Elsa looked out over London from her office window. She had been staying in the top floor meeting suite since the riots and looting on the streets had begun a few weeks before. Why not? She had nowhere else to go, no one else to see and at the very least it was relatively safe up here. No looters could be bothered to travel this far up the stairs and Elsa had managed to make a pleasant stockpile of blankets and food.
She pulled a packet of rich tea biscuits closer to her and rammed a few into her mouth. Everything felt numb. It was the last day. Not her last day, it was the last day ever. Before the radios had stopped all broadcasts there had been announcements of an expected collision with a passing meteor. The world had gone to shit shortly after. Riots, looting; all of society had seemingly lost their minds. That was around when Elsa had moved into the office. After all, now that the world was ending no one was taking up precious time by working nine 'til five. People were connecting with family and friends, crossing off bucket lists and living all the years they wouldn't have chance to do. Ela could only wish she could do the same.
Anna was in America with Kristoff and her children. Elsa had tried to contact her too many times to count but the lines were always jammed, and now that the electricity had been cut across the country, there was no hope of ever speaking to her again. A dry sob choked her throat at the thought but she couldn't bring herself to cry any more. Elsa leaned her head against the glass and watched the few people who could be bothered having End of the World parties on the rooftops. They were drinking themselves into oblivion and dancing.
'Well, that's one way to do it I suppose.'
There was a sudden noise from the hallway outside her room and Elsa grabbed the claw hammer lying by her side. A thought of just giving up did flicker its way across her mind, but the natural self-preservation instinct pushed that away quickly. Forgetting the pile of blankets she crept to the doorway and, as quietly as she could, stood with her back flush against the wall. She waited for what seemed like an ages until the intruder walked through the door way. Without any thought she swung the hammer at the persons head with all her strength, but they managed to duck away just in time and threw a badly aimed punch at her stomach in retaliation.
Elsa took a few hasty steps backwards to assess her opponent but who she saw made her collapse onto the edge of the conference table.
"Hans?" Her voice croaked from shock and disuse. The man was sprawled on the other side of the room, breathing heavily. Where he would normally be dressed in a crisp designer suit and tie, her former co-worker was wearing ripped jeans and a dirty flannel shirt. The only part of him that hadn't changed was his flame red hair
"Jesus wept Elsa. If I'd known that would be my welcome I don't think I would have walk all the way up those stairs…"
"What- what are you doing here?"
"I thought you might need some company." He glanced at the blankets and half eaten biscuits. "I think I was right."
Elsa shook off the snide comment. She could barely believe she was talking to another human being, let alone her snarky co-worker whom she had slept with once and regretted it ever since.
"How did you know I was going to be here?" It was the only thing she could say.
"The last day I saw you, when we were all rushing to leave the building, I noticed you weren't heading down like everyone else, but up to the executive room." Elsa frowned, trying to believe that he would notice her in all the commotion. "I went to your flat a few days ago but it was absolutely trashed. There was only here left to check."
That comment stung deeper than she expected. It was true. She had nowhere else to be. She, Elsa, was on her own on the last day of the world and the only place she could be found was her work place. Elsa shook her head.
"Look, just stay away from me. I'm not in the mood to deal with you." She could feel a pressure building behind her eyes, tears that Elsa thought had been all used in the lonely days previous.
"Excuse me? What the hell Elsa-?"
"This is it! Don't you understand that?" She could barely contain her sobs. "The world is ending and I am totally alone. My sister is halfway across the world. I couldn't get a space on a plane to see her and now I can't even call her." The tears were falling freely now.
Hans was just as upset and scared, but his flared into anger rather than sadness. His lips were drawn to a thin line.
"Why do you think I'm here Elsa?!" There was a redness flushing his face, something Elsa had only ever seen when he'd been livid at clients. "Why do you think I trekked across London to be in the company of a woman I know hates me on my very last day on earth?" He turned away from her, looking out over the skyline. Elsa could see his face faintly in the reflection, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I have twelve brothers and none of them wanted me to be with them today."
"What…?"
"You heard me."
At least Elsa knew Anna loved her deeply and wanted her to be there with her family. Elsa couldn't even begin to think how she'd feel if Anna didn't want to see her. She moved to stand next to Hans by the window. The sky was starting to darken and the stars were visible for what would be the last time over London. In the last lights of the last day, Elsa and Hans watched as the party goers drunkenly threw themselves off the top of the buildings.
"So what do you want to do?"
"Huh, you mean do I want to do that?" Hans nodded to the people falling in front of them. Elsa shrugged. She didn't really know what she meant, but speaking felt better than awkward silence. "I don't know. What if fighter pilots manage to shoot down the meteor just as I step off the ledge? I'd feel like a right fucking dip shit then."
Against all odds, Elsa laughed. She actually let out a hearty giggle, and soon Hans was laughing with her. There were more tears; ridiculous, terrified, hysterical tears streaming down their faces and they had to hold each other as they continued past the laughing stage, into hiccups and laboured breathing.
They leaned against their own bit of window and smiled at the absurdity of it all. The sun was nearly entirely set, leaving a beautiful red glow around the pair. Hans rose to his feet.
"Elsa, do you want to dance?" It was the same thing he had asked her two years ago at their works Christmas party. Elsa looked over at Hans, but he was already pulling a beaten up iPod out of his pocket and offered her an ear phone. He gave a little smile. "Sorry, I didn't think to bring my speakers on my pre-apocalypse journey to find you."
"I've guess there's nothing else to do…" Elsa grinned as she said the exact words she'd spoken all those months ago, and held out her hand. Hans let out a chuckle as he helped her up.
"Any requests m'lady?"
"Let's just see what comes on," Elsa brushed down her days old clothes out of habit and pushed a couple of tables out of the way, for space. The dance started off awkwardly, both of them all too aware of their history. Hans didn't know where to place his hands and Elsa seemed to be tripping over air, but once they realised that there was no future to be had, they stopped worrying. Black Hole Sun was the first song that played on shuffle, followed by How Far We've Come. Hans laughed at the unfortunate song choices but let them play nonetheless. Soon they were smiling and shuffling along to the tinny music playing through the ear phones, occasionally stopping to eat stale biscuits and sip on cans of Dr Pepper.
Together they danced in the half light, and together they desperately ignored the falling star as it came down from the heavens to kiss the earth. At the end of it all, the only thought on Elsa's mind was that, while she would much rather have been with her family, there were worse ways to see the destruction of the earth than dancing with Hans to lousy pop music.
When their final moments came, at least they weren't alone.
I rather like Hans/Elsa and stuff, so I hope you lot like this fic. It's a bit grim, but that's how I like 'em.