7.
That night Elsa hardly blinked an eye.
At some point she actually regretted not including the pillow-fort again, but it was kinda too late for that and if Jack caught her building the stupid fort it'll be mortifying.
But she still couldn't blink an eye, due to the events of the day.
A lot was going through her mind. Hans, mostly. What Jack has told her once they got out of the park opened her eyes in a way...
"He's not looking at you because you're so focused on him all the time. You think he doesn't notice, but he does. Everyone does"
How come she hasn't seen that before? It was true, 100% true.
Ever since she started having a crush on Hans back in then, it was clear as the day that her whole focus was on him, and it continued to be like that till the day he decided to dump her.
Well, actually, it's still like that.
Hans never had to worry about Elsa being unfaithful, or not loyal. She was fully devoted to him, always making sure he was comfortable or happy at every single situation that presented to them. She always made sure everything was the way Hans liked, and for the most part, she always did as she was told.
Her behavior wasn't reciprocated.
She's been acting like a fan obsessed with her idol.
Of course if you have someone like that by your side you wouldn't really pay attention to them or check on them since you knew their devotion was pretty much unbreakable.
That fact was proven to be true the minute Jack started occupying her attention yesterday.
Once she started focusing on Jack, Hans' jokingly and easy going attitude disappeared, instantly turning into death glares, scoffing fits and muttered curses.
Jack's original plan was also proven to be true after that, and she felt horrible for almost messing everything up.
She was positive she must've looked so ridiculous. Obviously wanting another man when her gorgeous 'boyfriend' was right there in front of her. She has not only made a complete fool of herself, but she's also humiliated Jack.
She really wanted to dig up a hole and crawl in there to die of embarrassment.
Still, that wasn't the only reason why she couldn't sleep.
As she was tossing and turning throughout the night, she's also turned to stare at Jack one too many times.
Even if he was asleep with his back turned to her, she could feel him tense.
She could still feel his fingers caressing her face.
She could still feel the icy-hot shivers running down her body.
It honestly explained why Jack was so damn 'expensive'.
He was fucking gorgeous, but wasn't his only quality. He was magnetic, electrifying. You felt like being pulled towards him every time. Keeping your eyes off him was hard enough.
Elsa figured that if she wasn't in love with Hans anymore, keeping herself off of Jack would've been hell of a lot harder.
He was good at his job.
For some reason thinking about that did leave her with an unpleasant feeling in her tummy.
She spent the majority of the night thinking about all of these. About Hans, about Jack, about how she rather be cozying up in her New York apartment while binge watching some terrible Netflix show with Merida and Moana instead of dealing with all of this.
She slept so late, that of course when she woke up around 11:00 a.m. the next day; Jack was nowhere to be seen.
Elsa sat up on her bed, with her legs still tangled up with the covers and sighed.
Perhaps Jack was still dealing with the time-zones, but then again it was way too late to be waking up in the first place.
Her phone's loud ringtone made her jump in surprise.
At first she thought it was Rapunzel, calling her to know where the hell she was, but when she saw the ID a small and warm smile immediately grew on her face.
"Hey" She said once she picked up the call.
"Oh my gosh, Elsa. I can't believe we had to call you instead! It's been ages and you didn't even send us a text to let us know that your plane didn't crash!" Moana nearly screamed as soon as Elsa spoke.
"That was a shitty move" Merida commented. Elsa couldn't hide her smile.
"I'm sorry, you guys" She said sheepishly. "This whole thing has been crazy as hell, I didn't even have the time to catch a breath yet. Plus, it's only been three days" She pointed out.
"Three days is a considerable amount of time you know" Moana added.
"I'm sorry, mom" Elsa said jokingly, rolling her eyes as she smiled.
"Okay, you're forgiven" Moana said "But I'm still surprised, though. You were stressing out so much about this trip when you were here it's a shock you hadn't call us as soon as you got there; freaking out in your typical Elsa fashion"
"Exactly. So, how's everything over there?" Merida asked.
Elsa let out a long sigh.
"Still freaking out" She said at first. "But I guess everything ended up being exactly as I expected it to be, that's why I didn't call you begging you to let me return"
Merida and Moana could feel the sadness in their friend's voice.
"What do you mean, Els?" Moana asked worriedly.
Elsa inhaled sharply before speaking.
"My family, even if I love them, has been awful. As soon as I stepped inside my house I got humiliated... and then-" She stopped herself, she didn't want to get into details. "It just got way, way worse. They're still with the 'you should've gotten married first' bullshit. Their mouths are just too big for their own good" Then she stayed quiet for some moments. "And seeing Hans for the first time in years has been as hard as I expected it to be... maybe even worse" She said almost whispering, hurt clear in her voice.
"I'm so sorry, Els" Merida said truthfully. They both knew how hard must this been for Elsa.
