I hear knocking from my right.
I groan and cover my head with my pillows. It can't be morning already! I feel like I've just got to sleep. I exhale, trying to focus on anything but the constant knocking.- hold up. Knocking from my right?
I roll over in my bed and look in the direction of my balcony doors which are blocked by large, thick, turquoise curtains.
My mind races with the events of yesterday. Jack Frost! Of course; how could I forget? My stomach twists into knots, and I almost skip to the door. I throw back my curtains and see Jack standing- uh, floating, rather- there with a smile plastered on his face and one eyebrow arches expectantly. I unlock the doors and welcome in the morning air.
"You, ma'am, are a heavy sleeper," Jack says, walking past me into my room.
"Yeah, well, staying up almost all night wasn't planned for me," I reply. "It's not my fault you kept me up most of the night-"
"Doing what, exactly?" someone exclaims from the door that leads out into the hall. I wheel around and see Anna standing there with a bright smile on her face. How is everyone so cheery in the morning? At least I have a good reason to be happy, and he's standing right beside me.
Jack laughs, and I blush. Of course Anna would chose then to come into my room. "Were you here all night, Jack?" Anna turns to me, eyes wide. "Elsa, I'm shocked! More than shocked- you won't let me marry on the first day of knowing someone, yet you'll let a guy you've only known a couple of hours to stay the night with you here?" She says it all so fast I have no time to cut in and stop her.
I purse my lips. "I was right about Hans, though, wasn't I?" Anna scowls looking troubled, but nods her head anyway. "Anyway," I say more softly, to try and get rid of her scowl- I prefer her smile, "Jack didn't even spend the night. He was showing me dreams."
"Dreams?" Anna asks in wonder.
"Oh, Anna!" I can't contain my excitement and awe for this new discovery. I dash to her and take her hands in mine. "Dreams! Real people's dreams- and animals I guess too! It was magical! Not like anything I've ever seen before!" Anna's eyes sparkle in excitement.
"Dreams," she whispers. She smirks at me. "I've never seen you this happy before," she notes. My smile wavers, until it becomes an unsure thin line. Her face softens. "It's nice."
My eyes widen in realisation. "The ball-?"
"Was a great success," she intervenes before I can begin questioning her. "Leave it at that. Anyway, Jack, what are you doing here?" Anna slips her hands from mine and stands beside me to get a better look at Jack. Jack's staring contently at the both of us. He seems almost in a daze.
Jack shrugs. "I made a promise last night to help someone with their duties," Jack tells her. Last night... Out on the balcony. I sigh remembering that I had kissed his cheek, and the way the made my lips tingle. I look to the ground to hide the small smile on my face. "Honestly, what a big mistake she's made." He leans in closer to the two of us. "I don't tend to follow rules and orders." I blink, remembering what he said last night. He's sort of rebellious. I cringe... Maybe this was a bad idea.
"Anyway, ladies," he says. "Who's up for some fun?"
Jack did not say that fun would be switching everything around- taking someone's breakfast off of one tray and putting it on another. My eyebrows pinch together as I stare at carrots on my plate. I look up and see Jack crack a smile, petting Sven who looks down hungrily at the pancakes in his dish.
Ever since Anna and Kristoff have been dating, I've been dealing with that reindeer a lot. I don't mind, but he's eating my breakfast.
I sigh.
This was going to be an interesting day.
Evening time Jack made it snow in the hallway, and naturally, I was the one who got blamed. "Honestly, Elsa, it's time to stop messing around." I pull a face at the back of Eugene as he walks away from me, his shoes squeaking on the tiles after walking through the snow.
I look up and see Jack looking somewhat apologetic, and I can't help but laugh. With a sigh of relief, he joins me. "Watch this," he says. He bends down and picks up some snow, and rolls it around in his hand. He retracts his arm, and then throws the snowball at Eugene. Jack pushes me behind the wall so that Eugene can't see us.
We're both stifling laughs. "What the-" I hear from down the hall. I'm giggling, and I stop and inhale sharply when I realise how close to Jack I am. He has me pressed up against the wall, and my heart begins to race.
