AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, guyth! I'll get back to finishing this note later tonight, but I really want to post the actual chapter now. I have quite a few people I want to respond to, but for now, I'll just randomly pick one.

To Guest Reviewer Mrs Anonymous: Wow! That is both super flattering, and IMPRESSIVELY vague. You want "some tips from an inspiring author?" What do you mean? I'm imagining that you either 1) want me to look up some tips for you from MY favorite inspiring authors, 2) want to GIVE me tips, because you are an inspiring author yourself, or 3) think that I'M the inspiring author, and want tips from me. Please clarify, because I'd LOVE to respond! Also, regarding your comment about "please write more than one book": Oh, trust me. Now that I've had to put my PhD on the backburner of my life, I am. Give me another year or so, but when I'm ready to publish, you will be the FIRST to know!

QUICK NOTE about the whole "friendzoning" thing: Because I have a LOT of young teenagers reading this (I'm 25 and married—sorry, I've gotta be An Adult here for a moment), I just want to clarify something. If someone is acting like they're friendzoning you (like I've written Elsa as accidentally friendzoning Jack!), nine times out of ten, it's because they're actually friendzoning you. However, for that little chance that they're not meaning to: you always have the right to ask. Once they've GIVEN you an answer (even if it really hurts!), you don't get to question that answer, but—in this adult's opinion—there's nothing creepy or disrespectful about asking somebody for clarification as to where you stand. (I've, uh, seen a LOT people get confused about this, and end up really hurt because of it. If you're ever unsure of what to do, just look yourself in the mirror and repeat the phrase "I will be kind and respectful" until you've figured it out, okay?) ;)

CONTENT WARNING: Shockingly, this chapter has a lot of sexual innuendo/tension in it, including the fact that my version of Jack is—handsy. (Even though I don't let him go too far!) ;)

.

.

59: HIS

The Snow Queen of Arendelle was—by far—the most kind, amazing, wonderful, brilliant, beautiful, and altogether impossibly perfect woman that Jack Frost had ever, ever, known.

Smiling dreamily, the Youngest Guardian leaned over the ledge that constituted the ice wall between their respective rooms, resting his chin on his fist and silently twisting a little snow cloud into existence over her as she slept. As the snowflakes fell silently down to the icy bed, glittering in the early-morning moonlight, she was a—well, a vision. Elsa's pale skin was just warm enough that a normal, non-magic snowflake would melt upon contact, but all around her, the light dusting of frost was beginning to pile up into drifts, snowflakes glistening on her icy nightgown and sticking to her eyelashes and locks of long, soft, gloriously touchable blonde hair.

Jack sighed happily.

Finally.

He smiled to himself, then biting the edge of his lip as he looked down towards his feet. From this perspective, it really did look like their two icy bed frames, covered with the two pieces of the snowflake blanket, were really two halves of the same bed. As it should be. It might have only been the sixth day since they'd met, but he already knew that he couldn't imagine life without her. This "Fifth Spirit of the Enchanted Forest" was everything he'd ever dreamed, and THEN some. Even if Elsa were still mortal, it—

Jack shook the thought from his mind. That was way too far out to even consider, at this point. And they'd get there when they got there.

He'd think of something.

Scoffing at himself, Jack shook out his hand, the snow cloud above them beginning to fade. An instant later, he let out his breath and backhandedly swept it into existence again, sending a new sparkle of snowflakes gently falling over Elsa's bed.

She was so beautiful… even last night's dreams couldn't rival the Ice Powers Girl, in real life.

His Ice Powers Girl.

Without any HOPE of sleeping after—that—heh heh—Jack had lain awake in his bed for hours, staring at the ceiling with a dazed, vacant smile on his face, his arms crossed behind his head in the snow. With a new set of carefully-preserved lipstick marks smeared across the inside of his right forearm, he had then decided to pry himself away from Elsa's side so that he could go ahead and keep working on her Christmas present—which included, but was not limited to, getting rid of her stupid Council.

