Pike's Place; Love Actually
I fell hard for these two, in an unexpected way. A few valiant attempts in the past (Charcuterie Challenge + A Different Happy Ending) set me on the right path, but it wasn't until @burntheedges "Roll-a-Trope Challenge" that I managed to really sink my teeth into this delectable winter treat. Since y'all love them as much as I do, I've started a slow burn Winter Series with the assist of @inept-the-magnificent!
Triggers: profanity, talking lots of talking, a little smut, emergency situation/survival...
The firelight danced across Pikeâs smiling face as he mischievously hid behind his third cup of hot chocolate, listening to you with delight. âAnd THEN, I opened the final gift and she had found it. She had found the entire original set that included the authorâs notes!â Your face beamed enthusiastically, flush from the nostalgic excitement of another Christmas story.
âI never thought Iâd meet someone who loves the holidays as much as I doâ Pike stared in wonderment, gently kicking you with a socked foot.
âI mean, as a kid you donât recognize the nuances at all. All you see is chocolate and games andâŠMORE GIFTS!â you laughed maniacally, plunging your fingers into Pikeâs soft stomach and tickling him viciously as he struggled to grasp you around the waist in protestation without spilling his nearly finished hot chocolate.
âWatch out little girl, Iâve got you right where I want youâ Pike laughed through gritted teeth, clamping your body between his knees and setting the cup down on the nearby coffee table.
âIs that so?âyou drolled, slowing your tickle attack and gently moving your fingers up his chest and into his hair. Pike swayed his body from side to side, holding you tightly as your lips brushed against his serenely. âMerry Christmasâ you mumbled into his mouth, kitten licking for more access as he willingly obliged.
A low moan escaped him as you felt him harden beneath you with longing. âYouâre the gift that keeps on givingâ he nestled into your neck, kissing at your sternum and jawline slowly. You smiled with happiness running your fingers back down his body and stuffing them into his sweatpantsâ pockets. âWhat do we have here?â you questioned curiously, letting your fingers gently explore over the fabric, finding bristling hair and his hardening length. You paused mischievously, âChristmas ornaments?â dipping your hands lower still as Pikeâs eyelids fluttered contentedly.
âIs this the part where I make joke about your Christmas box?â Pike whined, keening beneath you and tilting his hips up to meet you. You shifted your body to the side, pulling his sweat pants down slightly and massaging him languidly. âOnly if I get to make a joke about your yuletide logâŠâ you giggled, watching Pikeâs face with delight. He bit his lower lip with yearning as you entangled your feet with his.
Pike twitched with surprise, furrowing his brow in consternation. âOkay, Abominable SnowgalâŠwhere are your Christmas slippers, your toes are FREEZINGâ he joked, gripping your chin between his icy fingers. You blushed with embarrassment looking down at your legs which were now bare and bristling with goose bumps. Pulling your nightgown down to cover them, it disappeared, leaving you totally naked atop Pikeâs body and shivering violently. A blast of cold air whispered against Pikeâs hair, washing over you both like a steely wave of winter as the cabin immediately flickered and darkened bizarrely.
âCan you hear me?â Pikeâs voice echoed as he now lay atop you, image blearily coalescing before your eyes. A pounding headache jolted you from your cozy dreamscape as you felt the comparative hardness of the cabin floor beneath you. Your mouth was so dry, no words were forming, just a low moan vibrating in your chest as Pike sighed with relief. You closed your eyes for a moment attempting to return to the cheery warmth of your dream, but Pike protested.
âNo, no, no, stay with meâ Pike gripped your chin between his icy fingers and rubbed his palm in hard circles against your snow suited sternum. With slight annoyance you blinked rapidly, trying to follow his directions. The dull headache returned with blinding force, clarifying you back into a blurry existence as you wriggled your fingers aside your body. Your lips were numb as you tried to swallow and bring Pikeâs concerned countenance into focus. Turning your head to the side the fire was no longer a cheery comfort as it whimpered unceremoniously in a blue haze, the final dregs of smoke curling into small wisps.
âCan you sit up? Iâd like to get some water in youâŠâ Pike gently advised, gripping the back of your neck and coaxing you into a sitting position as the room rotated around you.You shut your eyes fixedly as a wave of nausea passed over you, willing the cabin to stop moving like a boat atop the ocean. âOpen upâ Pike brought a water bottle lightly to your lips as you hungrily sipped, cool water dripping down the front of your chin messily. âSlow, slowâŠâ Pike encouraged, massaging the back of your neck and eventually setting the water down beside you both. You opened one eye hesitantly as the cabin solidified into reality, a cornucopia of images vying for attention. You took a shaky breath, observing the myriad of blankets and pillows piled around you like a fort, shivering slightly in the cooling temperature and immediately noticing the rather large tree limb cascading through the living room window.
