Before anything else, THANK YOU for the lovely reviews! Ah, it keeps my heart warm. Sorry for not replying (real life is usually stressful despite unemployment), but I do read every single one of them.

RECOVER
chapter 10

by Pseudonym P

"Elsa, hey!" Anna greeted over the speaker of Elsa's phone. Idina was gone for the evening, so the blonde didn't worry about bothering anyone with the noise. The older girl pulled out a nice white dress she deemed worthy enough to wear for tonight.

"Hi, Anna. What's up?"

"Just checking in." Elsa laid her dress on her bed and fished out a nice pair of sandals from the bottom of her closet. "What are you doing?"

"Picking out an outfit." Elsa pulled out a box of accessories from her desk and picked out a necklace. No, not this one. She set it aside and continued her search.

"Ooh, what for?"

Elsa plucked out a nice colorful bib necklace from the box. "Huh? Oh, I'm having dinner with Jack's family tonight."

"WHAT?" Anna's sudden shriek rendered Elsa shocked enough to drop the necklace. "YOU'RE HAVING DINNER WITH JACK'S FAMILY?"

"Anna, not so loud! You're on speaker." Elsa picked up the fallen accessory and placed it next to the dress.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Anna wailed, voice lowering. "This is very important information!"

"I just—It slipped my mind, I guess." Elsa paused. "Actually, no. He asked me around a week after you and I talked." Excusable, the blonde decided.

"Elsa, you know what this means, right?"

The blonde stared at her phone. "Um… no?"

"You are so clueless!" Anna cried out helplessly. "It means he's really serious about you! It's a fact now, no longer a speculation!"

Elsa flushed, feeling both irate and embarrassed. Embarrassed won by a hair. "Oh, um. Well—"

"Wear something nice, okay? Wait, who am I kidding, of course you're going to wear something nice. What are you wearing?" Elsa recounted the details of her outfit choice and Anna squealed. "Okay, you're going to look hot."

"Thanks. I think."

"Talk to him, okay?" Anna pleaded. "Promise me you'll talk to him before you meet his parents."

"I'll try my best," Elsa promised.

"Good. Parents have a strange way of judging their kids' significant others, and I want you and Jack to last. Okay? DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO LAST. For me. PLEASE."

Elsa shook her head and laughed softly. "Thanks for your support, Anna."

"What are little sisters for?"

Shortly after Elsa hung up and got dressed, her phone rang again. Jack, her phone flashed this time.

"I'm downstairs," he said as soon as she picked up.

"On my way." Elsa grabbed her purse and practically sprinted to the elevator. The door to the passenger seat was open when she got to Jack's car. He was leaning next to it, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

"You look beautiful," he said earnestly, walking towards her and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. Elsa flushed.

"Thank you." She eyed his crisp white shirt and dress pants. "You clean up good, Frost."

Jack beamed. "I try." They got into the car and soon, they were on their way to Jack's house.

Silence settled comfortably over them, but Elsa's mind refused to let go of Anna's words. "Hey," she said, and Jack glanced at her before looking back at the road.

"Hey," he replied, and Elsa smiled.

"I wanted to… talk to you."

"What about?"

Elsa opened her mouth and then shook her head. "I feel like this is a bad conversation to have before I meet your family."

"Honestly, I think they already love you," he confessed, "I mean, they always ask about you."

"They know about me?" Elsa asked disbelievingly.

Jack shrugged, leaving one hand on the wheel and the other to take her hand in his. "Of course they do. All I ever talk about is you." He grinned in her direction, slightly sheepish. It was painfully adorable.

"Wow, no pressure or anything," Elsa said sarcastically, and Jack laughed.

"Don't worry about it." He knitted their fingers together and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," Elsa started, eyes on their interlaced fingers, "I wanted to talk about… us."

"Us?" Jack repeated, letting go of Elsa's hand briefly to make a turn. Her hand felt strangely cold.

"Yeah, us." Elsa waited for him to stop at the intersection before continuing. "What are we?"

"Ah," Jack joked, "You want to know what you're going to say to my mom."