After he'd gotten back from hitting a few more of the geezers' bedrooms during the night, still wide awake, Jack had then taken the liberty of looking over that proposal that she'd been working on. He'd had nothing to add to it—Elsa, it appeared, had already figured out every loophole and issue that he could think of, right down to the funding. She'd been so flustered, claiming it was only a draft, a "brainstorm," but—well, he'd thought the dang thing was practically finished. She just needed to write it up, that was all. Somebody seriously needed to work on this woman's confidence…

Especially a woman who could kiss like that.

Pulling his hand back, the little snow cloud disintegrating into the air, Jack Frost straightened up from the ice ledge and reached for his sleeve. Carefully tugging it back over his forearm and eying his new collection of "Actual Proof That I Totally Made Out With Queen Elsa" lipstick smears, his heart leapt.

There was a tiny moan, and Jack jumped, pulling the sleeve back to his wrist and looking down. The snow crunching beneath her as she moved, the Ice Powers Girl was stirring.

Jack's breath caught. Her back arching as she stretched, Elsa yawned, her lovely chest lifting under the covers as she daintily covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Shifting in the snow, she turned slightly, then pausing, as though she were surprised to not be in her normal bed.

Her eyelids fluttering open, the Ice Powers Girl's beautiful, deep blue eyes were suddenly staring up into his own.

Jack smiled.

"Morning, Snowflake," he whispered.

Sinking into the snow again, Elsa's mouth curved into shy little smile as well, a wave of relief sweeping over her face. Staring up at him as she started to sit up, she grasped at her half of the snowflake blanket, before—

"Oh!"

Elsa gasped, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment as looked down, pulling her hand out of the snow and suddenly noticing the frost all around her on the bed. Her mouth falling open in shock, she looked to Jack in horror. "I—um—!"

"Calm down. It was me."

The Snow Queen let out her breath, looking back down to the snowdrift and biting her lip. As she moved, sitting up and clutching her half of the snowflake blanket to her chest, her loose hair fell back over her shoulders, shaking a few snowflakes loose to skim down the back of her icy nightgown. Jack's eyes grew hazy.

Queen Elsa was so adorable.

"So…" she started to ask. "Jack?"

He smiled again, resting his chin on his fist. "Yeah?"

"Can you—um—"

"—Oh! Right."

He dutifully spun around, pushing himself off from the ice ledge and flipping over onto his back. The snow crunching beneath him on his ice bed, Jack Frost then reached up to his hoodie, pulling it shut over his face as he heard Elsa getting up on her side of the wall.

The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as the Fifth Spirit walked across her room, the sound ceasing as she came to a stop. Still holding his hoodie shut over his eyes, Jack knew without looking that his Ice Powers Girl at this point was standing behind her room divider, most likely lifting her delicate hand to her nightgown.

A few moments later, there was a characteristic whooshing of wind from the other side of the room. Sinking into his snow, Jack smiled dazedly.

Wow.

Elsa was amazing. She was absolutely, and entirely, amazing, at absolutely everything, except maybe at picking up on his attempts to hit on her. But, that could be overcome, assuming that she still liked him that way. Well—how she'd liked him on the previous night, that was. Because, speaking of wow…!

There was another whoosh, and Jack's heart sank a bit, knowing that his Snow Queen was starting to get dressed again. Of course, from what he'd seen a couple of days before, that could be just as fascinating, for entirely different reasons. Ooooh, this wintery lady was an entirely new GENRE of fun…

And, so talented. When Elsa was fully dressed, though, he couldn't spend too much time admiring the ice-fabric thing, because Jack had found that his mind would inevitably slip from innocently admiring the skill required to even design clothing like hers, to wondering how many seconds it would take for him to rip it off with his teeth.

Which was… probably about twenty.

Unless she was moving, in which case he WAIT NO STOP BEING CREEPY.

Determinately yanking his hoodie down over his face, Jack gave his head a violent shake, squeezing his eyes shut and pushing the images from his mind. Not yet. SO many levels of not yet…!

