After the conversation with him the other night, I was determined to change his opinion on Love. Maybe I could turn back this narcissistic jerk into the nice young guy he has been a long time ago. Some may wonder why I thought that he could have been a nice guy. Well, I spent a lot of time with him ever since we were stuck in this forest. Most of the time he was that narcissistic jerk we all knew so well but once in a while, I could see another side of him...a caring and nice side. And exactly this side was the one I was aiming for.

“So...you really don't miss falling in love?”, I asked while we were looking for a resting place.

“Nope.”

“But don't you miss feeling the butterflies in your stomach? The warmth and the tingling feeling when your beloved touches you?”

“It's not worth the pain.”

“So you keep going around and play with other women and break their hearts? What gives you the right to give them the pain you're so afraid of?”

He stopped. “Okay, what are you trying to achieve?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ever since I told you about my past, you keep pestering me with questions about Love. Been there, done that, okay? I know what it's like to be in Love and that's why I know that it's totally not worth the pain. So stop trying to change my opinion because you're just going to waste your breath.”

“Hey, I have been there, too. But I still believe in Love. Why can't you do it, too?”

“Because I'm not as delusional as you.”

“I'm not delusional.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, look. You just stick to your opinion and I'll stick to mine. I'm really tired of arguing, so why don't we stop talking about this nonsense?”

“Only a narcissistic jerk like you would call Love nonsense.”, I said and turned around to continue walking.

What I didn't know was that I have been standing on the edge of a steep slope. So when I turned around to keep walking, I lost my balance. The last think I saw was that Dongwoon was grabbing my hand and then we were both falling. During the fall, he kinda managed to embraced me, so I was somehow protected from the impact when we came in contact with the ground below the slope.

Every part of my body hurt. But it seems that I was at least alive. A groan startled me.

“Could you get off me, please?”, Dongwoon groaned.

Startled, I realized that I was kinda lying on him. Totally embarrassed, I gathered my strength and get off him, my body complaining every move. He slowly sat up. That was when I noticed the injuries on his body. There were big scratches on his face, arms and legs. I was sure that his back didn't look better.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.”, I said, still shocked.

“It would be nice if you could refrain from falling down slopes.”, he said and winced when he moved his arm.

“Let me check if you have any severe injuries.”

“I'm okay.”

“You don't look okay.”

“Just some scratches, I'll will survive.”

“Then let me clean those wounds or they'll get infected.”

“We should try to climb up again.”, he said, totally ignoring my attempts to tend his wounds.

“Let's just stay down here for tonight and climb up this slope tomorrow when we have enough energy again.”

“Hm, okay. Maybe you're right.”

“Yes. I'm also right to want to tend your wounds.”

“You should stop focusing on my scratches and start to concentrate on preparing the campfire.”

“You can be so stubborn sometimes.”

“Just like another person I know.”

“Ah, whatever.”, I said and stood up.

Then I walked around and collected wood and stones for the campfire. When I returned, Dongwoon was leaning against a tree, grimacing with pain. But when he saw me coming, he his poker face.

I snorted. “Just scratches, huh? You don't need to hide the pain, you know. It's not a sign of weakness to admit that you're hurt.”

“I'm not hurt.”

I stepped towards him and grabbed his arm. He winced.

“And what is this?”, I asked.

“I was just surprised. Could you prepare the campfire, please? It's getting cold.”

I sighed and returned to my original spot. After eating the berries and mushrooms I've collected, he fell asleep immediately. I quietly stepped towards him. When he didn't stir, I carefully examined his injuries. The scratches on his face weren't deep but it was still better to clean them to avoid infection. I couldn't inspect the injuries on his legs without waking him up. What worried me was his arm. The scratches there weren't as deep as those on his face but his arm was swollen. I saw him moving his arm earlier, so it probably wasn't broken. It could be sprained but I couldn't be sure without proper examination. The only thing we could do right now was to cool his arm somehow. But sprained or not, I didn't think that he would be able to climb up the slope tomorrow. Not that he would admit it. This guy was just too friggin' stubborn.

I stood up and returned to my original spot. Maybe I could convince him tomorrow. Well, we would see.

 

Okay, I was wrong. He did not understand why we should put a cast on his arm.

“You're exaggerating. My arm isn't sprained.”, he insisted.

“Of course it is! It's totally swollen and it hurts whenever you move, doesn't it?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on. Stop lying to me.”

