Thread: To Melt a Frozen Heart  ( Honey + Dr.Freon )

Brent had, ultimately, enjoyed himself. His new apartment's housewarming party got off to rough start, first because nobody had taken the clearly-written suggestion BYOB seriously when reading the event page, but thankfully, Stephan offered to take a small collect then run out and buy some. Then, too little to late, he realized he hadn't really factored that his guests would want snacks. But fortunately, Stephan was still on the booze run and only a call away. Then of course, there was Amy, with her trademark superiority complex and the arguments it started. They had not been dating long enough to be bickering like this. And in front of everybody, too. Again she had corrected him, and if he had to be honest, the ensuing argument was so frustrating that he couldn't even remember exactly what it was he had said that started it all. But in the end, after her usual attacks, she stormed out, presumably back home to pout about it. After she left, everybody else, having witnessed her throw her drink at him, approached him and offered their condolences and understanding of how difficult she could be. Some even offered shots. So by the time the party was winding down, Brent had a pretty good buzz going. He saw Carmen and Dave, the last guests left, out the door with an appreciative wave, then slowly closed it and sighed with exhaust. Then, he put his hand in his cardigan's pocket and remembered the joint someone had given him, and decided that before he took off his black tee, jeans, dress shoes and gray cardigan, he would go up and check out the view from the roof access, wear the smoke's scent would go undetected by neighbors. After a swaggering journey up the stairs, he gave the heavy, metal door a shove with his shoulder - something he probably wouldn't have to while sober - and what he saw seemed to take his blood alcohol level down a few tenths. Sitting in the light accumulation of snow and ice was Amy. Evidently she hadn't gone home, just upstairs for a smoke, and had just been chilling up here in the most accurate sense imaginable. Brent sprinted over to her, looking her back in her fatigued, numb stare, and put a hand on her shoulder. Amy?! What are you doing up here?! he asked, worried about the pale, unhealthy looking sight of her. You're fucking frozen. How long have you been out here? After a pause for her explanation as he tried to slowly massage warmth into her smooth shoulders and shapely, stocking-ed legs, he got alongside her and scooped her shivering form up, one of his arms lifting her under the knees, the other bracing her upper back. He fumbled to open the door and discovered it to lock from the inside. Not a big deal- he had his key with him, and after some additional scrambling, they were in. Don't worry, baby, everybody's gone, he assured, though the thought of them all seeing her looking like a character from that one ice-pun-titled episode of a number of cheesy sitcoms seemed like a fitting karma for what she'd done earlier. We're gonna get you inside, and run you a nice, hot bath. How would you like that? Once in, he stormed her into the living area, sat her by the warm radiator, disappeared for a moment to turn on the bath water to a mild heat, and returned. It'll be ready in just a minute, he said, then kissed her neck apologetically from behind as he rubbed her shoulders to inspire some kind of warmth. But if she had been out there the whole time she'd been gone, it was likely a futile effort.