Title: Devotion
Chapter Title: Family Time
Pairing: Elsanna
Rated: T
Notes: Here is where we start branching out into new territory! I had this scene thought up for the original Devotion, but I had scrapped it in a fit of frustration. I decided to use the idea and just add to it!
Huge thanks to Jessica-X for being an awesome beta!
A quick warning before you start reading: A character is very heavily implied to be terminally ill in the flashback scene of this chapter. If that makes you uncomfortable in any way, feel free to skip it.
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"Hi, Elsa!" Eight year old Anna waves excitedly at her friend from her place in her mother's lap. The dark haired woman is carefully weaving small flowers into Anna's braids, smiling patiently as her child's eager bouncing makes it difficult to work. They already have everything set up, the old picnic blanket more than big enough for the large basket and pile of cutlery sitting beside its two occupants. They have situated themselves under a big tree, providing tons of shade for Elsa's sensitive skin, and they are at the perfect distance from the nearby playground so that Anna and Elsa could go play after lunch.
Elsa waves back and is about to run to them when a heavy hand stops her. She looks up at her Papa curiously. Though he is smiling, there is a weary look in his eyes that Elsa doesn't understand as he regards the mother and child duo. This is far from her first time hanging out with Anna without her parents being there, though it is the first time with Anna's mother alone acting as their caretaker, rather than Elsa's Aunty Gerda or Anna's father.
"Remember to be a good girl, Elsa," her Papa instructs, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Don't cause Lailah too much grief, stay in her sight and listen to everything she says. If you want to go home early, call Kai and he'll come get you. Do you remember Kai's number?" Elsa nods, impatient to join Anna as she listens to the familiar lecture. "Good. Do you have everything?"
"Yes, Papa." Elsa tries to keep still but Anna's obvious impatience, as well as her own, is making it hard to focus on her Papa for much longer. He must realize this, since he bends down and gives her a tight hug. One that Elsa happily returns.
"Good girl," he praises, laying a soft kiss in her hair before he straightens up and gives Lailah a nod. Lailah returns the gesture with a small smile. "Now, go on and play. I'll come pick you up later."
Elsa doesn't need to be told twice. She sprints towards her best friend and sits down beside the pair when she reaches them. Lailah gives her a warm smile.
"Hello, Darling," she greets pleasantly. Elsa smiles and shyly greets her back.
Anna's mother is sort of a mystery to Elsa. She's only met Lailah a handful of times over the three years Anna and her have been friends and any attempt to ask Anna why is met with a shrug and Anna becoming sad, so Elsa learned not to ask. When Elsa first met her, the woman was completely bald and could barely walk; yet the other times after that, she's been sporting all kinds of different hair colors and styles. Anna once explained that she's a hairstylist who liked to experiment, which is why her hair is so different all the time. One of the strangest things to Elsa is how pale and thin the woman is, seeing as Anna has nice, tan skin and is a much healthier weight in comparison. Anna simply says it's because she doesn't go outside very often.
Whenever Lailah is around, though, she treats Elsa like a second daughter; spoiling her and Anna with treats and cuddles and games. Anna's father is usually there to keep her from going too overboard but the friendly woman will still sneak the girls chocolate and loves to regale Elsa with stories about the adventures she's been on, and about Anna's early childhood. Elsa has never seen her without a smile on her face and an almost childlike sparkle in her turquoise eyes- the same one shared with her daughter.
As they ate, Anna makes wild gestures with the sandwich in her hand as she tells Elsa about the "huge squirrel monster" that stole all the seeds from the birdfeeder the day before and her passionate depiction of her valiant attack on the monster makes Elsa fall into a helpless ball of giggles. Lailah listens to her daughter's tale with a fondly exasperated smile. She takes small bites of her sandwich, occasionally pausing to remind the girls to eat or to tell Anna not to speak with her mouth full.
The second the girls finish their meals, they dash towards the playground. Lailah stays where she is, pulling a small book out of her purse so she can read while she watches. The sun is bright and unobstructed by clouds, the sunbeams pleasantly warm. Birds are singing from the trees and the chatter of other kids and their parents create a fun and exciting atmosphere for the girls as they play. To Elsa, it's a perfect day to be with her best friend.
It's about a half hour later and they are in the middle of playing a game of tag when something alarming happens. Something that sends both girls into a panic.
Lailah starts coughing, a tissue pressed to her mouth to keep any germs from spreading. However, it's unlike any cough Elsa has ever heard before. Great, painful hacks that sends the woman's frail body into a fit of shakes with every cough. Her eyes are clenched tightly shut in pain and every time she manages to catch a breath, the coughing comes back just as strong as ever.
Anna doesn't waste a second to go back to her mother's side, tears streaming down her freckled face. "Mama!" she cries, resting a small hand on her shoulder as she kneels in front of her mother. Elsa reaches them a second later, shaking in terror as she stands at Anna's side. The woman struggles to catch her breath and reaches her free hand up to rest on top of Anna's.
"I- I'm sorry, baby girls," she rasps between pants. Elsa bites her lip at just how much older she suddenly sounds. She gives Anna and Elsa a reassuring grin. "G-Go back and play, I'm okay."
