You could kill him. You could just kill him. Nice and woodsy here. Wouldn't find the body for months. "AH-CHOO!" Yet another sneeze, not surprising, your teeth are chattering so hard you think they may shatter. You wish you could stop shivering if only to keep the cold droplets of water from shaking off your hair and onto your already goose-pimpled skin.

"It'd be warmer over here by me Love." You turn to Adam and glare at him until he visibly shrinks, returning his eyes to the road.

On a whim one afternoon, one WARM afternoon, Adam asked you if there was something silly you wanted to do that you'd never done. Flippantly, you said camping.

"Camping?" he had said, apparently surprised.

"Yeah, as a kid all my friends went but I never got to. Always kinda wondered what it was like."

"Then lets go. This weekend!"

"You know how to camp?"

"Sure! Of course I do! This will be great fun. Oh hey, why don't we see if Jonathan wants to tag along? It would do him good to get out for a holiday."

You smiled at such a sweet gesture. 'Yeah,' you think sarcastically, 'what a catch.' You kissed him on the cheek and left, thinking it was nice for him to invite Jonathan. You can just envision the conversation the two of them had when you'd gone.

"No Adam, I will not do it!"

"Oh please Jonathan? Come on, you'll break her heart. She's always wanted to go camping and you're so good at this technical stuff."

Jonathan must have refused. Smart old Jonathan. Adam had pulled up in a shiny new pick-up, the bed full of tent gear. He was dressed in blue jeans and boots and a flannel shirt. He looked like he knew what he was doing. That should have been your first clue. Adam is an illusionist, by birth and by trade.

You wound up in an area of campground akin to a parking lot. He never thought to reserve. No problem. You could handle that. When you came back from your little jaunt to the general store to find tent bits spread on the ground all around Adam as he sat on a big rock scratching his head and reading the instruction pamphlet, you knew you were in trouble.

You built a fire as Adam tangled himself further in the poles and canvas. It began to get cloudy and you begged Adam to give up. "It's fine really. Let's just go get a hotel." Too late, for Adam, now it was personal.

The rain came down in cold sheets, extinguishing your fire. Adam had lost the keys under the layers of tent so you couldn't even take shelter in the cab. You would have crawled under the picnic table if not for the mud puddle underneath. Adam emerged from under the flat tent looking disheveled, wretched, and very un-Adam, but dangling the keys in his hand.

You were freezing to your bones. You were so happy to see the keys, you almost cried with relief. Adam unlocked your door and helped you in. He stuffed the deflated tent back into the truck's bed. You were quaking, drenched and cursing Adam mentally. You know he wanted you to have a good time. You know he didn't make it rain. You know he had expected Jonathan to be more pliable to his will. But, if he hadn't misled you, you wouldn't have come, and if he'd have gone to the hotel (which you're going to now) when you asked him to, your lips wouldn't be turning blue right now.

When Adam got in the car, you didn't even look at him, you couldn't. If he'd have smiled, you'd have come across the seat and throttled him.

"Almost there Love," he says chipperly. What is he so damn happy about? You're so cold you can't handle it anymore and a few audible sobs escape before you can restrain yourself again, not an easy task when the warm tears feel so good on your cheek. Now you can't look at him out of guilt as well as anger. You know he hates to see you upset. You probably just made him feel like dirt.

You pull up outside a very elegant looking hotel. 'Oh they are going to love a couple drowned rats like us.' Not that you care. You'd take a cave right now if there were warm clothes and a heater there. Adam has come around and is opening your door, a good thing since you can't even straighten your fingers. You get inside, and Adam sits you down on a small sofa next to the large fireplace in the lobby. He goes off to wrangle you a room. You are still shivering and way beyond any pride. You plop down on the floor right in front of the fireplace and hug your knees to your chest, rocking yourself until you almost feel something resembling human again.

After a while, Adam comes over and places a blanket around your shoulders. As he takes his hand away, you catch it in yours. He seems uncertain you won't try to break his arm. For a second, you give it thought but then place a soft kiss on his palm and release him. He helps you to your feet with a smile.

"They have a room ready for us love. I've had them run you a warm bath." He puts an arm around your waist and walks you to the elevator. You huddle close to him on the ride up, the warmth from his body easing your remaining temper.

You enter the room as a blast of warm air hits you in the face. You look up at him. He smiles apologetically down on you. "I had them turn the heater up high too. I also had them give us adjoining rooms so you don't have to stay with me tonight if you don't want to. I can understand that." You try to speak but he puts his finger to your lips. "Shh, it's okay. Go on and take your bath. There'll be a fluffy dry robe in there waiting for you." He kisses your forehead, chastely, and gives you a gentle push toward the bathroom.

The warm water surrounding your body felt amazing. You got out and toweled completely dry. You normally don't, but this time you blow dried your hair, running the machine over your skin before switching it off. You wrap up in the robe and walk back into the room.

The room is now lit only by candles. "Adam?" You walk around the bed and see a blanket spread on your floor with plates of cheese, fruits and finger-sandwiches and a bottle of hard cider. Next to this, Adam sits smiling. He looks wonderful, obviously having made use of the shower and blow drier in his room. He is sitting in a sleeping bag which is zipped up to his waist. From his bare chest and knowing his personality, you know the sleeping bag is the only thing he's wearing.

You kneel down across the blanket from him and quietly begin to eat. His eyes are sparkling at you as he stretches over to pour you some of the cider. Yup, just a sleeping bag. He scootches closer to you like a caterpillar, his fingers warm and soft as he touches your face.

"I thought you were sleeping in there tonight?"

Adam's hand stops its motion. "I can."

"You don't have to," you say, holding his palm to your cheek with your hand.

"I'm sorry," little more than a whisper.

"I know you are," you turn your lips to his palm and kiss. You push him back gently and unzip the bag. In one swift move, you pull off your robe and slip inside, snuggling against his chest as he zips you both in. He kisses your forehead and strokes your hair as you fall asleep in each others arms....