A/N:
This is a big one, in more ways than one. I hope everyone had a good New Year's eve, those that were sober enough to remember it, that is.
Trapid: It's cool! Glad you had lots of parties. Hope you enjoyed them!
Here we go.
26. Snowflakes at Christmas
Merida…
Me-ri-da…
Where do I know that name from?
Nursing a steaming hot mocha as she waited patiently for the awakening of her little sister, Elsa relaxed on the sofa and stared in thought at the Christmas tree. It hadn't occurred to her upon seeing the flame-haired woman on Jack's television screen yesterday, but something about the name was familiar.
"Anna!" she yelled out, "Are you going to wake up, or what?"
She made a mental note to ask her sister about it later, assuming she woke up. Right now, it was nine o'clock on Christmas morning. Presents were waiting to be opened…and Anna was sleeping in.
She never slept in on Christmas morning.
Elsa pulled her phone from her light grey cardigan pocket and smiled to herself as she quickly typed and fired off a text, the destination obvious.
"Merry Christmas! Opened your presents yet? – Elsa x"
The reply came back almost instantly.
"Same to you, snowflake. Nah, they're still sitting under North's tree. Waiting until you guys get here. Miss you. – Jack x"
Elsa's smile crept further up her face as she fired off a reply to that reply.
"Miss you too, Frost. Aww, that's sweet. What are you doing now? I'm waiting for Anna-Zombie to wake up. – Elsa x"
"I'm practising 'I Will Wait'. Pretty much got it down, now. And what?! Anna hasn't opened her presents yet?! That's nuts. Go drop a bucket of water on her head or something…and take a photo. – Jack x"
Not long after their breakfast-slash-lunch yesterday, Jack had received a call from his godmother enlisting his aid for some last minute Christmas food shopping before today's party, though Elsa was puzzled to see him quickly dive into the bedroom, ferret around under his bed and reappear with an innocent expression. She immediately enquired with nosy curiosity, to which his answer was 'Pleading the Fifth', with a tap of his nose. After assisting him with the shopping, they had parted – naturally, with a goodbye kiss – and Elsa was left brimming with anticipation, and because of the sheer amount of food Jack had been told to purchase, mouth-watering hunger.
When she woke on Christmas morning, she knew that today was going to be awesome.
Shuffling from the kitchen area stirred Elsa's attention, and she turned her head left, chuckling to herself as she spotted a pink dressing gown-toting Anna wiping her bleary eyes with her right hand, trying in vain to set up the coffee dispenser.
"Morning…" came the sleepy, groggy greeting.
"I'm soundproofing your room." Elsa announced, dryly. She was pleased that Anna and Kristoff had taken the leap, but it was as though they were making up for lost time. There were only so many songs in Elsa's playlist that could drown out the awkwardness.
Anna flushed a bright red and averted her gaze, suddenly feeling a little less sleepy. Finally able to successfully make the coffee – which was hilariously ironic as the machine is, for all intents and purposes, automated – she trudged over to the space by her elder sister and flopped down, nearly spilling her drink in the process. Sipping the hot, revitalizing drink, she became starkly aware of her elder sister's amused gaze.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
Elsa said nothing, continuing the stare but raising an eyebrow.
"Seriously, you're creeping me out. What? Have I got something on my face?" she repeated, shrinking away slightly.
"Anna Snowfield, you disappoint me." Elsa finally spoke, the edges of her lips curling.
"Oh, jeez. What have I done now?" the little sister rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Forgotten what day it is?"
Anna shifted her eyes to her sister, narrowing them as she tried to understand the question. She mouthed the dates of the previous few days, and Elsa could practically hear the cogs turning in her head. Finally, with an almost audible click, Anna's eyes suddenly went wide and, with a gasp, she quickly placed the coffee on the table, vaulted the sofa and ran to her room.
"Kristoff! Get the hell up! It's Christmas morning!"
Elsa let loose a laugh, which intensified when Anna rushed back from her room, vaulted the sofa once more with the agility of a triple-jumper, and nearly dived into the pile of presents. Elsa's laughter now became raucous, and with shaking hands she took a picture of Anna, currently on her knees with her butt high in the air as she rooted under the tree, pulling out present after present. Attaching it to a message of 'Christmas morning in the Snowfield House', she sent it to Jack.
"HAHA! That's gonna be her caller ID picture now. Epic. – Jack x"
Immediately after that, Anna finished her delving, so with fluid ease Elsa quickly hid the phone, just as her little sister trotted over with the first catch of the day.
"From…you!" she read the label, and then began tearing into the present with vicious abandon. Strips of wrapping paper soared into the air, some landing on the floor, some on Elsa, and one particularly large strip floated down Kristoff's face when he had the misfortune to arrive at that specific time.
"Its…oh wow, this feels goooorgeous…" Anna gushed, picking up the material of a long, elegant dress. It was black velvet, corseted, sweetheart-bust lined, cap sleeved dress, with a pale green full-length skirt. Vertically adorning the skirt, a crocus motif pattern ran from the corset to the bottom hem along a slightly darker green strip in identical spacing around the skirt, and the black corset held a similar crocus with blue filigree branching out from its side, with gold trim around the corset edges.
