Stranded in the Snow

"Alright, fingers crossed."

I stepped out into the cold and walked back to my own car. The inside was freezing compared to the truck and I shivered as I sat down in the driver's seat. After receiving an encouraging nod from Alex I stuck the key in the ignition, held my breath, and turned it. The car's engine sputtered for a moment before turning on and settling into a steady rumble.

Alex's excited cheer reached my ears before the realization had fully hit me. I stepped out and ran back towards Alex, who had just gotten out of her own car as well.

"It's running!" I shouted, wrapping my arms around Alex and hugging her tightly against me.

I felt Alex tense in surprise and got a flashback to the way Andy had crushed me two days ago when I left my parent's house. Alex's hands grabbed my arms and she tried to push me away in a reflex before her resistance died. Then we just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry," I said as I let go of her. Alex had a blush on her cheeks that might not have been entirely from the cold as she stared at me for a moment, her face impossible to read. I braced myself for another outburst, kicking myself for being so stupid.

Suddenly Alex's arms shot up and hooked around my neck, pulling my head down. Before I realized what was happening she had pressed her soft lips against mine, the warmth of her mouth quickly filling my body. I instinctively closed my eyes and after a second wrapped my arms around her once again.

She felt surprisingly small in my arms. One of her hands reached inside of my hood and stroked my cheek, pulling me more firmly against her lips. I wasn't sure what was happening or why, but luckily my body didn't need my instructions as it moved on its own. I slid a hand down to her hip and held her close with the other, returning her kiss as well as my dazed state allowed.

Eventually, Alex pulled back and time started moving again. She smiled at me, the dimples in her cheeks returning once again. I panted, realizing I had forgotten to breathe for the entirety of the kiss.

"I... What just happened?" I asked, still not entirely sure I hadn't just imagined it.

"Just something I've been wanting to do for a little while now," Alex said with a satisfied smirk. "Anyway, why don't you head on inside before you catch a cold? I'll be there in a minute, I need to put back those jumper cables. Your car needs to run for a little while now to hopefully be able to charge its own battery, and I'd rather wait inside."

"Won't I need to drive it around a bit?" I seemed to recall hearing something like that a long time ago, but my mind was still hazy from the kiss.

"Ideally, yes. But I wouldn't risk it in this weather. Now off with you, I expect some hot coffee to be ready when I come in." Alex grinned and turned me around, giving me a little slap on my butt as she pushed me towards the farm.

I closed the front door behind me and leaned against it, sighing deeply. Alex had kissed me. While part of me still didn't want to believe it, that fact was impossible to deny. Yet I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. I knew I should be happy about it, and I truly was, but the kiss had raised so many more questions.

After getting out of my jacket and several extra layers of clothing I made my way to the kitchen. Nugget looked up at me for a moment before trotting off to the living room, without as much as a second look this time. He really did seem to have gotten used to me, although it was clear he still wasn't a big fan of their guest. At least he allowed me to be in the kitchen on my own, which I saw as a good sign.

The coffee was just about done when I heard Alex return. I tensed up for a moment, anxious about what was coming. If anything, the kiss had made her even more unpredictable to me. I had no idea what to expect anymore, so I just poured our cups and headed for the living room.

Alex joined me on the couch for once, rather than sitting in her usual chair. She smiled and took the steaming cup of coffee from the table, warming her hands on it as she blew on the hot liquid.

"Thank you. Nothing like a hot drink after being outside in the cold, right?" she said.

I nodded, absentmindedly stirring my own mug. We sat there in silence for a moment until Alex finally spoke up again.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"I thought you had a dog?" I said.

"Fair enough." She gave a little chuckle before looking me up and down for a moment. "Something wrong?"

"Not really, I just..." I let out a sigh and took a sip of my coffee. "I'm just not sure what to think anymore. About you. About us..."

"Remember what you told me in my truck yesterday? To pick between being distant or friendly? Well, I just made that choice. I had expected you to be happier about it, though." She gave me a smile, trying to catch my eyes.

"You mean you trust me now, then? Randomly?" It was still a bit hard to believe.

