Hi guys, well this is my first story and it's inspired by the most amazing drawing ever (so check it out: post/72650274516/anna-did-i-kick-you-in-my-sleep-again-im-sorry). Anyway this was because of that and I wanted to try my hand at seeing if I could get a feel for Anna and Elsa's voices respectively to see if I had a chance of doing anything successful with them in the future so feedback, good or bad, is greatly appreciated!
Night broke softly over Arendelle as the las tiny bits of ice quietly melted, the only evidence of Queen Elsa's icy storm now just small puddles on the grounds around the castle. The air was warm and serene as fireflies danced. However, much as she struggled to, Elsa could not feel that same calm inside of her. Since Anna had thawed, she hadn't let go of Elsa for one second, not that Elsa was complaining. Although eating and changing did prove interesting with one arm trapped by her overjoyed sister. As the sun had set, Elsa watched with amusement as Anna nodded off for the third time while trying to finish dinner.
"Anna," came Elsa's gentle voice, startling the younger girl awake.
"Wha-?" she blinked sleepily, still looking for danger, and her hand tightened around Elsa's.
"It's been a, ahem. A long day," said Elsa, forcing her voice not to crack as a flash of Anna frozen lit up her mind's eye. "Why don't we call it a night?"
Anna shook her head hard, pigtails whipping about. "No."
"But you're tired."
"No I'm not."
"Then why are you falling asleep in your food," asked Elsa, slightly irritated but still so glad to be here that she didn't mind Anna's stubborn streak.
"I wasn't," Anna said simply.
Elsa made a noncommittal sound and moved to stand but Anna cried out.
"No wait! I- I'm sorry I just.." Anna stammered and Elsa leaned in, eyebrows up and a sympathetic smile on her face.
"You don't want to be alone?" She asked in a low voice, away from the servants who lined the room.
Anna nodded, her cheeks starting to flush and her eyes growing misty.
"I'm just afraid that if I go to sleep that when I wake up.."she choked out, her voice breaking slightly.
Elsa's throat burned and she swallowed hard, before forcing a smile. "Well that just won't do will it? As my first act as Queen, I decree that whatever you want you may have," said Elsa, her back straightening as she attempted a regal posture.
"Very well your Majesty," said Anna, flipping her hair over her shoulders, "I demand a sleepover."
"Anna we already live in the same house," joked Elsa weakly, knowing what was coming.
"A sleepover in the same room. The same bed," Anna amended quietly.
Elsa sighed. It wasn't that she didn't want it. In fact she wanted nothing more than to hold her sister but the old fear crept back in. What if she hurt Anna when she was asleep? She couldn't control her powers completely if she wasn't even awake. What if Anna startled her awake, what if she had a bad dream, what if, what if...
The thoughts plaguing Elsa swirled in her mind, clouding her eyes to everything but fear. The temperature in the room dropped noticably.
Anna graciously said nothing about the change in weather, even though she must have notice for now her breathes were punctuated by tiny wisps of steam.
Gently rising and tugging on her sister's hand, Anna led the blonde down the hallways until they reached the familiar white door. Anna entered and began examining everything, after all, she had never been able to see what was inside and after all these years, her imagination had taken flight. Disappointed to find it was only a normal room, devoid of any snowmen or magic ice sculptures, she turned to pull Elsa through but stopped at the look on her face.
Elsa looked like someone had stabbed her and she doubled over, breathing ice crystals and gasping for air around the lump in her throat. This room held so much pain and heartache for Elsa, with the massive portrait of her father staring accusingly at her. Everything was just how she left it. Tears threatened to spill out, but Elsa froze them in her eyes, determined to be strong for Anna.
"Why don't we sleep in your room?" asked Elsa thickly, and she didn't need to say anymore.
They quietly retreated from the room and made their way back to Anna's room.
"Hey you know its funny," said Anna, starting to babble as she nervously glanced up at Elsa, trying to lighten the silence, "I used to walk this so much I counted the steps from here to my room and one time Kai interrupted me halfway through counting and I made him start over with me and it was really funny, but all the times I walked back to my room I never thought I'd actually walk back with you one time-" Anna clapped her free hand to her mouth and looked in horror at Elsa.
"NO no no I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that you know I-" Anna cast about for something, anything to say to combat that look of shocked sadness on Elsa's face but the damage was done.
"Elsa I'm so sorry," she whispered, her cheeks flushed.
"It's okay," Elsa said quietly, "I didn't think that would happen either."
The rest of the walk was spent in silence until they reached the door and went in. The whole room smelled like Anna and in spite of herself, Elsa felt a smile growing.
