Once Upon A Blizzard...Aksel and Ember...Part Two

The sun is just about to set as Ember finally makes her way to the cabin. Where she will spend Christmas with her girlfriends as they celebrate their last time together before they will graduate. This is the first time she has ever spent the holiday away from her family and she misses them dearly but she is also excited for this fun and exciting 
trip, thanks to Cambria's older brother Aksel. The girls will have 
one fabulous holiday before they go off on their separate 
ways as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

Ember drags her much too heavy suitcase up and over the slippery icy steps...The snow is really coming down now, thankfully she made it to the cabin just in time. She can't wait to get into her pjs with a 

cup of hot cocoa and chat with the girls....Ember huffs out a breath of relief as she pulls her suitcase along the weather worn porch. 

*Ember* "Ugh...why did I pack this thing so tight?!...."

She stops and gets a grip on the door handle checking the
 number on the door making sure she has the right cabin. 
Cabin number 3 that's what Cambria told her....

She jiggles the handle but the door is locked.  She stops and looks again, this has to be the right cabin! She made 

sure she heard Cambria correctly she said Cabin number 3. 

Ember knocks on the door to get their attention.

Meanwhile back inside the Cabin, it is Aksel who is relaxing and enjoying the absolute peace and quiet. No screaming fans, no phone calls, no emails to answer, no band business just absolutely 

nothing to bother him. Only the sound of him crunching 

on potato chips and the soft christmas music coming 

from the small stereo by the bed.

Ember knocks loud on the door  hoping to get their attention

 the first time. The girls might have music playing and

 they won't hear her if she knocks too softly...

 

And then just like that the peace and quiet Aksel 
thought he was enjoying was interrupted by two
 hard knocks on his cabin door.

*a faint voice* "Hello?!...Cam! Open the door! It's cold out here..."
*Aksel* "What the fu...."
When he swings the door open he realizes it's one of Cambria's girlfriends. She looks cold and very confused to see him on the other side of the door. Aksel ushers her inside, reaches out and grabs her heavy suitcase yanking it inside. Shutting out the cold behind them, his hand still on the doorknob Aksel meets her eyes and she shies away as soon as he takes her in. Then she looks back up at him and questions.

*Ember* "Wh...where's Cam?..."
*Aksel* "What do you mean? She's at the other cabin.
What are you doing at this one?"
*Ember* "Cam told me I'm supposed to go to cabin number 3...."
*Aksel* "That's my cabin, yours is number 23..."
*Ember* "Are you serious?! oh no I must have heard Cam wrong! I'm so
sorry, this is so embarrassing!..."

*Aksel* "It's okay...nothing we can't fix...why don't you call Cam and
see what's up and I'll see if I can call for you to get a ride to the correct cabin..."
*Ember with some relief* "Okay!....Yes...thank you..."

Ember crosses the room so she can set down her small luggage case. She then removes her gloves and digs out her cell phone so she can call Cambria. Aksel's deep voice then breaks the silence between them.

*Aksel* "You're Ember, right?..."
*Ember nods and smiles* "Uh huh...Yes...Cam and I,
were room mates, remember?"
*Aksel smiles back* "Yes, I remember....Cam always speaks
very fondly of you. I think she sees you as a sister."
Ember smiles and Aksel can see she feels the same way about 
Cambria. He is glad his little sister has made such good friends 
while away at school. He was worried there for awhile 
she would not want to finish college.

*Aksel* "Okay if want to use the bathroom to call Cam in private it's fine..."
*Ember* "Ok, sure..."
So Ember does just that and ducks into the bathroom 
so she can call Cambria.
To see Ember and Cambria's conversation pop on over to
Click Here>>>>Mandee's Blog<<<<Click Here
To find the rest of the story then come back here to finish....
Aksel hangs up with office for the hotel resort where he booked the cabins. With the storm blowing in no one is driving out here tonight to come get Ember. She will have to spend the night here.

*Aksel* "Hey, Ember! I...uh...there's no transportation available until the morning.
So you'll have to stay here for the night..."
*Ember* "Um...Okay!....."
A few moments later Ember comes out of the bathroom, Aksel is rummaging around in the small mini fridge. She is so embarrassed about having to spend the night here with Cambria's older, 
smoldering hot, rock star brother. Yikes!

*Ember* " I am so sorry...this is...this is so embarrassing. I just...."
Aksel gets up and turns to face her. If he is upset, 
he hides it very well. Smiling and holding a
 small frozen pizza in his hand he replies.

*Aksel* "It's okay Ember don't worry about it. It's just one night...tomorrow
 we'll get you out on your way to the other Cabin. In the meantime
I hope you like microwave pizza for dinner..."
Ember smiles and relaxes his attitude toward the situation helps her to feel at ease. She has always secretly had a small crush on Aksel. Cambria would talk often about how wonderful her brother is, so Ember feels as if she knows him quite well but to be here in his presence and to be alone with him is a whole other factor.

