Disclaimer: So, don't own shit. Seriously, have your insulin ready; no sexy times but a lot of fluff ahead. Except this first bit here; that's just me trolling the fuck out of Anna.
Anna took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could do this, totally, no sweat, piece of cake, and she didn't doubt that one bit... but it terrified her to no end. There just had to be a steep downside to this plan that she entirely forgot to account for and she would smack herself for it later. Still, it was the best plan she had at the moment so, with only the slightest bit of hesitation, she rang the doorbell and waited for Eugene to answer the door.
There was probably a hundred different ways to do this but- for the life of her- she thought this was the best one. Although they hadn't gone farther as of yet, Elsa was definitely becoming more comfortable with Anna's body and revealing a rather voracious appetite for intimacy between them. She wasn't complaining, of course, but it had her... concerned, just a bit. Eventually, the blonde would probably want to take things to the next level, and Anna had only the vaguest concept of what that would entail on her part. She certainly didn't have the faintest idea of how to make it good- for Elsa's sake, of course, because she had virtually no doubt it would be good for her no matter what. It would probably be mind-breaking amazing and she would need help remembering how to be a functional human being after. But the last two times, Elsa had caught her by surprise and she had to learn as she went. They turned out alright, for a first try, but subsequent performances taught her a lot about paying attention to the blonde's body, about doing better than the time before, and her girlfriend definitely enjoyed the refined touch. It stood to reason that, if she just waited it out and was surprised again, their first time fully together wouldn't be as good as Elsa deserved.
She could always go to her parents but... no. No, she wasn't about to open that door; her mother would never let her hear the end of it and her father would probably go into way too much detail than she was entirely comfortable hearing. Heck, given who she was talking about, they'd probably offer to demonstrate and no, no, she was not going down this road, no.
There was Kristoff, though his sexual experience rivaled her own. He would probably at least have a better idea than she would. Sven was out, seeing as he really didn't do relationships.
So, that really just left her with Eugene as her most sexually competent, sympathetic ear and she swore that if he turned this into more joke fodder, she would never forgive him.
When the door opened, Anna nearly chickened out entirely, offering the man a nervous smile. "H-hey Eugene."
"Anna? I didn't know you were dropping by!" He stepped aside. "Come on in! Have you even been over for something other than a party?"
"I honestly think this is the first time I've been here while the sun's still up." Anna laughed, heading inside and taking a seat on the couch.
"Well, what's up? You usually don't drop by unannounced. And without your girlfriend."
Anna bit her lip. The only way she was going to get through this was to be blunt and direct. "That's... actually, kinda, maybe, sort of related to why I'm here. In a way." Okay... she could do better than that. "What I mean, I guess-"
"Say no more, my friend." Eugene got up, making a show of popping his knuckles and wiggling his fingers. "You've come to the master for assistance and assist you I shall. Just give me one little moment to assemble the appropriate tools."
And with that, he left the room and Anna, completely dumbfounded, while he presumably retreated to his room. The redhead was in the process of determining whether he was psychic or she just had an unnatural knack for non-verbal communication when she was nervous when he returned, carrying a stack of DVDs in one hand and...
Her face turned the shade of her hair as her jaw fell open, one hundred percent certain of what she was looking at and not one bit amused but it.
"Our core curriculum will consist of visual learning." He nodded towards the DVDs and then towards the life sized blow up doll under the other arm. "And practical demonstration."
"Oh hell no!" Anna shot to her feet, fully prepared to bolt when her friend dropped what he was carrying and busted out laughing. "EUGENE!"
"I- oh geez- c'mon- I- I- one minute, shit!" he somehow managed between laughs, rolling around on the ground and testing the limits of Anna's patience. When he finally got himself under control, Eugene sat up, wiping tears from his eyes. "I couldn't resist. Ever since Punzie spilled the beans, I've been praying you would stop by alone. This was just a golden opportunity!"
"And what does Rapunzel have to do with this?" The redhead groused, sitting back down and crossing her arms over her chest, trying to ignore the heated flush lighting up her cheeks.
"Elsa didn't tell you?" Eugene raised a brow, resting his chin on the armrest of the couch and looking as innocent as he possibly could. "Remember when you let all of us in on your secret? Yeah, while we were playing games, they went off on their own and had, like, a girly heart-to-heart talk thing."
Anna bit her lip, somewhat concerned. "What did they- I mean, um, is- was everything okay? Like... do I need to... be concerned?"
"What?" Eugene's face screwed up, clearly confused, but smoothed out a moment later as he jumped up and onto the couch, somehow landing with his legs crossed and waving off the redhead's concerns. "Hey, Feisty Pants, slow your roll. Your girl is crazy about you; no doubts there. She was just asking for advice, just like I assume you're here to do."
"Advice?" She blinked. "Wait. You mean about... sex?" Eugene nodded. "Elsa asked Rapunzel for tips about sex."
"Yes. Which part of this is confusing for you?"
"The part where I didn't even think about it," she replied, scratching her head. Sure, it made sense in hindsight, but it hadn't even occurred to her at the time. "But... yeah, I guess it makes sense. I'm here for the same thing. Um. I think?" She blinked. "Wait, was the pickle thing-"
"Oh you poor, unfortunate soul, you saw her doing that?" Eugene laughed, lightly shoving her shoulder when her reaction gave him his answer. "It's okay, threw me for a loop, too, when I accidentally caught Punzie. Nearly creamed your pants, didn't you?"
"Shut up." Anna pressed back into the couch, wishing it would swallow her whole. "The banana was way worse."
After a few minutes of suffering through more of her friend's amusement and feeling slightly better that she wasn't the alone in the dark anymore, they finally got around to talking about sex- or, rather, Anna stuttering through questions while her face burned and Eugene answering like they were discussing the weather. It took nearly twenty minutes for her to relax, attention shifting from her embarrassment to listening to the tips her friend provided. Primarily, she was concerned with making sure Elsa was going to... enjoy herself during their first time.
At length, Eugene frowned. "I hate to put it like this, Feisty Pants, but she probably won't orgasm the first few times, no matter what preparations you make."
"Isn't there something I can do?" Anna pouted, running a hand through her hair.
"It's not about what you can do, Anna. It's about what you'll remember in the heat of the moment." He shrugged. "Come on, can you honestly say you were capable of thinking the first time she gave you a blowjob?"
