Chapter Text
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"Cold Comfort"
The fire sputtered, sending sparks spiraling into the night sky. The cold pressed in from all sides, biting at your cheeks and burrowing through layers that were never meant for wilderness survival. You huddled closer to the fire, trying not to shiver too visibly.
Across from you, Natalie sat with her knees tucked up, her hunting knife glinting in the dim light as she cleaned the blade with practiced precision. She glanced up occasionally, her sharp hazel eyes studying you before darting back to her task.
“You’re gonna wear a hole through that thing,” you said, nodding toward the knife.
Natalie smirked faintly. “Yeah, and you’re gonna freeze to death if you keep sitting there like that.”
“I’m fine.”
“Sure you are,” she said, but there was no teasing in her voice this time. She tossed her jacket toward you without warning, the heavy leather landing in your lap.
You blinked at it, then at her. “What the hell, Nat? You need this too.”
She shrugged, leaning back on her elbows like she wasn’t also shivering. “I’m good. Besides, I’ve got my adrenaline to keep me warm.”
“Adrenaline?” you asked, arching a brow.
“Yeah, you know, from being such a badass.” She grinned, her teeth flashing briefly in the firelight. “Now put it on before you turn into an ice sculpture.”
You hesitated but eventually relented, slipping the jacket over your shoulders. It was warm, the leather stiff but comforting. It smelled like her—cigarettes, pine, and something faintly sweet, like vanilla.
“Better?” she asked, her voice softer now.
You nodded. “Thanks.”
Natalie leaned forward again, poking at the fire with a stick. “You know, you could just admit I’m your favorite,” she said casually.
You snorted. “You wish.”
“C’mon,” she teased, her lips twitching upward. “Out of all the lunatics out here, I’m definitely the least annoying.”
“That’s…debatable,” you shot back, grinning despite yourself.
Natalie laughed, the sound low and unguarded. It was rare to hear her like this—relaxed, almost lighthearted. It made you forget, for a moment, the gnawing hunger and the looming sense of doom.
After a beat of silence, you dared to ask, “Do you ever think about what you’d be doing if we weren’t…here?”
She paused, the humor in her expression fading. “Yeah,” she admitted. “All the time.”
“And?”
Natalie’s gaze dropped to the fire. “Probably nothing good,” she said after a moment. “But at least I wouldn’t be starving in the middle of nowhere.”
You nodded, unsure how to respond. It was always hard to tell where Natalie’s sarcasm ended and her honesty began.
“What about you?” she asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp as they locked onto yours.
You hesitated. “I don’t know. College, maybe. I used to think I’d travel, see the world…”
“Sounds nice,” Natalie said, her voice tinged with something that might have been envy.
“Yeah,” you said quietly. “But now? I’d settle for a hot shower and a cheeseburger.”
Natalie laughed again, the sound short but genuine. “God, yes. A greasy, disgusting cheeseburger. And fries. Like, a mountain of fries.”
“With a milkshake,” you added.
“Obviously,” she said, smirking.
For a moment, you both let yourselves exist in that fantasy.
Then Natalie shifted closer, her knee brushing against yours. The touch was brief but deliberate, and it sent a flicker of warmth through you that had nothing to do with the fire.
“We’ll get out of here,” she said suddenly, her voice quiet but firm.
You looked at her, surprised by the conviction in her tone. “You think so?”
“I know so,” she said, holding your gaze. “But until then, we’ve got each other, right?”
You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded. “Right.”
“Good,” she said, leaning back again. “Now get some sleep before I regret being nice to you.”
You chuckled, the sound soft but genuine. “Thanks, Nat.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, but the faint smile on her lips told you she didn’t mind.
As you lay back, her jacket still draped over you, you felt the cold a little less keenly. For the first time in a long time, you allowed yourself a flicker of hope.
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