Chapter Text
The tiny café was mellow with the hum of coffee makers and a friendly conversation between a barista and a waitress that filled the otherwise quiet building. The contrast between this and the busy coffee shops in the city was so immense it was disorienting. Or at least Jack thought so as he watched his guest tap her long fingers in thought. Carefully manicured nails making a distinct click on the table’s polished surface.
Elsa was perched in a booth by one the café’s three large windows. From the cushioned seat she had taken up people watching. He had to admit they were interesting to witness as they passed by the windows with different expressions, postures, and paces. Some were clearly enjoying the moisture, smiling as they walked leisurely with umbrellas in hand and colorful raincoats draped around their figures. Others were cursing their luck, holding various items over their heads to shield themselves from the downpour in vain as they raced to their destinations. Elsa watched them all with distant eyes, playing with the damp lapels of her jacket while she waited.
“I took the liberty to order us some pastries while we wait. I hope you like strudels!” Elsa looked up at Jack as he smiled at her, settling himself on the other side of the booth. He wasted no time picking up one of the two treats and taking a large bite. Elsa giggled and gestured to her own cheek, watching with mild amusement when his brows furrowed before they shot up and he rubbed away the stray filling on his cheek with the back of his hand.
Jack swallowed with a little strain and licked his lips, savoring the sweet cherry filling that stuck to them. He flushed a little when he caught her gaze, it was still strange to him how interested she seemed to be with him. Perhaps she was amused by his ‘simple ways’ or maybe she actually found his company enjoyable. Either way he supposed this atmosphere was easier to deal with than the heavy and awkward silence at the stop.
“How did you know about this place?” Elsa asked casually, picking at the flaky pastry on the plate before picking up a dainty piece and popping it into her mouth. Jack stopped gnawing at his strudel to answer her question. “I saw it on the way to the stop.” He replied. “Not sure why I remembered it, but I’m glad I did.”
Just then the bubbly waitress set two mugs on the table, white steam rising and curling above the rims. The heavy aroma of freshly brewed coffee tickled Jack’s senses and he hummed happily when the heat seeped through the ceramic to warm his chilled fingers.
The waitress placed a small ceramic dispenser on the table. “These are the brands we offer.” She explained as Elsa carded through the brands carefully before selecting two of them and placing them beside her mug of hot water. “These will be fine.” She said simply and turned to the waitress with a polite smile. “Thank you.” The waitress nodded and returned the smile as she placed a small pitcher of milk between them with a gentle click. “Sugar is already on the table. Can I get anything else for you too? Some flavored creamer perhaps?” Jack nodded animatedly and the waitress beamed, dark pigtails bouncing ever so slightly. “Alrighty then! My name is Sonya should you need anything and I’ll be right back with that creamer for you sweetheart.”
Jack watched her slip away behind the kitchen doors, mindlessly wondering if they had hazelnut. Although vanilla would work just as well.
“What now?” Elsa asked, effectively pulling Jack from is idle thoughts. She kept her eyes down as she ripped open the tea packets and gingerly placed them in the steaming water to steep.
Jack began to worry his bottom lip. He hadn’t really thought about it and now realized he probably should have thought about it more thoroughly than anything in his entire life! They had missed the bus by an hour, because he had suggested they get out of the rain.
It was then she chose to look at him with her blue eyes both piercing and expectant. Elsa Queen was a businesswoman even in a small mom and pop café and especially when addressing a 21-year-old student about her future. Jack gulped, pulling at his hoodie nervously and avoiding eye contact profusely. “I… um… I don’t know.” He said sheepishly.
He honestly didn’t plan for any of this to happen.
He was supposed to get on the bus, get as far away from this place as possible, and start a new life.
There wasn’t supposed to be a girl, hesitation, and a proposal for coffee.
Jack was a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy and it irked him that the one time he tried to make a plan, life threw something at him that would set him off course.
There were only three steps! How could I mess that up?
“Here’s your creamer dear.” Sonya chimed in, pulling Jack from his inner ranting as she set the lazy-Susan on the table. “Anything else I can get you? More pastries?”
Elsa smiled graciously, “Thank you, but that will be all.” The waitress gave a little nod and walked back behind the counter.
Taking a deep breath Jack tried again to answer. “Well at this point we really have two options,” He explained. “1. We leave on the next bus or 2. We go back home.” Carefully leaving out: “either way, we’ll probably never see each other again.” Yet it hung in the air like a vengeful spirit.
Elsa tapped her fingers on the table, more anxious than before. “Do you… have anywhere to go?” she asked, keeping her eyes carefully trained on her steeping tea. Jack watched her curiously while letting the question sink in.