"Oh my God…this is beautiful. Thank you so much, Elsa. I'm gonna wear it today for the party." Anna gushed, barely above a whisper. Elsa felt a blossom of pride and happiness at her sister's reaction.
There were perks to being the CEO of a fashion company.
Three hours later, Anna having completely annihilated the wrapping paper of most of the presents, Elsa was sat in front of her dressing table, braiding her hair with meticulous care. One of Anna's many presents to her included several tiny snowflake hair-clips, so with each braid section she had clipped one in alternate positions. A silver fountain pen set sat proudly on the table proper, and a couple of new figures for Infinity perched on the bedside cabinet.
Anna burst into the room, which would have made Elsa jump had she not been used to it, and she leaned against the door as though to keep out something that was absolutely terrifying.
"I hate you, Elsa. If I hear Kristoff play that damn Mumford & Sons song one more time, I'm going to break that banjo you bought him over his head."
Elsa snickered, and asked which song.
"You know which song." Anna glowered threateningly.
Ah. Same one Jack's been playing. I wonder…
"Oh wow, your hair looks pretty…the snowflakes really enhance your braid, don't they?" Anna raised an impressed eyebrow, walking over to gaze at Elsa's reflection.
"Yep! They're perfect. Thank you, Anna." the elder sister smiled in gratitude. Anna shrugged a 'no problem' shrug.
"Oooh, will you do my hair?" she bounced on the balls of her feet, her arms vertically together across her chest in childish glee.
"Sure…but you know Punzie's better at this. What do you want, pigtails, braid, bun?" Elsa asked, rising from the chair and resting her hands on the back-rest as Anna took her place.
"For that dress? Bun. Maybe a bit of braid, please."
After brushing the still-wild hair thoroughly, Elsa began to braid a strip of hair along one side of Anna's head to the other, before firing off a question.
"Anna, that girl you used to talk to on MSN when we were in high school, the one you thought we were picking up from the airport, what was her name?"
"Who, horsesandarrows? Merida. Why?" Anna frowned at the out-of-the-blue question.
"Just wondering, did you ever get to see what she looked like?" Elsa continued, fixing the braid behind her sister's right ear with a bobby pin.
"Yeah, though I'm pretty sure it's fake. No-one has hair that red and curly. That's like Rapunzel's dream to style. Why?"
Jeez, six degrees of separation or what.
"No reason. I was just curious." Elsa shrugged noncommittally, pulling the free hair over the braid behind Anna's ears and linking it with the rest of the un-braided hair into a ponytail. Anna narrowed her eyes, but decided to let it be. It wasn't often that she got sister-time like this; she was just going to enjoy the moment.
"What are you wearing to the party?" she asked, her eyes flicking up to Elsa's intently focused pools, currently scrutinizing the 'O' shape she was creating on the back of her little sister's head.
"That blue dress I got few weeks ago, you know the one with the bodice?"
Anna beamed, and sucked in an awed breath.
"Oh, that's…good choice!" she gushed, feeling the last bobby pin slide into the bun. Elsa announced that she was finished, and Anna turned her head from side to side, admiring her elder sister's handiwork, gently stroking it as she continued to beam.
"Punzie's got nothing on you, 'sis. I love it. What did you want to do, get dressed here then drive down to Mr St North's, or get dressed when we're there?"
"Ideally the second one, but I'll text Jack and see if it's okay. Plus…I need to find out where they live…" Elsa answered, pulling her phone out once more and sending the relevant message. After about five minutes, Jack responded affirmatively.
"Nick says that's fine. You can use my room, if you want. Would it be easier if I came and picked you guys up? Nick's place is a pain in the ass to get to, and I still get lost sometimes. – Jack x"
"Jack's offering to pick us up, that okay with you?" she asked, and Anna nodded her agreement.
"Sure! See you in an hour? – Elsa x"
"Great! Can't wait. See you soon. – Jack x"
They heard a knock about an hour and ten minutes later, and upon opening the front door, Elsa burst into laughter. Jack was wearing the most horrible Christmas sweater in existence, a vibrant red with green zig-zags along the shoulders, and a garish looking brown Rudolph sat happily on the chest, with a pair of googly eyes and a prominent bulbous red nose that actually stuck out of the jumper.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." he groaned.
Elsa practically collapsed with mirth; the only thing keeping her vertical was her hand gripping the door. Anxious to see what all the fuss was about, Anna and Kristoff appeared behind her…and promptly doubled over too. Jack felt his cheeks and ears begin to burn, and with embarrassed irritation and more than a few curses, he pulled off the jumper and stuffed it roughly under his arm.
"Keep it up, I'll let you guys find your own way." he growled with a half-smile, waiting for the gang to finish laughing at his expense.
"What…what was…why?" Elsa tried to manage, but was still crippled by giggles.
