is the working title of the Sasquatch fic. Here’s a sneak peek.
“What time is it?” she asked, reluctant to remove her hands from her bundled sweaters and jackets.
“Almost eight.” Her eyes widened at that. She had imagined it was much later. “It’s always like that when you’re outdoors. Your body tells you to sleep when it gets dark and you wake with the light. You become like the other diurnal animals, handing over to the night shift, the bats and owls and possums.“ His voice was low and comforting. She liked to listen to him. "Come on, let’s get you bedded down, sleepyhead.” She moved into the shelter and removed her boots. Suddenly she remembered that there was only one sleeping bag left. She’d carelessly thrown his off the escarpment.
“I’ll be ok. I’ve got extra sweaters and I need to keep the fire going anyway. Come on, let’s zip you up.”
She struggled against him to sit upright. “No. There’s no way I’m going to sleep knowing you’re freezing to death. Look it’s big enough, get in here with me. The shared body warmth will be useful anyway.”
He stared at her, surprised. “No, it’s fine, I mean, I’ll be fine.”
“Hey Jughead, your virtue is safe. I’ll keep my hands to myself if that’s what you’re worried about,” she insisted, a little insulted by his reluctance.
“It’s not that, quite the opposite in fact,” he replied. She grabbed his shoulders and dragged him nearer. He was surprisingly hot, and she simply couldn’t prevent herself from snuggling closer to him as he gave up the fight and zipped the sleeping bag around both of them, pulling her into his arms so that there was space for them both in the hood. She dozed for a while, warm in his arms, her feet pushing between his to make the most of his surprising surfeit of body heat.
Something awoke her, perhaps a sound outside or the rustling of the tarp. She noticed that he felt tense, certainly not asleep. She looked up to see his eyes open, shining in the darkness, staring at the side of the tarpaulin.
“Do you think it’s going to come back. Is that why you’re not sleeping?” she whispered, beginning to feel anxious.
“No, that’s not what I’m worrying about.”
“Tell me then. You’re so stiff that it’s making me nervous,” she replied.