Winter Lovers Chapter 7: Walking on thin ice, a Rise of the Guardians + Frozen Crossover fanfic

Jack

I confess: I have the bad habit of trusting too much on people.

But hey, when you're a spirit and spend most of your life only existing and no one can see you, feel your presence or touch you, you kind end up much more carefree about everything. Alright, I wasn't much worried when I was alive either. After all, If I wasn't I wouldn't have ended underneath a frozen lake. But that's another story.

The thing is, I just felt so amazed by Elsa, since the beggining, that I eneded up getting closer without even thinking. Not only because she was really beautiful, but also because I have never met someone that could control the ice that way. I have never met someone like me. And that's why I didn't think twice before I started to follow her across the mountains.

Elsa said she didn't know how to stop the snow, but she did say that there were some beings hiding in the mountains, trolls, that could help us. She said that, perhaps, with my help, she could find a way to decrease this blizzard.

However, we were walking along for minutes now and Elsa didn't say a word along the way.

Indeed, she kept the gaze fixed on the road ahead and, once again, I felt like nobody could see me. Therefore, I thought it wouldn't hurt if I tried to make a conversation.

- So... How does this ice thing works ? I mean, did you were born with this or something ? Always did that ?

She sneaked a look at me, analyzing me suspiciously for some seconds before she finally answered:

- Yes, since I was a kid.

- And you don't even know why, princess ?

- I'm a Queen. And no, I don't know why.

- But, if you always knew how to control the snow, then why can't you control the blizzard?

- I don't know! – She suddenly exploded, causing an increase on the blizzard around us, and I retreated in fright. She corrected herself, decreasing the blizzard; a regretful expression on her face, lowering her eyes. – I'm sorry. I never really learned the proper way to control my powers. It was easier when I was a kid. But, over the years it grew stronger and increasingly difficult to control.

- Oh. – I spoke, taking the risk and floating on her direction again. – I understand. And you don't know why this blizzard got out of control now ?

She hesitated again, glancing over the snow covered hills. Silence was above us for a long time, before she turn down her eyes and say, almost in a whisper:

- I don't know. – She said, turning the back on me and continuing to walk. – But the trolls can help us.

I spent some time looking at Elsa's back, seeing her walk away. She always seemed so cold and sad, just like the winter that fell over these lands. I felt some tightness in my chess. It was weird to see someone around me with such a sad countenance. As a guardian, I was used to see smiling faces and to hear people's laugh. Whether they came from my teammates – North's hoarse and severe laugh or Easter's and Tooth's happy faces while they observed the kids, even Sandy's serene smile while he was weaving dreams around the cities – or from the children having fun by getting gifts, slipping on snow or finding hidden eggs. I realized that seeing such a sad face on Elsa was really painful to me.

- Elsa.- I spoke, stepping foward. She turned her face back to put myself in her vision, and I slid up in the air until her. – You were the one who did that castle, weren't you ? With your powers ?

She blinked sometimes, looking surprise and confused, as if she was trying to read my words. A few moments later she nodded. I smiled, holding her hands without further permission. I felt that she tried to retread at first, automatically, as if she wasn't used to any kind of touch. But, something in my hands touch surprised her, forcing her to look at our hands together, it was like she couldn't believe that was happening. The funny thing is that I could imagine how she felt. After all, not so long ago, when I tried to touch someone, my hand went through people, ghostly.

- You don't need to be afraid or ashamed of your powers. For real! That's incredible! If you can do something so amazing and beautiful like that castle, there's no way you can be a bad person. People might not understand you. Trust me, for so long, even I was confused about why I had my powers. But after you start to believe in yourself people will also believe in you.

- People... will...believe...in me ? – She said, as if she was still absorbing the words, like a child.
Still looking to our hands with a confused expression. Then she suspended her look, again, she had a questioning and suspicious look. – And how would I do that ?

- Well...- I released her hands and shrugged, stepping away with a smile on my face – First of all, you have to find you what your powers can do. What they are meant for.

The queen was still staring at me with a questioning look, analyzing me. Finally she straightened her shoulders and folded her arms, raising an eyebrow as if she doubted my words.

- And what are your powers meant for, Jack Frost ?

My smile widened, crooked and full of bad intentions. I jumped into the air, making my bare feet float over the snow and I approached the queen again, staring at her, our faces were too close, what suddenly left her speechless and static. The perfect chance I was looking for…

- To make you laugh!

And I touched my staff next to Elsa's feet, making a toboggan that ran through the hills of the valley.

-Oh!

The ice queen slipped and I slid behind her. I wasn't sure if I'd made the right decision getting closer to Elsa in that way, but, like I said before, I was always carefree anyways. Besides, I think it was worth it. After all, while she was sliding through the icy hills…

I could hear Arendelle's queen soft and fun laugh.

Elsa

I confess: I didn't know how to act in that situation. How could I slow him down long enough so I could find out some weakness and, at the same time, there were a question running through my mind: how could I control myself ? How could I keep the calmness and the coldness needed to calculate my thoughts ? With Jack I was treading on thin ice. Almost literally.

