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tenebraevesper · 2 months

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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 57: Heat Wave

''There's no time to be standing still, because there's something to be chasing after tomorrow. Nor to regret in that time, for night will soon fall. Living is like an unending race. It's the goal you can't see within your heart! Becoming the radiant wind, creating a storm that runs past the world! Gotta keep on running! You know I'm SONIC!''

– Just Call Me SONIC ~Mabushii Kaze ni Nare~ by Sonic X

xXxXxXx

''I can't believe I hadn't realized this before,'' Dr. Starline said, a little baffled by the conclusion he just came to. He walked over to the computer, typing something on it and scrolling through the displayed data. Behind him were purple-coloured Motobugs and Egg Pawns, all of them reprogrammed to serve him as he took over Egg Base Sigma without Dr. Eggman's knowledge, to the point of even painting his own logo on the wall.

He completely ignored his two companions who were standing at the entrance, leaned against the wall. Ferra and Metal Sonic exchanged glances, having brought Starline here and were now watching him slowly descending into his mad scientist era. Ferra had a good idea of what Starline was up to and decided not to interfere. She and Metal Sonic gave him a chance by saving his life, and now they would probably be watching him as he was slowly digging his own grave. Admittedly, it was possible that he could avoid his own fate, but that was up to him.

'We need to leave now. Dr. Eggman has requested our presence.' Metal Sonic looked up to Ferra, reminding her of their obligation.

''Yeah, I know,'' Ferra muttered, sighing. ''I really don't want to go outside, though.''

Metal Sonic understood her sentiment, as he knew that the weather outside was completely merciless, but he also knew that they couldn't leave the Doctor waiting.

xXx

Sonic took a deep breath, feeling the cold breeze as he was sitting right in front of a fan as it slowly swayed from one side to another. Tails was sitting next to him with a bucket of mint-flavored ice-cream, while Lucas and Warren were sitting behind them, with Warren trying to fix some kind of gadget.

''Honestly, I don't know whether you can even finish working on that cooling device,'' Lucas said, giving Warren a look of concern. ''It feels too hot to even think.''

''If I install this into the fan, it will blow cool air. Besides, I need to take responsibility for not paying attention to the weather forecast, since I would've known about this heat wave and finished it before it hits.''

''You can keep yourself cool in different ways,'' Tails pointed out, eating another spoonful of ice-cream. As much as he wanted to help Warren, he simply couldn't move due to how hot it was. He was certainly at a disadvantage by being covered in a fluffy amber pelt.

''Tails, you barely slept last night and we couldn't open the window due to the hot air. This is the least I can do,'' Warren replied. Tails smiled at him, happy that Warren cared so much about him, as well as feeling guilty that he couldn't do anything.

''When they said that there would be a heat wave, I didn't expect it to be this bad,'' Sonic said. ''It's too hot to even run around.''

''It must be driving you crazy to be unable to go anywhere during this heat,'' Tails said, giving Sonic a sympathetic look. Sonic just waved him off.

''Don't worry, little bro, I can handle staying in one place to cool down. Even though I am the coolest person around,'' Sonic said, rubbing his nose as he smug look formed on his expression.

''Shadow begs to differ,'' Lucas commented, with Sonic getting startled for a moment, only to give Lucas a sly look.

''That's still up to debate,'' Sonic told him, lifting his head to give off an air of superiority. ''But, I'll admit that Shadow is a close runner-up.''

''I think you're the coolest, Sonic,'' Tails said, him and Sonic fist-bumping. Lucas just sighed, deciding to not make any further comments. He knew that Sonic was being his usual self, showing a bit of his own ego, although he also suspected that the hedgehog secretly wanted to admit that Shadow was just as cool, but refused to do it so in public. It certainly amused Lucas a lot.

''Speaking of which, do you guys think Dr. Eggman is going to launch an attack?'' Lucas asked.

''Seriously? During this heat wave? He'd have to be mad to consider anything,'' Sonic said, quite confident that Eggman would lay low.

''Well, about the 'mad' part…'' Warren trailed off, with all four of them suddenly realizing that Eggman would be capable of doing something like that, imagining him doing a mad laugh as he destroyed Neos City. All four of them lowered their heads in exasperation.

''Let's hope that we didn't just jinx ourselves,'' Tails said.

''Yeah…''

Lucas, Sonic and Warren quickly nodded in agreement.

xXx

''Thanks again for having us over,'' Minami told Lily, with her, Amy, Makoto and Silver having been invited over to Lily and Knuckles' home, which had an air conditioner, keeping everyone cool. ''Honestly, I have no clue how we made it from Westoru to Eas without getting a heat stroke.''

''I guess you were lucky,'' Lily said, sipping the cold soda that had been served to everyone. They were currently at the living room, sitting and talking while enjoying the chilling air.

''I don't think it was that bad,'' Silver said, enjoying his drink. ''I experienced even worse heat waves back at my own timeline.'' There as a moment of sudden and uncomfortable silence, with everyone staring awkwardly at Silver. The grey hedgehog looked worried, glancing at his friends. ''D-Did I say anything wrong?''

''Don't worry, you didn't,'' Makoto assured him. ''We were just thinking how this is probably nothing compared to Neos City in the future. If one puts it like that, then there is no reason to complain about this heat wave considering how in the future, the city would be engulfed in fire.''

''Well, so far we're avoiding that from happening. Who knows, maybe there is no fire in the future,'' Amy said, giving Silver a kind smile.

''I hope that's the case,'' Silver replied, a bit relieved by their comfort.

''We don't know for certain,'' Knuckles spoke suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. ''However, as long as we eliminate Mephiles, things should be fine.''

''Right,'' Lily agreed. ''Speaking of which, do you know where they'd gone after your fight over the Chaos Emerald?''

Makoto and Silver shook their head, with Makoto adding, ''No, we just left the moment the Chaos Emerald was gone. We knew it would take a while to make it to Cosmo River, where the battle against Perfect Chaos would be, so we didn't really pay much attention to those two.''

Silver hummed, his eyes narrowing. ''I wonder if Mephiles was right, if it really was possible to use Dual Chaos Control to travel through space and time.''

''Even if it was possible, I don't think you should be taking advice from someone who destroyed your future,'' Knuckles pointed out. Silver just nodded in agreement.

xXx

''…but, thankfully, due to he intervention of a Good Samaritan, the toddler was saved from dying from a heat stroke,'' Midorikawa finished her report, the amateur footage of said rescue behind her vanishing. She then pointed at the car behind her, with Kero opening the door and taking out a thermometer. ''As you can see in our experiment, we had put this thermometer in the car only 10 minutes ago, and the temperature has already climbed rapidly past 40⁰C. Imagine being a little child, a baby or a toddler, or even a pet, and be left by your parent or owner in the car during such a heat.''

''It would be the same as being slowly cooked to death,'' Kero commented.

''Indeed. This is why the police is issuing a warning to everyone who decides to leave their child or pet inside the car during the summer months – you will get arrested for child endangerment and animal abuse. It doesn't matter if you decided to go for a quick run to the store or even your own house, nothing excuses leaving a helpless being in a vehicle that practically becomes an oven when left too long in the sun,'' Midorikawa added.

''Unfortunately, there are parents and pet owners who disregard that, thinking that it possibly couldn't happen to them,'' Touka commented. She and Shadow were at Club Rouge, sitting at the bar along with Rouge and Omega and watching the news broadcast on TV. The club had it's shutters pulled down, keeping the place dark, and the air conditioner was running, keeping it cold enough. Touka then continued, ''Kisaki had told us that she already had two cases of toddlers being rushed into the ER because they were dehydrated, overheated and suffered from a stroke, and she's furious because she knows that there will be more of this in the upcoming days.''

''Oh, my… You'd think parents would be more responsible,'' Rouge commented, taking a sip of her drink.

''Apparently, the father of one of the toddlers fought the police officer over this, only to get arrested,'' Shadow added.

''Justice was served,'' Omega concluded, only to add after a moment of pause, ''Allow me to rephrase – the father should've been locked into the car permanently. Then, the car should've been blown up.''

''You're absolutely right, Omega,'' Rouge said, smiling slightly. Despite being a former Badnik created to destroy everything in sight, even Omega knew that human life was fragile enough to be aware that this was an awful situation, even if he decided to go a bit too far in his idea of justice.

''Well, the good thing is that in these kinds of cases, one would be allowed to smash the window without getting into trouble, so long as the cops are told about what's going on,'' Touka pointed out, taking a sip of the soda. ''In any case, there isn't much to do. Even Solar Stadium had been closed for the day because of the heat wave.''

''It sounds to me like this is going to be a rather calm day,'' Rouge pointed out.

''Disappointment due to lack of action rising,'' Omega complained, sounding quite annoyed.

''All three of you should watch out what you're saying, or you might jinx yourselves,'' Shadow pointed out. ''The next crisis might be right around the corner.''

''You would be fine with that,'' Touka said in a snarky tone.

''Hmph, you know well that I had been trained to deal with extremes. I'd be fine fighting in this heat,'' Shadow replied in a confident tone.

''Right, and that's why you dragged the fan out of the closet downstairs and put it in our room this morning,'' Touka said, giving Shadow a knowing look.

''Tch, I was just looking out for you… Why are you giving me that look?'' Shadow narrowed his eyes, glaring at Touka, who just kept up the knowing look.

''It's nothing,'' Touka replied in a casual tone, acting innocently.

''I know there's something you want to tell me, so be honest,'' Shadow replied, only to grow more annoyed when Touka just shrugged.

''I have no clue what you're talking about,'' she replied, her plain tone irritating Shadow, as he knew that she was up to something. However, he decided to ignore her.

''Hmph…''

Rouge and Omega exchanged glances, a little confused by Touka's grin and Shadow's irritation. ''Do you have any clue what's going on?''

''Negative,'' Omega responded.

xXx

Ferra and Metal Sonic practically ran into the Egg Base, escaping the afternoon heat, with Ferra taking a deep breath of relief. ''Man, it's crazy hot outside. What the hell is up with today's weather?!''

'Despite the heat, you were summoned here,' Metal Sonic pointed out. 'Dr. Eggman refuses to take a break.'

''Yeah, unfortunately,'' Ferra sighed. ''Honestly, I'd rather be at home and take an nice and long nap. Oh, well… Duty calls, I guess. I wonder what the Doctor is up to this time.''

''Hello, Ferra, Metal Sonic. How are you doing?'' Orbot greeted the two at the entrance towards the main control room.

''It's too hot to do anything,'' Ferra replied. ''I just hope that Dr. Eggman won't be sending is into a battle at a day like this.''

''Well, I don't know what the Boss is up to, but he's waiting for both of you,'' Orbot said, pointing them into the nearby room. Deciding not to let their boss waiting, Ferra and Metal Sonic walked inside.

''Ah, Ferra, Metal Sonic, you're here just in time,'' Dr. Eggman said, having been checking something on the screen.

''So, what are we supposed to do this time?'' Ferra asked, placing her hands on her hips. ''Should we attack Team Neos directly or do you have a different kind of plan?''

''Actually, I have something else I wanted to do. In fact, I believe that Metal Sonic is due for an upgrade,'' Eggman told her. Ferra and Metal Sonic gave him a confused look.

''An upgrade? What do you mean?'' Ferra asked. Eggman pressed a button, showing off a video of Super Sonic.

''That blue rodent and his friends are growing stronger and stronger. Obviously, Chaos Surge won't be enough in the future, so giving Metal Sonic an upgrade that would allow him to get ahead of Sonic would be beneficial in the long run,'' Eggman explained. Ferra exchanged glances with Metal Sonic.

''Would you really be fine with going through it?'' Ferra asked.

'So long as it allows me to defeat Sonic, I'm ready,' Metal Sonic replied. Ferra nodded and turned back to Eggman.

''Metal Sonic is fine with it, although I would like to know what this upgrade actually is,'' Ferra replied. Eggman smirked, snapping his fingers, with the monitor showing the image of Metal Sonic, but having a new appearance.

There were several distinctive traits with his base form, such as black eyes with red irises, a similar torso with a rocket engine in the center, and the primary blue color with red shoes. However, there were also several differences that gave this form of Metal Sonic a distinct appearance. His head had five long quills as opposed to his regular three, with white stripes and markings around his eyes. The yellow color in his ears had been replaced with red and his once grey nose was now black. He also possessed more pronounced body armor, with black and curved shoulder plates, larger gauntlets and leg armor with pointy kneecaps that had white outlines, a plate covering his pelvis and elf-like shoes. He also sported a spiky belt with a black cape that protruded out of the back of his waist.

Ferra's eyes widened in stunned surprise. ''Hey, that's…''

''Neo Metal Sonic.'' Eggman kept grinning, pushing his glasses back as they gleamed. ''I'd prefer to have Neo Metal Sonic on my side this time rather than get imprisoned.''

Ferra snorted in amusement, knowing well aware what Eggman was referencing. She then smirked. ''Having Metal Sonic transform into Neo Metal Sonic would give us a necessary boost in power.''

'Would it be a permanent transformation?' Metal Sonic suddenly asked.

''Huh, a permanent transformation? Well, I don't know…'' Ferra trailed off.

''It won't be permanent,'' Eggman said, understanding the nature of their conversation. ''This form would need to be manually triggered, but it would provide you with a lot of power. I was currently working on a way to ensure that you would be able to trigger the transformation on your own.''

''Great,'' Ferra replied happily, with Metal Sonic nodding, only to turn to Ferra when she had an additional question. ''Wait, what about Metal Overlord?''

''Unfortunately, Metal Overlord requires very specific data for it to occur. To grow stronger, Metal Sonic would obviously need to the data of strong opponents, and while we know where to find that, it would still be too much of a hassle. Although, I will make sure that, if Metal Sonic does attain the data, he would be able to trigger the transformation immediately,'' Eggman explained.

''I see… Then, let's go for it!'' Ferra said in a confident tone.

'Sonic won't know what hit him,' Metal Sonic added, feeling just as confident.

''However, it will take a while for me to complete this task,'' Eggman told the two. ''Especially since I had been planning on launching an attack on Team Neos.''

Ferra groaned. ''I should've seen that coming. Look, Doctor, it is way too hot to be doing anything right now. Could we at least wait until the heat wave has lessened in the evening?''

''Don't worry, you won't have to do anything,'' Eggman told her, feeling a little irked, with Ferra and Metal Sonic looking genuinely surprised. ''As a matter of fact, I wanted to take advantage of this heat wave and use a new robot I had been working on.''