"He's gone," Jack says excitedly. He pulls away and I let out a shaky breath. I frown; for some reason I feel disappointed. My stomach twists in longing. I shake my head, and walk fast to catch up with Jack who is heading in the opposite direction of Eugene.
I think about the warm feelings I got yesterday- does Jack get that feeling when he looks at me?
I roll my eyes. I barely know the guy. What's wrong with me? Has the loneliness got to me? I frown. No. Not yet, otherwise I'd be accepting those marriage arrangements Kings have sent me from other countries. They want me to marry their first born sons! I feel angry at the thought. Never in my life would I agree to an arranged marriage. If ever I do marry, and the possibility of that seems low, I'd rather do it out of my love for that person.
I stagger as I walk. Why was I thinking all this pointless stuff? Love? Marriage? Why have I suddenly just thought of all that?
I just shrug the thought off, and keep in pace with Jack. "So, your royal highness, what's next?" We stop at the end of the hall, and I run through my errands, thinking hard about what I have to do.
"Well, right now is dinner time. And afterwards I have to go through the mail," I tell him.
"Don't you have guys for that?" he asks me.
I shrug my shoulders. "I like doing it. Plus, most of the mail is sent to me, anyway. We trade with a lot of countries, you know. It's the joys of living by the sea." I falter, and look at him. "Where are you from, Jack?" I wonder.
"When I woke up, I was in a place called Burgess," he tells me.
"Never heard of it," I admit. "Do you live there?"
"Uh, well... No. I prefer cold places. Northern Europe, Alaska, Canada. You know, places like that," he explains. "I like Arendelle in the winter because there's snow everywhere. I usually stay in the mountains."
I look at him questionably. "Why did you come down this time?" I can't help but be a little curious. Why, after so many years, did Jack Frost decide to show himself? There has to be a good explanation, because I'm a little confused.
"Two years ago, in the middle of summer, Arendelle had a pretty bad blizzard." He grins at me. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" He nudges me playfully, but I'm not smiling. The guilt is rising up in me, and I avert my gaze to the ground. Jack places his hands on my shoulder, and I look up slowly. His eyes are full of concern. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something?"
"I..." I breathe in deeply, finding it harder to talk about than I thought. "My powers went out of control. I hurt a lot of people, and I hurt Anna. I almost killed her and she sacrificed herself to save me. She turned to ice, Jack. She stopped me being killed..." Jack becomes a blur and I realise my eyes are full of tears. I've never talked about it with anyone before. Even Anna refuses to acknowledge what happened. It's the memories which are the worst.
"She's okay, Elsa. She's here now," he says quietly.
"I know," I reply. "But I always feel terrible about what happened, and it's hard to talk about. And Anna doesn't want to talk about it because she says that it doesn't matter. But it does. It does matter."
I wipe furiously at my tears, suddenly angry about everything, but mostly I'm angry because I'm actually crying. And in front of a boy I've known for only two days.
"You know, I think the scariest part about it is not knowing the extent of your powers," says Jack, squeezing my shoulders lightly. I don't feel cold where he's touching me. Instead I feel this warmness flowing from where he's touching me, filling me from head to two, making it hard to think right. This feeling was almost dizzying. What is he doing to me? "You saw the extent of your powers. And it frightened you most of all."
I nod my head. "I can't explain that to anyone, though, because it sounds selfish."
"I understand," he replies sincerely. "Are you still afraid of your powers?" he asks me.
"A little bit."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid I'll hurt her again. I'm afraid when I hold her hand. I'm afraid when my hand is bare, with no glove on it. What if I lose it again?" My voice is barley over a whisper.
My dinner is long forgotten now. I'd rather be here talking to Jack. It feels nice to talk to someone who understands, who finally gets what I'm talking about. He understands because he feels the same way I do.
"You won't," he finally says after a minutes pause.
My eyes finally meet his, and his look steadily at mine. My heart begins to race again. "How do you know?"
"I know I don't know you well, and I know we only met yesterday, but I know you are stronger than you think you are," he tells me. "I believe in you."
A small smile spreads across my face. "Thank you," I say. "No one's ever said that to me before."
