Skin on Skin, Hearts Laid Bare (Sanny)

Ch. 2 Too Much Sugar Makes the Heart Lovesick

Summary: "There were snowflakes in Sam's lashes, and, it seemed, a few were actually in his eyes. It could have been the shining lights of the skating rink, too, highlighting the absolute joy emanating from Sam's beautiful face. It was then Danny became convinced once and for all that Sam was actually made out of starshine and prayers, sugar and spice, pure love and radiance."

Warnings/Tags: ice cream, ice skating, cold weather, fluff, extreme fluff, flirting, hand holding, nose kisses, lap sitting, cuddling, slow dancing

Author's Notes: Ahh I finished chapter FIVE but couldn't get going on this one for a few days, so my brain is a little scrambled trying to back track from the smut (ch 5 is when some of the smut hits) to this.

Thank you to @satans-helper / thelazarus for all the lovely support and feedback, you've really encouraged me to write better 😚

Also, part of me wants to question why I've been able to write so goddamn much lately, but then my muse might run away and we can't have that. Ah, the mysterious appearances of creativity!

-----------------

Danny observed the scenes around him, taking in the welcoming atmosphere. Rainbow lights were strung up around the square, going from lamppost to tree to lamppost, illuminating the many people out and about enjoying the crisp night air.

Families - urban, attractive and well dressed - strolled along the sidewalks, the small children in winter coats and boots running ahead and laughing until their parents called them back. Danny smiled at their antics as a girl in a tan jacket started a snowball fight with her little brother, flinging soft white clumps at him.

On one side of the square, a skating rink was decorated with shining ornaments and cutouts of various cartoon characters. Skaters, young and old, rushed past the sides; some stumbling and laughing, some calmly holding the hands of a loved one, some racing with reckless abandon. Occasionally, a brave and talented athlete would speed up and do some sort of spin or flip Danny didn't know the name of. He would clap along with the rest of the people.

Various shops, some closed for the night and some welcoming the nightlife, lined the other sides, attracting people with their colorful displays. One such shop - Maria's Ice Cream Parlor - had a line out the door as the Midwestern crowd lined up to get a cold treat to combat the chill.

Danny felt a little bad that he honestly couldn't remember the name of the town they were in - fast touring and sleeping through info meetings left him a little out of the loop - but he knew he would look crazy if, after all this time, he finally worked up the courage to ask someone around him where he was. He would just wait for Sam to get back with their own ice cream cones and ask him, his buddy always knew where they were and where they wanted to be.

Jake clapped him on the shoulder, somewhat disrupting Danny's observance of holiday cheer. He peered up at him, wondering what the matter could possibly be.

"Joshie and I are gonna go head to that bar a few blocks from the hotel and warm up. You guys are welcome to join us, of course, though you seem to be really enjoying yourself."

"I am," Danny said, smiling. The atmosphere was like one out of a Hallmark Christmas card; colorful, happy, everything gleaming with holiday cheer and a warm welcome despite the snow. He didn't want to leave, though of course he would if Sam wanted to.

"Alright, well, you guys have fun, we'll be at the bar or back in our room if you try to find us. Are you gonna skate?"

"I'm thinking so." Danny heard Sam come up behind them, and leaned back into his presence until his upper back was against Sam's stomach. His best friend laid the hand that wasn't holding their ice creams on his chest, holding him to Sam.