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Winters in New York City get romanticized in every holiday movie ever, but in reality they’re full of contradictions. The city does get a certain air of excitement to it and there are countless outlets for fun winter activities, but it gets bitterly cold some days. The commute to and from work is frosty and unpleasant in the mornings and long and tiring at night. Calum has gotten into the habit of leaving a little early, simply so he has a few moments to unfreeze once he gets to work but before he needs to don his apron and start serving customers. Coming home is easier, because when he gets through the door Luke is almost always there, bundled in blankets and lifting up the edge of a quilt just enough for Calum to sneak in and plaster himself to his side, leeching all of his body head. Luke always complains, then holds him closer as soon as Calum offers to get up and make hot chocolate instead.
The drafts in this apartment are worse than any other one they’ve been in. It’s not a bad place, all things considered. It’s definitely better than their last apartment, which is currently a pile of rubble due to termites being found inside the walls, and while it’s further from the restaurant Calum works at and the department store Luke is a manager for, it’s also a bit bigger. It’s a good deal for a New York apartment on their budget, and the neighbors are fine. The only issue is how cold it gets. They’ve already bought a fluffy rug for the bedroom so their toes don’t freeze every morning, and Calum has tried politely inquiring about the heating with the landlord a few times already. Apparently it’s not individually controlled and raising the heat for them would turn a few of the other apartments boiling.
Luke bought a small electric heater. It helps, but they can’t keep it on while they sleep and there’s only so much it can do when it has to fight with all of the cold air somehow getting in through the windows and under every crack in a doorway.
“I’m cold” is quickly becoming Luke’s most-used phrase. He does worse in the chill than Calum does, and while he says he loves winter, Calum knows that he only loves it when he can come inside and thaw out easily with no more than one blanket and a warm beverage. They haven’t even hit mid-December and this winter has already been hard on Luke’s body temperature and Calum’s patience. He loves Luke more than anything, but there’s only so much complaining he can handle.
“Hey,” Calum says one morning, Luke already wearing fuzzy socks and a sweatshirt and still somehow shivering slightly. Calum thinks his shoulders are probably permanently tense from the constant defense against the cold. "I might be home a little late. I have an errand to run after work.“
Luke hums, still trying to wake up. Calum presses a cup of coffee into his hands and kisses his temple, staying close for a few minutes until he has to force himself to leave for work.
After his shift, Calum heads to the nearest department store and makes a beeline for the first employee who looks like they might help him.
"Hi, I’m looking for the warmest, fuzziest sweater you have,” he says.
“You’ve come to the right place,” the worker says, smiling cheerfully. Calum is impressed with both their enthusiasm and bright green hair, and he's just as impressed with the massive sweater collection that they lead him to. There’s more variety than he was expecting, argyles stacked on stripes and displayed next to novelty items that have phrases and pictures on them which could be found in an elementary school classroom. There are fancier knit pullovers and heavy wool zip ups. There are fluffy hoodies and fleece-lined zip-ups. Calum doesn’t know where to begin.
“Oh wow,” he says. "What’s the warmest, do you think? We’re talking heavy-duty, survive in Antartica warm.“
"I’m not sure,” the employee says. They wander through the aisle, pinching fabric between their fingers before perking up in front of another display.
“We’ve gotten really good reviews on these ones. They pill a bit in the wash, but they’re super warm and pretty comfortable. I have one and it’s like wearing a blanket.”
They hold up an incredibly fuzzy, slightly bulky blue quarter zip. Calum reaches forward and is immensely pleased to find that it feels just as soft as it looks.
“It has pockets and a hood, too,” the employee says. "We have it in a whole bunch of colors. I’m sure you can find something that works!“
"This will be perfect, actually,” he says. He finds an extra-large, because Luke will enjoy feeling extra cozy if it’s a little big, and heads to the register, refusing to get sidetracked by any of the other bright patterns. The price makes him cringe just slightly, but it’ll be worth it. It’s for Luke, and Luke deserves a fuzzy sweater and to not feel cold at every moment in their apartment. They’re scheduled to play at a coffee shop next week, and they’ll make up this money then.
Calum hurries home, tucking his chin into his coat in an attempt to keep his neck warm. He needs to remember to bring a scarf when he goes out. Every day gets a little bit colder, and his mom got him a nice one when she found out he was serious about staying in New York.
The apartment door sticks, so Calum has to kick it open after turning the knob. Luke, for once, is not bundled up on the couch.
“Luke?” he calls.
“Kitchen,” Luke calls back, which probably would’ve been the last place Calum checked. Sure enough, he’s standing near the stove with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, eyeing the kettle intently.
“I’m making hot chocolate! You're just in time,” he says, getting down another mug then immediately hiding his hands back under the blanket. "How was your errand? What was it?"
"I bought you a fuzzy sweater!’ Calum says, revealing it with a flourish.
"For me?” Luke asks, smile unfurling like a flower in the sun. "Cal, you shouldn’t have."
"I wanted to,” Calum says. "I want you to be warm, and I’ve been guaranteed that this is one of the warmest sweaters around."
"Can I try it on?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Calum says. "I’m not going to show you and then withhold it. That’d be mean."
Luke makes grabby hands, letting the blanket fall to the floor while he slips the sweater over his head. It creates some static, making a few of his curls fall into disarray until he runs a hand over them again. Calum reaches forward and zips it up all the way, then adjusts the hood so it lays flat instead of bunching uncomfortably around his neck.
"What do you think?” he asks.
“It’s nice,” Luke says. "It feels warm so far, and it’s soft." He smiles again, looking down at where the sleeves end then back at Calum.
"Can I say something really cheesy?” he asks.
“Choose wisely,” Calum says. "This is the only cheesy comment you get tonight. All others will have to be saved for tomorrow."
Luke takes Calum’s hands, slotting their fingers together and putting them his pockets, pulling them closer together. Calum looks into his eyes, baby blues that should suggest cold but somehow are filled with warmth instead, and feels any residual ice from outside melt away.
"I don’t need a sweater when I have your love to keep me warm,” Luke says, then giggles.
“I’ll love you extra hard this winter, then,” Calum says. He leans forward and kisses Luke’s nose, then his lips. The teapot whistles, interrupting any further kissing, but Calum knows Luke won’t go far. They’ll drink their cocoa while cuddling on the couch, then have dinner and spend the rest of the night with each other. Luke will snuggle further into the sweater and shove his cold fingers against Calum’s side, and Calum will try to squirm away and absolutely fail. It’s okay, though. As cheesy as it is, Calum has to agree with Luke: he doesn’t need a fuzzy sweater when Luke is there to keep him warm.