But she's my girlfriend now, Jack suddenly realized, his grip loosening slightly. Is it still bad to think about it, if she's my girlfriend? Like, we can't DO anything, but…

He bit the edge of his lip. Yeah, it was probably still inappropriate to think about it. MAN, it would be nice to have a rulebook or something for all of this. You couldn't control what popped into your mind, but you could decide if you lingered on it. And oh, he wanted to linger on the beautiful Snow Queen so badly…

He sighed. Kneading his eyebrows as he lay back in the snow on his bed, Jack mentally ran through all the guys he knew that he could ask about this. North would probably launch into a three-hour lecture about honor. Sandy would tease him about it for the next decade or five, while not actually giving him any real answer. And, Bunny—

Jack wasn't asking Bunny.

Looking down into the art gallery towards the glass doors, Jack considered the dark morning sky that was beyond them. Manny's light was clearly absent, but—well, he'd be on the other side of the earth by now, given the time. And Jack could ask him when he got back. The Man in the Moon gave the best advice… in fact, it seemed that he always knew what to do, with this kind of thing.

If Manny had ever been mortal, he must have been one heck of a guy.

"Alright, you can get up now," Elsa's voice floated over the wall of ice, interrupting his train of thought. "Thanks for waiting, Jack."

"Not a problem, Snowflake."

He leapt onto his feet, tossing the staff to himself and spinning around to jump into the air. If he and Elsa got married, he was going to abolish the concept of the room divider. Along with insisting that Elsa always, always, precede him when going up stairs.

Because—uh—chivalry.

Yeah.

That was why.

Flying over the wall and across the room, Jack Frost dropped down next to her as she walked out from behind the room divider, a new, light blue capelet billowing out behind her.

"So," he started with a grin, glancing down to her dress for a long moment before looking back up into her eyes, "What's the plan? Another enthralling day of never leaving the library?"

"I wish," Elsa grimaced. "I have the last round of suitors this morning. Assuming that there aren't any more scheduling conflicts."

"Ah. Got it."

The Snow Queen crossed the room to her dresser, pulling out the top drawer and considering her makeup collection. It was a bummer that they didn't have more open, unscheduled time together, but—well. After the events of the previous evening, at least Jack was confident that he didn't have to be concerned about his Elsa's so-called suitors anymore.

Swinging his shepherd's crook behind his back and catching it with his opposite hand, Jack Frost shrugged, walking towards her. "This is the last round of sorry saps, though," he asked. "Right?"

She turned back around to face him. "Yes," Elsa nodded. "I am so sorry that you have to come with me. But I really appreciate it. Even though I'm sure it must be boring for you."

"I'd rather be there than make you go alone." Coming up beside her, Jack dropped the end of his staff into the carpet, absent-mindedly beginning to spin it as he spoke. "But just think! In just a couple of hours, we'll be rid of them forever."

A look of confusion swept over her face as she selected a lipstick tube from the drawer. "We?"

"Yeah," he said. "We."

She let out her breath, smiling bitterly. "I really appreciate the support, Jack," Elsa sighed, "But you shouldn't feel obligated to help me deal with this. I mean—they're my problem."

"I'll explain later," Jack whispered, catching the staff. "We're talking about it after your audiences are over, remember?"

Elsa nodded, turning back to the mirror and uncapping her lipstick. Glancing down, Jack's eyebrows lifted, a new idea striking him. When she had her heels on, Elsa was a little taller than he was, but when she was barefoot (like she was now), Jack had an inch or two on the Snow Queen. So, as long as he did…

Silently reaching forward and leaning his staff up against the edge of the dresser, Jack walked around behind her, pushing the capelet and long end of her dress to the side with his foot. Stepping up to her back, he then suddenly placed his hands on her waist, sliding them forward over her stomach into an embrace.

Elsa froze, still holding her lipstick. Letting out a happy sigh, Jack leaned his head forward against the back of hers, smiling into her hair.

"Um…" Elsa squeaked. "Hello?"

