Love Thaws: Melting

Mashed Potatoes

He suddenly jerked back, trying to prevent himself from kissing her. Her lips were too tempting up close. He glanced back at her face and found her lips just as tempting as they were before. He clenched his jaw and willed himself not to look at her lips. 

Elsa, slightly confused, took a step backwards. Something inside of Jack rebelled at the thought of Elsa being so far away. He pulled her closer again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest. She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes, her brows slightly furrowed in confusion. Jack wanted to kiss the frown away. He inhaled sharply, knowing once he started, there was very little chance of him stopping. 

Instead, he held her tiny wrist and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist. He could feel her pulse quicken under his touch. He smiled slightly, his lips still pressed to her bare skin. She wasn't as unaffected as she wanted to be. Her hand began to tremble slightly. She gently pulled back. Jack slowly released her, though he was tempted to pull her back to him and kiss her senseless. She gave him one last, long look before walking towards Kristoff, who had his back turned towards them. Jack pressed his lips together, stifling a sigh of longing.

Elsa began washing and peeling potatoes in the sink next to him, barely out of reach. He practically had his eyes glued to her the entire time. Her hands were so delicate, yet nimble. He loved watching the way she washed the potato and peeled it to perfection. She quartered the potatoes and dumped them into a big pot on the stove filled with water. 

She walked next to Jack and flipped the stove burner on. Jack tore his gaze away from her and shoved the sweet potatoes into the oven below. He closed the oven door and set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes. He leaned his hip casually against the counter and watched as Elsa drained the potatoes. A stray curl fell in front of her face as she moved, glistening in the light. She blew at it in annoyance as the poured milk into a sauce pan. The curl fell back in front of her face. Jack absent-mindedly tucked it behind her ears, his fingers barely brushing her face. 

Jack drew his hands back, his finger feeling tingly. Elsa paused for a moment before resuming her work. She eventually poured the mixture of milk and butter into the bowl full of potatoes. She flipped on the switch the hand-held blender and began to run it through the bowl of potatoes.

After a few minutes, she curiously lifted the whirring blender up. The blender flung mashed potatoes in various directions, splattering a good bit on Elsa's face. Jack chuckled, warmth spreading through him. Her expression was priceless. She turned towards him, her pretty blue eye flashing, her cheeks flushed. She obviously didn't like being laughed at. Elsa turned up her cute nose at him. Jack vainly tried to suppress more chuckles, but ultimately failed. 

She leaned over the bowl of potatoes, completely ignoring him. Suddenly, Jack found mashed potatoes splattered across his face. Jack's eyes widened when he saw Elsa with a spoon, a small, mischievous smile on her lips. She turned back to the potatoes, obviously proud of herself. Jack smiled, his eyes sparkling playfully. She wouldn't get away that easily. Jack closed the distance between them in a few strides. 

He wrapped one strong arm around her slender waist while with his other he picked up a handful of mashed potatoes. Her forget-me-not blue eyes were impossibly wide as he held the glob of mashed potatoes up threateningly. She squeaked when he began to smear it across her face.

"Jack!" she squealed.

Jack held her firmly against his chest until he was finished coating her face in mashed potatoes. She wrinkled her little nose and glared at him. He smiled broadly. She looked incredibly adorable. Elsa snatched a rag from the counter and hastily wiped her face. She suddenly picked up a ball of mashed potatoes and smashed it against his face. Jack chuckled.