Just a little something @StandingbyAvi prompted. Hope you'll enjoy it!
~~
"You comfortable?" Avi asked. He looked at his boyfriend, who was sitting next to him.
"Yeah. It's just.."
"I know, I miss him as well" Avi replied. "But it was his decision." He pressed a soft kiss onto his boyfriend's cheek. "Come on, dear, if we want to take a walk in the sun we should get going now before it gets dark again."
Scott nodded and got up from the sofa. They put on their warm clothes and got on their way out of the little hut they were staying in, before they went outside, headed for the centre of the little town they were staying in.
"I actually thought it would be awful to be in a place where we have less than 4 hours of sun each day, but it's actually quite cosy. No pressure to do anything but cuddle and make love whenever we're not looking for the lights."
Avi nodded. "True... I just hope that we'll be able to see them tonight. Do you think we will?"
"I hope so. They have to appear, after all, it's New Year's Eve" Scott replied. "And would there be a better way to start the new year than surrounded by the beauty of nature?"
Avi hummed. "No... I mean a stable phone reception would be nice, but as long as we're able to take a walk each day to text Mitchy, I'm fine."
"Plus we know that he'll have a lot of fun with his friends tonight" Scott replied. "He'll be too busy to miss us. I mean it's weird because it's our first New Year apart, but still..." He shrugged his shoulders.
"It's alright the way it is. He wouldn't have fun out here, but he wanted us to go and have fun" Avi returned.
"Mmhm" Scott replied as he thought back to the conversation he and Mitch had a few months ago.
~
"You want what? That's crazy. I'm sorry but I am not going to fucking camp in a tent in fucking Alaska in winter" Mitch exclaimed.
"We're not sleeping in a tent, Mitch, calm down" Scott returned. "And just imagine how romantic it will be, the three of us on New Year's Eve, watching the Northern Lights."
"Yeah, in a place where it'll be far below 0 degrees all the time. Are you kidding me?" Mitch said and rolled his eyes. "I don't think so. Why don't we go somewhere else? Doesn't have to be the beach, but maybe not fucking Alaska?"
Scott sighed. "Mitch, it's Avi's dream. He talked about it a few times now and I want to be his Christmas present. And I know, it'll be cold, but we'll be all cosy and cuddly in a little hut at the edge of a town. It's called Fairbanks and they have a handful of huts that have little glass domes. So we can watch the lights without actually going outside. I mean we could go outside if we wanted to and..."
Mitch raised an eyebrow. "You already planned the trip?"
Scott scratched the back of his head. "I kinda booked it?"
"I... are you serious? Without even thinking of asking me?"
"Mitch, I... I thought you'd be happy, too? After all, we've seen so many places together and it's going to be a wonderful time. At least that's what I thought? And what I think we all need? A few days secluded, alone. Surrounded by nature."
"By freezing cold nature. Are you kidding me? No. You can't just throw this at me and expect me to be all happy about it" Mitch shook his head.
"But it's Avi's wish and I thought..." Scott shrugged his shoulders and looked down. "I just wanted to surprise him with something nice. He is always so good to us and he deserves this."
"He... he does" Mitch replied. "I agree. Maybe... maybe you should travel with him. I'll stay here and spend New Year's Eve with my friends. A few of them are going to Palm Springs, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join, but..."
Scott grimaced. "Oh no. Why didn't you say anything?"
Mitch rolled his eyes. "We only talked about it yesterday and I didn't think you'd book a trip without asking me first."
Scott sighed when he noticed the sarcasm in Mitch's voice. "Oh, I am sorry that I wanted to organise something nice for the three of us."
"Look Scott, I don't want to fight with you. You only meant well and I understand it" Mitch said when he saw that Scott was hurt. "I'm sorry."
Scott shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. Maybe I was too impulsive. Just... think about it? Maybe?"
Mitch nodded. "I will."
~
"So he's not replying," Avi said. The two men were sitting in a diner over two cups of steaming coffee and Avi, who had his phone with you, had texted Mitch as soon as it was possible.
Scott looked over and glimpsed at Avi's phone. "The message doesn't even go through?"
"Mhmm," Avi hummed. "We'll see about it. Maybe he'll answer, soon. Otherwise, we'll send him our wishes before we head back to our little cottage and settle down for the night."
"Yeah..." Scott said. He took a sip from his coffee and sighed. "I just want to see his face and hear his voice. It's weird being without him. But I think that he's out there having a lot of fun in the sun, so well..."
"It is what it is" Avi replied and put the phone back on the table and fell silent.
Scott smiled at him. "I know," he said and looked out of the window where people were running errands, probably preparing everything for New Year's Eve. Scott and Avi already had everything they needed. They had ordered a nice dinner to be delivered to them and had snacks and drinks in the fridge and were hoping that instead of fireworks they would be seeing the Northern Lights at midnight.
They stayed in the diner for a while and before they left, they texted Mitch once more, wishing him a nice evening and all the best for the new year.
"So... any plans? Dinner doesn't come until 9, so maybe we can snuggle up and take another nap? The night is going to be long once again" Scott said.
Avi hummed. "Yeah and it's getting dark already, so a nap would be nice. Maybe we can camp out in our little glass dome?" He looked at Scott's raised eyebrow and then chuckled. "Okay, not the glass dome, got it."
Scott chuckled under his breath. "Thank you."
~
A few hours later, Avi was sitting in the glass dome in front of their little cottage. He was wearing warm house boots and a thicker jacket. It was heated but not as warm as the cottage itself which constantly had a fire burning in the room which was both the living room and bedroom.
