Elsa stood on the steps of a white, castle-like mansion. New Year's Eve parties defined themselves as uncharted, intimidating territory for her. It was too dark outside for her to be able to tell, if roof was colored navy or black. She pulled her rising short, dress lower. It made her uncomfortable to be sporting something so immodest compared to her normal outfits. She regret wearing a pale-blue, fitted dress. She felt thankful for the sheer, long sleeves. It least she had some fabric to hide behind. Her sister even pressured her into wearing silver, sparkly, high-heels.
"You look like Cinderella!" Anna squealed. Her red, straight hair fell around her round face like a model. She stretched out her cellphone above her head, capturing a proud selfie. Anna looked delightful in her hot pink, A-line dress. With exposed shoulders and chest, Elsa realized for the first time how freckled her little sister's body grew.
Elsa whimpered in her deeper voice, "I don't know about this. Maybe I should head back home." Anna plopped her cellphone into her glittery purse and grabbed her pale arm.
"No, you promised me! We never do anything together. You can't back out now!" Elsa leered at the mansion again, wondering if any party could make her fall in love with the city again.
"If I go with you, will you swear you won't leave me?"
"Of course! I won't leave you, Elsie. I won't make you stay a minute past midnight either. It'll be so much fun!" Anna dragged her tall sister up the yellow marble stairs until they stood before large, brown, wooden doors. Intimidated, Elsa hovered her hand over the knobs. Opening up and socializing wasn't Elsa's forte. Anna burst open the door for her, and they viewed a wild, extravagant party scene. A live band blared music so loudly, it became hard to even hear Anna's giggles. Anna pulled her arm inside the boisterous living room. Despite it being one of the most mammoth mansions they'd ever seen, the crowd looked dense. Young adult bodies dancing sexually caused Elsa's innocent eyes to widen. Feathers floated from one nearby, snickering pair having a pillow fight with what looked like a battered, expensively designed pillow. Its red tassels dangled weakly on the brink of falling off. Everyone came to this party. Everyone from every walk of life. Every corner of the Southern Isles. Servers slicked through the hordes of people, carrying trays of champagne. It was a carnival of rich playboys with their blonde side girls. Heiresses compared their inheritances, while taking group pictures to boast about later on social media. Elsa watched suited men dispute about losing money at the gambling roulette tables, and college students exchanging telephone numbers. She could have sworn she recognized a famous film star waiting in a corner. Whimsical party decor streamed from the ceiling and stairs. Elsa's attention turned to her little sister's swooning. A man with dark, reddish hair warmly hugged the little sister. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Their bodies slightly rocked in the midst of the embrace. Perhaps the imbalance was brought on from excess liquor, since that appeared to be the problem of everyone in the room shared. Elsa assumed he must have been the crush Anna bragged about. The only description Anna gave her was "handsome," and he definitely fit the title. He wore a black suit and was the only young man who didn't remove some article of clothing. Anna paraded about his tall height at home, but Elsa didn't expect him to tower over both of them. He let Anna go, flashing a radiant smile. He strolled past Anna and politely shook Elsa's limp hand confidently. He bent down near Elsa's ear, and he grabbed her tensed shoulders to hold her closer.
"Are you the beautiful sister she's been telling me about?" He shouted, hoping she'd hear him above the music. He pulled away to see her expression and noticed the contact surprised her. Elsa nodded timidly, causing her thick braid to bounce on her back. It impressed her that her sister found a gentleman so sophisticated. Elsa admired the way he spoke and how his confidence peaked. He looked calculated, and Anna acted awkward. She couldn't guess how the pair got along. His eyes locked with Elsa's, never once trailing down her voluptuous body. It gave her a sense of security, knowing he wouldn't erotically gawk at her like some of the passerby in the room. She couldn't help but feel he attempted to read her and struggled with figuring her out.
Elsa wondered, "Are you the host? Is this your mansion?"
"Yeah. I'm Hans, by the way. I'm guessing Anna didn't tell you much about me?"
"She didn't get the chance," Elsa justified. She only knew the pair recently began casually dating.
Hans challenged, "I want to fix that. Anna told me a lot about you. You'll know me as much as I know you, by the end of the night."
"I'd like that," Elsa smiled. It made her feel better to know that she'd be able to learn more about the man who her sister spent most of her time with. She grew into a protective older sibling, and she longed to do a fact check on his background. Elsa laced her fingers together, finding herself relishing his persistence. They soaked in each other's presents, matured personalities linking up perfectly. Anna didn't expect the duo to get along so well. The pair studied each other, making Anna feel like an outsider. Seeking his affection, Anna wrapped herself around his arm. She prodded his biceps, melting at the impressive size.