Do I have anywhere to go?
Admittedly he wasn’t even sure where he wanted to go let alone know where he could stay once he got there. “No… no. I, uh, I didn’t think that far ahead.” He replied, clearing his throat awkwardly, spinning the creamer display and selecting three at random. Man, he had never felt so embarrassed by his lack of forethought before.
Elsa hummed and after a long beat of silence she said, “There might be a third option.” Each word sounding carefully selected as she raised her cup and blew away some of the steam from the rim. “I’m going to my cabin in Jew Jersey. I don’t know if that will be too far out of your way, but it’s a fairly large place. You’re welcome to stay with me until you figure out where to go.” She then took a slow, calculated sip of her tea, leaving her proposal to hang in the air.
Jack was so caught off guard by the suggestion he dropped the tiny creamer package into his coffee. Looking a little forlorn when the brand “Irish Cream” bobbed above the dark liquid. The right choice should have been clearer to him. Going back and facing his problems head on was the noble thing to do, not to mention he had only just met this woman and despite what he had read in passing about Elsa Queen, Jack really didn’t know her. Going to live with a stranger in an isolated area was a potentially dangerous situation even if she didn’t give off psychotic vibes. On the other hand, Jack wasn’t ready to go home and going away together could be a positive thing. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a praiseworthy action or the fresh start he was seeking, but it sounded welcoming none the less. He fished out the floating creamer from his coffee and opened the seal as he pondered what to say next.
“I think… we deserve a vacation.” His voice shook slightly in uncertainty, but the more he thought about it, the more confidant he became in his decision. “Yeah, let’s do it!” He almost shouted this in his excitement, which caused Elsa to jump ever so slightly before he managed to reign in some of his volume. With a little smirk he took a big gulp of his coffee and added, “Ya’ know as long as you promise not to throw me in a wood chipper once we pass state lines.”
Elsa blinked blankly at his comment before understanding dawned on her face and she smiled. “No wood chippers, although I cannot promise the same for any chainsaws.” She remarked in a comedic sort of tone, taking another sip of her tea. Jack laughed a little at her response, feeling a warm with excitement bubbling in his stomach.
☔-☔-☔
As it turns out, Elsa’s first plan of action wasn’t her cabin up north either which meant the bus wouldn’t be sufficient transportation. But Jack didn’t hold that against her. After all it’s not like he had much of a plan when he arrived at the bus stop.
He suggested a car rental place about two blocks from the coffee shop, but Elsa insisted on using one of her own to make the trip. She assured him that acquiring the vehicle would be a simple task and in doing so they could avoid extra expenses.
With only an ounce of hesitation, Jack agreed and after leaving some cash on the table they headed back outside with Anna’s spotted umbrella shielding them from the rain once again.
Jack shot Elsa a sideways glance. The plan was to flag down a taxi, but she hadn’t really made a move to do so. A yellow cab came their way and her knuckles turned white for a moment. Realizing she wasn’t going to go for it, Jack stepped outside the umbrella’s shelter to wave the driver down.
The cab signaled a right and pulled up beside them. Both Elsa and Jack climbed inside. It smelled like old cigarettes, faded perfume, and a pinã-colada air fresher, but at least it was dry.
“Where to?” The driver grunted from the front seat, adjusting his mirror slightly.
Elsa maneuvered her suitcase over her lap before giving the man an address. Jack leaned back, holding his backpack against his chest as the cab rolled away from the curb and down the road.
“Thanks.” Jack perked up a little at Elsa’s voice and turned his head to look at her. She was staring at the case she held instead of at him but carried on. “I’ve um, never actually ridden in a cab before, let alone had to wave one down. So, thank you for taking the initiative. It’s nice to have someone I can rely on.”
He suspected that last bit covered more than just waving down the taxi, but Jack wasn’t one to over think things. “You’re welcome.” He said, making sure to give her a smile when she finally met his eyes.
After about twenty minutes of cringing at the driver’s choice of music, the taxi pulled up to an intimidating set of iron gates with the letters ‘AC’ inscribed in the center.
“This the place?” The driver asked, sounding incredibly skeptical, but non-confrontational.
“Yes, thank you for your service.” Elsa chucked a handful of bills into the front seat and almost bolted out of the door. Jack followed suit after sending the driver an awkward grin, half amused and half apologetic. He assumed Elsa just didn’t want to answer any questions about why they were here.
The car sped off as soon as Jack shut the door, but that didn’t faze him as he was far too busy openly staring at the gates looming over them and only tearing his eyes off of them when he heard a quiet series of beeps that seemingly came from a small control panel on the stone pillar.