"No!" Elsa flushed. "Okay, yes. Maybe."

The stoplight turned green, and the car steadily moved forward. "Well, honestly… whatever you think we are, I'm okay with that."

She frowned lightly. "That doesn't help."

"Oh?" he said absently, turning at a corner. "Sorry."

"I just… I don't know. I feel kind of bad. We don't have a label, and I'm sure that bothers you."

Jack shot her an amused glance as they drove along the streets of a residential area. "It doesn't bother me at all. Like I said, I'm cool with whatever you say."

"Are you letting me control this relationship?" Elsa peered curiously at him.

"So it's a relationship, then?" Jack inquired, and Elsa blushed.

"Ah, um—" He laughed at Elsa's stammers.

"Look," Jack said, pulling over. He killed the engine and faced her, taking both her hands in his. "Really, whatever you say goes. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

"I don't," Elsa insisted. "But isn't a relationship a two-way street? Like, me and you? You and me? That sort of thing."

"All on your own pace," he said.

"But why?"

Jack flushed and rubbed his thumbs at the backs of her hands. "I really like you," he admitted, and Elsa's heart beat a little harder, "I don't want to scare you away. With the shit that I've done and been through…" he sighed, "I just feel like enough is enough, you know? A lot of people have gotten shit from me, even if they didn't deserve it. You don't deserve to be on that list, Elsa. I…" He gave another sigh. "This is going to be the worst thing to talk about."

Elsa's brow furrowed. "What is?"

"Exes."

"Ex—oh. Oh." Elsa pressed her lips together to fight off a smile. "I'm fine with it."

"Yeah?" Jack shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Then you first."

"Okay." Elsa pretended to think. "I have none."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay, sure—" Jack paused and gave her an incredulous expression. "Wait. Are you serious?" Elsa simply shrugged. He shook his head and ran his free hand over his face. "Shit, Elsa. You've never dated? Why?"

"No one asked me, really," Elsa said with another shrug, and Jack leaned over to press his forehead to her shoulder.

"Holy shit," Jack voiced, more to himself than to her, and he pulled away and squeezed her hand tighter. "I mean—holy shit."

Elsa laughed nervously. "What?"

"But you're so hot," Jack blurted, and Elsa hacked out a laugh that was more painfully mortified than amused.

"Seriously?"

"No—agh, no, sorry—" Jack groaned and pressed his forehead to the back of her hand. "Sorry. Sorry! I'm just—I thought—damn, I mean, I honestly thought I had a lot of competition with you." Elsa raised an eyebrow in offense, and Jack quickly backtracked. "I don't mean that the way it sounded. I mean—you're beautiful. Guys are bound to come flocking to your doorstep." Jack paused. "Do guys come flocking to your doorstep?"

"Nope."

"Wow. Um—wow." Jack took a deep breath. "Whoa. That changes things."

"Jack," Elsa deadpanned, "There is literally no way for you to make this situation better by speaking."

The younger boy smacked his mouth. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I'm just—crap. You've never dated?"

The blond girl shook her head. "Never."

He breathed out a laugh. "Damn. Damn. I feel so lucky."

Elsa chucked nervously. After a moment, she spoke. "You know… I like dating you."

Jack's eyes glimmered. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Elsa bit her lip. "I like seeing you all the time. I like talking to you. I like you. I really like being with you."

"Me, too." Jack squeezed her hands lightly.

"You seem scared," Elsa observed, and Jack laughed.

"Guilty."

"Why?"

"If it's not already obvious, then fine," he started, "I'll say it. I like you. A lot." He ran a hand through his pale hair. "I… I was a fucked up kid. Remember what I told you?"

Memories from her night out (and her first car ride in a while) floated along her thoughts briefly. She nodded.

"I wasn't in anything steady. I never really dated, didn't really care." He looked straight into her eyes and spoke sincerely, "And now I do. I care about you. And I don't want to screw this up."

"You won't," she murmured lowly, and Jack gave her an appreciative stare.

"Thank you," he said, kissing her fingers. Silence enveloped them comfortably.

Elsa simply smiled.

