My past has tasted bitter for years now,
So I wield an iron fist
Grace is just weakness; or so I've been told.
I've been cold, I've been merciless
But the blood on my hands scares me to death
Maybe I'm waking up today
I'll be good, I'll be good
And I'll love the world, like I should
I'll be good, I'll be good
I'll be good, I'll be good
For all of the light that I shut out
For all of the innocent things that I've doubt
For all of the bruises that I've caused and the tears
For all of the things that I've done all these years
Yeah, for all of the sparks that I've stomped out
For all of the perfect things that I doubt

- Jaymes Young

Hiccup wasn't sure how long they stood there like that; with his arms wrapped tightly around Elsa as she continued to sob, and yet he didn't mind in the slightest, because he felt like he making a promise: to hold her up and help her when she couldn't keep herself up—and there wasn't a single force which could make him break that vow. After all the sadness and loneliness he could only begin to imagine she had endured over the years, the ice maiden definitely needed this and if he were to be honest, the rider found himself enjoying this way more than what should have been considered appropriate.

He would scold himself later for it, however, for now it at least gave him the opportunity to notice a few more things about Elsa and helped him to develop a better understanding of her. The first being that she smelled fantastic! Her scent was sweet & crisp with a faint tinge of flora—it was a total opposite back home with his people smelling of body odour & sea salt—and he wondered how someone could smell so fantastically wonderful. Seriously, it was addictive!

The second being her hair. He never noticed it before, but there were actual snowflakes woven into her cool blonde locks and holding her braid into place—it was quite lovely—and he idly wondered if any of the women back in Berk would be as entranced by it as he was.

His next thoughts were not so positive; being both about her weight and about her figure. Although he was already aware that she was malnourished, actually feeling it was another manner. She was so bony and light, he could probably snap her in half with little effort, and it absolutely horrified him.

'She'll definitely need to eat at least three to four times day.' He thought, hoping he'd have enough of his rations to feed the two of them. If not, he would definitely need to go fishing regularly, or even possibly go hunting. Although that might be difficult considering that he still hadn't seen another living form wandering around the land.

And the final one was that despite her ability to conjure ice and snow, she was so warm (incredibly so, and yet, for some reason her dress still felt cold. Weird...) and it all the more re-established his belief that even though she had powers that surpassed other people, she was still an actual human being and not just some cold monster like she viewed herself as.

She was a human, not a monster and he'd guzzle an entire barrel of yak nog before saying otherwise.

Now if only he could convince her of this too.

'Well it's not going to be easy,' his mind informed him. 'She's had this mentality drilled into her for years. You can't just shake it off with a few kind words and a hug.'

Unfortunately, that was true. The fair maiden been raised to be weary of herself and her abilities by her parents (out of all the people to put such make her doubt herself—it had to be them), had been living in isolation for Gods knows how long and had been carrying the crushing weight of Anna's death on her barely stable shoulders, and with no one to comfort or reassure her; it was no surprise why she was so desperate to keep Hiccup at arm's length.

'She needs to be constantly reminded that she isn't a monster and that she doesn't have to hide away from the world.' His thoughts continued, rationally and sensibly. 'She just needs someone who will stay by her side and support her. She desperately needs a friend...'

Could he really do it? The friend part he had no trouble with, but what about the rest? Elsa was obviously traumatised by her past and had a lot of inner demons (way too many) to battle with and needed all the support she could get. However, whether he liked it or not, (and he really, really didn't like it) the Chief needed to return to the village soon, otherwise Valka might decide to look for him and drag him back to Berk—and he'd rather not endure such an embarrassing situations, especially in front of Elsa.

He had already embarrassed himself enough these past few days without his mother's assistance and he would rather keep it that way.

So what could he do? What should he do? He really wanted to help the young woman, but he highly doubted they'd accomplish a lot in the next few days and if he left she would definitely leave the island and there was a big possibility he might not be able to find her again. Just the thought sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine.

