Elsa woke to the incessant chirping of birds digging like sharp needles into her ears. She moved to pull the covers over her head. Her arm made the uncomfortable squelching noise of being peeled away from leather. She groaned and pushed herself up, her face making the same noise as it was pulled away from the couch.

Right. I slept on the couch.

In my clothes.

She sighed as she surveyed the wrinkled fabric of her blouse and slacks. She hadn't even taken off her shoes, and the straps were digging in painfully through her nylons.

The birds kept chirping, reminding her exactly how many beers she had drunk the night before. She kicked the shoes off and wobbled her way to the bathroom.

She stopped at the door to the bedroom. Anna was still asleep. How? With all the noise the birds were making, Elsa would have thought it impossible. She had one arm thrown over her head and was snoring with an open mouth. Drool trickled down one side of her mouth.

And her hair! Elsa covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. If Elsa had thought Anna's hair unruly before the Weselton party, it was nothing compared to how it was now. It stuck up everywhere, completely defying the laws of gravity.

Elsa could feel that familiar feeling in her gut – anxiety and happiness and a sort of sickening delightful humming – as she looked at Anna. Affection and, yes, desire. She could name it now. And that just seemed to make it stronger.

I'll think about that more when I'm not hung-over, she decided and continued to the bathroom.

"Bonjour, Elsa," André said as she entered the dining room. He was thankfully child-free and appeared to be making the rounds to check on the guests. "Comment ça va?"

"Ça va bie-" She stopped herself. That would be an outright lie, if she said she was 'good'. "Hung-over."

Andre smiled. "Coffee?"

She thought about it. "Could you mix it with hot-chocolate?" Gosh, what had Anna done to her? She couldn't even drink coffee normally anymore because of her.

"Sure."

She watched André walk away. He was very tall, muscular. Good strong jaw. Blond hair and brown eyes. He was well dressed in a pressed, button-up shirt and slacks. He was very attractive by all standard definitions.

But not to Elsa.

Dammit.

She sighed and settled herself into a seat in the corner. Well, there went that hope.

As she sipped her cafe-mocha (André had even put whip-cream on it for her) she considered her next move.

She was a lesbian. There, she had said it. Or, at least, thought it in a complete sentence while sober. And she was definitely attracted to Anna.

What was she going to do about it?

She wasn't going to run back upstairs and profess her undying love to Anna. Definitely not. That only happened in romance novels of the worst sort. For one thing, she wasn't sure she was that ready to accept things. For another, Anna was dating Hans.

Stupid Hans.

She immediately felt ashamed for thinking that. Like Anna would want to date her, even if she wasn't with Hans. She was awkward and rude and completely incapable of acting like a normal person. Anna deserved to be with someone who would have fun.

Anna had that person. She had Hans.

But...

Anna knows how to deal with people.

She also knows how to be attracted to girls without spazzing out.

Elsa knew neither of those things. And for the first time, she was interested in learning.

She could control her feelings, couldn't she, and be friends with Anna? They could be friends, and they could do things that normal friends did. Because when it came to normal friends, Olaf didn't count. Maybe, if they became friends, Elsa's attraction to her would go away and life would go back to normal. Maybe even better than normal.

After all, she'd kept her feelings to herself for fifteen years. It wouldn't be that hard. She decided to return to their room, where she would calmly ask Anna to be her normal, not in any way romantic, friend.

Anna was on the bed with her feet in the air. She was flossing her teeth with one hand, brushing her hair with the other, and trying to use the power of gravity to put her jeans on.

"Erm..." Elsa said. She had stopped dead in the doorway. Anna stopped moving and stared at her for a moment.

"I thought I was late," she said, as an explanation. "For breakfast."

This is the woman that is making me face my sexuality?

Her panties had the Wonder Woman logo on them.

Yup.

Elsa wheeled around, shutting the door before someone else saw this predicament. Her face was burning like a thousand suns. She wanted to bolt from the room, but she held herself. She had promised herself she would ask and she wasn't going to let this off-the-chart reaction to dorky underwear get in the way.

"They serve all day breakfast. It's a resort," she said after she took a few carefully measured breaths. "I just went down early."

She heard Anna moving very quickly behind her, muttered curses, an 'oops' then 'ouch!'. Elsa looked over her shoulder.

Anna had – somehow - fallen off the bed. At least she had gotten her pants on.

"Sorry," Anna said. Her face was as red as a beat.

"Its... Its okay. I shouldn't have barged in." She went over and offered a hand, helping Anna to her feet.

Anna shrugged and gave an awkward laugh. "Well, we're both women right? Just like a locker room."

