North folded his hands across his belly and leaned back in his chair. Jack leapt up from behind Elsa, leaving her to catch herself on the edge of North's desk, as she glared at Jack.
"Wait so you're saying that Piotr is Pitch?" North nodded.
"And Samir is Sandy?" Again, North nodded. "Pitch and Sandy are brothers?" Jack's voice broke in his shock.
"No way, you've gotta have something wrong there. Anything. Maybe they're just cousins, or brothers in the 'hey I'd be upset if you died but not much more than that' way." Jack was angrily pacing, a foot above the ground. Elsa skillfully interjected before he could argue again.
"So both of these brothers became immortals? One chose by the Moon and the other...just did?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Mr. North, I'd like to ask Sandy to recount his version of the events if you don't mind." Jack snorted in disbelief, though Elsa knew it was not at her.
"Sandy's mute, Elsie." He explained in a huff.
"I see." Elsa said regretfully. "And asking Pitch is of course out of the question." She stood and began pacing as well, keeping time with Jack. After a few moments of watching them, North stood and clapped his large hands together.
"Well, that is enough of that for night. Time for bed." Elsa and Jack both looked at him incredulously.
"You can't possibly expect me to sleep after that." Elsa complained.
"I don't sleep, North. You can't send me to bed." Jack whined.
"Yes I can. My workshop, my rules. Jack, you know where your guest room is. Show Elsa to one as well."
"Elsa can sleep with me, thanks." Jack growled, annoyed at being sent to his room and not really thinking of what he said.
Elsa also didn't catch the implication behind his words, still pondering as she was. She walked closely behind him, face screwed up in concentration. As they disappeared down the hallway, North collapsed into his chair and sighed.
Definitely a lot to tell Sandy and Tooth.
Jack flew a few feet ahead of Elsa, leading the way to 'his' room. North had personalized rooms set aside for all the Guardians, although the only ones that slept were himself and Sandy. Bunny would occasionally take a nap, but Jack and Tooth never settled down long enough to even try resting. Not until that night at the ice palace that is.
Elsa followed as close behind Jack as she could, practically running to keep up with him. His mind was preoccupied and Elsa was loath to interrupt his musings. She herself was reeling at the story North had just told them, but she knew neither Sandy or Pitch as Jack did. Her thoughts were purely analytical but he was probably still in shock. Her heart clenched wondering what Jack might be thinking. Knowing him, he had probably found a way to blame himself for something, and on top of that, he probably felt betrayed. She slowed slightly and gazed up at him. She wished he would slow down long enough to talk to her about what he was feeling, but she was sure that would never happen.
"Oh, Jack." She sighed. She hurriedly picked up her pace again to avoid losing him in the winding corridors.
A few moments later, Jack slowed to a stop before a large wooden door. Elsa fell into place beside him, her eyes widening again at the beautiful carvings in the wood. Unlike the door to North's office however, these carvings were purely Jack. Large detailed snowflakes created a border around a carving of a beautiful lake. It was so detailed that Elsa felt as though she could see the Moon shining off the frozen water. A dozen or so carved children played on and around the lake scene, throwing snowballs, skating, and building snowmen. A depiction of Jack crouched on his staff was off to the side showing him watching over the children as they played. Elsa smiled at the scene.
Jack scoffed.
Elsa looked up at him confused. His face showed obvious disdain for the door's carvings, though she couldn't understand why. She opened her mouth to ask but Jack thrust out a hand before she could.
"I hate that lake." He said angrily. "That's where I died." He then brushed past Elsa and stormed into the room, leaving the beautiful door swinging wildly in his wake and Elsa staring after him in shock.
"You...died?" She whispered. Jack looked back at her, his anger still fresh, but was taken aback by her face. All thoughts of anything but her fled his mind instantly.
Her eyes were full of tears, her mouth quivering behind her hands. Jack was first worried that he had upset her, until she lurched forward and enveloped him in her arms. Jack stood still as a statue as she cradled his head like a child.
"Oh, Jack. I am so sorry." Shock pierced through him. He pulled away slightly.
"I don't need pity, Els-" He started, trying to keep his voice light.
