Crimsonwings92: Look who's back! Ah! I finally found my inspiration, people! I'm finally back! Hahahaha! Oh, it feels so good to be writing this story again! I'm sorry for leaving all of you hanging like that, I feel like such a failure, but I also want to thank all of those that still supported me and wished the best for me even when I quit for a time. And a special thanks to Jane Frost for giving me a list of ideas that I looked at again and again; your list helped to jump start my imagination, so thank you my friend. You're a beautiful soul. Now I'm back, my pretty readers, and I fully intend to finish this story. I hope you all like this chapter as much as I liked writing it and of course it's late for Valentine's Day, but it's sort of dedicated to that holiday. Enough with my rambling! Here is the real Chapter 8 of A Frosty Season. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: ROTG is not mine.
A Frosty Season
Chapter 8: Festival of Hearts
It was only mid-February and it was still rather cold outside, but for the most part, it had stopped snowing long enough for the white powder now turned to ice to start melting away into muddy puddles. The sun was out with a few clouds drifting across the blue expanse of sky hovering above them, the gentle rays casting late afternoon shadows across the ground as it began its journey towards the horizon at slow and steady pace. Outside in the backyard of a powder blue, two story house with white shutters, the sound of shrieking children and a playful roar rose into the air.
"Grrrrr! Man, am I hungry for little children today! I'm going to nibble their fingers and bite on their toes!"
"Ah! Malcolm, hurry! We have to run from the monster!"
"No, monster, no!"
In a flurry of little feet and long, brown hair, Emma and Malcolm ran around the backyard with Jack close behind with his arms over his head as he chased them playfully. The children were laughing excitedly and shrieking every time he roared, both heading straight for the teen girl kneeling on the ground and watching the action unfold in amusement.
"Maya, help us! The monster is going to get us!" Emma exclaimed as she and Malcolm hid behind the girl who then gasped dramatically.
"Oh no! The monster! He loves to eat little children!" she played along, rising up on her knees.
"I'm going to get yoooouuuu!" Jack announced, slowly approaching the trio.
"Quick, you two! Up in the castle where the monster won't get you!"
Moving like Maya said, Emma grabbed the toddler's hand and zoomed them both over to the adventure play set Mr. and Mrs. Frost had bought and put together for Emma when she was two years old. They climbed the stairs to the 'tower' and giggled excitably while Maya remained on the ground facing Jack. He stomped his way towards them, still growling and roaring with a wide grin on his face.
"Step aside, princess, or I will eat you, too!" he threatened, moving closer with his hands still above his head, ready to attack.
Maya glared playfully and put her hand out, "Don't take another step, you mean monster! I will not let you eat the children!"
"Then your fate is sealed!" he bellowed in his monster voice, lunging forward and biting on her neck.
Maya gasped loudly and flailed her arms before putting her wrist to her forehead theatrically, "Oh no! Emma! Malcolm! The monster's got me! Run! Save yourseeeeelllvvess!"
She then slowly lowered herself to the ground with Jack following, pretending to be dead as the two kids on the play set made their way towards the yellow slide; "Maya, no! We'll save you!" the little girl declared fiercely as she and Malcolm slid down the slide and then jumped on top of Jack, "Take that, you big bully!"
"Take that! And that!" Malcolm joined in, tackling the white haired boy and rolling onto his head.
"Oh no, you found my greatest weakness!" Jack growled out as the kids rolled him off of Maya and onto his back before sitting on him, "Warm cuddles and love! I'm powerless against it! No! You've defeated me!"
"Get him!" Maya shouted as she also joined the fray, tickling Jack's sides as the children jumped on him and squished his face.
"Ah! No! I'm ticklish! Hahahahaha! Mercy, mercy! Hahahahaha! Ahahahahaha!"
Laughter filled the air from all four young people, three practically torturing the one on the ground as they tickled him relentlessly. There were tears starting to roll down Jack's cheeks from his laughing too hard, his only salvation coming in the form of his mother as she made her way down the steps of the back porch and into the yard with a tray of hot chocolate in her hands. Mimi Frost stared at the pile of youth on the ground with a warm smile on her face, her poor son twitching and jerking about as his girlfriend, sister, and little playmate towered over him.
"All frozen children! How about some hot chocolate? You guys can warm yourselves up," she announced, setting the tray on the wooden table set up in the backyard.
"Yay! Hot chocolate! Come on, Malcolm!"
"Chocolate! Chocolate!"
Emma hopped up and again took Malcolm's hand, pulling him over to the table where she helped him sit down before they were both handed mugs of the hot drink. Maya and Jack were left over by the play set, the teen boy lying motionless on the ground after the tickle attack and his girlfriend kneeling beside him with an amused smile on her face.
"Did you kill my son, Maya?" Mrs. Frost asked from across the yard with a playful tone to her voice.
"It was an accident, I swear! I'm sure we can hide the body!" the girl replied just as jokingly before giving a surprised cry when Jack suddenly shot up and pushed her down on her side.
"You guys think you're so funny," he whispered against her hair as she giggled, moving the soft tresses aside to kiss her cheek down to the area he had bitten earlier.
"I don't think; I know we're funny. Watching you squirm was hilarious," she retorted with a wide grin, their faces so close to each other that their noses bumped together every time one of them moved their head.