âHow many fingers am I holding up?â Pike joked, bringing both hands to the sides of your face and rubbing small circles into your cheeks. Smiling dolefully you acquainted yourself with your new cataclysmic surroundings.
âWhat happened?â you rasped, swaying slightly and closing your eyes with the effort.
âWell, how far back do we need to go?â Pike closed his eyes tiredly, finally taking a resolute breath in suspended relief. âMy name is Agent Pike and I work for the Art SquadâŠâ he countered as your eyes shot open with incredulity.
âMarcusâŠâ you whined, gripping the hair at the top of his head and pulling his forehead to yours. âJesus ChristâŠâ
Pikeâs body sagged against yours with exhaustion, smiling with reassurance. âWhat, is He in the room with us now? Apropos for Christmas, but donât go towards the lightâŠâ Pikeâs voice cracked a little as he attempted to lighten the tension of the last twelve hours.
âWhatâs going on? I think I missed a few steps. Are you okay? Are WE okay?â you winced, attempting to shake the burgeoning pulsation between your temples and trying to will your body into cooperation.
âWell, after you collapsed I want to Macyâs and got our Christmas gifts, Santa dropped by. Rudolf is a total divaâŠâ
You tugged at Pikeâs hair, pulling his face back to meet his gaze. âAgent Pike, if it werenât for this splitting headache, you would be the main pain in my assâ you breathed heavily, cooling temperatures nursing you back to consciousness. âTalk to me. Are you okay?â you implored bringing your hand to cup the side of Pikeâs face.
Pike stilled silently, tears springing to his eyes as he swallowed hard. âYou really scared meâ he sniffled, averting his eyes and gesturing to the tree limb punctuating the living room. âThis didnât helpâŠâ he shifted with discomfort, attempting to quell the many emotions he was holding at bay. You took a moment to admire his handiwork, as a large blanket had been stuffed through the protrusion, and haphazardly layered with gray duct tape. It was a marked benefit, but without the fire the temperature seemed to be plummeting by the minute.
âHow long was I out?â you blinked, doing a quick body check and noticing the pitch black void outside, dotted by peppery clumps of snowfall.
âGod, it felt like foreverâŠâ Pike laid down next to you, gazing up at the ceiling. âMaybe fifteen, twenty minutes?â He closed his eyes breathing deeply and rubbing his hand over his forehead confusedly. He paused in the overwhelming silence as you took stock of your current circumstances. While you were unconscious Pike had lit several emergency candles that flickered lightheartedly in the otherwise dark cabin. A small amount of wind tickled the flames as your eyes flicked to the nearby wall heater that was chugging and sputtering weakly. You saw several bottles of water and emergency rations piled by the now defunct fire place. Did the winter winds knock out the fire so abruptly? Your mind was still moving at half speed as the headache dulled into the background, but a growing awareness was permeating your discovery. There must have been more to your apparent intoxication and disorientation. The headaches, the nausea, the vertigoâŠWhat could have disrupted both of you to such an extent? Your breath caught abruptly in your throat. You clamped your hand over your mouth, looking down at Pikeâs resting figure.
âPIKE?â you nearly shouted into his face as his eyes blazed open with surprise.
âYes?!â Pike sat up suddenly, grasping his chest nervously. âAre you cold? Hungry? What do you need?â he started piling blankets on top of you and breathing heavily.
âSorry, I justâŠmonoxide poisoning? Right? Thatâs why the fire is out? Did you pass out too?â
Pike huffed dramatically, nodding his head and grimacing with soreness. âIt was touch and go there for a minuteâ he draped his arm over your legs trying to catch his breath. âI couldnât figure out what the problem was until Mother Willow snapped me back into realityâ he gestured again to the forlorn looking foyer. âI think that actually might have saved our lives. There must be more limbs or branches covering the chimney and neither of us noticed. If that blast of fresh air hadnât disrupted our evening, Iâm not sure either one of us would be here right now.â
You paused with the sober realization that things were worsening. Though the fire wasnât available the wall heater was limping along, but not for long. If you had learned anything from your outside venture it was that Bessie the Hyundai was about to be joined byâŠGenny the Generator in the land of defunct machines. Itâs a wonder it had lasted THIS long. Pike must be trying to get as much bang for his buck before the situation derailed completely. You swallowed dryly reflecting on your previous isolation. You would most assuredly be dead if not for this man sitting before you. You bit your lip with thanks, poised to articulate your gratitude when Pike interrupted, his face crumpling in defeat.
