Chapter 12 is (finally) here.

Jack calls a few days after New Year when she's still in bed. Never in a fraction of a second does Elsa expect the caller to be any other person than her sister, let alone the one she's gone on a date with a week or two ago (since all their contact via phone have been limited to text exchange.) There she makes the biggest mistake of not checking the caller ID before bringing the phone to her ear.

Face half hidden under the quilt, she mumbles groggily, believing the younger sibling only calls to ask if the older one would like some home delivery breakfast. "Ten more minutes... no, thirty more minutes. And I'd like a chocolate waffle."

A familiar baritone laughter fills her ear, tagged along with a not so sincere apologize.

It's like getting stricken by a lightning, Elsa shoots up in her bed, nearly drops her phone as she does so, and exclaims, almost horrified. "Jack!"

"Yes?" the voice answers swiftly, tone so cheery that Elsa can't help but frown slightly at the clear (too clear) image of an impishly grinning Jack occupying her mind.

And is it the phone, or his voice has always been this sexy?

Pressing the root of her palm between her knitted brows, Elsa stutters. "J-Jack, why did you call this-" her eyes catches the number on the digital screen of her alarm clock and she exclaims the second time within a minute,"-it's eleven already!?"

Another chuckle rolls off the receiver and Elsa makes a silent groan as she flops back on her bed, giving up the useless attempt to quell the rabble of butterflies crashing in her stomach.

"I'm in trouble..." she mumbles miserably to herself.

"I'm sorry?" that bothering voice speaks again, still thick with amusement.

"...I need a waffle," Elsa amends, mentally mourning for her sudden drop of intelligence.

The young man chuckles. "You really want that waffle huh? Fancy going and having some with me? I know a great place and I am free this afternoon."

"Really? I thought you needed to make up the shifts you owed Jamie for your New Year trip home," Elsa says, swinging her legs off her bed and leaving her room to get some water.

"I do. But Nic decided to grace the shop with his presence today. I managed to get a day off. You've got plan for today?"

"Well," Elsa asks, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear while pouring herself a glass of water. "If you count checking the bookstore a plan, then yes."

"Oh," Jack pauses. "You'd like some company? We could go get that waffle afterward."

"That waffle's that good, hmm?" Elsa jests, sipping her water.

"We could have something else," Jack suggests expectantly. "How about lunch? It's nearly noon. And since you've missed breakfast, we definitely don't want you to miss another meal, do we? Or maybe dinner? Best meal to finish a day with dessert. Or, um..."

"Breakfast?" Elsa prompts, amused, wondering if it would be the next option Jack lists.

"Breakfast?" Jack parrots and his tone falls so dramatically that Elsa has no difficulty picturing the corner of his lips doing the same. "...I have shift in the morning."

"Jack-"

"But if you don't mind coming to the shop, I can buy you croissants. They'd be much better than the ones here-"

"Jack," Elsa calls again, tone firmer.

"Yes," he returns, sounding almost defeated as if he has foreseen a rejection coming.

"I was joking about breakfast. Lunch sounds wonderful."

"Really? And waffle?"

Elsa chuckles. "How about you plan the day while I get ready and I'd meet you at the coffee shop?"

"Ooh great!" Elsa hears Jack cheer at the other end of the line and Nic question amusedly in the background ('She said yes after you insulted my croissants? She must be really into you. I bet she'd wear skirt.')

Jack seems to forget he's still on the phone as he asks. "Why? It's cold outside. And she looks good in jeans, too."

"You're still on the phone, kid," Nic prompts.

Jack curses and curses again for cursing. "Sorry. I, um, it's Nic. And we're not, um, we're-"

"How much does Nic have in mind?"

"What?"

"Skirt or pants. How much Nic likes to bet?"

"Um, hold on," Jack says, tone confused, before he calls the shop owner. "Nic, how much you wanna bet?"

"What are you two up to?" Nic's voice comes a bit blurry from the distance, but it seems that the shop is slow as the background is clear enough for Elsa to catch the words.

"Nothing," Elsa says and hears Jack gives the same answer at the same time. They chuckles.

"Bet with you or your girl?" Nic asks.

"Me," Elsa says and bites her lips as she hears Jack clear weakly, "um... she's not my girl... yet."

Ignoring her heating cheeks, Elsa holds her phone closer. "You can ask Nic what he bets after I hang up. We'll see who wins when I get there."

