xp_logs | Spring Break in the snow (Reply)

Kitty and Jamie take a mini-vacation for their spring break. Pure cuteness, because there hasn't been enough of that. Backdated not-entirely-like woah.

The Mirror Lake Inn's Adirondack Suite was warm and inviting, all varnished cedar and birch-bark, with a fire already crackling in the stone fireplace. Jamie dropped their bags on the couch and flopped back spreadeagled onto the bed with a long sigh, propping himself up on his elbows after a moment to grin at Kitty. "Fireplace, whirlpool great view, comfy bed, and I hear they've got a full spa thing if the weather isn't skiworthy tomorrow. You think they'd let us just, y'know, move in here?"

"Think we could get our professors to come give private lectures? Because I'd be a big fan of the moving here thing, but nothing can be allowed to come between me and the particle physics." Kitty tossed her jacked over the chair in the corner before climbing up on the bed to curl up next to Jamie.

"I bet if we called room service and ordered a particle physics lecture they'd make arrangements. This is that kind of place." Jamie tweaked her nose. "But we have a whole weekend to completely flake out and relax in our insanely comfy luxury suite, and I'm sure we can think of better things to do."

Kitty giggled. "You know, you may be right. Loathe as I am to admit it, even I can't do physics every day all day forever without a break. And this, my dear Jamie, is an excellent break. Who needs MTV Spring Break in generic-sunny-vacation-spot-of-the-year?"

Jamie snickered. "Not me, that's for sure. Too much beer, too much noise, too many people who are celebrities only because they say they are. Also, jellyfish." He scootched over to rest his head in her lap. "But I'm glad to hear I picked a good thing to use my Kitty-spoiling budget on."

"And jellyfish are a terrible, terrible thing." Kitty threaded her fingers through his hair, playing with it a little bit. "Definitely a good use for the budget, I'd say. And I take it there are other things to do around here if the skiing does fall through?"

"Weellll, there's a whirlpool right here in the suite," Jamie replied with a lazy grin. "And they have like three or four different pools, a full spa, there's hiking and stuff . . . all kinds of things really, it's a pretty swanky place."

"Oooh, swanky is good. And don't get me wrong, I've no intention of moving just this minute, cause the bed? Kinda comfortable a lot. However, it is spring break. We are college students. I believe there may be a clause somewhere or other about the requirements of at least one activity involving a bikini."

"Article 1, section 1, paragraph A," Jamie said promptly. "And I draw your attention to the numerous pools. I hear one of them has a waterfall. And again I feel compelled to mention the whirlpool right here in the suite."

Kitty laughed. "See, and here I would have thought that the whirlpool would be for those activities not involving a bikini."

Jamie blinked, and craned his neck so he could stare up at Kitty. "Your logic is impeccable and I cannot argue with it. No wonder you're the genius around here."

Leaning down, Kitty pressed a kiss to his forehead. "And we were driving so long today, and the car's so small. I think I need a long, hot soak..."

Normally Jamie would have bridled at the suggestion that his Shelby was anything but awesome. This time . . . he was a little bit distracted. "You're absolutely right. We don't want you waking up sore tomorrow morning." With a wicked grin, he added, "From the drive."

"And hey," Kitty added, as though the thought had just struck her, "it kind of looked like the whirlpool was big enough for two. No chance you'd be interested in trying it out, is there?"

"I think you could probably persuade me," Jamie said thoughtfully. "It was a long drive, after all. And if you go soak, I'll have to move anyway."

"True, very true," Kitty agreed, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You getting off was even a key part of my bath taking plan."

Jamie laughed and sat up to give her a kiss. "You're definitely getting in hot water for that one, young lady."

"Well, you know, that was also part of the plan." Kitty grinned, kissing him again.

"You've got all the angles figured, don't you?" Jamie pulled her closer. "Guess I'll just have to concentrate on the curves."

In theory, pools were for swimming in. This was even a really good one for that, being long and warm and everything. However, Kitty did not feel like swimming. Kitty felt like playing, and besides, you were never too old for cannonballs.

