Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. All proper nouns are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Anna sighed, furrowing her brows as she turned to the next page. Due to a misunderstanding, she was on the afternoon shift at the restaurant today rather than her usual morning shift, which left her with a couple hours to kill and absolutely nothing to do. While driving back to her off campus apartment was an option, she felt silly wasting the gas when there was a strip mall right around the corner that could occupy her time.
Her first stop was the bookstore, not because she was a fan of reading- she was totally a movie and theatre junkie, though, that she wouldn't deny- but because there was an impressive crowd in front, waiting for it to open. Apparently, a new shipment of a popular book arrived and everyone who hadn't snagged a copy during the midnight release was eager to get one. Anna had followed the crowd as they surged through the store once it opened, picking up a copy herself and settling into a nearby chair to look it over as people came and went.
She closed the book and stared at the cover a moment, tracing a finger along the twining snakes wrapped around one of the letters. After reading partway through the first chapter, she couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on or who was who or... anything, really, and the thing was easily three times the size of even the largest bible she'd ever seen.
Maybe she just wasn't a book person.
A frustrated groan and sigh prompted Anna to look up. Standing in front of it and staring severely at the empty shelves was a blonde woman around her age wearing bluejeans with rips at the knees and a worn jean jacket, a small frown on her lips. Her arms were crossed over her chest, braided hair hanging over her shoulder as she walked to and fro, inspecting nearby shelves for any sign of the book.
Anna got up from the chair and smiled instinctively, slipping into her waitress persona. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but are you looking for something specific?"
She had spent way too many years working in customer service.
The blonde sighed, nodding absently as she continued perusing the shelves. "The newest Complacency of the Learned book. I had planned on arriving before the store opened but- due to circumstances beyond my control- it seems I've missed my chance. Again." Her voice carried a hint of annoyance but that wasn't what got Anna's attention; the woman had a remarkable and subtle accent, something European if the redhead had to guess. She scratched at the side of her nose in irritation before turning to look at Anna fully. "Do you happen to know when you'll receive your next shipment?"
Anna laughed, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sorry but I don't work here."
"You don't?" The woman blinked a moment before recovering. "I apologize, I just thought- nevermind. I'm sorry, it was my mistake." The woman offered her a slight smile, that fell a little as incredibly blue eyes fell on the massive tome in Anna's hands. "Ah, I see you managed to secure your own copy."
"Oh, this?" Anna lifted the book, then held it out. "Here."
"But..." The woman hesitated, obviously torn between accepting the book and politely refusing.
"Really, it's okay. I was in here wasting time before work and started reading it but, honestly, I have no clue what's going on! I'm not really a book person, I guess." Anna's smile widened. "So, since I'm not going to buy it, I might as well give it to a beautiful woman such as yourself."
The redhead's eyes widened slightly the moment the words escaped her mouth though her smile remained in place. While she quietly thanked her years dealing with likely insane customers for her nigh unflappable polite waitress face, she mentally berated herself for such blatant flirting. She used to be that little girl that dreamed of true love but, well, Anna had learned not too long ago that a real romance probably wasn't in her future. Until then, she was pretty notorious for her flirting.
Some habits were hard to break.
For her part, the blonde took the compliment well, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she smiled wider and accepted the book. Anna had to bit down on her lip to prevent giggling from the very controlled way the other woman clutched it to her chest protectively.
"Thank you." The blonde paused, then extended one hand. "I'm Elsa."
"Anna," she replied, shaking Elsa's hand lightly. "It's a-a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Elsa said in a soft tone that brought a little heat to Anna's cheeks. "You said you have work soon?"
"Well, not soon soon." Anna absently fiddled with her tie, suddenly wishing she was wearing something less constricting than her work outfit. The black slacks were fine but the crisp white button up suddenly felt far too hot for her liking and her tie felt like it was wrapped much too tight around her throat. "I showed up for the morning shift, which starts at ten, but it turns out I work the afternoon shift today, which doesn't start until three, and that was way more than you asked for, but, uh... yeah, I, ya know, have a couple of hours to kill. So to speak."
The unflappable, polite waitress mask- that part she nearly had perfected. The non-rambling, short, polite reply part? She was still working on that, so, of course, she defaulted to rambling.
At least Elsa wasn't backing away slowly, instead offering Anna a slight smirk. "Well, since you quite literally made my day, perhaps I could thank you properly?" Anna raised a brow, prompting Elsa continued. "I know there's a coffee shop nearby. Maybe I could buy you a cup?"
Anna smiled wide, beating down the immediate impulse to giggle like a school girl. "Absolutely! I mean, I don't really drink coffee-"
"Neither do I but they have some wonderful hot chocolate."
The redhead's eyes lit up. Very few things in the world could rival her love for chocolate. "Say no more and lead the way!"
Anna held her cup up to her lips. It was her third refill- Elsa wasn't kidding; how Anna had gone two months working around the corner from this place without knowing about it was beyond the redhead- and it was empty, so the only use the cup had was to hide the smile threatening to split her face in half. The redhead really didn't want to make any sudden movements or give any hint that she might be thoroughly amused at the moment.
After making small talk about Anna's job while Elsa paid for the book, the redhead tried to learn a bit more about her companion on the walk over to the coffee shop. Elsa had a job downtown, took online college courses, and loved reading. By the time they reached their destination, Anna had the strong suspicion that the blonde was very reserved and wasn't in the habit of talking about herself to strangers... but could be persuaded to ramble on and on about her particular interests with just the right amount of prodding.
So, of course, Anna did the logical thing: she asked what was so special about the book that put them in this wonderful situation.
That was over thirty minutes ago.
There were brief pauses, moments when Elsa would finish explaining something and begin to realize how much she'd been talking, how she'd been moving her hands with her words, when the barest hints of a flush started to rise in her cheeks. The redhead was keeping an eye out for them so she could ask another question to fire Elsa off again down a different tangent.
Because while Elsa was talking, it was like watching the sunrise- intense, beautiful, breathtaking. The way her eyes shimmered like a lake in summer, the way her voice pitched higher on certain words or lower for certain characters, the way Elsa's world seemed to collapse into the space between them, like Anna was the only other person in existence. On the last two times the waiter had visited their table to take their cups- and bring refills for Anna- Elsa hadn't even paid the young man any mind, though he was clearly interested in the blonde.
And who wouldn't be? The woman sitting across from her was beautifully animated as she spoke, obviously passionate about her interests, just alive and amazing.
There was no quantifying nor describing how absolutely endearing it was to the redhead. At this point, she could miss work entirely and have no regrets, if it meant sitting in this cafe and continuing this moment.
Elsa's speech was slowing, winding down as she finished explaining the story's setting and the major plot points of the first two books that would hopefully find resolution in the third installment, and Anna already had her next question poised. As the blonde took a sip of her chocolate- given by the slight furrow in her brows, Anna guessed it had grown cold while she was talking- the redhead allowed her a moment to recover before launching her calculated strike.
"So, aside from Complacency of the Learned, are there any other books or series you'd recommend?"
Elsa raised a brow. "I thought you said you weren't a book person?"
"I'm not, but I'm definitely interested in hearing your opinion." Anna shrugged, leaning forward slightly. "I like listening to you."
"I see." The blonde smiled, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear and excusing herself. Anna watched her approach the front counter and tried to quickly evaluate things. From where she sat, everything was going great; as far she could tell, Elsa was responsive to Anna's flirtatious comments and maybe even a little flattered by them. However, aside from the invitation to the coffee shop, the blonde hadn't made any moves of her own. Partially because Anna kept her focused on talking about books but- the redhead had to admit- it could also partially be because Elsa just wasn't interested.
That was fine, really. Anna wasn't really cut out for relationships. Still, it was nice to-
"Have you ever heard of Scheherazade?" Elsa reclaimed her seat, a smirk on her lips as she waited for Anna to answer.
The redhead's gaze flicked up to the ceiling momentarily. It sounded familiar, almost like a lyric to a song- "Scheherazade had a thousand tales. That's literally all I know."
"Well, you're right. In the story One Thousand And One Nights- also known as Arabian Nights in English- she's one of the framework characters." Anna sat forward, listening intently to Elsa's explanation. "The story opens with a Sultan whose first wife was unfaithful. He had her beheaded and vowed to never fall victim to a cheating wife again. From then on, he would marry a virgin each day, and kill her the following day when he took his next bride."
"Whoa! That's a little extreme." Anna shook her head slightly but motioned for Elsa to continue.
"After a thousand brides, he was introduced to Scheherazade, the daughter of the vizier. She was beautiful, well-read and intelligent. Against her father's wishes, she volunteered to be the Sultan's next bride. That night, she asked the Sultan if she could see her sister one last time- which he allowed- and her sister asked for a bedtime story. This was all part of Scheherazade's plan and she launched into an epic tale that caught the Sultan's interest."
The redhead grinned, unsure where Elsa was going with this but completely invested nonetheless. When the blonde didn't immediately continue, Anna prompted her. "Well? What happened next?"
