This one-shot idea came to me after watching the Frozen Fever trailer and looking at certain stills, I just couldn't let the inspiration sit there. Enjoy the Snow sisterly fluff, and some Frohana!
Our Eccentric Family
When Elsa had already come to the conclusion that she should expect to have to drag her younger sister out of bed for a family portrait, she never expected this.
"Anna, it's passed noon, the painter is waiting."
Anna lifted her head a fraction off her pillow. A long, thin string of drool connected the side of her mouth to the pale fabric. She blinked once with bleary eyes, gave a disgruntled groan and plopped her head face down back onto her pillow.
Well, that went well.
Elsa rolled her eyes and sprung her fingers forward, blasting the princess with a harsh flurry of cold wind and snow.
Anna gave a yelp, rolled off the side of her bed and clambered to the floor in a tangled mess of frozen sheets.
"Elsa!" Anna cried out, shivering.
But when she lifted her head, her face was met with one of her dresses—steel-boned bodice and all. She pursed her lips.
"I cleared the rest of the afternoon for this portrait and I need you in it."
Anna scrunched her nose through the fabric of her dress and raised her hands to drag it off her head. She gave a long drawn out groan. Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Anna stumbled to her feet, dress in hand, and rubbed her eyes.
"I just stood for a portrait a few weeks ago!"
Ignoring her whining, Elsa shuffled through Anna's vanity as her sister began to get dressed. She picked out natural, light rosy colors for make-up and a hair brush.
"Well," she began and walked toward Anna, brush in hand, "you need another one." Anna pulled at the ties of her bodice, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she did so, her face contorted—a mixture of squinting eyes, pouting cheeks and pursed lips. Elsa raised a brow then gestured for her to turn around with a slight twirl of her fingers. Anna relented at first, determined to tie the back of her dress all on her own. She continued to struggle for the next few minutes until Elsa spun her around by the arms so her back was facing her. "Stubborn as ever, aren't you?"
Anna crossed her arms.
"You're a stinker," she countered, eliciting a low chuckle from her older sister when her fingers began their work on the ties, unlooping and looping them correctly.
After finishing the ties in an elegant bow at the bottom, Elsa turned the princess around to face her. With the brush in hand, she began to make work on Anna's nest of hair, brushing through the knots and tangles as carefully as she could. When Anna winced, she stopped and uttered an apology.
Anna relaxed her shoulders and sighed as Elsa finished the last of the tangles. Sensing her sister's mood change, the queen ran her fingers through Anna's hair. Slow and soothing.
"Do you really hate portraits this much?" she asked with a light chuckle and began to braid her hair. A tail over each shoulder.
Anna's lips trembled and her shoulders tensed again. Her eyes looked glassy, and when Elsa noticed her give a thick swallow like she was holding back a sob, she halted.
"Anna…" she trailed off, unsure and placed her hands on her shoulders. The queen furrowed her brows and frowned. An ache filled her chest when her sister refused to look at her. "What's wrong?"
Anna gave an intake of breath.
"I—" she shook her head and bit her lip, "no…never mind. It's stupid."
Elsa took her sister's hands in her own.
"Anna, nothing you think is stupid. You can tell me," she reassured her, running her thumbs over Anna's knuckles. Anna sighed again.
"It's just…I haven't seen you or Kristoff in days. I mean, I know you're busy with the kingdom and Kristoff with his ice and all that, but…"
Elsa raised a brow.
"But…?"
"…But when I imagined the gates opening again and having you back, well with Kristoff too, this wasn't what I imagined." Anna dropped her gaze, her fingers entwined with Elsa's and she gave a gentle squeeze, as if to remind herself that her sister was actually there.
Elsa's eyes widened and she watched as Anna released her hold on their hands. Her shoulders slumped when she let out a frustrated sigh—a hot breath of air that washed over the queen like steam.
It had been a few days since she was able to spend time with her sister. Trade agreements, meetings with advisors, writing letters to neighboring kingdoms and other important paperwork had gotten in the way a great deal. And when she wasn't working, she was locked up in her room planning the perfect day—Anna's birthday. In the back of her mind, she berated herself for not thinking about how Anna would feel (granted she didn't lock any doors). She had allowed herself to get caught up in all the work that needed to be done.
