Seeking Warmth

Everything seemed to blur as I dragged my tired feet up the unnecessarily long staircase, all the while cold water droplets fell onto my shivered back from the ends of my damp hair that I carelessly threw up in a chaotic bun. Even though it is ridiculously late, and I'm thoroughly exhausted, I refused to go to sleep with dirt and some kind of creatures muck in my hair.

Another icy droplet betrayed me as it fell down on to my exposed back, sending a chills down with it as it raced down my skin, probably looking for warmth on this frosty late autumn night, just as I was. How could I have known that the air would drop from it's earlier warmness to what it is now. If I had known that, well then you wouldn't see me walking around is summer pajamas, now would you? In my flannels, I would have snuggled in to my warm sheets, maybe with a cup of Filia's tea, being warm as could be. After my bath that is, like I said before, Lina Inverse does not go to bed with dirty hair.. as long as she can help it.

The hallway is eerily quiet as I slid my tired feet across the carpet. I try to reach for my door knob to get to my room, cursing under my breath at the moon, which had decided to conveniently take the night off, leaving me in a dark hallway, with no moonlight to guide my way. Come on moon, you've got one job and you screwed it up!

Once my hand found it's way around the the cool brass knob, I tried to twist it so that I could reach the soft bed that was calling out for me. However, the handle seemed to be jammed. Funny, I don't remember locking it. With a low grunt, I twist the irksome piece of metal harder, enraged that it thought it had the gall to stand in my way to my bed, and my warmth. I'm sure that I could muster up a Dragon Slave if it comes down to it...

Luckily for the door, the knob wasn't very sturdy, so after a final twist, the knob crumbled in my hands. Take that door knob! Better think twice the next time you try to stand up to the Great Lina-, ah you get it.

Half blind, I make my way to the bed, dropping my towel somewhere along the way, and walking out of my slippers. In normal weather, a night shirt and some loose shorts would be exemplary for sleep wear, but the late night air was leaking from the cracks in the window filling the room with an unwanted visitor of freezing air. I'm sure that if I could see, there would be mist coming from my lips as I breathe.

My hand finally finds the edge of the bed, which caused me to do a victorious jig in the back of my head. Quickly I pull the sheets up, and climb in to the bed.

Now, I have to explain something too you. It is detrimental that you know the full details of my condition before I explain further. In the past day, my traveling companions and I had an exciting day of bandit slaying, goblin fighting, demon purging, and a dinner massacre. All of which has led me to be extremely burned out. My judgment may not have been at a hundred percent. Not that I, Lina Inverse, make mistakes, but their were signs that I may have... over looked.

First, If I had been paying close attention, I would have realized that my room had been on the right of the staircase, not the left. An easy mistake for one who has traveled for the good part of her life and has stayed in her fair share of inn's. Then there is the mystery of the unusual locked door. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have realized something was not right. Then lastly, I had a pretty clear shot to the bed upon entry. If I would have remembered, which I never forget anything, just in my state of grogginess I seemed to … over look that my clothes and armor were not placed neatly all over the floor.

Yes, if I would have been paying closer attention I would have seen the signs that this was indeed not my room.

So as I slid my cold body into the unusually warm bed, all the signs began to click together, as a sound my lazy ears failed to detect, played softly in my ears. A low, and steady snore. It wasn't loud or obnoxious, it was just a gentle rhythm of an intake of air, then a soft exhale.

The warm sheets, which had been concealing the owner of the bed, passed his warmth on to me, which almost intoxicated me with it's heavenly attachment to my frozen body. If I had not had been so cold, I would have easily slid out of the bed unnoticed, and retreated back to my own room.

It was really cold out side the bed alright! I had already made my way to the bed, so there was no since back tracking, right? RIGHT?

Now before your like- 'Woah, Lina! You crawled in to some strangers bed?!' Let me assure you that I was completely safe. As soon as I made the connection that this was indeed not my room, I quickly figured out where my tired stupor had lead me. Again there were the signs...

Mainly it was the unmistakable scent of the sea. Even though we were no where close to any form large body of water, this scent was forever embedded to my traveling companion. Wither it was from growing up near the water, or whatever reason, he always seemed to have a smell of fresh sea water.

It wasn't a bad scent anyways. Not one that would make a tired girl tempt the frigid cold just to walk ten feet to her bed.

In the warmth of the sheets, the scent seemed to be overpowering my senses, as I laid unable to move. The heat from the blankets was quickly transferring the warmth on to my thawing skin, as I tried to be a still as possible. Perhaps the right plan would be to warm up a bit, then before he woke, I would slip back to my room. That way he would never have to know of my totally innocent confusion.

Suddenly his steady snore halted, as he flipped from laying on his stomach to his back. It happened in slow motion, as I remained completely still. As he turned, he pressed his elbow on the firm mattress, using it to push himself up. However he got a large chunk of hair caught underneath it, jerking his head as he moved. Astonishingly, this didn't seem to faze him as he successfully managed to position himself on the bed.

His exceptionally large arms reached over toward me, searching for one of the spare pillows, which I had been laying on. His snore then resumed as he tucked his hand underneath the pillow I had been resting my head on.

All the hair on my body began to stand on edge as his body heat hit me from beneath the pillow. Without thinking about it, I slowly reached up, and gently touch the arm that was extended in front of me.

His skin was so soft, and very warm. My cool hand practically melted on touch.

I blame all that happened next to pure, human, instinct. Had I been in the right state of mind, not driven by lack of proper heat, and weary tiredness, I would have never have over stepped my boundaries. However, I was not in the right state of mind, as I slowly rolled across his extended arm, and rested on top of his chest. Heat, pure, beautiful heat rose from his chest onto my cheek and arm as I laid on him. Maybe a tiny exhale of bliss came out my mouth as I greedily snuggled closer for more heat.

It didn't take any time for me to quickly join my companion in a peaceful slumber. The only thing I could remember before drifting off was the the warmth that came to my back as he wrapped his feverishly hot arm around my waist, and rested his hand on my back.

When I wake tomorrow, I have to remember to yell at him for being in MY room. After all, Lina Inverse never makes mistakes...