Audra had bundeled herself in a pair of her mothers old snow pants, a bright white ski jacket, mittens, scarf and hat. The ends of her braided, blonde pigtails stuck out from beneath the hat. Her cheeks were rosy from windburn, but the night was still young and her time with Nathan had just begun. She'd been away from Becky's Place for a few days and so had not been able to see Nathan. He'd quickly grown to become a very good friend and so, they had decided to go for a walk through the snow blanketed glen.
"What've you and Keir been up to the past few days while I was on vacation, Nathan?" Hopeful, bright eyes lifted to meet his gaze as they strolled along the beaten-down path of snow through the glen.
Nathan looked back at her as th walked. He was cold, though not uncomforatable. Haveing lost most of his winter clothes. He wore a light jacket and a thick wool sweater under it, the two did well to keep him warm. "The usual, I bake he watches me bake." Said with a chuckle. He liked his work at Becky's Place. "How was the trip?"
"Good. Daddy took me back home to see Mom's grave. She's been dead 3 years now." There was a hint of sadness in her tone, but nothing of bitterness or pain. "We visit her grave every year, even though we live so far away." Audra dipped her head, glancing at the ground. "There wasn't snow when we left.."
Appreciateing the snow as he answers,"I fell about day after you left and hasn't melted at all. Perfect snow for sledding, sking, even snow balls." As he spoke he scoped low to pick up a handful of snow and he starts to form it. He can't help but feel his own twinge of pain at the mention of a lost parent. He knew her pain all to well.
Audra knew that the reminder of her mothers death would probably bring up memories of Nathan's parents, but she'd made a promise to stop trying to shelter him. Keir said it wouldn't help him heal by protecting him from every single small comment. "I love the snow. Back in Wisconsin, we'd get alot of snow every winter. Sometimes we couldn't even get out of our houses." She too bends to pick up some snow, forming it into a ball with her hands.
Glancing over at her forming a weapon, he puts the finishing touches on his own. "I love the snow but thats just to much snow. when it comes to snow you need just the right amount...about this much." With that he gently throws the snow ball at Audra's shoulder.
She squealed and tried to evade the projectile, narrowly missing the snowball. Audra took off at a run, but not before launching hers right into his face. Yes, yes....she was evil. Grinning as she ran away, Audra egged him on to chase her.
Recovering from his own toss just in time to look up into the oncomeing snowball Nathan is hit right on the nose. The rush of cold invigorates him as he gives chase to the girl. Scopping up and throwing nother hastily made ball of his own. "Get back here!" He shouts after the girl as he fails to catch up at all, Nathan is no runner.
She turns to find that he isn't going to chase her and lets out a shout of dismay. "You're no fun, old man!" Audra often liked to tease Nathan for being 6+ years older than her, commenting many times a day about her youth and his being too old for fun. Now was no different. Traipsing back to him, Audra stuffed her hands into her pockets and grinned up at him like a child begging forgiveness.
Putting on a stern look he replied,"I'm not old yet, Kier is old." He moved to meet her in the middle, placing his hands in his pockets to warm them again as he did. "It's really cold out here." He observed as they met in the middle. "Though it could be colder..." As he spoke, he pulled his hands out of his pockets to blew into them. And as soon as Audra was in arms reach he grabbed her and tackled her into the snow.
Audra gives another scream as Nathan tackles her, not expecting such retribution from the nice, quiet Nathan Devale. Her arms flew out of her pockets quickly and out of instinct wrapped around Nathan's body as if that would save her. It didn't, however, and they both landed in a snow drift. "Ooof!" Audra laughed and squirmed beneath him, uncomfortably aware of how close they were to each other.
Once he had her firmly tackled, Nathan couldn't help but like being so close to her. Despite that he rolled off of her. his own back now in the snow bank he spread his arms and legs and began to move them all in a up-down motion to make a little angel in the snow. "Why is snow so much fun?"
As he shifted his weight from off her body, Audra let out a sigh of relief...or was it regret' After all, she was only human! Rolling over to watch him make a snow angel, she propped her head up with her hand, elbow resting in the snow. "I think because it reminds us of our childhood...all the fun we had back then. What do you think?" Asking with genuine interest, though giving a slight shiver.
He begins to sit up, careful not to damage the angel. "I think snow s fun because it is cold and we are hot. Its different and that makes it exciteing." He places one foot on either side of the angel and struggled to his feet, turning to face Audra. "And bcause it is cold we should head inside." He offers her a hand.
