Leo’s from NOLA so he’s probably so used to extreme heat that he’s chronically freezing cold in the fall/winter 😭
As a northern girl myself, I would never survive in the NOLA heat. To each their own, I guess.
Enjoy our lovernut being a very adorable icicle! All credits to @lumosinlove !!
“Absolutely not.”
“Leo,” Logan laughed. He was holding up a pair of snowshoes with a grin. “Allez.”
“No, no, no way, have you seen the thermometer?” Leo exclaimed. He picked it up from its place on Logan’s parents’ counter. “Negative twelve Celsius. That’s, like, 10 degrees!” He shivered as if to demonstrate. “I will be an icicle.”
“A very cute icicle,” Finn said, straightening from where he was tying his boots up. “C’mon, sunshine, you’ve gotta go snowshoeing at least once while we’re here.” He kissed Leo’s cheek and wrapped him in a hug. “Please, please, please?”
“Allez, Le, look,” Logan added. He pulled out some gear from a box in the mud room. “I’ve got some nice wool mittens and a fleece Buff, and you’ve got your beanie maman knit you.” He walked up to Leo and put a hand on his cheek. “You’ll be fine, mon coeur.”
Leo narrowed his eyes, but huffed. “Fine. Fine, but don’t be surprised if I can’t make you hot cocoa when we get back.”
Finn snorted lightly through his nose in amusement. “The horror.”
Leo turned to him. “You laugh now, but you love my cocoa.”
“Not as much as I love you,” Finn said with a last kiss to his cheek. “C’mon, let’s get you bundled up, butter.”
“Ouais, I’ll even strap you into your snowshoes, soleil, so you don’t have to take off your mittens.”
Leo thought for a second. “Okay,” he conceded. He pulled the fleece gaiter firmly over his head and tucked it into the neck of his jacket. “Okay, let’s go.”
After being sufficiently bundled up by his boyfriends, Leo stepped out onto the snow-covered porch of the Tremblay’s Rimouski home, just outside of the main city, and took a breath of freezing-cold air. This was not how he anticipated to be spending their week off for the All Star break, but Logan had wanted to go home where the snow was high, and Finn and Leo would follow him anywhere- hence, their mid-season reunion headed up north to the freezing cold Canadian winter. It was a wonderland, the snowbanks piled up on the side of the streets and the tree branches weighed down with heavy powder. If only Leo’s parents could see him now. His mother would certainly laugh.
Leo watched as Logan knelt to strap him into the snowshoes he was borrowing from Logan’s father. He looked handsome with his winter coat and his bomber hat, all rugged and outdoorsy. Leo sometimes forgot that this had been Logan’s life before the NHL- it was more distinctly different from Leo's and Finn’s than Leo’s and Finn’s were from each other. It seemed that he never lost the love for the wilderness, either, because the first thing he had suggested they do last night was go for a morning snowshoe the following day, which Finn had readily agreed to. Leo had taken a little more convincing, and was promised lots of cuddles and blankets after their walk in the woods- a promise he certainly was going to make sure they kept.
Now, however, he got to relish the brightness of Logan’s eyes looking up at him as he finished helping Leo. His gloves were hanging around his wrists on their straps to allow his nimble fingers to do the buckles, and his hair flopped out a little over his forehead from underneath his hat. He smiled gently up at Leo and cradled the back of his calf. “All done,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to Leo’s thigh through his snowpants. He stood up and pressed a light peck to Leo’s lips. “Ready, mon amour?”
“Ouais,” Leo replied. He shivered. “I’m already cold.”
“Well, let’s get moving,” Finn said. He kicked his feet out a few times and grinned at Logan. “Damn, Lo, it’s been a while since I wore these. Probably the last time I visited your place during the winter in college.”
Logan grinned back. “Oui. Not so awkward on your feet now, huh, Bambi?”
Finn rolled his eyes but kissed Logan’s forehead. “Ha ha.” He jerked his chin at Leo. “Why don’t you teach him?” His toasty brown eyes caught Leo’s own baby blues, and his toothy grin and freckles were sharp against the dark navy of his hat. “These are no ordinary shoes, sunshine.”
“Non,” Logan agreed. “You’ve gotta pick your feet up a little more and walk slightly outwards, d’accord? So they don’t drag and tear your snowpants.” He demonstrated by stepping off the porch and walking a few steps in the yard. “Like this, oui?”
“Ooooo-ways!” Finn yelled. He followed after Logan, jumping on him briefly with an arm around his shoulders. He kissed his cheek hard, then turned and held his hand out to Leo. “You coming, baby-baby?”
Leo nodded and took the first step towards them through the soft, twinkling snow.
***
“Oh, baby. Oh, baby-baby, you’re shaking.”
“Uh-huh,” Leo said through chattering teeth. He attempted a smile. “It was fun, though.”
Finn made a noise in the back of his throat. “Are you sure?” He tugged Leo’s hat and Buff off, both slightly damp with sweat and snow. “You’re freezing, sweetheart.”
“Ouais,” Logan said. He had stripped himself of his winter clothes the fastest, left in only jogging pants and a thermal T-shirt. “Let’s throw our damp clothes in the dryer, and I’ll make us a fire.”
“Th-thanks,” Leo got out.
Finn tisked his tongue. “Let’s get you in some fresh dry clothes, Le.”
“I-I’m really fine-”
“Nope, nuh-uh.” Finn shook his head. “No frozen boyfriends. You’re not any fun if you’re frozen.”
Leo rolled his eyes playfully but crossed his arms over his body, completely rid of all layers except his pants and thermal shirt as well. “I’m going to go put on a sweatshirt.”
Finn kissed him. “And dry socks. There are some more wool ones I unpacked last night, they’re in the top drawer.”
