Fucking Washington. Emma didn't know why she let Neal convince her they should drive north in September so they could see some big apple festival. She didn't even like apples.
But as of now, it's early November, and Washington is cold as hell. The bug is parked on the edge of a wooded road, a mile or so from the nearest town. Which wouldn't be a problem if it weren't the middle of the night and they hadn't just run out of gas.
The radio said it would get below freezing tonight. It had been unseasonably warm their weeks here, indian summer as the locals called it. Between the heat and the food gleamed from festivals, Washington hadn't been awful to them.
Then today the clouds had gathered, the temperature dropped, and Neal is now stuck trying to find the gas can in the bug's cluttered trunk.
She should have insisted they park in the back of the supermarket lot in town, but Neal is strangely fascinated by the woods out here, and they've both become fond of driving into the night with the radio playing
Well the radio is now silent, and Emma can barely see outside the car. She's in the backseat, burrowed underneath the handful of quilts they have, shivering still, cursing the bug's vinyl interiors. Her only light, one of the flashlights from the bare bones emergency kitemergency kit the bug's former owner had in the trunk.
Neal knocks on the front passenger window, and she reluctantly reaches forward to roll it down.
"Found the can, I'm going to see if there's a shortcut through these trees"
"Be careful"
She feels strange. Even before they'd started sleeping together, Neal had aroused feelings in her that she wasn't sure how to name. Foremost of the stew boiling in her belly right now is tiny, niggling, not quite irrational fear. It's pitch black outside. The ground in this area isn't level. He could fall, or get lost, and she'd be stuck out here tonight, and forever again, alone.
She breathes out in short puffs, not willing to let too much of her heat go.
She's not sure how long it's been, but too long. The little fear has grown. She points the flashlight out the window in hopes of catching a glimpse of Neal returning.
More time passes, and Emma rubs her hands over the bulb in hopes of getting some heat from it. She considers getting out and following him into the woods. She could befall the same fate as him, but she can't just sit here doing nothing...
Her reverie is broken by Neal coming back over the side of the road, finally! She practically leaps up to push the seat forward and let him in the door.
She disguises her completecomplete and total elation at his return with her reaction to his state. He's shivering even worse than she is, his skin pasty white and his lips are starting to turn blue.
She pulls him in beside her under the quilts, pressing as much of him to her as she can.
"Are you stupid?" She asks, rubbing his face with her hands. "I was worried sick!"
"Didn't go far" he says in short, stuttering words, "Got turned around. Didn't want us to have to stay the night out here. Thought I could get through to town. But it's too dark".
He has a point. If they fell asleep for too long, they could both freeze to death out here. She doesn't know how cold it is exactly, but if his present state is any indicator, cold enough.
"What time is it?" she asks
"It's four thirty" he says, still stuttering, but starting to regain his wits. "Sunrise is at six in the morning"
"Then we'll stay up, then put on all the clothes we have and hike into town with the gas can when it gets light. Then we'll come back, gas up, and turn the heater on as high as it'll go. And get some hot chocolate!"
He laughs "Sounds good to me". But his eyes are starting to flutter.
Emma pokes his cheek "Cut that out, I'm not going to stay up alone."
She gets an idea, and presses her lips in close to his earlobe, whispering. "You know, I heard somewhere, that naked bodies share heat better than clothed ones do"
He manages a chuckle as she reaches to pull off his jacket "so my evil plan is working"
She gets his jacket and shirt off pretty easily. His pants are more difficult, he's not at all keen on moving, but eventually they're gone too.
She strips off her own clothing in record time, and before Neal's eyes can even wander, she's wound herself around him and wrapped them both up in their blankets, burrito style. He's already starting to feel less cold to the touch.
His eyes are starting to fade again though, so Emma slides one of her still freezing cold hands between his thighs, one of the few body parts that still feels warm.
He yelps so loudly that she starts laughing.
"'snot funny" he says grumpily.
