Jacques moped by his partner's side in the frigid Arctic air, watching the teams mingle by the chillier-than-normal Chill Zone. Second place to those brainless surfers—how pathetic! Josée was still fuming so hard he thought she might melt the snow around their feet. The wind picked up a little and blew snowflakes around the crowd with new fervor, and Jacques stepped forward absentmindedly to block Josée from the mild inconvenience of the biting cold gusts. The cold didn't faze either of them much, but even a tiny, chapped crack on his partner's perfect lips was unforgiveable. Don returned to the Chill Zone on a snowmobile, making Jacques look up, though Josée continued to sneer at the ground.
"Okay guys," Don started, smiling just a tad too big. "I know you're all ready to get to the hotel and warm up…!"
Everyone seemed to relax a little at the idea of a warm, comfy hotel room. Don relished in breaking their dreams;
"Too bad that there's no hotels in the Arctic Circle! Silly." Don laughed while everyone else looked shocked. Where did he expect them to sleep then? As if answering the collective question, Don stepped back, and Jacques finally bothered to notice the crates that had been towed in behind the snowmobile. Josée had stopped steaming long enough to notice too. Don grabbed a few crowbars and tossed them at the unsure teams' feet.
"Because there's nowhere else to stay, you'll be sleeping in the igloos you built today! Isn't that fun?" Don smiled again, bringing his hands up to his chin in mock excitement. Half the crowd was still in shock, while the other half was already looking angry.
"And how do you expect us to survive in this oncoming blizzard!" Josée growled, with some agreement from other competitors. Don patted his hands at the growing upset.
"If you built your igloo to the local's approval, then you should be fine! Nice and hardy shelter. Besides…!" He grinned and gestured to the crates. "I brought you some blankets and food! Isn't that nice of me?"
He was greeted with unenthusiastic grumbling.
"I sure am! Now come on, first come first serve." Don informed them calmly, but quickly wailed and tried to get out of the way as Stephanie, Macarthur, and Josée charged for the crowbars and then crates with determined war cries. Everyone followed suit, and Jacques was quickly at Josée's side, helping her pry open one of the crates. Though he was able to unhinge the top off neatly, the walls of the box were rapidly pulled apart by Josée and other vicious competitors. Soon there was a large pile of bedding, food supplies, and broken wood scattered together in the snow. Jacques stood out of Josée's way while she fought with everyone for what she regarded as important, and did his best to catch everything she hurled out to him.
By the time Josée left the fray, Jacques was wearing a pot on his head and several cloaks worth of sheets, with an armful of cans and some chunks of palette. He blinked in confusion at his situation, but quickly snapped back to reality when Josée grabbed him by the vest and started dragging him towards where the igloos were waiting. She glared at the snowflakes swirling around them faster. This was going to be a long trek back.
It was almost dark by the time they reached their would-be camping grounds. Josée cursed the Arctic's fast setting sun, but they managed to find their igloo in the dim light—they had signed it, of course! Etched into one of the ice blocks was both of their cursive, flashy signatures, perfected from years of practice.
"Home sweet home." Jacques mused from beneath his outfit of survival supplies. Josée huffed and pointed to the snowed over entrance.
"What are you waiting for? Get digging!" She frowned at him, pointing again for emphasis. Jacques gave her a confused expression.
"But where do I put the supplies then?" He leaned down to ask her, when a sleet of snow smacked him in the face. Josée didn't seem very impressed. She swiped the snow from his face in one motion.
"Don't pretend like you can't hold this and dig!" She snipped at him, before pointing again, more aggressively this time. "Dig!"
Jacques pouted at her angrily. She sure was testy after every loss in this competition. It's not like it was his idea to try and play mind games with the surfers! But he did as he was told (as usual) and knelt down into the snow. He shifted the pile of supplies to his left hand, and started to dig out the igloo entrance with his right. With his large arms, it only took a few scoops before it was decently cleared.
Upon Josée's orders, he started stuffing everything she'd pillaged into their icy den. As he finished, more teams started arriving, and Josée watched them with little interest. The "Pros" were having trouble getting into their igloo with Owen's large stomach, and as he tried to cram himself in, he promptly farted on Noah and then the igloo collapsed on him. Josée blinked in surprise by how fast it happened, but smirked at their disadvantage as the Sisters came to try and help them. Maybe they'd freeze, and she and Jacques would be another step closer to winning! The thought warmed her up a little.
As if specifically to spoil her mood, Macarthur piped up from across the site.