"Oh yeah?" Jack slid his hands down to her sides and gave a light squeeze.
Maya jolted and shook her head furiously while rolling onto her other side in an attempt to get away from his evil fingers, "AH! Nononono, Jack! I'm sorry! Please don't tickle me!"
He gave a bark of laughter before removing his hands from her sides, getting to his feet and then lifting his girlfriend up into his arms like a man would his bride. She shrieked at the sudden elevation and wrapped her arms around his neck as he laughed again, carrying her over to the table and setting her down on the seat, all in the presence and witness of his attentive mother.
"Well, aren't you the natural Romeo?" the older woman teased as she handed him and Maya their mugs.
"Only to my Juliet," Jack replied with a grin as she pinched Maya's ebony cheek lightly and then kissed it affectionately.
The assaulted girl simply rolled her eyes and took a sip of the drink, "Thanks for making us hot chocolate, Ms. Mimi. It's perfect!"
"Awe, anything for one of my darling girls," the woman responded with a loving, motherly smile as she reached out and stroked Maya's cheek with her hand, "I consider you and Malcolm one of my own now, Maya, and what I would do for Jack and Emma in my house, I would do for you as well."
The teen girl felt her cheeks burn from the sweet gesture and nodded her head. After the dinner she had with Jack and his family, she had made it a point to not be a stranger, like they had asked, and went to visit almost as often as Jack visited her grandmother's house. She also took Malcolm along with her, as was the agreement she had with her parents, which wasn't much of a problem since Jack already loved the child and Emma had taken to him immediately. Looking over now, Maya saw the two children smiling and laughing at each other as they sipped the hot chocolate and tried to catch the marshmallows on their tongues. For two months, both the teen girl and ebony child had been welcomed visitors at the Frost Family house and the warmth exuded by the family made Maya feel safe for the both of them and almost forget about the upcoming custody battle.
Mrs. Frost tucked the tray she had been carrying under her arm and stared at the girl she had come to adore and accept as her son's girlfriend, a smile still on her face, "How are your lessons going, Maya? Are your teachers from your school still working with you online?"
The teen girl nodded, black curls bouncing in the process, "Fortunately for me, yes they are. I'm so grateful to have such wonderful teachers; they're basically the reason why I'm still enrolled at my old school and not being forced to transfer to a school here."
"That really is wonderful of them to do for you," Mrs. Frost replied, pausing for just a moment before asking, "Do you miss being back in California? At your school with all your friends?"
Maya blinked as she took another sip of her drink and nodded truthfully, "To be honest, yeah. I miss the familiar building and all of my friends and going with them to our favorite hangout spots, being silly and goofy with people I've been with my entire life."
As she was answering, Maya missed the way Jack watched her with the light in his eyes growing a little dimmer. He kept looking from her to the top of the table and then back to her, his expression saddening some at her words; Mimi didn't miss this change in his demeanor, but she didn't call attention to it for the next words out of Maya's mouth would be what Jack needed to feel reassured.
"But, it's not like I'm unhappy here," the girl continued with a shrug and a smile, "I have Jack and Emma and this entire family, not to mention Malcolm and my own family. I'm not alone here, not entirely, so I'm fine with it."
Jack's blue eyes were wide as he listened, his cheeks turning a slight pink for more reasons other than the cold wind swiping over them. Wordlessly, and with a smile, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, giving her cheek gentle kisses while she held onto him, her own hazel green eyes wide with curiosity. Mimi's eyes shone with the accepting warmth of a mother, nodding her head a moment after in approval.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Maya. It warms my heart to know that you love us as much as we love you. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to let me know," she informed her, earning a nod that she accepted, "Alright then, I'll leave you kids alone now. Have fun and don't stay out here too long or you'll be sure to catch a cold."
The older woman bent down to ruffle her Emma's hair and kiss her forehead, pulling a giggle from her before standing straight, nodding to the two teenagers, and pivoting around to return inside the warm and toasty house. Once she was gone, Maya turned to Jack who still had his arms around her shoulders and blinked at him. He just simply attacked her cheek in kisses, making her giggle at the ticklish feeling, before he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand and held her head steady as he pecked her lips gently. The sound of giggling was what pulled them from each other, the two teens looking across the table to see Emma laughing at them with her arms around Malcolm, copying her brother's actions by kissing the child's cheek repeatedly and making him shriek in laughter when she blew him a raspberry.
"Emma! Cut it out, you're too young for that!" Jack exclaimed quickly as he pulled away from Maya to face his baby sister.
"Well, you should have thought of that before you went kissing all over Maya in front of an eleven year old and a six year old," the brunette girl retorted smartly with narrowed eyes, still clutching Malcolm to her side and swaying, "Besides that, Malcolm is so cute! I would have done it anyway, heehee."
Said little child started giggling uncontrollably as he was cuddled, wrapping his arms around Emma's waist the same way he would do to Maya if he couldn't reach up to her shoulders. Jack was tense for a moment, foolishly believing that this was the start for Emma to liking boys and wanting to hug them and hold hands with them…probably kiss them one day, but a nudge and a playful grin from Maya had him relaxing back against the wood of the bench and smiling with her.
