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snowharvester-blog · 6 years

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What I Wanted To Say

Summary:

Modern/AU verse. The hardest part of having a best friend? Falling for him, but what are you gonna do when he likes your cousin? Multiple pairings, main Jelsa.

There he goes again, looking at her with affection in his light blue eyes.

Elsa Freyis squirmed in her seat when an uncomfortable lurch in her stomach grew as she pressed her pen on her paper harder than needed. She would have laughed at her predicament if she wasn't the one involved. To have any romantic problems in high school was usually beneath her, deeming it to be a fickle and fleeting moment of infatuation that was caused by teenage hormones. But as she gave a sideways glance at Jack Frost; it wasn't about hormones at all.

"-and voila! You just made your prototype for a cherry bomb!" Their chemistry teacher, Mr. Mind laughed triumphantly as he held up the potent concoction for his students to see. The room was suddenly alive with the murmurs of excitement and awe. Some were whispers concerning the mental health of their instructor. Elsa caught the nervous eye of her classmate, Hiccup Haddock, and sighed. It's time to play the role of the responsible student again.

"Mr. Mind?"

The bulbous-headed man with a goatee waved a hand to her direction for a dramatic flair, "Yes Ms. Freyis? I take it you're fascinated by the things that go 'BOOM!' so your finals will be to make a batch of cherry bombs-"

She shook her head, her light blond hair tied in a tight braid bun and her fair face was the epitome of seriousness that was absent on most adolescence's faces. "Producing something that goes… 'boom' can lead to a disastrous result, especially since all forms of explosives are illegal in this country, let alone this school."

There was a chorus of groans and the boy wearing a blue hoodie beside her gave a mock glare and whispered, "Aww, Elsa don't be a killjoy!"

Yes, she was the class nagger but she's also the Student Council president and she will not have a pile of papers containing an accident in her class sitting on her desk and explain to the headmaster how the incident happened, she disliked paperwork.

Mr. Mind gave it some thought and with a huff, he replied "Fi~ne, we'll just talk about the bonding of atoms and memorize the periodic table for your finals."

Elsa didn't let the looks of anger and irritation most of her classmates gave faze her and as soon as the bell rang, she collected her things in her bag and walked out the chemistry lab to her next class. Light footsteps followed her and she didn't need to look to know it was Jack. His scent was icy, it was like breathing into a freezer and no matter what season it is, it remained the same. "Way to kill the fun Sunshine" he grumbled and slung his backpack on his shoulder.

"I'd rather 'kill the fun' than tend to your bleeding hands inside a hospital room," she said in a matter-of-factly tone. Her cheeks suddenly grew warm when he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"I didn't know you actually cared" he teased. She cleared her throat and kept her eyes straight, ignoring the funny looks everyone else gave them. It was still a shock to some people that the uptight and well-mannered young woman was friends with the notorious resident white-haired prankster/incurable troublemaker.

"Elsa! Jack! Wait for me!"

Elsa didn't want to but it would be rude for her to ignore her cousin who was bounding up to them with a bubbly grin on her face. Rapunzel was a free-spirited girl who had an artistic flair. She immediately noticed how Jack beamed as she got closer to them. The young woman with unimaginatively long golden hair gave them a bright smile which he immediately returned while Elsa gave a hesitant nod, "Rapunzel."

"Hey, I just talked to the teachers about doing an art exhibit and they said yes!" she said in an excited tone but giggled a bit when she addressed Elsa, "But I think you already know that."

"Yes, they've already discussed this with the council. We've already calculated the funds so that we still have enough expenses to cover the school fair" Elsa answered, all too aware that Jack wanted to have a conversation with her. There was a twist in her stomach as her subtle stare lingered to his face before turning back to her cousin, "And we also think it's a great idea to let every student explore their artistic side."

"So, uh Blondie" Jack interjected, "What are you gonna do for the exhibition anyway?"

His simple question was quickly replied with an eager explanation of murals and overlapping pictures. Rapunzel was so engrossed with her vision and with Jack being too engrossed to her; Elsa was able to slip quietly away without being noticed. As she walked to the cafeteria to look for Anna, she looked over her shoulder one more time and her heart squeezed painfully at the sight of the two of them.

"Elsie... why don't you just tell Jack about, Y'know, that you liked him?" Anna asked as she scooped up more chocolate ice cream from the carton she and her sister were sharing. It was their Saturday afternoon routine; they would lounge about in Elsa's room and watch a movie or talk about their week with a handful of junk food their parents wouldn't approve of.

Elsa looked up from the book she was reading and stared at Anna like she was crazy. "What are you talking about?" She tried to play dumb, knowing how Anna can get when the topic's about love and crushes. She calls herself the 'love expert', except the sixteen-year-old never had any relationship experiences and based all her pieces of advice from all the movies and teen magazines she and Rapunzel were obsessed with. Whenever they have a sleepover, Merida will always try to escape their wrath of nail polish and teen quizzes by climbing out of the window while Elsa would try to control the situation.

Anna snorted as she swallowed the chocolate treat, "Please, I know you like Jack. I mean like-like kind of like. I think you guys look cute together."

A rush of warmth covered her cheeks, blushing at her sister's words. She cleared her throat, "Just because we 'look cute together', it doesn't mean that it will happen."

Anna's smile faltered for a moment before sudden realization dawned in her blue eyes, "So you do like Jack!"

Elsa froze with her spoon halfway to her lips; she just fell into a trap. She sighed and lowered the silverware, "Of course I like him, it will be difficult for me to be friends with someone I didn't like."

"You know what I mean" Anna grumbled "This is big news! I'd never thought that you'll have a crush on someone, especially on Jack. Uh- not that he's a bad guy or anything!" she squeaked out.

"I know what you mean," Elsa said, "He's... flighty."

And that word just scratched the surface of a fifty-foot thick block that described Jack Frost. He was a whirlwind of energy, like the wind; he comes and goes whenever he likes, which also meant that he had no problems cutting classes in school.

He was a loner, always preferred to fly solo but he was still popular to everyone because of his friendly personality. Both the students in their year and the lower ones seemed to follow his every move, especially the female population. Elsa was more than aware that he was good-looking though not in the princely type that Anna swoons to. He was more of the lean, roguish type- a classic rebel without a cause. But her attraction to him wasn't like a good girl falls for bad boy stereotype. He was a gentle soul, he had charisma and he simply loved playing with kids. He made it a priority to stop by the playground and bring a football so they can all have fun.

Although the adults, more specifically Vice Principal Pitch Black had less than positive opinions about him and she wouldn't lie; she shared the same opinion before they became friends.

She was always the stickler for the rules and going against the said rules was like blaspheme in her book. When she was a child, most of her parents' friends would look at her and say, "What a responsible young lady!" Her parents' face would light up whenever she did something perfect. So she strived to make them happy; always on the honour roll, enrolling in a vocal class in summer and joining several groups in the community like a perfect citizen.

But whenever she was with her friends, it didn't matter whether she was perfect or not. They don't care if she blundered something up and they will help her get back up with a smile on their faces.

Anna hummed thoughtfully before she eyes Elsa's hair with distaste, "Elsie, don't you wanna change your hairstyle? It makes you look... old."

The older sibling traced her bun with her fingers and took a deep breath, "This hairstyle is convenient for me."