The redhead scrunched her nose. "Can you not make it sound so... dirty?"
He favored her with a flat look before straightening his back and extending his pinky, adopting an obnoxious English accent that was also god-awful. "Forgive me, dear, I merely mean to inquire as to whether you were capable of rational thought while her mouth was on your penis, performing the act of fellatio."
"Okay. I am going to kindly ask you to never, ever, under any circumstances do that again. Any of it." Anna groaned. "I'm going to need brain bleach after this, I swear."
Dropping the act, he raised a brow at her. "Look, I think you're overreacting. Punzie and I talk about sex, like, a lot-"
"And you're an absolute lecher-"
"But she isn't!" He objected. "I'm the way I am because that's me; if you and Elsa sat down and just, ya know, talked about this shit, it might make you feel a lot better about it. At least you could confirm you're both on the same page. Maybe she's more concerned with getting your rocks off and won't appreciate having you interfere with that."
The redhead sighed, scratching behind her ear. She didn't want to admit it to Eugene but, well, not talking about their sex life definitely hadn't done either of them any favors in the past, so maybe he had a point there.
"Look, at the end of it all, you're probably not going to remember your first time ten years down the road. It's a starting point, ya know, everyone's gotta have one. Hell, I don't remember losing my virginity." He cocked his head to the side. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure who I was with at the time... but, well, I guess that might be because I'm a dude. I mean, I remember my first time with Punzie but that was... different." Eugene shrugged, giving her a lopsided grin. "That doesn't matter anyway, really, because everyone's first time is some degree of horrible. You get better as you go, as you communicate."
"So, what you're basically saying is that I just have to wing it once we, um, actually get going?"
"Basically? Yeah." Eugene scratched his goatee. "Well... there's a few things I can think of that might help."
As they got into the details, the young man was kind enough to curb his rather colorful descriptions to a slightly more academic approach for Anna's sake. It still felt weird talking about sex so openly but the redhead was able to move past it, reminding herself that this wasn't just a passing conversation but an actual attempt at learning something she'd abandoned some time ago.
They pointedly ignored the blow up doll for the rest of the visit.
Eugene would probably tell but Anna sure as hell didn't want to know.
When she left Eugene's, Anna was a lot more comfortable with the idea of talking to Elsa about the direction their sex life was heading and even somewhat at ease with her own inexperience. At the very least, her friend had somewhat prepared her for what to expect and how to make things easier for her girlfriend, which was all she could really hope for at this point. She was even a little confident that she wouldn't eventually regret asking Eugene for help.
Getting up the courage to talk to Elsa, however, proved to be a tad bit more difficult than going to Eugene. Mainly because she struggled with trying to word what she wanted to say without making it sound like she wanted to take things to the next level- even though she did and it was getting harder to not feel like maybe she should be completely honest with the blonde- because she, as always, didn't want to push.
"Sunshine?" Anna blinked, looking up to see that Elsa was watching her, brows pinched in concern. "Is everything alright?"
She could broach the subject now, while they were eating dinner. Be casual about it. The way Eugene was.
But she wasn't Eugene.
The redhead smiled, reaching over to press a kiss to her girlfriend's cheek. "Yeah. Sorry, I just zoned out for a minute- I think I dropped off when you started talking about that new chick. Amy?"
"Ariel." Elsa gently corrected, smirking. "Is someone jealous?"
"No, I trust you." Anna waved her fork in the air. "But if she starts calling you 'Snowflake', we might have an issue."
They both laughed, the conversation returning to regular topics, though the blonde took a moment to tease her a little bit more. Apparently, this Ariel woman was also a redhead, and while Anna wasn't exactly thrilled with that bit of information, she really wasn't worried, per say. In fact, she took the opportunity to tease Elsa back, suggesting that maybe the blonde would benefit from a change of pace. That idea was instantly shot down, prompting Anna to sit back and smother her amusement as she listened to her girlfriend's rant about fidelity- apparently it also tied back into CotL, or so Elsa said, which left Anna pleasantly confused when the blonde trailed off abruptly and went back to eating the meal.
With their anniversary was right around the corner, Anna decided to not broach the topic of their sex life just yet. She'd bring it up after they'd passed the milestone; she didn't want anything marring the special day.
Finally, the big day arrived. The previous two weeks involved nearly pushing herself to the breaking point just to have the day completely free, busting her butt to get her assignments out of the way, and spending every spare minute working for some extra cash, but it was going to be so worth it. They'd agreed on one surprise each for the day but had planned everything else together and it was tough to say which she was looking forward to more.
The moment her alarm went off, Anna was wide awake and ready to start the day while simultaneously hoping it would pass slowly.
"Come on! Let's get ready!" She called out, untangling herself from the sheets and heading straight to her dresser. When she didn't get a response, she glanced over her shoulder to see her girlfriend, who was still in bed. "Snowflake? Hello?"
Nothing.
Pouting, the redhead abandoned her search for clothes to slide back onto the mattress, shaking Elsa's shoulder. "Elsa?"
Beating down the panic rising in her chest, Anna checked to make sure the blonde was breathing- check- had a pulse- check- and was a normal temperature- check, so she was at least okay.
She was about to be not okay if she kept up these shenanigans, though.
The blonde mumbled something but didn't get up, prompting the redhead to glower at her.
"Snowflake, this is not funny. Wake up."
"No."
Anna blinked.
"Elsa, what are you doing?" Silence. "I will resort to cruel and unusual measures to get an answer from you." More silence. "Alright, here I go!"
She could've resorted to tickling. Raspberries on the blonde's tummy. Biting or pinching, something along those lines. Instead, Anna slid back under the covers, wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's waist, and peppered kisses on her shoulder.
"I would hardly classify this as a 'cruel and unusual measure', Sunshine." Elsa mumbled, turning her head slightly and smiling as Anna kissed her lips.
"Well, it's not really worth getting ready without you, so why not stay in bed a little longer? Besides," she said, pressing another kiss to the side of Elsa's mouth, slipping her hands to the blonde's sides as she turned over so they were face-to-face. "It all comes down to three little words."
"Oh? And what would those be?"
Anna shifted, pressing another kiss just below the blonde's ear before whispering: "False sense of security."