"I'm not going to lie, Jack, it is going to happen one day, but not today. Malcolm is six," the ebony beauty reassured him, "He doesn't even know what a girl is let alone find any of them attractive."
The white haired teen couldn't help the spluttering of laughter that left his lips at her words, Maya giggling along with him until the catchy tune of her cell phone caught her attention. Whipping the device out, she realized she had a few messages from several people that she hadn't answered yet and set about replying to them accordingly.
"Psst…Jack…"
Blue eyes averted away from the distracted Maya and turned to lock with the dark, playful brown of Emma, the little girl grinning as she drew a heart in the air with her fingers and then pointed to the dark skinned teen. It took Jack all of three seconds before his eyes lit up in realization and he nodded excitedly.
'Where did you put it?' he mouthed to her, glancing at Maya to see if she was paying attention; thankfully, she was still busily replying to all of her text messages.
"On the porch railing in case you wanted to give it to her now," the little girl answered, pointing up near the stairs of the porch.
Jack followed her finger and spotted a bright spot of pink on the white railing. He smiled, thanked his sister silently, and then got up to retrieve the object he desired while his girlfriend was occupied with her phone. Maya had just finished typing out her last message to her mother when she noticed Jack making himself comfortable once more at the table and pushing something small towards her with his finger. Looking down, her eyes focused on the object to find a cardboard box that had been cut, shaped, and painted pink like a heart with the black words "Be My Valentine?" written in the middle of a smaller red heart. It didn't look like one of those premade heart boxes that everyone buys at the store; in fact, it looked very homemade right down to the jagged cuts on the edges of the heart that looked like someone attempted to sand down to be smoother, but weren't entirely successful. She raised her gaze to Jack once more, mildly surprised to see him avoiding her stare as he ran his hand through his hair nervously with a pretty pink blush dusting his cheeks.
"Um, happy Valentine's Day, Maya. Or, actually, happy early Valentine's Day," he recited bashfully, shyly lifting his eyes to lock with hers, "I know it's a day early, but there's a special reason for that."
"…Valentine's…Oh my God, Jack!" Maya exclaimed, a bright smile blooming over her face as she picked up the crudely made heart box and held it in her hands carefully, "Did you make this by yourself?"
"I helped!" Emma declared suddenly as her hand shot into the air.
"Yeah, Emma did help. I cut the shape and put the box together while she decorated it for me."
"Awe, thank you for your hard work, Emma." Maya reached over to ruffle the girl's hair in gratitude, the little girl nodding at the acknowledgement and smiling at her brother.
Jack smiled back, but it soon faded as doubt filled his features and he bit his bottom lip while eyeing the obviously self-made gift; "I, uh, I know it's not as fancy as the hearts and candies found in the store and it's probably not as good as other gifts I'm sure you've received from guys in the past years, but I thought it would mean something more to make the gift myself and, again, I know it's early, but there is a reason…for…"
The boy stopped when he realized that Maya was just staring at him with her elbow propped up on the table with her chin in the palm of her hand and her eyes narrowed blankly. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck as the heat of his embarrassment burned a trail down his throat.
"I'm rambling, huh?" he asked her, his usually smooth persona disappearing for a moment, "Or you hate it…right?"
"Jack, when have I ever acted like such a superficial brat that you would think I wouldn't absolutely love a gift that you took the time to make for me?" she retorted with a dreamy look in her eyes as she looked down at the box again, "I adore homemade gifts and this one is so cute!"
She scooted extremely close to him and stole a quick kiss, which surprised him into an even deeper blush, before returning to her original spot, "Besides, it makes me feel better about the gift that I made for you."
"You made a gift for me?" he repeated, earning a nod from the girl.
"Sure did, but you won't be getting it until tomorrow," she answered with a teasing look, "With that being said, how come you're giving my gift to me so early?"
"Open it up and see."
With those big blue eyes glimmering so excitedly like they were, Maya couldn't resist and lifted the lid of the cardboard box gingerly to peer inside. There, she saw that the little heart box was filled with various chocolate candies like Hershey's Kisses, Mini Reese's Cups and M&Ms, but what caught her attention was what was sitting on top of the candy. Two tickets stared back at her, the words "Festival of Hearts" written in bright, neon red and pink glaring up from the smooth, thick paper.
"Festival of Hearts?" she read aloud, looking to her boyfriend to see him nod.
"Yeah, it's basically a fair dedicated to Valentine's Day. It's supposed to be fun; I'm not completely sure myself since I've never gone before," he explained, moving next to her to look at the tickets.
Maya looked up at him in mild surprise, "You haven't?"
He shook his head. "How come?" the girl asked a moment later.
Jack just shrugged demurely and scratched the back of his neck again, "Because there was no one that I wanted to go with before, but…now it's different. I have you and I want to go with you. So…will you be my date?"
He gently wrapped his fingers around hers and stared into her eyes, that blush never once leaving his cheeks, but the smile remained as warm as ever; "The festival is tomorrow. Aster and Tooth will be going as well, which means that we can all go together. So, will you go with me?"
"I can't even believe you're asking me," she replied, holding the box out to Emma and Malcolm to let the two children pick out their choice of candy. She then unwrapped a chocolate kiss, popped it in her mouth and then turned to kiss Jack directly on the lips. Her chocolate coated tongue dove into his mouth, making the boy gasp in shock before he relaxed and returned the kiss just as eagerly.