Jamie turned around just in time to catch the splash full in the face. "Ackpth!" Ooh, she was going to get it for that. He knew a coupl of very shapely ankles that were gonna get yanked, if he could just find them . . .

Diving underwater, Jamie started to hunt, mentally humming the theme from "Jaws."

Kitty surfaced just as Jamie dived and it took only a few seconds to figure out what he must be doing. "Oh, Jamie, no!" she shrieked, setting off for the far side of the pool, hoping to get out of range.

Even muffled by the water, Kitty's shriek let Jamie zero in on her, and he threshed through the water toward her like an otter with particularly evil intentions.

The splashing about wasn't helping her hide, either, Kitty decided, but short of phasing out there wasn't much that could be done. Taking a deep breath, however, Kitty flipped around in the water and dived down towards Jamie. Maybe she could turn the tables.

Well, if she could change tactics, so could he . . . and anyway, Jamie thought, he'd need to breathe pretty soon. He rocketed back to the surface for a quick gulp of air, then dove back down, trying to sneak up on Kitty from above.

She'd seen him surface and had started to go after him when he dove again, leaving them basically heading for a head-on collision. A quick extra kick pushed her into range and she grabbed hold of his arm, tugging on it as she headed towards the surface again herself.

Jamie grinned and tugged back, kicking down toward the bottom of the pool. Surely she didn't think he was going to surrender that easily.

Kitty was pretty sure she didn't have enough air to go rough housing under the water for long so rather than go along with him she let go and kicked up at an angle, not having any intention of surfacing directly above him and making it easy.

Now this was more like it. Jamie circled around, waiting for Kitty to take a good breath, and then pounced, surging upward toward her temptingly waving ankles.

She was expecting it, so there was a lack of shrieking and flailing - after all, wouldn't want to waste the breath. Well, all right, there was some flailing.

Jamie dragged her all the way to the bottom and mussed her hair before letting her go; when they both surfaced, he grinned at her. "Cannonball me, will you?"

"Hey, I'm small!" Kitty protested. "It's not like it was a big splash..."

Jamie sniffed. "Maybe not, but it was carefully aimed. You can't tell me it wasn't." He gave her a quick peck on the nose. "Just be glad I didn't cannonball you back."

"I could," Kitty corrected, "but we would both know it for the dastardly lie it would be. And the ankle-grabbing was better?"

"Whole lot better," Jamie affirmed. "Ankle-grabbing is morally superior to cannonballing, everybody knows that."

"Bah," Kitty scoffed. "I don't believe you. Cannonballing leaves the cannonballer open to attack when she surfaces. Ankle-grabbing is a stealthy, ninja-like art and has no recourse or protection short of fleeing the pool of battle."

"My hand to God," Jamie said virtuously, raising his right hand. "Weapons of mass splashination like your standard Mark I Cannonball are banned by international treaty. In fact, the only thing considered worse . . ." Mischief lit in his eyes as his hand came back down onto Kitty's shoulder. ". . . is surprise dunking."

Kitty shrieked as she went under, making sure to thrash about and splash a little bit more than strictly necessary. Surfacing again she pushed her hair out of her face and spluttered at him. "That's it," she said, "I'm reporting you to the splash wars tribunal."

Jamie gasped and gave her a mournful look. "You wouldn't do that, would you? Don't I mean more to you than that?"

"Oh, and now you're pouting at me, stealing my tricks. Meanie." Kicking slightly closer she slid her arms around him for a hug, resisting the urge to take advantage of the situation and tickle him. Could be dangerous in the water and her without any way to get away quickly.

Jamie grinned. "I am. I'm a horrible person and I am willfully stealing all your best moves. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Oh, see, now that was asking for it. "Um..." Kitty said, "this." And the tickle war began.

Jamie had been skiing before. Not often, of course, Kansas not being known for its wondrous Alpine slopes, but a few times. He was an X-Man trainee, he rollerbladed, he had really good balance and hand-eye coordination. He was damn near unbeatable at DDR, for crying out loud.

None of this was apparently stopping him from also being ass-over-teakettle in a snowbank, his legs crossed awkwardly behind and above him, skis stuck in the snow, poles God knew where.

