Oblivion (Completed)

Henley

Present Day

"And so you just sit out there in a tent, freezing your ass off for hours?" I ask, twirling the stem of my wine glass between my thumb and index finger. It's empty again, and I eye the chilled bottle in a tin ice bucket just a few feet away.

"Yes. That's right," he says with a grin. I can't fathom why someone would enjoy this, so I dig a little deeper and ask a few more questions.

I'm warm and hazy from the local red wine working its way through my bloodstream and I easily lose my train of thought to a fit of giggles when he smiles at me.

"And you do this willingly? Year after year?" I know I'm repeating myself, but I need some confirmation here. Everything he's telling me points to completely insane and I've got to be sure I heard him correctly. "And you just walk right out there, saw a hole in the ice and wait," I add, matter-of-factly. "For fish."

"Yes, baby. That's why it's called ice fishing," his light eyes widen playfully as he grabs my hands and pulls me forward until I crash into him, sending a huge splash of water outside of the bubbling hot tub. I grab onto his strong shoulders to get my balance. "And you don't really just wait. I mean there is some skill involved," he licks his lips and looks up at me through his wet, dark eyelashes and it's like a shot of euphoria right to my veins. He's mine. And I could stare at him like this all night.

"Your glass is empty," he frowns. "We better fix that,"

Honestly, I'm really fuzzy and really don't need even one more sip of alcohol, but I've got the best seat in town when he rises above the water to reach outside of the hot tub to grab the bottle of wine. He pours us refills then sets them on the grey slate surrounding the porcelain tub. His smooth skin is covered in goosebumps and he lets out a sigh of relief when he settles back into the hot water with me. Are we sure I didn't die in that fire? I didn't think it was possible to be this happy.

Maybe it's the alcohol or the fact that he swept me away from everything and brought me here – a cozy little bed and breakfast in Door County, Wisconsin – but I've never felt more treasured than I do right now. We're completely isolated from the rest of the guests, off in our own little hayloft cottage at the edge of the property. We're on the second floor and we've got a killer view of Kangaroo Lake. It's completely frozen over, and I'm memorized by the light snow swirling around just outside our window. The thermometer reads 25F and I'm happy to be snuggled inside with Ryan.

We got here around 10 o'clock this morning and spent the day touring wineries and breweries, selecting bottles to purchase to take the memory of this trip back home with us. It's odd, but this is the first time we've actually gone out and done something together. We've spent time with his family and had lots of time together at home, but it's wonderful to get away from it all and celebrate us. Our revival.

Now it's sunset and the the sky is turning from blue to orange to yellow. It's an explosion of colors in the sky, and maybe it's the wine talking, but as I lie across from him watching the clouds shift and fade away, I'm reminded of the simple fact that no two sunsets are alike. Just like no two days with him have been the same. I get to learn something new every day, and while it isn't always easy, it's never short of incredible.

His skin is pink and hot from the water, his hair a little damp from the steam rising around us. I thread my fingers through his thick hair and work it different directions, using the water to make it stay. My heart is on overdrive from the way he watches me. I don't think I could ever come up with the right words to describe how he's making me feel, so I press kisses along his stubbly jawline until his head tips back and he's staring at the ceiling with his fingers dug into my hips. Although I've only known it for a little while, I crave this natural intimacy between us. He kisses me harder and tugs me closer, until I'm nestled in his lap under the hot water, tipsy and falling deliriously more in love with him every moment we're together.