Elsa exhaled heavily, eyes creaking open as a mild headache assaulted her.
Despite the mild discomfort of her throbbing head, the blonde found herself to be surprisingly content as she snuggled into the warm arms wrapped around her. Turning onto her back, she let her eyes slide shut as she inhaled. The warm scent of a pine forest, leather, and faint sweat filled her senses, and a contented sigh left her as she felt her shoulder get nuzzled.
Glancing down at the arms around her middle, she gave a drowsy smile as one of her hands lifted on their own accord, running across the darkened skin on the arm that, her fuzzy mind reminded her, was a healing burn with a surprisingly amusing tale behind it.
A low purr rumbled against her arm, and she glanced over to see the one who had made the pleased noise.
Black hair spilled over the pillow like an ink spill over paper. Tan skin, a nose that was still reddish from a recent break, and shadowed, half-lidded eyes met hers. They were the warmest, most comforting shade of brown she had ever seen in her life, despite the purplish shadows under them from a lack of sleep. The right brow that was currently buried in the pillow, she drowsily recalled, had some chunks missing, following three, still tinged pink scars that ran over the eye.
Elsa blinked again as the brief memory of a muffled moan ran through her head, and every muscle went tense as she stared at the still half-asleep woman holding her, panic forming and blossoming in her chest.
She wasn't in her bed. She was in a strange room, in a strange bed, and snuggling up to a strange woman she didn't know.
The well-tanned young woman shook herself awake as Elsa's eyes went wide and her breaths cut into short pants, gradually becoming gasps as she struggled to fill her lungs with air, never managing to get enough into her chest.
"Hey, hey, hey," The girl shifted up, voice crackling with sleep and hangover, "Take it easy, s'okay..." She reached out, brushing lightly calloused knuckles over Elsa's ablaster cheek, unmatching brows drawing together the blonde's eyes began to fill with tears. "What's - what are you - what's going...?" She blinked before jerking, eyes going wide, the whites of her eyes a stark contrast to the natural shadows. "Oh. Oh." She hurriedly sat up all the way, revealing a bare and equally tanned torso, looking around for something as Elsa tried and failed to avoid hyperventilating.
The girl leapt down the length of the bed, the top half of her hanging over the edge of her bed as she fumbled with something on the ground before giving a victorious cry of, "Got it!" She scrambled back over and shoved a large wolf plush that was half as big as the girl holding it into Elsa's arms before all but tackling the blonde into a hug.
"Okay, look, don't think, right?" She murmured into her blonde hair, tucking the paler under her chin and gently rocking them back and forth, voice much calmer than either of the women really felt. "Don't-don't think about anything but breathing, don't feel anything but my heartbeat. Breathe with me, ready...?"
Elsa could feel her chest rise, deep, slow, heavy, and did her best to mimic it, only to have a sob escape halfway through and steal her breath again...
Despite it, the girl was immensely supportive. "S'okay, it's fine, it's a process. Keep going, let's go..."
The following attempt for breath worked much better, and the warm girl praised her like she had just finished a marathon.
"Atta girl, there we go," She rubbed small circles into Elsa's back, still rocking as she hummed a soothing tune and nuzzled the top of her head. "You're doin' great, let's keep at it."
The following ten minutes felt like hours to Elsa, but she got through it. Her breathing slowed, and as the girl (whose name she still didn't know) hummed, she gave a shaky breath all on her own and rasped. "Thank you... I... I think I'm okay, now."
"Great," The girl murmured, pressing her lips against the blonde's temple before pulling away and squirming off of the bed.
Panic spiked in her stomach again, and she unconsciously grabbed her wrist.
Faltering, legs hanging over the edge of the bed, the woman blinked at her drowsily before a look of understanding crossed her face, and she gave a quiet chuckle. "Oh, no, I'm not leaving, don't worry." She shifted and made a goofy face, nose scrunching up as she flushed. "I just really have to piss. Like, right now. The tides are threatening to rise over the docks, and they're threatening to do it now. You've got Bjorn, he'll keep you safe."
Cheeks turning pink, Elsa gave a curt nod and let her go, albeit a bit hesitantly.
As the girl stumbled to her feet, Elsa yelped and lifted the plush wolf to cover her eyes, and she heard the still-unknown girl make a questioning noise before yelping back at her. The blonde peeked over the toy's ears as she heard a loud thump.
The girl was blushing so hard that red was starting to crawl onto her (bare) chest as she frantically turned in place, trying to figure out what she should cover and what she had to let show before finally hunching over, both hands over the small patch of black curls between her legs. Even her shoulders were going red as she gave a muffled curse and avoided meeting the blonde's eyes.