Jack's heart swelled. Giving her a gentle squeeze, he shifted on his feet, setting his chin on her shoulder.

"Hi, Snowflake," he whispered.

Looking at her in the reflection, Jack's heart swelled as his Ice Powers Girl blushed, her mouth curving into an adorably nervous little smile. Seeing it, his own smile grew even wider.

"Oh—and, uh," Jack offered softly, pulling her in closer as he spoke into her ear, "We can talk about this, too."

She nodded, her breath catching as Jack placed a quick kiss on her neck, then grinning up into their reflection again.

"We have quite a few things to talk about," Elsa asked breathlessly. "Don't we?"

"Oh… I think we have a lot we need to talk about, Snowflake."

Jack gave her another squeeze, his heart leaping as he saw that Elsa was smiling. Still holding the lipstick, his Ice Powers Girl then closed her eyes, relaxing into his arms in the silence.

The Youngest Guardian could practically feel his heartbeat slow into the calm of the moment as he held her, a strangely happy, peaceful feeling sweeping through his body as he stared into the mirror and the perfect picture that it held. She believed in him. He still wasn't used to that—and now, he was touching her, too. And she looked like she was enjoying it.

No magic required.

Letting out his breath, Jack started to pull his hands back on Elsa's waist, his palms flatly skimming over the edge of her bodice and onto the sides of her skirt. Knowing that he now had to be below the bottom edge of her corset, Jack could feel without effort that her body was suddenly soft again under the fabric, her natural hips free of the torture device that bound in her waist. Unlike her corseted stomach, the Ice Powers Girl's hips were soft. They were soft, and free, and Elsa. Just like they were supposed to be.

SO much better.

"Um—Jack?" Elsa quavered, suddenly tensing again as he felt her hips, "What are—is everyth-EEP!"

She jumped and squeaked in shock as Jack suddenly gave her a hard squeeze, his fingers digging into the fabric of her skirt. Elsa gasped and whirled around to slap him, and he laughed, leaping away from her.

"WHOA!" Jack ducked, barely missing her hand. "Wait, was that the line?"

"YES."

Whoops.

"Oh—sorry, then," Jack admitted, putting his hands in the air. He then anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought you were okay with—"

"—It's a good thing I hadn't started putting this on!" Elsa sputtered, scoffing bitterly and holding up the makeup tube. "You would have made me mess up my lipstick!"

To this, Jack Frost's mouth crooked into a smirk.

"Wasn't I going to do that anyway?" he chuckled.

Elsa's face went pale, and she visibly recoiled, falling quiet and looking to the floor. Seeing her shoulders hunching over in embarrassment—her beautiful smile suddenly gone—Jack instantly wished that he could retract the statement.

Too far.

"Oh—uh, here," Jack stammered, reaching into his pocket and desperately trying to change the subject. "I nabbed something for you."

He pulled out a small something, stepping forward to her again, but being careful not to touch her. As the Fifth Spirit turned around to face him, putting down the lipstick, Jack carefully picked up her hand, pressing the tiny, round little object into her palm.

"A chocolate truffle?" she asked, opening her hand realizing what it was. Jack let out his breath, seeing her relax again. "Wherever did you get this from?"

"I might have stepped out a few times last night."

"Stepped out? Stepped out to—wait."

Jack waggled his eyebrows, biting the edge of his lip and restraining from a grin. All of a sudden, Elsa's eyes widened.

"The Council?" she gasped. "You—how many—"

"Three," Jack chuckled. "I made a few stops."

Her mouth fell open. "Really?"

"I wasn't tired."

Looking back down to the truffle, Elsa's face flushed, breaking into a smile again. Seeing it, Jack's heart leapt again.

The Snow Queen was so beautiful when she was happy.

"Your stole a truffle from one of my councilmen?" Elsa scoffed.

"No, no, no. Not me. I wasn't there." Jack smirked. "Now, there may or may not have been an invisible phantom that passed through, but—"

Elsa laughed. "An invisible phantom, that likes chocolate?"

