Snow falling, Christmas lights twinkling, Reid and Morgan were out for an evening stroll around the neighborhood to enjoy the first snowfall of winter. Dark snow clouds loomed low over the suburbs of Virginia, a sign of events to come. But despite the closely-approaching blizzard, Reid insisted his boyfriend assist him on a long walk through inch-think frost that accumulated on the sidewalk. It had been 7 years now since that fall day in the alley downtown, where two men professed silently, their lingering love for each other. Telling the team of their relationship was evident and scary, but virtually no surprise to any of them. They'd all suspected this would be an outcome one day. And the two had been a couple ever since. Reid, now back to shoulder-length hair and with one more PhD, and Morgan now less muscular, lived together in a cozy one-bedroom apartment and had been planning to adopt a 2-year-old girl from New York to finally create the family they'd talked about for so long. Everything was right, and neither man had been so happy. It was a love that many envied, but very few will ever experience.

"It's freezing.", Morgan said shivering in the wintry breeze.
"It's actually below freezing right now. Technically "freezing" is 32 degrees fahrenheit, and the actual temperature outside is 17 degrees, 15 degrees from freezing.", blurted Reid.

"Smart ass.", Derek chuckled. "You are outta your mind to be walking in this weather. We got a snowstorm headed straight for us and you've got me out here treading in snow. And look at you, don't even have your coat buttoned." Derek reached over and snapped the top two buttons on his boyfriend's coat, and shoved his ungloved hands back into his pockets.

"It's beautiful, this weather.", Spencer whispered, smiling up at the sky, snowflakes falling gently on his face and disappearing just as quickly as they came. Morgan watched this, the flakes hitting Reid's nose and hair and rosy cheeks. And then clinging to his eyelashes, leaving sparkling drops of water behind. It took him back to the day they first kissed, first caressed each other in that alleyway so many years ago. The raindrops had glinted so brightly, irresistibly on his lover's lashes, it would be something he would never forget.

As if reading Morgan's mind, Reid said, "Let's walk downtown."

"Oh, babe. Let's just go home, that blizzard's gonna be rough.", Derek spoke through chattering teeth.
"Derek, come on. The Christmas lights are great over there. Let's go, we'll only be a few minutes.", Reid yanked on his love's hands until he came willingly and they made their way toward the empty streets of the small downtown shops. It truly was beautiful, as Reid had said. The long, empty streets lined with darkened stores filled with much of nothing, twinkling red and green lights shining on the doors and roofs. Newly-formed icecicles hung from the buildings and bushes, a thin sheet of unscathed snow and ice spread over their walkway.
"Can you believe no one is out here to see this?", Spencer said breaking off an icicle from a low-hanging gutter.

"This street's always been abandoned apart from the shop owners. Besides, Reid, I'm pretty sure everyone is at home on their couches in front of the TV, with a big cup of coffee...as we should be. Seventeen degrees isn't exactly ideal weather."
Reid said nothing and kept walking, admiring the scene like a child. Breaking off all the icicles, eating them one by one, sliding his boots across the iced sidewalk, nearly slipping and falling more than a few times. Though Morgan didn't exactly enjoy walking in the cold chill of the evening, he loved seeing his companion this way, so excited with his eyes wide beaming at the simple pleasure of snowfall. It didn't take much to make his lover happy, and Derek was fine with that.

"Look.", Reid pointed ahead and grinned. It was the alleyway. "Come on." They walked in between the two brick walls and stood together silently for a few minutes. "Brings back all those memories...the smell of rain, my sweaty hands, the chills. I was so scared.", Reid snickered.

"Yeah... I'm glad you didn't push me off of you and run the other direction." They both laughed almost silently, cold, smoke-like breath seeping from their mouths. Derek, back against one wall grabbed Spencer's hand, pulling him against his chest so they were nose to nose.
"I love you, so much.", Reid whispered onto his boyfriend's lips.

"I love you even more, Pretty Boy." Derek leaned in for a kiss, but before he knew it, a cold white hand was pulling out a large, glistening icicle. Reid stuffed it down the front of his love's shirt and ran out of the alley laughing hysterically.

"Oh no, you did not just do that, boy, you're going to pay.", Morgan said playfully and swiped up some snow as he jogged onto the sidewalk. But Reid was ready, already pitching balls of snow, hitting Derek's face and chest. Spencer's long hair flailing, he dodged the flying snow.
"Is your athleticism failing you, Derek?", Reid mocked while throwing another large snowball towards Morgan, hitting him square in the jaw. The two ran up and down the sidewalk, scooping snow and pitching. The wind had picked up now,making it harder for the boys to stand up straight and the snow came down harder and thicker, blanketing the street. It was clear the snowstorm had arrived, yet neither of them seemed to care anymore. While his boyfriend had ran out of snow, Morgan gathered several snowballs into his coat pockets.

"You're gonna get it, now!", he shouted. Reid quickly dove behind an empty truck parked on the side of the street. Derek bolted around the truck to faintly see his boyfriend huddled by the bumper, laughing. Morgan whipped out the snowballs and pelted them quickly at him, one after another. Reid jumped up and backed into the icy street all the while giggling hysterically.

"I surrender, I surrender!", he pleaded playfully. But one after another Morgan tossed the snow at him, backing a barely-visible Reid further onto the road. He laughed uncontrollably, hurling handfuls through the foggy air.
And then there was a ear-splitting screech, and the sound of ice breaking, and the unmistakable sound of a car approaching quickly. Blinding headlights lit up the street, tearing through the evening darkness.

"Reid?"
In seconds the car sliced through the street.
"REID!"

A blatant thump. A thundering crash. And then nothing but the sound of an engine still running and the ringing in Morgan's ears. His head spun and nothing was in place.

What just happened?! , he thought. He looked in front of him, toward the street where his partner had stood. One of Reid's shoes. He looked to his right through the blinding snowfall to see the car, front end smashed into the shopping center, headlights lighting up the sidewalk. Right underneath the front bumper, he saw light brown hair.

"Oh my God, no."
He bolted toward the car and kneeled right by Reid's head, which stuck out in front of the tire with red sticky blood flowing from his scalp. Both eyes closed, mouth slightly open. His body, bloody and mangled was stuck under the wheels, with one foot completely twisted.

Derek put a hand on each side of Reid's face.
"Baby...baby!", he cried out. "Baby I'm gonna get help alright, okay? It's all alright. HELP! HELLLP!", he screamed to anyone. "SOMEONE GET OUT HERE AND HELP US, DAMN IT! PLEASE!" The driver must have gotten out of the car because he heard someone say "I'm so sorry" and then something about an ambulance and ice and then a man talking on the phone and screaming.
"Reid, baby please, please! Come on, COME ON!" But he was still. There was no heartbeat. There was nothing. The snow fell harder than ever, the wind wheezed past Morgan's ears. Snowflakes accumulated on Reid's empty face, hitting his nose, dotting his lips, mixing in his hair, and sparkling on his eyelashes.

"Baby..", Morgan choked. Tears fell violently, putting an end to a love that was once thought to be endless. He leaned down, and one last time, kissed away the sparkling drops on those angelic lashes, kissed away the rest of his own life, kissed away the memories, the plans, the joys, the promise of another tomorrow...and it ended with a storm.