A/N: This is the last piece I completed for the "through windows" series before life smacked me about like an angry pimp. I had/have a few other pieces planned, but I am not sure if I am able to commit to them yet. Just know that if/when I write them, I will post them for your enjoyment. I'd like to thank everyone who favorited and followed me and my stories so far. I know it's not many, but it has been a sincere boost in my confidence about my writing to see that I accomplished several goals with this little experiment in story-telling.
Anyways, this is the story that "cold" gives a little more context to, and takes place a few weeks after the events of "cold" (two months after "through windows"). As always, this may have a few errors, and might have very minor touch-ups in the future.
Disclaimer: Frozen is copyrighted to Disney.
The blues. She totally had a case of the blues. It was counter intuitive; she knew she should be happy, but over the last couple of weeks, she felt increasingly distant from the woman next to her. Parked on the love-seat in her flat with the movie playing on her TV as the only source of light, Anna had been staring at Elsa for the last half hour. At the beginning of the flick, she tried to remain focused on the film, but soon found her thoughts drifting back to the source of her discomfort. This led to her watching the blonde with a sense of longing.
Things were going well, in general. From the first time Elsa had appeared outside of her store, she realized that the blonde was in unfamiliar territory. That was fine. She could take it slow. It was why she hadn't actively pursued the woman from the very start. The redhead had a good sense for people and she figured that Elsa would return if and when she was ready- which she had.
Two months though. Two months, and Elsa had only touched her a handful of times. There was the time she crashed her bike. That had been, by far, the most intimate of their physical contact. Other than that, such things had been limited to brushes, bumps, and catching Anna by the elbow once or twice when she tripped over her own two feet. Being with Elsa was fun, but she found herself wanting more, even if it was just a little bit.
Her eyes drifted down to the pale, slender hand rested on the cushion in the small space between them. Anna knew it was ridiculous. There was no such thing as a "friend zone", but recently, she found herself sympathizing with the sentiment. Elsa wouldn't even hold her freaking hand!
"Am I really that immature? I'm not fifteen."
Anna knew Elsa liked her. After their first month of meetings, she even began referring to their dates as "dates", rather than "hanging out". She blushed and stuttered just as she had before- some days she absolutely pestered Anna by texting her relentlessly (though, Anna could admit she didn't mind in the least). Still, she couldn't stop the irrational frenzy of thoughts building up in her head.
After their last date the week previous, it had become too much to wonder what to do on her own. Her solution was to pay a visit to "Hans On" on Elsas day off, and see if maybe her co-workers (as they were the only people Elsa talked about) might know how to approach the subject with the blonde.
"Well, first of all," Hans had said, lifting a hand to scratch at his sideburns, "Elsa has never really been an affectionate person."
That statement prompted Anna to make a mental note that Hans must have known the blonde for some time to speak about her so frankly.
"Second of all, the chick has never even had a crush before, as far as I know. She isn't exactly a social butterfly, so you can imagine how foreign the rules and boundaries of dating are to her."
"So, you're saying she doesn't know that she's allowed to hold my hand?"
"Could be. Or she's too nervous to try, worried that she'll mess things up somehow."
The redhead raised a brow and crossed her arms over her chest, tone incredulous, "Worried that she'll mess up holding hands?"
Hans frowned, looking equally disbelieving. A beat of silence. The air around them grew tense. "No. That if things change somehow, it will also change the fact that she's actually happy for once."
Anna hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the man before her. He played a fool, but he obviously knew things about Elsa that she didn't.
"Why?"
The man shook his head, neatly trimmed, red hair tussling, "Nope. Not answering that. Sorry, lady, but that's her bag, not mine."
"So, then, what do I do?" She wanted to press him on the matter, growing frustrated with his vintage act and smart guy attitude, but decided that might push him to decline giving her advice at all.
"Tell her what you want," his voice was just plain rude now, like the answer was obvious.
"This is Elsa's boss? This guy is a jerk."
Instead of getting snide, she simply responded, "Thanks. I'll think about it."
