S'mores Galores

Oh, and gloves, too.

Sometimes, Anna still noticed Elsa wearing gloves. This wouldn't have concerned Anna had she not noticed how Elsa looked anxious every time she did so.

It's almost as thought she's unwillingly clinging to the conceal-don't-feel mentality, Anna thought. But every time I tell her to get rid of the gloves, she says she feels uncomfortable doing so.

That isn't to say that Elsa resumed isolating herself, like she did many years ago. No, she made sure to be there for Anna as much as possible without it interfering in her duties. But still, Anna was concerned, and she expressed this to Kristoff next week.

"Just think: she can't let go of her past, and if we don't help Elsa snap out of it somehow, she might start repressing her feelings again, and look how that turned out!" Anna said to Kristoff, who was down in the village hauling ice blocks with Sven.

"Mm-hm," Kristoff slowly replied, stacking up some smaller ice piles on top of a bigger one. "Don't want another eternal winter in Arendelle, do we? Bad for business, I tell you."

"Oh, you and your I-could-care-less attitude towards everything. This is serious!" Anna huffed, though she couldn't help smiling because he was so lovably sassy. "What would you recommend I do?"

Kristoff, dropping off a stack of cubes in a crate, didn't reply at first. Finally, "Didn't you consider talking to her?"

"I did! I requested that she destroy those old gloves, but nooo, she says she'll keep them because they make her feel 'more secure' or some kind of yadda." Anna sighed. "What would you do, Kristoff?" So anxious was she, in fact, that she took a chipping block and began chipping away on the ice she was perched on without being aware of what she was doing.

"Whoa there, princess! First-" Kristoff lifted Anna off the ice block, "Have some consideration for my ice! Second, lemme ask you this instead: what would you do? You. Not what I would do. You're her sister; you should know how to get your message across somehow!

"I-I don't-" Anna stammered. "She's just so stubborn-!"

"Look, I'm not good at advice. Or frankly, negotiations," Kristoff said. "But Sven and I are planning a stakeout this evening. We'll be roasting sausages and s'mores. You're invited. Bring Elsa, and we'll have fun, put her in a good mood. Maybe she'll be in such a good mood that you'll covince her. Do as you will."

But are you sure it's that simple? Anna thought as Kristoff strode away to fetch more ice blocks.

Eyebrows furrowed, feet crossed, Anna contemplated on Kristoff's message for a while. Slowly, her smile starting spreading more and more across her face, till she squealed and cupped her hands around her face with glee.

"Kristoff, wait! I got it! I have a plan!"

"Hurry, Elsa!" Anna took her sister by the hand and tugged her along the windy road to the outskirts of the village not far from the castle. Both sisters had lanterns to guide their path.

"What's the hurry, sis?" Elsa laughed, picking up her skirts with one hand before proceeding. She then sniffed the air. "It's smells like...a fire? Are pinecones burning, too?"

"Yup!" Anna brushed away a tree branch to reveal a gently burning campfire, with Kristoff and Sven sitting around it.

"So that's what you dragged me into," Elsa replied with a smirk. "This better be worth my time." Nevertheless, she followed Anna.

The evening was more entertaining than Elsa first thought. While everyone sat on logs and warmed themselves near the fire, Kristoff passed sausages and chocolate-covered s'mores to all, which were very delicious, especially when the s'mores were half-melted over the fire. Kristoff told the most far-fetched yet amusing tales of his adventures in ice harvesting, enough to make Anna strongly question him every few sentences. He also told the funniest jokes that made even Elsa shake with laughter. And Anna was relieved that Elsa had her gloves tucked away for now.

Anna had found a very clever, hospitable significant other, Elsa thought, her eyes glazed over in thought as she roasted a sausage over the campfire. It was a small fire, so Kristoff and Anna regularly stoked it with more pinecones and kindling. I still have to observe him before I give my blessing and let them tie the knot. But I'm so glad Anna's happy with him...

"What are you doing?" Elsa asked curiously. Kristoff and Anna finished writing something in each of their paper slips and tossed them into the fire. They spared each other a subtle, knowing glance before Anna proceeded. "It's just that, well, a shooting star just passed us. And Kristoff told me that when a star passes over a campfire, instead of making a wish, you have to list one thing that currently troubles you in your life and toss the list into the fire. And I wrote mine, 'cause I do have a few secret issues myself. You should try it, Elsa."

Elsa immediately saw through Anna's trick, though.

This must be a trick to urge me to open up about my feelings about the gloves, huh? Elsa thought almost scathingly. Clearly you haven't given up on your efforts, have you?

"It's about the gloves issue, isn't it?" Elsa said quietly.

Anna didn't reply. Kristoff seemed fairly surprised and glanced at Anna as though to say, Now what?

"So you're assuming that I will write down my burden as 'gloves', Elsa continued.

"If they truly do bother you," Anna said slowly. "Look, maybe I'm assuming wrongly, but you seem more miserable each time you wear them, like you're blocking yourself out-"

"And you're right," Elsa said abruptly. She pulled out her gloves and tossed them into the fire, where they shriveled and burned up. "I was worried that any feelings of anxiety would make it harder for me to control my powers. I was doubting myself. But as I learned a long time ago, love helps me control my powers, even when I feel doubtful about the limits of this control." She shrugged. "I don't know what came over me."

Anna smiled with relief.

The plan worked! Which means...

Anna then turned to Kristoff and nodded; he then lifted a box out of a cart and brought it over to Elsa's feet.

Why, that's...my box of gloves! Elsa thought.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Kristoff put his hands up in self-defense. "Anna got me into this!"

"Aha."

Anna put her hand upon Elsa's shoulder. "Look, I'm not gonna try pressuring you," Anna said gently, "But just so you know, you have nothing to lose. Nothing, but your gloves. And if you understand, well, please understand that I'm just trying to help."

Elsa took out a second pair of gloves and looked at them thoughtfully. Then, she drew back her hand and tossed that pair into the fire. Another pair followed. And another. And another. Anna, Kristoff and even Sven helped pitch in.

The campfire, now turned bonfire, never shone brighter in the sea of pitch-black night surrounding it.

Shapeshifter Cat requested this, like, forever ago, and I'm sorry for the wait... DX

Thanks for reading!

K