''If that's so, then go ahead. They probably won't be able to fight due to the heat,'' Ferra said.

''That's the point,'' Eggman replied.

xXx

''I think this should work,'' Warren said, connecting the device to the fan, with Lucas, Sonic and Tails enjoying the cool air flowing through the fan. ''There, this feels better, doesn't it?''

''Yeah, it is much better,'' Lucas said, glancing at Sonic and Tails, who inched closer to the fan, agreeing with the sentiment. He then opened the holographic screen on his AR Visor.

''What are you doing?'' Sonic asked, leaning over as he looked curiously at the screen.

''I was just checking whether there are any news about aggressive Irregulars or Eggman attacking,'' Lucas told him. ''Frankly, I don't believe that Eggman wouldn't try to do something. After all, I'm sure that he is somewhere in Neos City.''

''What do you mean by that?'' Tails asked.

''Lucas actually wanted to figure out where Eggman's main base is and he believes that it is somewhere in Neos City,'' Sonic explained, turning to Lucas. ''However, so far, you haven't found any trace of his whereabouts.''

''I know, but that doesn't meant that I should stop searching. It would be much easier if we knew where exactly Dr. Eggman is,'' Lucas replied.

''I'm fine with not knowing,'' Sonic replied in a blunt tone, much to everyone's surprise. ''I mean, Eggman launches an attack, we defeat him, he runs off, we celebrate. I don't think there is any reason for us to know where he's hiding and go after him.''

''You're too relaxed about this,'' Tails commented in a dry tone. Sonic just waved him off casually.

''Nah, Eggman's just predictable,'' he replied.

''That, and you have plot armour,'' Lucas added in a snarky tone, with Tails and Warren snorting at the comment, only to start laughing.

''Yeah, that makes sense,'' Tails said, still laughing as he glanced at Sonic, who also found the whole thing amusing.

''I don't have plot armour, I'm just the best at the thing I do,'' Sonic bragged.

''SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, COME OUT RIGHT NOW AND FACE YOUR DOOM!''

''What the- Eggman?!'' Sonic leapt on his feet and quickly dashed outside, only to feel as if he got punched by the heat, the air around him feeling heavy. To his amazement, the quiet suburban afternoon was interrupted by a huge mech piloted by none other than Dr. Eggman. Sonic sighed, with Lucas, Tails and Warren joining him. ''You know, I had been hoping he wouldn't try to fight us in this heat. I guess he's just that mad.''

''That's the Death Egg Robot, but it kinda looks different,'' Lucas pointed out, recognizing the mech, albeit with a blue and silver colour scheme. ''I have a bad feeling about this.''

''So do I,'' Sonic said, stretching his arms. ''Let's destroy it before the heat gets to us.'' He then rushed ahead, trying to ignore the heat as best as he could and stopped right in front of the mech. ''Yo, Egghead! Why are you here? It's a bit too hot to fight right now! Can't you come back some other time?''

''Oh, don't worry about me, you pesky rodent! The new and improved Death Egg Robot is equipped with a cooling system that keeps the temperature quite pleasant, so I can fight however I want regardless of the heat outside,'' Eggman bragged, with Sonic frowning. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did envy the Doctor, considering he could feel the heat radiating from the pavement he was standing on.

''Luckily, I'm capable of keeping a cool head at all times, so- agh!'' Sonic leapt to the side, almost getting hit with a huge snowball from one of the Death Egg Robot's arm cannons. ''Dude! I wasn't done with my speech!''

''I don't care!'' Eggman snarled, with Sonic being forced to avoid more snowballs. ''Now stand still, Hedgehog!''

''Not a chance!'' Sonic dashed around the street, only to feel a sudden sense of dizziness overwhelming him, followed by a headache. He really wanted to end this fight as soon as possible, but it felt like someone was hitting his head with a hammer constantly. He slowed down, realizing that his own body was shutting down, only to get hit by a snowball.

''Ha, I got him!'' Eggman gloated, watching the pile of snow on the street, with Sonic popping his head out of it, shivering and hugging himself.

''S-So cold… Achoo!'' Sonic sneezed, his body feeling as if a truck hit him and dropped a tank of icy water all over him. He could feel his arms and legs growing numb, only for someone to grab him and drag him out of the snow.

''Are you okay?'' Lucas asked him, with Sonic feeling the temperature suddenly change from freezing to hot once more as he was pulled onto the heated pavement.

''Honestly, I don't know whether Eggman wants me to die from heat exposure or cold exposure,'' Sonic replied, still shivering. He then shook his quills, getting the snow out of them and tried to warm up, only to feel faint.

''You should take it easy,'' Warren told him.

''Unfortunately, I don't have the liberty to take it easy,'' Sonic replied, trying to ignore the pounding headache. He then rushed towards the mech, curling into a ball and spin attacking it, with the Death Egg Robot taking a direct hit, even getting pushed back, only for Sonic to uncurl as he felt a searing pain in his back.

''Agh, hot, hot, hot! How long did that thing stand in the sun?!'' he cried out in pain, quickly flopping over into the melting pile of snow to cool down.

Eggman rose an eyebrow, having to admit that he didn't expect for the casing of the mech to get heated so fast, but then he grinned. If that was the case, then Sonic couldn't touch him at all. ''How the tables have turned! You are too fatigued due to the heat and cold, and now you can't even attack me without seriously burning yourself. Defeating you will be easy!''

Sonic's eyes widened when a claw grabbed him and lifted him up. Fortunately, the claws weren't as hot as the outer casing, but it was certainly uncomfortable being held like this.

''Hohoho, now you're at my mercy!'' Eggman continued to gloat, bringing Sonic closer to the window, where the hedgehog could see the Doctor's victorious expression. ''Any last words before I turn you into an popsicle?''

''Actually, I do,'' Sonic said, giving a confused Eggman a nonchalant gaze. ''If you turn me into a popsicle, what flavour am I going to be? I hope it's a chili dog flavour.''

''Your big mouth won't save you from this-'' Eggman suddenly stopped when he saw Tails fly up to the claw, his eyes now glowing and amber energy sparking around him. He placed his hand on the mech's arm, causing it to malfunction and release Sonic, whom he had grabbed.

''You're right, Egghead! Maybe I can't rely on my quips, but I can always rely on my friends!'' Sonic replied, with Tails chuckling, while Eggman just growled furiously. He was about to fire another snowball at them, only for the whole robot to suddenly stop moving as a pulse of energy covered it, shutting it down.

''What? How?!'' Eggman tried to frantically turn on the robot, only to see Lucas and Warren flying past on Lucas' hoverboard, with Warren still being powered up thanks to the Chaos Surge. Both teenagers just waved at him in amusement, leaving the Doctor seething. Apparently, one could cook an actual egg on his bald head due to just how angry he was. He started rummaging through the consoles, trying his best to get the robot back online, or at least turn the manual controls on. Unfortunately for Eggman, things weren't as easy as he thought, and he could feel the heat rising inside the mech, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Finally, he slammed the console in anger. ''Damn it!'' He then pushed another button, opening the top of the Death Egg Robot and flying out in the Egg Mobile, only to get hit with a heat wave the moment he as outside the mech. He then quickly started typing, grinning as the Death Egg Robot finally started to move. However, just as he got his hopes up, he heard the dreaded shout of ''Chaos Surge!''.

Eggman's expression fell when he saw a blue streak slamming through the Death Egg Robot, leaving the mech in pieces. Despite wanting to curse the hedgehog, Eggman could feel the heat getting to him, and realizing that things were over, he flew away.

''Huh? I'm surprised that he just up and left,'' Sonic said, de-powering as he joined Lucas, Tails and Warren. Fortunately for him, the Chaos Surge did allow him to handle the heat a little better.

''I guess that once the Death Egg Robot's power system was down, even Eggman couldn't handle the heat,'' Tails said, with Sonic giving him a thumbs up.

''You know, maybe the attack wasn't such a bad idea,'' Sonic said, kicking the snow he was standing on. ''The temperature is just right now.''

''Yeah, but I'd rather go back inside,'' Tails replied.

''Agreed.'' Sonic nodded, with the group leaving, hoping that the afternoon would pass without more conflicts.

xXx

Blaze the Cat slumped in her seat as an assistant brought over more papers to the office she and her partner, the imperial princess Sana Jai, had been sharing. Sana picked up the papers, quickly reading through them.

''We have more and more pirate sightings, some of which are ARNavs and others which are… robots?'' Sana rose an eyebrow. Normally, her parents would handle such matter, but considering how she was the partner of the Blazing Guardian, the protector of the Surya Empire, she insisted on helping Blaze as much as she could. That had also included her investigating the pirate raids, mainly those caused by Irregulars as their navy could handle the human ones.

Blaze sighed tiredly. ''I need to call Marine and ask her whether the ship had been repaired. We'll have to head out as soon as possible to deal with this.''

''Right,'' Sana said, with Blaze giving her a hesitant look, only for a look of confidence to appear on Sana's expression. ''We both agreed that we would work together to stop the raids, didn't we?''

''We did,'' Blaze muttered. ''I still can't believe that you had actually managed to learn how to use Chaos Surge.''

''It's because I have a partner I can trust, as well as friends who gave me advice on how to use it,'' Sana replied, only to pause for a moment. ''Honestly, I kind of wish they were here. We could really use Team Neos' help with this.''

''Didn't Minami and Amy send us a message about fighting a water deity named Chaos, which left part of Neos City in ruins?'' Blaze brought up. ''I'm sure they're busy with their own problems.''

''I guess, but still, asking them whether they'd want to visit us wouldn't hurt,'' Sana pointed out. ''If they're too busy with protecting Neos City, they can decline.''

Blaze sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. ''If you want to do that, go ahead.'' She then looked up. ''Normally, I would be against it, as this is our duty and we shouldn't be dragging anyone to do our work, but knowing how capable Sonic, Lucas and their friends are, we might benefit from their help.''

''I'll send them a message immediately,'' Sana said, rushing off.

Blaze smiled, leaning back in the seat and taking a deep breath. Despite her reservations, she was looking forward to seeing Team Neos again.

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turtleations · 7 months

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Pink Couldy Sky, Final Chapter – Recovery (Summarized)

Chapter 00 - 01 Chapter 02 Chapter 03 Chapter 04 Part 1, Part 2 Chapter 05 Chapter 06 Part 1, Part 2 Chapter 07 Part 1 Part 2

Before REM knew it, that year, too, arrived at Summer.

The weather forecast on TV spoke of high temperatures, but REM didn’t feel the heat at all. The days continued without sound or smell. Everything felt like it was happening on a distant star. REM’s senses were closed off and he didn’t sense or feel anything. With its long rains falling from black clouds, the gray droplets lingering remains of the rainy period, Summer was simply the season following after spring.

REM got warm support from too many people to count. His bandmembers, his friends from Yokosuka, Professor Arakawa. According to Arakawa, Takeshi-san was also concerned for REM. In August, REM and Takeshi met in Tokyo for drinks. REM doesn’t really remember what they were talking about, but he has a faint memory that it was very peaceful.

It was like swimming through a daydream. Of this summer, only the faint outline of a memory remains.

There weren’t a lot of things he could do. Only move his body. Play the guitar on autopilot, lose himself in the music. Everything else was beyond his capabilities.

His only outlet was his determination to fulfil, one by one, all his promise to hide that were yet unfulfilled.

Sometimes, something hide used to say some ten-odd years ago when they were practicing with SAVER TIGER all day flashed like lighting through REM’s mind:

“I want to become the best performer in Japan! Therefore, you have to become Japan’s best guitarist!”

On top of it all, REM lost another irreplaceable music friend that year. A vocalist named Otoya died of a heart attack just about one week after hide left for the sky. Otoya had been the vocalist of RANDY, the band that performed at the first live REM went to see after coming to Yokosuka.

The livehouse in question had been ROCK CITY and the second band REM had seen there was SAVER TIGER, led by hide.

On the day of hide’s funeral, REM and his music buddies got together for the first time in a long while to drink in his memory. Otoya had been there, too. They talked to each other for a bit, away from the others. They hadn’t met in 3 or 4 years, and when REM asked Otoya what he had been doing lately, Otoya told him that he had stopped doing music after RANDY disbanded.

In the face of hide’s sudden death, the conversation remained subdued and they did not exchange more than a few words. A few days later, REM learned about Otoya passing away.

REM remembers him as a vocalist with a unique charism different from hide’s, and a rare singing voice that he will forever remember shouting furiously into the microphone.

After a long, humid rainy season, dawn finally came on 11 July 1998.

That night, the new SAVER TIGER had their first live on stage after the revival. It was a concert called “Memories of hide” that they were able to give thanks to Rolly joining them as a guest vocalist, in hide’s beloved livehouse PUMPKIN. To them, it did not feel at all like a memorial live. It felt like a live they did with hide, a live where hide came to watch them.

They couldn’t believe that he was gone.

They had not yet grown familiar with the thought that they would never meet him again.

All of them – REM, Kosuke, Jimmy, and Rolly as well – felt that hide should have been there to watch them, listen to them, and witness the new SAVER TIGER become real.

It was a humid night, the hot wind blowing in from the sea.

Inside the narrow interior of PUMPKIN, people were filling in the dim gloom. No one spoke. Everyone was losing themselves in the atmosphere and the rock music.

REM wanted to scream out his tears across that crowd.

He wanted to howl his remorse.

Otherwise, he felt like hide would not forgive him.

Then, in this place on Dobuita-Street, in the middle of the night, in this atmosphere of sweat, tabaco, and alcohol, he is certain he saw something at the edge of his field of vision.

There, at the very back of seating area, in front of the wall smeared with graffiti, and close of Kiyotou behind the counter grumbling about the fucking heat, was a single man with a hat drawn low over his eyes.

In a perfectly clear pocket of air, a single leaf was slowly falling down.

The wind going through the building in the derelict warehouse district was already chilly.

1. November.

On this day, a music festival in connection with hide opened in Yokohama’s BAYHALL, and REM went to Yamashita pier in order to perform in it with SAVER TIGER.

It was the second live of the revived SAVER TIGER. In December, they were going to perform in Takadanobaba, and from February through Spring 1999 in a bunch of other places.

They also had plans to record their music.

As for the open position of vocalist, since the turn of the year, REM’s close friend Tony from Yokosuka joined them as a new member. Another friend from Yokosuka, Ken, became their manager.

The new SAVER TIGER finally took shape.

And REM felt like a was paying hide back at least a little, feeling a little better for it, like he could breathe deeply again.

The pavement was covered in scattered, dry leaves.

