T-Minus 22 Hours

Mickey's was a bar just a few blocks outside of the university's campus and was understandably a popular haunt for the college students that lived nearby. Of course, every undergrad's ID was checked to make sure they were of a legal drinking age, but that was an obstacle easily overcome by any resourceful underaged drinker - and when it comes to booze, any college student can become quite resourceful. The place was smoky, had dim lighting for "ambiance", pumped out loud music, and had a large dance floor constantly packed with undulating bodies.

In short, it wasn't one of Elsa's preferred places to study. In fact, it wasn't Elsa's preferred anything, really. However, that night found her occupying one of the small tables at Mickey's with several books open in front of her. Twirling a highlighter between her fingers while she read, it seemed she had successfully managed to block out her chaotic surroundings.

With her free hand, she picked up her glass of water and went to take a sip.

"Elsa!" an auburn-haired girl shrieked as she slammed both hands on her table, startling her into choking on her water.

That's okay. Who needed a little thing like oxygen? Oxygen was for pansies.

Coughing, Elsa croaked, "Anna, you frightened me."

"Oopsie. Sorry," she slurred.

She narrowed her eyes at her. "Are you drunk?"

"Psssh, no. I'm not even tipsy." Her ensuing giggle was punctuated with a hiccup.

Which was Anna Code for completely hammered. Elsa shouldn't have been surprised, seeing as the only reason she was studying here tonight was so she could be the other girl's designated driver. Still, the deal had been that Anna was only allowed to get buzzed, not totally wasted.

"Have you eaten anything?"

"I had a peanut!" Anna chirped proudly.

Elsa pressed her lips tightly together before pushing the plate of buffalo wings she had ordered across the table towards her. "Eat," she commanded.

Anna picked up a wing, scrutinized it a minute, then seemed to deem it worthy as she popped it in her mouth. "You know, some people believe these come from actual buffalos. Which is ridiculous." She paused as she reached for another one. "Everyone knows the real wings on a buffalo are much bigger."

She smirked and decided to humor her. "I guess they'd have to be to support their sheer mass."

"Exactly! I mean, look at the size of these things," she held one up and practically shoved it into Elsa's face. "What are these, wings for ants?!"

Snorting, she pushed Anna's hand away and slid her glass over to her. "Drink this."

She made a face as she eyed the liquid. "Yuck! How can you drink that stuff? That stuff is poison!"

"...water is poison?"

"Yes!"

"Well, then it's amazing how the human race survives given that our bodies are made up of 60% water. Now drink."

Anna scoffed in disgust before picking up the glass and pretending to take a sip from it, looking rather pleased with her deception. She might have gotten away with it, if her glass hadn't been made of… well, glass, making it obvious she wasn't drinking anything.

"You know-" Anna began as she pulled the cup away from her lips, but was interrupted when Elsa tipped it back up to her mouth.

"I saw that. Drink," she told her once again. "All of it."

She rolled her eyes, swayed slightly where she stood, then did as she was told, cringing the whole time. Once the glass had been drained, she stuck out her tongue. "Blech! I can't believe you made me do that!"

"I know, I'm such a horrible, terrible sister for trying to keep you hydrated," she chuckled as she looked back down at her textbook. Anna reached across the table and slammed the book shut. "Hey!"

"You," Anna stated firmly, "need a break."

She propped her chin against her knuckles, one corner of her lips turned up. "A break? And do what?"

"Oh, I don't know, live a little."

"But I am living. See this thing I'm doing?" She pointed at her nose. "It's called breathing. It indicates that I am alive."

"You know what I mean! Your such a goody two-shoes, you never do anything besides study. Let loose and party! Get drunk! Snog a guy!"

She quirked an eyebrow. "You want me to snog a guy?"

"Yes. That is what I want. I want you to snog a guy."

"I'll make sure to add that to your Christmas list then."

She slammed her fist against the table. "Oh, come on, Sis! Look around. Do you even realize how many of the guys here are dying to shag your brains out?"

"Goodness. First snogging, now shagging. How British you become when you're drunk."

"M'not drunk. You're drunk," Anna said petulantly.

"Ah. My mistake."

"Don't try to c… confu...con…" she stumbled over the word a few times before giving up. "Don't change the subject! Go on, get out there! Talk! Flirt! Be merry!"

"Anna. You know I don't do people."

