Story is inspired by a Tumblr prompt.
Studying
"Argh! This is just not working out for me!" Frustrated, Elsa slammed her textbook shut and buried her face in between her arms.
"Looks like someone's a little down." a sarcastic voice spoke up behind the distressed girl.
"You have no idea." Elsa sighed and lifted her head.
She swirled around in her desk chair and noticed her room-mate and best friend Astrid standing in front of the life-size mirror and fixing her make-up.
Unlike Elsa, who was sitting at her desk in a pair of flannel bottoms, an oversized t-shirt, and her hair fell loose over her back, Astrid was ready for a night out with her boyfriend and friends. She stood in a short olive green, strapless dress, black heels, and her hair was arranged in a half updo. Her make up was lightly done and her black jacket and purse were thrown on her bed.
"Maybe you should come with me. A night out might do you good." Astrid suggested, leaning into the mirror to check her eyeliner.
"You know I'm not one for parties and dancing. Besides, I can't go out tonight. I need to study for my psychology exam. Maybe when I'm done I'll go." Elsa decided, turning back to her mountain of notes and books.
"I distinctly heard you say that this exam is this Thursday. You still got two days." Astrid reminded.
"I want to start studying now so I don't have to cram it on the last night." Elsa declared with a scowl.
Astrid turned and picked up her jacket. "Hey I'm just trying to help you loosen up a bit." She then gestured to her best friend. "You've been sitting in the same spot since we got back from dinner. Doesn't your back hurt?"
"Maybe." Elsa mumbled, crossing her arms.
"Don't your eyes ache from starring at the tiny letters for who-know-how-long?" Astrid continued. "You're wearing yourself out Els."
Elsa let out a low grumble and rubbed her eyes. Perhaps they did hurt a little bit, but what else was she supposed to do? She was not a wizard to make the words bigger with just a wave of her magic wand. When she turned back to her thick psychology book, her shoulders fell at the realization of how much she still had to read and take notes on.
Noticing the girl's weary glance, Astrid approached Elsa and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Take it easy on yourself. You've been working so hard lately and I just don't want to see you wear yourself out."
"I know, I'll be fine." Elsa assured her. She looked up and gave Astrid an exhausted smile. "Have fun, and tell Hiccup I said hi!"
"I will, see you!" Astrid said before she opened the door and slipped out.
Once the door closed after her, Elsa let out a small sigh and turned back to her schoolwork. Biting down on her bottom lip, she opened her book to the marked page and picked up her pencil.
Outside their room, Astrid released her grip on the doorknob and began to move down the hallway. As she walked, her hand slipped into her bag and she fished out her phone. The moment she got ahold of the small device, Astrid pulled it out and dialed a number.
It took three rings for him to pick up. "Hello?"
"Hi Hans, it's me." Astrid spoke up.
"Hey Astrid! What's up?"
"I got a mission for you regarding my overly-worked up best friend."
That's it. My eyes need a break. Elsa decided and leaned back in her chair.
The small desk lamp on her desk gave her enough light for her to see her work, yet it also had to unfortunate ability to make her sleepy. She was halfway into her second chapter when she began to feel drowsy and her head began to drop.
C'mon Elsa, you have to study this. The little voice spoke up inside her head. The girl let out a small humph and straightened her shoulders. What was she doing?
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Elsa's eyes flew open and she jumped in her seat at the sudden sound. Her hand grabbed her pencil and she pushed herself into her desk.
"Come in!"
The door opened and Elsa turned around curiously. Her eyes widened at the sight of her boyfriend as he stepped in, his own backpack slung over his shoulder.
"What are you doing here?"
Hans smiled at her stunned glance. "Your roommate ordered me to come and soothe your troubles. Oh and she kind of threatened me, so I had no other choice."
Elsa rolled her eyes with tease and turned back to work. A few seconds later she heard Hans approach her and kiss her cheek.
"I heard you're having a hard time studying."
"Maybe, I don't know I just…" Elsa let out a small yawn and shook her head. "I just feel so exhausted, and this stupid psychology exam is wearing me down. I can't think straight anymore. Look, the words are swimming."
Massaging her stiff shoulders, Hans looked down at the opened page. "Huh, they look fine to me."
"You're not funny." Elsa mumbled, clearly un-amused.
"I came here to help you, because clearly you're not happy sitting here. Who studies at their desk? Your back must be killing you." Hans guessed, tossing his backpack on Astrid's bunk.
"It doesn't." Elsa insisted. She looked up and noticed Hans returning to her. "Hans what…what are you doing?" she exclaimed as the young man swept her up from her chair.
"I'm helping you get comfortable." Hans answered with a wink.
Elsa though, looked stunned as she gripped his neck. "Where are you taking me?"
"Trust me on this." And without nothing more to say, Hans turned and set Elsa down on her own bed.
The young woman did not know what to say as she watched Hans take her pillows and fluff them out. Her eyes fell on his fine, muscular arms that peeked from his T-shirt and her belly did a small flip. Shaking her head, Elsa fumbled with a random strand of hair.
"There you go. Now just lean back against the headboard and spread your legs out in front of you. Let the muscles relax." Hans instructed.