"But it's boring" Anna pouted, "I think you'll be prettier with a French knot or a side braid. Jack might like it y'know. You're already pretty so why not upgrade your look? You can even grow out your hair like Rapunzel's!"

"I don't to be pretty!" Elsa weakly protested, "I don't want him to notice me just because I will look like Ra-" Elsa immediately closed her mouth and speared her spoon through a large mound of ice cream.

Anna bit her lower lip after she realized that she hit a rather sore spot. Rapunzel's pretty in her own way; she was strong-willed and optimistic while Elsa's more in a mature and sophisticated light. The strawberry blond threw her arms around her sister's shoulders and gave it a tight squeeze,

"I'm not saying you should change yourself Elsie, not into Rapunzel or to anyone. I just wanted other people to see the real you like how I do and you know what?"

"What?" Elsa asked

"The real Elsa's just waiting for the time to show them her true colours. You can't change yourself to please people like what you're doing for mama and papa, you can just be the best you can and do what makes you happy."

The wisdom of her usually clumsy sister's words struck a chord with her. A stirring, a yearning to drop the mask and show them her true self was empowering her. Elsa gently pinched her sister's freckled cheek, "When did you get so wise?"

"English class, we watched a film that contained so many metaphors and people who stood up on their tables quoting 'Captain, My Captain'" she whined. Elsa gave a small breathless laugh before she returned to her book, "It would be better if he will never know."

Anna blinked in confusion as a frown settled on her lips, "Huh? Why's that?"

"Because if he only liked me as a friend; things will be awkward if I told him. I don't to lose Jack as a friend and besides… he already likes someone else."

The change started out small but for Elsa, it was life-changing. It wasn't her intention to wear her hair down since Anna hid all her bobby pins that held her hair in their usual bun so she had no choice but to tie her hair down.

She tried a low ponytail but she suddenly saw Rapunzel's reflection staring at her that she yanked the rubber band off. Finally, she tied her hair into a side braid and constantly blew a lock of hair that fell over her left eye. Thankfully Anna didn't touch her clothes because she was comfortable with them; they were conservative yet stylish with her personal flair. Anna didn't try and make her wear those miniskirts, revealing tops and extremely high heels that threatened to break her feet if she took a single step.

Before the first class, she bumped into Jack and Hiccup by the halls. She couldn't hear what they were talking about but she was almost sure it involved a prank and Hiccup will try and talk the prankster out of it.

"Hey Elsa" Hiccup greeted, "You look... different. A good kind of different" he immediately added.

Jack finally turned around and furrowed a brow at her, "What's with your hair?" She suddenly felt conscious and tugged at the end of the braid, "Just trying something new" before she composed herself and straightened her posture. "That better not be stink bombs in there" she warned, her eyes gave a pointed stare at Jack's locker.

Jack just gave a casual shrug, "Can't say that I'll promise you anything"

A small throb on her temple made her roll her eyes at him and crossed her arms, "I expect you to be in class today. I won't cover your absence again like the last time."

"Can't you just give me a hall pass or something?" he pleaded, using his 'charm'.

"I'm not going abuse my authority" she grounded out "Like I've said, attend all your classes especially Geometry, we have a test today."

Jack was about to retort when she beat him to it,

"And if you ever tried to play the 'I'm sick' card, I can just ask Professor Doppler to give you a special exam. An even harder one" she threatened.

Jack glared at her and crossed his arms, "You wouldn't"

"Try me"

They held a glaring contest, both forgot that Hiccup was still there before Jack gave in and grumbled, "Fine. You're such a mother hen, you know that?" before he turned his back on her to resume his conversation with Hiccup.

Elsa just smirked and started to walk to the classroom, unaware that Jack peeked at her retreating back over his shoulder.

The art exhibit was an instant hit for everyone.

Elsa had never seen almost half of the student body immersed in a single event. Many had submitted their project proposals and some had even reserved the rooms to showcase their works. Although there had been some strenuous talks with the creative side of some students like the trio Lock, Shock and Barrel who thought it would be a great idea to present smushed bugs and hang them on the ceiling with piano strings.

Then there was the Crood girl who wanted to set up caveman murals all over the campus which sounded like a good idea until it involved mud and actual live animals that will leave prints so that it will be… authentic. Anna decided to make a large snow globe where the snow will be Styrofoam and the snowman was glued to the bottoms of the platform.

Merida didn't really make anything but presented a beautiful wood carving of a life-sized bear which made their woodshop teacher, Ralph, approved despite it wasn't her own work. Hiccup just helped the students set up their projects, saying that he wasn't the artsy type and promised her that he will participate in the Annual Science Fair Competition against the other towns and bring a gold trophy for their school. Finally, Elsa placed her own model; tiny transparent crystals were hung to the wooden by a transparent nylon. At first, Anna was confused on how it came together but as soon as the light hits the crystals, a shimmering multi-coloured snowflake was formed on the board, leaving the younger Freyis at awe. Leave it to Elsa to use her knowledge in Geometry to create something beautiful.

A small chuckle came from her left side and saw Jack holding a diorama. His was even more impressive. Miniature models of her and their friends were there wearing costumes inside a fictional world that he created. Elsa spotted a particular model and giggled, "Is that Hiccup riding a dragon?" Jack laughed as well as he swung the tiny black dragon with the tip of his finger "I think Mr. Nerdy-pants would like this."

She looked closely at other models. There was a miniature Anna wearing a winter dress with a snowman beside her and even a figurine of a girl wearing a long green dress; her hair was depicted as a messy bundle of red yarn with an angry scowl on her face. Merida wouldn't be happy about this one, she concluded. Then, there was a tower that was covered with vines and flowers. A girl whose golden hair flowed down to the ground and there was a smile on her face. She wore a simple yet princess-y lilac dress.

It didn't take a genius to know that it was Rapunzel. Elsa could feel her frown was beginning to show before he pointed at the opposite side of the diorama. There stood a castle was supposedly made of ice and she gasped when she saw herself. The tiny Elsa had the same side braid and she was covered with a blue off-shoulder dress and a cape stood by a paper balcony. Her face was looking up and Elsa saw that it was facing the crescent moon where the miniature Jack was sitting on it with a staff on hand and his trademark blue hoodie was nearly impossible to miss.

It was beautiful.

"You're really hard to make" Jack commented as he watched her observed the castle in great detail, "Your hair's got that braid thingy and I thought it will be good to put you into an ice castle or something."

"Why ice?" she asked, "Are saying that I'm cold?" True, she wasn't exactly the warmest person compared to her friends but it still hurt when someone had called her 'ice queen' behind her back just because she told them off or lectured them when they broke any school rules.

Jack's eyes widened and shook his head, "That's not what I meant! You just told me before that you love winter so I figured why not make you the Snow Queen?"

"The Snow Queen's an evil sorceress, Jack" Elsa explained which caused a momentary expression of misunderstanding on his face.

"But I thought she was the main character?" he said. Elsa just shook her head and straightened herself from her bending. There were butterflies in her stomach as she studied the Snow Queen looking at the white-haired boy on the moon. He put in so much effort on making that, if only he put that much effort into studying so his grade point average would be better than a B-.

