Well, here we are with yet another fluffy Frozen one-shot! This one features more sisterly fluff between Anna and Elsa. I feel that there really isn't enough of these stories on this site. :) Just a little side note, the first part of this was originally how I started my previous story, "Beautiful", but I cut it 'cause it didn't fit. When I got the idea for this story, I realized that I could actually use the part that I had cut out. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't think to save what I had cut out, so I had to rewrite that part as best I could from memory. But anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen, its characters, or any dialogue from the movie.
It was a beautiful summer day in Arendelle. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue and the air was warm and pleasant. In the few days since the Great Thaw, everyone had been celebrating the return of summer. Children could be heard laughing and playing in the sunshine, merchants were heard hawking their wares in the market, and adults were taking full advantage of the glorious day to visit the market or just take a leisurely stroll in the sunshine. Even Princess Anna could be seen running throughout the village, continuing to celebrate the permanent reopening of the castle gates. For the past few days, she had hardly been seen outside the company of one certain ice harvester, whom everyone now recognized and admired as being the young man who had tried saving the princess's life. She was often seen pulling him through the village, stopping occasionally to chat briefly with a citizen or admire a merchant's wares before pulling him away again to whatever activity she had planned for the day. But despite the warm sunshine and the excited shouts of people in the square, there was one person who was unable to enjoy it.
Queen Elsa sat at the desk in her study, going over numerous papers and documents: missives, treaties, trade agreements, and other tedious paperwork. As she had cut off all trade with Weselton, she was working on getting a new trade alliance started with the Northern Isles, who could also benefit greatly from their resources. After the duke of Weselton had tried to have her killed, she no longer wanted anything to do with them.
Elsa sighed and rubbed her tired eyes, thinking about the events of the week before. Almost everything that had happened had been because of Anna. If it hadn't been for Anna, she'd still be up at the North Mountain, unable to control her powers. If it hadn't been for Anna, she'd probably still be wearing her gloves. If it hadn't been for Anna, she might not be alive right now.
Probably the most loving thing Anna had done for her all these years was sacrificing herself to save her from Hans. She never knew just how much love Anna still had for her after all those lonely years of isolation. It was only when she saw Anna's frozen body that she realized just how deep that love was. Anna had risked her life in every way possible for one, simple reason: her unfailing love for her sister. That was something Elsa could never repay. When Anna had thawed, Elsa had hugged her tightly with all the love she had been afraid to show all those years. She was no longer afraid to touch her, and that was something she had wished for more than anything else. After all they had gone through, she and Anna had become closer than ever.
And speaking of Anna…..
Elsa suddenly heard the sound of running footsteps out in the hall before they stopped, probably right outside her door, which she had closed for privacy but kept unlocked. There was a familiar series of knocks before the door crashed open, revealing Anna. Elsa was so startled by her sudden appearance that she froze her desktop and all the papers on it. She was still getting used to the new "open door" policy.
"Elsa!" said Anna breathlessly. She was breathing so hard from running from wherever she had been that it was a miracle that she was able to speak at all. Despite that, though, she seemed in high spirits. But then, Anna had always been that way. "You'll never believe what just happened! Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to disturb you." She had just noticed Elsa's desk, which was covered in a thin layer of frost.
"It's okay, Anna," said Elsa, and she waved her hand across the top of the desk, melting the frost. Luckily, all the papers and documents were still intact, as though nothing had happened. "You just startled me, that's all."
"I know, and I'm really sorry about that, Elsa," Anna apologized again. "I didn't mean—"
"I know you didn't mean to," said Elsa, standing up and clasping her hands in front of her. "And you have nothing to be sorry for."
"I know," said Anna again. "But—"
"Anna, stop it," said Elsa firmly but gently. "There's been no damage done." She waved her hand back at her desk. "Now, what was it that you were so excited to tell me?"
"Oh!" said Anna, perking back up again. "Elsa, you'll never believe what just—"
"I got that part," said Elsa, smiling. "Anything else?"
"Oh, yeah!" said Anna. "Remember when I told you about when Kristoff and I were being chased by the wolves and that I was kind of, maybe responsible for wrecking his sled, and then I asked you if he could have a new sled and you said yes, but as long as he was also given an honorary title for trying to save me, so you gave him the title of official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, and, well, I gave it to him and he was so happy that he spun me around and then kissed me!" Anna finally paused for breath, waiting for Elsa's reaction.
