Disclaimer: This work of fan fiction uses characters from Rise of the Guardians, The Guardians of Childhood, and Frozen which are trademarked by DreamWorks Animation, William Joyce, and the Walt Disney Company respectively. The author of this story claims no ownership over them. The story the author is telling is of her own invention and it is not purported or believed to be part of the canon storyline. This story is made for entertainment purposes only. The author is not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.

Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall
Time goes so fast.
But why am I at the same place
Waiting for you?
The coffee shop that we used to go too.
Our coffee shop.

– Coffee Shop, B.A.P.

Coffee Shop – B.A.P.

Minuet in C Minor

Friday nights at the Yeti Bro's Coffee Emporium were often quiet. Young college students much rather spend their night partying at a club or bar rather than sitting at a quiet café. There was only a sweet couple sitting on the sofas upstairs with two cups of café latte and a large slice of strawberry shortcake between them. Olaf and Marshmallow had already left for the evening, leaving Elsa in charge for the remaining hours of the night. It was the perfect time to get some studying done. So, armed with her textbooks and a cup of mint white hot chocolate (her own creation), Elsa settled down for an hour or two of light studying.

When the sound of wind-chime sang of the entrance of a customer, Elsa quickly put down her pencil and spun around to greet the new arrival.

Oh no.

She could feel her heart sinking into her stomach, flashes of that mortifying conversation began ringing loudly in her ears. The text message from him and the sheer, all-consuming horror that came all came rushing back. She had prayed that Jack heard nothing more than the screaming shouts of Olaf. Hoped that Jack heard nothing but the strange accusation of espionage. She prayed and hoped and begged that Jack did not hear the confession of her affections – that obvious confession because of Olaf.

Jack didn't come yesterday, and she had a sneaking suspicion it was because he knew and he was avoiding her. But she had tried desperately not to let it get to her: that her feelings had made someone go out of their daily routines to steer clear of her. But Anna and Olaf had her convinced that Jack didn't come because he had an exam – it was midterm season after all. But now, here he was.

Jack ran a hand through his hair, nodding his head in greeting at her. His white hair was windblown from the crisp autumn air, and he wore a loose-fitted grey sweater with a pair of black denim trousers.

The airy, open café suddenly felt too hot for her at the sight of the handsome man, and she struggled to cool the rising blush in her cheeks. Elsa softly tried to clear her throat, calmly making her way to the counter.

"Will you be getting the usual?" Elsa asked.

He nodded.

"So your total comes to $8.00, will you pay with debit?"

He nodded again.

And so ends their short, one-sided conversation – more like their short, one-sided script. Nothing's change… not really and yet… everything seemed to have shifted. Not only did Jack miss a Thursday, but he decided to come on a Friday instead. And now, the man decided not to walk upstairs to his usual table but instead made his way over to a corner of the café on the main floor, sitting at a table right against the high, lofty glass windows out-looking the campus.

Elsa watched as Jack sat down, hands tucked inside his pant pockets as he leant back against the seat and crossed his legs. He cast his eyes on the window and the view beyond – and now she caught herself staring at him. Elsa scowled, quickly brewing the ordered drink and popping the dish into the microwave.

By the time she made her way to his table, Elsa was determined to ask, to figure out just how much he heard that day. She didn't know how but she hoped that she'd think of something soon. Jack had opened his laptop when she was halfway there, and he'd just started to boot it up. She set down the tray onto his table, setting the man's usual order of an iced-Americano and mac 'n' cheese.

"Here you are," she murmured. Jack kept his eyes on the laptop screen as always and she, as always, had nothing left to say. So she turned around and left – just like that day when it all started.

"Thank you," she heard him say, his voice soft – masculine – but all the same, soft. Elsa whipped around at the sound. "Again. For, bringing me my order. And, uh, lending me your phone."

"No – no problem," Elsa replied, raising her hand in a strange wave. She turned back again, bunching her hand into a fist in annoyance of her own cowardice and awkwardness.

