A Mid-Winter's Hero
Synopsis: Snowballs, students and Elizabeth. What could possibly go wrong?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Hallmark and Janette own it all!
MountieJack!Liza adorable fluffiness.
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"Please, Teacher? Won't you come and play with us?"
Two words that Elizabeth had always wanted to hear from her students, and that was "Come Play!" It took all of five minutes, and with the promise extracted that she could play until Mountie Jack came to pick her up, and that the teams would be boys and girls for the snowball fight.
It was a fast and furious fight, Elizabeth losing track of time until she heard a very distinctive laugh from behind her. Her head whisked around to find the culprit and got hit in the face with a flying snowball for her trouble. With a slightly embarrassed laugh, Elizabeth caught Jack's eyes twinkling at her with amusement.
"A snowball fight?" he asked, chuckling.
Elizabeth shrugged her eyes shining back at him and silly grin on her face that would not disappear. She didn't know that she always had this look when Mountie Jack was around, and none of the children felt that they were brave enough to point it out – especially when Mountie Jack was just as bad.
Jack broke their connection as he scooped up a snowball and lobbed it at her, all in one quick motion.
"Jack!"
With a laugh and a subtle nod of challenge, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, it's on."
Jack merely smirked and mockingly half bowed. "As you wish, Miss Thatcher," and dove out of the way before she could smack him, running for the other students.
Just as Elizabeth was about to give chase, a warm body ran into her, sending her tumbling into the snow – startled, and slightly embarrassed. Slowly sitting up, she brushed herself off and blinked the snow out of her eyes, not even realizing that her hat had been knocked clean off her head.
Not even a second later and Jack was there at her side, leaning down to her level, his face worried. "Are you alright, Elizabeth?"
The student who had run into her looked like he was on the edge of tears. "I didn't mean to," Timmy whispered, horrified.
Elizabeth shook her head to clear it, and smiled sweetly at Timmy. "Of course you didn't, Sweetheart. I should have looked where I was going," she comforted with a shaky laugh.
Jack offered her a hand and Timmy an encouraging smile. "Good things teachers are made of chalk dust and slates," he teased. Elizabeth pulled away with a mock smile as Timmy ran off to join his friends.
"Jack Thornton, you take that back."
Jack merely grinned at her. "Did I say teachers? I meant sugar and spice."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, unable to help the slight flush to her cheeks, and then realized that she was still sitting down in the cold, wet snow. The Constable was definitely dangerous. And he was still holing out his hand, patiently waiting.
Elizabeth gingerly took his hand and as if sensing her reluctance to move – and possibly with worried that she might have injured herself – Jack gently eased her up onto her feet, moving to wrap his arms around her more securely. For a moment she rested in his arms, her grip on him tight, his own hands gently brushing off bits of snow from her clothes and hair that was now loose.
It was comfortable, safe and pleasant, and Elizabeth decided right then and there that this was her favourite place to be.
Her eyes were intent on him as he gently cupped her now fire-engine red cheek, his fingers slowly drifting up to brush snow from her eyelashes. "Are you okay," he murmured. Maybe it was their closeness, but his voice was lower than usual. Elizabeth felt a tingle go up and down her spine.
"I'm fine, Jack," her own voice lowering to a whisper. They were standing so close together she could see the warm breath from his lips hit the freezing air.
"Want to try walking?" Jack maintained the steady amused smile, like he knew a secret that she didn't, and it not only infuriated her but made her adore him more. As it was, she let out a derisive snort.
"I don't need to try," she came back with as much dignity as she could muster. His smile only grew.
"What?" she finally asked defeated.
"May I have my arms back then, at least?" Jack gently asked, a chuckle rising from his lips as he gently brushed his forehead against hers.
Elizabeth blushed and jolted as soon as she realized that she had been indeed clinging onto Jack as though he was her lifeline, and although it was proper, she was incredibly reluctant to release her hold on him.
With a sigh that he felt by his broad grin, she let him go and slowly backed away – only to fall with a sharp cry.
All teasing vanished as Jack caught her before she hit the ground, easily scooping her up into his arms the next second. The children all glanced over at their teacher's squeal, and much to her mortification, started clapping and whistling.
Elizabeth tucked her head tightly into Jack's chest, feeling things couldn't get any worse, until she felt his chuckle shaking her lightly.
"This is not funny," she mumbled against his coat, and felt him start to walk.
"It is a little," he conceded.
"Fine, put me down and I'll walk."
"Not on your life," he warned, and she felt something brush against the tip of her head.
Elizabeth sighed and let it go for now, knowing how truly concerned Jack was that something might be wrong, and secretly enjoyed being carried.
"Thank you," she said softly, after a long comfortable silence.
"For what?" his voice held a hint of a smile – she knew him well enough to tell without looking.
"For rescuing me." She peered up at him through her lashes and gave a timid smile.
Jack grinned back. "Always."
He walked in silence for a while again, although she noticed his grip tightened as he drew her closer to him. "Penny for your thoughts?" she asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm," Jack replied, and slowed to a stop.
Elizabeth lifted her head to look at him, her arms firmly around his neck.
"I'm thinking that this is the perfect time to steal a kiss," he told her with a crooked smile, his eyes dancing. "You can't run away."