Jack placed his diorama next to her snowflake prism and played with the hanging crystals. She leaned her back on the table and closely watched him. His youthful face was filled in with a strong jowl and his eyes brows were dark brown, hinting his natural hair colour. His nose was defined and his lips were thin and always chapped, finally his eyes; the facial feature of his that attracted her to him the most. They were covered with long thick lashes that women, including her, could only achieve by means of mascara and the stunning icy blue colour that ranges from the shade of the sky to a deep cornflower blue. Whenever he looked at her with sincerity and even an amused light; her heart can't help but hammer against her chest cavity.

He was everything she was not. Outwardly cheerful and playful, friendly and outspoken, the antithesis of how she was brought up to be. But he once said that he found her uptightness amusing, if not endearing.

"Sunshine, I know I'm good-looking but you're making me self-conscious."

His cheeky grin forced Elsa to flinch and turned away; all too aware that there was a deep blush that covered her face. The possibilities of him finding out about her attraction to him had now increased. She froze when he threw his arm around her shoulders and gave it another affectionate squeeze like he always does,

"Aaaw you're blushing!" he teased "You're real cute when you act like that"

Did he just flirt with her?

The heat on her cheeks returned tenfold and she wouldn't be surprised if there was smoke coming out of her ears. She was his female best friend and he was her closest male friend so sometimes teasing was normal, though he was the one doing it and in turn, she would just mother the heck out of him. The closest thing they ever did to flirting was playful banter and again, he was the one instigating it. If that was so… did that mean he liked her too?

'Take a chance!' a voice inside her said 'Don't let fear control you'

So Elsa took a deep breath as she spun around to face him and gently peeled his arm off of her, ignoring his concerned frown as she breathed in deeply and said, "Jack, I have something to tell you-"

At that very moment, huge collective gasps were heard from the other side of the room. Rapunzel had just unveiled her own art; it was breath-taking. A large mural with a painting of the night sky with paper lanterns dancing with the wind was so vividly beautiful and detailed one would think that they were watching a lantern festival outside the window. Their fellow students clapped and cheered as Rapunzel blushed prettily and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Elsa swallowed a lump that formed her throat and faced Jack only to find him staring at her cousin with affection in his eyes. Those blue eyes…

"Blondie's amazing huh, Sunshine?"

Elsa tore her gaze from his face and dropped on the ground, her chest suddenly felt tight and the urge to flee from the scene was overwhelming. Luckily when she lifted her eyes, she saw Merida and Anna talking by the bear statue and sprinted towards them, not hearing how Jack called out after her. Anna's blue eyes widened as her sister almost tackled to the ground. She knew she was shaking and when her sister asked her why, all she could say was,

"I need to get out of here."

-;-

"You cannae be serious."

Merida had snorted when she told them her predicament. The Scottish lass was never a fan of Jack and declared him a nemesis when his great stink bomb prank had backfired. His target was Hiccup but the balloons had fallen on the redhead when she opened the library door, which Jack had wrongfully predicted that it would be his best friend.

The DunBroch had cursed up a storm as she stomped into Jack and Elsa's class and pulled him out by the scruff of his hoodie with every intention to beat him up or make him her archery team's moving target. All of which was avoided after Elsa calmed the fuming girl down and made Jack apologize to her. But it wasn't enough for Merida, even if he`s forced to wear a kilt for a whole year. Anna chose to ignore Merida's offhanded comment and rubbed her sister's back,

"It's alright Elsa, I mean… uh…" she had no words of comfort for her. Elsa knew that Anna would like to grab Jack by the arms and shake him but that will just worsen things. Anna can't even say a mean word about Rapunzel because it wasn't in her nature; plus it wasn't their cousin's fault that Jack likes her.

Elsa exhaled through her mouth and wiped her forehead which was drenched with cold sweat. She sighed before she composed herself, "No, Merida's right. It was stupid of me to act like that-"

"It's because you have feelings for him" Anna interjected, "It's normal to feel like that Elsa."

However, Merida sat next to her with her arms and legs crossed, "This talk about 'feelings' and stuff just grate my nerves. It's just a crush and nothin' more, give it a week and it'll go away". Elsa tapped her fingertips on her lips before she nodded, "No, I'm okay. I just needed to clear my head, that's all."

Weeks then, two months flew by and they found themselves busy with the annual school fair. They all had to participate, except for Elsa who had to check each and every stall, booth and facility to ensure safety and cleanliness.

It was the day of the school fair.

There were booths and rides and even a boat ride that can be rented. Food carts lined with the beautifully manicured grass lawns and the speakers blasted cheerful music. Hundreds of visitors flocked the school for a day of merriment and for all the students; no school after the fair to get some rest and recover from their hard day's work.

Elsa did her routinely rounds, checking every booth and asked the visitors what they think of the fair and thankfully it was a success so far. One of the most visited booths was Merida and Astrid Hoffstedder's duck shooting range where it was so challenging that visitors had started to get too serious with it. When

Elsa saw a teenager with spiky hair complain to Merida that it was too hard; the redhead rolled her eyes and said "If it's too easy then I would'a just given you the prize now wouldn't I? Now shut yer gob and shoot!"

Anna was in food duty, much to her displeasure as she straightened the red cap on her head. The younger girl's face instantly brightened when she spotted her sister among the crowd. Elsa looked up from her clipboard and shook her head when Anna left the pretzel kiosk unattended and ran to her direction with a Cheshire cat grin.

Anna waved two blue tickets at her face and thrust them into her hand, "Consider this my birthday-slash-Christmas present to you!" she squealed. Elsa sighed and looked at the tickets, "Why do I need two tickets for the boat ride?"

Her sister shot her an 'are-you-kidding-me?!' glance and grabbed her clipboard, "Now's the perfect time Elsie! Jack and Hiccup's break will start within five minutes so I got the last tickets from Jimmy so 'Carpet Dim sum'!"

"You mean carpe diem" Elsa corrected as Anna pushed her towards the gaming booth. "Yes, do the Latin thing and grab the opportunity!" before she ran back to the stand where irate customers waited.

Jack and Hiccup's assigned booth was the dunker. Of course, Jack was elated while Hiccup wasn't too thrilled; maybe because he knew that he will be the one to ride the chair that was connected to the bull's eye.

The poor brunette was sitting on the chair above four feet deep water. No doubt it will be ice cold, but it seemed that no one had succeeded yet because the skinny teenager who was in his swimming trunks and a sleeveless shirt that bore their school's logo was still mercifully dry.

"C'mon you guys can do better than that!" Jack taunted the gathered crowd. Elsa chuckled as she walked near the tank where their box was brimming with bills.

Hiccup swallowed audibly as a tall and burly smug looking guy with his black hair tied in a small ponytail stepped up and grabbed the three balls from the jar.

"This is nothing, no one can throw the ball like Gaston!" he boasted. A smaller pudgy guy nodded and backed up his words.

"Yeah yeah, just throw the ball" Jack drawled.

Elsa waved at him from the crowd which he saw in an instant. He jumped down from the platform and approached her, "Hiya Sunshine."

"Hullo, is... everything okay back here?" she asked. She looked over Jack's shoulder and saw Hiccup wipe his forehead with relief when all of the guy's aims fired.

"Yep, so far so good" he replied before he checked his watch and licked his chapped lips, "I could really use a break right now though"

"But who will stay here with Hiccup?" she asked.

Suddenly, Merida's voice entered their conversation. "I'll keep an eye out" she offered.

"Why?" he asked in suspicion.

