Author's Note: Thanks guys for being so patient with this story, I appreciate it!
brathanfan- lol your wish is my command bunny...lots of Nill loving coming up!
IndieBoyheartsCurly- aww yay an member! You found me here. hahah Thanks hun! What's your screenname on there...and I agree Dan is one pile of evil!
Every room was filled with bunches of people having a good time, but all she wanted and was looking for was him. Dinner had ended sending the masses up and about the house reliving tall tales and making new ones. That's how the Connor and Reynolds families were; a tight close knit bunch…mess with one, mess with all. Dan Scott had managed to rile them up during the evening meal but it was merely short lived. It was Christmas, there was no time to hate, and the occasion wasn't the season of giving and loving for nothing. Plus her relatives actually got a kick out of it, after the second of shock of course.
Jill had offered to help with the dishes along with her mom and Deb, leaving Nathan at the kiddy table and Dan with the rest of the clan. He managed to stay out of trouble keeping his behavior at bay and even mustering up an intelligent conversation with Jill's father and uncles. Nathan however still couldn't get what happened out of his head. He was so embarrassed and humiliated; he didn't know what to do.
She found him where she had left him, still sitting in a tiny seat they were forced to sit in at the children's table. He looked so cute in his gray Dockers and baby blue V-neck sweater that brought out his crystal blue eyes like there was no tomorrow. He always looked good in polo's she thought as she admired the white collar sticking out from under the sweater.
Smiling, she watched him play with Jared, her two year old cousin. Both boys were laughing as they played a little game of peek-a-boo; Nathan hiding behind a napkin and Jared bending down trying to peek under the fabric. He was laughing but she could sense he was still bothered. Nathan was one to carry on a feeling for too long, it wasn't good for him. Besides while everyone was already in the family room he was there by himself playing with a toddler. She was sure he loved children because the way he joked around with Jared was just adorable but she couldn't help but know he was there hiding away.
"Hey booger, mommy's waiting for you in the kitchen she's got a treat for you," Jill bent down as she wiped chocolate off the little boy's cheek.
His attention was quickly stolen when he heard the word treat. Without even speaking the little boy made his way in the direction of the kitchen, the other two remaining people in the room surfacing a laugh as they shook their heads.
"Hey you," still kneeling she turned to face him landing a soft kiss on his lips.
Happily returning the gesture Nathan kissed back.
"Hey," he smiled.
"Mmm first smile I've seen since dinner, not including your play time with Jared since I wasn't there."
He sighed cupping his face with his hands. He knew what she meant, and it was true.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"No, don't apologize, its okay."
"But I feel like I should. I just wanted to spend Christmas getting to know you're family and hanging out with you."
"You are. I'm here, my family loves you."
"Don't forget the added additional, my mom and," he rolled his eyes, "my dad."
"That's old news, don't take it too hard. Yes he made a fool of himself at dinner but it's over now. Believe it or not he's in the other room having drinks with my dad and my uncles. You know that whole male thing where you drink after dinner."
"Great, now he's having more fun than I am. He's like some piece of machine programmed to change emotions every second. What if he opens up his trap hole and talks shit again?"
"Nathan quit worrying about your dad for a second. The point is he's passed that whole embarrassing moment, so have everyone else. You should too."
"I can't help it. He ruins everything I like or want."
Jill grabbed hold of his hands as she sat in front of him.
"Don't let him. The only reason why he affects you so much is because you let him do it. You need to let him do what he does. No one is going to judge you for something he did. You're your own person and the individual they're going to look to review is you, not Dan, you," she paused then smiled, "get it…got it…good!"
He smirked holding her hands up and kissing it. He liked how she made him laugh even when it deemed impossible.
"Okay, but this was supposed to be fun. Dan around is not what I call a good time. Torture? Definitely."
A huge grin grew on her face.
"Is that what you want, fun?"
He looked at her sheepishly raising an eyebrow. What was on her mind? He couldn't tell.
"Yeah?"
"Okay then come," she grabbed his hand as she stood up leading him to the front door, "grab your coat."
"Where, what? Jill I only brought dress shoes," he noticed they were heading outside; snow haven. Dress shoes were definitely not going to cut it with knee high snow everywhere.
She shook her head as she opened the shoe closet.
"Just slip on one of my uncle's boots, I'm borrowing my aunts."
"Umm no thanks."
She looked at him confused.
"Why not?"
"Well maybe it's because I hardly know them. They're your family so it's okay for you to just slap them on and go."