He ruffles my hair and I narrow my eyes at him. He grins, taking his other hand off my shoulder. It prickles and burns where he has touched me. Not in a bad way, but in a way that makes me feel... Alive.
He picks up his staff which had fallen to the floor when he went to comfort me. "Anyway, I reckon the mortal's got to eat." He pokes me in the stomach and I roll my eyes playfully.
How is it that only moments ago I was having a deep conversation with this guy? I smile, though, and follow him down to the dining room. I like how he can make me smile without really trying.
"I think I like this place more than the ice castle," Jack says floating off the ground, lying on his back and lazily floating beside me with his hands tucked behind his head. It's still beyond me how he can defy gravity; but then again, I defy nature with my power. I guess anything is possible. I look at him questionably. "It feels nice here. Not so lonely."
"I made the ice castle to be alone," I tell him. One of the servants pass, and they nod to me. I stand a little straighter and nod my head back to them. "I was scared. So I ran off. Anyway, I like it here better too. Here is where my family is. This is my home."
"It sure is fancy.." He points up to a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. He flies up to it. "Not as cool as the ice chandelier, I'm afraid."
"You sure do like to criticise what my ancestors built," I chime jokingly.
"I never said I don't like it, though," he retaliates smartly. I chuckle and agree with him. I guess he didn't. He looks outside for a second as he passes a window. "Mind if I venture outside for a while? I reckon this place could use some more fun— snowball fight for the kids of Arendelle."
"Go ahead," I reply, beckoning to the window.
"I'll be back in a little while." He lingers at the window for a second before turning to me with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Do I get a kiss on my cheek again? I think it should be a thing."
My cheeks burn bright red, and I cross my arms over my chest stubbornly. I'm about to argue back, but there's a cold prick on my cheek and my hand flies up to it. Jack's standing beside me. I look at him in shock.
"The tables have turned," he says winking at me, before jumping out the window, leaving me to gaze after him and holding my cheek.
He just kissed me on the cheek.
Warmness floods through me again, and I'm humming as I enter the dining room. All heads look up as I enter, but I don't see. I feel as though I'm in a dream.
When I sit down at my usual seat, it's only then I become fully aware of my surroundings. Kristoff, Anna and even Olaf, are all looking at me with the strangest looks on their faces.
"What?" I ask self consciously.
"You're strangely happy," Anna says, pointing a fork in my direction.
"Am I not allowed to be happy?" I retaliate.
"Has it something to do with a certain someone?" she questions me, wriggling her eyebrows at me.
"No," I lie, but my cheeks turn pink and she grins.
"And you said you can't fall in love with someone so easily," she sings, shoving more mashed potatoes into her mouth.
I choke on the air, and stare at her blankly. "What? In love? Honestly, Anna, you're out of your mind. I'm not in love."
"Then why are you so happy all of a sudden?" she asks. "And why is it only ever since Jack arrived?" She grins at me, staring at me, and I stare back.
"I'm not in love with him," I reply more stubbornly.
"But you like him, don't you?"
"Anna, honestly, this isn't one of those stories mum used to tell us about the man and woman falling in love at first sight. This is real life-"
"It can happen," she argues.
"No. It can't," I say, finally averting my gaze. When I look back at her she looks triumphantly at me which makes me feel a little mad.
"Yes it can," Anna says. "And it has happened to you! Look at you! You're happy. And you're practically glowing- though, that could be the light..." Her eyes drift to the light hanging above our heads. She shakes her head. "Do you feel warm inside when you look at him?"
My eyes snap to her, and I can see that she knows she's won the argument. But I'm confused. I don't like Jack like that, do I? I mean, he's interesting, but I hardly know him. I play with the food on my table, suddenly not so hungry anymore. If I do like him... Which I'm not saying I do... Then that's not very good. He's immortal; we, if he ever liked me back, wouldn't be able to be together.
"Knew it!" she says excitedly. "Kristoff! Elsa's finally in-"
"Anna," Kristoff cuts her off. I look at him and he's looking at me in concern. "Are you okay?" he asks me.
