Elsa hung in the air, feeling the wind whip through her hair as she moved. The wind stung her eyes slightly, preventing her eyes from closing but she didn't care. Jack Frost's warm hand clasped hers ensuring she didn't fall.
She cried out in delight as Jack guided them through the air, swerving in between buildings and skimming the tops of trees. Elsa remembered the first time she'd flown and how she'd hated it. She smiled at the memory, recalling how naïve she'd been.
Elsa looked up at Jack, studying how the wind blew through his hair. Her eyes moved to study the rest of his face, moving over his eyes, skin, cheeks to finally resting on his mouth. As she stared, Elsa wondered, briefly, what his lips would feel like pressed up against hers. She squished the thought almost immediately and adverted her eyes when Jack caught her staring. Elsa turned her head away from him, trying to conceal the blush that was rising to her cheeks.
She snuck a look at Jack. He was studying her, intently. Elsa looked away but could feel his gaze burning into her. She wished he would look away. She didn't like the feeling of him staring at her. She ran her free hand through her hair, searching for something. Anything that might cause Jack to stare at her. Maybe she had a bug in her hair.
When it came out clean, she ran it through again. And again. And again. Each time the result was the same. Why was he looking at her? Was there something on her face, she wondered. Elsa touched her face, searching for a foreign substance. Nothing.
'What?' Elsa asked Jack, unable to take the insecurity anymore.
Jack quickly shook himself, embarrassed that he'd been caught staring.
'Well, uh,' he stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. Elsa wasn't attracted to him and Jack didn't want to admit to her that he was. 'I was just thinking,' he finished lamely.
'About what?' Elsa asked. Had he been thinking about her like she had been him? Hope rose in Elsa's heart.
'About your powers,' Jack replied and Elsa's heart sank. Of course he wasn't thinking about her in that way. She's made herself clear at the start, an action she was beginning to regret. She scolded herself for thinking otherwise. It was foolish to think that he'd ever think about her that way, especially after how she'd treated him.
'They appear to be different from mine, yet the same. I was just wondering how similar they really are,' Jack continued.
'Or how different,' Elsa added.
'Yes, or how different.' Jack was glad they were talking. He needed the distraction to keep his mind from wandering. 'I need a staff to use my powers. You can use yours by yourself. We both create frost and snow but your powers seemed to be more entwined with your emotions.'
'But maybe that's because I'm a girl,' Elsa cut in. 'Girls tend to be more emotional than guys.'
'Really? I thought that only happened because everyone thought it did. Isn't it a stereotype?' Jack didn't think that girls were any more emotional that guys, they just showed it because they thought it was expected of them.
'I don't know,' Elsa replied. She considered what he said. Were girls only adhering to the stereotype? 'I think they are more emotional, but maybe that's just because I am a girl.'
'You're not a girl,' Jack said. Elsa looked at him, startled. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, and point out that she was indeed a girl, when Jack continued. 'You're a woman.' The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. He immediately wished he hadn't said them. Wished he could take them back. It's not that he didn't mean them, he just didn't want her to know he thought about her like that.
Elsa was stunned. She closed her mouth, at loss for words. What did he mean? Is it possible that he thought of her as something more? She shook her head. She was reading too much into it. He was just being nice, that's all.
'So, do think that I might be able to fly?' Elsa asked trying to supress the awkwardness that had fallen between them.
'I think it's possible,' Jack replied. 'But I'm not entirely sure.'
'Why don't we try it?' Elsa asked. 'You take me up higher and let me go and I'll try to fly. If I fail, you can catch me.'
'I don't know,' Jack said. He thought about what Elsa was proposing. It sounded okay but he was sure something was going to go wrong. 'There's more to flying than just doing.'
'Okay, tell me what to do.'
Jack considered, trying to find words to express how he flew. 'Well,' he began. 'Uh… um… you have to…' he searched for words but failed to find any. Elsa looked at him expectantly. 'It's hard to explain,' Jack finished.
'Try,' Elsa encouraged soothingly.
Jack thought about how he flew. It just came naturally to him. He didn't need to learn at all.
'Um, this is just an idea,' he began. 'But when I fly, I clear my mind of all thoughts and feelings. Everything else comes down to intent. With every form of magic, you need to have strong intentions.'
