Vixen & The Viper - Baby It's On The Cold Outside [a specterverse xmas novella]

Chapter Five : Gingersnaps

Mishka Ivanov

December 24th, 5pm - Christmas Eve.
Location Unknown, Yabinka National Park. Strysakstan.
Somewhere southwest of the city of Al Aqsan.

The delightful aromatics of ginger and nutmeg perfumes the air as I flurry about the kitchen in a mess of powdered sugar and seasonal spices.. Venom had agreed to leave the generator running while he'd gone out to restock tinder for the fireplace.. Now after the most blissfully hot shower, I am eager to make our 'unconventional Christmas Eve' a magical one..

What else am I supposed to do but stay positive?
I chose to believe the other missionaries on my bus survived the avalanche..
I have to believe they were rescued and found their ways back to their families..

It's possible..

Without that belief, I'm sure I'd be a wreck..

Bending forward to inspect the tray of gingersnap sugar cookies that rise, golden and brown in the oven, I can't help but squeak in excitement.. "Perfect!"

Not bad for cookies made from frozen supplies, over a woodfired oven!

Just as I take a dish towel to remove the treats from the furnace, the cabin door swings open and Venom stomps inside with two arms full of lumber for stocking the fire...
A task I've come to realise is rather consuming for the guy..
He must spend half his time tending to it and sustaining it..

The second the smell of baked goods greets his nose, his head twists in my direction and I am pinned in place by his stern arctic stare.. "What iz thiz?"

The thumping in my chest is enough to tip me off balance as passionate blood rushes in my ears and I grab onto the edge of the bench to steady myself.. "Oh- I- made you some cookies.." My cheeks burn pink with a tint of embarrassed heat.. "To-um- say 'thank you' for rescuing me from the blizzard.."

"Hmpf.." He grunts, a signal of neither satisfaction or displeasure that I have come to recognise as his signature sound.. A sound that against all my better judgement, I have actually come to enjoy..

I watch As he trudges over to the fireplace and deposits the wood in a neat pile beside it.. Then he dusts off his hands and swaggers over to the kitchen bench to inspect my desserts..

Reaching across he snatches up a cookie from the steaming sheet and I gasp in concern.. "Oh! Be careful, they're still-" I wince as he devours the entire morsel in one bite, licking the crumbs from the corner of his perfect lips.. "Hot.."