Chapter twenty-four

Soft as silk

Within her coffin, all outside noises were dulled – still not silent to her ears, but perhaps as close as she could get.

Elsa lay there now, arms crossed. The plush walls and cover enclosed her on all sides, feeling welcomingly snug. In here, she knew peace and comfort of a kind that didn't exist in the outside world. Real sleep, the kind humans were capable of, had been hers for such a short time, she couldn't say for certain whether or not she was even capable of it. In here, though, she came as close as possible. Her thoughts slowed, quieted, and a deep relaxation entered her body. Her eyes could truly close.

She had not known any facsimile of sleep for almost a century after turning. It had taken much time and turmoil to discover the benefits a coffin could grant her, and constructing one was no easy feat. Even if she'd had one back then, it would have done her far more harm than good. To be alone inside her own head, with no ambient noises or outside distractions to quell her thoughts, would have been pure, white-hot agony.

In time, though, one can learn to do anything – even how to stop thinking. Thus did she while away thousands of hours, thinking of nothing or next to nothing. If not for all of this time spent at peace, she would have gone crazy decades ago.

Such peace was far from her now, though. Anna had ensured that.

Like everything else about her, Anna's progress had been truly remarkable. In seven months – seven months! – she had set her sights on the many defense mechanisms Elsa had developed over the past seven centuries, and endeavored to destroy them. Not by proving them inadequate, but by supplanting them entirely. And the most incredible thing was, she was succeeding.

Why couldn't I have met someone like this sooner? If she'd been around in my early years, maybe I wouldn't have had to…

She shook her head. No need to dive back into those days just to wonder what might have been. Once again, she tried to focus on the important questions.

Never did I think that a human could be so right about so many things. She knew how to manage my ice better than I did! And if she's right about that…what else might she be right about?

Were humans not the violent, brutish species she had found them to be? Anna wasn't, obviously, but how many more of them were like her? Could there be some benefit to trying to live with them, rather than live off them? Would that even be possible?

Am I not a monster?

This question terrified her more than all the rest. Just by pondering it, she summoned a cascade of memories, as if to quash the very idea. Memories of pain, anger, and blood. So much blood.

She'd killed thousands upon thousands, and not just to feed. She'd let hatred and rage consume her, and caused pain solely for her own pleasure. How could anyone do those things and not be a monster? It seemed laughable to even suggest it.

And yet…

Elsa sighed. The swirling storm inside her head began to subside.

And yet, Anna is unwavering.

She wasn't blind to depravity, or else she never could've smelled the decay of the church. She hadn't been told the true extent of the sins she'd committed, but she'd fought and killed other vampires – clearly she had no qualms about doing so. It would be easy to say Anna was just trying to reform her, and willing to hold her nose about everything she'd done in pursuit of that end, but…no. She'd seen Anna try to lie, and she wasn't particularly good at it. After seven months, her motives were, though inexplicable, plain to see. Anna wanted to be with her.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she shifted her legs subconsciously. Lust, that most basic of human instincts, was just as easy to ignite in her. With another sigh, she realized sleep was no longer possible today.

Should I summon a thrall? Or…her?

She shivered at the thought. She had wanted to do just that for two months now. Well, in terms of emotional yearning, at least – in terms of physical desire, she'd wanted to since the moment they met. But each time she tried to work up the courage to do it, she'd failed.

For once, it wasn't for lack of experience. Her thralls had entertained her in every way she could possibly conceive, and most of them were not difficult to learn. For them, it was just muscle memory. But a thrall could feel no pain, even if she pulled on its hair and a clump came off in her hand. Even if she sank her teeth into its flesh in the heat of the moment. Even if its arm was frozen solid, and she-

Idiot! Don't think about the ice!

She looked down at her hands. Mercifully, her powers had not activated yet. She must've caught it at the last second, or maybe her awareness had preempted it. Either way, it was all thanks to Anna. With just a couple more sessions, she'd made remarkable progress. One more thing to thank her for. One more reason she couldn't-

knock knock

Her thoughts came to a halt instantly. She sat bolt upright, shoving aside her coffin lid. There was no mistaking that knock.

