Elsa's heart thundered in her chest as she eyed the ominous gates to the rollercoaster. Why are there a lot of people lining up for something dangerous?! She could feel her lunch twist, turn, and threaten to burst from sheer anxiousness. She kept reminding herself that this was for Anna. That if Anna could ride the carousel for her, she could ride the rollercoaster for Anna.

"Are you sure you want to ride it?" Anna's voice snapped Elsa from her worried state. "If you're nervous, you don't have to. You're starting to look sick."

"It is scary," Elsa admitted. "B-But I think... I think I want to try. I mean, I wouldn't know if I can do it unless I try, right?"

Anna didn't say anything, just taking the moment to stare at Elsa. In truth, she wanted to run away and back out at the last minute because seeing Elsa panicking but fighting it for Belle twisted her gut. It hurt to see Elsa doing her best and facing her fears for someone else, but at the same time, she also wanted to support her. If only it wa—

"But I only want to go if you're with me."

The moment those words were spoken, everything in Anna's world stilled. Did I hear that right? She licked her dry lips and it was then that she noticed that she actually averted her gaze sometime during her deep thought. Slowly, she lifted her eyes again to see a pink hue on Elsa's cheeks. Even her eyes were averted to the side, but those words were obviously meant to her since Hans and Belle were already off to the rollercoaster. I swear he's gonna get it from me later, she mentally noted.

"You... can't say that." Anna knew her words were weak, but it was enough to make Elsa look at her again. "You can't depend on me while you're with your date, Elsa. It looked like things were going well with you too."

"Well," Elsa drawled, curling her fingers to stop the trembling. "We do get along. She's a good friend of mine."

"Friend? I thought you wanted to try things out with her?"

"I didn't say we were dating."

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but words failed her. What was she supposed to say? She called the deal off because Elsa said she wanted to try things out with Belle. Now, she was telling Anna that they weren't a thing. What exactly was she supposed to think?

Anna's train of thoughts was cut off the moment she was pulled in closer. Literally. Elsa's arms were wrapped around her and she barely understood what was going on. Elsa was hugging her hard enough so she couldn't pull away, but gentle enough to not suffocate her.

It did little to make her breathe. Her heart pumped with much vigor and her mind was getting foggy. This was the closest she had been to Elsa this day, and it felt like heaven. Not that she knew what heaven felt like. She was having a hard time denying herself such happiness. She didn't want to savor the moment because she knew that Belle was still in the picture. They may not be going out, but Elsa did say she liked the girl.

"I miss you."

Elsa's voice was soft and gentle, but it cut through the muffled voices around the theme park. For a brief moment, Anna hoped that Hans and Belle would go ahead and ride the rollercoaster without them, but she knew better than to keep living the dream. It would be rude to Elsa.

"I didn't go away, though," Anna snorted, trying to alleviate the sudden tension in the air.

"I still miss you," Elsa repeated. "We barely have time alone together. I thought... I-I don't really know what I thought. It's just... I missed you."

"You were the one always going to the gym." Anna bit her lower lip, hoping Elsa didn't hear the way her voice cracked a little by the end.

Elsa nuzzled her face on the side of Anna's head. It sent shivers down the redhead's spine and it took all she had to push down the hope that was slowly being ignited by Elsa's actions. "You were the one always spending time with Hans."

What was she supposed to say? Apologize for spending time with Hans? Anna couldn't very well say that she couldn't bear being alone in their apartment with nothing but memories of Elsa. She didn't want to retort something about the blonde always being with Belle either. That would be unfair.

"I'm sorry." Anna started to debate whether she should hug Elsa back or not. "I-I know that those three days were... really bad and probably senseless, but I swear we were only doing a project."

"We're okay, right?" Elsa asked gently. "You'll always stay with me, right? You won't hate me?"

The question made Anna knit her brows. "What?! Of course, I won't hate you!" Anna tried to push herself away, wanting to see Elsa's face, but she was unable to move due to being held tight. "Elsa? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Is it weird... that I want to spend my time with you?" Elsa tightened her hold on Anna's petite body. "That I... I didn't like you staying over somewhere else? That I hated it when you didn't tell me where Hans lives? That I panicked when I didn't even know where you were, what you're eating, or if you were able to sleep well?"

Suddenly, tears pricked the side of Anna's eyes. Why was Elsa acting like this? Why was she saying these things? What was she trying to achieve? Was this only because they haven't talked for a while? It was true they haven't spent much time together, but she had never been clingy! This was Elsa, damn it!

Anna fought hard to keep the tears at bay. Her mind was telling her that this was only Elsa being protective again, but her heart was swelling big enough that it overwhelmed her. She heard Elsa take a shuddering breath and let her go, but before she could react, a loud clanking and squeaking of something metallic made her cringe. As soon as the noise dissipated, she opened her eyes to see an unusual shade of red on Elsa's face.

