A/N: I love writing dates for Jelsa. It's just so much fun. Please read and enjoy.

Chapter 11

Several weeks had passed since Jack and Elsa's last date at the Metropolitan Opera House. The first of November had come and gone and they were closer to Thanksgiving at that point. The leaves had all turned and fallen, leaving behind gnarled hibernating branches. However, the growing relationship between the two was thriving in the chilly weather of New York City.

No longer shy and uncertain, Elsa openly expressed herself around Jack. He accepted her with open arms and returned each gesture of kindness with one of his own.

Finding time to spend with one another was challenging though, as the renovations to The North Pole were in full swing. The interior had been gutted and all that was left was a skeleton of what remained as new support beams were put in. Dry wall was covering half of the would-be walls and insulation was stuffed into every nook and cranny.

Elsa 'assisted' as best as she could to avoid spending any amount of time with Pitch, much to the dark man's chagrin. He made it far too easy most of the time, as the moment he spotted North he went on his way.

One more month and the renovations would be complete and Elsa would never have to deal with the Englishman again. One more month and she could be known as a dance instructor and not a burlesque dancer. Her dream was so close to coming true that it was tangible.

But, as stated earlier, spending time with Jack had been difficult. The renovations had taken up a good portion of his time and they were hard-pressed to not be discovered by Pitch. Still, they exchange furtive glances and endearing smiles at one another in passing. Jack had also taken to stealing light touches that sent Elsa's heart into a wild frenzy. She wondered more than once if he knew the effect that he had on her. He must know how he made her feel, because she had no longer been able to hide it. She was looking at him with such soft eyes and giving him such sweet smiles.

Jack was not blind to Elsa's change in mood and he could not be happier. She was opening up herself to him more and more each day and he coveted her tenderness and affection. He made sure to give as good as he got, stealing light touches at the small of her back and around her waist in an attempt to spur her encouragements further. He had nearly been caught several times by the Englishman and each time Elsa withdrew from him slightly in fear.

Not much longer and they could openly express their love for one another. Not much longer and they could truly be together.

At that moment, the two had snuck off together, enjoying the light of day as they walked hand in hand through the city. Elsa had grown fond of Jack's spontaneity and was always along for the ride. She would follow him to the end of the world if he would let her…

Elsa's heart picked up its tempo at that thought and she knew it to be true. She had fallen hard for Jack in the short time that they had known one another and she was not afraid of it. She wasn't fearful of a rejection or being left alone. She knew that she would always have Jack by her side and that soothed her jaded heart more thoroughly than anything else.

Jack had grown accustom to Elsa's presence. She was a permanent feature in his life and the very idea made him smile happily. She had accepted his love and was drinking it in each day. He would continue to lavish it upon her as long as she would have him and even after she got fed up with his antics. He loved her more than he thought even possible and it continued to grow with each passing day. This was real. This was what love was meant to be, he just knew it.

Jack grinned to himself as he continued to lead Elsa in the direction of Bryant Park. He had a day of nothing but fun filled activities for them to participate in and he could hardly keep his own secret with the excitement he was feeling.

Elsa had learned to not ask what he was planning. Jack would never tell her anyways. He loved to see the reaction on her face upon seeing the surprise more than he liked her begging for clues.

"Care to take a guess?" he smiled widely at her.

"What do I get if I guess right?" she bartered, knowing how Jack operated with his little tricks.

"What would you like?" he smirked, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Elsa blushed sweetly.

It had been two weeks since he had kissed her and left her breathless at her door. She couldn't deny that she had thought about it on more than one occasion, but she could withhold that information from Jack. He certainly didn't need a bigger ego than he already had.

"How 'bout this? If you win, you can do whatever you want to me," he smirked as he noticed the blush intensifying on her cheeks.

"And if I'm wrong?" Elsa responded shyly, glancing at Jack out of the corner of her eye.

His smirk became predatory as he leaned in to Elsa's ear, "I get to do anything I want to you," he whispered almost seductively.

