Christmas was a holiday that meant a lot to Elsa and Anna. From when the two had been childhood friends, playing with their presents together, to when they first started dating in high school, where Anna gave Elsa one of her favourite gifts, a snowflake necklace.
This year, Anna knew Christmas was going to be different that year, different in a way she just couldn't ignore. She had to make this special for Elsa, to be the best Christmas the blonde had ever had. Of course, she didn't have much in terms of money, but she knew that as long as Elsa was happy, she didn't mind.
Currently, the redhead was in front of the room of hers and Elsa's house, setting up the decorations on the Christmas tree. Usually, it was Elsa's job to sort the tree out, but Anna was going to take care of it this year. Besides, how hard could it have been?
Anna laid out the Christmas lights over the edge of the Christmas tree, making sure they were all plugged in at the wall. Then she made sure she hadn't knocked any baubles or ribbons off the branches and that none of the spines had gone down her shirt or anything.
Thankfully, her clothes were pine needle-free, but Anna took off her top and shook it a few times to make sure. Once she was done, she knew it was time to put the final decoration on the Christmas tree and then she could show Elsa.
Reaching into the nearby box of decorations, Anna pulled out a beautiful ornament shaped like an icy blue star. It was truly wonderful to look at, with the glitter coating its surface. Anna stepped up onto the small step ladder she had by the Christmas tree and placed the star on top of it.
Walking back, Anna had to just take a moment to admire her handiwork. She was impressed with herself. She'd managed to decorate an entire Christmas tree all without said tree falling over in the process. She gave herself a pat on the back but knew there was a better reward in store. The smile on Elsa's face.
Grinning, Anna called out to her wife. "Elsie, the tree's done!" She shouted.
"On my way," the slightly weak voice of her beloved called back. There was a slight whirring sound, as Anna knew her wife was approaching.
Anna took a deep breath, wondering how Elsa was going to react when she saw the tree. She hoped it would be the first thing to make her smile in such a long time. It had been too long since Anna had seen her wife's beautiful smile.
A few minutes later, Anna saw a motorised wheelchair roll into the living room, her dearest Elsa sat in it. Elsa's skin was very pale and she was wearing one of her favourite blue, off the shoulder jumpers. Her eyes looked tired and there was a medicine tube going from a small drip attached to the back of her chair and being fed via her nose.
Elsa was a shadow of her former self. No longer the beautiful angel that Anna remembered, Elsa was now a frail and sickly girl. A few years after she and Anna had gotten married, Elsa had contracted a terrible terminal disease. There were treatments, but it was too little too late for Elsa.
She had barely six months to live and this would be the blonde's last Christmas. Anna had to make this perfect for her.
Looking up weakly at the tree, a wide smile then formed on Elsa's face, the first smile in forever. She didn't have much of a voice these days, but Anna could hear a slight gasp of joy as Elsa saw her wife's handiwork on display for her.
"Anna..." Elsa wheezed. "You... You did this?"
"Yeah, pretty proud of myself actually," Anna admitted, putting her hands on her hips. "What do you think? Did I do a good job?"
"It's... It's just beautiful," Elsa spoke, smiling honestly. Her eyes filled with tears and a few dripped down her pale cheeks. "You... did such a good job."
"Hey, there's no need to cry," Anna replied. "Here, let's go open your presents," she offered, wheeling Elsa towards the tree. Picking up one present, Anna handed it to Elsa, smiling kindly. She had bought a few presents for her, but many of the gifts were from friends and family.
Elsa looked down at the wrapped gift, trying to pull the wrapping paper off. But her hands were so weak. She had lost so much of her strength these past few months and she hated it. But then Anna picked up the gift and ripped the paper off for her.
"It's alright, what you can't do, I'll do for you," Anna replied, putting a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Now... look what we have here."
Her eyes widening, Elsa looked at the present. It was a beautiful white scarf with a penguin pattern. It was simply beautiful and soft. She held the scarf in her hands and sighed. "This is for me?"
"Well, you say that you get cold a lot more now, so I thought it might keep you warm," Anna explained.
Wrapping the scarf around her neck, Elsa smiled, feeling a little rush of warmth tickle her skin. The scarf was soft and silky, good to touch and feel. For a first present, it wasn't too bad at all.
Elsa and Anna moved on through the presents. The remaining gifts were pretty ordinary, some DVDs for the couple to binge through, a few books and even an ice cream machine. It was all sweet, but Elsa knew that being with Anna was the best gift of all.
Once Anna had disposed of the wrapping paper, she and Elsa sat together on their couch, staring at the tree and the pretty lights. Elsa sighed, her weak body being cradled in Anna's arms.
There had certainly been Christmas magic that year, magic enough to help Elsa forget her fears. But every time Elsa took a breath through her nose, she was reminded of the pain her condition brought her.
Then she sighed. She couldn't believe this would be her last Christmas. She'd always dreamed of living out her entire life with Anna, growing old with her. But Elsa wasn't old at all. She'd only just turned thirty.
That's when the tears started. Weakly in Anna's arms, Elsa started to cry, knowing this was indeed the end for her. As the tears went into her throat, Elsa coughed a little, making Anna panic.
"Elsa!" She gasped, holding her wife.
"I'm... I'm scared," Elsa admitted. "I don't wanna go, Anna... I've had so much left to do in my life... It's going to be all gone."
Wrapping her arms around her wife, Anna was saddened. She cursed fate for punishing Elsa with this poison, this disease that was going to kill her. Elsa had been a pure and good soul all her life. She didn't deserve to be taken from her so soon, and yet, there was nothing that Anna could so.
Anna shared Elsa's pain, her suffering. She knew it was going to be hard to cope without her, without Elsa's warm smile, her loving embrace. She cried a little as well, comforting her wife.
"I'm scared too," Anna admitted. "But I'll stay with you until your very last moment. I won't ever leave your side."
"You... You promise?" Elsa wondered, weakly.
Anna nodded, smiling comfortably at Elsa. "I promise."
Elsa sighed, her breathing sounding very husky. Anna gave her wife a gentle squeeze and she felt her relax and be content. She always did love tight hugs. Elsa then did her best to hug back, resting her head on Anna's shoulder.
The two then found themselves staring at the nearby Christmas tree. It was still a beautiful sight to behold. Elsa held Anna's hand, smiling as she looked at the redhead's handiwork. It was the best Christmas tree they'd ever had.
"It's a beautiful tree," she admitted.
"Not half as beautiful as you, Snowflake," Anna replied, to which Elsa blushed. Taking the opportunity, Anna pulled Elsa close and the two shared a loving kiss.
For Elsa's last Christmas, it had certainly been one to always remember.
xXx
Author's note: Get your tissues folks! This one is a sad one. This fic is for my newest friend, Aimee on the Elsanna discord. Aimee is a brilliant writer, known on here as Cascualcactus. Anyway, she's super talented, and wanted some angsty stuff. And since it's the holiday season, christmas angst felt the perfect mix. I hope you like it, even if it makes you cry.