"What cha' doin'?" He asked, leaning over Elsa’s shoulder for a better look at the bright screen and keypad she prodded at.
“Putting in the access code.” She responded simply, still pressing buttons in an odd rhythm. That was one long code… maybe that made it extra safe or something? Probably.
“So… we’re not going to scale the walls?” Jack teased only slightly disappointed that they wouldn’t have to.
The gate groaned and shuddered before it slowly pulled apart to allow them through. “No scaling involved.” Elsa said with a grin and started walking down the compacted dirt road. Jack jogged a little to keep up.
“Can we take the Ferrari?” Jack pleaded more than asked, practically quivering with delight at the luxury car’s proximity. He was currently hugging the hood, pressing himself into the ebony colored paint in what seemed to be a vain attempt of fusing with the convertible.
Elsa was too busy staring between two sets of keys to really appreciate the love story happening behind her. “Sven wouldn’t do too well in the cold and I doubt him going missing would result in anything good.” She replied, finally plucking a set from the key rung and closing the case with a click as it locked itself once again. “So, no we’re not taking him.”
“Who is Sven?”
Elsa held a hand to her lips to keep from laughing outright when she finally turned around. “The car you’re trying to merge with.” She snorted a little and cleared her throat in an attempt to gather herself. Not because she was worried about volume, seeing as the garage was an entirely separate building from the manor, but more to spare whatever shred of dignity her new companion had left. “Besides, we want to blend in not stand out.” She said strolling past Jack with a faint smirk pulling at her lips as he whined and slid slowly off the vehicle. Somewhat fearing that should contact cease between himself and ‘Sven’ the car would simply cease to exist. Returning to his dreams once again like a fleeting summer romance. Why must his love life always end in tragedy?
The purr of an engine startled him out of his inner monologue and he turned around to see a white Mercedes SUV pull out of the row of cars. The passenger window rolled down and he saw Elsa smirking from behind the wheel. “Coming, lover boy?”
Deciding that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Jack quickly fished out his phone and took a quick selfie with the Ferrari before jumping inside the SUV. He marveled at the spotless interior and took in that pleasant new car smell. There were lots of buttons on the dashboard and Jack had to restrain himself from pressing all of them, instead trying to focus on the screen that displayed footage of the back of the car as Elsa pulled out of the garage.
The iron gates closed behind them as she messed with the screen for a few minutes before a GPS map popped up. The A.I. telling them to turn left and head down the highway.
The drive was... Awkward.
The radio was playing some popular pop song that Jack wasn’t too fond of but refused to comment on it seeing as it was the only sound penetrating the silence that had begun to fill the car like a persistent fog. It seemed the gravity of the situation hit them both simultaneously and the same doubtful thought creeping into their minds: Was this really such a good idea?
The excitement of it all was so consuming that the reality of their situation was suspended, but now… now was different.
They had both agreed to stay with complete strangers in an isolated area, knowingly. Sure, they had thought about it and weighed the potential pros and cons, but now it was actually happening. It was real and in motion. It was like realizing you had a terrible fear of heights after you’d already been strapped into the roller coaster.
Jack would catch himself sneaking glances at Elsa from time to time, desperately wanting to say something but being irrevocably tongue tied. During one of these glances his stomach growled and not that faint rumble that reminds you that you need to eat. No, it was one that made people question if you were attempting to smuggle a tiger under your shirt. With all the silent tension, the growl made both parties jump a bit in their seats.
“Uh,” Jack chuckled awkwardly. “Any chance we can get something to eat?”
Elsa took a moment to recover before she looked at the dashboard. “I suppose I should get some gas too. Do you know what you would like?” she asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.
It only took Jack a minute or two to come to the conclusion that: “Anything is fine.”
☔-☔-☔
Humming to himself, Jack strolled beside the shopping cart, the familiar tune drowned out by the rattling. The gas station they had pulled into was a part of warehouse chain and Elsa decided that getting some provisions wouldn’t hurt.
He finished his last bite of pizza as Elsa crossed her arms over the handle and kept her eyes fixed on the different types of bread the store offered.
It was a good thing that eating was the first priority, because with how long they had been in this one aisle Jack would have died of starvation! Or at the very least reverted to petty theft or maybe it was considered vandalism in a grocery store? He didn’t know, but something would have gone down!
Speaking honestly, the humming and ha-ing over every single thing was quickly wearing on the boy’s nerves and he began chewing aggressively on the straw of his drink to ease his growing agitation.
“Alright, I can’t take this anymore! In ya’ go!”
