Ice Peeked Around The Door To See Mischi Bouncing Up And Down In Her Pack N Play, Clutching Her Teddy

Ice peeked around the door to see Mischi bouncing up and down in her Pack n Play, clutching her teddy to her chest. Sadie sat on the bed, searching through her phone, and made a satisfied noise when she found what she was looking for. She angled her phone towards Mischi, who beamed and said, “The dreamy song!” “That’s right! Remember who sings this, Mischi?” “Unca Tom!” The burning feeling in Ice’s throat inched up into his nose and behind his eyes, intensifying when Sadie pressed play on the video. There was some static, and then there was the sound of his own voice, only the slightest rasp to it from overuse. “Which number is this, Chip?” “Seven-ayyyyy!” Mischi cheered, in unison with Sarah on the other side of the camera. “Okay, y’know what I mean, don’t get excited, man,” the Ice of 2014 said, doing his best Davy Jones impression. 2014!Sarah laughed. The Ice of 2019 fought to keep his breathing steady. “It’s ‘cause I’m short, I know.” Ice heard himself strum a few familiar chords, and then: “Oh, I could hide ‘neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings; the six o’clock alarm would never ring…” Midway through the next verse, Ice felt a hand at the small of his back. Somehow, he managed not to flinch and turned around slowly, meeting Maverick’s eyes. He wanted to explain, to say that he’d recorded hundreds of videos in the aftermath of his diagnosis—songs, stories, messages to friends and family—in case of the worst, but hadn’t touched them once since finding out he was cancer-free, not wanting to somehow jinx his luck. Not wanting the reminder of what he’d lost. But Maverick didn’t say a word. All he did was offer his hand, and Ice’s throat closed completely when he took it; let Maverick wrap his arms around him. And from the guest room, the sound of Ice’s voice rang clear and true: “Cheer up, sleepy Jean; oh, what can it mean to a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?”

a scene from the first chapter of my icemav fic bring back that lovin' feelin', drawn by the incredible @patbbangg ❤️❤️❤️