There was silence as Elsa tried to wrap her head around what Anna had just said. Anna could just babble on and on about anything and everything that it was sometimes hard to keep up with her, especially when she switched from one subject to another without pausing, like she had done just now.
Kristoff had kissed her. Her baby sister had just experienced her first kiss. What if their relationship turned more serious and they eventually decided to get married and have children? She'd be alone again. A week ago, she would've embraced it, but after everything that had happened in the past few days, she didn't want to be separated from Anna ever again.
Elsa was silent for so long, her eyes downcast and her brow furrowed, that Anna started to worry. "Elsa?" she said. "Did you hear me?"
Elsa finally looked up. "Of course I did, Anna," she said, putting a smile on her face and taking Anna's hands in her own to reassure her. "And I'm happy, I really am."
"You don't sound happy," Anna said, looking at her with concern.
"I must be tired, that's all," said Elsa. "Being queen is quite stressful, you know."
"Yeah, and the last few days have been kind of crazy," said Anna, trying to inject a bit of lightheartedness into the conversation.
There was a tense, awkward silence in which neither sister said anything. Elsa was looking down at her folded hands and Anna was twisting hers, something she did whenever she was nervous or uncomfortable. Finally, Anna spoke.
"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "I guess I'll see you at dinner, then. That is, unless you want me to stay? You know, for some company?"
Elsa finally looked up at her. "No, that's okay, Anna," she said. "You go spend some time with Kristoff. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Anna asked.
"Of course I am," said Elsa, waving her hand dismissively. "Besides, I have a lot of tedious paperwork today that you might find boring."
"Well, okay," said Anna, though she sounded a bit hesitant. "I'll see you later, then. At dinner. Yeah." She turned to go.
"Anna?" said Elsa quietly.
Anna turned back to face her sister. "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?" Anna asked, a confused look on her face.
"For checking up on me," said Elsa. "And for always being there for me. Even when I don't deserve it."
"Elsa, you always deserve it," Anna said, walking back over to her and taking her hands. "And there is no one in this world who deserves it more than you." And she wrapped her sister in a tight hug. "So," she said, breaking away. "I guess I'll see you at dinner." She started for the door, but before she got there, she turned around again. "What time is dinner, again?"
Elsa smiled and shook her head. Sometimes, Anna could be so forgetful. "Seven," she replied.
"Oh," said Anna. "Has it always been that late?"
"Well, that's when it was when we were little," said Elsa, shrugging. "At least, from what I can remember."
"Well, that's a lot more than I can remember," said Anna, before skipping the rest of the way to the door. But she was barely over the threshold when she swung back around. "Hey, could I maybe invite Kristoff to dinner? You know, to thank him again for what he did for me?"
"Of course," said Elsa, smiling. "He's more than welcome. In fact, I was thinking of offering him a room in the castle, also as a thank you for what he did."
Anna gasped. "That's a great idea!" she said. "I'll go ask him right now! I'll see you at seven!" And she was gone, racing excitedly down the hall.
Elsa chuckled and went back to work. She was still getting used to Anna's sudden mood changes and abrupt changes of subject, but at least her life from here on out would never be boring.
It was late in the evening by the time Elsa finished all her paperwork. Wanting to get it done at a somewhat reasonable hour, she had decided to eat dinner in her room, rather than down in the family's private dining room. This had left Anna to dine alone with Kristoff. When Anna had heard this, she had been a little disappointed, as she had wanted Kristoff to officially meet her, but she understood, as Elsa had been very busy the past few days. Elsa had been a little hesitant about leaving Anna downstairs alone with a man she barely knew, but she trusted her sister well enough by now that she knew that nothing would happen between them while she occupied elsewhere.
After signing and sending off the last paper, Elsa looked at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace in her study. It was shortly after nine. As she had to be up especially early the next day and because she was so tired from working all day, Elsa decided to retire early. She had a big meeting in the morning and she wanted to be well-rested for it. Elsa was not looking forward to it, as the meeting was mainly going to be a discussion on the events of the accidental winter. However, she feared that she would be spending more time worrying about the meeting than trying to sleep, so she thought it wouldn't really matter if she went to bed early or not.