An invisible phantom that likes HAVING a girl who likes chocolate, Jack thought.

"It could happen," he shrugged, grinning mischievously at her.

Jack leaned forward to pick up his staff, tossing it to himself and then letting the shepherd's crook fall back onto his shoulder. Disaster averted. She was smiling again, and laughing again, and he needed to remember to not grab her quite that hard.

Looking back up and expecting her to be smiling again, Jack's heart stopped as he realized that Elsa's face had suddenly gone grave.

"Wait," he blurted, "Uh—Snowflake? You okay?"

She closed her eyes, as if in pain. Pressing her lips together—and hesitating for a moment—she then shook her head.

"I can't," Elsa stammered, "I—I'm sorry. I can't steal from them."

Jack's eyes widened. "Booting them from the Council—"

"—Is not stealing."

Jack's heart sank as Elsa stepped back up to him, replacing the truffle in his hand and closing his fingers around it.

"Promise you'll put it back?" she pleaded.

"Fine…"

Jack sighed, looking down to the truffle back in his hand and trying to hide his disappointment. He'd figured that the guy didn't deserve the chocolate, anyway. Not like his Elsa did.

But—given everything that she'd done and sacrificed, by this point—Jack was pretty certain that his Elsa deserved everything.

"If it's any consolation," Jack mumbled, pocketing the chocolate, "I don't think he was even planning on eating it."

"I'm sorry. I'm still just not comfortable with it."

Jack smiled bitterly. "And here I was, thinking I'd corrupted you already. With the pranking, and all."

"That's different," Elsa countered, finishing off her lipstick. "It's political!"

"Sure, sure."

As she pressed her lips together, looking at her reflection and setting the makeup into place, Jack stepped forward turned around, leaning back against the edge of her dresser. Peering up at her through his eyelashes, Jack Frost then flirtatiously leaned in close to her face.

"Naughty-lister," he whispered.

A sly smirk twitching out of the side of his mouth, Jack straightened back up, watching as Elsa's cheeks flushed with shock. As she looked to him, her mouth hanging open, he quickly pulled in his breath.

"Last night was fun. By the way," Jack added, changing the subject back as Elsa reached up to her hair, parting it into three sections and beginning to braid it. "It's nice to finally be on the same page."

Elsa suddenly stopped braiding her hair. Her face falling, she then started again, her movements slower and more painful than before.

"I completely agree," she sighed, "It's probably better if I don't come with you. I'm glad that this works better."

Huh?

"HUH?" Jack sputtered.

"My councilors?" the Snow Queen clarified, pulling the braid over her shoulder, "Operation Ice Alliance? I mean, it was really exciting to go with you for Mr. Hauge, but it's—I'm probably just not cut out for pranking. And I'm not offended if it's more fun without your—having to keep me covered."

Elsa blushed slightly, visibly trying to hide her disappointment as Jack realized what she was talking about. As she finished her braid, flicking a sparkle of snowflakes over it to seal it into place, it hit him.

"Wait—no," Jack stammered, "No, I—uh, I was talking about—us."

Elsa let out her breath. "So was I."

"No, not like that," Jack laughed nervously, a wave of anxiety sweeping through him at her lack of response. "I meant—like—you know. Us."

He gestured back and forth between them.

Elsa gaze dropped to the dresser, an expression of confusion sweeping over her face as she considered the statement, almost like she was trying to take it in and analyze it all at the same time. After a few moments, her eyes lit up.

"OH! You're talking about kissing!" Elsa blurted, snapping her head up. "Right?"

Jack snorted in shock, his face breaking into a full-on grin at her bluntness. "Yeah," he laughed. "I was. Actually."

"Oh—and that's right!" Her eyebrows lifted as she remembered. "And there was something you were going to explain to me. Like—Ice Alliance. You wanted to talk about it in the morning, right?"

"Right."

"Okay!" Elsa cheerily spun around, clapping her hands together and leaning back against her dresser. "Explain away!"

