Day 2: (Not) Holding Hands

J- Good morning.

Elsa reached over to grab her phone as it pinged with a new text. She laughed to herself.

E- It's almost lunch, what are you talking about?

J- That's the life of an artist. You live at night.

E- You're crazy.

J- Sure.

E- Have you eaten anything?

J- No.

E- Go eat before I come over there and force feed you.

Jack chuckled at the threat. It'd been three weeks since he'd first met Elsa. Over the past few weeks, they'd developed an easy friendship that spoke through text messages. Occasionally they'd see each other when they went out with the gang, and they constantly vented to each other the frustrations of being unable to create what they wanted. Jack found Elsa to be an easy person to go to when he was stuck. She understood how he felt, and was always there to lift him back up. He had felt more relaxed and more comfortable than he had in ages. She was always worrying about him, though, which he found extremely sweet. Constantly scolding him about eating properly, she was someone he could depend on.

J- I'll eat some cereal, k?

E- Not lunch, but that'll have to do. I'm going out with my sister. I'll talk to you later. Don't forget to eat!

Anna snapped her fingers in front of Elsa's face. "Earth to Elsa?" She joked. Knocking her hand gently on Elsa's head, she frowned. "I don't think there's anyone home." Elsa waved her hands away.

"Sorry, what were you saying Anna? Is something wrong?" Elsa sipped her cup of tea and looked at Anna expectantly.

"Nothing you know. I just invited my sister out for a drink and she accepted, which was weird, and now she's spacing out. Also, she been joining me more and more when I invite her out." Feigning a surprised look, Anna asked, "What, is there something wrong?"

Elsa swatted her on the head gently. "What, can't I enjoy some time with my sister?"

"No, I'm not saying you can't, but you never go out with me." Anna paused, taking a long drink of her milkshake. "Does this have anything to do with Punzie's artist friend?"

Elsa almost spit her tea out. "Of course not, that's ridiculous!" She said quickly. "I've only just met him!"

"Sure sure," Anna said, rolling her eyes. "That's what they all say." She grinned mischievously, knowing Elsa felt differently.

Elsa waved her statement away. "Anyways, are you going to Flynn's party on Sunday?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Of course!" Anna said excitedly. "It's supposed to be a BBQ, right?"

Elsa frowned. "Isn't it going to rain...?" She had checked the weather earlier during one of her many blank periods. Writing had become slightly easier with Jack available to vent to, but something was missing from her writing. Unfortunately for her, Elsa couldn't figure out what it was.

"Don't worry so much. I'm sure it'll be fine." Anna took a sip of her drink. "Speaking of fine, how's the story? Is that also coming along?"

Elsa smiled sheepishly. "Better, but I hit another rock."

Anna grinned. "I'm sure once you talk to you know who all your problems will disappear. Poof!" Anna waved her hands to prove her point.

"Anna!"

"You're going to Flynn's party right?" Jack asked later that day when Elsa called him. As Anna suspected, she did call him to express her frustrations. "Something's missing, you know?" She had said.

"Yeah, I don't get much of a choice. Anna and Rapunzel you know?"

"It's the same with Flynn and Kristoff. Do you have a ride to the party?"

"Well, I was planning on asking Anna..."

"I can drive you."

"Won't that be a hassle? I live in the opposite direction of the party. You live pretty close to Flynn right?"

"It's no big deal. Just text me your address and I'll pick you up around 5." Elsa agreed to, but she still didn't like the idea that she might be burdening him. She knew he was still dealing with some other unknown burden. His eyes betrayed him, showing how troubled he was. She wished he would tell her, but asking about it might cause their friendship to crack, and that wasn't something she wanted. Jackson was, in her opinion, a man with good intentions and a kind soul. It disappointed her to know he was hiding something big that caused him distress.

"Don't worry," She told herself. "If he doesn't want to say anything, that's his decision. He'll open up in time, if he wants to."