"Of course I'll go with you," she whispered when they pulled away, giggling some when Jack nudged her nose with his in a cute eskimo kiss.
"Wonderful, it's a date then," he said lowly, having just enough time to give Maya one last kiss before Emma and Malcolm were hollering for more chocolates.
The four of them stayed outside for a few more minutes, laughing and joking together until Maya decided that it was time to get Malcolm home so he could warm up before it got too late in the evening. Jack offered to drive them home so they wouldn't have to spend too much more time in the chilling air; the girl accepted gratefully and got up to follow him inside. He told his mother what he was doing, Mimi Frost bidding good bye to Maya and Malcolm with hugs and kisses for them both, and then ushered Emma to get comfortable and to stay inside. The little girl, after a moment of pouting because she wanted to go as well, said her farewell to their dark skinned company with a smile and made them promise to return to the Frost house to play some more.
"And don't forget to bring Malcolm with you, Maya!" Emma ordered cutely, hugging the girl around her waist at the front door.
"Haha, I won't, Emma, I promise," the teen humored her, embracing the little girl back before moving on through the door to the porch at Jack's coaxing, "I'll see you later, okay chickie?"
"Later, Maya! Be safe!"
A head full of curly hair nodded as Maya waved one last time at the brunette child before following Jack to his red Accord with Malcolm nestled in her arms. The trio hopped into the car, the older cousin placing the small child in the backseat while she rode shot gun, and drove the short distance to Annie Rhodes' house. Jack walked Maya and Malcolm all the way up to the front door, stopping and facing his girlfriend as she placed Malcolm inside the house and told him to start taking off his boots and jacket while she said good bye to Jack.
"Thanks for taking us home, Jack. That was really sweet of you," she thanked him, smiling gratefully.
"Anything for my Valentine," the boy responded smoothly with his signature Jack Frost confidence, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her close to him.
Maya laughed and shook her head, "Such a sweet talker. Be safe going home, okay? Don't let me get a phone call telling me that you're in the hospital because some dude came up and cracked you on the back of the head all because you weren't paying attention."
"That's pretty specific," the white-haired boy retorted with a lop-sided grin filled with amusement.
His girlfriend shrugged, "I watch a lot of crime shows."
She quieted down when he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead before tilting his head down some to repeat the action against her lips. She jumped slightly by the rapid doings, her fingers instinctively lifting up to touch her lips while she stared at his face. Jack just grinned and tapped her nose.
"You're cute when you look at me like that, like a doe caught in the headlights," he teased her.
"Don't you mean a deer caught in the headlights?"
"No, I mean a doe. Does are prettier…and softer…like you," he answered, smiling serenely when she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him warmly.
"…Be safe," she said, lifting her head to rest her chin against his chest.
Jack embraced her back, cradling the back of her head in his large palm as he nodded, "Of course, I always am. I'll text you later tonight about our date tomorrow."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
"Good. Later, Green Eyes."
"Later Frostbite."
This time, a smirk crossed the teen's lips as he began making his way down the porch steps and towards the familiar gate. He stopped at his car and turned one last time to see Maya still standing where he left her; she was peering inside the house quickly, most likely making sure that Malcolm was alright, but when she turned those dazzling brown-green eyes towards him again, he smiled as his heart fluttered and lifted his hand to wave at her. She returned it and with that, he got into his car, started it up, and drove away, a large smile fitted almost permanently to his face.
&%&%&%&%&%&%&
It was 5:15 in the evening on Valentine's Day and Jack Frost was holed up in the disaster area he called his room, practically destroying the place to find the perfect shirt to complete his ensemble for his date that night. Considering that he had told Maya that they would be picking her up from her grandmother's house at 6:00 pm, he only had 45 minutes to accomplish this feat. Aster and Toothiana, the couple having arrived at Jack's house a quarter to 5, were seated close to a corner in the boy's room and were watching him as he picked through top after top, studying each one before tossing it to the floor in displeasure only to pluck up another one and do the same thing. It honestly looked as if a hurricane had blown through the room; jeans and jackets and shirts were scattered across every surface of the place and littered the floor from his previous endeavor to find most of his outfit. Shoes were tossed haphazardly on the bed, in the corner, and one even ended up on his dresser; how that happened was still a mystery to the two visitors.
"Hm…I don't know…it doesn't feel right," Jack mumbled as he stood in front of his full-length mirror, donning a red button-up shirt that had him cringing, "That's because it's not right."
He sighed heavily as he unbuttoned the shirt and slipped it off his body, letting it fall to the ground in a wrinkled heap with the rest of his clothes; "I don't know why it's so hard to find a shirt for tonight," the teen commented off-handedly as he made his way back over to his closet half-naked, contemplating his next choice of top.
"Probably because they're all on the floor, mate," Aster replied, flicking off a blue turtle-neck that had somehow ended up on his leg.
"Thank you for your input, Boomer," Jack's voice returned sarcastically.
"I told you I'm not a damn kangaroo! My last name is Bunnymund!" the taller man fumed, his head looking about ready to launch off of his shoulders from his irritation; it really didn't take much to anger the man it seemed, especially when it came to his name.
