After flinging the wardrobe open, Elsa had carefully pulled out the outfit that she had chosen to wear for her date with Jack. She had spent over an hour chatting online with Lana about the day. Together, her and Lana had gone over all possible clothing options for the date.
She hadn't been given a lot of clues about the date, so knowing what to wear had proven difficult. Jack had remained pretty vague when discussing the date and had told her to wear warm clothes that would be suitable for time spent outside. He had also warned her that their day included a bit of a drive to reach their destination. His last instruction had been that he would pick her up at 11am and to let her parents know that she would be home by 11pm that evening.
With that in mind, Elsa had turned to Lana and had Skype called her. Thanks to Lana's advice, she had settled on a pair of dark skinny jeans with a cream-coloured cashmere sweater and a warm black trench coat which she paired with black boots. She had applied a light dusting of makeup over her face and had styled her long platinum-blonde hair into a French braid. Her black beanie and gloves had been slipped into her handbag, just in case.
Sighing, she leaned in to catch one last glimpse at her appearance. Once satisfied, she made her way downstairs and entered the lounge room. She settled herself in the chair and pulled a book onto her lap. Her eyes glanced around the empty house and she sighed. She had already sent a text to let Jack know that she was currently home alone and he'd replied instantly to let her know that he would be making his way to pick her up from her door.
Jack could feel the nerves building as he slowly eased his car up the Blanchard's driveway before turning the motor off. He placed his fingers on his hand and gave the skin on the back of his hand a light pinch in order to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. It still felt surreal to him to think that he was about to take Elsa on a date.
He had spent the night before going over his plans for the date with his cousin, Thia. Thia had picked up on his crush on Elsa even before he had realised what it was. She had also been one of the few people who didn't tease him about the years he had spent crushing on Elsa, or the fact that their families hated each other.
As a result, she had been the only one he had felt he could turn to for clothing advice. He had approached her the night before and had told her about the date that he had planned. Thia had reacted instantly. She had leapt from her desk to give him a big hug. Once she had got over the excitement, she had dragged him into his room and had sorted through his wardrobe. Within minutes she had settled on a pair of dark denim jeans, a long-sleeve grey t-shirt and his black leather jacket. She had bundled the items into his arms and had told him to wear it with his nicest cologne.
Shaking his head, he glanced in the rearview mirror. His eyes settled on his tousled hair and he made one last futile attempt to smooth it down before exiting the car. He glanced up at the imposing mansion and slowly began walking towards the front door.
Taking a deep breath, he rung the doorbell. For a split second, he feared that he may be walking into a trap and that Elsa would not be home alone like she had said.
Slowly, the door opened and he let out a breath of relief as he saw that Elsa was, indeed, alone. Grinning, he glanced over her. She looked gorgeous as usual and he couldn't help notice the bashful smile on her face. He heard a small cough and shook his head when he realised that he had been caught staring.
"Uh hi," he stammered and ran a hand through his hair. "You look gorgeous, as always."
Blushing, Elsa turned to pick up her handbag. "Thank you, Jack. You look nice as well," she remarked as she pulled the door shut behind her.
"So, what made you decide to say yes?" Jack asked as he carefully steered the car onto the highway that would lead them out of the suburbs. "To the date, I mean."
Beside him, Elsa shuffled in her seat while she contemplated her answer. "Pity," she teased and waggled her eyebrows.
He gasped and turned to glance at her. "You know, as sad as it is, I'll take it. Pity date it is," he joked, pumping his fist triumphantly.
He heard the sound of Elsa letting out a soft chuckle and smiled.
"Truth be told, Jack, I don't know." Elsa began, stealing a tentative look at him from behind her lashes. "It's just, something has changed between us. You're not the guy I judged you to be. I admit that at times you have frustrated me, but you have also come to be one of the few people who I feel that I can be myself with. I like that, Jack."
He could feel the blush creep over his cheeks from her words. Reaching over, he took hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm glad that you finally decided to give me this chance. For what it's worth, you are everything I knew you to be and so much more," he admitted before releasing her hand.
"Oh...err," Elsa stammered before bending down to reach into her handbag. "I brought some snacks."
Grinning, he turned his head to look at her. He noticed the light blush that had settled on her pale cheeks as she held open a bag of mixed sweets to him.
