0: Snowfall

Fingers combed through the soft tumble of platinum hair, curling wild locks betwixt them as she gently tugged and weaved aimlessly into a loose braid. She knew she was in the way, a playful smile shot back at her said as much, so she plucked the brush from the queen's long delicate fingers and made herself busy. "And then," she gathered up the shimmering cascade, marveling at the way it caught the light, at the texture as it spilled from her fingertips. "... He was talking for Sven again, you know how he does, and Sven said-."

"Anna, aren't you going to be late?"

"No, that's not what Sven said at all." Anna pouted at Elsa's reflection in the mirror and her sister returned the look with that smile - the one that always melted her pouts away, the one her sister saved just for her. Her heart skipped happily at the press of those full lips. At the warmth in those sparkling eyes.

"Didn't you say that you were supposed to meet Kristoff for lunch today?" There was a soft laugh caught in her voice as she spoke, "It's almost noon." Elsa reclaimed the wooden handle of the brush and lifted it from Anna's hands, pausing only as their fingers briefly touched.

"W-what-... Oh!" Anna's gaze flit to the window, to the position of the sun. "OH NO." With a twirl she spun to snatch her bag from the bed, almost losing her footing in the process. She barely noticed from the corners of her awareness as her sister rose from her seat behind her, the soft ruffle of sheer fabric in the subtle shift down the length of her thighs until the hem settled at her feet. Anna skipped and stumbled to stop herself, turning back to meet her sister's gaze from the doorway. Her heart gave that little squeeze it always did when she saw her. Elsa was so devastatingly beautiful it wasn't even fair, and the way the sunny day gazing in from the window framed her just so… it was like no matter where she stood all the light in the world would realign for her benefit. Show off, she thought. As if her sister had done it on purpose. "I love you, Elsa." She never gave it a second thought.

But she watched the way the queen's smile faltered, hurt touching those beautiful blue eyes, before she carefully schooled herself into a small, fragile smile. Elsa gathered the fabric around her front in the self conscious ross of her arms. "I love you too, sister."

A little bit of worry needled itself into her shaky confidence.

She smiled it away, as bright as she could, and gave her sister a little wave before she shut the door behind her.

The words sprang forth from Anna abruptly, her thoughts escaping from her lips the moment they were formed. "Do you think I'm smothering her?"

She couldn't at all remember what he was talking about, but she knew from the way he looked at her, wide eyed and mouth caught midway over a word half-formed, that she'd interrupted him. His hands were retreating into his pockets, the posture uncomfortable and forced. "A-a? Smothering who?"

"I think that lately she's been pushing me away again…" Anna trailed off as she thought about the hesitance in her sister's voice. The way she seemed to be shying away from the small touches they had always shared.

Kristoff started to catch up, finding his footing. "W-well I mean, Anna, it's not weird that she might need some space sometimes… but you kn-."

"So you think I'm being weird?"

"No, no, not at all, I mean, you're both really unusually close-."

"It's unusual, then."

"No, Anna, that's not-."

Anna felt herself breaking somewhere on the inside as her doubts piled on top of themselves, one after the other. "Do you think maybe she just doesn't want me around anymore?" She closed her eyes. Clinging to small fragments, the little reminders. Reassuring herself that she was just being paranoid. No matter how hard she tried all those years of being shut out of her sister's life snuck up on her sometimes.

"Oh no, Anna, Elsa clearly loves you." He huffed a short, low laugh. "I don't think she has eyes for anyone or anything else, honestly…" Kristoff came to a stop behind her, his heavy footfalls comforting and solid. Something grounded.

"But… she promised we wouldn't do this anymore. No more secrets or hiding away from each other." Anna searched her recent memory for any hint of what could have lead to the distance.

"Do you know for sure she's keeping anything from you?" Kristoff smiled at her as he came up beside her. "Have you asked her about it?"

Anna frowned. "No, but…" Her brows furrowed with her resolve. "I will."

Anna threw the door open. She took satisfaction from the sound as it slammed against the other side of the wall, from stomping her feet as she stormed into the room. The startled look in her sister's eyes both hurt and fueled her, and it was only made worse seeing her hunched over the open bags on her bed. To see her things neatly packed inside.

"You can't leave." This was worse. Worse than any doors. She really was running away.

"Anna-." Her voice was so soft. So kind.

"No!" She reached out to her sister and… clenched. She wanted to grab her, to shake her, or-. "I can't do this without you." She hated the gentleness she saw in her sister's eyes. "You know I'm not ready to do this alone." She hated the softness of Elsa's hands as they settled on her fists. "I need you." Anna wasn't sure if she was begging or demanding anymore but her voice broke, tears spilling through the cracks. Whatever strength she had left was sapped by the caress of a soft touch on her cheek.

"Anna, you don't need me." Her sister spoke so softly, so carefully. Her fingers searched for an opening on Anna's fist, the delicate touch instead wrapping around the ball when she failed to take her hand. Anna remembered that look in her eyes. She remembered all of Elsa's things being moved out of the nursery before she had woken up after the accident, of Elsa shouting at her to leave and slamming the door behind her. "You will do just fine here without me." She was being so-.

"I do. I do need you." How could you leave me like this again? "What are we going to do for game night without you?" What am I going to do without you? Anna took a shaky breath.

Maybe she imagined the tremble in those soft hands as Elsa pressed her brow to hers'. "You are queen now, Anna." Her voice was so soft, so very soft, like the brush of wind across the snowfield. "You will do the next right thing, I know you will."

Anna tried to give voice to further protest but she was still hurt. So hurt that she was being shoved away again after everything they had been through together. Hadn't she been there with her when they realized how much they needed each other? Elsa had promised that it wouldn't be like this anymore. That they would do it together. What had changed? "Why do you have to go?" Anna whimpered in between wet sniffles as Elsa pulled her close into a tight squeeze. She clung to her tightly burying her face into the closest shoulder.

"You know why," Her sister rubbed her back, coaxing gently as she breathed the words into Anna's hair.

"But you belong here," Anna clung to her tighter, not willing to give her up, but Elsa carefully managed to unbind herself from her, to squirm out of her grasp. Anna was so exhausted. It was all she could do to watch helplessly as Elsa turned away to gather up her bags. As her elder sister walked past her toward the open door.

Anna rallied what was left, all of her courage. "Why can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

Elsa stopped, hand paused mid-motion to rest on the doorknob. Anna wondered at how long it took her to turn to face her, and she wondered if she imagined that the shimmer in her eyes might be tears.

"I love you, Anna."

The door pulled shut behind her with a light click.