"Yeah, me too" Moana said. "And sorry to be 'that person' but... What about Jack? Isn't he helping you with this?"
Elsa let out a small chuckle.
"Oh gosh, if he wasn't here I would've literally died" She said honestly. "He saved me from countless situations already. Some of them being me making a fool of myself" Elsa said.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound too surprising" Merida said.
"Hey!" Elsa whined.
"So... Jack's good at his job, huh?" Moana asked, and Elsa could almost see her wiggling her eyebrows.
"Moana, stop" Elsa said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon! I wanna know how he is!" She pleaded. "And did you pay him to have sex with him already?"
"Jesus, NO!" Elsa squeaked, feeling her cheeks in flames. Moana and Merida instantly started to laugh.
Elsa sighed and stayed quiet for a while.
"He's... nice" She said, well aware of her blush only getting darker.
"Just nice?" Merida asked.
"I'm sure you have something else to say about him" Moana added.
"I don't know what you want me to say" Elsa tried to shrug.
"That he's a Greek God walking on Earth with insane levels of sex appeal that makes you wanna drool and marry him" Moana said. "Or that you like him"
"Seriously?" Elsa asked. "I mean... of course he's gorgeous, but that you already knew" She admitted. "And he's nice, and funny, and sweet..." She trailed off.
"Awe! So you like him?" Moana asked.
"How cliché" Merida added.
"No, of course not" Elsa said and sighed. "And even if I did, he won't ever feel the same"
"You don't know that" Moana said.
"C'mon Mo, don't be ridiculous" Elsa said. "He's a prostitute for God's sake, and I'm just another client. He's used to all of this, he's done it before. In a few months I'll become just 'one of his past clients' and he'll probably forget about my name"
"Or maybe he could fall in love with you like Hiccup did with Astrid" She pointed out.
"Hiccup was just the exception. Things like that don't really happen that often"
"Els, stop being so paranoid! Just try it, there's really nothing to lose" Moana said.
"And he probably won't be worse than your ex anyways, so.." Merida added.
Elsa was about to open her mouth to reply to that when she heard footsteps nearing her door.
"Shoot! Someone's coming! Gotta go! Love you. Bye!" She said quickly and hung up.
As soon as she stopped talking her door opened and Jack came in, wearing active-wear clothes which suggested he went out for his morning run before.
As soon as his eyes met hers, he smiled.
"Morning, sleeping beauty" He said and she blushed. "I thought you'd never wake up" He said jokingly.
"Sorry" She said a bit embarrassed at first. "I just haven't slept very well yesterday. Fortunately, it seems that I'm finally free from the time-zones after effects, though"
Jack flashed her a smile before his eyes traveled to her hands that were still holding her phone.
"Were you talking to someone? I thought I heard something before I came in" He asked.
Elsa instantly blushed crimson.
'Oh my fucking god, what if he heard me talking about him!?'
"O-Oh! ... No, I was just- watching a video!" She stuttered out the first lie she could come up with.
"Oh, okay" Jack simply said but not fully convinced. "Anyways, Rapunzel's been looking for you everywhere and I had to stop her from waking you up several times now. She's been freaking out" He said. Elsa frowned in confusion.
"Why? We don't have anything to do today... We just have 'Young's Night' tonight, so why would she-" Before she could finish the door snapped open loudly.
Rapunzel stomped in.
"Oh, thank god I haven't found you doing nasty things" She said like she was running out of breath.
Elsa and Jack blushed crimson.
"Elsa, what the hell?" Punzie said then. "What happened to you? Did you decided to hibernate or something?" She asked frantically. "C'mon, get your ass ready! We need to drive to Oslo and go to the mall" She said, yanking Elsa's covers from her.
"Wha- Why? What's going on?" Elsa said, looking at her cousin a bit scared.
"What's going on!? Seriously!?" Rapunzel asked. Elsa gave Jack a side glance. "I've been telling you since day one that Eugene will be arriving tonight! And I just realized that I don't like any of the outfits I brought here so get the hell up and let's go shopping already before I have a heart attack!"
"O-Okay!" Elsa said and quickly got up to pick the first pair of clothes she could find. "I guess I'll be seeing you later?" She then asked Jack, with an apologetic face. Jack smiled warmly at her.
"Sure thing, Prin-"
"Oh, no. You're coming with us too" Punzie quickly interrupted him.
"What? Why? I don't wanna go shopping" Jack said in all honesty.
"I don't care. I need a male opinion on my outfit and you're dating my cousin so that means you have good taste" Punzie pointed out.
Jack couldn't help but blush, while Elsa choked.
"C'mon, people. Chop, chop!" Punzie said.
X
Elsa plopped on her bed as soon as she arrived, and Jack did the same soon after. Both of them just laying besides the other tiredly for a few moments.
"Your cousin is insane" Jack said as he turned to look at her while still lying on the bed.