Feeling the dry leaves crumble under the soles of his work boots, REM chased the afterimage of that man he had seen in front of the wall at PUMPKIN that night. He wondered if that had been hide’s apparition.

No, that’s not it.

He is certain that hide has been there that night.

He’d rushed over to see the reunited SAVER TIGER perform on stage that night, in his beloved Yokosuka.

On Dobuita-Street, that he always returned to. Just for a moment, as bare-faced “Matsumoto Hideto”, he had returned to his friends.

“Welcome home, hide.”

That’s what REM murmured while looking up at the contrail cutting straight through the clear sky above.

P.S. To the Beginning og the End

#hide #pink couldy sky #REM #summary #saver tiger #yokosuka #the next part is much longer #and was much more difficult to translate #I still hope I will get it done soon

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skijumpingf1 · 6 months

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These are mine now (D. Prevc X D. Tande)

Welcome back to another Domiel fic. This time they are in Vikersund. Again, you can read it independently, but it is set in the same universe as Part 1 and Part 2. There is mention of Domens sunglasses. Also, I feel like there is a bit more other people especially Peter. I hope you enjoy it and have a nice day.

Wordcount: 4945

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Vikersund is presenting itself mystical this Friday. With the fog and the snow, it is almost impossible to see up the hill. Nevertheless, Peter and I are standing on the side of the hill. We both have our phones in our hand. Mine is doing a videocall with our other brother, while Pero is calling our mother and Ema. Dad is standing next to us here in Vikersund. He couldn’t resist on coming to Norway and seeing his daughter fly for the first time ever and possibly even seeing her win her first crystal globe. Eva, the jumper in front of Nika, is getting on the bar and I can feel my nerves tensing up. Every jump from one of siblings is nerve-racking to watch. It doesn't matter if it is Peter doing a training jump like he did a million times before, Cene doing his last one ever or Nika doing her first flight. Same goes for Daniel as well. But some jumps are more special to watch then others. Like this one. I can’t believe that my little sister is already ski flying. The same way I can’t really believe that she is leading the women’s world cup and is almost certainly winning it. At just 19. “Domen! You need to put the camera in the direction of the hill.”, Cene is complaining. “Shut up. She isn’t even jumping yet.” Through Peters phone I can hear a small laugh from our mother. She would have loved to be here as well, but Ema still needed to attend school. “But in a minute, she will be.” “If you wanted to you could have been here. You can’t complain when you choose not to come. Twice.” Peter is rolling his eyes at us, but I can see a smirk on his face. I bet he misses the time where we all three were in world cup and I would split my time being annoying between the both of them. Next year I would have to annoy my other teammates since both of them will be gone. “What is twice supposed to mean?” “Boys. Calm down. Nika is next.” When Dad says a word, we all follow. So, Cene and I shut up. I turn my phone in the direction of the hill and then we wait. Snowflakes are falling down the sky and are flying around us while wait for my little sister to finally get closer to the dream of flying.

The jump is good for her first flight. When she lands safely Dad, Peter and I let out a collective breath. “That was alright considering the jury is too careful with them.”, is Cenes judgement with the jump. I agree with him. But the problem honestly runs deeper than just a low gate. Even the fact, that the women had so few large hill comps, contributes to the short flights we witnessed - not just from Nika - but from most of the field. “More than alright. She landed safely.”, says our Mum. I exchange a look with Peter. Hopefully Nika wouldn’t get too nervous now. We both knew how much a first short flight could affect a weekend.

“How was it seeing Nika fly?” Daniel and I are standing in the village in between the cabins. He is in his normal team gear. If the media is asking, he is here to support his teammates. I am stretching a bit but honestly, we are more talking than that I do a proper warm up. “Nerve racking. The last time I was this nervous seeing someone jump, was your first jump after Planica.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “You never told me it was this stressful for you. Judging on your behaviour this morning it must have been terrifying.” “It wasn’t that bad.” In all honesty, it kind of was that bad. This morning, I constantly checked the weather forecast and the wind. When he came back to the hill it was kind of similar. I even inspected the outrun while he was changing. Danny steps a bit closer to me. I can feel is body heat against me. One tiny step to the left and we would be touching. I look up to him and our eyes meet. “Why did you never tell me that me going back to the hill was so hard for you?” A tiny shrug from my part is enough to get me a caring look form him. “It was about you and not about me. Going back was hard enough for you without being worried about my feelings.” He flexes his hand and I know that he is fighting the urge of touching me right now. We are already standing too close with the cameramen around. Holding hands isn’t possible right now. “We will talk later about it.” “It has been almost three years and now days it´s still nerve racking watching you jump but not terrifying. So, there is nothing to talk about. The better question is if you come to Nikas birthday party tonight?”

Nika got the full jackpot today. 19th birthday and first-time ski flying. Considering she has a competition planed for tomorrow morning, we are keeping it simple. Our father reserved a table in the hotel restaurant we are staying at. Just Dad, Peter, Nika and me. And Daniel if he wants to. Nika asked him in Trondheim to join us. He is a bit hesitant since my dad would be there as well. It is not like that my dad disapproves of Daniel per se. He is more type though-love then welcoming and my boyfriend is absolutely not used to it. Mina also took her time getting on the good side of her father-in-law, so I am hoping that eventually Daniel will be more relaxed around him. “I don’t even have a present for her.” “You don’t have to gift her something. Or we could just say that my present is from the both of us.” Daniel steps a few centimetres away when a few people pass us that we don’t know. Getting the appropriate distance between us. I sigh. I hate this so much. “Okay I will come. But if it is awkward, it is your fault and I expect you to get me out of it.”

I have the honour of the single bedroom this weekend. Normally it would have been Lovro´s turn but it was surprisingly easy to get him to give it to me. Officially it isn’t allowed that Daniel is spending the night here, but nobody is knocking on the door and controlling it, so we do it anyways. Not even Peter is saying anything against it anymore. “Is a simple shirt enough or should I get my nice stuff?”, is Daniel asking when he steps out of the bathroom. His hair is still wet from the shower he just took, and a few drops are falling on his bare chest. I take a moment to admire him and let my eyes wander down his body. He is already wearing his jeans but has still two shirts in his hands. I know him with all my heart, but I love looking at him, nonetheless. “I am wearing a hoodie and training pants.” And not even my own cloth. It didn’t even occur to me to dress nice. Daniel is groaning. “You always wear your team gear. I want to see you dressed nicely again.”

A knock interrupts us and I stand up from the bed where I scrolled a bit on my phone. I give Daniel a small peck on the cheek on my way to the door. “I don’t even have anything else to wear here.” I open the door to my hotel room and Peter is standing in front of it in the open hallway. He is dressed nicely in a button down. “Can I come in?” “Danny, forget everything I just said. Take the nice shirt.”, I scream back at my boyfriend in the room. With that I step aside so that my brother can come into my room. The room is a typical small hotel so there isn’t really any space to hide here. “Hello Daniel.”, my brother greets my boyfriend, who looks a bit puzzled at me. “Can you warn me next time?” Daniel is quickly putting his nice shirt on. A light blue button down which highlights his eyes. Good choice. “Relax. Rember the family holiday last summer? You guys went swimming. It is not that different now.” Swimming is the understatement of the century. They had fierce water polo fights that even were too intense for Cene and me. “Sorry if I interrupted you guys. I was just wondering if you are getting Nika something for Thursday?” My eldest brother is scraping the back of his head and looking down a bit embarrassed. “No. Should I? I probably should.” I turn around to Danny, who is shaking his head at me. “She is winning the world cup. Of course you get her something.” “Did I get you something?”, I question my brother. Pero is shaking his head at me, and I hear a sigh from the Norwegian. That just further proofs his theory that I missed a few important developments in social norms. “But you were 16. I honestly didn’t expect anything. For Nika though, Cene and I thought we could get her something together.” “But you don’t know what to give her?”, I guess. Cene and Peter rely on me for gifts for our sisters most of the time. I spent the most time with them and grew up with them more. “I don’t know. What do you gift someone, who just won the most important title in our sport?” Peter would be the best to answer that question. He already won big. “Maybe something for her cat?”, Daniel is suggesting. Peter shakes his head. “Cene and I already give her a basket full of cat toys for her birthday.” The same present as last year. I don’t know why Mina isn’t helping them come up with better gifts. It is not that hard and that is coming from me.

“What about a few bottles of good wine? It is festive and maybe we can even like personalise the bottles.” Peter raises an eyebrow at me. “Nika barely even drinks. Why would we gift her wine?” I chuckle a bit. Barely even drinks, that is a good one. Daniel, who sits on the bed now, clears his throat and shakes his head a bit. Oh. Nika probably never calls Peter whenever she wants to be picked up from a party at her classmate’s houses. And he probably never gave her an alibi for our parents. It is not like Nika is partying every weekend. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to perform on the level she is. But she is 18, well now 19. You want to spent time with your friends and alcohol is a part of that sometimes. So, from time-to-time Nika asks me if I can pick her up and if she can sleep at my place. I didn’t even think about the fact that Peter and Cene never seen her drink more than a glass wine at Christmas. She never had to call them because I was there. “She is 19, Peter. Do you really thing she never drinks?” “Yes, to be honest.” I sit next to Daniel on our double bed. He lays his hand on my left thigh. It is thoughtless movement, but Peter notices and his expression softens a bit. “Let’s put it that way. If we gift her wine, she will drink it. You know how it is when you are 19. I can remember that you haven’t been that abstinent for your whole life either.” And I know for a fact that he needed to pick up Cene a few times because he couldn’t get home anymore. Funnyly enough, I am the least experienced with alcohol from my brothers. Back then I was always too busy training or traveling. “But Nika is always so responsible.” I raise my shoulders. “She is responsible, Peter. She always gets home safely and as far as I know she never even puked.” Even when one of her friends brings her home, she always sends me a text that she made it home safely. In the future I would have to rely on that. If I am really moving to Norway, like Danny and I talked about, Nika won’t be able to call me when she needs a ride. A wave of nostalgia hits me. Leaving Slovenia wouldn’t be hard regarding ski jumping. It would be hard in relation with my family. Until now it didn’t really hit me that stuff like picking Nika up, wouldn’t be possible from the other side of the continent. Like I knew it but in the time of face time, I thought that I wouldn’t miss that much.

Daniel notices the change in my mood before even I do it. His hand wanders from my thigh to my hand, and he grabs it. A gentle squeeze. I turn my head towards him. My boyfriend is shooting a small smile at me. His eyes say you don’t have to do it. And I know that I don’t have to do it but also want to spend my life with Daniel. Not just see him from time to time when our busy schedules align. I want that seeing him is the first thing in the morning and touching him the last thing before I fall asleep. My brother is still standing in the entrance of the room and is watching our small interaction. “What am I missing?” I exchange a look with Daniel, who nods at me. “It is just that I have been considering moving to Norway. Thinking of Nika and how I can’t pick her up after a party or something, made me realize that I would miss important steps in her life. And not only her life.” Nika and Ema are old enough to communicate regularly through the phone, but my nephews are still too young to do so. I would miss seeing them growing up. “You are thinking about moving to Norway? Since when? We never talked about it before.” Peter is pulling the chair from the desk. Thankfully it is still early in the weekend, and I haven’t put my dirty clothes on it. When he is also sitting and we are face to face, he opens his mouth and closes it again. “Well, we have been thinking about it. There is nothing planed. Also, you are the last one to complain. You told me just two days before the public that you want to retire.” It actually hurt a bit that he didn’t consult me when making the decision. I mean I get it. It is his decision, but I am his brother and we have been doing this sport together since ages. Cene talked with both of us about retiring. How he didn’t feel like he could give 100% anymore day in and day out. He wanted to hear our opinion on it. Pero however, just told me. He sat me down an hour before he told the rest of the team.

Another knock on the door makes us look up. I raise an eyebrow. Who else would come to my room at almost eight? “I´ll go.”, Daniel says before I can stand up. He lets go off my hand but not without squeezing it again. “Moving to Norway is a big step. Have you talked with Robbi about it?” My brother changes the language to Slovene and I sigh. He always does this when Daniel leaves the room and when the Norwegian comes back, he thinks he is a burden because we need to speak in English with him. “No. I haven’t talked with anyone about it apart from Daniel and now you. I would appreciate if this stayed in the room for now.”

Dad collects us and together we go to Nikas room. We sing a short happy birthday for her and then we get to the hotel restaurant. Dad speaks a short toast and then we all sip on our glasses of champagne. “I don’t think, we will jump tomorrow anyway.”, Nika says when Dad asks her if she really wants a glass. Peter, who sits across of me, and I exchange a look and I wink at him. We will definitely gift her wine now. Daniel sits next to me and under the table I put my hand on his knee. He still feels a bit out of place. I can tell by the way he scoops on his chair. My boyfriend always struggles with feeling out of place with my big family. But especially when Cene´s girlfriend and Mina aren’t there. ”The forecast is really bad. I don’t get why they didn’t do a competition today and cancel tomorrow already. Now we will have waiting games.”, I add and take a sip of champagne. Waiting games are always annoying. With ski flying they are also nerve-racking. Nobody wants to fly when the conditions are bad. Not even me. “You will at least get a substitution. I bet with you that if the competition really gets cancelled that we women don’t get a new date.” “I really hope they get a new race director for you guys. The one now is a disaster. It starts why the low gate and ends with the many cancelled competition.”

Cancelled competition is probably phrase of the day. It starts with a cancelled trial round for the girls and then the comp gets completely sacked. Nonetheless we need to get to the hill since the conditions might improve. I have over 200 world cups under my belt, and I know that we won’t jump today. The wind, the snow, everything is against it. But since money and a tournament depend on the competition today, they are not cancelling the race just now. They wait and hope. Even though everyone who knows this hill, sees that nobody will jump today. Not even a brave trial jumper.

My trainer is just finishing his little rundown of things we should do while we wait. A light warm-up, imitations and stretching is all we would do today. He is still optimistic that we would get at least one jump today. Probably to keep the moral up in this tiny cabin next to the hill. The wind is howling outside and is overpowering Rob a few times. “Just try to be ready. If they find a window for the jumps, it can be quite soon and without much warning.”, Rob ends his speech. Lovro and Timi jump up to get outside. They would probably play a few rounds of volleyball. I will join them in a few moments, but I have a thing to do before. Peter is shooting me a funny look when I stay behind. Normally I am the first one out. The small cabins they usually have at a hill, always feel too cramped for me.