Elsa moved up to the headboard and leaned back against her pillows. The moment her back touched the soft pillows, she let out a pleased sigh and stretched her legs out.
"How is that?"
"Great." Elsa breathed. She opened her eyes and noticed Hans grab his backpack and open it up at the edge of the bed. A few seconds later he pulled out a brown bag and tossed it to her.
"Catch!"
The bag landed on her lap, and Elsa picked it up. "M&Ms?"
"Candy always helps me, and hey it's chocolate, I know that always cheers you up." Hans said. He then reached into his bag again and withdrew a bottled coffee drink. "For tomorrow, in case you need it."
"Hans you didn't have to do this." Elsa assured him, her smile stretching from ear to ear. She opened the bag of chocolate candy and popped a piece into her mouth.
Smiling, Hans leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "I wanted to."
When they pulled back, Hans turned and snatched Astrid's pillows from her bunk. "Astrid won't mind will she?"
"No, unless you treat them well." Elsa teased.
Chuckling, Hans moved to the other side of the small bed and got settled across from her. He propped the pillows behind his back and let out a content sigh. Their legs brushed against each other and Elsa stretched her legs out until they reached Hans' torso.
"I'll read to you, and then we'll do a review on the materiel. How does that sound?" Hans suggested.
With one hand, he reached out and opened Elsa's book. His other hand moved to her ankle and began to stroke it.
Elsa shuddered with delight and nodded. She was unsure if she could be anymore happier than she already was.
If she had decided to ditch the books and go with Astrid, Hans would not even be sitting here and wanting to help her. If only she could crawl over to him and kiss him, yet she knew there was work to be done. After that, they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted. Go out and dance. Stroll through the campus park. Watch movies til morning. Anything.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"Okay." Hans cleared his throat and looked down at the page. "Language Influences Thinking: Linguistics Benjamin Lee Whorf contented that language determines the way we think. According to Whorf's linguistic determination hypothesis, different languages impose different conceptions of reality."
As Hans continued to read, Elsa let out a happy sigh and fell back against her pillows, feeling so lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend.
I love him. She thought.
"Let's take a break." Elsa decided half an hour later.
The couple has changed their positions and now Hans laid across the bed on his back. He held a large set of notecards and was quizzing her when Elsa decided to move closer until she was laying on top of him. Her arms were folded over his stomach and she had her chin propped on them. Dark blue eyes glanced up at him with sudden playfulness.
Looking up from a notecard, Hans smirked. "We had one ten minutes ago."
"That was a bathroom break. I mean one to unwind."
When Hans did not respond, Elsa smiled and began to trace small circles on his chest. Her lips moved down and began to peck him with light kisses.
"No, I want to get through these questions first." Hans decided. He gently swapped Elsa's hand and tried to bite back his amusement at her fallen smile.
"Please?" Elsa pouted.
She sat up and began to crawl up his body, her smile returning to her face. Before Hans could stop her, Elsa moved up and pinned him down with her hips. Her legs went on either side of him and her mouth was on his in seconds. Dropping the notecards, Hans groaned and snaked a hand around her waist as her kisses became hungry and hot. There was no stopping her was there?
"Okay we take five….or ten." Hans decided as his own hands trekked up her shirt and over her flushed skin. His other hand that held the notecards fell on the floor as Elsa nipped at his collarbone.
"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Astrid waved goodbye to her friends and approached her room door. As she stopped and rummaged through her bag for her keys, Astrid could hear Elsa's and Hans' voices inside the bedroom.
"Okay let's try this again!" Hans exclaimed.
"I can do it this time!" Elsa declared.
"Ready?"
"Yeah!"
"Are you sure?"
"Hans! Just throw it!"
Astrid arched a curious brow and slipped her spare key into the hole. Do I want to know?
Slowly the girl reached out and opened the door. Peeking inside, Astrid's eyes widened at the sight of Hans and Elsa sitting up on Elsa's bed. They sat across from each other and to Astrid's relief, were fully clothed yet a bit dishelved and flustered as well.
"Elsa?"
At the sound of her voice, Elsa looked up and Hans turned around. Leaning against her pillows, Elsa smiled wide and sat up against her seat.
"Hey Astrid!"
"Still studying?" Astrid guessed, stepping into the room. When she approached the bed, her eyes fell on the rumpled sheets and scattered notecards, books, and random M&Ms on the sheets.
"We were, until Elsa started throwing candy at me!" Hans insisted, giving his girlfriend a playful glance.
Elsa giggled and popped a red M&M into her mouth. "You started it!"
"I wanted to see if you could catch one!"
"Well it looks like you guys are still busy, so I think I'll sleep at Hiccup's tonight. Have fun, and don't stay up too long." Astrid chuckled with a wink.
"Oh we won't, goodnight Astrid." Elsa sighed as Hans grabbed her flushed body into his arms.
Astrid rolled her eyes and grabbed her shower caddy and pajamas. With a smirk, she marched over to the bed and without warning, grabbed the pillows holding Hans upright. The moment the pillows left, the couple fell back with startled cry.
"I'll take these!" Astrid chortled.