"Am I your first boyfriend?" he asked after a while, voice so small it was like he was ashamed to ask.

Elsa nodded shyly. "Yeah."

He smiled warmly. "I'm honored."

"Am I…" she began, and Jack sighed.

"No," he admitted, and Elsa felt herself deflate. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I know, but I'm doing it anyway." Jack sighed. "I've dated, a few before. Like… two. Or three. And I never felt… comfortable with them. They never lasted because of the shit I've done to them and to myself, for all the crap I put them through. I've never felt the way I do with you—and I'm—I just—Elsa. Elsa."

"It's okay," she said, meaning it. He didn't owe her a thing, so why would she get upset about whether or not he dated before her?

Something that sounded strangely similar to Anna's voice popped inside her head to say something like "not only dating," but Elsa cut it off when she started to flush.

Jack laughed tiredly. "I don't want to do the same to you. I don't want to scare you away."

Elsa chose not to answer, instead opting to squeeze his hand as a form of comfort. He flashed her an grateful glance.

"We good?" Jack asked after a long moment.

"Yes, we're good," she said, and Jack smiled, looking completely energized.

"Awesome, 'cause we're here." Elsa felt herself stiffen as she remembered the situation. Jack placed his hand on her elbow affectionately. "You'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," she muttered, and Jack leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"I know I'm right. Now come on, I promised to have you here by six or else my mom's going to show you baby photos of me."

Dinner went off without a hitch. Jack had introduced his family to Elsa and vice versa, and Jack's mother whisked her away to the living room to show the girl Jack's toddler photos.

(Jack, on the other hand, was vehemently protesting, crying out, "Mom, we had a deal—you said Elsa had to be here by six o'clock sharp and it's only ten minutes to six and—Mom, not the brace-face days—MOM, I'M BEGGING YOU—" while Elsa laughed until her sides hurt.)

Jack's stepfather had laughed at the sulking boy and told him to go finish setting the table, and soon two kids ran into the living room, introducing themselves in a series of almost unintelligible syllables until Jack did the honor of speaking in coherent sentences and pulled them away to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

The dinner itself was filled with conversation and friendly banter, making fun of Jack, talking about school, making fun of Jack, getting to know Elsa, making fun of Jack, getting to know Jack's family, and making fun of Jack. Soon, dessert had been splayed out ("Spanish flan," Jack had said proudly, bringing out a platter that had quite a hefty serving on it; Elsa was about to ask why, but Jamie shoveled a quarter of the flan unto his plate and she said nothing).

Much to her dismay—she was having a lot of fun with Jack's family, especially when Jamie had challenged her and Jack to a dancing game on their family console, which she had won with ease ("You cheated!" Jack had cried, and Elsa retorted with a snarky, "Yeah sure, tell that to the girl who's wearing a dress.")—she had to leave.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Frost," Elsa said sincerely, shaking their hands.

Jack's mother pulled her in for a hug. "Oh, nonsense. If you make my Jack smile like that, you're always welcome here."

Elsa flushed, laughing nervously. "Mom," Jack groaned.

The older woman pulled away and smiled coyly, choosing not to say anything more

"You're leaving already?" someone cried, and a thirteen-year-old boy came out into the foyer, glaring at Jack. "You better bring her back, Jack!"

"All up to Elsa, little man," Jack said, approaching Jamie and ruffling his hair.

"I'd love to come back," Elsa said, beaming. Soon, a little blonde girl ran up to her and clutched at her legs.

"Pretty Elsa!" she wailed, and Elsa giggled, embarrassed.

"I'll miss you, too, Sophie." The older girl patted Sophie's head.

Sophie sniffled. "Come back, please?"

"I will, I promise." The words left Elsa's mouth before she could think about it.

"Well, it's getting late," Jack announced, and the family had backed off accordingly. "I'll see you guys later."

"Take care driving, son," Jack's stepfather said.

"Will do." Jack opened the door for Elsa. With one last goodbye, they walked towards his car.

"Your family's a lot of fun," she said, more as a statement of fact than a commentary.

Jack smiled. "You looked like you had a lot of fun."