"She stopped in the middle," Elsa replied, sliding out of her seat and collecting her book. "You should probably go to work. I wouldn't want you to be late."
Anna furrowed her brows and pulled back her sleeve, checking her watch. Sure enough, it was edging towards the start of her shift, which brought a frown to her lips. She needed to-
The bell attached to the coffee shop door chimed gently, pulling Anna's attention away from her watch. Much to her disappointment, Elsa was already gone, and a glance through the window confirmed the blonde was already striding towards the parking lot in front of the book store. Sitting back heavily in her seat, Anna was about to sink into a cycle of sadness and frustration when she noticed a slip of paper on the table in front of her, next to her empty cup. She picked it up, not at all surprised by the elegant cursive written on it.
If you want to hear the rest of the story, call me.
Okay, she had to admit that was pretty smooth.
Anna looked out of the window, catching Elsa hesitating while looking back at the coffee shop. She wasn't sure if the blonde could see her but she beamed anyway, pulling out her phone and programming the number into her contacts. When she checked again, Elsa was gone and she couldn't wait until they could see each other again.
No, no, she needed to exercise some restraint. It was Saturday; she'd wait until Monday to call Elsa and inquire about her plans for the week- no, the weekend, see if they could meet for dinner or something. She wanted to savor what she could of the innocent, get-to-know-you phase, since there was virtually no chance a relationship would develop beyond that. They'd probably end up being friends but... it was nice to pretend there could be more.
Tucking the note into her pocket, Anna left the coffee shop and went to work, determined to keep herself distracted until it was appropriate to contact the blonde. In fact, she would text Kristoff and ask him to help her brainstorm something original for a date, not just the standard dinner and a movie fare. He might be a bit of a lunkhead, but he was her best friend and had quite a bit more dating experience than she did. Surely he had one good idea rattling around in that thick skull of his.
Between planning a good date and work, she would have no trouble waiting until Monday. Absolutely none. Nope.
Anna caved an hour later and sent a text to Elsa.
She was nearly fired that night for spending more time giggling at her phone than attending to her customers.
Kristoff was completely torn and Anna didn't blame him, though it did irk her that his big brother instinct decided to kick in at the least convenient of times. Sure, he was happy that she appeared to hit it off with this mysterious blonde bombshell, but-
"Are you going to tell her?" He pretended to be focused rather intently on the plate he was drying, still polishing the plastic long after it should've been set aside. Anna was a bit of a klutz, sometimes, and Kristoff made the executive decision as her roommate to keep their dishes as far from breakable as possible. Sharing the tiny, off campus apartment had enough headaches without adding sharp shards of glass or ceramic underfoot to the list.
The redhead sighed through her nose, scrubbing at some caked on macaroni and cheese from the week before. "We just met, Kris."
The blond grunted in acknowledgement of her reply, clearly waiting for her to give him a 'real' answer.
Finally finished with the bowl, she passed it to him and reached for the remaining plate. The upside to eating a lot of take-out and cold pizza meant they didn't have too much to clean up at the end of the week, but what she wouldn't do for a stupid dishwashing machine. "No, I'm not going to tell her."
"Anna-" Kristoff started and the redhead pressed forward, taking her turn at focusing a bit too much on the task at hand.
"It won't be like with Hans, Kris. I just... I like her, she's pretty and funny, and I want to spend time with her. If things start heading in that direction..." She shook her head and shrugged, doing her best to feign nonchalance. "I'll break it off. Pull the 'let's just be friends' card."
"Don't you think that's leading her on?" The blond set the bowl aside and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy, Feisty Pants, but you shouldn't hurt someone else in the process. Your heart's too soft for that. You'd feel guilty about it for the rest of your life."
"You're right." Anna sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I don't know what to do."
"Try explaining things to her. Not everything!" He held up one hand in surrender at the look she shot him. "Just, like, I dunno, tell her you really like her, and you want to get to know her, but you're not looking for anything of an... intimate nature."
"Way to sound natural there, Kris." Anna rolled her eyes but chuckled, slightly amused by his word choice. "I guess that would be the fair thing to do. And maybe I'm reading this all wrong. She might just want to be friends."
"I doubt that," he replied, going back to drying the last of their dishes.
The redhead raised a brow. "Why? You've never even met her!"
"You said she started telling you about Scheherazade, right?" He glanced at her and frowned. "Don't give me that look; I do actually read from time-to-time."
Anna laughed. "I'm just surprised you've heard of this story and I haven't."
"Seriously? You don't know anything about it? You didn't at least Google it after she left?"
She shook her head, washing and drying her hands now that the dishes were done. "Nope. I really like listening to her talk. Why would I spoil the ending?"
Kristoff smiled, nodding slowly. "Alright. Well, just keep this in mind; if she's the storyteller Scheherazade, you're probably the Sultan."
Anna rocked on the balls of her feet, hands jammed into her pockets as she tried to hold herself together. Dates were always a source of mixed emotions for her, equal parts nervousness and excitement coursing through her system, making her a fidgety mess. There was also a little apprehension mixed in now, given how her last few attempts at dating had gone, but she was trying to remain positive. Elsa seemed genuinely happy to hear from her, even if it was sooner than 'socially acceptable' or whatever. They'd chatted several times through out the week- or rather, the past four days, seeing as it was Wednesday night- over the phone and through text, with Anna talking about school and work while the blonde briefly mentioned her own coursework.
It was strange but, whenever Anna tried inquiring further into Elsa's life, the response would always contain some little, vague detail and the topic would change almost immediately. It wasn't exactly a problem- the redhead had dealt with her fair share of introverts and people whose trust was hard to win to understand taking things slow; Kristoff was a prime example- and it made every little detail she did uncover all the more precious. Like how Elsa was a single child with a strained relationship with her mother but was still very close with her father, even if they had their disagreements, and they lived back in Norway, where she was born.
But it did make the mystery that was Elsa all the more enticing to solve.
Checking her watch for the time, Anna tried to calm herself down. It was still a quarter to seven and she'd shown up ridiculously early. Still, she swept her gaze around the parking lot, standing just outside of her favorite Italian restaurant in a nice pair of dress slacks and a form fitting blouse, her hair down and lightly stirred by the breeze. She'd already gone inside and ensured the table would be ready for their reservation, though that was really a forgone conclusion; she had a pretty good friendship going with the owner and it was a fairly slow night.
Anna looked up as a rusty, rumbling beast of a truck pulled into the parking lot, the vehicle looking more than a few decades old given the outdated body shape. Sven could probably recite the specifications just by glancing at it but, truthfully, the truck wasn't her concern; its driver was. No doubt about it, that was definitely Elsa sitting in the driver's seat.
Crap.
No, she could do this. Just... play things cool.
A wide smile broke out across across Anna's face as her nerves and excitement spiked, her feet unconsciously carrying her towards the truck rather than remaining by the entrance. For everything that could go horribly wrong, there was nothing that could effectively smother the redhead's optimism, and she was eager to see where this could go.
As Elsa rounded the bed of the truck, her eyes fell on Anna and she smiled. The smile faltered though as her eyes traveled up and down the redhead. "Oh... dear, now I feel horribly under dressed."
Anna furrowed her brows as the blonde emerged from behind her truck. She was wearing the same jean jacket from their first meeting and a different pair of jeans, faded from repeated washing and showing wear in some places. The black shirt peeking out form under the jacket was also faded, a small tear in the collar, though whatever remained of the design on her chest was quickly obscured as Elsa closed her jacket and wrapped her arms around her stomach, averting her eyes.
"I think you look pretty fabulous," Anna said, reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear. Catching the skepticism in Elsa's eyes, the redhead stepped closer. "Seriously, you pull off the whole nineties' grunge style really well. Besides-" she turned, gently placing her hand on Elsa's lower back and guiding her towards the restaurant "-I'm more interested in your storytelling than your fashion sense."
Elsa chuckled, shrugging slightly as they drew closer to the entrance. "Thank you, Anna. You look amazing, by the way."
"I don't have awesome storytelling skills; I have to compensate," the redhead replied, earning a laugh from her companion. They entered the restaurant and were shown to their table, Elsa glancing around and taking in the atmosphere. Tony's was the best place in town for affordable, authentic Italian food, and the interior was decorated to match; the main seating area was extremely conducive to large groups and was always buzzing with animated chatter, but the two were escorted to the additional seating area, which was much more subdued and better suited for... smaller parties.
It took a little brainstorming with Kristoff to find a place that wouldn't be too loud; their list of favorite hot spots around town tended towards the animated side. Though she really wanted to do something special, her friend had warned her to keep things casual a while longer, at least until she could talk to Elsa and identify the boundaries of their relationship.
If they even had one.
"So..." Anna started, setting her menu down as soon as the waiter stepped away, having memorized her order. "If I remember correctly, someone owes me the second half of a story." Elsa nodded absently, eyes skimming the menu, but visibly started and jerked her head up when the words registered, curiosity written across her face. Anna beat her to it. "No, I didn't go and spoil the ending. I want to hear it from you." She paused for a beat. "But no pressure."