"Good luck keeping warm with no meat on your bones, Princess!" She laughed while Sanders drug herself into their igloo. Josée and Jacques both sneered at her. Jacques wanted to inform her that he and Josée were accustomed to the cold, and were barely cold as it was, but Josée spoke up first.
"Oh yes, I supposed we can't all have a thick layer of blubber! Perhaps if your partner gets cold enough she can husk you and sleep in your gullet instead." Josée crossed her arms with a mean smile before crawling into the igloo, followed by a smug Jacques. Sanders poked her head out and Macarthur looked down to her in confusion.
"She says that like it's a bad thing." Macarthur said while she knelt down to get in, earning a concerned look from her partner.
Jacques' arrogant expression quickly changed to one of confusion when he only made it halfway inside the igloo. Josée was already digging a little hole in the snow to start the fire, not noticing her partner struggling to free himself from the narrow entrance. Jacques wriggled his shoulders and kicked his legs, but only managed to turn in circles several times.
"Ah, Josée? Could you give me a hand?" He looked up at her, now laying on his back. Josée didn't bother to look up, instead focusing on rubbing two crate pieces together.
"Jacques I'm very busy, obviously." She frowned at the wood, rubbing faster as it still refused to light. Jacques looked around in worry, and tried again to push himself in. His stupid, beautiful broad shoulders! They might be good for Josée to sit on but they were definitely no help in squeezing into tight spaces.
Outside, Brody and Geoff were having a snowball fight, apparently unconcerned with the oncoming blizzard. Brody ran past the Ice Dancers igloo, and tripped over Jacques flailing legs, making Jacques shriek and rocket out of the entryway. He slid past Josée at high speed and slammed into the wall of their igloo, and by some miracle it didn't collapse.
"Ugh, Jacques stop fooling around! This stupide wood won't catch fire!" Josée screamed in frustration and threw both pieces into the hole violently. Immediately they ignited into a healthy little fire. Josée blinked a second before smiling in delight. "Never mind."
Jacques sat up and rubbed his head, looking at the entrance in fear.
"Josée something tried to grab me!" He huddled closer to her, still watching the opening in case something tried to come inside. Josée smiled happily as she tossed more wood into their pit.
"Jacques don't be dumb, it was probably just the wind." She offered. Jacques shook his head frantically.
"It was not Josée! It was heavy and—" Jacques tried to explain, but Josée cut him off.
"Shush!" She shoved a pot into his arms. "Start cooking, I'm starving."
Jacques pouted at the entrance again before piling snow frantically into it, closing them in.
"Good idea, Jacques. That should keep the wind out." Josée nodded, laying out all the bedding she managed to grab. Jacques beamed, always excited to be praised by his partner, and quickly set up on the task of dinner. Or, what would have to settle as dinner. He hardly called anything canned 'food' let alone 'dinner'
Jacques was a wonderful cook, and always cooked for Josée and himself back in Montreal. He managed to turn canned meat (he couldn't even bring himself to look at the list of ingredients in it) and a few cans of vegetables into a decent soup. Despite how disgusted he and Josée were at the sight of it, it was leagues better than whatever everyone else was having tonight. Josée had also managed to snag a can of peach preserves, and with a little caramelizing, they'd make tonight's dessert.
"Hmph." Josée growled next to Jacques, spooning some soup into her mouth from their shared pot. "You'd think we'd come in last with accommodations like this!"
"I know." Jacques huffed, stirring the pot again. He leaned in closer to Josée, enjoying the warmth of their shared bitterness. "He'll get his chouchou, don't worry."
Josée smiled at the nickname. Only when the cameras were off did she let him be as unprofessionally affectionate as he wanted. Jacques smiled as she rested against him, and leaned down to kiss at her ear, making her cheeks burn a little. Okay, maybe not as affectionate as he wanted. She shoved him off lightly and went back to eating, but Jacques was already transfixed. Slowly, he walked his fingers over and started rubbing her thigh softly.
"You know…" He leaned down to her ear again, smiling as he spoke. "I 'aven't gotten to see you in tights in a long while."
Josée couldn't help but return the smile. She closed her eyes and lowered her head a little, nuzzling closer to him. Jacques rubbed his nose to her temple, already forgetting any resentment about her snippy comments from earlier. He pressed a kiss to her temple and ran his hand up her thigh and calf, appreciating her muscular leg hidden beneath a thin layer of professional grade, insulated tights. His fingers started to wander toward her inner thigh, and Josée let out a high pitch giggle before slapping his hand away.