"Let's just say I lost a bet. Are we done now?" he answered a little tersely, starting to feel a little more annoyed. Elsa wiped a tear, feeling the mirth finally start to subside, and she stood out of the way to let him in. Jack's eyes roved across the floor, witnessing the carnage of Anna's present unwrapping.
"Jeez, what happened here? Godzilla find your presents or something?" he gaped incredulously. Both Kristoff and Elsa pointed at the smaller sister, who was still gripped with giggles. Jack thought it would be a good time to get revenge, and he quietly pulled out his phone from his trouser pocket, pulled up a certain picture and held the screen towards the three.
Now it was Anna's turn to flush bright red with embarrassment, while Kristoff and Elsa snorted into laughter once more.
"I'm gonna go get my dress…" she muttered as her face caught fire, then stalked off toward the bedroom. Still chuckling, Kristoff followed suit, leaving the two together.
"You hair looks lovely. I like what you've done with the braid." Jack smiled, his eyes tracing down each snowflake. Elsa blushed a little as she laced her left fingers with his right.
"Thanks. You look quite handsome in that suit." she smiled in return. Jack had mimicked his usual business attire, this time going for a black waistcoat and trousers but with a light, icy blue tie on a white shirt.
"I do, don't I?" he smirked, earning a rap on his arm from Elsa's free hand.
"Pfft," Anna scoffed, returning with three clear plastic clothing bags while a banjo-toting Kristoff made his way to the tree, "when you see what Elsa's wearing, it's gonna blow your mind."
Jack raised impressed and curious eyebrows at his girlfriend, who nodded without a trace of arrogance.
"So, we ready to go then?" Kristoff asked, hidden behind a pile of presents that he was carrying in his arms. Jack shook his head exasperatedly, releasing Elsa's hand to reach up and pull the topmost few presents from the pile.
"Thanks…" Kristoff muttered sarcastically, noting that he was still carrying the vast majority of them. Jack just smirked his 'you're welcome' response as Elsa snickered to his right.
Forty five minutes later, fifteen of those having to play Tetris with the myriad of wrapped presents in the Impala's trunk, they pulled up outside Nick's huge, log cabin-styled house. Jack, as always, was the first to exit the vehicle, and after quickly rounding the bonnet he opened both Elsa and Anna's doors at the same time, chuckling inside himself when he caught Anna muttering 'that car scares me…' while Elsa planted a sweet kiss on his cheek as thanks. The Impala rocked heavily when Kristoff exited the left passenger door, and he stretched his arms and legs, the interior of the car proving to be a little cramped for his huge frame.
The four trudged through the snow towards the door, and not five seconds after Jack pressed the doorbell, the wooden door swung open to reveal Nick's massive stature, wearing a similarly garish Christmas jumper and one hell of a grin behind his bushy beard. Anna did an audible gasp, it was one thing to see pictures of Nick in the papers, it was another matter entirely to see him in person.
"Ah! Good to see you all! Come in, come in, make yourselves at home!" he greeted them with a jolly rumble, standing to the side and gesturing for them to come inside. Kristoff and Jack indicated they needed to retrieve the presents from his trunk, so Elsa and Anna accepted the invitation and stepped through the door, Anna uttering another gasp as her eyes roved around the Christmassy living room.
"Miss Snowfield, it's nice to see you again! I hope your Christmas has been good?" Nick smiled at Elsa.
"Thank you. It's been lovely so far, Mr St North. This is my little sister Anna." Elsa answered, and gestured to the brimming vessel of joy that was her younger sister.
"Aha! Miss Anna Snowfield! I hope you enjoyed my gift." he bowed his head, which still hovered about six inches above the sisters.
"YesthankyouIloveditOhmyGodyourhouseisawesomethisisthebestChristmasever!" Anna replied with machine-gun speed, completely doing away with both punctuation and breath. Elsa snorted into chuckles while Nick burst into hearty guffaws, standing aside once more while Jack and Kristoff barged through with the piles of presents toward the tree, eager to rid their hands of them. Nick looked quizzically between the boys and Elsa, who shrugged.
"Anna wanted to save some of them to open here." she explained, prompting Jack to gape and mouth 'some?!'.
Nick closed the door behind them and gestured to the three and two-seater sofas and matching chairs situated around the large roaring fire.
"Can I offer you all a drink? Tea, coffee, mulled wine, perhaps?" he asked – particular emphasis on the mulled wine. Everyone nodded, Anna particularly vigorously, all choosing the third option to Nick's pleasure. He bowed his head a little and strode off to the kitchen with the orders.
"Your godfather takes Christmas very seriously it seems." Elsa noticed, her eyes roving over the cosy, Christmassy decorations adorning practically every inch of the room. Tinsel covered the mantelpiece, with Jack's tree on the other side of the two-seater sofa. Simulated icicles hung from the thick wooden beams on the ceiling, but one of the strangest things that Elsa noticed was that there was nary a motion-activated singing Christmas tree, fancy snowman or any type of contemporary decoration in sight.
"Actually, it's Thiana. Christmas is really important to her, and she's old fashioned when it comes to decorations. Very big on family, which is why she's really, really happy to have you guys here."
