Content warning: anxiety attack.


Melt

Anna knew a trip to the graves was too soon. They had only just reunited a month ago. Things were still so uncertain, so fragile between them.

Elsa was distant, cold at the stones. She barely batted an eye, her gaze set with a stern expression far too old for her. It was only when Anna had begun to cry that her frosty demeanor melted. Elsa lent a shy hand toward Anna's with a tender 'hey'. The way back to the castle was punctuated by an aching silence.

It's been a few hours, and it occurs to Anna that she should probably check on her sister. Since this is the anniversary of the shipwreck that their parents, the country observes a day of mourning. No work is done. The most logical place for Elsa to be is her own bedroom, to which Anna has still not ventured since the Great Thaw.

As the princess turns the corner towards the residential wing, she begins to shiver. When she squints down the hall, there's an unmistakable sheen of ice spreading rapidly from the bottom of a door on the far end. Anna's heart sinks. Forgetting any trepidation about being shut out, she braces herself and slams into Elsa's frozen door.

In the middle of her bedroom, Elsa is rooted in place. Her upper body is free, but everything below her waist is encased in ice. She's panting as though the room is filled with smoke. There's a howling snowstorm whirling around the young queen, and even through the veil, Anna can see her sister's cheeks are bright red and sopping wet. Her eyes are shut.

"Elsa!" Anna slides on the frozen floor, then blankets herself over her elder sister. "Elsa, it's me, Anna! You've gotta stop this!"

Blue, dewy eyes pry open. Anna can hear the exertion of Elsa's lungs. The queen opens her mouth to speak, but it's like her tongue is too thick. More gasps, more jagged breaths. She whimpers some semblance of Anna's name. She screws her eyes shut once more, the skin on her forehead pulled taut.

"I'm right here."

The storm eases up some. Anna snakes her arms around Elsa's neck, applying just the right amount of pressure to be soothing, not suffocating. There's a tiny amount of resistance among pitiful mutterings of 'I'm sorry'.

"It'a alright," the princess' warm breath is like a soft blanket against Elsa's ice-cold skin. "I can let go of you, but I'm not leaving this room until I know you're okay."

"No!" Elsa gives a desperate cry. "D–don't let m–me go, please."

Anna gives a firm nod. She doesn't dare anything more than her grip, no warm kisses to the cheek, no fingers streaming through white-gold hair. Her presence is enough right now.

"Okay," her tone is sweet without being saccharine. "I'm right here."

Anna chances a look downward. Red trails run from Elsa's eyes all the way down to her chin, like her tears were on fire. The snow around the pair settles into a gentle flurry, and the prison of ice around Elsa's waist has begun to melt.

"Elsa, you're thawing!" Anna whispers, small voice packed with pride.

"What?" Elsa looks down, confirming what Anna just said. "I–I'm not doing th–this."

Anna tilts her head.

"Huh?"

"I'm not d–doing this, An–Anna," she insists with a wet hiccup.

"W–well, it doesn't matter, you're thawing!"

Anna squeezes Elsa just a little tighter. The snow finally stops falling. As Elsa's lower body thaws completely, she turns herself around in Anna's arms. She wipes her runny nose, curling her other arm around Anna's neck.

"Anna?"

"I'm here."

"I'm sor–sorry," the queen hangs her head. "I c–couldn't even b–be there for y–you."

Anna chances an affectionate nudge with her forehead to Elsa's.

"Elsa...it was hard, but we're gonna work through it together now. Right?"

Elsa nods, tears dripping from her chin. Anna reaches into her dress pocket and pulls out a light green handkerchief. She dries the salty drops from Elsa's face, then places the cloth in her sister's hands.

"I'm sorry...for cr–crying like th–this," Elsa's chest heaves as she tries to speak through the sobs.

"Shhh," Anna guides Elsa's head into the concavity of her neck. "Just let it go, I'm right here."

The princess is silent for a while as Elsa drains the toxic hurt from her system. Anna can't remember a time Elsa cried this hard. She loses the strength to continue after about twenty minutes.

"You know, it's okay to cry," Anna affirms. "I mean, I always hate the ensuing river of snot, but at least you feel better, right?"

The elder sister gives a soaked laugh. She leans away.

"That's gross," Elsa sniffles, sopping the aforementioned 'river' with the handkerchief.

Anna ventures a soft kiss to the queen's forehead.

"Hey, if it's not too much, can I ask what happened?"

"Honestly? I dunno," Elsa shrugs, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. "I just freaked out, I guess. My face hurts."

Anna winces.

"Yeah, it looks it. Does that happen every time you cry?"

"No, thankfully. It used to be a lot worse. Sometimes the skin would get so raw it'd bleed."

"That sounds awful," Anna runs a sympathetic hand across Elsa's cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Don't say anything so touching that it makes me cry again."

The return of Elsa's gentle, dry humor makes Anna laugh a bit.

"Well, that limits my options. Hey, uh, not to rush you or anything, but my butt's getting numb."

Tears no longer clog the queen's laughter. The sisters rise together.

"I needed that. Thank you."

"Happy to help," Anna grins, holding out her elbow. "Shall we, m'lady?"

Elsa's grinning face flushes as she hides it in her palm.

"You're smiling, admit it," Anna jabbed at her sister with her awaiting elbow.

"Yeah, okay."

Only Anna can make her feel so light so soon after breaking down. Only Anna can put the pieces back together so quickly.

Only Anna can melt her frozen heart.


Closing notes: I hate that whenever I see the phrase 'm'lady' the only thing I can think of is the fact that it's been meme'd to death. I'm trying not to imagine Anna with a silly fedora if it's all the same to you, brain.

I wanted to play with the idea that Elsa's tears are actually hot and can burn her a little if she cries for too long. Or maybe it's just due to the fact that because her skin is naturally a little colder, her tears would feel hot by comparison.