"I did." Jack opened the passenger door and closed it when Elsa slipped inside. He jogged to the driver's seat and got in, but didn't start the car.

He turned to her, and his blue gaze caught her own. "Thank you."

"I think it's me who should be thanking you," Elsa supposed, a laugh in her words. Jack reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her fingers tenderly, and Elsa watched.

He closed his eyes and murmured against the back of her hand. "You were amazing tonight. My family likes you."

"I like them, too." He pulled her hand away and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I like that." Jack briefly let go and started the engine and set the gear, and shortly they were on their way back to Elsa's dormitory.

"Thanks," she said finally, clicking off her seatbelt and turning to Jack.

He beamed at her. "You're welcome. Now, go get some sleep. I'll see you soon."

"Hey, Jack," she said suddenly, pressed her lips together. In a sharp tug of courage, she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. When she pulled away, Jack was staring at her. "What?"

"I—never mind," he said, shaking his head, hands still on the wheel. His cheeks burned in the dim light.

Elsa tugged at his shirtsleeve. "Tell me."

"It's gonna sound weird," Jack groused, not looking at her.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Or it's going to sound normal." She patted his arm. "Just tell me."

"I like it when you kiss me," he said, so low that Elsa had to strain to hear it. But she did, and her stomach twisted with such intensity that she thought she might squeal. She flushed and Jack groaned. "See, it sounded weird—"

"It doesn't," Elsa insisted, "It doesn't. It sounds… reasonable."

"Yeah," Jack retorted, "Reasonably weird."

She smacked his arm lightly. "Quiet."

Jack chuckled lowly and looked at her, taking his hands off the steering wheel and automatically gravitated towards hers. "I like you. You know that."

"Yeah," she whispered, fingers warm under his touch.

"And I—I really don't want to screw this up," he admitted. "I don't—I'm not—ah, shit," he swore, "I'm not good at this stuff."

"You can do it," she encouraged.

Jack smiled and shook his head. "God, Elsa. I don't think you understand what you're capable of."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"We'll talk about this soon enough," he told her gently, and cupped her cheek in his hand. He moved closer and kissed her forehead.

"Why can't we talk about it now?" she said, slightly embarrassed that she was whining, but Jack pulled away.

"Because I have to come up with a better speech to declare my affections," he said resolutely. Elsa snorted despite her blush.

"I just don't find it fair that you… I don't know, you're so open about your feelings and I… I can barely share mine," she said, voice softening at the last part.

He smiled understandingly. "I don't mind."

"I do," Elsa protested.

"It's okay," he soothed, "It's not a race."

"But I still think it's unfair."

Jack laughed. "We'll talk about it," he insisted, kissing the back of her hand. "Go sleep. I'll text you in the morning."

Elsa nodded and turned to leave, but turned back quickly to kiss his cheek again.

"Good night, Jack," she said, moving her face to hover over his. Time slowed down and her heart beat loud that she was afraid he might hear it. Just one move, one move and he could kiss her—

"Good night, Elsa," he whispered, blue eyes cloudy with something she couldn't place. His warm breath lingered on her skin, and for a moment Elsa's breath hitched in her throat, but he pulled away. Elsa smiled, expelling a breathy laugh.

"You could've," she said softly.

Jack glanced at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe next time, then," he teased.

Elsa rolled her eyes, trying to keep her expression composed despite the blood rushing in her ears, her heavy heartbeats and fluttering stomach. "Promise?"

His grin was goofy and contagious. "I promise."

The look on Jack's face was beyond shocked.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Elsa screamed with the rest, past the confetti and cheers. Jack gaped and turned to Elsa, eyes wide.

"You—" Jack said, and Hiccup came out of nowhere, slipping in between the two and slinging an arm on each of their shoulders.

"I really got the right woman for the job, didn't I?" Hiccup beamed, and Elsa laughed. "You totally didn't see it coming!"

Two days ago, Hiccup had texted Elsa (under the name Henry, the alias to which the blonde saved him as on her phone) the plan for Jack's dinner. Distract him by three in the afternoon and just make sure he gets home by seven. Easy. All Elsa had to do was say that she wanted to eat and Jack just picked her up and they went on a food trip. Funnily enough, she was still hungry for dinner.