*Ember smiles* "Sure, sounds great! I practically lived off
frozen pizza at school...."
Later after a quite dinner that was filled with awkward silence in between small talk, Aksel and Ember get ready for bed. 
Ember comes out of the bathroom in her pajamas 
and sees that Aksel has prepared a make shift bed 
with the small bench and chair that are in the cabin.

*Aksel* "I figured I'd sleep here for the night....you can have the bed."
*Ember* "You don't have to do that. I can sleep there, and you take
the bed...I've already imposed on you enough..."
*Aksel* "Ember you could never impose, it's fine I don't mind at all."

*Ember* "Yeah but I'm much smaller than you...you take the bed it will be more comfortable..."
As she speaks those words Aksel takes in her small dainty frame. She is a lovely young girl, and is right she may be more comfortable sleeping there than him but he would never let her. When he pauses too long to reply she reiterates her case in point.

*Ember* "Really, Aksel I don't mind at all. It's the least I can do for barging
 in on your privacy...It's better this way!"
She's so cute when her brow furrows together in frustration 
at her attempt to persuade him to agree. Aksel 
almost decides to give in...

*Aksel* "No, Ember...you take the bed. Get your rest. Believe me I can
manage sleeping here for one night..."
*Ember* "Aksel, I..."
*Aksel* "Discussion is over sweetheart...you take the bed."

They both begin to get comfortable in the sleeping 
arrangement that Aksel has worked out for them...

*Ember* "Here at least take one more pillow...I only need one."
*Aksel* "I will gladly accept that..."
*Ember smiles* "Good cause I wasn't about to let you talk me out of that one."
*Aksel* "Yeah well, I can be very persuasive when I need to be..."
Aksel chuckles low in his throat and the deep sound is smooth and almost sensual as he replied back to her. Ember decides to 
steer the conversation into a more neutral territory.

*Ember* "So, Cam told me this whole trip was all your idea. Is that true?"
Aksel gets the pillow Ember just handed him adjusted 
behind his head as he tries to get as 
comfortable as possible.

*Aksel* "Um...for the most part yeah I guess so, I just wanted to give her something she could remember and reflect on as a very happy moment in her life."
*Ember* "She has been very excited about this trip..."
*Aksel* "Yeah she's never really had a traditional Christmas...
At least not since she was 9..."
Ember knows exactly what he means, there are 
not too many secrets between her and Cambria.

*Ember* "This is the first Christmas I have ever spent away from home...It definitely feels quite strange but I'm excited to spend it with Cam and the girls..."
*Aksel* "Thank you for putting up with Cam and doing this....I know you could
have easily just decided to spend Christmas with your family..."
*Ember* "Thank you for giving us this. Cam is like a sister to me,
I'll always be here for her."

Aksel nods and agrees he knows, Cambria always talks about Ember with such love. How sweet she is and loving, he knows some of her likes and dislikes because Cambria always goes on and on about the life of Ember Collins and how different it was from her up bringing...
The two eventually drift off to sleep and get some rest.

It's now sometime in the early morning hours and Ember turns again in 
her sleep to get comfortable. Her eyes fly open when she 
feels the presence of another body in the bed next to her.

Across from her is Aksel, sound asleep and peacefully dreaming. When he's awake Ember always feels so swallowed up by his presence, he can be a bit intimidating. Watching him now she sees a softer, more vulnerable side. And she can't help but take in his features and the strong lines of his face as he sleeps. 

Aksel may be quite older than her by a decade but he is still the most handsome thing she has ever laid
 eyes on. He's not a boy like the ones she has dated in college he 
is a man and the thought of his strong arms encompassing 
her makes her insides heat up.
Ember attempts to quietly get up and excuse herself to the bathroom to cool down a bit. When suddenly Aksel's sleepy blue eyes
 fly open and stare right at her.

*Aksel half asleep* "I'm not trying to be creepy, it just got too fucking cold by the door..."
Then Ember realizes he must think that she's trying
 to sneak away to go sleep in the chair.
*Ember* "Oh...Oh no it's...it's fine...I just..."
*Aksel still a bit groggy* "It's okay sweetheart. I'm not easily offended..."
*Ember* "I was just gonna use the restroom. Excuse me."
Aksel nods and smiles as his eyes close again. Ember gets up to go into the bathroom and comes out a few minutes later crawling back into the bed she is now sharing with her best friends brother. Aksel's blue eyes open again as he feels the shift of the bed and Ember's presence.

*Ember* "Oh my gawd, you're so right...it's really cold

 out from under these blankets!..."

Aksel must have been dreaming cause his reply completely catches her off guard. Plus his very groggy, sleepy, eyes half shut tone makes her assume he must very well be. Maybe he just talks in his sleep....

*Aksel in a groggy tone* "If it gets any colder you and I will be spooning, sweetheart..."
Then his eyes close again as he falls back asleep...Ember lays down and gets comfortable. Trying to fall back asleep for her is another thing! Why did he have to say that?! Now all she can think about is his warm strong body pressed up against hers...
To Be continued!...

Thanks so much for tuning in and reading my blog and Mandee's blog as well...I hope you have enjoyed the story so far as we have one more series of episodes to wrap up this fun little Christmas crossover series.

See y'all in 2 weeks!
😃😃😃