Love Thaws: Melting

Fear of Melting

Elsa awoke with a sob, her chest heaving. Jack's arms were around her, holding her gently. He patiently brushed her tears away and tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear. Being pressed up against his hard chest did funny things to her. She felt warmth briefly flush through her and her heart pounded. Eventually, her breathing steadied and she completely relaxed in his arms. The sleepy haze returned as her eyes drifted close. As soon as she closed them, images flashed through her mind. She shuddered and forced them open, but the soft, warm cushions surrounding her lulled her to sleep, but Elsa didn't dare close her eyes again. She slipped out of Jack's embrace and peeled the covers off of herself.

"Elsa?"

She swung her feet of the side of the bed, standing tentatively. She sprinted through the house as quickly as she could. Elsa ran out the door and ran faster, her bare feet slapping the cool sidewalk. Her pace eventually slowed when she reached a tiny park. It was abandoned, eerily quiet. The swings creaked quietly on their chains, the breeze rocking them gently. Elsa wearily plunked herself onto a swing. Her breathing became steadier as the exhaustion from her jog ebbed away. She idly pushed herself back and forth, making the chains squeak louder in protest. For—what felt like—the first time in forever, Elsa began to swing. As she swung forward, the swing reaching its climax, she pretended she could simply fly off into the endless black sky above. As always, the sky was beautiful, only an occasional plane marring the celestial abyss. She swung with more force, her legs waving back and forth. Elsa liked to feel the fresh air stirring her hair. Nothing like the stifling air at the—Elsa stopped short and went back to thinking about the sky. The beautiful, lovely sky, crystalline stars scattered across its surface. Suddenly, she heard movement behind her. Elsa gasped and craned her neck.

"Hi," Jack greeted her sheepishly.

Elsa let her toes drag along the ground until the swing slowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Swinging. You're turn."

He sighed. "Simply being a good husband and making sure my wife isn't attacked by a thief in the night. Something like that."

She scowled. "Like that would happen."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you'd just freeze them into a solid block of ice, huh?"

Elsa visibly stiffened and she remained silent.

"Sorry?" Jack sounded uncertain, as if he didn't know what he was apologizing for. Which he probably didn't.

Elsa numbly stared off into the distance, fighting the memory back into the recesses of her mind. She glanced at her hands, made of flesh and blood. She flexed them, clenching and unclenching them, watching the joints and bones move, her knuckles bulging then vanishing as she splayed her hand. Ice hadn't come out of those fingertips in many months. Not for lack of trying on the government's part. She heard the swing next to her briefly squeak as Jack seated himself. He didn't say anything and neither did she. Jack looked like he was going to say something, but stopped. Then he tried again.

"You know, when I was a kid I had this fear of being melted."

Elsa quirked an eyebrow, wondering where he was going with this. "Oh?"

"Yep. Like someone would dump water on me and I'd melt like the Wicked Witch of the West or something. For the entire summer I didn't go swimming. And I had a strict liquid diet of orange juice and Coke." He chuckled as his eyes became distant.

"Are you still scared of being melted?"

Jack turned towards her, a slight smile on his lips. "No, not anymore. I figured out melting really isn't all that bad... Sometimes necessary."

Elsa pursed her lips, wondering what he was trying to say. He had never been this cryptic before. Jack abruptly stood, offering her a hand. She cautiously took it. Jack's warm fingers enclosed around her tiny hand as he helped her up. He didn't release her hand. And she didn't tug it away. She felt another flicker of warmth as Jack pulled Elsa closer, draping his arm around her shoulders and she suddenly didn't think being afraid of melting was such a silly fear after all. As matter of fact, it was a very realistic fear.