âThis is totally my faultâŠâ he chastised, laying back down and staring up at the ceiling numbly.
âHey, heyâŠthat doesnât sound like Agent Pike from the Art Squadâ you bantered, your fingertips drifting over his stomach, and resting assuredly on his chest. He took your hand in his as his lower lip wobbled insecurely.
âIf Iâm not careful Iâm gonna get us both killed AND ruin ChristmasâŠIâm not sure which is worseâ he jested, avoiding eye contact with you.
âLook at me, Agent Pikeâ you drew your fingertips lightly over his cheeks, drawing his face towards yours. âMarcusâŠâ you whispered, wiping a single tear that was trickling, unbidden down his scratchy cheek, âYou saved us. You saved meâŠâ you leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips which apparently did him in. He covered his eyes with the back of his forearm, shaking slightly and finally starting to decompress.
âI wouldnât be here if it werenât for YOUâ you began peppering kisses over his face haphazardly and resting your hands on his chest for support. âThis (kiss) is (kiss) not (kiss) your (kiss) faultâŠâ you drew back studying his features appraisingly as he pursed his lips tightly in response.
âIâm so sorryâ he apologized, turning his body slightly away from you with embarrassment and hugging his arms around his abdomen tightly. You laid down, your chest to his back, drawing a blanket up and over your both and wrapping your arms over his.
âI think, this is a very lovely, if not unconventional winter picnic youâve planned for usâ you rested your forehead against his back, breathing in his deodorant and hints of aftershave. âThe candlelight is an especially nice touchâŠâ you teased, hearing small sniffles vibrating through his chest. âItâs very important that we donât dehydrate so crying isâŠonly permitted forâŠgingers in pink snowsuitsâ Pike shifted with awkwardness, chuckling slightly at your feeble attempts. âBesides, I should be the one crying if this knight in shining armor is leaving for Washington D.Câ. The room somehow became even more quiet as you wondered if your jest had overstepped. You didnât want a repeat of last nightâs debacle, but if you were going to meet the Grim Reaper, it was time to lay all your cards on the table. You felt Pikeâs body collapse inward in defeat as he slowly turned to face you.
âI donât know what to sayâ he began, nearly nose to nose with you under the blankets, breathing softly. âAt this point an apology feels so inadequate, I justâŠdidnât think IâŠI didnât think it matteredâŠâ he finally ventured, placing his hand lightly to the side of your neck and feeling the feathering pulse underneath. You nodded your head with understanding, attempting to process the unexpected events leading you to this very moment. There was nothing about this Christmas that had been planned. If you knew anything, you knew Pike was a good man, and there wasnât a deceitful bone in his body. Maybe the situation with his ex had so derailed his optimism and self-confidence that he couldnât easily see the opportunities stretching out before him; including you.
âWhat really happened with you andâŠLisbon?â you whispered, wanting desperately to understand how anyone could choose a life that didnât involve Marcus. Pike sighed heavily, thinking back with nostalgia and hurt to the road not traveled.
âLisbon wasâŠISâŠan amazing woman. We met on the job and formed a quick connection when the job in Washington D.C materialized. I knew it was the right professional step for me, but IâŠmy enthusiasm just overreached. I tried to make us into something we werenât. She was already deeply invested inâŠsomeone else, and we just needed time to realize the difference between a fantasy and a reality.â He swallowed hard, moving his thumb to the notch at your sternum, his eyes fixed on yours hesitantly. âI wanted too much, too soon and it all blew up in my faceâŠâ he stated matter-a-factly, as a light breeze ghosted over you both.
You shivered slightly whether from cold or emotion, but thankful for Pikeâs immediate transparency. Relationships were so complicated, and it often seemed like a personâs greatest strengths somehow could misalign into their greatest weaknesses. âIt was too big an ask, for me to deserveâ he rationalized, turning his eyes downward and resting his head on the floor in acquiescence.