"Hey I'm doin' ya a favour here snowball. Either you owe me or you can kiss your lunch break goodbye" she bargained, though it was more of a demand.

"But Merida" Elsa cut in, "What about your booth? Won't Astrid be angry that you left her to manage it by herself?"

A frown made itself known on the DunBroch's face and Elsa knew that it meant bad news. "It was Astrid who kicked me out! Tch, just because I said that I'm a better shot than her... honestly; she's just sore coz I got into the Archery Club and she didn't."

Elsa cringed as she imagined that confrontation. Both Astrid and Merida were well-known for their competitiveness and to keep them together; it was like a ticking time bomb. Finally, Jack handed the key to the money box to Merida and cheerfully waved to Hiccup who was gripping the back of the chair. Merida laughed at her friend's predicament before she leaned against the glass and yelled out, "Alright ya wee lads; which one o' you think you can dunk this twig into the water?"

"Merida! Don't encourage them!"

Jack and Elsa laughed when they heard Hiccup's protest. They took a detour to the corndogs where Jack devoured five sticks of them while Elsa worked in her nerves. Just a few more steps and they were on the entrance to the boat ride. Elsa's hand fidgeted to take the tickets and tried to build up the courage to ask Jack to ride the boat with her... and maybe even confess her feelings for him. But when she turned to talk to him, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to Jimmy who was helping a mother and her son into a white boat.

Her heart soared as they made their way to the boats; could it be? Was Jack planning the same thing as well? 'Hold on Elsa,' her mind said, 'Maybe he's just gonna take the boat for a spin with you. Don't get your hopes up.'

But the thought Jack asking her above all people in an intimate ride still made her heart thump loudly. Jimmy Hawkins wiped his tanned hands on his pants before he cheekily grinned at Jack,

"Well, I knew you'd show up sooner or later" he joked before he nodded at Elsa. Jack's cheeks bloomed into a fairly pink tinge before he lightly punched Jim on his arm and said, "I need two tickets."

Jim's face fell as he crossed his arms, "Wait... you didn't have any tickets?"

"Well... no but I thought you still had some and-"

"Sorry buddy but I sold the last ones to Alice and Vanellope."

"But I told you I'm gonna grab a boat with someone!"

"You didn't tell me to keep some for you!"

Jack groaned in frustration and walked away. Elsa apologized for his behaviour before she chased after him to tell her friend that she already got them covered.

But as she cut his path in front of him, Jack suddenly told her, "Man, I was going to surprise Blondie with a boat ride but the tickets were sold out!"

Elsa could hear her heart being struck down into a million pieces. "Ra-Rapunzel?" she stuttered in a faint voice, afraid that her tone sounded more pathetic than what she was feeling.

Jack's eyes had never left the ground and nodded, "Yeah. I'm gonna ask her out and she said that she wants to try it so I figured that it was my best bet." He sighed deeply and kicked a stone out of the curb. He then pocketed his hands into his hoodie, "Damn it, just one shot. I just need one shot, was that too much to ask?"

Elsa's heart squeezed painfully as she watched the helpless expression on his normally smiling face. She bit her bottom lip and chose a decision that will break her heart. But on the other hand... it will make him happy and for Elsa; as long as Jack's happy, she'll be happy too. Even if it meant leaving his side. So with a heavy heart, Elsa took out the tickets and silently placed it into his hand. Jack shot her a surprised look but she just shook her head and kept her eyes to her hands that was still wrapped around his own,

"Go find Rapunzel and take that ride" she whispered before she pulled him into a sudden hug.

"Elsa?"

She pretended not to hear his curious voice or the fact that she was hugging him in the middle of a crowded place. Just this one time, she wanted to be selfish. "Good luck" she whispered close to his ear before she pulled back and forced a smile on her freckled face.

His face was mixed with emotions but she had to turn away when the tears threatened to fall. Elsa faked a laugh as she started to walk away and called out "Make her happy alright?"

"Uh... okay" he answered with a tone of confusion and uncertainty.

Elsa continued to walk along the booths with a fake grin plastered to her face. This was no time for tears; she had to feel happy for them. Jack will ask Rapunzel out, Rapunzel will see how amazing he really is and they will start a relationship and if they're lucky, they will still be together after high school, then college, and then move into the adult world together.

It was that simple.

After all, Jack and Rapunzel would be better suited than she and Jack will ever be.

She didn't know why but she ended up walking back to the dunking booth where Anna was now talking to Merida as Hiccup walked back into the tank after he dried himself with a towel.

Anna waved happily to her direction but her smile was instantly dropped when she saw her sister's devastated expression. It was the fastest she had ever seen Anna run. Her twin braids flew as she grabbed her older sister and barged into an empty tent. Anna poked her head out to see if anyone saw them before she closed the flaps.

"Elsie, what happened?! Did Jack say something mean because if he did, I'll... I'll-"

Elsa shook her head violently before she sat on a chair and wept. Unaware of her sister's arms around her and Merida kneeling in front of her with a concerned face. For a few minutes more, Elsa finally wiped the tears from her eyes and composed herself once again. The two girls beside her were amazed at how fast she can get back on her feet.

The day flew by and Elsa had to check all the booths and help the others clean up the mess. Anna, Merida and Hiccup volunteered to stay and help her but she insisted that she can take care of it all by herself. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Jack or Rapunzel the whole day.

'Maybe they took their date somewhere more private' she seethed in her mind before she sighed and continued her duty with her returned clipboard on hand.

Three 'no school' days and the weekend flew by and everyone had returned to its usual routine like clockwork. Except now, Jack was hesitant to talk to her. Every time they would see each other by chance at the lockers, he would immediately turn to the other direction or pull someone into a random conversation.

Was it something she had done?

That would be stupid, she actually gave him a way to ask her cousin out and now he's avoiding her?

Elsa was so deep into her thoughts that she accidentally bumped into someone and her books flew from her hands down to the floor.

"I'm so sorry"

"My apologies"

Elsa looked up and saw a handsome young man with thick auburn hair. He was wearing a spice brown vest and a rich purple undershirt with the brass buttons that shone under the lights. He exuded the 'prince-aura' (as Anna would like to call it) and he easily flashed an apologetic grin. The blond girl composed herself and said; "No I should've been watching where I was walking- I haven't seen you here before"

The young man stood up and picked up her books, much to her embarrassment. "I just transferred here from another town" he explained. "My name is Hans. Hans Suthernisles"

"Elsa Freyis" she introduced herself, "Strange, it's already the middle of the school year. I didn't think we can still accept transferees and new students at this time."

"Oh, my old school's principal recommended me," he said and flashed a brilliant smile.

Elsa wasn't entirely convinced with this young man. He was obviously someone who can charm his way out of everything but she supposed he was harmless. After all, his... type was almost forgotten in the modern times. The conservative, gentleman with disciplined charm; the kind of man that her parents would like her to marry someday.

"Actually" he spoke up, "I'm a bit lost. See it's my first day here but I can't seem to find half of my classes."

"Can I see your schedule?" she asked. He handed her a white piece of paper and Elsa read his timetable and it turned out that he was in the same class as she was.

"Well, I can honestly say that you won't have any more troubles finding your way around the school" she sighed "I'm your classmate in every class."

"Then I guess I'm one lucky guy," Hans said with a dashing smile.