Immediately, the redhead dug her fingers into her girlfriend's sides, blowing a sloppy raspberry on her neck as Elsa laughed and squirmed, unable to escape. Anna kept up her attack, careful that she wasn't actually hurting the blonde, except for perhaps a bit of oxygen deprivation. She eventually relented, laughing with Elsa as she caught her breath.
"Liar." The blonde eventually managed. "That was four words."
"'Of' doesn't count," Anna replied, chuckling and pressing another kiss to her shoulder. "Now, what's with the lazy bit, huh? Did you change your mind?"
Elsa looked at her for a moment, absolutely breathless and stunning in the morning light, a light flush in her cheeks from being tickled. "If I said yes, what would you do?"
"Stay here with you." She shrugged, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Kinda silly going out on an anniversary date without you."
"So we'd just... stay here in bed?"
"Well, we could move to the couch, if you'd like a change of scenery." She scrunched up her nose. "I don't really recommend it, though. It's not as comfy." Her expression smoothed out. "Have I not made it emphatically clear that I really enjoy cuddle time? Because I do. A lot."
Anna smiled as she got another laugh from the blonde, tilting her head slightly. It was weird, because the blonde was rarely reluctant about anything, especially for no apparent reason, but she didn't seem even the slightest bit sincere about abandoning their plans for the day either. Regardless, she wouldn't be too disappointed if they opted to spend the day lounging in bed. It was, after all, a celebration of their relationship, so there was little reason to get upset over a change of plans, as long as they were together.
"How about five more minutes, then?" Elsa rolled over and cuddled into her chest, the words soft but not from fatigue like the blonde's reluctance to get up would imply.
Anna frowned momentarily before enveloping the other woman as best she could. It wasn't often the blonde feigned anything but, then again, there was a lot of meaning riding on this particular day. Neither of them had real long term relationships before each other, so it was just one of the many first they'd get to experience together. Maybe it was a little bit like Valentine's Day, where whatever surprise Elsa had planned toed the line of what she considered 'appropriate' and was worried about the reaction she would receive.
Pressing a kiss to her girlfriend's temple, Anna allowed herself to simply enjoy the feel of Elsa in her arms. Whatever it was, she'd find out soon enough, and they'd get through it, just like everything else.
More than likely, Elsa was stressing over nothing.
Whether or not the blonde had a reason to be fidgety- which she was, increasingly so as the day wore on- Anna was at least accomplishing her mission of making the day as stress free as possible.
As long as they were in the moment, they enjoyed themselves, be it sharing a chocolate muffin over hot chocolate in the corner coffee shop they had their first 'date', ice skating at the Parks mall, or having lunch at Tony's. Whenever one activity ended, though, and they were moving on to the next, Elsa got nervous again. Finally, as they hopped back into the car after finishing their meal, Anna took a moment to reach over and gently squeeze her girlfriend's hand.
"Hey, Elsa." She smiled, waiting for the blonde to acknowledge her before continuing. "Whatever's going on in your head? Don't worry about it. It'll turn out fine, I promise."
The blonde chuckled, squeezing her hand in turn. "You don't know what I'm thinking, Anna. How can you make a promise like that?"
"Because I know I love you and that's all that matters."
"What if I'm trying to figure out how to tell you I'm Batgirl?"
"Then I'll just have to reveal that I'm Supergirl and try not to be jealous." Anna blinked, briefly wondering if she got her superheroes mixed up. Comics fell more into book territory than movies, though Hollywood seemed dead set on changing that. "Wait-"
"No, I think you got it right." Elsa laughed, wearing the smile that usually meant the redhead wasn't exactly correct in whatever reference she was going for.
She probably should've paid more attention when her girlfriend went off on that rant about the Justice League movie coming out in two years but instead shrugged, starting the car and heading towards the movie theater.
Unfortunately, there weren't any movies playing that either woman was particularly interested in but watching the movie wasn't exactly the plan anyway. In hindsight, this was probably what had the blonde so worked up in the first place, if Anna were to guess.
They got two tickets for some action flick that bombed during the first two weeks at the box office, forgoing the snack bar in favor of heading to the movie's auditorium. It was blessedly empty, so they chose seats at the very top and hoped their luck would last. They weren't quite as lucky as they would've liked, seeing as a few other people came in and sat down by the front rows, but when the lights began to dim, they were still relatively confident they wouldn't disturb anyone.
They gave it a few minutes after the title screen for the soundtrack and explosions to start up- apparently, this particular director was a huge fan of them, and it was mentioned in every review of the film that hardly any hint of a plot could be discerned over the sound of something blowing up- before Elsa was flipping up the arm rest, moving out of her seat, and straddling Anna's lap.
The redhead had no idea what possessed them to want to do this. Making out in the back of a dark movie theatre seemed like such a silly thing to do on an anniversary date but, when they realized there weren't any movies out that they wanted to see, it seemed like a completely logical alternative. Neither of them had ever done it before, so, yeah, why not?
Regardless if it was an activity more suited to teenagers in high school than grown adults, Anna couldn't feel the least bit embarrassed the moment Elsa's lips met hers, hands settling on her girlfriend's waist as Elsa cupped her face. She'd certainly never had the opportunity to even attempt something like this in her younger years, so the excitement of something new just added to the natural arousal the blonde's touch summoned, drawing a moan from her all too easily.
Elsa broke their kiss, leaving a wet trail up to her ear and speaking in a low, husky voice: "You lose."
Damnit, she really thought the blonde wasn't being serious about that 'being quiet' bet.
Oh well.
"I surrender," she replied instantly, whimpering when her girlfriend ground their hips together. She was already starting to get hard and, while it didn't automatically make her want to withdraw from the contact, she really didn't want to give herself any ideas. Or Elsa, for that matter. "Please, just kiss me again."
Elsa chuckled but complied, their lips meeting once more as their bodies pressed together. Her girlfriend took pity on her, not resting her full weight against Anna's lap, but her arousal climbed regardless, hands roaming the longer their make-out session lasted. She could still taste the wine on the blonde's tongue from lunch and it called back the memory of their first time tasting each other and wow wasn't that a hot little daydream, oral sex in the back of a theatre.
She was letting her imagination run wild and getting ahead of herself.