I looked ahead and hurried myself. I didn't want to look at him, I didn't want to meet his eyes, he could find out the truth. The truth is that, even though he was cheerful and playful, I could see some loneliness behind that. We were widely the same in different circumstances: he was loved by the children and I, although Arendelle's people acceptance, I had the feeling that they accepted me only because I was their queen.

Slowly, I breathed in and out. Mentally repeating to myself the mantra my parents taught me: "conceal, don't feel".

After a long time – I couldn't precise how long, actually – he broke the silence with his gentle voice:

- So... How does this ice thing works ? I mean, did you were born with this or something ? Always did that ?

I stopped, static, frozen. It wasn't the frozen I'm used to cause, but an internal frozen, as if my whole body was immobilized by a spell, inside out.

It took me all my concentration capacity to turn to him, sneaking my look. I cound't help a suspicious look.

- Yes, since I was a kid.

I thought I had closed the subject with this answer, but he seemed insatiable. He went on:

- And you don't even know why, princess ?

- I'm a Queen. And no, I don't know why.

Now, my voice was already an octave higher. Altough I was still trying to control myself my hands were shaking. I clenched them, on an attempt to hide it. I couldn't lose control. Not in front of him, not now.

- But, if you always knew how to control the snow, then why can't you control the blizzard?

- I don't know! – I yelled. My hands were now open in an attack position, the blizzard around us getting stronger.

I could see his eyes widen in shock and he retreating. When I realized, I took a deep breath many times – what felt like an eternity – and finally I manage to decrease the blizzard a bit.
Pain come to my chest. I'd put everything to lose. I bowed my head, only thinking about Anna. – I'm sorry. – I said, much more for Anna's imagine in my mind than to him –I never really learned the proper way to control my powers. It was easier when I was a kid. But, over the years it grew stronger and increasingly difficult to control.
I rested one of my hands in my other arm awkwardly.

- Oh…- He said, walking in my direction – I understand. And you don't know why this blizzard got out of control now ?

On seeing him approaching, I hesitated. This guy really liked some proximity! I ran my eyes over the white snow hills, avoiding his look. Still avoiding him, I looked down and said:

- I don't know. – I turned my back at him and started to walk again – But the trolls can help us.

My idea, or hope, or whatever it is, is that the trolls could give us a hint or clue that was good enough for Jack and I to get closer for a while. Even if they really had a way to end this blizzard. Time was everythingl I needed.

For someone who needed to get closer, to find a weakness, to approach I was going down.

The silence that hung between us was almost as deep as the blizzard.

- Elsa. – He spoke, breaking the silence again – You were the one who did that castle, weren't you? With your powers ?

I turned to him, blinking my eyes in confusion. A happy and amazed expression across his face.
Altough those eyes looked lonely they were also eyes from someone truly happy. I tried to decipher his face, imagining if there weren't something behind all that while he was smiling at me, getting even more closer until he hold my hands.

I froze again. Fear spread all around me when I felt that touch. Different from what I imagined – I'm not saying I really imagined – he had warm and soft hands. I retreated with the touch, wich brought me the memory that even when I used to wear gloves, no one ever touched me before beside my parents. Everyone were afraid of me. Then I realized that he also looked at me as an equal, with respect.

I gave a slight smile. A disbelief and grief smile. He was telling me that I was a good person while I was plotting a mental plan to give him to Pitch. A life for a life. The problem is: before the other life was only from a distant person, only a name. Now it had a face, a voice, a smile. And its hands on mine.

- People...will...believe...in me? – I couldn't see how people will believe in me when even I didn't. When even I was questioning my own acts, pretty much like I am doing right now.

I realized I was still looking at his hands. It took all my strength and concentration to suspend my gaze, like nothing were wrong or suspicious. – And how would I do that ?

- Well...- He released my hands and shrugged, stepping away with a smile on the face – First of all, you have to find you what your powers can do. What they are meant for.

"This is simple: they're meant to destruction, to cause pain and suffering to those around me." I thought. "Like Anna…Like my parents…Like Kristoff…My kingdom, harshly punished...Like...you."

I pushed this thoughts away from my head and folded my arms. I refused to mull this over and over again. Raised an eyebrow, trying to provoke him as a challenge.

- And what are your powers meant for, Jack Frost ?

I could see his smile widen, crooked and mean, like some movie guys did when they were planning something.

He jumped in the air and got closer, his face too close from my. He was too close for comfort.

I guess he never heard of personal space, because he always cross this line. Everytime. Perhaps, some human contact could be good for him. But what do I know about human contact ?

- To make you laugh!

He touched his staff on my feet. A cold touch. When I looked, there were a toboggan, not only below me, but through the with hills on the valley.

- OH!

Not a minute spent since his face was next to mine, then I slid, falling on the floor and sliding.

I noticed he followed me. I couldn't control myself, at that moment I was laughing. I was happy and feeling free, like I only felt six months ago. That guy really knew how to make someone like winter.