Snow (Kevin/Joe/Nick)
Same title, same prompt, different piece.
Nick sighed softly, crunching through the frozen layer of snow, his scarf pulled up over his mouth and nose. He didn’t remember leaving the house, but he couldn’t deny that he was now wandering through his backyard, the biting wind cutting harshly across the exposed skin of his cheeks and nose. He was insane for being out here; the temperature had dropped below zero - a near impossibility for Beverly Hills, but that certainly hadn’t stopped it from happening.
He didn’t mind. He had grown up in the northeast; he knew much harsher winters than this. To be honest, this was welcome. He was desperately homesick. Los Angeles was beautiful, and their home in Texas was as well, but it wasn’t New Jersey. It wasn’t home.
Then again, he wasn’t sure if he missed Wyckoff itself, or the idea of it. Did he miss the place he grew up knowing and loving, or did he miss the life he’d led there? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to believe he resented the success he and his brothers had found. That wasn’t quite accurate anyway.
Really, he missed his brothers. He missed the Kevin that was self-assured, who smiled all the time and was excited about everything. It was no secret to their family and friends that the fans made him feel insecure and uncomfortable about himself, and the only place he didn’t seem shy and didn’t close in on himself was onstage, where he could do anything and they’d love him for it.
And Joe - he missed the Joe who was shy and funny in that surprising way, when no one would expect him to make a joke until he had, until they had exploded into laughter that shocked them. Now, he was so arrogant, and he needed a camera focused on him to be happy.
Nick didn’t want to think about how he himself had changed. He knew he was sad too often, considering how well they were doing with their lives and careers, but he couldn’t afford to let himself stop and consider why. He preferred to walk through the snow and pretend he was ten again, trudging home from school or from Maya’s house, or playing the park.
He vaguely heard the glass door slide open, and then there were two telltale treads on the porch steps: the sharp clunk of Kevin’s boots, then Joe’s lighter, sneaker-clad step. He turned just in time for a snowball to slam into the side of his face, startling him.
Joe laughed lightly, and it echoed through the still air. “Great shot, Kevin!”
Nick glared at them. “Not funny, guys.”
“So funny,” Kevin disagreed, covering his head just in time to save it from the snowball that exploded against his back, leaving white clumps sticking to the wool of his coat. “You just have no sense of humor.” The statement was emphasized by a yelp as Joe tackled him to the ground amidst a flurry of snow.
Nick couldn’t help but smile at them as Kevin rolled Joe over and drove his face into the snow, until he cried “Uncle!” They were acting like brothers, like teenage boys, like the boys he loved, for the first time in a long time. He had missed them.
“Hey, Nicky,” Joe rolled over again to sit up, cheeks rosy with cold, breath coming fast. “Don’t look so sad, okay? We’re right here.”
Nick kicked at the snow, feeling foolish for thinking his brothers wouldn’t see right through him. “Yeah, I know,” he said softly.
Kevin was carefully packing a snowball between his gloved fingers, a thoughtful frown on his face. “When was the last time we had a snowball fight, guys?”
“Since we had to for the When You Look Me in the Eyes video,” Nick sounded bitter, even to himself. What part of their life wasn’t scripted?
Joe fell backwards. “It was nothing like NJ, you know? The snow there was perfect for snowball fights.” He spread his arms, proceeding to make an angel.
Kevin crumpled his snowball, spreading its remains over Joe’s stomach before leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. “You’re gonna get sick,” he warned. “I told you to wear a scarf.”
“Stop talking like Dad.” Nick’s smile was now completely genuine, and he strolled over to plop down on Kevin’s other side.
“I will when you do.” Kevin shot back light-heartedly, taking his glove off and pressing his warm hand to Nick’s still-wet cheek. “Sorry, buddy. You’re an easy target.”
Nick leaned into the touch, sighing, his eyes slipping closed. “It’s because I trust you two way too much.”
Joe was quiet, still lying on his back, his hands folded on his stomach. “You know,” his voice was soft. “I always forget how big the sky is until it starts snowing.”
His brothers followed his gaze upwards, and watched the never-ending expanse of white as the flakes swirled lazily toward the earth. Nick felt like he was in a snow globe, which was appropriate and welcome. He was back to pretending he was ten. If he listened just right, Joe still talked the soft way he did when he was thirteen, and Kevin still laughed in that way that drove everyone’s attention.
Maybe things hadn’t changed that much after all. The sky certainly hadn’t. The snow was still as cold as it ever was. And, really, as long as Joe and Kevin were next to him, he was okay. He’d always been okay.
“Hey, Nicky?” Joe’s eyes were twinkling as he looked over at him. “You still haven’t gotten Kevin back for his snowball-to-the-face move.”
Nick laughed, pushing Kevin onto his back and throwing snow into his face, as Joe held him down. “Yeah, did you really think you’d get away with that, Kev?”
Kevin sputtered, wiping at his face, then tugged Nick down to him, holding him close, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Snow always makes me homesick.” He said, his voice suddenly serious.
“Impossible,” Nick’s own voice was quiet and full of affection as he pressed his face against Kevin’s neck. He could feel Joe curling up against their eldest brother's other side, could feel his fingers tangling with his own, and he suddenly felt like he really did have no reason to be unhappy. “Home’s right here.”