Scott was still asleep and that was fine because Avi just wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year and think about the ups and downs he had experienced.
While he was sitting there and staring out into the clear dark sky, he all of a sudden saw the headlights of a car approaching their cottage. Avi furrowed his brows and looked at the clock. It was too early for dinner but still, the car stopped in front of their door and when Avi saw who was getting out, his heart almost stopped.
Quickly, but quietly enough so he wouldn't wake Scott, he went to open the door for their boyfriend, who was just taking his suitcase and thanking the driver.
"Mitch?" Avi said, not believing his eyes.
The brunette smiled. "I couldn't bear being without my loves on New Year's," he said softly."
"But how?"
Mitch smiled. "Planes and cars" he simply said. "Let's go inside, it's freezing."
Avi took Mitch's suitcase and led him into the cottage. "Scott is napping, but we could sit down in the glass dome? It's warm enough and even better with a nice cup of tea."
"A cup of tea would be lovely. I haven't experienced this kind of cold before" Mitch pointed out as he shrugged out of his thick jacket.
"Mmhm that's true," Avi said as he put down Mitch's suitcase in front of the bedroom and walked through to the little kitchen where he poured two mugs of tea. "Come on, dear." He led Mitch outside into their little dome and sat down on the sofa.
"This is so cosy," Mitch said and sat down next to his boyfriend.
Avi chuckled. "It is. And you haven't even seen the bedroom."
"Mmhm, I think I'll look at it after this cup of tea. I need a nap. I guess that we'll have a late night tonight?"
Avi nodded. "Of course. I mean if you're tired you're welcome to head to bed earlier, but we're still waiting to see the lights."
Mitch smiled. "But it's New Year's Eve, we will see them tonight" he explained and laid his head onto Avi's shoulders.
Avi nodded. "That's what Scott said as well," he said and put an arm around the smaller man's waist. "I'm glad that you're here, but why?"
"Missed you. Wanted to spend New Year's with you and so instead of going to Palm Springs yesterday, I did some last-minute shopping and hopped on a plane this morning" Mitch explained. "It was a long journey, but worth it." He reached for his tea and took a sip. "I still don't think I'll ever be comfortable in this cold, but it'll be fine for a few days."
"It's fine, honestly. We're not doing that much outside either, we usually take a walk during daylight to get some food and to have reception. Apart from that, we cuddle a lot, nap during the day so we're ready to watch for the lights at night" Avi explained to him.
"Mmhm and by cuddle you mean sex, don't you?" Mitch grinned when he saw the blush rise on Avi's cheeks.
"Maybe... how do you know?"
"Because Scott is a horndog and you hardly say no when he is in the mood" Mitch said.
"Why would I? Especially now that we're on vacation" the bearded man returned and took another sip of his tea.
"Mmhm..." Mitch finished his tea in silence and stifled a yawn. "Do you mind if I lie down with Scotty?"
"Not at all. In fact, I was thinking about joining you in a moment. I just need to head to the bathroom real quick" Avi said and got up, taking the two mugs with him. "You head right in there, he'll be so happy to see you."
Mitch nodded and opened the door, smiling when he saw the blonde lying on the bed, snuggled up in the blanket. The smaller man smiled and undressed because it was rather warm and Scott wasn't wearing much either. Dressed only in his boxer briefs, Mitch crawled into the bed and snuggled up to his boyfriend.
"Mmmhm..." Scott hummed when he felt someone clothes. "Mitch..."
Mitch chuckled under his breath because even though Scott had uttered his name, he probably hadn't realised that he was there. "Yeah, it's me" he simply said and laid his head onto Scott's chest.
"Hmm... what?" Scott woke up at this moment and gasped. "Mitchy!"
Mitch looked up. "Yep."
The blonde immediately closed his eyes around his boyfriend's body and squeezed slightly. "Mitch! How are you here?"
"I couldn't bear being without you. And I was dumb when I rejected the idea. So I jumped on the plane and got here. And I'm glad that I did. Missed you."
Scott placed a soft kiss onto his temple. "Missed you too. And you're not dumb. You're here now and that's what counts."
"Mmhm..." Mitch hummed.
"You're tired, aren't you?"
Mitch nodded. "Yeah. Long journey. And I want to be up and hopefully see the lights with you."
Scott noticed that his boyfriend's voice trailed off and so he just pulled him close as he drifted off.
~
Later that night the three men had showered, changed into comfortable clothing and were sitting on the sofa in the glass room. Midnight was approaching rapidly and they were talking about the things that had happened during the past year and their plans for the new one while looking out for the lights.
"Nothing," Scott said and sighed.
"Aww don't be so negative, Scott," Avi said. "We will see them."
"Yes," Mitch added. "We definitely will." He softly kissed his boyfriend's cheek. "Just be patient."
Avi nodded and looked at his watch. "Two more minutes," he said and quickly got the bottle of champagne they had gotten while Scott got three glasses.
Soon they were counting down and then kissing one another, wishing one another a happy new year. When they parted, Mitch looked into the sky and gasped when he saw how colourful it had become. "Look."
Avi and Scott broke apart and looked up to watch the Northern Lights. "No way," Avi said and shook his head. "Beautiful."
"Yeah" Scott said breathlessly and pulled both Avi and Mitch into his arms.
"And?" he then said, turning to Mitch. "Are you glad you came here?"
Mitch nodded, but he couldn't take his eyes off the sky. "Yes. Yes, I am."
~~~~