"Ah yay! See? Sleepover's are fun!" squealed Anna and ran over to her dresser, finally allowing the blonde her hand back but only as long as it took for her to change into a soft pale blue nightshirt and a pair of loose cotton pants that Anna had offered her. The redhead wore a similar outfit as they crawled into the massive four poster feather bed.
The effect on Anna was immediate and she stifled a massive yawn. The sisters laid side by side, staring at the ceiling with shoulders touching. Quiet ensued for the next few seconds before Anna broke it.
"This is nice," she offered, unsure of how to go about this whole "sleepover" thing considering that the last time she had had one was thirteen years ago.
Elsa hummed an affirmative but only because she didn't trust her voice. The awkwardness broke her heart anew and she longed for the days when this had come naturally, when they had been two halves of a whole. A family.
"Will you tell me a story?" asked Anna meekly, glancing at Elsa from the corner of her eye.
"Sure," wheezed Elsa, composing herself.
"Um, lets see. Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a girl, with hair like fire and eyes like the stars," Elsa began.
She wove the story long into the night, recognizing it as an anchor to sanity for her. Anna hadn't made it even halfway through before she had curled up against Elsa's side, one arm slung over the blonde's middle and her head nuzzled into the crook of Elsa's neck. Her slow, steady breathing was accompanied by soft snores here and there, and as Elsa wound down her story, Anna was out completely.
Silence filled the room as Elsa announced, "And they all lived happily ever after. The End."
She glanced down and smiled and her sister. The moonlight spilled through the open window and fell on Anna's sleeping form, reflecting off her white streak of hair. Elsas gently brought a hand around and fingered the soft lock, as her smile drooped. This was her reminder, her punishment to bear for a lifetime. And in trying to protect Anna from Elsa, she hadn't been able to protect her from anything else. How many times had she cried alone? How many times had she played alone, or ate alone? And how alone she must have been, being trapped in a block of ice. A prison of her own doing, because she was so stupidly selfless. She had almost died today and all the redhead had cared about was Elsa. Typical. Elsa half laughed and half sobbed. Anna sighed and moved, making Elsa freeze, locking her body into one position to avoid waking her, and it was all she could do. Tears welled up again for the umpteenth time but this time there was nothing left to block them with, no one to be strong in front of, no reason to stop. Every muscle in the blonde's body stood on edge, quivering as silent tears spilled out of her eyes and wet her hair and the pillow under her.
This must be what drowning feels like, thought the girl in passing, as she sucked in another breath and an involuntary shudder ran through her. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't notice Anna shift on the bed, her eyes screwed up so tight that she didn't see the younger girl leaning over her.
"Elsa," she said softly, as she cupped a gentle, warm hand to the older girl's cheek.
Elsa's eyes shot open, surprised to see Anna peering down at her, confused.
"Why are you crying?" she asked, alarmed. "Are you hurt? Hey listen if I kicked you in my sleep I'm so so sorry I thought I outgrew that I just-"
Anna was interrupted by Elsa lunging upwards and clinging to Anna with both hands, arms wrapped so tight that the redhead struggled to breathe, her back arching with the force of keeping them both off the bed in her crouched position.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I love you, I'm sorry," cried out Elsa, burying her face in Anna's shoulder.
The redhead shifted her weight to the side so she supported them on one arm and wrapped the other tightly around her older sister, holding all the broken pieces together.
"You don't have to be strong all the time Elsa," whispered Anna softly, her voice muffled by Elsa's hair.
The older girl's cold hands sent shivers down her spine but she ignored them. Gently she lower them both down back onto the bed and she pulled Elsa's face gently to her, letting her head rest on her chest, her heart thumping steadily.
"Hear that?" She said, stroking her sister's hair. "I'm still here. I'll always be here. Always."
They laid like that the rest of the night, Elsa breaking into pieces and Anna holding all of them and gently putting her back together.
As dawn broke, Elsa had dropped into a light sleep, still with her ear firmly pressed against Anna who was groggily running her fingers through the platinum blonde hair, constantly murmuring nonsense to soothe them both.
"Look Elsa," she breathed, as the sun sparkled on the bay that surrounded the castle, throwing up beautiful colours that painted the room.
"It's tomorrow. We made it."
Well there you have it! Hopefully you liked it, and even if you hated it with a fiery passion, I want to hear from you! Again a special thanks to Wantstobuildasnowman on tumblr for the beautiful art. You guys should check out their page, it's fantastic! Thanks for reading this far!