Honestly, Elsa was torn between hiding under the blanket and blushing just as hard as the other woman was, laughing, or staring at the scars that practically glowed from every part of her. As the tanned girl half-crawled into the bathroom, Elsa noted with a mix of amusement and embarrassment that the girl had dimples in her... lower cheeks.
"Right, so... I'll be right back, just..." The girl coughed. "Don't... don't burn my apartment down. That's my only rule. Yeah... I'll try to find some pants."
As the door shut, the blonde looked down at the light gray, almost but not quite white toy as she wracked her mind to try and recall the girl's name. Yalvie, Sylva, Ella...? She fuzzily recalled that the girl had found it hilarious in her drunken stupor, that their names were rather similar yet they looked so different.
A bang came from the door she presumed led to the bathroom, and she heard a low curse filter through the door.
A low curse slipped from the hooded girl as she stumbled and slammed into her door before she began giggling. Elsa couldn't help but laugh a bit as she grabbed the shorter girl's arm to keep her from falling over onto her face for what would be the twelfth time.
"Hey, thanks for helping me home, Elsasa," She grinned, eyes bright even in the faint light of the hallway and under the shadow of her hood. Despite having drunk so much, her voice was impressively clear, save for the odd, brief slur in her words. "I would've fallen twelve times more without ya'ere." She hiccuped and burped into her fist before grinning again. "Hey... you wanna come inside...? I've got this great stuff, 's this German dessert wine I've been hoarding fer a while." She cackled and lightly nudged the blonde. "You... you didn't drink near enough in the bar... prob'ly... barely even tipsy."
Elsa smiled despite herself, preparing to politely decline the offer only to stop as the girl tripped over something, despite only standing, and crumpling to the floor while hooting with infectious laughter.
Against her better judgement, she helped the girl up and nodded. "I suppose one glass wouldn't hurt."
"Awesome." The girl's ecstatic grin turned sheepish as she fumbled and struggled with the lanyard around her neck, finally grasping it and roughly pulling it over her head, unintentionally sending her hood askew as she pushed the key into Elsa's chest. "Great, 'cause... I'm not... I don't think I'm gonna be able ta open the door..."
The blonde giggled into her hand at the shorter's meek expression before putting the key in the doorknob and turning it, giggles turning into full out laughter at the hooded girl sprawled out over the floor with a low thump. "You're ridiculous."
As Elsa helped her up, the shorter leaned heavily against her to keep from staggering, unknowingly making the taller blush. "Yeah, well... you don't mind it, do you...?"
"No, I don't." Pausing to steady her, the blonde assured her lightly, "Don't worry. It's cute."
"Well'p..." She chirped, pulling off her boots and nearly falling for the umpteenth time before stumbling into the kitchen of her small but cozy apartment. Whatever she had started to say was evidently forgotten as she waved an arm in the air. "Mi casa es su casa. Just... don't set anything on fire. Unless I'm right there, doin' it with ya, because fire is fun..."
Elsa smiled as she trailed after the girl, who had clumsily opened the fridge and peered inside.
Before she could ask any questions, however, the hooded girl whooped and pulled out a green wine bottle. "This stuff right here, this is the stuff to drink. When I first tried it, I ended up fighting a guy for the last glass."
"Did you win...?" She quirked a blonde brow.
"Yes."
"Was it worth it?"
The girl didn't hesitate as she fired back playfully. "Absolutely." She chuckled and tumbled to the table in her bite-sized dining room and pulled up two chairs before gesturing to the cupboard closest to Elsa. "Grab two glasses, would ya? Your pick - any two you want."
Elsa jerked as the door shot open, the still unknown girl hopping out on one foot as she cursed and struggled to not fall flat on her face as she tried to pull a pair of jeans on.
"Don't-don't look!" She cried, stumbling and very narrowly avoided falling on her face. "Oh geeze, my-my foot's stuck in the hole in the knee and-ah!" There was a loud thump as she dropped like a stone tossed into a pool. Almost instantly, before Elsa could jump to her feet, she shot back up, pants on correctly and face red as she cleared her throat and blushed while brushing off her light blue sports bra. Sheepishly, she gestured to herself, "Got it...?"
