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The thick coats of snow have finally started to melt weeks after the fire that destroyed the cabin and the rays of sunlight actually feel a bit warmer on the skin. You all still stay bundled up in countless layers and take turns to keep the fire always burning, everyone silently afraid of what it would mean for it to finally die down.
When the sun is at its highest point in the sky, is when you dare to take your gloves and improvised balaclava off, your flushed skin finally receiving some of those faint rays that filter through the forest clearings. You blow warm breath into your hands and rub them together before stashing them in your pockets, continuing your way deeper into the woods, your eyes focused on your steps.
“Where are you going?”
You turn around on your heels in a swift motion, your heart skipping a beat at the sudden voice, too lost in your thoughts to register the sounds of someone trailing behind you. Misty stands there, watching you with those wide, curious eyes, her expression expectant, like an excited puppy waiting to follow you.
You exhale slowly, forcing yourself to relax. “Just taking a stroll, Misty,” you say, hoping your tone makes it clear you don’t want company. “See if I can find any berries today.”
She tilts her head, considering your words, and for a moment, you think she might insist on coming along. You shift your weight, subtly stepping backward. You barely got the space to be alone with your thoughts in winter, not that you didn't have more pressing matters back then, like, starving to death.
But instead of pressing, Misty hesitates—then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small pouch. “For the berries,” she says, pressing it into your hands with a bright, toothy smile.
Your fingers close around the fabric, warmth flickering in your chest despite yourself. “Thanks,” you murmur, patting her hand in gratitude before nodding and turning away.
“Hey! Remember Nat went out hunting that way, don't get shot or something.” She yells behind you. You smile to yourself and lift your hand in a thumbs up and keep walking the same way without turning around, hearing Misty's heavy steps back to the camp, how did you not hear her before?
You actually look around for anything edible but there's only a handful of growing greenery, peeking through the stubborn snow. What you do find is mushrooms, just a few spongy dark ones that you recognize as edible, Mari should be able to fry them along the pieces of meat you still have. You take out a knife from the front of your jeans, kneeling down to take as many of them as you can and fill the pouch.
Your gaze trails along the glistening white that
melts against the dark dirt, the sunlight creating an almost cinematic scene, and you see them, small yellow flowers. You smile as you take them in your shaky hands, tying a string of grass around the makeshift bouquet before gently sliding them on your belt.
Later, as you reach up to take a handful of pine needles, a gunshot shatters the stillness of the woods. Your breath catches, fingers tightening instinctively around the greens before shoving them into your pouch. For a moment, you hesitate, scanning the treetops for startled birds or any sign of movement. Then, your feet move on their own, carrying you toward the sound.
The forest around you feels eerily silent in the aftermath of the shot, save for the rhythmic crunch of your boots on the snow. Your pulse quickens as you weave between the trees, stepping over half-melted drifts and patches of damp earth. When you break through a clearing, you spot her immediately—crouched low, her focus locked on something in the underbrush.
Your eyes focus on her figure instantly, she's crouched on the ground analyzing something, probably her latest catch if the shot was successful. A tiny smile makes its way to your face as you try to approach her silently, before tripping on your way down, making her startle and turn around, her gun pointed towards you.
“Woah, careful with that, hunter,” You put your hands up playfully as you take the rest of the steps to meet her down the small hill. Natalie scoffs a laugh and lowers her gun, slinging the strap on her shoulder as she stands up.
“What are you doing alone out here?”
You show her your small bag of mushrooms and other forageables with a proud look, she smirks and pulls the recently caught rabbit from the ground, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
“Okay, you win,” You both chuckle, “but you have a gun and I only have my hands, so.”
“I don't know, I think your hands work pretty well.” The words come out in that delightfully deep voice of hers, even if she's just teasing playfully. You roll your eyes at the comment and fake a serious look.
“So vulgar, Nat.” You even shake your head in fake disappointment but she just laughs at you, pushing your shoulder with hers and walking around you as she ties the catch to her belt. You smile to yourself as you tail behind her as she checks some of the handmade traps Travis and her have put up around the woods.
“You know, I've been thinking-”
“That's not good-”
“Shut up, let me talk,” you push her back playfully as she cackles at her own joke, her voice echoing in the wilderness that surrounds both of you and you are certain your whole face is beaming. “As I was saying, I’ve thought that we, I, could make us a bow, what do you think?”
She hums, considering the idea. “Yeah, that would be great, actually.” She stops her steps and turns around, your bundled up bodies stumbling against each other from how close you had been to her. You reach up to stabilize yourself, your hands grabbing at her shoulders and hers holding you by the waist.
You look up at her and find her eyes already scanning your face, making you swallow thickly and take a step back from her.
“You okay?” She asks, one of her hands still lingers on you, faintly touching your elbow as the other clutches the strap of her gun.
“Yes, yeah, of course.” You nod at her and turn your head to the trail you were following, continuing your steps. Your hands reach down to the small bouquet on your belt, sighing as you hear Nat pick up her pace again behind you to meet you.
“Okay,” She stretches the word awkwardly, the snow below your feet crunching with each step. “It's a great idea, the bow thing.” You can feel her gaze on your face and you nod silently, hand hovering over your right side.
“I found these, too.” You turn towards her, the now saddened flowers nestled in your hands as you offer them to her, your eyes stuck on them as your breath quickens. “They are for you.”
Nat is silent for a bit, but you feel her cold fingers brush against your warmer ones as she takes the makeshift bouquet, one flower dropping out of it back into your hand. Your eyes slide up to meet hers and you swear she is flushed, and not from the cold. Her lips are parted but they quickly form a smile.
“You're so cute,” She just blurts out, chuckling softly as she takes a step closer. Your breath catches and now you are the one with a red face, and how else are you supposed to react, hearing those words in her voice, so honest and full of emotion. She is so close to you now that her nose bumps with yours. You blink rapidly and your tongue darts to lick your lips before hers crash against them.
It's so fast, how it starts, like she just threw herself from a cliff and landed on you. But then her hand reaches up to hold your cheek and it's so tender, grounding. Your hand clings to her own and the other drops the lonely flower to slide on her neck, fingers tangling on her blonde hair and it all feels so real and right.
Nat kisses your lips and parts your mouth with her tongue and suddenly you are gasping for air, back pressed against a pine tree and you are both giggling at your flushed faces and eagerness.
“Maybe we should take this slower, yeah?” She suggests with a smile as you swipe your mouth with the back of your hand, nodding dumbly at her words. Your chest rises and falls with your breaths, and your hands reach for hers, pulling her closer to you and pecking her lips, she chuckles under her breath and kisses your nose, pulling you away from the tree and leading you back down towards the trail.
Back at camp, after you show everyone your bounties and Nat stashes the gun back at its place, you watch as she saves the flowers on the pocket of her favorite jacket with a smile.