Elsa turned to look at him.
"I know" She groaned at first and then chuckled, Jack did the same.
They'd been in the mall for hours that day. Elsa was sure that they'd checked every single store it had thanks to Rapunzel's paranoia. They were able to barely catch a break at lunch time when they decided to just grab a bite in one of the Mall's restaurants before Punzie dragged them into more stores.
After endless hours of walking through the Shopping Mall, they were finally home; and it was 7 p.m. already.
Still, Elsa couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Jack asked suddenly, when he saw her smile.
"I don't know" She said at first. "I guess I can't help but feel happy for her. She looks so in love" She explained. "I'm so glad she found someone that makes her go all crazy, I guess"
Jack didn't say anything at that. His smile faltering just a little while watching Elsa's face. She looked so wishful.
"He must be a lucky guy" He said after a while.
"He is" She agreed.
They stayed in silence again, eyes on each other. For some reason it wasn't uncomfortable, at all.
"Tell me something about you" Elsa said then, watching as a smirk was slowly growing from the corner of Jack's lips.
"Like what, Princess?" He asked. Elsa flashed him a smile.
"I don't know... I just feel like you know everything about my insanely awkward life and I know nothing about you" She said at first. But her smile quickly disappeared when she thought about something. "Unless it's forbidden of course! If you can't say anything you-" She started to say panicked.
Jack chuckled.
"Relax, Els" He said. "You can ask whatever you want, if theres something that I'm not allowed to say, I'll let you know" He assured.
Elsa inhaled deeply to calm herself down again.
"Do you have any other job asides from... you know" She asked first.
"Not really" He admitted. "I'm a Psychology graduate, though"
"Really?" She asked clearly surprised. "And you don't work as a psychologist? Why?"
Jack shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess I wasn't really into working as one. If I'm being honest I was just interested in the subject and everything that it involves, you know? I wanted to learn about it" He explained.
"So, you just majored in something just because?" Elsa asked.
"Well, there was a time when I planned on making it my profession but-" He instantly stopped himself. "I guess" He just said in the end.
Elsa simply nodded.
"Any other questions?" He asked with a teasing smirk.
"What made you decide to work on... this?" She couldn't help herself, she had to actually restrain herself from saying something like 'I suppose you didn't want to be a prostitute when you were a kid'. "Dark past?" She said in a teasing manner.
Jack let out an awkward chuckle and instantly looked away from her.
"Not really" He managed to get out but still didn't meet her eye.
He knew she didn't mean any harm, and that she was just curious. But there's no way in hell he'll tell her, or anyone for the matter, but much less her of all people.
"Money, I suppose" He said after a few moments and immediately got up from the bed, making Elsa blink in surprise. "Maybe we should start to get ready, right? We have that thing at the club" He said and turned to pick something to wear before getting inside the bathroom like flash.
Elsa was still sitting on the bed, looking at the now closed bathroom door in startlement.
Has she said something wrong?
'Of course you did, you idiot' She thought to herself.
Maybe she even came out as insensitive. How stupid could she be?
What if she offended him?
Elsa groaned and lay back down on the bed, hiding her face with a pillow.
Things won't be getting any easier for her, would they?
X
Jack seemed to have forgotten about the awkward conversation from before, because as soon as he got out of the bathroom he was full smirks and mischievousness again.
He decided to wear a navy blue shirt rolled up to his elbows and some khaki shorts, it was a hot night after all.
Elsa on the other hand was wearing an off-the shoulder white ruffle crop-top and a printed pair of high-waisted wide-legged pants. Her hair was in a half-top, messy bun and she decided to just wear sandals since she wanted to be comfortable during the night.
It wasn't a 'full glam' outfit. But she knew the club they were heading off too, and it wasn't elegant to begin with. Besides, Jack said, and she'll quote: 'You look hot as hell'. So, despite her embarrassment and flushed face, she didn't find the need to change.
The ride to the club was somewhat awkward. At least for Elsa, since she couldn't seem to forget about the previous conversation and how Jack initially reacted.
Once they got inside the club, Elsa was mortified to find it was filled with people.
'Didn't my mom say Anna rented this whole club for the night? Could it be possible that all these people have been invited?'
Knowing her little sister like she did, it was possible.
Jack gently grabbed her hand, and she felt like fainting.
"C'mon, let's go find someone, okay?" Jack said, and started leading Elsa through the sea of people once she nodded.
After a few moments of dodging dancing, sweaty bodies; they finally spotted Anna and Kristoff dancing together.
"Hey!" Elsa said, tapping Anna's shoulder. She instantly turned to them.
"You finally arrived!" Anna exclaimed loudly over the music. "Can you believe all these people? And to think they're only half of my guests!"
Elsa just pressed her lips together at her typical comment, not having the energy to follow her game.
