A Romantic Winter?

Chapter 9

Hey. Thanks for all the great reviews, here's a nice little chapter for you. Enjoy.

It was winter 24th, more commonly known as the Starry Night Festival. It was that one night each year when every couple, courting or married, would get together to watch a clear starry night and enjoy dinner together.

Jill had finished work particularly early that day, it may have been because she'd been trying to keep her mind distracted so therefore working harder. As she re-entered her house, about to continue with her regime of getting washed, cooking dinner etcetera, she noticed a small, carefully folded piece of paper laid neatly on her table. Without having to think twice about who it could've been from, Jill pushed back her fringe and unfolded it gently. As she read her mood somehow seemed to enlighten, an effect he usually had on her anyway and it was obvious he wanted to make things up to her.

Darling Jillian,

I never spend this festival alone, and tonight there is no-body I'd rather be with. Meet me by the Goddess pond, don't keep me waiting!

Your Phantom Skye…x

A sudden twinge of both excitement and something else hit Jill suddenly as she let the piece of paper flutter softly to the ground. A small giggle escaped her making her feel a little childish although she had every reason to be. She grabbed some clothes from her closet and stumbled into the bathroom kicking the door shut behind her. She reappeared shortly after wringing her hair out in a towel and tying it up quickly into its usual pony tail. Without a moments hesitation she was out the door once again pulling on her coat as she went.

As she made her way swiftly through the valley she heard a voice that she really couldn't be bothered with at that moment in time and surprisingly it wasn't Rock.

'Jill? Jilly! Come…come here!' Muffy called from the bar door. Jill froze clenching her fists and taking a deep breath.

'Forgive me Skye.' She whispered before turning and putting on a false grin.

'Hey, nice evening huh?' Jill called back waving a little. Muffy wore a knee length, pale blue cocktail dress, her long blonde ringlets pulled back into a messy yet stylish bun.

'Beautiful!' She replied giving Jill the quick once over as she usually did. Self consciously Jill glanced down at her pale blue skinny jeans, brown heeled boots and fleecy jacket.

'I gotta run, I'll speak to you tomorrow.' Jill called not waiting for a reply and setting off for the pond once again.

She half ran the whole way there, her wet hair becoming colder and giving her a slight headache. She slowed when she was a few feet away, clasping her hands together behind her back and meandering over to the water's edge.

'What a relief,' Skye's smooth voice said as he emerged out of the darkness 'I was beginning to doubt you were coming.'

Jill smiled meekly, a pink hue settling on her cheek bones. Skye approached her slowly, one hand clutching onto a small picnic basket the other producing a single rose and handing it to her.

'I-it's beautiful. Thank you.' Jill whispered, her finger brushing over the deep red petals.

'Nothing compared to you though angel.'

Eugh, I could've predicted that one!

'Skye, that's so cheesy!' Jill chuckled planting her self down on the grass and placing the rose gently on the ground next to her. Within seconds Skye was beside her once again.

'So by you turning up I'm hoping that I'm forgiven for my selfish sins?' He asked hopefully, brushing his bangs out of his eyes and melting her with his signature smile.

Jill heaved a sigh and dropped her gaze.

'Have you decided to open up to me?' She fought back with an evil grin leaning away from him a little.

Surprisingly Skye replied with no hesitation.

'Actually yes, yes I have and I have also brought you…' He paused lifting the picnic basket and setting it in between them, opening up both flaps. Jill peered in and raised an eyebrow.

'Curry?' She asked, clearly quite confused.

Skye nodded.

'Another huge part of my life…please tell me you like curry?' He asked a little desperately, a bead of sweat breaking on his forehead.

Jill giggled and nodded.

'Yes, I love curry.'

That explains his smell! She finally realised.

'Well, thank goddess for that. Now...' He said lifting out plates, 'What would you like to know?'

Jill's eyes widened. Now was her chance to ask him all those questions she'd been brewing since the first night she met him, but now that he'd asked her for them, they seemed to have completely disappeared.

'Eh…w-what do I want to know?…' She stammered desperately trying to think of something, 'Well, when did you first become a thief?' She asked confidently as he stirred the small pot of curry with the ladle, his eyes closed as he inhaled the heavenly scent.

'Hm, well I was about fifteen and I decided I'd had enough of the orphanage so one night I packed my things and well, I guess you could say I escaped,' He poured a nice amount of curry onto one of the plates and handed it Jill along with a fork. 'Clearly though I had nowhere to go so I found myself living on the streets with… nothing. I was jealous, jealous of all those rich city folk! I needed money, or stuff to sell to get money and I wanted them to feel the hurt of losing things that I was going through, so I started stealing from them.'

Jill nodded understandably as she took a forkful of the sweet smelling curry and raised it to her lips, Skye's eyes following it clearly waiting for her verdict.

'But, why the notes? Doesn't that just make things harder?' She asked.

The thief shrugged.

'I wanted to give them a chance, and after a while I found I was so good at getting away with it, it was getting a little boring. I wanted a challenge.'

Jill took a mouthful, her taste buds on fire with the sensation. It was in fact, the best curry she'd ever had, bar none!

