Chapter Text
Ah, college.
The brick box filled with obnoxious humans competing to attain a meaning in life. That’s what it was basically, you thought as you sighed and continued typing away on your laptop.
Yes, you were a college student. A broke, but hard-working young adult whom had aspirations in life; had a clear picture of your future. Even if obtaining that future meant dealing with shitty lunches (when you could afford it) and consuming way more caffeine than the average person should in one’s life-time, you were determined to prove to the world that you were ready to become an adult.
Your fingers slowed down as your concentrated stare softened. Turning your head, your eyes locked upon the soft tuffs of snow falling gently outside. You followed figures in all colours dashing through the hills of white, laughing and throwing snowballs at each other. A small smile grew on your lips when you witnessed a little girl trying her best to reach the head of a snowman to stick a small branch in for it’s nose, but failed to do so on her own. A boy a few years older than her picked her up to the snowman’s height as she whined. In doing so, she grinned and completed the snowman’s face with great pride, happy her new winter friend could breathe.
Your eyes shifted all over the field, unaware of the signal on your phone buzzing with a notification.
A dog chased it’s owner across the field and barked happily, his owner dashing away from him with a grin on his face. The boy turned around and opened his arms, openly inviting the dog to tackle him to the snowy ground, licking his face. You laughed slightly, your eyes crinkling with delight, a special sparkle in your (e/c) eyes.
Your distraction on the winter wonderland outside held your concentration for a good amount of time, basking in the magic and ironic warmth the setting placed in your heart. But soon, it was blatantly ripped through by a shrill ringtone going off as you jumped, suppressing a yelp that could barely pass in a library.
You panicked and scuffled around, trying your best to find your phone and turn the sound off. When you finally grabbed it and put it on silent, you sighed in relief, but your eyes soon landed on the old female librarian that was currently giving you a look of disappointment from across the library. You smiled sheepishly and mouthed a sorry, packing your books up in record time. She rolled her eyes behind her glasses and went back to her business of scanning books.
A poker face was all you showed as you got up from your seat and scurried out of the library, looking down at your phone. A text message and missed call.
Your eyes widened.
From your boss.
New message(s): Taylor
Hey (y/n)! I know u just got out of school, but it would mean the world to me if u could come by right away. It’s getting hectic around here! We need u! See u soon?
A sigh escaped your lips as you adjusted your bag strap. It wasn’t as if you disliked your job at the local coffee shop; it was far from it, actually. And Taylor, your boss, was one of the kindest individuals you’ve ever came across. The blonde was very accommodating and compassionate towards the fact you were a college student trying your best to make ends meet. She even was kind of enough to offer you a room at her studio apartment, but being the independent individual you were, you kindly declined and promised her you would be fine. With a softened look, she reluctantly nodded and said the option was always open if money got tight. So, with this in mind (and 3 mid term papers due in a week), you agreed to take the shift.
To: Taylor
Ya sure. I’ll be right over.
Placing the phone back in your pocket, you adjusted your (f/c) hat as you made your way outside, the fresh crisp air hitting you with relief. The library sure was stuffy. You felt a buzz on your side and pulled out the device again, seeing a message back from your boss.
New message(s): Taylor
Thank u!! Be careful on ur way here sweetie. Don’t let Jack Frost nip at your nose ;)
You raised an eyebrow as you snorted, stuffing your hands into your pockets.
Jack Frost, eh? You thought as you breathed in and looked up at the grey sky, tiny flecks of snow decorating your eyelashes with a delicate pattern. Opening your mouth, you looked at the light fog escaping in steady puffs as you breathed out.
It intrigued you, really; the thought of a tiny fairy dancing into your window with gleaming dust following her path to the pillow, leaving a coin in it’s wake as a reward for a shiny new tooth. A robust but jolly man dressed in red and white travelling around the world in lightning speed with the help of magical reindeers, delivering presents to kids of all backgrounds with a special sparkle in their eyes as they tried their best to go to sleep, but staying awake in hopes of hearing the majestic dings of jingle bells making it’s way through their neighbourhood. A cute little bunny hopping it’s way through fields of flowers, disappearing and reappearing in the flowery bushes as it hid eggs of all colours and decorations filled with treats and chocolate. A beautiful ghost of a man sweeping it’s way through every corner of the world and into the minds of every person on earth as they slept, creating soothing dreams that would make the reality you awoke to a little bit better. And finally, a young boy that was the epitome of winter itself, a mischievous spirit that had the ability of transforming a plain field with soft and individually unique snowflakes blanketing the ground to a sparkling white landscape that would push a diamonds beauty away. Or on days when he was angry, had the ability of creating a fiery snow storm that could destroy everything that dared walk in it’s path with just a command, stripping everything of it’s beauty and leaving a dead trail of dried out branches as just a memory.
Your mother always told you as she kissed your forehead, “Make sure to zip up your jacket. Don’t want Jack Frost nipping at your nose.”
You blinked and thought about the text message Taylor sent you not long ago, quoting the same thing your mother would always remind you before letting you go out to join the other kids in the freshly fallen snow.
The tale of the winter spirit was always your personal favourite. It intrigued you the most —not to mention, creeped you out the least— out of every fairytale that you came to learn in your childhood. You never truly understood why people made the spirit sound so antagonistic. Maybe it was the fact most favoured the warmer months, perhaps? Or maybe it was the fact when winter came around, all signs of life came to a stand still.
A smile graced your features as you saw the small shop around the corner, already smelling the relaxing fragrance of coffee.
You didn’t see the winter months as a time of nature dying and freezing everything it touched. You believed winter had a bigger purpose than that; when winter swept through, it did not destroy, but helped in creation. It slowly rocked the world into a peaceful slumber, the sounds of the crisp wind dancing it’s way through the branches of trees, singing a lullaby. It was a cycle that every living thing went through. It basked in the warmth of life and fed off of the rays of the sun, but soon had to sleep to regain the energy to do it all over again. Winter was not a time of just cold feet and red noses, but a time of regenerating and rest, but also the occasional snowman here and there.
It was a natural play palace for kids and adults of all ages, an endless variety of ways to spend time with your old friends and make new ones. You didn’t see Jack Frost as a spirit that centred around bitter jokes and dead leaves, but a spirit that created a time where people were free and willing to use the power of their imagination to have fun, to remember that life isn’t just about work and order, to remember that no matter your age and lifestyle, you don’t have to lose the sparkle in your eyes that shows you still believe.
A sigh escaped your lips and you came to a stop in front of the shop, your hands grasping the cold metal. For a moment, you stood there, preparing yourself for the long night ahead. Your smile slowly disappeared as you looked behind you to the sky above, the snow still falling steadily and a gentle wind moving your scarf from your face.
Not long after you promised yourself that work came before play, all that magic was forcibly pushed down into a pathetic heap you had a hard time abandoning. Turning your back on freedom was the last thing your younger self would witness your older self doing, but alas, you let that happen.
Your (e/c) eyes turned back to the front. You lost that sparkle the day you decided it was time to grow up. You were an adult now, you thought sadly. You had responsibilities. You had commitments. You had a life that centred around just moving forward without stopping and savouring and appreciating the things around you.
With a bite of your lip, you felt a drop of guilt move it’s way through you, but opened the door to earn the money that ran your life.
The magic would have to wait.