Love Thaws: Melting

Loving Him Back

Warmth enveloped her. She nestled deeper into the cushions, feeling rather comfortable. Her eyes fluttered open when she found the cushions rather unyielding. Her head rested in the hollow just beneath Jack's shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her, plastering her firmly to his side. Not that she minded.

Elsa held very still, worried that the slightest movement would wake Jack. She turned and rested her forehead on his chest, inhaling deeply, savoring the warmth that surrounded her. She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment. She felt Jack stir beside her. His breathing slightly quickened and she knew he'd woken up. He turned slightly and bent down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. The action brought tears to her eyes. She tried to stifle a small sob.

"Elsa?"

She looked up, opening her eyes. Jack's azure eyes caught the light beautifully, shimmering a stunning blue. She cast her gaze downwards and glanced at the soft t-shirt he wore. Impulsively, she rubbed her cheek against the material. It was very warm and softer than velvet, though she could feel his hard chest, rippling with muscles, just beneath. Elsa caught a whiff of the spicy aftershave he used. He remained still for a moment. Jack turned on his side and wrapped his arms fully around Elsa, tightly holding her to him. Elsa shut her eyes, willing the moment to last forever. She felt hot tears drip down her cheeks and realized the truth. She couldn't live without him.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry." Jack drew back slightly and his eyes studied the planes of her face. 

He sat up and cupped her face with both of his hands. He hesitantly, tenderly pressed soft kisses to her cheek, catching her hot tears. She began crying harder, an incredibly sweet, indescribable feeling blossoming within her. He finally hugged her to him, so her head was held to his chest. He let her tears seep into the fabric of his shirt. 

"Don't cry," he begged helplessly, feeling part of his heart break at the sight of her tears. 

He was sure if she shed anymore tears, his heart would be irreparably crushed into thousands of tiny pieces. He felt a rush of relief when her tears finally slowed. She relaxed against him, practically melting into his arms. Jack's lips curved into a small smile. She'd healed so much. She'd come so far since he'd found her. He pulled her closer, splaying a hand across the small of her back to keep her in place. Her chest stopped heaving. Only an occasional tremor shook her body.

"There," he murmured in soothing tones.

He held her for a few more minutes, unwilling to relinquish his hold on her. She sniffled quietly and hesitantly drew back, almost as if it were painful to do so. Jack felt torn between the longing to take her back into his arms and letting her go. He clenched his jaw and glanced down at his lap.

Elsa's hands trembled. She glanced at his strong arms, desperately wanting them to hold her again. She inhaled deeply, vainly trying to strengthen her resolve. If Jack was going to leave her in the time to come, she had to prepare her heart now. Somehow, she had to become independent. But one glance at Jack weakened her resolution. She swallowed and threw the covers off of herself before practically running out of the room. Jack had stolen so much of her heart already; she wasn't sure how much of it was left.

Elsa spent the day studiously avoiding Jack. When he walked into the kitchen to join them for breakfast, Elsa excused herself and washed her dishes. When she ran into him in their bedroom, she quickly walked into their shared bathroom, waiting until he left before she returned to the bedroom. When she saw him and Kristoff talking in the living room, she made her way to the other end of the house. Elsa did everything in her power to not come into contact with him. She spent a good deal of the day with Anna. When she was left to herself, she was often swept away by wistful daydreams, which Jack always occupied.