"But I'm not telling you to do people. I'm telling you to do one person. Just one." She held up a single finger with a wink and another hiccup.

She laughed and admonished, "Anna…"

"How about Kris?" she suggested enthusiastically. "Oh, you should go for Kris! I think you'd really like Kris!"

"...who?"

"He's the bartender." She pointed in the direction of the bar. The man serving drinks behind it was cute, blonde and burly. He was with a couple customers, but noticed Anna and Elsa looking his way. He gave them a smile and a wave.

Elsa returned the wave weakly. "Well, I'm sure Chris is-"

"Kris," Anna corrected.

She frowned. "That's what I said."

"No, you said Chris with a C. His name is Kris with a K."

Oddly enough, she was right. "How would you even- never mind. I'm sure Kris with a K is very, ah… very nice and all, but-"

"No," she whined, "you always do this!" She scowled briefly, then brightened. "Fine! You love homework so much, then I have an assignment for you!"

"Oh? And what would that be, Professor?" she teased as she crossed her arms.

"Damn right, I'm a professor. Professor of Love," she said, drawing out the word. "Alright, you're homework is to not leave the bar tonight without at least one guy's phone number."

"And if I don't? Do I get detention?"

"You'll wish all you got was detention, Missy!" She jabbed a finger into Elsa's collarbone while narrowing her eyes. "Don't cross me."

She held up her hands. "I wouldn't dream of incurring your wrath," she said solemnly while doing her best to suppress a smile.

Perking up, Anna said, "Good! Now go make me proud while I go get another drink!" She paused, eyes shifting, then amended slowly, "...of water."

"I'm sure that's what you meant," she grinned, watching her sister stagger off and disappear into the crowd once more.

She had no intentions whatsoever of obtaining the phone number. Odds were her sister wouldn't even remember this conversation in the morning, much less what she had tasked Elsa with. Shaking her head, she opened her textbook once more and flipped through the pages looking for where she had left off.

Then she felt it. An itch between her shoulder blades that told her someone's eyes were on her. Anna's words from earlier came back to her. Were guys really checking her out? Nah, she was just being paranoid now. Still, that itch would not go away. She did her best to ignore it, but after a minute, she gave in and glanced around.

Her eyes immediately were drawn to a shock of familiar red hair that stood out of the sea of people like a beacon. Axel. He was seated at a booth on the other side of the room with a beer bottle in hand and his arm around a girl, the same one from class earlier with the weird hairstyle. He wasn't looking at Elsa though. He seemed to be intently studying the pattern decorating the surface of his table as his date animatedly talked his ear off.

She let her eyes linger on the couple for a few seconds before looking away to scan the rest of the bar. As far as she could tell, no one was looking her direction.

The itch was gone.

Shrugging it off, she located the page she was searching for and returned to her studying.

Every muscle in Elsa's body felt stiff as she stretched her limbs and rolled the kinks out of her neck. Checking the time on her phone, her eyes widened. Midnight already? She hadn't been studying that long, had she? Anna hadn't checked in with her recently, so it seemed she had just lost track of time.

She took a moment to glance around the still bustling bar, but could find no signs of Anna. She took a look at her phone a second time and realized she had missed a text from her about an hour ago. She tapped on the text message and read it.

hukdup w d qt nqmed hsms. a;rdy lft, sry d8nt say gudbi. dnt w8 yp. cu n murnin.

Okay, so Anna's text messaging habits were already atrocious to begin with when she was sober. But when she was drunk? Yeah, good luck with that. Thankfully, Elsa had had plenty of past experiencing deciphering Anna's messages, sober or drunk, so it didn't take her that long to figure it out:

Hooked up with a cutie. Already left, sorry didn't say goodbye. Don't wait up. See you in the morning.

The only part that had eluded her was the name of this alleged cutie, which Anna had also included in her message. From the letters she had been given to work with, possibilities included "Hand" and "Hams." Totally legit guesses.

Was she worried about the fact that Anna had gone home with a complete stranger while totally plastered? Of course. Worrying was what big sisters were for. But Anna was a big girl who could take care of herself, and drunken one night stands were kind of her thing. So, Elsa's reply was short and to the point:

Use protection.

Welp, guess it was time to head home. Wishing she had seen the message earlier, she began to close up her books and pack up all her stuff into her bag. A couple minutes later, her table was clear as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

She paused, peeking out of the corner of her eyes towards the booth Axel had been sitting at earlier. A group of different people now occupied it and he was nowhere to be seen. Looked like he had left at some point as well.

