Pilot James and passenger Lily get into quite close quarters after a snowstorm renders them in a New York State of Mind.

"This is your captain speaking," the voice came over the plane's speaker and pierced through Lily Evans' headphones as she listened to The Hunger Games on audiobook.

Lily pulled an earpiece from her ear and listened as the plane captain told her and the fifty other passengers on the airline the bad news. They'd been circling New York City for an hour, waiting for permission to land after a freak storm left all incoming traffic blind. The air coming from the vents above Lily was cold and dry. She itched her nose as she leaned over the aisle to look around. The other passengers were quiet listening to the Captain speak.

"Unfortunately it seems the snowstorm is forecasted to stay over New York until the afternoon tomorrow." The chorus of moans could probably be heard all the way to the front cabin because there was a slightly awkward chuckle before the pilot continued, "Ladies and gentleman if I could turn into a magical wielding human and magic away the snow, I would," he sounded exasperated and Lily smirked into her hand as the overweight man next to her grumbled about unprofessionalism, "But unfortunately we are all going to have a layover in New York until tomorrow afternoon. I'll be back momentarily with an update on our landing time."

Lily unbuckled her seat belt and stood up, placing her ear bud back into her ear to continue listening to her audiobook. Lily's heels rocked a bit in the aisle as she walked towards the front of the plane where the stewardess' were all talking around the coffee pot. A stewardess with curly brown hair and sweetheart looking blue eyes looked up when she noticed Lily approaching down the aisle. She straightened her blue ascot before waving hello to Lily. Her nametag said that she was called Mary and she looked about Lily's age.

"Hullo,"

Lily read Mary's lips before taking both ear buds out and smiling at the brunette. There was a ding from behind the girls and the other two stewrdess' exchanged an annoyed glance with Mary.

"Row 28 again." An older woman rolled her eyes, "If he asks for another champagne I'm going to—"

"Let's go see what he wants." The last stewardess said, pulling the old woman with her, "Mary can mend her hand."

"How can I help you?" the one called Mary asked Lily.

"Hi," Lily put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, "I was hoping—is your hand okay?"

Lily paused noticing the brunette was holding her right hand with her left. It was wrapped in a soaking wet towel and she was wincing, which meant her hand must've been hurting. Mary leaned against the counter that held a pot of steaming coffee.

Mary sighed and suddenly looked very exhausted, "When we hit that last batch of bumps, I burned my hand on the coffee maker."

"Jesus." Lily hissed, placing her iPod on the counter next to the coffee and stepping forward to grab the brunette's arm, "Is it bad?"

"I'm fine." Mary smiled kindly, "Thanks though, uh…"

"Lily." Lily let Mary's arm drop and smiled holding out a hand.

Mary shook Lily's hand with her unburned left hand, "Pleasure Lily, is there something you needed?"

"I was actually hoping to get a bit of that aforementioned coffee?" Lily smirked guiltily at Mary's foe of a coffee pot.

"Mind if you get yourself a cup of coffee?" Mary inquired sheepishly, holding her hand up pathetically, "I might be fine, but I've gotten enough run in's with a coffeepot for today."

Lily laughed, "I don't mind at all."

Mary leaned against the wall so Lily could get by her for the coffee pot. Lily could hear the other stewardess' in the back of the plane, arguing with a man in a top hat. Mary looked relieved she didn't have to deal with the man. Lily grabbed a ceramic mug from the top shelf and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"He's been bugging us since he got on the plane." Mary confinded softly to lily of the Top Hat man, "I asked our Captain if I could throw him out the exit door." Mary pouted her lower lip, "Obviously my request was denied." Mary held up her hand, "and my inability to punch him in the face is now the bane of my existence."

"You should probably get that hand checked out when we land." Lily said gently as she stirred her coffee with a spoon she found in the drawer under the cabinet, "You won't have a connecting flight right?"

"Not until tomorrow afternoon—we're lucky the Captain even got permission to land in New York." Mary gossiped, "Everyone keeps getting rerouted but Captain Potter is a pretty convincing bloke."