She made her way to the door with leaden feet. Frantically, she tried to dispel every thought she'd had in the last two minutes from her head. She was probably blushing again, but there was no helping that.

Be calm. She could be here for anything.

She pulled the door open. Anna was standing there. The moment she saw Elsa, her eyes locked onto her.

"I hope I didn't wake you," Anna said. Her voice was low. Low and sultry.

"No, of course not," Elsa said.

She was definitely blushing now. In just a few seconds, the list of possible reasons for Anna being here had waned considerably.

"So…what can I do for you?" Elsa asked, straining to mask her emotions.

"My room is cold," Anna said. Her eyes were half-lidded, but not from drowsiness. In fact, her body seemed to be humming with energy.

"Ah. Then…have you chosen a new room?" Elsa asked weakly. One last futile attempt to play dumb.

Anna stepped through the doorway and advanced towards Elsa. "Yes."

Her voice was like golden honey. Elsa felt herself rooted in place, unable to take a single step back. Anna strode towards her and placed her hands on Elsa's head, pulling it down, but it was wholly unnecessary. At this point, Elsa's body was acting on instinct.

Anna's kiss was ravenous. Never before had she kissed with such burning intensity. Despite not needing to breathe, Elsa could barely keep up. "Anna-" she managed, before their lips locked again.

Not two minutes ago, she had come up with reason upon reason to avoid doing just this. At the moment, though, none of them were coming to mind.

Besides, even if she wanted to stop, how could she? She couldn't get a single word out, pushing Anna away was out of the question, and every step backwards was also a step towards her bed.

Her heel brushed against the bedframe, and she fell back onto it. The distance between her and Anna remained constant.

Together, they sank into the bed. Anna broke off her kiss, only to attend to other things. She lowered her head to Elsa's ear and began to nibble on it. Elsa gasped.

"Sorry for springing this on you," Anna whispered, barely louder than a breath. "You know how impatient we humans can be."

Her sensuous voice sent shivers down Elsa's spine. "I-I unders-stand," she stammered, trying to keep her head clear enough for a witty comeback. She could not.

Anna released her ear and started a trail of kisses, traveling down the side of her face all the way to her collarbone. Elsa, in turn, let out a series of small gasps – not for need of oxygen, but from astonishment at how amazing it felt.

No, I should be the one making her feel this good! She deserves it more!

Without speaking, she wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and gently turned her over. Anna allowed herself to be guided onto the bed, and her head came to rest against the pillow. Elsa straddled her, placing her hands to either side of Anna's head. Her braid hung down on one side, touching the pillow, so short was the distance between them. Then that distance, too, vanished.

Their kiss resumed in earnest, with Elsa taking the lead this time. She put both her hands around Anna, lifting her back ever so slightly off the bed. Their bodies were now fully pressed together, and Elsa felt the full contours of Anna's figure against hers. The feeling was intoxicating.

As they kissed, Anna's leg brushed against hers. Her leg started at Elsa's feet and moved up, slowly lifting her cloak with it until her long legs were fully exposed. She moved her leg back and forth a few more times, rubbing it repeatedly.

That really did it.

Elsa pressed forward, her movements growing more restless by the second. She was fully drunk, now, on the sensory overload Anna had become. She reached down at Anna's shirt, unable to stand its presence anymore. Little thought guided her hand, as she was acting purely on instinct now.

RRRRRIP

xxxxxxx

Anna yelped, more surprised by the sound than the feeling. Elsa's reaction was far more dramatic.

Her eyes grew wide as dinner plates. Moving in a state of frantic panic, she broke off her kiss and hurled her own body away from Anna. This sent her off the bed and onto the floor, but it seemed she felt even this distance was inadequate, as she scrambled to her feet and backed away further.

"Elsa?" she said worriedly, sitting upright.

Elsa was shaking uncontrollably. "A-a-are you hurt?" she asked. She was scared, more scared than Anna had ever seen or heard her.

