Prompt: Sledding

Characters/Pairings: Jake/Rose; Haley; Susan

Chapter content warnings:

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~TLL~

"Mom! I don't want to."

Susan put her hands on her hips and stared at him. Jake stared back at his mother, trying not to feel intimidated.

"But you're going to. Jake, you already committed to helping me take care of your sister this week. I have way too much catering going on this month and your father has to work. You and Haley both have no school. You gave me your word."

"Can't she just stay here with you and watch TV?" Jake complained. "You won't even notice her. She's the good kid!"

"She has plans with her friends to go sledding and you already agreed to take her."

"I have my own plans!"

"You gave your word, Jake. You are taking Haley sledding and you will stay with her the entire time."

"What if I have dragon duties or –"

Susan brandished the spatula she was holding at him. "You are taking your sister sledding. That is your duty for the day and I will not hear another word about it."

Jake made a garbled whining noise but didn't actually say another word because he knew he had pushed his luck too far with his mother. He let Spud and Trixie know that he wasn't allowed to hang out today because his little sister was needy and he ignored the smug look on Haley's face as they put on their hats, coats, and boots.

"Aww, come on, Jake," Haley squeaked as they left, Jake carrying her sled. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"I didn't even know you had friends," Jake snarled.

Haley was unphased. "Even you have friends. At least I'm likeable."

Jake resisted the urge to let the sled beat against the ground as they walked, knowing how much Haley would complain to their mother when they got home and he really didn't need her to lecture him. Jake got lectured more than enough. When they reached the meeting spot with her friends, Jake was surprised at just how many kids were there. He put the sled in Haley's arms and started scouting for places to sit.

"Don't get yourself hurt," Jake instructed.

"Please," Haley scoffed. "Don't make me look uncool."

Him? Make her look uncool? Jake almost picked a fight about it but it seemed counterintuitive. He grumbled again, shoved his hands in his pocket, and went over to a snowy picnic table. A little bit of subtle dragon fire to get him a dry spot to sit, and then Jake was planted down, head in his hands, elbows on his knees, watching as Haley bombed down the hill with her friends closely in pursuit. He hoped that she faceplanted while he was watching because then, at least, he would have something to laugh about and he wouldn't have wasted his whole day.

Jake heard footsteps behind him. God, no, please, he begged, don't let anyone try to talk to me.

Jake kept staring straight ahead, even as he heard someone clear off the snow next to him and sit. He didn't want to talk to any of the moms or babysitters or –

"Hey, stranger."

Okay, well, fine. One exception in the whole world. Jake turned his head and there was Rose and he couldn't help the goofy smile that was taking over his face.

"Hey," he squeaked. He actually squeaked. Was Haley right? Was he uncool? "What are you doing here?"

"Babysitting," Rose said. "What about you?"

"Same thing," Jake admitted. "Which sucks."

"I think it's fun," Rose said.

"Well, you're not babysitting Haley."

Rose laughed. "I like your sister."

"That's because you don't live with her."

Rose nudged her shoulder into his and Jake leant back into her. They sat there like that and Jake was looking at how close their fingers were to each other. It would be almost nothing, just the slightest movement of his fingers, until they were touching and, then, from there, he could just hold her hand. It would be so easy to hold her hand.

"Jake!"

Jake forced a smile on his face as he shifted away from Jake to look at his sister. "What?"

Haley put her sled against the picnic table. "I'm going to get hot chocolate."

"Where? With who? For how long?"

"Don't turn into Mom."

"If I let you wander off without asking these questions and Mom finds out it's my butt on the line so either you tell me what I want to know or I go with you."

"I told you not to make me look uncool!"

Jake raised his eyebrows at her.

"Fine," Haley said. "There's a little stand over there if you go like two steps that way you can see it in the distance and we're going with Olivia's older sister. She's nineteen and responsible and there's going to be like five of us going and we're going there and straight back. Deal?"

"Deal," Jake said. "Go away now."

"Take care of my sled!"

Jake shook his head as he watched her go and then he turned to Rose. "See? She's a menace."

Rose was smiling. "You're such a good big brother."

"Well, she doesn't make it easy." Jake realized that her hand had moved further away again. "Where's the one you're babysitting?"

"Over there," Rose lifted her chin. "I basically just have to get him to and from home because he's just going to be hanging out with his best friend and his mom."

"So, want to go sledding?"

"What?"

"Sledding," Jake repeated. "Haley's going to be gone for a few minutes and we might as well see if it's any fun."

Rose jumped up. "Yes! Absolutely! Do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?"

"I'll be the big spoon first."

They put the sled at the top of the hill and Rose carefully got on the front of it. Jake folded himself behind her, having to put his arms around her waist and his legs over hers so that they both fight onto Haley's sled. He never wanted to move again. He would just sit here forever, breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo and feeling her breath.

"I haven't done this in forever," Rose said and she sounded so delighted that it was infectious. "Come on, push us forward."

Jake edged them to the top of the hill and then they were practically flying down the hill, Rose doing everything in her power to avoid running over some of the smaller kids. They spun out at the bottom of hill and they tipped over into the snow. Jake was half on top of her, his arm on her waist, and his face so close over hers. She looked so stunning, laying there with her long blonde hair loose under her pink hat.

"Would it be weird if I asked to kiss you?" Rose asked, rendering Jake completely breathless.

"Nah," he said, trying to sound cool, like he wasn't freaking out about it.

"So, then, Jake, can I kiss you?"

"Yeah."

And, then, they were kissing, and she was the only warmth in the world and it was better than Jake had thought that it was going to be and Jake had thought about kissing her a lot. They were both blushing when the kiss ended and Jake knew that he was about to get really awkward and he knew he had to stop himself from doing that. He jumped to his feet and offered her his hand.

"Come on, your turn to be the big spoon."

Rose didn't let go of his hand the entire way back up the hill. As they settled back onto the sled, she squeezed him tightly around the waist, her face resting against his shoulder blade and Jake was grateful for Haley and sledding in this moment, like he never thought he would be.

"Let's go!" Rose said.

And then they were flying again.