Anna didn't notice the tender smiles being sent her way as she snuggled against Elsa. She missed it when Mrs. Helland's grin turned mischievous and was unaware of the trio of adults leaving the room. Even Mr. Oaken had retreated into his office, though he was still able to keep a watchful eye on them through the Plexiglas wall. All that mattered to her at that moment was the girl pressed against her side, who had still refused to let go of her hand. The TV wasn't even turned on, they were just sitting in pleasant silence, each enjoying the other's presence.

And Elsa's shoulder was just so comfortable… Anna would have been perfectly fine taking a nap right then and there.

"Elsa," she paused to yawn, bringing up the hand that Elsa wasn't holding in order to stifle it, before continuing. "Has anyone ever told you that you make a fantastic pillow?"

She felt Elsa grin, and as pink dusted over the other girl's cheeks Anna grinned in turn when Elsa moved to hide her face in Anna's hair. The redhead giggled when she felt Elsa shake her head 'no'.

"Well let me tell you, they're missing out." Elsa squeezed her hand when she nuzzled further into the blonde's shoulder, the soft blue fleece of the blonde's sweater tickling her skin. Once she found her sweet spot, firmly convinced she couldn't get any more comfortable if she tried, she sighed in contentment. Her breathe must have tickled the skin of the blonde's neck however, because Anna felt her shiver. The redhead was silent for a moment, weighing the possible meanings of this reaction in her head before a devilish grin spread across her face. "Elsa… are you ticklish?"

The blonde froze and Anna's grin only grew wider. Immediately her free hand found the blonde's thin waist and a single finger extended to poke the taller girl's side. Elsa's pink lips parted in a silent squeal and she immediately flinched away. Her foot however managed to catch itself against Anna's so when she tried to move away her legs got stuck and she ended up falling, her back thumping against the couch. For a moment the blonde was dazed, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling before she caught the sound of Anna laughing uproariously. Fire spread across her cheeks and the blonde threw an arm over her face to hide both her eyes and her embarrassment.

Anna on the other hand was doubled over in laughter, hands clutching her sides as she gasped for air. "O-oh my god, Elsa…" she managed to gasp out amidst her hysterics, "you, I can't- oh my god! I had no idea it was that bad! You've gotta be like, hyper-sensitive or something!"

She was laughing so hard that her eyes were screwed shut to prevent the tears of mirth from escaping; every so often a laugh was punctuated with an 'ow' or 'oh god' as her sides started to burn. She hadn't laughed this hard in… well, actually this was probably the first time she'd ever laughed this hard!

The look on her face! God it was like she'd never even been tickled before! She was absolutely terrified! Oh my God, she's just so precious!

Eventually she started to calm down, more gasps escaping her than actual laughs. She wiped a tear away and tried to compose herself. After a few last painful gasps, she finally glanced back over at Elsa.

And she immediately stopped laughing.

Elsa had half-risen, lower half still splayed out on the couch cushions but she was propping herself up on her elbows. Her face was red from embarrassment and her already-messy braid was even messier. It should have been cute. Her eyes however, were narrowed in a glare.

Anna immediately panicked. Is she mad at me? "U-um, I uh, I-I didn't mean to make you mad Elsa, I just…" Anna trailed off when Elsa's glare turned playful and her lips began to slowly lift up into a smirk. Slowly the blonde started to rise, and Anna gulped audibly as a chill went down her spine. "Uh oh…"

In an instant Elsa's lips parted in a Cheshire cat grin and she lunged, tackling the redhead back against the couch and immediately going straight for her sides. The blonde's thin fingers dug in mercilessly and Anna immediately started to shriek, arms flailing as laughter once again echoed throughout the room. "E-Elsa! Stop, stop it- oh my god my sides!" Already sore from her previous bouts of laughter Anna's abs were practically screaming at her, but she was helpless to escape the tickles. When she tried to wriggle away Elsa only followed. "So, so not fair!" Her eyes were tearing up again, she had to get away. In a desperate attempt to flee she reached out for Elsa's hips and began her own barrage of tickling.

Elsa's eyes immediately widened and she jumped, hands pausing in their attack on Anna's sides. The redhead took the opportunity to pull herself out from underneath the blonde and roll away. She fell to the floor with a thump but was up in an instant, running to the opposite side of the room with a triumphant cry. "Hah! Freedom!"

Elsa blinked once in confusion, mouth agape, before she grinned and her eyes narrowed in determination. She got up and ran after the redhead and the two began a playful game of cat and mouse, Anna running every which way until finally the two found themselves on opposite sides of their table. Both eyed each other wearily; when Elsa moved right Anna did the same, and when Anna considered running again Elsa immediately stepped into her line of sight.