"No, Mama!" Anna shakes her head so violently that her braid accidentally smacks her in the face, "Pa-Papa said that we have to call him when stuff like this happens, 'member!? So we can get you to the-"
"N-No, Baby!" Lailah protests, cutting her daughter off. "I'm okay, I promise! Mama didn't mean to scare you, my Love, it was just a small episode. It's passed, see?" She pets Anna's hair with a shaking hand and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Elsa, Darling, take Anna and go play, okay? I'm fine."
Elsa hesitates, confusion and fear paralyzing her limbs. Lailah is smiling at her now, reassuring and loving despite the scary situation, so Elsa reaches out for Anna's hand. Anna doesn't fight her, just grips Elsa back tightly.
"P-Please call Papa?" Anna begs her mother, ignoring Elsa's gentle tugging as the winter blonde tries to get them back over to the playground. "Please, Mama?"
"I will, Baby. Go with Elsa for now," Lailah coos.
Anna obeys, but she's subdued and upset and Elsa doesn't know how to help. Instead of playing, the girls sit in the grass and Elsa just holds Anna to her and presses kisses to her head like her Mama does when she's upset.
Anna snuggles close but doesn't say anything. Elsa notices her gaze is instead fixed on Lailah, who's pacing the blanket now while talking on the phone. She can barely make out some of Lailah's words as her voice grows slightly louder in frustration. "-Don't want to go... want to be with... daughter...Don't know...time left!"
Elsa holds Anna tighter and presses her head against Anna's soft hair. She can't help but worry over how limp Anna is in her embrace. At only eight, she's far too young to understand what's going on, but Elsa knows, deep down, that her friend needs her now more than ever. Especially when Anna begins to sob into her neck.
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"A picnic?"
Anna grins at her with an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah! We both have the day off today and I thought it would be good for us and Olaf to get out of this stuffy apartment and do something together!"
Elsa smiles at her friend, adjusting her hold on Olaf as he eagerly feeds. Elsa used to be too embarrassed to feed him in front of Anna, and for his first month, she always hid away in Olaf's room to nurse. After an unexpected public feeding, followed by a long and angry rant from Anna to a bigoted individual about how Elsa is completely within her rights as a nursing mother to feed her hungry child wherever she likes, she stopped caring as much. Besides, seeing Anna's look of wonder and adoration when Olaf eats is definitely worth the minor discomfort. It's always a treat to see Anna go starry eyed over every little thing her son does.
"That does sound lovely." The blonde leans back against the couch and flinches slightly when Olaf clamps down a little too hard in response to the movement. She strokes his back until he loosens.
Anna does a little hop of delight. "Great! You keep doing what you're doing! I'll get everything set up!" With that, the redhead disappears around the corner.
Only for a crashing noise to startle both mother and son. Olaf pulls away from Elsa's breast and starts to whimper and Elsa is about to stand to assist Anna when the redhead calls, "I'm okay! Just bumped into the trash can again!"
Elsa slumps against the couch with a fond sigh but she's soon distracted from warm thoughts of her goof ball of a friend by a grumpy whine. She quickly gets to work burping Olaf and while the baby stops whining, the frown on his face is still obvious.
Elsa grins down at him. "Mommy's grumpy boy," she murmurs. She pokes his nose and makes silly faces, giggling when his upset face morphs into a sunny, toothless grin that warms her entire being. She snuggles him, kissing his cheeks until he's giggling in her arms and starts pressing his own face against hers. Elsa coos and hugs him. "Oh Olaf, you are too cute!"
"You both are." Anna sounds amused from somewhere directly behind Elsa. The winter blonde takes her time to look back at her, though, reluctant to break the moment she's having with her son as his big, blue eyes twinkle up at her. Eventually, Olaf loses interest in her and turns his head to gaze curiously past Elsa's head. Elsa feels a pair of warm hands settle on her shoulder and she doesn't stop the shiver that went down her back when she hears Anna start cooing at him from just next to her ear.
"You just about ready, then?" Elsa asks. Anna nuzzles Elsa's temple with her nose instead of answering. Elsa tries not to think about how pleasant it feels. "I'm going to take that as a yes?"
"Yeah, it's all packed up in the car and ready to go." Anna drapes her arms past her shoulders in a loose hug so she can ruffle Olaf's chocolate hair. He gurgles in response and flails a tiny arm. "Just waiting on you and Olaf."
Elsa shrugs Anna off of her so she can stand, Olaf clinging to her shirt at the change in position. "Let me just get him dressed in something more outdoor appropriate." Elsa gives Anna's cheek a little peck and grins when the redhead's cheeks went that tiniest bit pink. "Meet us out at the car?"
Anna clears her throat and nods, walking away while mumbling quietly to herself. Elsa can swear she hears "You're going to be the death of me." and while her stomach still twists in a tight knot at the mention of Anna's feelings for her, Elsa can't stop herself from smiling after her.