'Skye…this is amazing! How did you learn to cook so good?'

Skye groaned at the prospect of having to lapse into another story.

'Well it was all we ever got at the orphanage, it was so damn disgusting I guess I just wanted to prove that it could be made into something incredible. I would sneak into the kitchen at night and study the recipe, experimenting with different ingredients until I got it right. Then of course when I got my own house and kitchen I got down to perfecting it.'

Jill was really enjoying getting an insight into his life, and if she was to be honest it really wasn't as exciting as she expected it to be.

'And em, the witch princess…how come you know her so well?'

Skye smirked.

'You sure do want the nitty gritty don't you?' He chuckled 'She used to travel to the city quite a lot and I used to bump into her all the time. I guess you could say she pretty much stalked me and when I eventually stopped running from her I realised that she was in fact quite beautiful.'

Jill blushed.

'So you…dated her then?' She asked sheepishly taking another mouthful of curry.

Skye shook his head.

'Not quite, she did everything in her power to try and get me into that tatty little bed of hers that's for sure. But I suppose I started using her weakness for me to get to her magic and potions. I never really had feelings for her…just her ability to make me beautiful.'

Jill rolled her eyes and took another mouthful. There was silence.

'So you sold Romana's silver and jewellery…don't you ever feel guilty?'

Skye shrugged.

'I used to until I realised I had no other way of getting money. It's just the way I am Jill.'

Jill's gaze dropped but then she got an idea.

'Skye! You could totally make a living out of curry!' She said excitedly hoping she'd just found a way to stop him stealing. 'The people of valley would love it, they'd pay you top price, I know they would.'

Skye shook his head.

'It's too late. My reputation is already trashed, I could never get them to trust me.'

Jill set her plate down on the frosty ground which surrounded them and stared out across the pond which had finally defrosted and returned to its beautiful, sparkling self.

'Most of them don't even know who you are, all of them in fact. They'd never know.'

Skye sighed with exasperation. When Jill got something into her head she was determined to make it work. He lifted her empty plate and placed it back into the basket closing the flaps and pushing it out of the way.

'Nothing's ever enough for you is it?' He smirked leaning back on his hands, his eyes scanning out over the water.

Jill shook her head.

'I just want to help you…I know you can be so much more than this.'

Skye began to lean towards her again, his eyes avoiding hers and instead focusing on her lips. Much to his surprise Jill began to lean in slightly as well, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt his hot breath on her skin. His nose grazed across her cheek, his eyes opening as his lips brushed against hers. At that moment he pulled away, smiling smugly to himself. Jill's eyes shot open, her pounding heart beginning to calm. His way of getting revenge for the other night when she rejected him.

'I'm going away again,' Skye began 'I owe some city guys money and I…well it's a long story.'

Jill's heart sank. It was boring without him, he'd just gotten back and he was already leaving again.

'I'll come with you.' She said completely out of the blue. Skye raised an eyebrow perusing this thought for a moment and then shook his head abruptly.

'No…no way. You are most certainly not fit for the parts of the city I'm talking about. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you.' Jill's heart fluttered at this,

I guess he does care.

'Come on, I'm a big girl and you'll be there to protect me…what could go wrong?' Of course it was always after somebody said those words that something would obviously go wrong, but Jill was surprisingly confident. He was a thief after all, he knew every trick in the book.

'Everything could go wrong!' He stressed hauling himself off the ground and meandering over to a nearby tree leaning up against the bark. 'You don't understand what these men are like! They hate my guts, any opportunity to crush my soul they'll jump at it, and I'm pretty sure they'd find a way to use you in order to complete that.'

Jill huffed.

'I get it if you don't want me to come.' She teased folding her arms and sulking. Skye chuckled.

'That is not going to work Jillian, it's for your own safety…'

Jill stood up approaching him slowly. Her deep violet eyes glinted in the moonlight, her previously wet hair now hanging in long spirals restricted in a pony tail.

'It's the starry night festival…can we please not bicker?' She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Skye simply nodded, his arms unfolding themselves to hang limply at his sides. The farmer reached up on her tiptoes so as they were back in the position they had been a few minutes ago, their lips brushing together, their eyes locked in an intense stair. It was obviously too intense for Jill as she let a small giggle slip. Skye smiled at this.

'That was cute.' He whispered, her cheeks flushing pink.

'Shut up…this is all so easy for you!' She snapped. Skye caught her hand moving it slowly up over his chest. Jill's breath caught in her throat as her fingers sat delicately in the middle of his chest, the fast thumping of his heart pulsing through her hand. Her eyes glanced up to meet his, her expression completely blank as at that moment she wasn't sure how to feel. He then caught her lips with his in one smooth movement catching Jill off guard. Her body stiffened and then relaxed into his as their lips moved together in synchronisation. The farm girl pulled away for a second to catch her breath.

'I am coming with you by the way.' She murmured, her fingers lacing themselves through his. After a moments hesitation the thief finally gave him.

'Mmmm-okay.' He whispered back before catching her again in another dizzying kiss.

Thanks for reading, reviews please. Another update coming soon.