Despite herself, the company owner found herself giggling into her hand as the girl stumbled over and sat heavily on the foot of the bed. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know," She shrugged. "My head kills, I'm tired and kinda sore, I woke up with you in my bed..." She faltered before adding hurriedly, "Not that there's anything wrong with you, I just don't really know-" She choked and made a face before correcting herself. "I mean, I'm sure I do, and even if I don't - you seem really nice, smell nice, too; but I don't know you right now because I got way too drunk and the last thing I remember is standing on the table in the bar and telling a story." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she heaved a sigh. "Dunno why I thought that spending my first free night in three months getting drunk off of my ass was a good idea, but I did. I don't know why I decide to get drunk ever, because I never remember what I did when I was drunk..." Rubbing her face before looking back at Elsa, she gave a weak, somewhat pained smile. "I'm Ylva, nice to meet you. Again. Maybe..."
Well, that solved that problem... Elsa breathed a laugh, ends of her lips twitching up as she hugged the plush wolf to her chest. "Elsa Arendelle."
"Elsa Arendelle..." Her marred brow raised as she tasted the way the name sounded on her tongue. Personally, Elsa quite liked the way her name sounded on Ylva's lips... "Like a name in a fairy tale. I like it."
The blonde smiled, shyness creeping into her voice despite the fact that it was actually drifting out of her system. "Thank you..."
Ylva nodded absentmindedly, running her thumb over her torn brow before asking tentatively. "So, um... you don't have to if you don't want to, but... could you explain why you're in my bed...?"
And just like that, the shyness and insecurity came back to her like a slap to the face. "I-I, um... we were..." Clearing her throat, she tried again. "You were so drunk you could barely walk, so I offered to walk you home to keep you from injuring yourself or from getting abducted, and you offered me a drink. So I came inside and..." She flushed. "We ended up doing... things."
For minute, Ylva was fairly quiet after giving a slow nod as visibly tried to wrack her brain for the memory. But an alarming thought must have struck her, and...
"Oh gods," She leapt to her feet, stumbling and righting herself as she whirled around to face the blonde, ears going red. "Wait, wait, wait... me and you? As in... together?"
Elsa grimaced, biting her lip before nodding tentatively.
The girl's face went blank before she looked up, clearly trying to recall what exactly had happened with a renewed vigor and still clearly failing. She was surprisingly calm, other than the obvious frustration of not remembering any of it... But then she blanched suddenly and staggered in place. "Wait... was it... were you willing?"
The tan, top-bare girl shuddered, a muffled grunt spilling from her lips as Elsa pressed a scorching kiss against the throbbing pulse on her neck. Her breath hitched as the blonde began suckling lightly, hands all over the place as she tried to figure out what to do with them while the taller lavished her neck.
Elsa finally pulled away a bit, breathing a laugh as she reached back and guided the shorter girl's trembling hands to her hips. "I won't bite you, you know." She teased lightly. "We can stop at any time..."
"No, don't..." Ylva whined, lower lip jutting out as she pouted, admitting meekly. "I jus'... don't really do this often. Err... ever."
"Me, either," Elsa admitted, giving a small peck on the girl's nose. "I very seldom go to bars to begin with... Today just seems destined to be an unconventional one..."
She gave a goofy smile from under the blonde, finally having gathered her courage and sliding her hands up into Elsa's shirt, laughing as the blonde squeaked in surprise. "Well, lucky me." She jolted and gave a muffled yelp as Elsa leaned down and grabbed her lower lip between her teeth, smiling as Ylva gave a muffled whine against her lips.
Trailing her fingers up the tan, muscled stomach, tracing her fingers over the faint lines of abdominal muscles that she could barely see in the rather dark lighting but could most definitely feel, Elsa all but cackled as the girl shuddered and fidgeted and squirmed underneath her.
A small moan was breathed by Ylva as Elsa ran the soft pads of her fingers over a particularly large, silvery and silky-smooth scar above her hips, and the girl flushed while slapping a hand over her mouth in a mortified embarrassment.
The blonde grinned, only to squeak and laugh as the girl finally shot her a look and flipped the tables, slipping out from under her and huffing as she pushed Elsa's shoulders back into the couch, eyes scorching as she looked down. "I'm the only one who's lost clothes, here, an' this's s'posed to be a group effort, y'know..." Ylva slurred lightly, dopey and shy smile tugging at her lips. "Can I-?"
"Do anything you want to me," Elsa breathed impatiently, hooking a hand behind the girl's neck and tugging her down so she could press an eager, somewhat desperate kiss to the drunk girl's lips.
"It was absolutely willing." Elsa assured her firmly, blushing lightly.
"Okay, good..." Ylva blinked, brows furrowing as she eyed the blonde in her bed. "But wait a minute, I'm not gay!" Elsa gave her a look, raising a brow, and the black-haired girl flushed. "Err-well, I mean... I don't think I am..." She faltered, adding meekly, "But, I mean, with you there, and we... I'm not gay. I... am I...?"
The blonde tried not to smile as the girl slumped and heaved a decisive sigh, shrugging half-heartedly.