Not that she cared, of course. Why should she?

As she made her way towards the door, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She took it out to find that Anna had responded to her.

yes MOM

Chuckling, she exited Mickey's and turned the corner, where her toe promptly collided with a rather large rock.

"Ow," said the rock.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she exclaimed.

Wait, hold it. Did she just apologize to a talking rock?

"S'okay," it replied.

...and did it just forgive her? Okay, Elsa, maybe you had knocked back a few too many tonight.

Wait a second… all she had been knocking back was water.

Pocketing her phone, she looked down to discover the rock was actually not a rock. It was in fact someone's head. Axel's head, to be exact. He was lying on the ground, back flat against the sidewalk, legs crossed and propped up against the wall. His long legs made his feet almost level with her shoulders. There was a small purple bruise forming just under his left eye that had not been there earlier. The upside down teardrop mark under that same eye was smudged - guess it wasn't a tattoo after all. He had a cigarette between his fingers that he was currently taking a drag from.

She just stared at him blankly for a few seconds in silence. "You're Axel," she said finally.

As if he didn't know his own name.

"And you're Elsa," he replied matter-of-factly.

She blinked. "How do you know my name?"

Thin tendrils of smoke escaped his nostrils. "I have my ways."

Okay. She couldn't decide if that came across as mysterious or just sort of creepy. She decided to reserve judgement for the time being. She hesitated, then asked, "Why are you lying on the sidewalk?"

"Because lying in the street would be stupid."

"...hard to argue with that logic."

Was he drunk? He sounded pretty articulate if he was.

She took a quick glance around before looking back down at him. He seemed to be alone.

Why was she talking to him? She should really just go, get in her car, and drive back home. Instead, she asked, "Where's that girl you were with earlier?"

"She got mad. She left."

"Is that where that shiner your sporting came from?"

He shrugged. "Turns out she's one dynamic lady."

Guess that was his way of saying yes. It also kind of sounded like his way of saying that chick was a psychotic hag.

"What'd you do?"

"Dunno really. Something about me not paying attention to her, I think?" He took another pull from his cigarette, held it in, then blew a few smoke rings.

"...maybe you should have been paying more attention to her," Elsa suggested.

"Bah, it's fine, she never pays attention to me either."

"Wow, sounds like true love."

"Whatever, it's tit for tat." He snerked with a wry grin. "I said tat."

Yup. Definitely drunk. That, or he was a third-grader for finding that funny. A very tall, nicotine-addicted third grader that spent his nights at bars. Yeah, the latter sounded more likely. But on the off chance he wasn't a really messed up grade schooler and was indeed simply drunk, she asked, "Do you have a way to get yourself home?"

"Yup. Speaking of, guess my smoke break's over." He brought the cigarette to his lips one more time, the tip flaring up orange as he inhaled deeply, before putting it out on the pavement next to his head. He then lifted his legs up off the wall and brought his feet down to lay flat on the floor.

"So, someone's coming to pick you up?" she pressed.

"Nah. I'm taking my motorcycle."

...a motorcycle? In his condition? Then again, maybe he wasn't actually drunk. Maybe he was just weird.

He attempted to get up. Instead, he only managed to look like a turtle stuck on its back unable to right itself. He gave up after flailing for a bit.

Oh dear.

"Little help?" he asked, reaching a hand up towards her.

Her eyes shifted from the proffered hand back down to his face. A beat, then Elsa clasped her hands around his arm. "Are you sure that's the best idea?" she asked as she awkwardly attempted pull him onto his feet and he didn't budge. "Riding your motorcycle? Because you seem a little- eep!" she squeaked as he nearly yanked her down onto the ground with him while he pulled on her arm in an attempt to stand up. Struggling to stay upright herself, it took a minute, but they finally got him onto his feet.

He wobbled slightly. "A little what?"

"A little, ah… shall we say blitzed?"

"You think I'm shitfaced? Bah. I'm as sober as a priest on Sunday!" he said. Then he wobbled again.

Right. Why did drunk people always feel the need to deny just how loaded they were? Deciding not to argue with him just yet, she asked, "Where is your bike parked?"

"In Murky's lot." He raised an unsteady arm to point a finger towards it.