Nick sighed softly, crunching through the frozen layer of snow, his scarf pulled up over his mouth and nose. He didn’t remember leaving the house, but he couldn’t deny that he was now wandering through his backyard, the biting wind cutting harshly across the exposed skin of his cheeks and nose. He was insane for being out here; the temperature had dropped below zero - a near impossibility for Beverly Hills, but that certainly hadn’t stopped it from happening.
He didn’t mind. He had grown up in the northeast; he knew much harsher winters than this. To be honest, this was welcome. He was desperately homesick. Los Angeles was beautiful, and their home in Texas was as well, but it wasn’t New Jersey. It wasn’t home.
Then again, he wasn’t sure if he missed Wyckoff itself, or the idea of it. Did he miss the place he grew up knowing and loving, or did he miss the life he’d led there? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to believe he resented the success he and his brothers had found. That wasn’t quite accurate anyway.
Really, he missed his brothers. He missed the Kevin that was self-assured, who smiled all the time and was excited about everything. It was no secret to their family and friends that the fans made him feel insecure and uncomfortable about himself, and the only place he didn’t seem shy and didn’t close in on himself was onstage, where he could do anything and they’d love him for it.
And Joe - he missed the Joe who was shy and funny in that surprising way, when no one would expect him to make a joke until he had, until they had exploded into laughter that shocked them. Now, he was so arrogant, and he needed a camera focused on him to be happy.
Nick didn’t want to think about how he himself had changed. He knew he was sad too often, considering how well they were doing with their lives and careers, but he couldn’t afford to let himself stop and consider why. He preferred to walk through the snow and pretend he was ten again, trudging home from school or from Maya’s house, or playing the park.
He vaguely heard the glass door slide open, and then there were two telltale treads on the porch steps: the sharp clunk of Kevin’s boots, then Joe’s lighter, sneaker-clad step. He turned just in time for a snowball to slam into the side of his face, startling him.
Joe laughed lightly, and it echoed through the still air. “Great shot, Kevin!”
Nick glared at them. “Not funny, guys.”
“So funny,” Kevin disagreed, covering his head just in time to save it from the snowball that exploded against his back, leaving white clumps sticking to the wool of his coat. “You just have no sense of humor.” The statement was emphasized by a yelp as Joe tackled him to the ground amidst a flurry of snow.
Nick couldn’t help but smile at them as Kevin rolled Joe over and drove his face into the snow, until he cried “Uncle!” They were acting like brothers, like teenage boys, like the boys he loved, for the first time in a long time. He had missed them.
“Hey, Nicky,” Joe rolled over again to sit up, cheeks rosy with cold, breath coming fast. “Don’t look so sad, okay? We’re right here.”
Nick kicked at the snow, feeling foolish for thinking his brothers wouldn’t see right through him. “Yeah, I know,” he said softly.
Kevin was carefully packing a snowball between his gloved fingers, a thoughtful frown on his face. “When was the last time we had a snowball fight, guys?”
“Since we had to for the When You Look Me in the Eyes video,” Nick sounded bitter, even to himself. What part of their life wasn’t scripted?
Joe fell backwards. “It was nothing like NJ, you know? The snow there was perfect for snowball fights.” He spread his arms, proceeding to make an angel.
Kevin crumpled his snowball, spreading its remains over Joe’s stomach before leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. “You’re gonna get sick,” he warned. “I told you to wear a scarf.”
“Stop talking like Dad.” Nick’s smile was now completely genuine, and he strolled over to plop down on Kevin’s other side.
“I will when you do.” Kevin shot back light-heartedly, taking his glove off and pressing his warm hand to Nick’s still-wet cheek. “Sorry, buddy. You’re an easy target.”
Nick leaned into the touch, sighing, his eyes slipping closed. “It’s because I trust you two way too much.”
Joe was quiet, still lying on his back, his hands folded on his stomach. “You know,” his voice was soft. “I always forget how big the sky is until it starts snowing.”
His brothers followed his gaze upwards, and watched the never-ending expanse of white as the flakes swirled lazily toward the earth. Nick felt like he was in a snow globe, which was appropriate and welcome. He was back to pretending he was ten. If he listened just right, Joe still talked the soft way he did when he was thirteen, and Kevin still laughed in that way that drove everyone’s attention.
Maybe things hadn’t changed that much after all. The sky certainly hadn’t. The snow was still as cold as it ever was. And, really, as long as Joe and Kevin were next to him, he was okay. He’d always been okay.
“Hey, Nicky?” Joe’s eyes were twinkling as he looked over at him. “You still haven’t gotten Kevin back for his snowball-to-the-face move.”
Nick laughed, pushing Kevin onto his back and throwing snow into his face, as Joe held him down. “Yeah, did you really think you’d get away with that, Kev?”
Kevin sputtered, wiping at his face, then tugged Nick down to him, holding him close, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Snow always makes me homesick.” He said, his voice suddenly serious.
“Impossible,” Nick’s own voice was quiet and full of affection as he pressed his face against Kevin’s neck. He could feel Joe curling up against their eldest brother's other side, could feel his fingers tangling with his own, and he suddenly felt like he really did have no reason to be unhappy. “Home’s right here.”