Bessie knocked on the door to Joey's room the next morning, "Hey Jo," she opened the door. "It snowed last night."

Joey muffled a yawn and curled deeper under the covers. "Thanks for sharing."

"Over four inches. School's canceled."

"I'm going back to bed," she grumbled.

Bessie smiled, "I really think you should go look at the snow."

"Later."

"Um, no."

"Why not?"

"You really need to see the snow." Bessie nodded, "Alex wants to go out and I have work to do. So unless you wanna trade and do my work while I go out and play..."

"Fine," Joey grumbled climbing off her bed.

"Wear something warm. I'll get Alex changed."

Joey rolled her eyes. "I live to serve."

"Bodie's making breakfast, and I'll make you guys some hot chocolate when you come in. It'll be worth it."

Joey walked over to her dresser. "Whatever." Bessie just smiled to herself as she closed the door behind her.

After more grumbling and complaining, Joey was finally ready to grab Alex and go outside. Hopefully if she tired him out, he'd be easy to handle for the rest of the day.

Bessie followed her outside and watched her sister's face to see her reaction to the graffatti written in the snow with red Kool-Aid. Directly in front of the stairs, a few feet back from the trampled path around the house were the words *Je t'aime,* written into the snow with a spray bottle. Across the lawn, more words were written, size 11 footsteps weaving around them.

Joey stopped a few steps down, her face filled with confusion. "Bessie, what's..." Her voice trailed off as she stared out at the lawn.

"Well," Bessie grinned to herself, "I'm not an expert in foreign languages...but I think that's 'I love you' in French. And that one over there," she pointed to the right. "Says 'I love you' in pig-latin."

Joey stood there dumbfounded not knowing what to say. "Go on," Bessie urged. "Go read the rest." And Joey slowly made her way down the rest of the steps, to survey the lawn.

Pacey appeared around the side of the house, squirt bottle in hand. Pausing, he watched her read another of his 'I love yous' written in Greek. She moved on to the next, looking perplexed. "That one's Vulcan," he said, finally making his presence known.

Joey glanced up in surprise. "You did this?"

"You thought it was elves?" He smiled.

She smiled. "I had hopes."

He approached her slowly, "Well, I realized that the first time I said it I was angry. So I can't really blame you for not believing me."

Joey shook her head, glancing back at the Kool-Aid covered lawn. "I can't believe this."

"Well, believe it, Jo. Unfortunately, it's all going to disappear when it starts to melt," he shrugged.

"How long did this take you?"

"Well, not counting the research...about an hour."

She smiled. "You're insane."

"You've mentioned that before."

"It's true."

"I doubt my sanity will ever change."

"Is that a warning?

"Well, It's only fair you know what you're getting into before you make a decision."

She nodded. "That's true."

"I also have a pretty crappy temper."

"I've noticed."

"I don't like chick flicks and if you ever ask me if you look fat, I'm going to lie and say yes."

She laughed, her eyes beginning to tear. "Okay."

"And I'm a horrible kisser."

"Not that bad."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm so much better than 'not bad.'"

She smiled. "You said horrible."

"I was lying."

"Really?"

"Only about the kissing. Seriously, I'm never going to take you to see a chick flick."

"I'll have to think about this then."

"You're so stubborn," he smirked and started walking with her to another of the messages. "This one," Amo-te, "is Portugese."

"I don't speak Portugese."

He winked at her, "It says 'I love you.’"

"Thank you."

"Any others you need translated?" He asked with amusement.

She pointed. "That one over there."

"Arabic; I love you." He answered.

"And that one?" she asked, pointing to another.

"'I love you' in Dutch."

"Interesting."

"These ones here," he led her to the back of the house, "Russian, Japanese, Italian and Celtic. Translating to, 'I love you, I love you, I love you, and I love you."

She raised an eyebrow. "So they all say I love you?"

"You're only starting to see the pattern? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Bite me."

"Don’t mind if I do," he took her hand and bit on the end of her finger.

"So I don't think I can ever match this."

"Match it?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

She sighed. "Well, a simple I love you would just seem inadequate."