She looked where he was pointing, then quirked an eyebrow as she glanced at him again. "...you mean Mickey's lot, which is," she took hold of his arm and swerved it in the completely opposite direction, "that way?"

"Yup. I was just testing you. You passed. Good job!" He held up his hand towards her. She hesitated before giving him a tentative high-five.

"Well... I'm parked there too, so I'll walk with you."

"Good call. These streets are dangerous at this time of night," he nodded sagely.

Sure. Because that's why she had suggested it. For safety reasons. Not because she was seriously doubting at this point the guy could even locate his bike on his own, much less ride it.

They walked towards the parking lot, which was just on the other side of Mickey's. When they reached the corner of the building, Elsa turned but Axel kept walking straight. He would have walked right passed it, but Elsa hooked her hand into his elbow, forcing him to turn with a stumble into the car park.

There were a few motorcycles scattered among the spaces. When she asked which one was his, he seemed to need a minute to consider it before walking towards the one that was parked right next to her car.

How convenient.

She chewed her bottom lip as they approached the motorcycle. "Are you sure you're okay to ride?"

"I told ya already, I'm fine." He then proceeded to mount his bike. Backwards. He put his hands out in front of him, grasping at the air above his back tire, before blinking a couple times. "Hey, where'd my handgrips go?"

Yeah, no. He wasn't getting himself home. No way. Not happening.

"That's it, I'm driving you," Elsa said firmly, grabbing him by the arm. He stumbled to his feet as she dragged him off the bike.

"Okay, I guess. But only because someone stole my handlebars."

She briefly considered showing him that they had in fact not been stolen, but decided against it. He'd only get back on his bike if he knew, and then immediately crash into something. Like a telephone pole. Or a hydrant. Or a police car. Instead, she diplomatically said, "I'm sure they'll turn up in the morning."

"They better. Otherwise I'm gonna have to cut a bitch."

"For sure."

He narrowed his eyes at her as she lead him around to the passenger side of her car. "You patronizing me?"

"I would never."

"Good. Because if you were, I would have to-"

"-cut a bitch?" she helpfully supplied as she unlocked the door and gave him a gentle shove into her car.

He all but collapsed into the seat in an undignified heap, giving her a couple woozy blinks. "How'd you know?"

She smiled sweetly. "Lucky guess." She then slammed the door shut and walked back around to the driver side.

What was up with her tonight? It wasn't like her to pick up strangers after midnight and give them rides home. It also wasn't like her to talk to random drunk people that she ran into on the street. Hell, besides Anna, it wasn't like her to talk to people, period. But Axel wasn't just people. He had helped her out earlier that day. She was just returning the favor, she reasoned.

As she got behind the steering wheel, she closed her door and asked, "Did you fasten your seat belt?"

"Yes."

She looked at him. He hadn't. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Are you lying to me?"

"No," he replied innocently. As if she couldn't clearly see that he was not buckled in.

She held out her hand, waiting for him to give her the seat belt. "Hand it over."

"Hand what over?"

She sighed. Dealing with drunks was kind of like dealing with toddlers. Maybe that's why this situation wasn't bothering her. Toddlers she could handle. She liked toddlers. It was adults she couldn't stand.

"The seat belt," she said patiently.

"No, you're just going to buckle me in with it."

"...yes, that's kind of the point."

He just stubbornly crossed his arms. Deciding on a different tactic, Elsa said, "Fine, can I just see it?" He stared at her in silence. "Please? Just for a second?"

"Why, what do you want it for?"

"To show you a trick."

That seemed to catch his interest. Eyeing her suspiciously, he reached over his shoulder and pulled out the seat belt, handing her the buckle. Without a word, she clicked it into holster beside his seat.

"Hey!" he protested, sounding as betrayed as if she had stabbed him in the back. "You buckled it!"

"That was the trick."

"...I don't get it."

She grinned, suppressing a laugh. "That's okay. It was a bit complex."

She fastened herself in as well before placing her key in the ignition and starting up her car. "What about my bike?" she heard Axel ask.

She glanced out her window at the motorcycle. "You can come back for it tomorrow."

"It better still be there. Otherwise, you owe me a new bike," he declared.

She considered his words for a moment. "Well, I wouldn't owe you a whole motorcycle."

He frowned. "Why not?"

Doing her best to keep a straight face, she responded, "Because that one is missing handlebars, remember?"

