Hi again!
I was certainly surprised at how many views, favorites, follows and reviews this story has gotten, and its only the FIRST chapter! Seriously, I was so shocked. I wanna thank you guys so much for taking time to read this. So, as a thank you present, I'm posting the second chapter. YAY!
Thank you so much! Don't be afraid to write a review, or to give it a favorite or a follow. Criticisms or compliments are welcomed.
Here's the second chapter, ENJOY!
**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, Frozen, Disney, Dreamworks or any other movie/characters that would be mentioned in this story.**
Taking Chances
Chapter 2: The Morning After
It was a lovely Saturday morning. The birds were chirping their morning song, the tranquility of the morning atmosphere loosened the nerves, soft snores were escaping the lips of each person sleeping in due to the morning of the weekend, and the garish light from the blazing sun was slightly masked by the serenity of the white cotton-like clouds. Elsa and Jack were peacefully lying in bed, their limbs tangled all together as they held each other close under the soft cream-white comforter.
The sun light was seeping through the curtains of the bedroom window's transparent glass. The light hitting Elsa's gentle sleeping form, making her eyes flitter slightly open; her vision blurred. Tired from exhaustion, she decides to close her eyes to drift off to sleep once more as she cuddles the cold and robust being on her right. Realizing that the being wasn't an it but a who, Elsa snapped her eyes open and sat up to see who the person was. She saw Jack, sleeping and softly snoring with strands of his hair covering his slumbered eyes. He looks so peaceful., she thought, smiling at the sight before her. Elsa snapped out of her trance before noticing that he was shirtless, and possibly naked under the covers; she then looked down at herself, quickly then covering her exposed chest with the blanket. The events of the previous night came crawling back to her. She shook her head and ran a flustered hand through her loose platinum blonde waves. This can't be happening., she thought, slightly hyperventilating at how foolish she was. Out of the shock of her actions, she screamed.
Jack snapped awake and he, unfortunately, fell out of the bed as he looked at the screaming Elsa. He quickly grabbed his pair of boxers that were conveniently lying on the floor and put it on before covering her mouth to stop her from screaming. After a few more seconds of Elsa's muffled screaming, she calmed down. Jack removed his hand off her small mouth. He breathed out a sigh of relief before a hard slap came across his face. Jack quickly brought his hand to the warm spot from the sudden slap. "Shit, Elsa!" he spat at her, rubbing his cheek and wincing in pain. "What the hell was that for?"
Elsa looked at him with anger. "That was for doing 'it' with me! "
"How is it my fault?" Jack asked, pointing at himself as his eyes widened in shock. "I specifically remember that you kissed me first!"
"Well, you - uh - um - you did - uh." she spoke at a loss of words. "You did something!"
Jack scoffed, finding amusement at how Elsa can't think of a good comeback. "Look, Elsa. I don't wanna fight you for something that we had no intention of doing." he reasoned with her, softening the tone of his voice. "We were both drunk. There's no one to blame but ourselves."
Elsa stared back at his icy, yet warm, blue eyes, exhaling a relaxed breath. She nodded, smiling at his perfectly sculpted features. Jack grinned at her before scanning her up and down and stifling a laugh. Elsa narrowed her eyes at him, confused at his sudden hilarity. She then looked down before flushing as bright as a tomato, realizing that they were practically bickering and she was fully naked with only Jack's soft blanket covering her.
She glared at him, breathing out a furious breath before speaking. "Can you please turn around so I can put on my clothes?"
Jack put a smug grin on his face. "You don't have to hide anything from me, Elsa."
Elsa's cheeks were, yet again, imprinted with scarlet. She then grabbed the pillow and threw it at Jack, hitting him square on the chest. "If you don't turn around, I'm gonna slap that grin off your face."
He tensed at her choice of words. Raising his hands in defeat and backing away, he spoke as he turned around. "Alright, alright. I was just kidding. No need to be feisty."