"S-Sorry, what?" Anna asked, trying to get ringing out of her ears. Elsa's eyebrows rise a tiny bit, but Anna could only look at her in confusion. She wasn't able to hear it, but she was certain Elsa said something before the huge drop tower did a loud ringing noise, signaling the end of the ride.

"It's nothing." Elsa shook her head with a tiny smile. "I guess I was just... worried. About you."

An awkward silence fell upon them. Anna didn't know what to do with herself, so she did what she always does when feeling awkward: twiddle with her thumbs. Back there, it looked like Elsa was trying to tell her something. Was that it? Was she badly hurt about her staying away? If she went missing for days, I'd probably panic too... even before I got these feelings, Anna mentally noted.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time. I think... I think I'll also panic if I'm the one in your position. I mean, we've always been together. I don't think it's weird."

When Elsa didn't say anything as she stared, Anna felt increasingly guilty. She had no idea that Elsa would take it this strongly if she ever left. She was happy because that meant Elsa cared deeply for her, but at the same time, she hated how she worried the blonde all because she couldn't sort her feelings out.

"Thank you," Elsa said with a gentle smile.

I wonder when it was... that she started having this much effect on me, Anna mused. When was the last time she saw that smile on Elsa's face? When was the last time her heart fluttered this much? She couldn't remember, but at the same time, everything else felt so new.

"You still up for that?" Anna pointed to the rollercoaster. She giggled when the color lightly drained from Elsa's cheeks. "You really don't have to if you can't."

Elsa's throat bobbed up and down slowly, and then she frowned. "Who says I can't?" Elsa smirked and grabbed Anna by the wrist, dragging her towards the gigantic loops. "You'll be with me. I'll be fine," she said as she focused ahead, oblivious of Anna's full-blown blush.

As soon as they reached the line, Elsa insisted they line up normally. She reasoned out how it would be rude for the other people who actually lined up after Hans and Belle, in which Anna only agreed with a hearty laugh. There weren't too many people compared to earlier, and they were all going to enter the ride at the same time anyway. She'd just make the most of this moment and enjoy what little time she had with Elsa.

...or so I thought.

Anna's eyes bore holes in the seat near the end of the coaster. "Wait, did they just...? Are those two actually the ones together in front?!"

"I guess so," Elsa shrugged, wondering how Belle was able to get Hans to agree.

Anna swallowed audibly, mentally cursing Hans for meddling, and then she focused on the fidgeting blonde with her. Elsa was obviously afraid despite her rather daring announcement from a few minutes ago. It made Anna feel bad, but at the same time, she couldn't stop the tiny smile that curled on her lips. It reminded her of the previous times she ever dragged Elsa on similar rides.

"Sorry, looks like you won't get to sit with Belle on this one," Anna smiled apologetically.

"What?" Elsa stuttered. "Oh. No, no. It's fine. I don't think she'll be able to handle me here, anyway."

Anna couldn't stop a frown. So, Belle can't handle a fidgety Elsa? Well, that definitely wouldn't do. Then again, what if this was only something inside Elsa's head? She wasn't prone to negative thoughts. Anna wasn't the only one who could get pessimistic at times, but Elsa too.

"Come on." Anna jumped in her seat before offering a hand. "You asked for this. Stop prolonging your own agony and sit down. I won't go anywhere."

Elsa reached for the proffered hand, and Anna nearly shrieked from how cold the touch was. She's really nervous, she thought. It was almost a nice contrast to her own clammy hands. With all her willpower, she set aside her own feelings for a while and focused on relaxing Elsa instead. She squeezed the pale hand and gently pulled her into the seat and, once they were both settled, intertwined their fingers together.

"You'll be fine, Elsa. I'm with you, and I'm used to you squeezing the life out of my hand when we do something like this," Anna assured, surprised that she didn't stutter. She broke out into a huge toothy grin when Elsa only responded with a shaky smile and subtle nod.

With a massive sigh, Anna returned her gaze to the still-closed door of the restroom, tempted to go inside and ask if Elsa was okay. She was the one keeping Elsa calm as soon as the ride ended, but when she saw Belle's worried face, she insisted that the brunette take Elsa to the restroom while giving a stupid excuse of buying water.

"They're not done yet?" Hans asked, carrying two bottles of water. "Here."

"Thanks." Anna took a bottle. "Yeah, they're still inside."

"Did you check up on them? See if Elsa's okay?" Anna shook her head in the negative. " What's wrong? I thought things were working fine with you back there."

"It was, but not the way you're hoping for." Anna leaned on one post. "We talked about the results of my impulsiveness. You know, for staying over at your place for a long time."

"Ah." Hans took big gulps from his bottle. "You were hugging and blushing, so I thought you already told her. Why didn't you?"

"She likes Belle."

"They're not going out." Anna's eyes widened in shock of how he'd known. "It's what Belle told me earlier. You two took so long and I figured I'd ask questions."

"You didn't have to go far as to isolate us."