"No pressure, right." The blonde grinned, straightening her posture. "Well, when the sun came up, Scheherazade told the Sultan she would finish the tale that night and he delayed her execution. But, her sister- who, of course, wanted to hear the rest of tale as much as the Sultan- was there again for the conclusion of the previous night's story and asked for another." Elsa paused as the waiter returned, both of them placing their orders for food and drinks. Anna stuck with a soda while Elsa ordered a glass of wine to compliment her pasta. "Scheherazade began a new tale that was more epic than the first and again she captured the Sultan's attention. She continued the story until daybreak, when she had to stop, again, before the tale's conclusion."
Anna sat up a little straighter, eyeing Elsa suspiciously.
The other woman raised a brow. "What?"
"You aren't about to disappear on me again, are you?"
Elsa smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm a very poor magician." She tilted her head slightly. "I don't think I could, even if I tried."
The redhead relaxed, leaning forward in her seat and resting her chin in the palm of one hand. "Good. Now, continue, please."
"Well, as I'm sure you can guess, the Sultan wanted to hear the end of the second tale too, so he once again delayed Scheherazade's execution." Elsa leaned back "She kept this up- starting a story and stopping as the sun rose- until she'd recited every story she knew: one thousand tales over one thousand and one nights."
As the waiter brought their drinks, the redhead waited anxiously for the next part of the story while Elsa sipped her wine.
Finally, Anna couldn't take it anymore. "Well? What happened next?"
"I suspected patience wasn't one of your strong points," Elsa replied, cracking a smirk as Anna rolled her eyes playfully. "Anyway, through the days and nights, after hearing all of her stories, the Sultan had fallen in love with Scheherazade. Rather than have her beheaded, he made her his Queen."
Anna's smile went wide for a moment before she remembered Kristoff's comment the other night. Her cheeks flushed almost instantly.
Nice subtlty there, Kris. Greatly appreciated.
"Anna? Are you alright?" Elsa furrowed her brows in concern.
The redhead barely registered it, until cool fingertips brushed the back of her hand. "S-sorry about that." The blonde remained worried until Anna sighed, offering a small grin. "Just something my friend said. It's nothing to worry about."
Elsa sat back in her chair, suddenly looking very unsure of herself.
"Remember I told you about my roommate, Kristoff?" Anna waited- hoping- for recognition to spark in those bright blue eyes of hers. When it did, the redhead smiled a bit wider. "I told him about you- okay, let's be honest, I absolutely gushed about you- but I told him about the whole Scheherazade thing. He already knew the story so he said, if you're Scheherazade, then I'm the Sultan. And now... well, I get it, and that just hit me like a ton of bricks, so, ya know, higher brain function went out the window for a moment there because just wow and-" Anna winced. "Sorry, I'm rambling again. I let myself get carried away and I'm sorry-"
And now Elsa was laughing at her. She was doing her best to hide it behind her hand but Anna could still see the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders.
The redhead sat back heavily in her chair, burying her face in her hands. Yep, this was where most dates tended to completely derail- with her rambling over something silly- so no surprise there. Thankfully, the waiter brought their food then, setting a piping hot plate of chicken tetrazzini in front of Elsa and a plate of lasange bolognese in front of Anna.
Not that she was particularly hungry anymore but the promise of a distraction was welcomed nonetheless.
"Anna." Anna lifted her gaze until she met Elsa's bright, blue eyes, a softer smile on the blonde's face. "It wasn't my intention to upset you with the story. It was just... well, I thought it would be a clever way to convey... my interest." It was Elsa's turn to blush, a light tint coming to her cheeks as she continued. Her eyes darted away periodically but the blonde did her best to maintain eye contact, her smile growing slightly smaller as she continued. "I understand if you're surprised because I wasn't clear but I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I really like you and we can just be friends, i-if you want."
Oh crap, Anna recognized that tone of voice- that was the 'I wouldn't have hit on you if I knew you were straight' tone.
"No!" She cringed, having practically shouted the word in Elsa's face. She quickly continued, albeit at a more conversational volume. "I mean- no, I'm not upset about the story, not at all..." Anna sighed, sporting a lopsided grin. "Okay, I've definitely been hanging out with Kristoff too long, because the only words I can seem to find are really blunt, so please excuse my lack of finesse."
"That may be for the best; it seems we're just not very good at playing coy." Elsa pointed out, nodding for Anna to continue.
"I am interested in you, Elsa. Very interested, actually, and I'd really like to... see how things develop between us." She paused, spreading her hands in a somewhat useless gesture. "But I wasn't sure if I was just imagining things or if you really were interested in me, so realizing that just temporarily overwhelmed me. And I've never taken being laughed at very well-"
"Anna, I wasn't laughing at you." The blonde tentatively reaching out, resting her hand atop the redhead's. "I was laughing at your friend's implication. I think the second date is a bit early to be talking about marriage, wouldn't you say?"
Anna laughed, nodding. "I guess you have a point there. I do have a tendency to be ahead of the curve though."
"Well, I'm going to respectfully ask for you to slow down. I'm not sure if I'm ready for a commitment like that quite yet." Elsa picked up her utensils, their food having cooled to a more comfortable eating temperature. "The food smells amazing."
Across from her, the redhead regained control of herself and started cutting into her own plate. "Tony's is the best Italian you'll ever have, I swear."
It was a little strange, getting past the awkward, panic induced rambling stage of a date without the awkwardness sticking around, but definitely something she could get used to, if she could ever manage to repeat it. All thoughts of the rough patch in the date melted away, though, as Anna tasted her delicious dish of choice; it wasn't chocolate, but food was always one of those great comforts for her.
"What's your favorite movie?" Anna jerked her head up, surprised by the suddenness of the question. Elsa looked a little surprised herself, blushing a little as she continued. "I've really monopolized the conversation both times and I'd like the opportunity to listen to you. It's only fair I get a chance to indulge."
"I think I can do that," Anna replied as the gears in her head kicked into overdrive. Without really thinking anything through, she started rolling with whatever came to mind. "I don't really have a strict favorite, really, but I have ones I enjoy above others in specific genres. Like, I adore musicals, and it's really hard to pick just one above all the others because each one has its own tone, its own style, and that makes each one so unique, but I've always had a soft spot for the one's with a significant amount of effort put in, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, for instance..."
About twenty minutes later, it occurred to her that her plate was half empty... and she hadn't really paused long enough to have eaten that much politely.
Which meant she'd probably fallen back into her really old and really bad habit of talking with her mouth full again.
Actually, her mouth was full at that moment, now that she was allowing for her mind to process such things. Swallowing hard, she offered Elsa a tentative smile. "Uh... s-sorry about that. My mom used to get onto me all the time about talking with my mouth full but, uh, I kinda... forget... sometimes. You think I'm some weird barbarian with poor manners now, huh?"
The blonde's composure broke, her hand flying to stifle any laughter before it could escape. "A very adorable barbarian." Anna rolled her eyes and Elsa chuckled, unable to contain it. "I'm actually a little impressed. I don't think I've seen anyone hold a conversation and ingest their meal with such... skill."
"You're making fun of me."
"I'm teasing you. There's a difference." Anna smiled sincerely, finding herself unable to feel either embarrassment or indignation as Elsa continued to chuckle quietly. "Now, I see what you mean though. It's nice to watch someone speak passionately about something they love. I can't remember the last time I've gotten to do that." Elsa shrugged. "So, I'm guessing musicals are your favorite genre?"
Anna laughed. "I'd say I'm extremely fond of them. I think it's a holdover from high school- I was a bit of a theatre nerd and I was in choir too, so I pretty much got a part in every musical we did." She bit her lip, mulling things over briefly before continuing, readying a forkful of lasange to buy her some time. "Honestly, my favorite genre is romantic comedies."
The blonde raised a brow. "I never would've guessed."
They continued eating and talking, the conversation bouncing from topic to topic as their plates were cleared away. Tony sent out a plate of special chocolate filled cannoli- on the house, he assured them- and Elsa switched from wine to water as they kept talking until closing time.
"Put that away!" Anna warned as Elsa began pulling a thin wallet from her jacket pocket. "You paid for the hot chocolate. It's my turn."
Elsa frowned. "Hot chocolate hardly equates to a meal."
"Well, too late!" The redhead scooped up the tab, pairing it with some cash from her wallet and slipping it to the waiter before Elsa could protest further.
"I could've at least paid my half." The blonde mumbled as they stood and started for the entrance.
She wasn't quite tall enough to wrap her arm around Elsa's shoulder's comfortably and it was only the second date, so too early to go for the waist. Instead, she looped her arm through the blonde's as they walked. "Tony's was my suggestion, so it was only fair that I pay."
"I wouldn't have ordered wine if I knew you were going to cover the bill, though."
"If it's that big a deal, you can pick where we go next." Anna tried her best to remain casual as they stepped out into the night air. She thought things were going well- really well- but there was still a bit of nervousness in her voice. She guided them towards Elsa's truck, waiting for the blonde's response.