"Aww, that's so sweet," Anna gushed, inspecting the Christmas tree, "but my tree is still more awesome than yours."
"You can all sit down, you know." came a motherly, teasing voice from the kitchen doorway. Heads snapped around, some partly startled, and Jack sniggered to himself as Anna's jaw dropped.
"You. Have. Amazing. Hair!" she gasped, pointing at a newly-appeared Thiana, who laughed and walked forward to warmly embrace the younger sister, who now started gushing about the tie-dye green dress she was wearing.
"Anna, right?" she said, turning to the rest of the group, "I like her, can I keep her?"
Everyone including Anna snorted into laughter, and for a second the younger Snowfield actually debated the question. Staying true to her nickname, Thiana disappeared and reappeared right next to Elsa and embraced her too.
"You must be the famous Elsa Snowfield. Jack couldn't stop talking about you when he stayed here." Thiana beamed upon releasing her, prompting Jack to blush a little and look away when Elsa glanced at him with amused eyes. He could swear he heard a quiet 'aww' from near the tree.
"And you, Mr Tall, Strong and Handsome, must be Kristoff." the older woman said, teleporting over to him. Kristoff smiled and blushed, and offered a gentlemanly hand which Thiana promptly ignored, pulling him down for a hug.
"No no no, we hug in this house." she said upon releasing him, stealing a quick chaste kiss on his cheek. Jack noticed that her face had become a little emotional, like she was holding something back. He strode over and beckoned her to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug and rubbing her back in support. Everyone else looked away at the seemingly private moment, but when Elsa stole a glance after Jack released his godmother, she noticed that Thiana's eyes were slightly wet and she was wearing one of those smiles.
"I'm…I'm going to help Nicholas with the drinks. Be right back." she stammered a little, before whirling on her feet and disappearing into the kitchen. Everyone looked to Jack for clarification as he gazed after her.
"Like I said, family is really important to Thiana, she values it more than anything. They can't have kids, and with me being the only family they have…to have you guys here at Christmas, it kinda means the world to her."
Almost on cue, Nick and Thiana returned into the living room, Nick toting a tray with six glasses of mulled wine. Anna felt something come over her as she strode forward and wrapped her arms tightly around an initially surprised Thiana, whose expression softened into warmth when Anna whispered a few words into her ear.
"Thank you, Anna. I'm alright." was the only audible thing any of them heard, but none of them were curious enough to ask. Elsa had an idea, but kept it to herself when Nick passed the tray around for everyone to take their glasses of wine, and not five minutes after that, everyone was paired off and deep in conversation.
Anna couldn't keep her fingers from Thiana's electric blue hair as they talked, the godmother's question of 'how have you been for the past few weeks?' garnering a lengthy answer, filled with frowns, gasps, and a cheer from the brightly-coloured woman when Anna simulated a punch to an invisible person's face.
Nick had taken Kristoff off to his den in the other side of the house upon hearing about his love of ice sculptures. The young barista manager had intimated during the conversation that while he didn't think he possessed the dexterity to carve, he appreciated the beauty of a finished product. Nick had scoffed, and showed him a large ice train set that almost looked like a rollercoaster, complete with a miniature train that he had built in his spare time.
Jack and Elsa had taken themselves off to his room, partly because she needed to know where to get changed before Christmas dinner. Mostly because they wanted some time to themselves before the party started in earnest.
"You've never seen what my sister looks like, have you?" Jack asked as he delved under his bed, rooting around for something. He already knew the answer, so he didn't know why he asked. Elsa's 'nope' was a foregone conclusion. With a victorious 'aha!' he pulled out a small shoebox, shaking it a little to check that the mystery contents were still inside. Gesturing for Elsa to sit beside him on the mattress, he lifted off the lid just as he felt the bed dip.
Inside were a few photographs, some assorted knick-knacks, some snowflake drawings, and a miniature figurine of a young boy with a hooked staff, who was barefoot with a brown cloak, white shirt and brown trousers. Jack noticed how Elsa leaned over to get a good look at the figurine, so he explained.
"Sophie bought it in some independent store when she was six. Owner said it was supposed to be a shepherd boy, but she kept saying it was Jack Frost. Argh, where are you…" he muttered the last part, flicking through the assorted photographs, before breaking into a smile. Pulling out the desired picture, he passed it over to Elsa.
With his recognisable white hair, Jack was in the middle with his right arm on the shoulders of an older woman, and his left arm protectively draped around a smaller girl. The older woman had dark brown hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a thick winter duffel coat. The younger girl had exactly the same hair colour, but in a shoulder length bob with bangs that stopped just above her eyebrows, wearing a pink Dora the Explorer winter coat. Jack stuck out like a sore thumb being the only one with white hair and blue eyes, but when she looked at how happy they all were, with a wide beam almost splitting the picture of her boyfriend's face in two, she couldn't help but smile herself.
"When was this taken?" she asked, as Sophie's bright expression grinned up at her.
