New Fic: For The First Time And Forever

[jackwabbit]

For the First Time And Forever

Fandom: Star Trek Discovery
Rated: PG-13
Category: Culmets. Fluff. Domestic Bliss. Travel. New Experiences. Love. Romance. Just a Tiny Bit Naughty. But Mostly Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. Also, What 2018 Annual?
Word Count: 1602.
Season: Pre-Series/Dating, I Do Believe.
Spoilers: General Series Knowledge Only.
Summary: Paul and Hugh, Making Discoveries and Memories. That’s it. That’s the story.
Note: Written for the Culmets Celebration 2020 Culmets Sunday prompt of “winter” and/or “sleep.” And yes, the title is a play on some Frozen lyrics. It’s not the song I originally had in mind, because this was not supposed to be what it ended up being. At all. But that’s completely okay. Hope you enjoy.

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Paul switched off his razor and set it on the counter, then turned to Hugh with a deeply confused look on his face, not sure if he’d heard his partner correctly.

“Wait. What?”

“I said I’ve never even seen snow in person.”

“How is that possible?”

“I grew up in Puerto Rico, remember?”

“Yes, but… never? Not, like, on trips or something? Other planets?”

Hugh shook his head, then shrugged. “Timing was never right.”

“Huh,” said Paul. Then he picked his razor back up and continued shaving his face, and Hugh thought that was the end of it.

But three months later, when Hugh found the old-fashioned envelope containing an actual physical receipt for a three day reservation for a cabin in the Rockies tucked neatly into his luggage when he got home from a quick visit to Paul’s, he knew he’d been wrong.

The note on the bottom of the receipt was simple.

The dates are flexible. We just have to give notice. But I figured maybe next time we can both swing it? Say, February?

Hugh chuckled to himself at the last question. Paul knew damn well Hugh’s next opportunity for leave was, in fact, in February. They’d talked about it just yesterday. Nothing about this was coincidence.

Hugh looked at the timestamp on the receipt, then chuckled again as he picked up his PADD  and messaged Paul.

Hey, handsome. I’m home. And I found your present. Brat. You bought that and snuck it into my bag when I was in the shower this morning, didn’t you?

The response was immediate, and Hugh grinned, imagining Paul waiting excitedly for his surprise to be found.

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

The extra vowels ensured Hugh that his teasing had been taken as the good-natured ribbing it was, and he messaged back.

Explains why you didn’t join me.

This time, despite its longer contents, the response seemed even quicker.

Unfair. You were in a hurry – mostly because I had just joined  WITH you, if you recall.

Hugh felt the stirrings of arousal, recalling perfectly fine how Paul had chosen to say good bye that morning, but he couldn’t resist teasing just a bit more.

Hmmm. I’m not sure on that. You’ll have to remind me what it was you did, again?

Hugh could almost hear Paul’s eyes roll across the distance between them. He could also see his wicked grin – the one he was certain no one else had seen in a very long time.

Believe me, I will.

Hugh fired off a response in the blink of an eye.

That a promise?

The single word he got back was expected, but it still made him shiver.

Absolutely.

Hugh suddenly wished it wasn’t the middle of the day on Deneva. Because while Paul could talk a mean messaging game at work, he drew the line at more than that. Hugh knew better than to call, unless it was an emergency. Granted, his body was trying to tell him it was, but he took a deep breath and let it out slowly before messaging Paul back.

So, February, then?

There was a pause this time, likely due to work interrupting, but Paul got back to Hugh when he was putting away his laundry from his trip, and thankfully for Hugh’s sanity, the innuendo was dropped.

If that works for you. I think I can do it.

Hugh nodded to himself.

Let’s do it.

And so they did.

There were many more discussions, mostly dealing with the logistics of travel and the like, but come February, Hugh found himself warmly ensconced under more blankets than he’d ever seen and more comfortable than he’d been in ages.

Apparently, there was also snow outside, but he hadn’t really noticed. He’d arrived at their destination well after dark, and all he’d been able to manage was a grumbled hello and a chaste kiss for Paul before falling into bed. Fortunately, Paul had been in a similar state, so he’d joined him immediately, and for once, nothing but sleep was on the menu.

But now, Hugh was slowly coming awake, and so was his body. He reached out for Paul, hoping to find him in another complimentary mood.

But his hand felt nothing but cool sheets, which caused a wrinkle of concern to crease Hugh’s brow. Paul never got up before him on a day off. Hugh cracked one eye open and looked around the room. There was no sign of Paul anywhere.

