A/N: Hello to all my readers! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far. It really does mean a lot to me and they encourage me to write more when I know that people are enjoying my stories! Please take the time to leave a little note at the end of this to tell me how it's going and what you feel about it, this fandom is my first ever crossover and I'm trying hard to keep in character while keeping you all guessing! Enjoy…
The morning sun light was cold but gentle as it landed on Elsas face. She smiled sleepily with her eyes closed against the light, revelling in the waves of comfort and warmth from her duvet. Last night had been a wonderful night out with her friends, from what she remembered of it, and more fun than she'd had for a long time. She pulled the blankets tighter around her and snuggled further into her cocoon of comfort, recalling how she had danced and drank the night away with everyone. Oh how she wished she'd spent the last two years doing that! There was a slight twang of a headache starting and her feet had the remaining soreness from the slightly too big heels she'd snagged from Annas room but Elsa had no regrets whatsoever. Slowly she stretched out her body and yawned deeply.
'Well, better start getting up-'
Her foot bumped against something warm and soft and that felt all too much like another persons foot.
'Oh no. Oh no no no...'
Elsa cracked open an eye, dreading what she was going to see but knowing exactly what, or rather who, was in her bed with her. Jack slept sprawled out on his front, one arm and half a leg off the mattress and only half covered by the duvet. Elsa flushed red as she realised that the two of them were stark naked. She hadn't… She couldn't have had her first time as a drunken fling, and with Jack of all people?
'Oh god, what have we done? Stupid question Elsa, you know exactly what the two of you have done. Ugh, you're worse than Anna at getting yourself into bad situations. Oh god, did we use a condom? Shit, I don't remember anything!'
A sudden jolt of pain from her temple brought Elsa back to the present. Silently she pushed the rising panic in her gut back and got out of bed, scuttling to her dressing gown to cover herself up. It was only after making herself a cup of tea that Elsa began to calm down. Maybe she was over reacting? Maybe they hadn't actually slept together, just slept in the same bed?
'Really? You truly believe you only slept in the same bed with Jack, naked?'
The panic returned tenfold and Elsa had to swallow her mouthful of tea before she spat it out, or worse vomited. She turn to steady herself on the kitchen counter and sent a death glare at the cheap laminated wood, as though it was the reason she'd shagged her best friend last night. Out of nowhere two pale arms wrapped their way around Elsas waist and she had to stop herself from jumping out of her skin.
"Morning Queenie." Jack nuzzled into her unbrushed hair and kissed her neck. His voice sounded tired but undeniably happier than it had been for a long time. "N'aww, didn't you make me a brew too?" He was teasing but Elsa wriggled out of his grip and set about making the drink, happy to have a distraction.
"I didn't know when you were going to be awake…"
"It's cool Elsa, I can do it myself. I was only joking!" He chuckled and Elsa's heart sank. He was so happy and she was going to utterly destroy him. This couldn't have gotten any worse. Jack started to comb through her hair with his fingers and Elsa jumped away from him, carelessly splashing hot tea over the counter.
"Oh shit!"
"I'll get it, don't worry!" Jack swooped into action and before Elsa could pull her mind into thinking about the mess she'd made, Jack had already cleared most of it up. She backed away and nearly ran into the door frame. She looked at it, bewildered. When had the room ever been this small. It was tiny, she could barely breath. It was too much, she couldn't do this.
"What's gotten you so spooked, gorgeous?"
"Don't call me that!" Elsa was close to bellowing but she managed to restrain her voice to a sharp bark. Her breathing was speeding up and her hands were shaking. Reeling now, she stumbled into the living and half collapsed on the sofa. Jack immediately came over, concern radiating from him.
"Elsa, are you okay?"
"Get away from me!" When she saw the flash of despair in her friends eyes she added a soft "Please, I don't want to hurt you."
