Mutual

Chapter seventeen

A dash of burnt orange runs across the front of us, as quick as lightning. So quick, I almost think it wasn't there. Brooklyn squeezes my hand and I look up into his eyes. He gives his head a quick jerk to the right and looks in that direction. I follow his gaze and it takes a moment for my eyes to register the auburn face staring at us through the trees. So I didn't imagine the fox. I take a slight step forward and my foot crunches the fresh snow beneath me. This has been the perfect start to the morning. I awoke snuggled up to Brook's bare chest, with him smiling down at me. We'd looked out of the window to see that it had snowed overnight and we'd decided to take a walk in it. Wearing warm clothes and carrying flasks of hot chocolate, we'd set out into the nearby forest. Sundancer Forest - by far the prettiest place on earth in my eyes. Walking through it on a snowy winters morning, with Brooklyn's hand in my mittened, I could see that the name was true. The sun was rising and danced through the bare tree branches. But the best part of the morning, other than having Brooklyn here with me, was seeing the fox.

The fox had a long body and tail, covered in red fur. Black fur on its feet, the tips of its ears, and a distinctive white tuft at the end of the tail. Red foxes are my absolute favourite animal, and I'm very glad I got to see one in the wild, especially when I was out with my favourite person. I gaze in awe at the fox and it takes a few steps towards us, sniffing the air, before turning and darting away. Brooklyn looks at me and pecks me on the nose. I throw my arms around him and engulf him in a hug. This moment couldn't be any better. Brook releases me and bends over. Thinking nothing of it, I walk past him and take a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air. It relaxes me. I smile to myself before turning to walk back to Brooklyn, when something cold and hard smacks me right in the face. 

I look at Brooklyn, and he looks at me. He starts to giggle before it turns into full-blown laughter. Struggling to contain himself, he doubles over. Oh. He threw a snowball at me. Whilst he's distracted, I pummel into him and shove him to the ground. I land on top of him and we start playfighting. We flip each other over a few times but as soon as I'm on top of him for the fourth time I take his wrists and pin them above his head. Hah! He can't move. Sensing my dominance, he relaxes and smiles at me. I'm currently sat on top of him with legs either side of his body, straddling him. I release his wrists and put my hands on his chest. Slowly, I lean down and we share a slow and passionate kiss. 

After a while, I pull away and stand up. I reach down and take his hand, pulling him up. I see he's shivering so I hug him. God, I love him. Wait, what? I mean, as a friend of course. Right? I look into his eyes.

Me: "You cold?"
Brooklyn: "Well, you would be if you were just laid in the snow for like, ten minutes."
Me: "Fair enough. Let's go home, shall we?"

Brooklyn briefly nods and takes my hand. He slips off the mitten, and laces his fingers through mine. Once he's contented, we begin walking back towards home. I say home, but my home is wherever brook is. I guess I do love him. Oops.