Mullet-verse fic: Chicago In Winter
Title: Chicago In Winter
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Junior, Goldie
Word Count: 1105
Rating: PG?
Author's Notes: In which we explore the "needing to huddle together for warmth" cliche with Junior and Goldie. (Takes place some time between Mullet-verse "current time" and Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide.)
Partially to celebrate my birthday, partially because I've been cold all fucking DAY.
Chicago In Winter
The blizzard had, if anything, actually gotten worse after they took shelter.
Visibility was nil, and the last time Goldie had tried to fly in it, searching for some sign of something, she almost hadn't made it back. She wouldn't have made it back if Junior hadn't stood outside the entrance to the cave, jumping around and waving his arms and screaming for all he was worth to guide her back to him.
So now they were waiting out the storm in the back of the cave, which wasn't far enough away from the entrance to block all of the freezing wind.
Goldie, tired out from flying into and against the wind and weather, sat with her back against cold stone, arms wrapped around her knees in an attempt to keep warm. Blue was pacing in front of her like a restless, caged animal. He kept rubbing at the ear he kept his comm in. Early on, both their comms had been damaged and she knew he had to be feeling the loss keenly, having worn one for most of his life. Trying not to draw more attention to it than was necessary, she had been careful to speak mostly into his good ear.
She didn't think anyone, least of all Junior, realized just how little he could really hear out of his damaged ear without the help of his comm.
"G-G-G-GOD I miss Chicago!" Junior stammered out through chattering teeth. His hands fisted tightly at his sides when they weren't tucked under his armpits in a desperate search for warmth.
Goldie snorted but didn't say anything.
"Winter in Chicago," Junior went on wistfully. "Making snowmen and snow angels and snowballs--"
"Knocking Max's stupid hat off with snowballs."
Junior gave a startled laugh. "I gave him that hat!" he protested.
"I know!" Goldie snickered. "That's the only reason he wears that abomination. He's pretty sentimental for someone who likes to point out he doesn't have a heart."
"Max is a softie," Junior agreed, grinning. The grin faded slightly as he paused in his pacing and stared down at his feet. "Hot cocoa."
"I'd kill for that stupid ugly hat right about now," Goldie admitted, a brief shudder running through her. Pushing herself to her feet, she jumped up and down a few times, trying to generate some heat in her body.
Junior shot her a grin and stepped closer to ruffle her tangled hair. "Body heat escapes through the head, y'know."
"Ohmygod, really?!" Goldie gasped sarcastically, then swatted his hand away. "YES. Okay. I know. I get it. You're so very totally clever for having a costume that covers your head, you ass."
Nimbly dancing away, or at least as nimbly as he could given how cold he was, Junior chuckled. Then he wrapped his arms around his middle and jumped in place for a moment.
Goldie blew out a deep breath and stared at him through the fog it created in front of her face. "Is it getting colder?" she asked in disbelief, certain she could feel a noticeable drop in temperature.
"I-I d-d-d-don't--" Junior shook his head and clamped his mouth shut over his chattering teeth. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, then blurted in a rush, "I can't even tell anymore. I'm losing the feeling in my toes. Why didn't I insulate this thing more?"
Goldie winced and shrugged. "I dunno, babe, I thought you'd insulated your suit to within an inch of its life."
"I could've done more!" he protested. "I would've had to, like, sacrifice some maneuverability, but I--"
"Had no idea you were going to get stuck in this godforsaken frozen wasteland, so quit beating yourself up over it."
Junior hunched his shoulders and said nothing, shuffling his feet with a miserable expression on what was visible of his face. Goldie huffed and closed the distance between them with stomping steps. When Junior looked up, she frowned irritably and poked his goggles.
"Change the setting," she demanded. "I can't see you."
She got the distinct impression that the look on his face meant he was rolling his eyes, but he obediently reached up to change the setting on his goggles so that his eyes were once again visible. Blinking up at her, Junior's mouth quirked up on one side.
