Disclaimer: All characters within this story are over 18 years of age
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Cold. I was so damn cold. I tossed and turned, trying to bundle myself up with my blanket in any way that would provide the most warmth. Unfortunately, I had zero luck. Wrapped up like a human burrito, I was still freezing.
The cold hard ground of the tent's floor sent chills down my spine. Ice cold night air crept around me and any part of my body not encompassed by the blanket froze. I was shivering, leaving my teeth chattering and bones shaking. I couldn't remember a time when I was ever that cold.
We were on our first family camping trip of the spring, sleeping in a large one-family tent. My parents and their two kids, my older sister Claire and I. Our family loved to camp and we made it a point to go right from the spring to autumn. We were seasoned campers, but for this trip, I had been unprepared. I was playing video games the previous morning and left packing until the last minute. In the rush I forgot my sleeping bag, leaving me in the freezing predicament I was in.
For a late spring camping trip, it was warm during the day, but got cold at night, sometimes creeping below freezing. Yet there I was in a sweater and pants, wrapped up in a thin extra blanket my mom packed for sitting next to the campfire.
I looked around the tent at my sleeping family and envied them. They were all fast asleep unaffected by the cold. We all had thermal sleeping bags that maintained warmth, so I was sure none of them even felt any signs of the cold. I was on the edge of the tent, Claire slept right next to me and then our parents were on the opposite side. "I'm so stupid," I thought to myself.
Nonetheless, there I was, trying to find any way to conserve any body heat with the blanket I was given, which proved to be an impossible task. The blanket was too thin and too small. I would feel the cold on a part of my body and shift to wrap it up in the blanket, only to leave another part exposed to the cold due to the blanket being too small.
It must have been a few hours into the night by the time Claire had had enough of my moving around. I guessed she wasn't as fast asleep as I thought she was.
"Are you ever gonna stop moving? I can't fucking sleep." She whispered, angrily.
"Sorry, I'm freezing to death here. This blanket is so thin," I responded, also whispering to not wake our parents.
I faced the wall of the tent, so Claire's voice came from behind me. I didn't bother turning to face her because I was scared to lose any heat if I moved.
"Maybe bring your sleeping bag next time."
"Ha ha..."
"Are you seriously that cold?"
"Yeah... Can't you hear my teeth chattering?"
"Just put on some more layers."
"I'm already wearing my sweater and pants. Any other clothing I would have to climb over Mom and Dad to get to my bag."
"Wow... You really are unprepared for everything."
"Okay... I don't need any more scolding."
"Well stop moving then. I can't sleep with you bumping into me or moving every ten seconds."
"I'll try not to... Night."
"Night."
Our conversation ended there. I tried one last time to wrap my blanket completely around my body to keep myself warm for the night. Unfortunately, I only lasted a few minutes before I had to switch positions again. My feet weren't completely covered and quickly became cold.
Claire let out a large sigh of frustration when my foot accidentally hit her sleeping bag.
"Okay that's it," Claire started.
"I'm sorry," I said, cutting her off.
"No, come here."
From over my shoulder, I heard Claire shifting around in her sleeping bag. Then I heard the zipper quietly being unzipped. I turned around to face her, trying to see what she was doing.
Claire faced me, resting on her forearm and holding herself sitting up. Her blonde hair was tousled around her head and hung downward. She wore an oversized t-shirt from her college and I noticed she wasn't wearing pants when I saw her holding the side of the sleeping bag open. Her bare long legs lay comfortably in the sleeping bag. She looked drowsy and annoyed, but pretty as always. Claire was a beautiful girl and even though she was my older sister I noticed it.
"Come on," She whispered while telling me to hurry up with her hand movements, "it's cold."
"What?"
"Get in, you can sleep in my sleeping bag."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I would like to get some sleep tonight."
I relented at first, not wanting to be stuffed into a single sleeping bag with my older sister, but after picturing how the rest of my night would go otherwise, I agreed.
"Okay."
I removed the blanket from on top of myself and slid over to Claire. She stopped me with her hand on my chest.
"Hold up... You're not sleeping in here with your outside clothes. Get your pjs on."
"I just have a t-shirt and boxers under this."
"That's fine. Those old pants are probably full of dirt and shit."
"Freak."
"You know what, maybe you can keep using the blanket."
"Okay, okay, I'm taking 'em off."
I stripped my sweater and pants off, piling them in the corner of the tent. I was left in only my T-shirt and boxers. The night air was nipping at my skin, so I hurriedly squirmed to Claire and zipped the sleeping bag closed around us.
Claire's sleeping bag was meant to hold heat and immediately I could feel the warmth soothing my body.
"Ahhh... This is better," I admitted.
"You're welcome."
"Thanks."
"Night."
"Night."
The sleeping bag left a little wiggle room. Claire and I weren't squished together within it, but we were slightly touching at the hip and shoulder. However, I didn't mind at all because the warmth emanating from her body was relaxing.
Very quickly my body forgot the terrible feeling of being extremely cold and I was getting comfortable. I couldn't help but appreciate how kind Claire was in allowing me to sleep with her.
She was always a motherly older sister that looked after me. Aside from annoying each other at times, our sibling relationship was loving. We cared for and appreciated one another. I would have to find a way to make it up to her for allowing me to sleep with her.
We attempted to sleep side by side for a while, but it proved to be challenging. We were stretching the sleeping bag as far as it could go horizontally and it was compressing against both of our chests.
Eventually, we decided to sleep on our sides, back to back. That way we created slightly more room to breathe. Quickly, Claire was falling asleep as I heard her breath soften and space out.
I was relaxed and sharing Claire's warmth. I could feel her backside pressed against mine. Her t-shirt covered back, expanding and withdrawing with each breath.
I was also feeling her butt pressed against my lower back. Normally I would have been weirded out by that contact. Even sleeping so close to Claire felt awkward, but I didn't care because I knew the alternative was freezing.
Before I knew it I passed out and reawakened sometime later that night. I realized quickly that what woke me was Claire's movements. She was changing her position and it shook me slightly, enough to wake me.
I felt Claire's arm hug me, followed by her body pressing up against me. She was spooning me. I looked over my shoulder out of curiosity. I wondered if Claire was awake or sleeping.
Claire must've seen me look at her in the dark, so she said, "Sorry... This is better."
I didn't respond, neither agreeing nor denying. I just tried to fall back asleep. Very quickly, I found I loved being spooned like this by Claire. I felt safe and sound in her arms. My protective big sister who allowed me to join her in her sleeping bag was now holding me so dearly. I was comfortable and I drifted to sleep straight away.
Once again I was awakened in the night. Unfortunately, this time my arm had fallen asleep. I couldn't even feel my arm anymore as I tried to shake it awake. I was sleeping on my side for too long, cutting off the circulation, so I needed to adjust my position. I would have to turn to my other side.
Claire still clung onto my back and had her arm around me holding my chest. I had to turn and face her. Trying not to wake her, I turned slowly. My efforts were for not because Claire was woken up immediately by my movements.
"Sorry, arm fell asleep. I can't feel it," I told the groggy Claire.
"It's okay. Here we can sleep like this."
Claire grabbed my numb arm and flipped around, placing my arm around her shirt-covered tummy. We had traded positions and now I was the big spoon. I held Claire with my arm and she cuddled close to my chest. My hand rested on her firm belly.
Within minutes Claire seemed to have fallen back asleep, but I was unable to. I was cuddling with Claire, my kind older sister, holding her warm body against me. The natural smell of her hair filled my nostrils. I could feel every one of her breaths against my chest as her back expanded into me.