“Are you a trained medic?” When I didn't answer, he snorted. “I thought so. Huh. So stop behaving like one.”

“I do not need to be a trained medic to see that your arm is swollen and that it would be the best to put a cast on it.”

“Assuming you are right - what you're definitely not – where do you want to get a cast from? I didn't see any hospitals here.”

“It's not a cast like those you get at an hospital but it will still work.” I paused. “So do you let me put cast on your arm?”

“No. Because my arm isn't sprained. And I'd rather start to climb up this stupid slope before it gets dark again, if you don't mind.”

“I do mind. As long as you won't let me put a cast on your arm, we won't move an inch.”

“And how do you want to stop me?”

“You would really leave me behind?”

“If you keep annoying me like this, then yes.”

“You are a jerk.”

“Yeah, I hear that a lot lately.”

“Why won't you listen? Another day won't make a difference. Let stay another day, so you can rest.”

“It does make a difference. It means that we are stuck one more day in this ing forest.”

“It's not like we will get out of here any time soon.”

“Thanks for being so optimistic.”

“Just stating the truth. Okay, let me explain it to you like this: It we don't put a cast on your arm today, then it could get worse by tomorrow. Then you won't be able to use your arm any time soon and this, in turn, means that it will slow us down. We would have to be stuck more than a day more in this, I quote, ing forest. So, tell me what you wanna do now.”

He considered for a while. Then it seems like he realized that I was right because he said: “Okay, okay. Let's put this stupid cast on my arm.”

I smiled. “Good to see that you've finally come to your senses.”

“Whatever.”, he said grumpily.

He really looked like a pouting child to me at this moment. It was too cute.

I chuckled. “Come on, sit down, so we can get this over with.”

Without saying anything, he sat down. I looked around for a sharp stone and some thick branches. When I found everything I needed, I sat down next to him.

“Why do you need this sharp stone?”, he asked suspiciously.

“Do you really think I would hurt you? You've already enough scratches on your body.” I picked up the stone. “So now be quiet.”

Then I put the stone against the dress and ripped out two long pieces.

“What are you doing to your dress?”, he asked.

I sighed. “It's already ripped, so that won't make a difference. And didn't I told you to be quiet?”

He stopped talking but he didn't look happy. Well, as long as he would stop bothering me with stupid questions, I didn't really care if he was angry with me or not.

After ripping out those two long pieces from my dress, I took the branches and laid them against his arm. I tried to be careful, so that I didn't hurt him. The first piece from my dress, I used to tie the branches to his arm. Then I tied the other piece around the 'cast' and around his neck, so that he wouldn't move his arm too much.

“Okay. Here's your cast a la Thu Ha.”, I said.

“Hm. Well, as long as it works.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you're welcome.”

 

When it became dark, we both sat around the campfire. Once in a while, I glanced at him. He was leaning against the tree and his eyes were closed. It was really cold today, so I couldn't help but notice that he was freezing in his thin shirt. I stood up and gently put the jacket on him. Then I tucked it under his chin, so that most of his upper body was covered.

“What are you doing?”, he asked suddenly.

Startled, I looked up. He was staring at me.

“I...uhm...thought that maybe you were cold...”, I stuttered.

“No, you can take back the jacket.”

“You need this more than I do right now.”

He arched an eye brow. “I have my shirt. Without my jacket, you have nothing to cover your bare shoulders.”

“Yeah but you're my patient today, so let me nurse you.”

“But if you keep this up, then I will definitely have to nurse you tomorrow because you will probably catch a cold tonight.”

“Can't you stop being stubborn for once?”

“Only if you do it, too.”

“Okay, then what do we do now? You won't back down and I will definitely not back down.”

“Let's use my jacket together.”

I paused. “What?”

“You heard me. Let's use it together.”

“And how do you intend to 'use it together'? Do you want to rip it into two pieces?”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “How can a human being be so dense?”

“Hey, no need to insult me, okay?”

“Whatever. I take back the offer. I do not want to use this jacket. You take it.”

“We had this argument already.” Then it finally dawned on me. “Oh. That's what you meant.” I looked at the jacket, at him, then back at the jacket again. “Yeah, okay, let's use it together. But I'll sit on the other side. I don't want to accidentally touch your hurt arm.”

