Elsa hesitantly tapped the white C key on the piano. "Don't let—" Her voice hummed with the piano. She pressed E. "—them see." She bit her lip and tried again. "Don't let them see." She pressed C twice and then f twice. She nodded, satisfied with the notes. Elsa started the song over. She hummed along to the first part and began to sing.
"The snow glows white on the moun-tain tonight. Not a foot print to be seen... A king-dom of i-so-la-tion and it looks like, I'm the queen. The wind is howling like this swirling storm in-side. Couldn't keep it in. Heaven knows I tried... Don't let them in don't them see. Be the good girl you always have to be! Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them knoowww!"
Elsa heard applause behind her. She stood up, startled, and tripped over the piano bench. She heard footsteps and looked up into breath-taking azure eyes as Jack helped her to her feet.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
Elsa blushed. "Y-you were listening?" she squeaked.
He smiled. "Do you have to be perfect at everything? You're singing was beautiful."
The heat on her cheeks grew as she ducked her head. "Th-thanks. I've never sang or played in front of anyone before."
"Really? Honestly, you were amazing. You should sing more often."
Elsa smiled with pleasure. "Thanks," she whispered.
"So, how's the little fur-ball?"
"Fur-ball? Oh, she's fine. Would you like to see her?"
"Sure."
Elsa raced upstairs, Jack close behind. She went into her room and took the kitten out of its cardboard box. It blinked its wide blue eyes sleepily before letting out a squeaky, "Mew." Elsa smiled and sat on her bed, setting the kitten on her lap. The little, fluffy kitten rolled over to its back and began swatting Elsa's finger with its tiny paws, it's eye wide and bright with child-like awe. Elsa giggled as the kitten licked her finger with its rough, itty-bity tongue.
"Oh, you're so cute," Elsa cooed.
She picked the kitten up and showered its tiny, angelic face with kisses. Jack felt another bitter twinge of jealousy. He knew Elsa needed someone to love and cuddle, he just wished it were him instead of the kitten.
"Want to hold her?"
"Uh, sure." Elsa dumped the writhing mass of fluffiness into his hands. "So, what's her name?"
"Her name?" Elsa cheeks turned pink.
Jack frowned, wondering why she was blushing. "Yes, her name," he repeated.
"I... haven't decided yet," Elsa lied.
"Oh. What about cotton?"
"Cotton?" she giggled. "That doesn't sound like a good girl name?"
"How about snow-flake?"
"That's already the name of my stuffed tiger."
Jack playfully huffed. "You're making my job difficult, Elsa."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble." She smiled.
Jack leaned towards her. "That's all you are. Trouble." His eyes twinkled.
"W-we better start with the cookies, don't you think?" Elsa seemed rather flustered as she returned the kitten to its box.
"Sure."
Elsa led him downstairs and made sure he washed his hands with soap. Jack normally dipped his hands underwater and was done with whole hand-washing business as soon as possible. Elsa made him sing the ABC's, but Jack didn't mind. One glance at Elsa's sweet face and he'd do anything she wanted. Elsa took out the ingredients. Two sticks of yellow butter, a bag of crystalline white sugar, a bag of brown sugar, two eggs, a container of black liquid (Elsa called it vanilla), a bag of powdery white flour, baking soda, a container of salt, and chocolate chips. She also brought out a mountain of measuring cups and bowls. Elsa topped the pile of baking materials off with a plastic container of cinnamon, saying it added flavor.
Elsa gave the dry ingredients to Jack. "Measure them and put them in this bowl. I'll put the wet ingredients in a separate bowl."
A frown flickered across his handsome face. "But why?"
Elsa smiled. "Because it will mix better this way."
Jack shrugged and began mixing the ingredients. Elsa hummed as she worked. She lifted the vanilla extract and took a whiff. It smelled heavenly. Elsa measured the ingredients and cracked the eggs with dexterous precision. Not even a chip of eggshell got into the mix. Elsa was beginning to stir the liquidy slime when something rained down on her, coating her in brown dust. Elsa hesitantly lifted her arm and sniffed. Cinnamon. She whirled around to face a smiling Jack, cinnamon container in hand. She gasped indignantly and snatched a wet rag from the sink. She took each end of the rag and twirled it.
