Ancelin abandoned the cup on the counter and peeled away her clothes, never breaking eye contact with him.The shower's heat enveloped her as she stepped inside, but it was nothing compared to the warmth radiating from his body as she pressed against him.His arms encircled her, possessive yet tender, water slicking between their bodies.She melted into him, her cheek against his thundering heart.
Through the fogged glass, their silhouettes merged in the mirror—two beings becoming one.She clutched him tighter, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.His hands traced the curve of her spine, tangled in her wet hair, pulled her closer still.
"I need you," she whispered, her body arching against his hardness.
Desire darkened his eyes, but pain creased his brow."My head...just hold me for now."His forehead pressed against hers."Later, I promise.After I've had soup and something for this headache.After I've made sure the generators can withstand the whiteout."His thumbs caressed her cheekbones."We'll curl up with SatView while I recover.And you'll make that pudding I can never get enough of—second only to you."
"That good?"she asked, melting into him as their heartbeats found the same rhythm beneath the shower's cascade.
"Nearly."
When her lips found his throat minutes later, she whispered, "Better now?"
"Getting there," he murmured, face buried in her hair.
When Ancelin's mouth met his, an unmistakable sweetness flooded her senses."Your taste is so...intense today.Why?"
“When I don’t feel well, my body makes extra venom.It’s healing to us, like it is to you.”Krevan opened the shower door and helped Ancelin step out.He dried off and toweled off Ancelin.“I do feel warmer and better.My headache has subsided, but it’s not completely gone.”Ancelin rushed and dressed in her pajamas.“I thought we were going downstairs,” he said.
“We are.It’s PJ time.You know, we can relax and be comfortable.We aren’t going anywhere, there’s a snowstorm outside.We’ll be comfortable inside and watch SatView.I like to hang out in my PJs sometimes.Didn’t anyone do that at your home when you were a kid?”
“I guess so.”
“Well, you aren’t feeling well, and I want to feel cozy around the house,” Ancelin said and stroked Krevan’s taut abdominal muscles.“You’re so nice.”
Krevan gently squeezed her right breast.“Only to you.”
Krevan dressed in some casual soft pants and an old shirt.“You look comfortable.Come on, let’s go eat in front of the TV and watch something entertaining.Let’s get comfortable, like a slumber party.”
“What is TV?And you love parties.What’s a slumber party?”Krevan asked, curious about Ancelin’s unusual terms.
“TV is an old Earth word for something like SatView,” Ancelin explained.She grabbed the large blanket off the bed and handed him two pillows.“A slumber party is where we sleep, like downstairs on the floor or the sofa, watch SatView all night, eat food, and talk.”Krevan still seemed to move much slower, and his eyes looked tired.They were their beautiful forest green.“Let me baby you,” Ancelin offered and lovingly stroked his arm.
"Baby me?"Krevan's brow furrowed."Are you wanting to procreate?Allow me to recover from this headache, and I'll gladly attempt to fulfill your request."They descended the stairs to the living room.
Ancelin laughed."Your literal mind exhausts me sometimes.I meant I want to nurture you back to health—and remember, I've had my contraceptive injection."She tucked the blanket around his legs as he sank into the sofa cushions."Though clearly reproduction occupies your thoughts."She positioned pillows behind his back while he scrolled through SatView channels, then brought his steaming soup and settled against him.They remained there until dawn broke, bathing the room in pale light.
Outside, snow continued its relentless assault.The barns had disappeared behind a white veil, and cold seeped through the windowpanes.Ancelin hung bedsheets over the glass while Krevan sealed the upstairs doors, preserving heat in their downstairs sanctuary.The generators hummed their constant effort.As the day progressed, Krevan's movements slowed further, his speech occasionally tangling on his tongue.His usual vigor had abandoned him—even in their intimate moments, his body responded with the dreamlike languor of underwater movement.
Chapter 14
Four days into the storm, their cozy routine was interrupted when Krevan could no longer put off checking the barns.The animals needed attention, despite the barn generators running at low power to keep them warm.Ancelin wouldn't let him go alone.She huddled in the vehicle while he trudged through knee-deep snow to inspect everything.
"All good," he reported when he returned, snow crusting his clothes."I replenished their food and the generators are running.They'll last another few days at least."
The drive back to the house was treacherous—just yards from home, yet the whiteout and the depth of the snow made it feel like navigating a vast landscape.Once parked in the garage, Krevan sat motionless behind the wheel.
"Everything alright?"Ancelin asked.
"Just need a moment.It's...brutal out there."When he finally emerged, his movements were wooden, mechanical.Something about his sluggishness made Ancelin's chest tighten with an unnamable worry.She met him at the front of the car, and together they inched toward the door like figures in a slow-motion film.
"Let me fix you something warm to eat and drink.You should get in a hot shower.I could have checked on the animals instead," she said, rubbing her arms against the lingering chill.
Krevan's jaw clenched."What kind of male would I be if I stayed inside while you froze?"His fingers gentled as they tucked a strand of hair behind her ear."Your human body wasn't designed for this kind of cold.When it gets this severe, every humanoid struggles.Nothing warm-blooded thrives in this."A heavy breath escaped him."I can still push myself when I need to—like you witnessed earlier.But afterward..."His eyes darkened."I pay the price."
"We're supposed to take care of each other," Ancelin said, touching his arm.
He didn't respond immediately, focusing on each careful step toward the door."The cold slowed me down, drained my reserves.But don't worry."His green eyes met hers."When it matters, I still have what it takes."