Elsa pressed closer to her a moment, ducking her head a little to nearly whisper in the redhead's ear. "Expecting a third date, huh?"
"W-well, you've managed to stick around this long without running for the hills. I figure you're a keeper." Anna laughed, bracing herself for the rejection she supposed-
"Then, I would suggest for our next date, we go to the movies. I'll cover the tickets and we'll buy our own snacks." The blonde stopped by her truck's driver's side door and turned towards her. "After that, we're even, and we can start doing fifty-fifty."
"Or whoever grabs the check first." That got a laugh from Elsa.
"We'll see." She opened the truck door but didn't get in, turning towards Anna against and stepping closer. The redhead had only a few moments to process before Elsa's lips were on hers. Her eyes slid closed as she started to lean into it, but the contact was too brief. As suddenly as she leaned in, Elsa pulled away and hopped into her vehicle, throwing Anna a smirk. "I'll call you about the movie, okay?"
For her part, the redhead just stared for a moment before her brain kicked back into gear. "S-sure! Sounds great! Have a great night, Elsa."
"I already did." The blonde winked, then pulled her door closed.
Anna waved and waited until the truck rumbled out of the parking lot before hopping from one foot to the other, unable to contain her excitement.
Anna waited a few moments before gently prodding again. "I'm just asking, Kris. Ya know... as a precaution."
Then the dam burst and the blond laughed. Not just a chuckle or a guffaw, no, this was a complete, arms over stomach, rolling, heaving, full bellied laugh.
"Yes, thank you, my self-esteem is taking this great by the way." The redhead rolled her eyes and continued folding her laundry.
"A-a-anna, I, gimme a sec." He continued laughing, plopping down on the couch until he managed to recover. "Ah, anyway, Feisty Pants, I'm not laughing because I think it's just a precaution; I'm laughing because I can't fucking believe it's taken you this long!"
Rather than dignify that with a response, Anna stuck her tongue out at him.
But, of course, he wasn't about to just let it go. "Come on! You two have been going out on dates for, like, a month and a half? I'm surprised you haven't brought her back to the apartment yet! I mean, I know you're taking this slow-"
At her glare, he cut short, holding up his hands in surrender. "I just think we could both benefit from a night in, that's all, and I could stand to brush up on my cooking skills."
"Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with her possibly being homeless?"
Anna paused momentarily in her folding. It wasn't something she'd confirmed but... it was something she'd considered. Elsa always wore her jean jacket but the rest of her clothes- three pairs of jeans and maybe five shirts, by her count- were also generally well worn, with rips and holes in various places. It wasn't necessarily bad- she wasn't kidding on their second date; Elsa really did pull the look off- but it did make the redhead wonder. When she tried inquiring about where Elsa lived, she was shut down quickly and the conversation was effectively rerouted. Anna left the subject alone, much like many others.
Even after nearly two months of dating, Elsa was something of a mystery. The important parts- well, what was important to Anna- weren't secret: they talked about their interests, their beliefs, their likes and dislikes; their passions; the essentials of who they were. But there were a lot of blanks and curiosity burned in the back of Anna's mind. Like, what her parents did, where she lived, who her friends were, what filled her hours when she wasn't with Anna.
Aside from 'school' and 'work', which was as specific as the blonde ever got.
But, it was a little hypocritical of her to make a big deal about Elsa avoiding her questions when the redhead had secrets of her own.
"Maybe I just want to be able to curl up with her on the couch like a lovesick teenager and beg her to be my girlfriend." Anna paused. "If, uh, if that's something she'd be interested in, of course."
"Okay, mopey Anna needs to take a long walk off a short cliff." Kristoff got off the couch and walked around until he was standing in front of the redhead. "Seriously; you like her. You more than like her. And it sounds like she feels the same. Maybe you should, ya know, tell her."
"But it's going so well!" She whined, pouting as he threw his hands in the air. "If I say anything, she'll-"
"What? Take the heck off? Maybe, but should you really keep putting off that heartache? And what if she doesn't?" He growled, running both hands through his hair. "Have you even considered that she might, like, be totally okay with-"
"Can I invite her over on Thursday or not, Kris?" The upside to trying to get information out of Elsa: she could easily copy the blonde's tactics for ending a particular thread of conversation.
Sighing, her friend made to leave the room. "Yes, Anna, you can. Invite her over whenever and I'll make myself scarce. But mark my words; if you don't tell her soon, I might feel obligated to for you!"
Anna rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the news. They were running some story about the CEO of IKEA intending to pass the company on to his daughter but the visuals that went with the voice-over showcased the stock. Just thinking about IKEA gave Anna a craving for meatballs but the sudden urge to buy a new desk or something. Not so much she needed one but because she enjoyed figuring out how to put the furniture together.
"Kris! Do you need a new desk or a chair or anything?" She shouted towards his room.
His answering shout was immediate. "What did we say about watching IKEA commercials?"
"But it's on the news!"
She actually laughed as he stormed into the room and changed the channel to some made-for-TV movie, grumbling to himself about tiny spaces and cheap furniture.
Anna groaned, shutting her eyes tighter and curling into the warmth, eager to return to sleep. She couldn't remember when she'd decided to head to bed but she wasn't about to complain; the dream she'd been so rudely pulled from was absolutely fantastic and demanded her participation, forget the banging in the background or the hand that continued to shake her. It was probably Kristoff anyway.
"Wake up, Sunshine."
That was not Kristoff.
Anna's eyes flew open as she jerked awake, blinking blearily around as she tried to collect her wits. At some point while watching the movie- Last Holiday, wasn't it?- the redhead had dozed off while cuddled up against Elsa's side. "Crap, how long have I been out?"
The blonde glanced at the clock while discreetly flexing her arm and hand, both no doubt asleep. "About two hours."
"Two hours? Geez, I'm so sorry." The banging started up again, deepening the frown on Anna's lips. "Who's making that racket?"
"I believe that's your roommate."
Elsa waited on the couch while Anna got up, heading for the door to the apartment. Sure enough, on the other side was a very drunk Kristoff, leaning heavily against the door frame.
"You went to Eugene's again, didn't you?" The redhead sighed at his clumsy nod, slinging one of his arms around her shoulders and helping him into the apartment. "Why do you do this to yourself?"
"I c'n ask yeeeeeeeew the same thing." Kristoff drawled, stumbling with her into the living room. "Hey, pretty lady is still here! Hello, pretty, pretty lady."
"Ignore him; he's plastered." The redhead motioned towards the couch. "He'll sleep out here tonight."
Elsa moved, helping Anna deposit her inebriated friend. Kristoff groaned and whined, one hand clutching his head.
"I'll go grab some water and a blanket." Anna shook her head, giving Elsa an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about this; he usually doesn't drink. Could you keep an eye on him?"
"Sure." Elsa knelt down by Kristoff's head. "I don't think he'll be going anywhere in his state."
"But the ship keeps rocking!" He whined as Anna ducked into the hallway, heading for his room.
She gathered up the blanket from his bed and his pillow, grabbing his waste basket as an afterthought and headed back for the living room.
"-ew reeeeeeeally, really should, 'cause can-can-can't- she won't, 'n' you two are good fer each other." Kristoff was mumbling. Anna rolled her eyes but stopped in her tracks when he continued. "She likes you. You like her, right?"
"Of course. I care very much for Anna," Elsa replied, slightly amused by Kristoff's drunken antics.
"But do you like her? Do ya wanna be her girlfriend?"
"Am I not already?" Elsa sounded genuinely confused.
Anna was just inside the hallway, mentally calling Kristoff every bad word under the sun while finding it difficult to move.
"Ya gotta be... clear 'n' shit about this, uh, shit, 'cause she doesn't listen to me." Kristoff belched and moaned, whining about his head for a moment before picking up wherever he left off. "She's crazy about you."
"Is she really?" Elsa sounded amused and Anna had to bite her lip to remain silent.
It occurred to her that- given his state- he might say more than she wanted him to but... a little more eavesdropping could't hurt.
Kristoff must've tried nodding before realizing that was a bad idea, whimpering in pain. "Last big 'ship was bad, bad break. She tell you? She should tell you about-"
Okay, yes it could.
"Stop harassing Elsa, Kris." Anna strode into the living room, throwing the blanket and pillow at her drunk friend and setting the basket by his head. "Or I won't bring you any water."
He remained silent, whining pitifully as Anna got him a cup of water and set it next to the couch. She turned to Elsa next, a blush beginning to creep into her cheeks.
"I'm sorry about him. And for falling asleep on you."
Elsa waved off her apology. "It's fine. I didn't want to wake you but... I should probably get going. Walk me to the door?"
"I'll walk you to your truck." Anna grinned. "I'm nothing if not a gentleman."