"Ooo, you're so strong, Hans! Hey, feel how big his muscles are," Anna cooed at Elsa. Anna cupped her hands around Elsa's, thrusting the dainty, trembling hands on his biceps. Elsa reluctantly squeezed him, picturing his bulging muscles. He looked down at Elsa, watching her feel him with a hint of a gloating smile on his lips. He seemed amused by the Elsa's blushing reaction. It bothered her that she was forced to stand so close to him, giving him a good view of her reddening cheeks. The blonde tightened her grip around his firm muscles once more.
Anna moaned, "Isn't it so hot?" Anna scrunched her freckled nose, elated that he accepted her compliments.
"It's really... great," Elsa remarked, irritated that her little sister coerced her in order to flirt with a man. Anna lovingly beamed up at him, twisting her red locks. She successfully regained her crush's focus. Elsa pulled her trembling, fair hands back to herself. Hans turned around and swiped two flutes of champagne from a granite table that Elsa hadn't noticed earlier due to the dim lighting. He handed one glass to each sister. Anna drank hers quickly, eager to take in any form of thoughtfulness he would give her. Elsa, who never drank before, only stared at the fizzing bubbles. Both girls placed their glasses back onto the dark table. The music pounded at Elsa's head, bringing a headache. Facing Anna, his gaze curiously wondered back to Elsa. He looked at her like he knew her, but he couldn't quite figure out where they'd met. Elsa tilted her head to the side, unsure what it was that kept drawing him back to her. Something inside of her drove her to naturally gravitate to him. It felt like she met one of her own species for the first time in her life. Only when Elsa looked at him did she feel human. Agitated, Anna tugged in his black tie.
"You haven't showed me around yet," the redheaded girl gleamed. So swept up in the obsession she had for him, she forgot her vow to Elsa. He placed his hand on the small of her back, leading Anna into the animalistic crowd. Elsa wanted to follow, but a random man, who carried a hysterically giddy woman on his shoulder, bumped into her. Elsa stumbled into the crowd, causing her to travel a greater distance than she wanted. She jerked her head back and forth, praying to find a gap she could jam through. Someone shoved her onto a nearby, expensive, leather couch. She fell backwards over the armrest, landing on the lap of a drunk man with a brunette, trimmed beard. The first few buttons of his blue shirt were undone. He had lost his suit jacket long ago and wore a triangular, orange party hat sloppily on his head.
"IhaveaNewYearkissnow," he blurred his words. With wine soaked eyes, he leaned in to kiss the strange blonde on top of him.
"No, no, no! Stop!" Elsa screamed, pushing him away before he reached close enough. The commotion of the party didn't care for her distressed cry for help. With tears in her eyes, she staggered out of his lap. Her legs wobbled, still not used to the high-heels. Her anxiety caused her to hide in the past, which she supposed became the reason Anna insisted she go to this party. But this party was chaos for her. The air smelt thick of alcohol. Feeling lost certainly only made the anxiety rise. She bounced between people in search of a brisk exit and her missing sister. A few more people painfully shoved into her before she found a door. She opened the white doors frantically to find the Weseterguaards' spacious, lush, green backyard. Crowds of people screeched in intoxication around the pool. Some even jumped inside to swim. She witnessed dance moves she had never seen before. Men thrust into women from behind with the rhythm of music, and the women rolled their hips approvingly. Disgusted, she closed the doors. Even if Anna had been out there, she wouldn't want to find her doing any of those things. She decided to keep searching for her sister indoors, just in case. She hoped her carefree sister would have enough sense not go to outside into that breeding ground. Before she could turn around, an intoxicated female with a black bob haircut hugged her tall, fair back tightly. Elsa couldn't understand what she slurred, but Elsa pried her tan arms off of her. She lacked knowledge on how liquored people behaved, and her current real life experience scared her. Elsa shoved her way through the thick throng.
"Anna? Where are you?" She called out. Searching for an escape, the blonde ran up the spiral stairs in the living room. Many people moving up and down the steps caused her to squeeze close to the rail. The moment she reached the top, an heiress spilled white wine on her legs. Elsa's glittery, new shoes now glisten for the wrong reason. The sticky wetness irritated her legs. It offended Elsa that this woman would do something so hurtful, even though she knew the tipsy stranger probably couldn't even remember her own name. Since she borrowed the shoes, she hoped her baby sister wouldn't be upset with her over it. Heart racing quickly, Elsa weaved past her. Her social anxiety crept up her, making her breathing quicken.