Elsa wasn't a girl who can easily be swayed by a single grin except for Jack. But since Jack had decided to ignore her for no reason whatsoever, she led Hans to their Geometry class, unaware that the white-haired boy was eyeing at their way with a glare.

The news of a handsome newcomer had spread through the school like wildfire.

Elsa chose to focus on her studies rather than her new companion and the swooning ladies, including Anna, who followed him. Thankfully lunch time had arrived and Elsa sat on their usual table and waited for her friends. She watched Hans with his tray of food on hand and scanned the crowd.

There was a nagging feeling that he was looking for her and she won't indulge him.

Anna had arrived with Rapunzel in tow. Elsa's eyes widened as she took in her cousin's appearance. Gone was the golden blond hair that fell to the back of her knees and instead, a chestnut brown colour with a stylish shoulder-length cut replaced it. Rapunzel was all smiles and bounce as she sat on the seat across the blond and whispered, "You'll never guess what happened!"

Elsa tried to keep her face blank and waited for the worst but she found Anna grinning from ear to ear as well. "What is it?" she hesitantly asked.

"I met someone during the boat ride!" Rapunzel squealed. Elsa's heart stopped. Instead of excitement, she felt hurt for Jack. Maybe that's why he was anxious to talk to her. The one bad thing to have a single group of friends was that you can't avoid each other for long.

If Rapunzel had rejected Jack, it would natural for him to think that she had told Elsa the news and he was trying to save face. But how did Rapunzel meet the guy if she and Jack were in the middle of the lake?

"His said his name was Flynn Ryder. Okay; he's a bit cocky and thought his subpar flirting techniques would get me but, I really think he's an okay guy" Rapunzel exclaimed, her cheeks were peppered with a red hue that extended down to her neck.

Elsa shot a questioning gaze at Anna who, in turn, lifted her shoulder's up with an 'I don't know' gesture. The Freyis siblings had never seen their cousin act so smitten before. She started to tell them about an older man with a goatee and his apparently big ego. Merida and Hiccup arrived in the middle of her tale and when Rapunzel recounted what he looked like; the redhead gaped and slammed her palms against the table, effectively making almost everyone at the cafeteria jump.

"That's the one who conned us!" she yelled indignantly. Hiccup shush-ed her but Merida growled like an angry kitten and crossed her arms, "He can't be that good. You said you've calculated the weight of the ball and switched it to a lighter one!" she complained to Hiccup.

"Wait, so you rigged the game?" Rapunzel gasped. Hiccup nodded before he gulped at Elsa's disapproving frown.

"It was Jack's idea" he muttered.

Elsa massaged her temple and breathed out "Of course it was his idea. I take it that this Flynn character managed to outsmart your own con?"

"Please stop calling it a 'con', I feel like a felon" Hiccup grumbled as he took out his sandwich from the brown paper bag. They all laughed at him before the blond felt the end of her braid being tugged and when she spun around; she saw the one she was looking for.

He graced them with his carefree grin and eased into the seat next to hers. She knew she was staring at him; half a mind to lecture his ear off for ignoring her and for missing their morning classes but the other was just relieved that he didn't just suddenly drop off from the face of the planet and mope into a downward spiral of depression.

Hiccup and Anna greeted him while Merida ignored his presence altogether. Rapunzel gave a sweet grin which he nodded to. It was like they were talking to each other and Elsa can't help but feel curious what it was about.

"You missed class" she reminded him, expecting that he will have a dozen of excuses that will help him weasel his way out of his crime but he just shrugged and swiped a part of Hiccup's sandwich, much to the brunette's chagrin.

"So" he casually bit into the bread "Heard you've got something tailing you." Hiccup, who was drinking on bottled water choked on his drink and gave no-so-subtle kick to Jack who glared at him in retaliation.

Anna was quick to jump at Hans' defense while Merida just ate her apple without a care. Rapunzel sighed and placed a hand under her chin, "Why does Hans follow you around?"

Elsa cringed as a migraine began to sprawl across her temple, the immaturity of her friends can be exhausting, "He doesn't follow me, I just helped him find his classes since he's obviously new here."

"What, you're on the welcoming committee now?" Jack snorted, earning him a disapproving frown from Hiccup and Rapunzel.

"Well I am the Student Council president, Jack" she calmly reminded him. He opened his mouth to retort but Merida suddenly interjected,

"Aye, the lass is doin' her job. Ya arennae her keeper so back off. She can hang around with whoever she wants to."

"Hey I'm just looking out for her" he growled. It was a strange sound; Elsa had never seen him this defensive before.

"Will you stop hoverin' over her? What are ya, her boyfriend or somethin'?" Merida challenged and in a weird moment, Jack had replied

"I could be but-" before he stopped.

The air around them just got tense. Five pairs of eyes now bore at Jack and there was a fluttering thrill that bloomed in Elsa's stomach that left her in a daze. Jack avoided their gaze and bit rather savagely at the sandwich before they all dropped their stares, one by one.

Except for Elsa.

Was it a chance for her to tell him? To say that she really liked him for more than a year now?

But fear crept into her, endless possibilities of why he said that had forced her to step away from telling him her feelings. Maybe he was just joking to get Merida off his back. But she wanted nothing more than to hear what he was trying to say.

"Ms. Elsa!" a voice came from behind her.

The sound of heavy footfalls and the formality usage to her name made it clear it wasn't Jack. She shifted her head to see Hans walking towards her with his books tucked under his arm.

"You can just call me Elsa. No need for formalities"

They began to walk side by side to their Literature class, and again; she could feel the eyes right on them. But she wasn't comfortable in his presence like how she was with Jack, she can't even figure out why she was always comparing them to each other.

"I haven't got the chance to thank you for your kindness," Hans said as they walked down the hall.

"It's nothing" she replied, "I can't really leave you alone especially since youère new and all.."

The tall man gave her a crooked smile and commented, "You're such a kind person. I can't believe such a magnificent girl exist."

'And you're being a bit too grateful' she thought.

A hand shot between them and encircled around her shoulders. She blinked owlishly before she saw the blue sweater sleeves and a voice that said, "Hey Sunshine."

Hans took a step back to stare at Jack with a blank face before he graced him with a polite nod, "I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced. My name is-"

"Hans Suthernisles from Misthaven Academy, yeah I heard about you" Jack answered coolly as he pulled her closer to him.

The heat on her cheeks threatened to push steam from her ears and her heart pounded at the sudden closeness of his body to hers. But when she tried to pull away, he kept his grip on her shoulders, gentle but firm at the same time.

"And by your appearance and ill manners, I'd say you're Jack Frost" Hans rebutted with a fake grin, his green eyes were like glass. "I didn't know that Ms. Elsa had such an... interesting friend."

"Yeah, and you better keep your long nose out of her business."

"Jack!"

"Don't think that I can be intimidated by your idle threats. You're merely a delinquent who just seeks attention with childish pranks and had no goals in life by the looks of it."

"Stop it both of you!" she snapped as she finally broke free from Jack's arm (which started to grip her shoulder in a vice-like force) and stood between them, her eyes flashed dangerously, "Now I want you to act like your age and stop acting like a couple of baboons! We have a class to attend so enough is enough."

Jack glowered at them before he marched to the halls with a huff, "Fine"

Hans smirked at his retreating figure before Elsa sent him an icy glare, "You don't have the right to talk to him that way!"

"I deeply apologize for my behaviour but he also didn't have the right to talk to me like that as well" he defended himself.