"I mean... You haven't tried to attack me yet," she joked. I didn't laugh. "I'm serious though, that's what every woman would have been worried about in my situation. But you have barely even touched me over the last few days. I think that is a very good sign, at the very least."

"Still... Part of me is just waiting for you to turn around and become distant again. How do I know it's for real this time?" I knew I was getting dangerously close to what I had said in the truck the other day, but I just needed to get this off my chest. Luckily Alex didn't seem angry this time.

"I don't suppose there's a way I could... convince you?" She put her hand on top of mine and gave it a little squeeze, the heat from her coffee mug still radiating off it.

I couldn't hide a smile, feeling that little spark of hope that I had been trying to suppress ignite again. Maybe she really did like me after all? Well, if she truly had let go of her inhibitions, maybe it was time I did the same and just embraced the moment.

"And how were you planning on doing that?" I asked with a smirk, meeting her eyes for the first time since she sat down next to me.

"Well..." she started as she placed her coffee mug on the table. "Let's put these away before I show you, hmm? Wouldn't want to burn ourselves." She giggled as she took my mug from my hand, her fingers lingering on mine for a moment longer than necessary before she put it next to her own mug.

"Sounds like a good plan so far," I said, watching her expectantly.

"I'm full of good plans today."

Now that the coffee was out of the way, she shifted a bit closer until she was sitting right up against me. She put her hand on my leg and slowly stroked it as she looked deep in my eyes. I swallowed, feeling some tension starting to build in my jeans. It wasn't often that a woman touched me like that, let alone one as cute as Alex.

"I wasn't lying earlier," she continued, her hand never pausing. "Part of me wanted to kiss you for a while now. I had to be careful, but... You do seem like a good guy." She licked her lips and let her eyes roam over my body for a moment. "And it does get pretty lonely here in winter, you were right about that."

I smiled, finding it hard to hang on to my earlier reservations now that she was actively flirting with me. Part of my brain had been screaming 'GO!' for the last minute or two, but I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of giving in just yet.

"Hmm, I think I might need a bit more convincing than that. But it's a good start," I said with a cheeky grin. She chuckled and her eyes sparkled for a moment.

"Oh trust me, I'm only just getting started."

Alex reached up with her free hand and cupped my face, slowly moving her thumb through the faint stubble on my cheek. She smiled and glanced at my lips for a moment before she pulled me towards her. This time I was expecting it and I met her lips with an equal amount of enthusiasm, no longer able to restrain myself. She chuckled against my mouth in reply.

Tingles were coursing through my body and my heart was racing, trying to keep up with all the new sensations. I was already getting a bit lightheaded, and I knew we had barely even started. Kissing her was intoxicating, fueling a fire inside of me that I hadn't felt in a long time. Right now I didn't care about anything besides adding more fuel to it and basking in its glow.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, feeling her warmth beneath my hands as I ran them along her back. The fabric of her red sweater was very soft and thick, but I could feel the mixture of soft flesh and hard muscle underneath it.

She surprised me as something warm and wet probed my lips as if she was knocking and asking for permission to enter my mouth. I didn't need to be asked twice and eagerly opened my lips to welcome her tongue, meeting it halfway with my own. The tips of our tongues danced around each other for a moment before they reached deeper, exploring each other's mouths and regularly backing up a little to wrestle with each other.

Suddenly Alex wrapped her arms around my neck and let herself fall backward, pulling me on top of her. Our lips parted briefly in the process as I gave a surprised yelp. She just stared up at me, grinning broadly.

"Come back down here," she said. "Didn't they teach you to never keep a woman waiting?"

"Well, if you insist..." I replied with a chuckle.

I smiled back and locked my lips with hers once again. Her hands roamed my back and I realized that this position gave us a much better angle to explore each other. As I kept myself up with my left hand, my right slowly trailed down her stomach. Once my hand reached the bottom of her sweater I slipped it under the warm fabric and touched the soft skin underneath.

