.:02:.
Jamie was finishing his homework, sitting at a picnic table and apparently oblivious to the cold. Jack Frost was perched on top of the table beside him, scanning the surrounding area for things to freeze. He'd already frozen the water fountain, the sidewalk was an inch thick sheet of ice, and people had become too wary of the roads for him to have any more fun sliding cars into ditches. He sighed and turned to look at his friend, leaned over his textbook and tapping a pencil on his chin.
"I'm bored, Jamie. Let's go sledding!" He grumbled. Jamie snorted and pointed his pencil at the winter spirit.
"I told you, didn't I? You're the one who insisted on 'helping' me do my homework." He grinned triumphantly and Jack scowled at him.
"There's some kids over there, make them have a snowball fight or something." Jamie muttered as he buried his face back in his book.
Jack was a little hurt, but looked over to see a group of girls giggling together on a bench. He moved his hand up, forming a glimmering magical snowflake, then he blew on it ever so gently. The wind took it from there, and it fluttered out over the snow-covered ground. It dipped and twisted on the light breeze, finally finding its mark on the nose of one of the girls. She gasped at the sudden cold, then shook her head and grinned.
"Let's make a snowman!" She leapt to her feet and bounced in place, clearly too excited about something her friends thought was childish. They gave each other slightly alarmed glances and stared at the girl as she crouched down and started rolling a ball of snow to make it bigger. One of the girls shook her head and started to walk away. Jack rolled his eyes and tossed out a handful of snowflakes, grinning devilishly as the girls suddenly exploded into excited squeals of laughter.
Jack chuckled a little evilly to himself, and Jamie paused to give him a strange look. He followed the spirit's gaze and bit back laughter when he saw one of the girls try to shove snow down her companion's shirt. The two girls slipped together and fell over the half-built snowman with a shout and more giggling broke out among the little group.
"They're going to be so confused later, wondering what in the world came over them to play in the snow in their designer jeans." Jamie grinned up at his friend and Jack looked proud of himself.
"Are you guys cracked?" A soft voice drifted over to the two boys and they looked back over at the girls. Sophie stood a few feet away, her green eyes wide with surprise and her arms grasping her bag to her chest.
The two boys exchanged looks and Jack held up another snowflake. "Shall I?" He asked. Jamie put a hand over his mouth and shook his head slightly.
"Nah, I wanna see what she does." He replied quietly.
"Sophie, come on!" One of the girls cried out happily, snow flying from her clothing as she reached a hand toward her friend. The girls were all breathing heavily from the romp in the snow, all of them waiting hopefully as they readied snowballs.
"Bailey, you hate snow…" Sophie eyed her friends suspiciously. One of them let out an impatient huff and slumped in exasperation.
"Stop thinking so hard, just come on!" The girl cried out.
Sophie paused and seemed to consider it for a moment. She started to walk away, then stopped and turned back toward her friends with a sigh.
"Oh, alright..." She sounded irritated, but Jack could see the happy smile on her face from his place at the picnic table.
Sophie tossed her bag aside and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. She tightened her scarf around her neck and ducked to the side as her friends shouted in excitement. She blocked a couple of snowballs with her arm and returned fire, catching one of her friends in the neck. The girl hopped in place and rubbed at her neck, howling about the cold in between fits of laughter.
"She's not bad." Jack said approvingly. Jamie grinned and busied himself with his homework again.
The girls tired of the snowball fight pretty quickly, then occupied themselves with rebuilding the snowman they'd started and then trampled. Sophie's hair had worked its way loose from her ponytail, and swung around her shoulders like golden silk. Her cheeks were tinted pink, but despite the fact that she had chosen to wear a skirt and leggings she didn't appear to be cold. Her friends stepped back to admire the snowman as she added the finishing touches, taking off her own scarf and wrapping it around the snowman's neck.
Jack realized he'd been watching her with a weird look on his face and sat up straight, shaking his snow-white hair from his eyes somewhat uncomfortably. He looked to the side and noticed Jamie giving him a sly look.
"What?" He asked defensively. Jamie grinned.
"After all these years, has Jack Frost suddenly noticed girls?" Jamie asked suspiciously. Jack's face became a rather normal, lively color and Jamie knew the spirit was blushing. He grinned wider.
"I was just admiring her work! It's a very good snowman." He grumbled.
"Uh huh. I'm sure that must have been it. Couldn't have anything to do with what a pretty young woman my sister is becoming." Jamie snickered at the Guardian's sudden discomfort and started to pack up his homework. He turned to his friend and nudged his shoulder a little.
"Hey! I can ask her if she thinks you're cute if you want! Hey, Sophie!" Jamie cupped his hands around his mouth and called out to her. She waved back at him happily. Before he had a chance to continue, Jack Frost had smacked him on top of the head with his staff and frost was spreading across his hair. A violent shiver wracked his body and he cried out, shaking the ice from his hair and glaring at his friend. Jack was about to snap at him, but he focused his gaze on Sophie and realized she was holding back a laugh with one gloved hand over her mouth. Her gaze lingered in his vicinity for a bit longer than it should have. She turned slowly to gather her bag, and Jack felt an unfamiliar jolt go through his stomach.
"Not cool, dude. That was-" Jamie paused when a frozen breeze hit him. He spun to look, but Jack was gone. He shrugged and slung his backpack over one shoulder before turning to meet up with his sister.
Jack Frost watched them from the top of a building across the street. He put a hand to his forehead and slowly ran his fingers back through his hair. Jamie's words had shaken him. The idea of having an interest in a girl had crossed his mind a couple hundred years ago. He'd quickly dismissed it and entertained himself with other things, like trying to freeze the ocean. He was the spirit of winter, he didn't have human instincts anymore. He knotted his hands in his hair and groaned in frustration. Three hundred years was too long to be alone, he was just looking for a friend, that was all. He was attached to her because he knew her when she was little. She had been there the day his life had finally turned for the better. She was one of the first children to ever believe in him, and he wanted her to believe again.
By the time Sophie got home that evening, the scarf she'd left on the snowman in the park had been neatly folded and set on her bed.