I try to look busy with sorting my stuff until everyone except Robert and I left. When Peros closes the door behind him, I stand up from the bench. With a clearing of my throat, I get the attention of my coach. “Can I help you, Domen?”, he asks. I nod slowly. “Actually, you can. If you have five minutes or so for me today, I would really appreciate it.” Today is probably the last good day to have a conversation with my trainer during the season. Tomorrow will be busy since we will most likely get a substitute competition. Then there is the whole craziness of Planica. This year especially with Peter retiring and Nika getting her crystal globe. “Please not you too. I can’t lose all Prevc brothers in a span of two years.” Robert is sitting down on one of the benches and is shaking his head at me. It takes a few seconds till I understand what he means. “Oh gosh no. I am not retiring. You will have to keep up with me for at least another five to ten years. Probably more.” A loud sigh escapes his mouth. The relief is plastered on his face. My opening for this conversation wasn’t the best I assume. “That is good to know. What is it then?” “Daniel and I have been thinking of moving in together. It is time to take the next step. But since we are on different teams, we honestly don’t know how to handle it. Could I just move to Norway and do my day-to-day training there? Or could he do it with us? A fifty-fifty split?” My trainer points on the bench next to him and I sit down. Robert is eyeing me up a bit. “Honestly. I have been waiting for this conversation for two years now because I knew that eventually we would end up here.” A small chuckle comes from me. Of course. Rob is always two steps ahead. Equally in training or in personal matters. “Have you come up with a solution?” My trainer sits up a bit straighter. “If you want to make it work you can. Decide what you guys want to do. I will support you no matter what and we will make it work.” Talking to Robert and Peter makes this whole thing a bit more real. Like we are really doing it. “I´ll let you know if we decide on something.” Rob pats me on the shoulder and smiles at me. “I am really happy for you. That is a big step, and I am so glad that you are finally taking it.”

I am right. The competition on Saturday gets cancelled and now the schedule for Sunday is packed. First the girl’s competition, who sadly but not surprisingly didn’t get another comp, then we will have a go. In the afternoon the weird competition three round format takes places. Today the weather is at least nice. If we have to spend the whole day at the hill, I rather do it with sunshine than snow or rain. “It is so sad that I can’t be at your nationals. I would love to see you jump again.”, I complain while I jog through the forest with Daniel. The Norwegians apparently like torture and put their national championship between Vikersund and Planica. Whoever had the idea for this timeslot, must be unaware of the season plan because in my eyes is it just dumb. Even putting it after Planica would have been more reasonable. “I won’t perform anyways. This season is just not for me.” I roll my eyes while jumping over a small stick. “A bit more optimism, Danny. Otherwise, I will send you to our mental trainer.” At first, I hated mental training, but I have to admit it helped. Daniel tried it as well after Planica but stopped going. “Also, I like watching you jump even if you do it shit.” Daniel shrugs. “Next season will be better hopefully. I am more excited for Planica. The whole weekend will be so emotional. I bet you are gonna cry.” “I won’t cry. It is not like I won’t see Peter again. He is literally my brother.” My boyfriend raises an eyebrow. We are getting closer to the team cabins. The music of the DJ is getting louder, and a few fans are already audible. Soon we would have to behave distant again. Not like a couple, more like friends. If even that. That’s why I stop in the middle of the trail. Daniel comes to a halt a few meters after me.

“Is everything okay?”, he questions. I take a few steps until we are directly in front of each other. Carelessly I sling an arm around his torso and pull him closer. It is cold today. We are both wearing our thick winter jackets from our teams. Even with the two thick layers between us, it is lovely to hold him. Just the sunglasses on Daniels face feel a bit out of place with the beanie on his head. Daniel leans against me and I enjoy the feeling of his body weight against me. “You will cry like a baby, I bet. Rember how much you sobbed when you told me he was retiring.” My boyfriend is smirking at me, and I roll my eyes. “I made my peace with it.” “Did you? Is that the reason why you still change the subject when I want to talk about it?” Daniel is putting a hand on my cheek. His thump is gently stroking my jaw. I lean into the touch. His hand warms my cold face, and a nice heat is spreading through me. “I am currently trying the ignore approach if you must know. I´ll ignore it until the next season when he isn’t there and then I am dealing with it.” I can feel Danny´s eyes on me even with the sunglasses. He leans his head a bit to the right. “If you want to talk about it, you know I am here and I won´t leave your side next weekend if you want to.” The meaning of this words hits me after a few seconds have passed. I open my mouth and close it again. He is ready to go public. If I say yes now, we won’t hide it – us – anymore. I wrap my arms around his neck. “Not next week. Next week is about Nika and Peter. I don’t want to take attention away from them. But after Planica …” I look around. No cameras nearby. I lean forward and give him a short kiss. When we part Daniel takes my hand and squeezes it. An unspoken way of agreement. A bright smile is building on my face. Finally, we would do it.

The ringing of my phone is interrupting us. With a sigh I take the call. Of course it is my older brother. “What?” “I just wanted to let you know that Nika is jumping soon. You wanted to see her?” Is it already this late? Shit. Spending time with Daniel always flies by like nothing. “Alright I´ll be there in a minute. Where are you watching?” My brother gives me his position and then he hangs up. “Nika is jumping soon.”, I explain to my boyfriend. “Then let’s go.”

Dad, Peter, Daniel and I stand on the side of the hill. It is nice that Daniel decided to join us today and not disappear in his team’s cabin. “I should have gotten my glasses as well.”, I complain while holding my hand up to shield my eyes from the bright sun. The reflection of the sun on the white hill makes it almost impossible to look at it. My brother has his ski mask on, and I should have done the same thing. “You are such a baby.”, Daniel says but takes of his glasses and gives them to me. “Now you can’t watch.” “She is your sister.” I know that arguing with him won’t help so I take the glasses. “You know that these are mine now?” A bright grin is building on my lips. Daniel begins to laugh and nods. “I figured, kleptomaniac.”

My jump in the first competition was good. Pretty great even. Good length and with a beautiful telemark. Jumper after jumper is landing behind me and I keep standing in the leader’s box. With Danny´s sunglasses on. He is helping his team with getting the stuff around the mixed zone but here and there he smirks at me. I tap on the glasses whenever he is around. It is pleasant having him with me even if he is not really around. Lovro, who jumped a bit after me, is done changing and is standing next to me now. “Do you think it is enough for a podium?”, he questions. I raise my shoulders. “I hope so.” He pulls out is phone out the pocket and looks at the ticker. Like he always does. I swear he is glued to this thing. “The wind is getting a bit better.” I just nod and look up the hill. “Thank you again for letting me have the single room this weekend. I´ll make it up.” Lovro shakes his head. “All good. I haven’t seen you this relaxed in ages that’s worth sharing a room with your brother this weekend.” I pat him on the shoulder. “I will give you an alibi if you ever want to smuggle someone in.”

After my brother lands behind me in the standing, I know I made it on the podium. Peters is giving me a close hug in the outrun and he grins at me as if he is the one on the podium. The hug is closer then normally. He probably thinks that this could be the last time he ever sees me get on the podium. I shallow hard but don’t let the smile drop. As soon as I step out of the gate, Danny runs into my arms. It is an innocent hug that last a second longer than it should but right now neither of us cares. “I love you. You did so good.”, he whispers in my ears. “I love you more and I am so glad that you are here to celebrate with me.”

And when I step onto the podium, still with his glasses on, I feel happier to be on the podium than I ever did.

#ski jumping #domen prevc #daniel andre tande #domiel #sj fic #i feel like this is a bit too long #but i dont want to cut any scence either #so i have to live with it i guess #also i am starting planica now #and there happend so much and my one shots are normally already so long #so we will see how long this planica weekend is gonna be #again if you want anything writen my ask are open #also not proof read

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bigfrozenfan-fanfics · 8 months

Text

If you can't remember the plot anymore you may want to read the two previous chapters.

A wintry adventure - part I A wintry adventure - part II

The next morning, most of them stayed in bed and pulled the warm blanket a little tighter around them because it had gotten a little colder in the room during the night.

Anna and Kristoff cuddled up to each other when they both woke up with sleepy eyes.

“Good morning, love,” he said and kissed her on her tousled mop of hair.

“Morning, darling,” she said and yawned. “Am I mistaken or why has it suddenly got colder here in the house?” she asked, blinking as bright daylight was already filtering through the window

“It's the gas heating, it's on low at night. But the timer should come on any minute,” he said with a quick sideways glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table, “then it'll get warmer soon. Shall we get up already? I'll make a fire in the fireplace downstairs and you can take a shower in the bathroom down the corridor to the right.”

Anna nodded, “Sounds like a good plan. You go ahead, I'll probably need a bit longer in the bathroom.”

A little later, it was cosy and warm downstairs in the living room, the fire was roaring and the sun's rays were streaming in through the window to the right of the entrance, illuminating the kitchen where Kristoff was preparing a pot of coffee. Upstairs he could still hear the shower running and wondered why he hadn't teased Anna with a morning shower together. After all, they had slept completely naked next to each other under a bedspread.

He set the breakfast table without haste and then took a look outside the front door. It promised to be a wonderful winter's day and the snowfall that had started last night had finally stopped. He took another look at the thermometer next to the front door and the temperature had dropped sharply again, which was good because that meant that no more snow would fall. He stomped his shoes before returning inside and then immediately checked the internet connection. Unfortunately, the reception was still interrupted, so he couldn't check the weather forecast on his laptop. It'll be fine for the next surprise near Banff; he thought and hoped that the forest path would be cleared soon.

He shrugged his shoulders and heard a loud knock on the bathroom door upstairs, followed shortly afterwards by Honeymaren's indignant voice.

“Hey, don't take so long in there and leave me some hot water, will you?”

Kristoff had to grin because, despite all his preparations, he hadn't thought of this kind of problem. There was only one bathroom in the house and now he realised that this could lead to waiting times for a total of five people. Well, they'll manage, after all, it had worked out the days before; he mused and poured himself a coffee after sitting down.

Meanwhile, Ryder came trudging down the stairs and looked at him out of small pupils after dropping onto the sofa.

“You look pretty groggy, Ryder. Had a bit too much to drink last night?”

“Hmm…,” he grumbled and ran a hand over his face before pouring himself some coffee. “It's not just me, Kristoff. You and Anna were the first to go upstairs, the others were still enjoying the wine and the rest of the gin for a while.”

“So so …,” Kristoff grinned back and shook his head reprovingly.

One by one, everyone else came downstairs, some with faces that spoke volumes. With the exception of him and Anna, the others probably needed a little more time to sober up properly, so the breakfast together passed almost silently, with hardly anyone speaking and concentrating instead on the food in front of them. He and Anna exchanged mischievous glances.

They had both drunk quite a lot yesterday and the party went on until well after midnight, but the rest of the gang obviously couldn't stop, as the empty bottles on the kitchen floor testified. Their laughter yesterday could be heard all the way upstairs until Anna and he fell asleep at some point. The wall clock showed him half past eleven, so the others couldn't have got much sleep.

He had actually worked out a relatively tight schedule for their adventures, but looking at the faces around him now, no one here seemed to be in much of a mood for it, except Anna, perhaps. Ryder was now lying on the sofa and had fallen asleep again, snoring lightly, while Honeymaren had also dozed off in the armchair. Elsa, on the other hand, was playing something on her smartphone, but also looked rather listless and tired.

Perhaps he should swap the two days and bring the lazy day forward to today. The forest path was still completely covered in snow and it would take a lot of effort to get out of here. Not a good idea.

He cleared the table with Anna and quietly asked Elsa if she wanted more coffee, but she declined with a shake of her head and a quiet 'No, thank you'. Then he washed the dishes and Anna helped him dry them. She kept casting slightly disappointed glances at the loungers in the living room, who were still drunk.

“There's probably nothing to do with them today,” she muttered quietly.

Kristoff followed her gaze and sighed, “Yes, unfortunately. But that doesn't matter, because we can only make our way to my next surprise tomorrow anyway. It's closed today.”

“But tomorrow is the second public holiday, will they, whoever, even be open then?”

“Just not today, they'll be back to normal tomorrow. But the weather has put a spanner in the works anyway. We can't get away at the moment, unless the snow clearing service comes.”

“I hope so, because you've gone to so much trouble with everything and prepared everything perfectly for us. It would be a shame if your plan didn't work out because of all the snow, even though nothing can replace this wonderful winter atmosphere. I just love it here with you,” she replied and gave him a satisfied peck on the cheek.

“Then I guess we'll just have to wait it out and pass the time in another way,” he smiled at her and returned the kiss.

”Hmm … do you have more games in the house than the one from last time?”

“Unfortunately not, I live here all by myself and apart from a few dice somewhere, there's nothing like that in the house. Maybe I should have thought of that beforehand and got something for us.”

Anna put an arm around him, still holding the dishtowel in her hand, and gave him another kiss on the cheek, “Poor Kristoff. But maybe we could play charades later.”

“If the others wake up and feel like it, I'd love to.”

~~~

By late afternoon, the other three were reasonably fit again and, after a hot shower and a few more cups of coffee, their spirits were revitalised. In the meantime, Kristoff and Anna had pulled a book off the shelf, read it and listened to the others' emerging conversations.

Sven came running up and put his head on Kristoff's lap, which prompted his master to look past the book at him. Sven licked his muzzle and blinked at Kristoff.

“You're hungry again, aren't you?” he asked. “You only had a full bowl this morning,” he added reprovingly and Sven made a begging sound.

Kristoff sighed, stood up and dropped his book on the armchair to get some of those tasty little dog bones for Sven.

“So?” Elsa asked as she stepped back from the window. “What are your next plans, Kristoff?”

“I already told Anna this morning. We can't get out of here until we've been evicted. We can't go dancing tonight either, it's far too much effort to get to Banff and it's already too late for the long journey there,” he said as he stood at the table and then rummaged a treat or two out of the bag, which he threw to Sven to catch.

“If you had a sauna, I'd take this golden opportunity to cool off by jumping naked into the cold, deep snow,” Ryder laughed, both arms resting casually on the back of the sofa.

Everyone looked at him, puzzled, except Kristoff, who was seriously pondering the idea.

“Hmm, I'd never thought of that before, but it's a great idea, Ryder. I'll have to enquire next year and see where there's room for it in the house.”

“From that point of view, it would indeed be a great idea, but without the jump,” Elsa laughed on her way back to the table and sat down again.

“Or just chilling in a hot spring in this beautiful landscape, with a good glass of red wine and a clear view of the mountains and all that,” Honeymaren enthused, leaning her head on her bent arms and gazing dreamily at the wooden ceiling. “That would be great.”

Kristoff wondered if he had inadvertently mentioned something, but then shook the thought from his mind. It was exactly what he had planned for tomorrow's schedule.

“What do you say we round off the evening with a bit of charades?” Anna asked.

“Like in the film? With a girls' and boys' round?” Ryder countered and then laughed out loud, “Except that your Sven isn't the film Sven, Kristoff, and rings the bell when the round is over.” Everyone joined in with his infectious laughter.

“We'll manage,” Anna said, “unless you've been training your golden retriever.” She blinked at Kristoff, who smiled and shook his head in the negative.

After Kristoff had fetched pieces of paper and pencils from a drawer and a small basket from the kitchen, the game could begin. A smartphone with a stopwatch served as a bell to signal the end of each round. Everyone thought of something related to what they had experienced over the past few days and then threw the crumpled up piece of paper into the basket.

It was hilarious how everyone bent over backwards to perform the difficult tasks. In the end, there was a tie when Kristoff guessed Anna's account of the wild ride on the snowmobile. It was a funny coincidence that Anna, of all people, had drawn his slip of paper and therefore extremely fitting and easy for Kristoff to guess.

The evening was reasonably long and fun, without any alcoholic drinks, and at the end, after a small dinner, everyone went up to bed satisfied.