"Idiot," Goldie said affectionately, bumping shoulders with him.
Junior leaned against her side in response. Then he abruptly said, "This is not how I imagined going."
Startled, Goldie opened her mouth to speak, but her partner just continued.
"I expected like, a blaze of glory or...or something big."
"What, like a nuke to the face?" Goldie snapped, elbowing him.
Junior shrugged and wouldn't meet her gaze no matter how much she nudged him.
"Oh for god's sake!" Goldie huffed, stepping away from him so abruptly that he stumbled before catching himself. Grabbing the man's shoulders, she gave him a shake and waited for his surprised face to look up. "We're not gonna die here. If nothing else, Max'll notice you haven't bugged him about anything in a while and have a dozen or more satellites searching the globe for us."
They both grinned as they said in unison, "He worries."
Junior shook his head and chuckled, leaning forward until he was pressing his entire body against Goldie's. "Sorry, sorry, I just...I really don't like being cold."
"That's total bull," Goldie muttered, wrapping her arms around him. "Winter in Chicago, remember? I couldn't pay you to stay inside when there's snow to play in."
Grin turning wry, Junior ducked his head. "I mentioned the hot cocoa, right?"
"Okay, so you're due like a gallon of it when we get outta here," Goldie retorted.
Junior laughed and pressed his face against her neck. They stood like that for a silent moment, before he mumbled, "So. Sharing body heat?"
"Sounds like a plan," Goldie agreed.
Lifting his head, Junior looked up at her again and smiled affectionately. Goldie tilted her head down and lowered it.
Nose to nose, forehead to forehead, they looked each other in the eye and grinned as they tried to rub the shivers away from each other.
It helped. She was sure she could feel a difference. Then Junior turned his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
His lips were dry and chapped, but heat bled from them into her cold, exposed skin. And he was near enough that when he breathed out through his nose, the air didn't have time to cool before it touched her.
Closing her eyes as an entirely different heat spread inside her chest, Goldie held her partner close.
-----
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Junior, Goldie
Word Count: 1105
Rating: PG?
Author's Notes: In which we explore the "needing to huddle together for warmth" cliche with Junior and Goldie. (Takes place some time between Mullet-verse "current time" and Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide.)
Partially to celebrate my birthday, partially because I've been cold all fucking DAY.
Chicago In Winter
The blizzard had, if anything, actually gotten worse after they took shelter.
Visibility was nil, and the last time Goldie had tried to fly in it, searching for some sign of something, she almost hadn't made it back. She wouldn't have made it back if Junior hadn't stood outside the entrance to the cave, jumping around and waving his arms and screaming for all he was worth to guide her back to him.
So now they were waiting out the storm in the back of the cave, which wasn't far enough away from the entrance to block all of the freezing wind.
Goldie, tired out from flying into and against the wind and weather, sat with her back against cold stone, arms wrapped around her knees in an attempt to keep warm. Blue was pacing in front of her like a restless, caged animal. He kept rubbing at the ear he kept his comm in. Early on, both their comms had been damaged and she knew he had to be feeling the loss keenly, having worn one for most of his life. Trying not to draw more attention to it than was necessary, she had been careful to speak mostly into his good ear.
She didn't think anyone, least of all Junior, realized just how little he could really hear out of his damaged ear without the help of his comm.
"G-G-G-GOD I miss Chicago!" Junior stammered out through chattering teeth. His hands fisted tightly at his sides when they weren't tucked under his armpits in a desperate search for warmth.
Goldie snorted but didn't say anything.
"Winter in Chicago," Junior went on wistfully. "Making snowmen and snow angels and snowballs--"
"Knocking Max's stupid hat off with snowballs."
Junior gave a startled laugh. "I gave him that hat!" he protested.
"I know!" Goldie snickered. "That's the only reason he wears that abomination. He's pretty sentimental for someone who likes to point out he doesn't have a heart."