Elsa barely had time to give an indignant squeak as she was heaved up by her waist into the shopping cart with a graceless THUMP. “Wha- Jack!”
The perpetrator only shrugged. “You’re the one who said time is of the essence. I’m just giving you a friendly push.” Jack gave her a wide smile as he tossed her two loaves of white and wheat bread.
Elsa huffed, shifting around to get comfortable as Jack pushed her along.
Things went a quicker pace now with each of them taking turns grabbing something that they liked from the shelves. Needless to say, there was a lot of sweets and soda mixed with a wild mismatch of relatively healthy items all surrounding Elsa like some sort of nest. Which wasn’t the most flawless plan, he discovered when Elsa had removed a twenty pack of instant noodles from the cart while fixing Jack with a very unimpressed look along with a comment about it disintegrating your stomach lining. He had begun to protest, but the impact of the noodles into his chest brought his argument to an early close.
When they approached the checkout line, Elsa had been removed from the cart due to them needing the space and was walking along beside Jack. They were laughing about something they had overheard a few aisles ago when something seemed to catch Elsa’s eye and she darted away from the cart for a moment returning with a cobalt colored umbrella in hand. “So, you don’t get caught in the rain without one...again.” She had said. He laughed a little in return as she placed it on the conveyer belt with the hint of a smile.
After everything had been put in its place, they were back on the road. The sun was setting on the horizon and idle chatter replaced the tense silence from before.
“Wait, wait, wait, you shoveled snow at an ice cream shop in the winter?”
“Yeah!” was Jack’s eager response. Elsa giggled, “Alright, but why was it even open?”
Jack rolled his eyes, “Since when do people stop eating ice cream just because it’s cold outside? Now you’re being ridiculous.” Elsa smacked his arm lightly and he snickered, “Actually, the old man wanted to close for the season, but it was my idea to stay open. Mostly since I still needed a job and I wasn’t too keen on the idea of being stuck in the campus library. We advertised hot fudge Sundays and flavored hot chocolate to encourage people to come inside where they would eventually get a cone or two.”
“Hm.” Elsa tapped the wheel lightly. “That’s very clever. You really liked it there, didn’t you?”
Although phrased like a question, it was more of a statement and caused Jack to hesitate before answering. “Yeah, I… I really did.”
“So why did you stop going? I would think that you would cling to places like that when things got tough.”
Jack slouched in his seat and turned to look out the window at the dark landscape as they drove along. “Yeah… well, the thing with Tee really messed me up.” He was going to leave it there, it was the short version of a long story he didn’t care to divulge in. Yet… something seemed to coax out more and with a sigh he continued. “I gave her just about everything I had to offer and after what she said… I don’t know. It was like my effort meant nothing to her and that really hurt. Especially after all that time she spent trying to get me to ask her out. Maybe I just didn’t meet her expectations? Whatever the case was, seeing her face just brought all those concerns flooding back.” He shifted but kept his eyes low. “It’s not like I didn’t try to avoid her, but everywhere I went she was either there or I had some memory of her being there. We even had the same friends! After a while, I just stopped leaving my dorm altogether. That’s when things really went downhill.”
“I understand.” Elsa said after a short time. “You probably don’t know this, I’m never sure what people publish about me anymore, but I used to own a studio several years ago. I did ice sculpting there. It was just a hobby, but I had quite a few patrons.” She smiled fondly at the road ahead. “I really loved that place, working with the ice helped clear my mind. In fact, I probably would have holed myself up in there after my parents died, however I had to leave it behind to run the family business.” Jack watched as a sullen expression slowly washed over Elsa’s face, the smile from before seemed like a distant memory.
A moment of silence passed over the car that was neither awkward or tense, but solemn and respectful. Elsa took a deep breath that quivered faintly before she continued. “My point being, I understand what’s it’s like to feel trapped in your own life. Probably better than most.”
Jack hummed, “I guess you would.” An upbeat song from the 80’s played softly, not quite creating a contrast with the mood, but rather encouraging a lightness to filling the space. Elsa turned to him briefly with a soft smile, “Get some rest Jack. I’m going to ask you to drive in the next hour.”
He sent her a smile in return. That was a great deal of trust she was placing in him and it made a warmth settle in his chest. Jack leaned back in his seat, looking up through the skylight as the stars began to make their appearance in the violet sky. He sighed like a weight had been lifted and perhaps one really had. Another song then drifted in from the radio, a slower song he hadn’t heard in a while. “Kiss me” if he remembered correctly, serving as an odd sort of lullaby as his eyelids fluttered closed.