Author's Note!!!! -- Okay so... just so that we're all clear, I tried really hard making the second half of this chapter NOT offensive, but if you're reading it and you go "omg this is weird, im offended" then just dont read this chapter till the very end. I mean, there's no plot twists. So there. I vaguely said it.

For the rest of you... enjoy~

  59. Warm Bodies

            It probably wasn’t the highest spot possible on the hillside; Krislynn had seen a glimpse beyond the trail Chase hadn’t taken and it seemed to stretch upwards to the mountain’s peak. Not that Krislynn was going to complain – the higher the elevation, the closer she would be to the thunder and the lightning and that was the last thing she wanted.

            The trail Chase had chosen seemed to be a lot fairer. It didn’t stretch very long, and shortly, Krislynn found herself at the edge where she could peek down at the scenery below. It might have fascinated her if it had been some other situation, but Krislynn’s body was too overwhelmed with nervous jitters to enjoy something as relaxing as watching a scenery of trees.

            Her eyes were constantly glancing upward and watching the dark clouds form shadows and ominous figures in the sky. At other times, the wind seemed to chase the clouds and they would become dark-cloaked ghosts drifting towards her. At those times, Krislynn would feel cold and cling onto Chase just a little bit tighter.

            “It’s okay to be scared you know.”

            Krislynn glanced over at Chase as he took a seat down beside her on the dirt. They were sitting down for the show, which hadn’t started even though the clouds seemed to keep brewing above them. On odd occasions, Krislynn would feel a tingle of rain fall on top of her, but when she looked up or held out her hand, no water seemed to appear.

            “I thought you didn’t want me to be scared!”

            “Yeah, but I’m not unrealistic,” he retorted. “The more you come in contact with the things that scare you, the less you’re supposed to be scared, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to be scared of it after one time. It’s going to take more than that. As long as you don’t stay scared of it so much that you need to hide or have someone there to comfort you, I would consider that a success.”

            Krislynn nodded.

            “So right now, you can show me that you’re scared. You can scream if it surprises you. You can close your eyes and cover your ears if you need to take a break. Okay?”

            Krislynn nodded. “But I’m not really scared of lightning,” she murmured. “Just the thunder.”

            “Because it reminds you of how your parents used to fight?” Chase made a face at her after she nodded. “You know, this might not be the best time to say this, but it would make more sense if you were scared of lightning… since it can kill you and thunder can’t.”

            It was probably the first time Krislynn thought about it. When she heard the sound of thunder, memories of her father’s drunken episodes when she was a child would resurface to haunt her, but she had never really thought about the fact that no matter how loud the thunder was, it couldn’t actually hurt her.

            When the thought of it hit her, she found herself being able to separate the two things for the first time in her life. The sounds from her childhood, the fighting, the screaming, plates being thrown, furniture being broken, the sound of her father’s footsteps stomping up the stairs, they were things that were able to easily touch her, but thunder… thunder would never be able to. Thunder would always be a dog without any bite.

            And when her thoughts finally settled down, Krislynn instantly felt less anxious about the storm… until her heartbeat quickly picked up again and she shot a look of fright at Chase. “Lightning?!” She snapped. “Doesn’t lightning hit high places?! Aren’t we at a high place?”

            Chase shrugged. “It’ll be fine. We aren’t that high up. Besides people on the ground have been hit too so it’s not like we can avoid it. If we get hit, we get hit.”

            Krislynn’s eyes widened at him. “So it’s possible that we might get hit and die?”

            Finally sensing that he was making her even more uneasy, Chase smiled weakly at her. “It’s also possible that we might get hit and not die,” he argued. “There was this one guy – I forgot his name – but he got struck by lightning seven times in his life and he was still fine. And just because he was like a human lightning conductor, that didn’t stop him from coming outside or living his life normally. You just have to be brave and move forward.”

            Krislynn looked down at her hands. “Is he… Is he still alive?”

