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Prompt: sweaters & bonfires

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those dark autumn nights

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It felt almost like old times, but better, as almost everyone gathered on the roof to enjoy a bonfire as the chillier weather set in.

Schmidt stood as he loudly explained the proper way to make s'mores and Cece tried her best to make her husband shut up, while everyone else rolled their eyes and huddled closer to the fire pit.

A sudden cold breeze made Jess shiver noticeably and she began rubbing her arms for warmth in her light sweater. She couldn't get any closer to the fire without actually being in it.

"That's never going to work," Nick's deep voice said in her ear, as he shook his head and began to remove his large green hoodie.

Jess' face scrunched in confusion. "What?"

"You're cold," he said and passed the hoodie over, "put it on."

She took it with a smile and quickly put it on, snuggling into it, taking in the comforting scent of Nick. "Thank you," she whispered and looked at him from under her bangs.

He opened his mouth to respond when Schmidt's voice reached screeching pitch to compete with the loud interruptions from both Winston and Cece. It had them sharing a familiar look that spoke volumes about the ever present chaos that was their loft. Quickly, as not to draw Schmidt's ire towards them, Jess leaned over to press a soft kiss to Nick's lips.

"Let me tell you what Winnie don't understand," yelled Winston, finally drowning out the other two. "Winnie don't understand why Ferguson was excluded from being here. He's a member of the loft, isn't he? You couples just wanna rub it in poor Winnie's face that Aly couldn't be here!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Winston!" demanded Schmidt in his prissy tone, while Cece's head fell into her hands. "That cat was never invited. It would have offset the feel I was expertly going for! Or your feline companion would have knocked over the fire, allowing something tragic to befall us, such as burning one half of Nick's chubby body and ruining all the work I went through to get the perfect lighting for my goddess."

"Gee, thanks Schmidt," grouched Nick, only to be waved off by the irate man.

Jess moved from her own cheap lawn chair to sit on Nick's lap, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as his own banded around her waist. She tilted her head to light kiss on his jaw and drag her nails through the hair on his neck to sooth him, feeling his arms tighten in response.

Ignoring the escalating argument between Schmidt and Winston, much like it seemed Cece had, Jess whispered in his ear. "You want to go back inside and enjoy kind of having the loft to ourselves?"

He huffed a laugh that made his chest vibrate. "Yeah," he whispered back, moving his eyes over the scene in front of them. Nick then stood and held her in his arms, "that actually sounds perfect."

As Nick carried her back inside the only one to notice was Cece, who simply winked at them with a smile.

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[End]