Winter's Knight Ch. 3
After the hug, there had been some nervous spluttering from both you and Ivan, though mostly you, before you had finished moving all the food from the refrigerator to the makeshift doorway shelves. You had kept a can of soup that you were now cooking on the back porch. Ivan remained indoors while you ventured outside to use the camping stove. Your face was just no longer flushed, replaced with a tint from the cold.
Outside you were still contemplating the odd embrace that had just come out of nowhere. It had stunned you, coming so quickly and out of the blue. The strangest part was that you really hadn't minded the hug at all. You reflected the day's events silently as your soup began to warm up.
A man who you had never met before who suddenly decided to show up at your house had, only after knowing you for a mere few hours suddenly embracing you like that…it was strange. Maybe you were just lonely, in need of attention, but thoughts still continued to whirr through your head.
After watching chunks of vegetables in your soup begin to warm for a few minutes, you stood and faced the new trail in your backward towards the woodpile Ivan had created and began to wander, physically and mentally.
He must have worked rather hand on this trail, you noted, looking up and down the walls of snow. He must have stopped snow and pushed it aside while it was coming down…or did he dig all this out after the last blizzard ended? Either way, it was a large amount of physical labor for anyone to endure to help another, the most you had ever seen someone do; strange, considering how you had just met. All this just to keep firewood in the house. A stranger risked his life for you like that just because…
…Because he wanted the company of others.
You stopped walking as you reached the woodpile, under the large tree.
Was he really so lonely as he said he was? Maybe he was just looking for or even proving himself to a new friend, someone just to talk to. You smiled. Well, he was certainly proving himself well. You followed the shape of the different planks of wood with your eyes. How could you not want to befriend such a kind, sweet, and cute guy.
You stopped, staring at a knothole in a plank.
…Cute? Where had that come from?
After a moment of reflection, you realized that the thought was the truth. He was cute, attractive even. Or, so you knew from his face, but still. He was a big guy, sure, but his kind personality and sweet disposition sucked the intimidation right out of him.
You were so lost in thought that you didn't hear the back door open.
Sweet and kind…Maybe it was our own loneliness talking, but…maybe you really wanted to know this man better, as a friend at least. When you got back inside, you would have to ask him more about himself.
You didn't hear Ivan call your name.
Yeah, maybe you could talk to him about his family or his time in Russia. You fiddled with a stick from the woodpile ahead of you. Maybe you could ask him about his friend Mattie, or maybe even hobbies he has.
You didn't hear Ivan when called you again, trying to urge you back.
You didn't hear the concern in his voice.
You didn't even hear his tromping footsteps dashing towards you.
What you did hear, what you did feel, was the explosion above your head, and your body being shoved into a snow bank followed almost instantaneously by a loud thud and a yelp of pain from Ivan behind you, then a shuffle of snow.
You got up from the frozen bank to see the fate you had been saved from; Ivan laid face-down on the ground, covered in snow. He groaned once he got his breath back, trying to get out from the great limb which had blown off the tree, though the branch was bigger than he was, and in his injured condition he couldn't move on his own.
Your soup was quickly forgotten.