"Hey, Kris" She greeted and Jack shook Kristoff's hand.
"I finally found you two!" Someone said from behind.
Jack and Elsa turned to find Rapunzel with one of the many outfits she ended up buying. It was a printed gypsy-like dress and her pixie-cut hair was in loose waves.
"Hello to you, too" Elsa said rolling her eyes teasingly, to then frown in confusion. "Where's Flynn, by the way?" She asked.
"Getting ready at your house, he just arrived" Punzie explained.
Jack and Elsa shared a look.
"Why didn't you wait for him?" Jack asked.
"Because" Punzie said sighing. "All the old people are having dinner at Fjord, and my parents told me they're there but I don't believe them. I bet they're hiding somewhere here because they're dying to meet Eugene 'officially' but I don't want them to meet him today. So, I'm securing the zone while he brushes his goatee"
Elsa and Jack couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Okay, then" Jack said chuckling "Do the ladies wanna grab some drinks?"
"I thought you'd never ask" Punzie said grabbed both by the hands and began dragging them to the bar.
Elsa was pretty thankful for Rapunzel's presence, and she didn't know why. For some reason she was currently a wreck of nerves.
After about an hour of drinks, jokes and chatter at the bar, Elsa could tell that she was already tipsy. She was having a great time though, even if she hadn't catch a glimpse of Hans yet.
The three of them were laughing loudly at one of Jack jokes when Punzie's phone beeped.
"Oh, shoot! That must be Eugene" She said checking the text she just got. "Yeap, that's him. I need to go meet him at the entrance. See you bitches later, okay?" She said and disappeared.
And once she did Elsa's nerves began bubbling again.
She stayed quiet in her booth, playing with the edge of her now empty glass of cosmo as Jack finished the last of his current bottle of beer.
Her heart was beating loudly in her ears.
What she didn't know is that Jack was nervous for some unknown reason as well, and he needed to end this awkward moment soon.
He's been working on this for years and yet he was having trouble to move right now.
"Wanna dance?" He asked with a raspy voice in what seemed forever.
Elsa blushed crimson.
"I... I'm not really good at it" She stuttered out. Jack flashed her a smirk.
"C'mon, Princess. It can be that bad" He said getting up and offering her a hand.
Elsa tried to gulp down her nervousness and she shakily placed her hand on his to then be led by Jack to the dance floor, horrified to find that she was a bit more than just 'tipsy'.
She couldn't help but curse the alcohol under her breath. Jack was beginning to look even more gorgeous than he usually does, and it was obviously because of the alcohol.
Jack didn't understand what the hell was wrong with him. He had taken girls out to dance before! Yes, he'd mostly been rented by women older than him but he got rented by some quite pretty girls in the past as well (he could count them with one hand's fingers but whatever). So, why was it being so damn hard now!? He felt his muscles stiff as a tree!
Still, he was the one on duty here, not Elsa. She had every right to be nervous and tense and awkward (as he knew she was) but he hasn't. He was being paid to do this so he couldn't fuck it up.
"Just relax, okay?" He said smirking close to her ear since the music was much more louder than before, sending a shiver down to Elsa's spine.
How was she supposed to relax after that?
She just nodded and started to look everywhere but him while she barely moved in her place to the current song's beat.
Jack pursed his lips at her reluctance to dance.
He surprised her by gently grabbing her hands and placing her arms around his neck, to then place his hands on her hips; leaving Elsa wide-eyed.
She could hardly even breathe now. They were impossibly close and his body heat and masculine fragrance was starting to envelope her, making her dizzy.
"Just let me lead, okay?" He whispered in her ear once again, and Elsa resisted the urge to shiver.
"I-I don't think-" Elsa tried to say. She could barely think straight being this close to him!
"Shhh" He said. "Do you really think they'll believe us if we can barely look at each other? Much less dance?"
Elsa bit her tongue. He was right after all.
What would people think seeing them in such an uncomfortable situation?
She relaxed her body as best as she could, and once Jack felt her relax in his arms he began swaying with the music, holding her steady and keeping her close.
It took Elsa a few minutes to stop acting as Jack's puppet, and she finally started to move on her own instead of being completely lead by him.
She didn't know if it was the alcohol in her system, or Jack's intoxicating mixture of fragrance and heat; but she decided to send everything to hell.
Her hands slowly traveled from his shoulders to his neck as she got some inches closer to him swaying her hips to the beat, feeling Jack tense momentarily at her sudden bold action.
Jack quickly began dancing as well, mischievous smirk now present on his lips.
He couldn't help it. It was the first time that Elsa actually let loose in these past few days.
The first time that she actually seemed to forget everything around her, to forget this was all just an act.
The only problem was that, he seemed to be starting to forget about it, too.
After who knows how long, he came to the realization that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, he couldn't keep his hands off of her, he couldn't stop holding her as they danced.
