Australia

Sam’s POV

I stood at the side of the lake; my feet basically covered in bandaids, in three pairs of socks inside the new ice skates Nick had bought me for this occasion. I stared at the ice; unsure of how I was going to go about this. I glanced down at the fresh and clean white skates that were on my feet. They looked so foreign and I felt tall. A pair of black skates joined my white ones and I looked up to the cheeky, crooked tooth grin of Nick Jonas.

“Come on,” he urged. “Trust me.”

I looked him up and down. It was rare that Nick wore all black; but right now that was what he was dressed in. Black skinny jeans and a thick black coat and I knew that underneath that he had a black singlet, long sleeve shirt and a long sleeve flannelette shirt. He had a black beanie on his head; pulled down over his ears and black gloves on. It was strange not seeing his curls. Me on the other hand; I had black jeans, a white long sleeved shirt, a thick cardigan and a white jacket with a fluffy lining in the hood. I had a white beanie and mitten combination on as well.

“Nick. As I told you at the house, and in the car and at the store and when we were getting dressed; I cannot ice skate!” I told him. I put my hands on my hips, which were admittedly hard to find under my layers.

“Do you trust me?” Nick asked; tilting his head on the side.

“Yes,” I sighed. “Of course I do.”

“Then take my hands,” he requested.

I looked up at him. His eyes were sparkling and a reassuring smile was plastered on his face. I took a deep breath and reached out; resting both my hand in Nick’s. He closed his hands over mine and took a small step back. I looked at him unsure.

“Come on,” Nick tugged gently on my hands. “Just one step.”

I moved forehead in the snow and put one foot on the ice.

“Now the other one,” Nick laughed at me.

I gripped his hands tighter and stepped onto the ice. My right foot slid out form under me; sliding in between Nick’s legs and I landed on my butt on the ice. Nick laughed and I frowned up at him. He tried pulling me up by my hands but I kept sliding. He grabbed the front of my jacket with one hand and my arm with the other.

“Hold onto my waist,” he instructed and I took hold of the pockets of his jacket. He pulled me up and settled me on my feet. I held onto his pockets tightly.

“I’m standing,” I smiled proudly.

“Okay,” Nick smiled. “Now; for you to actually move.”

“I think I’ll just stay standing,” I nodded at him.

“Sam,” Nick smiled and laughed lightly. “Come on.”

“But I’ll fall,” I whined.

“I won’t let you fall,” he told me. “I promise.”

I looked at Nick unsurely. He smiled and held out a hand. I slid mine into it and he held onto his.

“Now, keep your knees bent and your ankles turn in slightly,” he instructed. “It’ll keep you balanced.”

I did what I was told; bending my knees slightly and angling my ankles inwards.

“I’ll pull you along,” he smiled. “Just hold onto my hand and don’t let go.”

Nick moved slightly; sliding one foot back behind him followed by the other. I was jolted forward on the skates but I didn’t fall. Nick glided back again and I went along with him; keeping my legs in the position he had told me. We continued like this for a while; Nick skating backwards and me being pulled along for the ride.

“Alright,” Nick skidded slowly to a stop. I slowed in front of him; not letting go of his jacket or his hand. “Now, you’ll actually skate.”

“Wasn’t that what I was doing?” I asked.

“No,” Nick shook his head with his grin on his face. “You were mooching off my skating.”

“Oh,” I frowned.

“Okay, have you been roller blading before?” Nick asked; guiding me to the very centre of the lake.

I looked longingly at the shore; it looked more and more inviting as the moments passed.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I used to blade all the time when I was younger.”

“Okay. Well, this is similar. You use the same actions; bending the knees and pushing off,” Nick smiled.

“But, this is on ice,” I looked at him.

“Trust me, remember,” Nick reassured with yet another one of his smiles.

Jonas Brothers’ fans would really be surprised with how often Nick really smiled.

“Fine,” I sighed.

“Let go of my jacket,” he grabbed my hand and pried it off his jacket. “Now hold my hand as best as you can with your mittens on.”

“Leave my mittens alone,” I frowned.

“Alright,” Nick laughed. “Now, just push of slowly.”

I did what he said; pushing off gently with my left foot closely followed by my right foot. Nick held my hand tightly as we slowly made our way around the lake. We skated around in circles; slowly at first and gradually picking up speed.

“You’re going well, Sam,” Nick praised. “You’re ice skating.”

“Thanks to you,” I smiled at him.

We continued for ages. Nick eventually let go of one of my hands and we skated around holding on to the other hand loosely. After a long while, I felt the temperature drop and even through my layers I felt the breeze blow through the leaf-less trees surrounding the lake.

“Is it getting colder or is it just me?” I asked Nick; frowning.

“No, it’s definitely getting colder,” Nick slowed us down and guided me from behind; with his hand on my hips to the bank.

I made my way up the snow bank leaving ice skate blade trails in the snow. I turned and sat heavily on my butt in the snow. Nick plopped himself down onto his knees in front of me and started unlacing my skates.

“Thank you for today Nick,” I smiled at him, “It’s been fun.”

Nick looked up at me from unlacing my second skate. He smiled a warm smile at me. The tip of his nose was red and his cheeks were rosy. His eyes sparkled in the reflection from the snow. I smiled back at him; wondering if my face was as rosy as his. I fought the urge to reach out and touch his cheek. Why was I still like this; still desperate for some sort of contact with Nick?

He smiled back at me and offered me my boots. I took them with a smile and slipped them onto my feet pulling them up my calves. I stood up and watched Nick while he unlaced his skates and pulled on his sneakers. He stood up and dusted the snow of the back of his coat and his butt. He screwed his face up and sneezed into his hands.

“Bless you,” I smiled.

“Thank you,” he smiled before sneezing again; twice more.

“We should get out of this cold,” I told him picking up my skates.

“Yeah,” Nick agreed; sneezing again.

Two Hours Later

"Whose stupid idea was it to go out there?” Nick asked from his place on the couch.

We had the foot rest up under him. I had him wrapped in a blanket; feet up, wearing a thick jumper and two pairs of socks. i assumed he had come down with a cold. His fever was high, and he was shivery. He sneezed.

"Bless you,” I told him; entering the living room from the kitchen carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. I set them down on the coffee table and plopped down next to Nick. “And it was yours, genius."

He sneezed again and rested his head on the back of the lounge.

“I feel awful,” Nick whined; he turned his head still resting on the back of the lounge to look at me.

“I know you do,” I told him. I rested the back of my hand on his forehead and found it still hot. “Drink your hot chocolate.”

I picked up his mug. He manoeuvred the blankets down to his waist and took the mug from me.

“Thanks,” he smiled at me.

I folded my knees under me and picked up my mug with one hand; pulling the blanket over me with the other. Nick sipped his hot chocolate and sniffled pathetically. He groaned.

“My poor Nicky,” I soothed. I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his roasting forehead.

Nick pouted and slouched down in the chair; resting his head on my shoulder.

“We shouldn’t have gone out in the cold,” he whined; taking a big gulp of his hot chocolate.

“I told you,” I agreed. “But you wanted to teach me how to ice skate.”

“I did,” he nodded sitting up. “And you did and you were really good after a while.”

“After a while,” I agreed. “I kind of sucked.”

“Only kind of,” he laughed lightly; grabbing the collar of his jacket and coughing into it.

I took his almost empty mug and set it down on the coffee table. I pulled the blanket back up again; up to his chin. He smiled softly at me; his doe eyes sleepy and hooded.

“Rest now Nicky,” I soothed.

“That’s the best idea of the day,” he smiled; settling his head back again the back of the lounge.

“Goodnight Nick,” I whispered as he closed his eyes.

I kissed his forehead again and he squirmed down a little laying his head against the back of the couch. I smiled at his near sleeping form. I shifted and lay my head in his lap. I flicked through the television channels; and finding nothing on, I settled down comfortably and closed my eyes.

Joe’s POV

I slid my key into the lock and opened the front door. It wasn’t too late but I expected everyone to already be in bed when I eventually traipsed home. I stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind me. I slipped off my heavy coat and started to make my way to the stairs. I glanced around the dim room; finding the living room illuminated in a blue glow from the television. I walked in there lightly; trying not to trudge. I came across Nick and Sam; Nick sitting up rapped in a blanket and Sam lying in his lap with some of the blanket over her.
I knew I would usually blow my top at the scene; Nick being this close to Sam. But the seen was just so; cute. Two friends curled up on the couch in the most adorable way possible. Nick had his head resting back on the lounge; the blanket was up to his chin. I saw him shiver. I peered under the blanket and noticed Nick had a thick jumper on. I stepped closer and rested my palm on his forehead like I had seen mum do a million times. His forehead was practically on fire. He must’ve gone out today in the snow.

I frowned; knowing how susceptible Nick was to colds. He always caught at least three during the colder months. I draped my jacket over the back of the couch and slowly walked up stairs.
I made my way to Nick’s room and grabbed his big doona from his bed carefully; making sure I didn’t wake up Frankie. I wander back down stairs and lay it over Nick and tucked it under Sam's head. With a devious grin but also a hint of brotherly love, I pulled Nicks hood up over his head. I stepped back and smiled at them. I tiptoed to the school room and tore a piece of paper out o one of the books. With a pen plucked from the wicker basket on the coffee table I scrawled a note to Nick on the small piece of paper and slipped it into Nick’s pocket.

"You owe me one."