Elsa sighed. Jack had not been lying when he had told her that they had a bit of a drive to reach their destination. After ninety minutes in the car, they had finally pulled off the highway and entered the quaint ski resort town of Brevik. She had gasped upon seeing the welcome sign and her eyes had fallen on an assortment of banners advertising the town's annual winter carnival.
Despite the length of time in the car, the drive had been pleasant. They had chatted about a variety of subjects with topics ranging from the serious to the more light-hearted stuff. Whenever Jack had felt the topic was bordering on too serious, he would pull a goofy face or say something that would have her clutching her sides in laughter.
"What exactly do you have planned, Jack?" she asked as he pulled the car into a park outside a small cafe.
"Well, for starters, lunch," Jack smiled as he switched the motor off.
She blushed as he held his hand out and told her to remain seated. A few seconds later, he had exited the car and darted around to open the door for her. "After lunch, there's a few activities that I've planned," he explained.
She felt Jack's hand lightly graze her back as he guided her towards a small cafe. Skipping ahead, he held open the door and led her towards a small table in the corner. Pulling out her chair, he waited for her to sit down before taking his own seat and handing her a menu.
"Are you going to let me pay for my lunch today?" she asked as she skimmed over the menu.
"Nope," Jack smirked and signalled for the waiter to come take their order.
Twirling a stray strand of hair between her fingers, she leaned in and caught Jack's gaze. "Well, seeing as you're not going to let me pay for lunch, the least you can do is tell me what you have planned," she coaxed.
Leaning back on his chair, he clasped his arms firmly behind his head and smirked at her. "Nice try, Princess. Not going to happen though, it's a surprise," he countered.
Sighing, she pulled her phone out of her handbag and leaned back against her chair. "Fine. I'll just ring my dad and ask him if he could come pick me up," she teased.
Jack leant forward as the waitress placed their orders in front of them. "You and I both know
you won't do that," he scoffed.
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. She watched as he took a bite of his hamburger, never failing to keep his gaze fixed on her. "Is that so, Jackson? Do tell me. Why won't I ring my dad?" she smirked
Jack smirked. "It's simple. You like me too much," he shot back before running a hand through his tousled hair.
Groaning, she leaned down to grab a clean napkin. Scrunching it into a ball, she tossed it at Jack. "Don't get cocky, Jack. After all, this is only the first date," she pointed out.
Jack grinned as he watched Elsa wander around the park in amazement.
He knew that she was desperate to know what he had planned. She had spent all of their lunch trying to coax the plans out of him, but to no avail. Although, he had to admit she had given it her best shot and had tried everything from flattery, to threats and even playful insults to get him to reveal his plans.
Truth be told, he had been pretty pleased with the date that he had planned. He had seen a post which mentioned the resort town of Brevik on a friends Facebook page. The name had stood out and he had realised that it had been a while since he had visited the popular ski town. He had clicked on the town's website and had discovered that the annual winter carnival was on. The town was located ninety minutes from Arendelle and would provide enough distance that he could relax in Elsa's company without either of them having to worry about being spotted.
After they had finished lunch, he had led her towards the main street. They had walked at a slow, relaxed pace and had woven in and out of the various stores. Elsa had remained close to his side until she had spotted a display of cuddly toys. He had watched as she had let out a soft squeal of delight before she had rushed into the shop to inspect a soft toy penguin with the name Brevik stitched onto its small red scarf.
He had spotted a selection of humorous books and had pointed her in their direction. Once she had been successfully distracted, he had picked up the cuddly penguin and had purchased it for her. He had then moved to stand by her side and had encouraged her to leave the store. Outside the store, he had presented her with the gift. Upon seeing the gift, her face had broken into a delighted smile and she had wrapped her arms around the toy before lifting her head to thank him.
After a few more minutes, they had reached the town square. Elsa's eyes had widened as she took in the various stalls that had been set up. Each stall offered a different product with everything from; jewellery, plants, arts and crafts, baked goods as well as secondhand books available to buy. It hadn't taken Elsa long to find a stall that she liked. Jack had waited patiently while she had stopped to inspect a delicate pair of handmade earrings in the shape of a star. She had then fallen into an animated discussion with the jewellery maker and had purchased the earrings.