I blink a couple of times. Am I okay? I think of the longing I feel around Jack and how drawn to him I am. I mean, I should have guessed I'm interested in him. He's like me. We have a massive thing in common. Of course I'd be drawn to him.
But I barely know a thing about him- he's immortal, he can control the snow, he's from burgess, he's eighteen, his favourite colour is blue like mine. He's easy to talk to and I feel as though I can trust him with anything. I still don't know him that well.
The warmness inside of me should have made me realise something.
"I'm fine," I lie. "I'm not that hungry."
I push my plate away, and walk stiffly back to my room. I should go sort out the mail. Jack's right, though. I could easily get someone else to do that.
How is that Anna knows my feelings better than me? She must be wrong..
But perhaps she feels that warmness when she's with Kristoff. She's definitely in love with him. No. This is stupid. This isn't like mum's stupid stories! People don't fall for other people that quickly- I don't. I can't. There's no such thing as love at first sight. That's so ridiculous and unbelievable and cliche.
Why do I feel so frustrated about this?
I sigh and sit on my bed, my head in my hands. I know why. He's immortal. He doesn't feel that way. No one else would fall for someone so quickly. Plus, we could never be together even if he did.
I close my eyes and in anger I throw my hands out. A wall of ice erupts from the floor, surrounding my bed and blocking out the world from outside, or maybe just trapping me inside. I don't care either way.
I spent my whole life blocking away feelings, and emotions, and it suddenly feels like they've charged down that wall and have decided to weigh me down. All these emotions running through me at once makes me feel lightheaded and more frustrated. I bet Jack wouldn't understand this, like he seems to understand the other stuff.
I rub my temple, feeling a headache coming on.
My head snaps up when I hear the creak of a door. It's my balcony door, and only one person would be coming in through that way...
"Jack?" I call out.
"Yeah?" He knocks on the ice. "Why've you gone and shut yourself behind this? This was definitely not here this morning."
I laugh weakly, but I feel like my nerves are on fire. "I just... I don't feel too good." It's not a complete lie. All these strong emotions have made me feel weird inside. All mushy, or something in that kind of way which is hard to describe.
"At least let me in," he suggests. "I'm good with making people feel better." He hesitates. "If this is about earlier... About kissing you on the cheek," he says sounding embarrassed, "then I'm sorry. Won't happen again, Elsa."
"No. No, it wasn't that," I answer quickly. I pause before going on, my cheeks pink. "Uh.. Anna and I had a disagreement. And my head is pounding." Again, not lies. Just a fraction of the truth though. A very small fraction.
"Are you blocking me out?" I can see his figure through the glass, and he's leaning against it. He slides down it until he sits. I walk quietly over until I'm standing behind him. I lean down and lean my back against the ice where he has his.
"No," I tell him.
"If you want me to leave, just say so."
"I don't want you to leave," I reply. I feel a lot braver now that there's ice between us, so I decide to ask him something. "Do you get a weird feeling whenever you touch me?" My voice shakes a little and I cringe. Gosh, I'm so glad he can't see me.
"Define weird."
"Warm."
I don't get an answer for a few seconds, and I turn my head just to make sure he's still there. He is. I can hear his breaths, and I want to be beside him. I don't want this cage between us.
"I..." Already he sounds uncertain. "I get a weird feeling when I... Well, when you took my hand yesterday before I fell over the side of the ledge-" I laugh lightly and so does he, and the tension lessens "- I got a weird feeling inside me. I wonder if its our powers."
I smile and let out a sigh of relief. So, he does get that feeling too. He's just oblivious to what it is. "Yeah," I decide. "Maybe." But I know it's not. It's just feelings we never thought we'd ever feel.
"You know, we barely know each other," I say, changing the subject.
"We only met yesterday," he reminds me.
"I know. But I'd like to know more about you. Did you have a family?"
"A family? No. I didn't... I don't think I did. I mean, I just woke up and I was Jack Frost. That's all I ever was," he answers. "You never told me what happened your parents."
"They were on a ship during a terrible storm. Their ship didn't make it very far.."
"I'm sorry," he replies. "It must have been really hard."
