Svalbard."
Frey couldn't agree more. The calm, steady pace of a small town in the middle of this snow and ice covered wasteland had been his safe shore. He didn't ever want to move away from this.
*~*~*
Jørgen drove Frey home late that evening and walked him all the way up to his door. Frey hurriedly unlocked it, then to Jørgen's surprise, motioned for Jørgen to follow him inside.
"I had a really nice time with you today," Frey told Jørgen in a low voice, glancing shyly up at him as he took off his gloves and cap.
Jørgen smiled widely. He was glad Frey thought so, because Jørgen certainly did. They'd spent the whole day up on the snow and ice-covered tundra. They'd seen glaciers and craggy mountains, reindeer and polar foxes, as well as several different species of arctic birds. The only thing they hadn't seen was a polar bear, but Jørgen hoped they would be able to see one another time. That Frey would spend more time with him.
His nervousness had slowly subsided during the day and in the end he had looked rather comfortable. Even when they'd sat down to eat a midday meal, which Jørgen had had packed down in his saddlebags. They'd talked loosely all day, and Frey had even laughed a few times. Jørgen had been completely mesmerised by his smile and his laugh, and he was only falling harder for Frey.
"Me too," he replied softly. "I hope we can do it again."
Frey blinked rapidly and Jørgen felt like a weight had been dropped into his stomach. But then Frey smiled slightly. "Yeah, I hope so to."
Jørgen felt happiness bubble up inside him as the weight disappeared. "Svalbard has so much to offer. Today was nothing compared to what is left."
"I can't wait to see more of this island."
Jørgen gazed at him, deciding to get something settled right there and then. "Two years ago I worked as a guide during the light winter and spring months. There was a really neat route that shows a lot of what's out there. Barentsburg, the Russian settlement, for one. It's a beautiful trip—one that simply has to be experienced. I'd really like to show you all that." Jørgen hoped he wasn't being too forward.
Frey's eyes were slightly wider than normal when he looked up at Jørgen. "How much will it cost?"
"Not much." Jørgen grinned. "But you don't have to worry about that. It will all be on me."
"I couldn't let you pay for me," Frey protested weakly, his voice low.
"I want to show you this. I'm asking you out. I do believe there's an unspoken rule that the person doing the asking pays for the one being asked out."
Frey blinked again. Jørgen had noticed he did that a lot when he was nervous. "O-ok," came the eventual answer. Frey quickly looked away, but not before Jørgen saw the blush marring his cheeks. "I'd need to ask for a few days off, it might be a little while till I can get them."
"Brilliant!" Jørgen smiled widely. "There's no hurry. I need a little while to plan anyway. Just let me know which days you get. You do have a license?"
"Yes. Why?"
"We can't take this trip on horseback, it'll take too long. So we'll be driving snowmobiles."
"Oh." Frey nibbled at his lower lip. "I've never driven a snowmobile before."
"No worries, I can teach you. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it."
Frey looked doubtful and Jørgen smiled again. "I look forward to spending more time with you."
Frey's moss-green eyes came up to stare at him. Jørgen felt his heart skip a beat at the brilliant colour of those eyes, at the mix of emotions swirling in them.
It was all very clear to him; he was falling in love with Frey.
*~*~*
The sun rose higher in the sky for every day, bringing with it longer days and lighter nights. Migrating birds were slowly returning to Svalbard, giving new life to the mountainsides.
It took three weeks before Jørgen and Frey could get the same two days off, but at the very end of March they were ready. Jørgen could tell that Frey's nervousness was back and when he got too close to him while
Frey couldn't agree more. The calm, steady pace of a small town in the middle of this snow and ice covered wasteland had been his safe shore. He didn't ever want to move away from this.
*~*~*
Jørgen drove Frey home late that evening and walked him all the way up to his door. Frey hurriedly unlocked it, then to Jørgen's surprise, motioned for Jørgen to follow him inside.
"I had a really nice time with you today," Frey told Jørgen in a low voice, glancing shyly up at him as he took off his gloves and cap.
Jørgen smiled widely. He was glad Frey thought so, because Jørgen certainly did. They'd spent the whole day up on the snow and ice-covered tundra. They'd seen glaciers and craggy mountains, reindeer and polar foxes, as well as several different species of arctic birds. The only thing they hadn't seen was a polar bear, but Jørgen hoped they would be able to see one another time. That Frey would spend more time with him.
His nervousness had slowly subsided during the day and in the end he had looked rather comfortable. Even when they'd sat down to eat a midday meal, which Jørgen had had packed down in his saddlebags. They'd talked loosely all day, and Frey had even laughed a few times. Jørgen had been completely mesmerised by his smile and his laugh, and he was only falling harder for Frey.
"Me too," he replied softly. "I hope we can do it again."
Frey blinked rapidly and Jørgen felt like a weight had been dropped into his stomach. But then Frey smiled slightly. "Yeah, I hope so to."
Jørgen felt happiness bubble up inside him as the weight disappeared. "Svalbard has so much to offer. Today was nothing compared to what is left."
"I can't wait to see more of this island."
Jørgen gazed at him, deciding to get something settled right there and then. "Two years ago I worked as a guide during the light winter and spring months. There was a really neat route that shows a lot of what's out there. Barentsburg, the Russian settlement, for one. It's a beautiful trip—one that simply has to be experienced. I'd really like to show you all that." Jørgen hoped he wasn't being too forward.
Frey's eyes were slightly wider than normal when he looked up at Jørgen. "How much will it cost?"
"Not much." Jørgen grinned. "But you don't have to worry about that. It will all be on me."
"I couldn't let you pay for me," Frey protested weakly, his voice low.
"I want to show you this. I'm asking you out. I do believe there's an unspoken rule that the person doing the asking pays for the one being asked out."
Frey blinked again. Jørgen had noticed he did that a lot when he was nervous. "O-ok," came the eventual answer. Frey quickly looked away, but not before Jørgen saw the blush marring his cheeks. "I'd need to ask for a few days off, it might be a little while till I can get them."
"Brilliant!" Jørgen smiled widely. "There's no hurry. I need a little while to plan anyway. Just let me know which days you get. You do have a license?"
"Yes. Why?"
"We can't take this trip on horseback, it'll take too long. So we'll be driving snowmobiles."
"Oh." Frey nibbled at his lower lip. "I've never driven a snowmobile before."
"No worries, I can teach you. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it."
Frey looked doubtful and Jørgen smiled again. "I look forward to spending more time with you."
Frey's moss-green eyes came up to stare at him. Jørgen felt his heart skip a beat at the brilliant colour of those eyes, at the mix of emotions swirling in them.
It was all very clear to him; he was falling in love with Frey.
*~*~*
The sun rose higher in the sky for every day, bringing with it longer days and lighter nights. Migrating birds were slowly returning to Svalbard, giving new life to the mountainsides.
It took three weeks before Jørgen and Frey could get the same two days off, but at the very end of March they were ready. Jørgen could tell that Frey's nervousness was back and when he got too close to him while
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