Drifting through the blue skies, Jack Frost floated a bed of milky white clouds; eyes closed. Basking in the sun's warmth, he laid still as a cool breeze passed him by. The air was crisp, keeping half of him cool from the assaulting daylight.
The winter Guardian always needed a little extra time to recompose himself before descending upon the fjord for his annual responsibilities. Every time he saw the outskirts of Arendelle a tumultuous array of emotions came barreling like lightning; feelings that he had thought had buried firmly after his last stay there. Bubbling up the closer he flew to the northern kingdom. Colorful they were in how they inconvenienced him, for example, sudden flashbacks to boyhood love, nightmares of what he had lost, and bouts of regret he still carried in his heart.
The shadow of his tormentor would always lurk in the back of his mind. Taunting him. Her face obscured in the shadows, only recognizable by her thick waves of platinum and brilliant ocean blue eyes glowing through the darkness. It was only when he arrived in Arendelle to take up his interim position that the shadows would part, revealing her in utter glory.
The first night back was always the most painful.
"Elsa, come with me." He pleaded.
Jack visited again with another proposition, one that he had hoped would finally persuade her into agreeing with him. For months, he had been trying to think of a solution to free his lover from her gilded cage. Week after week, she had rejected his every attempt. Always leaving him with the resolve to try harder.
So here he was again for the umpteenth time. It had been a quarter past 11 when he appeared on her windowsill. Slivers of moonlight streamed into her stone bed-chamber, illuminating his beloved in its ethereal glow as she faced him and his resolve. Her hair was still swept up in a braided updo despite dressed for bed.
Her white linen sleeves were scrunched up into her fists as if to brace herself from her own answer. "I can't Jack."
Her words were so routine that he should have expected it. Still, no matter how many times she rejected his propositions, the repudiation stung regardless. Jack looked at her, disheartened, as her eyes apologized to him with familiar forlorn.
"I can't stand to see you like this." He repeated as he held her hand tenderly. "You deserve to be free."
Biting her lower lip, she pulled her hand away and held it to her chest protectively. "I can't just abandon my family and my kingdom."
There it was again, the standard, noble response that kept them locked in this never-ending waltz. On his lead, he would step forward as she stepped back. No matter the resolution, Elsa would always echo the same answer. Perpetuating her idea of devotion to her duty in the form of self-isolation.
He racked his brain for an answer before tiredly blurting out. "Give Anna the crown."
Elsa's face flashed with disbelief. "You want me to abdicate the throne!?"
"Yes, if that's what it takes."
She looked away from him and clutched her collar, wrinkling her nightgown. "I can't-"
"I don't want to hear you say you "can't" Elsa because you can!" He snapped at her. "You can't keep hiding from everyone and pretending you're like them because you are not."
Anger flared through her ocean blue eyes. The temperature around them dropped to a bone-chilling degree as frost appeared on her skin. "Of course I'm not like them!" Ice seeped from under her as encased his bare feet, climbed out toward the walls. "Don't you think I know that? I'm a monster!" Elsa spat out the last word as if it was laced with poison.
The fear and fury that swelled in her eyes only caused him to loathe himself all the more. Jack cursed himself and his boyish temperament for letting it get the best of him. He just wanted what he thought was best for her, but getting her riled up wouldn't get him anywhere. The last thing she needed was to be backed back into the cage he had been working so hard to pull her out of.
"You're not a monster." His voice was gentle as he tried to soothe her. The ice around his feet shattered as he pulled them out with ease as he closed the space between them. Raising his hand, he caressed her cheek affectionately, feeling her skin cool to his icy touch. "I shouldn't have snapped at you and for that, I apologize. You deserve so much more than what you give yourself credit for. I want to give you the world, Elsa." His words dripped with the warm promise of a happily-ever-after. "I love you."
He watched the fury in her eyes dissipate, revealing the vulnerable little girl underneath, devoid of all her regal glamour. The ice around them began to thaw as she let out a stifled sob. Tears pooling in the corner of her eyes, threatening to cascade down her pale cheeks. Grabbing his hand, she pressed her cheek against his fingers while closing her eyes, finding solace in his touch.
Woefully, she pulled his hand away, lowering it till they slipped from her fingers. The air was deafeningly still as she looked away again, unable to meet his wounded gaze.