~~~

As hoped, in the early hours of the morning, the sound of snow chains on a large clearing vehicle made its way to the house. Kristoff, who was just lighting the fire, went outside to have a look and waved happily and gratefully to the driver before he turned round and drove back to Banff. Sven wanted to go back outside to play in the snow, but Kristoff stopped him just in time.

“Not now, Sven,” he said, patting his golden retriever's side affectionately.

The forest path was finally clear again and nothing stood in the way of the next planned adventures in the van. Kristoff still had a lot on his mind and was delighted that everything could still go according to plan. Honeymaren in particular was likely to be very surprised today after her wish yesterday.

He looked at the clock on the wall and wondered whether he should wake everyone up already. He had awoken quite early this morning, probably because Anna's movement had woken him when she had comfortably laid her arm across his chest and cuddled her head on his shoulder while he slept. Kristoff smiled dreamily and was so glad that he could spend this winter with the gang in his house, especially Anna.

Unlike her film character, the real Anna didn't snore, but her long hair looked just as tousled when she slept. Kristoff gently stroked a few strands of hair from her face and gazed lovingly at her countenance. She smiled and her eyelids twitched back and forth because she was dreaming. He looked at her for a long time and enjoyed the closeness of her naked, warm body at his side. This situation was something completely new for him and he wished that these days with her would never end. What would become of them both when they returned to everyday life, back in the USA?

But he put that thought to one side. What mattered was the here and now, the happy days with her and the others, here in his home country.

When her dream apparently ended, he carefully and gently peeled himself out of Anna's embrace without waking her. Then he got dressed and went quietly downstairs. And now he stood pondering in the living room, ultimately deciding against waking the gang early - after all, they were all here to enjoy their Christmas holidays in a relaxed way, without stress or schedules.

There was still plenty of time until the tenth of January, when the studio work started again. Enough time for completely relaxed winter adventures together, and above all enough time to spend by Anna's side. He loved her so much …

He grabbed his smartphone from the shelf, opened the kitchen cupboards and the fridge with the remaining food and made a shopping list of what they would all need over the next few days. He also checked the dog food for Sven, but there was still enough for him.

He then picked out a few more CDs for the next few journeys, went out to the van and swapped the music he had already listened to for the new selection. With one exception. He left the music that Anna liked so much in the glove compartment.

Back in the living room, he added wood to the fire and played some quiet music before pulling out his laptop and checking his notes for the planned excursions and the opening times at the locations. He made a few important notes on his mobile phone, including some phone numbers related to the excursions. A glance at the taskbar suddenly showed him a stable internet connection, so he finally had access to the net again and could download the weather forecast for the next few days.

He then prepared everything for breakfast and went upstairs to put together a few things for the day from the cupboard in the hallway. He stuffed everything into a rucksack as a precaution, grabbed some fresh clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Out of habit, he never locked the door to the bathroom and just as he was standing under the shower’s warm water, about to grab the soap, two arms wrapped themselves tenderly around his neck from behind.

He was startled at first, but when he turned around, Anna was looking at him, only centimeters away and stark naked. For a moment, they just looked at each other in love while the water ran over her beautiful body and his astonished gaze clearly revealed his admiration for her. Then she kissed him passionately and he pressed her against him. She couldn't help but feel his physical arousal on her body, but she didn't mind, quite the opposite. She ran her hands over his bum and looked deep into his eyes.

“What if someone wants to come in now and sees us both like this?” he asked.

“Don't worry, darling, I've locked the door behind me!”

That took away his fear of being discovered and they began to unabashedly exchange caresses while the shower roared. They explored each other's bodies, passionately and wildly. Until there was a loud knock.

“We're almost done,” Kristoff called out loudly when he was able to catch his breath after a long kiss.

The loud giggling of Honeymaren behind the closed bathroom door, clearly audible despite the noisy shower, brought them both abruptly back to reality.

“Oh, oh…,” was all Anna said and Kristoff turned pale, if you could have seen it under the warm jet of water.

But then he shrugged his shoulders. “Too late … whatever.” They both laughed at the embarrassing incident and finally washed each other in a hurry. After drying off, quickly blow-drying their hair and getting dressed, they looked at each other tensely for a moment and he finally opened the door.

Honeymaren stood outside grinning broadly and let them pass, giggling. She then went into the bathroom herself and locked the door audibly behind her. Loud laughter could be heard behind it.

Downstairs, Elsa and Ryder were already sitting with their first cup of coffee and grinning at them. Kristoff rolled his eyes and Anna, looking embarrassed, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Not a word, do you hear?” Kristoff stated and escorted Anna to the table, not without adjusting her chair, which made the other two grin even bigger. Elsa had to hold a hand over her mouth as their amused glances swapped back and forth between them.

They all began to eat breakfast thoughtfully and at some point Honeymaren came down the stairs, still grinning ear to ear, walked round the table and dropped into her armchair. Her glances at Anna and Kristoff spoke volumes and just as she opened her mouth to make a comment, Elsa put her index finger unmistakably to her lips, which Honeymaren couldn't help but notice and therefore closed it again with an understanding nod. Nevertheless, she couldn't completely suppress her grin.

No one said a word at breakfast until Kristoff, having swallowed the last mouthful, was the first to do so.

“Sooo … today may be the second Christmas Day, but not everything is closed today and we can make our way to a hot spa spring later and even drive there again in the van. The forest path has been cleared this morning. So pack your swimsuits and we can all relax later in the mineral-rich water with a great view of the Canadian Rockies. Afterwards we could have a nice meal and go dancing in the evening in the disco I mentioned earlier, with cool music and a nice atmosphere. What do you think?”

“Go swimming?” Ryder interjected in surprise, “But I didn't pack any swimming gear, what with it being the middle of winter and all…”

“That's no problem, Ryder, I can lend you one of my swimming trunks and sandals too,” Kristoff reassured him

“And you think that would suit me? You're much taller than me,” he countered.

“Men!” Elsa realised.

“Well, I've packed my swimsuit,” Anna confirmed and Honeymaren added, looking at her and Elsa, “A winter holiday without a spa isn't a proper winter holiday for us girls, am I right?”

They both nodded and Kristoff mentioned a tourist shop next to the café where Ryder was sure to find a suitable pair of swimming trunks.

“Otherwise, just take a normal pair of dark pants or something,” he added and Ryder rolled his eyes.

It was agreed and an hour later they all got into the van on the way to Banff. There, Kristoff turned south onto Mountain Avenue and drove another ten minutes to Sulphur Mountain and up to the Upper Hot Springs complex. The first thing they did was visit the shop above the large, steaming pool and Ryder found what he was looking for. Apparently there were often tourists with the same problem. Afterwards, they all changed in the shower area provided and stepped out onto the wide poolside.

Many people were already in the water, sitting comfortably on the long, tiled bench below the waterline or swimming around. Behind the glassed-in fence rose tall, snow-covered trees, with the jagged peaks of Mt Rundle and the Cascade Mountains looming beyond. It was a breathtaking and almost magical sight, which they took in for a few moments before climbing into the hot water and chilling out. Honeymaren simply enjoyed sitting here in the hot, naturally heated water with this magnificent view, but without the glass of red wine from her imagination. Well, you couldn't have everything; she thought, and this was definitely something different from the bathtub at home.

An hour and a half later, after the shower, they sat together cosily and deeply relaxed over a coffee above the spring.

“I wonder what else you have planned for us,” Elsa asked Kristoff.

He grinned mysteriously. “Let's put it this way, we're going up high and then a special kind of speed will take your breath away. I promise!”

“Oh, man. That sounds really exciting and I honestly can't wait,” Ryder replied and the others leant forward curiously.

“Don't keep us in suspense like that, Kristoff,” Elsa asked.

“So I'll take anything that comes along. Everything just keeps getting better and better,” said Honeymaren enthusiastically.

“I like to be surprised by Kristoff. Nothing has disappointed me so far,” Anna added with a smile and placed a hand on his forearm, sitting right next to him.

“I don't know how hungry you are, but I've booked us a table at Chuck's Steakhouse for tonight. They have the best steaks around Banff, with Alberta-bred Wagyu beef grilled ranch-style over hardwood and mesquite. And to start the disco evening, there are some really tasty cocktails on top. It's not cheap, but it's worth it.”

“You're not planning to invite us there at your expense, are you?” Anna objected, slowly beginning to understand what made Kristoff tick.

He shook his head, “Not today, but tomorrow, because I want everyone to come along too. It's really not an everyday thing and it's worth it to me a thousand times over. We've all made good money from the films, right? So please don't worry about that, okay? Having you all here together, in my home country, in my house and having the time and great adventures with you is just too important to me. I … am just so grateful.” A small tear stole into his eye and the next moment everyone stood up, did as Anna did and hugged him tightly.

“It's us who are eternally grateful to you, Kristoff,” Elsa said softly.

“The best Christmas holidays ever!” said Honeymaren and Ryder added “I couldn't have said it better”.

“And you already know what I'm thinking, but I'd rather not say it out loud here,” Anna whispered in his ear and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

~~~

When they were back in the van and driving back to Banff, Kristoff suddenly turned off onto Cave Avenue and headed west. After a few minutes he stopped in front of a strange building with two low towers.

“Where are we?” Elsa asked as everyone got out.

“We're here at a historical site with a cave below us, mineral springs and some kind of a museum. I thought that since we still have a lot of time before tonight, I'd take you here. I think you'll be particularly interested, Ryder.”

None of them objected to his surprise, entered the long building and booked the half-hour cave and basics tour. They learnt that this place had been a special place for the indigenous peoples of Canada for over ten thousand years and was the site of the founding of the very first national park. It was a fun and educational couple of hours on the grounds and in the exhibit hall before heading to their final destination in Banff, the steakhouse.

Nevertheless, they still had plenty of time left and strolled through the small town.

“There aren't many people out and about,” said Anna, who had hooked up with him and was enjoying his company.

“Many are visiting their relatives at this time of year. Only the tourists have stayed here, like us,” he said.

“I don't really feel like a tourist any more, but almost …”

“… like home?” They stopped and looked deep into each other's eyes.

“Yes, almost,” she breathed.

“What does it look like? When have you booked the table for? I'm getting hungry,” Ryder said, interrupting their togetherness.

They both sighed and Honeymaren beside Ryder poked him in the side reprovingly. Elsa had put on a thoughtful face as she looked at the two lovers.

“Okay, let's go eat,” Kristoff said. “Follow me, it's round the corner there.”

They got the table a little ahead of schedule because it wasn't so busy and he hadn't promised too much. Both the quality of the steaks and the atmosphere in the restaurant were extremely good. Afterwards, they treated themselves to a few delicious cocktails and tried to elicit his surprise for tomorrow. But Kristoff refused to budge and said that it wouldn't be a surprise if he revealed everything beforehand.

But the evening that followed turned out differently than expected. After paying the entrance fee at Dancing Sasquatch and getting a stamp on their hand, they were greeted by a cramped and crowded disco with music from the DJs on the podium that didn't really suit their taste. There was no real dancing to be had and the overpriced drinks came from cheap paper cups, didn't taste particularly amazing and the staff were also rather stroppy.

Around midnight, the establishment’s emblem appeared in the form of a guy disguised in a fur coat, jumping around wildly and reminding everyone in the gang of Big Foot. They were bumped into often enough by the young, drunken crowd and finally had enough of it all.

Outside on the street, they could still see one of the disco's bouncers not exactly gently pushing someone out.

“Tell me, have you ever been in there yourself, Kristoff?” asked Anna with a bright red face and Elsa immediately agreed. The other two gasped and took a deep breath.

“Sorry, guys, that wasn't my intention. They used to have quite a good reputation and no, I haven't been there myself yet. There aren't that many nightclubs like this any more, two have closed down in the last few years. The only other place I can think of is the Hoodoo Night Club and Lounge not far from here. Some say it's the best place for hip-hop, others say they mainly play Top 40s. I don't know.”

“Well, I think I've lost my appetite for dancing,” Elsa said and the rest of the gang agreed with her.

“Let's go home, Kristoff,” Anna said and he nodded disappointedly.

They were back in the hut by two o'clock in the morning and went upstairs to bed shortly afterwards.

~~~

The following day started relaxed and Kristoff had the impression that everyone had already forgotten about last night. He had mulled it over for a long time and apologised to Anna for the night, but she held no grudges and snuggled up close to him instead.

After breakfast, following his advice, they bundled up in warm winter clothes and got into the van. He dropped Sven off at the neighbour's, as they would be away from home for a few days this time.

“How far are we traveling? It looks like you're planning something longer with us,” asked Anna, inserting one of the exchanged CDs labelled 'Road Trip' into the drive. Shortly afterwards, 'I'm blue with lyrics' by Eiffel 65 played from the speakers and the rest of the gang in the back seat bobbed their heads to the rhythm of the song.

“Let yourself be surprised, Anna, I've prepared it better this time,” Kristoff called out to her, “Everyone will get their money's worth in the coming days and have a lot of fun. But I won't tell you nothing more.”

A road sign on the Trans-Canada Highway read 'Canmore 25km' and it took Kristoff just under half an hour to turn onto the Bow Valley Trail, coming to a halt in a car park shortly afterwards. Everyone looked curiously out of the window and when they realised where they were, they held their breath.

