Crossing Boundaries [COMPLETE]

Happy Wanderers

The plane ride to Slovenia went rather smoothly. Except for the take-off and landing, Tiffany survived not having to shriek the entire almost 9-hour flight. Perhaps it helped that they took off at night so she was tired and was out like a light after about an hour of drinking and a conversation with Chris.

Luckily, just like at Logan, the two were able to dodge the tedious and attention-grabbing security check at Ljubljana airport. By the time the plane landed, it was almost noontime in the European city. They still had to travel from the capital to their destination in Bled. Good thing they just finished a filling brunch an hour before reaching Ljubljana.

Tiffany watched while Chris put on a cap and a pair of sunglasses. It didn't matter if the skies were gloomy, the woman thought it was a part of his routine to stay as inconspicuous as possible. For a while she felt a prick in her heart. He didn't have to go through the ordeal of having to keep a low profile if not for her.

The feeling, however, melted as soon as Chris turned to her beaming. "Ready for your fairy tale town?" He walked towards her and took her hand as they head out. A black sedan was waiting for them at the foot of the plane. This would take them on a 40-minute ride to the home Tiffany booked.

As they descended the airstair, she had to clutch her parka tighter to her body since the extremely chilly air penetrated her layers of clothing making her skin tingle. Chris noticing her quiver left the hand he was clasping and wrapped his toned arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She reciprocated by wrapping an arm around his waist, as well. Instantly she felt warmer. "Better?" Chris asked his breath spewing a thick water vapor.

"Much better," Tiffany answered squeezing the side of his waist gently. The gesture made the hair at the back of his neck rise but he tried his best to compose himself.

He opened the door to the backseat of the vehicle and let her slide in first. Before getting inside, he turned to the pilot and tipped him while Tiffany gave the car rental driver the address to the Bled accommodation.

Chris had planned to sleep during the drive. He hadn't dozed off on the plane as much as the person beside her now did. He kept playing back what his mom told him before they left. He struggled to get her words out of his mind but every time he gazed at the sleeping Tiffany, they got etched deeper in his heart.

As if that wasn't enough, at the moment, he couldn't look away from her. Tiffany looked every bit a first time traveler reveling at everything her eyes could engulf. How those lovely browns widened every time she saw something pristine on the road, shot joyful arrows straight to his heart.

If only he didn't have the full beard on, his dimple would have been showing for the entire forty minutes of the trip. If he didn't have the sun specs on, Tiffany would have seen how his denim eyes glowed by simply taking in her reaction. If not for the invisible boundary between them, God knows what else he might have done.

The car slowed down before turning into a small street. Tiffany could see from the distance, the home she booked for their vacation. Without even knowing, she took Chris's right hand, sandwiched it in both of hers and held it on her stirring heart. "Almost there!" She said, trying not to shriek.

Chris snickered. He was too exhausted but never from the contentment he felt every time he's with her, the serenity he couldn't seem to find anywhere else but in her mere presence. He drove his right hand, with hers still clasping it, to his lips and pecked the back of her hand. The warmth he savored from the plain physical contact was amplified a million times more by what he did.

Unconsciously, Chris babbled under his breath, "No turning back now."

"Definitely, no turning back," Tiffany replied looking out the window. The context of her statement totally different from his.