Mentally groaning at her brilliant word choice, she groaned aloud when Elsa slipped a hand under her shirt and lightly scratched along her stomach in a downwards motion.
Shoving thoughts of what they could do to the back of her mind for the moment, Anna focused all her attention on making her girlfriend moan and writhe in her arms, their make-out lasting for a solid hour before they broke apart. With only about twenty five minutes left in the movie, they had to give themselves enough time to calm down and look at least somewhat presentable before leaving the theatre, so they just snuggled up close and caught their breath, pretending to watch the remainder of the film.
The redhead was still sporting a raging hard-on but it was slowly dying down, right up until she felt Elsa tracing her bulge, fingernails lightly raking over the denim of her jeans.
"I could take care of you." Elsa's voice was in her ear and the offer was oh so tempting. She could feel her body responding to the suggestion but clamped down on her impulses, instead shifting in her seat. There was one big problem with the suggestion: the blonde was wearing a very nice pair of skinny jeans. It was a problem double-fold seeing as the dirty theatre floor might stain them and they were nearly impossible to peel the blonde out of in the best of situations.
Which, honestly, bothered her more than the floor thing. "But I can't return the favor."
"That's fine." The blonde tried to reassure her but she refused to listen, tugging at Elsa's arm instead. Of course, her girlfriend took the action as a green light and began sliding out of her seat and towards the floor. Anna intercepted her, pulling Elsa into her lap, sideways as opposed to straddling her as she had before. "What-?"
"You're not getting down on that floor, Snowflake," she said, pressing her lips to the blonde's throat. "Just hold me. Please?"
Her girlfriend seemed confused for a moment before settling herself comfortably, wrapping an arm around the redhead's shoulders and pressing her lips against crimson locks. "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to figure you out, Sunshine."
"What do you mean?" She frowned, looping her arms around Elsa's waist.
"It's just... if you have an erection, doesn't that mean you want to have sex?" Elsa reached up and fiddled with her braid nervously. "That's my understanding, anyway, but half the time, you... don't want to and it's just confusing for me." She shook her head, muttering almost to herself. "I shouldn't even be bringing this up right now."
Anna sighed, lips twitching into a small grin as she pressed a kiss to Elsa's jaw. "Elsa, it's okay. We should be able to talk to each other about this sort of stuff." She shifted her hips, rather pointedly grinding her hardened member against the underside of the blonde's thigh. "Remember what I said about there being a difference between love and sex? Sometimes, the former overpowers the latter; I want what your heart offers more than what your body does." Nuzzling into Elsa's chest, the redhead tightened her hold around her girlfriend. "Right now, I do really like the idea of you... um... doing... that- but, it doesn't look very comfortable or entirely sanitary for you, and I don't like not being able to, uh, return the favor. So, I'd rather just hold you, kiss you, and love you."
She could feel her girlfriend relax slightly, cupping Anna's cheek. "That's exactly it, the part I don't think I can ever really wrap my mind around. How, out of all the people in the world, I found the single kindest, sweetest, most loving person on the face of the planet. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
The redhead chuckled. "I think we've been over this before."
"Then maybe it's one of those things I'll just never understand." Elsa pressed a kiss to her hair again and Anna thought she felt a drop of wetness fall shortly after. Before she had a chance to question her girlfriend, she continued in a low voice, switching to Norwegian for the first time in a while. "I'm so lucky to have met you, Anna. I love you."
"I love you, too, Elsa." She nuzzled into the blonde's chest a bit further, smiling as she tuned out whatever was going on in the movie and focused instead of the slightly unsteady beating of Elsa's heart as it slowly evened out. "And I'm the luckier one."
They stayed like that, cuddled up together, and Anna was so wrapped up in listening to Elsa's heartbeat and breathing that she completely missed the movie drawing to a close until the lights came on and an usher began walking through the aisles. He looked at them a bit oddly, as if he was genuinely surprised, but didn't give them any grief as they left, hands intertwined.
After surreptitiously checking their reflections in the floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the front of the theatre, Anna decided there was nothing amiss with their appearances and the usher probably didn't expect anyone to stick around after the credits.
"So, next is dinner, right?" Elsa snuck another kiss to her cheek as they made their way out into the parking lot, the sun just beginning to inch towards the horizon.
"After a nice bubble bath, yup!" Anna beamed. "Don't think I forgot about that!"
"Of course not. I've been looking forward to it." The blonde paused. "Then again, I've been looking forward to everything we've done so far, too, so maybe that's not saying much."
"Or maybe it says everything." She laughed, accepting another kiss before they got going.
Their bath was, in a word, amazing. It was a million other things, too, of course- intimate, relaxing, adorable- but amazing summed it up pretty well. Definitely something they'd revisit at a later date.
"Ready to go?" Anna glanced up from her tie, a smile coming to her lips instantly as Elsa stepped out of the bathroom wearing the stunning blue dress from their Valentine's Day date; they'd decided to redo the date 'the right way' by actually going to Tiana's this time, so they were wearing the same outfits. Elsa's was still highly effective at turning the redhead into a malleable puddle of goo, though she recovered quicker this time around.
"Almost. You?"
"Same." The blonde went to the closet, retrieving her heels and sitting on the bed to put them on, Anna watching every movement with awe.
It still blew her mind, to some extent, how much she'd learned about the blonde since Elsa essentially forced her way back into Anna's life. How the woman wearing such a flattering, beautiful, formal dress was the same woman she'd met in the bookstore a year ago, with holes in her jeans and a torn shirt. How on earth had Anna managed to catch her attention? Maybe it was Elsa's comment earlier but it still struck her a bit silly sometimes how lucky she was that she met the blonde. After giving up on a real shot at romance, here they were because of Elsa, who didn't give up on her.
How would she ever repay that?
"Penny for your thoughts?" Anna snapped back to herself, noting the amusement sparkling in those blue eyes as Elsa watched her.
"For you, they're free." The redhead smiled and shrugged. "I want to kiss you."
Her girlfriend raised a brow. "And what's stopping you?"
"I don't want to mess up your make-up... or your hair... or your dress..." She smirked, taking a few steps closer to the bed, fully intending to offer her hand to help Elsa up and nothing more.
Truthfully, she very much wanted to mess up the blonde's make-up and hair and dress but that was just her libido talking. Okay, mostly her libido.