'Hey, don't think about it right now. Just take it one step at a time...' a voice in his mind told him, and, if the rider didn't now better, he'd say that it almost sounded like it was Astrid's. Oh Odin help him. 'You don't need to figure it all out at this very moment, just focus on the now and the rest will follow. You just have to believe everything will work out in the end.'

He wasn't sure how to react. Should he be comforted that his deceased wife might have just contacted him from beyond the grave, or be very concerned that his mind was mimicking Astrid's voice in an effort to comfort him and his sanity was now officially taking a turn for the worst? Whatever the cause was, he was grateful for the advice, because it was true—this wasn't some sort of training regime or battle tactic, this was someone's life he was dealing with! He couldn't plan or prepare for this. Instead, he would just have to take baby steps and let it go from there.

'Wish me luck...' He sent a prayer to the Gods and his beloved, late wife, hoping they would guide him through without sparking some sort of disaster. 'Here goes.'

Taking a deep breath, he said, "You feeling better now?"

It wasn't a very good question to ask; too broad and pointless, but it was a start.

Sniffling a few times, Elsa removed her arms from around him and moved her hands to his shoulders, gently pushing against them. Getting the hint, Hiccup reluctantly let her go (after all, he had been enjoying the hug—he didn't get to have too many nowadays. Too old for that...) and watched as she took a few steps back and started wiping away any stray tears. Even though she had been crying for quite a while and now had flushed cheeks & glassy eyes, she was still a gorgeous creature.

"Mmm-hmm..." she replied, before biting her lip and shaking her head, obviously unappeased by her own answer. The fair maiden started to inhale and exhale, slowly & carefully. She did a few times before she finally spoke quietly, "Yes... I feel much better than I expected. Thank you. Although..."

She looked away bashfully and her hands found their way to her braid. She mumbled, "I feel a little silly for reacting like that."

"Don't be." He responded softly before giving Elsa a sincere smile, hoping to reassure her. The corner of her lips quirked a bit, encouraging him to go on. "Don't conceal your emotions—if you want to laugh, then laugh. If you want to cry, then cry. It's not fair to you to do otherwise."

Deciding to inject some humour to lighten the mood, he also added, "Sometimes, you just need to let it all out—otherwise, you'll explode and go on a bloody rampage. Back home, my people decided the best method to shake off bad feelings is with an axe or mace and take it out with the first person they lay eyes on."

Unfortunately, it didn't occur to him that she was unaccustomed to Vikings' traits until he saw her blue eyes widen in alarm.

"Oh Lord, that sounds awful!" She exclaimed, looking rather horrified. "Are they really that barbaric?!"

"Oh, no! I didn't mean it literally!" He hurriedly replied, realising he probably shouldn't exaggerate so much. "Well, kind of... they just prefer hitting and destroying stuff in order to solve those types of problems! We're just very physical people."

"Berk doesn't sound like is a very safe place..." she muttered, not looking the least bit convinced by his explanation. Not that he could blame her. He would be pretty reluctant too had he not grown up there and become accustomed to the lifestyle. "From the sound of things, it's a wonder that it's still in one piece."

"More like a miracle." He quipped, wholeheartedly agreeing with her. Sometimes, the dragon tamer wondered how the Berkians had survived for so long as they had without resorting to raiding, pillaging or killing one another. He could only be grateful that despite all of his hotheadedness, Stoick was quite a rational man and knew how play peace-keeper without asserting his powers as Chief.

"A Chief's first duty is to his people."

That was one of the greatest things Hiccup admired about his father; because even though he was still heartbroken over the disappearance of Valka and reluctant to make peace with the dragons—he stayed passionate in his role as leader of the Berkians. He believed in doing what was right for his people, he reached out to his people and lead them to prosperity. Even at the expense of his own feelings of resentment, prejudice & narrow-mindedness, Stoick rose above and decided to let go of the past and move on so that the island could benefit for the better.

Were it not for him, Berk would never have been as accepting of dragons as they were now.