Tentatively, Audra reached up after watching him struggle to get out of his snow angel, firmly grasping his hand with her mitten encased one. "So you like things that are different' I guess you're a fan of the saying that opposite attract, then, huh?"
Pulling her up, he almost falls back over himself. Standing up straight again he starts to lead her back towards Keirs, only releaseing her hand after the first few steps. "I think opposites certainly do attract. At least they seem to." He says with a little laugh as he tries to avoid eye contact. "We should get some hot chocolate."
"I guess I'm just going to have to find you a girl who is nothing like you." Audra was very good at masking her true feelings. Nathan would never know that this bothered her. "And hot choc sounds good. Elisha makes the best Hot Cocoa in the entire universe. Let's head back to Becky's Place and beg her to make us some..." Oddly enough, she was careful to avoid eye contact like he did.
"Yeah," he said with a twinge of sadness at hearing her girl statement. "Lets get some. I don't think I have ever had hers, is it good like my cookies or good like your cookies...so ok?" The little jest was made in a playful tone with a slight shove to her shoulder. He begins to ead her back towards Becky's place.
And her twinge of sadness came when he agreed. Putting a smile on her face, Audra just shrugged, not willing to compare the Cocoa to anything until he'd tried it. Right now, Audra was just happy that she had beenable to spend time with Nathan and get his mind off of the struggles in his life. She likes being the one who could do that, but from his response, he was looking elsewhere. Well, she might as well help him with that so whoever the luck girl is doesn't break his heart.
"You know being short is different." Nathan pointed out while looking down at her. "And I'm not saying total difference is needed either, both my parents were in bakeing before they met." He hoped that easeing in from a different angle ight peak her interest, in him if possible.
Audra, at best, was dense. She was a quiet, small-town girl who wasn't used to making first moves, especially on an older guy like Nathan. Nathan's words were lost on her. Instead of commenting, though, she just smiled and stayed quiet, nodding as if she agreed with him. "I'm sure we can find you a short girl."
Not sure if she hadn't gotten the hint or just wasn't interested Nathan went or one last dive. "Well you being short and all should be easy for you." He leaned in slightly to gauge her response better. Becky's Plae wasn't far now and he hoped for a good response before getting there.
His implications finally hit her full on and Audra's eyes widened as it registered within her thoughts. Chapped lips parted in surprise, then were pursed together in embarassment. She liked Nathan, but wasn't sure what she would do if he liked her back. She'd been in love with Matt for 4 years and he'd broken her heart. Audra wasn't sure if she was ready for anything else. She wasn't sure Nathan was ready for anything, either. Drawing in a quick breath, Audra smiled. "Yeah, maybe." And with that, she took off at a run for the back door of Becky's Place which was now in view.
Chasing after her this time he decided to make it a race. A race he really couldn't win, still no runner. He hoped that her break for the door was some kind of flirty gesture, but he doubted it. Well he had tossed it out there, now he wuld see what she did. "I'll beat you there!" He calls out from behind her.
She'd been a sprinter in highschool....so this was a piece of cake to the thin, young woman. Despite her efforts to keep from smiling, a grin spread across her face knowing that Nathan liked her. She ran up the back steps to the door, but instead of running through it, she came to a halt, turning to lean against the door and wait for him. "You really are an old man. Slow, slow, slow..."
Nathan was panting heavily as he came to stop by the door, doubling over as he put his hand on the door frame to steady himself. "It looked alot closer when we started running," he said between pants, "and I'm not old just youth challanged." He looked up at the girl, impressed at the shape she was still in. Standing up straight again, he made a mad leap to attempt to beat her through the door and thus win the race.
Audra kept her stance, blocking the door with her body. "What's the password?"
Looking down at her with a quizzical look he measures his options. On the one hand he is quite a bit bigger then her and could move her. He could bank on his wit and try to think of a good enough password. He could even just try and wrestle her out of the way. For al these great option Nathan chose the least like himself, perhaps braver for all his recent experiences or bolstered by the promise of hot chocolate. Leaning in close he said "This." And kissed her, a fleeting kiss on the cheek.
While she hadn't expected such a surprise, she had been secretly hoping for it. A crimson flush crawled up her neck and spilled onto her cheeks, heating the once cold flesh of her face. Audra stuttered, effectively moving out of Nathan's way so he could move inside. She tried to hide her pleasure, but wasn't quite sure she succeeded. "You're such a flirt," she finally responded, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Come on...let's get that Hot Chocolate before Elisha starts cleaning up for the night.