"How much then?" Jack asks, half amused half concerned.

"How about the amount for one waffle?"

Jack laughs. "You got it."

"See you later. Wish me luck," Elsa salutes and is about to end the call but stops short as she hears Jack calls her name.

"Don't mind the bet. Wear something comfy and warm, okay?"

"I will," Elsa promises softly, feeling herself already warm up at his words.

She eventually decides to go with jeans and boots, remembering to wrap herself in her sweater and winter coat, along with a wool scarf.

She doesn't feel a tad down when she sees Nic's triumphant smile when she pushes open the door to the shop. Jack nudges the elder man with his elbow before moving forward to greet her, saying the bet shouldn't count as the beaming man doesn't play fair for overhearing their last exchange of words.

Even if she had any ounce of ill feeling, it would've been gone the moment Jack spotted the glossy flower pendant resting levelly a few inches below her collarbones and broke into a smile so brilliant that could easily outshine those of his which she has thought to be unbeatable. (And later that day, Jack would grab any chance to sneak a peek at the pendant and smile pleasingly to himself.) Jack's gaze is soft when he looks up and catches hers. Reaching out, he grabs her hands and leans closer, telling her how beautiful she is in a whisper that only allows her to hear. The sincere admiration in his voice tickles a wave of warmth in her heart and she breaks into a brilliant smile mirroring his.

They ends up having spaghetti, Nic doing the cooking and Elsa being his assistant while Jack taking care of the orders in the front. As for "the bet Elsa lost", the young man and woman promise to bring the elder man his portion of waffle when they get back.

Elsa leaves the shop half an hour later, being escorted by the popular young barista who is able to get himself held by a group of cheery teenage girls in a conversation even when he is busy with his food behind the counter. Both young man and woman wear a hint of self-consciousness when they step outside the shop, Jack for having one of the girls sliding her number into his tip can and telling him to call her the moment he held out his hand for Elsa to take their departure, while Elsa for unconsciously retreating her hand from Jack's and stepping aside immediately, clasping both her hands in front of her as if she wasn't the object the boy just gave his hand to.

It was a sheer reflex then, for Elsa being used to give way to other girls when they show obvious interests in boys around her. But it was the same moment that, seeing the flustered and somewhat disappointed expression of Jack's and the quirked bushy eyebrow of the shop owner, Elsa realized that she shouldn't have withdrawn because Jack had long manifested whom he'd been directing his full attention to and whose attention he'd been wishing to get in return. And, above all, she found herself wanting to stay being the one receiving his attention, and (for the first time she admits to herself) his affection.

Inhaling reservedly and damping her lips, Elsa tilts her head to steal a glance at Jack and starts when she sees him watching her. Blinking, she gives him a small, shy smile before looking down, clasping both hands in front of her and inwardly reminding herself not to play with her fingers.

Albeit the previous awkwardness, Jack doesn't keep distance between them as they walk side by side. He gives an instruction to turn when they hit the corner and flashes her a much more secured smile when he catches her eyes again. Her self-consciousness is soon forgotten as Jack manages to pull up a poor joke and breaks the silence. He even succeeds in pulling up another one to get to take Elsa's hand as they stroll down the street.

They spend half of their afternoon at the bookstore, having only the first half hour looking for the books Elsa's wanted and the rest for joking through the weird book titles Jack discovers on the shelves. Jack ends up with a purchase as well, a ballerina photography book (a reference, Jack has mentioned when flipping through said book, for a recent piece he's been working on for the younger Frost sibling, who has just got accepted in a dancing program from an authoritative dancing school.) Jack holds the door as Elsa bids the cashier girl goodbye, and this time, without any help of jokes, Jack takes Elsa's hands in his as they make their way out the bookstore (only a ghost of red in his cheeks telling the opposite of the firmness of his hold), heading for the sweet that has started off the day.

I can't believe it's been this long since I last updated a real chapter for this story. I wonder if anyone's still out there. But for those who did and have enjoyed the story, I thank you and hope you've enjoyed this, albeit small, chapter. I will try to write more during my schedule among my thesis and the upcoming trip and the exchange next semester. So, well, the update won't be frequent but it will slowly get to its end.

Also, special thanks to those who review the previous chapters and give me support for taking my time. I really really appreciate them.

Happy reading and happy shipping~