But then she stopped, taking a deep breath. This can't go on. She had to know now; else she'll go crazy from the worry.

"So, um," she started, turning back again. "Just how much did you overhear…that day?"

Jack looked up from his laptop, blinking in surprise.

"We didn't mean to gossip," Elsa continued in a rush. "Olaf and Marshme- Marshall, I mean – we, we were just talking about your name, and how unlikely you were to be a – a – a spy. Jack Frost. Ha. Ah, um. It matches your hair too…was that the idea?"

He stared, looking incredulous for a moment before turning his face towards the windows and scoffed. He ran a hand through his hair; maybe it was a nervous habit of his? Either way, Elsa thought, she swore she saw a small smile creep onto his face.

"I'm sorry. Never mind. I'll just go."

"No, wait. Um, all I heard was the spy thing," he said.

"Oh… okay. I'm sorry, for gossiping."

"It's okay...ya."

"Um. Enjoy, then."

She scurried back to her table, reaching for her – now cold – sugary-sweet drink and taking a deep swig to steady herself and calm her hot cheeks ('chocolate to Elsa is like alcohol to most college students' Anna said once). Elsa sighed in relief and sat down. Her view of the white-haired man was cut off by the long countertop of the main stand, and he wouldn't be able to see her either from his table. So she dropped her head onto the table and silently grumbled to herself.

Olaf. Oh – if he only didn't announce her problems to the world she wouldn't have to go through all this unbearable stress. But it's over now; Jack didn't hear the confession, so she had nothing to worry about. Right? So Elsa returned to her books, grabbing her pencil and twirling it around her fingers as she returned to taking notes on her textbook chapter.

When the sun dipped behind the horizon, Anna came bursting through the coffee shop doors.

"It's freezing outside, Elsa," the younger sister yelled, "I hope you brought a jacket."

"Anna, we still have a customer," Elsa said as she started closing her books and packing her things together. The strawberry-blonde always came after her evening classes to the café to help her sister and cousins close the shop. Usually, there wasn't a customer left, especially on a Friday night. The strawberry shortcake couple left over an hour ago.

But today wasn't a usual day.

Anna paused in her step, whipping around to find the said customer before her eyes landed on the man in the corner with a thin textbook in hand.

"Oh. Um. Jack. Right?" Anna asked. The white-haired man glanced up, nodding his affirmation. "Sorry about that, hope I didn't disturb you. Did you find your phone by the way?"

"No, it's no problem. And yes, I did. Thank you," he replied. Elsa was always impressed with Anna's ability to make conversations with strangers.

Anna smiled before putting all her stuff down onto the chair across from Elsa's and joining her sister behind the counter. The younger sibling had pulled a travelling mug out of her messenger bag and filled it with the remainder of the coffee from the pot. Elsa started closing the cash register, making some hot chocolate to fill up the rest of Anna's mug (the strawberry-blonde always spent Friday nights cramming). Anna started to clean the display case, putting the leftover muffins, scones, bagels, cookies, and cakes into the fridge and taking a lemon poppy-seed muffin for herself.

Jack started to leave as well, putting his laptop away into his leather messenger bag and putting the empty ceramic bowl onto the counter.

"Have a good evening," Elsa murmured. Jack said his thanks quietly and walked out the door.

Come again soon!" Anna yelled after him. The door chime humming his departure merrily.

"Did you ask him?" Anna asked, dropping everything that she was doing – which meant drying the pots – with a clang.

"Yes," Elsa replied. "He said that he didn't know about the things we said afterwards."

Anna grumbled quietly to herself, muttering something that Elsa couldn't make out clearly.

But Elsa was so relieved that nothing else really mattered and returned to doing routine work on a perhaps not so routine day.

You blink your eyes
Is your heart trembling?
Are you suffocating? Are you anxious?
Have you completely fallen for me?

