Dancing With Bullets

First Date

Tord and I had been traveling for a day now. My legs were so exhausted, I had nearly collapsed in the middle of the snow. They felt like boneless jellyfish torn straight from the water. My steps were more of a stumble as I trudged through the foot of snow. Tord appeared fine, as if this wasn't his first experience in such a frost filled environment. Of course, who am I kidding? This was his homeland for crying out loud and had probably been given more training in below zero weather than the soldiers, like myself, from the RHC. However my boots were already frigid and made me fear that I was going to have a bad case of frostbite.
However, as if an answer to our prayers, the rooftops of a village began to jut from the forest. I could see the smoke curling from their chimneys and dispersing in the air. With my eyes slight with glee, I looked to Tord who was smiling to himself.
"We reached civilization!" I cheered and grabbed him by the hand, tugging the Norwegian forth with my suddenly replenished energy. My feet hit the paved road, that had been cleared of all its snow. It was strange to be walking on solid ground rather than something that easily collapses under your foothold. My breath came out in puffs of white as I took a moment to admire the village before us. It was a modest village made up of olden style houses and buildings. Yet, you could see that even with it's almost medieval style, there were traces of modern technology sprinkled about. Phone lines, light bulbs, cars, and the rest all tucked away into the houses and stores. A shiver traveled down my spine when the cold became a little too much. Someone came up from behind me and wrapped their arms under mine and over my chest. I fell back a little into them, knowing it was Tord engulfing me in his warmth.

"How about we find a proper place to sleep tonight, eh?" Tord nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck. I perked a little as that was one of my many ticklish spots. I coiled my neck, trying to push him away. Even though I wasn't facing the mischievous man, I knew there was a smirk plastered to his face.
"Y-yeah, lets go find a place to sleep. I don't want to get frostbite."

Tord became the one who led me along through the quiet, sleepy town. Of course it wasn't very busy due to the heavy snowfall, but there were a few civilians that seemed to be doing their usually Saturday chores. The grasp I had on Tord's hand tightened. It was the foreign, suspecting gazes the commoners had towards us that made me worrisome. Had it been the Red Army's uniforms that made us look to them as enemies? Then my mind began to drift.
Had this place been claimed by either side or was this no man's land? They didn't stare at us in a welcoming way. It made our entrance to the hotel all the more uneasy. The old woman at the reception desk eyed us with a slight look of disdain,

"If you're looking for a war, you won't find it here." She said crankily while Tord stepped forth to her.
"Oh no, we're not a part of the fighting. We stole these clothes off some soldiers since it was getting awfully cold." He had come up with a quick, witty reply towards the lady's grumbles. Her eyes narrowed while she scrutinized us. She then sat back a little in her chair with a softened gaze,

"I suggest that you remove those filthy uniforms before the locals think you're something else." The woman warned and Tord nodded. He paid for our room, a single apartment like room with a single king sized bed. Upon entering the place, and noticing that there was only one bed, I couldn't help but stare Tord down to figure out his intentions. He just flashed me a smirk before setting down his gear. I followed soon after, leaving in my hand a granola bar to munch on. I pulled apart the wrapper and ate it quietly. Hunger was beginning to cause my stomach to cave in on itself. At least that's what it felt like. The bar was enough to quell my natural need for food even if it wouldn't be for long. We removed our trench coats since those were the most notable when it came to Red Army uniforms. Anyone could wear a red turtle neck sweater, so at the very least it made us look less unsuspecting.

"How about we get something to eat? I can hear your stomach from miles away." Tord joked and chuckled while I grumbled under my breath. Everything seemed to be falling into place. The realization grew on me that we had finally escaped the never ending war. We were no longer trapped in an endless reality where one had to kill the other to prove their loyalty and dignity. When I sighed, it was light hearted knowing I was next to the man I was destined to love. He was everything I could have asked for, and even dorky in his own ways. My stare went from the salt peppered sidewalk to Tord's foreword facing face. I tried to soak in every detail of his face as if it would be the last time I'd witness it. My gaze must have been strong since soon enough he stared right back, with a cocky grin.

"Am I that eye catching that you won't stop staring at me? Hm?"

My face flared in a flustered pink as I forcefully peeled my eyes away in embarrassment. How the hell could his Norwegian man still make me blush like a blooming rose?
"Won't admit it, huh?" Tord poked cheek playfully while I swatted his hand away. The restaurant drew near as we ambled leisurely. Tord, like the occasional gentleman he was, opened the door. I stepped into the warmth of the room, feeling it encase me and thaw all my frozen bits. We took our seat and proceeded to order casually, like we hadn't just gone AWOL. My fingers graced the laminated menu while I made a choice of F/f (favorite food) and F/d (favorite drink). Sometimes I felt Tord's gaze examining me, so I finally peered up to see what he was doing.
"Would you call this our first date?"

Tord queered, still a soft but cheeky grin plastered to his lips. I thought a moment and smiled warmly,
"I'd love it to be."