"Jack, look!" she had gasped. Gripping his hand, she had led him towards the kerb where a horse drawn sleigh had been waiting for customers.
Grinning, he had looked at the wide-eyed look on her face. He had dug into his wallet to retrieve a $20 note and had handed it to the handler. Once he had paid for their ride, he had carefully assisted her into the sleigh. He had then pulled her down to sit beside him and had wrapped a blanket over their legs. The ride had lasted all of twenty minutes and Elsa's smile had never disappeared from her face as she had watched the main shopping district pass her by.
Once the ride had finished, he had led her back to his car. After they had climbed in the car, he had pulled out his phone and had entered the address that he had saved into the car navigation system. He had then started the motor and had followed the directions of the computerised voice until they had arrived at a restaurant and gallery on the banks of a lake.
Elsa's eyes widened as she took in the view of the frozen lake nestled amongst the snow-capped trees. "Jack, this place is absolutely beautiful!" she exclaimed.
She turned to watch as Jack locked the car before turning to face her. "It is beautiful," he agreed, his eyes never leaving her.
Blushing, she turned her head to focus on the winter wonderland in front of her. She could hear the sounds of dogs barking in the distance and soft music playing. Looking around, she saw signs which pointed towards a restaurant as well as ice sculptures and an ice skating rink.
Slowly, she set off. She fell into step with Jack as they walked down a path. Within seconds, Jack's hand had found itself to rest lightly on her lower back as he guided her towards a section on the side of the lake.
"I thought it may be nice to check out some ice sculptures," Jack said as he nodded towards the display of intricately carved artwork.
Smiling, she allowed herself to be led towards a large ice sculpture. "I have no complaints," she said. "This all looks so amazing!"
She followed Jack as he wove in and out of the different sculptures. The sheer talent of the work left her speechless and she couldn't help feeling a sense of sadness in knowing that the hard work would be lost as soon as the warm weather returned.
"You've got to admit, it's pretty cool," Jack grinned.
She looked up to where he had stood. Her eyes took in the lopsided grin on his face and the twinkle in his eyes as his eyes darted between her and a large polar bear sculpture. Rolling her eyes, she groaned at him.
"Oh come on, Jack! Cool because it's ice. I expected more from you. You're going to have to do better than that," she teased before skipping ahead to the next statue.
"Not fair, Elsa," pouted Jack as he threw one last look at the polar bear before joining her at the next sculpture. "You, my dear, are one tough woman to impress."
Chuckling, she turned to face him. "Yet you persist," she quipped and reached out to gently nudge him in the chest. "Which means that either I'm worth it, or you are just stubborn.
She watched as Jack shook his head so that a strand of his silver-white hair fell over his eye. He winked at her before bowing his head and mumbling something that she couldn't understand.
Tilting her head, she looked at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"
"Nevermind," Jack muttered as he lifted his head, allowing her to see the hint of a blush on his pale cheeks. "I'll tell you later...maybe."
Biting her lip, she looked at him. She desperately wanted to know what he had mumbled, but decided not to press the issue. Instead, she turned and started to walk towards the end of the display. However, a tug on her hand stopped her. Pouting, she turned to face Jack.
"Sorry," he said glancing at her expression. "I've got something else planned."
Shrugging, she allowed Jack to lead her through the crowd until they had reached a different part of the lake. She heard a bark and turned to find herself in front of a dog sled that was attached to a pack of Siberian Huskies. Cocking her head, she caught sight of the mischievous grin on Jack's face and she gasped.
"Jack, no!" she protested. "This is too much. You don't have to - "
"No it's not, Elsa. Come on, it will be fun," he said as he tugged her towards the dog handler.
Jack let out a sigh of relief. After talking to the dog sled handler, he was relieved to discover that the last ride was being run at 5pm. They had cut it fine by arriving at 4:30pm, but thankfully the handler had one slot open and had agreed to take him and Elsa out at 5pm for the 10 minute ride around the small lake.
Having paid for the ride, he had then led Elsa to a small stand which was selling hot drinks. Digging in his wallet, he pulled out a note to pay for two hot chocolates complete with marshmallows. They had then found a small picnic table under shelter and had sat down while nursing their drinks.