Jack's breath caught in his throat.

"Oh. I—aaaah," he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck and suddenly feeling like he was standing in a spotlight. "I—wasn't thinking we'd do it—now. Right now."

She looked confused. "When?"

"Well, I was thinking we should talk after your suitors," Jack said quickly, "Because you've—wait, how many suitors did you say you have to see?"

"Four."

"Okay. Four." Jack nodded, trying to control his breathing just enough so that he could appear casual. "I just figured—let's get that out of the way, and then I was—hoping I could take you out again. Maybe to that ice castle thing we built? Remember?"

Elsa nodded. Jack pulled in his breath.

"Well, after another four sorry saps, I imagine you'll be ready for a break," he continued carefully. "And I want to make sure there's enough time for—explaining."

Elsa nodded slowly, and she glanced downwards, considering his words once again. Jack bit his lip.

And more making out, he thought desperately. PLEASE more making out.

"You… um," Elsa asked hesitantly, her voice hardly more than a whisper as she looked back up. "Are you—are you asking me out? On—like, on another date?"

"Well—yeah!" Jack shrugged, drumming his fingers on the staff. "I guess we can definitely call it that, if—"

"—Yes!"

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"YES! I mean—yes. Thank you," Elsa stammered, her cheeks flushing with unhidden delight as the shy little smile returned to her lips. "I'd love to go out again after I'm done with the audiences."

"Great. It's settled then." Jack exhaled, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. That was a way better reaction than he'd been expecting.

Oh, Manny, she was cute.

Elsa nodded excitedly. "And we can give my sister a heads-up at breakfast!"

"Of course."

Pulling open the top drawer of her dresser again, the Ice Powers Girl thoughtfully looked over all the little compacts and tubes inside. Finally selecting a small, round container, she reached into the drawer, picking it up with a little matching makeup brush.

"Oh—and, uh," Jack added quickly, snapping his head up, "I just—I wanted to apologize, too. If it sounded like I was condescending to you, with the—explaining—thing."

She sighed, flicking open the compact and beginning to swirl the little brush around inside it. "It's okay. I didn't think you were."

"Because I wasn't trying to."

"I've never really had friends before," Elsa admitted, leaning into the mirror and brushing the lilac powder over her eyelids. "At least—not like this."

She sighed, snapping the compact shut.

Well, Jack thought. That IS the idea, Snowflake.

"Just let me know if you ever want to learn about Latin," Elsa laughed bitterly, straightening up and replacing the makeup and little brush back in the dresser drawer. "Or foreign policy. Or all the ins and outs of the Enchanted Forest."

His eyebrows lifted. "You know, that actually sound pretty interesting."

"Yes, and super useful outside of it," she scoffed. "Bruni prefers powder to large flakes, by the way. And the Nokk hates shoes. Even my sandals."

"How about a rain check, on all of that?"

She shook her head, rolling her eyes and smiling as she pushed the drawer shut. Jack smiled as well, his shoulders relaxing. He could practically feel his heart resume its beating, but had to work to keep himself from looking too excited at the prospect of another afternoon alone with Elsa. He was still planning it out, but he figured they'd go to the ice castle thing, maybe build some more, talk, dance, whatever she wanted. What they did didn't really matter to him (okay, besides the making out), but—if he was going to have to flat-out explain to Elsa that she was his girlfriend—Jack wanted this to be special.

And speaking of special…

"Soooo," Jack ventured, carefully watching her expression. "Where's my kiss?"

She looked to him quizzically. "Kiss?"

"Well—yeah. A good morning kiss."

Her mouth fell slightly open again, and Jack's breath caught. Restraining from looking down at the rest of her curvy, ice-draped form, he was suddenly staring into her face again, practically drowning in Elsa's deep, innocent eyes.

"Be—because we're doing the goodnight kiss thing, now," Jack added, stepping forward and picking up her hands, "I mean—right? So I figured—"

"—Oh! Of course! I just—!"