Every single brush Elsa's dancing body made against his was driving him further and further away from reason.
They were dancing impossibly close now, and he couldn't even blame the crowd because they did have enough space to move. They seemed to brush their bodies against each other at any minimal move they did. Their faces were mere inches apart; so close, that he could feel their breaths mixing with each other.
It was intoxicating.
So intoxicating, that he needed to snap out of it.
He knew that there was a 90% chance that he'll be required to kiss Elsa at some point; and if the situation required it, he'd do it. But, if he did it now, it'd only be for him. It'd only be selfish.
Plus, even if Elsa's eyes seemed darkened with lust at the moment, he didn't really know if she'll like it or not, or if she'll regret it later.
What the hell was he thinking in the first place!? This wasn't a matter to be discussed or analyzed.
He needed to snap the hell out of it and keep doing his job as it was required. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Wanna go grab some drinks?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth in a throaty tone. His mouth felt so dry it was hard to talk normally.
Elsa's cerulean eyes connected to his, and it seemed that she finally seemed to realize what was going on, snapping out the situation with a bright blush on her face.
Before she said anything, though, she caught something from the corner of her eyes.
Hans.
Elsa was rather shocked that she seemed to forget about his existence until now.
He was mere feet away from her, with his right arm holding some random girl by the waist while looking straight at Elsa with a frown.
"S-Sure" Elsa said, quickly looking back at Jack. "I'll be waiting for you at the balcony, okay? I think I need some air" She said, still feeling the blush in her cheeks.
"Sure thing" He said, and as soon as the words left his mouth, Elsa nearly made a run for the balcony. She was too flustered to be standing around Jack, and too uncomfortable to be under Hans' gaze.
She truly needed air.
She was glad that there was no one at the small balcony the club had when she got there. As soon as she arrived, she inhaled deeply as she supported herself on the railing. She felt like she was suffocating back inside.
The view to the lake the balcony had calmed her down. It was the very same lake that was in front of her house. She could actually see the faint and faraway lights from her home that was currently all the way across the lake.
She really enjoyed this place. As much as New York has charmed her, it felt nice to have a break from the tall buildings that were constantly surrounding her. It felt nice to watch the starts shining so brightly in the open sky.
"Els?" Someone asked from behind, and Elsa instantly recognized Punzie's voice.
"Hey" Elsa said with a smile. "What are you doing here? Where's Flynn?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing" Rapunzel said smiling. "Eugene told me he was going to the bathroom. It only hit me minutes later that he had no idea where that was and now the idiot's lost. I've been looking for him" Punzie said rolling her eyes and Elsa chuckled. "Where's Jack, though?"
"He went to get drinks for us" Elsa said. "I told him to meet me here so he should be coming soon"
"Oh" Rapunzel said at first, and then she smirked smugly. "You know... I was about to 'introduce' you two to Eugene before he decided to go to the bathroom. I saw you two at the dance floor"
Elsa instantly blushed crimson.
"Oh, yeah?" She stuttered out.
"Yes, dear cousin" Rapunzel said still smiling like the Chesire Cat. "You seemed to be having the time of your life"
Elsa just chuckled nervously trying to dismiss her.
"You know..." Punzie started, and smiled sincerely at Elsa. "He really looks like he's so in love with you"
A sour taste instantly filled Elsa's mouth as her jaw tightened.
'Then he really knows how to do his job. One hell of an actor' She couldn't help but think sourly. She just forced a smile at her cousin.
"I'm so glad you found someone like him, Els. I'm so glad to see you happy with someone that truly cares about you" Punzie continued.
Elsa's nails began to dig in her palm.
"Do you love him?"
The sudden question made her snap out of it all.
She felt like her heart stopped beating as a chilling fear consumed her.
'Holy crap! What the hell should I do!?'
Elsa stood painfully quiet.
She wasn't a good liar to begin with! It's been a miracle that she has managed to lie to everyone until now with the whole Jack deal; but she won't be able to do it now!
If she tried to say yes, Punzie would see right through her and everything will turn to shit right after!
What to do? What to do!?
"I knew it" Rapunzel said suddenly, making Elsa snap her gaze to her.
Rapunzel was looking at her with a perfect poker face. Seriousness written all over it.
Did she know!? What the hell was she supposed to do!? Confess!? Deny everything and run!?
"Punzie, I-" Elsa tried to say.
"It's because of Hans, right?" Rapunzel cut her off.
'Oh my God she knows.'
Of course they'd discover her stupid lie! Of course she'd be caught! What was she thinking!?
"I knew this was gonna happen, whether it was Jack or any other boy" Rapunzel continued.
'Huh?'
"Huh?" Elsa said suddenly confused.
"It was bound to happen, Els" Punzie said. "I mean when everything between you and Hans went down, you didn't get any explanations or anything at all! And for three years it remained like that. It's a loose end! Of course it'll affect you once you saw him again after so much time. You need closure"
"What" Elsa let out breathlessly. "What do you mean?"