He didn't respond right away. She could practically see the liquor-coated gears turning in his head. Finally, he said, "Fine. If someone steals it, the new one you get me doesn't have to have handlebars."

"Deal." She backed out of the parking space, shifted into Drive and pressed down on the gas pedal.

Axel pressed his face up against the window as the car moved passed his motorcycle, waving his hand from side to side. "Bye, Baby. Daddy's gonna miss you!" he crooned, fogging up the glass with his breath.

"Talking to your bike? Really?" she snorted. "And please don't call yourself Daddy. It's kind of disturbing."

He looked at her, his expression blank. "...but Baby needs to know that Daddy's gonna miss her."

"...right. Okay then."

Who knew this guy was such a dork? Was he really the same person who had slammed that jerk's head into a desk in class today?

As she turned out of the parking lot, Axel mumbled, "So, you… uh… like to study, huh?"

Oh, was the lush trying to make small talk? How adorable. He must have seen her in the bar with all her books. She shrugged as she pulled up to a stop sign. "I guess. Studying's my jam."

Wow, did she really just say that? How lame.

"Can I be your peanut butter?"

She stared at him. He returned her stare. Then she raised an eyebrow and asked, "...does that line actually work?"

He turned to look out the window, resting his chin in his palm. "Apparently not," he mumbled.

Shaking her head, she moved the car forward. "So, where do you live?"

His head snapped back around to face her as he demanded, "Why?"

Confused at his reaction, she responded, "Um… so I can drive you home?"

He narrowed his eyes dubiously. "Are you sure it's not because you're a stalker?"

She snorted and tried not to roll her eyes. "...I'm pretty sure."

He watched her for a few more seconds before he seemingly decided she was trustworthy. "The Thirteen."

"Okay… thirteen what?"

"What do ya mean, thirteen what? The Thirteen," he repeated.

"Is thirteen a house number? What's the street name?"

"It's not an address, it's just the Thirteen."

She frowned. "I don't know what that means."

"How can you not know what the Thirteen is? I mean, come on, it's the Thirteen!"

Well, this was getting nowhere fast.

"How about this: would you be able to give me directions?"

He perked up like a puppy. "Yeah, I can do that! Okay, so, go straight for three stoplights, then turn right, then another right, go under the bridge, then over the rainbow, down the rabbit hole, through wardrobe, second star on the right, then straight on 'til morning."

That hung in the air for a few seconds before Elsa said, "You're too drunk to remember how to get home, aren't you?"

"...maybe just a little bit."

She drummed her fingers along the steering wheel. What was she going to do with him now? It was kind of difficult to drive him home if neither of them knew where his home was. And she couldn't exactly just leave him on the side of the road. She sighed, "I guess I'll just take you back to my place."

His eyes widened. "Wha- really? Well, that escalated quickly! Guess I shouldn't be surprised though, it was only a matter of time before you succumbed to be raw sexual magnetism. But if we're gonna do this, there are two things you gotta know. A," he began, ticking off one finger, "my safe word is pelicans."

She blinked at him.

"Two," he went on, raising another finger, "Go for my ears. If you wanna drive me crazy, they're my sweet spot. Use teeth. Tongue is good, but teeth are fantastic."

She blinked a second time.

"A1," Axel continued as he ticked off a third finger, apparently categorizing by steak sauces now. And hold up, wasn't there only supposed to be two things? "My safe word is pelicans." Nevermind. It was just the first one again.

"...what exactly do you think is going to happen tonight?" she asked slowly.

There was a pause. "...what do you think is going to happen?" he slurred.

"I think I'm taking you to my apartment so you can sleep off your intoxication in my guest room."

He scratched the back of his head. "Right. Yeah. I knew that."

"Clearly."

Her home wasn't that far from Mickey's by car. It was only a few minutes later that she was pulling into her parking space outside the apartment she shared with Anna. In order to avoid any further obstacles with the seat belt, she unbuckled Axel's for him. Then she got out of her car, went around to the passenger side, and went to open the door. What she did not anticipate was it being locked.

She also did not anticipate Axel's giggle. An actual, honest-to-God giggle. He sounded like a little girl on a freaking sugar rush.

Sighing through her nose, she pressed a button on her key fob and the door unlocked with a pop. As she opened the door, he dazedly said, "Woah, how'd you do that?"

"Magic."

"Do it again!"

