ic On Thin Ice (IC)

[Thevshi]

Liberty Park
Freedom City, New Jersey
Friday February 21, 2025. 5:30 PM

 

During the recent long weekend trip to Fiji with their friends and classmates, Lynn had told Jack that her adopted parents (in particular her adopted mom) had wanted to have him over for dinner. Apparently, it was part of Megan Howell-Harrow's desire to get to know the significant others of her children (adopted or otherwise) a bit better.

 

Lynn had tried to assure Jack it was not because of the number of times their dates, or just other time spent together, had ended up in some sort of super battle (again emphasizing how her adopted mother was well aware of how frequently that could occur). The blonde teen had also insisted it was not because her adopted mother questioned Jack's intentions with her sixteen-year-old adopted daughter (though Lynn had reluctantly admitted it might be a small part of it). Lynn had even noted that her parents were doing the same thing with Lawrence's girlfriend.

 

Of course, it was hardly uncommon for teenage boys to be somewhat worried about spending time with their girlfriend's parents. The fact that Lynn's adopted mother was the world-famous superheroine Velocity and member of the Freedom League, likely did not make things any easier.

 

So, to try to help with the anticipation, the couple had planned to have a little date before going to dinner. A little after classes ended for the week, Lynn had driven them over near Liberty Park, parking the BMW SUV in a parking structure near Millennium Mall. They had stopped briefly at the Liberty Perk coffee shop across the street from the east side of Liberty Park to get some coffee and then continued over to the park.

 

They had briefly stopped outside the park, near the Southern entrance next to the grand lawn, to have a kiss at the spot they had first met eight months earlier. They then continued into the park, taking their time to follow the paved roads that wound through the park to eventually reach the northwest corner of the park, where the botanical gardens were located. The gardens were located among a series of smaller paths that radiated out from a central area like spokes, the rows of plants and trees set out between the many paths, although most of the plants were currently dormant for the winter.

 

At the center of the gardens, next to the large greenhouse building for more exotic plants, was a large circular reflecting pool. With the cold winter weather, the shallow reflecting pool had been frozen over and was being used as an open-air ice-skating rink, which was operated by the City to help provide some of the funding for the gardens’ operation.

 

The setting did feel rather special, being out the cold night air. To the east, across the north end of the park, could be seen the skyline of downtown Freedom City. To the west were several tall, high-end condominium buildings. To the north was the south edge of Freedom City University's campus, most prominent being the large stadium for the university's football team and other outdoor sports teams.

 

Lynn skated out onto the large frozen reflecting pool with graceful ease, her superhuman agility and balance making her movements seem effortless. The blonde teen casually turned so she was skating backwards as she looked back with a small smile. "Come on Jack." She said as she continued to skate backwards. Tonight, she was wearing a pair of dark navy jeans, a white puffy winter jacket, along with a red scarf and gloves.

[Jack]

Jack watched Lynn glide across the ice with effortless grace, his heart swelling at the sight even as his stomach churned with anxiety. The dinner with her parents loomed over him like a storm cloud, threatening to spoil their peaceful evening. 

 

He pulled several bills from his pocket and put them in the jar for both of them, to help support the park. He was wearing his usual sleeveless hoodie and cargo shorts, garnering many strange looks from the other skaters, all bundled up.

 

He stepped onto the ice barefoot, his connection to winter making him perfectly stable despite his massive frame. The cold didn't bother him - it never did - but the thought of sitting across from Velocity, one of the most famous heroes in Freedom City, made his palms sweat.

 

"Da, coming milaya," he called out, following Lynn's path. Back in Fiji, he'd managed to stay calm when she'd mentioned the dinner invitation….but that night when was alone, he didn't sleep. It had taken hours just to calm the bear spirit's agitation.

 

Jack ran a hand through his white hair. What if her mom decided he wasn't good enough for Lynn? He was just a simple guy from Siberia who happened to turn into a giant ice bear. The thought of losing Lynn made his chest ache. She'd become such an important part of his life, bringing light and warmth to his usually solitary existence.