Glancing up, he noticed how a few strands of hair had come out from her braid and were blowing in the soft winter breeze. She lifted her head to catch his gaze and let out a soft giggle.
Frowning, he looked around for a sign of what had caught her eye. "What?" he asked. "What's so funny?"
Elsa chuckled. She slid her hand in her handbag before pulling out a small packet of tissues and removing one. "You have a hot chocolate moustache," she said.
Blushing, he ran his tongue over his lips. "How about now?" he asked.
Shaking her head, she leaned in. "Let me," she murmured softly. Gently, she raised the tissue to dab at his lips before she pulled back. "Right, it's all gone."
He could feel his cheeks heating up from the contact. "Oh, err thanks," he stammered. Checking his watch, he looked at her. "We better get back to the dogs."
Standing to his feet, he waited for Elsa to stand before taking their empty cups and tossing them in the nearest bin. They walked side by side until they had reached the dog sled. Together, they stood and listened to the handler's instructions on how to sit in the sled.
Slowly, he lowered himself into the sled with his legs left wide open. He watched as Elsa turned to listen to the handler before lowering herself down. He could feel his heart pounding as she sat in front of him before edging herself backwards so that she was resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.
His eyes glanced down as he took in the intimate position that they were in. Leaning forward, he hovered his mouth by her ear. "If you're not comfortable like this, let me know. We can always go do something else," he whispered.
He heard her draw in a breath before she tilted her head to face him. "No, it's okay, Jack. I'm fine," she murmured.
Blushing, he settled back against the back of the sled. He watched as the handler turned to check they were ready and tightened his grip on Elsa. The handler gave the word and directed the dogs on a lap around the lake. Grinning, he buried his head on Elsa's shoulder and listened as her soft laughter filled the air. He felt a squeeze on his hands and looked down to notice that Elsa had placed her hands on top of his own.
He let out a sigh of content as the handler brought the dogs to a halt. Reluctantly, he let go of Elsa so that she could stand to her feet.
"That was amazing!" Elsa exclaimed as he stood to her feet beside her. "Jack, thank you. I've never done anything like that before. I loved it."
Grinning, he turned to smile at her. "You're welcome."
Elsa smiled as she looked up to the sky.
After finishing their dog sled ride, Jack had led her towards the restaurant on the banks of the lake. He had led her to a small table for two with a view over the lake. Once again, he had refused to accept any payment for her meal. Instead, he had joked that when he ran out of money, he would go to her for a loan.
She had laughed and shook her head while he had bowed his head to take another bite of his lasagne. After swallowing his bite of food, he had looked up and had caught her gaze.
"Are you okay?" he had asked.
She had taken a small sip of her wine before she'd looked at him. "Never been better," she'd answered truthfully.
After they had finished their meal, they had made their way back towards the lake. Jack had taken her hand and had led her towards a quieter, less populated area while they had waited for the fireworks to start.
As soon as the clock had hit 7pm, the show had started. The sky had been lit up in a variety of colours. She had felt her inner child come out as she stood and watched the colourful bursts fill the night sky.
"You're worth it," Jack whispered as his breath tickled her ear.
Flinching, she turned to face him. His blue eyes were staring at her and a shy smile had appeared on his face.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Jack didn't answer for a while. Instead, he stepped closer and looked into her eyes. After taking a deep breath, he answered. "You asked me what I said when we were down at the ice sculptures," he explained. "I said that you are worth it."
Blinking, she thought back to earlier in the afternoon and the words that had been said. "Oh...oh," she blushed.
Looking up, she watched as his arms crept around her back and pulled her closer to him. "Jack, I -" she began.
"Elsa, can you please let me say this? Before I lose my nerve," Jack interrupted.
She nodded. "Okay, sure," she replied. She watched as his eyes glanced between her and the ground.
Jack opened his mouth and exhaled loudly. "Elsa, I'm in love with you." he admitted. "I've been crazy, stupidly, head-over-heels in love with you ever since the moment I first saw you, eight years ago. I never meant to annoy you. It was just, in the past whenever I got close to you I would lose my nerve and turn into a complete, hopeless idiot. You're the reason I never bothered to date other girls. I always held onto this crazy idea that maybe one day, I would be able to convince you that I'm not a complete idiot. I just kept hoping that one day you would get to know me."