"Just what I said" Punzie shrugged. "This whole thing with Horny Hans needed a good, bold final period. You need that in order to fully give yourself to someone else" She explained. "I know you really like Jack; I can see it in your eyes"
Elsa blushed brightly at this.
"And he's the guy for you. I actually think that returning home with him was the best thing you could've done" Rapunzel said. "Now you'll finally be able to close that disgusting chapter with Hans and set it on fire. You'll get your closure by realizing how good Jack is compared to Hans. You already know he's like... a billion times hotter than him, but now you'll be finally able to realize what you truly deserve"
Elsa's lip was quivering once Punzie finished explaining that.
She didn't know what to think. Mostly, because Jack was certainly not her boyfriend, much less in love with her. He was just doing an exceptional job fooling everyone.
"Just let yourself love him, okay?" Punzie said and gave her a quick hug. Elsa was too startled to even move. "I'm gonna go back to look for Eugene, Jack's surely gonna be back by then and then I'll introduce you, 'kay?" She said and waved her goodbye as she left.
'Closure?' Elsa couldn't help but think, still stuck in Punzie's 'speech'.
She stood gazing at the lake, deep in her thoughts.
Her feelings were currently so mixed, she couldn't even distinguish anything she actually felt besides confusion.
"I suppose you were right when you said you have a nightlife back in America" The sudden intrusion almost made her jump out of her skin. "That was a quite different Elsa back there"
The hold of her hands in the railing increased considerably once she recognized who was talking to her. Her eyes snapped shut so harshly for a moment.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
She knew she wanted him to try to talk her since she got here, but not right when she really wanted to be alone.
Still, she remembered Jack's advices. She needed to appear like she was happy; she didn't need to look like she was still affected by him.
So she put on the biggest smile she could manage at the moment, and turned to her ex.
"I suppose" She said wearing the smile.
"So, New York does change people, huh?" Hans said, and supported himself with the railing as well, right beside her. "I've gotta admit you look good, too"
A blush helplessly crept at Elsa's face.
"Thanks, Hans" She said shyly, shifting on her place.
"And you managed to get an American lad, too" He added, as he gazed the view of the balcony. "You seem pretty happy with him"
Elsa pressed her lips together, in an attempt to stop them from trembling in nervousness.
"Yeah" She quietly said at first. "Jack's pretty great, so..."
"I wonder how he manages, though" Hans said.
Elsa blinked in confusion.
"How he manages to what?" She asked.
"How he manages to deal with you" He said and looked at her.
Elsa was so startled by his words that she had to take a step back from him. She didn't know what he meant by that. Was he joking? She'd think he was at any other situation, even if Hans was never the joking type; but his eyes... his eyes on her were cold, and even malicious, if she dared to say.
"What- are you talking about?" Elsa said, looking at him in total disbelief. Hans let out a mocking chuckle.
"Seriously, Elsa?" He asked. "You're probably the most insufferable woman I'd ever come across with. I actually wonder how much that poor dude's gonna put up with you before he makes a run for it"
X
Jack got quickly to the bar, only taking his eyes off Elsa once he saw her exit to the balcony.
The bar was currently crowded so the bartender told him that drinks were gonna take a while if he wanted some. Any other time he'll get rather impatient about it, but now he was thankful of the few minutes alone he had.
He took a seat in one of the booths, ordered a strawberry daiquiri for Elsa, and gratefully accepted the bottle of beer the bartender offered him while he waited for his drink.
He felt so fucking confused and overwhelmed about everything, he needed to take a moment to organize his thoughts.
He hasn't felt this out of control in ages. What the hell was going on!?
Sure, Elsa was probably the most gorgeous girl he'd ever had the blessing to lay his eyes on, but even if he wasn't usually rented by pretty ladies like he said before, he was damn used to the attention of them!
It wasn't about being vain or not. His work revolved around aesthetics, so he had to take a damn good care about his body and his looks. He knew he was a good looking dude, hence why he was the second most requested 'gent' in the company, and not to mention one of the best payed ones, too.
So, obviously, he didn't just attract females that were scrolling down the RentAGent website, but also the ones he came across with in real life.
He had been flirted on, he had got several pieces of papers with numbers written on them, he had got several free drinks at bars he frequented on, and he had been shamelessly and not-so-sneakily checked out. Hell, he had been straight-out invited to share the night with pretty strangers more times that he can actually count.
So, why the fuck was he feeling like some hormonal high schooler right about now!?
He needed to snap out of it for once and for all. Elsa was a client.
A CLIENT.
A client that, not to mention, was in love with someone else.
But that's not all; Jack needed to freaking remember why he didn't do relationships to begin with, why he didn't even date.