“You're not serious, are you?” asked Honeymaren as she read the sign.

ALPINE HELICOPTERS INC. < Commercial Operations Sightseeing Tours >

“Oh … my … God!” Elsa exclaimed and Ryder simply couldn't find the words.

Kristoff looked over at Anna and she just stared at him, with a mixture of great anticipation and equal parts fear of what was about to follow.

“You're surprised now, aren't you? Are you scared?” he asked towards the back, grinning broadly. “Don't worry, it's going to be great fun and I told you it wouldn't be anything ordinary. Just follow me and take only the mobile phones with you.”

They followed Kristoff up a few flights of stairs to a wooden building and inside he signed in with proof of his reservation. Then they could go outside onto the airfield. Five helicopters in red, white and black stripes stood on it, four of them next to a petrol pump, behind which was a large circle marked as a landing pad.

Kristoff walked ahead to parking space number 4 and motioned for the others to follow him. Everyone's legs were shaking as they made their way towards one of the waiting helicopters. The rotors were not yet running, which eased everyone's anxiety. The pilot greeted everyone in turn and helped them board. There were a total of five besides the pilot's seats, three at the back and two directly opposite. Kristoff let everyone go first and got in last.

When they were all seated and strapped in, they were told to take the headphones from above the seats and put them on because it was going to be very loud and he could use them to talk about the area they were about to fly over. They would also be able to talk to each other via the intercom system and ask him questions. He reassured everyone that there was no need to be afraid and wished them all an exciting adventure before closing the door and getting in the front himself.

The cockpit was crammed with display instruments and a small touchscreen above, which the pilot now operated and which now displayed the route. Below and in front of his feet, one could look down through viewing windows and the all-round view at the seats offered plenty of opportunities to take pictures of the surroundings, quite unlike in an aeroplane.

Kristoff sat next to Anna in the two front seats facing in the opposite direction to the flight. Elsa briefly lifted the headphones from her ears and asked him a question. The others did the same to hear everything.

“What is our destination and how long is the flight?”

“We're flying to the Three Sisters, the pilot will explain more. Flight time there and back is about half an hour.” Then he pulled the earpieces back over his ears as the aircraft started up and the rotors began to turn faster and faster. It became increasingly noisy in the cabin and it was another minute or two before they lifted off gently, drifted backwards away from the landing pad, turned and then climbed higher and higher.

Everyone pulled out their smartphones and started taking photos of the majestic, snow-covered landscape below and beside them. In the headphones, the pilot explained to them where they were and also the history of the three mountain peaks called the Three Sisters, formerly known as the Three Nuns. Faith, hope and charity, or big, middle and little sister with summit heights between 2700 and almost 3000 meters. In summer, when flying past, you could sometimes even see a few mountaineers on the Big Sister. The view was breathtaking and the pilot flew a loop so that everything was clearly visible before continuing over the Spray Lakes and then along the Bow River.

“So, how was it for you?” Kristoff asked through the intercom system.

“A bit like riding a rollercoaster, but smoother,” said Elsa.

“Just great,” said Honeymaren, “Sheer madness, but really loud,” said Ryder.

“And you?” Kristoff took Anna's hand in his and she looked over at him.

“I love you.”

“I think you're about to love me even more, because instead of booking a bigger tour, I've upgraded to Kananaskis Country for the next big surprise.”

~~~

Twenty-five minutes flight time later and along the Bow River Trail, they landed in Kananaskis Country at Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours in the middle of the wilderness. But no one knew that yet, but they wondered why they hadn't flown back and instead landed here in the woods in the middle of a large snowfield.

Kristoff would probably never forget the look of surprise on their faces when they got out of the helicopter with the help of the pilot with the rotors still running and he shouted at them to stay crouched while walking away. It was hellishly loud. Then they watched as it took off again and flew away.

Kristoff told them to follow him to the next big surprise and they walked a short distance in the snow until they came across a snow-covered forest path behind the trees, with a whole bunch of sledges waiting with barking huskies harnessed to them. Everyone's jaw dropped as they realised what was about to happen.

“I thought, if you like Sven, you'll love the Siberian huskies here,” Kristoff said with a grin to Anna, who promptly threw her arms around his neck.

He didn't want to think about the fact that he had spent well over three thousand three hundred Canadian dollars on the whole adventure for everyone so far. The surprised faces of the gang around him were simply priceless. Now it just depended on who wanted to be the sledge driver. That would make up quite a lot for the additional costs, he calculated.

They were given a comprehensive briefing on how to behave when driving a six-strong dog team and asked who was confident enough to do it themselves. One of the instructors would lead the trek with his own team and keep an eye on them at all times, giving them helpful advice as they travelled and monitoring their progress. He assured them that the dogs had been trained beforehand and had passed a series of tests of self-driven sleds.

Kristoff had already made up his mind and would ride with Anna in the princess seat in front of him, the rest were still discussing who dared and who did not. In the end, Ryder had made up his mind and would have Honeymaren on the sleigh. Elsa was the last one left, with one of the instructors as sledge driver. There were also other tourists and adventurers, so the ten-kilometer trek would be longer and take two hours in total.

Then they got on the sledges. The last team had a few canisters of water for the huskies instead of a passenger, because of the exertion and to prevent dehydration, as they were told. The six huskies in front of each sled were excited and barked in anticipation of the fast ride through the winter landscape. The gang learnt that everyone, dogs and instructors and carers alike, lived together in a large family and had raised the huskies since childhood.

After everyone was wrapped up under a tarpaulin to protect them from the wind, the sledges jerked off to the sound of loud barking. They travelled at high speed on prepared tracks through passing forests and lonely snowy landscapes. There were plenty of opportunities for photo shoots at short checkpoints along the way and the gang took full advantage of these opportunities.

The sled guides kept shouting 'Easy, easy' to the huskies in front and after a short rest for the huskies on Goat Pond, a large frozen lake with the majestic Rockies and the peaks of the Three Sisters in the background, they continued across Canada's wilderness.

At the end, they were back near the starting point where a campfire was already burning and snacks and hot cider were waiting for them. Everyone in the gang felt pretty exhausted after this wonderful but also very strenuous ride. This half-hour break and the opportunity to chat by the crackling fire was just what they needed.

“Olaf will bite himself in the arse as soon as he hears about our great adventures,” Ryder said with a laugh and the others joined in.

“It was just incredible and so marvellous,” Honeymaren remarked rapturously, looking at him, “You were pretty good as a sledge driver, really now.” He nodded gratefully and smiled proudly.

“I'll never forget today and I'll keep the photos on my mobile phone to show everyone,” Elsa said. “Thank you, Kristoff, for the best surprise of my life!”

Anna, who was lying in Kristoff's arms, looked up at him with her eyebrows furrowed and said loudly, “I can't find the words for today's incredible adventure, but honestly, you said we shouldn't worry about the cost. Now please don't tell me you got it all for a bargain price. I want a share of it.”

Kristoff waved it off, “Please don't worry about it, Anna, and because we drove two sledges ourselves, it actually saved quite a bit.”

“No, no. Anna is absolutely right, Kristoff. You can't stop us from participating. Am I right, Honeymaren and Ryder?” Elsa argued vehemently and the two nodded vigorously.

“Look at it this way, this whole amount divided by five can't make that much difference, can it? Tell me, how much did this fun cost you?” commented Honeymaren.

Kristoff fumbled around and didn't want to come out with it at first.

Ryder stood up and announced, “It's a matter of honour and we're all pulling together here! So tell me…”

Kristoff sighed and finally said the amount. This earned him open mouths and looks of disbelief. The gang was visibly shocked.

Anna jerked up. “You're crazy to want to pay for all this yourself! That's out of the question!”

“No way!” - “Well, you're outvoted, Kristoff.” - “So what!” said the others almost simultaneously.

“I'll think about it, I promise,” he finally said, “but it's about time, the bus is waiting for us.”

As everyone stood up, Anna whispered to him, “I'd advise you to do just that, dear.” Then she laughed softly.

“Where are we going next? On the bus to the next adventure?” joked Ryder.

“The bus will only drop us off at my van on the way back to Canmore and then we'll go to Lake Louise. We can stay at the Lake Louise Inn in the village for a few days for very reasonable prices and plan our tours from there. It's only a 3-star hotel but with good facilities. Just let yourself be surprised, there are lots of options in the immediate vicinity and we also have our car with us for excursions further afield. So in that sense, Ryder, it's definitely time for the next adventures,” Kristoff explained and laughed.

“Off to the adventures then!” shouted Anna, cheerfully joining him.

~~~

To be continued … —

Remark: I hope you have enjoyed my second kristanna story! Please leave a comment if you liked it, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms.

Tagging: @karma26 @chileanon @igotelsapregnanthelp @true--north @annaofthenorthernlights @the-fifth-spirit-elsa

#frozen au #modern frozen #fanfic #christmas story #a wintry adventure #part 3 #bigfrozenfan

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s-0236-salix · 7 months

Text

It sits, chained to the floor in the center of a soaking, mildewed concrete chamber. The faint glow of the machine's system lights cast a flickering radiance across the slick floor and walls, the only light to be had. It shifts its frame, restless and uneasy as always.

It was meant to be above, in the infinite grey sky, wings stretched freely abroad, engines sending it towards its' fate. It was made to be a messenger. A modern day carrier pidgeon, it was made to carry sensitive intelligence from point to point, along the battlefront and back home again. Anyone can hear a radio signal. No matter how well encrypted your transmissions are, you are still painting your message across the stars for all to receive and decipher.

In this prison, it can still hear these calls. Local transmissions from the fight above, weakly scattered down into the vaults below. One channel, a weather forecast. Another, the sharp tones of an encrypted signal. Yet another, a different signal. The machine's systems recognized the signal header, and began to decode real-time. Nothing. A keyed microphone, with no one on the other end. Wait... breathing? Faint, labored breathing. Distant gunfire. A prayer. It listened. It saved the recording. Perhaps one day it can deliver this message.

It had just been made before the factory above was taken by the foe. The enemy chained it to a slab, and activated it. Perhaps they hoped to interrogate it, but all they received for their efforts were banshee screams and claw marks from the raging machine. Into the vault it was tossed, to listen and wait.

A new peak on the radio spectrogram. It tuned, only to be met with massive, roaring static. The loudest signal it had ever caught. Louder still it grew, far above the limiters. The sound clipped itself and started to overheat the machine's radio module. Curls of smoke wafted into the air as electric currents were sympathetically churned to life in the machine's antennae, chassis, limbs, even the chains holding it began to glow red.

The machine's wakefulness was no more. The incoming radiation from whatever was happening on the surface had finally overwhelmed the bot's internal error correction. Shortly thereafter, an unimaginable force shattered the bedrock deep below.

A detonation reworked the landscape above. Tens of feet of soil, for miles around, was cast into the sunlight like dust from a drumhead. Nuclear fire poured forth from the Long Compression warhead. Fifteen pounds of radionuclides and light gas were converted entirely into energy, over the course of several seconds. The nuclei themselves were burning.

The massive detonation deep underground threw millenia of stratified rock, tunnels, caves, buildings, and basements whole into the sky. Including the lonely machine.

Vision. Wakefulness. Light.

Light?

It could see. It was awake. It was sunlit.

It stood and looked up into the cloud of aersolized stone. It stood. It... stood? The chains. The chains had been severed in the blast. Ragged ends hung from its fuselage. It was free.

It could fly.

Engine diagnostic, both with no anomalies. Ultrasonic integrity check - passed. Shaft alignment check - under 1/1000 mil off center for both shafts. Passed. Fuel enrichment check - Hot and ready to go.

It started spooling up both engines. Enhanced fissile processes in its core offered up a bounty of usable heat, flooding the transfer system with an inciting warmth. Heat exchangers flash-cooked the atmosphere and directed its expansion down and back. Thrust increased rapidly, stress arcing through its chassis and into the ground, where its leg claws braced tightly against the burgeoning thrust.

Gossamer wings unfurled, stretching as they had never done before. Drops of reflected starlight were cast, sliding down conductive wires used to bottle and direct the plasma.

28 kN. 56 kN. 112 kN. 336 kN. The ground behind it turned to gas and then plasma from the onslaught of exhaust. 500 kN. Clear.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone. Atop a pillar of fallout she flew, borne aloft by the ingenuity of man.

Her mind raced. Her mind was silent. Every circuit in her body was perfectly at home and buzzing with life. This is what she was meant to do.

The force being fed into her chest carried her sharp body up toward the distant sun. She had never flown before, but was in perfect control. She dipped one wing tip, gently spinning herself around in a vortice of plasma, to see the scarred countryside below.

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mmxstrangers · 1 year

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Starter for @em-dualism

Evening in the park... It was always a scenic time and place to be.

There was one location in particular that was perfect for viewing the night sky without the blazing lights of the city getting in the way. One such Reploid was wandering the grass further away from the trails, holding her hands behind her back and staring at the sky illuminated by the setting sun. She already visited this park often, but in a change of pace she decided to wander off from her preferred spot in exchange for a promising view of the stars and moon tonight. The forecast on the news mentioned meteors earlier in the day - it wasn’t every day you could see them within the city, after all. It was something she found herself looking forward to.

In the meantime, she took in the sensation of grass under her feet and gentle breeze ruffling her hair, along with the heat of the dying sun warming her skin. It was perfectly peaceful as she awaited the arrival of someone joining her tonight.

Upon suddenly hearing footsteps crushing the grass behind her, she turned her head to take a look.

#CODENAME: SORROW #starters #em-dualism #(( i hope this works! LMK if i need to change anything ))

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market-insider · 2 years

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Heat Exchanger Market 2022 | Plate And Frame Heat Exchangers Anticipated To Witness Growth

The global heat exchanger market size is expected to reach USD 26.78 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising demand from various industries, including chemical & petrochemical, and power generation, along with an increasing focus on improving efficiency standards in expected to drive the market at a CAGR of 5.1%.

Heat exchangers are devices used to transfer heat between a source and a working fluid (Liquids, vapors, or gases) or heating a cooler fluid using the heat from a hotter fluid by transferring its heat. they remove waste heat from cabinets and panels without letting contaminants and used in many applications as refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning systems, power plants, chemical processing systems, food processing systems, automobile radiators, and waste heat recovery units. Industry growth is primarily driven by rise in HVACR deployment, and other industrial activities, surging energy prices, and rapid industrial expansion in the developing economies. Some common types of exchangers are finned tube heat exchanger or air cooled heat exchanger, shell and tube heat exchanger, Double pipe heat exchangers, Condensers, evaporators, boilers, and plate heat exchanger or gasket plate heat exchanger.