"Actually, yes. Yes, I think I had to," Hans deadpanned. "It looked like the awkwardness around you two cleared up, but you're still running away from the real issue here."

"They're not going out, but Elsa did say she wanted to try things out with her," Anna reasoned, face dropping at the thought. "Belle looked genuinely worried for her after the ride too. It looks like they're getting along. I want... to support Elsa in this as much as I can."

"Doesn't change the fact that they're not going out."

"Maybe." Anna looked up at the sky. "But it doesn't change the fact that Elsa also said she liked her. It's the first time she ever said something like that to me, you know? We've been friends since forever, but it was the first time she told me about wanting to pursue a relationship with someone," she said with a dejected smile. "I think I'm... already okay with this. There's no need to change anything."

"You say that now because they're not a thing," Hans pointed out and took another sip of his drink.

Anna, feeling hurt from his blunt statement, fiddled with the bottle before deciding that her throat actually felt too dry. She swallowed the liquid until there was only a half left in the bottle and mentally sighed for feeling refreshed even just by a little bit. After a few minutes of standing idly outside the restroom, the two busied themselves with the crane game a few ways from it to pass the time.

"Come on, come on." Anna bit her lower lip and frowned. "Easy... eaaasy..."

"Anna, I swear if you don't shut up, I'll drop this thing."

"Don't you dare!" Anna slapped Hans' shoulder but immediately regretted it. The stuffed toy dropped.

"Damn it!"

"You suck!"

"Well, why don't you try it out, princess?" Hans dared and offered some token to her. Anna let out a loud puff of air and snatched the token from him. He grinned, stepping aside to give her some space. "After you."

Anna nibbled on her lip and tried to pick the stuffed toy she had her eye on since earlier. There were other toys which were far cuter and more adorable than that, but she didn't want any of those. It has to be that snowman toy.

"Come on, come ooooon." Anna held her breath as the crane slowly moved. She thanked the lucky stars that Hans was able to drag the toy closer and closer to the hole. She only hoped it wouldn't fall during the short distance it had to travel now.

Anna was too engrossed in the task at hand to notice Elsa and Belle coming back from their long rest. The massive headache Elsa had was now completely gone, and she couldn't help but smiled when she saw a focused redhead. It was the same face the girl always wore every time she drew something: eyebrows knitted together, a tiny pink muscle poking from inside her mouth, and a subtle blush on her freckled cheeks.

Beautiful.

So beautiful that Elsa wanted to get her attention. She knew it was asking for trouble, but she couldn't help it. That was why she leaned in quietly and waited until the toy was hanging on top of the hole before she...

"Wha—?!" Anna snapped her head to the side quite abruptly, heart stuttering when her nose lightly touched Elsa's.

Elsa did her best not to look shocked by the sudden closeness. "Hi."

"Wha...? What are you...?"

Elsa's scent was intoxicating that Anna could barely form a coherent sentence. Why did Elsa blow on her ear? Why was she so close? Why was she smiling? She wasn't even moving or leaning back. Anna felt like swooning but forced herself not to. Thankfully, she heard a loud clang of something, making her snap out of her reverie.

"Damn! You could've tried it first! We could've saved lots of tokens!" Hans sighed.

"You're the guy!" Anna snatched the stuffed toy from him. "At least try and get a romantic bone in your body!"

"Yeaaaaah, no." Hans snorted before cringing at the weird looking stuff. "Why that snowman? It was hard to get and looks... weird."

"It's not weird! It's cute!" Anna wrapped the snowman in a protective hug.

Hans raised an eyebrow. "It is?"

"Can I see?" Elsa asked, the reaction from Hans catching her interest.

"What?" There was a tiny smile on Elsa's lips that had Anna incapable of refusing. Not trusting herself to say anything more, she shyly loosened the hug and showed the snowman to Elsa.

It was hideous.

At least that was the first thought that entered Elsa's mind the moment she saw the stuffed toy. She knew that Anna had an eye for cuteness, but this particular toy was far from cute. This time, she agreed with Hans.

"That's... unique." Elsa managed to say. "The nose, i-it's, uhm... orange."

"...forgot." Anna muttered, but it was loud enough for Elsa to hear if only the last word. "Anyway! It's cute for me so whatever!"

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed. Did she say something wrong? What did Anna mean when she said 'forgot'? She forgot why she wanted the snowman? She forgot that it wasn't cute? Was that it? Elsa was beating herself up because she couldn't bear the fact that Anna just bolted to Hans' side again, smiling when he ruffled her hair.

"What happened?" Belle asked.

"I... I'm not sure," Elsa answered truthfully as she looked at the duo.

It was a letdown when Anna wasn't able to hear her earlier confession. If it wasn't for the loud mechanical noise from one ride, maybe things wouldn't be the same as how it was now. But what kind of change would it be? If only she had the courage to say it again, maybe she wouldn't be wondering and cowering about different possibilities until now. The one time I was able to say it out loud and she didn't hear me, she sighed inwardly.

Why couldn't things go her way for once?