Elsa chuckled, following the redhead out to the parking lot. On the short walk from the apartment to Elsa's truck, Anna mulled over Kristoff's words. Leave it to her best friend to go off and get plastered, then come home and start running his mouth. Given where he was immediately before trying to beat down the door, she'd probably be hearing from her other college friends tomorrow about how her date went. The opportunity to ramble incessantly about Elsa to a new audience was a plus but it came at the steep cost of endless teasing.
Who was she kidding? She couldn't think of anything that would make talking about Elsa not worth it. Man, did she have it bad!
She should tell the blonde the truth though, she really should. But this was so nice! Couldn't things stay like this a little longer?
As they rounded the bed of the truck, Anna turned, just in time for the blonde to guide her back against the metal frame of the vehicle. The redhead opened her mouth to speak but all words left her conscious brain as Elsa put one hand on her cheek and guiding their lips together. Instinctively, Anna's arms wrapped around Elsa's waist, drawing their bodies flush as the kiss continued. Up to this point, any affection exchanged between them was chaste- a kiss on the cheek or hand, briefly on the lips- but as Elsa's tongue gently prodded for entrance, Anna couldn't imagine pulling away. She acquiesced almost instantly, tilting her head as the kiss deepened and making a conscious effort to keep her hands gently running up and down Elsa's back.
Below the bra line and above the waist, of course. Safe.
When they separated for air, Anna couldn't help the goofy smile that split her face.
"Anna," Elsa said, her voice soft as she rubbed her thumb along the redhead's cheek. "I suppose we should make this official."
A million thoughts flew through Anna's mind. The words that made it out, however, did so without checking for clearance from her brain. "D-do you wanna be my girlfriend, Snowflake?"
"Nothing would make me happier," the blonde replied, dipping in for another wonderful kiss that had Anna struggling to keep her composure.
Shit. How was she supposed to tell her now?
"Wait." Anna pulled away slightly, fighting back the impulse to dive back in. "I, uh, I wanted to s-say something real quick." Elsa nodded, loosening her hold on the redhead slightly without letting go. "It's just that- well, I had a... pretty bad break-up about a year ago and... I just don't think I'm, uh, quite ready for... um." Anna bit her lip briefly, trying to will the words out without much luck. "Sex."
And she teased Kristoff about his way with words.
Before she could hurriedly dig herself an even deeper hole, Elsa's hands were cradling her face, guiding her into a soft kiss much like their first. "We agreed to take this slow, remember? I suspected we may need to establish boundaries and I'm perfectly okay with that." She paused for a moment. "As long as kissing isn't off limits."
Anna giggled, hugging the blonde closer to her. "Kissing will never be off limits."
"Good. Because that would be cruel." Without another moment's hesitation, their lips were joined against, and it was becoming more than a little difficult for Anna to keep herself in check. Just because she acknowledged they needed limits didn't mean her body wanted to adhere to them. At their next break for air, Elsa raised a brow. "By the way... Snowflake?"
"Hey, you called me Sunshine first." The redhead defended, shrugging helplessly. Elsa seemed to accept that answer, smiling briefly before leaning back in for another round of kissing that begged to be something more.
By the time she'd seen Elsa off and made it back to the relative safety of her apartment, Anna's lips were pleasantly swollen and she was heaving a sigh of relief that she managed to maintain her composure throughout the impromptu make-out session, even if arousal was coursing through her system to the point she was nearly uncomfortable. After checking in on Kristoff- who was sound asleep, though the empty glass was a good sign he'd be alright in the morning- Anna decided to turn in for the night.
It didn't occur to her until she was climbing into her own bed that Elsa hadn't moved for over two hours because she didn't want to wake the redhead. The realization caused a happy warmth to blossom in her chest and a cold stab of pain to drive into her heart. She really didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Elsa... but damnit if she didn't want to lose one of the most amazing people she'd ever met.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Anna was balancing work, school, and a relationship. Some days left her exhausted, and more than once she fell asleep in a class, or leaning against a counter at work, or curled up against Elsa during a movie night at Anna's apartment.
She might've done that last one on purpose every time, though.
Some days, she felt like a real adult, getting all her ducks in a row. Except for the loudly quacking one named Kristoff. But she'd given up hope on that.
Her cellphone ringing pulled her attention away from her homework, a smile coming to her lips as she recognized the ringtone. "Hey, Snowflake."
On the line, Elsa laughed. "Good evening, Sunshine. Are you free this week?"
Anna smiled like a complete goofball, chewing on the end of her pen. "Now that you mention it, I have Thursday off. Last total day off until New Year's, except for Christmas, of course." Her eyes darted to her dresser, where Elsa's Christmas present was neatly wrapped in snowman printed paper. They hadn't discussed giving gifts but the redhead had seen it while shopping for Kristoff and bought it on impulse. "Please tell me you're not working Thursday."
There was a brief silence before Elsa replied. "Thursday's good."
"Are you sure? If it's not-"
"I had plans but I can reschedule them." There was a gentle sigh and the shuffling of papers before she spoke again. "It's not that big a deal and... I really want to see you again, Anna."
"I've missed you too, Elsa." The redhead leaned back in her chair, her homework completely forgotten. They had to cancel their last date due to a last minute schedule change at Anna's job. That meant their last actual date was two weeks ago; they'd stayed in, watching some terrible horror movie and making a kissing game out of it. After just over three months, things were going so well that it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore Kristoff's warning. She had to come clean soon... "How about we go out and soak up the holiday vibes? There's a huge, like, party celebration thing down at the IKEA-"
"No." Elsa's tone was firm and Anna instantly recognized it, waiting for the eventual deflection. This was the problem with not being entirely honest with Elsa; as much as the question burned at the tip of her tongue, Anna couldn't- in good conscience- dig into the blonde's objection to IKEA of all things. Even if it was baffling. "Why not the mall? Isn't that the pinnacle of commercial holiday cheer?"
"They did just open that ice rink over at the Parks Mall." The redhead bit her lip slightly, eyeing the present. "I've never gone ice skating before."
"Really? I used to go all the time when I was younger."
"That doesn't surprise me; you're a bigger fan of the cold than I could ever be." Anna laughed as the blonde scoffed. "So, ice staking on Thursday? What do you say?"
"It's a date," Elsa replied happily.
They talked for an hour, maybe more, about little things, Anna occasionally splitting her attention between telling Elsa about something that happened at work and finishing the stupid worksheet on her desk. Whenever the blonde started talking, though, Anna's attention was hers, undivided. At some point during the conversation- specifically, after Anna burst out laughing as Elsa abruptly cut off ranting about something that happened in the CotL book to apologize- Kristoff poked his head into the room. He mouthed a few things at her with a groggy frown, to which the redhead rolled her eyes.
"Kristoff says hi, by the way."
"And that you're being too loud, I'm guessing." Elsa sighed heavily. "It is getting late."
Anna frowned but held in her own sigh of resignation. "Elsa says good night, Kris, and yes, that goes for me too."
"Night." He mumbled, closing the door behind him.
Anna set aside her homework and changed into some night clothes, all the while Elsa patiently waited on the phone. Shutting off her light, Anna crawled into her bed, placing her phone on her pillow beside her head. "So, what's tonight's story?"
It started off as a joke- Elsa telling a story over the phone until Anna had drifted off to sleep- but it was honestly one of the things the redhead looked forward to every time. Just as she drifted off, the static of the phone would fall away, and she could pretend the blonde was right beside her, watching her fall asleep. As much as she wanted to prepare herself for the inevitable loss... it was moments like these that made her think maybe Elsa wouldn't abandon her after she learned the truth.
"Have you ever heard the story of The Snow Queen?"
But even if she did, at least she'd have these moments to treasure. "I vaguely remember it. Can you start at the beginning?"
In hindsight, maybe suggesting ice skating wasn't one of Anna's better ideas. Clinging to the low wall that encircled the rink, the redhead tried her hardest to keep her legs under her rather than end up on her rump... again. But her sense of balance was thrown completely off, unused to relying on only two very thin lengths of metal to bear her weight and control her movements. She wasn't exactly the most coordinated person at the best of times. This was practically begging for something bad to happen.
"What's the matter, Sunshine?" Elsa suddenly appeared at her elbow, her expression a mixture of concern and amusement. Having had plenty of practice before, the blonde had taken to the ice like a natural, doing a few laps to awaken her muscles to the once second nature movements while Anna finished lacing her pair of skates. "Having trouble?"
"Just a little. Okay, a lot." Anna confessed, her brows furrowing in concentration as she released the wall and tried to move forward. Of course, her attempt was a failure, and she would've fallen to the ice if Elsa hadn't caught her. "How are you making this look so easy?"
"I just have more experience," she replied with a wink, taking a firm grasp on Anna's forearms and skating backwards to pull the redhead along. "Lean on me if you need to, Anna. I promise I won't let you fall."
"Thanks, Snowflake. I feel safer already." Anna smiled, focusing on moving her legs as Elsa guided them around the rink, close enough to the wall to remain out of the way of the better skaters while leaving the wall-huggers alone. She was slowly gaining confidence the longer they went, moving from grasping Elsa's forearms to her hands as she relied on the blonde less and less. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."
