After Milo returned home, his mother called him into the living, she gestured for him to sit next to her on the couch and folded her hands in her lap. "So, I spoke to your dad about Judah's tickets to the ball. I didn't think it was right that he should have to pay for an event he can't attend."
"That's nice of you. What did Dad say?"
"Well, he pointed out—and I have to say, I did agree—that the money is for charity, and it also seems wrong to take it back."
"Okay, I'm confused. If you believe that, why are you even telling me this?"
"He and I talked it out, and we decided that we would reimburse him ourselves. That way, the hospital still gets the donation, and Judah doesn't have to throw away $150 on what he meant to be a gift."
"That's amazing. But I doubt he'll accept it."
Mrs. McBride pointed at Milo and nodded. "I had that same thought. Because of what he said about the money being for charity. So, since the gift was yours, we're giving you the money." She cast her eyes off to the side, contemplating. "Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Sort of." She gave a swift, single nod. "Although, technically, it ended up being more than Judah paid by almost double, with those damn exorbitant holiday prices."
Milo was so confused. He held up his hand. "What are you talking about? What is almost double the price? What the hell did you get me?"
"A plane ticket!" She grinned and did celebratory jazz hands.
She rolled her index fingers around each other in the air, adding, "To Wisconsin." As if it could be to anywhere else.
Milo's heart leapt into his throat, his hands shaking. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my God!" Milo launched forward to hug his mother. "Thank you."
Mrs. McBride patted his back, laughing. "Well, it was Judah's gift to you. He planned for you two to spend a lovely evening together at the ball. We thought he should have that. Even if not as originally planned. And it's also like our gift to him."
Milo could hardly catch his breath. "When do I leave?"
"You're on the red-eye tonight at ten."
Milo gasped. "I have to go pack."
His mother smiled. "Yes, you do."
He shook his head. His mind scrambled to list everything he needed. "What do I even take? I have no clothes suitable for Wisconsin weather."
She tapped his knee. "What about that puffy jacket your grandparents bought you for that camping trip we all took?"
"That was five years ago! I was fourteen. I gained about forty pounds and grew about six inches since then. Even if I still had it, it wouldn't fit."
"Then we'll have to go shopping."
"With what money? I only have thirty-seven dollars in the bank."
"Consider it part of the gift." Mrs. McBride said.
Milo and his mother set out to brave the throngs of people at the mall returning broken toys, clothes that had been gifted in the wrong size or color, and all the presents they didn't like.
Heather met them there. Having grown up in Illinois, she had experience with cold weather, and what one might need to survive a winter in Wisconsin.
Milo tried to only buy the bare minimum, if only because he had limited space in his suitcase. He didn't want to deal with the bother of checking a second bag during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
Heather scanned the massive pile of bags they'd accumulated over the day—mostly from the sporting goods store. "Let's see. We got the thermals, the sweaters, the scarf, gloves, the jacket for staying inside."
Heather looked up at Milo. "Because you will be freezing all the time. Um, we have the jacket for going outside, the wool socks, the snow boots, the beanies, the earmuffs. The chapstick. Moisturizer for when your beautiful skin gets dry as hell and starts to crack." She brushed a hand across his cheek.
Milo shook his head. "Is all this absolutely necessary?"
Heather laughed. "My darling, you have no idea how grateful you will be the moment you step outside there. You have spent your entire life in Southern California, where the temperature rarely falls below a mild chill. This is a place where the wind on a truly cold day will feel like needles on your skin."
"Oh, my God," Milo muttered. Maybe Judah wasn't kidding about him being unable to deal with a real winter.
Heather snapped her fingers. "Oh, and if you don't intend to wear this on the plane, you will absolutely need to put it on before you leave the airport."
With everything bought, prepared, and packed, Milo spent one last dinner with his family. He didn't expect to return home before going back to school. He thought he'd just stay with Judah until the last possible second and fly back to San Francisco from Wisconsin.
Despite his wishes, he ended up with an extra suitcase. One to carry everything he brought from school, and the other for all the stuff his mother and Heather bought for his trip.
Being lazy, he decided to wear the winter clothes, minus the bulky outer layers. He put those in his carry-on, so he could throw them on when he got there.
The actual flight wasn't too bad, even though it was packed to capacity. However, the waiting around drove him crazy.
