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With a smile and a graceful wave of her hand a pair of skates materialized on Anna's feet.

"Oh, Elsa, they're beautiful!" Anna gasped. "But you know I don't ska- "

"Oh, come on!" Elsa grasped Anna's hands and pulled her further out onto the ice. "You can do it!" she laughed as Anna scrabbled to find her footing on the slick surface, catching her when she inevitably slips.

"Elsa!" Anna shrieks, a breathless laugh escaping her lips. She finally stabilizes herself, leaning heavily into her sister, foreheads almost touching. Elsa leans in to close the distance, wishing that she had never missed out on spending time loving her sweet, sweet sister. Anna's bright blue gazes back into hers, and Elsa doesn't bother suppressing the wide smile that forms on her lips.

. . .

Shortly after the day's festivities, Elsa wandered from her room and made her way to Anna's bedroom door, wanting to make sure she had finally come in from the snowy outdoors. The queen gently turned the doorknob and slipped in, peering into the dimly lit room as she closed the door behind her. The dying embers of the fireplace flickered gently at the cool breeze that followed her, then settled back into it's comfortable glow. With the help of its flickering light, Elsa was able to distinguish the sleeping form of her sister, buried in a mass of blankets. She gently pulled them back to expose a fiery mane of hair and Anna's serene face.

"Mmm...cold," Anna mumbled, rolling over and reaching out to pull the blankets back, but succeeding only in grabbing Elsa's hand.

Elsa felt tension drain out of her body; a tension she never knew was there, as the realization that her sister was alive washed over her anew. Anna's blinked drowsily up at her big sister.

"Elsa?" she murmured.

"hmm? Oh, sorry," The blonde whispered. "I just wanted to check on you." She turned to leave, but the grip on her hand only tightened.

"Stay here for a bit?" the younger mumbled through a yawn.

Elsa's eyes softened as she gazed down at the hopeful eyes of her sibling, she let out a soft sigh. "Alright, I suppose." She pulled back the comforter and slipped in, keeping what she considered, a comfortable distance between them. Not buying it, Anna scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Elsa's waist, snuggling closer. Exhaling softly in resignation, Elsa tentatively reciprocated the embrace, relaxing into it's warmth. As her eyes drifted closed, her last thought echoed wistfully in her mind; how could you ever have shut out this gentle creature?

. . .

Elsa woke nose to nose with her sweet sister, one hand entangled in Anna's soft, auburn locks, the other resting gently on her waist. The sun, just starting to peak over the mountains, bathed the girls in its gentle light. Elsa gazed at her sister in wonder, marveling at how much she had changed; this was the first time she had actually seen her sister after so many years of just the occasional coveted glance.

"Oh God, I've missed you so much," Elsa whispered softly.

A sadness overcame her as she realized that despite how close they had once been, despite how much she had tried to keep up with her sister's daily antics through her parents' stories, she barely knew the girl slumbering before her. Oh, Anna, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you when I shut you out. I want to know you. I want to know everything about you; your favorite color, your favorite stories, your hopes and dreams and fears...I want to memorize every detail of your beautiful face. I want to know you better than you know yourself. Anna, I want to hold you every waking moment and every night, and I promise, I will never let you go. Not again. The silent promise ignited a spark of hope in the young queen's chest, and this time, she knew it was a spark that would linger; a spark that would not be doused by her past fears.

Her eyes wander ravenously about her sister's delicate features, drinking in every detail; the messy mop of hair that framed her face, the gentle curve of her jawline, the dark curtain of her eyelashes...Finally, Elsa's gaze settled on the expanse of freckles splayed across Anna's nose, counting each one while absentmindedly brushing a finger across them in wonder.

"hnng...Elsa?" Anna moaned softly, catching the blonde's hand with her own. "Whaterya doin'?" she slurred drowsily, blinking her eyes.

The girl's bright blue orbs, bleary, but sincere, overwhelmed Elsa's heart with a warmth that was slowly, yet surely becoming a familiar sensation.

"I'm counting your freckles," she replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to her sister's speckled cheek. "One.."

Another kiss, slightly to the right of the first, follows.

"Two," Elsa leans in again.
"Three...four...five…" She murmurs in between feather-light kisses.

Anna crinkled her nose and let out a giggle. "Elsa, that'll take foreeever. I mean, have you seen how many I have? I must have hundreds! Hundreds of hundreds!"

"Well," Elsa smiled, "It's a good thing the day has only just started, isn't it?"

"Elsaaa…"

The blonde propped herself up on an elbow, gazing lovingly at her sister's face. "You are so beautiful, you know that?" she murmured, chuckling at the crimson flush that appeared on Anna's face. Remarkably, the girl stayed silent, not wanting a repeat of her babbling blunder at the coronation.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence, simply reveling in each other's presence; a pleasure they had not been granted since they were small children. Elsa took Anna's hand, still clutching her own, and set it in her own lap. She compares their hands, palm to palm, taking note of Anna's long, slender fingers. She'd make a fantastic pianist, if only she could sit still long enough. Her own fingers traced the smooth underside of the younger girl's forearm, teasingly leaving swirling patterns of light frost in their wake. The bed shifted slightly, and Elsa glanced over to see the redhead biting her lip to keep from squirming.

"hmm...still ticklish?" Elsa observed, arching an elegant eyebrow.

"No!" Anna burst out. "Umm, I mean, maybe, I'm...not." she finished lamely.

Elsa grinned wickedly, wiggling her fingers. "I guess I'll have to find out the truth by myself, huh?"

Anna collapsed in anticipation seconds before her sister's fingers even touched her, just like she did when they were little.

"P-please - Elsa, stop!" she shrieked breathlessly between giggles until both girls fell back on the bed, gasping for air.

"Alright," Elsa declared when she was finally able to compose herself. "We better get up." She pulled back the covers and stood, running a hand through her mussed blonde hair.

"But its too early," Anna whined from behind her, burying herself back into the blankets.

"Too early? You've been up for nearly an hour already," the queen shot back teasingly. "You can stay in bed for a bit longer," she relented.

A freckled hand reached out of the pile of fabric and groped around until it latched on to it's sibling's wrist.

"Sleep in with me," a muffled voice ventured out through the barrier, while it's owner gently tugged on the wrist it was holding. A moment of unneeded hesitation was all it took for Elsa to slip back under the covers and into her sister's waiting arms.

"I love you," she whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss to the younger girl's temple.

"Oh Elsa, I've waited so long to hear that again," the redhead murmured back.