The Spirit of Autumn // Jack Frost

Chapter 6

Jack floated from one foot to the other. he and Scarlett stood outside a small heart shaped hut on the sunny cliff looking over a bright red forest. The leaves were ruby red and heart shaped. Typical. Even the cliff looked like a heart on its side. He stole a glance over at Scarlett who was looking at anything but Jack. He had a feeling she could sense his stare for her cheeks were tinted pink and she was fiddling with a leaf in her hand that had been green when North dropped them off. Now, it had had gone yellow, then orange, then red and was now going brown.

Suddenly the door of the hut opened and out waddled a little man. He reminded the two of Sandy for he was stout and round but barely three feet tall. With sandals for shoes, a white robe and white sash that looked ready to burst over his weight. He had a floral crown in his white hair. His beard fell to his stomach in intricate braids.

"Why didn't ya knock?" he asked, eyeing the two up and down.

"Erm...." Jack replied blankly.

Scarlett saved him by smiling at the man, "North sent us."
"Ah!" Cupid chirped. "Well come in! Come in! Have some tea before you go."
The two stepped into the hut after the man to find it was so low they had to duck. Cupid led them to a living room with two love seats covered in red heart shaped pillows. Jack and Scarlett found themselves side by side since Cupid took up the other couch. He poured them each a cup of tea before sliding them toward them on the table.

"So, how is old North doing? Staying out of trouble?"

Scarlett chuckled, "For the most part. He is hosting a get together.... Which is why we're here."
"Not one for parties lassie," Cupid remarked. "but it would give me time to break a few hearts!"

Jack chuckled, noticing Scarlett smile as she took a sip of her tea.

"Who else is coming?" Cupid inquired.

Jack opened his mouth to answer when Scarlett interrupted, "Mr. Cupid....why does this tea smell so strong?"
Cupid smiled, "This is a special tea. If there is a special person in your heart, it will smell of them. So, tell me Lassie, what does your tea smell of?"

Jack was staring at the man with wide eyes when Scarlett got to her feet.

"Excuse me."
With that, she rushed out the door, leaving it open. Cupid reached over and grabbed the girl's cup, lifting it to his face to smell it.

"Hm. There are two scenes. The stronger is.... Coll breeze, peppermint and.... Rain. The other is so faint but it is.... Fresh grass and wildflowers. Interesting."
Jack grabbed his staff and pointed it at the man in a warning manner, "What did you do?"

"What I had to," the man replied, lazily pushing the staff out of his face. "I am Cupid after all. So, when two lovesick hearts find their way onto my stoop, I take the initiative."
Jack huffed and flew toward the door when Cupid spoke up. "Take a walk in the forest. It clears your head."

Jack grunted in reply before flying out the door in search of Scarlett.

He found her standing at the very edge of the cliff, looking down at the red forest. Jack landed on his two feet a few meters behind her, contemplating how to announce his arrival. However, the girl had already heard him approach.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "For storming out."
Jack shook his head, "Don't apologize. I would have too if someone invaded my personal thoughts."
The boy cautiously floated over to stand next to her, only to see tears streaming down her face.

"Hey," he said in a soft voice, turning to face her, "are you okay?"
Scarlett didn't reply right away but wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath, "It was your scent Jack.... The same things I smell whenever snow arrives.... but....I could smell Jason too...."
"Jason?" Jack asked.

"The Spirit of summer," Scarlett whispered. "His scent was there too..... just faintly though.... I thought I had gotten over him but...."
Jack smiled, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "When you love someone that much, you don't always fully get over them."

"But I want to," Scarlett choked, the tears returning. "I want to forget about my feelings for him because he hurt me. He hurt me so bad Jack and I just want to move on! I want to be able to feel something for another person without being haunted by these feelings."

She slowly turned to Jack before burying her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jack froze, having not expected that but quickly wrapped his arms around her too, inhaling her scent, not at all surprised that it was the same scent as his tea: autumn leaves, pumpkin and spice.

"I want to get to know you better Jack. I really do. I want to be able to make friends and not fear that it will end the way it ended with Jason." She cried into his chest, soaking his hoodie with tears. "I just want to be normal."
Jack smiled, running his fingers through her rich red hair, "Well we aren't exactly normal Scar."
The girl chuckled into his chest before gently pushing away from him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry...."
Jack shook his head before reaching over and wiping one of her tears away with his thumb. The girl shivered at his cold contact and Jack was about to retract his hand when the girl grabbed it, keeping it still on her cheek.

"It feels good," She told him, keeping her eyes averted. "Your hands are cold.... It's soothing."
Jack realized that his coldness felt good to her swollen eyes and cheeks from crying. A sudden thought jumped into his mind and he wasn't sure if he should do it but he threw caution out the window. Bending down from his tall height, he saw Scarlett's eyes widen in surprise when his face became level with hers, their noses almost touching.

Gently he cupped her face in his hands to keep her from moving before gently planting a cold kiss on her left eye lid. The girl let out a soft gasp at the feeling but didn't tense against his hands, but relaxed. He did the same to her other eye lid, noticing that they didn't feel as warm when she was crying. He leant back slightly to look at her to see that she had kept her eyes closed after he had kissed them. His eyes drifted down to her lips which were slightly parted and plump, her bottom lip having stopped shaking.

He bit his own thin cold lip, trying to fight the urge but he couldn't. Her smell was practically invading his breathing and was intoxicating. Scarlett's eyes flew open the moment cool soft lips touched hers, but her body seemed to melt instead of tense. Jack was holding his staff with one hand, keeping it behind his back so that it didn't hit either of them in the head while his other snaked around her waist, pulling her close to him.

Scarlett placed her firm but gentle hands on his chest but didn't resist the kiss. However, she felt her eyes slowly falling closed as she returned it, leaning into him. When they finally parted, Jack's face was tinted blue while Scarlett's was pink.

"Was that okay?" Jack whispered, still keeping his hand on her waist.

Scarlett nodded, her face flushed, "Yeah.... Yeah it was okay."