The two stood in a silent standoff.

And then they both erupted into giggles.

When the pain in her sides grew too much to bear, Anna collapsed onto the ground with a huff, breathing heavily as her giggles began to subside. Her eyes slid shut as she wiped the slightest traces of sweat from her forehead. The cool linoleum felt good against her back and she relaxed. "Whew… I think that's enough exercise for one day." She heard footsteps and cracked one eye open to see Elsa staring down at her, breathing heavy even as the corner of her mouth curled up into a lopsided grin. Anna smiled and patted the ground next to her. "Come on down, the linoleum's fine!"

Her eyes slid shut once again and, after a moment, she felt Elsa lay down beside her. Within moments the redhead felt a hand intertwine with hers and she grinned.

Wow. I can't believe how affectionate she's being. She must have really thought I was never coming back… and her grin fell into a frown. She turned her head to look at Elsa…

…and immediately blushed when she found Elsa staring right back at her. Their faces were only inches apart.

I don't think I'll ever get over how absolutely gorgeous she is… like, how can someone be this perfect? And she's such a sweetheart too. She doesn't deserve to be so sad all the time. She should be just like this: happy. Smiling.

And I… I want to be there to see it. I want to be the reason she does.

The thoughts were a bit intimidating. They came out of nowhere. If Anna hadn't been so transfixed on the angelic face staring back at her, she might have questioned herself and her clearly overactive brain. But, little did she know that Elsa was following a near-identical train of thought.

The two continued to stare at each other, vision narrowing until all each could see was the other's face. The world around them didn't matter. Elsa's troubles, Anna's worries, none of it existed in that moment. Blue eyes flicked south. Anna barely registered the blonde licking her lips. When Elsa began to lean in, Anna felt her eyes slowly sliding shut.

But the sound of a door opening broke the spell.

Anna shot up as Elsa froze, eyes wide and panicked. The blonde immediately rolled onto her side, facing away from Anna as her hands came up to cover her mouth.

Anna on the other hand found herself staring both at the door and at Elsa's parents, who'd just magically reappeared. When did they even leave the room?! They were talking amongst themselves, excited about something. When Catrine caught sight of the pair of them on the floor though, she paused. Anna's face grew hot when the brunette raised an elegant brow in her direction. Anton on the other hand saw them and had to stifle a chuckle.

"Anna?" Mrs. Helland asked.

"Y-yes, Mrs. Helland?"

Lavender eyes gave the redhead a once-over, quickly shifting to Elsa's form curled up on the floor before returning to Anna's flushed face. "Why are you two on the floor?"

"O-oh! Well, um, you see it's kind of a funny story, but it's also kind of awkward. See, Elsa and I were sitting on the couch and all of a sudden I was like 'hey, I totally bet that Elsa's ticklish' and so I tested it out and turns out, yeah! She was! Like, really really ticklish! And it was really funny, but then she started tickling me to get revenge and I tried to get away so then we kinda just ended up running around because she was still trying to tickle me. I was trying to get away, obviously. And we got kinda sweaty so I laid down on the floor and it felt really nice so I figured Elsa might like it too… so, um… here we are!"

Catrine only stared back at her, silent. Anton behind her had a hand over his mouth, eyes closed as he tried to hold back laughter.

Anna flushed and stood, dusting herself off. She looked down at Elsa, curled up in a ball and she was immediately concerned. "Elsa! Are you okay?" She moved to Elsa's side and held her hands out. "Here, stand up."

Elsa's head turned and she glanced up at Anna shyly. Red was once again coating her cheeks, and though her hands had come away from her mouth they were still held in tight to her body. Her entire frame was tense, but all it took was a simple nod and a smile from Anna and the blonde relaxed. She rolled over onto her back and pushed herself into an upright position. She reached out and took Anna's hands, and her mouth fell open in surprise as the redhead swiftly pulled her up with unexpected strength. When the blonde realized how close they were she took a step back, which Anna noted with a slight frown.

Elsa's parents watched the exchange with faint smiles. After a moment Catrine cleared her throat and Anna turned her face from Elsa's to look at the older woman curiously. Elsa however, dropped her gaze to Anna's hands, intertwined with her own between their bodies.

"Elsa dear, your father and I are leaving. We'll be back again next Friday, and we'll be bringing you home for the weekend. The Helland house is to host the Spring Ball this year, and we'd like it very much if you would make an appearance. We've already talked to your therapist and he's given consent. As for you, Miss Christian," Anna seemed to stand just a bit straighter when her name was called, the curiosity in her eyes having doubled at the mention of the party. Catrine only smiled. "Perhaps you would like to attend?"