I walked towards him and sat down next to him. He raised his arm, so that I could come closer. Then he put his arm around my shoulders. I pulled up his jacket, so that it could cover us both. Even though we already had been this close, I couldn't help but tense. But when I slowly got warmer, I leaned my head against his shoulder and relaxed. I had to stop being so prude and learn to be more practical. Because no matter what it looked like, being this close definitely didn't mean anything to him. I was just a heat source for him during cold nights. Nothing more.

 

The next day, his arm didn't look as bad as before and according to him, it also didn't hurt as much as before. Even though I offered to wait another day for his arm to stop being swollen anymore, he refused stubbornly. I got tired of arguing with him, so I didn't say anything.

We walked around and tried to find out where the slope wasn't so steep, so that we could climb up. When we found it, Dongwoon told me to climb up first.

“No friggin' way! If you haven't noticed it yet, I'm wearing a dress. I'm so not going climb up first, so that you can get a perfect view of my underwear, you ert.”, I snapped.

“I was just trying to be practical, for heaven's sake! I told you to climb up first because this way I could catch you if you should fall down.”

I snorted. “You really think you could catch me? No offense but you don't look like you could catch me with two arms, let alone with an injured arm.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “Ah, whatever. Then I'm gonna climb up first.”

When he went towards the slope, I heard him mutter “Stubborn broad”. I glared at him but he was too focused on climbing to notice. I saw him using stones, which stuck out of the slope, and roots to climb up. Once in a while, he winced, probably because of his injured arm. I tried hard to hold back a spiteful 'Told you so'.

When he arrive at the top, he motioned me to climb up. I took off my heels and hung them on my arm. Then I grabbed a root and started climbing up. It wasn't as easy as I expected. Without the shoes, I couldn't prevent my feet from getting cut. But I still managed it somehow. Near the top, Dongwoon held out his hands to pull me up. Just when I reached out to his hands, I lost my balance and slipped. At the last moment, Dongwoon quickly grabbed my hands and saved me from falling down the slope.

“Try...to...step...on a...stone...to...secure...yourself.”, he said to gritted teeth, the strain visible on his face.

I slowly looked down, trying to find the stone I was standing on earlier. When I finally found it, I let out a relieved sigh. Dongwoon kept holding my hands, trying to pull me up, while I was using stones as a support to climb up. After arriving at the top, I slumped down on the ground. Oh my gosh, that was close.

“Can you stop being so clumsy, please?”, he asked.

“Yeah, I'll tell my feet to stop being so clumsy.”

Talking about them, I took a look. There were several scratches on both feet and it hurt like hell. I didn't know if I would be able to walk in heels for a while.

Noticing my feet, Dongwoon sighed. “Great. Seems like I have to carry Ms. Clumsy again. “

“Sorry.”, I said sheepishly.

“Whatever. Let's get moving, I want to get to the stream as soon as possible.”, he said and crouched down in front of me. I limped towards him and climbed onto his back while putting my arms around his neck. Suddenly he winced.

“Are you okay?”, I asked worriedly.

“I'm fine.”, he said. Then he put his arms around the hollows of my neck and lifted me up.

While he carried me through the forest, I was kinda lost in thoughts. You know, this was way better than thinking about his broad shoulders, his warmth and his intoxicating scent....okay, I was wandering from the subject now. So, once again I caught myself thinking about his split personalities. Especially after he told me about his past, I just couldn't help but think that him being a narcissistic jerk was just a way for him to protect his heart from the pain he had once endured. One part of me wanted to hug him and tell him that falling in love is a wonderful thing. Another part of me still wanted to slap him for being such a jerk. But being a jerk or not, ever since we've been stuck together in this stupid forest, I've kinda learned to trust him. I didn't mind being around him - even though his stubbornness was driving me crazy – and when he wasn't being a scumbag, I really liked talking to him. Then there was the fact that I liked being carried by him and falling asleep while being wrapped into his arms....oh my gosh...did that mean that I was starting to like this narcissistic jerk?

“No way.”, I muttered.

“What did you say?”, he asked confusedly.

“Sorry, I was just talking to myself.”

He snorted. “Did you crack your head on a stone the last time you slipped?”

“Are you implying that I'm insane?”

“No. You were the one saying that, I was just asking a question.”

Okay, I took back those thoughts from earlier. I did not start to like him.

“Stop treating me like a stupid kid, you narcissistic jerk.”

“Then stop being so childish.”

“Hey, you were the one starting the fight by calling me crazy.”

“I did not call you crazy, for heaven's sake!”