"About…about a week before they died…" Jack answered. Elsa noticed his voice cracking slightly, and saw that he had one of those frowns when you're trying to hold something back, and the only thing that you can't stop is the glistening in your eyes.
"Ugh, sorry. Damn onion-chopping ninjas." he muttered awkwardly, wiping away an errant tear with his sleeve. Elsa replaced the photograph in his box and closed the lid, resting her left hand on his right.
"I know, right?" she half-smiled, "They come in, chop those onions, screw with your eyes and you can't even see them."
"Exactly." Jack tried to smirk, relieved that she followed the joke. Bending double but not rising from the mattress, he shoved the box back under the bed, then straightened up as he caught Elsa's eye. Her brows dipped and rose a little, and her mouth parted slightly and then closed.
"I…" she began, but then shook her head, "sorry. Not the right time yet."
"Right time for what?" he asked, but before Elsa could answer, there was a rather excitable group of knocks at the door.
"Guys! Come on! It's present time and I wanna show off my dress!" came Anna's joyful tones from the other side. Jack scowled at the interruption, but in true prankster form, an idea swam into his head as a rather mischievous smile crept up on his face.
"What are you planning…?" Elsa asked, narrowing her eyes. Jack promptly loosened his tie and undid the top few buttons, and then stood near the door.
"Just follow my lead." he whispered, and with a click Elsa cottoned on to the joke. She took her cardigan off and laced her fingers under her icy blue top and pulled it up to just below her bra, waiting with a grin.
Anna was tapping her foot and bouncing impatiently when the door swung open, revealing a rather breathless looking Elsa pulling down her top, and Jack re-buttoning his shirt. Both with expressions of deep satisfaction on their faces.
"Oh…sorry…I…er…" she stammered, a little fluster to go with the furious crimson in her cheeks.
"Oh, it's no problem. See you downstairs?" he said suavely, winking at Elsa.
"Mmhm!" she winked in return, biting her lip with a coy expression. It didn't last for long, the laughter proved far too strong to keep concealed and thus burst out, filling the room with sounds of mirth. Anna's eyes darted uncomprehendingly between the two, staring at Jack as he staggered out of the door and down the stairs.
"So…you didn't just…"
Elsa could only shake her head, the giggles proving too strong to speak.
"Jack, could I speak privately?"
Nick's question took him a little off-guard, especially as an hour after he had come downstairs he was in mid-conversation with Kristoff at the time. Nodding with puzzled concern, Jack followed his godfather into the kitchen, where the smell of Christmas cooking was proving to be exceptionally overwhelming. Nick placed his half-full glass of wine on the kitchen counter while he collected his thoughts, prompting Jack to narrow his eyes slightly.
"I wanted to talk to you about Saturday, when you visited the Pole." he began, regarding his godson with a look that Jack couldn't quite work out.
"Okay, what's wrong? Did the negotiations fall through?" Jack asked, sipping from his own glass as he frowned.
"They never took place, my boy, because the projections were faked."
"I knew it!" Jack exclaimed quietly, quickly placing the glass next to Nick's, folding his arms and regarding his godfather with a suspicious look.
"You see, I wanted to see how you could handle a crisis like that, and I must say you handled yourself admirably." Nick smiled a fatherly smile, placing his hands in the pockets of his huge trousers.
"It wasn't just me, though. Elsa helped." Jack clarified.
"No, but it told me what I needed to know. Jack, I am stepping down as CEO of North Pole Toy Industries, and I am naming you as my successor."
Jack felt his jaw drop, his eyes widen, and his breath was stolen and taken to who-knows-where.
"You gotta be kidding me…" he could only manage, the sheer weight of Nick's revelation falling down on him. He had just gotten used to a normal life, but now he had to get used to the life of a CEO? Hard work, deadlines? Sure, he knew that at some point he was going to take over, but to hear about it now? To say that it pulled the rug from under his feet was an understatement.
"Why?" was all he could muster.
"I do not have the energy to run the company anymore, Jack. I know I don't look it, but I feel age starting to catch up with me. Phil has had to take on more and more as the months go by, and if I am honest I just want to retire, to live the rest of my life. I have already talked this over with the shareholders, and we all feel that the time is right for some new blood to take over, to take the company in a new direction."
"When…when do I start?" he asked weakly, running a hand through his hair as his thoughts ran rampant.
"Twenty seventh of December. The paperwork has already been filed."
"The day after tomorrow?! Oh jeez. What about college? What about…what about Elsa?" Jack gaped, completely losing the ability to think straight. He wasn't going to lie; he was worried about how it would affect their relationship.
"Jack, we both know you've done enough studying during your isolation to pass that course three times over. You're only at Arendelle College so you can get the formal qualifications…and I wanted to keep you out of trouble. It's simple: you just balance your work schedule around your college schedule. As for Elsa…"
Nick stepped forward and placed supportive hands upon his godson's shoulders, and Jack looked up with almost terrified eyes.
"I will give you the same piece of advice that I gave to your father, and to hers. Make the time for those you love."