Leave it to her girlfriend to close the distance between them, breath ghosting over her lips as her eyes flicked away briefly. "We're running ahead of schedule. I think we can afford a few last minute touch-ups."
Although she was as careful as she could be given the circumstances, Anna found it hard to resist wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist as their lips touched, tongue darting out to beg entrance and finding no resistance. One of Elsa's hands was lightly scratching at the sensitive nape of her neck while the other tugged gently on her tie, trapping Anna in the embrace.
Like she ever wanted to leave.
A few minutes later they separated, panting lightly and faces flushed red, instantly losing themselves in the other's eyes.
"I love you, Elsa."
Elsa smiled, lipstick slightly smudged. "I love you, too, Anna."
She licked her lips. "How are we doing on time?"
"We've got some to spare," the blonde replied, leaning in for another kiss.
In the end, Elsa had to reapply her lipstick- and leave her jacket behind as a small mercy to the redhead- and by the time they actually made it to the car, they were running a little bit late and not at all concerned about it. Though they were taking Elsa's Golf, Anna made sure to run around to the driver's side to open the door for the blonde.
"And they say chivalry is dead."
"They say the same thing about romance but I'm beginning to think that's a lie, too," Anna replied, closing the door and hurrying over to her side, sliding in and receiving a kiss before she had the chance to buckle up.
"If you're only now starting to think that, I guess I've still got some work to do."
"I think I like being your work-in-progress." The redhead teased, buckling up and taking Elsa's hand in hers as soon as they were underway, their fingers intertwining automatically. She could feel the cool metal of the blonde's ring against her skin, only slightly disappointed that it would be a bit awkward for her to use her right hand so their rings could touch. She ran her thumb along the band of her ring instead, glancing down to make sure the snowflake necklace was still proudly on display on the center of her tie as they pulled out of the apartment complex.
The drive was quick and pleasant, the roads more or less empty on a Sunday evening. Anna wasn't quick enough to get out and open Elsa's door when they parked, however, but gladly offered her arm as they walked to the doors. Tiana's Place was a very nice restaurant, even nicer on the inside, and had a live band crooning out some smooth jazz on the stage, not too far from the table they were escorted to by the maître d'. The redhead was quick to pull out her girlfriend's chair, receiving a gracious nod and a radiant smile as Elsa took her seat.
"How does this compare to fancy restaurants in Europe?" She asked as she took her seat across the table. During their trip to the Netherlands, they hadn't really gone anywhere extravagant- or at least, nowhere overtly so. She hadn't picked up on it if they had, anyway.
"It doesn't," Elsa replied, shooting her a smirk. "I've never had such wonderful company."
"Laying it on a little thick, aren't you?"
"Of course not."
Anna smiled, reaching across the table to hold her girlfriend's hand as they looked over the menus. When the redhead noted the prices, she nearly choked on air. Yeah, she'd saved up some money, but it was still a shock to the system as she did the math in her head.
"Calm down, Sunshine. Dinner's on me," Elsa said without even looking up from her menu. "We liked the gumbo last time-"
"Elsa, you can't be serious." The redhead slowly shook her head. "I can't-"
She cut off when Elsa squeezed her hand, meeting her girlfriend's icy blue gaze. "Anna. I'm covering the bill for dinner tonight. This is not up for debate."
"But-"
"Good evening, ladies." Their waiter appeared out of nowhere, smiling with his pen and paper poised. "May I take your orders?"
Anna opened her mouth to say something but Elsa spoke first. "A bottle of your finest rose wine, please, and an order of the whatever the Chef recommends as an appetizer. Also, please give her my regards, Naveen. Will you be playing tonight?"
"Of course!" The waiter laughed, jotting down the order and clicking his pen with a shrug. "You know there is no better guitar player and Louie could use all the help he can get."
A loud, brash brass note sounded from the stage and Elsa laughed.
"I think he heard you." Anna looked up to the stage, noting the playful displeasure on the trumpet player's face as she started up his smooth jazz melody again.
"He'll get over it." Naveen grinned. "I'll be right back with your bottle."
After the waiter left, the redhead took a few moments to collect herself before trying again. "Snowflake-"
"I'm not changing my mind-"
"It's expensive-"
"And you're worth it-"
"It's your money-"
"My money, your money, what's the difference?" The blonde sighed, leaning forward slightly and running her thumb over Anna's ring. "Sunshine, please. You know this isn't a big deal to me."
The redhead took a deep breath and released it slowly. Now that she thought about it, their rings and necklaces were probably expensive too. She'd just... never really thought about the price involved before. Maybe she'd subconsciously ignored the implications, since they weren't staring her in the face like they were now? "Snowflake... how can I ever... match this, though?"
"Match it?" The blonde laughed, shaking her head. "What makes you think you're the one behind?" Anna raised a brow in question, so she continued. "You thought I was homeless at one point, Sunshine. You never let me pay if you could help it, for anything, and you always made sure I was fed." She laughed again. "You even drove across town that one night- in the pouring rain- just to help me out."
The redhead smiled; she'd almost forgotten about that. "Kristoff helped, too."
"He changed the tire, yes, but you insisted on filling up my tank after, not to mention the late night chocolate shakes." Elsa shrugged one shoulder. "When you thought I was broke, you didn't care about money and you wouldn't let me protest about how much you were paying for me. Why is this any different?"
Anna didn't really have a good explanation, except the one that sprung to her tongue. "Because."
Elsa waited a few moments. "Because...?"
"Because," she said, as if that's all there was and, really, that was all she had.
The blonde blinked, then chuckled. "Okay, well, I have a counter-argument to 'because'." She got up from her seat, ignoring Anna's protests, and came to her side, kneeling down- how on Earth does someone kneel in heels, that's just not fair- and smiling. "No matter what, you always take care of me when you can, in big ways and small ways. Let me do the same."
At a loss for words, the redhead reached out with her unoccupied hand, cupping Elsa's jaw and drawing her into a tender kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Her girlfriend smirked. "Now, stop fretting over the price and enjoy tonight. As far as I'm concerned, tonight is quite literally priceless, okay?"
She smiled, feeling the blush creeping into her cheeks from the look of pure adoration on Elsa's face. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Good." She returned to her seat, picking up her menu again. "So, the gumbo?"