Elsa could feel her ears and neck turning red along with her cheeks as she took a shy step away from Jack while they walked, but he just tugged her back to his side with his hand on hers. The deal was tempting. She weighed her options while her heart hammered restlessly in her chest.

Jack grinned to himself as he watched Elsa's mental debate out of the corner of his eye. He became emboldened by her shyness and released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist and draw her even closer to his side. The fact that she didn't resist him spurred him further as he bent back down to whisper into her ear.

"Just think of the possibilities."

Elsa nudged him in the ribs lightly, but made no attempt to pull away from their closeness. Jack was on cloud nine as he drank in the warmth of her petite little body.

"Ok," she conceded to Jack's utter astonishment, "but on one condition."

"You and your conditions," he muttered jokingly.

"Anything either of us wants for one minute only," she answered with a smile.

"Five," Jack bartered.

"Three."

"Deal."

"Oh, you lost, I would have gone as high as four minutes," Elsa teased cutely and Jack glared playfully at her.

"When will the debt be collected?" she asked, taking notice of her surroundings in the hopes of making her guess more accurate.

"Whenever we want," Jack grinned.

Elsa accepted his answer with a nod and proceeded to think hard about the possibilities. It was cold out, but not windy, and they were both bundled up comfortably. The temperature didn't seem to bother either of them and they didn't seem to be heading to any sort of store as Bryant Park came into view. Walking alone wasn't much of a date, so there needed to be some sort of activity involved. What could they do in Bryant Park at this time of the year?

A knowing smile came to Elsa's face and Jack feared that this challenge had been too easy for her.

"Ice skating." Elsa asked timidly.

"I'm sorry, you must answer the question in the form of a question," Jack teased, feeling a sense of disappointment wash over him as he wouldn't be able to do whatever he wanted to Elsa for three minutes. He had had such high hopes…

"What is, ice skating, Alex?" Elsa rephrased and beamed at the defeated smile on Jack's face.

"Correct," he conceded.

"I got one right for once!"

"This isn't any fun. I had so much I wanted to do to you…" he grumbled, noticing the heated blush that overtook Elsa's cheeks again with a satisfied expression.

Feeling emboldened, Jack pressed Elsa up against the nearest tree and leaned in until his mouth was mere inches from her own. He delighted in the startled gasp and her wide eyes as he murmured out quietly, "So, Elsa, what do you want to do to me?"

Elsa gulped back nervously at Jack's nearness and almost closed her eyes in the hopes that he would kiss her, but she remained as composed as possible. She smiled sweetly at him and murmured back against his lips, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Jack grinned wickedly at her antics. She had taken a page from his book and sought to tease him and maybe even best him at his own game. She was a clever one as she looked up into his eyes expectantly, and if Jack were a more impatient person he would have succumbed to kissing her breathless, but he was going to tease right back.

Elsa smirked as Jack backed away slowly. He was going to endure her playfulness as she had endured his. He would have to wait for her to claim her three minutes and he was going to have to squirm in anticipation of what exactly she would do.

The rink was only slightly crowded at that time of day. Children and adults alike were enjoying the winter pastime with great smiles and excitement. After paying for their skates, the pair took to the ice with incredible ease, weaving in and out of the less experienced individuals and drawing the attention of kids as they went.

"I didn't know you knew how to skate," Elsa smiled appreciatively as Jack turned to skate backwards, his eyes taking her in with satisfaction.

"There was a little lake just a few miles away from my house that my sister and I used to skate on," Jack supplied by way of answer, his expression becoming somewhat melancholic as he spoke of his sibling.

Elsa was feeling brave as she asked, "Would you mind if I asked what happened to her?"

Jack's expression was surprised. He had not expected for her to be this courageous. He appreciated her interest in his family and turned back around to skate with ease beside her. After a moment to gather his thoughts he began to tell her his sad story

"It was actually my fault," Jack began, not making eye contact with Elsa as they continued to make their way around the rink, "I should've kept a closer eye on her. We lived out along a busy road. She was eight. We were playing soccer…" his story was a jumble of statements and Elsa knew that he was uneasy as he continued, "I didn't see the car until it was too late…"

He seemed to be on the verge of tears and Elsa felt terrible for asking, "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"No, no it's alright," he assured, "I came to terms with her death a long time ago. It still hurts, but it's in the past and she wouldn't want me to be sad. She loved me most when I was happy."