"It was really too easy," Elsa said, and the redhead boy winked before leaving, muttering something about checking on the roast because Astrid can't cook to save her life.

"You helped with this?" Jack said, and she turned back to face him. There was a glint in his eyes.

"Happy birthday," she said with a smile, and Jack leaned in for a hug.

"Thanks," he whispered. She held on tighter when he kissed her hair.

The party was small—just a few of Jack's friends and coworkers, including his own family. She was introduced to cousin Sandy, who wasn't really a cousin, but more of a family friend.

"Sandy," the stout blonde man had said, extending his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you," Elsa had replied, returning the gesture. Jack's mother had slipped in to gesture with her hands, and Elsa gaped. She turned back to Sandy to apologize. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea—"

The small man shook his shoulders in a gesture of laughing and waved his hands. "He's been deaf since birth," Jack's mother had explained, "But he can lip read and he's been practicing his own name enough that the accent isn't muddled."

"That's amazing," Elsa said earnestly, and Sandy laughed again before gesturing to the table.

After a great dinner, they all gathered in the living room and booted the game console. Elsa sat on the couch with Jack's arm around her, and the rest of the guests littered around the room while Jack's parents and Sandy resigned themselves to finish cleaning up.

"Jack!" someone called, and Jamie ran in with his older brother's guitar. "Play something!"

"Aw, Jamie—" Jack started to disagree, but his friends and coworkers were already hollering for him to play.

"Come on," Edmund egged on, "You know you want to, you bloody show-pony."

Tooth laughed, sitting next to him on the armrest of the couch. "Yeah, Jack. You are kind of a show off."

"Do it!" Hiccup encouraged from his armchair. Astrid clapped from his lap.

Jack laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine." His friends cheered and he gratefully took the guitar from Jamie, slipping from the couch to sit on the floor. Elsa followed to curl up next to him.

"Go, Jack," Elsa said with a smile, and Jack paused.

"I'll play only if Elsa sings with me," he blurted, and Elsa froze. Jack's friends voiced out words of encouragement, but the blonde could feel her heart rate pick up.

"Jack, no—" she whispered urgently but he latched onto her hand that was staring to turn cold.

"You can do it," he replied just as softly and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. "It's just me."

"And a bunch of other people."

Jack laughed, breathy and warm against her cheek. "Just us."

Elsa gave him a nervous smile and he kissed her cheek again, letting go of her hand and going back to strumming his guitar.

"You know this?" he asked her after he plucked and strummed to a rhythm, and she smiled.

"Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself," she began, and the entire room was silent as the two harmonized with their music. When the song was over, everyone broke out into applause and Elsa laughed, cheeks red. She buried her face into Jack's shoulder.

"You were soooo good, Elsa!" Rapunzel gushed from her spot the couch, and Elsa gave the girl a timid smile.

"Thanks."

"How'd Jack score a girl like you?" Hiccup joked, and the punch Astrid landed on his bicep made a noise.

"Babe, don't be rude."

Jack laughed and glanced over at a still blushing Elsa. Their eyes met and he grinned. "I actually have no idea." He turned back to the group. "Any more songs?"

The group erupted into a flurry of suggestions and Elsa laughed, feeling her nerves ebb away.

Jack had driven her to her dorm after the whole ordeal, which lasted quite late. They arrived at her building a quarter past one in the morning.

He shut off the engine and got out of the car, jogging to the other side and opening the car door for Elsa. She chuckled. "Highly unnecessary."

"Oh, it's actually very necessary." He shut the door behind her and pushed her back against the car, encircling his arms around her waist and pressing his face against the space where her shoulder met her neck. "Thank you for tonight." His voice was muffled and warm and it made Elsa… feel things.

Before she could properly register anything, he was pulling away and the blonde felt oddly cold. Like something was missing.

"No problem," she said finally, and Jack smiled crookedly at her.

"I'll see you soon?" he asked, "I've got a fun date planned."