Elsa made an indistinct noise. The last time Elsa had been in a locker room, breasts had been absent from the other girls. And everyone tried to change without actually taking off any clothes, anyway. She quickly dropped the warm, soft hand she still held.

"So did you see my underwear?" Anna asked, suddenly. "Don't make me use the lasso of truth on you."

The question was so absurd, Elsa let out a bark of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sorry," she said, her voice muffled by her palm.

"You realise that I'm going to have to kill you now that you know my shameful secret?" Anna smirked and grabbed her hairbrush off the bed, heading toward the powder room.

"That you like super heroes?" Elsa asked, confused. After all, she had shown off her love of Call of Duty. She was pretty sure they matched evenly on the scale of nerdiness.

"No, that I like DC better than Marvel."

Another fabulous snort-laugh escaped Elsa.

She followed Anna to the vanity, unsure of what she was doing. Was she being creepy? But they were having a conversation – that meant she should continue said conversation. Possibly. Great. Now that she was actively trying to act like a normal human being she had no idea what she was doing.

It was kind of worrying.

"You're in a good mood," Anna said as she began to brush her hair. "Did you have breakfast without me?"

"André makes a good cafe-mocha," she said. "It might even be better than Tim Hortons."

Anna laughed, causing Elsa's heart to leap. "Sacrilege!" she cried.

"I think it has real chocolate in it," Elsa added jokingly.

"Did you bring me one?"

Her smile disappeared. Shit. "Ah... I'm sorry. I should have thought of that."

"I'm joking," Anna said, turning around to roll her eyes at Elsa. "I still need to get breakfast anyway."

Elsa watched as she picked up an elastic and stuck it in her mouth before continuing to brush her hair into a ponytail. Now she was just hanging there, watching Anna like a creeper. She had to ask her, or leave.

Here goes nothing.

"Do you want... I mean we don't have to... it's up to you really..."

Anna raised an eyebrow in the mirror. Elsa saw her cheeks colour. "Spi' i' ou'," Anna said, the elastic in her mouth slurring her pronunciation.

"Did you want to hang out... with me? Today."

Oh, god, I sound like I'm fifteen. This is why I don't talk to people.

Anna's hands froze, holding her hair in a ponytail, the elastic still hanging from her mouth.

"Never mind, you don't have to," Elsa said quickly. "It was just an idea, since we don't have any meetings today but-"

"Are you kidding?" The elastic dropped to the floor as Anna's mouth curved into a big grin. "Of course I do! What do you want to do?" Elsa retrieved the elastic for Anna, watching as she tamed her hair into a loose ponytail that brushed her shoulders as she turned her head side to side. Anna began to babble excitedly. "I was thinking I'd go swimming later but I wanted to check out the ski hills – just to watch, though, I'd be an absolute disaster on skis. Of course, we could always drive back into Quebec City, couldn't we? Old Quebec could be fun, or we can check out the club scene tonight. If you want – do you go to clubs?"

"Whatever you'd like is fine," Elsa said, her heart beating faster. She felt excited, but also scared. A whole day with Anna – no, a whole week? This was going to be interesting.

"Why are we doing this again?" Anna asked, staring out the glass door at the pool deck. It was obviously a heated pool. Gentle steam wafted off of it. A couple of people were swimming, only their heads showing above the water.

But there was space between them and the pool. Space that even had snow in piles around the edge of the walkway. Swimming and snow were not things that mixed in Anna's head.

"You're the one who suggested it," Elsa pointed out. Anna glanced back at her.

Right. This is why I suggested it.

Elsa in a bathing suit. It was an ice blue one-piece, but that didn't stop it from being the most nose-bleed inducing outfit Anna could imagine. The fabric around her breasts and hips was artfully ruched to accentuate those features and it was low cut enough that Elsa was showing cleavage. It had no back to it, essentially, except for where the straps crossed in a knot below her shoulder blades. Elsa was standing with her arms wrapped around her middle, self-conscious, and looking anywhere but at Anna.

Anna felt incredibly childish in her outfit, by comparison. She had opted for her favourite boy-shorts and bikini-top combo when packing. She liked how the shorts rode low on her hips and the colourful designs on both pieces, but with her hair in a pony-tale she felt completely outclassed by her boss.

She was outclassed by her boss.

"I vote we count to three and make a break for it," Anna decided, unable to stand there looking at Elsa for much longer. Her brain was going to start suggesting not-safe-for-work things soon.

"I think I'll just go to the hot-tub..." Elsa said slowly, taking a step back.

"No, we're doing this." Anna grabbed her hand, holding it tightly so she wouldn't run away. Was it her imagination, or was Elsa blushing?