"Nick, she's going to be a CEO soon too! How are we both going to be able to-"
"Jack. Calm down. If what you have with Elsa is as important as I believe it is, you can both figure it out. After all, Thiana and I did. Plus…"
He squeezed his godson's shoulder.
"…if your plan succeeds, you'll both be working together. Same schedules, same meetings…you might get to the point where you'll be sick of each other!"
He had completely forgotten about that part, with all the hubbub of the last few days. It was true, if Jack's idea went right, he and Elsa would be inseparable. The only problem was…would she go along with it, given her attachment to the company, and the family name? To her father's legacy?
"Thanks…I think. Do you really think I can do it? Lead your company?" he asked, almost desperate to hear the answer. Nick did his curtain-hitch smile once more, and nodded.
"I do…and it's not my company any more. It's yours."
Jeez. That's so weird to hear.
A voice from the kitchen doorway disturbed them both, and it happened to be Kristoff poking his head past the doorframe.
"Psst! Jack! They're coming!" he whispered, before disappearing. Jack nodded numbly, and with his mind still racing through the conversation he started to walk towards the living room, turning his head briefly towards his godfather.
"I'll do it…but don't blame me if you come back to a smoking crater." he managed a half-smirk. Nick burst into laughter, which followed Jack as he made his way toward the bottom of the stairs. For a second, he wondered what all the fuss was about until he heard footsteps coming down the first two steps, and for the second time he lost the ability to breathe as his throat closed in on itself, and his mouth went dry as a desert. For the first time in a long time, he could no longer think. No thoughts of the past, no thoughts of being CEO, nothing.
He could not tear his eyes away from the stunning, ethereal woman almost gliding down the stairs in icy blue kitten heels, wearing a long, shimmering, light blue dress that seemed to be made of ice itself, split to just above her right knee. The slight sweetheart bodice was the same shade of blue, with rectangular sequins reflecting the light like a rippling sunlit lake, and attached to the top was a translucent material that rose an inch or two from the top bodice hem, tracing around to form the sleeves of the dress.
Elsa gave him a warm, slightly self-conscious smile that became a giggle at Jack's expression of complete, brain-melted vacancy. Her eyes flicked over to Kristoff who was wearing much the same expression as he gazed at Anna, resplendent in her light green glory.
"What do you think?" she asked, giving Jack a slow twirl, the dress swirls an echo of her movement. Jack could only nod weakly and mumble.
"Y-you look…indescribable." he finally managed, thinking of the closest word that could even match how he felt. That particular word didn't even come close, but it would have to do.
"Told you!" gloated Anna. For once, Jack wasn't going to retort. She was totally, totally right. Elsa's eyes, so full of amusement and pleasure, darted to the right and back again, a silent message of 'are you going to gawp, or are we going to open presents?'. Jack shook himself a little violently to try and re-ignite his senses, and held the crook of his arm towards her.
"Yes…presents…engage…brain." he stammered, eliciting a laugh from Elsa as she hooked her left arm with his, and with Kristoff and Anna mimicking much the same reactions, they slowly walked over to the sofas like a procession, with Elsa and Jack taking the three-seater facing the fire, Anna and Kristoff taking the two-seater to the right and Thiana already sat on one of the chairs to the left, while Nick returned with an armful of presents. His wife reached up and retrieved a specific few, reading out the labels to each one.
"These ones are from us to…Elsa, Anna and Kristoff." she announced, passing them over. The sisters frowned, aware of the fact that they had not purchased anything for Thiana and Nick, not having a clue of what they wanted.
"But…we didn't-"
"Pah! Don't worry about it. Not like we've known each other for long." Thiana scoffed. Anna – surprisingly carefully this time – opened her present and beamed with glee, proudly showing the contents to her elder sister.
"Chocolates! Belgian! Omnomnomnom!" she squeaked, jiggling the box as she bounced. Elsa leaned forward to try and read the writing on the cover, but Anna jerked it back, hissing a 'mine! You can't have any!', much to everyone's mirth.
"There's more." Nick announced, pointedly nodding his head towards the remnants of the paper. Anna rustled through it and found a smaller package, which she tentatively opened to reveal a gold necklace supporting a small picture of Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie from 1928.
"Something old." Thiana smiled, combining Anna's love of Disney with the future wedding. The little sister shot over to the two of them and embraced them each in a warm, grateful hug.
"Thank you both so much." she gushed, trying very hard not to cry, and stepped back over to the two-seater to show Kristoff the picture.
Elsa opened hers to reveal a different box of chocolates – Swiss – which she smugly waved at her little sister, along with a silver charm bracelet that already sported a few miniature snowmen.
"Oh, that's lovely. Thank you both!" she smiled, sliding the bracelet onto her right wrist and gazing appreciatively at it.
Kristoff's turn was next, and the wrapping revealed two things. The first was from the two hosts, and it was a heavy pewter beer tankard with a lid. His eyes roved over every inch of the intricate carvings adorning its side.
"Oh man, I am gonna use this to death," he grinned, waving it up and down to test the weight, "thanks, guys. This is awesome."