"Do you do that too?" Elsa asked nervously, finally letting go of her hair only to clutch her hands together instead, "Go on a rampage, I mean."

"No," he answered with a shake of the head. "If I followed everyone else's example every time someone upset me, then Berk would be in a constant state of perpetual ruin. So I just take Toothless on a flight and then yell at the top of my lungs until I'm exhausted."

She blinked owlishly, "So you just scream out your frustrations and that's it?"

"No, no I yell out my frustrations." He corrected quickly (a little too quickly) for the sake of his male pride. "It's much manlier than screaming and very effective."

'Smooth Hiccup. Real smooth.'

"Oh really?" She asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. A look of bemusement took over her pretty features, surprising him. "So what does Toothless do while you're yelling?" She continued, annunciating out the last word playfully; obviously aware she had a struck a nerve and seemed clearly amused by the idea.

'Woah! Is she teasing me...?' He wondered, and yet, it excited him! 'Does this mean she's finally opening up to me?'

"Oh you know, the usual..." he drawled out light-heartedly, playing along in good humour. "Quivering in absolute fear—completely at the mercy of my powerful, masculine roar—praying to the Gods he does not become a victim to my wrath! It's so frightening that even Thor whimpers in terror!"

He heard Toothless groan beside him and could already imagine the dragon rolling his eyes in exasperation at his friend's antics.

"Oh really?" She replied, trying her best to keep a straight face and hold in her laughter. Her cool blue eyes glittered with amusement and he felt his heart skip at a rapid rate. "And, do pray tell, what is it that makes it all so terrifying that even the God of Thunder and Lightning would tremble at the sound of your cries?"

'It's working!' He realised, positively giddy at the prospect. 'Play it cool, Hiccup! No pun intended...'

"Well how could he not? With all this raw muscle and deathly physique," he said, gesturing to himself and then flexing out his arms. "Who wouldn't tremble in my awesome presence—why, I'm practically impervious!"

In saying that, it was a real shame that Toothless decided to be a jerk at that moment and prove him wrong by smacking him upside the head with his tail, thus causing the Chief to stumble over his feet (well, technically foot) which lead to him falling spectacularly, face-first into the frozen ground—completely banishing any sort of dignity he might have had left.

'Bloody dragon.'

"Thank you, Toothless." He muttered sarcastically, in a pathetic effort to nurse his hurt pride. "You good-for-nothing reptile."

The Night Fury warbled, clearly amused by his friend's suffering—something he had already anticipated. However, what he had not expected was Elsa laughing too. Really laughing. It was different to the other day when he got splashed by the icy water (once again, thanks to Toothless)—it had been restrained and polite, but this right now was less controlled and more joyous, more sincere. Hiccup looked up stunned, and saw the fair maiden clutching her sides, her eyes squeezed shut as tears started to flow and wearing one of the prettiest smiles he had ever witnessed.

Seeing her like this, a smile of his own broke out and found himself chuckling along.

'Thanks Bud...' He thought, this time sincerely, before looking over to his buddy and giving him a grateful nod. He turned his head back in her direction and watched as she continued to laugh. It didn't seem like she would stop any time soon, but he didn't mind; he was just grateful to see her lighten up and be happy for once.

Even if it was at his own expense...

Although the former Queen knew it was in poor taste to be laughing at someone's misery, she couldn't stop herself. It was just too hilarious! The last time she had done it, she had been with Anna when they were both giddy from the scent of chocolate and witnessed the Duke of Weaselton's toupee detach itself from his scalp, but their laughter had to be quickly restrained due to the fact that they were presence of nobles & royalty and it would've been uncouth (not to mention, horribly impolite) for them to continue.

'Oh Lord, how did I survive this long?' She wondered, relishing the good feeling. She read once in a book that a day without laughter was a day wasted, and if that was the case, then she had practically wasted her life, because she certainly couldn't remember laughing like this.

At least, not in a very long time.