"Indeed you are." Elsa grinned, still skating backwards in front of Anna. "Soon, you won't need me."
"I sincerely doubt that," Anna replied instantly, a little too sincere with her tone given the playful comment. "Can we stop for a minute? I wanted to... talk to you about something."
"Of course." Elsa maneuvered them towards the wall with ease, though her movements were a little stiff with worry.
Anna probably could've timed this better- she wanted to talk to Elsa face-to-face about this, but had originally planned to do it after they'd left the rink- but her courage was flagging and it was difficult enough without the anxiety weighing down on her. The redhead never was much the one to make a plan and stick to every detail; she had a goal and she did everything she could to accomplish it.
For better or worse.
Standing by the wall, still holding Elsa's hands to steady herself, the redhead took one last, deep breath before speaking, sending a quick prayer to whoever might be listening.
"Elsa, I want to start by saying that you mean a lot to me. I think you're a wonderful person and I'm so happy I met you. These past few months have been really amazing and geez, I just realized I sound like I'm breaking up with you, but I'm not! I mean, I definitely don't want what we have to end but... I haven't been exactly... honest with you." Anna cringed, pausing for a moment as she tried to reorganize her thoughts. Elsa, for her part, was listening intently but betraying nothing as to what she might be thinking, which Anna had expected. "No matter what happens, I want you to know I'll always be your friend, and if you ever need anything, you know where I live and you can drop by anytime if you need to or want to or whatever. Seriously, even if you end up hating me, I'll still do whatever I can to help you, I promise."
Elsa moved closer, withdrawing one of her hands to move it to Anna's cheek, cupping the redhead's face and brushing away a tear Anna hadn't even noticed falling. "Sunshine, I sincerely doubt I'll ever hate you. You mean a lot to me, too."
The redhead smiled, or tried to, the gesture barely making it halfway before falling as she sighed. "But like I said, I haven't been completely honest with you, and it hurts knowing I've... lied by omission. I feel horrible for deceiving you, honestly I do, but I just... you see, it's just that... what I mean is- whoa!"
Out of the corner of her eye, Anna caught a sudden movement at the last moment, pushing Elsa away from her as she scrambled to get them both out of the way. While the blonde effortlessly retained her balance and skated backwards a few feet, Anna wasn't so lucky, taking the brunt of the impact and fetching up against the wall, throwing her arm out to keep from hitting the ice. She turned her head, ready to check on whoever slammed into her, but the words died on her tongue.
"Fancy meeting you here, freak." There was Hans looming over her with that self-righteous smirk on his pretentious face, not a hair out of place as he made a show of smoothing out his fleece. "And here I thought you learned your lesson about going out in public, sick as you are."
Elsa came to her side, helping her up while leaning in close. "That's the ex, right?"
"Yeah." Anna muttered in reply, fixing her best glare on the man. "What do you want, Hans?"
"Just doing my civic duty in keeping public spaces clean." His gaze slid to Elsa. "Oh, and who is this? The latest unfortunate soul to fall victim to your deception? My heart goes out to you."
"You're implying you have one," the blonde shot back in an icy tone. "Attacking someone unprovoked-"
"Unprovoked? Oh." He shook his head and sighed. "She hasn't told you yet, has she?"
"Stop it, Hans. This has nothing to do with you." Anna tried her best to put herself between Hans and Elsa. She remembered vividly how violent the man had turned when their relationship ended and the last thing she wanted was for Elsa to get hurt. "Just leave us alone."
He seemed to consider the request and acquiesce, turning to skate back to wherever he'd come from... but then he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Elsa. "Just one thing before I go: Blondie, are you a lesbian? Because if you are, you're going to be massively disappointed."
With one final, smug smile at Anna, Hans skated away, leaving the redhead shaking with anger that she was desperately trying to hold onto, her gaze boring a hole in the man's back. As long as the anger was there, everything else faded into the background. She couldn't will herself to look at Elsa, who had to be standing there in horror at Hans' implication.
But it was the truth so there was no fighting it.
Turning away, Anna started towards the nearest exit, clutching the wall. Whatever progress she'd made at ice skating was gone now, out the window completely with a score of other things, like Elsa-
Wait, no, Elsa was still at her elbow, offering her an arm for support rather than the wall. Anna couldn't bear to look her in the eye or accept her help, didn't want to face the reality like this. She wanted to tell Elsa herself, not be outed by her asshole of an ex, whom she'd tried to tell multiple times without him listening to her once. He always glossed over what she said and how she felt; if he hadn't pushed things too far of his own accord, he might never have caught on to what she was trying to tell him.
In the end, though, it wasn't really Hans' fault. It was hers. She was the one trying to be normal.
"Anna, please, let me help," Elsa said, tentatively cupping the redhead's elbow, and all anger seeped out of her.
She turned her head slightly, glancing at the blonde's expression briefly. Of course, Elsa looked just as kind and sweet as always, her smile still firmly in place, but Anna could see the hint of something in those beautiful blue eyes that she didn't want to examine too closely. Releasing the wall, the redhead allowed Elsa to guide them quickly towards the exit. "Thanks."
They didn't exchange any further words as they traded their skates for their regular shoes. Anna couldn't even look at Elsa properly, though she definitely felt the blonde's eyes on her. Shoes on and ready to go, Anna jammed her hands as deep into her pockets as possible and started for the parking lot. She got all the way to her car, had the door opened before Elsa caught her arm.
"Anna, wait, please." She looked back and noticed the concern once again gracing Elsa's face and it nearly broke her heart.
More than it already was, at any rate.
With a heavy sigh, Anna reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed Elsa's gift, offering the box to the blonde while resolutely staring at one of the little snowmen.
"I saw it and thought of you. Merry Christmas, Elsa." There was no keeping the utter defeat out of her tone, try as she might to dredge up her usual, cheery demeanor. As she accepted the gift, Elsa opened her mouth but Anna mustered her courage and raised her gaze, meeting the blonde's and cutting her off. "What Hans said is true. I'm not... I was born a girl in nearly every way, except instead of having a vagina, I was born with a penis. I'm sorry for not being honest with you, I just..." Her hands balled into fists and she sat down in the driver's seat of her car, eyes falling to focus on the concrete of the parking lot. "I wanted to be liked for who I am, not what I... have." She turned, swinging her legs into the vehicle and putting her keys in the ignition, cranking it over and grabbing for the door handle. "I didn't want to hurt you but I was selfish." She glanced at the blonde. "I'm so sorry, Elsa."
She tried to pull her door closed but Elsa grabbed it, holding it open. "Anna, wait."
She was using that tone again and it made Anna wince; for the first time since knowing the blonde, she didn't abide by it. The pain of it all was too much and tears were making their way down her cheeks. "Please, Elsa, I know you're angry and you have every right to be but I'm begging you... just let me go."
Elsa wavered a moment, standing still as a statue before she sighed, dropping her arm and stepping away from Anna's car.
With a hint of finality, the redhead closed her door and backed out of the stall. She looked at Elsa one last time, taking in the frustration and sadness etched into her features before driving off.
Elsa called her three times and sent four texts that night. Anna didn't answer or respond.
As the month wore on, so did Elsa's attempts to contact her. The voicemails and messages all amounted to the same thing- call me, let's talk- but Anna was too busy between work and finals, and then work and a second job she'd picked up to cash in on the surplus of part-time jobs that cropped up during the holiday season.
That's what she told herself, anyway.
It wasn't an issue of whether or not she wanted to talk to the blonde; she missed Elsa terribly- the sound of her voice, her presence, her quiet energy, her smile, just everything- but the thought of talking to her was absolutely terrifying. She couldn't imagine what she'd say or how she'd explain herself, answer for what she'd done.
In hindsight, the whole 'I have a penis' thing wasn't the kind of information a person drops on another and then takes off, but that's exactly what she'd done. After so many times of screwing things up, one would think she'd at least narrowed down the list of how to not do things. Alas, she hadn't figure it out yet, and though she felt like an utter heel, she really couldn't take it if Elsa held anywhere near the amount of hate for her that Hans obviously did.
Maybe that made her a coward. A selfish coward.
If there was any bright spot at all, at least she was so obviously distressed that Kristoff didn't feel the need to say 'I told you so' a hundred times.
Not that his looks of pity were any better, though.
It would pass, though. This pain, just like all the ones before it. Elsa would move on and find someone worthy of her affections and Anna... would... actually accept the inevitable this time around.
Romance just wasn't in the cards for her.
"She came by to see you again today," Kristoff said by way of greeting as she trudged through the door after another late shift at one of the mall kiosks. The mall on the other side of town, of course; she hadn't visited any place she'd gone to with Elsa for fear of running into the blonde again.
A hundred questions flitted across her mind but Anna settled for just grunting in acknowledgement as she shucked her jacket and shoes.
"She asked about you." He tried, getting up from the couch and following her down the hallway.
"Does she hate me?" Anna winced, ready to take back the question, but Kristoff was already answering.