She smirks, and slides her hand higher. He's already half hard from being smushed up against her like this. A few smooth strokes and he's hard and grunting into her neck. The gentle tingle between her legs has begun, and draped over his leg, she rubs herself against him attempting to give herself a little relief.
"Funny now?" she asks
"No" he whispers, moodily, into her ear. But she can just see the corner of his mouth turning up.
It's Emma's turn to yelp when Neal takes the moment to scoop her up and flip them over, so she's squashed underneath him.
"Not going to fight me to be on top this time?" He asks, sliding his fingers in between her slippery lips, grazing her clit just enough to make her squirm and writhe beneath him.
"No way" she says, snuggly sandwiched between his body and the seat "it's way warmer under here".
Neal laughs, and takes the moment to kiss her as he slides into her.
"Cheater".
He takes his time, thrusting slowly, running his lips down her neck, ghosting his fingertips over her nipples. It's as though he wants to memorize her, as though he fears he might not get to do this again. Emma's heart catches in her throat, and suddenly the fingers she has wound in his hair don't seem enough. She needs to be closer to him. She presses her face into the crook of his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his skin.
His skin is warm now. Good old exertion, she thinks. The warmth in her belly is building, threateneing to boil over. She pulls her head back, to get a better look at his face.
His face. She's never had anyone look at her the way he is right now. As though she's the only woman in the world. As though there's no where else in the world he would rather be. There's a word on the tip of her tongue, a frightening word. A word she can't yet quite say. It's too much for Emma, and she looks away again, taking the opportunity to give the hollow of his throat some much needed attention.
Neal's starting to breathe harder, and Emma's close to the edge, so very close, when...
"Ooof"
Neal jerks suddenly, slips out of her and bangs his head on the roof. Emma yelps in response
"What the hell?"
"Sorry I'm just" he seems embarassed. "My back's just really cold"
Emma grabs the blanket off the floor and slides it over his back, tucking the ends underneath her shoulders, forcing his chest flush against her. One hand then repositions his cock, and the other moves downward to cup his (admittedly ice cold but still quite squeezable) butt,
"Come here, babe, I'll keep you warm"
That gets a laugh. And clearly gives him a second wind, because soon he's pounding into her again, hands clutching underneath her thighs, lifting her legs around his waist.
Any more words Emma could think to say have now been squashed by squeaks and gasps passing her lips of their own volition. The pleasure in her spreads from her center all the way out, she's speeding towards her climax again.
Neal's starting to get that desperate look in his eye again, and his movements quicken and get more erratic. And the pressure's building in Emma, she's so close. She fumbles one hand against her slick clit, just a little bit more...
And at almost the same moment that Neal lets out a groan, and digs his teeth softly into her shoulder, Emma shakes and shudders, and her whole world goes fuzzy and bright as she rides out the waves of her orgasm.
Coming down, Neal has his face nestled softly in her neck. Emma glances out the window and sees a thin streak of orange over the horizon.
"The sun's starting to come up"
He shifts a little bit, repositioning his legs. "So, we should get up and walk to town now" he says, softly.
Emma is awash in contentment right now. Contentment, and tenderness, and so many other words she can't bring herself to say. And warm.
So instead, she asks, hesitatingly "Can we just...stay like this for" Forever "a while?"
Neal slides out from between her legs, gathers her up under his arm and replaces the blanket over them, his form of silent agreement.
"Where to after this?"
Emma groans "California. Arizona. The beach or the desert. Hell, Death Valley sounds nice right now"
"I don't know, I heard Vermont's nice this time of year..."
She slugs him in the arm. He better be joking.
"Well I don't have to worry about the winter, so long as I've got you to keep me from the cold".
Emma's face pinks up, and she raises her up to gaze directly in his eyes.
"Neal, " she starts with disarming sweetness "if you try to make us go to Vermont after last night...I will kick your ass out in the middle of the interstate".