So much for trying to change things around.
"…Anna." Elsa bit her lip, her breath catching in her throat when she noticed her sister's eyes begin to glimmer, wavering like she was about to cry.
No. Don't cry, please don't.
Elsa moved forward and enveloped her in a tight embrace. She cradled and guided the back of Anna's head and allowed her to lean against her chest. Anna gave a dry sniff and adjusted her position to rest her cheek against Elsa's shoulder.
"I know it's not what you imagined," Elsa started and closed her eyes, absently running her fingers through Anna's braids; soothing her. "Kristoff may be a bit of an idiot, and sometimes he forgets things. Ice is his life, but I think you're worth more than ice to him." A ghost of a smile crossed her lips when she felt Anna shake with a tiny giggle—or perhaps it was a snort—followed by a low mumble that sounded something like 'he's not an idiot'. "And," she continued, pulling away and holding her sister by the shoulders. She wiped away a stray tear. "No matter where I am, I'll always be here for you. I promise."
At this, a smile began to replace the frown that Elsa hated to see, and in return, she found her own lips twitch upward.
"Now come. We can't keep the painter waiting." She took Anna's hand and began to lead her out of the room.
"O-Oh, right. Do I look okay? I mean I felt like hell just a moment ago, and I—"
"Anna," Elsa cut her off, glancing at her over her shoulder. "You look beautiful."
The princess shut her mouth. A light blush dusted her cheeks.
Elsa continued to guide her through the hallways until they stopped at a room that had Anna gasping.
"Wait, in the portrait room? But we never have paintings done in here!"
Grasping the brass handles of the heavy doors, Elsa smiled.
"Well, as Queen, I can make some changes. This happens to be one of them." She pulled open the doors.
Anna moved forward with a new bounce in her step. A light hum rumbled in her throat until she halted. She blinked and her mouth fell open.
"I—Kristoff? Sven?!"
Kristoff chuckled and stood up straight, crossing his arms as he leaned away from his laid-back position against Sven. Anna all but flew into his arms, her own wrapping around his neck.
"Woah, easy! Hey there feisty pants."
"Kristoff—I—what are you doing here?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but Elsa beat him to it.
"I asked him to."
Creasing her eyebrows, Anna fixed her sister with a bewildered expression. The queen giggled behind the tips of her fingers.
"Why?"
Elsa folded her hands against her skirts. A small smirk bloomed along her features.
"Well, he's part of our family now, isn't he?"
Anna's eyes grew wide. She looked as though Elsa had just sprouted six more heads (with how long Anna stared at her without blinking, she started to suspect that perhaps she did) before she directed her gaze back to Kristoff.
"You're going to be in the portrait?"
"Not just Kristoff," Elsa said, she could now barely contain the wide smile that pulled at her cheeks. "You, me, Sven—"
"Oh oh! Don't forget about me!"
Elsa laughed as a carrot nose poked in from behind the doors before the snowman began to waddle in. His twig arms waving at his sides.
"You too, Olaf."
"E-Elsa…"
The queen turned her gaze to her little sister, watching with horror when tears began to steam down her cheeks.
"Anna—"
"You—you did this… for me?"
Elsa blinked, speechless when Anna fell into her arms. These weren't sad tears—at least she hoped.
"Anna… why are you crying?" she asked, though she couldn't hold back the concern in her tone. A bubbled laugh then threatened to spill past her lips when she found herself holding Anna by the elbows. Her sister sunk to her knees while she remained upright, her hands gripped onto Elsa's arms for support. She shook and cried. She cried with a strangled hiccup in her gasps, she cried until Elsa wasn't sure whether to think she was laughing or crying.
She concluded that it was both when she finally managed to pull Anna back on her feet.
"I—I'm so happy. Elsa, this was everything I ever wanted, and more."
Elsa laughed and pulled her into a tight hug.
"We are your family now, Anna."