Elsa held up a hand and sighed, "I know he came off... blunt-"

He scoffed at the word but she pressed on, "but that doesn't mean that you can just say what you want, especially since you're new here!"

He sighed deeply and nodded, "Indeed, I behaved like an uncouth person. I hope that you will forgive me." Elsa didn't want to but it would be immature if she denied him forgiveness. And, after all, Jack started it.

"But if I may be so bold," he said as they continued their way to the classroom, "May I ask if you're in a relationship with him?"

She almost missed her footing before she caught herself, before she cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair to the back of her ear. "We- we're not involved in an -ahem- relationship. We're just friends."

"Oh"

Elsa hoped that the conversation would end there but then he stopped walking, which made her stop as well. "Then is it alright if I ask you out for dinner?"

She stared, "I just met you"

"Then we'll get to know each other better over a great meal. What do you say?"

"What do you mean you said yes?!"

Rapunzel's shout echoed throughout the house, the birds that were perched on the tree flew from fright as the layer-haired girl paced in Elsa's spacious room.

Elsa didn't know why she was making a big deal about this, as well as Merida but Anna was siding with Rapunzel.

"He asked me out to dinner, not marry him" Elsa groaned as she flipped through the pages of her book. Rapunzel made a face before she plopped on the foot of the bed. Anna grumbled as she lay down next to Rapunzel and pouted at her sister.

"What about Ja-rassic Park?" Anna 'smoothly' recovered when Merida's foot connected to her shoulder and gestured to a confused Rapunzel.

"Jurassic Park?" both Rapunzel and Elsa asked at the same time.

"I absolutely have no idea what I'm talking about" Anna whined before she pulled a pillow to her face. Merida and Elsa shared a look as Rapunzel sat up, the ends of her hair curled up.

"Soooo..." Rapunzel started, "You uh, like this Hans person?" For a minute there, Elsa thought her cousin sounded nervous.

"He's a proper gentleman" she coughed out, knowing that Merida and Rapunzel were waiting for a follow-up sentence but sadly there were none.

"You never liked, you know... someone else?" she asked in a sing-song voice.

Anna pushed the pillow from her face and her eyes widened and rolled to her side; mouthing the words 'Could we?' Merida rolled her eyes and leaned against the headboard while Elsa weighed the consequences in her mind. The fact that they didn't tell Rapunzel will inevitably hurt her but now since she has found herself a guy who Elsa wasn't so besotted with, it gave the decision to let Rapunzel in with their secret.

Anna practically bounced on the bed and clapped before she scooted in front of Rapunzel and whispered into her ear. Her green eyes widened and her mouth opened into a silent scream; then there came the-

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Shut. Up!"

"It's true!"

"I need new friends" Merida whispered beside the sighing blond.

Rapunzel's excited face puzzled Elsa, it was strange for the artistic girl to be too elated for simple news like a crush but as her cousin tackled her down, Elsa thought that maybe Rapunzel was just genuinely happy... for what, she didn't know.

"Oh wait until he hears about this, it will be so-"

Elsa's eyes snapped open before she pushed her away and shouted "Rapunzel!" The brunette blinked before she tilted her head, "What?"

"No one can know about this, especially Jack!" she exclaimed.

"But... why?"

"Promise me; promise that you won't say a word!" Elsa made her swore as she clasped her hands to Rapunzel's. The other young woman looked conflicted for a while before she bit her bottom lip and breathed out a laboured, "Okay"

Elsa sighed and hugged her closely, "Thank you"

"But" Rapunzel hastily added, "If you like Jack, why are you going out with Hans? Sure he's cute-"

"Are you kidding? He's has a face of an angel!" Anna yelled before Merida slapped a hand over her mouth and shuts her up with a glare.

"-and nice, but... oh... why not Jack?!"

"Because" Elsa replied, her tone louder than usual as if she was trying to convince herself rather than her friends, "Even if I liked him, it will never work out! He's my best friend and if he didn't feel the same way then our friendship's over. And even if we did start something, what will happen if it didn't work out? I don't want to lose him Rapunzel! I don't want to get through life without him by my side, telling me that everything's going to be alright even if things go wrong!"

It was exhausting. Merida and Rapunzel stared at her with wide eyes while Anna scooped her in her arms and cradled her in a protected embrace as Elsa took a shaky breath to calm herself down. If she can't have Jack as a lover, then she can still be happy with having him by her side as his friend.

And that thought broke her heart even more.

The restaurant was an expensive place, especially for a high school student and she triple-checked the text message Hans had sent her before she held her coat tighter around her body. Her platinum blond hair was tied up in an intricate braided bun and a pair of dangling earrings caught the lights of the crystal chandeliers that graced the high ceiling. The floors were covered by lush burgundy carpets and tablecloths that were like satin trimmed with gold threads by the edges.

"Yes, mademoiselle?"

She turned around to see a tall man with a receding hairline stand behind the podium; his suit was immaculate and there was a pure white rose pinned on his lapel. Elsa bit her lower lip as she approached the man and said, "Um, there was a reservation under Hans Suthernisles?"

The man nodded as he opened a thick book and browsed the entries under the practiced gaze. Finally, he confirmed their seats and offered to take her coat. The silver formal dress had clung to her like a second skin, making her even more conscious as they walked past other patrons. These were the first-class members of the community; some were successful businessmen and women, some were celebrities and others might have belonged to the hot professions that cashed in top dollar.

They finally reached the table, a small intimate setting with a long-stemmed rose on a crystal vase in the middle and behind it was a large window that was decorated by a rich mauve curtain. It was simply too... extravagant.

While her family was certainly well-off and they were part of the high-class social circle; she and her sister preferred a simpler setting like a burger joint or the occasional mall. For one thing, the atmosphere felt too stuffy for her; as if the walls were closing in and it will suffocate everyone in it. She asked for glass water and it came in a wine glass with a wedge of lemon floating on top of it.

They were supposed to meet here by seven, but it was already eight-thirty. She leaned to her side and scanned the crowd in hopes of catching the sight of her date but with no such luck; she regained her composure, posture as stiff as a board.

Minutes ticked by and she could feel the eyes on her table; knowing getting funny looks from the servers and the neighbouring tables. It was like being in school again; all eyes on her. Judging, waiting for her to commit a mistake. The pain of embarrassment and humiliation crippled her and she fought everything she could from folding her arms to the table and just cry.

She fisted her dress on her lap and stared down at the cloth with a blank expression. Her eyes stung with unshed tears and her face was cold and it was not because of the air conditioning. The choice of walking out with her head held high was certainly tempting but when she raised her head and saw the numerous amounts of people between her and the door, it overturned her decision.

'My first date... and I was stood up'

Was this a cruel joke?

Did Hans got mad because she told him to get off of Jack's back?

No one can be that cold-hearted, right?

A hopeful voice in her mind told her that maybe he was just caught up with something. With a rush of optimism had her open the ivory clutch purse and check her phone for any messages or even a missed call. Elsa was greeted with a blank screen. The urge to cry was too great and a few drops had already fallen to her lap before she covered the lower part of her face with her hand, lips trembling and sobs were forced down as Elsa tried not to make a scene.

But how could she not?

She was in an exclusive restaurant in the presence of the glitterati, some of them may also be her parents' friends and she came there in hopes of starting some sort of bond with anyone other than her friends but now, it seemed that she can't even have a proper date.

