________________________________________
COPYRIGHT - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS FIC IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR READING ON OTHER PLATFORMS. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY AND PASTE ANYWHERE ELSE. THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS RIGHT IS THE AUTHOR, SABAL GALLO CLOONAN. IF THIS HAS BEEN POSTED SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THE NAME, SABAL GALLO CLOONAN, IS NOT STAMPED TO IT, ALERT ME ASAP!
_________________________________________
'Dragged down by life and its negative impact it seemed to have on her, fate switches sides and grabs Krisa by the hand. A snow storm was both a negative and a positive for Krisa. They canceled an expo that she had been dying to attend. Leaving her in a pit of despair, figuring that the world just hated her. Suddenly, something happened that only a few people wish would happen to them.'
________________________________________
____________________________________________
Krisa stared at the television screen with a glare. If looks could kill, the people on the news would be dead as she shot daggers at them. She was waiting for three months for this fan expo and they were canceling it because of a lousy snow storm that blew in from the far north.
“Nothing exciting ever happens here in Nebraska and when the first fan expo comes, they freaking cancel it!” Krisa was yelling into the phone and at the TV. “I paid so much for photo ops and autographs, and this is what Mother Nature has to say to me.”
“I’m sure they’ll reschedule or refund your money, Kris,” Erika chimed, trying to stay positive.
Krisa growled. “The tickets aren’t refundable and they haven’t mentioned rescheduling. All they’re talking about is the damn storm and how the expo has to be canceled to keep everyone safe. Just when I thought my life was turning around for the good…”
Erika sighed. “Well, I guess call me if you need anything.”
After hanging up, Krisa stood in her kitchen and boiled water for some hot cocoa. The TV was still playing in the background, and a familiar voice caught her attention.
“As sad as I am that I won’t be able to meet my amazing fans here in Nebraska,” Joseph Quinn stated. “Just know that I love all of you and to stay safe!”
Krisa rolled her eyes. Fucking great! Why does the universe hate me so much? At least he’ll be somewhere safe from this storm.
A loud whistle came from outside as a wintry wind swept the streets in Krisa’s neighborhood. It didn’t take long for the storm to hit soon after she had heard about it on the news. Krisa could tell by looking outside that the wind was frosty and she could feel it, even though she had a wall and windows between her and the storm. She shivered as she sipped her warm cocoa. She swaddled her quilt as closely as she could and sat in front of a warm fire.
This is going to be a long day…
And just as she said, it felt like a perpetual day. It was as though the first time she looked at the clock, only a few seconds seemed to have passed. It was only nine in the morning, and Krisa was awake at five in the morning. Krisa sighed and looked at the clock. Tick. Tock. Watching the hands slowly moving around made her feel drowsy.
Krisa stood up and wandered into the kitchen, where she had left the television remote. After placing the mug in the sink, she plopped down on the sofa and flicked through the channels. Anything to get her mind off of the wasted day ahead of her.
“Maybe I should call my mom and see if they’re safe,” she thought, taking out her phone and scrolling through to find her mother’s number. “Wait… she’s in Hawaii… of course she’s safe. She should call me instead. Ugh! This is so frustrating!”
Suddenly, tires screeching followed by a loud thud came from outside. Krisa jumped to her feet quickly and raced to the window. Snow was falling, creating a thick sheet of white everywhere as it came in a heavy blanket. Krisa squinted, trying to cut away the glare from the lights inside of the house that reflected onto the window.
A light red sedan leaned on a light pole. The front of the car was clearly a few inches off of the ground. She could see a figure laying across the steering wheel. Her mouth opened, then closed as if she was about to say something.
“Maybe they’re okay?” she said to herself, watching to see if the figure would move.
Krisa waited for five minutes, but the person didn’t move at all. Worry set in. She quickly bundled up and threw on her thick winter shoes and bolted out of the door towards the red sedan. The flashers were blinking as the car hummed, showing that the vehicle was still on.
A brisk icy wind blew, echoing a mighty howl as it blew her hair everywhere. She knew she needed to get to this person and get somewhere warm, quickly. Krisa pounded on the window on the driver’s side after making sure the person was alone.