"I'm sorry Jack." Her lips quivered as she choked out the words. "I can't leave."
Opening his steel-blue eyes, the young Guardian wrinkled his nose and squinted as the glaring sun attempted to blind him. Groaning, he rolled over to his side, relishing the cool mist of the cloud as it caressed his cheek.
Jack always despised reliving their last moment together. He wished they had parted on better terms and he couldn't help to feel that this was his fault. Only himself to blame. Maybe if he wasn't so persistent in his pursuit to free her then maybe she'd stay by his side. Had he known then what he knows now, he would have kept his mouth shut and practiced patience. She had to come to unlock the cage on her own, he knew that now. No amount of love from him would ever be able to free her from her self-imprisonment if he was just going to barrel his way through her defenses.
Jack sighed small waves of sadness and loneliness wash over him.
'At least it was getting easier.' He thought bitterly as he descended into the Enchanted Forest.
After they parted ways 6 years ago, Jack wandered aimlessly around the fjord. While his heart mourned the loss of his first love he felt shackled, unable to leave to the distant lands he had once promised to show her. Frequently he had found himself lying in a pond of snow as icy tears poured from his bloodshot eyes. He didn't care if his magic would have attracted anyone to the peculiar sight of the ponds of snow so early into Autumn. He wasn't strong enough for humans to see him then anyway.
Then one evening while drunk in his grief, Jack was sprawled out somewhere deep in the Enchanted Forest when he met Bruni.
At first, the white-haired deity thought the small salamander was just another curious and oddly pale lizard of the forest. However, he soon found out that that curious and oddly pale lizard could also breathe fire. It took a while to communicate with not only Bruni, but Gale, Nok, and the Earth Giants since none of them spoke the common tongue. Eight rounds of charades later, he had deduced that they were in need of a 5th companion to balance the tumultuous magic in the forest.
Jack wasn't too keen on staying long, at least that what he told himself and them when they proposed that he take up the mantle. Since he was a Guardian, he was one of the few spirits that were supposed to help bridge the humans and spirits. Besides, during his tenure he could cultivate new believers from the Northuldra. It wasn't until Nok had insisted that the position would be temporary that Jack felt more at ease to agree. Unfortunately, being a master of trickery didn't mean he would be averse to being tricked himself.
At least, that's what he thought when he realized there wasn't a particular time frame of when the 5th spirit would actually reveal itself.
So here he was, fulfilling his end of the bargain for the 6th winter. Jack couldn't deny that the first 2 years of active duty had kept the smidgen of hope alive. Every time he heard rustling in the shadows, his heart would race with anticipation of seeing the familiar platinum-haired princess. However, after the 22nd time, Jack had given up that possibility. Especially since the forest was located in the far north of the kingdom, it was rare they would get any human visitors on its borders. Especially since it was a cursed forest.
The next 3 years were dull compared to the first 2. He had managed to convince himself that there was no chance that he'd be able to see Elsa again. By now, she had probably been married off to some local lord or princeling from an allied kingdom. Pinning over 'the one who got away' wouldn't do him any good. It wouldn't have mattered that he was strong enough now to let mortals see him rather than rely on their faith. He would have outlived her anyway; mortal lives were fleeting.
Preoccupied with his inner turmoil, the winter spirit descended past the treetops, not realizing that something was amiss. As soon as he landed, Jack was startled at the sudden realization that he could see ahead of him.
The accursed mist was gone!
Frantically looking left and right, the winter guardian held up his hook staff close to him. Knitting his brows together, Jack pulled his ragged brown hood over his head to obscure his face from view.
'Nothing looks ominous.' He noted to himself as the sun shone brightly through the forest. Strangely enough, he was sure that at least Bruni would be there to greet him as he has had for the past few years. As he ventured deeper into the thickets, ice trailed behind him and engulfed everything in a thin veil of frost.
The air seemed lighter than before. Jack wasn't sure if the forest had always felt this light without the mist or if it was genuinely happy today. The tension slowly ebbing away with each step forward, he relaxed his shoulders as the realization that there was no imminent threat insight. Now he could go on with his actual duties of bringing winter to Arendelle. Halting, the winter spirit stamped his staff twice and watched the frost travel ahead of him, slowly encasing the forest in a frosty embrace.