– Why Are You Being Like This, T-ARA

Why Are You Being Like This – T-ARA

Trio in C Minor

Anna couldn't let this go on.

No.

She had enough.

She couldn't let her sister suffer in silence any longer – well more like Anna couldn't sit and watch her sister make the biggest mistake of her life any longer.

So during the weekend, when the sisters often had Olaf and Marshmallow over for dinner at their place, Anna held a family meeting. Elsa had left to do a couple of hours of studying and promised to return to watch a movie with them which left Anna, Marshmallow, and Olaf to play a board game.

"Alright, fellas" Anna started, standing up and slamming her hand down onto the dining room table. The colourful board game pieces went flying, scattering haphazardly across the oak wood. Marshmallow scowled, reaching to catch the pieces before they spun off the table. "There is a life or death situation that we need to address at once."

"What situation?" Marshmallow asked, suspicious and weary of his youngest cousin.

"Elsa and Jack!"

"What about them?" Olaf asked.

"We have got to help the two get together," Anna replied.

"What. Why?"

"You can taste the romantic tension between them!"

Marshmallow groaned, slamming his head down onto the table.

"Okay…How are we going to do that?" Olaf asked.

"Haven't figured that out yet," Anna said as she sat down. "But we are going to find a way; I swear it!"

"Shouldn't we let them figure their own things out?" Marshmallow asked with a sigh.

"Oh, if we leave things be, Elsa will be forty before she even talks to him again other than the 'what would you like to get' spiel."

"Alright, I'm in!" Olaf cried.

"Perfect. Now, I think I might have an idea… after all, the way to a man's heart is his stomach, right?"

The following Wednesday after the meeting at the sister's house was when Anna officially initiated the plan. The Yeti Bro's Coffee Emporium was lavishly decorated for the Christmas season. There were green tinsels winding up the railing of the staircase, Christmas trees with hanging bulbs of silver and gold, bright red bows on all the chairs, and a decorative gingerbread house on every table. The brothers definitely went out of their way to make the coffee shop more festive, and they added a new holiday menu to their current selection as well (with Elsa's help in creating new concoctions).

All in all, the café was the perfect setting for any romantic meeting – and a romantic meeting was exactly what Anna had planned.

Elsa was working today, just as she always does every Wednesday afternoon. The young woman was dressed in the usual black logoed apron of the coffee shop, but underneath she wore a pair of black denim jeans with a white silk top. Her hair was in its…usual plait. Anna tried to convince her sister to let it down this morning, but of course, Elsa said that it wouldn't be professional to have her hair open since she worked. But Anna did manage to convince Elsa to put on some lipstick today: just a shade of soft pink that brightened her already beautiful features.

Anna sat waiting for the moment when the second her intended targets arrived, Olaf and Marshmallow already knew their respectful parts of the plot. If it were entirely up to Anna, she would have already pushed Elsa to ask Jack out, but Marshmallow had persuaded the younger sister to at least try and make things look natural – Elsa would appreciate it more.

The wind-chime on the door rung and when Anna looked up, she nearly squealed in excitement: Jack had arrived. Anna watched as her older sister glanced up from re-arranging the pastry display. The woman smiled softly when she made eye contact with the man. Jack walked up to the counter and, expectantly, ordered the same thing that he always does.

He gave her his credit card.

She took his card. Swiped it. Handing it back to him.

Can it get any more boring?

He nodded his thanks and then he turned, heading to his usual table on the second floor of the café.

"Wait, Elsa, we're out of mac 'n' cheese." Olaf cried loudly, poking his head out of the kitchens.

"But I just served some to another customer ten minutes ago; we can't be out that fast," Elsa said, she tried to slide past Olaf to check, but he refused to budge.

"Well, uh, we – we are out of it now," Olaf quickly said.

"Oh, well," Elsa turned to Jack, who also stopped halfway between the stairs and the counter in all the commotion. "Um, we're out of mac 'n' cheese." She told him.