            “God no. He died a long time ago.”

            “How?”

            Chase started to laugh. “He shot himself with a gun,” he said. “Because of unrequited love.”

            “Gosh, that’s awful! How could you laugh!” But even as she chastised him, she couldn’t help but release a couple giggles of her own. The both of them weren’t laughing because the poor man died, but at the irony of how so many different things in the world could hurt and kill someone – even the things that a person might have once thought were good.

            And with that kind of light-hearted feeling, the first lightning bolt struck that evening. The dark cloud above them lit up in a hazy purple and then, only in the duration of a blink of an eye, a long, jagged spear of light shot down at the earth. Krislynn jumped and then screamed when the loud announcement of the thunder’s arrival appeared a moment after. She clung onto Chase and buried her head into his chest and though he didn’t say anything, Krislynn could feel his arms surrounding her.

            She couldn’t even believe it. She had seen it in pictures, but she had never thought that something so violent and dangerous could be so beautiful close up. There was just something about the way it lit up the entire sky and changed it into a disarray of colors or the way the tip of the lightning spread like the veins in her body that made it seem so alive and captivating.

            When the rain came pelting down in hard droplets, she squealed and Chase held out his blazer for her to duck into. He laughed and wrapped Krislynn inside his blazer along with him. She could feel his body warmth through his T-shirt, but the rain that hit her head and slid down her neck was cold enough to make her shiver.

            As she sat watching the light show in the sky, and clutching onto Chase underneath a blanket of rain, slowly, slowly, her ears got used to the sound of the thunder booming in the background. It was less scary when she knew when it would occur – shortly after each lightning strike – and soon she was able to listen to the gentler thunder’s roar without cowering in fear. The louder ones still made her shake in terror, but with each boom, the impact seemed a little less significant to her.

            Krislynn was so lost in thought that she didn’t hearing Chase calling her until he stood and gently pulled her up with him. His brown hair was drenched and water kept dripping from his hair and getting into his eyes. She blinked to get the water out of her own eyes, and it was only then she realized her clothes were all wet. “C’mon!” He shouted. “We have to go. This rain is only coming down even harder. Are you feeling okay? You can walk right?”

            “Yeah, I’m okay.” She shouted, but her legs were actually a bit numb from sitting down in the same position for so long. Nonetheless, she ran when Chase grabbed her and started running.

            With the raining hitting her, Krislynn didn’t pay much attention to where she was going. The lightning had ceased and only rarely now would she hear a soft crackle above her, but the rain continued, and with each second the droplets seemed to multiple in the sky. That was probably why she was entirely surprised when she found herself standing in front of a small wooden cabin only a very brief moment after.

            At the door, Chase shuffled a couple of keys in his hands and then opened the door and pushed her in before closing the door after them. It was a really small cabin, and from the door, Krislynn could almost see everything there was to see. There was a small bed in one corner, a desk in another corner, and a fireplace in the middle with a plush fur rug lying in front of it. Some cabinets were installed directly opposite the direction of the fireplace and beside it there was a small room that Krislynn identified as a bathroom after a quick peek.

            “Where are we?” She turned around and watched Chase shake the water out from his hair in a gesture similar to what a dog might have done. “Is this place yours?”

            “Yeah. It’s just a place I come to escape for a few days when I need to write. There’s nothing here – not even a shower – so I have absolutely no distractions.” He shivered as he walked to the pile of logs beside the fireplace and pointed Krislynn in the direction of the bathroom. “There should be some towels in there. Grab a couple and dry yourself. I’ll start a fire to warm us up.”

            When Krislynn finished drying herself up the best that she could, she came back out with a towel for Chase. He had already finished lighting up the fire, but turned the cabin’s lights off so that the fire seemed more luminous and inviting. She could feel the warmth as she took a seat on the brown rug beside him. “I hope this isn’t real fur,” she muttered, passing him the towel so he could dry himself.