 

"Your mama, she is very..." Jack searched for the right English word, "intimidating? Is normal for boyfriend to be this nervous?" He managed a weak smile as he caught up to Lynn, his massive frame casting a shadow over her smaller form.

 

Lynn had assured him multiple times that her mom was fine with their tendency to attract trouble - apparently it ran in the family - but Jack couldn't shake the feeling that one wrong move at dinner would ruin everything. At the mention of her mom questioning his intentions, Jack had turned bright red. He hadn't even considered that possibility, and now he was wondering what intentions she was thinking he had...

 

Jack glided across the ice, his bare feet finding perfect purchase on the frozen surface. The cold whispered against his skin like an old friend as he circled Lynn, matching her graceful movements with surprising agility for someone his size. Years of tracking through Siberian winters had taught his body how to move with winter itself.

 

His mind drifted back to their kiss just minutes ago, standing in the exact spot where they'd first met. The memory warmed him from within, briefly pushing aside his anxiety about dinner. Lynn had tasted of coffee and winter air, her smaller frame fitting perfectly against his chest. But the sweetness of that moment only highlighted everything he could lose if her mother decided he wasn't suitable.

 

Lynn turned to skate backwards, offering him one of her small, precious smiles. Jack's artist's eye catalogued it automatically - not quite as bright as when she performed with the orchestra, or their first kiss on the balcony, but genuine and warm. He'd started sketching her different smiles in a small notebook he kept hidden in his room, each one unique and telling its own story about her mood and thoughts. This one would need to be added to the collection later.

 

Looking at her now, grace personified on the ice, Jack made a silent vow to himself. Even if the worst happened, even if her mother forbade them from seeing each other, he would find a way to keep Lynn in his life. He had survived Siberian winters, death, and supervillains - surely he could survive meeting her parents.

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Jack

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

While Jack's attire, and lack of ice skates, did draw looks from many around them, those looks were brief, as most were not unaccustomed to strange sights living in Freedom City. As long as someone was not trying to freeze the entire city, or turn everyone into apes, or something similar, most were quick to just go back to their own business.

 

Lynn's smile remained in place as she watched Jack move across the ice with ease, something that did not overly surprise her given his powers. The blonde teen continued to skate backwards, picking up some speed as she went into a gradual turn to follow the curve of the rink. 

 

But as Jack again hinted at his worry about meeting with her adopted mother, Lynn felt a pang of sympathy for her boyfriend. While his question unintentionally stirred memories of her actual mother, lost along with the rest of Lynn’s original timeline, she kept them in the back of her mind. Today was not about her…many anxieties and other emotional issues, it was about enjoying some time with Jack, and trying to help reduce his concerns about spending so much time with her adopted parents.

 

She tried to keep her smile reassuring as she replied, "I suppose she can, but, she is a lot more easy going than you seem to think she is." She replied. "And yes, I think many boyfriends are nervous about meeting their girlfriends' parents. I think many parents would say if the boy was too cocky and unconcerned, that it is likely a red flag."

 

Lynn then started to speed up slightly, before almost immediately sweeping her left leg out to the side as she bent her right, causing her to go into a sharp turn that curved to Jack’s left and carrying her back behind him. Standing back up as she finished the turn, the blonde moved forward again to slipped up under Jack's right arm, wrapping her left arm around his lower back as she matched his speed to skate beside him.

 

As the pair curved around the perimeter open-air rink, Lynn looked up to Jack, her smile still in place. "But really, don't worry Jack. I am sure they will like you. What is there not to like?" She paused and gave him a reassuring squeeze with the arm around his lower back. "And if somehow they don't…that won't change a thing for us."

