm down. Holy cow." I laugh, watching while he continues to gasp for breath.

"Y-you looked so embarrassed." He gasps, hugging his abdomen with both arms.

"I'm glad that you're so amused by my demise." I say dryly.

I wait a few moments as he sobers up, pulling the neckline of his shirt up to wipe the sweat and tears from his face.

"I'm sorry that was just so hilarious, you have to admit." He says, his throat sounding slightly closed from the laughter fit.

"I refuse." I stick my tongue out slightly which earns one more chuckle from him.

"You're just cute and I find it funny." He says as he sits up, his shirt riding up his back slightly before he pulls it back down.

It's takes a second for his words to really reach my brain, my eyes blinking at him. "Oh okay." Is all I say because I have no clue how to respond to that.

Is he just being one of those guy friends that throws compliments out casually and it's a normal thing and I'm supposed to just say thank you, or is he taking a different route here? Does he really have to be this confusing?

"Are you tired?" He asks me with a questioning gaze.

I sit up next to him, laying my head on my bent knees. "Not really. What do you have in mind?" I ask.

His lips purse as he thinks, his eyes zoned on Dakota's sleeping figure. "Prank?" He suggests with a mischievous smirk.

A malicious smile immediately glides onto my face like a well fit pair of jeans, comfortably and familiar. "No convincing needed. I'm in."