"But since you've already paid," Marshall suddenly interjected, "how about a special holiday pastry and Elsa makes you one of her own concoctions, instead?"

Elsa's face blanched, and Anna could see the platinum-blonde girl struggle not to protest.

"Um, alright," Jack replied with a shrug and headed up the stairs again.

Elsa turned.

"What do you mean, make one of my special concoctions? You want me to make something off the menu?"

"Yes. Jack's one of our most loyal patrons, and he always orders the same thing. You can… expand his horizons," Marshmallow explained. "Go on; you designed half the drink menu anyway."

Anna stood from her table and ducked behind the counter.

"So what are you going to make?" Anna asked. Her older sister stared at the vast selection of tea leaves, coffee beans, spices, and syrups lining the countertop with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't know…" Elsa replied.

"What do you think he'll like?"

"Hm, maybe an Indian Chai," Elsa replied. "Jack… I don't think Jack likes really sweet drinks but maybe something rich and a little spicy...hm, I don't know if he wants milk and sugar in his tea…"

So, with shaking fingers and lips locked into a thin line, the older sibling started to brew things together into a copper teapot (the only one the café had – 'it's charming,' Olaf said). Elsa put in black tea leaves, cinnamon sticks, Madagascar vanilla, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, some black peppercorns. She boiled water, poured it into the pot and let it steep while leaving to get the cream and sugar. Anna snuck a whiff of the fragrant black tea, sighing at the spicy, warm scent. Elsa had a great talent with this. It was perfect for the cold weather. When Elsa returned, she carried with her a scone.

"Oh, which one is that?" Anna asked.

"Cranberry orange scone with a white chocolate drizzle, Marshmallow just finished icing them," Elsa said. She placed the pot of tea, teacup, creamer and sugar, and the pastry onto a tray and took it up the stairs.

"What do you think?" Anna asked as Marshmallow appearing out of the kitchens carrying a tray of scones to put in the glass display case. "Will she talk to him?"

"I think so. She has to explain what she made, right?" Marshmallow replied.

"And the tea smelled amazing," Anna said. "He's going to fall completely in love with her."

Elsa returned from upstairs much too soon, hugging the tray to her chest with a nervous smile.

"So did you talk to him?" Anna asked, pouncing like a hungry cat on her sister. "Did he fall in love with your delicious, heavenly tea? Did he ask for a date?"

"He didn't even drink it yet," Elsa replied.

"Oh. Then please tell me you actually talked to him."

"I told him what I made," Elsa replied.

"Anything else?"

"…no."

Anna groaned loudly.

But Jack left the café a couple hours later, when the sun fell and the night sky was lit with stars, he stopped by the counter.

"Thank you," he said, awkwardly. "The tea was great."

The next day when Jack came back, Anna made sure to be there too. She ran across campus from her last lecture just to see the white-haired man walk into the café. When Anna slipped into the café after Jack, she saw Elsa immediately slipped back into the routine.

Anna snuck into the back, pretending that wasn't paying attention as she put her bag down and pressed her ear against the kitchen door. Marshmallow was on the other side of the café, delivering an order to a customer and Olaf was the only one in the kitchen. The eldest of the two brothers had little tact, but he'll have to do. Anna waved him closer, signalling him to listen in on the conversation and prepare to make a move.

"Mac 'n' cheese and Americano?"

Jack paused. Hesitating. Anna nearly started jumping like a child. From all the days that Anna saw the man in the café – which was often – he had never hesitated with his usual order.

"Actually…" he said in such a low murmur that Anna barely heard it.

"Would you want the Indian Chai again?" Elsa asked, the hopeful tone in her voice unmistakable. But Anna had other ideas, if Jack hadn't fallen in love with Elsa's Indian Chai, then he should try something else. Anna quickly pushed Olaf out the door.

"Suggest he try something new," Anna hissed.