"No problem. We weren't sure what else to give to you, so Jack kindly helped us out." Nick said as Kristoff unwrapped his second present…and promptly attempted to clobber a sniggering Jack over the head with the tankard. It was a book entitled 'How to Make Real Coffee', which had the sisters in fits of laughter.
Then came Jack's turn, and with trepidation he retrieved his two presents from Nick's lap. He hesitated for a moment, having avoided the topic of Christmas for such a long time, and now surrounded by friends, family and the love of his life, he was unsure of how to proceed. Noticing the silence start to become awkward, he tentatively unwrapped the first gift – a pair of silver cufflinks with sapphires embedded into them, and the other present was a silver pocket watch attached to a long chain.
"Oh wow…" he murmured as he admired the gifts, dangling the pocket watch and gazing as it revolved slowly with the momentum.
"We thought you should look smart for your big day." Thiana smiled, prompting a curious frown from Elsa. Jack whispered a 'tell you later', which did not help her intrigued feeling.
"So," Anna leaned forward, pretending to be secretive, "I think I speak for all of us here when I say that we're wondering what you bought for Elsa."
Jack's gaze snapped up to the younger sister, and the small box in his pocket seemed to feel a lot larger and heavier. Purposefully placing the watch back in its box and the cufflinks on top, he rose to his feet and offered her his hand.
"It's something I want to show her privately, if you guys don't mind." he announced, with a tone of finality in his voice. A little air of disappointment settled around the room, which he tried to defuse by suggesting that they open the gifts that he bought for them. On his wavelength, while Elsa took Jack's hand and elegantly rose to her feet, Thiana grinned and stepped over to the tree to retrieve the rest of the gifts.
Leading Elsa towards the French doors as he laced his fingers with hers, silent anticipation hung between them. Jack became incredibly conscious of the thundering in his chest and the tingling in his lips, and with an ever-so-slightly shaking hand he opened the doors to the huge back yard. Elsa stepped through first; feeling her own heart thundering and a little light-headedness and she waited patiently on the veranda while Jack closed the door behind them and gestured to the two chairs on the right side, just under the kitchen window.
As they assumed their seats there was a silence that hung betwixt them, but it was not awkward, tense or pained. It was more like an air of nervousness, and most of it radiating from Jack. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, his mouth opening and closing as he did so. Elsa watched him patiently; conscious of the deep breathing that was causing her chest to rise and fall, the sequins on her bodice glittering with light radiating from the warm lamps hanging from the veranda's ceiling.
"I…" he began, his voice breaking the silence like thunder in the clear evening sky, "don't know how to do this, so please bear with me."
Elsa smiled, and laced her fingers with his. It didn't do much to assuage the war drums in his chest, but the sensation of her soft skin against his seemed to ground him, and give him strength. His eyes flicked to her soft hands, her thumb stroking the base of his thumb supportively. He became starkly aware of the lump in his throat, the cold bite of the winter air on his skin and oh God, why was it so hard to breathe? To speak?
His gaze slowly traced up her arms, starting from those elegant fingers all the way along the translucent sleeve, resting briefly on her shoulders that rose and fell with each and every breath she took, up to her parted lips, along that dainty nose and finally, resting on those cerulean pools that had chased the nightmares away, what felt like an eternity ago. He decided.
It was the right time.
With her, he had found his strength.
"Elsa, you're pretty much the first person on my mind when I wake up and the last face I see when I fall asleep is yours. You're in my thoughts pretty much all the time. Without you, I wouldn't have come out of my shell. Just being around you is like nothing I'd ever dreamed...I guess...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."
"...I love you."
Her hands involuntarily tightened and she felt her breathing suddenly stop, and her entire face seemed to relax with surprise as her lips parted just that little bit more. She felt her heart begin to thunder even louder, and it came with a deep, burning ache. She noticed Jack's face begin to fall as he looked away with the lack of response, and with a surge of emotion she decided.
She wasn't having that. She wasn't going to allow him to jump to the wrong conclusion, not in this moment that was quite possibly the biggest in their lives. He may have been the first to say it, but she would provide the answer that both of them craved.
Rising from her chair, she tugged at his hand to encourage him to stand as well, and almost reluctantly he did. He still avoided her eyes, which almost hurt, so she placed her thumb and forefinger under his chin and moved his head to face hers. His eyes still looked down, and she could almost feel the ache in his chest as she placed that hand upon the back of his head.
"Jack, look at me." she asked, almost commanded. Eventually, he did, and there was a sad look in his gaze. Giving herself to the torrent of love in her chest, she surged her lips forward to his and, had there been any fireworks nearby, they would have exploded from the sheer electricity arcing out from the touch. Wrapping her other arm around his neck to deepen the kiss, she felt the deep vibration in his throat mingle with the quiet moans from hers, and felt his hands rest upon the small of her back and draw her body closer to his. It was a slow, meaningful, tender kiss that seemed to last forever, and she was almost loathed to break the sweet union of their lips until she remembered precisely why she had to.
