Disclaimer: Macdutton does not own Frozen. It belongs to Disney.
"Hey Rapunzel?"
The brunette looked up from her baking, hands covered in flour and a smudge of dough on her nose. I grinned, appreciating how little the girl changed, as well as how easily she could cheer me up, even when she didn't try.
"What's up Elsa?" she asked before a frown marred her face. "If you're smoking while I'm baking then I'm going to make you regret it." Her eyes flicked pointedly to the skillet hanging nearby. The threat prompted me to surreptitiously put the lit cigarette into an ashtray and dump a small mound of snow onto it.
My young cousin's expression brightened immediately. "Really though, what's up? You don't normally show up unannounced like this?" she looked thoughtful for a moment, and before I could answer, she continued, "Besides, where's Anna? I thought you two were pretty much inseparable after…" she trailed off, looking back to what she was doing.
I stayed silent for a while, just watching her work. I'd always wished I could cook, but the skill had somewhat eluded me. As she finished shaping the dough into disks and putting them onto a baking tray, Rapunzel looked up at me again.
"Are you going to answer, or do I have to make you? I will use this." The threat of the skillet made me grin. Her recent fight with Eugene was a great example of how funny she could be when she got angry.
"Of course. But can we go out on the balcony?" I asked, unsure how to proceed. Because, really, how do you broach this kind of topic?
Rapunzel looked put out. "Do we have to? It's cold." She pouted. I grinned at her antics. She reminded me so much of Anna sometimes.
"Not if you don't want to. Sorry, I just don't really notice…"
"I know," she smiled, suddenly happy again, "The cold never bothered me anyway." I joined in her smile. I was never going to live that down, I could tell. "Come on," she instructed me, washing her hands before donning her coat. "Let's talk."
After lighting another cigarette, I leant back on the railing, putting my lighter on the small table. Rapunzel was right, it was cold. Snow drifted down, moving across in the slight wind. I enjoyed the feeling for a few seconds, the gentle caress as it pulled silky fingers across my skin, through my hair.
Turning to look out at the city that stretched to the horizon below, I inhaled the fragrant smoke.
"Rapunzel?"
"Yes, Elsa?"
"What's love?"
The younger girl looked at me, plainly confused. "What do you mean, 'What's love?' You must know."
I stared down, again, taking a drag on the cigarette, watching the wind tear the smoke asunder as I exhaled. "That's the thing. I don't know what it is 'Punzel. I don't have the faintest idea. But I think… I need to know." I looked back up at her, and my turmoil must have been visible, because her eyes softened into pools of infinite compassion.
"What's it like with Eugene?"
That gave her pause. I'd always guessed that they'd never really thought about how they got to where they were. After their early misadventures, they'd basically just fallen into being a couple, and they never seemed to question how they got there.
"With Eugene, it's like… like nobody else really matters. I know that he's the only one I really care about, and because I love him, I have to be with him. No matter what, I have to follow my heart."
"But what if your head tells you it's wrong?"
"Then your head can get the frick out." The blunt answer earned her a grin, especially given its vehemence. "Elsa," she took my hand, pulling me to face her. "If you really, really feel that you love someone, you should go after her, no matter what people think." I stared at her in surprise and she giggled. "Come on Elsie, I've known you were gay for years. It was kind of obvious." I smiled tremulously. If there was anyone to see who you were, it was Rapunzel. Wonderful, sweet, innocent, blunt as a brick Rapunzel.
My smile didn't last long, however. "That's not really the issue. Being gay is… kind of normal, at least. This problem is more…" I trailed off, unsure how to continue, worried how she would react.
"I said it before, didn't I? No matter what, you have to follow your heart. If you don't, you just end up sad like this." She looked at me, her eyes so full of compassion it was almost painful. "Even if other people think it's wrong. Even if everyone but you says it is." She paused, looking me over. "Being gay used to be illegal you know. Did that make it wrong?"
"…No."
"Exactly. So the law can be wrong. Maybe it's wrong about this too."
I looked up, suddenly afraid. She couldn't have worked it out, could she? If she knew, maybe others did… I prepared to bolt, but a purple coated pair of arms wrapped around me, restraining me.
"You're not allowed to come for advice, then just run away," she pouted. Damn, I never could resist that pout. It was just like Anna's… I collapsed into her arms, hugging the younger girl.
"Thanks Rapunzel."
"You should go tell her how you feel. Maybe she feels the same. And if you don't try, don't you think you'll always regret it?"
I pulled back, looking into her bright, hopeful green eyes, seeing, for the first time, the tiny inner ring of brown. "Y-yes." I smiled in return before pulling away.
"Now you're allowed to run."
Taking the cue, I sprinted from the balcony, grabbing my helmet as I raced to the stairs, in far too much of a hurry to wait for the lift. As I reached the ground floor and pounded across the car park, I promised myself. 'I'm coming Anna. And I'm going to tell you this time.'
A/N: Wow. I actually managed something that isn't depressing. Which also isn't crack! I think this might actually be a first. Anyway, reviews are well received, and each one is loved most dearly.