"It was," I agree. "It is," I mumble. "Any immortal girls you've been interested in?" I ask, sitting a little straighter as though it would help me hear better.
He chuckles and my stomach sinks. "No. No immortal girls I've been interested in."
"Mortal?" I decide. I can't help but notice my voice just rose a little higher. I purse my lips.
He doesn't answer for a little while and my heart is hammering against my chest. I'm anxious to know his answer. "Elsa," he finally says. "I'm immortal... You're mortal. We can't be together, you know that, right?"
I sit back on my bed. I think of Anna, and I also think of Jack kissing my cheek, and I'm filled with warmness, and the ice disappears. Jack stands up and turns to face me. His eyes look unfocused, as though he didn't want to say that.
It's a weird look. Usually, even when he looks dazed, and when he's comforting, there's always a sparkle, a hint of happiness in his bright blue eyes. Right now, though, that sparkle is gone and his eyes look dull. Not uninteresting, but just sad.
"I barely know you," he says quietly.
"You feel it too, though, right?" I can't look him in the eye because I feel stupid for having these feelings. What's the point in feeling this way when I know, and he knows, and the whole damn world knows we can't ever be together? It's ridiculous.
He nods his head and sits at the edge of my bed beside me. He sighs and throws himself back on my bed. He looks at me and grins a little. I give him a small smile and I lie back next to him, but still keeping a little distance between us.
"Maybe people like us shouldn't keep so many feelings blocked because they come out on the wrong person," I say.
"Wrong person?"
"Or the person they can't have," I mutter.
"So, this is what feelings feel like," he jokes. "I'm not sure i like it very much." He looks at me. "Well... They're not that bad. I just wish I didn't have them. There should be a code that immortal people can't feel stuff so things like this can't happen." He glares up at the sky, and I know who he's blaming: the Man in the Moon.
"Do you think we might only feel this way about each other because we can relate to one another?" I wonder.
"Maybe," he replies. "You're also the first person I've talked to in a long time. That could be it too... I don't want to make up stupid reasons for why I feel this," he snaps so suddenly that I jump. He looks at me. "Sorry. I'm just... Confused."
I sit up, and push myself off my bed. "Same here," I admit.
"What do we do, Elsa?"
I frown, not entirely sure what to do. But I know someone who might. Someone I never thought I'd turn to in this type of situation, who I was only giving out to a little while ago. "I think we should go to Anna." I roll my eyes. "Whatever she believes, or how misguided she used to be about... These feelings, she's a lot more smarter than I give her credit for."
"Your little sister?" Jack asks uncertainly.
"Come on, Mr Frost," I say.
I take his hand in mine, and I can feel how unsure he is holding my hand. After a few seconds, however, his hand intertwines with mine, becoming more sure, and he lets me guide him down the hall and towards the dining hall.
I hope Anna doesn't get too excited and tells us to just go for it... Despite how much I'd like to.
It just all feels ridiculous... Love at first sight is something you hear in stories. I never thought it could happen to me, but somehow, in a strange twisted way, it has.
And I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that yet.
I do not believe in love at first sight.
But I sure do love writing corny fanfictions. I also don't believe in rushing things... So, I'm sorry if you want all the mushy things to happen quickly, but I hate that.
I decided to rush this a little, because I wanted to. Because maybe love at first sight could exist somewhere out there. But I'm going to write her uncertainty about it, because no one should rush into a relationship with someone they barely know! It's... Ridiculous!
So, what I'm saying is: PLEASE BE PATIENT! :)
also; disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or Frozen. All rights go to dreamworks and Disney.
However, I own right to this plot. xD
Anyway, still loving the reviews :D They're awesome to read. :) I'm glad so many of you like this. I wasn't sure at first about writing a fanfiction about Jelsa, but now I'm glad I did.
^^^THEYRE MY OTP. (after Percabeth, of course...)
Aha. Rambling on again. xD Tell me what ye think. Do ye like the... Falling for each other quickly-ish, or not? because I feel a little AKNSKSKSNSKS about cliche stories, to be honest. :| Anyway.. Tell me what ye think :)