Something To Believe In

Chapter 5

"I don't really know how to respond to that." Jack professed.
His face grew more and more red as he watched Rapunzel study him.
He had never had this much attention before and didn't know how to react.
She slowly stood up and watched him hesitate to move back.
"How are you..." she poked his stomach, "...real?"
He looked at her starring at his chest, "...What?"
She tugged on his shawl, "You shouldn't exist. You should be fictional... Even a figment of my imagination would suffice. It wouldn't be the strangest thing I've thought but... You feel... You feel real."
He slowly grabbed her hand and moved it off of him, "I am... Real." he assured. Almost trying to convince himself more than her.
She looked up at his hair. She reached her arm up to touch it.
After he flinched but let her continue, when she reached not only did she touch his hair but she grabbed and pulled it."
"Ow-" he beamed causing her to stop.
She placed the hand over her mouth, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking."
"It's fine." he stated, rubbing his head.
She began fiddling with her necklace.
Jack squinted at it, "That looks so real."
Rapunzel tilted her head, "Snowflake?"
"Yeah, the snowflake. Where did you get it?" he asked.
Rapunzel's eyes widened. She was never asked this before nor did she ever try to think about it.
"It uhh... Flew through my window. And it refused to touch the ground. It stayed at the same height as I chased it. Then it... Saved me." she admitted questioning herself.
She looked up at Jack, "You can... Fly, right?"
Jack narrowed a brow, "Uhh, yeah. Why?"
"I would like you to do me a favor." Rapunzel bluntly requested.
Jack grinned, "A favor? And why would I do that?" he inquired.
Rapunzel waved her index finger in the air, "Simple. Because if you do this favor for me, this favor of MY choice, then I would be in debt to you Jack Frost. Granted I probably can't do much but I would always owe you back until my debt is repaid." she explained.
Jack looked around the room, "And you would owe me any favor?" Jack clarified.
Rapunzel nodded, "If I can do it, it's yours."
He stroked his chin, "Okay, I'll consider it."
"Consider? You must think I have an unlimited amount of time or something. I only have until mother gets back from the market." she added.
He reverted his attention to the girl, "What is the favor you want?"
Rapunzel folded her arms, "Accept the favor and then I'll tell you."
He smirked, "And how is that fair on my end?"
"Simple, one being I know it is something you are capable of and I know it isn't hard. Secondly, when you ask for me to fulfill your favor, I won't ask any questions and just do it without second thought." she marveled.
"Well, what is it?" Jack repeated.
"Accept. It." Rapunzel said, clenching her teeth.
He raised his hands in the air, "Fine, fine. What's the favor?"
Rapunzel's eyes lit up, "Wow I didn't think-- Well, I actually just want to meet someone." she said awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ear, "I have a few questions for them."
"Who?"
She clenched her necklace, "The Sandman-Sandy."
Jack puckered his lips thinking through her request, "Sandy? Yeah, I could make that happen. What kind of questions."
Rapunzel bounced her head between her shoulders, "Actually I'd like to ask him directly... They're more personal. Just some things I've been wondering for some time."
Jack slowly nodded, "Those sound like their some pretty important questions. I guess it wouldn't hurt to take you. But how do I know you won't do my favor?"
Rapunzel folded her arms and smirked, "Because I promise I won't."
He narrowed his eyebrows, "You expect me to go off of a promise?" he clarified.
"I do." she admitted cockily as she leaned in towards him, "Because when I promise something, I never ever break that promise."
Jack raised his hands in defeat, "Alright, I'll help you get to Sandy."
He took a step toward the window and held out his hand, "I can take you there in no time. You'll just have to trust me." he jokingly winked.
Rapunzel hesitated.
Her shoulders drooped when she finally realized what she was risking. And she was also with a complete stranger.
"Wait-"
Jack looked at her, "Backing out already?"
Rapunzel pulled her arm back and looked at her trail of hair, "What are we supposed to do with that?"
Jack poked his head out, "Right, I forgot you have like seventy feet of hair."
"Yeah... It seems like it might be a problem."
Jack shrugged, "Well, we can just... I don't know... Roll it into a ball or something?" he suggested.
Rapunzel grabbed the book and Pascal. She then headed to the window and ran her hair over the hanger on the outside.
Jack watched her quietly, "What are you doing?"
She tucked some hair behind her ears, "I'm making a way for us to get down."
Jack chuckled, "No, this is where the believing part comes in." He reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers making her stand still. He stood atop the window sill and looked at her, "You do believe in me right?"
Rapunzel looked at the black silhouette shaded by the moonlight overhead, "I believe in you about as much as anyone can believe a magical stranger."
Jack chuckled, "Good enough, now close your eyes."
Rapunzel moved her head back, "Close my eyes? You're not gonna push me off or anything, are you?"
"I might. You'll just have to believe in me to get an answer." Jack commented.
"I don't know if I like those odds." Rapunzel replied.
Jack shrugged, "Well, do you?"
Rapunzel nodded and stepped into the sill with Jack. She followed his instructions and sealed her eyes shut.
His hot breath tingled on her neck as he whispered into her ear, "You'll be alright, I promise."