"Well, shit, I might be. Or... both. I could be both. Stuff happens..." The girl pursed her lips in both parts contemplation and resignation before looking back to the other and shrugging. "But... I mean, maybe it's only when it comes to someone like you," She snorted. "I'm sure you make lots of ladies suddenly go for the other team..."
She flushed at the light-hearted compliment. "I-I don't know about all that."
Waving her off, the girl scoffed. "Please... You're gorgeous. Don't even go there." Hesitating, she eyed the blonde with uncertainty. "Oh, and, um... do you want to take a shower or anything...?" She nearly panicked as she finished her sentence, adding quickly, "Not that you smell bad, I'm sure you smell great, but we had se-erm, we-we did things, and you may want to because of reasons, I dunno, maybe you don't; maybe you have a thing for staying coated in a layer of s-" She finally slapped her hands over her mouth as she realized she was rambling into a topic that wasn't quite appropriate, all things considered, going scarlett as she squirmed in place.
Elsa tried not to laugh for the other's sake and nodded slowly, a single brow curving up as she fought off giggles. "That would be nice... may I?"
"Yeah," She nodded as she spoke through her hand, gesturing to the bathroom. "There's a fresh towel in there, and-" She stooped down to pick up Elsa's wrinkled clothes, only to double take and study them with a bewildered face. Her ears went red after she briefly sniffed them and she coughed. "Nevermind... there's a bathrobe in there, but you might want more than that, so I guess you could steal some of my clothes if you want, maybe. Unless you want to walk around naked, I don't know, I'm not gonna judge. Um... do you want me to throw these in the wash really quick...?"
This time, she couldn't help but laugh at the increasingly flustered girl, raising a hand in a fruitless attempt to hide her laughs before smiling a bit. "That would be lovely, thank you."
Ylva nodded and shifted the bundle of clothes in her hands. "Yeah, sure. I'll, uh, let you get to it, then..." She walked to the door that lead out of her room, only to freeze mid step and whirl around. "Do you... do you want me to make some breakfast? I'm a pretty mean cook, but I can whip something up real quick, too, if you just wanna eat and go instead of wait a bit...?"
When she really thought about it, Elsa realized that she probably should have been in a hurry, as Anna was probably worried (if she was out of the bed, yet), but she took note of the meek, somewhat hopeful look of the tan girl and found herself smiling. "You know, you told me you were a good cook last night, too... If you're not in a hurry, would it be too much of a bother for me to ask you to...?"
"Nuh-uh," She scoffed and waved her off with a curve of her lips. "No problem at all, don't even worry about it. You go do your shower thing, then, and take your time. You can use whatever, just... don't burn my place down, and we'll be right."
The door shut, and Elsa found herself grinning at the closed door. She knew she should've been more ashamed and appalled at waking up in someone else's bed, but really, it was hard to when the person she woke with was so... so... Friendly, silly, helpful, just laid-back in general when it came to the whole situation...? One of those.
Placing the stuffed wolf, Bjorn, to the side, she slid the blanket off and dropped her feet onto the throw rug. Everything dully ached, like after a mild workout, but she found the feeling oddly satisfying as she slowly stood up and stretched before making her way to the bathroom.
Opting to just wear the bathrobe instead of steal clothes that would be too small on her since, she recalled with warmth flooding her cheeks and a spike of heat in her belly, Ylva had already seen every inch of her, whether she remembered it or not...
It was surprisingly neat, other than the fist-sized hole in the wall next to the bath tub and a first-aid kit that laid open on the tiled ground near the toilet.
She eyed the open pocket knife on the counter warily before looking in the mirror. Her reflection blushed back at her as she noticed the several, dark, really obvious hickies. Luckily, they were rather low on her neck and even wandered down a bit past her collarbone, with a few - were those teeth marks on her shoulder?
Lightly prodding the red marks and making a face at the small twinge of pain, she confirmed that yes, they were... She briefly recalled how she had cried out when they had been made, and how the girl had fallen over herself apologizing, promptly making up for it in a rather delicious way...
Elsa shifted uncomfortably and shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts. "God," She sighed to herself, squirming as heat started to pool in her stomach. "When did I become so sex-crazed...?"
Probably sometime last night, her mind informed her cheekily, sometime before Ylva made you come for the first time of many.
Shivering, the blonde scrunched up her nose and turned to get the water running through the shower head before inspecting the pink marks on her back. Luckily, the girl kept her nails short, because that could have been a near-disaster...
Rubbing the back of her neck, Elsa turned her attention back to the shower and checked the hot water before promptly hopping into the warm stream.