Elsa rolled her eyes at him before getting out of the bed, dragging the blanket with her. She didn't know why but she was wincing in pain as she walked. What the hell did Jack do to me?, she thought, silently wincing as she began collecting her clothes, shoes and lingerie that were sprawled all across the room's floor. She then collected all and started putting it on. After wearing her lingerie and slipping on her blouse, a voice echoed from downstairs.
"Jack?" Punzie's voice echoed throughout the apartment. "Are you awake?"
Jack and Elsa stopped in their tracks and stared at each other in fear. He grabbed a shirt and put it on before turning to look at Elsa, who was staring straight ahead and trembling in fright. Jack rushed to her and snapped her out of her petrified trance.
Elsa looked back at him, her breath coming out in jagged edges. Her lower lip trembling at the sound of Rapunzel going up the stairs. "If Punzie finds out, I'm dead."
Jack's heart beat quickened its pace as Punzie's footsteps were slowly trailing up the stairs. He looked at Elsa's panic-stricken eyes as he slowly rubbed her upper arms to calm her down. "Elsa I need you to calm down." Jack spoke in a gentle timbre. "Quickly, take your things and hide in the closet. I still need to talk to you, just go hide."
Elsa hastily nodded before collecting her belongings and slowly but quickly made her way to Jack's closet, silently grimacing at how sore her legs were so Jack wouldn't notice. Jack followed her waddling stance to the closet, closing the doors as soon as she got inside.
By the time Jack closed the doors to the closet, small translucent tears escaped Elsa's eyes. I guess your friendship's down the drain, Elsa., the opposing side of her mind apprised her. Leave her be., the other side defended her. Elsa didn't bring her attention to the debating thoughts in her head but instead, her notice was in the culpability clouding her heart. Her jagged and silent breath escaped her lips as her lower lip trembled and teardrops made their way down her pale cheeks, holding onto the snowflake pendant hanging on her neck.
As soon as the closet doors shut, Punzie slowly revealed herself as she opened the bedroom door. "Hey, Jack! Good morning!" she greeted, rushing to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Jack didn't give in and return the hug. He didn't know why but somehow, he now felt a little distant to Rapunzel's display of affection. What the hell is wrong with you, Jack?, half of his mind scolded him. Jack shook off the thought and forced his arms to wrap around Rapunzel.
After a couple of seconds, Punzie let go and grinned at him with a twinkle in her eyes. "Hey, there." she said, caressing his cheek and examining his eyes. A look of concern immediately marking her green ones. "Jack, you alright? You don't feel like yourself."
'That's because he isn't himself. He just had sex with your best friend!' his thoughts answered Punzie's question. Jack then mentally scolded himself and shook it off before answering Punzie. "Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, trying not to sound deceptive. "Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"Oh, okay." Punzie grinned with relief, believing his bluff. "So, I came by to bring you some breakfast."
He grinned at her with gratitude. "Thanks, Punz."
"Your welcome." she replied, a small smile playing on her lips. Her eyes widened in realization for something she wanted to ask him. "Oh, by the way, have you seen Elsa? I didn't see her leave last night and I wanted to dicuss with her some things. You know, a bride to maid of honor kind of thing."
Jack mentally tensed by the time Rapunzel said Elsa. He tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn't mutter out the words. He was about to respond but, a soft and meek sniffle was coming from the closet. Was Elsa crying?, he thought, concern filling his heart. Jack was almost going to approach his modern armoire, but he snapped back into reality and muttered out a response. "Um..uh..yeah." he replied, telling half the truth. "I saw her leave. Maybe you can meet her later at her apartment."
"Alright." Rapunzel nodded as a sign of agreement. She then fished out her phone and scanned her eyes on the small screen before looking back up at him. "Anyways, I gotta go. I'm meeting some wedding planners for the big event! So, I guess I'll see you later."
