Love me, will ya?

Small surprise

/-/ Lunch, Belpois's cottage /-/

As they arrived, Aelita was awoken by a peck on her cheek by Jeremie. She opened her eyes, seeing Jeremie's smiling face, but also feeling a really sharp coldness hitting her face.

"Why is it so cold?" Aelita said, bringing the coat up to her face. 

"We are in the mountains, Aelita." Jeremie chuckled and unbuckled the seatbelt from Aelita. "Come on, the others are already waiting."

She nodded, sitting up from Jeremie's lap which was probably too comfortable for her and not so comfortable to him. Jeremie got out of the car, waiting till Aelita fully opened her eyes to get out too.

She did, immediately putting on the coat because of the wind blowing, and she also saw a little bit of snow. 

"Jeremieeee..." Aelita cried, obviously not knowing it was going to be THIS cold. Jeremie just chuckled and brought Aelita close to him by grabbing her waist. Aelita leaned on Jeremie's shoulder as he guided her to the cottage.

Soon, they were inside, as Jeremie closed the door, Aelita took down the coat, and eyed Jeremie.

"What? I didn't know it was going to be cold like this." Jeremie said, but laughing afterward, Aelita joined him.

"It's better here. I'm not going out this whole time just so you know." Aelita said, taking off her shoes. Jeremie nodded, as he led Aelita to the living room.

There already were a couple of people, and there was a tree lying on the floor. Aelita's anxiety got the best of her, and the moment everyone looked at her, she turned around and met Jeremie by throwing her arms around him and hiding her face in his neck.

"What if they don't like me?" She whispered to Jeremie, who put his hands on her back, rubbing it in a comforting manner.

"Don't worry," Jeremie said, as Aelita let go of him and turned around, still holding Jeremie's hand.

"Ah, you must be Aelita!" A woman, in her 40s, with blonde hair, said and came closer to them. "I'm Jeremie's mother, Linda."

"N-Nice to meet y-you," Aelita replied, stuttering as the woman hugged her.

"Are you two hungry?" She asked as they broke the hug. "I finished cooking lunch, so it's still warm if you want it."

"I will have a plate," Jeremie said and looked at Aelita. "You, Aelita?"

"Y-Yeah, me too." "So then two plates," Jeremie told his mother, seeing how nervous Aelita was, making him almost look like an idiot to her for bringing her here.

"I'm Jeremie's grandma, Susie." An elderly woman approached her with care, somehow noticing that Aelita was anxious. "It's so nice to have you here on Christmas with us." 

"I-I'm glad too." "Micheal already took your things upstairs to Jeremie's room, so you can change there to something comfortable if you want. We don't have a dress code here." Susie said and warmly smiled.

The rest was Jeremie's cousin, Patrick, then his mother's sister, Lucy, and a cat named Sheilla. The latter one was the best welcome.

After she also finished her food with Jeremie by her side, she asked him if he could take her to his room, as she wanted to change. Jeremie obliged not asking more questions, and stood up, taking Aelita's hand and walking upstairs. 

"I didn't know you had your own room in a cottage too," Aelita asked, as Jeremie opened a door, revealing a small, but cozy room.

"Yeah, my parents always wanted me to have my own safe space," Jeremie said. "Well, you can change and co-" 

He was silenced by Aelita giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I will and I'll come down," Aelita said. She wasn't against having Jeremie in the same room, he saw her multiple times without clothes. And now...

Where we are now? This question ran through her head. Many kisses on the cheeks, a few on the lips now, and many sleepovers and hugs...were they a thing?

She wanted to be a thing with the boy, she loved him so much. But...what if it was just a temporary thing? 

No, no, stop thinking Aelita! She said to herself. You like Jeremie and he likes you, and that's it!

Aelita stood up from the bed and opened her bag, taking the pajamas she found in the Hermitage. They acted like something that would make Jeremie not be ashamed of her, and it would work as a backup plan in case the fireplace stops producing the warmth. Plus, she looked kind of cute in them, meaning Jeremie could blush.

She put it on and walked back downstairs.

/-/ Evening, Belpois's cottage /-/

After the call with Yumi, Jeremie came into the room, with a mug.

"I wonder how will you like this," Jeremie said, offering the mug to her. Aelita shook her head, passing it back to Jeremie. "Come on, I made it for you."

"You? For me?" "The only thing I can make, besides spaghetti." Jeremie chuckled, as Aelita took the mug in her hand. She looked into the mug, seeing chocolate along with a few marshmallows. Despite it still being hot, she took a sip of the sweet drink.

"I'm sorry, but you are gonna have to do this every day for me," Aelita said, making Jeremie laugh.

"I'd be honored." He said, watching Aelita slowly drink the chocolate. It slowly came into just looking at Aelita, who then noticed he was staring at her, and chuckled.

"What?" "Nothing, just admiring an angel," Jeremie said, making Aelita slightly blush.

"Oh yeah, I'm the angel who can perform miracles," Aelita said, laughing. 

"Well, you did perform a miracle," Jeremie said. "On my heart."

"Ooo, Einstein is a romantic," Aelita said, placing the mug on the table and throwing herself onto Jeremie, bringing him down to the bed.

They were looking into each other's eyes, Aelita on top and playing with Jeremie's hair, while supporting herself by her elbows.

"I sure hope that one day my family will like you the same as yours do me," Aelita said. 

"I don't know," Jeremie said. "I'm not that good looking, maybe they would want someone stronger for you."

"Oh, shut it," Aelita said. "For me? I don't need someone that works out. I need someone who loves me, which, as I told you before, you have shown me way too much."

"Did I?" "Of course, Jeremie. And you know that I love you too, and there's no denying that." Aelita said and smiled.

Jeremie didn't know how to reply and changed his plan from asking Aelita to decorate the tree with him, to hugging the girl and cuddling. Aelita wasn't against it...

and the tree could wait.

*Ring* *Ring*

"Jeremieeeeeeeee." Aelita cried as the short sleep they both fell into was disrupted. Jeremie opened his eyes and tried to find his phone blindly. Eventually, he found it and picked up the call, unable to see who was calling.

"Yes?" "Jeremie, we have a slight problem." Yumi's voice echoed through the speakers, making Aelita instantly wake up.

"Tower?" "Well...how do I put this." Yumi began, with Aelita listening to the call, too. "The tower we found is deactivated, and XANA...well, she's not gone, but also not on Lyoko."

"What? XANA deactivated the tower that's keeping the supercomputer on?" Aelita asked for clarification.

"Yes, but...not just that," Yumi said. "I think Franz may have screwed something up."

"Should we come?" "No, it's just..." Yumi took a deep breath.

"I think Franz materialized XANA."