"She wants to talk to you, Anna. We sat and talked for a little bit and she's worried about you." He sighed, scratching at the back of his head in frustration. "Can you at least talk to her?"
"Kristoff, please." The redhead leaned heavily against her door, her strength draining away as she fought back the tears.
"She's wearing the jacket you got her. I really don't think she's upset... but you're never going to know for sure unless you talk to her."
The redhead sighed, shaking her head and slipping into her room. He hadn't spent hours studying the blonde like she had; Elsa could keep her emotions in check to a startling degree. It was only when she started talking about something she loved that her polite mask fell away.
But at least she was wearing Anna's Christmas present. If nothing else, at least she was warm, and that thought helped her sleep a little better that night.
Christmas morning.
Anna woke up late, much later than she usually would, and sighed. It was her first day off since... well, she might as well wake up, go out and give Kristoff his gift, get that over with so she could curl up on the couch and stare blankly at all the Christmas specials on TV. This was just a phase, after all- life went on and she would eventually get over this disappointment. She had to fight to regain her optimism or she'd be trapped in this funk forever.
Leaving her bedroom, Anna headed for the kitchen at her stomach's request, fixing up a quick bowl of cereal while listening to the low volume of the TV in the living room. She'd neglected a lot of things besides her phone over the past few weeks and she was beyond lucky she hadn't managed to get sick. Maybe she'd make a New Year's resolution to get her life back on track.
Plopping down on the couch with her breakfast and stared at the TV, waiting for Kristoff to emerge from wherever he was. The Nightmare Before Christmas was on, bringing a small smile to her lips as her memory plucked at her heartstrings.
She'd wanted to watch this movie with Elsa, and sing along with the songs and just be an all around annoyance. The blonde usually didn't mind, for whatever reason.
Anna sighed, unwilling to change the channel and instead focusing her attention on her cereal. Eventually, she heard a toilet flush, followed by the door opening.
"I'm in the living room, Kris." Anna called out in between spoonfuls of cereal, listening to the footsteps drawing closer. "Merry Christmas."
"Mercy Christmas, Sunshine." Anna's head whipped to the side and sure enough, there was Elsa, leaning against the entrance to the living room, wearing the brand new jean jacket with the twining snakes- apparently, it was the CotL series' emblem- embroidered on the right breast and back Anna had given her. There was another addition to her wardrobe, though- a glittering, golden chain with a small sun dangling at the end encircled her neck.
"Elsa... wh-what are you- I mean-" The redhead shook her head, setting her mostly empty bowl down on the coffee table and standing up. She'd opened her home to the blonde no matter what; she should just be grateful that Elsa came by rather than wasting time asking stupid questions. "Have you had anything to eat? I'm sure we have something-"
"Anna." Elsa took quick, long strides, around the couch until she was standing in front of Anna and, without waiting for any reaction from the redhead, wrapped her up in a hug.
Whatever restraint she thought she had abandoned her instantly and Anna returning the gesture, burying her head in the other woman's neck and doing her best to ignore the tears that stung at her eyes. It felt so good to have the other woman in her arms again, it was almost physically painful as her heart began beating erratically in her chest. "I've missed you so much."
"You could've answered the phone." Elsa pointed out gently, genuine hurt in her tone.
"You're right, I'm sorry, I shouldn't-" Anna clamped down on her tongue before the words could completely run away from her. She was hoping against hope that this was anything but a platonic visit but confirming that would require her to actually address the whole situation. Then again, if she wasn't going to address the state of their relationship, she really wasn't sure what she could say that wouldn't make things worse in one manner or another. "Is... Kristoff still here?"
Elsa shook her head slightly, still holding Anna close. "I asked if he could give us some space and he said he was going over to Eugene's. It's just us for a while." She drew away, just enough to gently tilt Anna's head back so they could look each other in the eyes. "Your offer to help me... does that still stand?"
"Of course!" The redhead smiled in spite of the pain in her heart. "Anything."
"Will you help me get my girlfriend back?" The blonde tipped her head forward so their foreheads rested together, ignoring how Anna's expression fell to one of shock. "You see, we were on this date a few weeks ago and her ex-boyfriend came up to us and caused a scene. Before we could really talk about anything, she left, and I haven't been very successful at getting her to talk to me since. Can you think of anything I can do to make amends?"
Anna remained silent a moment before closing her eyes. "Maybe you're not the one who needs to make amends."
"I think I do." Elsa sighed, a small smile coming to her lips. "The problem, as I understand it, is that her ex revealed some very intimate and personal information about her and she feels guilty about not telling me sooner. However, I wasn't entirely honest with her either and I feel exceptionally guilty that she believes she's wronged me when we both had something to hide for very similar reasons."
"Wait, what?" Anna drew back in surprise. "You have a penis too?"
The blonde blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Okay, maybe not quite that similar."
"Oh. Uh, sorry."
They stood in silence a few more moments before Elsa drew them down onto the couch, encouraging Anna to settle against her like they used to do when watching movies. It felt so nice that the redhead didn't dare break the moment, feeling her eyelids become heavy as her breathing deepened.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm hiding?"
Anna sighed, turning the question over a few times in her head before responding. "If I remember correctly... the Sultan never asked for any of Scheherazade's stories. He was interested in all of them... but it was up to her what to tell and when."
"Ah." The blonde chuckled. "I suppose you have a point. Very well then." Elsa shifted slightly, pulling out her wallet and handing it to Anna. "In that case, I have another story for you."
"I always love your stories," she replied, turning the wallet over in her hands.
"Then first thing's first." The blonde motioned towards her wallet. "Check my driver's license."
She raised a brow but complied, not at all surprised that- besides a few bills and a single, practically new credit card- the woman's license seemed to be the only occupant. Pulling the card free, Anna studied the name. "Idunn Kendra Elsa Aren? That's your full name?" Elsa nodded and the redhead couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "It's beautiful. Is this story about how your parents chose your name?"
"Something like that." Elsa smirked, settling in and starting the tale properly. "This story starts back in nineteen-forty-three, when a man named Ingvar Kamprand Eirik Aren started a mail order business in a little town in Sweden. The business began to grow as he started selling easily assembled furniture, and five years later, he opened his first mobile store in Sweden. The business took off in the following years, with more stores opening in Scandinavia, then Europe, and eventually the world. The name given to the company was an acronym for his name, his initials- I-K-E-A, a tradition held by each of his descendants in the event they took over the company."
"Wait, IKEA is an acronym? I love that store; how did I not know this?" Anna mumbled to herself, shaking her head slightly and shifting so she could look at Elsa properly. "I'm sorry; you were saying?"
The blonde smiled, shifting closer to Anna. "Well, out of all his living descendants today, there are five that are young enough to take over the family business but old enough- and trained enough- to live up to the task. The most favorable prospect of the five, of course, is the child of the current company CEO, younger than her cousins by a few years but just as capable. From a very young age, this heiress was taught and trained in the matters of business and global economy and the like and she met countless people from across the globe, each a champion in some market or other, many of whom introduced her to age appropriate romantic prospects." Elsa sighed, rubbing her hand along Anna's arm. "She was a good girl, of course, and was very polite with every young man she was introduced to, even if she never found any of them interesting in their own right. They either focused on their wealth or hers and she became very tired of it, very quickly."
"That does sound like a bummer." Anna bit her lip lightly. "Being forced to interact with people who don't care about you as a person."
"It really, really was, but this girl found a pleasant escape." The blonde lowered her voice, whispering conspiratorially to Anna. "Under the guise of desiring further education and real world experience in the company, the heiress convinced her father to let her move to America and take a job at a local store, allow her to see how things at the ground level of the company operated. And she took her time completing both, enjoying the freedom a new country provided." Elsa's eyes lit up as her volume returned to normal. "No one knew who she was and she could blend almost seamlessly into the crowd. All it took was some torn clothing and a rusted truck and no one thought much of her, assumed so little of her that they paid her no mind as they went about their business. Without the constant pressure, she could be whoever she wanted to be and she loved every moment of it, even if the disguise belied who she really was." She paused, her hand stopping its movement and pulled Anna closer to her. "That is, until one day, when she went to a nearby bookstore and met this lovely young woman with hair like the setting sun and eyes that sparkled when she talked, who would sit and just listen to the heiress talk for no better reason than to hear her voice."
"Sounds a little familiar." Anna noted absently, and trying not to react until Elsa finished telling her story.
"It should." Well, if there was any doubt, it was gone now. "The more time the heiress spent with this woman, this wonderful ball of sunshine, the more she began to regret taking on her disguise. She was taught so much about a myriad of topics, but dating was never one of them. Conveying affection was also a matter that wasn't given much attention, so she was at a loss how to show this amazing person who quite literally materialized in her life just how important and dear the heiress considered her. She knew how to buy extravagant gifts and make grand gestures like her parents did from time to time... but, while pretending to be nothing more than a working college student, she couldn't do that, so she relied on her words. She told stories and basked in the adoring attention paid to her by her ball of sunshine." Elsa sighed, pressing a kiss to Anna's forehead. "Unfortunately, something unexpected came between them."