You tilted your head to the side in curiosity. Well, that wasnât true, you mused, furrowing your brow in consternation. No wonder you hadnât immediately arrived on the same page, and your own silence had complicated the situation. Not one to make the same mistake twice you decided to meet Pikeâs transparency with your own. âI donât think Love can be measured like thatâ you started, attempting to proceed sensitively. âItâs unconventional, hard to grab hold ofâŠand impossible to predict. But, I meanâŠif anyone DESERVES it, itâs you, Pike. You deserve love, actually.â
Pike held his breath with anticipation, considering your meaning thoughtfully. He knew the truth of your words, but how could he believe them for himself? Just because you desperately want something doesnât bring it to fruition. He WANTED to believe this whole nightmare had a happy ending, but how many times could one heart be broken? He held your gaze intently, willing you to feel the intensity of his desire. Somehow he was going to get you both out of this nightmare and try to find the answer to that question.
âI donât think anyone would argue that weâve had more than enough reality this holiday seasonâ you forlornly admitted, gripping his hands tightly in yours, and attempting to warm them. The heater sputtered timidly in the corner, hiccuping quietly, on its last legs. âI never thought my life would become so isolated and aloneâ you pondered, reflecting back on the last few years. âMy life felt vibrant and connected and exciting until the pandemic crashed into me and everyone around me. It was then that I realized that people couldnât prioritize friendships in a world where family was just fighting to survive. Itâs not that they didnât careâŠpeople just couldnât extend themselves further than distance would allowâ you reasoned. âAnd rather than taking the risk to keep reaching out, I just receded further and further inâ.
âAnd thatâs how you found yourself on my lucky doorstepâ Pike chided, his eyelids drooping slightly with exhaustion. âIn pinkâ he chuckled, closing his eyes for just a second. So tired. He relished the tension leaving his body as he sunk down into the blankets contentedly. It was ridiculous, given the circumstances, but he hadnât felt this safe in a while. He really felt seen. Like you understood who he was and what he was about. The trip to Washington D.C was everything he wanted, but how could he just leave, knowing that you remained? Would he even get the chance to enjoy the adventure of life, with you at his side? And what if things continued to spiral out of control? Spiral. Why was the room moving in a circle? He sighed sleepily, being lulled into submission. Spinning, spinning, spinningâŠ
âPIKE!â your voice jarred him out of his temporary reverie, as he shook his head, blinking rapidly. âYou still with me?â you were rubbing his face aggressively, inches from his lips, a look of concern dotting your expression.
âIâm hereâ he mumbled tiredly, sitting up precariously on one elbow and clearing his throat with determination. âNot going anywhereâ he yawned, chuckling to himself. âOne good thing about being snowed-in is that you canât escape me that easilyâ he teased leaning over to grab a sip of water and trying to engage his emergency training. âGotta stay awakeâ he sighed, sitting up against the hearth shakily and motioning for you to join him. You gathered up more blankets and propped yourself up next to him, nestling into his side for warmth. âThis is the survival component of our celebration, when our holiday heroes reminisce on the true meaning of Christmasâ. The heater coughed dramatically as Pike pouted in opposition. âHow do you suppose Christmas will be in Washington D.C?â he wondered, trying to shift his focus to the future, rather than the current dire circumstances. âWhat if we were there right now, instead of here. What would be doing?â he pondered, trying to coerce you both into a proactive, optimistic mindset.
âWell, no ice skatingâ you chattered next to him, laying your head down slightly on his shoulder. âIâm a complete klutz, as you know, and would only be cajoled into winter activities if hot chocolate is includedâ you chuckled as Pike nodded into your head.
âObviouslyâ he smiled, looking over at the Christmas Tree which somehow cheerily smiled back.
âI went to school on the East Coast, you know?â you offered âHence the pink snowsuit for this bumbling California girlâŠâ you giggled tentatively, reflecting on the many adventurous seasons of your life. âMade it to Washington D.C a few times; youâre gonna love it thereâ you encouraged.
âWhy?â Pike stifled a yawn, attempting to focus on the flickering candlelight dancing before him. âWhat could D.C possibly have that WE donât at Pikeâs Place?â he grinned ruefully, hearing the winds pick up slightly outside the whistling window pane.
âItâs true, Pikeâs Place has excellent coffee, pancakesâŠ.and the STAFFâ you rested your chin atop Pikeâs shoulder gazing at his profile. âSooooooo cute. Iâm thinking of giving the manager my numberâ Pike gripped you tightly around the waist smiling to himself. âBut D.C is pretty cool too. The food is amazing, and the history around every cornerâŠâ. You stopped to lock eyes with Pike conspiratorially.
âTHE SMITHSONIAN!â you both intoned playfully, pulling the blankets around you a bit tighter.