"Jacques!" She turned to him so they were nose to nose, and smiled up at him with an excited glint in her eyes. "Behave yourself."
"Ehh? What for?" He gave her a cheeky grin. "There are no cameras in 'ere, bébé. Just you and I..."
He tried to kiss her, but got two petite fingers against his lips instead. He stared past his nose at his partner's devious smile.
"Patience, nounours." She smiled wider before returning to her meal. Jacques felt his heart flutter at her using one of her nicknames for him too. Maybe he had misjudged how long Josée's nasty mood would last.
Jacques sucked down the last of the caramelized peaches, relishing despite himself at overly sweet, syrupy goodness. Josée ignored his weakness for sweets in favor of curling up in the pile of blankets they had laid out over the snow. The temperature in the igloo had climbed to a comfortable 40 or 50 degrees, which was plenty warm enough for two Quebecois ice dancers. Josée felt comfortable enough to remove her gloves, shoes, and vest, and bundled up under a few blankets. Jacques felt even warmer watching her burrow like a cute little snow bunny. He licked any remaining syrup off his lips and followed Josée's lead, placing his sneakers next to her flats, and piling their vests together like a makeshift pillow.
Josée rolled over to face him as he laid down with his back to the igloo wall, apparently appreciative of the 'pillow'. Jacques grinned at her and joined her under the blankets, jamming his arm under their vests and resting his hand under his head. Josée laughed softly and laid her head on his bicep, which offered more proper elevation of her head and neck.
"All cuddly, mon petit chou?" Jacques cooed at her, wrapping his free arm around her back. She sighed and nodded gently. Her arms buried into the space between his pectoral and their makeshift mattress, and she pressed her brow against his collar. Jacques couldn't help but giggle. She was the cutest thing on Earth! He closed his eyes and idly rubbed up and down her side, then got sidetracked with her thigh again. Instead of pushing him away, this time Josée brought her leg up to rest on his hip, making it easier for him to massage her. Jacques giggled again and groped over her thigh and calf, rubbing his palm up and down the length of her leg lazily between squeezes.
"Jacques…" Josée sighed, trying to sound annoyed despite the gentleness in her tone. Jacques only hummed in reply, making Josée laugh softly. She pulled back and rested her hands on his chest. "What is your fascination with my tights?"
"You just look so gorgeous in them, Josée." Jacques smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. "It really sells the look of… professional ice dancer."
Josée laughed and threw her arms around his neck, dragging him down into another kiss. This one lasted much longer, accompanied by muffled giggling. A sudden yell made their eyes open, but their lips remained connected. They listened and realized as it continued that it was the Daters fighting a few igloos over. Jacques rolled his eyes and mumbled against her lips.
"Someone's not having as warm of an evening as us, chouchou." He continued their kissing, and Josée hummed approvingly.
"Or maybe too warm of an evening." She snickered in between kisses. With a little rocking and swaying, Jacques ended up on his back, with Josée straddling his right leg. He ran his hands up and down her back, then tentatively over her backside. Josée didn't object, and only groped through his hair passionately as he continued. Jacques' eyes rolled back in his head halfway from the feeling. Most nights after a loss Josée wouldn't be so affectionate, but he wasn't about to bring that to her attention.
Jacques sighed her name and squeezed her thighs again. Josée sighed his name back in reply, and petted around his neck and ears. The soft sound of the fire cracking and the wind whipping outside didn't go unnoticed by either dancer, and they smiled at the cliché ambience. They loved to perform with their 'romance', and were delighted when their life played like a movie.
"Reminds me of when we would stay up at the cabin, non?" Jacques grinned at her again. Josée giggled and pecked the side of his mouth before curling up against his side again.
"Mmm, oui, it does remind me of that." She sighed contently, remembering the many occasions she joined Jacques' family at their winter cabin. During their teen years, it became a rather romantic backdrop for their budding physical relationship—not that his family knew that. Or, knew the full extent of it, anyway.
She was disrupted from her memories by Jacques giving her a tight hug. She hummed again and kissed his neck, making his shiver and giggle. Josée clicked her tongue teasingly.
"Go to bed, Jacques. We have to win gold tomorrow or I'll just scream." She bundled up more, kicking her legs out before pulling them back up to her chest. Jacques smiled at her balled up against his chest, and brought his legs up to spoon her closer to him.
"We will, Josée. Don't worry." He gave her one last kiss on the head, which seemed to be the final bit of pacifying she needed. She quickly fell asleep in his arms, and Jacques joined soon after, enjoying the hushed sound of the blizzard outside until sleep took him as well.