A quick and firm tap on the head from the flirty little Toothiana had him calming down, though, "Relax, Aster. Jack just wants to look really nice for Maya on Valentine's Day; can you blame him for being a little crazy right now?"
Aster clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I just don't understand why he's trying so hard to dress to impress. It's not like this is their first date or anything."
"It may not be our first date, but you don't stop trying to always look good for your significant other. You should know that better than I do, Bunny, especially since you're wearing new cologne tonight. Trying something new for Tooth, aren't you?" Jack shot back with a cheeky grin as he came back into the room, holding a shirt in each hand and standing before the mirror.
The college student suddenly turned almost the exact same color as a cherry and stammered over his words, "W-What are you…I-I-I mean…I-I just…S-Shut up, ya damn wubby!"
Tooth only giggled as she took Aster's face in her hands and leaned down to give him a loving kiss, "I appreciate the effort, Aster. You make me feel so special."
As she cradled his head in her arms, Aster's blush dimmed to a rose pink color while the man smiled blissfully and buried his face in her chest, his large fingers wrapped around her wrist gently. Jack watched them for a moment, happy for their love and devotion to each other, before returning to his predicament at hand. The two shirts held in his fingers looked far too plain for the image he was trying to go for; what that image was, he wasn't sure yet, but he knew that those shirts were to be nowhere near the idea. Finally giving up on finding a shirt for himself, he whipped around to face his friends and whined pitifully to the female.
"Tooth! I need your help!" he stated, dropping the shirts on the floor, "I'm a dude and completely hopeless!"
"I thought you would never ask!" the flighty little female cried as she shot up from the corner and raced past Jack into the closet.
The teen had just enough time to hop out of the way and take perch on his dresser while Toothiana worked her magic. There was a flurry of colors and dark hair as she whizzed around, checking each shirt and jacket, calculating the look that she saw perfect for Jack for the evening. Within minutes, she was rushing back over to him with two articles of clothing in her arms and a wide smile on her face.
"Here, go try these on," she instructed confidently as the boy jumped back to his feet and took the shirts she offered him, "I believe you'll approve of my choices."
Toothiana had never lead him astray before, so Jack had no reason to doubt her abilities or her confidence. Following her orders, he returned to the closet to put on the shirts while the young woman remained standing with her arms folded a smug grin crossing her pretty features, showing just how sure she was that she had solved Jack's dilemma. And sure enough, the teen boy came strolling back into the middle of the room, satisfaction practically radiating off of him. He now donned a white dress shirt with a black tie, something that was elegant and handsome, along with a fitted, royal blue zip-up jacket to casual it up, both tops going perfectly with his dark jeans and black Timberlands. Tooth smiled and clapped her hands victoriously as Aster got to his feet to stand beside her, looking his little friend up and down approvingly.
"Oh, Jack, you look so handsome!" the young woman complimented him.
Aster shrugged nonchalantly, but smiled all the same, "She's right, mate. This will definitely have your little Sheila's heart racing for sure."
Jack grinned shyly as he blushed and scratched the back of his neck, "Thanks, you guys. Well, thanks mostly to Tooth for helping me find my shirts!"
"Awe, no problem, sweetie. It was my pleasure," the dark haired woman replied, wrapping her arms around the teen's shoulders as he moved to give her a hug while Aster stood beside them, checking his watch.
"We should probably get moving soon. It's a quarter to six already," he stated, looking up when he heard a surprised gasp from Jack.
"What?! A quarter to six?!"
"Yeah."
"How did that happen?!"
"It took you forever to get dressed, mate! What did you expect?! Time to stand still for you?!"
"Kind of, but whatever. I still have to brush my teeth and fix my hair!" Jack declared as he then zoomed into his bathroom.
"Good luck with that!" Aster called after him sarcastically, the sound of running water filling the room along with Tooth's amused giggles.
Miraculously, it didn't Jack as long as he had thought to fix his hair into the style he wanted it to be in, the youth quickly brushing his teeth afterwards and then spritzing himself with Maya's favorite cologne. Yes, not his favorite cologne, Maya's favorite; she loved the scent and expressed that whenever he put it on by burying her face in his chest and holding him for longer than was necessary.
Once Jack was done 'dolling himself up', as Aster had so nicely put it, everyone hopped into the man's SUV and made a beeline for Maya's grandmother's house. They actually made it right at 6 o'clock on the dot and Jack, after picking up the pink and purple tulips that were bound together by a sparkly pink bow, stepped out of the car and made his way up the walkway and porch steps to the front door. He knocked and stepped back to wait to be received; he was used to just waltzing into the house, but, like the dinner with his family, this was a special occasion and he wanted to do it right. About a minute later, the door opened and a smile stretched across his face when he saw a familiar head of curly hair appear before his vision. Maya stepped out into the cold cutely dressed in a short, gray shirt with a pink heart on it over a blank tank top, a pair of black short-shorts with black tights underneath it, dark gray ankle boots and a short, form fitting coat to keep her warm. Her hair was pulled and pinned to curl over her right shoulder, a pink bow to match the heart on her shirt locking the curls in place. Ice blue eyes swept over Maya's curvy form, Jack grinning as he blushed bashfully at her appearance.