He tried to convince himself that he didn't really want this. It was just all 'the heat of the moment'. Elsa was hot, so his body and his self were just reacting to that; he was a guy after all.
He didn't really want this.
"You look quite troubled" Someone said right beside him, and at first Jack was shocked to hear another American accent in a while.
He turned to his side, and in the booth that was at his right he saw a brunette dude drinking a glass of whiskey on the rocks.
He held back a laugh remembering Hans' words the time he met him. He supposed that Americans did have the weird tendency to just ask strangers about their problems.
"It's nothing" Jack said chuckling lightly.
"Oh" The guy said. "So, it's a girl" He said letting out a light-short laugh.
Jack took a sip of his beer to mask his pink cheeks.
"Can't blame you for that, man" The guy continued. "They're all insane; but somehow we're still the idiots that let them be insane to just see them happy" He said rolling his eyes while smiling.
Jack chuckled.
"I suppose you're right about that" Jack agreed.
"What can we do, man? It's a women's world after all" The stranger said and they both chuckled at that.
"It definitely is" Jack agreed again.
"You're here for the wedding? You're the first American I've came across with. I've heard more accents than I can actually count today, it'd made me dizzy" He asked.
"Yeah, I am" Jack said first. "And I was thinking the same thing actually"
The stranger simply hummed in response.
"I don't really know anyone here. My girlfriend's cousin is getting married and she forced me to come" He explained.
'Wait-' Jack thought at first, but he was cut out short.
"There you are" Rapunzel suddenly said as she kissed the stranger in the cheek.
Her eyes instantly found Jack.
"I see you met each other before I got a chance to properly introduce you" Punzie chuckled. "I knew you two would get along" She said as she looked at both of them. "Jack, this is Eugene or 'Flynn' as he likes to be called, my boyfriend" She said first and both of them shook hands. "Babe, this is Jack, Elsa's boyfriend"
"Oh, so you're Elsa's famous boyfriend" Flynn said chuckling. "God, man, I've heard a ton about you in the past few days; Punz wouldn't shut about it for two seconds. I momentarily thought you were about to steal my girl- OUCH!" Punzie instantly cut him off by elbowing him.
"Don't listen to him, Jack. He's a major Drama Queen" Punzie said rolling her eyes. "And if I'd talked about you, it's just because I'm really happy for Elsa"
"I know, babe. I was just kidding!" Flynn whined. "So I suppose you're gonna be our new neighbors, huh? In New York?" Flynn asked.
Jack's jaw tightened just a bit.
"That's us" He simply said. "So, you're gonna move just like that? I've heard you worked in San Francisco"
"Punzie's taking advantage since I work from home" Flynn said shrugging.
"You still haven't got Elsa her drink?" Punzie then asked.
As if on cue, the bartender finally handed him the strawberry daiquiri.
"I guess I should take this to her" Jack said, grabbing the glass. "I'll go call her; can you save us two booths?" He asked getting up.
"Sure thing" Flynn said and Punzie nodded.
But as soon as Jack turned to walk to the balcony, he realized that Elsa was not alone anymore.
Hans was with her.
Part of him wanted to stomp to them and drag Elsa back here, but the other –rational- part of him told him that maybe Elsa wanted this.
Hell, he knew she wanted this.
He bit his lip a bit harshly than intended, and turned to Flynn and Rapunzel again.
They both had clearly seen the same thing he did, because Rapunzel was completely tense with her jaw set, and Flynn was looking at him worriedly.
'So, he clearly knows about what happened to Elsa, too' Jack came to the conclusion.
"I think I should let those two talk" It came more sour than he intended.
They both just nodded awkwardly.
X
She couldn't help it, but her jaw was on the floor now. Her eyes were so wide open and her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"W-What!?" Elsa managed to stutter out.
Hans chuckled out loud.
"You're actually surprised about that?" He asked. "You were always so paranoid, and obsessive." He said. "On top of that, you were boring as hell!"
Elsa felt her lips quivering.
"I do have to admit you're gorgeous as hell, but that's probably the only reason why I dealt with you for so long" Hans added.
Elsa couldn't find strength to speak.
"And the day I finally decided to cut it all off. God, how free I felt" He said. "I can't even begin to describe you how happy I was at that moment" He continued. "But, I also have to admit that you look great now. You even look fun. A minuscule part of me wishes to see this 'new' Elsa, but I'm sure you'll go full psycho in the end, like always. So, nah. No way in hell"
Elsa's eyes were on the ground now. Her nails were digging on her palms as she tried to stop from shivering. She was pressing her lips together to stop them from quivering.
She would be damned if she let him see her cry.
She still couldn't help but think that everything he was saying was painfully true.
"Part of me also wants to warn that lad of yours. Poor idiot, he's in for the scare of his life" He said, and she lifted her glance at this. She could see it: raw venom in his eyes. "I'm truly worried about him"
Her heart was aching so badly, she couldn't bare to stand here another second, but she refused to leave with nothing but tears in her eyes.