But in truth, she was scared about going to bed. Ever since the thaw a few days ago, she'd been having the same recurring nightmare about the disastrous day on the fjord. She only got as far as seeing Anna's frozen body before she'd wake up, trying not to scream. But holding in her emotions never worked for her, and she always ended up freezing half her room because of it. But she always told herself that Anna was there in the castle, that she was safe, and that nothing else would happen to her. By this time, her room would be thawed and she would fall back into a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
Elsa was barely in her nightgown when Anna came bounding in to say good night. She was only half ready for bed; her hair was loose and her feet were bare but she still had on her day dress. "Hey Elsa!" she said. "Just wanted to check in on you and see if you needed anything."
"Thanks, Anna, but I think I'm okay," said Elsa, smiling at her. "And you know, you don't have to check on me every night."
"I know," said Anna, shrugging. "But I want to." She was quiet, which was a bit unusual for her.
"What is it, Anna?" Elsa asked, coming over to her.
"I don't know," said Anna quietly. "I guess the real reason I check on you is to make sure you don't leave me again."
"Anna, I'm right here," said Elsa, smiling. "I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"
"Okay," said Anna, looking up at her. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Anna," said Elsa. "So, how does Kristoff like his room?"
"Oh, he loves it!" Anna said, perking up.
"Really?" Elsa asked, sounding amused. "Did he say that?"
"Well, no," said Anna slowly. "But I could tell by the look on his face and the fact that he was speechless. Thank you again, Elsa, for letting him stay in the castle with us."
"You're welcome," said Elsa, smiling.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Anna asked yet again.
"No, Anna, I'm fine, okay?" said Elsa, still smiling.
"Okay," said Anna, looking at her bare feet. "Well, can I at least have a hug before I go to bed?"
"Of course you can," said Elsa, and Anna ran over to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Good night, Elsa," she said. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Anna," Elsa said. "Good night."
Anna broke the hug and dashed from the room, giving Elsa one last smile before disappearing around the corner. Elsa smiled as she finished getting ready for bed. She took her hair out of its braid, brushed it, and rebraided it. She got into bed and blew a gentle puff of cool air to extinguish her lamp and then settled down under the covers. But her night was once again far from peaceful.
She was on the frozen fjord, trying to run away again, battling through the blizzard that was raging all around her. Her blizzard. The one that she had created with her intense fear. Everything was white; she couldn't see or hear anything but the swirling snow and howling wind. She wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't. It was out of her control. She knew she should stay, but she couldn't. This was all her fault. She had caused this. She had to get away for everyone's safety. She didn't care what it did to her, but she wouldn't let anyone else get hurt. She had hurt one too many people as it was.
Suddenly, she saw a figure materialize out of the snow. Unable to make it out, she took a step forward, but then gasped in fright and turned away upon seeing who it was.
"Elsa!" It was Hans. He was wearing a long, heavy cloak and he had to shout to make his voice heard over the howling wind. "You can't run from this!"
But she had to. It was the only way. She turned towards him and raised her hand to try to ward him off. "Just take care of my sister!" she said.
"Your sister?" said Hans, stepping closer to her. "She returned from the mountain weak and cold. She said that you froze her heart!"
"No!" Elsa gasped, as the realization of what she had done finally sunk in.
"I tried to save her, but it was too late!" Hans continued. "Her skin was ice, her hair turned white."
There was a pause as Elsa looked at him in disbelief, and then with his next comment, her worst fear was confirmed.
"Your sister is dead!" said Hans harshly. "Because of you!"
"No!" Elsa gasped again, and she gave an anguished cry as she fell to the ice. Suddenly, all was quiet. The wind stopped howling, the snow stopped swirling, and the air cleared. In Elsa's grief, the blizzard she had created was now frozen in midair.
Elsa was so overcome by her grief that she didn't hear the sword being unsheathed and raised behind her, preparing to strike, didn't hear Anna's cry as she stepped in between her and Hans. All she heard was the crackling of ice, a resounding boom, and a puff of air. It was only then that she forced herself to look up, and what she saw was enough to make her own heart stop beating. Anna was standing in front of her, her hand outstretched, frozen into a solid ice statue.
"ANNA!"
Elsa sat bolt upright in bed. She was breathing hard and drenched in icy cold sweat. There was a thin layer of frost covering her headboard and part of the wall behind her bed and snowflakes hung suspended in midair. She had lost control again, just like that day on the fjord. She started panicking, sending more ice creeping around the room.