âOh my gosh weâll LIVE thereâ you agreed dreamily. âI mean, YOUâLL live there, Art Squadâ your eyes drifted down to the small manilla folder propped happily against the unknowing Christmas Tree. âWhat did you get me for Christmas?â you elbowed Pike in the side jovially as Marcus laughed to himself clandestinely.
âYouâre just gonna have to wait for Christmas morningâ Pike protested, shaking his head emphatically.
âIf we make it that farâ you whispered, gripping Pike more fervently as the wind howled menacingly above you. Pike gulped back his anxiety, determined to provide a stolid demeanor.
âWhat else would we do in D.C?â he blinked lazily, setting his head atop yours in an attempt to ground himself to the moment.
âLetâs seeâŠWe would tour the capitalââŠ
âEnjoying the cherry blossoms by spring and the farmerâs markets by summerââŠ
âCheckâ he concurred.
âIâm partial to Thai Food so youâd need to bring that home at least once a weekâŠâ
âBut how will I enjoy yourâŠunconventional cooking?â he joked as you scoffed in mock offense.
âBecause Iâll be sending you to work with the most indulgent peanut butter and jelly sandwiches anyone has ever tastedâ you promised, linking your fingers with his and shivering in the cooling cabin. For one terrifying moment the heater completely stilled, its exhausted fans clicking slowly to a silence as the blizzard batted against the punctured windowpane. Pike held his breath momentarily as the heater shook hesitantly back to life, pumping a few steady breaths of warmth over your tingling bodies.
The cabin was silent as you and Pike held one another tentatively.
âWhat do you think is the meaning of life?â Pike whispered, closing his eyes and burying himself in the shampooed vanilla fragrances of your hair.
You chuckled in bittersweet acknowledgement, shrugging your shoulders with curiosity. âIs hypothermia starting to set in, Agent Pike?â you halfheartedly questioned, acknowledging the looming possibility in the recesses of your mind.
Marcus beamed, thankful to be battling the given circumstances, whilst still enjoying your acerbic sense of humor. âWeâre not quite there yetâŠâ he mused, wriggling his toes determinedly and reflecting on the many art pieces he had admired over the years. âI justâŠlove what I doâŠI love appreciating beauty and art, and humanity. Sorry Iâm getting all existential on youâŠâ.
âApocalyptic blizzards will do that, you know?â you pulled back slightly, gazing intently into his eyes pointedly. âWhat do YOU think the meaning of life is?â you felt yourself melting into the moment, fixated on the beautiful features of his face, the candlelight beginning to blur everything around you in a hypnotic haze.
âI donât knowâ he stated lowly, licking his lips dryly and admiring the cinnamon freckles dotting
the bridge of your noseâŠand perhaps elsewhere. âNone of the artists I work to protect are even alive anymore. But their beautyâŠâ he paused to touch your face delicately, watching your eyelids flutter shut. ââŠtheir beauty lives on and on. The things we love. The purpose we give ourselvesâŠSome of it kind of goes on forever and ever, I think. So I guess itâsâŠlove. The meaning of life is love, actuallyââŠ
And then you were kissing. You couldnât immediately place when you had begun, but much like Pikeâs existential pondering, it seemed to have an element of infinity to it. No beginning and no end. Just breath after breath of one another, in a cyclical loop of forever. A comforting, nurturing, beautiful rose of infinitude. Maybe even, of love.
You enjoyed one another for quite some time, unaware of the heater flickering in and out of existence, as you found other means to warm yourselves by the now extinguished fireplace. Finally pausing to catch your breath, Pike pulled you into his arms, lowering you both to the floor, cushioned by the pillows and blankets surrounding you. âThis is a Christmas I will never forgetâ Pike reflected, somewhere between a laugh and a whimper, watching your head rise and fall atop his chest with his breath.
âItâs definitely one for the booksâ you grinned, wrapping your fingers around his firmly, a new batch of tears threatening to spill forward. âSince we are setting up our last will and testaments, I just want you to know how much the last week has meant to me, Marcusâ.
Pike hummed contentedly, his hold on you relaxing ever so slightly.
âI was determined to keep a cold exterior, but even a blizzard couldnât keep my heart frozen forever. Youâve shown me nothing but kindness and warmth through this whole adventure, and I couldnât be more grateful to youâŠfor everythingâ you admitted.
âThatâs the magic of Pikeâs Placeâ he slurred, breathing steadily as his head lolled against yours.