Maybe it was just the heat inside the building. That was it.

"One... two... three!" She shoved the door open and she pulled Elsa into a sprint. She shrieked at the cold under her feet as they ran across the deck.

She let go of Elsa's hand as she leapt, pulling her legs up into a cannon ball. A wave of warm water rolled away from her as she landed in the pool. A couple of the other bathers yelled in protest.

The water was perfect – not as hot as a hot-tub, but warm enough to make it comfortable. She let herself float there a second before kicking off from the bottom to resurface.

She gasped and pushed her bangs out of her face, then looked around for Elsa.

Elsa was standing on the edge of the pool, her arms wrapped around herself again.

"Elsa!" Anna complained.

"I really think I'll just go to the hot-tubs..."

"Why?"

"Uh..."

That's what Anna thought. She was either afraid, or embarrassed, and Anna wasn't going to put up with this. She wasn't going to give up an opportunity to see Elsa get wet, even if it killed her.

"If you don't come in, I'm going to get out and throw you in."

"I am your boss!"

"Don't pull that on me. You're my friend, too. That means I have special throwing-in-pool privileges."

Elsa didn't seem to know what to make of that statement. She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. She was shivering now. Of course she was – it was only six degrees above freezing out.

Her mind made up, Anna hauled herself out of the pool and onto the deck. The cold air hit her wet skin like an icy blast, but she ignored it.

"Anna-" Elsa said. She held up her hands, taking another step back. Anna grinned and lunged.

Elsa actually squeaked, turning to run as Anna chased her. She wasn't prepared, though.

Anna caught her, her arms wrapping around Elsa's middle and pulling her close to her. "I'm giving you 'til three," she warned. "One..."

What was she doing? Part of her brain was demanding to know. She had her arms wrapped around her boss's waist. Their torsos were pressed up together. Anna's head was resting on Elsa's shoulder, her cheek touching her long neck. Elsa's arms were on top of Anna's, trying to pry them open. If she was going to avoid dirty thoughts this was not something she should be doing.

"Two..."

"No! Anna, I'm serious. Don't." Elsa sounded scared and overwhelmed. Tense.

Anna released her at once. She took a few quick steps back. Dammit. What am I thinking?

"Sorry," she said quickly. "That was childish."

Elsa didn't look around. She was standing stiffly, shivering. Had Anna really scared her?

Anna's teeth started to chatter. Still watching Elsa, she quickly slipped back into the pool to keep warm and to give Elsa some space.

Dammit dammit dammit, she thought over and over. Way to go, idiot. Elsa turned to look at Anna, a pained expression on her face.

"Sorry," Anna repeated.

"No, no, you just... startled me," she said. She appeared to be fighting with herself, glancing at the door to the inside, then at the pool. She took a step closer to Anna, sat down on the edge and then dangled her legs in.

Anna stayed a few metres back, waiting to see if she'd actually come in.

Elsa pushed off, jumping into the pool, going fully underwater.

When she emerged, she was smiling.

Her hair was also fighting loose of its braid, wet tendrils clinging to her neck and her face. Drops of water rolled off of her chin and down her neck.

Damn.

"It wasn't as cold as I was expecting," Elsa noted.

Anna clapped her hands together and tackle-hugged Elsa, happy to have her finally in the water.

Elsa froze again. Anna realised that now their chests were pressed together. She looked at Elsa's face – they were inches apart. She could see the individual strands of Elsa's hair as they clung to her forehead. Elsa's eyes were wide.

"Oops," she said, letting go. She needed to control her natural urge to hug everything. She gave a nervous giggle, then dove under the water.

Come on, Anna, she thought as she swam to put as much distance between her and Elsa as she could. She's your boss.

Just your boss.

"There's a maple syrup festival going on!" Anna had barged into the suite and grabbed her winter coat. She was practically bouncing on the spot.

"A maple syrup festival?" Elsa repeated. The words didn't match the level of enthusiasm that Anna was giving her. After swimming and having a lunch together, Elsa was ready to have a nap. Maybe ski on the slopes a little in the evening. But Anna looked like a child who'd been told Christmas was coming early.

"We should go on a sugar-bush tour," she said. "They have horse-drawn carriages leaving right from the resort!"

Elsa considered this. She couldn't understand what appeal a sugar-bush tour held, but then she'd never been on one.

"Wait –" Anna said, stopping with one arm in her coat and staring at Elsa in shock. "Haven't you ever been to a sugar-shack?"

"No. I take it this is some sort of horrible travesty?"

"But – didn't you go to Quebec on school trips? Every grade seven student in the country comes here. It's tradition."