Elsa heaved a breath of content as the warm water cascaded down her back, mind wandering as she absentmindedly rubbed the bite mark on her shoulder.
"Shit, shit, shit," The girl hissed from above her, wide eyes visible even in the dulled light. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't think I would-"
Elsa felt a breath of laughter bubble from her chest despite the burning on her shoulder. "It's fine... It was kind of my fault, running my thumb over your-"
The other's sharp whine cut off her uncharacteristically vulgar sentence, and Ylva gently eased herself back down, nuzzling the blonde's neck before placing a light kiss against the source of her pain. Elsa started to reassure her that it was fine, to beg her to not stop because of that one little bite, when her breath caught in her throat and she unconsciously arched her back as a moan spilled from her lips.
"Oh," She gasped, hand moving up to tangle into her inky locks, "Oh my... You don't have to-!" A sharp whimper left her as a finger ran over her skirt and panty covered lips. Wetness pooled as fingers dragged from the spot and ghosted over her clothed thighs, and she suddenly felt like she was wearing far too many layers.
Elsa shoved a hand down, hastily unzipping her dress skirt while she grabbed the other woman's lower lip between her teeth.
She nearly screamed in frustration when Ylva grabbed her hand to stop her, skirt halfway off as her hand was lifted and held above her head. Ylva's other hand slowly made it's way down her stomach to where the blonde wanted it most, and groaned when the hand stopped to fiddle with the bit of lace on the top of her panties.
"Ylva." She growled into the other's mouth, lightly tugging the ebony hair as she felt the other smile against her lips.
"Yes...? May I help you?"
She wriggled under the smaller, but undoubtedly heavier and more muscular, a breathy moan leaving her as a finger briefly ran over the damp fabric between her legs. A shudder ran through her as Ylva began pressing soft, careful, surprisingly tender kisses against where she had bitten; and she nearly melted on the spot when she felt a warm tongue lap at the minor injury. "God..."
"Not quite," She breathed a laugh into her neck, "But thank you for the compliment."
Elsa whined, bucking her hips again and whining even louder when the other playfully pinned her.
"Be still, my heart." The tanner all but purred, eyes half-lidded as she teasingly ran a finger with a feather-light touch over the blonde, just between her milky breasts. "Let me make it up to you, and then - then we can continue and we'll be right. Okay?"
Relaxing (just a bit) under Ylva, she gave a shuddery breath. "Okay..."
And with that one word, Ylva's hand dropped back to the spot between Elsa's legs, teasingly running a finger over her slit through her now-soaking panties. Throughout it, Ylva watched the woman below her, taking note of when her eyes widened at a particularly good spot, carefully mapping out what the blonde liked and what she loved.
Regardless, it didn't last long... Or rather, Elsa didn't last long.
Ylva moved at a painfully slow pace, but the way she trailed her fingers and rubbed small circles into her clit through her underwear and watched Elsa writhe with eyes that burned just as warm as her hands, as well as a mix of pent-up stress and frustration from her recent inheritance of an entire company...
Her head dropped back as she squeezed her eyes shut to try and gain some semblance of control, in an effort to keep from vigorously bucking into the fingers at her sex like a dog in heat, like she really wanted to.
Daring to look back into the hooded eyes, a flash of warmth shot through her at the adoration in the somewhat hazy brown eyes, and as she lowered her head a bit to place a gentle kiss against her bite once more, the girl murmured, "You're gorgeous."
Those last words of affection - sounding as though they were said by someone who had known her for years, opposed to a night - were what drove her to her peak. Every inch of her suddenly blazed, and pleasure coursed through her veins.
A moan - which was more of a scream than anything - left her as she came, hips raising to grind into Ylva's as she clung to the girl, raking her nails down her back as tremors wracked her body.
When she finally relaxed back against the couch cushions and dared to peek back at the cause of her high, she went pink at the girl who had sat back.
"That was hot." The scarred girl gave a sly smile, leaning back down and bracing an arm above her head, nuzzling the top of Elsa's head and all but purring as Elsa hooked her arms around her waist. "But still, not the point I'm tryin' to make... Forgive me...?"
The blonde snorted, resisting the urge to let her head loll back and laugh, settling instead with sliding a hand up to run through inky locks. "There was nothing to forgive in the first place, you silly girl... But if it will put you at ease; I suppose I can find it in myself to forgive you."
"Good," She pressed a kiss against her lips, running her tongue across the bottom of Elsa's lips before mumbling against them, "'Cause the night's still young." Pulling away before the blonde could kiss back, she trailed her lips to her jaw before saying thickly, "I hope you're not tired..."