"He's got quite the mouth," Lily replied, thinking of the Captain's joking over the intercom that frustrated her isle mate.

The hot liquid was burning as Lily swallowed it but she needed the caffeine after learning that she would be stuck in New York until tomorrow afternoon.

"This is lush," Lily said of her cup of coffee, "Thank you for letting me steal some."

Lily smiled into the cup as her fingers warmed back up and then lowered her cup to see Mary was staring at her with interested eyes.

"You're from the UK." Mary said of Lily's accent, clearly interested, "Our Captain is as well."

"I noted his accent when he was giving us the dismal news." Lily replied, taking another sip of coffee.

Suddenly, from behind a closed door, there was a moan and a male English voice yelled, "Marrrryyyyyy."

Lily frowned and placed her cup of coffee on the counter while staring at Mary in confusion. The door to the captain's cockpit was closed but there was a fist pounding against it annoyingly.

"Is there a child in there?" Lily asked and Mary laughed out loud.

"If our captain is the child, yes." Mary snorted, "He's the reason for this." She nodded to her burned hand, "He's the one who asked for a fresh pot."

"How inconsiderate." Lily rested her elbow on the counter and grinned as the man called Mary's name once more.

"He still hasn't received it." Came her wicked smile, "Think he's noticed?"

"Bloody hell Mary," His voice was loud and Lily was surprised no one else heard him carrying on, "I'm sorry I've been flying this plane for thirteen hours and need a little caffeine. Don't make me come out there!"

Mary shrugged, "Until we land, I'm stuck on an airplane and my pilot wants a coffee I can't deliver."

One more time the plea came, "Mary pleaaasseee."

Lily smiled at Mary's pathetic look at her hand and then the coffee pot. Lily turned and grabbed one more ceramic mug, pouring coffee into it.

Mary rushed to Lily's side, "Stop, Lily—"

"It's fine." Lily said as she poured the black liquid into the cup and then turned towards the captain's cabin, "I promise."

Mary bit her lip as Lily knocked on the door to the cockpit before opening it and sliding in.

"Thank God," the captain had his back turned, facing the large front windows, showing nothing but dark clouds, "What took so long, is that man in 28? I officially give you permission to chuck him off the plane."

"Do you often allow your staff to throw wayward passengers off a plane?" Lily asked playfully, holding out the cup of coffee.

The Captain whipped his head around at the strange voice. Lily took a step back whens he realized she was not seeing an old guy with a mustache but instead an attractive man about her age with messy black hair and spectacles. His mouth formed an oval, as his hazel eyes looked her up and down in wonder.

"I'd never let them throw you off." He said boldly, or stupidly.

Slowly, the boy turned his captains chair so that he was facing her instead of the front of the plane and she yelped.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted, almost dropping the coffee in shock.

"What?" he shouted back, jumping in his seat and looking around him.

"You—I-you need to fly the plane?" Lily shouted back.

"Bless," Mary stuck her head in the cockpit with a wicked gleam in her eyes, "She thinks you fly a plane like you drive a car."

"It's in manual flight until we get permission to land." The captain was holding out both his hands in Lily's direction, "Mary who is this?"

Lily saw Mary screw up her eyebrows, "Sorry, forgot your name already."

"I'm Lily." Lily repeated, holding out his coffee, "Lily Evans."

The captain leaned in his chair to take the mug in her hands, "Pleasure Lily, why are you out of your seat and stepping in for my stewardess?"

"She burnt her hand getting the coffee you were demanding." Lily placed her hands on her hips and his ears flushed red at being caught, "I offered to help."

The captain sipped his coffee and looked at Mary, "MacDonald, when we land get to first aid." He commanded over his cup, "I can't have you handless when we gotta fly back over the Atlantic in forty eight hours and all eighty of our passengers are begging for bloody peanut packets."

Lily narrowed her eyes, "You have something against the free peanut packets?"

"You have something against putting a little crème in coffee?" he answered back, wrinkling his nose from the bitterness of the black coffee she'd handed him.

He had quite the tongue and he was very clover and witty. Lily couldn't help noticing that if he stood up he'd be tall too. She liked tall and he was handsome as Hell.

"It takes away from the flavor." Lily replied smoothly, throwing her red hair over one of her shoulders.

"It adds to the flavor." The Captain lowered the cup and smiled so much at her that her knees felt a little weak.

"Definitely takes." She replied, not as harshly.

"Definitely adds." His hazel eyes were sparkling.

Mary was watching their exchange with clever eyes and looked gleeful. The Captain's eyes had left her face and were traveling down her body slowly; taking in every curve her dress offered him. Lily really didn't mind seeing as she had been ogling him back.

"Okay," Lily turned, giving him an excellent view from behind, "Well, enjoy not-flying the plane or whatever it is you do here—" she saluted him.

She actually used too fingers and saluted him, before exiting the cockpit with a huge blotch of red on her face. Christ, she was a sap. Mary closed the door behind Lily's exit and looked quite amused. Lily tucked her red hair behind her ear and grabbed her own ceramic mug. The coffee had cooled and she chugged it nervously. Mary snickered and Lily turned to look regretfully at the stewardess. Mary crossed her arms and stared at Lily knowingly.

"He's attractive isn't he?"

Lily snorted, trying and failing to look indifferent, "If you like the proud, tall, spectacles type."

That was exactly her type and it was like Mary knew it despite only meeting Lily moments before. The stewardess stared at her wrapped hand and looked like she wanted to say something. Before Lily could give Mary the chance she placed her empty mug down and sighed.

"Well," Lily said melodramatically, "I have to get back to my seat before we land." She started backing away, "Hope your hand is okay."

"See you soon Lily," Mary said as if Lily would turn around immediately and waltz back into the cockpit, "Thanks for getting James his coffee."

James. Lily smiled, his name was James.

Lily sat back down at her seat, getting a rude glare form her fat neighbor. Lily ignored him, placed her headphones back into her ears and closed her eyes.

"To this day, I can never shake the connection between this boy, and the bread that gave me hope, and the dandelion that reminded me that I was not doomed. And more than once, I have turned in the school hallway and caught his eyes trained on me, only to quickly flit away."

Lily smiled to herself imagining James' hazel eyes flittering towards her when they were bantering in the cockpit. He was incredibly adorable, she had to admit. There was something cheeky in his smile and something adorable in the way he ruffled his hair.

"This is your Captain speaking,"

Lily ripped off her earbuds in haste, hitting her neighbor with them accidently.

"Pease stow away all electronics and put your seats in their upright and locked position, we are preparing to land…" his voice paused a moment and then, "As for the red haired girl who gave me coffee, feel free to stay aboard once we've landed."

Lily's face was bright red and sank down in her seat as eyes started looking around the plane for a red haired girl. Lily's fat neighbor glared at her, as if she were the cause for all his misfortunes in life.

When Mary walked by to collect any leftover trash she winked at Lily, "Any trash miss?"

"I'm good thanks." Lily sank in her seat, feeling all eyes on her.
It took forever for the plane to dock and by the time everyone had gotten his or her bags Lily's embarrassing moment had passed. One two women looked at her twice and her neighbor had all but run off the plane. Lily took her time grabbing her bag from the overhead. She straightened her dress, put on her pea coat, and rocked backwards in her heels daringly before she started to walk to the front of the plane.

Her eyes met his instantly and it was like her cheeks caught fire, they were so warm. She hadn't realized how unbelievingly tall he was. Even in her heels she still towered a foot over her or more. He was leaning up against the door to the cockpit, smiling at her in an adorable dorky kind of way. His unruly black hair was framing his eyes that were trailing up and down her with a hazy look of respect.

He held out a hand once she got closer, "I'm James, James Potter."

She took his hand and smiled when his fingers closed gently around her own, "Lily Evans."

Perhaps she kept his grip or perhaps they were grinning a bit too stupidly at each other because when a girl snorted dramatically to her left, Lily jumped a bit. Mary, burned hand still wrapped, had both eyebrows raised at the couple.

"So wrapped up in your hello's you've forgotten the reason you two bastards met was through my pain? And suffering?"

"You need to see a doctor." James sighed at Mary, letting go of Lily's hand to gesture at Mary to follow him, "I'll sign the plane over to the docking attendant's and then the three of us are getting a cab to the ER."

"The three of us?" Lily inquired in astonishment.

Mary enlightened as James walked away without answering, "He's going to ditch me at the ER and take you out."

Lily stared at Mary, aghast, "We won't leave you alone!" she disagreed, "We have to make sure you didn't burn your hand too terribly."

"Please leave me." Mary begged to Lily's surprise, "I'd rather try and snag a night with a doctor than spend my night watching Potter and you make doe eyes at each other from across the—"

"Come on you two," James stuck his head back inside the plane from the door, "I had the guys call in a favor, a taxi will be waiting for us out front."

Lily, who didn't have any other plans or any friends in New York, decided the best thing to do was follow Captain Potter and the Stewardess through the airport and into a taxi. The blizzard was obviously only worsening. Their taxi driver seemed impatient to get them to their destination. James barely had time to pass the driver a tip before he sped off through the piling snow.

Lily shivered, tucking her hands in her coat as she stared up at the bright hospital lights. At her side Mary was clutching her hand to her chest. Mary's stewardess outfit only had a light sweater and the snow was sticking to it, making Mary appear to be covered in white dandruff. Lily reached out to brush Mary's shoulders as James led the way through the snow and into the warm hospital building. They were greeted by a mostly empty waiting room.

Mary and Lily followed James to a counter where a woman looked up from her magazine in interest at the three.

"Miss a costume party?" The woman snapped her gum as James filled out the form for Mary who told him the answers to the harder things like her last name.

"She burned her hand on a coffee pot." James commented lightly, "We've also been flying for close to thirteen hours so she's probably tired."

"Have a seat," the lady said, taking the papers from James, "They'll call for her when they've got a room open."

James and Lily sat on opposite ends of Mary. Lily couldn't believe that she'd ended up in the middle of New York, at a hospital, with two strangers. James leaned over to look at Lily.

"Hungry?" he asked.

Mary spoke next, "I saw an Italian place across the street. You two should go get me some breadsticks."

James jumped up at the chance and Lily had to cover her smile when Mary gave her a knowing look. James stood over Lily, offering her a hand to hold while she stood. Lily uncrossed her legs and exchanged an impish grin with Mary before standing up. She liked James' smile, all boyish with no rough edge.

"Breadsticks Mary?" Lily asked, looking down at the burned stewardess.
Mary was grinning at them idiotically, "When you get the time." She hummed, "No rush though, take your time kids."

James still had her hand; he pulled lightly to walk her towards the doors. Lily was happy he didn't let go of her hand, he was wearing mittens and his hands were warm. She wasn't ashamed to say when they exited the warm building that she wrapped her arm around his and held him close. The building towered over them as they walked through the snow. Lily's black heels were soaked. Her feet, despite the stockings, were frozen solid by the time she and James had made it halfway to the Italian café.

"New York City is beautiful this time of year." James said as the traffic lights cast a green shadow on the snow they trudged through, "The snow covers everything from the busiest of streets to the quietest of apartments."

"You must travel a lot, being a pilot." Lily commented softly.

James squeezed her hand, "I'm a commercial pilot, and my route typically stays the same. London to New York, New York to Chicago, and back again."

"Sounds mundane."

James smirked down at her as they stepped up onto the curb, "And what do you do miss mundane?"

Lily sighed and admitted, "I work for a publishing company, not as exciting as flying airplanes."

"Very mundane." He laughed when she poked him in the side.