Milo wished he could call Judah to pass the time, but he didn't even know if Judah had gotten home yet. Judah still hadn't called, and there were no missed calls or messages before Milo got on the plane—two hours after his scheduled departure time. He wondered if he and Judah would end up meeting at the airport.
Five hours and one layover later, Milo arrived in Milwaukee at five o'clock in the morning. Although with the time zone change, it was actually seven now. He fell asleep twice on the plane. Awakened both times by the woman next to him, fishing for things in her oversized handbag that she refused to put away.
After a twenty-minute wait to get his checked suitcase, and taking a moment to put on his extra layers, Milo headed outside to find the car he'd ordered to take him to Judah's house. Thankfully, he and Judah had shared their contact information so they could send things to each other, both at home and at school.
As soon as Milo stepped out the doors, he was immediately grateful to Heather for insisting on all the extra layers. He had never felt anything such a bitter, intense cold before. He could barely walk for all the shivering. He covered his head with his jacket hood and pulled the drawstrings tight, raising his scarf to cover his mouth and nose, which was already runny.
On the car ride, he marveled at the snow. The thick white veil covered everything. It almost seemed to glow in the early morning light. He'd seen snow in movies, but it was breathtaking to witness it in person. He understood why Christmas movies called it magical. It was remarkable, even if it came with such a cruel, bone-numbing chill.
Milo noticed two missed calls from Judah marked 3:40am. There was also a voicemail. Milo clicked on it and put the phone to his ear. He heard Judah take a deep breath. "Hey, baby, I was just calling to let you know I'm home. And if I ever want to take a flight on a holiday again, you have my full permission to punch me in the face as hard as you can. It would be less painful than the last day of my life." Judah paused to sigh. "Anyway, I guess you fell asleep. Maybe we can reschedule our little chat for tomorrow or something. I miss you. And I love you. So, call me when you get this. I don't care what time it is. I need to hear your voice."
Milo immediately dialed Judah's number, hoping he would answer.
"Hullo," Judah grumbled, voice thick with sleep.
"You said to call as soon as I got the message."
"Milo?" Judah's voice had perked up. He sounded more alert.
"Yeah."
"Hi!"
"Hi."
"You said you wouldn't fall asleep," Judah said, pointedly.
"I didn't," Milo said. "I mean, I kinda did. But that's not why I missed your call."
"What? Were you out all night partying?" Judah asked with a laugh.
"I was out all night, but it was far from being a party. Believe me."
Judah sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh, God! Did something happen? Are you okay?"
Milo should have been more clear. He quickly said, "No, no. I'm fine. Everything is fine. It's nothing like that."
"Good." Judah's relieved exhale caused a crackling on the line. "So, how come you didn't answer my call?"
"I was very busy."
"Doing what?"
The car stopped in front of a small blue house. Perfect timing. "You'll just have to come outside so I can explain it."
"What?" He sounded breathless.
"I'm waiting."
Something on the other end of the line crashed. Judah cursed under his breath. "This better not be some kind of joke. I swear to God I'll break up with you right now."
A moment later, Judah burst through the front door dressed in sweatpants, a heavy coat, and boots that were only halfway tied. His mouth hung wide open, the phone still clutched in his hand. He stood there, frozen for a moment. Then he rushed forward, shoving the phone into his pocket just before they crashed into each other. They kissed like they hadn't seen each other in weeks.
Judah shook his head, kissing all over Milo's face. "What are you doing here?" He sounded perplexed and overjoyed at the same time.
Milo explained his parents' machinations as best he could while Judah helped him get his luggage from the trunk of the car.
"I didn't think I could love your mom anymore than I already did." Judah said. Tears welled in his eyes as they carried the bags into the house. "But I do."
Milo set the heavy suitcase on the wood floor inside. Thankfully, the heat was going full blast.
Judah removed his coat and hung it up. He also took Milo's bulky overcoat and showed him how to tuck his gloves, scarf, and hat into the pockets when he didn't need them, so he didn't have to go searching for them every time he left the house.
Without the oversized coat to get in the way, Milo wrapped his arms around Judah's waist. "So, you're okay with this?"
"I'm thrilled. Elated. Delighted. And just plain fucking happy."
"Fantastic." Milo said, his teeth chattering. "Any chance I could get some coffee or something to warm me up?"
"Oh, God! Yes." Judah wrapped his arms around Milo, although Milo was still wearing more layers than him. He rubbed Milo's arms and back to get him warm as they went to the kitchen.