Quirking an eyebrow, she pressed the button a few more times. The latch in the door moved up and down a few times, locking and unlocking.

Axel watched in awe. Then he clapped. And, once again, giggled.

He seriously found this amusing? It seemed like he was getting drunker by the minute. Was that even possible?

"Okay, magic shows over. Time to go," she said, pocketing the fob and helping him out of the seat. As she closed the door behind him and locked the car, he took a few uneven steps before stopping. Eyeing him with a frown, she asked, "You good to walk?"

"Of course, no problemo." His legs then immediately proceeded to collapse under him. Moving quickly, she caught him before he fully fell down, her shoulder under his arm to hold him up. She staggered under his weight.

Jeez, why was he so heavy? The boy was a stick!

Glancing at his face out of the corner of her eye, it looked like he was still conscious, but was fading fast. He wouldn't be walking on his own anytime soon.

"Mmm… you smell nice," his voice tickled in her ear as she began walking, his feet slowly dragging beside hers. "...like snow."

"Um… thanks? I didn't know snow had a scent."

"Sure it does. It smells all crisp and fluffy and cool, like… like…" As he struggled for the word he was looking for, they came up to a gate. There was a small courtyard in front of her apartment, fenced off by large metal bars covered in vines. It was awkward balancing Axel while digging out her key, but she managed to do it and get the gate unlocked. As she swung it open, he had a surge of inspiration. "Like peppermint!"

"Snow… smells like peppermint?"

Now that wasn't right.

"Duh. Didn't you know?"

"Guess I've been sniffing the wrong snow." She guided him through the courtyard and stopped in front of her door. Lifting his arm off her shoulder, she straightened him up and cautiously released her hold on him. "Think you can manage to stand on your own long enough for me to get the door open?"

He swayed a little but managed to stay upright. "Heh. Can I stand? Can an orangutan do the tango?"

That was an interesting question. Could it? She ventured a guess, "...yes?"

"Hell yes, I can stand. I can stand like nobody's business. I've won awards for my standing. I could stand for days."

She snorted. "Well, champ, I only need you to do it for just a few seconds."

He gave her an unsteady, two-fingered salute. She watched him for another second, reluctant to take her eyes off him, before hastily turning to the door. The more time she spent worrying about him face planting into the ground, the more likely he would actually face plant. She inserted her key and unlocked the door with a click. A sudden loud thud made her practically jump out of her skin and spin back around.

The sound had been caused by Axel's elbow colliding with the the spot on the door just above her head. He had used it to catch himself from falling on top of her. He was now slumping forward, arm still pressed against the door for support.

And his face was hardly an inch away from hers.

Startled, she pressed her back against the door, but that did little to add distance between them. He wore a crooked little smirk and his eyes were hooded, half obscuring his vibrant green irises that seemed to all but glow in the dark. Seeing him this up close was a reminder of just how good-looking he was. She felt her cheeks heating up and her heartbeat pick up the pace.

No boy had a right to be so damn pretty!

It was also hard not to be jealous of his winged eyeliner skills. She was pretty sure it looked way better on him than it ever would on her. No fair!

"I have a secret," he whispered sluggishly. His breath smelled of cinnamon and ash.

Her mouth was dry and it took her a second to find her voice. "Is that so?"

Still smirking, he nodded before waggling a finger at her as he continued in his hushed tone, "But I'm not telling." Then he poked her on the tip of the nose, saying, "Boop!"

Oh, right. Mental equivalent of a five-year old. She'd almost forgotten.

"Well, good for you. That's very, ah… very responsible of you. Secrets aren't meant to be told, that's why they're secrets." She placed a hand on his chest, gingerly pushing him away from her, but careful not to make him tip over in the opposite direction. To be on the safe side, she held onto his sleeve to keep him steady, using her other hand to open the door. Letting him lean against her shoulder once more, she lead him inside and used her foot to kick the door shut behind her.

"You said this place was an apartment, not a freaking castle," Axel said as he looked around.

Ignoring his comment, she began to walk him through the living room. It was extremely spacious, filled with lavish, cushy furniture and expensive-looking decor adorning the walls. Straight ahead of them was an archway that lead into a dining room that could rival the living room in both size and grandeur, and to the right was a hallway that lead to the rest of her home.

She turned down the hall, taking him into the first door on the right. Flicking the wall switch, the room lit up. This room was also rather sizable and well-furnished, if a bit plain. It was just a guest room, after all.