"You must have been so scared." She whispered. His eyes snapped up to hers. She wasn't pitying him, he realized. She was worried about him. Three hundred years later, and she was worried about how he felt.
"I-I was scared." He stuttered. "Drowning isn't exactly a peaceful way to go." He tried to joke his way out of the uncomfortable situation.
"You had a family." It was worded as a question, but the way she said it was more a statement of fact. Jack nodded glumly.
"A mom and a little sister. Emma." Jack pulled away from Elsa and turned to sit on the large snow covered bed behind them. He sank into the snowy mattress and stared back at Elsa. She quickly crossed over to him and sank to the floor in front of him, taking ahold of his hands. Jack stared at their intertwined digits instead of her face as he began to tell her of his life. He didn't want to see her expressful face as he told her.
"Emma was a few years younger than me. She wanted to go skating. It was the first time the lake had frozen over that year. She begged me to take her." He closed his eyes against the memory. For three hundred years he longed to remember what had happened to him to make him immortal, but when Tooth gave him his memories back, he wished for nothing but oblivion again. He couldn't stand remembering what he had lost by his own carelessness.
"The ice cracked around her feet. I managed to swing her out of danger with my staff, but then I fell in. I tried to get back to the surface but I couldn't find it. Then I woke up and the Moon told me my name was Jack Frost."
Elsa's breath hitched in her throat. Jack had died to save his sister? Elsa thought of Anna and how Anna had died to save her. No wonder she loved Jack so much. He was so much like Anna. So fun, so mischievous, so lonely. So loving. Elsa lifted her hand and cradled Jack's cheek in her palm. Tears were silently running down his face, and Elsa felt them on hers too. His were of pain she knew, but she couldn't help but realize that hers were coming from a place of love.
"Jack," She started. No, now wasn't the time to say it. Not when he was grieving.
"Jack, you were so brave." She said instead. Jack looked down at her earnest face. He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, childlike.
"Thanks." He sniffed. A small smile quirked up the edges of his lips. "Besides, if that hadn't happened, I'd've never met you." Elsa blinked in surprise.
"Me?" She asked. Jack shrugged and pulled her to her feet, hovering a few inches above the ground himself.
"Yeah! And we'd've never had so much fun!" He began spinning the two of them in a circle like a dance. Elsa had to watch her feet to keep from falling.
"Fun?" She laughed. Jack continued to spin her and she began to get dizzy. She looked up at him momentarily and her feet tangled up beneath her. She fell sideways with a shriek. Jack caught her just before she hit the floor. Elsa giggled breathlessly and Jack chuckled. He stood her up but held her close. Their laughter died off as they stared into each other's eyes.
Jack lifted his hand and tossed his staff gently into the nearest snow drift. Both hands now free, he used on to secure Elsa in his grasp and the other to gently stroke her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into it like she always did and Jack smiled. He gently undid the tie at the end of her braid and ran his fingers through her ivory hair until it hung around her face in soft waves. She blew a strand out of her eyes in exasperation, and he purposefully tugged it back down in her face. She laughed and opened her eyes.
Jack gulped as her eyes met his and held his gaze. Firm and unwavering, her eyes searched his. Her plump lips were perfectly pouty and begging to be kissed. Jack took the opportunity and ducked down to press his against them. Elsa's hands immediately were clenching his hair and she arched her back to press herself against him. They kissed passionately for several minutes before he lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist, and then did the same with the second one. Legs secure, he walked to the bed and laid her down gently in the snow, which melted underneath her. He gently removed her hands from his hair and her legs from his waist and stood back, admiring her. Her face was red in embarrassment and exertion but she looked so beautiful to Jack. Her hair was spread out like a halo around her head and her lips were swollen from his kisses.
"Elsie," He sighed. He fell down and began to kiss her again, trailing his fingers down her body. Wherever his fingers touched, her icy dress melted beneath. The sensation of cool water and warm Jack made Elsa moan. It wasn't long until there was nothing left of her dress, and his own clothing had also disappeared.
When Elsa fell asleep that night, it was in Jack's arms. Jack too slept, for only the second time in 300 years.