 

The blonde speedster hoped that Jack would be able to relax and just enjoy himself for a bit. She was certain he would win over her adopted parents with his honest charm and protective nature. Her adopted mother had certainly been impressed when Lynn had shown her the violin Jack had given her for Valentine's Day, and recounted a bit of how Jack and Owen had earned the valuable antique.
 

[Jack]

Jack let out a deep chuckle at Lynn's words about red flags. "Vhere I come from, all flags are red anyvay," he said, his Russian accent thick with amusement. "But I hope you are right about easy going. That I can handle."

 

He watched in admiration as Lynn executed her graceful turn around him, her movements fluid like water over ice. When she slipped under his arm and pressed against his side, his large hand naturally found its way over her smaller one at his back. The contact grounded him, pushing away some of his nervousness about the upcoming dinner.

 

The bear spirit inside him rumbled contentedly at Lynn's closeness. It had taken time for the primal force to understand that she wasn't a threat to their territory, and now it saw her as something to protect, just as Jack did.

 

"Da, I can be very likeable," he agreed, flexing his free arm playfully. "Just ask bear spirit - he says I am best human he ever bonded with." The joke felt natural, helping to ease the tension he'd been carrying all day.

 

When Lynn assured him nothing would change between them regardless of her parents' opinion, a mischievous grin spread across his face. The expression transformed his usually stoic features into something more boyish and playful.

 

"Is good to know," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Because if they say no, I will just throw little rocks at your window at night like in old movies. We can sneak out, da? I am very sneaky for big guy."

 

Jack felt the last bits of tension began to melt away as the bear spirit settled deeper into contentment. Here was this amazing girl who could run faster than sound, who'd survived losing her entire timeline, and yet she still found joy in her silly Russian bear.

 

He pulled her closer against his side as they glided across the ice, careful to match his longer strides to her graceful movements. The winter night wrapped around them like a familiar blanket, and Jack couldn't help but marvel at how natural this felt - just the two of them skating together, no supervillains or world-ending threats in sight.

 

But beneath his renewed calm, guilt gnawed at his conscience. Here he was, making Lynn deal with his anxiety about meeting her parents when she already carried so much on her shoulders. She never complained about her losses or the weight of adjusting to this new timeline, yet he knew it couldn't be easy. And now she was spending their date reassuring him instead of just enjoying herself.

 

"I am sorry, milaya," he said softly, his accent thickening with emotion. "Should not make you worry about my worrying. Is supposed to be nice date, da? Not me being big baby about one dinner." He looked down at her, taking in how wonderful she looked in the park lighting. "You are too good to me sometimes."

 

The bear spirit stirred in agreement, sending waves of protective affection through their shared bond. It had taken the primal force time to understand human emotions, but it recognized Lynn as pack now - someone to be treasured and defended, not feared or challenged.

 

Jack gathered his courage, letting the familiar confidence of winter flow through him. With fluid grace that belied his massive size, he rotated on the ice to face Lynn, matching her movements as he glided backwards. The bear spirit hummed with approval, lending him perfect balance despite skating barefoot.

 

His large hands found her waist, gentle despite their strength. In one smooth motion, he lifted her skyward, holding her above his head like he'd seen in those skating competitions on TV. The winter air swirled around them as she floated above him, her blonde hair catching the park lights like a halo.

 

He didn't maintain the lift long - his control was perfect, but he didn't want to startle hermore then he likely already had. Carefully, he brought her back down, but instead of setting her completely free, he wrapped his arms around her in a grateful embrace, letting her skates dangle. The bear spirit purred contentedly as Lynn's smaller frame pressed against his chest.

 

"Thank you, zaya moy," he murmured, his accent thick with emotion as he touched his forehead to hers. The gentle contact centered him, grounding his anxious thoughts about dinner. Her warmth seeped through his hoodie, a stark contrast to the winter chill that always surrounded him. "For putting up vith silly vorrying bear."

 

The moment felt perfect - just the two of them surrounded by winter's embrace, no expectations or pressures. Just Jack and Lynn, finding their own rhythm on the ice together.