"Or," Olaf piped in loudly, as if he 'accidently' overheard them. "Would you want to try something new? Elsa is the best barista in the café."

"Uh…" Jack started, glancing behind him at the sound of the door chime. "Sure?"

Elsa nodded, grinning nervously as she entered the order of 'something new' and a mac 'n' cheese in. The white-haired man paid and started heading to his usual spot.

"Wait!" Elsa called. "Um, is there anything you had in mind for a drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Uh," he said again, glancing over his shoulder. "Surprise me."

Elsa sighed, fumbling as prepared another drink.

"What are you going to make this time," Anna asked innocently.

"Moroccan sweet mint green tea," Elsa replied, crushing some aromatic spearmint in a pestle and putting it and cubes of ice into a glass. "If it's good, maybe we'll add it to the summer menu."

Elsa poured the green tea from a pot into a glass, garnishing it with some mint leaves and placed it onto a tray along with the macaroni and cheese.

"Good luck," Anna sang, as her older sister marched up the stairs with the order.

"What do you think will happen this time?" Anna asked, resting her head in her hands. Marshmallow sighed, pausing in the middle of cleaning.

"Anna, you can't force these sort of things," he said. "If it happens, it will because it was meant to be."

Anna grumbled to herself. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

When Elsa returned to report to an overeager interrogation, Anna learnt that her older sister – once again – only spoke several words to the man.

"I think he likes the tea, though," Elsa said, smiling softly to herself as she cleaned the espresso machine.

Thus, with a huff, the younger sister decided it was time to implement Plan B.

It was a Wednesday when Anna came to the café with a friend from her Calculus class. They chose a table closest to the cash register, right between the route that all the employees took around the counter. Anna had her books and notes scattered across the table and her friend, Kristoff, had done the same. But unlike her, he was actually studying with his nose in the pages of his textbook. Anna eyed the door of the café, tapping her pencil impatiently as she glanced at the clock.

"He should be here any minute now," she muttered.

"Anna, are you sure this is going to even work?" Kristoff asked.

"Trust me," Anna replied, leaning in closer to Kristoff to avoid anyone overhearing. "Elsa is a creature of habit. She's always away from the till until a customer arrives. Around this time, she's either clearing the tables or re-stocking the cold drink display. As soon as he enters, she'll smile, return to the front counter – using the same route as always – to take his order and make the order herself. Especially now since he has ordered her specialty-off-the-menu drinks for three days in a row already."

"I still don't think this is right," Kristoff sighed.

"It's fine," Anna replied. "No one's going to get hurt. It'll be an accident. But when we finally hear their wedding bells and I do the Maid of Honour speech, I'll finally tell them that I was the mastermind behind this. Oh and you were my accomplice."

Kristoff sighed, shaking his head. "How are you so sure they're going to get married?"

"I just am," Anna replied. Then, the door chime sang, ringing brightly. Anna snapped her eyes over to the door.

Jack Frost.

The mission has commenced.

"Remember, Kristoff, just like we – "

"Yeah, I know, Anna," Kristoff sighed, Anna's anxiousness now rubbing off of him. The pair watched as Elsa glanced up from clearing a table. She smiled, picking up a tray of dirty dishes and heading back to the main counter. Jack nodded his greeting, walking to the counter as well. Then, just as Elsa passed by Anna's table, Kristoff stretched, intentionally extending his long legs out from underneath the table.

Elsa tripped, unable to dodge the sudden obstacle in time.

The tray in her hands fell, crashing to the ground in a cacophony of broken glass and ceramic. Elsa had caught herself, reaching out for a chair with her right hand and bracing her self against the ground with her left before she face-planted into the broken porcelain and glass.

"Elsa, are you alright?" Marshmallow cried, skipping down the stairs two at a time.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Elsa replied.

"I'm so, so sorry," Kristoff said, standing up. He didn't have to fake his apology, the poor man looked appalled at what he was talked into doing.