Jack frowned at her. "What're you doing?"
"You've never done this?"
Jack shook his head. Elsa whipped the towel forward, hitting Jack in the leg. He yelped and leapt back. Elsa smiled as she began to chase him, whipping him with the towel whenever she got close. They ran into the living room. Jack nearly tripped over the coffee table. Elsa slapped him with the rag again. Jack finally whirled around and snatched her wrist. Elsa squeaked as she tried to yank her wrist back. With a mighty tug, Jack pulled Elsa to him and held her firmly on his lap.
He waggled his eyebrows. "The tables have turned."
Elsa bit her lip against a smile and tried to tug on the rag, but he had a firm grip on it. "Ja-ack!"
"What? You thought I'd just let you spank me? So, as my captive I'll give you two options for your sentence. The first being I get to spank you at least twice as many times as you spanked me."
Elsa blushed, but she smiled nonetheless. "And the second?"
"A kiss."
Elsa began leaning towards his cheek, but he held her back.
"On the lips. And a long one."
Elsa cheeks erupted with pink and she ducked her head. "Some options," she grumbled. She smirked at him playfully. "I think I'd rather have a spanking."
Jack's eyebrows raised, but he shrugged. "Fine." He turned her over on his knee and held her firmly.
Her blush deepened. "Wait! I-I've changed my mind."
Jack smirked as he turned her around, once more placing her firmly on his lap. "A kiss then."
"I—" She avoided eye contact with him. Jack held her so closely, he could feel her heart pounding against her tiny frame. She bit her lip. Hard. Jack was beginning to worry she'd draw blood.
"Elsa," he breathed. Jack gently tilted her head towards him and searched her bright blue eyes. He saw hope, excitement, even something akin to compassion, but underlying it all was a glimmer of fear. Jack brushed his knuckles against her high cheeks, feeling the soft, creamy skin. "It's alright." He felt a prickle of pain saying that. He'd thought about her lips ever since their first kiss, if you could call it that. His warm breath ghosted across her smooth skin as he gently kissed her cheek. He could feel his heart crumble as he wondered if she could ever come to love him like he loved her. Jack released Elsa quickly, for her sake.
Elsa studied her for a long moment as she stood up. "Umm, let's finish the cookies," her voice was barely above a whisper.
Jack smiled and Elsa could tell he was doing his best not to look dejected. Her heart went out to him. She had been so close to... but she couldn't. She had to keep a polite, respectable distance. From everyone. Elsa turned back towards her mixing bowl, her hand trembling. Elsa was surprised to feel something trickle down her cheek. Of all times, now wasn't an opportune moment to cry. Elsa brushed the tear away hastily, as if she were swatting away a pesky insect. After she got control of her emotions, she dumped the contents of her bowl into Jack's, stirring the thick sludge.
"How's that going to turn into a cookie?" Jack asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Elsa offered him a small smile. "You'd be surprised how things can change." She spooned a dollop of dough onto the cookie sheet. Elsa ended up making two rows of six. She opened the oven and slid the pan in. They were almost sullenly quiet as the cookies baked. Just as Elsa began to think she couldn't endure the intense silence any longer, the timer began beeping noisily. Elsa turned it off with a flick of her fingers and put the oven mitts on before sliding the cookies out of the oven and onto the stove. They had to wait another few minutes for the cookies to cool. Elsa plucked a cool cookie off of the pan and took a bit. She chewed indecisively for a few moments before sprinting to the trash can and spewing the cookie out. Jack offered her a napkin. She snatched it and wiped her mouth before running to the sink, drinking water straight from the faucet. She finally turned to face Jack.
"What did you do?!"
"Nothing!"
"Show me how much of what you put in."
He sighed. "One cup brown sugar, three cups flour, one cup white sugar, a teaspoon baking soda, and half a teaspoon salt."
Elsa was silent for a moment. Then she smiled widely. "Jack, that's not the sugar container. That's the salt container."
"O-oh."
Elsa's lips quivered and Jack worried for a moment she might cry. Elsa turned away from him. Then she started laughing. And laughing. Jack started laughing too, though he had no idea why. He was just happy Elsa was happy. Elsa wiped the tears streaming from her eyes.
"You put in one cup of salt," she giggled. Elsa shook her head, still grinning widely. "That cookie-baker master put in one cup of salt."
"Alright, alright, you don't have to rub it in." But Jack was grinning too.
"How on earth did you put in salt instead of sugar?"
"I was... distracted." He raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"Distracted how?" she prompted playfully. "What, did you think I was distracting?"
Jack guffawed. "You're always distracting!"
"Hey!"
"Especially when you're running around spanking me."
"You started it!"
"I couldn't help it! Any guy would want to dump something on you."
Elsa laughed, somehow finding that statement funny. She shook her head. "We need to make another batch. You clean. I cook."
Jack shrugged. "It's a woman's place to cook anyway." He flashed her a haughty smile.
"And it's a man's place to clean. Hop to it!"
Jack began bouncing around the kitchen. Elsa laughed and started a new batch of cookies. She remade both mixes, dumped them together, and shoved them in the oven. She took the opportunity to watch Jack clean dished. His gaze was fixed on the window in front of the sink as he scrubbed a plate. He looked awfully cute cleaning dishes. He had a lean, tall figure with broad shoulders and corded muscles in his arms. She briefly wondered how the contours of his chest muscles would feel, but quickly whipped her thoughts into obedience. Jack turned toward her. His features looked like they were chiseled from marble and his hair shimmered radiantly as he turned.
"Like what you see?" He smirked.
Elsa picked up a rag. She'd wipe that smug look off of his face. Literally. She twisted the rag and whipped him perfectly in the rear. Jack's eyes flashed and he caught her wrist, yanking the rag out of her hand. A smile played across his lips as he looked down at her, his eyes darkening.
"Fine, you'll get what you're asking for."
He tossed Elsa over her shoulders. She made a little noise of surprise as he hauled her back into the living room. Her heart started racing, pounding against her ribcage, as she realized what Jack was talking about. Jack sank into the couch cushions, placing her in his lap.
"Now, you get two options. The first—"
"The first."
Jack's eyebrows raised to his hairline. "What did you say?"
Suddenly, Elsa couldn't breathe. She inhaled sharply, dragging the air into her lungs. Shivers ran up and down the length of her spine as she laid in Jack's arms. "The first," she squeaked.
Jack wasted no time in closing the distance between their lips. Elsa let out a tiny whimper as his warm lips touched hers. Jack made quick work of her hair, pulling the hair ties out and releasing it of its confines. It spilled down her shoulders, cascading over her back. His right hand buried itself within her silken mass of hair, pushing her closer, while the other wrapped firmly around her waist. Elsa swallowed and held very still. She could feel her emotions, banging against the floodgates of her heart. Jack began toying with her bottom lip, asking entrance. Elsa could feel lightning crackle within her and hesitantly buried a hand into his thick, soft hair. Elsa's lips slowly parted and her breath hitched with surprise. Elsa's skin felt like it was on fire as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jack moaned and pulled her closer, if that were possible. His lips were hard and demanding against her own. His arms tightened around her before suddenly letting go.
Elsa made a small noise of protest. Jack smirked knowingly and Elsa ducked when her cheeks began to burn. He chucked her on the chin and she lifted her head. Jack's lips touched hers again. This one was intense, but in a different way. The kiss turned into something more tender. Jack's lips were soft and gentle against her own. Elsa's lips hesitantly responded, sweetly naïve. Jack poured out all his longing and love for her through a single kiss. Warmth spread through Elsa's body and she suddenly had the odd urge to cry.
Jack drew back, but not for long. His breathing was ragged as he leaned down and gently ran his lips along the curve of her neck. Elsa shivered in his arms. Jack decided to try something he'd always wanted to do. He brushed his lips across her cheek and then her forehead, exploring her face with his lips. Her aroma surrounded him like a sweet perfume, making Jack feel more intoxicated than he already was. Elsa made little gasps and sighs of pleasure that were driving him crazy even before he was conscious of them. Jack felt fire pulsing through his veins.