"Something bad." The redhead frowned, burrowing her face into Elsa's shoulder as she flushed in embarrassment.
"I didn't say that." Elsa traced her fingers lightly around Anna's ear, dipping down along her jaw and up to thread through her loose hair. "Although I suppose it is somewhat true- and if I hadn't been so scared of being asked questions myself, I would've dug deeper into the issue of the ex- but the bad part is that he made you feel like that. Not in anything you did, Sunshine; nothing you did was bad."
"Except the whole lying thing," Anna replied, though her words were slightly slurred. Cuddled up with Elsa like they'd been countless times before, her body's automatic reaction was to fall asleep.
"Well, if you want to be technical, you never lied to me; you simply didn't mention something I already knew." That brought Anna back to full attentiveness, pulling herself away to stare at Elsa, slack-jawed. For her part, the blonde was sporting an increasingly noticeable blush. "You... may not be as good at hiding your... amorous excitement as you think you are."
Oh. No. The redhead covered her face with her hands as heat flooded her cheeks. "Is that your super polite way of saying you could tell when I had a boner?"
"Yes."
"Shiiiiiiiit." Anna hissed, curling into herself slightly in mortification. Elsa, however, was decidedly against letting her do just that, snaking her arms around the redhead's waist and pulling her back into her body. After a minute, the brunt of it passed, and Anna was able to peek out and note the blonde's mildly amused expression. "So... it doesn't... bother you?"
Elsa pursed her lips a moment. "First, let me ask you this: does it bother you that- as the heiress to a massively successful company, with a literal fortune to my name already- I haven't showered you with exorbitant gifts from every corner of the world, like I've considered doing a couple of times?"
"No," she replied instantly and blinked, uncurling slightly. "I mean, I'm not saying I'd object or anything, but it would be because it's from you, not because it's expensive or rare or whatever." Anna reached out, wrapping her arms around the blonde and snuggled up against her again, a small smile on her lips. "Just... being with you, listening to you... that's enough for me."
Elsa hummed, pressing a kiss to Anna's temple. "I wish I could say the same." She then shifted, encouraging Anna's arms to remain around her as she turned and straddled the redhead's lap. "Anna, if it's what you want, I will abide by your wishes- if you'd rather us be friends, I won't argue because I truly enjoy spending time with you. But..." Elsa leaned forward, resting her forehead against the redhead's. "I want to see where our relationship will go from here, with us being completely honest with each other. No more hiding, no more secrets... and no more stealing the bill every time because you think I can't afford it."
The redhead frowned. "Kristoff told you, didn't he?"
"Keeping secrets is definitely not his strong suit."
"Trust me, I know." Anna chuckled, tracing the blonde's soft expression with her eyes. "Does... this mean I can kiss you right now?"
"I can't believe you've already forgotten." Elsa smirked. "Kissing is never off limits."
And then it was like no time had passed at all, their lips meeting and bodies melding into each other. Elsa's hands tangled in Anna's hair as she gripped the blonde's back, slipping beneath the jean jacket but not her shirt. It felt so right to be with Elsa again and she moaned, not holding back as she slipped her tongue into the other woman's mouth. The blonde was responsive, encouraging even, and before she could process it, tears were slowly slipping past her tightly closed lids and streaking down her cheeks.
They paused to catch their breath, Elsa wiping away what remained of the tears as Anna just blinked up at her, still trying to process how this amazing woman was back in her arms, sweet as ever, and wondering what she ever did so right to deserve it.
"By the way, I never got a chance to thank you properly for my present." Elsa smiled, absently fingering the emblem on the front of the jacket.
Anna smiled. "Like I said- I saw it and thought of you. I'm glad you like it."
"I got you a Christmas present." The blonde sat back slightly, amusement evident on her features as she motioned towards the breast pocket marked by the snakes. "You'll have to reach into my pocket to get it, though."
The redhead raised a brow. "Are you trying to trick me into second base?"
Elsa rolled her eyes and set her fists on her hips. "No, I'm not trying to trick you into second base, Sunshine." She waited a moment before tilting her head slightly. "Trying to subconsciously establish a pattern of acceptable behavior? Perhaps."
"You and your mind games." She laughed, reaching up and slowly- and very carefully- dipping into Elsa's pocket and closing her fingers around a cool length of metal chain. As she pulled the necklace into view, Anna gasped; the chain and charm were both silver, the style matching the necklace Elsa wore around her own neck, except where the blonde had a golden sun, Anna's charm was a silver snowflake.
"I was going to give you this one after we were done ice skating, as an early Christmas present." Elsa fingered the charm hanging just below the hollow of her throat, a sad smile touching her lips. "After you left, though, this and the jacket felt like the only ways I could stay close to you. I... hope you don't mind."
A fond smile split her face as Anna hurriedly unclasped the necklace in her hands and put it around her neck, adjusting it so the snowflake fell just a little lower than Elsa's sun, proportionally. "Are you kidding? I love it. Thank you, Snowflake."
She leaned in, Elsa meeting her halfway as they returned to kissing, making up for lost time and losing themselves in each other.
An hour later, Anna was roused from a light nap by the sound of the front door opening. Rather than falling asleep leaning against the blonde as she usually did, Anna had the privilege of being the big spoon with Elsa asleep in her arms, her jean jacket draped over both of them as a makeshift blanket.
She waited until Kristoff crept his way into the living room- and into her line of vision- before shooting him the biggest smile she could muster without shifting her position too much. He gave her a thumbs up in response, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. She rolled her eyes but refrained from making any other gestures while he attempted to convey a series of questions by pantomiming various actions.
Unfortunately, Kristoff was a terrible mime and Anna sucked at charades.
"Would you two just talk already, please?" Elsa drawled, rolling over so she faced Anna and pulling the redhead closer. "The both of you are thinking so loudly at each other, it's giving me a headache."
"Well, someone's grumpy." Kristoff sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I have been sorely lacking in girlfriend cuddling time for the past two weeks," the blonde replied. "There are quotas to be met."
"Sorry, Kris, but I have to agree with her. We've really been missing this." Anna pressed a soft kiss to Elsa's forehead before looking up. "And, just so you get the proper vindication: you were right and you told me so. There. Happy?"
The man stood stock still for a moment, shell shocked, before thrusting his arms into the air. "Yes! Victory!" Anna and Elsa laughed softly as Kristoff celebrated, even going so far as to do a lap around the living room. "Never thought I'd see the day! Woo!" He stopped, smiling from ear to ear as he returned his attention to the two women. "Anyway, I was trying to ask if you two wanted dinner or something. We don't really have anything fancy in the fridge but Eugene invited some other college kids over and it's turning into a big potluck. Then again-" He looked at them with a fond smile "-if you two would rather just stay here, I'm sure I can crash on Eugene's couch and you two can order Chinese or something."
Anna nodded slowly, meeting Elsa's gaze and noting the confusion in her eyes. "Is something wrong, Snowflake?"
"What exactly is a potluck?" The blonde turned her gaze between the two roommates.
Well, that made that decision rather easy.
That night, Anna climbed into bed with an additional occupant. After promising very earnestly that she was being dead serious- and having Elsa promise the same- Kristoff relented and returned to the apartment with them, warning that if he heard even the slightest hint of nighttime activity, he was finding a park bench to freeze on instead.
Honestly, the day was a pretty big drain emotionally, and the redhead was all too happy to just curl up beside her girlfriend, who was wearing a set of borrowed pajamas. There were still things they needed to discuss but all that could wait until the morning.
As she slid into the bed, Elsa pulled her back along the sheet, prompting a soft giggle from Anna as she felt the blonde settle against her back. "You want to be the big spoon this time, huh?"
"The easier to tell you a story, my Sunshine," Elsa replied, her voice soft and drifting across Anna's ear.
She shivered at the sensation and pressed back firmly against the other woman, encouraging her to continue. "I'm all ears, Snowflake."
Much like she'd imagined so many times over the phone, Anna fell asleep to Elsa's voice in her ear, regaling her with an epic tale.
It was much better than she'd imagined.
Author's Notes: So, one night while under the influence of pain meds, I got an idea for a cute little story and I thought I could knock it out in, like, 4k words... and then this happened... I don't know what I'm doing with my life anymore. Oh, and IKEA actually is an acronym that stands for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder), Elmtaryd (hometown I think), and Agunnaryd (where it all began). The company and its founder are Swedish, but I honestly thought they were Norwegian when I came up with this fic (partially blame Jonathon Coulton; honestly thought Norsemen referred to Norway). You learn something new every day. Complacency of the Learned, for anyone who's curious, is a book series written by Rose Lalonde, a character from the webcomic Homestuck. Because I'm a horrible person who cannot stop making references/incorporating shout outs into my fics. And if you're wondering why this is a Christmas story in January, that's because- due to my arm's uncooperative status- it took me over two weeks to write this, which is ridiculous. So... happy belated holidays, everyone!