“But you did imply it.”

“Come on, stop annoying me, would you? It's already strenuous enough to carry you, I don't need mental exhaustion as well.”

“If carrying me is sooo strenuous, then let me walk on my own.”, I snapped.

“I would gladly let you do it but we both know that your bruised feet would only slow us down.”

“Let. Me. Down.”, I said, emphasizing every word with a stab of my finger to his back.

His hold on my legs tightened. “No. And now be quiet.”

“I swear, if you don't -”

“Just shut up and let me carry me, will you? No matter what you'll say or do, I'm not going to let go of you until we arrive at the stream, so it'll be easier for both of us if you just shut up, okay?”

Still stunned by the tone of his voice and what he said, I uttered: “Oh. Okay.”

He could've dropped me and went to the stream alone but he didn't. So I decided to stop being stubborn for a while and just let him carry me.

When we arrived at the stream, he gently put me down. Not hesitating for second, I crawled towards the stream and put my feet into the water. Ah, it was wonderful! It did stung a bit but then the cool water numbed the pain. When I finished refreshing myself, I quickly glanced at Dongwoon. He also sat by the stream, several feet away from me. Some branches and the two pieces from my dress were lying next to him, so he must have taken off his cast. I saw him splashing water onto his arms and his face, cleaning the scratches. He did the same procedure with his legs. But then he paused, probably considering how to clean his back. Without realizing it, my body moved on its own. I approached him slowly and sat down next to him.

“Shall I lend you a hand?”, I asked.

He glanced at me. “What do you mean?”

“You can't reach your back, right? But I can. Let me help you.”

“You are seriously offering to clean my back?”, he asked incredulously.

“Uhm...yeah.” I sighed. “Well, I kinda owe you, you know. For carrying me and stuff. So yeah, I'm offering to clean your back.”

He stared at me, skepticism written all over his face. Then he turned around, so that his back was facing me. “Whatever.”, he said after a while.

When he took off his shirt, I couldn't help but gasp. His whole back was covered in scratches and bruises. It looked awful. And knowing that he got all those injuries from saving me...well, it made me feel even more guilty.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on doing my task. I cupped my hands and scooped up water from the stream to pour it on his back. Then I tried to clean his wounds. After repeating this for several times, his back finally didn't look as bad as before.

“This must have hurt a lot, didn't it?”, I asked softly.

“There have been worse injuries in my life then those tiny scratches.”

I gently traced the scratches on his back with my finger. When I accidentally touched a bruise, he winced.

I pulled back my hand. “I'm sorry.”

“I don't see a reason for you to be sorry for.”

“You got those injuries while trying to save me, the least I could do is apologize.”

He stood up and put on his shirt. “I did what I had to do. No need to feel guilty about it.”

“And why did you offer to carry me on your back when it obviously hurt you? I could have -”

“You are not my mother, so stop nagging! I'm not a child anymore. I can make my own decisions, no matter if they're stupid or not. You can't tell me what I feel, so if I say that something doesn't hurt, then it doesn't hurt, okay?”

Still stunned by his outburst, I just nodded.

Satisfied by my obedience, he stopped frowning and crouched in front me. “Let's find a place to rest for tonight.”, he said softly.

I climbed onto his back, as carefully as possible, because I still didn't want to hurt him. He may have said that it didn't hurt but by the way he winced again when I came in contact with his back, I knew that he didn't tell the truth. But arguing with this stubborn idiot was pointless, so I decided to not say anything.

After walking around for a while, we finally found a good place to rest for tonight. We silently prepared the campfire and ate berries. Because I couldn't stand the awkward silence, I tried to talk with him about random things.

“A good friend of mine is also an idol and he told me that he often wishes to return to his 'normal' life when he was just a person between others and not a celebrity. Do you sometimes feel the same, too?”, I asked.

He considered. “Well, sometimes, when I'm really stressed or when I feel lonely, I do wish to not be a celebrity. But I chose this path, so I shall move on, no matter how hard is it.”

“I wouldn't have the strength like you and all the others. No privacy, constant bashing and criticism...I couldn't handle it.”

“If I didn't know it better, I would assume that you just complimented me. Shall I be flattered?”

I gave him a smack on his head. “Can't you stay serious for a moment? You are truly a narcissistic jerk.”

“Well, I have to keep up my image.”, he said and chuckled.

I sighed. “If only I could believe that being a narcissistic jerk is just your image.”