Elsa felt the tingling warmth inside of her intensify. She'd never felt this... hot. Elsa gasped and drew back, her body still trembling. "I th-think the c-c-c—" Elsa paused and inhaled shakily. Jack was watching her, his eyes dark and intense. She couldn't talk when he was looking at her like that! Elsa closed her eyes. "I th-think the c-cookies are-are r-ready." Her eyes fluttered open again. Jack was smiling at her. Elsa could already feel her heart racing again.
He pulled her closer. "I've got the sweetest cookie right here." He kissed her again and Elsa had to sigh with elation. She felt heat shimmer across her skin. Elsa entirely lost track of time, enveloped in the lovely warmth Jack stirred within her. She vaguely smelled something unpleasant. And it wasn't Jack. Jack smelled wonderful. Like spice and mint. Elsa trembled and began to shower his handsome face with kisses, trying to return some of the joy he'd lent her, wanting to make him feel how she felt. The smell intensified. Elsa pulled back and wrinkled her nose. Jack moaned and pulled her back to him, coaxing the fire within her with every touch of his hand or movement of his lips. Elsa had the feeling something was wrong. She tried to draw back again, but Jack firmly pressed her against him.
"Jack," she scolded softly, her lips still against his.
"Hmm?"
She sniffed again. "Oh, the cookies!" she exclaimed.
Elsa stood up and hurried to the kitchen. Jack's hand snatched out to grab her, but it barely brushed her. Jack groaned and stood up, following her to the kitchen. Elsa slipped the oven mitts on and snatched the cookies out of the oven. They were colored brown-black and rock-solid. Elsa's hands trembled as she returned the oven mitts to their drawer. She'd kissed him! Elsa turned pinker by the second.
"Pretty in pink," Jack murmured.
"What?!" Elsa whirled towards him.
"Nothing," he sighed.
His eyes were focused on her. He looked slightly dazed. Elsa blushed. Had she done that?! She tentatively reached out her hand and cupped Jack's cheek. His skin was blazing hot, like her own. Jack gently took her hand from his cheek, kissing her palm gently. Elsa gasped and snatched her hand back. She could still feel flickers of heat rippling across her body. She shoved her fingers through her silky tresses. She's kissed him! She frowned, eyeing Jack, finally realizing just how much power he had over her. The thought made her shiver again. She warily stepped back. Jack's eyes widened. It looked like he was finally coming back to reality.
"Elsa?" he breathed.
Her name sounded so sweet on his lips. His lovely, soft lip— Elsa shook her head. She'd just kissed him. Elsa closed her eyes and let out a pained whimper.
"Elsa?" His tone was laced with loving concern.
Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she saw him advancing. She stepped back.
Jack froze to the spot. "Elsa, please don't—" His voice cracked. He inhaled deeply. "Please don't shut me out." He bit his lip and watched her, his blue eyes glimmering.
Elsa offered him a weak smile and stepped forward to cup his face with her hand. "I don't think I could," she whispered.
Jack held onto her tightly. Else sighed silently. Her resolve to be alone forever was weakening by the second. Elsa closed her eyes, thinking how selfish she was to have let Jack kiss her. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest, muffling a silent sob.
Jack felt—rather than hear—her crying. He held her close to his aching heart. What was wrong? Had he hurt her? "Elsa?" he asked, his voice wavering.
She sniffled and looked up at him. Jack felt his heart break as he brushed away a tear rolling down her pretty face. Her small frame trembled violently. He held her tightly, hopping the trembles would recede. She inhaled deeply and Jack knew she was desperately trying to get her walls back into place. Elsa rubbed her chest with the heel of her hand and Jack began to wonder if her heart was aching too. He couldn't fathom what was wrong. Why did she so desperately want to push everyone away? Elsa nestled closer and Jack let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, burnt cookies being the last thing on his mind.