#//sorry if i got any details wrong we dont have thanksgiving in australia

[aldensirius]

[ ICE ] + [ ANGEL ]

:)

Black ice.

Alden winced in pain as he lay on the snow and ice-covered asphalt, looking up at the cloudy night sky. Snow gently drifted towards him, graceful and full of dignity. Unlike his fall.

It was the night of Thanksgiving. Aetos had finally worn Alden down; complaining about 'their' meal, and how the 'mashed potato was lumpy' and saying off-handed things like 'dude my turkey's all burnt on the ends.'

It wasn't your turkey to begin with, Aetos...!

All of these things, in additon to Alden losing a battle over the custody of the television, led to a compromise. And so, two hours before midnight, Alden had taken Aetos to a convinience store to pick up an actual dinner.

A convinience store wasn't a first choice, and took a lot of convincing on Alden's behalf, but it was their only failsafe. The city was empty, and everywhere was closed. Other than the lights of the buildings taking the roles of night sky stars, there was little to no signs of life on the heavily snowed roads.

This extended to the shelves of the store, as all the turkey had been sold out. In it's place were old, wrinky roast chickens. Ones that had clearly been there all day and were going to be thrown out come morning. One exhausting conversation and a fight broken up between Aetos and the rude night staff later, the two were walking back to the apartment. Unfortunatley, when crossing the road to get from one sidewalk to the other, Alden had stepped on a concealed patch of black ice, sending him and the second-choice meal he was carrying into the air, landing in a heap.

"Aetos...! My back...! You might have to take me to the hospital...!"

Aetos responded, but the searing pain up the older man's spine was enough to enshroud it with the sound of ringing. And when he finally opened his eyes...

"...Aetos. Why... why are you making a snow angel in the middle of the road...?"

"Thought you were delirious and unconscious. So I thought if I laid down next to you people would think we're chillin'. I just felt like doin' the snow angel part."

Alden looked back at the sky. Up at the clouds who thankfully never had to deal with the force making a snow angel next to him. The street was empty. A musical rendition of 'jingle bells' echoed down the roads, probably playing from a public speaker.

It's still fucking November...!

This was not the Thanksgiving Alden wanted. Laying here, in the snow, his two $10 chicken meals (that he purchased with his own money) now freezing on the ice after falling out of their packages... and the oaf next to him who walked into the evening unannounced. It was chaotic. Unneccesary. And yet...

He began to chuckle through the pain. Then laugh. And as jingle bells played throughout the night, a part of him understood this reaction.

And certainly reminded him of what he is thankful of.