"Maybe I can talk to Bruni and the others about reducing my hours." He muttered.
Suddenly, an icy gust of wind blew past him from behind, sending a frightening chill down his spine. Looking over his shoulders, he peered at the figure lurking in the shadows.'Was it a human or a spirit?' He couldn't tell. The forest's magic hung in the air, disrupting his otherwise sharp senses.
It bellowed. "Are you a friend or a foe?"
"A friend." He replied as he turned to face his opponent. "I come bearing winter."
"Oh?" The figure was definitely female. Jack could see the figure peek from behind one of the trees but was unable to pinpoint any noticeable traits. "And what are these...duties?"
"Temporary 5th spirit." Frowning, he realized that the title didn't seem very official nor did it roll off the tongue the same way if he were to introduce himself as the 5th Guardian. Being 5th in line usually doesn't garner any respect either. Add the word 'temporary' next to it and he sounds like he is the lowest guy on the totem pole. A guppy. 'Maybe there is a way to say this more officially.'
"5th spirit?" She sounded incredulous.
"Temporary." Jack shrugged. "It's not a fancy title, I'll admit that. But if you have a problem with it you can take it up with the other spirits." Done with this encounter, the white-haired deity lazily waved at the stranger before turning to continue his trek.
"Wait!" When she saw that Jack had no intention of stopping, she sent an icy blast past him onto the ground. A wall of ice shot up in front of him, blocking his path.
His steel-blue eyes widened as he saw a reflection of platinum blond hair behind him in the ice. Having traveled all over the world, he can definitively say that there weren't that many humans or spirits with hair like hers. '...No…' His heart raced as his body tensed from the anticipation.
"I am the 5th spirit of this forest." She announced to him. Turning towards her, his breath hitched seeing her for the first time again. It was as if his heart stopped beating.
Platinum locks draped her bare shoulders like a cape, reflecting the slivers of golden light peaking through the canopy. Her eyes were pools of ocean blue, luring him in like a siren's song, a stark contrast to her milky complexion and rosy lips. The most stunning trait was the fierce determination that radiated off her, drawing him in like a magnet.
An incinerating warmth bloomed in his chest.
Snapping himself out of his stupor, the white-haired deity bowed before her as he took a moment to recompose himself. Jack was ill-prepared for this reunion. His hope had died years ago when he concluded that he would ever see her again. Hearing that she announced herself as the 5th element was a surprise and while he wanted to question why she of all creatures is the chosen, Jack also saw that this was his opportunity to leave.
Too much time has passed for them to not make this awkward and if she were married...well then he wasn't strong enough to hear it. Yes, it was best to leave discreetly as he could. Thankfully, he still had his large hood cloaking his face. "Forgive me, your majesty. I did not know the position had been filled. I will take my leave now."
"Wait." He kept his head lowered as she sashayed over to him. Sweat gathered in his hands as she stopped a few feet away from him, her white dress swayed into sight over her bare feet. His heart was thumped with anticipation. "Your staff seems quite peculiar."
"It's one of a kind."
"So it seems." Her words had a lingering hint of...mischief? Amusement? He wasn't quite sure. "Before you take off, would you mind lowering your hood so I may see your face?"
He was apprehensive. "I do not think that would be wise."
Elsa was not deterred. "Please remove your hood." She restated coldly; her threat thinly veiled by her manners.
Conceding, Jack braced himself as he reached for the hem and pulled the hood down. His eyes trailed over her face as her gaze softened. She doesn't look mad.'
"It's you." She whispered, not allowing any emotion to drip from her words as she studied his face intently. His body tensed as her eyes trailed down his face to his staff while muttering. "I should have known."
Relaxing his shoulders, Jack tried not to fidget as his heart started thumping in his chest again. He wanted to reply with something more suave or heartfelt, but all he managed to reply with was- "It's me."
Her eyes reverted back to him. "Have you been in this forest all this time?"
"No," Jack hesitated, wondering what was the appropriate amount to share. "I only come by every winter as a favor to Bruni and the others."
"So you've just arrived then?"
"Yes, but now that the position is filled, I can take my leave." He smiled solemnly.
Elsa bit her bottom lip as she looked away from him, conflicted.
