Prompt: Ski Resort/Winter Cabin

Characters/Pairings: Jake/Rose

Chapter content warnings:

Don't forget that you can find me on tumblr: we - are - all - of - legend - now and that my ao3 account is wearealloflegendnow (even though I haven't posted there yet)!

~TLL~

Rose leant her head against the car window, watching the snow-covered hills blur by. In the driver's seat, Jake was loudly singing along to the radio and Rose smiled, humming along under her breath, more wanting to listen to him than interrupt him. She watched the road signs clip by but it still took too much time before she put the pieces together. In fact, they were pulling up to the gates before Rose picked her head up.

"Hey! I know this place!"

Jake laughed. "I know you do."

"We're skiing!" she exclaimed. "Oh, Jake, I wasn't expecting this."

"Are you disappointed?" Jake asked.

"No. I love it. Perfect surprise." Rose leant across the console and kissed his cheek. "We won't even have to get into a fight this time, we can actually just ski."

"And you can sit next to me on the way home."

Rose laughed. "Well, I would have to, you drove me here."

Jake helped Rose out of the car and then they went to get checked in. When they picked up the bags, Jake tried to flex by picking them all up at once but he nearly teetered over and Rose snatched her duffel bag from his hand.

"Come on, I had it."

"I'm not letting you break your nose in the parking lot," Rose said. "You'll have to screw up and hit a tree or something. Make it a good story."

"Haley would absolutely love it if I face planted and broke my nose in a parking lot," Jake countered.

Rose rolled her eyes and led the way to their cabin for the next few days. She put her bag down and kicked off her shoes, making her way around the small kitchenette, small living room, bathroom, and bedroom. It was a very different side of the ski resort than the lodge where she had been with her classmates another lifetime ago. Jake came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was the same boy, though, and that was so incredible. Jake pulled her backward onto the bed, snuggling her shoulders. Even though they had been living together since college graduation this past May, they hadn't had a weekend away together. Most of the travelling they had done was on family trips or going back and forth to each other's college campuses. And it felt more domestic, somehow, knowing that they were here together and then would be going home to an apartment they shared together.

"Are you sleeping?"

"No," Jake said. "We're just cuddling."

"Come on," Rose said, bouncing to her feet.

"What about cuddling?"

"We can cuddle later. Let's ski!"

Jake kissed her and then followed her out of the cabin to rent Rose's skis and Jake's snowboard. At the top of the hill, Rose let out a shriek and dared him to beat her to the bottom. Their competitive spirits came out in full force and they spent the afternoon chasing each other around, coming out in a draw most of the time. Jake did run into a tree once, which made Rose laugh so hard that she completely fell over. They ate in the lodge, stealing French Fries off of each other's plates even though they both had their own.

"They're doing a midnight ski tonight for Christmas Eve," Jake said. "Wanna go?"

"Yes!"

"But that means we get to cuddle first."

Rose winked at Jake. "Cuddle. Absolutely."

They had a little cuddle, a little more, and then a little nap before it was time to get ready for the midnight ski. The ski runs were decorated with shining lights and little snowmen at the bottom. The caught the same chairlift all the way up to the top and Rose was smiling again as the cold wind rushed by their faces.

"I'm really glad you thought of this," she said again. "It's the perfect place for Christmas."

They got off the chair lift and poised at the top of the mountain.

"Ready?" Rose asked.

"Wait! Shoot."

Rose turned. "Everything okay?"

Jake was on his knees. "You forgot something."

"Me?" Other skiers whizzed passed them, heading down the mountain but Rose was just still, confused, watching as Jake took off his glove.

"Yeah, your Christmas present."

"Now?" Rose asked.

Jake held out a ring. "What do you think? Want to be my fiancé for Christmas?"

Rose was on the verge of tears but she wouldn't be Rose if she didn't let out a sassy, "Just for Christmas."

"And every day after. Well, until we actually get married." Jake pulled off Rose's gloves with confidence. "My Rose, love of my life, will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

Jake slid the ring onto her finger and then pushed himself so that he was standing upright again, just so that he could kiss her. He pulled her to him so quickly that they were sliding down the hill before either of them knew it or could try to control it and they stumbled through the snow in a laughing tangle.

It was a perfect Christmas.