Elizabeth laughed then, loud and light across the snow – right until his lips met hers. It was sweet and gentle, not unlike their previous stolen moments, and despite the attraction and feeling that had fueled it in the first place, Elizabeth could tell that Jack was worried too.
Her hand reached up to cup his cheek, despite the slight awkwardness in positioning for both of them. "I'm fine, Jack. I'm sure my foot just got twisted," she sighed against his lips, trying to ease his fear.
Jack shot Elizabeth a crooked smile back, causing her heart to stutter. "You are dangerous," she sputtered before she realized she was saying her thoughts out loud, and the next moment could have died of embarrassment as Jack threw his head back, laughing. She gently rested her head against his shoulder one last time, trying to cool her burning cheeks.
"You can put me down now please, Jack," Elizabeth whispered, but he still managed to hear her.
"Elizabeth, I don't think you can walk," he told her, all laughter subsiding. "I honestly don't mind carrying you."
"I think I'll be fine," she replied back evenly, prepared to deal with pain at the cost of her humiliation.
Jack frowned down at her. "Elizabeth, I don't think you're hearing me. You are not well enough to walk, and I'm not going to let you hurt yourself even more because you're too stubborn."
Elizabeth made a fist with her hand, cheeks burning with something other than embarrassment now. "Jack," she replied with steel in her voice, "Please put me down."
Jack shook his head, just as determined. "No, I am not putting you down until we reach your row house."
Fuming, because she knew he wouldn't let her down and even she knew that she wasn't strong enough to try and get down on her own, she scowled, huffed, and stared straight ahead, refusing to look up at him.
Elizabeth felt Jack sigh better than she heard it, but he remained quiet, and the rest of the walk was silent, but no longer comfortable.
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As soon as Jack approached her row house with Elizabeth in tow, she gently nudged him. "I'm okay now, really, Jack." Her posture still stiff in his arms, her voice as cool as an iceberg, no one would have ever thought they were courting. This was something he needed to fix, immediately.
Jack raised an eyebrow down at Elizabeth, not believing for a second that she was okay as she said, but not really sure what had happened to change her disposition towards him. Elizabeth stared back at him, her cheeks flushed, her neck turning that beautiful red tinge when she was embarrassed that she didn't even know about –
Ah. She was embarrassed about something. Something that had occurred on their walk? They had been having a great time, joking, laughing – oh.
With a silent chuckle that he knew would most definitely infuriate her even more, he nudged her front door open and shook his boots of snow at the step, all without letting her go. Before she could even open her mouth to protest, he carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom, finally releasing her down gently onto her bed.
He took a seat beside her, and took her hand. "May I inspect your foot now, Miss Thatcher?" Jack refused to look around her bedroom – it would definitely take his attention and intentions away from the task at hand, not that he would mind. Instead, he kept his eyes intent on Elizabeth, which was even more distracting, seeing her lying on a bed in front of him. Before he could get too much into his daydream, she shrugged.
"If you like, Constable." Her voice was still tight.
Jack shook his head and smiled, trying to earn one in return and gently moved his hand over foot, lightly examining. He would be the last one to admit that he paid more attention to a sigh or tremor from her than even a shift from an average patient, but it was true nonetheless. His hands, although calloused, were definitely gentle as he skimmed her skin, trying to ignore the perfection he found in a simple ankle. Yes, he was lost.
Finding no broken bones, he gave a deep sigh of relief and gave her a reassuring smile. "No broken bones, Elizabeth, so I guess we only have one thing left to discuss." His eyes were kind and patient, waiting for her reply.
"What would that be?" her voice broke hesitantly, slightly puzzled.
Jack released her foot and took her hand, intertwining their fingers and raising the back of her hand to his mouth, lightly brushing it with his lips, his heart both pounding and peaceful, at odds in her presence. He felt her breathing accelerate and he slid forward, close until they were almost nose to nose. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed.
"I'm not the only dangerous one." The words were a whisper, a delightful tingle between them.
Elizabeth's eyes flicked open, her mouth pursed in a delightfully surprised 'Oh'. "What do you mean?"
Jack sighed, his own eyes closing. "Why do you think you made me laugh so hard? You, you are so dangerous, Elizabeth, I forget where I am, I lose track of everything. Right before you said that to me, I almost fell over because of that kiss. Why do you think I had to stop walking?"
A gentle hand touched his chin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Open your eyes," a soft whisper.
Jack had barely obeyed her before her small hands were tugging him close to her, lips against his with a passion that had never experienced. Never - before her.
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They spent a happy afternoon this way, talking, laughing, touching - and much to Jack's insistence – kissing, and when evening came, Jack gave Elizabeth one last lingering kiss that destroyed all others with a deliciousness that made her toes curl. With a promise of breakfast tomorrow before rounds, a pillow and a cold cloth for her sore ankle, and whispers of more to come, he tucked his beloved into bed and sent his hound to keep guard over her in the night as she slept.
The dreams were so sweet and the memories of the day were so loved, that the pain and awkwardness of the afternoon soon faded into non-existent hours, never to be mentioned, save the occasional teasing of the student, or the secret smile of enjoyment that a twisted ankle could bring.
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Hope you like!