Jack studied her face close up as she thought deeply about her next move. She was a little taller now, though not much taller than before. Her face had lost a bit of its childlike roundness and her luscious hair cascaded down her bare shoulders in waves. He longed to reach up and run his fingers through her locks that were once bound tightly by those accursed pins. To bury his face in the smooth, creamy column of her neck while lazily tracing her collarbone with his fingers. Gripping his staff tightly, he admonished himself for such perverted thoughts.
The white-haired Guardian didn't hear Elsa when she asked him a question the first time till she rested a hand onto his arm. Her touch was electric and it startled him. Blinking twice, he saw that she was staring at him intently. "I'm sorry?"
"Will you stay a bit?" She spoke a bit louder this time. "I was hoping we can catch up."
"Catch...up."
"If you have the time of course." Elsa added hastily. A faint color appeared on her cheeks.
'Was she blushing?'
When Jack had first imagined their reunion, he was a lovesick puppy who dreamt of her uncharacteristically running towards him unabashedly. Hair fluttering behind her like ribbons in the wind as she leaped into his arms and declared her undying love for him.
After a few years had gone by and the shame had seeped in, Jack began imagining her anger pouring out if they happened to ever cross paths again. Icicles aimed for his heart as she lambasted him for letting her go. Hurdling vile insults as he ran from the crown princess as she decreed he was banned from ever setting foot in her kingdom.
But this? Conflicted Elsa and stupefied Jack Frost? Well, this was probably the most realistic reunion he couldn't have imagined.
"I have some time." 'Actually, I have all the time in the world.'
A tentative smile crept upon her rosy lips as she pulled her hand back. "Good."
Leading them into another part of the woods, they stopped in a small clearing where the frost hadn't touched yet. Settling down across from each other, the pair stayed quiet, both not really looking at each other. Occasionally when Jack found the will to look at her, he'd catch her staring at him intensely before she then looked away redder than before.
It was a short game they played, who could catch the other staring at them the most. Finally, Jack broke the awkward silence. "So…how… are you?"
"I'm fine."
"Oh ok. That's great to hear." Perusing his lips at her short retort, he already started to doubt if this was a good idea.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine." Wincing at how he mimicked her response, Jack quickly added. "I mean, I'm doing ok. Still casting winter wherever the world needs it. You know, doing my thing." His last line was terrible. 'Smooth, very smooth Jack.'
Despite his poor display of 'cool', Elsa chuckled. "Of course, winter wouldn't be the same without ol' Jack Frost."
Seeing her playing along was all the encouragement he needed. Puffing out his chest, Jack exaggerated his woes. "Can you imagine? A winter without snow?" He clutched his chest and groaned. "What of the children? Who would help them build their snowmen?"
Bringing her hand to her lips, Elsa giggled into her curled fingers. "I'd say they'd be lost."
"And I swear I will never stop making sure that those kids will never get lost again." Using a finger, he crossed his heart and slapped it while making the solemn vow.
"Their lives are in good hands." She beamed brightly at him. "Jack Frost would never let the children down."
The way her bright ocean blue eyes gazed at him had warmth blossoming in his chest. If he didn't know any better, he would say she looked like she adored him. Quickly shaking that notion away, Jack didn't want to get ahead of himself. For all he knew, she was just enjoying two old friends reconnecting after years asunder. It was always his hastiness that would get him in trouble anyway.
Still, he couldn't help, but remark. "You look amazing by the way." Seeing her turn bashful as he flashed her a brilliant smile made him want to punch the air in victory.
"Thank you." Tucking a loose strand behind her ear, Elsa looked at him slyly as she recomposed herself. "A lot has changed since I last saw you."
"Are you queen now?"
"No." She paused. "Not anymore."
'Not anymore?' Worry gripped his heart as thoughts of cruel villagers heckling Elsa. Images of fearful soldiers and angry citizens holding pitchforks offensively at the beauty made his blood boil. 'Did someone overthrow the kingdom? No, I would have known. I would have heard of something' Falling into deep thought, Jack couldn't help, but feel that they, whoever they were, were wrong to take the crown from Elsa.
She must have seen the concern flash across his face because she reached over and touched his arm. "It's ok." Stroking his arm soothingly, she smiled as he was cleared of his dark thoughts. "I abdicated."
That was shocking.
"You what?" Jack wasn't sure if he heard that correctly.
"I pass the crown to Anna."