Well, Kitty also knew where the poles had gone, having seen them go flying when Jamie started flailing, and she was totally going to retrieve them for him and help him out of the snowbank, as soon as she could stop laughing. She did, at least, know that he was ok - the surprised yelp and lack of ow, combined with the deprediations against the gods of skiing that had just started gave that away.

Regaining control of herself, Kitty shifted out of the break position to slide slightly down the hill to where the closer of the two poles had landed, collecting it before starting back up to the other. "You all right?" she called out.

"Yeah," Jamie called back. "Only thing hurt is my pride, I think. Although I think that's a dead loss." He twisted his hips, trying to get the skis unstuck. "You're laughing at me," he added woefully.

"Only a little bit," she said, collecting the other pole from farther up the hill and then turning to slide back down to where he was struggling in the snow. "It was really, really silly looking. And Jamie, that would be much easier if you just popped the clamps open and stand up before you try to get the skis out of the snow." She offered him one of the poles to make it easier to get at the clamps.

"Yeah, but that would be letting the skis know they've won," Jamie grumbled, accepting the pole. He glared at it, sighed, and used the tip to pop open the clamps, then stood up and shifted the glare to the recalcitrant skis. "I've done this before, honest. These skis just don't like me."

"I believe you, Jamie, and it's ok. Everybody has a bad day at times, and if the skis have it out for you..." She grinned at him.

"They are bad evil skis and I think we should get 'Yana to see if they're possessed by demons." He gave Kitty the hairy eye. "And
you're making fun of me, I can tell. You and your gracefulness and not-fallingosity."

"No, no," Kitty said quickly. "Making fun of you would involve far more coment about bunny slopes and the pillow like quality of the powder. And I think the rental place would object if 'Yana decided to exorsize the skis."

"They'd thank her later when people stopped falling all over the hill," Jamie maintained. "These skis have malicious intent." He gave them a little kick, then yanked them out of the snow and laid them down. "Did you, ah, did you happen to see what happened to my other pole?"

"Oh, yes," Kitty said, handing the pole she'd been hiding behind her back over with an innocent smile. "Here you go!"

Jamie snorted. "Careful now, I'm gonna start suspecting you of conspiring with the skis. You're getting along awfully well with yours, I notice."

"My dad and mom used to take me skiing when I was young," she said by way of answer. "And we used to go on a lot more school trips before, you know, school trips started to mean riots and teachers taking off for the wild blue yonder." A pair of difficult topics, but Kitty wasn't going to let anything get her down this weekend.

"Aaah, now all becomes clear." Jamie grinned. "When we get back to the lodge, you need to show me the arcane devilish rituals you use to placate the skis and bend them to your will. Strangely, they don't so much teach those in Kansas."

Kitty laughed again. "I can give you some refresher tips, yeah. Think you can make it down the hill without another fall or do you want a lift?"

Jamie shoved his boots defiantly into the bindings. "Not gonna let some inanimate slats of fiberglass or whatever it is these things are made out of, beat me. I have opposable thumbs."

"Good for you," Kitty said. "But you should probably go first. Make sure I'm still nearby whe... if you go down again." There was a definite hint of tease in her voice.

"You are so going to get it when we get back to the hotel, missy," Jamie mock-growled back. "Oh, you may think you have the upper hand out here, where it's all slanty and the skis are on your side, but just you wait."

There was no attempt to hide the giggle. "First we have to get you down the mountain, and then you can take your dire revenge against me and the skis."

"In one piece," Jamie appended. "Gravity can get me down the mountain just fine all on its own, but I'm not gonna be taking any dire revenge if I'm in traction." He gingerly shifted his feet around so he was pointed more-or-less down the hill, braced himself, and looked back at Kitty. "You gonna inspire me onward with thoughts of a nice long massage on all the sore muscles I'm gonna have tonight?"

Kitty smiled. "That I can promise, yes, possibly also with a hot soak in the whirlpool. Actually, the two could go together, as long as you promised not to drown. And Jamie, you'll have more control if you angle the skis towards each other - you'll go slower, but that would be the point of control."