"Anna? Hans?" Elsa cried. There weren't any red headed girls in sight that she could see. Inching her way up the white wall, the thick partying mob howled in celebration. An intoxicated woman tripped onto Elsa, smashing her against the wall. The woman staggered back off of her without remorse. The older sister winced, knowing bruises would form on her arms in the morning. Finding an outlet, she burst open the first, white door she saw. The crowd pushed her inside, and she fell to the floor. The white carpet burned against her legs, as she slid. She laid on the stomach in pain. Turning her head over her shoulder, she kicked the door closed with her heeled foot. She crossed her arms on the floor and buried her face in her arms. As relieved as the twenty-one year old felt to be alone, she wanted to cry. Feeling lost, abandoned, and stressed, she held back potential tears. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a masculine shaped shadow hovered next to her. The sound of a door slamming sounded. She was just about to beg the stranger to leave her alone.
She heard Hans worry, "Elsa, are you okay?" Hans knelt next to the collapsed, fearful girl, patting her back. She lifted her head, propping herself on her elbows. The very sight of him alleviated her upset thoughts.
"Oh, it's you! Thank goodness. I thought you were another drunk person," she sniffed. She sat up completely, embarrassed that he found her on the floor. She attempted to stand, but she realized she couldn't in her high-heels. She struggled once more, unable to get off her bottom.
"Do you need help up?" He offered.
"No, thank you. I can handle it," she lied. The reservation in her voice proved she'd be too prideful to admit she couldn't actually stand. Watching her fail to get up repeatedly, he slid his hands under her arms. He swiftly lifted her like a doll off the floor. She clung to his chest, due to her lack of balance.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" She frantically apologized for embracing him. He held her back against him to keep her from falling again. With her ear pressed into his chest, she could hear his steady heartbeat. She envied his calm stature.
"It's fine. I've got you," he laughed, finding humor in her eternal need to be proper. She certainly wasn't anything like her little sister. Curious for months, he'd snooped about Elsa. He asked around, dying to know about the mysterious blonde. When Anna showed interest him, he didn't see why not to date her. She came from a wealthy family like himself. Anna, too, had beauty. Although, her simple minded behavior annoyed him at times. Part of him hoped it get him closer to the Elsa or at least let him figure out more about the secretive girl. She slowly released him when she felt ready. Once she stood, he still clutched her waist protectively.
He asked, "We looked for you everywhere. Do you want to go back outside?"
"No!" She panicked. "I'd rather stay in here, please." She hugged herself with her arms, embarrassed to admit how traumatized the loud party made her. She glanced around the room to pacify herself, admiring the wealthy golden accents in the furniture.
"Well, whenever you're ready, I'll walk you out. But you should sit, Elsa. You seem tense." He pushed the small of her back towards the bed, before she could answer. She obeyed, walking over and sitting on the soft, red covers. She cupped her fists on her lap, still uneasy. He sat next to her. She grew more impressed with his manners. Although she deemed herself the most boring young adult alive, he still stayed with her. How on earth did Anna capture him? Although he had a tinge of bad boy aura, he still behaved too polished for hyper, bubbly Anna.
Elsa quietly spoke, "Is this your bedroom?"
"No, it's my brother's. One of them, anyway. He's not in town, so no need to worry about him storming in," he assured her. His main goal became relaxing her. She looked so afraid when he came in, he feared she'd break down sobbing right where she laid.
"You two sound close," she commented. He knew about his own brother's where-about. It was something Elsa never knew about Anna. He adjusted himself on the bed, fingering a silk pillow in his lap.
"Not exactly. We aren't nearly as close as you and Anna. Trust me."
"I really do love my sister, but we aren't that close either, actually."
"I find that hard to believe. She talks about you all the time."
"Really?" Elsa piped up. She studied his dreamy face. His dark eyelashes framed his bewitching green eyes. Elsa imagined how badly Anna must have wanted to see him, since Anna dragged her no-fun, big sister along. Elsa fiddle with her manicured nails. It felt odd to be alone in a bedroom with a man, especially her little sister's crush. She lacked social experience, so the entire situation was a first for Elsa.
He broke in, "Anna always raves about how great you are. She thinks you're perfect."
"I'm not perfect," Elsa dismissed. It touched her that Anna had nothing but kind words to share about her. She truly wouldn't have blamed Anna, if she only voiced complaints. They hadn't been that active in each other's lives to Elsa's fault.
He sighed, "I know."
"Excuse me?" She defensively recoiled her head back.
"That slipped out. I didn't mean it as an insult. I meant I know you think you're not perfect."
"Excuse me?" She repeated. Elsa leered at him from the corner of her blue eye.
He continued, "But you're wrong. It just seems like you're really hard on yourself." She couldn't understand how he easily figured her out from just meeting her once, while Anna didn't understand her for over two decades. He toyed with the pillow in his lap, twisting the edges.
Hans breathed, "Maybe it's the champagne talking. I didn't mean to rudely think out loud. I'm sorry." He watched her relax her shoulders. He didn't behave as drunk as the other guests, but she figured he might be telling the truth. She didn't have a firm grasp on what the effects of intoxication looked like. She observed him, waiting to catch any signs of alcohol related behavior.