Elsa was on the brink of tears when she heard a voice call her name. At first, she thought she had gone crazy because there was no way in a million years would the Jack Frost ever set foot in a classy place like this one.

But when Elsa lifted her head; there he was. There were no suits or a bouquet of roses in his hands, no music that came from the violins came from behind him. It was just him, in his favourite blue hoodie and brown pants, a pair of brown sandals and his silver hair sticking out in every way it wanted.

"Jack?" Her voice sounded like she was dreaming, maybe even delirious with insanity. But Jack placed a hand on her cheek and wiped the trails of her tears with his thumb.

"C'mon Sunshine, let's get outta here."

"How did you know where I was?" she whispered as she pulled her coat closer. The night air was cool and comforting but she was a bit overdressed to casually walk through the streets. Her elaborate hairdo was out of place already and she has hidden her earrings in her purse.

He was walking right beside her, like how he always did, and kept his eyes in front of them, "You can't keep a secret from me Elsa."

A grim smile appeared on her lips and shook her head, "I'm afraid you're right about that one."

The path they were taking was a familiar route that led towards her house. Jack and Hiccup had been there before when they were working on a group project that concerned a large volcano made of paper mache and lava that was curiously created with chili sauce.

"I don't want to go home just yet," she said to him.

Jack spared her a glance before he silently took her hand and led her to the playground. It was empty except for the moths that danced around the streetlights; their shadows mimicked their movements that flickered the light.

Elsa sat on the bench while Jack stood on a swing's seat, coiling the chains around his forearm as his eyes remained unfocused, he was deep in thought.

"I can't believe this happened" she breathed out, her voice was shaking and her hair was surely a mess by now when she felt several wisps of her hair cover the sides of her face.

"The first date I have with someone, turned out to be one big joke. I feel so stupid."

"Don't be" he quietly spoke up.

"Then maybe he just realized that it was a mistake to ask me out. The resident ice queen who is cold and emotionless" she let out a hollow humor-less laugh. She watched his eyebrows furrow in an angry expression.

"That's not why-"

"And how would you know?" she asked, feeling her temper rise "Do you know his secrets too?"

"Yes I did, that's why I told him to stop talking to you! If he has some sense in that thick head of his, he'll listen!" he easily replied through gritted teeth.

A staggering blow had left her still; a chill ran through her spine, it was like she was doused with ice water.

"It was you?" she whispered, "You were the reason Hans didn't come?" Elsa suddenly stood up, her clutch fell from her lap but she didn't care.

"How could you- how dare you?!" she screeched, her throat ached as her tone pitched into a sharper level. "You have no right to do that!"

Tears sprung out of her eyes but she didn't care as she advanced towards him, a rush of satisfaction in her chest when she saw a spark of fear in his eyes as he hopped down from the swing.

"I'm just trying to protect you!" he roared.

"You're not my keeper Jack! He was only- I mean, protect me from what? Hans? He's just asking me out! He didn't have any ulterior motives-"

"He does" he grounded out but at least he wasn't yelling anymore.

That stopped her screaming.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she sputtered. Surely by now, her fair-toned face was now pasty white when Jack confirmed it.

"Not any of those private things" he coughed out, his cheeks and ears turned red, "More like he was trying to take advantage of you and your connections."

"My connections?"

He nodded as he walked to her and lifted his hands to the sides of her head. Thumbs drying the streaks of tears before he led her back to the bench. It was then he explained everything.

It turned out that Jack and Hiccup overheard Hans talking to someone on the phone earlier that day and he was talking about getting close to Elsa and Anna's dad so that Hans' father can find an opening for a hostile takeover on the company her father owned. Jack tried to look for her everywhere and found out where they were supposed to meet when he confronted Hans. How he got Hans to talk was a mystery but she was really glad that he was looking out for her.

He then pulled away and leaned forward, his forearms rested on his knees. "Why were you so itching to go out with that Hans character anyway? You just met him!"

"I don't know; maybe because of the fact that someone actually wanted to go out with me just..."

Elsa folded her hands in her lap and bowed her head.

"Y'know, it's not because you're cold that no one wants to go out with you" he whispered, she almost failed to hear his words as the breeze picked up.

"Then why? I'm not partial to high school romance because they almost never last but I think it's better than-"

"Than what?" he prodded. She faced him and in an instant, her heart skipped a beat. His unruly hair followed the wind and his eyes seemed to glow as he looked as her as well.

"Than..."

Elsa forgot what she was going to say. There they were, in a quiet place where she can finally tell him what she wanted to say when she got tongue-tied and fear had its icy grip on her guts.

Thankfully Jack just let it slide and focused more on his own words, "I think... there's someone who does want to go out with you."

Curiosity claimed her attention as she leaned to him and asked, "Really? Then why hasn't he asked me yet?"

"Because... maybe he was afraid" he answered.

Elsa raised a brow and crossed her arms on her chest, "Afraid of what?"

Jack shifted in his seat and looked up at the star-ridden sky that twinkled faintly, "He's afraid that you're way out of his league and if you ever had a relationship, he might not be someone her parents would like for you."

Now she was confused. Did this mystery guy tell Jack everything? Elsa sighed and leaned back to the bench, "How will he know that if he doesn't try? Sometimes you just have to take a chance."

"Fair enough" he replied, she could hear him smile at that.

'This is it,' she thought, 'Now's your chance!' "Jack?"

"Hm?"

Elsa fidgeted her hands and stared at her lap, and took a deep breath, "Jack, I..."

"'I'?"

"I... am tired; I think I should go home now." 'You're a coward Elsa'

However, Jack adjusted his position so that he was now facing her; determination shone in his eyes.

"Sunshine?"

"Yes?" she could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"I... I like you!"

"Oh" was all she said before realization hit her, "Oh!" Warmth covered her whole face and extended down to her neck, she had achieved a face that resembled a cherry tomato.

"I- I um-"

'Answer him!' the voice in her mind chastised but she was so flustered, caught off-guard.

"I like you too Jack! I mean, I really, really like you!"

There, she said it. Now what?

Wait...

Now what?

The worst possible scenarios had opened up in her mind's eye. What if they started dating and when things went downhill? What if this was a mistake? What if her parents, especially her father, won't approve of it?

"Great! So... um... wanna grab a bite to eat or something?" he stuttered, clearly unaware of the turmoil in her head. It was time to make a decision again but this time; it was a make or break choice that will determine the outcome of where they would stand.

And she can't believe she was saying this but-

"I'm sorry... I can't" she whispered out. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to disappear from the face of the earth.

"Wait- why not?" he choked out.

"Because... you're my best friend," she said, "You're the most amazing person I've ever met and I want to be with you more than anything but we can't!"

"And why not?!" he demanded.

"Because it won't work! When we come to the conclusion that we don't fit each other as a couple, then what we have now will be gone! And I know we will have to move on at one point or another but I can't bear to see you with someone else, knowing that we had something between us that I may never let go of!"

Tremors shook her whole body as she voiced out all her fears; the things that sometimes kept her out that night apart from his growing affection for Rapunzel.

Jack suddenly let out a humorless laugh; it sounded so wrong. "I can't believe this, you're actually dumping me when we didn't get to start yet?"

"I'm saying the truth Jack" she bit back, "I don't want to put us in a situation that will destroy our friendship."

