Something Blue

Chapter 20

A blizzard had annexed the south-eastern portion of Minnesota. Highways were closed, busses had ceased operation, planes were grounded, Wi-Fi was down - and Elliot was stuck at home. He had called his mom when his flight was cancelled, informing her he probably wouldn't be home for Christmas. She had sounded disappointed, but not devastated.

Nicki was already gone. She had flown back to her hometown a couple days prior to the storm. Quinn had been in the house until mid-afternoon, deciding to take the short drive to the suburbs during a brief interval of sparse snowfall. Elliot hadn't asked her to stay.

He sat on a layer of newspapers, soaking up the quiet as he refined his watercolor skills on clean canvas. The colors seeped into each other like the unraveling of iridescence. The blues ebbed, the pinks blurred, the greens blotted. He was trying to recreate the snow's opal-like tones when he heard a thud on the porch. He peeked out his window, seeing a familiar green car.

Elliot abandoned his painting and stalked toward the living area. He swung open the front door, and without warning, a gust of snowflakes flew into the room like confetti.

"Pierce?" He squinted at the brunt of winter.

"Hey," he greeted, stomping his boots to remove some snow. A backdrop of white surrounded him, with only the distant glow of holiday lights to contour his scruffy jaw.

"What're you doing here?"

"I texted Quinn," he explained. "She said I could borrow some of her old cat litter - R.I.P Mr. Bibble, a great feline friend - in case my tires get stuck in the snow. For traction, you know?" Quinn had stashed the cat litter next to the bucket of salt, suspecting they'd need it one day. Turns out, she was right. Pierce continued, "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be in Massachusetts by now?"

"My flight was delayed," Elliot said. He kicked his suitcase by the door. "And then it was reassigned. And then cancelled."

Pierce peeked inside the house. "You're here alone?" The wind whistled, creaking the house's walls.

"Yeah," Elliot sighed, gesturing him to come inside. "You're still driving home in the snow?"

Pierce shrugged, shutting the door. He took off his gloves as he said, "It's only a two-hour drive to Renville." The snow on his boots quickly began to melt into the hallway rug.

"In the middle of a blizzard?"

"I'll take the back roads until it clears up," Pierce said. "By the time I get to Hamburg I should be able to get on the highway without any trouble."

"It's dangerous," Elliot pressed.

Pierce quirked a smile. "Are you worried about me?"

Elliot folded his arms. "Your car isn't a giant hockey skate, Pierce," he stated. "You can't control where it slides."

"As much as I appreciate the physics lesson," Pierce started. "There's one force you've failed to consider - my mother's wrath if I'm not at supper by six o'clock."

"Your tires are balding," Elliot remarked, as if it would convince the stubborn boy in front of him.

"If you're so concerned," Pierce edged. "Why don't you come with me? Make sure I don't do anything reckless."

"What?"

Pierce's head tipped as he tugged Elliot toward him. He held him close, wrapping a single hand around his waist. Elliot could feel his chilly fingertips over his wool sweater.

"Christmas is in two days," Pierce said. "You shouldn't celebrate alone."

"I'll be fine."

"Let me rephrase," Pierce said, grabbing Elliot suitcase. "You're spending Christmas with me."

"Your family - "

"Would be happy to have a new person at the table," he said. "Trust me. Every time my brother's girlfriend mentions her flourless chocolate cake recipe I feel like I'm about to have a Wanda-Vision-level breakdown."

"I've never even met your parents."

"Yes, you have," Pierce reminded him. "Freshman year. On move-in day."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "For two seconds."

"They'll remember you," he assured him. "Come on. You're already packed. Get some shoes on."

"Pierce. Wait," Elliot protested, chasing him out the door. "We need to talk about this."