Anna's jaw dropped, and she felt Elsa's grip on her hands tighten. "M-me?" she sputtered. When Catrine nodded Anna just blushed and her eyes fell to the floor. "But, but I'm nowhere near sophisticated enough for a party like that. I mean, my social life consists of eating pizza without plates and yelling at my best friend when he beats me in video games!"

Truthfully though, the idea of attending a ball thrilled her. The beautiful dresses, the sophisticated company… but she was absolutely terrified that she was going to make a fool of herself in front of Elsa's parents. Or worse, Elsa herself. The last thing she needed was Elsa doubled over in laughter when Anna tripped over the hem of her dress and went flying into some poor soul, as would surely happen if she attended. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd worn a dress! Skirts she could handle, maybe, but since she'd basically been living in jeans and leggings for the past three months the transition was definitely going to be difficult. Dress-wearing was far more complicated than bike-riding.

That's not just something you slip right back into. Unless maybe you're Elsa, or Elsa's mom. I'm sure they'd be absolutely flawless in floor-lengths gowns. I'd probably end up tripping into the punch bowl. Wait, do they even have punch bowls anymore? Is that still a thing? Do old people even drink punch?

Anna felt her hands being squeezed and she looked down. Elsa's thumbs were drawing gentle circles against her skin, and when she looked up she saw Elsa smiling shyly at her. Though the blonde's smile was cautious her eyes were absolutely alight with excitement.

'Really?' Anna asked with her eyes, an eyebrow raising ever so slightly as she fixed the taller girl with a questioning gaze. Elsa's response was to bring their intertwined hands up to her mouth, attempting to hide the smile that was steadily growing larger.

When Elsa nodded, Anna realized that she'd never actually had a chance at refusing.

Without so much as a word of protest, she conceded defeat. With a nervous grin of her own, she turned back to Elsa's parents. "Sure. I'd love to. Just… don't be too surprised when I end up making a fool of myself. Because that's definitely going to happen. I can almost definitely guarantee it."

Catrine and Anton just laughed. Anna's gaze fell to the floor, cheeks pink, but a gentle pressure against her knuckles had her eyes up in an instant.

Elsa was pressing her lips to Anna's knuckles, adoration and joy shining in her beautiful blue eyes. After a moment of eye contact the blonde pulled away, smile growing tender as a blush bloomed in her cheeks.

Anna could only scrunch her shoulders up to her ears and look away, a shy smile of her very own tugging at her lips. Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into?

Catrine smiled, clapping her hands together. "Wonderful! I'll make the arrangements. You can come stay at the manor for perhaps a day or two prior to the event. Elsa can give you a tour and you two can have some quality time to yourselves." Her hands remained joined together as her lavender eyes shifted back and forth between her daughter and the charming young woman she'd become infatuated with. "Well Elsa dear, we'll see you next week."

She hesitated for a moment, desperately wanting to take her daughter into her arms but fearing the rejection that would surely follow. However, the moment she'd decided against trying for a hug, Ela released Anna's hands and turned her body to face her parents. Her eyes were still downcast, and the moment she'd let go of Anna her arms had folded securely across her stomach, but the action still caused Catrine's eyes to widen in shock.

Elsa was acknowledging their presence. True, no eye contact was shared, no soft words of comfort exchanged, but the blonde's body language proved that she was aware of their existence. Aware of what they were doing for her, and grateful for it.

Catrine immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "I love you, dear. I always have, and I always will." After a moment she stepped back and allowed her husband to have his turn, unable to stop the smile that grew on her face at the sight of her daughter stiff in her father's embrace, face blank when he moved to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Well, we'll be off then. Goodbye, Miss Christian. First though, ff you would be so kind as to hand me your phone?" When the blushing redhead withdrew her phone and handed it to the older woman Catrine quickly entered her personal phone number and pressed 'call'. Her phone began to buzz in her handbag, which she held nestled in the crook of her arm, and with a look of satisfaction she passed the small device back to its owner.

"You can expect a call from us sometime this weekend. Have a good day, Miss Christian."

Anna just gave her a shy wave, a hand immediately running through her auburn hair once the Hellands left the visitor's lounge.

"I… wow. That actually happened. Right, Elsa? That happened? I didn't just dream that?" Elsa only giggled. Anna just let out a shaky exhale, a hand pressing against her heart. "Yeah, you're right. That totally did happen. Wait, oh my god!" Anna turned to Elsa then, whose eyes widened slightly in response to the sudden panic in the redhead's eyes. "What am I going to wear?!"

Hey babes :D

My friend is passed out across from me right now. Too many tequila shots I guess. Not everyone can be a champ like me ;)

I love you all! G'night!

-Cel