“You can never know a person's true personality after only meeting this person several times.”

“I've been stuck with you in this forest for a while now. I think I already know your true personality.”

“Do you, huh?”

“Yes, I do. And I was right. You are a narcissistic jerk, who only cares for himself. It's not just your 'image'.”

“I don't really think that it's wise to insult the person who's carrying you through a forest.”

“I'm not insulting you, I'm just stating the truth.”

“Yeah? Well, I also think that I know your true personality.”

“Hm...I'm all ears.”

“You are a prejudiced and stubborn woman who is always looking for a fight.”

“That is so not true.”

“I think we both know how stubborn you can be. And without really knowing me, you already hate me for being someone you think I am, which I'm definitely not, and whatever I say, you are always insulted and keep arguing with me. So now tell me which part wasn't true.”

I was speechless. “I...that's...I mean...you got it all wrong...”

“See? Even though you know that I'm right, you still keep arguing with me.”

“Okay, okay. I admit that I'm stubborn, not more than you by the way, and yeah, I don't like losing an argument but I'm so not prejudiced. I hate you because I have a good reason to do so.”

“And what exactly is your reason?”

“I already told you. You are a narcissistic jerk.”

He sighed. “I'm way too weary to argue with you about this old topic right now.”

“Just because you know that I'm right.”

“This is a nice place. Let's rest here for tonight.”, he said, obviously ignoring my previous argument.

Then he crouched in front of a tree, so that I could climb down from his back. I slowly put my bruised feet on the ground and sat down. Fortunately the ground wasn't as wet as the days before.

When Dongwoon stood up and stretched his arms, I saw him wincing for a moment.

“Is your back really okay?”, I asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I already told you that I'm fine.”

“Why are you always getting angry when I worry for you?”, I snapped.

“Because you should worry for yourself first. If you had been more careful, then we wouldn't be in this situation right now.”

Ouch, that hurt. “I told you to leave me behind if I'm such a burden to you.”

“And I told you that I always keep my promises.”

“Okay, then I'll release you from this promise. You're free to leave whenever you want.”

He arched an eye brow. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“No, really. I mean it.”

He let out an frustrated sigh. “I'm not going anywhere without you, no matter if you 'release me' from this promise or not. I'm not inhuman, okay? I'm not gonna leave behind an injured person, so stop talking nonsense.”

“Nice speech. Unfortunately I don't believe you.”

“Seriously, why are you always looking for a fight? I'm telling you that I'm staying with you, no matter what, and you accuse me of being a liar. What the heck is wrong with you?”

“The only thing that's wrong here is your wrecked personality.”

“I really wish I could hit the person who was the cause for your bitterness.”

“Then you can happily hit yourself.”

He paused. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

“How the heck can I be the reason for your bitterness? What did I do?”

“You were being yourself. A narcissistic jerk.”

“You know, if I had gotten a penny for every time you called me a 'narcissistic jerk', I would've been rich by now.” He sighed. “Okay, what did I do exactly?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“I wouldn't ask if not.”

“You think that you're so completely handsome, that it's okay to play with other people's feelings, don't you? You know, I could really kick myself for being such a fool.”

“Didn't we talk about this earlier?”

“Not exactly. We kinda left out the part where I was completely fooled by you.”

“What do you mean?”

I was pissed off now. Why couldn't he understand it? Why couldn't he see that he was such a jerk?

“I just broke up with Taec....I was so lonely and sad. And then I met you. You were so sweet and gave me the feeling that I was someone special. But then I had to find out that all your words were just lies, empty words spoken to every female you met. So, yeah. You totally deserved the drink in your face.”

He was baffled for a moment. “Wait....so it really was because of the innocent flirting?”

“What the....'innocent flirting'? Are you serious?”, I snapped.

“Well, to me it has been 'innocent flirting'. It has always been like this to me.”

I shook my head. “You don't even realize that you do hurt feelings with your 'innocent flirting', do you?”

“Hey, I'm sorry if I have hurt you somehow but I didn't intend to do it. Ever since...” He paused. “...ever since 'her', I never did more than flirt. It's not my fault if people read more into it.”

I crossed my arms. “I really wish I could kick her for turning you into a narcissistic jerk. I would have really liked to meet the guy you were before you met her.”

“I kinda like my current life style, so I'm rather thankful that I met her.”

I gave him an incredulous look. “You can't be serious.”

