In Between Seasons

Chapter 35

I stood outside, leaning against the porch railing as I watched the moon rise above the trees. I had only ever known this sort of peaceful wilderness, but it was all a deception—there was nothing peaceful there, or here, for that matter. This life was about one thing, waiting for your moment to die. I breathed the sharp air into my lungs and let it sting against my insides as the crisp snow sparkled against the light of the moon. The only sound was our breathing as Hunter and I stared across the barren landscape.

A shiver passed through me as I remembered this relaxed comfort was a cruel trick. It didn't exist; something was coming for me—for us. Hunter wrapped his arms around me, and his body warmed me. I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them to see the clouds coming from our mouths in easy succession.

"You ready?" Hunter whispered into my ear.

"Sure," I replied, and his arms rose to lift my hood over my head before he swept me into this arms.

"Hey!" I yelped as my hands came to rest on his shoulders.

Hunter's face was shadowed by his sweatshirt hood, but I could still sense the twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't want to risk stairs with you," he replied.

"Ha-ha!" I shot back before giving in and resting my head on his chest.

"Hey, you never know!" he replied as he began to descend the steps without a sound.

"Will I be allowed to run?" I asked.

Hunter looked down at me with a playful smile before he jumped off the last step without placing me down.

"I don't want you to put too much pressure on your ribs by having you breathe heavily quite yet," he said, beginning to jog and then entering into a sprint.

The woods flashed past us as he ran, holding me tightly to his body so I barely felt the movement. When we reached the training field Hunter put me to the ground, his breath a whisper against the night sky as he walked past me. When he turned to face me his arms were crossed over his chest, and I felt my lungs tighten. The stars reflected in his eyes as his body was framed perfectly against the moonlight and snow. I had never seen the ocean, but I imagined the way the stars reflected in his eyes was the way they would look over the water; shimmering despite the endless depth beneath.

I nodded at him, and he began to demonstrate a move to me. I watched in wonder as his movements barely caused the snow to crunch. All I could hear was the hammering of my heart in my ears, and his breath as he stepped forward to help me position my body to repeat his actions. His hands gently slid up my arms as he showed me how to position myself to strike, but they stopped at my shoulders.

I could see it in his eyes; he didn't have the heart for fighting tonight. He wanted the peaceful farce the forest gave us just as much as I did. His thumb caressed my collarbone and his jaw tightened as my chest rose against his palm. Hunter looked up at the sky, and the stars reflected deeply before he closed them, lowering his forehead to mine.

His eyes opened as his lips curled softly at the edges, and then, in one swift movement he slid his arm behind my back and pulled me to the ground with him. Our bodies melted into the cold ground, and I placed my head on his chest as we stared up at the stars without saying a word.

For that moment, we let the farce take us over.

And for a moment, I believed all we needed was this feeling.

This hope.