This second story is inspired by my own feelings as a Canadian about winter, it's a complex sort of relationship when it takes up most of the year, I think we all love it and hate it. I didn't mention Canada by name, since it's confusing to try and decide how to meld the Tekkit universe with real life. And it couldn't quite be just Sips since he and Sjin are just too cute together! Enjoy and please review to help me refine my style and keep writing!

"Come on Sips, I worked really hard on this!" Sjin pleaded, shaking his hands. "No way Sjin, have you looked out there? It's goddamn freezing!" Sips said, squishing down deeper into his armchair in front of the fire, pulling his robe closer around himself. "It's not so bad Sips, I've been out there working and I'm fine! Just nip out and see what I did with the factory and we can come right back inside" Sjin whined. "You're not fine you big dumb dumb" Sips said angrily, grabbing Sjin's frozen hand roughly and Sjin hissed "Ow, careful Sips, that hurts!" "Cuz you're too fuckin stupid to know when you're too cold! Sit by the fire, geeze" Sips said, letting go of Sjin's hand which the architect pulled back and nursed, looking hurt. "I thought you were from somewhere cold Sips, why do you hate it so much?" Sips just grunted and started into the fire. Sjin sighed. When Sips got moody like this there wasn't much to do but let it pass. They sat in silence as Sjin warmed his hands until they'd stopped stinging with cold. Sjin stood up again, "I-I'm going out again, there's lots of work to get done in the dirt factory." Sjin said nervously, backing towards the door. "Just come back if you get too cold you idiot" Sips said with a hint of a smirk on his face, turning to watch Sjin go, and Sjin breathed a sigh of relief to see the tension had passed, leaving with a cheery "Sure thing boss!" Shaking his head Sips curled his toes in their fuzzy warm bunny slippers and leaned back to relax in the warmth.

Sjin came in quietly a while later and smiled when he saw that Sips had fallen asleep in his chair, a contented look on his face. It was annoying how the grey man hated working in the cold since this winter was lasting pretty long and there was lots to get done, but Sjin couldn't help but find it cute how much his grumpy friend savoured the warmth of their fireplace in the winter. Sometimes he would refuse to come up to bed until Sjin had warmed it, and if Sjin came in from the cold hoping for any kind of physical contact he would be firmly directed to the fire until his skin was warmer to touch. He moved his hand to shake Sips awake but hesitated. He just looked so happy in that chair. Sjin hated going to sleep alone but he didn't have the heart to disturb him. Sips never napped long so it wouldn't be too long before he came up to bed, and he'd certainly appreciate it being warmed up by Sjin. And an appreciative Sips was a very pleasant Sips to be around Sjin thought with a grin, and his mind made up he stoked the fire and went up to bed.

When Sips awoke the fire was down to just embers. Looking out the window and seeing the darkness he scowled. Sjin better not be out working in the dark, that idiot was always getting too caught up in his work. But then he heard the sound of faint snoring upstairs and relaxed. Getting up and stretching Sips shuffled to the window, looking out at the shining snow and full moon. He stood for a while, debating, then finally made up his mind and crept up the stairs, careful not to wake Sjin. Opening up his chest and cursing quietly he searched through his belongings and pulled out his plaid lumberjack shirt. He hadn't worn it in a long time now that they had the spacesuits, but shrugging off his robe be pulled it on and buttoned it up. Jeans, thick socks, and steel toed boots and his lumberjack outfit was complete. A few times Sjin almost woke up as Sips tried to keep his stomping quiet on his way down the stairs and to the front door, but he never quite fully awakened. Pulling open the front door Sips stomped out into the snow.

He trudged across the compound with his face bent at the perfect angle to keep the blowing wind and snow from burning his face while still looking ahead. Each footstep crunched, and he continued to where he knew there was a way over the fence. Pulling himself over he realized he really should have brought his sword, but he didn't feel like going back now. He looked up at the stars for a moment, unfamiliar constellations. But it wasn't quite right yet. Sticking his hands in his pockets he continued on. Now he was in the forest, surrounded by tall pines. This was it. He stopped, and immediately with the lack of his footsteps there was complete silence. Not the silence of an empty room or a summer's night, but the special silence of winter in a forest, a muffled almost oppressive silence. Sounds weren't just absent, they were absorbed by the heavy snow dragging down the boughs of the pines. His breath made little clouds in the frigid air, and his nose and ears were sore and tingling with cold. A soft whump as a clump of snow fell off a tree. A sniffle as Sips wiped his nose. Time passed and Sips just stood among the trees, drinking in the silence and looking at the moon and the stars. It wasn't comfortable, his extremities were so cold he was starting to lose feeling. But it felt like home, it was familiar and ancestral and connected with something deep in his soul. Finally, with his grey skin flushed with the beginnings of frostbite, Sips turned around without ceremony and walked back.

When he was pulling himself over the fence he heard a familiar voice shouting, "Sips! Sips, are you out here?!" He spotted Sjin not too far away, sword out and running franticly across the compound. "What the hell are you doing Sjin" Sips said and Sjin did a double-take before running over, his blue eyes wide with panic and now relief. "Sips! I thought you'd been iced by a skeleton! Or-or blown up by a creeper! Or got lost!" Sjin babbled, pulling Sips into a bone crushing hug. "Geeze Sjin! I'm fine, get off me!" Sips said embarrassed, but not really moving to push Sjin away as he felt guilty for worrying him. Sjin was relieved enough to just be quiet as Sips lead him back to their house, but as he started to calm down he asked "what are you even doing out here Sips? It's freezing, and you hate the cold!" Brushing the snow off his shirt and putting his hands to the fire Sips sighed contentedly at the feeling of warmth seeping back into his frozen limbs. "Simple Sjin, you can't enjoy being warm if you're not cold sometimes." Sips said with a mischievous grin, suddenly grabbing Sjin and pulling him up close enough to whisper "and if my bed isn't nice and toasty by the time I am in it then you, mister, are in very… big… trouble." "I-um-I'll get on that" Sjin stammered, flushed and heart pounding. "Well then stop standing there you big babby, you've already running out of time" Sips said in the husky voice that never failed to make a shiver run down Sjin's spine, undoing the top button of his shirt. Sips laughed as Sjin scrambled up the stairs. Warming up certainly wasn't going to take long tonight.