Below Zero

Chapter 1

Kurt Hummel was the youngest fashion designer to feature at the New York City Fashion Week, and at only 22 years old his clothes were in high demand. After graduation, Kurt had entered the prestigious program at Parsons Fashion College and with his foot in the door as an intern at Vogue.com, it hadn't been long at all until he started to get noticed by the fashion world. It had been a dream come true for Kurt and he couldn't be happier with how his life had panned out over the last couple years.

          When he first arrived in New York, he was a bit intimidated despite being in the city of his dreams and he had felt very much like the big city would swallow him and spit him out. But the opposite happened. He flourished in the city that he loved and the city seemed to love him back. After spending so much time in his hometown Lima, Ohio being bullied and pushed around, it was amazing to be in a place where he was truly appreciated. And honestly he couldn't be any happier.

In fact right now he was having quite literally the best time of his life. Just two weeks ago he married the man of his dreams and they were currently on an extended honeymoon. Kurt was in his final year of Parsons when he met Alberto Cruz, and it was easy to say that the man had swept him off his feet both literally and figuratively. Kurt never dated when he still lived in Ohio, and he never expected to find a man so fast let alone get married.

Alberto was ten years Kurt's senior, but that never really mattered to him, if anything the age difference was part of what attracted Kurt. Alberto was wise beyond his years, drop dead handsome, and best of all he loved him in a way that Kurt only dreamed of having in a relationship. It was not long at all before he fell hard and when Alberto proposed after his first fashion show, Kurt was happy to plan his dream wedding.

“Hey baby, what are you doing?”

Kurt was pulled out of his thoughts and smiled up at his new husband. “Oh, just thinking.”

Alberto smiled down at Kurt and kissed him quickly. “You're too pretty to be thinking so hard. It will give you wrinkles.”

Kurt laughed. “Well then I will work harder on my moisturizing ritual,” he joked.

“Or we can get ready and leave,” Alberto said. “We've already docked, and I'm sure you are ready to shop in the city.”

Kurt scoffed. “Please, as if there will be any high fashion in a frontier town in the middle of Alaska. What did you say this town is called?”

“Skagway,” Alberto said rolling his eyes at his new husband. “Get ready, to go.”

Kurt sighed, opening his suitcase to look over his collection of scarves. “I still can't believe you wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise on our honeymoon.”

“We already did what you wanted and spent time in Paris and L.A. It is my turn, and I wanted to come here,” Alberto said, daring Kurt to argue.

“Fine,” Kurt pouted, stepping into the bathroom to get ready.

Alberto watched him go, a strange expression on his face. Soon, he thought.

__________

“Where exactly are we going?” Kurt asked, bored out of his mind as he watched the scenery below. “We've been on this plane for ages.”

“We will be there soon,” Alberto said, biting his tongue to keep from yelling.

“And where exactly is there?” Kurt asked, more than a little bored and frustrated with how his day had gone. “Are we even going to make it back to the ship on time?”

“We're fine, stop worrying,” Alberto said shortly.

Kurt was distracted from any retort he was going to make because at that moment the plane started its descent. Minutes later the plane landed on its floats in the middle of a large lake.

“And where are we and what are we doing here?” Kurt asked, not seeing anything but wilderness as far as he could see.

“Where is your sense of adventure?” Alberto challenged. “We are in one of the most beautiful places in the world and I thought that going for a hike would be fun.”

“Alberto, I'm not even wearing the right shoes,” Kurt said indicating his high heeled boots.

“It will be fine, we won't be hiking for long,” Alberto said.

A few minutes later the pilot pulled up to a sandbar where Kurt scoffed getting his shoes a little wet as he disembarked.

“Seriously, you owe me big for this one,” Kurt said frowning.

“Come on,” Alberto said leading Kurt down a game trail that lead directly into the dense forest.

“I fail to see this fun you were talking about,” Kurt said, angrily swatting at mosquitoes while he picked his way through the underbrush.

“Just wait,” Alberto said glancing back at Kurt. He could see the pilot following behind Kurt slowly, a rock in his hand.

“Wait for what? The bears to eat me? Though good luck to them getting anything after the mosquitoes have drained me dry!” Kurt snapped.

 And then before Alberto could reply, the pilot struck bringing the rock down hard and knocking Kurt out instantly.

“Took you long enough,” Alberto said glaring at the pilot as he walked back to Kurt. He leaned down to kneel at his husband's side, feeling a pulse. That wouldn't do at all. He reached a hand out to the pilot.

The pilot pulled a handgun out of his hip holster but didn't hand it over to Alberto immediately. “Are you sure you need to do that?”

“Of course I do. The only way I can collected his money is if he's dead,” Alberto said still holding out his hand.

“But he's as good as dead out here already,” the pilot pointed out. “There isn't a human for miles, and if the predators don't get him then the hunger or the elements will. He's not anywhere close to being able to survive this.”

Alberto hesitated for a moment and looked down at his pale husband. A bloody bump was forming on the back of his head and Kurt looked so fragile. The pilot was right. There was no way in the world Kurt could survive this on his own. He nodded.

“ Let's go.”

__________

As the float plane engine started and the plane took off, Kurt stiffed from where he fell. He had a terrible headache and couldn't exactly remember what happened. He sat up, swatting at the mosquitoes irritably, though it was apparent he already had several bites.

“Alberto?” Kurt asked, looking around for his husband. He reached out to grab hold of a tree as he pulled himself shakily to his feet. He walked slowly following the game trail back the way he came, calling out for his husband every couple of minutes. It wasn't until he reached the lake again, and saw the grooves in the dirt where the plane had been and no sign of the plane, that the horror of his situation finally dawned on him.

He was stranded in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.