Anna looked down at her now bare chest. Her shirt had been torn to pieces, four long gashes fully rending it from neck to waist, but her skin was untouched. "No, I'm fine," she said.

Elsa sighed in relief. "Thank god," she said. Still, she didn't take a step forward.

"…Okay then," Anna said after a moment. "Can we resume?"

"You really want me to?" Elsa said in disbelief. "After what you just saw?"

"Of course," Anna said. "I'll admit, you took me by surprise, but…I know you have a flair for the dramatic."

Elsa shook her head. "Anna, I didn't mean to do that," she said. "I was trying to remove it normally."

"Oh," Anna said. She began to see what was worrying Elsa, and moved to calm her down. "But it's fine. Look at me. Perfectly fine."

"You're not getting it, Anna," Elsa said, the shaking in her voice intensifying. "I used more of my strength than I intended to. What if that had happened a few moments later? What if I wasn't touching your clothing, but your skin instead?"

Her statement gave Anna pause, as she briefly considered that mental image.

Elsa put her hands on her head. "I knew this would happen," she moaned. "I lost control, I wasn't thinking, and I nearly…nearly…" She looked close to tears.

Anna stood up. "But you didn't. It was a moment's slip-up, that's all." She took a step forward. "You can't beat yourself up over-"

Elsa stepped back. "So you want to give me another chance?" she said hysterically. "See if I draw blood this time?"

Anna stepped back, as it looked like Elsa might bolt from the room.

Gradually, the tension in Elsa's body relaxed. She slumped her shoulders and hung her head in shame. "You should go," she said. "I'm sorry."

Anna folded her arms. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly.

"We can try this again later," Elsa said. "Once I've had time to prepare."

"Elsa, you should know how this goes by now," Anna said. "I won't leave, and you can't make me."

Elsa rubbed her face. "For god's sake, Anna," she said. "This is for your own good! It's too dangerous right now, can't you see that? If my strength doesn't hurt you, my ice surely will!"

"What ice?" Anna said.

Elsa blinked. She looked around the room. Despite her emotional outburst, there wasn't so much as a snowflake in sight. She looked at her hands. Not even a trickle. "I don't understand," she murmured.

Anna smiled. "You underestimate yourself," she said.

"Is it because I…" Elsa began, before stopping herself. "That's irrelevant. Even without the ice, I'm still a danger to you. What just happened, and anything that might happen if we went forward, is my fault."

"No, it's not," Anna said. "It's mine."

Elsa tried to interrupt, but Anna held her finger up.

"I really did spring this on you before you were ready. I let my own needs get the better of me, and I pushed you without thinking." She put a hand to her chin. "But now that I am thinking…I may have an idea."

Elsa seemed skeptical. "What kind of idea?"

"Something to help you control your strength. Tell me, what baseline do you typically use?"

Elsa scratched her head. "Baseline? I've not typically used one."

Anna nodded. "That's what I thought," she said. "I'm starting to see why you have so many big, heavy doors. In that case, this will definitely help."

"Okay," Elsa said, her curiosity piqued. "What do I need to do?"

Anna climbed back onto the bed, kneeling on the top half. "First, get on the bed, like this," she said.

Elsa frowned. She stayed in place.

"Elsa, please," Anna said. "Trust me on this."

"I do," Elsa said. Still, she didn't move a muscle.

"Then trust yourself, too," Anna said.

Elsa let out a bitter chuckle. "That's a much bigger ask," she said. Nevertheless, she took a shaky step forward.

"Trust yourself like I trust you, Elsa," Anna said encouragingly.

"Don't ask the impossible of me," Elsa said.

Every step she took was like moving through molasses. Regardless, she was drawing closer and closer. Anna resisted the urge to hop off the bed and approach her, forcing herself to be patient.

Finally, Elsa reached the bed and knelt on it. She took the far end, as distant from Anna as possible. "Now what?" she asked.

Anna held out her hands, spreading them wide and pointing her palms towards Elsa. "Take my hands," she said.

Elsa did as she was told, cautiously extending her own arms. With the absolute minimum amount of force she could muster, she closed her hands, interlacing her fingers between Anna's.