Jack held his breath as the Ice Powers Girl nervously looked down to their hands, adorably shocked as she realized that his much larger ones were now around hers. Blushing, she gave a little shrug, then looking back up. "I—I didn't know. I mean, I've never heard of that. Is that really a thing?"

To this, Jack Frost restrained from a smirk.

It is now.

"Sure, sure," he told her, beginning to pull her back towards the chair. "I mean—yeah! Of course it is!"

"Huh. That's interesting," Elsa responded, her gaze lifting upwards in thought as Jack guided her forward, gently encouraging her to walk with him, "I didn't realize that at all. But, I suppose it might have something to do with the cultural patterns surrounding the concept of a goodnight kiss, because as a child, you can often receive one from your parents, but in the morning, you OH!"

She gasped in surprise as Jack suddenly sat down in the chair, spinning her body around and yanking her into his lap. Feeling Elsa's weight on his legs as she sat sideways on top of them, a jolt of electricity shot through his body.

Mine! Jack thought excitedly.

Reaching his hand around onto her hip, Jack eagerly pulled the Ice Powers Girl up further onto his thighs, his heart leaping as he felt the curves of her body suddenly pressing up against his own.

Mine mine mine mine mine mine MINE.

"Um—Jack?"

Smiling uncontrollably, Jack looked up into the Snow Queen's stunningly beautiful, deep blue eyes.

"Yeah?" he gasped.

Elsa's mouth twitched to the side with concern. "Is this—is this okay?"

"Well, I just figured that, if we're trying things," Jack panted, gingerly patting her hip, "You know, within reason, of course? I mean, if you're—as long as you're comfortable with—"

"—I'm comfortable with it," Elsa blurted.

Yay!

Looking down, Jack saw that the long slit in Elsa's skirt had fallen open over her knee, exposing an inch of her thigh. Pulling his left hand back from her hip, he quickly reached for her leg, curling his fingers under her knee and yanking her up further onto his lap.

Elsa's breath caught, and he snapped his head up in a jolt of panic. An instant later, she shot him a nervous smile, and his heart leapt.

With one hand around her leg and the other on her hip, Jack's mind raced as he watched the Fifth Spirit reach up and push a stray hair back into her braid. Elsa then shyly stretched out her arm, reaching it around his neck, and an instant later, the Ice Powers Girl started to lean into him to OHMYGOSH!

Jack's eyes bulged as he looked back down, Elsa's body suddenly pressing up against his chest as she snuggled into it. Well, she and her—everything. Right in front of his eyes. Everything was right there.

Right. THERE.

GEEUUUUUUUUUH.

"Um…" Elsa started to say, "Jack? Is everything—"

"—HI!"

His sudden shriek of a greeting had made her jump, startling back an inch. Clearing his throat, he blushed.

"Hi," Jack panted, trying again. "Ha—hey. Hi. Hi, Elsa."

She laughed quietly into her hand, her hair shifting over her shoulder as she bowed her head forward. Feeling its softness as it swept past his cheek, ice crystals glistening in the strands, Jack's jaw slackened.

SO pretty.

"I was just going to ask," Elsa tried again, pulling him out of the stupor, "Are you okay? You look—I'm not sure."

"OH! Yeah! I just—I—!"

Nice. Very nice. Girl, female, soft; YAY!

Snapping his mouth shut, he looked back down, his gaze momentarily hitching on the top edge of her icy dress's bodice, which was now mere inches from his face. Closing his eyes, Jack restrained from flat-out embracing her; from burying his face in her chest and squeezing her as hard as he could to reassure himself that she wasn't a dream, all the while desperately resisting the urge to—

Jack chewed the edge of his lip.

Everything.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, forcing himself to pull in a nice, slow, caaaaalming breath of air.

"I—like this," Jack exhaled.

Elsa's cheeks flushed, and she smiled. "Me too."

"And, you. I really like you."

The Ice Powers Girl blushed again, shyly biting the edge of her lip and looking down as her smile grew. As she moved, the edge of her icy skirt falling over his knee, his heart leapt again.