"I think I went to Sweden in grade seven – or was that year Germany?"

Anna blinked. Then shook her head. She pulled on her coat and shoved her hat over her head.

"We are going on this tour, right now."

"But-"

"No arguments. No excuses. Get your coat on and meet me outside in ten."

"See, I told you this was amazing!"

Elsa smiled. They were in a wooded shack in the middle of a maple forest and had just been served the best meal she could remember having. She had cleared her plate of all traces of pancakes, beans, sausage and bacon. And maple syrup. Anna, having poured on way to much to begin with, still had a puddle of syrup collected on the paper plate.

On impulse, Elsa reached out and dragged her fingers through the syrup, intending to lick it off her fingers.

Anna grabbed her hand. "My syrup," she scolded.

And then she licked Elsa's fingers.

A moment later, Anna turned a bright red. Elsa had frozen, her hand still held out in front of her like she was some kind of bizarre statue.

What?

"If everyone could dispose of their plates, we'll continue," the tour-guide said in French to the room. Anna leapt to her feet, grabbing her their plates and fleeing without looking at Elsa.

What?

They had been prevented from attending any possible trip to Old Quebec or exploring and nightlife there was to speak of. But that, apparently, was not what was bothering Anna.

"God dammit, I want Timmy's," she said for the third time that evening.

Elsa looked up from her book. Anna was draped over the couch, laptop on her lap and was staring longingly out the window at the snow blowing past in the dark. The temperature had dropped drastically with nightfall, and snow had come on suddenly.

"There's a blizzard out and the closest one is thirty minutes away," Elsa said pragmatically.

"How does that happen in Canada?" Anna slumped further into the couch. She had her legs wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket and was wearing two sweaters. A fire blazed in the hearth. Anna had insisted on it. Elsa had thought she was trying to boil herself alive.

"A blizzard in March?" Elsa asked.

"No. Being so far away from Tim Horton's. I thought it was the law that we had to have one every two blocks."

Elsa giggled. "You're a hopeless addict."

Anna stuck out her tongue.

"Order a hot chocolate from room service," Elsa suggested. "That's what being at a place like this is all about."

Anna pouted.

"Fine," Elsa said, ignoring Anna's melodramatics. "I'll order some for both of us."

"It's not the same."

Elsa ignored her and made the call. She stood and stretched. Out of the chair, she noticed how much the temperature had dropped. She could feel Anna watching her as she went and added another log to the fire.

She returned to her book until the soft knock and call of "Service du chambre."

"Maybe I can live with this," Anna conceded a minute later, taking the glass mug and ogling the mountain of whip cream.

"Well, it's no paper cup with a pile of sludge at the bottom," Elsa said. She took a sip. It was heaven – perfectly made with real dark chocolate and heavy cream.

Anna moaned with happiness after her first sip. When she set the cup down, Elsa giggled.

"What?" Anna asked.

"You have whip cream on your nose," Elsa said. Anna grimaced and rubbed it off. Her face was too sweet and cherubic. Elsa turned quickly to look out at the snow.

"It is too cold right now," she decided as she cradled the cup to her, warming her hands. She wished she had brought warmer things. She had foolishly hoped for more spring-like weather.

Anna sat up, putting the mug on the side table. She shifted the blanket so it was over her shoulders. One arm, holding a corner of the blanket, extended, inviting Elsa to sit next to her.

An immediate battle began in Elsa's head. She wanted to sit there. But should she? It seemed like they kept touching, and every time Elsa felt like her nerves were going to snap from the closeness. She took another sip of her hot chocolate, debating.

"Are you gonna sit, or am I going to hold my arm out like a dork all night?" Anna asked finally. Elsa bit her lip.

"I'll sit," she said. Anna immediately wrapped her arm and the blanket around Elsa's shoulders.

Just relax. It's just friendly. Nothing special about this. Just friends sitting together in front of the fire on a cold night...

Anna rested her head on Elsa's shoulder.

Her hair was soft and tickled Elsa's neck. She smelled like a mixture of the hotel shampoo and wood smoke from the sugar-bush tour.

Neither of them spoke. Despite Elsa's tension, it was a comfortable silence. It had been a long day, Elsa thought, but a good one. A fun one, even. The idea made her smile. When had been the last time she'd had a full day she could call fun?

Ninth grade.

She rested her head on Anna's, letting herself relax for the first time in forever.

If you're not on tumblr, or you didn't see them amazing peeps have made fanart of the fic. I am so boggled by that. You guys are amazing: hmselssana . tumblr . com search/Anna+summers+PA (take out the spaces and add a slash between com and search)

Also, you should follow me on tumblr. :)

Capt. Elfy