Nothing's in my way

Chapter 8

"Are you not going to work today?"

"No. As these days ago we sold so much, yesterday it was so difficult to end stocks. I'll take a few days off while the ice of the people is consumed and there's a more conducive time for the sale."

"Perfect! We'll take the opportunity to wash your work clothes!"

"Not a bad idea. I haven't done it in a long time."

"You can say it."

"Yeah... sorry."

"Come on, take it off, I'll wash it!"

"I see you very excited about the idea. Do you know how cold the river water is?"

"It is exciting! This is going to be my first time doing laundry!"

"If it makes you so excited, I won't be the one to take it away from you."

He pulled his daily clothes out of a drawer (too cool to be there) and pulled off the top of his working clothes, making me choke on my own saliva.

"Great, now give me the bottom one and I'll go to the river. With those clothes, you are in no condition to go out there."

"I'm not going to give you my bottom clothes."

"Come on, if not, the smell will never go away."

"Then wait outside."

"Don't worry! It's not like you're not wearing underwear."

I yanked his pants towards me and he pulled my hand away growling.

"Be careful, princess: I don't want to sully you."

I stopped in my tracks and he turned with a smile that pretended to be mocking but had a great tinge of sadness. Then, I remembered Hans's awful words and my blood boiled.

"Kristoff?"

"Wait outside. I take it all out right away."

I wasn't very clear what that was, but I did know that his tone made my soul ache.

"Kristoff!"

He looked at me quickly, surely puzzled by the serious tone with which I addressed him.

"I don't know what weird ideas you have gotten into your head, but if you and I were in love and right now we'll wallow like two hungry wolves on the ground and have wild sex," 'But what am I saying?!' "there would be no taint. There's no taint in true love."

He stood there stunned and almost as red as I was.

"Kristoff, you can't sully me."

I couldn't believe what I'd blurted out, nor was I sure he really understood it, but what if he had understood it? What would come then? Love? Pain? A tremendous awkwardness?

I didn't have time to ask myself any more questions, as his body language answered them all by itself in a sec.

Progressively, his face became serious and serene. His eyes pierced my soul and his feet walked firmly and slowly towards me. He took my waist with his hands and slowly brought my body closer to his. Was what I was thinking really happening?

Without losing eye contact for a second, he brought his hand up to my head and gently stroked my cheek with his thumb. Then, I closed my eyes confirming that I wanted that and I prayed that it wasn't just a nice dream. With my eyes closed, I could feel his warmth approaching, his bangs playing with mine, his breath on my lips and his nose brushing mine, and there, immersed in the silence of the cold mountains, with only the crackling of the fire as company... there was a knock on the door.