[ God, Mace remembers being a teenager. He’d been heftier than Peter thanks to training for ROTC, but he’d still been as awkward as a new colt. A lot more awkward than the kid getting into the front seat next to him, honestly. Peter’s hands go the heater vent as the car starts moving, and Mace’s instinct is to turn the heat up a little more — but at the last second, he realizes he doesn’t know how hot would be comfortable for the little guy. ]

Turn it up as much as you need. And I haven’t seen a sunset like this in a while, is all.

[ Soon as he says it, Mace realizes how ridiculous it sounds, for all that it’s entirely honest; sure, the sky is a pale gold behind the ever-present grey, but it’s nothing to write home about. A low, amused huff, and without taking his eyes off the road, he tilts his face toward Peter slightly as he clarifies, ]

You know, out in space. How about you, how long’ve you been outside? [ Mace doesn’t ask why, thinks he probably knows the answer already: same reason he himself had ended up in the lake, earlier in the week. The memory of that prompts him to add, ] Do you wanna make a pitstop for some hot chocolate, or some ...

[ Food. He almost says it, and he sure as hell means to ask it, because not only does Peter look half-frozen, there’s a wanness to his face that speaks of not having had a full meal all day. But. The streets are a little too silent, and some sudden gut feeling is telling him it’s probably safest for both of them to head straight home. Behind four solid walls and the safety of a locked front door.

Frowning, Mace’s eyes flicker into the rearview as he trails off, and a foreboding feeling settles itself in the pit of his stomach. Because they still haven’t turned a single corner, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to see the rooftops of the Christmas Village —

And yet.

The horizon behind them suddenly seems to be bare, opening up into the darkening sky. ]