            “Don’t worry, it’s not.”

            “Hey Chase?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Thanks for today.” Krislynn smiled as she said the words before she pointed a finger at him. “Even though I don’t approve of you taking me up here without letting me know what you planned to do! Do you know how super terrified I was?!”

            “Yeah I know,” he said, laughing slightly. “I guess it was a bit asshole-ish, but you wouldn’t have come if I told you. I’m still sorry anyways.”

            “Well, as long as we both know.”

            Chase nodded and the both of them sat quietly in front of the fire watching the logs burn and listening to the soft crackle it made in the process. Even though they had both dried themselves with a towel earlier, they were still damp from the rain since they had no dry clothes to change into. Krislynn’s shirt was glued against her skin and it didn’t go unnoticed as Chase peeked at the outline of her bra through her shirt.

            Swallowing the lump in his throat, Chase looked the other way. He could feel himself stirring, and realized this was probably a bad idea. He should have just lead them on the trail down the hill, but it was a lot longer than the one to the cabin, and since it would have been another couple hour drive until they got home, he thought it would be easier if they just stayed the night there.

            But now they were stuck here and it was still early. There wasn’t a T.V or a computer or books or magazines so there was absolutely nothing to do, but to stare blankly at the fire. About the only thing that proved to be a distraction tonight was Krislynn herself and that goddamn shirt she was wearing that kept clinging to her skin. 

            “I’m going to sit closer okay?” Chase jolted in surprise when Krislynn suddenly scooted closer to him. She glanced up at him with those big blue eyes of hers and smiled as she pushed her hair to one side, revealing her long, pearly neck. “It feels warmer when I sit closer to you.”

            Chase scowled at her, but he couldn’t release his gaze from her bare skin. How could she just sit there and smile so innocently at him? “You’re always this clueless,” he muttered. “Such an awful girl!”

            “How so?!” She cried, making a face that showed the same amount of animosity as he was showing her. “What’s wrong with you suddenly?! You’re being weird.”

            Chase wanted to tell her that the reason was because of her. He wanted to tell her to sit further away – no, to sit as far away as possible from him, but he said something else instead. “You’re cold because your clothes are still damp. Sitting closer to me won’t make you warmer idiot.”

            “Should I just take them off then?”

            Chase choked from the surprise.

            “I mean, it would dry faster if I put it near the fireplace right?” She continued. “Plus, I think wearing wet clothes makes you sick. See, you’re coughing already.”

            “I don’t think it’s from that!” He shouted.

            “Oh come on, take it off,” she laughed. “Don’t be shy!” Giggling, she pounced on him and it surprised him so much that he fell back.

            “Wait! Stop! You have no idea what you’re doing!”

            “Oh really,” she laughed, pushing his shirt up. When she got his shirt up to the point where she could see his bare chest, Krislynn stopped teasing him. Something felt wrong. Chase wasn’t struggling like he was play fighting with her anymore, and when Krislynn sat back up and looked into his eyes, the way he was gazing at her had completely changed.

            “Fine,” he said. “Let’s take it off.”

            Krislynn shuddered. His voice melted like smooth whiskey when he spoke and Krislynn was suddenly nervous to look at him. She knew that dark look in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure at that moment whether they were showing what his true feelings were or if they were simply reflecting what she secretly desired.

            Sitting up, Chase pulled his shirt over his head. With a simple flick of his hand, he tossed it aside and inched up to her so that she could feel his breath along her neck when he spoke. “Now yours,” he whispered. “It’s your turn now.”

            Krislynn could only gasp as he slipped his fingers beneath her shirt and slowly dragged it up. The entire time Chase kept his intensive gaze on hers, as if he was testing how far she’d let him go and how much he was allowed to do before she stopped him.

            Krislynn didn’t stop him, and when his fingers pulled the side of her shirt all the way up to reveal the bra she was wearing underneath, he lowered his head and kissed along the side of her body. Against her cold skin Chase kissed and licked, and the warmth from his mouth was enough to make her utter out soft whimpers and moans she hadn’t intended.

