Chapter 4: Shared Warmth

The storm had not stopped.

If anything, it had grown worse.

Snow hammered against the ravine throughout the night, sealing the narrow exit beneath layers of ice and white.

Kim Taehyung woke slowly.

The first thing he noticed was warmth.

The second was that the warmth was coming from another person.

His eyes opened immediately.

For a moment, he couldn't understand what he was seeing.

A dark cloak had been draped over his shoulders.

Beside him sat the mysterious mercenary.

Close enough that their arms were touching.

Taehyung blinked.

Then looked down.

The man's hand rested loosely beside his own.

Only a finger's width separated them.

The sight felt strangely intimate.

Far more intimate than it should.

Slowly, Taehyung sat up.

The movement woke the other man.

Dark eyes opened instantly.

Alert.

Dangerous.

As though he had never truly been asleep.

Their gazes met.

Neither spoke.

The silence stretched.

Finally, Taehyung lifted the edge of the cloak.

"You covered me."

The mercenary looked away.

"The fever."

"Ah."

"Don't misunderstand."

Taehyung fought the urge to smile.

"Of course."

"I wasn't being kind."

"Naturally."

The man looked irritated.

Taehyung's smile widened.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Several hours later they discovered a problem.

A serious one.

The storm had completely blocked the ravine.

The exit no longer existed.

Jungkook stared upward.

Nothing but snow.

Wonderful.

They were trapped.

Again.

He heard a soft laugh behind him.

Turning around, he found the physician looking entirely too amused.

"You seem unhappy."

Jungkook folded his arms.

"You seem pleased."

"I am."

"Why?"

Taehyung's eyes curved slightly.

"Because you're suffering with me."

For several seconds Jungkook simply stared.

Then, against all reason, he laughed.

The sound echoed through the ravine.

Taehyung looked genuinely surprised.

As though he hadn't expected it.

Jungkook quickly looked away.

The smile vanished from both their faces.

An odd tension settled between them.

Neither understood why.

By afternoon the temperature had become unbearable.

Even with the small fire Jungkook managed to start, the cold continued creeping into their bones.

Taehyung rubbed his hands together.

Useless.

His fingers remained numb.

Across from him, Jungkook watched silently.

Then he sighed.

"We'll lose body heat."

Taehyung looked up.

"And?"

"And we need to conserve warmth."

Realization dawned.

Immediately.

The shelter suddenly felt much smaller.

Jungkook appeared equally uncomfortable.

Neither moved.

Neither volunteered.

Another freezing gust swept through the ravine.

Taehyung shivered.

Jungkook noticed.

Of course he noticed.

The man seemed to notice everything.

Several long moments passed.

Then Jungkook muttered,

"This is ridiculous."

Before Taehyung could respond, the mercenary shifted closer.

Not enough to touch.

Just enough that the distance between them disappeared.

Warmth radiated from his body.

Taehyung felt it instantly.

His heartbeat stumbled.

Only slightly.

Unfortunately, he noticed the same thing happen to the other man.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The silence became unbearable.

Neither knew where to look.

Outside.

The fire.

The wall.

Anywhere but each other.

Then the wind howled again.

The cold forced another decision.

Without speaking, they shifted closer.

Shoulders touched.

A simple thing.

Nothing unusual.

Yet both became strangely aware of it.

The solid warmth.

The steady breathing.

The presence beside them.

Taehyung stared into the fire.

Why was he nervous?

This was absurd.

He had negotiated treaties.

Faced assassins.

Outwitted generals.

Yet somehow sitting beside this man felt more dangerous.

Night arrived.

The temperature dropped further.

The fire burned low.

Jungkook had already removed his outer cloak and draped part of it around both of them.

Practical.

Necessary.

Nothing more.

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

Taehyung shifted slightly.

The movement brought him closer.

Much closer.

Close enough to feel the heat of another person's skin.

Close enough to hear every breath.

Jungkook went very still.

Taehyung noticed.

Of course he did.

A smile threatened to appear.

He suppressed it.

Barely.

Outside, thunder rumbled through the mountains.

The storm continued.

Inside, neither spoke.

Words felt dangerous.

Eventually exhaustion won.

Taehyung's eyelids grew heavy.

The fever had not completely disappeared.

His head slowly lowered.

Without realizing it, he leaned sideways.

And landed against Jungkook's shoulder.

The moment froze.

Taehyung opened his eyes.

Jungkook looked down.

Their faces were suddenly very close.

Far too close.

Neither moved.

Neither breathed.

For one suspended heartbeat, Taehyung could see every detail.

Dark eyes.

Sharp features.

The faint scar near the jaw.

The surprised expression rarely shown to anyone.

His pulse quickened.

Something strange settled inside his chest.

Something unfamiliar.

Jungkook seemed equally affected.

The air felt different.

Heavy.

Charged.

Dangerous.

Then Taehyung pulled back.

Too quickly.

The moment shattered.

Both looked away.

Neither mentioned it.

Yet neither forgot.

Much later, after sleep finally claimed them, the storm continued raging outside.

The fire burned softly.

The shelter remained small.

And sometime during the night, while neither was conscious enough to notice, the distance between them disappeared completely.

Not out of affection.

Not yet.

Only because the cold demanded it.

At least, that was the excuse fate allowed them.

For now.

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