"Wow, Maya…you look wonderful. So cute," he complimented the girl, taking her hand in his and twirling her around.
"Hehe, thanks, Jack. I tried to keep it nice yet casual," she replied, doing a little dip and spreading her arms out at an angle in a pose for him.
"I think it looks perfect."
"I think you look perfect." She leaned up and pressed a light kiss to his lips, surprising the boy who gasped and jumped before she pulled away. Maya grinned and closed her eyes as she inhaled his scent.
"And you're wearing my favorite cologne!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.
The boy chuckled as held her chin between his thumb and index finger, "Anything to make my girl happy."
Maya's hazel green eyes glimmered beautifully with her delight, Jack's own blue orbs glistening with the tenderness he felt in that moment with her. However, they were soon interrupted by a car horn honking at them, followed by Aster's slightly irritated voice.
"Hey, c'mon, lovebirds! I would like to get to the fair sometime before midnight, if you don't mind!" he shouted at them through Tooth's passenger window.
"Ah, calm your cottontail, Kangaroo," Jack called back to him, grinning victoriously when he heard the man splutter in agitation and then say a string of what he could only guess were colorful words in his Australian lingo.
The white haired teen then turned back to Maya and offered her the pink and purple tulips, "These are for you."
"Ah! These are so cute! I like how they're not roses like everyone gets on Valentine's Day," she stated brightly as she took them in her hands and turned towards the door, "Wait right here."
She disappeared for a minute, then reappeared empty handed save for the small purse she pulled over her head; "I don't want to take them on our trip to the fair, they'll probably just wilt in the car and I don't want that to happen," she explained as she closed the door, "And don't you fret, Jack, I have your Valentine's gift, but you won't be getting it until later tonight."
She patted his cheek affectionately and then shrieked when he nipped the side of her hand playfully before wrapping his fingers around her palm and tugging her close.
"Well then, let's get going to the fair," he said, pulling her down the steps and through the gate, opening the back door for her and helping her inside the SUV.
"Finally! We can get this show on the road!" Aster cried out in exasperation, putting the car in drive and then zooming down the street towards the outskirts of town.
The SUV was filled with loud conversation, playful jokes, teasing remarks and lots of laughter. The girls were taking a plethora of pictures, catching the boys making funny faces that just made them howl in hilarity. Music blasted throughout the car, Toothiana playing DJ as she flipped from station to station that played some good dance music without instead of the sappy love songs that every DJ across the nation deemed worthy to play simply because it was Valentine's Day. At one point, Maya made Tooth stop on a station that was currently playing Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" and the girl started singing the sensuous song to her significant other, poor Jack turning as red as a tomato when his girlfriend made bedroom eyes that he didn't even know she possessed! Of course, Aster started laughing and poking fun at him until Tooth decided to join in on the fun and sidled up to her boyfriend seductively, her purple eyes narrowed alluringly while her lips brushed over his jawline and her pretty voice whispered in his ear.
The sudden jerking and swerving of the car revealed how unaffected Aster wasn't by Tooth's act.
The four of them eventually arrived at the fairgrounds without incident or injury, the college man parking his SUV in the flattened dirt area that was being used as a make-shift parking lot. Just in front of them was an array of lights and stalls and brightly lit rides with a Ferris wheel set up to the left inside the grounds. The smells of corndogs, hot dogs, hamburgers, chocolates, churros, and other delicious things wafted in the air above their heads. The pairs got out of the SUV, Aster taking the lead towards the entrance to the fair with Tooth at his side and Jack and Maya bringing up the rear with their hands already laced together. They handed their tickets to the greeter and were granted entry, their senses immediately assaulted by the lights, the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the heat from the food stalls and the other bodies walking around all bundled up.
Maya was completely captivated by the world around her; there were hearts and roses everywhere, there were couples everywhere, and she couldn't help but smile proudly when her own significant other pulled her close to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Ready for some fun, my pretty little flower?" he asked her playfully, gently tapping her chin with a crooked finger.
She tittered and nodded her head, "As ready as you are."
"And that's what I like to hear!" Aster suddenly exclaimed eagerly as he nodded his head, his arm around Tooth's shoulders, "C'mon now, kiddies, the night is ours and all we're doing is burning moonlight! Let's hit a few games!"
With that command, the four of them fell into the flow of the vivacious and lively crowd of lovers, best friends, and family in search of a multitude of games to play and enjoyment to be had. The very first game they found, at least one that the tall Australian became overly excited about, was a shooting game. It was a competitive shooting game: you have thirty seconds and the player that shoots the most heart targets wins the game and gets a prize. Aster turned towards Maya, who blinked up at him curiously, and smirked.
"What do you say, little Sheila? Want to challenge me?" he suggested, bending down some to be eye to eye with her.
Maya quirked an eyebrow then smiled knowingly, "Better question is: are you ready to lose?"
Aster laughed at her retort, his competitiveness kicking in as he paid the stall runner for a round and then handed his opponent her gun. The stall runner went to stand next to the lever, preparing to pull it once the two players were situated and ready. Both male and female got into ready stances and lifted their guns, Jack and Toothiana standing off to the side and cheering them on respectively.
"By the way, Aster, I should probably tell you," Maya started, catching the man's eye as he glanced at her curiously, "Shooting games are my favorite at festivals."