âWhen we get out of this nightmare, you should really think about starting a Bed and Breakfast. Your pancakes are to DIE for, though something about your fireplace leaves something to be desiredâŠâ you paused, anticipating Pikeâs retort, but nothing arrived.
You gazed down at Pikeâs hand which felt heavy in yours. Shifting your body quickly you looked up at Marcusâ face which had gone slack, his mouth slightly ajar, but chest still moving steadily.
âPIKE?!!â you yelled into the abyss, but his arms dropped loosely from your grasp to the floor with a dull thud. You snapped to attention, gaping around the room wildly for inspiration. âDonât do this to me, Agent! Donât leave me alone on Christmas Eve!â you yelled, willing a miracle to occur. You straddled his waist awkwardly, pounding on his chest animalistically as the tears began to flow freely. âDonât you dare!â you cried through gritted teeth, rubbing your hands aggressively over his arms and neck helplessly, unsure of what to do next. The heater seemed to give one final exhausted cough of existence before grinding to a halt as Pikeâs breaths similarly shallowed. âI just found you! I just found you!â you whimpered, gripping him tightly between your thighs and hugging your body to him with desperation. You grabbed the nearby water bottle slopping a few tentative drops across his face as he stirred once again. More. You needed more. Flinging yourself towards the door you crawled army style over the blankets and around the flickering candlelight for the last desperate option you could think of. Hauling yourself to your feet you flung the door open to in an icy barrage of wind and snow, which all but blew out the remaining candles. Nearly tripping over the doorstep you gathered a handful of ice and stumbled back into the freezing cabin hovering just a moment over Pikeâs unconscious frame with indecision. More. You needed more. Adrenaline.
Wincing slightly in anticipatory empathy you smashed the powdery ice alongside Marcusâ now pallid countenance, sliding your fingers down the sides of his neck and shoulders, plunging him into a snowy alarm. Pikeâs eyes flew open in surprised distress, grabbing at your hands solidly and sitting up abruptly. Biting back a cry of shock, he breathed in the cold night air which whipped cinematically through your hair, stinging your cheeks, but bringing Pike back to life and back to reality. âIâm awake! Iâm awake!â he mumbled, blearily grasping at your tear stained face and looking around the darkened room haphazardly. The temperature immediately plummeted as the heater shrank into stolid stone and a vacuum of cold drenched the cabin in clarifying oxygen and steely darkness. You may have averted the immediate disaster, but had just literally opened the door on the next impending crisis. âHow long was I out?â Pike shouted over the howling winds as you sat atop him crying and shivering.
âM-maybe a minute? T-two m-minutes?â you shouted back as your teeth chattered together violently.
âGod, itâs a breath of fresh air!â he grinned, but immediately sobering to the new circumstances. âIâve gotta keep you warm! If the carbon monoxide didnât kill us, the cold will!â he observed, lifting you up by your elbows and holding you tightly. âAt least nothing else can go wrong at this point!â he exclaimed, until it did.
A deafening boom shattered the relative stillness and a flash of light exploded into the atmosphere, rattling the nearby windows and sending a fresh cascade of wind and snow into the icy cabin. Whether from shock or impact your body splayed over Marcusâ figure as the vibrational blast flattened you against him suddenly. Shaking with cold and anxiety, you held one another for a time, until Marcus pulled back to look into your surprised face. âYou okay, Pink?â he apparently shouted, though it seemed to be slightly muffled in the chaos.
âI think so!â you retorted, feeling equally dulled. Rolling to the side you did a quick body scan of one another as Pike pulled you to your feet shakily, heading towards the open doorway. Squinting into the snow flurry the woodshed burned brightly, silhouetted against the night sky. You flashed on the theatrical snapshot of âGone With the Windâ as Pike draped his arm around your waist, magnetically pulled towards the residual heat.
âWell, there goes the generatorâ Pikeâs now alert expression flickered ominously against the backdrop of billowing smoke and flickering flames. âIâd be thankful for the warmth if it didnât promise to extinguish so quicklyâ he surmised, already bracing against the frigid winds.
You both stood in the doorway, thankful to be with one another, but desperate to be anywhere else, as it seemed Christmas, and your very survival was immediately going up in flames. âWhat do we do now?â you questioned, looking into Pikeâs determined face and hoping upon hopes he would manage to offer yet another solution.
âI donât knowâ he acquiesced. âWeâre just gonna have to find some other way of keeping warmâ.
*thanks @unknown-till for the cool dividers!
Two more installments y'all! What will our heroes doooooo? Final Episode on Christmas Day! Stay warm y'all and Happy Thanksgiving!
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