"Sure, and how about some crawdads?"
Elsa raised a brow. "Think you can handle removing the heads yourself?"
"Yeah." She nodded, shrugging. "My girlfriend's Norwegian, so I'm kinda used to the whole 'dead fish eyes' thing now."
"Oh, well that's good." The blonde leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. "My love's an American. Cute, but very gullible."
They laughed, talking over the menu until Naveen returned with their wine bottle and two glasses. Behind him was the chef and owner of the restaurant, who greeted Elsa warmly before turning towards the redhead.
"And this must be Anna." She offered her hand, a wide smile on her lips. "I've heard so much about you."
Anna accepted with a slight shrug. "I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage..."
"I can imagine." The chef laughed, tugging on her crisp white uniform. "I'm Tiana, owner and head chef. Elsa and I took a class together a few years ago."
"Oh! Right, I'm sorry." She glanced at her girlfriend, who seemed a bit too amused. "I forgot."
"It's fine, honey, trust me." Tiana nodded towards the blonde. "I've noticed she doesn't talk about herself, much less the people she knows. Luckily for you, you're- well, together, so she just can't shut up about you!"
Anna couldn't help but square her shoulders a little and shoot a smug smile at Elsa, who was laughing lightly. "I think you may be exaggerating, slightly." Tiana set her hands on her hips, raised a brow, cocked one hip, and waited. The blonde coughed and shrugged. "Okay, maybe you're not really exaggerating."
They all laughed as Naveen placed their newly filled wine glasses before them, pink liquid swirling as the bottle was set on the table.
"Anyway, seeing as you requested my recommendation, I thought I would make a very special one in light of the circumstances." Tiana lifted one shoulder. "If you're feeling brave."
Anna and Elsa exchanged a look that spoke volumes, like they weren't talking about merely what they were having for dinner but something far greater.
The redhead looked back at the chef. "Hit us with your best shot."
"We can handle it." Elsa finished and Anna fully believed it.
The food was delicious, if a bit spicier than either usually ate but certainly not lacking for flavor. Tiana didn't hold back either, serving up some of her favorite Cajun recipes, each dish a serving for two. It required some rearranging of their seating so they could share the plate, which Naveen helped them with, but that was just a bonus. Anna even managed to behead a few of the crawfish herself before she got too creeped out, and Elsa was gracious enough to only lightly tease her about it.
Then, the chef sent out a delicious chocolate something that neither woman could accurately name nor could they resist. They were still enjoying the last remnants of their desert when Naveen took the stage, strumming out a rhythm on his guitar while the trumpet player, presumably Louis, played a soft melody.
Anna glanced around, taking note of a few couples getting up and heading to the cleared out space directly in front of the stage. A gentle tap on her shoulder had her turning back towards Elsa, who was holding out her hand.
"May I have this dance?"
She smiled, placing her hand in the blonde's. "You may."
They got up, heading towards the dance floor with Elsa leading the way, smiling fondly at each other. Too busy watching her girlfriend, Anna nearly ran into a chair, barely keeping her balance while Elsa stifled a giggle, the two opting to stay on the outside of the dance floor as the blonde drew Anna close, wrapping her arms around the redhead's shoulders. Anna settled hers around Elsa's waist, bending her head so she could rest against the column of the blonde's neck.
"This is nice," she said eventually, eyes sliding closed as she sighed in contentment.
"The whole day's been nice, though I believe that's an understatement." Elsa agreed, chuckling. "But it's not over yet."
"It won't ever be," Anna mumbled in reply, pressing her lips to the smooth skin of the blonde's neck.
"Careful, I might hold you to that." They swayed in time, not so much dancing as they were simply moving together.
"I doubt I'd complain unless you start stealing the covers at night."
"Oh, so that's where the line's drawn, is it?"
Anna pulled back enough to look Elsa in the eyes. "Maybe."
"I'll keep that in mind, then." The blonde leaned in, claiming her lips in a languid kiss that she all too eagerly returned. The rest of the world fell away as Anna allowed herself to be pulled into the moment. She relished the sensations of Elsa's lips against hers, being pressed so close together, fully clothed but incredibly intimate. Perfect.
"I'm not really one to complain about a little public affection," Tiana said, breaking both women out of their trance and instantly setting heated blushes in their cheeks. "But I'm pretty sure my employees would like to go home some time tonight."
Anna looked around, noting that the restaurant was empty save for the staff, the band long ago packed up, and her feet were getting a little sore. Offering a sheepish grin to Tiana, the redhead chuckled. "Uh, sorry about that."
"No need to apologize, honey." The chef waved them off, her white jacket left elsewhere, leaving her in a thin tank top. "Nothing wrong with getting lost in your own little universe from time-to-time and we could always use a little more love in the world. I just need to close up shop and I can't very well leave you two in here." She smirked. "I might not have any chocolate left."
They laughed, Anna apologizing again while Elsa went about settling their bill. The redhead wasn't keen on looking at the final tally, still feeling a little guilty about not being allowed to help despite what Elsa had said. It was hard to feel bad, though, when the blonde turned a radiant smile on her, and she offered her arm once more as they prepared to leave.
"Shall we?"
"Let's," Elsa replied, slipping her arm into Anna's and leaning in close to press a kiss to her cheek. "I believe you're first one up for the surprises."
Her lips twitched into a brief frown, realizing the day was drawing to a close. It wasn't a bad thing, per say, but she really liked setting aside a day just to be a couple. They would definitely need to revisit the idea, even if all they did was cuddle up on the couch and marathon bad movies. "I am, but it requires a bit of driving. Don't worry; the directions are easy."
"Would it be easier if you drove?" Elsa offered nonchalantly, turning Anna into a slightly sputtering mess.
"Wha- Elsa, what- no, no no no, I am not driving your car!" She shook her head. Sure, it occurred to her that she should probably drive to dinner given how they'd scheduled the day, but they agreed the Golf was easier to enter and exit in their formal attire. It was a pragmatic choice and probably for the best, not to mention Anna wasn't sure how pulling up to a fancy restaurant in her little Mini would look- not that Anna really fessed up to being concerned about that. "Your Golf-"
"You're sleeping on the couch tonight if the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with how nice my car is or how much it cost," the blonde said smoothly, prodding Anna along as they entered the mostly empty parking lot.