“Merci,” Leo said, and all but rushed up the stairs to Logan’s bedroom. He found one of Logan’s Rangers sweatshirts on their bed. It was a little big on Logan anyways, and made Leo feel surrounded by the scent of him as he pulled the hood over his head. Leo ducked his nose into the collar and took a big inhale. He’d missed Logan so terribly some nights it was hard to sleep, even with Finn as a warm weight against his back. Now, though, he felt tucked away and safe in the place Logan grew up- even though he was freezing his tail off.
He came back downstairs laden in cozy clothing and two pairs of woolen socks to find Logan in the kitchen bustling around to make tea and Finn putting a few more logs on the fire Logan had made in the Tremblay’s woodstove. Marius and Iva were skiing overnight at a lodge somewhere, so they had the house to themselves, and took full advantage of sprawling across the couches in the living room. Leo nestled into the cushions and smiled as Finn draped a fleece blanket over him, tucking it under Leo’s body.
“There we go,” Finn said. He kissed Leo softly. “A nice Leo burrito.” He sat sideways on Leo’s lap and hugged his shoulders tightly. “How are you feeling, my pretty peanut?”
“Good,” Leo said. Between the sweatshirt, the blanket, and Finn’s fleece-covered shoulder pressing against him, his voice came out muffled. “My face is a little cold, still, and my feet. But I’m okay.”
“Well,” Finn said. “I can do something about that.” He turned his torso slightly and squished Leo’s cheeks, pressing kisses all over his face. His lips were warm and firm, a sharp contrast to Leo’s freezing skin. With a final wet, smacking one to his forehead, Finn leaned back and looked down with a soft grin. “Better?”
Leo nodded. He was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. “Merci. Where’s Lo?”
“Salut,” Logan said. He came into the room balancing a tray with three cups in one hand and a pair of fuzzy slippers in the other. “Allez, soleil, I brought you something to help with your feet.” He set the tray down and then knelt to the floor to slip the shoes on Leo’s feet. “I figured they would be cold.”
Leo felt his cheeks flush around his smile. Finn laughed and ran a hand through Logan’s hair. “You’re such a sweetheart, huh, ten?”
Logan bit his lip and looked up. He looked happy and content in the soft firelight. “Only sometimes.” He peered around to look at Leo. “You look so cute with your eyes just looking at me like that.”
It was a display of frankness so uncharacteristic of Logan that it made Leo gasp out a giggle, nudging his nose into Finn’s shoulder. “I guess I just got something nice to look at.”
“Ouais, you do,” Logan grinned. He moved to the couch to curl up beside Leo, pushing his warm nose into his neck. He dropped a lingering kiss there. “Thank you for coming snowshoeing with us.”
Leo leaned their heads together and looked up at Finn. “I had fun. Really, I did.” He shivered. “I think I’m just not made for cold weather.”
Logan laughed. “Non. Non, you’re not.” He turned Leo’s face to kiss him gently. “Even though you do look very sweet when you’re all cozy in winter clothes.”
“Yeah,” Finn agreed. He pinched Leo’s nose lightly. “You’re like our own little snugglebug. Soft and squishable and cuddly.”
Leo snorted. “Gee, thanks, Harz.”
“It’s a good thing.” He tucked his face on the other side of Leo’s neck and pressed closer. “I like having a personal snugglebug.” He leaned back to look at Logan and kissed him briefly. “In fact, I got two. Lucky me.”
“Ouais, lucky you.” Logan’s eyes were so fond Leo thought that he would melt into the couch cushions. “Allez, tea time.” He stroked Leo’s belly with a warm hand. “Gotta heat you up from the inside.”
Finn swung his leg over and settled down on Leo’s other side with a final kiss to his cheek. He reached for their tea and handed a cup to each Logan and Leo before taking a sip of his own. His face scrunched in a grimace and he coughed. “Lo. Baby, I love you, so much, but I think this is yours.”
Logan scoffed. “It’s not that bad.”
“I don’t know how you drink that sugar bomb-”
“It’s good-”
“It’s literally pure honey, honey, that is not a perfectly balanced-”
“Oh, mon Dieu, rouge, to me it’s-”
Leo couldn’t help it. Giggles started deep in his belly, warm with the tea, and bubbled upwards until they escaped through his mouth. Logan and Finn stopped abruptly, smiling at him with their mouths open and their foreheads pinched in confusion. Leo looked between the two of them, flushed, and wiggled himself back into the cushions a little bit more.
“Quoi?” Logan asked. He nuzzled into Leo’s neck playfully and nipped at the skin there. “Quoi, what?”
“Nothing,” Leo laughed. “Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “I’m good. I’m so good.” He sighed. “I’m so, so in love with you.”
He couldn’t see their smiles, but he knew they were there. Just like he knew that they were as happy as he was, that they were as in love as he was. He knew that they were in freefall just like him, floating higher and higher and weightless, up in the clouds and on the beach, watching the rolling, blue seas. Their laughter was the music he swayed to, their eyes the view he pictured when he fell asleep. Their fingers had left marks on his skin, their smiles on his heart. Their lips had caressed every part of him, knew all of him, and Leo was so in love he was vibrating with it. He was shivering, but not because he was cold anymore.
He settled further back into the couch and sighed. One of Finn’s hands was on his thigh, the other’s fingers laced with his own; Logan’s warm palm was under his sweatshirt, rubbing his stomach soothingly, the other up in his hair. He felt everywhere their skin touched acutely, like it was burning him, but not like fire. Or, yes, like fire, but like the fire in front of him: heating him from inside out, igniting this eternal flame inside of him.
Leo opened his eyes to find both of their beautiful faces hovering in front of him. He kissed them each softly and bent all their heads together. “I love you,” he whispered with a smile. “I love you so much. Thank you for taking me snowshoeing."