            When his hand reached behind her and unhooked her bra, he pulled back and pressed his lips to hers before he slipped his hands beneath her shirt. This time, when he pulled her clothes up, he took everything off and tossed that aside too.

            Krislynn shivered as she looked down at herself in embarrassment. Her breasts hung out in the open for him to look at, and he shamelessly looked before he rubbed his big, masculine hands over them. She shivered again as his hands trailed to her back and pulled her into his embrace. “Cold?” He murmured, his lips skimming along her collarbone.

            Krislynn draped her arms on top of his shoulders and around his neck. “No,” she said. Her lips caressed his jawline and she placed a kiss under his chin before she ran the tip of her tongue over his Adam’s apple. “I was right.” She blushed. “It feels warmer when I’m closer to you after all.”

            He smiled against her skin and when he pushed her down on the rug a moment after, Krislynn just let him. He tugged the rest of her lower garments off and knowing what he planned to do to her next made her so embarrass that she had to squeeze her eyes shut so they wouldn't be tempted to follow him.

            She let out a sharp shriek when he made contact. Her body arched and her fingers twisted the fur on the rug. Ripples of the feelings he was creating overwhelmed her, and she had to fight to keep herself from screaming his name into the room.  

            When he finally pulled away, Krislynn’s cries didn’t completely cease. Her body withered on the rug and she was out of breath from panting. Chase stood up and chuckled before unbuttoning his pants. When they fell at his feet, he casually kicked them both aside without taking a glance at them. 

            Krislynn’s eyes trailed down Chase’s muscular body, but when her gaze reached his lower body and she caught a glimpse of it – of him – she blushed and averted her gaze. She could feel all her blood pouring into her face and was glad that the only light in the room was the fireplace glistening beside them.

            He got down on his knees as she turned her head away. “Krislynn,” he murmured.

            “Y- yeah?”

            “Look at it.”

            “W- what?!” She stammered, only shifting her attention to his face.

            He gave her a cocky grin. “You know what I mean. I want you to look at it.”

            She thought about it, and maybe it was the smirk he was giving her, but she just couldn’t do it. “It’s embarrassing!!”

            “Seriously?” He grumbled. “You won’t even look at your man?”

            “Not that man,” she huffed. “I told you! I’ve only done it in the complete dark. It’s embarrassing this way!” Angry and mortified with the way things had turned out, Krislynn rolled over on her stomach to hide herself from him. He was acting so confident in what he was doing so there was no way he would understand how nervous she was to be naked in front of him, waiting for him like this. She scowled and buried her face in her hands as she heard him laughing.

            “But you’ve seen me naked,” he reminded her.

            “Yeah, but… it was different!” She argued. She had seen him completely naked the morning after their drunken fiasco before, but the difference was that the deed was already done last time; there was no use arguing over it. This time, it was different. It was like singing on stage in front of a million people; it was more nerve wrecking before the performance than after because you never know if you might screw up during the middle of it. “Besides,” she shouted, waving her hand at him. “It didn’t look like that last time.”

            Chase snickered while looking down at himself. “You’re more innocent than I thought you’d be,” he said. “Even though you’re not a virgin.”

            “Shut up!” She cried. “You stupid donkey!”

            “Oh come on.” Leaning in, he placed a trail of kisses on her shoulder blade. “You’re ruining the mood.”

            Her retort came back as a half whimper. “You’re the one that’s ruining the mood!”

            He laughed. “Okay fine. Let’s just say it’s my fault and get back to what we were doing huh?”

            Pouting still, Krislynn pushed herself back up into a sitting position. “Fine!” She shouted.

            “Fine,” he agreed. “But you better be ready! I have a lot of pent-up sexual energy so if you think I’m going to let you sleep tonight, you can forget it.”