"Now," Anna said, "I'm going to push. I want you to push back with equal strength. Where we are right now is the equilibrium point. If you're leaning back and I'm leaning forward, you're using less force than me. If we're both sitting up straight, that means we're using equal force. Once we reach that point, I'll push a little harder, and we'll do it again. We'll keep going until I'm pushing as strongly as I think we should. When we're done, you'll have a good baseline for how much of your strength to use. Does that make sense?"

"I suppose," Elsa said, her voice uncertain.

"Let's start, then," Anna said. She began to push lightly. Almost instantly, she found herself leaning forward. "Elsa…"

"Give me a second," Elsa said. Slowly, very gradually, she started pushing back. At first it was barely anything, but in time Anna felt herself being pushed upright. As soon as they reached the equilibrium point, Elsa stopped increasing her strength.

"Good," Anna said. "Now a little more."

She pushed harder, and again Elsa was pushed back. Anna gave her best warm, reassuring smile, and Elsa increased her strength again. They leveled off once more.

"Good. More."

They pushed harder still.

"More."

They continued like this back and forth, pushing incrementally harder. Anna watched Elsa regain her confidence at a glacial pace. Eventually, they reached Anna's limit – or rather, as far as she'd want to go.

"Hold steady," Anna commanded. Elsa obliged, the force of her push not varying at all. Anna smiled. "That's how hard I want you to push," she said.

Elsa dared to crack a smile. "I understand," she said.

"Now, stop pushing, and next we'll- oh!" As Anna slowly reduced her pushing power, Elsa ceased pushing instantly. As a result, Anna fell forward immediately, smacking into Elsa and pushing them both onto the bed.

"Sorry," Elsa said, looking abashed once more.

"It's fine, it's fine," Anna said. "I wasn't specific enough." She returned to her knees and raised her arms once more. "Next, we'll do pulling force."

It was a much more confident Elsa that took her hands this time, though she was still visibly shaken. "Okay," Elsa said. "Lead, and I will follow."

Anna did just that, and they repeated the process, pulling against each other this time. At one point, Elsa squeezed her fingers too tightly, but she was staring so intently at her face, she picked up on this fact instantly and relieved the pressure.

When they reached Anna's peak, she nodded. "That's how hard you should pull," she said. Elsa nodded back. "Now, gently stop pulling." Elsa obliged, blushing a little.

"Did I do well?" she asked.

Anna smiled warmly. "You did perfectly," she said. "Now, do you feel ready?"

Elsa put her hands together and pushed herself, frowning thoughtfully at her hands. "Let us do it again," she said after some consideration. She raised her hands back to the starting position.

"You got it," Anna said, taking her hands again. Her body thrummed with impatience, but if Elsa could suppress her strength, she could suppress her own libido for this short time.

They ended up pushing and pulling twice more. Each time, they slowly inched their bodies forward, closer and closer together – Elsa subconsciously, Anna very much consciously. It was all worth it to see the confidence return to Elsa's face.

"Now how do you feel?" Anna asked as they let go once again.

Elsa smiled. "Better," she said. "Much better. I…I think I'm ready."

"Wonderful," Anna said. She pulled her arms back, allowing the tattered remnants of her shirt to slide off. Then she leaned back until she was lying on the bed and kicked her legs out in front of her. "Why don't you finish what you started, then?" she said seductively, gesturing down at her remaining article of clothing.

Elsa's eyes widened, but she nodded. "I will," she said. She leaned forward, reaching for Anna's pants. With incredibly delicate movements, she untied the knot in front, then slid them down her legs and discarded them. She leaned back for a moment, and…admired her handiwork.

Anna allowed her sex drive to finally kick back into action. She raised her arms above her head, posing as seductively as she could. Elsa's eyes pored over every inch of her body, hungrily taking all of her in. "Your turn," Anna said.

Elsa nodded. She took a single finger and ran it down the front of her own cloak, cutting through it just as easily as she had Anna's shirt. When she had reached the end, she shrugged off the two halves of her cloak and tossed it aside, letting it pool on the floor. There was nothing underneath but Elsa.

