Bridging Destinies

Chapter 37: Foray to Excursion

With the dawn came bird calls and other animal sounds as all of nature greeted the morning. Namjoon had fallen asleep again and this time I was able to escape his arms and leave the tent to begin to prepare breakfast. While he slept, I searched in the early morning light for roots and other plants that would make the meal more nutritious. The meal was more for him than for me, as I did not need more than my Light to sustain me. I would also eat, but it would be more to satisfy my pleasure, than to keep me alive.

I felt Namjoon stir from his sleep and soon he was moving around in the tent. Within several moments, he exited the tent, fully clothed, and sat behind me on the log as I bent over the food, finishing up preparations. I felt him staring at my bare legs and I turned and looked at him. Rather than respond to his growing desire, I handed him a cup of coffee fresh from the pot, "Sleep well?" I asked him as a courtesy and a distraction.

He smiled at me, not quite awake and took the cup from me carefully, "Thanks. Yes. I did. It was perfect." He said and winked at me almost groggily.

I laughed, finding him adorable and added food to his plate, then handed it to him with a set of chopsticks, "Mm. Thanks, again." He said and placed the plate on his lap. He gingerly sipped at his cup, aware of the temperature, then set it down beside him and began to eat from the food I had prepared. I set up my own plate with food and sat next to him, eating. I heard the call of a squirrel and called back, clicking my tongue five times fast and the squirrel responded, calling back to me. As Namjoon ate, he glanced sideways at me, "You know, I think Snow White must have been a fairie, because you are the quintessential Snow White. Are you really having a conversation with a squirrel right now?"

I laughed faintly under my breath and nodded, "The squirrel is telling me to stay away from her nuts. She has a stash over that way." I pointed towards where the sun was rising, "And another stash that way." I pointed to another location not far from where the first stash was. "And I will tell her that I have no interest in her food and will stay away from it." I lost focus for a moment then spoke as if far away, "And I think she has forgotten about an older stash not far from her tree. I will have to remind her." Namjoon was staring at me, having forgotten his plate of food, and I looked back at him as if to ask him, 'What?'

He shook his head and laughed a little, then began to eat again. "You really are like Snow White. It's the only thing I can compare it to. You are a Disney fairie princess."

I groaned a little, "Ugh. Disney." I said and shook my head. "I know there are worse things, but I do not think that it's exactly a compliment." I laughed a little and nibbled on my food.

He was surprised and looked at me again, "You don't like Disney?"

"I am not overly fond, no." I told him, "But I suppose the comparison is applicable."

He seemed to pout a little and I laughed, then quickly kissed his cheek. He suddenly grinned lightly and continued to eat, as if accepting that he was 'forgiven' for mentioning the corporation that had twisted the Grim tales into pretty fantasies of damsel like princesses and heroic princes, dragons and talking mice.

We sat, after finishing breakfast, enjoying the morning and the slowly climbing sun. He with his coffee and me with tea. Our conversation was casual and sometimes involved the animals, who were slowly moving around our camp site, confident that we were not a threat.

As the morning settled, he grabbed our plates and began to clean up from breakfast, while I went to put on more clothes and arrange our sleeping area for the next night. When I returned, I suggested that we hike to a location not too far from our campsite where a natural pond sat on the volcanic rock base that made up Jeju Island. He agreed and once we were ready we set out.