"Are you alright?" He leaned forward and grabbed her hands. "You're not hurt are you?"
Blinking, she saw how small the space between them had become. "No, I'm not."
Leaning back, Jack sighed in relief as he pulled his hand away from hers, missing her disappointment that flashed across her face. "That's good." He fretted for nothing. Elsa was safe and that was all that mattered.
She studied him as he calmed himself down. "I'm glad to see that you care."
That irked him. 'Did she not think I cared?' Jack thought bewilderedly. "Of course I care!" He blurted. "I've always worried about you!"
Taken back by his declaration, both of them were wide eyes as they processed what he just said. At a loss for words, Elsa stayed quiet as she furrowed her brows together. She looked neither pleased nor perturbed by his outburst. Jack just sat there frozen as he contemplated what to say next.
Disappointed that he had once again recklessly blurted out his feelings, he ran a hand through his white hair and looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that."
"I'm not startled." Straightening her back, Elsa offered him a small smile. "I'm just a little surprised. I thought maybe…" Now she was hesitating, wondering what was appropriate to divulge to him. "I'm just a little surprised."
"You're just surprised?" He repeated.
"Well it's been a long time and I hadn't seen you in a while."
"I didn't think you needed me." He admitted while looking away. "I wasn't the most understanding guy when we last spoke. I was a hothead. Hell, I still am a hot-head and you deserved better Elsa. I...I shouldn't have pushed you and I'm sorry about that."
"Jack, it wasn't your fault." Reaching up, she caught his cheek and gently guided him to look at her. "You were only trying to help. I was grateful for that. I was the one that pushed you away. I was scared and I'm sorry." Their eyes were locked, each getting lost as they searched for answers the other had hidden. As she caressed his face, Jack caught her hand and pressed it gently against his cheek. They held their gaze for what felt like hours. Nothing else existed other than her warm touch on his cool skin.
The connection seemed so warm, yet so fragile. That in an instant, anything could come and take it all away.
He was afraid to speak, afraid that any sound would disrupt this tender moment. Instead, he pulled her closer and embraced her. Pushing his head into the nape of her neck as her arms encircled him. Never did he dream that they would be here. Or he would be able to laugh or speak with her, let alone hold her like this ever again.
Jack had resigned himself to eternal loneliness. Never to reconnect with anyone the way he had with Elsa. Why would he? How could he? After spending centuries without a lover, the winter deity could have probably spent countless more without another one. He was better off he had told himself.
However, being back in her presence banished all the darkness away. Did he really believe he could have continued living without someone else? Without her? Jack could only fool himself for so long and he could never do that in front of Elsa. It was akin to lying in front of a mirror.
Taking a deep breath, he relished in the faint scent of Amyris and vanilla. "I've missed you." He felt her hands tighten against the dark brown cloak.
Raising her lips to his ear, Elsa whispered. "I've missed you too."
Hope blossomed as he saw the softness he yearned for in her eyes. The longing she showed was for only him. Empowered, Jack wasted no time. "Do you think that we could maybe try this again?"
When Elsa pushed herself back, his heart felt like it was being dangled over a ledge. Was he too forward? Of course, she needed more time! He was such a numbskull for already propositioning to her when they had just met, again.
All his concerns melted away as she smiled radiantly at him. At him. As if his question was her greatest wish. "I would love to."
Feeling his heartbeat quicken as his thumb ran circles at the nape of her neck. His eyes were drawn to her supple lips as she wet them. "May I?"
"Please." He closed the space between them as their lips touched. Their kiss was chastised; soft and warm. Her arms snaked around his neck, sending a shiver down his spine as she pulled him closer. Wrapping his arms around her dainty waist, he entangled his slender fingers in her hair. Jack wanted to savor this moment for as long as possible, worried that this might be all a dream. It took every ounce of his strength to not devour her quickly out of fear that she would disappear as soon as he opened his eyes.
She was the first to pull away, eyes heavy with desire. Leaning in, their foreheads touched as she let out a sigh; content.
Jack wasn't sure what he had done to deserve a second chance, but he was grateful either way. Whether it was some Norse god and the Man In The Moon pitying them, it didn't matter. All he knew was he would not let her go this time. He would fight for them and anything that threatened to tear them apart again, the white-haired Guardian would make sure of it.