'Hiccup's right, if I want to laugh then I should laugh and if I want to cry then I should cry.' She realised as she felt tears gliding down her cheeks for the millionth time since meeting the Chief and Night Fury. 'I won't conceal my feelings anymore.'

Her laughter eventually began to cease and was reduced to short giggles. Her sides ached and her cheeks were wet, but Elsa had never felt better. She opened her eyes and found Hiccup who was still laying on the ground, except was now staring at her and giving her one of the loveliest smiles she had ever witnessed and she couldn't help from returning the gesture.

"You're alright now?" He replied, looking charming as he did so.

"Never been better," she answered.

'I'm sorry Mama, Papa—I know that you only wanted to protect me, but I can't keep hiding from who I am.' She thought, but it wasn't bitter or sad like she had expected, just resigned. 'Hiccup's right; it's not fair to me. I just hope you can understand that.'

Such a stunning realisation for her to have now after enduring so many years of fear & isolation through her parents' upbringing. The snow maiden wondered how the rider could have such a powerful influence on her after only a matter of days, however, as she stared into his vibrant bright green eyes—she knew it wasn't important right now.

She was just glad to have a friend.

'Two actually,' her mind corrected. 'Don't forget about Toothless.'

It would be exceptionally hard to forget the Night Fury, especially since he was currently using his tail to hoist the Chief up on his feet with perfect ease. He gave a short coo to the rider and nudged his head against him.

"I know, Bud." The Viking said, giving the dragon a rub behind his ears. "Thanks."

'The way they can understand and communicate to one another so naturally, even without words... incredible...' The fair maiden thought as she watched them interact. 'I've never seen anything like it. They've been through so much, and yet their bond has only grown... if only it could have been like that for Anna & I.'

No, she couldn't (wouldn't) think like that right now. Not when she was finally in a good mood and remembered what it was to laugh again. Not today.

'Forgive me, Anna for all the pain I ever caused you...' She thought solemnly, hoping her younger sister would hear her prayers. 'What I did to you was despicable and unforgivable, but do you think it'd be okay for me to be happy again. Even if for just a few days...?'

And yet, Elsa knew it was pointless to wait for a reply or a sign. Because even though it felt wrong to admit it (let alone accept it) the former Queen knew deep down in her heart that Anna (beautiful, fearless, selfless Anna) would want her to move on from the past, open up to someone and allow herself the chance to find joy—even if it couldn't be with her.

Still, she was scared. After so many years of shutting people out, it was only natural for her to put her defences up. What if she slipped up and accidentally struck either one with her magic? Or worse, killed them?

'I have to believe that everything will be okay.' She regarded in acceptance, although it did nothing to quell her nerves. 'I have to have believe that they can defend and protect themselves. And I have to believe that I can do this...'

It was going to be one of the most difficult tasks she would ever have to endure—to let go of her defences, to relinquish all control of the situation, place her faith into another's hands, to open her heart and to trust herself. Just the thought was frightening, daunting and arduous all at once.

'Is it really possible?'

However, as she watched Hiccup divert his attention from Toothless and back onto her with those gorgeous, green eyes, giving her another one of his breath-taking grins, Elsa felt her heart beginning to pace and a smile of her own beginning to form.

Yes, she realised, it would definitely be worth it in the end.

"So, now that the storm has come and passed, shall we go outside to enjoy this beautiful day?" He suggested casually.

"Yes, I would very much like that."

The Viking rushed to the front door before she could even blink, and it held it open for her, gesturing for her to go first.

"Why thank you, Sir Haddock." The former Queen commended teasingly as she approached him. "You are a most gracious gentleman."

"Sir Haddock? Gracious gentleman?" He joked back, looking mildly appalled by such a title. "Wh-what is this uptight formality you speak with? It's horrendous, I say!"

She let out a heart-felt chuckle and deemed it unnecessary to respond, simply walking past him with the natural grace she had been blessed with to let the warm rays of the sun hit her as she exited the cabin.