Rapunzel placed a kiss on his cheek before heading out of his bedroom and apartment. Jack sighed at Rapunzel's statement. He was getting married soon. To Rapunzel, the girl he came to love for the past 3 years. He should be happy, but why was he disappointed? Was it because of Elsa? He didn't know. Has he fallen for his best friend? Elsa Landvik. The girl who knows more about him than he does himself, the one girl who's always got his back and the only girl he loved no matter what happens. Jack ran a frustrated hand through his mess of silver-white hair, confused between the 2 girls that now muddled his mind. "I love you, Jack Frost." The exact words that never left his mind. Did Elsa mean what she said? Or, was it just the intoxication speaking? Both of you were drunk. Of course she was kidding!, thought the side of his mind that chose to move on. She may have been intoxicated, but the sincere tonality in her voice says it all., mused the other half that chose to stay and never let go.
"Shut up!" Jack muttered the angered words to himself, trying to focus on the situation at hand.
Before another thought was mentally told, Jack scurried over to the closet. The moment he opened the doors to the closet, his heart slightly fractured at the sight before him. A now fully-dressed Elsa had tears streaming down her face, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks stained with the salty liquid. She looked up at his perturbed eyes before taking a deep breath and slowly making her way out of the closet. By the time she got out, she slowly headed for the bedroom door, silently wincing in pain at the process. Before she could even go 3 feet closer to the door, a strong hand gripped her frail one and turned her around to face his blue eyes. Elsa turned her eyes away from his hard but gentle gaze, a tear coursing down her wet cheeks.
"Let me go, Jack." she gritted through her teeth, her voice hitching in her throat. Her tears not seeming to stop gushing out of her eyes.
Jack's heart, continually shattering at the vision of a sobbing Elsa. He softened his grip on her delicate hand as he wiped the tears with his thumb. "No." he sharply refused. "I still need to talk to you, Elsa." Jack reasoned out, looking into her tear-veiled eyes as he caressed her cheek.
Elsa took a deep and calm breath, finally giving in and relaxing to the warm but cold palm on her cheek. "There's nothing to talk about, Jack." she breathed out.
He stared at her sapphire eyes, disappointment and anxiety lingering his gaze. "Yes, there is, Elsa." he spoke in a firm and hard voice, then changing his tone to a concerned timbre. "You were sobbing and grimacing in pain. What's wrong?"
She looked down in shame, a couple of tears absconded from her glassy eyes as she released ragged breaths. Elsa kept silent. Somehow, she didn't want him to worry about her well-being. But Jack, being the stubborn one, insisted on knowing what was bothering her. He pleaded, but she still refused. This went on for a couple of minutes until Elsa, eventually, gave in to his constant pleas.
"Fine, I'll tell you." Elsa spat, slightly irritated. "Just stop with the pleas. Its kind of annoying."
Jack smirked, satisfied that Elsa was in annoyance rather than sorrow. "Whatever you say, m'lady."
Elsa rolled her eyes at his remark, silently chuckling in the process. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before explaining her situation. "First off, I'm in pain because of how sore I feel. My legs feel so sore, I can hardly walk. Seriously, what the hell did you to me?"
After hearing her rant, his lips pulled into a smug smirk. "I don't know what I did, but I take pride in that."
Elsa flushed bright red, glaring at the complacent look on his face. "God, Jack!" She whined, scrunching her face in annoyance. "Can you not be a pervert?"
Jack chuckled at Elsa's cheeks tinged with red. "I was kidding. For once, don't be so gullible."
"Whatever, Frost." Elsa said, collecting her belongings before grabbing the doorknob of Jack's bedroom so she could head out. "Anyways, I gotta go. Anna's probably worried about me."
"Wait, Elsa." Jack said, grabbing the hand resting on the brass knob. She turned her head to look at him, wondering what he stopped her for. "I still need to talk to you about...you know." he nervously uttered, referring to the occurrence that happened between them last night.
"Can we just forget that ever happened?" Elsa said blankly, her eyes drooping at her choice of words.
Jack stared deadpan at her, his heart clenching with devastation at her choice. "You do know that it's gonna be hard to forget about it that easily, Elsa."
She looked him dead in the eyes, sadness filling her stature. "I know, Jack. Its just that-" she pursed her lips, cutting off her own sentence to prevent tears to spill from her eyes. "Jack, please. I've had enough drama for today. Can we talk about this some other time?" Elsa reasoned out, a tear almost escaping.