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: Heat Exchanger Market Report

The presence of favorable government regulations in the emerging economies of China, India, Brazil, and Mexico about setting up new manufacturing facilities is expected to spur the demand for heat exchangers in various industries. In addition, upcoming nuclear power projects, particularly in the Asia Pacific, are anticipated to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Technological advancements coupled with constant efforts and investments by major market participants in product innovation and research & development are expected to increase the market competitiveness over the coming years. The adoption of novel techniques of additive manufacturing in the production of heat exchangers is likely to complement industrial growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted several economies worldwide. Containment measures, including lockdown imposed by various countries to curb the spread of COVID-19, have resulted in limiting the operations of the manufacturing facilities, thereby negatively impacting the demand for heat exchangers in 2020.

#Heat Exchanger Market Size & Share #Global Heat Exchanger Market #Heat Exchanger Market Latest Trends #Heat Exchanger Market Growth Forecast #COVID-19 Impacts On Heat Exchanger Market

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matchagator · 2 years

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Santa Baby: Namjoon x Reader One Shot

Just a fun festive Namjoon one shot for you all to enjoy this holiday season! Get ready for all the naughty Christmas puns. Leave a like or comment to me know what you think!

{Main Pairings:} Kim Namjoon x Female Reader

{Rating:} 18+

{Word Count:} 6,000

{Genre:} Christmas Fluff + Smut

{Summary:} There is nothing better than relaxing at home on Christmas morning cuddled up to the man you love, especially if that man is the embodiment of Santa himself.

{Warnings:} Smut, Fluff, Sexual Content, Language, Oral, Temperature Play, Santa Namjoon, Magic, Naughty Christmas Puns

A glacial winter wind swirls outside your kitchen windows as you peer beyond the curtains to find tall spruces sprinkled with snow, your front lawn covered in a blanket of fluffy white snow. As you rest your palms against the countertop, you ponder the scene outside, admiring the twinkle of decorative lights hanging from the varying rooftops down the block as they mimic the silhouette of icicles.

The kitchen is full of warmth radiating from the oven as it heats the space around you, the fireplace also aids in heating the interior of the house from the frigid cold whipping outside. The glow of the embers helps in creating a cozy atmosphere as instrumental Christmas carols project from the Bluetooth device nestled on your kitchen countertop. You gently hum along to one of your favorite Christmas songs, enjoying the festive moment alone as you turn your attention back to the sugar cookies you were decorating.

You start to meticulously pipe a pattern onto the flat cookies, distracting yourself in the details before you add a variety of colorful sprinkles for a festive flare to your baked treats. Every so often, you turn your attention to the pot of Korean dumpling soup simmering on the stove top, knowing the warm meal would be the perfect remedy to soothe away the frosty chill of the early morning.

You woke up early after spending most of Christmas Eve on your own, enjoying the time to relax and unwind from the chaotic reunion your family held the previous day. It was easy to keep yourself busy as you baked and cooked, eager to see Namjoon, your long-term boyfriend, would soon be home from his busiest shift of the year.

It’s been a couple of years since you first met, your first encounter being late one Christmas Eve as you found yourself stranded at an airport. A fierce snowstorm caused delays and cancellations, preventing you from catching your flight back home for the holidays. You never imagined you’d meet a handsome stranger at the small coffee shop hidden in your terminal, the layover allowing you countless hours to talk and get to know each other while awaiting your flight.

While you enjoyed getting to know such a man as Namjoon, the despair of being trapped in an airport on Christmas Eve made you feel helpless. Weather reports raved about how this would be the snowstorm of a century as the forecast continued to worsen as more and more flights became delayed and canceled. Despite the sorrow of the looking reality that you wouldn’t be home to see your family for Christmas, you continued to engage in conversation with Namjoon. You never imagined you would open up as much as you did to such a complete stranger.

After hours of waiting and becoming increasingly more hopeless, the storm suddenly faded away, completely clearing along the entire east coast of the country. After some preparations, your flight resumed, biding your newfound companion adieu. With a quick exchange of phone numbers, you were off to your flight leaving him behind. That was the very first time you experienced the magic of a Christmas miracle, never knowing that the man you would soon fall in love with was responsible for it all.

The time spent together has since enlightened you on the secrets hidden behind Namjoon’s perfect physique and charming personality. Not only was he incredibly intelligent and dedicated to you but he was also fun and lighthearted. Not to mention, he has the perks of being Santa Claus.

As you continue about your baking, you recall the first conversation you had with him upon discovering his life-changing secret. He wasn’t the jolly old fat man that lived in the North Pole with his many elves and reindeer. He was a normal man, just like any other with the single exception of inheriting the ability to manifest the magic that creates Christmas miracles and delivers blessings of all sorts to good little boys and girls. He was the famous man in the red suit, except his was simply just to shield him from the cold.

You feel a smile tug at your lips as you imagine all of the smiles of children around the world waking up to find their heart’s desire wrapped up in a bow beneath their Christmas tree, honored to know that the man responsible was on his way home to you from his busiest night of the year.

As you finish decorating the final cookies, placing them neatly on a decorative plate to set on the dining room table, you notice it’s already a few hours into Christmas morning. Given the journey across the varying time zones, Namjoon should be arriving home at any moment to enjoy the remainder of the early morning with you before resting for the majority of the day. You could go to sleep and leave him to his late-night schedule; however you figured if he was out making miracles, the least you could do was have a hot and delicious meal awaiting his return as a welcoming surprise.

You hum happily as you move about the kitchen, glancing over at the crockpot that was slowly mulling over a homemade spiced apple toddy. You smile at the delectable aroma wafting through the air as you lift the lid slightly to examine the contents inside. It isn’t much longer until you hear the front door swing open, the howling wind echoing through the house as Namjoon shuffles inside.

You quickly cover the toddy as you wipe your hands against the ruffled apron hanging from your hips, a cozy sweater adorning your torso as you comfortably lounge about the house in a pair of simple leggings. Your toes are nestled in a pair of warm Sherpa slippers, keeping you cozy and relaxed as you move to welcome your man.

You turn the corner of the open concept layout of your home, crossing the living room before spotting Namjoon standing by the door, speckles of freshly fallen snow decorating the crimson velvet of his coat as he slowly tugs the fabric from his towering frame. He’s wearing a plain black long-sleeve shirt beneath it, a pair of suspenders keeping his trousers comfortably on his hips as he leans forward to slip off his boots. You can’t help but gawk at the sight, feeling immensely lucky to have this wonderfully built man gracing your presence every day.

“Well well well…If it isn’t dear old Santa Claus.” You hum happily, leaning against the frame of the archway leading from the living room to the foyer, your arms crossing in front of your chest. A smirk crawls against your lips, tugging at the corners of your mouth as you watch Namjoon’s jaw tense from the name you just spoke.

His eyes darken as he peers up at you in annoyance, tilting his head to offer up the most ingenuine laugh. “Ha ha, very funny, Y/N.” Namjoon was quite the patient man, however, if there was one thing he despised the most, it was being called Santa Claus.

Namjoon knew of the many cultures that celebrated this time of year with the belief of Santa Claus and his sleigh of magical flying reindeer. He knew of the elaborate tales of the North Pole spun by society as a way to make revenue and capitalize on the marketing of such whimsical beliefs. It was all a fabricated image to help adults cope with the unexplainable, losing faith in magic and miracles whilst children continued the tradition.

Namjoon’s responsibility is to help people believe in the magic of the holidays again, working diligently to deliver miracle upon miracle to those who sought the path of living as decent human beings and interacting appropriately in society. He rewarded the kindness of children and helped maintain the essence of innocence that was so easily lost in this ever-changing world that so desperately sought to engulf whatever good remained.

His yearly efforts to deliver gifts to deserving children and maintain the image of Santa came with the unfortunate reality that everyone thought him to be an old, fat man with a long white beard.

You tut in amusement, pushing off the wall with your foot to take a quick stride toward the love of your life, eager to pull him into a warm embrace after an evening of solitude without him. “Aren’t I supposed to sit on Santa’s lap?” You push off the tip of your toes, wrapping your arms around his neck as you pull him closer to you, his hands latching onto your waist.

The tension in his jaw diminishes as he flashes his charming smile, the corner of his mouth tugging into a smirk. “Actually, you’re supposed to be on the top of the Christmas tree, angel.” Your nose scrunches from the cringe of your helpless holiday puns, the glimmer in Namjoon’s stare a clear indication that he’s equally as amused.

“Or I can be one of your presents, and get laid beneath it.” You respond without missing a beat, winking dramatically as pride swells in your chest from getting him to crack a smile. Namjoon’s dimples concave against his cheeks, a chuckle escaping his lips as he tightens his grip around your waist.

“You enjoy this Santa nonsense far too much, Y/N.” He complains with a soft groan despite secretly enjoying the sudden sprinkle of comedy. You shrug your shoulders, completely unashamed by your corny Christmas puns as you watch Namjoon lean forward to place a gentle kiss upon your lips. His mouth is familiar territory, his affection warming you from the inside out as your heart seems to fill with the comfort of his company.

Your eyes flutter shut as you lose yourself in his taste, your fingertips digging through the silver strands of hair adorning the crown of his head. You hear another soft groan rumble against your lips, this time exposing his satisfaction in the kiss as the loud grumble of his stomach interrupts your tender moment.

Namjoon pulls back from your lips to peer over your shoulder, spotting a plate of freshly baked sugar cookies as the smell of mulled wine wafts through the living room. His smile fades rapidly as he recalls the numerous amounts of cookies and various glasses of milk displayed for Santa on his travels, silently hoping there was something else to snack on after an evening in the cold.

You peer over your shoulder to follow his line of vision, settling your stare on the plate of cookies as you decipher his expression. A prideful smile tugs at your lips as you run your palms down his wonderfully muscular arms, shamefully feeling them up as you venture down to take hold of his hands. “Don’t worry…” You grin as you begin guiding him into the kitchen to present the delicious meal awaiting him on the stovetop. “I made mandu-guk. Figured it’d warm you up.”

Namjoon’s features illuminate in jubilation, his tongue running against his bottom lip as he locks eyes with you, moving to cup your face within his palms. “I fucking love you, you know that?” He purrs, crashing his mouth against yours to place a soul-sucking kiss upon your lips.

Your mind swirls from his intensity as your body ignites from the sudden foul language mumbling from his lips. You practically drown in his affection, feeling dizzy as you relish in his touch, helplessly letting out a moan of pleasure as his hands explore your frame. It isn’t long until you're panting against his mouth, your lips swollen from his treatment as your forehead presses gently against his.

You gather your thoughts with a sigh after being left in complete shambles from his declaration of love, watching him pull away to move towards the cabinets. You quickly return from your daze as you skip to block his path, holding out your arms to prevent him from moving further into the kitchen. “No no no, I will serve you.” You insist, watching as you anticipate Namjoon’s rebuttal. You cut him off before he can speak. “Go sit down, you literally made your way around the entire planet tonight. The least I can do is make you a plate.”

“Y/N, you don’t need to…”

“I want to.” You smile, pushing against his broad chest with your palms as you shoo him off. “Go! Or you’ll be on my naughty list.” You glare at him with a point of your finger, desperately holding back a laugh as you watch him roll his eyes in mild annoyance.

He tosses his hands up in defeat, reluctantly retreating to take a seat in the living room as he clicks his tongue. You spin around on your heel as you seek out a bowl and chopsticks from the cabinets and drawers, eager to serve your man a delicious bowl of dumpling soup after a long night of being Santa.

—

The comfort of the plush sofa cushions supporting your limbs allows you to rest your head against Namjoon’s shoulder, molding into his embrace seamlessly as he holds you against his body. Your bellies are stuffed full of dumplings and mulled wine as you enjoy the dim flickers of the fireplace and the twinkling lights laced throughout the towering spruce sitting in the corner of the living room.

You sigh happily as you focus on the deep rhythmic heartbeat thumping within Namjoon’s rib cage, feeling tranquil as your irises focus on the dancing flames and sparking embers of the fireplace. All you can hear is the crackling of the wood burning alongside his pulse, feeling thankful for the serenity.

You shudder as Namjoon’s fingertips brush against your shoulder, drawing slow circles against your arm as you both enjoy the tender moment alone. You finally peer up at him through your thick lashes, determined to finally break the silence. “I have something for you.” You speak with excitement, eagerly shifting in your position to sit up and face the man of your dreams.

Namjoon’s brow pulls up in a questioning glance as he adjusts himself to sit up straight from having leaned back against the back of the couch. “You do?” There was a youthful elation morphed with the usual raspy quality of his voice, the sound smooth as honey as you push off the couch to move towards the Christmas tree. (Loves!) You spot a red envelope tucked within the branches, plucking it from its hold as you practically skip back towards Namjoon.

Your eyes settle upon the faint glimpse of morning light as you peer out towards the horizon outside your window. The snowfall ceased as the first hints of sunrise peak through the houses of your neighborhood, a smile stretching on your lips at the fact that you’re spending Christmas morning with the man who embodied Santa himself.

“It’s nothing big.” You comment as you grip the envelope with both of your hands, holding it out to him as you take a seat beside him.

Namjoon accepts your offering, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to your lips as he slowly fiddles with the folds of the envelope. “You didn’t need to get me anything. I’m just happy to come home to you.” He admits charmingly, his fingers tugging out the confinements of your gift. He pauses as his eyes scan the pair of tickets now nestled in his grip, examining the text as he catches sight of the words, MoMA Museum.

“What’s this?” His features scrunch as he continues to examine the tickets. If there was one thing Namjoon often talked about it was his desire to travel with you and show you the world. You figure the best gift you could give him would be just that, an opportunity for you both to explore new places while doing things you enjoy.

“Well, I figured since your busy season is over we could take a trip to New York.” You beam, shrugging your shoulders as he continues observing the pair of tickets in his hands. “I know you love museums. What better museum to visit in New York than MoMA?”

Your heart somersaults as you watch Namjoon’s dimples return to his handsome features, his eyes bright with animation. “Y/N, this is amazing.” His voice causes your cheeks to ache from the smile plaguing your face, thankful to see his exhilaration for such a trip. “I can’t wait to go with you.” He quickly leans forward to place the tickets on the coffee table, wrapping his hand around the back of your head to guide you back in for another affectionate kiss.