He grinned, "Wouldn't be inadequate to me."

"But it seems like it."

He continued to smile, "I didn't do this to hear it back, you know."

"You didn't?"

"Nope."

"That means I don't have to say it."

"That's right, because I already know that you do." He smirked, "You love me so much that you went so far as to date Dawson just to make me jealous."

She frowned. "I did not."

"Then you don't love me?" He blinked innocently.

"Right."

He smiled boyishly, "You're a horrible liar."

"I'm not lying."

"Well, if that's the case, maybe I should take my little squirt bottle and go."

"Maybe you should."

He smiled and started to back away, "Okay...if that's how you want it."

She nodded. "Yes."

"If you say so. I'll see you in school." He gave her a quick wave, "Enjoy your day off."

"I'm planning on it."

"See ya, Potter."

"Later." Pacey turned and starting walking back towards his car.

Joey packed some snow into her hand and threw it. She hit her mark, beaning him in the back of the head. Brushing away the snow he whirled around and glared at her. He tossed aside the spray bottle and grabbed a handful of his own snow as Joey ducked for cover. "You are *so* getting it, Potter!" He threw it at her, getting her in the thigh.

Joey laughed and ran behind the house. "I don't think so."

He chased after her, sliding over the slick snow after her. Rounding the corner after her, he got a snowball in the face. "Now that wasn't very nice, Jo."

She smirked throwing her hands up triumphantly. "Direct hit!"

"I'll show you a direct hit," he grumbled, and ran after her. Catching up to her, he wrapped a hand around her waist and stumbled, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Twisting at the last second, he broke her fall, getting an elbow in the ribs for his trouble.

Joey giggled. "I win."

"I'm going to have bruises you know," he brushed the snow from her hair with a smile.

She shrugged. "You'll live."

"You comfortable?"

"Pretty much."

He let his hands drift over her back and smiled up at her, "You remember that conversation we had a month ago. When I spent the night?"

Her brow furrowed. "What conversation?"

"You were telling me how just the thought of someone could make you smile. In your case, it was AJ." He smiled softly up at her, "For me, that person is you."

She smiled shyly. "Oh."

"I really wanted to tell you that night."

"And you chickened out?"

"In a manner of speaking. You were fresh from your date with College Guy, I wasn't about to ruin your evening with unwanted declarations of more than friendly feelings."

"Very thoughtful."

"I'm a thoughtful kinda guy." He smirked, "You should take that into consideration as well."

She nodded. "Will do."

"I'm also masochistic. Do you have any idea what kind of torture it is to sleep in the same bed with you and have to keep my hands to myself? And just for the record, I knew you weren't Heather Graham."

"Good, because I look nothing like her."

"Have you reached some sort of conclusion yet?" He asked, "Cause we're laying in the middle of the pig-latin and my ass is starting to freeze."

"I love you."

The corner of his mouth curved into a smile, "You know, you were right. After what I did, that doesn't seem at all adequate."

She laughed, burying her head against his chest. "Shut up."

"So, should we kiss or what?" He asked with a silly smile as he tightened his hold on her.

"I guess."

"Kinda works better when you're not trying to burrow yourself into my coat," he teased, cupping the nape of her neck with cold fingers.

"It's cold."

"I'll warm you," he whispered huskily.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She smiled. "Good." She lifted her head and their breaths mingled together in a puff of white between them before he brushed his lips over hers. He set about warming her the best way he knew how. Joey smiled against his lips. "Feeling warmer already."

He slid his fingers higher into her hair, gently massaging her scalp as he intensified the kiss, parting his lips over hers enticing her to follow suit. She moaned softly, slipping her tongue past his lips to taste the enticing warm heat of his mouth. His response was eager, and the longer they kissed, the warmer they became. Minutes later, he gave her one last lingering kiss and plopped a snow ball on the top of her head. A triumphant smile curved the lips that had just kissed her so thoroughly. "I win."

Joey climbed to her feet, her eyes narrowing. "You are so dead." He gave her a boyish grin and started to run.

The End

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