Alex let out a satisfied purr as I slowly explored the perfect balance of muscle and softness of her stomach. I broke the kiss to catch my breath while my hand still continued moving beneath her shirt. We both panted for a moment and Alex smiled up at me expectantly. Her hands reached up and started unbuttoning my shirt, her eyes twinkling like she was unwrapping a late Christmas present. She paused about halfway down the row of buttons and looked up at me.

"I'll leave it at that so you don't get too cold," she said as her hand slipped inside my shirt. I gasped as her fingers explored my warm skin, goosebumps spreading over my whole body at her touch.

"I guess we might have to share body warmth, then."

I grinned and bent down again, but didn't go for her lips this time. Instead, I kissed her cheek and then slowly trailed my way down to her neck. Alex murmured in approval and leaned her head to the side to give me some more space. My hand resumed its journey and soon found its way to her bra, moving up to cup her breast and giving it a little squeeze, making Alex squirm slightly beneath me. It turned out her sweater had hidden some of her assets, and I was pleasantly surprised by how nicely her breast filled my hand.

Alex's suddenly tensed up, making me stop. At first I was worried I had gone too far, but then I noticed she was looking at something. I frowned and followed her gaze, meeting the eyes of a German shepherd that was staring at us curiously.

"Looks like we have an audience," I said as I tried to kiss her neck again, but Alex pushed me away.

"I'm sorry, I... Oh God, this is so awkward..." Alex blushed furiously and tried to sit up again and straighten out her sweater.

"Oh..." was all I managed to say. I had a brief flashback to my dream, where my moment with Alex had also been interrupted by a dog.

Alex saw my expression and bit her lip.

"I can't do this. Not here. Not..." She nodded towards Nugget.

"I don't mind him, personally, but if it's bothering you..." Part of me felt like she was making excuses, and I wasn't sure if I was angry at myself for thinking that, or at her for interrupting our moment.

"I'm sorry, I really am." She looked me over before meeting my eyes. "But..." She blushed and looked away for a moment.

"But what?" I tried to keep my frustration out of my voice, but only half succeeded.

"Well... If you'd rather not sleep all alone in the guest room tonight... I have a pretty big bed. Should be more than enough room for both of us, if you want. And no audience either..." She smiled, her earlier confidence giving way to a shyness I hadn't seen before.

"I..." I paused, repressing my urge to just pin her down and take her right here and now. "Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks." We sat in awkward silence for a moment as I slowly buttoned up my shirt again.

"You should go turn off your car," Alex finally said. "Should have been running for long enough by now, and you don't want to waste more gas than necessary."

"Good point." The fact that my car was still running had completely slipped my mind.

Alex grabbed her mug from the table and took a small sip before making a face.

"Cold, as expected. How about I make some new coffee while you're gone?" she asked.

"That would be nice." It was a waste of coffee, but I wasn't a fan of drinking it cold either.

I stepped outside into the cold for the second time today, but somehow it felt worse than before. Maybe it was the fact that I was still blushing, or maybe I just missed being pressed up against Alex's warm body. At least this would be a nice way for me to cool down, in more ways than one.

My car was still running, which I saw as a good sign. That didn't guarantee it would start again, but at least it hadn't shut off on its own as it had two days ago. It meant the battery should be charging now, or at least generate enough electricity to replace what it was using.

After pulling out the key I sat back in the seat, the silence almost deafening to my ears. I let out a deep breath and it formed a small cloud in front of me. I knew I should just head back inside, but I needed a moment alone to process all that had happened.

Alex hadn't just kissed me. We had been properly making out, something I had thought was only reserved for my dreams until just an hour ago. Part of me wondered how far she would have gone, had Nugget not interrupted us. Stupid dog...

But, on the bright side, Alex had invited me to spend the night in her room. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, but she did say we wouldn't have an audience... I guess I could wait that long if I had to. Part of me still feared she'd back out at the last minute though, but I guess I'd find out tonight.

As promised, a steaming hot mug of coffee was waiting for me when I returned to the living room. Alex was already sipping from hers, sitting in her chair once again. It seemed like she was putting some more distance between us again, but she smiled brightly when I got back.

"And, how was the car?" she asked.

"Still running, so that was promising. Thanks again."