Elsa shuddered, giving a small moan as teeth scraped against her neck and giggling briefly as the smaller playfully blew a raspberry against her skin. "I might be able to conjure up some energy. Maybe. Let's not push it, though..."
"Push it, you said?" Her free arm squeezed under the blonde, grinning as Elsa shivered again from aftershocks of her orgasm. "Well, if you're acting like this from that crap job, that'll only be all too easy." Slurring a bit as she nuzzled the pale expanse of her neck, she told her lightly, "An' you know, you're seriously really pretty."
Her stomach fluttered and she paused at the sudden serious words. "What...? What brought this on?"
"You don' really believe it when people tell you that you're pretty." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and while her words were the truth, Elsa didn't know how Ylva knew that...
"You think?"
Ylva grunted, still burying her face in her neck. "I don't think, I know."
Hesitating at the certainty in her voice, Elsa asked slowly, "How..?"
"Very carefully."
Elsa rubbed her damp hair with the towel, bathrobe hanging over her shoulders a bit loosely. It smelled faintly of leather and pine, and she realized that the smell was something that made a feeling of contentedness wash over her...
Shaking her head to herself in the mirror, she pushed her now-damp hair back and out of her face, placing the wet towel on the rack to let it dry before making her way back into the bedroom, refreshed and fully awake.
She looked about the room with curiosity. It was cluttered, but in a way that was neat and made things feel homey, in a medieval sort of way.
And when she said it was medieval, she really meant it... When Ylva had told her last night that she was a blacksmith, evidently, she had been serious...
Swords and wooden shields that were probably decorative - but she had no way of knowing - hung on the walls. Three mannequins stood in a corner, covered in armor. She briefly noted with amusement that the one in the center had a bright red bow, one that would be slapped onto a wrapped Christmas present, sitting proudly on the middle of its breastplate, and a party hat taped to the top of the helmet.
Posters of anything ranging from comic book heroes to tv shows to cartoon characters were slapped to the walls, and in between the posters she had taped various other things. A lot of feathers, from the shockingly bright blues and reds from blue jays and cardinals to plain, nameless brown and white striped ones. A few photos of a slightly amused man working in front of a blazing forge, several rough drawings of armor designs or people or animals done in pencil or pen, and a few templates for gauntlets with the sloppy words written on them, 'work on later'.
A ten cent card with the words 'Congratulations, it's a girl!' on it, with the words 'it's a girl' scratched out and written in sloppy scrawl, 'here's to another year, lass!' She took note that while all else had been sloppily taped up without care and some crooked, the single card had been put up with careful consideration, not cluttered next to a dozen other things and perfectly straight, the white of the card still immaculately white.
Curiosity bubbling in her stomach, she opened the card, taking care not to let any water from her hair get on it.
A silly cartoon of a spotted puppy wagged its tail at the top, the printed words below it had been scratched out so harshly that it had nearly ripped the paper. The words read, with a few ink splatters over the words:
I was gonna try and give you a card on your birthday, but since you told me you don't know when it is, I figured I would just dig one out for you now.
Thanks for all the help you've done for me, lass. I've gotten more done this year than I have my whole life, and watching you learn and achieve has been quite the experience. Watching you grow up has been even better... I still remember that near-starved, nervous beyond belief little girl fresh out of her teenage years that came a-knockin' on my door, asking with a stutter if she could help me in any way.
You've gotten so much healthier, and happier, and have improved so much. Still a little shy, and I swear you act more like a pet dog than a person sometimes, but hey, it's an endearing enough trait. Gone through a lot of mishaps, too, but you learned from it, mostly.
Anyways, I'm gonna stop before I get all emotional. It's been a great year, lass, and I have a feeling that the next one will be even better.
Can't wait to get started,
, Gunnar
She frowned a bit. Ylva didn't know when her birthday was...? What person didn't know their own birthday?
Ylva, apparently...
Frowning to herself, she mentally took note of the information for later. That was... kind of sad, actually. She'd have to remember to ask about that later.
As she walked to the door, she frowned even deeper as she realized that, oh, there might not ever be a later. And she found herself a bit disappointed, because the other woman was a calming presence than didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by the fact that Elsa had a panic attack on her before either really knew each others names...
Shaking her head to herself, she tightened the sash holding the bathrobe closed and opened the door, peeking out of the room with an amount of cautiousness.
A surprisingly neat living room met her, blinds pulled all the way open and letting the light of an overcast morning into the room.
The sound of something tapping a beat on a pot filled her ears as she wandered into the room, drifting to the kitchen where Ylva stood with a large metal spoon in one hand and a fork in the other, head bobbing to a beat only she heard.