"Jack, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, because since I drove back from Bennett's house yesterday, I've been trying so hard to tell you how I feel about you, about how lucky I feel to have you by my side. I know it goes without saying but..."
"...I love you, Jack."
Those three words he had desperately craved to hear, that made the lump in his throat all the larger, that threatened to make his heart just stop. He felt a tiny, solitary tear form in his right duct, and noticed one begin to swell in Elsa's eyes, so full of sincerity.
"Fuck, you have no idea how much I've been wanting to hear you say that." he murmured, just barely enough for only the two of them to hear.
"I kinda think I do, Frost." she smiled, wrapping her other arm around his shoulder and pulling him to her for a loving hug…and then she felt something hard in his pocket. Pulling back sharply, with a coy smirk, she raised an eyebrow.
"Is that something in your pocket, or are you pleased to see me?"
Jack frowned, not quite understanding the phrase.
Something…pocket…OH!
With an 'oh!' of realisation, he moved one hand from her back into his trouser pocket and pulled out the jewellery box, stroking it meaningfully. Elsa followed his gaze down, and her eyes widened with a tiny gasp. For a brief moment, she felt a flicker of fear.
It's one thing for me to tell him I love him…but a proposal? This is too early…
"I had this made for you, when I stayed here that week. It arrived on Christmas Eve…I hope you like it." he murmured shyly, a red tinge appearing in his otherwise pale cheeks. Elsa tentatively took the box from him, and hesitated before opening it. Was it what she thought it was? Did she have the heart to say 'no', after not two minutes ago telling him that she loved him?
Gently opening the box, she felt her heart stop and her breath seem to disappear, along with a flash of guilt for jumping to the wrong conclusion.
Inside the box sat a necklace, with a three-inch diameter silver snowflake attached to it. In the centre was a tiny, aquamarine gem in the shape of a six-petal, straight edged flower, with a diamond adorning the tips of each of the six largest arms. Instantly, she recognised the configuration of the design.
It was the same snowflake that Jack had given her on their date, the picture that currently resided in her bedroom.
"Oh my God…" was all she could manage, tracing a shaking fingertip over the precious necklace.
"Do you like it?" he asked, full of hope. This time, she did not wait to answer.
"Jack, I love it. It's beautiful. I…thank you." she whispered, her eyes glassy and full of emotion. Wearing a wide smile, Jack pulled out his own pendant, her eyes flicking over to the snowflake dangling from the thin black tube. It matched the designs that adorned his neck.
"I like snowflakes because they're unique, and individual. Special. When I drew that design in the café, all I could think about was you, so that kinda makes it your personal snowflake, I guess. 'Cause…you know…you're unique and special." he said a little awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Elsa flashed him a warm, heart-freezing smile and turned around as she lifted up her braid and waited. Jack slid the necklace from the box, unclasped it and laid it around her neck, quietly cursing the fiddly clasp. Her smile deepened when he finally succeeded, feeling the cold metal kiss her neck and chest.
"What do you think?" she asked, turning to face him once more so he could get a good look.
"I think you've never looked more beautiful before tonight." he said, every word with sincerity. Elsa's face flushed with colour, and letting her braid fall down onto her left shoulder she laced all of her fingers with his, pulling him close to her as they met with a lingering, loving kiss. Jack parted just an inch, losing himself in her eyes for just a second…when an idea crept into his mind. Fishing his phone from his other trouser pocket, he pulled Elsa to his side and, with the understanding what he was about to do, she nestled the side of her face against his.
"I want to remember this moment." he announced.
Switching the camera setting to face them, Jack took four photographs.
The first one was of them gazing at the camera with wide, toothy smiles.
The second one was of them both pulling faces and sticking their tongues out.
The third one, Jack was planting a tender kiss to Elsa's temple, her eyes closed and a warm smile on her face.
The fourth…they were too busy with their lips meeting in a loving embrace to look at the camera.
Two lovers, immortalized in digital glory.
"Think we should go back inside?" Jack asked, as they flicked through the brand new images. He looked up as snow began to fall in a gentle, slow descent.
Yep, today has been just about perfect.
"Nah," Elsa answered, slowly shaking her head, "it's going to be crazy in there. I want you all to myself for just a little bit longer."
Jack grinned as he nodded his agreement, and with his hand resting on her right hip, and her left hand resting on his, they watched the delicate descent of snow from the moonlit sky.
"I love you, Jack Frost."
"I love you too, snowflake."
A/N:
AND ABOUT DAMN TIME TOO, YE WEE BLOODY PANSIES!
There we have it. Those three words that mean so much.
As a bit of trivia, I kind of base Jack's business/smart attire on Arthur from Inception during the hotel fight scene, and with their frames being somewhat similar, it wasn't a stretch to imagine Jack looking equally as awesome.
As a second bit of trivia, I changed 'breakfast-cum-lunch' which I meant to mean breakfast-that-might-as-well-be-lunch to 'breakfast-slash-lunch' for clarification purposes. Thanks, Stella, for pointing it out.
Yeah, there's not much else I can add to this, other than I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one is going to carry on directly from the end of this one.
See you there!