The huge bag would undoubtedly break if Elsa wouldn't stop beating it to a pulp anytime soon. It had been a long time since she had gone to the gym, having been too busy with school and, even when she didn't want to admit it, enjoying flirting with Anna.

Elsa knew from the very beginning that their deal was bad news. Whatever made her agree, it was making her miserable now. Stupid curiosity. Stupid love. If only she had the courage and decisiveness to repeatedly tell Anna 'no' when she asked to be pseudo-girlfriends, maybe things wouldn't hurt as much. Watching Anna jumped from one guy to another sucked, but agreeing to be in a fake relationship while knowing that it was impossible for it to be real was a very stupid idea.

Elsa muttered curses under her breath. The anger and jealousy were indescribable. She didn't like the idea of Anna being with someone else anymore. She couldn't take it after experiencing having Anna in her arms.

"Elsa, anything more than that and you'll have to replace the bag," Belle wheezed through heavy pants. Elsa didn't listen. "Are you thinking about Anna?"

"What about it?" Elsa asked, not stopping on her routine.

"You look agitated. Did she reject you?" As those words were spoken, Elsa effectively stopped and looked at the brunette in horror. "Wait... She did?"

"No! I didn't confess!"

"Why not? Judging by the way you've been acting since coming back, it looked like you needed it." Belle shrugged when Elsa glared at her. "No, seriously. What happened? A week ago, you were happy. I thought you were finally getting somewhere."

"I..." Elsa began, closing her eyes to gather her thoughts. "Anna's ex visited her. They looked comfortable around each other a-and... It's been a long time since I've last seen her act that way."

"Act what way?"

Elsa opened her eyes, looking at the interesting floor. "Comfortable with others," she said. "I... I thought for sure we were getting somewhere. But then, maybe it was only because I've never seen her with anyone else lately. I forgot how comfortable she gets with someone who wasn't me."

When Belle didn't say anything, Elsa touched the punching bag with her trembling hands. Now that she had voiced these things out loud, it made it all the more painful. Memories ever since they started 'dating' flooded her mind, strong enough to flood the gates of her tear ducts too.

"Why won't you confess?"

Elsa blinked. It was an absurd question that was delivered quite gently. She looked at the brunette in horror and was about to tell her off until she saw the stern look on her face. The moment she saw that, chills crawled down her spine. Her mouth shut, and she fixated her gaze for a while, lingering a few more seconds. Despite Elsa's definitely tensed face, Belle didn't look away. She was waiting... for an answer that Elsa knew.

"She's my best friend. We grew up together, and that's..." Elsa sighed and punched the bag again.

Belle's silence tensed Elsa up, and she absolutely refused to look. If she did, Belle would be able to read her like an open book. It was absurd, and she was almost confident that she could hide her feelings well, but there were times when Belle could outsmart her.

"I'm a little disappointed," Belle uttered. "Okay, you don't want to confess because you're afraid to break what you already have. What are you going to do about it?"

"I... I don't know," Elsa admitted. Belle sighed, and by the sound of it, it couldn't be good. "M-Maybe... try live with it. Try to forget."

"Okay," Belle shrugged and stood up. "Let's go look for a girl who can make you move on from Anna."

"W-What?!"

"What's wrong? You don't want to confess to her, right?" Belle asked quite rhetorically. "The only solution for a broken heart is when someone comes along and tries to mend it, Elsa."

"Bye!"

Anna waved her hand as Hans walk down the hallway after visiting for another session of drawing. It was the second time he visited because they just had that many scenes to color. Anna has an eye for detail so she had to correct some stuff in Hans' scenes. On the other hand, he was fast when it comes to base coloring, and she was a total badass when blending colors. It was pretty much balanced.

"Ugh." Anna groaned at the mess they had created before proceeding to fix the rough drafts they used to compare that of their final output.

It was lonely, having the apartment all to herself with Elsa nowhere to be found. Elsa had been going to the gym again, not being subtle when carrying her duffel bag and going outside wearing gym clothes.

A part of Anna was relieved because that meant she could avoid Elsa for a few hours a day, but she also felt sick because she knew that Belle was there too. She tried to convince herself that it was for the best. Belle was better than a complete stranger. Belle was smart, pretty, and someone Elsa was comfortable enough to celebrate with.

So why?

Why did it hurt just thinking about it? Was it because someday soon, Elsa would barge inside their apartment and tell her about her undying love for someone else? Was it because she would be demoted to 'best friend' again? That she would no longer be Elsa's 'girlfriend'? That she wouldn't be Elsa's number one?

Sure, that hurts, but if it meant that Elsa would be happy, it should be fine. Elsa had already done a lot for her, and the least she could do was to set her free. Whatever absurdity Hans was talking about, she tried to push it to the back of her mind. Elsa's glare and lack of hospitality to her visitor was something out of protectiveness. That was all there was to it.

Hearing the front door open and shut, Anna did her best to remain composed while fixing the papers around the floor and on the coffee table. A second later and Elsa entered the living room. "Welcome back." Anna smiled, pushing back the earlier thoughts to the deepest recesses of her mind.

"Working on another project?" Elsa took a seat on the sofa.

"Still the same project Hans and I were working on." Anna sat on the ground, her back facing Elsa.

"He came again?"

"Mhm. He bought pizza. It's on the dining table. Something about intruding."

"You get along well," Elsa noted.

"Well, he was my friend even before we started dating." Anna adjusted the papers for equal measure, and then she stood up and settled herself beside Elsa.

"He's not bothering you about... sleeping with him again, right?"

"Nope," Anna assured. "I mean, we're not dating anymore. Plus, he never really forced his way on me. He just asked something ridiculous, and that's it. Right now, he was just being sweet and friendly."