"It's okay, trust me. They won't mind. They'd be more furious with you if they found out you were outside in your shoes."
He stood there for a second contemplating what he should do.
"Okay fine," he slid on the pair of boots closest to his size.
The two bundled up as best they could; jacket, mitts, scarves, the whole galore. It wasn't like Tree Hill where you could just wear a light jacket and you'd be set. They were working with minus temperatures here.
Jill led the way as she guided Nathan by hand up a small hill. The winds blew ever so often sending her hair flying in all directions.
Stopping at the top she fell backwards in to the snow as a shocked Nathan stared on.
"Are you crazy?"
"No why?"
He eyed her up and down examining her apparel.
"You're rolling around the snow in a skirt."
That she was. Decked in a pencil skirt and criss crossed stockings Jill lay in the snow as if she was wearing a snowsuit.
"Yeah I know big deal. I'm too lazy to change into pants, besides I could care less if I ruin my clothes. Just don't tell Brooke. If she found out I was rolling around in a Nanette Lepore vintage collection skirt she'd have a fit"
He chuckled.
"And snow up your ass?"
"That too," she giggled, "what are you waiting for come join me," and with that she pulled his arm causing him to fumble on his way down.
He laughed his head off as he gained composure, the snow already freezing his cheek.
"Damn, girl."
She giggled as they rested on the ground covered in snow. It looked as if they were lying on a cloud of cotton. Of course the cotton was wet snow that was already making its way to soaking their garments.
Jill sighed looking around, mostly at the sky, Nathan by her side doing the same.
"When I was little my cousins and I used to play up here till sundown, running around in the snow like this and just loving it."
He nodded.
"Must've been fun."
"It was, big fun. We didn't care about anything else just what we were doing out on this hill…rolling around, making snowmen, and eating snow," she paused, "have you ever eaten snow?"
Nathan scrunched his nose.
"Uhh no, that sounds too wack for me. Besides isn't the snow…"
His sentence was cut short when a pile of snow landed on his face, a giggling Jill rising up and running as far away from him as possible.
"Oh you're going to get it," he laughed as he stood up gathering snow in his hands.
He was searching for her when he got hit in the back by none other than a snowball of course.
He waited a second planning his attack and then when the time was right he whipped himself around throwing his perfectly shaped snowball at his target. Sadly it hit a tree.
Jill stood in front of him a few feet away laughing her head off.
"Take it easy, what did the tree do to you?"
"I was aiming for you," he bent down gathering his next snowball, "this stuff is cold."
"Of course it is. It's snow."
"Well yeah I know but I've never had a snowball fight before so I've never actually picked up a pile of snow."
"Didn't you go skiing when you were little?"
"Yeah but that was different. I skied and that was it. No play or anything."
"Well first time for everything right?"
He smiled hurling a snowball at her coat.
She stood with her mouth open analyzing the snow left over on her jacket. Snorting like a kid she picked up a bunch of snow and threw it in his direction. He dodged it this time, learning a few tricks to keep from getting hit. He was an athlete after all.
The two ran around chucking balls of snow everywhere hiding behind trees as their protection.
"Okay I give up," Jill panted coming out of her hiding from behind a tree revealing her snow covered self.
Nathan still had a snowball in his hand.
"Are you sure, or are you tricking me again? I fell for it once but not this time."
"I'm not lying this time," she put her hands up in the air, "look no hidden snowballs."
"Okay fine you better be telling the truth."
"I am," she puffed, "drop your snowball, game over," she watched him hurl the ball hesitantly to the ground. She waited a second, "or not!"
Giggling she charged at Nathan jumping on him sending both of them crashing to the ground. Flashes of the first time she tackled him in her living room came to his mind. He smiled at the thought and at the sight of her glowing face in front of his.
"You've got to stop believing me," she smirked, her nose already red from the coldness.
"Yeah I know. I always end up on the bottom," he observed their position at the moment.
Both stayed where they were as they caught their breath. The warmth of their body's together acting as a heat source. Their faces were still rosy from Jack Frost's nip.
Nathan stared at Jill whose hair draped over her face and onto his. The sun shone on her giving her that glow, definitely stunning.
"Thanks," he whispered.
She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"For what?"
"Taking me away from my problems, making me realize that I'm the only one who can predict what happens to me, just everything."
"Hmm," she smiled.
Removing his soaked gloves he cupped her face and softly kissed her.
"If that's what I get as a thanks then baby you'll be sure I'll be doing it more often," she giggled.
He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her moving her to the left sending them rolling around the ground. Laughing and screaming on the hill, alone and together.