"You know, how come you don't show your powers to everyone else?"
He'd finally said. It was the question that hung like honey at the tip of his tongue, wobbling and wavering but never quite enough to let go. Why didn't she show her powers to anyone else?
Sometimes he'd think that maybe she didn't like being born with powers after all? Then he'd remember the flush of her cheeks and the blue sparkle in her eye as magic chiseled and crafted between her fingers. Nah, impossible.
Then why?
But at last, after a round of indoor ice sledding, and a private performance of Elsa's icemanship, he was finally ready to let it go.
Unfortunately for him, she was not.
Her smile had gone. Eugene could feel the specks of thin snow hovering over them; prickle and sting at his skin. He decided that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask this after all.
"I don't think anyone's going to like it very much."
"What do you mean? I like it?" He grinned. He could feel the ice beneath his boots grow stiff. Maybe he should just stop talking, but the words keep coming out of his mouth.
"My parents don't think so. And I don't want to hurt anybody."
"You haven't hurt me." He added.
"Haven't. I might if you get too close."
Now the air had gone still and frigid. The only thing that moved was the puffs of breath and Eugene's nervous fiddling that he hid behind his back.
He continued, "You know... I'm older than you. I'm a boy too, that means I'm going to be a man when I grow older.
Elsa watched him from dewy eyelashes. "What do you mean?"
Eugene smiled. His talking seemed to calm her down, he could feel the air warming around his breath. He racked his brain for words, "That means I can be like Flynn Rider.... uh, he's rich and strong and he's a man too. When that happens I can protect you."
It was silly, silly words.
"Is that really true?" She asked. Her eyes were wide, almost hopeful. Eugene gulped.
"Uh.. sure! Of course. You know I always tell the truth."
Suddenly Elsa remembered the 'stolen' necklace, and she flushed with embarrassment. "...Yeah."
The ice had started to slowly warm and ease around them. The boy sighed with relief. At least he'd managed to calm her down. He knew it was a bad thing to lie, but that wasn't really lying was it? He really was going to grow into a man, and maybe he might get rich. Besides, he was about to be turned into a popsicle if he didn't managed to calm her down back there.
Who knows, he might actually be able to protect her someday.
Nah, he couldn't protect anyone if his life depended on it.