They were now standing under a canopy that blocked the falling snow. He had snow in his hair and his glasses fogged up whenever he breathed. She loved his eyes the most, warmer than any London day. The streetlights flashed red, covering them in a hue of desire. Just as the cars in the road would've stopped for the red beams, Lily's gulp caught in her throat when he smiled at her.

"You're beautiful." He breathed unabashedly, "I'm quite happy this snowstorm stopped you from reaching your connecting flight."

Lily brushed her hair back with one hand. Her other hand was still wrapped up tight in his mitten.

"I was coming to New York to drop off manuscripts." Lily admitted, "So there was no connecting flight. I was supposed to leave tomorrow morning."

"Morning?" James seemed surprised, "That fast?"

"One meeting at 8am and then a flight at nine thirty." Lily shrugged, "That's the life of an assistant."

"I have a similar schedule." James pushed open the door to the Italian eatery and they waltzed in together, "Except I never seem to escape that blasted plane."

"Dinner for two?" an old man with a beard offered, holding up two menu's.

"Please." James nodded to the man.

The old man sat them at a small table by the window, so they could both stare out at the falling snow. It was accumulating on the roads and sidewalks so much that the old man clucked his tongue as he passed the menus.

"I don't mean to push you kids along," the old man said, "But let me know what you want—I'll be closing up shop when you two are done eating."

James spoke, "Sorry, we can leave."

"It's no problem." The old man waved his hands to have James calm down, "I just don't wish to drive home if it gets any worse."

"We'll take spaghetti and breadsticks to go then." Lily said immediately, "No need to have you endanger yourself for us."

"Lily's right," James stood up, "We're just waiting for a friend in the hospital."

The man seemed thrilled to make them a to-go special of spaghetti and meatballs. He added in free breadsticks for Mary, three pop cans, and three hot chocolates. Lily was unable to hold onto James on their walk back, they had so much food. She had to admit she was disappointed and she couldn't help James glance her way more than once as well.

Mary had been admitted while they got their dinner. Lily and James waited for her into the waiting room. James entertained her with stories of his adventures at his private school. Lily told James of her sister's horrendous wedding that included an exploding cake, two dead pigeons, and a screwdriver. They talked like they'd been friends for ages. Lily couldn't think of the last time she and a guy had ever hit it off so well. By hour two in the waiting room they were sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing each other. James was trying to toss tiny mints into her mouth and she was trying not to laugh every time one bounced off her nose and landed on the floor.

"Did you losers get my breadsticks?"

"Mary!" Lily cheered, jumping up and wobbling a bit on her heels as she did so.

James also got up, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders pleasurable as she beamed at Mary. Mary was holding a newly wrapped hand, the pink gauze thick and noticeable against her palm.

"I'm starving." Mary added, looking at the bags by their feet, "What'd you bring?"

Lily knelt down to grab the hot chocolate and package of breadsticks they'd saved her and Mary reached out with her good hand for the break sticks. She bit into one ravenously and groaned loudly when she swallowed.

"Ladylike, Mary." James snorted.

"Fuck off, Potter." Mary replied sweetly before taking another bite, "You gave me third degree burn."

James winced, "Ah, I'm sorry Mary."

Lily could tell Mary was simply teasing him when she dropped her angered look and chewed thoughtfully before saying, "It's fine, and it'll heal fast. The real question is, how are we getting back to the airport?"

"Ugh," Lily sighed, "I forgot I have to go sleep in an airport tonight."

"Like Hell you are." James rolled his eyes, "You can stay with me."

Lily stared at him in surprise, even Mary looked startled.

"They put the captain and crew up at the hotel next door." James explained to Lily, "As a Captain I get a whole room to myself—"

"Favoritism." Mary muttered, "I have to share with the other stewardess."

"None the less," James said while shooting dagger like looks in Mary's direction before turning back to Lily, "I can sleep on the pull out couch and you can have the bed."

"I don't know…" Lily wasn't so sure sharing a room with James would be the best idea, for all the wrong reasons that seemed so right in her head.

