I meant something sexual, but I'm having second guesses.

You push all the perversions out of your mind. “Never mind. I’ll get you some hand warmers. Some extra pair of socks or something.”

Stephani seems to release all the air in her lungs when she hears you say this. Then, finally, she manages a tight smile and nods. “That sounds good. Thank you.”

When you step out, you look back. Tell Kenji everything he needs to know. These Japanese have a way of making people talk. You’re still likely to die, but don’t make it painful.

Her smile quickly fades, and her eyes become hollow. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Just doing my job,” there’s a pinch in your heart. Would her husband want this? Her kids? You stop yourself from overthinking it. It’s a contract, after all.

Once you ensure Stephanie is back in her sleeping back, you find yourself unable to sleep. There’s no peace in your head, and there’s nothing you can do to settle your mind in the interior of your tent. The earth is silent as it is black, so you unravel yourself from your covers and go for a walk– dangerous considering the circumstances, but you’ve played with fire more than once before…

The snow crunches beneath you. Already, your mind feels less crowded, but you go deeper into the forest. You’re about 20 yards away from the camp when a sense of peace washes over you, and you begin to remember the better things in life.

Without you noticing it directly, the trees surrounding you become shorter, and they start to move in the opposite direction you are going. The sky brightens, and the sound of the frozen wood is replaced with cars, distant conversations, and songs. The air warms, and the smells become inviting.

Before you know it, you’re strolling down on a sidewalk, though still dressed in your black uniform. “{first_name!}” Someone shouts from behind you. If the voice belonged to someone else, you might have ignored it, but instead, you turned around. Astrid was just a few feet behind you. She’s in business attire and a blue scarf, which compliments her bright blue eye color. She rushes over and hugs you, finally setting your mind in a state of complete ease. “Good to see you again!”

Astrid beams up at you, her eyes going over every little detail. “You look good,” you tell her, eyeing her gray suit and deep brown stockings.

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” she replies. “I’m delighted to see you’re not doing anything you’re not supposed to.”

You look at your angel questionably. Astrid furrows her brows slightly and clears her throat. “Stephenie, back at your camp. For a moment, I thought you were going **** yourself on her. But, I should have suspected that you weren’t.”

Astrid stands on her toes and kisses you on the lips. The same taste of cherry greets you. Some of her gloss has imprinted on you, and you lick it away. She gives you a second and nods to herself. “I’m proud of you.”

Your heart flutters. You never knew you wanted Astrid to be proud of you until she said it. There’s no doubt your face has turned red, but you aren’t embarrassed by it. Instead, you smile a stupid grin and shake your head. “Call it good influences.”

Her heels clacking on the sidewalk emit loudly as you chatter. However, you are distracted again by the world that is set all around you. You’d never see something this perfect in the real world, but you know it was once like this somewhere. You are especially amazed by Astrid, who doesn’t seem to stick out at all in this environment. Astrid catches your gaze, causing her to smile so genuinely you instantly feel at home.

You came to a halt near a gateway. Glancing up, you see you’re back at the same park where you ice-skated with Astrid. “Back here again?” You ask, making Astrid nod.

“Did you want to go somewhere else this time?” She asks.

“No,” you say. “Small world…”z

Astrid looks around. “It’s bigger than you think.”

When she takes your hand, you feel more relaxed. All your anxious thoughts vanish. You have the answers for everything and yet have no questions to ask. Astrid must sense what you think because she looks back at you. “You have questions about me, don’t you?”

“I have a couple,” you say, remembering the five questions you asked Flora when you were reunited with her. Astrid’s eyes drag back to the lights in the park, and hums to herself like she’s in thought. You clear your throat as you follow her. “You already know what I’m going to ask, though, don’t you?”

Your Angel laughs slightly. She has her eyebrows knitted when she regards you. “I…might have an idea what you have in mind.” Astrid then studies you like you’re the most interesting book she’s seen. Finally, she guides you to a bench and sits down, offering you a place beside her so you can continue talking. She widens her eyes briefly, indicating you are free to speak.

“Can you sing?”

Astrid grins. “Yes.”

Suddenly, you have a strong desire to hear her sing. Instead, you ask if she can play any instruments. This makes her cute grin turn into a slightly smug smile. “Yes. I can actually play the violin. Though, I will admit that I want to learn how to play the guitar.”

“I play the guitar!” You rush out.

Astrid rolls her eyes, laughing a little bit. “I know.”

You feel stupid, but you press on. “Have you wanted to write your own book?”

Astrid lets out a thoughtful sigh as her eyes dart to the dark sky. “I kept a journal for a long, long time, but I don’t think that counts, does it?”

“Have any fun memories in it?”

She returns her gaze. “Oh, yes. But I stopped some years ago. I ran out of space to keep all my journals.”

You were about to ask the same last question that you asked Flora, but the words trailed off your tongue into a dead sentence. Astrid leans close, tilting her head somewhat to the left, waiting for what new question you are about to produce. But as she gets closer, you get increasingly lost in her eyes. Astrid’s pinky finds yours, and she tugs on it. “You can ask me anything, Warren. What do you want to ask me.”

Emotion washes out of you. You think it’s stress, but you aren’t sure. “Will you just…I want to…Can you just…hug me for a second?” You say, closing your eyes.

Astrid doesn’t answer this question with words. Instead, she produces a motion to respond with action. She wraps her arms around you and coos you into her embrace. “How's this?” She asks, holding you tighter in her arms. “Is there anything else you want?”