Bash got their belongings gathered and started walking off into the woods. He noticed Catherine wasn't behind him and turned around.
"Well come on." he said motioning for her to follow.
"I'm not following you anywhere until you tell me where you're going. Why would you be going deeper into the woods?" she questioned.
"We have to get off this path. If pagans see the overturned carriage they'll be looking for it's passengers. Now let's go before it gets too dark." he said. She made an irritated face and then began following him.
After they had been walking awhile they came to a clearing. Bash stopped and started putting down their bags.
"This looks promising. I guess this will be our room for the night." he said. Catherine was silent. "There's a stream right over there if you want to wash up. I'll start a fire." Catherine nodded and headed toward the stream. When she returned the fire was started and he had laid out some material he'd gotten from the carriage on top of some leaves as a makeshift bed.
"I hope you don't mind the accommodations. It was the best I could do." she said nothing. "Are you going to be like this all night? You haven't said a word since we left the carriage. You could at least answer when I speak to you. For gods sake there's no one else here. You can say what's really on your mind."
"What would you like me to say exactly? Should we be making polite conversation about the dead animal carcass that was hanging off the tree back there. Or maybe we should be chatting about The fact that the temperature has dropped drastically since we stopped and we might just lose a toe before the night is over. I know, let's talk about the fact that we are stuck out here all night and all you want to do is pout about how I don't want to talk." she said angry and sarcastic.
"Our current situation has nothing to do with your silence and you know it. You have been acting like I have some sort of disease ever since you told me you didn't want to be with me anymore. A decision I still don't understand by the way because you won't even give me a real explanation. Everything was going well one moment and the next you want nothing to do with me. And you just expect me to be alright with that. Like it's no big deal." his voice raised gradually with more anger as he spoke.
"I never said it wasn't a big deal. Do you think it was easy for me to hurt you like that?" she argued.
"Then why? Why would you do this! Tell me why! Make me understand!" he yelled.
"Because!...Because I wanted you to be happy! Because I wanted you to have everything! You deserve to get married and have children and a life! And I can't give you any of that because we can't even be seen speaking to each other without raising suspicion! And I can't take that from you because I LOVE YOU!" she placed her hand over her mouth trying to hold back her emotion. 'Did I really say that.' she thought. Bash said nothing, but rushed to her kissing her hard, feeling all their bottled up emotions at once. When he stopped kissing her, he kept her close, foreheads pressed together.
"If you think for a moment that any of those things matter. You are wrong. I don't want that life. Not if it means giving you up. Any kind of life with you is better than life without you. I don't need those things. I only need you because I...love...you." he told her a bit of husk in his voice.
Catherine smiled against his lips with tears in her eyes as they started to kiss again. It became more heated very quickly, all of their emotions bubbling to the surface. They started to sink down onto their sleeping arrangement. They landed on their sides facing each other. Their arms wrapped around each other, leaving no space between them.
Bash started to kiss her neck, speaking between each peck."God...I missed you... so...much." she had her hands at the back of his neck.
"Bash, I'm so sorry I should have talked to you about it. I just panicked and I..." Bash stopped her babbling with his lips.
"Shh, it's over now. Just...just never do that again, alright?" he begged. She smiled pulling him back in, kissing him harder. She started to feel him harden against her thigh.
"Then at least allow me to apologize properly." she said reaching for his belt.
"Catherine you don't have to..." he forgot what he was saying because she had released him from his confines, one hand wrapped around him. She teased him for a moment and then rolled him onto his back and not letting him go, climbed onto him, sliding him inside her. He put his hands on her hips as she moved on top of him. Her head tilted back as they got closer to the edge. His hand found its way up her dress to help her along. As he felt her closing around him, he found his release. Then, placing his hands back on her waist, he rolled her off of him. He put her down on her back supporting her head with his arm. He placed his hand on her face and ran his thumb over her cheek. She did the same.
"I love you...I really do. I never thought I'd ever feel this way about anyone again." she said surprised by her own admission.
"It's hard to imagine that just a few months ago you were trying to have me killed." he said jokingly.
"That's not funny. I shudder to think what life would be like right now if I'd succeeded. I would've never known the mistake I made." she let her hand slide down his arm to intertwine her fingers with his.
"If only it wasn't so hard to keep our love secret. The way I feel I'd like to shout it from the rooftops." he said smiling and kissing her hand. She smiled back. They kept talking as they snuggled in closer to each other, eventually falling asleep.
The next morning they woke to see each other and it took them a moment to remember where they were. Bash was stroking Catherine's hair, reluctant to let go of her.
"So it seems I was right about waking up with you in my arms. It really is a glorious experience." he said kissing her lightly.
"I do wish the circumstances surrounding it were better, but it still is nice to for you to be the first thing I see. I never thought I'd be wishing I didn't have to leave a pile of leaves in the woods." she answered. He started to get up.
"I suppose one of us has to be brave." he extended a hand to help her up. "We really shouldn't linger." he said. She took his hand and he pulled her up quickly. She stumbled and collided with him, which was his intention.
"But first..." he said pulling her in and kissing her. "Ahh, now I have the strength to carry on." he said playfully. They gathered their things and started the rest of their trek to Paris.