That was odd enough that Hugh sat halfway up.

“Paul?” he called.

A muffled thump answered him from the main room of the cabin.

“Oh, good! You’re awake!” came Paul’s entirely too chipper voice.

And suddenly, Hugh was completely awake.

He was also wondering if he’d been transported to another dimension.

“Paul?” he repeated, sitting up completely.

“Yeah?” answered Paul, backing into the room carrying a tray.

“What are you doing?”

Paul made it through the door and turned around to face Hugh. He lifted his tray up to show Hugh the contents.

“Breakfast,” he said, by way of explanation.

“Why?”

Paul looked baffled.

“Because food?”

“What’s the rush?”

Paul beamed.

“I wanna build a snowman!”

Now it was Hugh’s turn to be confused.

“What?”

Paul didn’t notice Hugh’s mood, despite sitting down next to him to set his tray on the bed. He was too busy gesturing animatedly and chattering away.

“Apparently, it’s a thing here. Everyone builds one when they get here and they leave it after their stay and then there’s a whole family by each cabin, and I haven’t made a snowman since I was, like, ten, and it just happened to snow last night, and …”

Hugh’s quiet laughter finally registered, and Paul’s ramble slowed to a stop.

“What?”

“Nothing,” said Hugh, taking a slice of toast off the tray and biting into it. “Just… you’re adorable. But wouldn’t you rather stay in bed?”

He wagged his eyebrows suggestively at Paul as he spoke, and even with the toast between them, that normally would’ve more than effective at changing Paul’s plans – especially since they hadn’t seen each other in months.

But Paul was already up and darting around the room, collecting outerwear and too active to note Hugh’s expression. He paused at Hugh’s question, though, and sat again. He was right next to Hugh, and he slowly took the toast out of his hand and set it back on the tray. Then he took Hugh’s face in his hands and slowly kissed him, and Hugh leaned into it – at least until Paul pulled back and spoke.

“Hugh,” he said. “There is nothing I’d like more than to remind you exactly how I said good bye to you last time. After all, I promised. Or we could do anything else you might want to in this bed. But first, we’re going outside. We’re going to build a snowman. And take a walk in the woods. And maybe start a snowball fight with the kids in the next cabin down the road.”

Hugh shook his head slightly under Paul’s hands, confused look intensifying.

“There are kids?”

“Yeah,” Paul said with a nod.

“Down the road?”

“Yeah,” Paul repeated.

“And you know this how?”

“I went for a walk before you woke up.”

“You went for a walk?”

“Yes. What is wrong with you?”

“Before I woke up?”

“It has been known to happen.”

“Not since I’ve known you.”

“Well, you don’t know everything about me just yet, Hugh Culber,” said Paul, giving him a quick peck on the nose and standing up again, mischievous look in his eyes as he left the room. “Now, eat up, then get dressed. We’re going to go play in the snow.”

Hugh stared after Paul for a moment, then did as he was told. He was hungry, after all, and since he wouldn’t have company if he stayed in bed, he figured he’d go along with Paul’s crazy idea – even if building a snowman wasn’t exactly high on his priority list.

Three hours later, he’d re-evaluated his priorities.

Because the walk he took with Paul before they got to work let him appreciate the beauty of two things he’d never seen before. One, snow. It was truly beautiful, even if he was a little cold before they got moving. And two, Paul Stamets in what Hugh could only assume was his native environment. He was gorgeous, with his rosy cheeks and wide-open eyes, and Hugh couldn’t help but kiss his reddened nose.

And it turned out that building a snowman was far more fun that he’d expected, too. He got his work out in, for one thing, and while his experience with snowmen was limited to holovids, Paul was an excellent teacher, and Hugh thought their creation turned out pretty well. It at least held its own against some of the others on display.

They didn’t get into a snowball fight, but was probably for the best, and it didn’t matter.

Because most importantly, Hugh also discovered that the best part of playing in the snow was coming inside to warm up. Paul made hot chocolate, and they ate cookies, and it was as cliché a thing as ever was, but Hugh didn’t care. Because once they were done with Paul’s treatment for the cold, they got to work on Hugh’s. And Paul Stamets was nothing if not true to his word.

He kept his promises.

And from that day forth, Hugh Culber, tropical island boy to his core, didn’t mind the snow one bit.

In fact, he learned to love it, and he took Paul home whenever he could.

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A/N: both paper and months are used a lot more than you’d think in Trek, so just roll with it, okay? ;)