Jack moved away and sat on the armchair opposite her spot on the sofa. She could see it now, the total destruction her actions had caused. This was the reason he had never accepted those joking proposals for a date. Why she'd avoided as much physical contact with Jack as possible when they were together. Why she'd always been busy when he'd ask if she wanted to see that new film or check out the recently opened café. She hated the idea of getting Jacks hopes raised and then tearing them down. Elsa cared deeply for Jack, he was her best friend and a true confidant when she needed him, but her affections ended at friendship.
"I can't do this Jack."
There was a silence. Jack looked even paler as he sat hunched in the morning light, staring at the carpet.
"I love you Elsa."
"I… I'm sorry Jack." This couldn't be happening, it had to be same sort of awful dream. She'd wake up in a minute and find Jack asleep on the sofa or in Annas room. She wake up, make some tea and watch the news before he'd appear, complain of a headache and steal her mug from her. They'd laugh about last nights antics and then Jack would leave before it got too late in the day because he had an essay and Elsa had to call her sister. But the hot, wet tears rolling down Jacks face were all too real and before long he was throwing on his clothes and was ready to leave.
He slammed the door shut without a single word to Elsa. She felt a pain drive itself deep in her chest and the telling sting of tears was pricking at her own eyes but she push them back. Elsa was convinced that it was the right thing to do. Jack might hate her for a time (something which killed her to admit) but she didn't and wouldn't ever return Jacks feeling in the way he wanted her to. They just weren't compatible as anything more than friends.
"I can't believe you lost your V-card to Jack!"
"I didn't 'lose' anything, thank you very much Anna! It was free and consensual, we were just both stupidly drunk at the time…"
"Whatever, so what now? Are you guys dating?" Elsa could see in her minds eye Anna practically bouncing off the walls at this new revelation. "Are you in love? Is it true love at first sight? Oh Elsa, is he the one?!"
"Whoa, slow down there Anna." Elsa could've strangled her sister. 'God give me strength…' She took a deep breath, knowing her excitable younger sister would interrupt if she didn't get it all out at once. "No, we're not dating and you know full well why. We've spoken about this before Anna, Jack is a great guy but I just don't love him in that way."
"Aww, but can't you give him a chance? He's such a cutie!"
"I did, last night! And it hasn't changed anything. We're just friends, that's all."
"Alright, alright." Elsa could practically hear Anna mulling over her next words. She braced herself for anything. "So, how was the sex?"
"Anna!"
The next few days were understandably awkward. Elsa had noticed that her and Jacks mutual friends were aware that something has happened between the pair, but whether they understood the true severity of the situation, Elsa wasn't sure. Every time someone suggested they all go get a coffee or have lunch together, Elsa found ways to excuse herself from the group. She was worried that they'd all turn on her if they found out that not only had they had sex, but she had rejected him so coldly the next morning.
Elsa had also been a little upset over having to go to the doctors that afternoon to get hold of the morning after pill. She wasn't taking any chances, and despite the fact she had found a used condom when she had been cleaning up, she only felt the panic ease when she left the nurses office. The whole situation felt awful. Elsa wasn't bothered about the fact she had lost her virginity, she wasn't entirely naïve when it came to sex and figured there were far worse ways and people to have your first time with. No, it was the fact that by doing so with someone who was so emotionally invested in her, she had really caused some damage.
By the time Pitch's seminar rolled around that week, Elsa had written scores of pieces with allusions to her romp with Jack, once of which she handed to Pitch after the session. Expecting him to email her with the feedback, she turned to leave the room.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorry?"
"Do you want feedback on this work or don't you?"
"I- Yes, I do."
"Then sit down, Miss Telvi, and you shall receive."
The way he said her name was obviously meant in a sarcastic manner but Elsa couldn't help but feel a flutter of something run up her spine when he said it.
He sat down on one of the sofas and Elsa followed suit in the adjacent chair. Anxiously, she started fiddling with the bracelets she was wearing. The prose she had given him wasn't the greatest thing she'd ever written but was raw and straight from the emotional turmoil she'd been in recently.
The older man looked up briefly at Elsa with something hinting at… surprise? Before reading the work again. Elsa sat in silence for what seemed like aeons before Pitch finally delivered his verdict.
