The Man Behind The Mask

Chapter Six

Gaara POV
I wake up and turn over to see Elizabeth is already awake but still in her sleeping bag. "Did you sleep well?" She asks. "Fine, thank you," I lie. It was difficult to sleep with her right behind me. I was also thinking about how much she touched me yesterday and how I didn't hate it. I get up and pack away my sleeping stuff then pull out two breakfast bars. I hand her one after she finishes rolling her sleeping bag and we head out again.
The air is cooler here in the hills which makes my muscles stiff. The ground inclines and then descends time after time, slowing our progress. Theses hills are going to add at least two days to the journey which means I will have to hunt again. We reach a particularly steep hill and I notice that Elizabeth is struggling with it. "Do you need assistance ma'am?" I ask her. "Oh..uh no...I mean I don't think so," she responds in that shy manner of hers. She continues to slow and struggle with the branches and roots. I climb up next to her and grab her smooth hand. "Please let me help you ma'am," I offer, hoping she'll accept. Her cheeks grow a little pink and she looks a little bit ashamed. "You mustn't be embarrassed, it is my job to help you in any way I can," I try to reassure her. "Okay," she says, still avoiding eye contact with me. I put my arm around her waist and pull her onto my hip. She starts to slip but she puts her arms around my neck to support herself.
Her breathe hits my shoulder and sends warmth through my body. Her soft, blonde hair tickles my neck as I begin to climb the large hill. It takes much longer with her added weight and I notice her grip loosening on my neck. When I reach the top I tilt my head to look at her face. Her eyes are closed and her breathing has slowed, she's fallen asleep on my shoulder. Her face is so still and she looks so peaceful there, like she truly feels safe with me. I don't want to wake her so I gently shift her so I'm holding her cradle style and start walking again. She stirs slightly and grabs the edge of my chest plate in her sleep.
Two hours pass and I find a creek to camp by for the night. I lay her down with her head on one of my bags and begin to collect wood and water to boil. I start the fire and Elizabeth is still asleep. As I'm finishing purifying the water she begins to stir. "Where the heck... Did I fall asleep?!" She asks and sit up. "Yes ma'am but you looked like you needed the rest so I carried you," I tell her as I pour the water in our pouch. "I'm sorry," she mutters and her face looks upset. "It is no bother, I was doing my job," I say.
I realize I can now see my breath when I speak and the air is much colder. I can tell Elizabeth feels it too because she is shivering badly. I get my blanket out, walk over to her, and drape it over her shoulders. She looks up at me, her cheeks rosy and her eyes grateful. I cook some of the deer meat and hand her a bowl. She takes it and we both eat quietly. "I don't think we'll be able to bathe for a while because the water will be too cold," I tell her. "That's okay," she responds. I love how she doesn't complain and just takes everything in stride.
When I take her bowl I notice how cold her fingers are. After I finish washing the bowls in the chilled water I walk back over to the fire and pack everything away then sit down next to Elizabeth. She extends her arm and wraps some of the blanket around me. "Please ma'am, keep this for yourself," I say and try to pull away from her. "You need to stay warm," I add when her grip doesn't loosen. "If you want to keep me warm, please hold my hands," she ask timidly. "Yes ma'am. Whatever you need," I respond. She pulls her arm back to her side and offers both her hands to me.
I shift towards her and grab her chilled hands in mine. Even though her hands are freezing, her touch warms me more than this blanket could. We sit and look at the fire and she rests her head on my shoulder. "We should sleep," I say and release her hands. "May I sleep with you?" She asks very quietly. I hesitate but nod. She grabs her sleeping bag and comes over to where my mat is laid down. She unzips her sleeping bag all the way and lays it out like a blanket.
She crawls under it and so do I, as far away as possible from her. She makes my efforts in vain when she closes the space between us. We are laying back to back under the sleeping bag. "Goodnight Gaara."