“Well, she made me realize that falling in love will give you nothing but pain. So yes, I'm serious.”

I sighed. “I'm tired of arguing with you about this topic. I know your opinion on this matter and you know mine. Let's agree to disagree, okay? Ah, and you're forgiven, by the way. I kinda understand how you think and I don't hold a grudge anymore.” I paused. “But I still don't like you.”

“That's a mutual feeling, don't worry.”

“Well, then this matter is settled?”

“Yeah.”

Silence. I was staring at the the red sky, trying to ignore Dongwoon. If the situation would have been different, watching the sunset with a guy could have been romantic. Even while I was dating Taec, we never really did something romantic like watching the sunset or going out like normal couples. That was the downside of dating an idol. No privacy. Whenever we met, we had to hide. And then there was the fact that he was always busy. Traveling from one place to another. He was rarely in Korea.

I really wish I could finally find the one guy who could publicly date me without being afraid of the media or netizen. A guy who could spend time with me without being afraid of getting late to his schedule. Is a little more romantic in the relationship too much to ask for? But, in the end, it's not like we could choose who to fall in love with. Our heart chooses on its own, without listening to our mind. I thought Taec was 'The One' but seems like I was wrong.

“So the guy who broke your heart was called 'Taec'? Is that the same Taec I know? The one from 2pm?”, Dongwoon suddenly asked.

Startled, I widened my eyes. Did he read my mind? And how did he know that it was Taec? Ah, crap. I kinda said his name earlier when I was snapping it Dongwoon. Open mouth, insert foot. Sigh.

“That's none of your business.”, I said.

“You should have known better. Dating an idol always leads to a broken heart.”

“Well, thanks. But your advice's coming a bit too late, smart-.”

“I know him. I was a JYP Trainee before I joined Cube. He's a good guy.”

I stared at the ground, not daring to look up because I was on the verge of tearing up. I couldn't even find the strength to deny it.

“I never said that he wasn't a good guy.”, I said quietly.

“But he broke your heart, didn't he?”

“Well, like I said earlier, we drifted apart. I was naive, I didn't really understand at that time what it really meant to date an idol. But I've learned from my mistakes. I'm not going to repeat them.”

“See? Maybe you should stop pursuing love and start to live like me.”

“Uhm, no, thanks. I still believe in love, I just don't want to get involved with an idol again. Been there, done that. I'm trying to find a 'normal' guy who won't travel from one place to another and who is able to date me publicly without hiding from people.”

“Sounds kinda boring.”

“That's not boring. I'm yearning for romance. Even though I loved Taec, I can't say that our relationship was romantic. It was mostly really stressful and tiring. Maybe that's another reason why it didn't work in the end.” I took a deep breath and looked up. “Look, I don't really expect you to understand it, considering your opinion on the matter and your current life style.”

He frowned. “Are you indicating that I don't know what romance is?”

“I...uh...no...yes..well, I mean...you don't believe in love, so I assumed...”, I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

“Just for your information, I do know how to be romantic.”

“Yeah, okay. Whatever.”

“You don't believe me, do you?”

“Honestly? No, I don't. Because 'narcissistic jerk' and 'romance' just don't go well together.”

“You are the one who thinks that I'm a 'narcissistic jerk', which I'm not, by the way.”

“Hmm. Whatever you say.”

He sighed. “You are so frustratingly stubborn.”

“That's like the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Okay, I'm way too tired to argue with you right now.”, he said and stood up. Then he walked towards me and sat down next to me.

“Uhm...what are you doing?”, I asked suspiciously.

He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled my towards him, obviously ignoring my attempt to scoot away from him.

“I have no intention to freeze off my tonight.”, he said.

“And I have no intention to be your human heater, jerk.”

“Stop being so ridiculous. You don't want to die from hypothermia, I don't want to die from hypothermia, so where's the problem? You have to be more practical to survive in this stupid forest.”

He was right....kinda. And I was also too exhausted to argue with him. So I stopped struggling and glared at him. I may have been to tired to argue but that didn't mean that I had to like it.

“Glare at me how much you like but I'm gonna sleep now. I need my strength if I have to carry you through the forest again.”

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice made me wince from guilt. He was carrying me the whole day, even though he was injured, and I did nothing but complain. I really admired his patience. Feeling guilty, I relaxed and leaned my head on his chest. Hmmm, he was so warm. I fell asleep immediately.