Anna tried very hard to come up with another argument. Honestly, it wasn't that she was, exactly, concerned about her driving ability or anything. It's just... it was a really nice car! And what if she, like, dented it or something? Wait, that could work. She opened her mouth to try but was silenced by Elsa's finger.
"Anna, I want you to drive us to the location of your surprise. If this is a problem, just say so." Despite the crisp tone, the blonde smiled softly. "You don't need to make excuses for me, Sunshine, but we're putting this issue to bed tonight." Her eyes flicked away briefly, as if she had more to say, before returning her gaze to the befuddled redhead.
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Right now?"
"Anna."
"Okay, okay." The redhead sighed, reaching up to toy with her necklace for a moment. "I guess I can drive. It would be easier..."
A wry grin claimed Elsa's lips. "I wouldn't want to twist your arm or anything."
"No, it's fine. I just..." Anna sighed again, chuckling slightly. "I guess it's just weird to me. I mean, I don't think I've ever driven someone else's vehicle, except for my parents'." She shook her head. "And... I never thought I'd get to this point in life."
"To be honest, I always expected to get to this point eventually; I just didn't think I'd be this happy about it." Elsa rolled her eyes. "You've met my parents, after all. A relationship was bound to be in the cards, one way or another, but nothing felt as... real and powerful as this; I've never been as happy as you make me. It's a bit... scary to think about, sometimes, but thrilling, too." They stopped beside the Golf, the blonde engulfing her in a comforting embrace. "This is our one year anniversary, Sunshine, and it's been the best year so far, for all its ups and downs. I'm looking forward to what the next one has to offer. We already share an apartment, Anna. Why not everything else?"
The redhead couldn't help the smile on her lips or the tears pricking her eyes, ducking her head to bury her face in Elsa's shoulder. It was a bit silly, wasn't it? She'd acknowledged from the second beginning of their relationship that she couldn't compete in the arena of monetary spending and the blonde had made it clear that there was no competition to begin with; to suddenly get hung up on the little details was ridiculous. "Sometimes, I think you're too good to be true."
"We think alike." Elsa pressed a kiss to her temple. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Then here." Elsa held her keys up, shaking them slightly to produce a soft jangle. "Whenever you're ready."
It only took another moment of hesitation before Anna grabbed the keys, leading the blonde towards the passenger side and opening the door for her. Elsa looked like she had a smart comment resting on the tip of her tongue but clamped down on it, sliding into the seat with a smile. The redhead hurried around to the other side, carefully situating herself in the driver's seat. While her Mini was a reliable and nice car for her, Anna couldn't help but feel a little giddy about driving Elsa's Golf. Except for one tiny detail...
"Um, Snowflake? How..." She frowned, looking at her girlfriend. "How do you drive this far back from the wheel?"
Elsa raised a brow. "I'm taller than you?"
"You're not that much taller than me." The blonde merely looked at her. "Okay, fine, you're taller than me."
"Aren't you going to adjust the seat? And the mirrors?" She paused. "Sunshine-"
"I'm just trying to figure out where they are." Anna argued, and she was being mostly honest. She'd never noticed before that the blonde's car had electric seat adjusters. She tried to make as few adjustments as possible while also being comfortable enough to properly operate the car. She also used fumbling with the controls as a cover to shoot off a text to Kristoff. "There. Ready to go?"
To her surprise, Elsa was smiling at her with such adoration, it almost struck her dumb. "Not yet." The redhead blinked but quickly caught on when her girlfriend leaned across the center console and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "There. Now, I'm ready."
Just like the goofball she was, Anna gave her girlfriend a dopey grin and pulled out of the parking space, heading to her not-so-secret destination. She was so blatant about it that Elsa seemed to recognize the route once they were about halfway there.
"We're just hitting all the high points on this one." She mused, watching through the window as a plane began its descent overhead, only visible thanks to the lights on its wings.
"Well, not all of them," Anna replied, smirking slightly. "It's pretty hard to recapture that feeling the first time you wake up next to the most gorgeous woman in the world-"
"Tell me about it."
"-and I don't think we want to revisit the introductions to our respective parents-"
"Please, no."
"-but, I did want to do this one a little differently than last time. No onlookers."
"And here I was looking forward to accompanying choir." Elsa playfully pouted.
Anna raised a brow. "I guess you'll just have to make do with my singing."
"I withdraw my complaint."
They both laughed, the redhead stealing a glance at her girlfriend as they passed beneath the streetlights. The constant in-and-out of the illumination made the blonde look like some sort of flickering goddess and it was almost too tempting a sight to pull her gaze away. However, seeing as she really wanted to, well, not crash, Anna returned her attention to the road.
When they finally arrived, the little park by the airport was blissfully empty as usual. "So, here we are." Elsa nodded but remained silent, waiting to follow the redhead's lead and Anna couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, follow me."
They exited the vehicle, walking a few paces away until Anna stopped and pulled out her phone, selecting the song she wanted. As it began, she pulled Elsa into her embrace, arms wrapped around the blonde's waist.
"I thought we could dance a little more." She hadn't planned on dancing at Tiana's but, despite the slight ache in her feet, she wasn't going to complain about a little more close contact with her beloved. "Ready?"
"As long as I'm with you, yes," she replied, smiling, arms loosely draped around the redhead's shoulders, their swaying hips picking up the rhythm of the music.
Recognizing her cue, Anna began to sing, softly, eyes locked with her girlfriend's.
"I set out on a narrow way, many years ago, hoping I would find true love, along the broken road." Perhaps listening to that radio station was slowly influencing her music selections but, honestly, she couldn't get this particular one out of her head after she heard it. "I got lost a time or two. Wiped my brow, kept pushing through. I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you." The blonde smiled indulgently, not familiar with the lyrics but listening intently all the same. "Every long lost dream, led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars. Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms." Her lips were stretched in an impossibly wide smile as she sung. "This much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you."
The music continued playing but Anna took advantage of the break, leaning in to steal a brief kiss from Elsa, who seemed more inclined to let it linger than the redhead, pressing forward when she tried to retreat.