Suddenly, she heard running footsteps and a series of knocks on her door. "Elsa?" It was Anna. "What happened? I heard you screaming. Are you okay?" She tried opening the door, but it was frozen shut and wouldn't budge.
"Please, Anna, you shouldn't be here," said Elsa in a shaky voice, curling up into a ball against her headboard. "It's not safe. I'm not safe."
"No," said Anna. Her voice had taken on that familiar tone of stubbornness and determination. "I'm not going anywhere until you let me in and tell me what's going on. I love you too much."
Elsa started as these words. Of course, she thought. Love will thaw. Immediately, the snow dissipated and the frost receded enough that Anna was able to open the door. She looked around at Elsa, who was still curled against her frozen headboard. She went over to one side of Elsa's bed and sat down at the edge. Elsa didn't move away, which she took as a good sign.
"Elsa?" she said, tentatively reaching out a hand and touching her sister's shoulder. Elsa flinched but still didn't pull away. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Elsa took a deep, shaky breath, but didn't say anything.
"Elsa?" said Anna quietly. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Silence again, and then finally, Elsa spoke, so quietly that Anna almost couldn't hear her. "I—I had that dream again."
"What dream?" Anna asked, clearly confused.
"About those moments on the fjord," said Elsa, curling herself even tighter. "The moment that Hans was about to kill me. The moment when you…..." She trailed off, but Anna knew what she had been about to say.
"Oh, Elsa," Anna whispered, and she started stroking her hair, something Elsa used to do to her when they were little.
"It's my fault," Elsa whispered.
"What is?" Anna asked.
"Everything," Elsa answered. "The accident, the isolation, the winter, your frozen heart; all of it was my fault."
"Oh, Elsa, none of that was your fault," said Anna, still stroking her hair. "It was all an accident. You didn't have control over your powers yet, but now you do. Well, better than you used to."
"No," said Elsa, shaking her head. "It was because of me that you don't remember my magic. It was because of me that we didn't have a childhood. It was because of me that you froze to death." Elsa buried her head in her arms.
"Elsa, look at me," said Anna, but Elsa kept her face hidden. "Look at me!" said Anna, louder this time, and Elsa finally looked up. "What do you see?"
Elsa just looked at her, not sure she was understanding what Anna was asking.
"What do you see?" Anna repeated.
"I—I see a strong, confident, determined, and beautiful young woman," Elsa answered quietly.
"Exactly," said Anna, smiling at her. "And you know why I'm still this way?"
Elsa shook her head, her eyes downcast again.
"It's because of you," said Anna, her smile growing wider. "Because of you, I'm still that strong, confident, determined, and beautiful young woman. Because of you, we're no longer separated. Because of you, Arendelle's no longer frozen. Because of you, I'm still alive and well. Don't you see? All these good things happened because of you."
Elsa looked at her again. Her sister's smile was so infectious, she couldn't help smiling, too. Oh, how she loved her sister. And just like that, the rest of the ice and frost disappeared from her wall and headboard and she was able to relax, uncurling herself from her ball.
"Thank you, Anna," she whispered, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"You're welcome," said Anna, squeezing back. "Feel better?"
"Much," said Elsa, breaking away. "I'm glad you came to check on me."
"Well, I'm your sister. It's my job," said Anna, smiling again. "And besides, you're stuck with me."
They both chuckled, and then there was silence, but it was more comfortable than any other silence between them. Then Anna spoke again.
"Okay if I stay with you tonight?" she asked quietly.
Elsa smiled. "Of course it's okay," she said. "Nothing would make me happier."
At those words, Anna grinned widely and scrambled under the covers, Elsa following suit. They scooted as close together as they could get.
Anna sighed contentedly. "I've missed these little sleepovers of ours."
"Me, too," said Elsa. "You won't leave?"
"Nope," said Anna. "I'll be right here all night. I'm not going anywhere."
"Good," said Elsa, wrapping her arms tightly around her.
"Good night, Elsa," Anna said again. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Anna," said Elsa. "Good night."
And the two sisters fell asleep in each other's arms.
Whew! This ended up being a bit longer than I planned, but I think it's okay.
Another little side note: I put the nightmare in italics to separate it from the rest of the story.
Unfortunately, I don't really have any more ideas for Frozen fanfics, but I do have one for Tangled. If all goes well, I hope to have that up in the next week or so. I just wanted to get all my Frozen ideas done before I started on something else. (If you guys have any ideas, feel free to share them with me.)
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! :)