'Okay, so clear head, strong intent. Got it,' Elsa replied. It didn't sound that complicated.
'That's what I think I do. I don't really know,' Jack said. 'It comes naturally to me. I don't have to think about it at all. It should be like that for you but this might work.' Jack didn't want Elsa to try and fail, then blame him. He didn't want her to get hurt. He couldn't live with the guilt if something happened to her.
'I want to try it,' Elsa said confidently. When Jack opened his mouth to argue, she cut him off. 'It's my decision. If I get hurt, it's my fault.'
Jack thought it over. He could always catch her. It was risky but he knew she'd have to try it eventually.
'Okay,' he relented.
Elsa smiled. She was finally going to learn to fly.
Jack changed direction, flying upwards into the sky. Higher and higher they climbed, the air getting colder and thinner. Jack stopped, Elsa dangling from his arm.
'Are you ready?' he asked her.
Elsa looked down. They'd flown out of Arendelle and now hovered above the ocean. The water was clear and blue with tiny waves flowing past. She gulped as the enormity of the task hit her. She was going to fall all the way down there? No, she consoled herself. She was going to fly.
'Yes' Elsa nodded determinedly.
Jack breathed in. He couldn't make himself let go. Gathering all his courage, Jack released Elsa's hand.
Elsa felt Jack tense. Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt Jack's hand slip from hers and suddenly she was falling.
Through the air she fell, her arms flailing, trying to grab onto something. Anything. Elsa screamed as the ocean rushed up to meet her. Intent, she reminded herself. It's all about intent. Clear your mind.
Elsa tried to calm herself but her efforts were futile. It was impossible to calm yourself while you were falling through the air to the ocean.
Fly, Elsa commanded herself. Her screams surrounded her. The ocean came closer to her. Elsa's screams sounded louder and louder. Where was Jack?
'Jack!' Elsa screamed. 'Help.'
The ocean rushed closer. Elsa tried to curl into a ball, and braced for impact. She was sure this was the end. She thought the impact would surely kill her. Tears flooded from her eyes. Anna, she thought. I love you and I'm so sorry. I wish I told you everything. I don't know how to express my feelings towards you.
10 meters. 5 meters.
'Jack!' Elsa screamed again. She closed her eyes and was suddenly jerked upwards. She felt arms envelop her and she stopped moving.
Hovering in the air, she took shaky breaths and pressed her face into Jack's chest, clinging onto his jumper. She sobbed, her chest heaving in loud, convulsing movements.
Jack held Elsa close, stroking her hair and murmuring soft words of comfort. He clutched her to his chest, his heart pounding. He'd almost lost her. He'd never let her go again.
'Elsa,' he whispered, placing his lips on top of her head. 'It's okay. You're safe now.'
Elsa sobbed, her tears staining Jack's jumper. Her breathing gradually slowed down, returning to its regular pattern.
They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. It probably was but as it was night, there was no way to tell.
'Jack,' Elsa murmured. She lifted her face from his chest. 'Thank you.'
'You're welcome,' Jack replied. 'Are you ready to go now?'
Elsa nodded, tears staining her cheeks. 'I guess I can't fly.'
'I didn't think you could,' Jack confessed. 'I could fly from the moment I was created. When you freaked out the first time I took you flying, I knew you weren't like me.'
'Then why did you let me go?'
'I thought there was a chance you were right. There is so much we haven't discovered about your powers. I couldn't pass up the chance.'
Elsa nodded in understanding. Jack kept her in his embrace and took off.
Elsa made him stop almost immediately. She didn't like flying on her back, not being able to see where she was going. She climbed onto Jack's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
'Where are we going,' Elsa asked and Jack pulled a strange object from his jacket pocket.
Jack shook the object viciously. Fake snow swirled around inside. 'This is a snow globe,' Jack explained. 'When I throw it, it will create a portal to my land.'
Jack held the globe to his lips and whispered, 'North Pole.' He threw the snow globe and Elsa watched in amazement as it impacted with the air and burst, creating a portal made of light. Colours danced off the portal and an image formed in the centre. Elsa could see white. Everything was covered in snow.
A chill came from the portal, making Elsa's skin tingle. She shivered slightly and Jack flew into the portal.