Elsa smiled sadly, "My sister, and my parents, they all died in car accidents too."

Jack looked at her with another expression of surprise. He had not expected her to open up so much to him. She had always been guarded and reserved. She seemed to want to keep her past from everyone and for her to open up to him like she was hit somewhere deep down in his belly. She trusted him…

"My sister encouraged me to dance," she supplied as she gazed down thoughtfully at the ice at her feet, "I had almost made it through Juilliard when she was killed. After that, I just couldn't go on. She was all that I had left after our parents had died and I was alone," she fought back hard against her tears, "They still haven't found the culprit and, at this point, I doubt that they ever will."

Elsa's gaze fell upon Jack's face as he looked at her with an expression of consternation. Taking in a steadying breath, she continued, "I can't presume to know exactly how you feel, Jack," she began, "but I may understand, more than others, what you went through and what you're going through now."

Jack smiled softly, understanding her and now knowing more about her than he had previously thought possible. He had made it through her walls and to the beautiful woman behind them and he would not let her go, ever.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the weather and the company of their companion. As the sun began to set, a chill settled over the city and urged them back to The North Pole where they both stood outside Elsa's loft door.

She wrung her fingers together nervously as she glanced up shyly at Jack.

"You want to claim your prize now don't you?" he grinned knowingly, his heart picking up a swift beat at the possibilities.

What would she do to him, with him, for three minutes? At that moment, it didn't seem nearly long enough for Jack and he wished he had convinced her to go with five minutes. He would just have to remain firm next time.

Elsa nodded wordlessly as she hesitated. She didn't want anything extreme, she just wanted to study him for a little while, but she didn't know how to say it so it didn't sound weird or creepy. She just wanted to look at him…

"Do I have to tell you or can I just do it?" she asked nervously, almost resenting his smug smile, almost.

"Nah, I guess not. Just let me know when I should start the timer," he winked at her, his grin growing wider as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, now," she instructed, and Jack began to count in his head before his mind went completely blank.

Elsa lifted up her hands to his face, brushing her cool fingertips over his cheeks and his brow. Her eyes studied his every feature without actually meeting his enrapt gaze. She swept the tips of her fingers across his lips and Jack couldn't help but shudder at the intimate contact. Elsa just continued to observe him. Her fingers played along his jaw line, his neck, his collar bone, before sweeping back up to sift through his snow white hair. Her nails grazed at his scalp lightly and his eyes fluttered shut as a tremble quaked through his limbs. He went limp as he leaned into her touch and he could hear her breath out a short soft laugh. Her fingers left his scalp to travel along the back of his neck and over his shoulders before wandering down his chest. She stepped him back into her door, only two steps.

Jack leaned into it willingly, opening up his eyes just barley to look down at Elsa as she kept her hands against his chest. She still did not meet his gaze as she tilted her head to the side curiously. Another second and she pressed her ear to his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was listening to the sound of his heartbeat. He heard her breath out a deep sigh and continued to stay still as she examined him. Her hands splayed out against his back and traveled down the length of his hoodie before stealing underneath.

Jack's eyes widened as her cool fingertips stroked against his bare flesh and he could feel himself begin to stiffen eagerly. Those three minutes were going to need to end soon or he was going to end up taking advantage of the situation. He clenched his jaw shut and tilted his head back slowly as he let out a shuddered breath through his nose.

This seemed to alert Elsa to his state of mind as she withdrew from him with an unreadable expression.

Jack panted out against her door, his eyes meeting hers and holding them for another long minute. Once he had calmed himself, he reached out a hand to her and she took it willingly. With his newfound leverage he pulled her body flush against his and kissed her.

Elsa was not surprised by his actions as she wrapped her arms around his waist once again and kissed him back eagerly.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed that. Please review and let me know.