Jamie grinned. "That is the best idea ever. Oh, and the skis thing doesn't sound half-bad either." He carefully angled his skis and started sliding down the mountain at what he couldn't help describing to himself as a glacial pace. Mind you, that was a lot better than flying down the hill on his face . . .

Kitty kept pace with him with no problem. "When was the last time you were on skis?" she asked. "I should have asked before we headed up the lift, I know. Sorry."

Jamie laughed. "I, um . . . lessee, I was about ten, maybe? Couple-two-three years before I manifested, we went to visit my grandma, and she took us skiing . . . not too far from here, actually. If there were more hills in Kansas I'd've gone more, but, well, hills in Kansas, not so much."

"Ohhh, yeah, definitely should have asked first. And gone down the bunny slope a couple times. I'm sorry, Jamie."

"Hey, you weren't the one conveniently forgetting to mention his lack of experience so as not to be embarrassed in front of his girlfriend." Jamie snorted. "Which in hindsight was a plan doomed to backfire. But bunny hills?" He straightened importantly. "Bunny hills are for kids."

Unfortunately, the act of straightening importantly pulled Jamie's skis a lot closer to parallel, and he suddenly accelerated.

Kitty's response was cut off as Jamie suddenly sped up, not quite hurtling down the hill from her perspective, but it was bound to be far faster than he was really wanting to go at the moment. "Careful!" she called out, zipping after him in an instant. "Remember, push your toes together!" Which, of course, was far harder to do when you were going fast than when you were already going slowly.

"Toes! Right!" Jamie cinched his poles up more securely under his arms and tried to swivel his toes in. And for a moment, he was successful.

Unfortunately, he then proceeded to become toosuccessful, as his ski tips crossed. With a yelp, he went over again.

Sliding to a stop, Kitty valiantly tried to stop from laughing too loud. "Oh, dear," she managed as soon as she had control of the giggles again. "On the bright side, this time you managed to hold onto your poles?"

"Maybe, but the evil demon skis somehow conspired to get me to cross my legs. How is that physically possible with giant boards strapped to your feet?" Jamie's tone turned mournful as he picked himself up off the ground. "And you're laughing at me again. I'm gonna be so stiff tomorrow you'll have to wheel me out to the car on a dolly, and you're laughing."

"Aw..." Kitty said in reply to his mournful tone. "I'd hug you to make up for it, but as you said, boards strapped to my feet. And you won't be stiff, that's what the massage is for."

"Mm. True." Jamie grinned at her as he detangled himself. "You know, this whole routine you do with the irrefutable logic and the being unable to be argued with, it's really kind of obnoxious."

"I'd pout, but somehow, I don't think you mean it. Maybe it's the grin."

"Oh, I mean it," Jamie replied, easing his way down the hill again. "You're just cute when you're obnoxious."

"I'm always cute," Kitty said pertly, grinning at Jamie's careful progress.

"I've noticed that," Jamie replied, relaxing a little as the bottom of the hill came in sight. "It's probably why you get your way so much."

"And here I thought that was because of my irrefutable logic. Shows what I know. And here we go, almost down now."

"It's the irrefutable logic and the cuteness, joining together to form a one-two punch of unspeakable power." Jamie coasted to a shaky stop at the bottom of the hill and sat down heavily in a convenient snowbank. "Okay. Skiing is officially evil."

"It isn't evil," Kitty said, leaning on her poles and sliding back and forth slightly, "just difficult. Do I take this to mean you don't want to give the bunny slops a shot?"

"Mmph." Jamie hauled himself back to his feet. "Well, if you drive us back to the hotel after, and we order in room service, I s'pose the bunny hill might be worth a try."

"Both of those can and will be done," Kitty promised, smiling. "And I'll even treat for some cocoa first."

"Ooh. Cocoa." Jamie brightened. "You are clearly the best girlfriend in the history of ever." He gave her a beseeching look. "Marshmallows too?"

She nodded. "Of course marshmallows, too. Practically goes without saying."

"Oh good. Something that goes squish that isn't me would really help." Jamie grinned. "Lead me to your hill on which poor innocent bunnies are sacrificed to the gods of snow and demon-infested skis."

"Ski lift's right over there," Kitty said, though the giggles, and pointed. "Let's go."