Crystal Patterns

He uncovered my eyes after a shaky yes escaped my lips and it took a second for my eyes to focus on the white landscape in front of me. The lake was a sparkling sheet of diamonds, accented by the snow with trees towering above it, letting in just enough light to not be painful. There were no tracks in the freshly fallen snow and wind barely seem to grace this place. It almost felt wrong to be standing there.

"It's beautiful," I said, turning to look at Jack.

He was in front of me know, sitting on a branch that conformed to his body. He had his staff in his hands, twisting it delicately through his fingers. Casually, he looked up and flicked a piece of silver hair from his eyes. "I thought you would like it," he said, moving from prone to upright.

"Where are we?" I asked, stepping gingerly in his direction. His face lite up and he jumped over to grab my hand. He pulled me towards the lake, lifting us gently from the ground to hover over the ice. Snowflakes fell reflecting the light to make a glittering scene around us. He chuckled, enthralled by a scene, I assume, was completely his making.

"You don't remember?" He asked, softly, wrapping his body around me as if we're in the middle of a ballroom and not in the middle of a snow covered lake. "This was the place that I gave you to your mother and father. You know the story very well. I provided the snow and the magic," he winked then, "And they provided the the aspects of you they wanted."

It took me a second to recall both the name he always called me and the old story my mother would tell me. "Of course, I did make a few requests," he said, chuckling. "Like those ice blue eyes and those cherry red lips," he said, tracing my bottom lip with his finger.

"I don't understand," I answered. I knew the story well: a couple who couldn't have kids had a child created. They used two blue buttons and a red ribbon for the lips. Their daughter could not love and could not go near something hot. Slowly, it sunk in: I couldn't ever use the stove or start a fire. I logical approach often distanced me from people to the extent of only like, but I did love.

"You don't understand because you're pretending to be something you're not," he said, slowly floating to the ground.

"And what is that?" I asked, with doe like confusion. I did love, unlike Snegurochka. I loved my mother, with all my heart and I adore my father; to say I didn't love was blasphemy. I looked at him, carefully again. He was the living character of Jack Frost that was in ever book, standing in front of me. How could I try to deny such an existence or try to deny what he's saying?

"Human," he said. His eyes were studying my face and he smiled softly. "You know it's true, you're drawn to me. Why? Because you were literally made for me. It's not cliche, it's true." He cupped my face, forcing my eyes to him. "Okay?"

"It's a little cliche," I muttered.

He was quiet before a second and his face was as cold of as his skin before he broke out laughing and lifted us into the air again. "I love you," he said, chuckling softly. "Do you want to try something?" He asked, smiling.

"What?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm going to let go of you," he said.

My automatic reaction was to wrap my body around him in utter terror and confusion. If there was anything logical in this situation, it was that gravity would affect me. "Are you insane?" I hollered, my voice rough with fear. Suddenly, we were not mere inches off the ground, by a few feet. I wasn't sure if that was fear or he had truly lifted us higher.

"Oh, shush. We're barely 4 inches off the ground. It will be fine. Trust me," he said. With that, he let go of my hands. For a mere second, I hovered in the air before crashing to the ground unto my butt. He covered his mouth as his face slowly turned red. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said laughing.

"You did that on purpose!" I yelled, standing and rubbing my butt. He grabbed me again and ripped me into the sky. "Tell me you love me and I'll bring you back down." We were hundreds of feet in the air, far above the tree tops. "Say it."

"I don't know," I muttered. I couldn't say if it was love, I wasn't suppose to feel that according to him. But, with him my heart fluttered and I had yet to cite any sources or question much of what he said. He did make me feel safe, but this was far too fast. I always mock stories where the girl and the guy fall in love quickly. "It's so fast."

"Natalia, you were made for me. I made you to compliment me in every physical and emotional aspect. My hand fits perfectly where your curves are, my fingers intertwine within yours. You're the only person whose body will melt against my own. Even those little red lips of yours are mine," he muttered, pulling closer and closer.

"Let me show you," he added, only inches away.

It was this pure perfection of a moment that took me back a little bit. Our breath was mingling together in puffs of white and his lips were inches away from my own. It was this perfect anticipation of a kiss which was entirely new to me that I needed to relish for a few more seconds. There is nothing more energizing than this exact moment except for the kiss that would seal it. As if reading my mind, Jack's lip met my own in a moment of pure ecstasy. "Say it," he muttered between small little kisses.

"I love you," I whispered as we crashed to the ground.

"Now go home," he said, detaching me from him.