Maybe she was a psycho as he said she was. Maybe all of this was her fault, in a way. But he had hurt her.
He should've at least left with an explanation, whether if that was 'you're a crazy bitch' or not.
"That's not something you should be worrying about, Hans" She said, as composed as she could. "You aren't a part of my life anymore, so you don't get any say in it, not even when it comes to Jack" She said, lifting up her chin. "So do me a favor and stop worrying about my relationship, okay?" She said, instantly getting a nasty glance from him, and she left.
X
Jack's mind was restless. As much as Flynn was trying to lighten up the situation his jokes were not helping on keeping him occupied with something else.
He stopped himself several times from glancing at them, but his mind was just filled with Elsa and Hans. Curiosity and Worry were eating him alive.
Punzie apparently was in his exact same spot, with the difference that her narrowed eyes haven't left them since she first saw them
"As much as I'm ashamed to say this" Flynn said. "I still haven't found the bathroom yet" He said to his girlfriend.
Punzie couldn't help but let out a snort at this.
"Why does that doesn't surprise me?" She said. "C'mon" She said rolling her eyes.
"Please excuse us for a minute, Jack" Flynn said.
"'S okay" Jack said.
"Hey, babe, can you get going and I'll meet you there?" Punzie said before they moved to leave.
"But I told you I don't know where it is!" Flynn said.
"Just go in that direction" she said pointing out somewhere. "I'll catch up with you in two seconds" She assured.
"Fine" Flynn said and began walking away.
Jack immediately knew that Punzie was gonna say something, and she did.
"I would've gone check that out if I were you" She said.
"It's okay, Punzie. I trust Elsa, I'm not worried" He instantly said and hoped it sounded convincing.
"I've never said you shouldn't trust my cousin" Rapunzel retorted. "It's him you should worry about, Jack. You can't trust him. At all" She warned and left right after.
For some reason that last warning seemed to have a deeper meaning than it should.
He turned to look at the balcony.
They were still there, talking.
Should he go check it out? What if Elsa was actually having a good time with him? What if she got mad if he interrupted them?
He really wanted to go and make himself known, but he didn't know what Elsa wanted.
Maybe he should get a bit closer? See if Elsa was having a good time?
He decided to do just that. It was the best thing he could do right now anyways.
He grabbed the daiquiri and walked near the balcony, trying to go unnoticed by the two.
Once he got close enough, though, he didn't like what he saw.
Elsa was shaking, and by the look on her face, whether if she looked angry, she appeared to be about to burst into tears.
He instantly stomped to them.
"Els?" He asked once he was right at the door frame, but Elsa brushed past him and got inside once again, quickly making for the exit of the club.
He stood there stunned for a second, gazing at her as she walked through the sea of people, wondering what could've happened.
He then turned sharply to Hans.
Hans snorted as soon as he saw Jack's raging glare.
"What?" He asked challenging at first. "Not gonna punch me? Warn me to stay away?" He asked mockingly yet venomously.
Jack really wished he could. He really wished to break his nose right now.
But he couldn't. He didn't know what happened and he wasn't sure if Elsa would be so happy about him kicking her ex's ass.
So he just went after her.
He made it to the club's exit while scanning all over for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. So, he went to the parking lot and almost sighed in relief at the sight.
Elsa was leaning against the car her parents lend them, and she was obviously trying not to cry.
"Princess" Jack called, and Elsa lifted her head to look at him. He instantly stood in front of her. "Hey, what happened?" He asked worried and Elsa just gazed at the ground again in an attempt to hide her face.
Jack gently cupped both sides of her face, and forced her to look at him
"Talk to me" He pleaded.
Elsa let out a heartbreaking sob.
"I wanna go home, Jack" She cried.
And then, she did something that caught him by surprise.
She hugged him tightly, and hid her face in his chest while she sobbed.
"Please! I just wanna go home" She said again.
Jack gently hugged her back with one of his arms, while the other gently stroke her platinum blonde hair in an attempt to calm her down, at least just a bit.
"Okay" He whispered. "Okay, Princess, let's go"
A.N.:
I feel so ashamed, this took so long.
I have no excuses to be honest, but I guess that I wasn't really inspired to write Jelsa in the past months, it's just really saddening to see little to no new content about this amazing ship, I guess it just got to me. But I started to miss Jelsa recently so here we are
Anyways, this chapter is nearly 8k words long, so I guess that's my way of saying sorry since most of them are 3,5k long.
I truly hope you enjoy this! Please let me know what you think or if I should continue this or not.
Also: idk if there's any boku no hero academia/ my hero academia fan here? But I'm writing a Dabi x Reader story... idk if I should post it here or not
Thanks sm!
Silvana.