Chapter Text
On The Roof - 8 years old
Your older brother was planning on putting up the Christmas lights instead of your mom, and you jumped at the chance to help him. It was exciting to get to go up on the roof! Even after a blizzard came through and left a healthy coating of new powder on everything, you could not help the excitement of going up on the roof. You loved high places, you loved the snow, and you loved Christmas lights!
Your brother, Eric, popped out the screen from his second story bedroom window and climbed onto the roof.
"Okay (Name). Hand me the lights," he said, popping his head back in the window.
Clever for you age, you'd grabbed a step ladder, and hauled the lights through the window that way. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been big enough to get them over the high window sill.
"Thank you! Do you need help out?" Eric asked after the lights were on the roof.
"Nu-uh! I got it!" you replied, grinning and struggling your way out onto the icy roof.
The two of you worked diligently at hanging the lights. Well, your brother worked diligently at hanging the lights, while you looked out at the white world around you. Winter was your favorite season! And it always would be, you knew. Snow was beautiful.
You could hear your great big dog, Rex, barking in the yard below. He was chasing something around the yard, leaving a beautiful, abstract picture with his paw prints in the snow. The dog was huge, and black, and built for snow. And you loved him. He kept you warm on winter nights. He was your puppy, just under a year old.
Looking over the edge at the snow banks up against the fence, you grinned. Once you were done helping your brother, you planned to go chase Rex around the yard, and build a fort in those snow banks. You only wished they were closer so that you could jump down into one.
"(Name)! Catch!" Eric tossed the end of the light strand to you, but he caught you by surprise. Standing on the edge of the roof, you slipped on a patch of ice as you lunged forward to grab the strand, and found yourself falling off of the roof. You were so shocked you forgot to scream. Eric screamed your name and tried to grab you as you fell, but to no avail.
A strong gust of wind slowed your fall and righted you so you'd land on your butt rather than your back. You sat right down in a snow drift with little more than a 'thud'. You looked up at your brother with eyes as wide as saucers.
"Are you okay?" your brother shouted down, his head hanging over the lip of the roof to stare at you.
Shaking, you stood up and looked at the snow pile. There had definitely NOT been one there a moment ago. But nothing was broken. You were basically uninjured.
"I'm fine!"
Your mother had come sprinting to the door when she saw you fall. She rushed out to look you over and chewed out your brother for allowing you on the roof. Being sixteen and on the roof was one thing. Being eight and on the roof was quite another.
"Are you sure you're all right?" your mother asked, still fussing over you.
"I'm fine! The snow pile moved and caught me!" you told them. You'd always loved snow, and it loved you enough to run over and save you.
Your mother chuckled despite herself. "Snow doesn't move that fast honey. I think you just didn't see it before."
"Or maybe Jack Frost moved it!" Eric shouted down with a snort of laughter.
"Jack Frost?" you replied. "Who is that?"
"He's in charge of winter. He controls snow and wind and cold!" Eric told you with a smirk on his face.
"Stop teasing your sister!" you mother commanded. "Come of sweetie. Let's go make you some hot chocolate."
"Okay!" you said happily, following your mother inside. Before you shut the door, you whispered, "Thank you Jack Frost!"
Standing on the edge of the fence, a teenager with snow white hair, a long shepherd's staff, and no shoes, smiled. No one could see him, save the dog. That was the reason he had been there in the first place: to mess with the dog in the yard. But he had summoned the wind and moved the snow. He smiled as he hopped into the air to fly away. "You're welcome, (Name)."