The stall runner pulled the lever and a multitude of hearts started flashing and zooming by in rows, Maya and Aster furiously pulling the trigger on the guns to hit their targets. The music was going, noises were raging, and the little plastic bullets could be heard ricocheting off of the wooden hearts as they were knocked over. The thirty seconds seemed to take forever to end, yet it felt like it was over all too soon. The winner? Maya with a whopping forty-two hearts shot in comparison to Aster's seventeen. Jack hollered proudly at his girlfriend's win, chuckling and patting the defeated Australian's back as said man glowered at his loss.
"What prize would you like, little lady?" the stall runner asked his winner, grinning at her in amusement.
"The white baby seal," she declared, holding her arms out for the stuffed animal as it was handed to her before turning around to give it to Jack.
"Hey, this is a little backwards! Aren't I supposed to win stuffed animals for you?"
Maya just narrowed her eyes flatly and pressed the seal into his chest, "This is the 21st century, Jack."
Blue eyes blinked followed by a chuckle filling her ears as large, pale hands took the seal from her hold, "While I still think I should be the one winning you prizes, I'm not going to turn away a gift from my girl. Thanks, Green Eyes."
"You're welcome, Frostbite," she replied as she tilted her head back to receive the kiss he pressed to her lips.
Meanwhile, Tooth was busy trying to console a broken man as Aster practically pouted at his defeated. It wasn't that he was beaten by a girl, that wasn't it at all; what got him was the fact that he was beaten so badly! Maya kicked his ass and he was feeling the pain.
"There, there, Aster, it's not that big of a deal. You didn't know she was that good at point blank games," the brightly colored woman comforted her darling lover, patting his shoulder and caressing his cheek with her tiny fingers, "You didn't know she was good at point blank games at all. Besides, it's not like this is the only game you're going to play. There are others."
"Ha! That's right!" the man suddenly exclaimed as he shot up and turned to point at Maya with a determined look on his face, "There are other games and I promise you, Maya, I will beat you at the next one."
"Bring it on, Bunny! I would love to kick your ass again," the teen girl retorted readily, facing him head on.
Their smirk match was disrupted, however, when Jack wound his arm around Maya's waist and gently lifted her to stand behind him and Tooth whipped Bunny around to face her as she kissed him quickly on the nose.
"Down, you two, the night has just begun. No reason to get so competitive so early," the older female remarked playfully, calming the competitive man and girl.
"Yeah, besides, Tooth and I got the next game," Jack added, grinning at the little woman with a twinkle in his eye, "You ready to face me, Tooth?"
"Oh, you know it, Frost. I'm always ready to beat you."
"That's funny! Keep telling yourself that," he laughed, nudging her shoulder lightly.
Tooth responded with a smirk as she punched him in his arm, "You won't be laughing when I drag your butt through the dirt!"
The small group linked together again and wandered around the fairgrounds in search of a competitive game for Jack and Tooth to engage in. What they found was something that looked like a ring toss, only instead of throwing the rings over the neck of a glass bottle, the player had to toss a small ball to make it into the mouth of the glass bottle. You had five tries and the one that had the most balls in the opening of the bottle won the game and the type of bottle the ball landed on determined the level of the prize; the bottles closest to the players earned the winner a small prize, the ones in the middle of the booth a medium prize, and the ones closest to the stall runner a large prize. Jack and Tooth paid for their chances and faced each other with beaming smiles as they shook hands.
"May the best man win," Jack said playfully.
"Don't worry, I will," Tooth replied buoyantly, giving the boy's hand a tight squeeze before they both turned towards the game.
"Ready…" the stall runner said with his arm raised, "Go!"
To the sounds of Aster and Maya cheering them on, Jack and Tooth began their game. Jack tried to do overhand shots towards the bottles closest to the stall runner, but they just kept deflecting and bouncing off onto the lower bottles. Tooth, however, did it overhand and with much less strength, successfully landing each of her balls on top of the glass bottles farthest away from her. Needless to say, by the time all five balls were gone, Tooth was the victor of the game and the boys learned something about their girls that night: they both had a keen eye for small targets.
Aster praised his girlfriend and happily accepted the large stuffed bunny rabbit she won for him while Maya comforted her defeated lover with warm hugs and sweet kisses.
"Wow, I just had my ass handed to me," he stated in slight embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah, you did, but at least you had fun. There's always the next game, Jack. No worries," the girl cheered him up while rubbing his back with one hand, giggling ticklishly when he nuzzled his nose into her hair and nipped at her earlobe.
The night wore on filled with snacks, rides, and more games. The girls faced each other in a Valentine basketball game, both actually ending up in a tie and receiving small prizes since they didn't make enough points to get anything bigger. The boys then had a 'strong man' competition with the Hi Stryker, the carnival game where you swing a mallet down on a padded surface and watch the weight fly up towards the bell. Aster hit the bell with ease and Jack…got close, but there was no ringing which only resulted in a few minutes more of the older man's teasing. A few quick retorts about him being a kangaroo quickly brought the man off his pedestal, but soon the teen was running off into the night as his easily angered friend chased after him, the pretty little females left to laugh at their silly antics. As he had declared earlier in the night, Aster did beat Maya in the next game they faced each other in, a balloon and dart game that the man was a pro at and the teen girl was barely a novice in; he proudly received a large, fluffy hummingbird as his prize which he then handed over to Toothiana with an affectionate gaze when she shrieked in delight and clutched the bird to her chest. The only person who hadn't received a prize was Maya, a predicament solved when Jack faced his fluttering friend once more in a game that required them to knock over a series of stacked bottles with three baseballs and won. He then made his girlfriend the excited owner of a fluffy green frog that she hugged tightly and buried her face in.