"Max is a softie," Junior agreed, grinning. The grin faded slightly as he paused in his pacing and stared down at his feet. "Hot cocoa."
"I'd kill for that stupid ugly hat right about now," Goldie admitted, a brief shudder running through her. Pushing herself to her feet, she jumped up and down a few times, trying to generate some heat in her body.
Junior shot her a grin and stepped closer to ruffle her tangled hair. "Body heat escapes through the head, y'know."
"Ohmygod, really?!" Goldie gasped sarcastically, then swatted his hand away. "YES. Okay. I know. I get it. You're so very totally clever for having a costume that covers your head, you ass."
Nimbly dancing away, or at least as nimbly as he could given how cold he was, Junior chuckled. Then he wrapped his arms around his middle and jumped in place for a moment.
Goldie blew out a deep breath and stared at him through the fog it created in front of her face. "Is it getting colder?" she asked in disbelief, certain she could feel a noticeable drop in temperature.
"I-I d-d-d-don't--" Junior shook his head and clamped his mouth shut over his chattering teeth. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, then blurted in a rush, "I can't even tell anymore. I'm losing the feeling in my toes. Why didn't I insulate this thing more?"
Goldie winced and shrugged. "I dunno, babe, I thought you'd insulated your suit to within an inch of its life."
"I could've done more!" he protested. "I would've had to, like, sacrifice some maneuverability, but I--"
"Had no idea you were going to get stuck in this godforsaken frozen wasteland, so quit beating yourself up over it."
Junior hunched his shoulders and said nothing, shuffling his feet with a miserable expression on what was visible of his face. Goldie huffed and closed the distance between them with stomping steps. When Junior looked up, she frowned irritably and poked his goggles.
"Change the setting," she demanded. "I can't see you."
She got the distinct impression that the look on his face meant he was rolling his eyes, but he obediently reached up to change the setting on his goggles so that his eyes were once again visible. Blinking up at her, Junior's mouth quirked up on one side.
"Idiot," Goldie said affectionately, bumping shoulders with him.
Junior leaned against her side in response. Then he abruptly said, "This is not how I imagined going."
Startled, Goldie opened her mouth to speak, but her partner just continued.
"I expected like, a blaze of glory or...or something big."
"What, like a nuke to the face?" Goldie snapped, elbowing him.
Junior shrugged and wouldn't meet her gaze no matter how much she nudged him.
"Oh for god's sake!" Goldie huffed, stepping away from him so abruptly that he stumbled before catching himself. Grabbing the man's shoulders, she gave him a shake and waited for his surprised face to look up. "We're not gonna die here. If nothing else, Max'll notice you haven't bugged him about anything in a while and have a dozen or more satellites searching the globe for us."
They both grinned as they said in unison, "He worries."
Junior shook his head and chuckled, leaning forward until he was pressing his entire body against Goldie's. "Sorry, sorry, I just...I really don't like being cold."
"That's total bull," Goldie muttered, wrapping her arms around him. "Winter in Chicago, remember? I couldn't pay you to stay inside when there's snow to play in."
Grin turning wry, Junior ducked his head. "I mentioned the hot cocoa, right?"
"Okay, so you're due like a gallon of it when we get outta here," Goldie retorted.
Junior laughed and pressed his face against her neck. They stood like that for a silent moment, before he mumbled, "So. Sharing body heat?"
"Sounds like a plan," Goldie agreed.
Lifting his head, Junior looked up at her again and smiled affectionately. Goldie tilted her head down and lowered it.
Nose to nose, forehead to forehead, they looked each other in the eye and grinned as they tried to rub the shivers away from each other.
It helped. She was sure she could feel a difference. Then Junior turned his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
His lips were dry and chapped, but heat bled from them into her cold, exposed skin. And he was near enough that when he breathed out through his nose, the air didn't have time to cool before it touched her.
Closing her eyes as an entirely different heat spread inside her chest, Goldie held her partner close.
-----