He blinked. "Damn, how did you manage to fit so much apartment into this place?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I use bigger-on-the-inside technology," she deadpanned, crossing the room and dumping him unceremoniously onto the king-size bed.

"A Time Lord?" He flopped about for a bit before managing to sit up. His eyes were wide. "Are... are you here to take me on adventures through time and space?"

She couldn't help the laugh the bubbled out of her throat. His face just looked so hopeful and full of wonder. She was slightly surprised, she had not expected him to get the reference. Well hello, fellow Whovian!

Sobering, she answered solemnly, "Tomorrow. Adventures through time and space require a good night's sleep beforehand."

He nodded earnestly and it was hard for her not to laugh again. "Yeah, okay, that makes sense." He clumsily took off his shoes, probably preparing to go to bed. He then followed it by lifting up his shirt. Elsa just stared for a second.

...nice.

The boy may have been a stick, but he was a well toned stick.

The effect was somewhat ruined when he got his shirt stuck on his head while trying to remove it. She watched him a minute as he struggled with it before she asked, "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" he responded, voice muffled by fabric. "Taking my shirt off."

"Yeah, but why?"

He twisted around in his efforts to get it off, angling himself so she got a view of his back. There was a tattoo on his right shoulder blade depicting a wheel with spikes protruding around the rim. Interesting. "Cuz I can't sleep in shirts. They're all hot and stuffy and make me itchy."

"Oh. Okay."

"Normally I sleep in the nude, but I won't tonight," he went on conversationally, still fighting with the shirt. She was curious to see how long this would go on. "Cuz I'm a gentleman."

She quirked an eyebrow. "...are you saying keeping your pants on makes you a gentleman?"

"Damn skippy." He momentarily abandoned his efforts towards freeing his head, instead lifting up one hand. All his fingers were curled shut except for his little finger which he held up and straight.

Elsa tilted her head to one side. "...are you raising your pinky?"

"I am. Do you know why?"

"...because you're a classy gentleman?"

"Cuz I'm a classy as fuck gentleman!" he corrected boisterously.

He looked absolutely ridiculous.

Shaking her head with a grin, she sighed, "Alright, Mr. Gentleman, let me give you a hand with that." She stepped in front of him, grabbed a fistful of shirt and gave a gentle tug. It slipped right off his head without the slightest resistance. This wasn't exactly rocket science.

"Thanks," he grinned, running a hand through his fiery locks.

She nodded, then there was a brief lull. A lull in which she suddenly became acutely aware of her current situation.

She was alone in a room with a boy. A boy who was painfully attractive. A boy on a bed. A boy who was notorious for his borderline Casanova complex. A boy whose decision-making was currently libatiously compromised. A boy who she had just helped take off his shirt. A boy with glorious pectorals and come-hither eyes wreathed in sex eyeliner.

Feeling awkward all of a sudden, she hurriedly backed away from him. "Um… so, yeah. This is your room for the night," she blurted, sweeping her arms wide to indicate the space. She pointed, "Your bed." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards the door leading back out into the hall, "If you need the bathroom, it'll be to your left. And that's it. So, I think I'll-"

"Elsa," he interrupted her.

She twitched. "Yes?"

A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. "You never asked me what my secret was."

Her brow furrowed. "Well… you said you weren't going to tell. So I figured I shouldn't ask."

"But I wanted you to ask."

She slowly crossed her arms. "Okay… then, what's your secret?"

"You have to promise not to tell Axel I told you."

"...you want me to keep your secret from yourself?"

"No, not me. Axel." He made a frustrated noise in his throat as he tried to organize his addled thoughts. "Sober Axel. He'd straight up seppuku my ass if he knew I told you."

"...your ass? I don't think that's how seppuku works…"

"Promise me," he insisted.

"Fine, I promise."

He raised his little finger once again and held it out towards her. "Pinky swear."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked flatly. His expression was stern and brooked no argument. "Fine," she gave in, hooking her pinky in his. "Now what is it?"

"There was a reason I wasn't paying attention to that girl."

"Girl? ...the one you were at the bar with?" At his nod, she said, "Okay... so what was the reason?"

"It's cuz instead I was paying attention to you."

She blinked. Then her eyes drifted to his bruise again. "So that's why she punched you?"

He brushed his fingers against the purple blotch just beneath his eye. "Yeah, she didn't like that," he slurred.