I sat down on the couch and grabbed my coffee, burning my tongue slightly as I drank from the mug. It was hot, alright. We sat in silence for a moment until I suddenly connected some dots in my mind.

"Hold on, if my car was running just now... Does that mean that it's fixed?" It sounded like a question, but I was more so thinking out loud.

"Possibly. I can't guarantee it won't die again somewhere along the way, or that it will start tomorrow, though." Alex gazed outside at the snowstorm that was still raging on, for the third day in a row now. "I would wait a little before leaving though, if I were you. It's dangerous to drive in this weather, you know?"

I nodded. "I know, but it's not like that stopped me earlier. Although I guess it's too late to leave now anyway. Probably will only get more dangerous on the roads once it gets dark."

"You really are in a hurry to leave, aren't you?" Alex said, sounding somewhat disappointed. It took me a second to realize why she was looking at me like that.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that the realization suddenly hit me, I was just thinking out loud." I gave her an apologetic smile. "I like it here, don't worry. But I can't help but feel like I'm taking advantage of your hospitality." Besides, what kind of idiot would leave after being invited into a woman's bed?

Alex smiled in relief as she listened to my answer. She took a long drink from her mug before speaking again.

"Don't worry, you can stay as long as you need."

We made some small talk as we finished our coffee, after which Alex left to go work on some things in the garage once again. She made me promise to make last night's stuffed shells again before she left, though. She seemed to be a big fan of those, but I was pretty sure we had enough ingredients for it.

I watched some TV before I headed into the kitchen. As usual, I had made way too much of the mixture that I had used to fill the shells yesterday, and I was glad I had put it in the fridge rather than throwing it away. It looked like I had used a bit over half of what I had prepared yesterday, so maybe we'd get a few shells less tonight. But they were very filling and we had struggled to eat everything, so I figured that would be enough.

Alex returned shortly after I had put the shells in the oven and helped me set the table. We were just about done when the egg timer went off.

"Hah, timing," Alex said with a grin.

She seemed lost in thought as we started eating. She was slowly cutting her food and blowing on it, avoiding my eyes.

"Something the matter?" I asked. I really hoped it wasn't something I had done this time.

"I was just thinking about how much I'll miss your cooking. It is so much better than anything I can make myself." She met my eyes for a moment and smiled.

"Well, I'm not gone just yet. You were right, I should wait out that storm. Better not make that same mistake twice."

"I know, but... I just hadn't really thought about it before you brought it up."

"About what? That I'd be leaving?" She wasn't making much sense. Of course I'd be leaving at some point, what had she been expecting?

"I know it's silly. I mean, first I made you feel like I wanted you to go home as soon as possible, and now I'm telling you I don't want you to leave... Sometimes I get why men think women are complicated." She giggled as she stuffed a piece of food in her mouth.

I gave her a comforting smile and reached across the table. I half expected her to recoil from my touch, but she allowed me to take her hand in mine. I gave it a little squeeze before I replied.

"I'm sorry if what I said before made me seem ungrateful. You really have done a lot for me. But I do need to go home eventually."

She looked down at our hands and intertwined our fingers before she met my eyes, a faint smile on her lips.

"I know that you have a life to get back to. It's just..." She bit her lip and looked down for a moment.

"Just what?" I asked, waiting patiently until she met my eyes again.

"Is it weird that this is starting to feel normal for me? That I'm getting used to having someone here? The house has been pretty empty since my parents left, it's just... kind of nice to have someone here, you know?"

"What do you mean, your parents left?"

"Didn't I mention that before? My dad used to run this farm but he passed it on to me a few years ago to go see the world with my mom. They stop by occasionally but I don't really see them very often anymore."

"What about Nugget? And those farmhands you mentioned?" I said. Nugget raised his head as he heard his name for a moment before lying back down in front of the radiator.

"As much as I love him, Nugget is still just a dog. He's good company, don't get me wrong, but it's different. And I told you those guys aren't here in the winter, and even when they are helping me they don't sleep here, so I'm still alone when I'm not working." Alex gave a tired sigh. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"It's okay," I said as I gave her hand another squeeze.