Opening the door for the both of them Nathan was thrilled she hadn't slapped him. He hoped she was as happy right now as he was. He couldn't tell if the flush in her cheeks was from him or from he cold, either way she looked happy. "I don't believe its as good as you claim." He teased her as the warmth from the room poured out onto them.
"What've you and Keir been up to the past few days while I was on vacation, Nathan?" Hopeful, bright eyes lifted to meet his gaze as they strolled along the beaten-down path of snow through the glen.
Nathan looked back at her as th walked. He was cold, though not uncomforatable. Haveing lost most of his winter clothes. He wore a light jacket and a thick wool sweater under it, the two did well to keep him warm. "The usual, I bake he watches me bake." Said with a chuckle. He liked his work at Becky's Place. "How was the trip?"
"Good. Daddy took me back home to see Mom's grave. She's been dead 3 years now." There was a hint of sadness in her tone, but nothing of bitterness or pain. "We visit her grave every year, even though we live so far away." Audra dipped her head, glancing at the ground. "There wasn't snow when we left.."
Appreciateing the snow as he answers,"I fell about day after you left and hasn't melted at all. Perfect snow for sledding, sking, even snow balls." As he spoke he scoped low to pick up a handful of snow and he starts to form it. He can't help but feel his own twinge of pain at the mention of a lost parent. He knew her pain all to well.
Audra knew that the reminder of her mothers death would probably bring up memories of Nathan's parents, but she'd made a promise to stop trying to shelter him. Keir said it wouldn't help him heal by protecting him from every single small comment. "I love the snow. Back in Wisconsin, we'd get alot of snow every winter. Sometimes we couldn't even get out of our houses." She too bends to pick up some snow, forming it into a ball with her hands.
Glancing over at her forming a weapon, he puts the finishing touches on his own. "I love the snow but thats just to much snow. when it comes to snow you need just the right amount...about this much." With that he gently throws the snow ball at Audra's shoulder.
She squealed and tried to evade the projectile, narrowly missing the snowball. Audra took off at a run, but not before launching hers right into his face. Yes, yes....she was evil. Grinning as she ran away, Audra egged him on to chase her.
Recovering from his own toss just in time to look up into the oncomeing snowball Nathan is hit right on the nose. The rush of cold invigorates him as he gives chase to the girl. Scopping up and throwing nother hastily made ball of his own. "Get back here!" He shouts after the girl as he fails to catch up at all, Nathan is no runner.
She turns to find that he isn't going to chase her and lets out a shout of dismay. "You're no fun, old man!" Audra often liked to tease Nathan for being 6+ years older than her, commenting many times a day about her youth and his being too old for fun. Now was no different. Traipsing back to him, Audra stuffed her hands into her pockets and grinned up at him like a child begging forgiveness.
Putting on a stern look he replied,"I'm not old yet, Kier is old." He moved to meet her in the middle, placing his hands in his pockets to warm them again as he did. "It's really cold out here." He observed as they met in the middle. "Though it could be colder..." As he spoke, he pulled his hands out of his pockets to blew into them. And as soon as Audra was in arms reach he grabbed her and tackled her into the snow.
Audra gives another scream as Nathan tackles her, not expecting such retribution from the nice, quiet Nathan Devale. Her arms flew out of her pockets quickly and out of instinct wrapped around Nathan's body as if that would save her. It didn't, however, and they both landed in a snow drift. "Ooof!" Audra laughed and squirmed beneath him, uncomfortably aware of how close they were to each other.
Once he had her firmly tackled, Nathan couldn't help but like being so close to her. Despite that he rolled off of her. his own back now in the snow bank he spread his arms and legs and began to move them all in a up-down motion to make a little angel in the snow. "Why is snow so much fun?"
As he shifted his weight from off her body, Audra let out a sigh of relief...or was it regret' After all, she was only human! Rolling over to watch him make a snow angel, she propped her head up with her hand, elbow resting in the snow. "I think because it reminds us of our childhood...all the fun we had back then. What do you think?" Asking with genuine interest, though giving a slight shiver.
He begins to sit up, careful not to damage the angel. "I think snow s fun because it is cold and we are hot. Its different and that makes it exciteing." He places one foot on either side of the angel and struggled to his feet, turning to face Audra. "And bcause it is cold we should head inside." He offers her a hand.
Tentatively, Audra reached up after watching him struggle to get out of his snow angel, firmly grasping his hand with her mitten encased one. "So you like things that are different' I guess you're a fan of the saying that opposite attract, then, huh?"
