"Come on, Jeremy!"

"No."

"Please?"

"Aelita, you know I look ridiculous. I'm not doing it again."

"You don't look that bad, really. I'm sure a little more practice will help. In fact, I think you're getting better already!"

"Really?"
"Really. Please come skate."

"…No."

Jeremy Belpois did not like skating. He liked computers, school, reading, and many more similar things. He did not like sports, singing, or Odd's jokes.

And he did not like skating. He most certainly did not like skating if it involved ice.

Why did Jim have to go through one of his suspiciously nice phases right now, and bring the class to ice skate on the frozen pond in the park? Why not later in the summer?

On Aelita's insistence, he had very reluctantly dragged himself out onto the ice, only to discover that there was no need for dragging. One slip was all that was necessary. The ice would do the rest: throwing him across the pond in an embarrassingly splayed position, which received either rude complaints or giggles. To Jeremy's chagrin, the giggles quickly turned into full-blown laughter.

'It will be fun,' she says, Jeremy thought, 'Don't worry, you'll do fine!'

That was easy for her to say. After a few clumsy attempts, she seemed to somehow glide over the ice. When he asked, half jealous and half amazed, how she could have possibly remembered how to ice skate after spending eleven years in a computer, she responded that it was kind of like riding a bike. It was almost like some pre-wired ability; all she had to do was awaken it again.

That made sense. Jeremy had never been particularly good at riding a bike. Or any kind of physical thing that required skill, really.

Okay. Scratch that: Jeremy did not just dislike ice skating; he hated it. There was only one reason he hadn't gone back to the dorms by now.

And she was happily skating circles and figure eights around impressed students as Jeremy struggled to keep up, flailing and trying to block out sniggers. Yumi occasionally skated by them using simple but comfortable looking movements and waving at them. She had previously been engaged in a snowball fight with Odd and Ulrich, but had enough when a snowball had found its way down her shirt.

A few of the nicer students gave Jeremy some tips, though most of them just commented on how much he looked like a deranged swan. As if that even made sense, Jeremy thought heatedly.

All the while, Aelita called encouragement to him, effortlessly righting Jeremy or helping him up when he became a little shaky. But seven slips, three slides, and at least two bruises later, she too was giving him that hesitant smile that indicated his lack of skill. She was even struggling not to laugh now, quite obviously, as he pitched over dramatically for what seemed like the thousandth time.

As he stomped off - or tried to, anyways; he had only taken one step before the ice deemed him incompetent and booted him off - Aelita guilty attempted to stifle giggles. He collapsed, aching, on the nearest bench to watch her skate. His cheeks were flushed from a mixture of the cold, anger, and embarrassment.

The weather was kind of nice, though, if one could ignore frozen noses and ears. The snow was still beautifully white. There were no classes tomorrow, so maybe he could spend the day with Aelita. She looked happy at the moment, twirling in circles in sync with Emily. Jeremy felt his stomach jerk in a moment of anxiousness as the girls bumped each other and fell back onto the ice dizzily, shaking. But it was from laughter.

Ice skating wasn't so bad when he was watching someone else do it. Feeling less tempered by these thoughts, Jeremy drew his legs up, wincing. He would be sore tomorrow. He shifted, trying to become as comfortable as possible, and comforted himself with thoughts of spending the day huddled with Aelita enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.

When the sun had melted to a golden color and most of the students had chosen what Jeremy was fantasizing about over the ice, he was in a considerably better mood. Aelita had also continually skated over to him at least three times in the last hour, for which Jeremy was grateful. She made quite sure that he did not want to skate with her, he would not even try, thank you very much, especially since she was laughing at him too. She had looked guilty at this but did not try to deny it.

Red-faced and weary from skating, Yumi had plopped next to him a little earlier. Her greeting:

"Why are guys so complicated?"

This had begun a serious and mutually embarrassing discussion about Ulrich and Aelita that was cut short when Aelita had showed up, arching an eyebrow. There was a look on her face that was far too knowing for Jeremy's liking. He blushed at this, though counting on the cold to justify his redness, and wondered suddenly whether Yumi's face was red from just the cold.

Aelita wobbled over to him about a half hour after that, pink-cheeked as everyone else; unlike everyone else, the color complimented her hair nicely. Jeremy smiled as she plopped down next to him with obvious weariness and contentment. She greeted him with a huff and allowed her head to fall onto Jeremy's shoulder. He stiffened at first, startled, then relaxed. Her hand had found his, their numb fingers clumsily interlaced.

And it was comfortable. Jeremy had become more used to public displays of affection when no one was paying too much attention to them, like now, though he was still bashful about initiating them.

They were content to sit in silence for a minute. At last, Jeremy asked, "Did you have fun?"

Aelita started, and Jeremy briefly wondered if she had fallen asleep. "Oh, mhmm," she murmured, though whether sleepily or distractedly, he couldn't place. It was probably a mixture of both. "Would've been more fun with you."

Jeremy felt his stomach jerk again. "But you wouldn't want to be seen with a deranged swan, would you?" And unable to contain himself as Aelita giggled, he burst out, "What does that even mean?"

Aelita swallowed her laughter. "It means that you just need a little practice."

"I practiced for almost two hours earlier."

"And you expect to master ice skating in just two hours?"

Jeremy snorted. "I expect to move up from the deranged swan level in two hours."

Aelita smiled. "You're just having trouble keeping your balance. If you come out onto the ice with me, I can help-"

"No ice," Jeremy interrupted. He didn't want to be laughed at again. "I don't want to skate, Aelita. Or fall down, more accurately."

"Just once," she pleaded, and Jeremy bit his lip. This was the part he had been dreading; he knew that Aelita would make one last attempt to get him to skate with her. "Just once. Ten minutes, and if you're not better by then, I won't bother you with it. Please?" She poured every bit of earnestness into the single word and moved back so she could look at him.

Oh, man, not the lip. Not the way she stuck out her lip... Jeremy's gaze wandered, trying desperately to avoid hers. "Aelita, don't..." But she squeezed his hand, and the intensity he knew was there drew his gaze back.

"Ten minutes," she said again. "That's all."

Jeremy really, really, really did not like ice skating.

But he also really, really, really liked Aelita.

He reached toward his watch with a sigh.

"What are you doing?" Aelita asked.

"Ten minutes. No more."

Aelita beamed, and the way she grinned mischievously and dragged him up made Jeremy regret his decision almost immediately.

I'm not going to be able to sit down tomorrow.

I'm going to drown you guys in fluff I SWEAR IT

(second part coming soon)