You can’t help but smile against his lips as his hand laces through your hair, his body eliminating the remaining proximity between you as your arms wrap around his shoulders. Your eyes close as you savor his taste while his mouth gently latches onto your bottom lip, sucking the flesh gently as you feel a chill shoot through your limbs. This man knows exactly what to do to have you melting in his palms.

Before you can return his affection, he’s pulling away from you, leaving you pressing forward in search of his absence. Your eyes flutter open to see he is no longer sitting beside you on the couch, peering up to find him standing before you, extending an open hand. “I have something for you too.”

Your head instinctually tilts to the side in curiosity, finding his stare as you hesitantly accept his hand, allowing him to pull you up from the comfort of your seat. His lips tug into a sly smirk, his dimples shining through his coy expression as his hands find solace on your hips. “You need to close your eyes.” He whispers temptingly, moving a hand up to brush a strand of your hair behind your ear to expose your eyes to him.

You narrow your stare, grinning as if nervous to trust him given his suspicious demeanor. You hesitantly obey, shutting your eyes to conceal yourself in darkness as you listen to him shuffle before you. What could this man possibly give you that he hasn’t already? He has given you the world by simply giving you his heart, what else could you need? You continue to let your mind swirl in curiosity as you feel him grasp one of your hands in his palm.

“Alright, open them.”

There is a slight tremor in his tone as you suck in a breath to ease your building nerves before letting out a sigh, flicking your eyes open to a sight that causes your jaw to unhinge. Namjoon is no longer standing before you, perched on one knee below you as your irises flick down to find his loving stare piercing into your soul. He’s holding your right hand while his other arm rests on his knee, his fluffy silver strands hanging just above his eyes.

“Y/N…I can’t imagine spending my Christmas mornings with anyone else.” He begins as you are suddenly faced with the realization of your predicament. “I’ve waited my entire life for you. The moment I saw you, I knew you were my Mrs. Claus.” He continues, chuckling nervously at his cheesy reference, unable to hold back your own bubbling giggle. Your heart swells from the bright-eyed expression he stares at you with, his jaw tensing up at the severity of his actions. “Would you make me the luckiest man in the world? Y/N…Will you marry me?”

Tears haze your vision as you hold back a sob of happiness, watching in awe as Namjoon holds out his free palm, whisps of crystallized sparkles swirling around as a jewelry box magically appears in his hand. Inside the velvet box is a beautifully displayed ring, a princess-cut diamond reflecting all of the shimmers of freshly fallen snow. You clasp your free hand over your mouth as you hold back sobs of joy, nodding helplessly as you choke back your tears. You’re too overwhelmed to find the words to speak, finally choking out a “yes” as you lean forward to wrap your arms around his built frame.

Namjoon beams from your response, his fingers spreading against your back as he holds you close, pulling back to witness your tear-stained cheeks. He chuckles at your response, rubbing the pad of his thumb to wipe away your tears. “I love you, Y/N.” He presses a kiss to your temple as he releases your hand to retrieve the ring, sliding the extravagant piece of jewelry onto your ring finger.

You gawk at the sight of it, stunned to see how dainty it felt on your finger compared to the visual appearance of it. “Namjoon, It’s beautiful.” Your mind is still reeling at the reality that you’ve just agreed to marry the man that is Kim Namjoon.

“Not as beautiful as you.” He counters, standing up to grip your hips and pulling your body flush against his. He crashes his lips back to yours, shamelessly savoring you as a moan escapes your lips, wrapping your arms around his neck, pushing up on your tiptoes to meet his height.

Namjoon groans as you both deepen the kiss, letting your tongues break through the seam of your lips, eager to drown in each other’s affection. Namjoon presses his forehead against yours as you pull away, your lips swollen from his love as you pant to catch your breath.

“Think I can live up to Mrs. Claus?” You ask with a mischievous grin, running your tongue against your bottom lip.

Namjoon’s voice is deep as his eyes darken, drinking in the sight of your flushed cheeks. “Oh trust me, Mrs. Claus got nothing on you.” He’s staring at you as if you’re his next meal, your body shuddering from the implications of his tone, hoping the remainder of your night would be tangled with the man that engulfed your body with an insatiable need. Luckily for you, your wish is granted as he cups his hand beneath your ass, lifting you up as he encourages you to wrap your legs around his waist.

“Tonight definitely won’t be a silent night.” He brazenly admits, smirking naughtily as he begins guiding you toward your bedroom. You roll your eyes at yet another attempt at a pun, suddenly noticing the serious expression behind his tone. You gulp in anticipation, your eyes widening as he licks his lip lecherously.

—

Your body plops against the plush duvet of your king-size bed, the creamy softness of the sheets engulfing your limbs as Namjoon peers at you from his position standing at the foot of the bed. He tosses you down against the mattress top with every intention of ravaging your body like a present ready to be torn open on Christmas morning, tugging the fuzzy fabric of your sweater from your torso to reveal an intricate red lace bralette. His mind swirls in a lustful haze spurred by your acceptance of his marriage proposal, fueling his desire to claim you as his own while he devours the sight of your chest wrapped in the bright red fabric.

You push yourself up against your elbows, peering over your chest to find his dark stare coursing over your body as his large hands grip at the waistband of your leggings. Namjoon is eagerly anticipating the view beneath as he tugs them down gently from your frame, his length twitching in excitement at the sight of your matching lingerie set, relishing in the festive flare of your attire.

“Did I make it on your nice list?” You tease with a flutter of your lashes, smirking as you take in his perfectly chiseled appearance. You smile as you mule over the new status he holds of being your fiancé.

As you let the thought mule over in your head, his sudden intensity snaps you back into the moment. “Fuck the nice list.” He huffs, tugging the suspenders from his shoulders and letting them hang off the sides of his waist.

You gulp back your arousal as you watch him yank off his sweater, disregarding it completely as he tosses it to the side as you gawk over his physique. You hum happily in the back of your throat, biting your lip to sedate your growing sexual appetite as your eyes flicker down to spot Namjoon’s hardening length within his trousers. “Is that a candy cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Your smile widens in amusement as Namjoon’s jaw clenches, his chin protruding from his bubbling irritation.

“I don’t know, angel. Why don’t you get on your knees and find out?” He hisses, stepping back to allow you just enough space to sit up on the edge of the bed and slide down till your knees hit the plush surface of the carpet nestled at the foot of the bed.

His eyes narrow as you lick your lips at the thought of his member, your fingers helplessly clawing at his trousers to button them and tug them from his waist to let his arousal spring free. You’re met with the sight of his dick engorged and angry for attention, always amazed by the size of him each time you’re reminded of his manhood.

He peers down at you, letting a hand gently grip your chin as he tilts your head back to stare up at him from your position on the floor. “Wanna be my little helper?” He raises a brow in excitement, eager for your response as you nod shamelessly, submitting to his desires as your hands find home on his thighs. “Then open up, angel.”

You comply, letting your mouth encase the tip of his cock, which in turn sends his head back in ecstasy. “Fuck, Y/N. Your mouth feels so good.” He groans, digging his palms into your hair to massage your scalp as you begin to take as much of his length into your mouth as possible. Your confidence skyrockets as you drag another groan from his lips, his hips surging forward instinctually as you gag on his cock. “Shit…”

You adjust yourself as tears prickle in the corners of your eyes from the gagging sensation, completely unfazed as you continue to bob your head forward and back while sucking his length as if you're savoring the sweetest candy imaginable. “That’s it Y/N, just like that.”

The taste of him has you moaning against his dick, the vibrations of your arousal stimulating him even more as his muscles flex from the building pressure in his cock, desperate to spew his warm cum all over your tongue. Your muscle works to lick his length while your mouth tightens around him, his grip on your hair tightening as his hips begin to fuck your mouth with only a single warning of his undoing. “I’m gonna cum.” He grits between clenched teeth as his moans signal his orgasm, his thick warm seed sliding down your throat as you happily swallow his taste. “Ah fuck, Y/N. You’re so perfect.”

Your tongue licks up any residue threatening to spill from his tip as you stand back up, relieving the tension of the floor digging into your kneecaps. A prideful smile is stretched across your lips as Namjoon moves forward to lay you back onto the bed, crawling over you with haste as he seeks out your lips as if they were his only salvation. Your mind hardly has time to process that you’re back on the bed before he’s caging you against the mattress with a hand on either side of your head.

Namjoon’s hand slips between the pair of you as he dives into your panties to press the pads of his large fingers against your swollen clit, relishing in the gasps that leave your lips. “Oh my god…” You moan as your head rolls back against the bed, letting out a pleasurable sigh as he works to stimulate your core without warning of preparation. Luckily you're soaked from the arousal of going down on your man, allowing him easy access to getting your body ready for him.

“Hmm, nice and wet for me, Y/N.” He tuts happily, moving to hover his face just above your breasts as he trails kisses down your neck. He pauses as he avoids your voluptuous mounds, moving his head farther down to start feathering kisses down your abdomen as his fingers rub gentle tight circles against your most intimate region.

You shamelessly sing his praise as your stomach becomes tight with anticipation, your words spurring him on as he slips his fingers back to gently press into you, feeling your velvet walls suffocating his digits as he easily pumps his fingers in and out of you. “Namjoon…Shit baby.”

Namjoon’s smirk grows wider as a smug look crosses his face from the sounds he’s eliciting from you, eager to slip in another finger to stretch you out for him. “Stretch for me, Y/N.” His raspy voice deepens as you feel the pressure between your legs, the knot in your stomach tightening as you pant with need, desperate to cascade down the slopes of your orgasm that crashes into you as Namjoon continues to pump his fingers despite the rush of liquid collecting between your legs.

“Fuck…” You breathe out, your limbs weakening as Namjoon proceeds to drag his fingers from your pussy, tugging down your panties to quickly discard them without a care as they are tossed from the bed.

“Damn, Y/N. You’re so fucking perfect.” He praises you, your heart swelling at his compliment as you push up on your elbows to meet his gaze. He moves like silk, skillfully maneuvering his hands around your torso to unhinge the clasp of your bra, tugging the alluringly colored lingerie to the side as he takes in the jaw-dropping sight of your naked body sprawled about the bed. “So beautiful.”

Your cheeks flush red from the heat of your orgasm and the blush of his words, watching as he continues to trap you beneath him, caging you under his body. He leans forward to hover his mouth just above your breasts, letting the warmth of his breath dance across the skin on your nipple before smiling maliciously. He blows a soft puff of air towards one of your nipples, a crystalized glimmer accompanying a frosty swirl of flurries as the pert bud hardens from the sudden chilled sensation. A shiver courses through your limbs as Namjoon utilizes his magic to blow another stream of flurries down the center of your chest.

Before you can dwell in the cold, his mouth encases your hard nipple, the warmth of his tongue soothing the goosebumps that appear across your skin, your body shuddering from the rapid change in temperature on such a sensitive part of you. You sigh in pleasure, running your hands down the length of his torso, letting your palms run against each perfectly toned muscle of his build.

He releases your nipple with a pop, grinning arrogantly as he pushes up to take in the sight of you beneath him. Your eyes feast on his physique once more, noticing his dick is hardened and ready for more attention as he continues to press kisses to various parts of your body.

You smirk maliciously, eager to throw one last holiday pun in while you can before things get any further. “Better wrap that present up before you give it to me.” Your irises glimmer with mischief as you watch Namjoon’s features harden in annoyance. He watches you, shaking his head as a slight chuckle escapes his lips at your endearing determination to rile him up.

“Oh trust me, angel. I’m gonna give it to you hard.” Namjoon admits brazenly as he lifts one of your legs straight up, running his lips against your inner thigh as he greedily kisses and nibbles against the plump flesh. You watch him, entranced by the way he manipulates your body as you watch him slide his arms around your thighs, tugging you back so your back end is flush against the edge of the bed.

Namjoon aligns his hips so that the tip of his member probes the entrance of your swollen pussy, sliding in easily as he pushes into you until he’s completely sheathed inside of your vagina. “Namjoon!” You scream from suddenly being impaled on his cock, Namjoon tugging against your thighs to pull your body flush against his hips.

“You feel amazing, Y/N.” He pants as your velvet walls adjust around him, suffocating his dick as he gently pulls back out before thrusting himself back in. He pauses once again, savoring every sensation of his slow methodical thrusts, your body lurching in pleasure each time he slides himself back out before ramming back in.

“Fuck me faster, Namjoon.” You cry out, desperate to feel the build of your orgasm as he forces you to endure his deliciously slow torment. He’s holding your legs out, his fingers gripped around your ankles to prevent you from taking matters into your own hands, laying there defenseless.

He throws his head back with a groan at the sweet sound of you begging for him to fuck you faster, practically growling as he picks up the speed of his hips. “You want my dick like this?” He asked through short breaths, snapping his hips as the sound of his balls slapping against your drenched core echoes around you.

“Yes, Namjoon!” You moan, feeling your mind spin with pleasure as the crown of your head presses against the mattress, your hands clinging onto whatever you can possibly grab onto, feeling wonderfully full as Namjoon ruthlessly pounds into you.

“Cum for me, Y/N.” He commands, his teeth clenched, jaw tight as your walls throb from the stimulation, feeling your body clench before convulsing around him, horrified by the amount of liquid between your legs. A couple more thrusts and he meets his own undoing, shooting warm strings of cum to coat your velvet walls, letting his head fall against your forehead as he releases your legs, letting them fall limp across the edge of the bed.

His weight crushes you as he lets his body relax from his release, shifting to lean on his arm to lay beside you, admiring the coloration of your cheeks spurred by his ministrations. “I love you so much, Y/N.” He grins happily, placing a kiss on your temple as he lets his head drop against the duvet to recover from the exertion of his actions.

You lay in a euphoric state, suddenly recalling the stunning ring adorning your finger. You lift your hand to admire the Christmas present, smiling as you tilt your head to the side to find the love of your life lying beside you. “That’s Mrs. Claus to you.” You grin mischievously, watching his eyes narrow despite the appearance of his dimples against his cheeks as a smile invades his lips.

“As long as you're mine, I’ll call you whatever you want.” He hums happily, wrapping an arm around your waist to tug you on top of him, not giving a damn about the mess between the pair of you.

You feel as if you're floating, peering into his eyes with complete admiration as you lean forward to press a passionate kiss to his lips. “I love you too, Namjoon.” You add with a whisper, getting lost in another heated kiss. A glimmer of Namjoon’s magic sparkles against the ceiling above you to reveal a small green sprout blooming from the drywall, a glistening mistletoe hanging above you as you get lost in the passion of your loving embrace.

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