The house was smaller than Milo's. The furniture looked older. More classic than the showroom display in the McBride's living room.
"I can't believe you did this." Judah shook his head as he offered Milo a large mug of steaming coffee.
Milo held the blazing ceramic cup in his hands. He didn't care that it might burn him. He just wanted to get warm.
Judah scooted his chair so close that he had to put his legs on either side of Milo.
Milo looked around the kitchen. It was nice and very modern compared to the living room, but small. "Where are your parents?"
"Sleeping. They stayed up last night until I got home."
"Do you think they'll mind me being here?" he asked, taking his first sip of the coffee, which was so strong it made Milo wince and cough.
Judah laughed at the reaction. "They won't. Of course not."
It hadn't occurred to Milo until that very moment that Judah's parents might not be aware of his sexuality. "Do they know about—"
"Me being bisexual?" he asked, not at all timid.
Milo nodded.
"Yes. They've known since I was in high school. I kinda had to tell them."
"Why?"
"Remember that friend of mine I told you about? The guy I had a thing with."
"Yeah," Milo said.
"Well, I made a joke one time after we hooked up that I thought he had sufficiently satisfied his curiosity and it was pretty clear he enjoyed it. He didn't appreciate that."
"What happened?"
"We were at his house and he made me leave. But the next day at school I found him alone and tried to apologize. I felt bad that I made light of something that was obviously a big deal for him. And he said, he realized that he wasn't gay like me. Although, he used another word that I won't repeat."
Milo put his mug down to take hold of Judah's face. "That's awful."
Judah laid his hands over Milo's and blew out a heavy breath. "I got so angry that I punched him and a teacher saw. The principal suspended me from school for two weeks. And I had to explain to my parents why I would punch someone. Especially at school."
Milo grasped Judah's hands and brought them down to hold them in his lap. "How'd they take it?"
"Great, actually. It was kind of a blessing in disguise. I'd been so worried about it. It was a huge relief to get it off my chest. They told me they still loved me. That me liking boys as well as girls didn't change that at all."
Milo shook his head. He couldn't imagine that kind of distress. "I always forget how lucky I am that I never had to deal with that. I never even came out. I just was always me. My mom never made that kind of thing a big deal. If one of us had a crush, she would always use gender-neutral terms to ask about it. She would say, 'what's their name?' Or 'what are they like?' She didn't even bat an eye when I was seven and I told her I wanted to make one of my Valentine cards extra special for the boy liked."
"Yet another reason for me to adore your mother." Judah said. "But you also grew up in a very open-minded place. While I was there, not once did I ever feel uncomfortable taking your hand or kissing you in public. I saw same-sex couples everywhere we went. That was the most open I'd ever felt in my entire life. I wouldn't mind living there one day."
Milo leaned in with a grin on his face. "It is an awfully good place to live. I think about settling down there sometimes. With a gorgeous man who I love more than anything, obviously."
"Are you trying to seduce me or something? In my mother's kitchen of all places."
"You seduced me in my mother's kitchen first." Milo said with a half-shrug. "Turnabout is fair play."
Judah grinned as he moved in for a kiss.
When they broke apart, Milo laid his forehead against Judah's. "Before the seducing. Do you mind if I sleep? I've been awake since you left, minus a couple ten minute naps on the plane."
"Yes, please." Judah nodded. "I'm also exhausted."
"So, where do I sleep?"
Judah took his hand. "I guess you just have to sleep in my bed. It'll be warmer for you."
"You know, I've heard that being naked is the best way to stay warm."
Judah chuckled. "I think I read that once. If it gets too cold for you, we may have to test it out."
Milo leaned against Judah's chest, gazing into his eyes. "I'll let you know."
"You do that." Judah said.
Judah kissed him again and led the way to his bedroom. They snuggled under the covers, spooning. Judah wrapped his arms around Milo, holding him close. Once again, Milo found that sense of serenity and security that accompanied Judah's embrace. Judah had a gift for giving Milo contentment unlike anyone else.
A/N: I'm going to add this here for anyone reading this who doesn't follow me. Because I want to show my gratitude. Milo & Judah has reached 1k reads. That is so crazy to me. I just started posting it literally 10 days ago. I think this is the fastest anything I've written has reached this milestone. I know it's not a big number compared to some other stories on here, but I'm very grateful. So, thank you to everyone who's reading it and hopefully enjoying it.