"If he asked you to date again, will you?"

"No," Anna answered instantly, not liking the way this conversation was leading them. Like Elsa didn't care whether or not she dated Hans again. "I mean, okay, he's dreamy and sweet, and he was much better now than he was back then, but I'm not going to date anyone until you find a girl you like, Elsa."

"If I did, will you?" Elsa asked. "Will you give him a chance again? Will you give it a try again?"

"What's with the questions?" Anna laughed nervously.

"Will you?"

Ignoring the fact that she was ignored, Anna locked her eyes with Elsa's. Her mind was searching desperately for something, for anything that could make her read the blonde again. Like the time when she would always notice how Elsa was nervous, unsettled, happy or just plain bored. But she couldn't.

Anna couldn't read Elsa. Not anymore.

"I don't know," Anna answered truthfully, her eyes snapping to the side. "I... know he still has feelings for me, but I don't know. I don't want to hurt him again by going out when I don't really feel anything."

"But you said he's sweet and kind and much better now. Even with that, you won't give him a chance? If he put in the effort? If he proved to you that he was sincere? That he's not just after your... your body? If he's genuinely concerned a—"

"Elsa!" Anna jumped in, cutting Elsa's barrage of reasons. "What's going on? What's with all the questions? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I..." Elsa began reluctantly. "He's the first guy who... who always seem to get back in your life. The others... they just left, but Hans... he's always there at the most random time."

"He's different from the others," Anna admitted, feeling bitter inside. "He can be blunt, arrogant, rude, and full of himself. That's not really a secret. But he's not pretentious and fake, unlike the other guys who only ever tried to please. He's honest... sometimes for his own good."

An uncomfortable silence surrounded their living room with Anna's mind darting back to the time when she and Hans broke up. How he was so persistent and arrogant and practically made Anna choose between him and Elsa. It wasn't a forceful act, but a simple sentence. A sentence that still haunted her to this day. Up until now, she couldn't believe how Hans wa—

"I think I'm going to try and date Belle."

There was a loud ringing in Anna's ears that she couldn't quite pinpoint, as though it was shielding her from the velvety sound that was Elsa's voice. But the words were already spoken and her ears were a tad bit late to protect her.

Anna wasn't sure how to explain the feelings that rushed through her the moment Elsa's words sunk in. It was something she had never felt before, even to Hans who was the reason for her getting drunk so much she fainted. It wasn't like any cut or bruise she had ever experienced. This one was worse. Much worse.

"D-Do you... like her?" Anna hoped Elsa didn't catch on to her dour mood.

"I do," said Elsa. "You were right. Belle is pretty and she's also kind. Maybe it could work."

Anna folded her hands on top of her lap. This was it. The moment she knew would eventually come. But it didn't stop it from hurting. I was still trying to prepare myself for it, but... Elsa sure took the most random time to admit it, like how Hans would randomly pop into her life.

"I... I see," Anna managed to say, eyes burning but refusing to give in in front of Elsa, her best friend turned lover turned best friend once more.

The uncomfortable silence became too heavy, the tension in the air almost too palpable. Anna knew she had to say something. She has to cheer and congratulate Elsa, to officially end this fake dating relationship. After all, she made a promise that this would end as soon as Elsa found someone she liked.

Swallowing thickly, Anna stood up, struggling to meet Elsa's gaze with her own. "You're ready?" Anna asked for reassurance, and Elsa nodded. "I see. Then, you better not blow this up."

"I... I know."

Realizing how nervous Elsa was, Anna pushed back her own pain to comfort her. "Elsa, you'll be fine. I'm sure Belle would be happy." She better be because she's lucky to have you. "But if she hurts you, you have to tell me. I don't want you getting hurt."

"She won't." The immediate response was like a stab in the chest, rendering Anna speechless. It hurt to hear Elsa say it as if she was certain Belle wouldn't hurt her.

Suddenly, there was this twisted side of Anna that hoped for that trust to be crushed. That Elsa would one day get hurt because of Belle. She knew it was selfish and almost too evil for someone as sweet as Elsa, but she was jealous. However, she also knew that if she stopped Elsa, it would only crush them both. For the blonde, it would be because she wouldn't be with the girl she liked. For Anna, it would be because she would be the one to see Elsa miserable for not being with Belle. Whichever choice she made, it was bound to hurt either way.

"You really like her," Anna stated as a fact, smiling fondly when Elsa began squirming in her seat. Anna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come.

Then...

Before her almost nonexistent courage left her, Anna hunched over and locked her lips with Elsa's. It wasn't forceful. It was sweet and soft and caring, giving Elsa the opportunity to push her away if she wanted to. It was probably the best lips Anna had ever kissed, but it was also the most painful.

It hurts because Elsa didn't reciprocate.

Elsa wasn't pushing her away, true, but she wasn't kissing back either. Maybe she was too shocked to move - Anna wouldn't know. But knowing that this would be her first and last kiss with her best friend, she tried to pour all her emotions into it. She wanted to kiss these lips forever if she could, but she can't. She had to let Elsa go.

So she did.

"Breakup kiss," Anna explained with a watery smile, knowing that she has to leave now.

With one last longing look, she took all her art materials and ran to her room. Not wanting to take chances, Anna locked her door because she knew she wouldn't stop anytime soon. She was shaking uncontrollably and both hands covered her mouth to muffle her cries. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and it was much worse than any kind of break up she had ever been through. The pain she felt then was nothing compared to now, and the worst part was that it wasn't even a real relationship. To hear from Elsa herself that she liked Belle, it was just so... wow.

It hurt, and it hurt a lot.