"It's alright, it was an accident," Elsa replied, wincing as she slowly moved, as if taking a mental inventory of what hurt and what didn't.

"Oh my god, Elsa, your bleeding!" Anna cried, jumping to her feet and nearly sprinting to her sister's side. But Jack reached the older girl first, taking her wrist gently in his hand.

He inspected the damage done with calm eyes. When Elsa fell, she must have braced her hand in the pile of broken cups and bowls because a shard of glass was imbedded in the pad of her thumb.

"Come in," Jack said, quietly. "We need to remove the glass and stop the bleeding."

"Olaf, get the First Aid Kit. Jack, you can go to the staff break room to take care of it," Marshall commanded, rounding the corner armed with a broom and dustpan. "I'll hold the fort down

Olaf moved quickly, nearly sprinting to the get the First Aid Kit. Jack helped Elsa to her feet, letting her lead the way to the staff room upstairs with his hand still wrapped around her wrist and a hand hovering by her side.

Marshall finished sweeping up the broken pieces of porcelain and glass and after tending to the customers in the store, he sat down across from Kristoff and Anna with a stern look.

"Was is part of your plan?" Marshall asked in a low, grim voice. Kristoff's back straightened and Anna could see beads of sweat sliding down her friend's face as Marshall's eyes bore down on them.

"No," Anna replied. Her voice cracking an octave higher as a prickling of tears blurred her vision. "Elsa was not supposed to get hurt."

Marshmallow sighed, shaking his head. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen."

"Jack was supposed to catch her," Kristoff mumbled miserably.

"He'd need to have lightning speed to make that distance…" Marshmallow replied.

Anna sunk further into her seat. "I didn't think this through. Elsa could have broken her arm or worse."

"Do you think she's okay in there?" Kristoff asked.

"I think she'll be okay," Anna asked, chewing on her lip. "Did you see how quickly Jack reacted?"

"Jack holds a Bachelor of Rehabilitative Medicine," Marshal said. "He probably has some experience."

"Oh, he probably knows how to patch up a – wait. How do you know that, Marshmallow?" Anna asked suspiciously.

The older man scoffed. "I did a background check on him."

"You mean you stalked him on social media until you found his credentials too," Kristoff said.

"Even I didn't go that far!" Anna hissed.

"It's the first boy Elsa has ever shown interest in, I have to make sure he's worthy," Marshall retorted. "But I didn't interfere in anything. And you shouldn't either."

"I guess you're right," Anna mumbled.

"Look," Marshall started. "Some good has come to this. Jack jumped in and he's in there tending to Elsa right now. Maybe they'll hit it off. Maybe they won't. But you cannot interfere anymore, Anna."

"Alright, I won't," Anna sighed, dropping her head into her open, forgotten textbooks. "I'll just keep praying that the two figure things out without me."

"You might want to start off by thanking the gods first," Kristoff said, pointing at stairs with a grin.

Jack and Elsa were walking down the stairs side by side. She had a white bandage wrapped around her palm and her face reddened with a brilliant flush. Jack kept his gaze straight, his lips pressed into a thin line, but there was a soft pink colouring his cheeks. Something that stood out boldly against his pale skin and white hair.

"Emma?" Jack suddenly called, staring at the door. Anna turned to see a young girl accompanied by a man with dark hair enter.

"Ah, thought I'd find you here mate," the man said. "Emma wanted to see the campus, so I picked her up from school."

The girl had familiar features: bright eyes, straight eyebrows, small lips, and a confident gait. She eyed Jack and Elsa as they stood beside each other, a mischievous grin pulling on her lips. Now Anna made the connection: she was Jack's sister, and the man must be a close friend of Jack's.

Well, if she didn't play matchmaker, someone else definitely will.

Author's Note: Edited on March 3rd, 2017.

Until next time.

Cordially,
EireneHarmonia