"Of course." Jack softly smiled at her petite form. "How about tomorrow at 2? Wanna meet at our old meeting place by the park?"
Elsa breathed out a smile, reminiscing at the friendly memories that happened in that certain spot. "Sure. I'd love that." she grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Jack!"
She placed a kiss on his cheek before heading out of his bedroom and apartment. The soft and gentle kiss gave him a sudden memory of last night. The feeling of her lips on his gave him a cold sensation that warmed him up inside. He grinned at the thought, but it faded when he thought of his engagement to Punzie. Jack knew that what he was doing was wrong, but somewhere in between, was it right? He was never the kind of guy who would juggle 2 girls at the same time, but it bothers him that those two girls happen to have a significance to him. Elsa and Punzie. Jack didn't want to lose either of them for his stupid actions, because both girls were special to him. One held his heart, while the other held his friendship. Three years ago, he knew which belonged to who, but now, he wasn't so sure. He wanted to give his heart to Elsa, but Punzie held onto it...and she will forever if he doesn't make a choice. The thought of it all left him flustered. He was torn. I'll find my answer soon., he thought, determined to fit all the missing pieces to the situation before the wedding. Everything will come together. I know it.
Elsa got out of Jack's apartment and hailed a cab. Several ones just passed by, one even splashing her legs with the cold and murky canal water. Great., her thoughts ranted, sarcasm lacing. Its not like my legs deserve another punishment than it already is. She sighed in frustration for the horrible things that just keep coming her direction. A fluke came her way when a cab stopped in front of her. She smiled in victory as she opened the yellow door and slid into the cab's leather seats.
"Headin' where, lassie?" said the cab driver with a thick Scottish accent.
Elsa told him her address, and they then drove off through the slightly bustled streets of New York City. As she waited for the cab to arrive to her apartment tower, she fished out her phone from her purse and scanned to see if she had any text messages or missed calls, especially from Anna. Luckily, there were none. Elsa put her phone back and slumped in her seat as she closed her eyes, letting out an exhausted breath.
As she relaxed on the vehicle's leather seats, everything from last night flooded her mind. The feeling of her body pressed against his was stuck to her mind, like a permanently glued sticker. The thought of it made her smile. Everything she wanted happened in one night, but everything she dreaded to happen haunted her on the same night. Rapunzel's not gonna be happy about this., the negated side of her thoughts reminded her. If Elsa and Jack keep quiet about the whole thing, everything will be alright., defended the opposed side. The second half was right though, but she didn't want to hurt Punzie's feelings at the same time. Why can't my life be normal?, she thought to herself, sighing in disappointment. She thought about last night once more. The both of them confessed everything that they've wanted to say to each other. She loves him and He loves her. Every word he said about her was still imprinted on her brain. To him, she was beautiful, smart, and funny. Elsa smiled at this, but was Jack sincere? She didn't know, but she hoped he was. I guess I'll find out tomorrow., sighed her thoughts.
The cab stopped in front of a tall and modern tower. Her apartment building. She took out the needed money on the meter and gave it to the cabbie before thanking him and getting out of the yellow vehicle. Elsa got in the building and greeted her doorman, Kai, before getting into the elevator and pressing her floor number. As she waited, she hoped that Anna wasn't awake. Even if Elsa was the older sister, sometimes Anna acted more mature in dire situations. The elevator stopped on her floor and she got out before approaching her apartment door, five doors away from the elevator on the right. Elsa grabbed her key and inserted it into the silver door knob. When it opened, she quietly and hastily strode through her apartment going to the stairs to head to her bedroom. As her foot stepped on the first stair, someone behind her cleared their throat. Elsa innocently looked at her sister's narrowed eyes as Elsa uttered a benign smile.
Anna looked at her, a blank expression filling her stare. "Nice to see you home, Elsa."
"Nice to see you too, Anna." Elsa smiled, trying to play the innocent one. "So, I'll just be upstairs if you need me."
Elsa was rushing upstairs so Anna won't suspect anything, but she was stopped once more. "Wait, Elsa." Anna discontinued her sister's movements, suspicious of what Elsa was hiding. "Tell me. Why weren't you in your bedroom this morning?"