After a couple of days, she finally reasoned that even if she didn't particularly like Hans, he seemed to be aware of the best course of action. Her damned pride was in the way though.
Instead of saying something, she compromised by trying to initiate contact. Setting her hand on the couch cushion next to Elsas, she grazed the side of her palm against the blondes, then turned her gaze forward to the movie. When no reaction was forthcoming, she tried again. Still, nothing.
"Okay, it's cool. Just wait a little bit."
She held it together for twenty minutes before her countenance fell and she set her eyes on the floor. By the time the movie was drawing to a close, however, she managed to warp her melancholy into being pissed off. A tiny part of her subconscious told her not to act like a hormonal teenager, but she couldn't help it anymore.
"Doesn't she like me? What the fuck? Who dates someone for two months and doesn't even want to hold hands!?"
Anna was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the movie ending, or Elsa stretching tiredly and turning to face her. "Well, did you-" the words fell short in the womans throat. Anna was pouting miserably next to her, brow furrowed, frowning with her lower lip poking out a little. The blonde cleared her throat, "Um, are you okay?"
The redhead sighed with a resigned breath, "I'm fine. It's late. You better go."
The words were clipped and sharp, and the girl missed the hurt look on Elsas face as she hesitated before answering quietly, "Okay. Walk me to the door?"
With little patience and no words to spare, Anna stood up and walked stiffly from the couch, down the stairs. When Elsa caught up to her, she unlocked the entrance to "Thrifty Things" and flung open the door, motioning curtly to wave her outside.
Elsa almost obeyed, but right before she stepped forward, she caught the brief flash of misery in the redheads aqua eyes. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to stand her ground, "Anna, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!"
The blonde called bullshit on that. She had noticed Anna acting strangely the last couple of times they were together, and tonight she'd been utterly dissonant. "Please, just tell me," Elsa was surprised by how calmly her words came out.
Anna paused. For being so prideful, she realized, she sure was insecure. It was written all over her face; she knew it. Before she could stop herself, the redhead turned her gaze to the timber flooring and whimpered pitifully, "Don't you like me, Elsa?" When she glanced back up at the blonde with misty oculars, her fears tore at her more deeply.
Elsa looked miffed. "Like you? Why would you even ask that?" her tone hit the redhead like a brick wall.
The younger woman was starting to panic, "Y-you, you just, won't even hold my hand." Her voice came out a bit hoarse as her throat tightened, her face beginning to burn. Her wounded pride fed into her insecurity and back again in a positive feedback loop until the dam burst and she hiccuped, line of sight falling to the floor again. Heavy tears streaked down her cheeks and she reached up to press the heels of her palms against her eyes, "Why don't you hold me? Why don't you-"
Anna hadn't realized that Elsa had closed the space between them. The taller woman could see that the redhead was hurting. She had to do something. She just hoped like Hell that what she did was the right thing. It was a lucky coincidence that she was too angry to pause over her usual worries.
All at once, the redheads mind screeched to a halt. She was vaguely aware that Elsa was holding each side of her jaw quite firmly, and that her hands had taken hold of the blondes shoulders. That wasn't important. Nothing was really important, because, "holy shit!", Elsa was kissing her. It was short, but Anna still felt her legs tremble through the fog that now clouded her mind.
Elsa pulled back after a moment, pissed expression lingering. "Like you, Anna!?" her voice was still annoyed, but hushed, oceanic eyes burning down at her, "I'm fucking crazy about you!" Her thumbs gently swept across her cheeks to brush away the remnants of the redheads tears.
Something about the angry flush standing out against the taller womans pale skin, and the timbre of her voice made Anna feel all the more weak in the knees. Was swooning actually a thing? Could that happen?
Evidently, yes. She had to grip Elsa tighter to remain standing, and the blonde lowered her arms to wrap them around Annas waist, squeezing securely.
Words were fleeting. Inadequate. Also, really hard to grasp in the current moment. Anna settled for muttering, "mm'kay" under her breath before leaning up to return the blondes proclamation. Elsa kissed her back.
"What do you know? Jerkface McSideburns was right."