"Me too." Jasper gives me a gentle kiss and then pulls away. "I need to take care of the condom, and then we should go to the shared bathroom before bed."
Once we return to our room, we get into our sleeping bags. Jasper pulls the blankets up on top of us and kisses my forehead. It's a strange feeling, lying up against someone in the cold and yet feeling so warm inside.
"Let me know if it gets too cold, okay?” His quiet words tell me.
"I'll do that. Don’t you worry.”
“I always will when it comes to you, Muru.”
* * *
“I can’t believe we’re back.” I sigh as the airplane touches down at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport the following afternoon. After weeks of planning and preparation, I have now been to Lapland. Even though my plans and travel companion changed at the last minute, the trip was everything I wished for and more.
“It’s even harder to believe that it’s only been ten days since the last time we were here,” Jasper says, talking about the airport where our shared holiday in Finland started.
“Still feels like yesterday, yet so much has happened.”
“Definitely. At least this time I get to do this,” Jasper comments and lands a kiss on my lips.
I laugh against his lips. “My favorite change since then.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
The seatbelt light goes off, and we unbuckle ours but stay seated in the first row. Jasper has been wearing sunglasses the entire flight, although we both know those don’t make him unrecognizable.
As we watch people get off the airplane, I think about how we are on another flight tomorrow but on our way back home to New York. It must be tougher on Jasper since he’s leaving behind his other home.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” I ask him quietly.
His shoulders tense. “No, but I know it needs to be done. I can’t stay in Finland much longer.”
“When can you get on the ice again?”
“Tomorrow,” Jasper sighs. “But once we arrive, I won’t have the energy for it, so I’ll wait until the next morning.”
“That sounds like a good plan. Do you want to spend the night at my place?”
“Sure. Where do you live?”
I laugh, not believing that this never came up. “We never discussed it. But I live in Tribeca.”
“You live in Manhattan?” He sounds hopeful.
“Yes. I’ve been thinking of moving to Brooklyn, closer to our legal office.”
“It would be a shame if you moved across the river as I also live in Manhattan. You staying there makes sleepovers easier when I don’t have to travel an hour to see you.” Jasper winks, and I roll my eyes playfully.
We both know that said sleepovers won’t include that much sleeping if our trip to Lapland was any indicator. I can’t resist him, and I doubt it’ll change anytime soon.
And lucky me, he feels the same.
22
FROM HELSINKI WITH LOVE, JASPER
JASPER
Holding hands, Vivian and I make our way to the baggage carousel hall to wait for our suitcases. Even though I love traveling, the idea of my own bed sounds tempting right now. But I already made plans with my cousin and can’t ghost him and our mutual friends tonight. It’s also only noon, so there’s plenty of time to go before bedtime.