"So why were you staring at me then?" Elsa asked. Then she snorted. "Fascinated by the uptight loser who was studying in the middle of a bar?"

He shook his head. "No, it's cuz I-" he abruptly stopped, eyes shifting around the room suspiciously. He then crooked his finger at her. "Come closer."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Cuz this is the secret. Gotta whisper the secret."

Come on, seriously?

She fixed him with a blank look for a few seconds. Then she relented and reluctantly stepped towards him. He gestured for her to get closer still, and with a sigh, she bent forward. He cupped a hand to her ear and when he spoke, she could hardly hear him.

"Cuz I got a crush on you."

Say what?

Her head snapped back and her spine went rigidly straight. She stumbled backwards and she stared at him. Just stared for a moment. Then her hands flew up to clasp over her mouth. Her face began to turn red.

Then her cheeks puffed up. She spluttered and her eyes watered slightly. And then, unable to contain it any longer, she burst out laughing.

"Y-you're joking, right?" she wheezed out between giggles. "A crush? What is this, elementary school? Just how drunk are you?"

"I'm serious!" he argued, but his protests only made her laugh harder. He flopped back on the bed, resting his head on the pillow and pouting while he waited.

When she managed to settle down a bit, she said, "Oh wow, I bet you say this to all the girls. Do they really eat this stuff up?"

"But I don't. I don't say it to all the girls," he sulked. "Just you. From the first moment I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl to ever walk the face of the planet."

"Oh please, what a line." This was the supposed bad boy that she had heard all those rumors about? This cheeseball? "You don't even know a thing about me."

"I know you're smart… and determined. And sweet. You really like to laugh, even though you don't do it that often. You're shy so you have a hard time showing it, but you're actually very caring towards others. You have a big heart, but I don't think you even know it."

She frowned, scratching her cheek. "...who's the stalker now, hm?" Was any of that even true about her? She'd certainly like to think so, but then, who wouldn't? Besides… caring towards others? Big heart? Psh. Yeah right. People hater here, remember? "Are you just saying stuff that you think I want to hear?"

He shrugged and yawned. "I just calls it like I sees it. And it's easy to see for anyone who cares to look."

She harrumphed. "Okay then… if you're crushing on me so hard, why haven't you ever done anything about it before?"

His eyelids were drooping heavily. "Not good enough," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"What wasn't good enough?" She cocked her head to one side. "...did you think...you weren't good enough?" He gave her no answer. Her frown deepened. "Why would you think that?"

This time he did respond.

By snoring.

She remained still momentarily before releasing a soft huff. "Seriously? You passed out in the space of two seconds?"

He snored again.

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she went to the chest at the foot of the bed. Axel has fallen asleep on top of the sheets and bed covers. Not wanting him to get cold, she pulled an extra blanket out of the chest and tossed it over him. She then stared at him for a few seconds longer, pursing her lips.

"...good night, you dweeb."

She left the room, turning off the light and closing the door behind her. As she walked towards her bedroom, she mulled over what he had told her. Then she chuckled softly. It was all nothing. It had to be. Just the ramblings of guy who had had a little too much to drink. Alcohol probably just made him extra flirty. Or maybe he had thought she was someone else. Drunk people don't exactly see straight. Yeah, that was probably it.

...right?

Author's Note: And thus, a chain of events has been set in motion... hehehehe.

What'd ya think? Please let me know! I hope you liked it! This is actually one of the most fun times I've had writing a chapter. I like a relationship between Elsa and Anna where they get along and don't have a wall between them like in the movie. I figure without a big obstacle like those pesky secret ice powers in the way, the sisters would have been super close, so that's how I'm going to write it in this story! I also really enjoy writing drunk Axel, and really, really enjoy writing Elsa's reactions to him. The only part I'm feeling uncertain about is the very end, but hopefully it's good enough!

If this feels a bit dialogue heavy, get used to it, because that's gonna be a majority of this story. Also, lotsa cliché and next to no drama. I'm letting ya'll know now so if that's not your thing, you can get out while the getting's good!

However, if you liked this and are in it for the long haul, then you, my friend, are a divine, majestic creature with fabulous taste ;) Thank you to SoraKairiRikuNamine for being my very first review on this story, you rock! Thanks to everyone else who has followed, faved, and read this far! Be back next week for a new chapter!