The fair woman tilted her head up towards the sky and had to squint a little, unused to the brightness. She held her right hand up to cover then beaming sun and protect her sensitive eyes, but a moment passed and her eyes adjusted.

'What the...? How can this be?'

Lowering her hand, Elsa took a sharp intake of breath as she allowed her eyes to take in the sight of the now clear blue sky above her and the snow-laden land before her. It looked, it looked so... beautiful and gorgeous and so many other things that she wondered if she was in a completely different world.

'Even though we're still surrounded by ice and snow, I don't feel as cold as before...' She mused with a serene smile, enjoying the warmth surrounding her entire body, how the soft snow glittered from the rays of sun, and how flawless & shiny the frozen lake looked, as if made from pristine crystal. 'Is it because of the sun? Or something else? Or has it always been like this and I've never noticed until now...?'

"It's so beautiful..." She murmured to herself in quiet awe and all of a sudden, a wave of gratitude overcame her.

Gratitude to know that she had a part in this.

Gratitude to have others witness it with her who bore no fear or ill will.

But most importantly, gratitude to still be alive.

'Thank you, Hiccup...'

"Yeah, it's amazing. Before now, I never realised how beautiful winter can be..." the Viking replied awestruck, as he took a step alongside her.

She glanced over and saw that he still had that dazzling grin on him, and, for some strange reason, it stirred something within her (something warm & foreign, and unbelievably comforting...) It made her want to laugh, dance, sing and do a million other joyful little things, but most of all, it made her want her to do everything within her power to ensure Hiccup could always smile like that—as reckless, childish, silly and impractical as it may have sounded.

'This feeling...' the former Queen reflected as she gazed into the Chief's kind green eyes and noted how adorable he looked with all his freckles when he smiled. 'It's so similar to how I felt with Anna, and yet nothing like that at all. How is that possible?'

A good question, but one she could not answer. Elsa wasn't certain; she wasn't good with feelings. She used to be once when she was younger and unburdened by fear or responsibility, but because her parents constantly encouraging her to suppress her powers (and hence affecting her temperament) up until their deaths, she essentially forgot what it was like to feel. Even when she received the news of their fate, she was numb. She wasn't sure exactly how she was supposed to feel. It hurt, it hurt horribly (unbearably so) to lose them, but she didn't cry.

At least, not for them.

No, instead she cried for Anna, for her pain & misery, and how she pathetic she was as a Queen & sister that she couldn't even muster the courage (the decency) to open the door to comfort her hurting baby sibling. She also cried for their broken relationship and just how messed up (and utterly, completely hopeless) it all was for them and there being next to none chance of a reconciliation.

It was a sad concept to know that she couldn't even grieve for her parents properly, but Elsa had refused to acknowledge her grief or pain, for the sake of herself & the good of Arendelle. Even though something in the back of her mind whispered for her to allow herself to heal, she did not dare to delve into her conscious to fix whatever might be damaged. She didn't have the courage, nor the time. Because right after the King & Queen's funeral, Elsa had to work non-stop with negotiations, dealing with preparations for her coronation, and being buried alive under the mountains of paperwork that seemed to appear on her desk every day—all the while, managing to successfully avoid Anna, who was still hurting from the loss of her entire family (because Elsa didn't count; she lost the right to call herself a sister when she ignored the younger girl's countless pleas for love and comfort.)

She didn't understand her emotions or what they were exactly—she had so much to focus on back then that former Queen had welcomed any distraction with open arms. Even the journey to this land had been a heedless blessing for her as she spent weeks trekking through dense forests, fighting off fearsome wildlife and sporting many injuries.

By the time she arrived to this island she was covered in multiple bruises & cuts, her shoes long gone and her dress shredded beyond repair, and her sanity on the borderline. It was only as she started living in this self-imposed exile with a frozen kingdom, a dead sister, all the time in the world in her hands and with nothing further to distract her; did any restraint she might have had left quickly disintegrate and Elsa succumbed to her despair.