“Hello?” she called, hitting the window. “Are you okay in there? Do you need some help?” No response. Krisa pulled on the door handle and it opened, nearly knocking her over.
She reached for the person’s neck to check for a pulse and gently pulled them back in the seat off of the steering wheel. Krisa’s eyes grew wide at the handsome face in front of her. The wind blew again, making her shiver and bringing her back to the present. Krisa patted the man’s face gently.
“Hey… can you wake up?” she said, shivering. “I can’t carry you inside… I need you to wake up…”
A soft moan escaped his lips as his hand reached for his forehead. He moved his head from side to side and cracked open his eyes to look at the person with the angelic voice. Krisa shrugged and helped him out of the car. Getting him to the house in the thick storm was no simple task. There were a few times his legs gave out on him, making her have to drag him.
“Let’s get you warmed up,” she said, throwing a heavy blanket over him after laying him on the sofa. The fire crackled as the flames danced. Krisa couldn’t stop staring at the man laying on her couch. “Well, I guess mother nature doesn’t hate me after all… or maybe this is a test.” Krisa stands up straight and stares at him as he lies there on the couch, peaceful looking. She smiles to herself, but that quickly disappears as a thought crossed her mind. What if people don’t know where he’s at?
Krisa ran her fingers through her short brown hair and bit the tips of her fingers in a nervous habit. What if people were looking for him right now? He must have a phone on his person, right? She thought, stepping towards him. Maybe she should just wait for him to wake up…
His short, curly, brown hair was a mess. Krisa studied his face. Every line and crease. Where his smile would end. She’s seen so many videos of fans meeting him and how kind he was. So many people dreamed of a moment with him. And here he was, passed out on her couch during a snowstorm. Joseph Quinn. Krisa let out a sigh and knelt on the side of the couch. She gently touched his cheek and smiled. He was finally warming up.
“Why were you out in this storm, Joe?” she wondered out loud. “Hopefully you’ll wake up soon.”
Krisa sighed and went upstairs to grab more blankets and a comfortable pillow from the guest room. Her mind wandered as she thought about how unusual it was for him to be around this part of town.
Joseph gripped the steering wheel of the light red sedan as he slowly trekked forwards in the harsh snowstorm. All he wanted to do was get out of the hotel and see some sights. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. He wasn’t used to driving in the snow. At least not this thick. He could barely see in front of him. Joseph’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight, his knuckles were almost as white as the snow that covered the car.
The vehicle started swerving, left to right. He hit the brakes and took a deep breath. Why did I do this? I should’ve just stayed in the hotel and sucked it up. Slowly easing up on the brake, Joseph let the car move down a slight incline. His jaw clinched when it suddenly started swaying again and sliding down a bit too fast. Faster than he wanted it to go. Fuck. Shit. Damn it!
Once the car was fully out of his control, he slide into a pole. Hitting his head on the steer wheel, making everything look fuzzy and go black. Where am I? He wondered as he sat still in the driver’s seat. I can’t be in my bed right now, can I? I feel cold.
He felt something touch his neck. Someone was moving his body and he could hear an angelic voice.
“Hey… can you wake up?” she was asking. “I can’t carry you inside… I need you to wake up…”
He moaned to inform her he was aware of her presence. Joseph felt warm hands wrap around his waist as they pulled him from the car. He managed to steal a small glance from the person with the angelic voice. But as soon as his head hit something soft, he passed out again.
I must be in heaven. I must’ve died. He thought as he slowly came to. All he heard was her asking why he was in the storm. Joseph felt a bit embarrassed at the thought. All he wanted to do was take a look around town, given he’s never been to Nebraska before. He threw his hand to his forehead as he slowly rose up from where he laid. Blinking slowly to get accustomed to the dimly lit room with a fireplace as the only source of light. How long was I out for? He wondered.
Joe was about to stand up but felt dizzy, so he lied back down. He could hear mummers coming from upstairs and figured it must be the owner of the home talking on the phone. Or perhaps she was upstairs watching TV. Either way, Joe was quite curious about who his savior was.
This person must be a saint for helping my stupid ass out of the storm.