Elsa watched with a growing smile as the girl suddenly twirled fluidly on the floor, giggling to herself as she continued the beat, oblivious to the fact that Elsa was there as she began alternating from rapping on the pot and the stove, then adding the counter and a half-full cup of milk to the beat. It was actually quite good... if Elsa didn't let herself get distracted by the girl's goofy grin and occasional giggles.
After a minute or two, Elsa finally giggled behind her hand. "You're adorable..."
The girl yelped, sounding almost exactly like a dog as she whirled on her socked feet, almost falling over as she cried out, "Elsa!"
"Elsa!" Ylva cried out, digging the tips of her fingers into the other woman's back and laughing shakily, "Patience, woman! Gods, look'it you, shoving your hand down my pants... calm down, we'll get to'at soon."
Rolling her eyes slightly, she nipped the shorter's ear. "Will we...? I doubt that, because you've made me cum how many times...? At this rate, I'll be passed out by the time you decide to let me touch you, and that wouldn't be very fair, would it...?"
The scarred girl flashed a silly smile. "I's okay, I don't mind. I actually get an immense amount of pleasure jus' from watching you..."
Elsa smiled back but her finger slowly, subtly moved down her panties, and her smile grew when Ylva visibly shuddered and whimpered. "You are... you're adorable."
"I'm sorry, weren't we movin' this to the bed...?" She asked, trying and failing to tug Elsa's hand out of her pants. "This can wait, right? I-fuck..."
"We are most certainly going to - calm down."
The small girl froze up and went bright red, and Elsa laughed.
Elsa leaned back against the couch, feeling fuller than she had in months, having been too busy to make a full meal or eat all of the full meals that were made for her... until now. And better, it was breakfastand a show...
Ylva grinned, hands all over as she animatedly told a descriptive story, painting a color-filled world with only her words and her expressions about a time the girl swore up and down she had been face to face with a polar bear of all things.
"It was massive, scarred, especially on the left side of her face, with a torn left ear and the light brown eyes that were more expressive than yours or mine..." The girl trailed off for a moment, lost in the memory before jerking back into action. "The alley was dark, gray, and the blood looked so vivid against the concrete... as the man groaned and rolled, the bear looked at me... and it nodded in approval. I could see the cords of muscle ripple with every breath, and yet... I wasn't afraid."
Elsa bit back a giggle as the girl got a far-off look in her eyes. "Oh? And why is that...?"
"I don't know," She said, quieter. "But after a moment of meeting her stare, the oddest thing happened... a snow-haired boy in a blue hoodie came from nowhere besides her, carrying a hooked staff, and he kissed the bear's nose before they both turned and started to walk away..."
"And then?"
"Then... then they faded into the air."
Elsa smiled. "That's... quite the tale."
"I can understand if you don't believe it true," The scarred girl said sheepishly, "But... I know it is. I saw it, I could smell the coffee on the bear's breath..."
She bit back a laugh. "Coffee...?"
"Yeah, it smelled like coffee... weird, right?" Pausing, she added slowly, "Erm... do you... need a ride home...? It's... almost two. And your clothes have been done for over three hours and you never got them...?"
For a moment, Elsa froze. The knowledge registered in her mind, it finally struck her that she had been in the odd girl's apartment for the whole night and morning and... "I have to get back home!" She leapt to her feet and all but sprinted to the dryer, grabbing her clothes and disappearing into the girl's room, throwing her clothes on as she called, "Do you know where Palm Boulevard is?!"
"The place with all the stupidly big houses?"
She didn't bother buttoning every single button, or ironing the almost non-existent wrinkles, or even tucking in her shirt as she hurriedly threw her dress coat over it and all but leaping back out and onto the girl. "Will you take me there please? I need to get back home as soon as I can, my sister Anna is going to kill me for worrying her sick!"
Ylva blinked at her once before suddenly nodding and going back into her room, grabbing a white and gray hoodie and pulling it on. She pulled her hood up as well before grabbing her keys. "No problem, I can get you there in ten minutes or less... there's just one thing... do you trust me?" When Elsa nodded (albeit a bit hesitantly) she beamed and opened the door to her apartment. "Well then... what are we waiting for?"
When the two women pulled up to the fenced gates on the orange motorcycle, Elsa was clinging to Ylva's back and Ylva, well... she was trying to not laugh hysterically for the other's sake.
"How fast did you go?!" Elsa finally managed to gasp, dropping her helmeted head on Ylva's shoulder.