It doesn't take long to get Olaf changed into a fresh pamper and into a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt with a smiling sun on it. The shirt is just a little bit too small, showing off a small strip of his pale belly. He looks so adorable that Elsa gives the exposed skin a couple of kisses, eliciting such sounds of delight from him that it makes Elsa's cheeks hurt from how hard she's smiling at him. A quick honk from outside jolts Elsa to the present.
"Okay, Olaf," she coos, "Let's go on an adventure with Anna, hmm?"
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"Olaf!" Anna sings, dragging out the syllables of his name. The redhead is laying on her back with her head settled in Elsa's lap. Olaf settled on her stomach. The little boy blinks and lifts his head to peer at her curiously for a moment. Anna reaches out to tickle his cheek and he drops his head back down. "I love you, Olaf!" she sings again and Olaf lets out a little coo, nuzzling his face into the skin-warmed fabric of her shirt and smearing drool and mucus across it. Anna's face twists into an expression of mock offense. "Hey! That's one of my favourite tops, Buddy!"
Elsa regards the two warmly, running her fingers through Anna's soft hair while Anna plays with Olaf.
The three of them are at a secluded beach just outside of Arendelle, the cool breeze from the lake a godsend in the unforgiving heat of the summer day. The waves lap against the rocks on the shore, creating a pleasant white noise. The water is a brilliant blue and gleams like a jewel in the bright sunlight. Their picnic blanket was spread out on a grassy area close to the shore but far away enough from the sandy sections to keep it away from the food. Anna discovered this spot shortly before Elsa went off to college and it's been their go-to picnic spot ever since.
Anna pulls Olaf close enough so she can plant a kiss on his nose, which makes him giggle as he presses his face to hers. Elsa huffs. "Where is my kiss?" she demands playfully.
"Oh, you get plenty," Anna says dismissively, kissing Olaf again. Elsa gives the hair under the mercy of her fingers a little tug and Anna tilts her head back to narrow her eyes up at her.
"What if I wasn't talking to you?" Elsa teases, "I was talking to Olaf."
"Well too bad. He's kissing me right now." Anna grins and lifts Olaf so that he's lying higher up on her chest. Close enough so she can simply dip her head to kiss his head. "Right, Olaf?" He squeals at her, grinning his toothless grin. "Exactly!" She emphasizes her point by kissing his forehead.
"Technically you're kissing him rather than the other way around." Elsa points out. Anna sticks her tongue out at her. Elsa chuckles and simply goes back to brushing Anna's hair.
They stay like that for awhile, basking in the simple pleasure of being together. Olaf eventually falls asleep, snoring quietly against Anna's chest while her hand rubbed his back soothingly. Anna looks ready to doze herself, her eyes getting heavier and her blinks getting longer the more time passes.
"Tired?" Elsa asks, smiling down at her affectionately.
"A little." Anna yawns, "I'm just super comfy right now. Your lap makes a fantastic pillow."
"Good to know I'm useful to you." Elsa chuckles. She gives Anna's scalp a light scratch and the redhead melts into it, tilting her head so Elsa can have more access. Elsa gives into the silent request and keeps going until Anna is practically purring.
"You're always useful to me, though," came the sleepy reply. "Wouldn't trade you for nothing."
"Anything," Elsa corrects with a little shake of her head. Her smile widens. "I wouldn't trade you for anything, either, you adorable dork. I love you too much."
Anna beams up at her and Elsa's heart skips a beat at just how content and happy she looks. An exact reflection of how she herself feels.
"Love you, too, Elsie." Anna takes Elsa's free hand and places a few, light kisses on her palm. Butterflies erupt in Elsa's belly. For a second, she wonders if she should say something about this - about how people who are 'just friends' don't do stuff like they were doing, however the thought is tossed aside in seconds. She doesn't want to ruin the comfortable mood by being uptight…
Especially since Elsa really doesn't mind this.
"Hey, Elsa?"
"Yes?" The sudden softness in Anna's voice draws her out of her thoughts and she looks down at the redhead curiously. Anna is smiling at her, the expression so soft and open and loving that it makes her breath hitch.
"You're a great Mom."
It's almost embarrassing how that one line makes Elsa tear up in an instant. She looks away from Anna briefly to take a few shaking breaths, "Y-You really think so?"
"Of course." Careful not to disturb the baby on her chest, Anna manages to sit up so she can nuzzle Elsa's cheek, snuggling against Elsa's side. "Olaf is so beautiful... And you're the one we have to thank for giving birth to him. He loves you so much, just like you love him. He couldn't ask for a better Mom."
Anna's eyes are warm and honest when Elsa finally manages to meet them. wants to say something but she can't past the tightness in her throat. Anna's words strike a chord deep inside of her- a chord that always secretly doubts if she's ready for this. Ready to be a mother to this perfect little baby sleeping soundly beside her. She's always afraid of the possibilities in the future. She worries that she won't raise him properly, or that he'll get sick and won't get better because of her inexperience with children.
But Anna, her sweet Anna, looks at her with such confidence. Confident that not only will Elsa be an okay mother, but that she will excel at it. And it means more to Elsa than she can possibly express.
Instead, she simply rests her head on Anna's shoulder and whispers a soft "Thank you, Anna."