Her figure was flawless. Against the darkness of the room, her pale body seemed to shine. Anna bit her lip as she looked her up and down, marveling at the beautiful curves the cloak had only teased at. She was every bit as beautiful as Anna had imagined. Her eyes began to water.

After so long…it's finally time.

Wordlessly, she lifted her arm and beckoned. Elsa nodded.

She moved slowly this time, lowering herself to the bed and crawling forward. She ran her fingers along Anna's torso, more gently than any human ever had. Anna's skin turned to goosebumps, and she let out a needy whimper.

As soon as Elsa's head reached hers, she took it in both hands and they finally resumed their kiss. They moved slower this time, Elsa being careful not to rush and Anna striving not to rush her.

Her body, though, soon found a mere kiss to be inadequate. She began to writhe on the bed, her legs moving back and forth as she grabbed the bedsheets with her toes. Elsa became aware of her condition quickly, and she pulled back for a moment.

Mouth free, Anna uttered just one word. "More," she breathed.

Elsa nodded. She kissed her again, and grabbed her breast. Anna's moan passed straight from her mouth into Elsa's, passing through no air in between. With a gentle yet firm touch, Elsa massaged her breast, syncing with the rhythm of her quick, heavy breaths.

With one hand, Anna clutched the sheets beneath her. With her other, she reached out and took Elsa's breast in her hand. She moved with purpose, rubbing her thumb back and forth against Elsa's nipple. Elsa began to mewl, signaling that her own ecstasy was building, but her grip didn't strengthen a hair.

This new status quo could only go on for so long. When Elsa separated from her next, she nodded. "More!" she moaned.

Elsa didn't miss a beat. She leaned back and took Anna's left leg in her hand, then lifted. As she did, she took her right leg and put it under Anna's left. Then she thrust forward.

Anna moaned as Elsa's sex touched hers. She arched her back and thrust her body towards Elsa's as best she could. The glorious sound of Elsa's moan nearly melted her into a puddle. "Yes!" she gasped, leaving Elsa with no question about what to do next.

Elsa backed away slightly, then thrust forward again. Anna lifted her body up and thrust as well. Elsa proved herself a capable partner once again, keeping a steady rhythm even as she threw her own head back and gasped.

They were no longer in a position to kiss, but Elsa extended her arms, palms pointed at Anna. Anna grabbed her hands, interlacing her fingers just as they had done minutes ago.

Anna closed her eyes, but the backs of her eyelids seemed bright as day as she dove deeper into an ocean of pleasure. She felt Elsa speeding up, and knew the climax was in sight. She knew she wouldn't last much longer, either.

"Yes," she moaned. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! ELSA!"

"Ahh! Anna!" Elsa gasped.

Anna felt nothing but euphoria as the climax coursed through her. Then it was gone, taking all of her energy with it.

She fell back onto the bed, panting as she clutched the sweat-soaked sheets. Her breathing slowly returned to normal. Elsa laboriously climbed up the bed, coming to rest right beside her. Anna wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in tight.

"That was wonderful," she said breathily. "Thank you."

"It was," Elsa agreed. "I don't think it's ever felt that good before."

"Not for me, either," Anna said. "But then I've never done it with someone I love before."

Elsa's surprise, though muted by her post-coital calm, was still clear, especially inches from Anna's face. "Love," she repeated, a smile blooming on her face.

"Yes," Anna said. "I've been waiting for the perfect moment to say it. This is as perfect as it gets."

Elsa embraced her tightly, at their maximum agreed-upon strength. "Oh, Anna," she said, tilting her forehead in until they were touching. "I didn't even know if I could, but I love you, Anna. My Anna."

Anna nodded. Not a word more needed to be said. They just lay there together, with their arms and legs intertwined. Soon, even their tears mixed together.

They drifted off to sleep shortly after, Elsa falling silent with a peaceful look on her face. Anna did shortly after, though with some regret, as she knew her dreams couldn't possibly compare to this.

It's going to be a warm winter.