The girl's shoulders shook as she fought to keep from guffawing. "I-I hit a hundred and forty-six at one point." She finally leaned on the handlebars and laughed loudly when Elsa made a tiny noise that was similar to a whimper and a squeak mixed together. "You said you needed to get back as soon as possible! Five minutes was as soon as I could go without endangering your life. If you weren't here, I could've made it in four, three at the very soonest."
"Please don't ever do it in three, ever," She rasped in return, pulling the helmet off with shaky hands and placing it in Ylva's lap as she got off. "I don't... it's not worth... don't die."
The girl tugged her hood up before flashing a wry smile. "I... unfortunately, I never die. Ever. A tree fell on me, I fell down a mountain... but I don't ever die." She inhaled deeply before tilting her head to the side, idly rubbing the side of her helmet with her thumb. "So, um... I guess it doesn't matter if I promise or n..." She trailed off as Elsa shot her a stern look, and she cleared her throat, shoulders hunched. "I-I mean, yeah. I promise. No more speed demoning unless it's an emergency, I promise... Even though it won't matter." Her face fell slightly. "Because... I'm never going to see you again, anyhow... but still, I will promise that."
Elsa felt her chest fall as the woman bit her lip and looked away before suddenly fumbling at her pockets.
"Actually," She started, shadowed eyes lighting up under her hood as she pulled something out of her pocket with a goofy smile. Presenting it to the blonde woman with a bow of her head, she explained almost sheepishly, "To remember me by? As a last goodbye, I guess... and a thank you. For putting up with a scarred ol' hound for some hours..."
A smile tugged at her lips as she took the feather. It was a brown and white striped feather, with the very edge looking as though it was dipped in chocolate. It was pretty, if nothing else... "Thank you," Elsa finally said, honestly grateful. Her smile fell as the shorter beamed, and she hesitated.
This strange girl... well, she was just that. Strange. But she was friendly, and was always entirely interested when anyone talked to her. She hadn't minded waking up to a stranger in her bed, and had helped that stranger get through a panic attack, fed and offered that stranger anything that was needed. She talked enough for the both of them when Elsa didn't quite feel up for talking, and she just... Elsa wasn't sure if she really wanted this moment to be the last. While their meeting was... unconventional, she wouldn't mind a friend that either didn't know or didn't care about her status and would treat her as any normal person...
So, internally cringing, Elsa help up a hand. "Actually, wait..." Ylva blinked and cocked her head to the side questioningly, and she inhaled. "Do you... later, of course, we all have things that need doing, but... do you want to get coffee sometime...? Maybe this Friday? Not as a date, just... acquaintances or friends at most, but..."
"Wait." She blinked, a grin tugging at her lips. "You and me? Coffee, really...? Y-you weren't... weirded out by the whole... crazy, scarred blacksmith's apprentice thing?"
Elsa breathed a laugh. "You... honestly don't strike me as being crazy. Just a bit... odd. Out of place, perhaps I should say. Like you were raised by..." She trailed off.
"Dogs?" Ylva flashed a wry smile. "Yeah, well... yeah. I know." After a moment's pause, she added, "Should I, um... hug, handshake, swap numbers, or...?
The blonde laughed but nodded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pen. Grabbing the girl's arm, she quickly wrote down her name and number before holding out the pen for the other to grab at the same time she held her other hand out. Ylva grinned and grabbed the pen, quickly scribbling down her own number before nodding her head in a short bow.
"Well, in that case, I'll see you this this Friday, ma'am. Text me the place whenever you feel up for it, and I'll be there." Ylva gave a little wiggle of her fingers as a wave before revving up her motorcycle and slapping her helmet over her head, effectively hiding the grin pulling at her lips. "Take care of yourself miss Elsa."
"And you as well."
Author's note~
Well... this turned out a lot less smutty than I'd anticipated. Just bits and pieces of stuff :T Ah well... THere was gonna be more, but I finally stopped and looked, and this oneshot was becoming way too long. So I was all 'NOPE' and back-tracked my ass out.
Also, it was a little weird, I know. Jumping from present to past to present to past; shit-load of whatchamacallits, flashbacks. Blegh. I'unno what I was doin', this's actually been mostly done for... a month or two. And I know it's kinda almost smutty, but... it's really more friendship, sooo... that's the beef with the genre *shrug* I dunno, I'll change it if someone really cares enough about it and says something, but otherwise...? Meh :I
I'm just... rly tired guiz. So tired... sleep is becoming one of those really close friends that steadily drift away, and I don't liek it :C Do not appreciate.
But enough of me whining about my dumb, goofy self. ILU GUIZ, you know I do! If you beared with me (ʕ´ᴥ`ʔ) through alla dis shit, I love you even moar. Let me love yoooouuuuu c:
, BlueAsh666