Chapter Ten
Myka was searching for shelter to their right while Helena was looking to their left. It was getting more difficult to walk through the snow as exhaustion set in. She stopped abruptly when she thought she saw something off to the side of the road. Helena's hand pulled away as she was unable to slow her momentum. She turned back around to see what had caused Myka's sudden halt. Myka stood there, loose curls blowing in the wind and laced with barely visible snowflakes. The sun was setting behind her and it created a slight glow around her silhouette. The image was stunning and Helena lost herself for a moment, wanting to reach out and adjust a stray tendril back into its rightful place with the rest of Myka's incredible mane of hair.
"There's a trail map over that way," Myka shouted over the wind as she pointed, breaking Helena's reverie. She found a burst of energy and quickly trudged through the snow to reach it. Helena tried to catch up as Myka quickly processed the image of the map. "There's a trail right here. If we walk about 300 meters down the trail, there should be a lean-to where we can stay for the night."
"Is it wise to venture away from the main road?" Helena questioned, squinting at the map.
"I don't know. Probably not," Myka concluded, "but I have a feeling that lean-to is the best thing we're going to find for shelter before it's too dark to see where we are going. If we move quickly, we can get there with just enough light left."
Helena was hesitant. She knew how easy it was to lose one's bearings in the woods, especially in the snow. The trail was faint at best. They would have to follow the blaze markers and hope that the lean-to was actually still there. However, continuing to walk along the road was likely not going to help them find shelter. Nodding at Myka, Helena conceded that it was their best option.
They walked down the undisturbed trail with a newfound determination. Neither agent was out of shape, but trying to make quick work of it was extremely tiresome. They could see the yellow blaze markers on the trees and pressed forward, flashlights in hand. The sun hadn't set completely, but the trees shrouded them in near darkness.
"I think I see it up ahead," Myka announced, short of breath.
Helena sniffled, "it bloody well better be. I'm knackered and I can't feel my face."
They moved closer, flashlights shining on the shelter. A simple structure made from wood, it was bigger than Myka expected. If the wind changed direction, it could still blow the snow in through the front, but at least they would have three walls, a roof, and a floor raised above the ground. It would have been impossible to stay warm while laying on a bed of snow, so this was far better than nothing.
Myka took a big step up onto the shelter's floor and moved toward the back. Feeling an instant relief from the icy wind, she leaned against the wall and let herself sink to the hard floor. Helena was quick to join her and they sat quietly with their arms touching, listening to the wind and the sound of each other's labored breathing.
"I'd start a fire if I thought it was possible," Myka muttered dejectedly. "Even if we could find enough wood to burn under all this snow, it'll be frozen and the wind would blow out any chance at a flame, anyway."
"We'll just have to use other means of staying warm," Helena nudged into her partner, "such as sharing body heat."
Myka raised an eyebrow to Helena's persistence at flirting despite the severity of their predicament. She started digging through her backpack. "I do at least have a space blanket in here."
"Space blanket?" Helena questioned with curiosity.
"It's a thin, lightweight blanket made of plastic and coated with aluminum," Myka explained as she removed the blanket from its packaging. "They're often included in first aid and survival kits because its airtight construction traps body heat, resists wind and water, and helps counter hypothermia. They were originally developed by NASA for the United States space program."
"Fascinating," Helena exclaimed while running her hands over the material. "that such a thin medium can work so well in preventing thermal convection from the body to the surrounding atmosphere! I am eager to utilize it!"
"I've spent more than enough time in the cold today. I'm pretty eager to use it, too." Myka had a few prior experiences with space blankets and already knew how much of a difference it would make.
"Aces! Do you want to be the big spoon, or shall I?" Helena teased.
Regardless of the ease and comfort to their earlier hand holding, Myka was still adjusting to the changes in the dynamic to their partnership. For what seemed like the millionth time, she blushed and looked away awkwardly. The shelter was dark even with their flashlights, but Helena would still know she was blushing. The artificer had an uncanny ability of knowing exactly what effect she was causing on her partner. Myka's thoughts drifted and she blushed even more furiously when she imagined how that ability would contribute to their experiences in bed. Really smart, Bering, she berated herself, let yourself think about sex right before you're about to get up close with Helena under a damn space blanket.
Myka cleared her throat when she realized how suspicious her extended silence must have been.
"I guess it makes more sense for me to be the big spoon since I'm taller," Myka finally answered as matter-of-factly as she could manage.
"Darling, just because you are taller does not mean I can't warm you properly," Helena started with a glint in her eye, but changed her tone to be more serious. "However, since you have a preference for control, I am perfectly content with letting you have that choice in our positioning. I sincerely have no intention of making you uncomfortable. That would be most regrettable."
"Thanks for that. It's not that I'd be uncomfortable, per se," Myka tried to explain, "this is just very new territory for me."
"Indeed, I've never been to these mountains, either," Helena jested to lighten the tension in Myka.
Swatting playfully at Helena's arm, Myka returned, "that's not what I meant and you know it!"
"I know, darling. You are just always so serious when it comes to us...whatever it is that we may be."
"I just don't even know where to start. With you. WIth this. With anything. You're quite the enigma."
"We do have an interesting, albeit relatively short history, but there shouldn't be anything confounding about my feelings for you, Myka. I don't hold myself back very often. I generally take what I want, when I want it. But for you, I behave myself...somewhat," she added. "I have every bit of faith that waiting for you to sort your feelings will be entirely worth each moment it requires. Now, I'm rather fatigued, so I'm just going to lay here under the space blanket and I shall leave you with your thoughts until you decide how to proceed with sleeping arrangements for tonight. I can assure you that anything you choose with be sufficiently pleasing for me."
Myka wasn't accustomed to receiving such raw sincerity from Helena about the two of them. There was always banter and flirting with plenty of lingering looks and unnecessary touches, but it was endearing to receive such a heartfelt admission.
Not sure what to do at first, Myka watched the outline of Helena's figure settle itself onto the floor of the shelter. Feeling emboldened, Myka settled herself onto the floor and scooted as close as she could to her partner's backside after she lifted the blanket over her own body.
"Goodnight, my darling," Helena whispered, clearly being lulled to sleep. "I quite...like…"
And like that, Helena had already fallen asleep. Myka was concerned that her heart was beating too fast for her to calm and fall asleep in a timely manner. She leaned her face forward and breathed deeply. Even through the day's events, Helena's hair still smelled like her apple scented shampoo. Myka gently draped an arm over her partner's waist and brushed her lips over the silky strands of hair. It wasn't long before she, too, drifted off to sleep.
[AN - I hope that the pacing of their relationship development is halfway decent. Personally, I love making myself suffer, but I hope it isn't too insufferable for you guys. Not gonna lie, though, I really had to fight the urge to let them have 'stranded in a snowy lean-to' sex instead of the sweeter, slower development that they're getting.]