The whole group was just a riot of laughs and fun with kisses and hugs shared at almost every given moment. However, everything started to wind down the later in the evening it got. It was almost time for them to make their leave from the fair, but first, they had one more ride they wanted to enjoy together yet separately. They made their way to the Ferris wheel, each couple getting a car to themselves for a few minutes in romantic solitude. Jack and Maya sat cuddled close together as their car started going up and around in a slow, circular motion, the air becoming slightly colder as they were pushed towards the night sky. The moon was shining brightly above them and they silently eyed it as they sat in content in each other's company. Jack's cologne still lingered on his clothes and Maya gently breathed it in before a smile stretched across her face.
"Tonight was fun, Jack. Thanks for asking me out," she stated in a low voice, as if afraid to break the serenity they were in as they hovered above the fair at the top of the Ferris wheel; the lights from down below flickered and shimmered brightly below them.
The teen boy gently turned his girlfriend's face towards him and kissed her gently on the lips, his cheeks slightly red from the tenderness and passion he felt towards her; "Maya, don't thank me for something like this," he told her with a small chuckle and smile, caressing her cheek with his thumb, "I'm your boyfriend; I want to do stuff like this for you and with you."
The midnight beauty was sure if her skin were any lighter, the fire red blush flaming over her cheeks would be very visible. She smiled at him in return and nodded, leaning in for another kiss, this one longer and sweeter than any of the other ones they shared through the night. When they pulled back, Maya had a dreamy look on her face that she tried to blink away as she rummaged through her purse.
"I did promise you a Valentine's Day gift," she started, pulling a small red back tied with a pink bow out of her purse, "So here it is."
She held it out to her boyfriend who took it gingerly with an excited smile on his face. He untied the bow and lifted the lid carefully, his eyes widening at what he saw inside. There was an arrangement of small chocolates within the box, a brand that he didn't recognize, but laying on top of the chocolates, pretty and simple, was a small, white snowflake locked into a bracelet. He lifted the snowflake gently from the box and set the chocolates aside for a moment, staring at his gift quietly with those same wide eyes. Maya watched him anxiously, having doubts about if he would actually like the gift now that he was sitting right in front of her and holding it.
"I saw the snowflake in a crafts store," she explained, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, "It made me think of you, since you love winter and snow and all that, and I just knew I had to do something with it. I thought a necklace would be much too girly for you, so I thought I'd make it into a simple bracelet. I hope you like it."
"This is awesome, Maya, of course I like it!" he replied, grinning happily at her, "It's cute, too. Help me clasp it on?"
The girl reached over and hooked the bracelet around Jack's wrist, the little piece of jewelry fitting perfectly as the snowflake gleamed in the light of the moon. Jack held it up to study it, moving it in different angles as he smiled at it.
"You're really good at this stuff," he complimented her, "You said you made this?"
"Yeah. The chocolates, too."
"You made the chocolates!? No wonder I couldn't recognize what brand they were!" Jack picked up a piece of the chocolate and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before groaning in appreciation, "These are so good! How did you make them?"
"An old recipe my grandma had and lots of practice," she answered proudly as she showed him her hands that were riddled with small cuts and burn marks, "It took a few tries, but I was able to finally make them perfect. I'm glad they taste good."
Jack took her pretty fingers in his grasp, staring at the injuries he didn't notice before, and kissed them accordingly with a sweet gentleness. He then placed one of his hands on the back of her neck, gently grasping it as he moved forward until their noses were brushing each other and their breath was mingling.
"Thank you, Maya, for everything. You are the best gift I could ask for on any day," he whispered, making her giggle as he leaned up to kiss her eyelid, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jack," she replied gently, closing her eyes and giving in to his kisses as they fell upon her lips over and over again.
Their ride soon came to an end, as did their night, and the tired couples got off the Ferris wheel and began to make their way towards the exit. Jack clasped Maya's hand tightly in his grasp, the new snowflake adorning his wrist glinting in the shimmering lights. His heart was filled with warmth overflowing, his eyes gentle as he gazed at his girlfriend. Maya herself couldn't believe that this was real for everything felt like a dream; the feelings she had for Jack were stronger than she's ever had for anyone and when she thought about his feelings towards her…it left her breathless and giddy and blissfully content.
She felt that nothing and no one could intrude on their colorful, wonderful world.
"…Hey Jack."
End Chapter
Crimsonwings92: Someone said that I didn't have enough cliffhangers…well there you go, haha. I know I changed Jack's sister's name, but that's because I FINALLY found out what it really was, so don't worry, I will be going through and changing it in the other chapters, just not right now. What did you guys think? Was it good or bad or could be better? I hope I still have your support after leaving you for all this time. Please review! Until next time lovelies! Ciao!