Elsa expanded, "What... else do you think about me?" It shocked both of them that she worked up the courage to ask. She looked down at her hands, wishing she never spoke.
He spaced his words, taking the time to carefully select the right adjectives, "Wow, that's a hard question, since I just met you. I think you're... different... and a little distant. Smart. You're also stunning." She blushed at the last word. He smiled with the corner of his mouth, slightly proud he got a reaction out of the stoic girl. He heard nobody could get anywhere with her. It felt like an achievement that he actually could. She portrayed herself as mystical and aloof. If there was anything a Westerguaard loved, it was a challenge.
"I feel like you're the kind of girl I would meet in a book store, not a crazy New Year's Eve party," he advanced.
She jested, half meaning it, "Maybe you should have. You would have liked me more there where I'm not so anxious." They made cheerful eye contact, but Elsa bashfully flitted her stare to her lap.
"Then I will. I think first impressions are lousy, anyway."
"You'd give me a second chance, hm?" Elsa giggled at the nonsensical idea, muffling her mouth with her hand. He couldn't possibly want to spend time with her again. He belonged to Anna, and Elsa herself had been nothing but a burden all night. He tossed the pillow on the ground, bored with toying with it.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I guess I would." He playfully pushed her hand down, exposing her adorable grin. He pulled her hand down to the cozy cover.
"Hey, I was serious! Stop being sarcastic," she demanded between girlish chuckles. Boy, was he dashing. He deserved to be on the cover of a magazine. It awed her that she got to be the one to talk with him privately at his own party. She noticed the way the other women, including her baby sister, ogled him. She bet any of them would envy her, if they knew where she sat. They could hear the guests outside crying with joy. They'd been in the bedroom for so long, she lost track of time. Realizing their hands touched, Elsa shyly jerked her hand away. She recovered from her laughing spell.
Elsa apprehensively corrected, "We'll probably never see each other again after tonight."
"I wasn't joking. Let's make it official. I'll meet you again in the book store on 34th street in Arendelle next weekend. I want a second impression."
"That's in a different town?" Elsa cocked her eyebrow.
"Isn't that where you and Anna are from?" He puzzled.
She faltered, "Well, yes. Okay, I-I can do that. I actually have to go there for my English class assignment, anyhow."
"Promise you're going? Because I'm serious."
"I know," she whimpered. Elsa glanced to the side, too shy to look at him. He leaned down closer to try to regain her attention. He shook her shoulder lightly.
"Elsa, Promise? You're not even looking at me," he pointed out, secretly finding her nervousness alluring. Anna would have been all over him. She wouldn't have given him space like this. It felt new to him to have a girl resist him this much. Elsa's behavior provoked him to work for her approval. She gracefully tucked her hands into her lap. The chanting from the outside only made her more anxious. She unanticipatedly turned her head back up to face him, only to have their faces brush against each other by accident. Their foreheads rested together, and their noses touched. Shyly, her eyelashes fluttered shut. Shocked, they both froze in place. She planned on muttering about how regretful and sorry she felt for bumping into his face, but she remained silent. She couldn't think straight being this close to him. The screams of the guests roaring, "Happy New Year" boomed through his mansion. Her heart pounded, knowing it was midnight. He drew in a small breath and closed his eyes. Hesitantly, he titled his head to the side and pushed his lips against hers. A confused noise escaped her lips. Her hands tightly squeezed together, disoriented by the situation. His long fingers relocated off her shoulder and laced between the golden roots of her hair. He held the back of her head, deepening their kiss. He clearly was experienced in the act, conveying no sense of uncertainty. He broke the kiss and immediately planted another one on her, shifting the tilt of his head. She could taste the champagne in his mouth, which she realized tasted sweeter than she imagined. She held her breath until he finally pulled away, freeing her hair from his grasp. The sound of wet lips parting filled the air. When he released her, she finally noticed the loud music vibrating the door. Heaving their breaths, their eyes met. Her mind combusted with thousands of questions, guilty for unintentionally stealing Anna's New Year kiss.
"Elsa?" They heard a peppy voice buzz outside. The white door swung opened, and Anna peeked her head through the gap. The two widened their eyes, afraid Anna might figure out what they'd just done.
Anna gasped, "There you are! And there's Hans! I guess you found her first. Elsie, get up. I'm driving you home." Elsa blushed, jumping off the bed immediately. She didn't want Anna to connect the dots on her own.
"Coming," Elsa mumbled. Her heart scorched with the responsibility that she owed her baby sister the truth. It felt hard to do, especially with Hans himself in the room.
Anna sang, "Thanks so, so, so much for inviting us, Hans! I'm so glad we came. I would love to stay, but we need to go. It's a bit late for my precious sis." Anna tugged Elsa's wrist, forcing her to leave the prince charming in the bedroom.