"The next verse is coming up," she said as she somehow managed to tear herself away. Elsa blinked for a moment, looking a bit sheepish as she nodded, her body suddenly becoming slightly stiff in the redhead's arms. Anna instantly became concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"No! I just- it's nothing." Elsa ducked her head, pressing a kiss to the redhead's cheek. "I love you, Sunshine."
"I love you, too." Anna let the music continue, forgetting about the lyrics completely as she lowered her voice. "Snowflake? What's wrong?"
They stopped swaying, her girlfriend drawing closer. "I love listening to you sing, I do... but please just hold me."
"Of course." The redhead let out a relieved sigh, nuzzling into Elsa's neck. "We didn't finish the song last time either, so it's perfect."
The music was relatively unobtrusive as they simply stood and held each other, spending the remainder of the song simply wrapped up in their embrace. As silence settled on them, Anna didn't even try pulling away, rather content with hearing and feeling the blonde's heartbeat and breathing along with the gentle, early autumn wind.
"I'm sorry." Elsa offered after a few more minutes but the redhead quickly pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. "I ruined your surprise."
"Stop that. Today's all about us, remember?" She tightened her grip on the blonde's waist, smiling at the flush spreading across pale cheeks. "As long as I'm here with you, the rest doesn't matter. I love you."
"I love you too, Anna." There was something hiding just behind Elsa's eyes, something caught between anticipation and terror, and she instinctively leaned in to plant a soft, reassuring kiss on her girlfriend's lips.
"Ready for part two?" Anna raised a brow, using her thumbs to rub soft circles above the blonde's hips.
"If I say no, can we stay in this moment forever?"
"I think subjecting you to so many rom-coms is having an effect on you," she said, more than a little amused as she rested her cheek against Elsa's shoulder.
"A negative one?"
"I didn't say that."
Her girlfriend chuckled, making a show of reluctantly pulling away. "Lead on, Sunshine."
With a smile, the redhead lead them towards the bench they'd sat at last time, specifically stopping to grab a seemingly random box left beside it. Inside were blankets and a deck of cards, which Anna quickly collected before leading them towards the slope, setting up one of the blankets higher than they did last time. She could barely walk on tile in high heels; how Elsa made it look so effortless in grass was beyond her.
Anna shrugged out of her jacket, setting it aside as they reclined on the blanket and grabbing the deck of cards. "Okay, so, remember how last time you made up stories for the passengers?"
"I believe we both contributed, but yes."
"Good, 'cause this time, there's a twist." She pulled out the cards and started shuffling. "We'll draw a card. If it's a heart, then the story has to involve a love interest of some sort. Diamonds will involve a family member, clubs will involve some sort of organization, like a job or group, and spades can be dealer's choice."
Elsa chuckled. "Okay, I can appreciate a challenge. What about the numbers?"
"Hmmm, well, do you have any suggestions?"
"As a matter of fact..."
The rules were quickly set and they cuddled up close, Anna pulling the first card as a plane flew overhead- the five of diamonds. Elsa instantly started up a story involving a man looking for his daughter. When another plane passed, the blonde drew a card- the Jack of spades- and it was the redhead's turn to continue the story, introducing the daughter's down-and-out boyfriend.
They must've laid there for an hour, spinning a grand tale that shifted genres and even time periods, introducing a host of characters, until Elsa pulled out the Queen of hearts.
"Aha, so now it gets interesting." She pressed a kiss against Anna's cheek. "So, the determined daughter, in trying to find her confused boyfriend and her lost father, comes across the benevolent queen of the land, Her Majesty Sunshine."
"Hey, hearts mean love interest, remember?"
"Well, you're my love interest, so that counts, right?" The blonde quirked a brow, trying very hard to hide her sly smile behind a front of innocence. They both laughed and Elsa continued the story, with Queen Sunshine joining the heroine as she searched the land for her family and lover. Then another plane came and Elsa drew the ace of spades. "Uh oh. The villain appears."
"Indeed she does." Anna tilted her head slightly, taking a deep breath and inhaling the scent of the blonde's shampoo. "Let's see... she's a queen herself, ruler of the frozen northern lands. Cold, feared, and forever beyond the reach of her minions, Queen Snowflake ruled from her throne high atop the Northern Mountain."
Her girlfriend shot her a look that was about fifty percent unimpressed with being cast as the villain and fifty percent intrigued by the redhead's choice.
As the story wore on, the daughter ended up reaching Queen Snowflake's castle with Queen Sunshine in tow. The two monarchs managed to hit it off and the daughter's father was released from the dungeons, her lover hit a lucky break, and the lives of several other characters improved- except for one rather rude farmer, the five of clubs.
"Did we just retell the story of The Snow Queen?" Anna laughed, turning to look at the blonde's face.
"I'm pretty sure there weren't any airships or cyborgs in The Snow Queen."
"Some would consider those an improvement." She got up, offering Elsa her hand. "Shall we?"
The blonde hesitated only momentarily before accepting the help up. They quickly gathered up the blankets and cards, grabbing the box and putting them in the trunk. To spare her any further emotional turmoil, Elsa offered to drive, though she seemed notably more tense than before.
"Snowflake? Is everything-"
"I'm fine," she replied a little too quickly, flashing the redhead a quick smile. "This has honestly been the best day of my life." Smiling back was a reflex and Anna opted to stay silent for the moment, waiting to see if Elsa would continue on her own. She wasn't disappointed. "I'm just... nervous about the last part."
Anna reached over, taking the blonde's hand in hers. The last part of the day was Elsa's surprise; they opted not to do any gifts this time around, though the redhead had gotten something anyway. That could wait until tomorrow though, and definitely until after she reassured the blonde.
"It's okay to be nervous, Snowflake, but there's really no reason. I love you and you're stuck with me at this point. Unless your surprise is some sort of Norwegian tradition to terrify your girlfriend with fish heads, I'm pretty sure we'll get through it completely unscathed."
Elsa's smile was slightly more confident after that but there was still nervousness and doubt lurking in her eyes. "I love you, Anna."
"And I love you, Elsa." She pressed her lips to the back of the blonde's hand.
Author's Note: What am I even doing with my life? The end of the date is next chapter, which is considerably longer because... well, it's mostly awkward smut. Given how much it's been built up, I thought it was better for it to stand alone rather than following scenes as the others did. Hopefully, it lives up to expectations. Thanks for reading!