[If you need a refresher, read the first few chapters]

I feel an unusual blob of warmth in front of me. But it feels good, so I squeeze it closer to me. I feel hair in my fair, suddenly it begins to wiggle and turn. Its face snuggles into my neck, I crane my neck down and touch the hairline with my lips. One of its legs pushes in between my legs, it’s odd yet feels natural. I take a deep breathe of her scent in and fall back to sleep.

“What are those two doing?” Helen spits out. “What, it’s natural for people to do that. I mean we do it all the time” Doug remarks.

“Yes, but we’re a couple, they're not at least not yet” she aims back at him. “Well with everything that has happened now, they basically are” Doug laughs but Helen just grunts.

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“Hey, Alexia I think we should get up now” I brush the hair out of her face. “Mmm” she snuggles in closer. “Ah, as much as I want to stay like this, we need to get going” I nudge her until she responds. Which happens to be realisation then head buried into my chest, I can feel heat radiating off her face. I chuckle softly, “I take it you didn’t prepare for this moment”. I hear a pitiful moan which makes me laugh a bit more.

“Hey Helen could you hand me some clothes for her and I, it’s gonna be cold” I ask out. “Ah, so you’re awake now. How was your first night with someone?” He asks as Helen pushes past him. “Well, quite warm and nice” I say and Alexia shrinks more. “Oh, which part?” “Hey!” Helen snaps at him, he holds his hands up laughing. Helen puts the clothes next to us and goes to hit Doug.

I unzip part of the sleeping bag we’re in and quickly closes it shut again, “Ugh, I’m so not ready for this. What are you?” I ask Alexia. “Just do it quickly” she says shyly.

Even if the fire is going, it’s still very cold with hardly any clothes on. We get camp put away and packs at the ready. “Okay, time to find another way across, and this time try not to fall in” Doug remarks. We begin our search for another path across this deadly freezing water.