Pulling her up, he almost falls back over himself. Standing up straight again he starts to lead her back towards Keirs, only releaseing her hand after the first few steps. "I think opposites certainly do attract. At least they seem to." He says with a little laugh as he tries to avoid eye contact. "We should get some hot chocolate."
"I guess I'm just going to have to find you a girl who is nothing like you." Audra was very good at masking her true feelings. Nathan would never know that this bothered her. "And hot choc sounds good. Elisha makes the best Hot Cocoa in the entire universe. Let's head back to Becky's Place and beg her to make us some..." Oddly enough, she was careful to avoid eye contact like he did.
"Yeah," he said with a twinge of sadness at hearing her girl statement. "Lets get some. I don't think I have ever had hers, is it good like my cookies or good like your cookies...so ok?" The little jest was made in a playful tone with a slight shove to her shoulder. He begins to ead her back towards Becky's place.
And her twinge of sadness came when he agreed. Putting a smile on her face, Audra just shrugged, not willing to compare the Cocoa to anything until he'd tried it. Right now, Audra was just happy that she had beenable to spend time with Nathan and get his mind off of the struggles in his life. She likes being the one who could do that, but from his response, he was looking elsewhere. Well, she might as well help him with that so whoever the luck girl is doesn't break his heart.
"You know being short is different." Nathan pointed out while looking down at her. "And I'm not saying total difference is needed either, both my parents were in bakeing before they met." He hoped that easeing in from a different angle ight peak her interest, in him if possible.
Audra, at best, was dense. She was a quiet, small-town girl who wasn't used to making first moves, especially on an older guy like Nathan. Nathan's words were lost on her. Instead of commenting, though, she just smiled and stayed quiet, nodding as if she agreed with him. "I'm sure we can find you a short girl."
Not sure if she hadn't gotten the hint or just wasn't interested Nathan went or one last dive. "Well you being short and all should be easy for you." He leaned in slightly to gauge her response better. Becky's Plae wasn't far now and he hoped for a good response before getting there.
His implications finally hit her full on and Audra's eyes widened as it registered within her thoughts. Chapped lips parted in surprise, then were pursed together in embarassment. She liked Nathan, but wasn't sure what she would do if he liked her back. She'd been in love with Matt for 4 years and he'd broken her heart. Audra wasn't sure if she was ready for anything else. She wasn't sure Nathan was ready for anything, either. Drawing in a quick breath, Audra smiled. "Yeah, maybe." And with that, she took off at a run for the back door of Becky's Place which was now in view.
Chasing after her this time he decided to make it a race. A race he really couldn't win, still no runner. He hoped that her break for the door was some kind of flirty gesture, but he doubted it. Well he had tossed it out there, now he wuld see what she did. "I'll beat you there!" He calls out from behind her.
She'd been a sprinter in highschool....so this was a piece of cake to the thin, young woman. Despite her efforts to keep from smiling, a grin spread across her face knowing that Nathan liked her. She ran up the back steps to the door, but instead of running through it, she came to a halt, turning to lean against the door and wait for him. "You really are an old man. Slow, slow, slow..."
Nathan was panting heavily as he came to stop by the door, doubling over as he put his hand on the door frame to steady himself. "It looked alot closer when we started running," he said between pants, "and I'm not old just youth challanged." He looked up at the girl, impressed at the shape she was still in. Standing up straight again, he made a mad leap to attempt to beat her through the door and thus win the race.
Audra kept her stance, blocking the door with her body. "What's the password?"
Looking down at her with a quizzical look he measures his options. On the one hand he is quite a bit bigger then her and could move her. He could bank on his wit and try to think of a good enough password. He could even just try and wrestle her out of the way. For al these great option Nathan chose the least like himself, perhaps braver for all his recent experiences or bolstered by the promise of hot chocolate. Leaning in close he said "This." And kissed her, a fleeting kiss on the cheek.
While she hadn't expected such a surprise, she had been secretly hoping for it. A crimson flush crawled up her neck and spilled onto her cheeks, heating the once cold flesh of her face. Audra stuttered, effectively moving out of Nathan's way so he could move inside. She tried to hide her pleasure, but wasn't quite sure she succeeded. "You're such a flirt," she finally responded, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Come on...let's get that Hot Chocolate before Elisha starts cleaning up for the night.
Opening the door for the both of them Nathan was thrilled she hadn't slapped him. He hoped she was as happy right now as he was. He couldn't tell if the flush in her cheeks was from him or from he cold, either way she looked happy. "I don't believe its as good as you claim." He teased her as the warmth from the room poured out onto them.