"What the hell happened to 'sometimes you just have to take a chance'? Elsa, I'm not saying that we're gonna have a perfect relationship and we will have problems here and there but don't talk about it ending like you already know!"

Elsa clenched her eyes shut and placed a hand to her temple, "I just... it's not. Relationships shouldn't be taken so lightly! Just because you have an infatuation for someone doesn't necessarily mean that you'll end up together!"

"Infatuation? You think all I had for you was a crush?" he bellowed, "You don't get tell how I feel about you Elsa, you don't know anything!"

Anger rose from the pit of her chest and the need to get away from this mess they made. She stood up and grabbed her clutch from the ground.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you" she growled before she whipped around and said, "Frankly I think you just like me now because Rapunzel found someone and I'm just a rebound!"

"Elsa!"

"No, if that's the case then I'm glad that this never happened between us! I will not be someone's second choice!" she yelled. Who cares if someone heard or saw her in the playground shouting at Jack Frost?

Jack leaped to his feet, hands clenched and his blue eyes darkened with anger, "I'm not that kind of person, you know that"

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought I didn't know anything!" she snidely remarked and began to walk away. She wanted to get out of here, anger had turned her into someone she's not, a sarcastic, cold-hearted woman who just turned down and insulted someone precious in her life. Tears threatened to spill again but she steeled herself as she walked out of the playground and into the streets.

There were no cabs in sight and she found herself stranded in a deserted street. She would have called her chauffer but it was already late and she didn't want to bother him. It would be a long way to her house and she might as well start if she ever wanted to be home for breakfast. So, she started walking.

It didn't take more than five minutes before she heard footsteps behind her. Elsa gripped the clutch with her hands and turned around to smack the stranger on the head only to find Jack.

He was staring at her with a blank face and she can't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

His face scrunched up like he was in pain before he scratched his head with an irate hand, "Look, I'm not going to let you go home alone even if we... said some things."

She wanted to stay mad at him, she really does. But one look at him and her whole resolve crumbled. He was her weakness, and how that came to be, she would probably never know. After a few more seconds, she finally relented.

The atmosphere between them was heavy. There were no playful banters or casual talks. Just silence; each trapped in their own thoughts as they walked through the streets side by side.

They had just passed the coffee shop they frequented in when Jack spoke out in a soft voice, "You weren't my second choice you know." She didn't speak, afraid that the words that will escape would be vile and cutting so he continued, "Sure I like Rapunzel because she was pretty, good with guitar and paintings plus she's fun and sweet"

'Yeah, keep talking' she thought in a scathing tone.

"But you know why I realized that she's not the one I was looking for?"

"Because of her sudden transformation from being a blond to a brunette?" That was a low blow but he shook his head and answered, "Nah, she did that because I told her Eugene liked girls with their natural hair colour."

"Who's Eugene?"

"Oh, you guys know him as Flynn Ryder but back to the subject"

Elsa felt the corners of her mouth tugged upwards when she heard his lighthearted tone. They were already falling back to their routine even after a rather dramatic episode back at the playground.

"Right, why you decided you didn't want her anymore" she nodded, a slight teasing in her voice easily made him grin.

"It's because she wasn't you" he easily answered.

How can he say such things without getting so flustered? But that was the pros of being Jack Frost. He was confident in his abilities and he wasn't afraid of anything.

"What do you mean?"

"For a while, I thought that Rapunzel was the one but then, I started to think about you a lot and it took a lot of 'therapy sessions' with Hiccup and a push from Blon- I mean, Rapunzel to realize that you were the one I liked from the start."

"Jack," Elsa shook her head as they approach the large black wrought gates that indicated the entrance to the Freyis mansion. "Rapunzel and I are as different as the sun and moon."

"I know, and that's the best part. See, I first saw you as a sister but I sometimes catch myself thinking about you more and more these past few months. I thought that it was because I was always with you but I was beginning to ask myself why I AM always with you. I'm not trying to be cheesy or mushy or any of that disgusting stuff but I want you to be by my side more than just a friend, or a best friend. You can be bossy and frigid and can't tell a joke to save your skin but you're smart, playful when you want to be and believe when I say this, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met. You're responsible and mature, okay so you're a mother hen but you would put your own life on the line to protect Anna and everyone else you cared about. I like you Sunshine, more than you know. And believe me, you really know a lot."

"I know" she smiled, as she watched him say her low and high points, her heart never stopped beating in a furious pace. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him, catch him in his vulnerability but ultimately decided against it. They stood in front of the gate; all Elsa had to do was to push the intercom and ask someone to open the gates for her.

They stood in awkward silence before Jack rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well, uh, see you tomorrow I guess."

"Yes, don't forget that we have homework" she reminded him.

He rolled his eyes, "I was planning to forget about it." Elsa laughed a little but stopped when he advanced to her with his hands up. They were at head's breath and the tips of their noses were already touching when she felt him tug her bun and freed her side braid.

"You looked better with that hairstyle" he commented, which they both blushed.

"So, good night." She looked up to him fully with a sweet smile.

He faced her as well with his own grin, "'Night."

Seconds ticked by and when Elsa lifted her hand to press the intercom box, Jack lunged at her and trapped her in his arms, his lips covered hers.

And there they were, kissing in front if the gate with no care in the world. Her hands dug into his scalp as he pulled her closer. It may look... wild but it was as innocent as they both were. After a few more push of their lips, Jack pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Sorry," he breathed out

"Don't be" she answered in the same breathy voice.

"Oh don't worry, he will be" a third voice came and it caused them to jump a couple of feet away from each other. Elsa's father was standing behind the gates in his silk robes and a stern expression on his usually friendly face.

"Papa!" Elsa gasped as he opened the gates and pulled Elsa into their property with a death glare to the boy who 'tainted his innocent daughter' "Hello Jack, goodbye Jack" he tersely greeted before he closed the gates and guided Elsa inside.

The eldest Freyis daughter had to keep herself from laughing when a maid told them there was a strange silver-haired boy standing in front of the gate, apparently whispering to himself and grabbing his hair.

The news of their relationship had spread around by appalled students and school staff alike.

As soon as they stepped into the building together, Rapunzel appeared right out of the blue and hugged them both with an excited squeak. Naturally, Anna had known the news first and she might even be the one who spread it on campus. Hiccup and Merida were walking in the halls when the freckled boy congratulated them and Merida was just staring at Elsa with her mouth opened. When Merida walked to Elsa, she thought she was going to hug her like Anna and Rapunzel did, but alas,

"Merida, where are we going?!" she asked as the redhead pulled her out of the campus by her wrist.

"Don't worry lass, I know a witch who can break the spell!"

"What spell?"

"The spell that the one that delinquent placed on you. I shall end this blasphemy before it's too late!"

Behind them, Jack was yelling at Merida to release his girlfriend and chased them while Anna and Rapunzel were clenching their sides as they laughed at the scene before them.

Hiccup just shook his head and called out, "Hey, class starts at five minutes!"

Author's Corner: Hey hey guys. My first AU/Modern Jelsa fic and I'm excited for this one.

So, what d'ya think about this fic? Extra brownie points who can point out the Dream Works/ Disney characters. Please read and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome but flames and hate notes? No thanks. I dunno if I should make a sequel or/and Jack's point of view.

#jelsa #jelsa fanfiction

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