"Just do it Evans," Mary warned, "He won't take no for an answer."

James went red; "I would understand if you don't want too," he told Lily, "I just hate thinking of you sleeping on a chair by the terminal all night."

Lily bit her lip, "Well," she surmised, "It's just a night."

James grinned.

Once they made it back to the airport the trio split ways. Mary got the keys to her shared room; it was on the first floor. James' room, which he was now sharing with Lily, was on the third floor. Lily and James didn't speak, at least not with words. Lily couldn't help noticing the look in his eyes was similar to the look she gave him in the mirror when he wasn't looking.

"Where are you from in England?" Lily asked him.

"Staffs." James said, hazel eyes meeting her green ones interested, "You?"

Lily stood up a bit straighter, "I love in Cokesworth!" she said excitedly, "Only a half an hour from there!"

Lily took time in the elevator to see how he was purposefully leaned towards her. His shoulders were bent in awkwardly, like he wanted to seem less tall. She also noticed how he was not staring at her anymore; instead he kept his eyes trained on his shoelaces. She realized James was suddenly shy. For a smooth talker he was also an incredibly adorable dork.

"Maybe we could meet up when you go home?" Lily offered as they exited the elevator.

James smiled but kept his eyes trained on the floor, "I'd love that."

James led the way to their room and opened the door slowly, allowing Lily to walk in first.

As the automatic lights turned on she took in a large sized bed, a small pull out sofa, and a mini fridge. James pulled both their bags into the room, placing them both on the bed. He looked around the room and then walked over to the tall curtains blocking them from the views outside. He pulled them apart dramatically and they were met with a postcard-esque frame. Snowflakes fell as large white dots, lights shone from the buildings around, and the streets were covered in a layer of pure white snow. It looked like a Christmas card.

Lily walked over to James side and stared down at the snow covered pathways and the empty streets, "We won't be getting back to London anytime soon tomorrow, huh?"

James shoved his hands into his pockets, "Probably not."

"Well at least it's beautiful." Lily pointed out the window, "It's almost worth the delay."

"Almost?" James smiled, tearing his eyes away from the floor to finally look at her. His hazel eyes where positively smoldering.

One second she was ready to banter with James and the next second her mouth was unable to produce any sound besides a feeble moan because she was kissing James with it. He didn't hold back either, the minute she leaned on her tiptoes to push her lips against his was the minute he wrapped one arm around her waist to pull her into his lean frame. Lily supposed there was a time and place for semantics but now was not one of them because she was attracted to James, and he was clearly attracted to her, and what else did they have time for except snogging in a hotel in the middle of a freak snowstorm?

Lily hadn't expected him to be half as good as kissing as he was either. His tongue was as quick in her mouth as it was when they bantered. Where his words left her smiling, his mannerisms left her swooning. The way he cupped her cheek to pull her mouth closer and tighter against his own. The way he ever so subtly snuck one hand under her dress, the other hand following soon to hitch her up against his hips, the way he trailed his lips along her jaw, and the way he pushed her back up against the cool window when she sighed his name after a surprisingly pleasant graze of his teeth to her collarbone.

She didn't want to stop; it was all so intimidating and wonderful to her senses all at once. She was aware her dress was on her hips. She was aware his shirt had been thrown to the floor. She was aware that the curtains couldn't hide their rendezvous. She was aware of his mouth, hot and wet against the skin of her neck as he lifted her dress even higher to place his maddening hands on her thighs.

"We can stop." He whispered, bringing his mouth to her ear.

She swore, grabbing him by his trousers, tugging at his waistband impatiently, "Don't stop now."

He took one of his hands from her thigh and used it to wipe her red hair from her face adoringly. He was staring at her so lovingly it made her heart skip a beat and Lily knew that somehow, someway, this dorky airplane pilot was the one. She couldn't explain it, she didn't feel the need to explain it, and as he leaned into to kiss her sweetly, Lily knew he felt the same way.