"Something has happened, has it not?"
"Huh?" Elsa hadn't expected him to be able to read that far into it. After all, writing can be about any character, time or space so how was he able to see that something had affected Elsa so deeply?
"Elsa, you forget that all writing is some form of reflection of the author, conscious or not. We take our lives, relationships, families, economic or political beliefs… Anything, and turn it into art. New worlds can only take shape from old ones."
Elsa nodded, too busy listening intently to notice how she as leaning forward to ensure she caught every word Pitch spoke. There was a certain lilt to his voice which was definitely not local but incredibly easy to listen to, not that Elsa was having any trouble paying attention. All of his words were like gold dust, precious and few. She was, as far as she was aware, the only one asking for help beyond the seminars, and while she didn't think anything of that as situation, she was grateful for any help Pitch was willing to give her.
Pitch leant back and Elsa could feel those bizarre yellow eyes surveying her.
"It's something to do with Frost, isn't it?"
"Oh, no. Not at all. Why would you think it would have anything to do with that?"
"Apart from your reaction just now? As lecturer I get the opportunity to watch the class just as much as you get the opportunity to watch me, and there are trends that I notice. Normally Jack would sit as close to you as possible and during the discussions he would make jokes aimed at gaining some sort of a reaction from you, and only you. However, today he didn't speak a single word to you for two whole hours. Couple that with the fact he sat as close to the door as possible and the strange stares you were getting every time you were looking away from him, I think my assumption is solid."
Surprised beyond belief, Elsa sat back in her chair and just shook her head.
"You don't understand, Jack and I-"
"Honestly Elsa, I couldn't care less about your relationship with Mr Frost. However, it seems that whatever happened between you and that boy has helped you tap into an emotional reserve that before you were devoid of."
Pitch looked vaguely impressed, something that Elsa had rarely seen in the tutors face. A strange warmth spread across her cheeks and she promptly looked down at her hands while her stomach did a couple of backflips.
'Ugh, stop it! He's your tutor and this is just a silly infatuation with his skill in writing. You're not a blushing school girl!'
"So, I'm getting better?" She shook her blonde hair out of her eyes and forced herself to meet the gaze of the older man. She wasn't a child and she certainly wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of seeing her turn weak at the knees when he gives her a backhanded compliment.
A flicker of amusement crossed Pitch's features at the obvious change of subject but allowed the conversation to continue in the direction Elsa chose. He would find he answers soon enough.
"Better, but not yet at a standard that I can tell you are capable of. I have never said that you're writing is bad, Elsa. I am just painfully aware that you're deeply tied to a strict and rule-bound way of writing. Rules are important when it comes to words, yes. They help give us structure and direction, but they can't tell us how to express that journey."
Pitch paused for a moment and weighed his next words carefully.
"Next week is reading week so we won't being having a formal seminar, but what would you say to meeting up at the campus café? We can work one on one with some example of your work and see what the crux of the matter is."
Elsa suddenly realised that Pitch seemed almost nervous. She watched as he looked away from her, towards the clock, and rubbed the back of his neck. When she didn't answer immediately he shrugged and continued; "Just a suggestion. If you're busy it's no big deal but I figure you might find it useful…"
"Yes, that would be fantastic!" Elsa got her diary out and flicked it to the next week. "Same time as our normal seminar? Actually a bit earlier would work better for me, so maybe 11o'clock?"
Pitch hummed an agreement and watch as she scribbled away in the little paperback.
"I should have known you would have a diary." The way he said it was more to himself but having her attention drawn to her diary, Elsa didn't hear properly anyway. She snapped it shut and smiled brightly at her tutor.
"Perfect! Thank you so much Mr Black, I really appreciate all the extra help your been giving me. I'll see you next week!" And with little more to-do, Elsa made her way out of the classroom, very excited at the prospect of a private session with Pitch coming up.
When the door closed, the tall dark figure of Pitch Black was the only one left in the room. Slowly he slung he satchel over his shoulder and turned out all the lights before saying to no one in particular, "I told you, call me Pitch."