Elsa kept silent, not knowing how to answer her sister's question. She didn't know what to say. She was at a loss for words. If Elsa mutters the wrong words, Anna'll suspect something. What is she supposed to respond?
Elsa was about to speak, but Anna cut her off. "Fine." she insisted. "Can you at least tell me where you got that hickey?" Anna smirked, having an inkling on where Elsa was.
As soon as Elsa heard her question, she immediately touched her neck and widened her eyes in horror. Her heart thumped in her chest, fear wrapping around it. She swallowed her voice that was stuck in her throat before uttering an answer. "Uh, um, I, its n-none of y-your b-bu-business, Anna." Elsa stuttered, fear lacing her words.
Anna pursed her lips and raised a brow at her, being adamant to Elsa's statement. "You hooked up with someone, didn't you?" she said, her expression becoming surprised and elated.
"You have no proof." Elsa said, crossing her arms and raising her chin in pride.
Anna scoffed at Elsa's understatement. "Oh, I don't have proof?" she asked, a triumphant glint in her eye. Elsa nodded. "Well, you're proof. That hickey's proof, and you were practically silently whimpering in pain when you came in."
Elsa blushed a tint of crimson. Her blue eyes widened and she then saunters to her room, shutting her door with a bang and locking it. Anna prances up the stairs with a victorious smile on her face, stopping in front of Elsa's blue and white door. "So you did sleep with someone?" Anna asked innocently, trying to confirm if it was true.
"Oh, shut up, Anna!" Elsa shouted, screaming in frustration right after. Anna chuckled at her sister's vexation, but she grew more curious to where her sister was and who she, supposedly, slept with. She sat on the floor and pondered, until her phone vibrated in her left pocket. She pulled it out to see that Punzie texted her. She opened her inbox and read it.
From: Punzie
Hey, Anna!
So, could you and Elsa come by my house l8r?
I need 2 talk 2 my bridesmaids and maid of honor 4 the wedding.
Yeah, so, see ya later!
Anna quickly replied, a small smile playing on her lips. Jack and Rapunzel were getting married soon. She was proud of them, but she also felt sorry for Elsa; especially the shock and heartbroken mien she displayed when Rapunzel asked her to be her maid of honor. She should have just confessed sooner., she thought, a timbre of contrite present in her eyes. Anna then thought over the things that Elsa went through at the party last night. She then felt stupid for bombarding Elsa with questions, because she had an amount of things that happened on her hands at the party.
Anna smiled, having the perfect idea for Elsa to loosen her nerves. She stood up and knocked on the winter-themed door of Elsa's bedroom. There wasn't an answer but she still spoke. "Elsa? I'm sorry. " Anna asked, a guilty tone dawdling her voice. "You know, there might be snowfall tomorrow. You can't resist that."
Anna took a deep breath before speaking the sentence that's all-to-familiar to her. "Do you want to build a snowman?"
She waited for her sister to respond but nothing came. Anna was about to leave, but the door opened with a widely grinning Elsa. Anna hugged her sister and apologized as Elsa did the same and forgave her.
Anna thought her sister felt better, but what she didn't know was that Elsa still had a problem on her hands. A problem that will soon be all clear to her...or even to everyone.
There was a small SPOILER ALERT there. You will know what it means as the story goes on though. So, I'm sorry if this was a short-ish chapter and that it only had a tinge of Jelsa fluff. But, I promise that the next chapter will be an explosion of feels because its Jack and Elsa's 'date' at the park. So look out for the next chapter that's coming soon.
By the way, I'm sorry if this chapter was slightly confusing for you guys. I'll make it up for the next chapter.
If you guys want to suggest something, its A-okay. Suggestions are open and if your suggestion could fit the plot I planned out, I'll make it happen.
Don't be afraid to write a review, or to give it a favorite or a follow. Criticisms and compliments are welcomed.
Sooooo, I hope you guys liked it! Chapter 3 will, hopefully, be posted on the weekend or earlier. Thank you again!