Blinking, she looked up to face him. She could feel the smile on her face widening as she studied his face. She watched as he bit his lip while his eyes flicked between her own eyes and her lips.
Gulping, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Jack, I.."
She let her voice trail off. Slowly, she tightened her arms around his neck as she brought herself closer to him. She could feel her heart pounding from within her chest and wondered if it was possible that he could feel it too, given how close they were. Tilting her head, she slowly leaned in and focused her eyes on his. As she drew closer, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and kissed him.
She felt herself smiling into the kiss as Jack's arms moved to tighten their hold on her. Slowly, she moved one hand to cup the back of his head as she deepened the kiss. She couldn't help noticing how lips were softer and he was much gentler than she had expected. She felt her body relax as all her doubts and insecurities seemed to melt away. Everything felt so right, being in his arms and kissing him.
Bashfully, they broke the kiss. She couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I like you, Jack," she confessed. "I mean, I like you as more than a friend. I really like you."
"I know," he teased before placing a kiss on her forehead. "After all, I am irresistible."
Reaching her hand up, she gently swatted him on the head. "Shut up," she murmured, chuckling softly. "Don't make me regret telling you that."
Jack chuckled before loosening his grip on her. "You're stuck with me," he teased. "That said, we should probably think about heading home. It's almost 8pm and we need to get you home before your parents send out a search party."
She nodded and pulled out of his grip. Leaning down, she grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers as he began to lead the way back to his car.
It had taken every ounce of Jack's willpower to not leap into the air and shout to the world that Elsa had kissed him. Instead, he had taken to touching his lips and trying to savour the feeling of her lips on his. Everything about the kiss had been perfect. From the location, to the timing and the setting. He may have had to wait eight years for it, but it had been well worth the wait.
Despite his lack of experience, he was certain that as far as first dates went, his had been perfect. The activities that he had planned had all been well-received and the night had ended with Elsa confessing that she liked him and their kiss. He hadn't wanted to leave Brevik, although, the feeling of Elsa's hand in his as they walked back to his car had been nice.
The drive back to Arendelle had been relaxed. Elsa had cuddled the toy penguin, which he had bought her and had thanked him for their date. However, despite the wonderful evening they had shared, he hadn't failed to notice the way the mood had changed as they had neared Arendelle.
Reluctantly, he inched the car towards her neighbour's house. He turned the engine off and turned to face her. "So," he began. "This is the part that I'm not so keen on."
Slowly, she unbuckled her belt. Leaning down, she slipped her toy penguin back into the paper shopping bag. She sighed and turned to face him. "Jack, I've had the best day and night of my life. I've not had this much fun in a long time," she said and reached to grip his hand. " Thank you for today and for the last few weeks. Thank you for not giving up on me and for helping me to see you, the real you."
He blushed and reached over to wrap his arms around her. Leaning down, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "Jamie did warn you that I don't give up easily. Also, as I said you are worth it. I've known for a long time that you are so worth it," he whispered. "Besides, I meant what I said earlier, you are stuck with me now."
He smiled, reaching over to wrap his arms around her, gently placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Jamie did warn you that I don't give up easily, and you're worth it. I've known for a long time that you are worth it," he whispered."Besides, I meant what I said earlier. You're stuck with me now."
He watched as a wide smile graced her porcelain face once again. "Thank you," she cried.
Leaning in, she pressed a kiss to his lips. He felt her hand move to stroke at his face before she broke the kiss. Biting her lip, she gave him one last glance before she turned and exited the car.
He kept his eyes trained on Elsa as she trudged up the driveway and entered her house. Pulling away from the kerb, he thought about all the people who would be waiting to hear about their date. He knew that his cousin and their friends would all be keen to hear his report, but for tonight he wanted to keep the details between him and Elsa. After all, he had waited eight years for the perfect moment. Their friends and his cousin could wait a few more hours to discover that he'd kissed her.
Some of you have wondered if Lana and Fred are based on real people. The answer is yes. Lana's based loosely off a very special woman.
Thank you to all who review for your comments/ reviews/ time spent reading. Your support makes my day :)
As always Keep Calm and Ship Jelsa