She laughed. "Okay. Text me when." He pressed a swift kiss to his cheek and squeezed her hand, which she returned gratefully.

"Good night," he said. She returned the gesture and got into his car, and Elsa waved as he drove off.

When Jack had said a "fun date," she already expected a movie night or a cooking lesson, sometimes even just sitting around at Burgess Brew on a slow day or stolen glances when it was full. She expected a day with his friends, or even a study date, surrounded by psych facts and puns and laughter, littered with cake and non-caffeinated smoothie blends. She expected time with him, just hanging out, like they always did.

She definitely did not expect to be in the middle of nowhere, an hour away from the city.

The trip going was fun, filled with music and sing-alongs and jokes and conversation that she always enjoyed with him, but when Jack shut off the engine after they ended up in the field a ways away from the road, Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"What are you planning?" she asked suspiciously, and Jack grinned wickedly.

"Maybe I'm finally going to have my way with you," he said, and she would've blushed at his words, but his voice was tiny and nasally and it made her laugh.

"Yeah, right. Your mom would kill you if anything happened to me."

Jack groused. "Can you stop reminding me how much she likes you more than she likes me?"

"Nope," Elsa said, popping the p. She looked around the clearing. "But really, what are you planning?"

"Well," Jack said, caution hinting at his voice, and Elsa turned to look at him with interest.

"'Well,' what?"

"I'm glad you're over your fear of cars," he went on, "I really am. So, I guessed—I don't know. Maybe it's time to fully get over them."

Elsa's stomach twisted, and not in the usual pleasant way it did when she was around Jack. "Jack, what are you saying?"

"I wanted to teach you how to drive," he said carefully, looking at everything else but her.

Elsa's breath hitched in her throat. "What?!"

"Hear me out first," he said, looking straight at her and raised his hands in defense. "I thought maybe this would be good for you."

"No!" she protested vehemently. "I'm not going to drive!"

"Elsa, you can't keep hiding from cars forever—you're going to have to learn." Jack was composed, as if this situation was completely sensible.

For some reason, his calmness irritated her further. "Jack, I said no—"

Jack frowned. "Elsa, I'm just trying to help."

"Seriously? And who are you to say that?"

"Elsa, really? This happened years ago. I'm just helping you get over it!" he said, brimming with frustration. As soon as the words left his mouth, Jack looked immediately regretful. "Elsa—shit. Elsa, I'm so sorry." He reached for her hand in grasped it.

Elsa could scream, his harsh words echoing in her brain sharply. She felt her skin bristle as she hardened at his words. How—how dare he? He knew how she felt about this, about all of this, and still he would say that? He wasn't helping her in the least! She curled her fists and shook her head.

"I don't need your help!" she snapped, eyes narrowed and snatching her hand away. Her heart was soaring and she felt herself bristle, her emotions rapidly escalating.

"Elsa, please—"

"I said no," Elsa snarled this time, tone harsh and biting, cruel even to her own ears. Jack's expression flashed from a guilty frown to utterly emotionless so quickly that she instantly stopped. He was just trying to help, she reasoned. She let her emotions get the best of her. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No, I pushed too hard." He replied distantly, keeping his eyes off her. "Sorry. We don't have to if you don't want to."

"Jack," she started, a string of apologies ready to pour from her lips, but the fact that he didn't even look at her rendered her unable to continue. Instead, she looked down at her lap. Jack started the car and drove her back, and the silence was more deafening than ever.

to be continued

Announcement: We're almost to the end of this story! Yaaaay. To all my readers, thank you for sticking around. I think I've got two more chapters to go, plus an epilogue. And maybe a series of post-fic oneshots? It all depends. Either way, I hope you all enjoy the journey so far, and that I'd like to thank you all again. Maybe you'd like to leave me a review to tell me what you think will happen next? I know left you with a pretty shitty cliffhanger, I know—but I'm still interested!

Updates will come kind of slowly now, since I've posted all my pre-written chapters and have to hammer out the next few from scratch. I hope you all understand. Rest assured, I'll still be doing my best.

Trivia is found under the 'recover trivia' tag of my tumblr (notkorras) if you'd like to check that out!