Safe to say, she promptly turned into an emotional wreck and spent everyday of her time overwhelmed by her grief; sobbing, regretting and praying to a God who did not seem to exist.

She gave up any notion of ever regaining happiness.

And yet, here she was, standing next to a man & his dragon feeling more elated, more content and more alive than she could ever remember being in her entire life.

Why he could have such a profound effect on her after only a couple of days was anyone's guess—all she knew she didn't want to let the feeling go.

'He's like the sunshine on the first morning of spring in a snow-laden forest...' she realised after her cheeks began to flush as he grabbed her hand.

He would gently thaw away the powerful grip of winter with the utmost respect whilst at the same time manage not to throw mother nature or any surrounding inhabitants into total chaos. Winter would resist and be stubborn—holding its stance for as long as possible with its cold tendrils—but he would be patient, persistent & tenacious.

'He'll continue to shine brightly day after day, no matter how long, until there's no snow or ice or any trace of cold remaining... he'll make it thaw slowly.'

Author's Notes: Oh my God, I'm done! I'm actually DONE! I can't believe I actually managed to complete this chapter and be satisfied. Hell yeah! Way to go me! And so ends the first Act of Thaw Slowly - I will tell you, quite emotional and I will admit, I might have dragged it out for a bit too long with the angst but I think we've got a good majority out of the system and I hope you guys can forgive for the emotional turmoil I put you through. It can only go up from here!

I want to thank TheWritingFactory and Maxaro for once again investing their time into reading and editing this story. I'm so grateful for it guys.

A shout out to Secretsivekept because this awesome person has made a brief comic strip of this story, re-enacting a scene from the last chapter. Seriously, check it out. It's on tumblr, you won't be disappointed!

Also, Maxaro; I like lots of animals but penguins & cats (including the big ones) are my favourite type of animals. Penguins because they're cute and cats because they're clever & do the most adorable things!

Now, time to reply to some reviews. Sorry guys, I haven't answered too many of them, but I will do so now without giving away the rest of the plot.

Arkisenn: Yes, I did kind of drag out the angst for a bit too long. Forgive me, but on the plus side, it will get better for Hiccup & Elsa.

Secretsivekept: OMG I adored your artwork (although you already got my rapid fangirl message! I'm stalking you now on tumblr!) So gorgeous! I was swooning at Hiccup! He's such a sexy guy ;-)

Guest: I do actually have another Hiccelsa fanfic in the works, but I want to focus on this first before I upload it.

Je suis occupe a ecrire: Next chapter introduces Hiccelsa fluffiness! So brace yourself.

MissPanda101: I'm sorry, but I won't be able to do any chapters of their married life anytime soon. However, I've got plans ;-)

Inkwell Light: Thanks for always reviewing, it always make me happy.

Margaret Helstone: What can I say? Thanks to your awesomeness and epic AMV skills (and I know because I've been stalking you on youtube) this story has such a kick-ass trailer! Thank you and I can't wait to see your next video.

Memnonic: Train to "Feeladelphia" - BAHAHAHAHA! Nice! I wish I could answer your questions, but to do so would be revealing too much, so I'm sorry. Although I happy to pm you at anytime if you got any other questions.

SeaFeudJagger: Oh wow, I'm so glad that you reviewed since I'm enthralled with both your Hiccelsa stories at the moment. So can't wait for the next update ;-)

Red Star: Oh my God... OMG! OMG! Red Star has read my story! READ MY STORY! Sorry, as you can tell I'm pretty excited since I'm in awe of you, although I will say I'm deeply sorry you had to endure all of Elsa's angstiness. Forgive me, for I made her wallow in self-pity!

I'm sorry to everyone else for not replying, but don't think that I don't appreciate the effort and time it takes to read & review this story (I'm at a 100 reviews because of you guys!)

Thank you, I'm really grateful for all your kinds words and support. So until next time take care and be kind to one another.