"So," she whispered, "Are—are we—?"

"Oh! Right. Of course."

The Fifth Spirit reached around his neck, clasping her hands behind it. Jack's heart started pounding, realizing that she was leaning down towards his face, her warm breath sending a shiver across his skin. Her lips were almost touching his.

Smiling in relief, he closed his eyes.

"THE MOOOOOOORNING MAAAAAIL, YOUR WONDERFULNESS!" a voice suddenly shrieked from the hallway, making Jack and Elsa both startle into the air.

Ripped from the moment, Jack's eyes flew open, his jaw dropping as Elsa whipped her head around towards the door. "What the BLIZZARDS is—"

"—MAY I ENTER YOUR ROOM?!" shrieked the voice again.

Flippin' NO!

Looking back up with horror, Jack realized that Elsa, still sitting on his lap, was silently giggling to herself. Shaking her head, she looked up into his eyes.

"That would be Olaf," she laughed, smiling apologetically. "He brings me my mail."

"Any chance he could bring it a little quieter?" Jack scoffed.

Or, just—NOT?

"I'm sorry," Elsa was saying, making Jack snap his head back up from her chest to look into her eyes. "I have to get this."

His breath catching, he realized that she was starting to get up off of his lap. Without even realizing it, Jack made a strangled sound of protest, his grip tightening on her hips.

Elsa froze, looking to him in surprise.

"Which means I need to stand up," she choked, glancing down to his hands as a hint.

"NO! WAIT! I—!"

Jack snapped back into focus, realizing that his Ice Powers Girl was starting to shift away from him again. Gulping his breath, he swallowed hard.

"Can't the mail wait?" Jack pleaded, his voice breaking.

"But it's Olaf!"

"But—!"

But our MOMENT!

Jack's face fell as Elsa got up off of his lap, her hands falling away from his neck. Before he had the time to come up with another way to protest, she bent down and gave him a quick, aggravatingly platonic kiss on the forehead, then whirling away from him to run for the door.

All but actually grasping at the air where she had been sitting a few seconds before, Jack let out his breath, restraining from a groan as he watched the long capelet on the Snow Queen's sparkling dress billow away from him. They were having a moment. A MOMENT. Could anybody even know, HOW HARD HE HAD WORKED FOR THAT?! King Kristoff and Sven had taken the snowgies up the mountain with them on the previous evening, but apparently, the Fifth Spirit couldn't have more than three seconds of privacy away from her many snowy children.

Jack pressed his lips together, staring down at the floor.

Parenting, he thought miserably. A preview.

His head still swimming in the reality of the fact that he'd just had the Ice Powers Girl on his lap, Jack eventually watched himself get onto his feet again, walking back to the dresser to retrieve his staff. Elsa had, of course, welcomed in the bubbling snowman, who had shoved her a silver tray of letters and immediately launched into telling her all about his plans for the day. When he'd addressed Jack as his father, Jack hadn't even bothered to correct him. He was still watching his beautiful Elsa's every move.

If he'd actually been ASKED to design a female Winter Spirit, just as a fantasy, the Fifth Guardian wouldn't have even been able to come up with someone as great as Elsa. Elsa was the girl, the Ice Powers Girl, that he'd been unknowingly waiting and wishing for, for over three hundred years. But—she was so much more than that. With all of her brilliance, and grace, and talent, and passion, and—well, just her goodness, really—the Snow Queen of Arendelle was just that.

Not entirely hearing Olaf and Elsa's conversation, Jack picked up his staff, letting it fall back onto his shoulder and glancing to her mail sitting on the edge of the dresser. His eyebrows lifting, Jack looked down at the top card on the tray, seeing the fancy script across the envelope's front.

To the Snow Queen

Jack glanced longingly towards the beautiful, brilliant young woman beside him as she leaned over the dresser, fluffing her hair. Looking back down at the letter once again, Jack's features melted into a smile.

Yes, she was.