Artemis (CanEm Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Thirty-Two

As Can's car pulled up to Kartepe, the snow danced under the slowly setting sun. It was a choreographed elegant dance orchestrated by the gentle mountain wind. As Sanem watched from her seat, her eyes grew that tiny bit wider.

"Can..." Sanem whispered his name, her mouth ajar in the sheer surprise at her surroundings. She loved the snow, despite not getting to see it often. Her parents weren't the holiday-type and when they were, their vacations usually consisted of trips to the coast to see her grandparents during the summer. But, there was something completely different about how the snow rested upon the endless stretches of mountain, soft like a feather cushion, that warmed Sanem's insides. It was extraordinary. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Despite the fact that Sanem was curiously glaring out the window, Can's eyes were glued to hers. 

"Very." Even though she had been reluctant to let Can heave her over his shoulder and take her away, Sanem was glad that she'd come. "Can, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Can reached over and stroked Sanem's hair absentmindedly as they approached the ski lodge at a leisurely pace. 

"Why did you pick here?" It was an under statement to say that Can was a well travelled man. Ever since he was seven or eight years old, Can had been jet-setting from one end of the Earth to the next. He could have picked anywhere in the world for their little getaway and he had specifically picked Kartepe. "Why the mountains? The snow?" 

Truth be told, Can had considered a few locations for their weekend away. The cheekier side to him had considered somewhere hot just so that he could see Sanem wet and in a bikini. However, the more thoughtful side of him agreed on the mountains. There was something about the elevation and the cold, fresh air that made Can feel at home. At such a height, the rest of the world (and Can's previous familial problems) always seemed so small. It was easy to get lost in the mountains and that was exactly what he wanted to do with Sanem. He wanted to forget about work and about other people and he just wanted to devote his time to her. It also helped that the mountains and the snow were incredibly beautiful to look at. 

"Does it need an explanation?" Can parked up at the front of the lodge that was warmly lit with fairy lights and toasty fireplaces. The royal blue was seeping overhead and the snowfall had picked up its rhythm, dancing more furiously in the air. 

"No." Sanem chuckled gleefully before jumping out of the truck and twirling in the wind. Her hair blew picturesquely and Can couldn't help but feel the contentment settle deep within the pits of his stomach. "So beautiful!" 

"You're so beautiful." Can wrapped an arm around Sanem's waist and whispered into her hair before pulling her tight into his side. 

"Thank you, Can." As he checked them into the ski lodge, Sanem couldn't contain her excitement. She didn't know what she wanted to do first: drink hot chocolate by the fire, go for a drink, bathe in the stoned bathroom, try snowboarding and sledding ... Sanem's list was endless. 

"Don't say thank you." Can chastised as they walked into the little yet luxurious cabin that had rented for the duration of their stay. The brick wall was exposed and the fireplace was roaring to life with thick flames of orange and yellow. Despite the frosty temperatures outside, the room was surprisingly cosy. "I love you, Sanem."

"I love you too." Sanem got onto the tips of her toes and pecked Can's cheek lightly, his beard tickling her soft skin. "So much."

She then perched herself on the armchair that was perfectly positioned to watch the skiers and snowboarders as they left their equipment outside and trudged indoors towards the vibrant bars and coffee shops. Some children were still outside, hanging their sodden gloves in front of the roaring fires and settling down on wooden benches to sip on hot chocolates topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. The whole places was dreamy, idyllic and Sanem just let herself take it all in. 

"It's crazy, huh?" Can pulled a creaky chair up so that he was sat in front of Sanem, his hands resting gently against her knees. "How just a few hours ago we were in Istanbul, surrounded by people-"

"And know we are here." Sanem tore her eyes away from the scenery, only to turn her head and notice how close her and Can actually were. Their noses were brushing and they were close enough for her to be enveloped by his musky, woodsy scent that seemed fitting of their current location. "Can-" Now, Sanem's voice was barely a whisper, so quiet that the crackle and pop of the fireplace that nearly drowned it. 

"Sanem, do you really want to know why I brought you here? To Kartepe?" With the sudden tension in the room building, Sanem couldn't help but just nod in response. "Because, for years, I thought the only thing I could truly love was the mountains, the only thing I was capable of loving. They were the only thing in my life that never disappointed me. Every time I came up here, I was happy ... but all of that changed when I met you." 

Can brushed a strand of Sanem's hair away from her face and cupped her chin gently. "I kissed you, that day at the opera house, and I knew I was wrong ... that I was capable of loving more, loving someone more." 

"Can-" There were light tears in Sanem's eyes as Can spoke with a vulnerability she had never seen before.

"Shh-" Can put a finger to her lips, halting her words. "Sanem, you're the sunlight in my life. You brighten my days when I'm down. Your smile is imprinted in my brain. This-" He touched the light dimple that many people failed to acknowledge that she had. "Is the most beautiful thing in the world to me. I wouldn't trade it for the world." 

"Can, I love you so much." A blush was creeping into the swells of Sanem's cheeks. 

"I know and I love you too, so much it hurts sometimes." Can held her face gently and pecked her lips with a tenderness that was unexpected from a man of his stature. "Sanem, promise we won't part." 

"Never." Sanem leaned forward in her armchair and practically nestled herself on her lap. She curled her knees into her chest and rested there comfortably. "You're never getting rid of me." 

"Good." Can held onto her like a vice, his arms tight and possessive. "Because I want to grow old with you, Sanem. I want us to adopt dogs and see your belly swell with a handful of my children. I want to be there when this beautiful hair of yours goes grey-" 

"Can-" There was something so comforting about Can's words. Sanem's stomach swarmed with the butterflies that she knew she would never get used to. 

"Hmm?" Can hummed as he rested his head on top of her head and looked out of the glass window and towards the slopes that were virtually empty now that the night fall was near. 

"I love you." 

In the space of a few minutes, Sanem had told Can she loved him more than she had in her life and Can pulled away from her momentarily to look her in the eye. There was a spark in the depths of her hazel eyes, a glint of mischievousness paired with a nervousness that confused Can a little. "And I'm ready." 

"What?"

"Make love to me, Can."