What the hell were you thinking, Quinn? Going out in this knowing it was going to get far worse than what you’re used to.
His head felt fuzzy and he could almost feel his pulse in his temple. Joe sat up and rubbed his forehead, trying to get a better grasp of his surroundings. The living room was very welcoming. Decorated in Christmas decor even though Christmas had already come and gone. The owner must’ve not have found the time to take everything down. Or maybe she enjoyed the decor too much to even want to take them down. The fire was warm and inviting. The orange and yellow flames danced together in harmony. He felt like he was pulled into a trance as he stared off into them. Not even realizing that his savior was standing right there, a cup of something warm in her hand.
“Ahem,” she cleared her throat.
Joseph’s head whipped around and their eyes met. She was wearing stripped shorts, knee high sock with bunny slipper and a t-shirt that had Munson written across it. He stood up a little too fast as a normal reaction to greet her. Joseph managed to catch himself at the edge of the couch.
“I, uh… Hi,” he breathed. He realized he had been staring and lowered his gaze to the floor after sitting down to stop his head from spinning.
“Hi… are you feeling better? You looked a little dizzy there,” she said, a slight grin as she handed him to cup. “I made some broth for you. It’ll help you warm up some more.”
He smiled his thanks. Their finger tips brushing sending shivers up his spine.
“I, uh,” he tripped over his words after taking a sip of the warm broth. Feeling it run down his throat made him feel warmer already. “I wanted to thank you for helping me. I’d still be in that storm if it wasn’t for you.”
She chuckled and waved her hand. “It was nothing. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
There was a long pause before she added, “Why were you out in this? It wasn’t long before I saw you on TV talking about how it sucked not being able to see your fans at the expo and for everyone to stay safe.”
He gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed his face. “I was bored and wanted to look around. I’ve never been to Nebraska.”
Her smile was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. Her gentle brown hues lit up with her smile. It was like watching a flower open for the first time after a long winter. Joseph couldn’t help but stare.
“To be honest with you,” she said, sitting on the arm of a chair in front of him. “This expo was literally the only exciting thing to happen here. You’re not missing anything.”
A grin played at the corner’s of his lips as he thought this but he stayed quiet and took another sip of his broth.
“I’m Krisa, by the way,” she introduced, extending her small, soft looking hand.
Her touch was warm and inviting. It was like magic as it sent shivers up his arm making his breath catch. Who was this girl and why was his heart racing just by making eye contact with her?
“Joseph…” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Even under the circumstances.”
She smiled again, with a small giggle. But clearly she already knew who he was since she mentioned seeing him on TV shortly before he crashed into that pole. And she was wearing a Munson t-shirt, which was a telling sign she was possibly a fan of the character.
“I have a guest room,” she said suddenly. “It’s too dangerous to drive in this and a wrecker won’t be able to get your car until the snow lets up. Also, you should probably make sure people know you’re safe.”
Shit. He never thought of that until now!
“I think my phone is still in the car,” he said after checking every pocket he had on his person.
Krisa looked out the window and sighed with a shake of her head. “There’s no way you or I will be going out in that. The snow fall is too heavy. We’ll have to wait it out unless you remember the number?”
He shook his head, a little embarrassed. Of course he would be reckless and not carry his phone in his pocket. Tired. He was tired. That’s why he wasn’t thinking straight, right? Or maybe it was Krisa? He stole a glance at her, she was staring out the window, her arms crossed. Krisa felt cold just by looking outside.
“I’m sorry,” Joseph said, looking at the floor. “I feel bad for intruding in our your day.”
She shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t be sorry. In fact, you made my day a bit better.” She face palmed. “That didn’t come out right… But I hope you understand what I mean. I had no plans today, for obvious reasons. I was just going to watch movies and dream about the expo.”
Joseph smiled. Unaware that he was staring her up and down. She looked so beautiful in this light from the fireplace and what little light was seeping in from the windows.
Stop it. Quinn. You just met her. He told himself, shaking his head.
“Well, I guess I’ll join you with watching movies,” Joseph said, smiling.
___________________________________________
tangentwithtanner
ellievsbear
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
kianamaiart
2087