On the Sunday, Jack drove over to pick Elsa up. After several texts reassuring Elsa that he wasn't lost, he arrived at her apartment. Letting her know he had arrived, he waited patiently as she came down to meet him. Her perfect form appeared in the doorway and Jack gave her a wide smile. Elsa cast him a worried look in return.

"It's raining pretty hard." She called, not stepping outside. "Are you sure you still want to go?" Elsa cast an uneasy glance at the motorcycle. Surely her outfit would get soaked and ruined. "Aren't you wet?"

Jack's face softened. That was Elsa. Worried about him as always.

"You'll get sick! Get in here. I'm calling Rapunzel to tell her we aren't coming. She's probably going to reschedule the party some other time anyways. How is Flynn expecting to have a BBQ in this weather?" Jack shrugged and parked his motorcycle. He hurried inside, following Elsa into her apartment. As he stepped into her apartment, he noted how clean and orderly everything was. So different from his apartment.

"Do you want a change of clothes?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Jack had been admiring how nice Elsa looked in a dress. He hadn't seen her in one since their first meeting. She looked lovely in casual clothes, how could she not look even more beautiful in a dress?

Elsa disappeared to dig up some clothes. Jack was left in the living room, still slightly starstruck. He could only imagine what she'd look like in an evening gown. She would be breathtaking.

"Here. They were my dad's." She studied him. "They should fit okay. Bathroom is on your right." She pointed to the white door.

Jack nodded. When he was done, he found Elsa on the couch, changed. He was a bit disappointed. She had looked stunning in that dress. Not that she didn't look pretty any more; she could make anything look good.

"I called Rapunzel. She said she canceled the party. I thought we could watch some movies instead." Elsa said, patting the couch. "Does Lord of the Rings sound good?"

Jack looked at her blankly. "Ah, I haven't watched those movies yet." He joined her on the couch, and braced himself.

Elsa wrinkled her nose. "What?! We've got to watch all three then! We've got time." Elsa rushed to put the DVD in. Jack laughed. This was going to be a lot of fun.

"Elsa?" Jack asked quietly. There was no response, other than the quiet breathing. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and was now snuggled in the crook of his neck. He thought about moving her to her room, or grabbing a pillow and blanket. Just as he was about to get up, Elsa fingers laced with Jack's. He face turned a bright red and was thankful Elsa was sleeping. Deciding not to disturb her sleep, he reached carefully for the remote, turned off the TV, and leaned against Elsa. Soon, he too was asleep.

The next morning was awkward. Really awkward. With a series of red faces and untangling of limbs, they both managed get up. A flurry of apologies followed, but both managed to figure out it was okay.

Somehow, Elsa found herself going over to his apartment the next week, doing the exact same thing. This time, they were watching some of Jack's collection.

"Have you watched the newest Disney movie? Big Hero 6? It's quite good you know." Jack sorted through his DVDs, trying to find something good.

"Well no," she stammered. "Animated movies are for children, aren't they?" Jack smirked and walked over to the shelf of DVDs.

"Clearly you haven't watched How to Train Your Dragon."

Half a tissue box and three hours later, Elsa was sobbing into Jack's shirt, making it completely wet with tears.

"Why is it so sad?" She asked, dabbing her eyes. Elsa glared at him as he laughed.

"Don't even bother denying it. I bet you cried too the first time you watched it." Elsa said sticking her tongue out at him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she dared him to deny it.

"Oh please, cool guys don't cry at animated movies." Jack scoffed, pretending to be offended by Elsa's comment.

"Ah, so you did cry." Jack frowned. "Just kidding!" Elsa said, laughing as he pouted.

"We are so watching another sad movie." Jack said, reaching for the next disc despite Elsa's protests.

And so the routine began. Jack would come over to Elsa's apartment, and she would come over to his. They would marathon movies late into the night, and the mornings would always begin with a series of red faces and apologies.

Flynn would always tease Jack. "Were you guys really holding hands?"

Rapunzel would always coo and say, "That's so cute! Elsa never does that with anyone else."

None of them would listen to Jack's protests as he insisted, "We're not holding hands."

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews!