"Kris and I were thinking… would Elsa and ye come see us in Scotland in the summer?" Merida asked Anna.
"I'd love to!" Anna replied. "We should ask Elsa too, but I think she'll be interested. Besides, I'm sure we can make some time to visit her parents in France afterwards, or before."
"Great! It'll be good seeing ye again."
"Yep! I miss you guys!" Merida and Kris had spent their first year of college in Arendelle. But then, they decided to study abroad the next year. Anna had been sad about that, but at the same time, she understood. She had other friends now, but she was pretty sure Kris and Merida would stay her best friends forever, even if they lived far from Arendelle.
"I think we'll come back to Arendelle before summer. Kris' parents miss him."
"Cool! I'll show you our new decorations!" Elsa had returned to the subject of buying a new home recently, but they decided to postpone the decision until Anna had a job. And since that wouldn't happen for a few years, they chose to give the house a little make-over. Elsa had been right. Although they lived together, it was Elsa's house, not theirs. I've been living here for more than a year now, and I still see it that way! Not that I mind, it's more than enough for the two of us, and I'm not even paying rent…
"Speaking of that… I'm sure you'd have told me but… has she proposed?"
"No! Nothing! She didn't even mention it!" Anna replied, unable to hide her disappointment.
Merida chuckled. "I guess you're gonna have to do it yourself. After all, who says that she's the one that needs to ask?"
"I don't know… She's older, and she's the one with money!"
"Won't your parents pay for the wedding? At least your part."
"I think so… yeah, maybe you're right. I might have to propose to her."
"Well, ye can wait, too. Ye haven't been together that long."
"Two and a half years."
"Most people wait longer than that."
"I know, but I love her so much! And we've already been living together for more than a year!" Anna complained. Ugh, I want to marry her so bad! "I want to call her my wife, and take her name, and everything! I want to grow old with her!"
"Wow, wow, wow. Let's get to the proposal first!"
Anna sighed. "I know, maybe I'm rushing into this."
"Next thing you know, you're gonna tell me ye want babies."
Anna didn't reply. Would that be such a bad thing? Elsa would turn thirty in a few months. If she wanted to have kids, it was best not to wait too long. Especially with IVF. Ok maybe not right now… but still! I'd like to be married before bringing it up!
"Anna?"
"I was thinking… well, anyway… what if she's not proposing, because she doesn't want to get married?"
"What do ye mean? Ye know how much she loves ye."
"Yeah, but… she was thinking about me moving in with her way before I did. I had to wait until I felt ready, so she's the one prone to rushing into things, not me! What if she doesn't believe in marriage?"
"It never came up?"
"I dropped a few hints, but she always ignored them. Besides, she's been single for so long, what if she made up her mind about marriage a long time ago?"
"Well, I don't know what to tell ye. The only thing I know is that ye both love each other a lot. I'd be surprised if she doesn't want to marry ye after all that has happened. Maybe she's just taking her time… or she's waiting for ye to propose. After all, you've always been the one pushing things to the next level… except for moving in."
Maybe she's right… she might be wondering why I'm not proposing to her, just like I am. Heterosexual couples have it easier… it's pretty dumb, but the guy is supposed to propose. Or do they just talk about it and decide to get married? "Do people actually propose like we see in the movies?" Anna suddenly asked. "Or do they just decide one day to get married?"
"I… I don't know. But I can definitely see ye pulling off something like they do in movies."
"What if she says no?" Anna asked. "I'm not sure I'd survive that." Just thinking about it made her sick. What would I do? Pretend it was a joke? No, that would be lame! Would it mean she doesn't love me the way I love her? Nah, don't be stupid!
"I doubt she'd do that. She'd know how much it would hurt ye."
"Yeah, but I don't want to force her to marry me!"
"Well, is there an expiration date on proposals? Proposing doesn't mean ye have to marry that very second!"
"I don't know..."
"Well, just how much do ye want to marry her?"
"More than anything..." Anna replied.
"Well, I think ye should go for it then. Or at least discuss it with her. If ye feel like it's time, and ye really feel this strongly about it, ye should let her know."
Anna heard a car parking in the driveway. "Ah, she's back from work! I'll think about it. Thanks Merida."
"You're welcome! See you soon!"
"Bye!"
She was still thinking about potential wedding plans when Elsa opened the door.
"Hi love!"
"Hi babe!" Anna replied standing up and moving over to reach her. Elsa was as sexy as ever, wearing a pencil skirt and a white blouse, the same type of outfit that had made Anna drool in class long ago. "You're gorgeous," she commented, circling her arms around Elsa's neck.
"Thanks! You are, too," Elsa responded before kissing her tenderly.
Anna deepened the kiss, enjoying every second next to the woman of her dreams.
"What have you been doing? Did you finish your paper?"
"Nope…" Anna replied. "I was on the phone with Merida."
"Hmmm… that's a shame, I wanted to go out tonight!"
Maybe she's planning something and wants to propose? Goddammit Anna, stop thinking about that and just enjoy what you have! "Well, I could always finish my paper tomorrow."
"Ok! I'll help you with it if you want." It helped to have a French girlfriend when you were studying languages.
"Thanks babe," Anna said, kissing her again. Elsa gently caressed Anna's back.
"Also, Merida asked if we would go see them in Scotland this summer."
"Oh! That would be nice. We could go before visiting my parents."
"That's exactly what I told her," Anna replied with a grin. "I wanted to ask you first before confirming anything though."
"Sure! I'd love to!"
"So, where are we going tonight?"
"I wanted to try the new Indian place that just opened."
In the following weeks, Anna often found herself eyeing the jewelry store near Esméralda's shop. She just casually browsed through their inventory every evening, until she caught the eye of a saleswoman one night.
"Are you looking for something?" the woman asked from the door.
"Oh... no, not really. Just looking at the engagement rings."
"Oh, I see! Waiting for your boyfriend to make a move?"
Anna laughed. "Yeah, something like that."
"Do you want to have a closer look? Or maybe you could come with him one day."
"With her, actually," Anna said.
"Oh, sorry."
"You couldn't have known! But that's part of the problem, I don't know if I should wait for her to ask me since she's older, or if I should make the first move."
"Well, if you want to propose, I don't see why you're waiting for her to do it."
Of course you don't. Especially since that way, you can sell me a pair of rings… On the other hand, she's right… I could end up waiting forever! Besides, I really want to look at rings. Just exploring the possibilities makes me happy.
"Well, let's have a look," Anna finally agreed. "Just to have an idea!" And an idea of the cost…
"Of course! Come in, I'll show you what we have."
Anna followed her inside and couldn't help but grin as the saleswoman asked her questions about the ring she wanted.
"So… I had this idea..." Anna started.
"Yes? I'm listening."
"I know that most engagement rings have a diamond, but would it be possible to have one with a sapphire?"
"Of course. And it's not that rare. A lot of people want something other than a diamond," the woman replied, showing her dozens of rings. Most of them were amazing. Damn I'd be so happy wearing one… "is there any reason you want a sapphire?"
"Yes, my girlfriend has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. They're such a gorgeous deep blue..."
"Awww, that's so cute!"
Anna blushed.
"But don't forget, an engagement ring is supposed to symbolize a union. You can't have a ring that's all about her."
"Hmmm… I really liked the idea, though..." A diamond would be nice, sure, but Anna wanted a gem as beautiful as Elsa's eyes.
"Well, you could always go for a ring with two stones. A sapphire for your girlfriend, and another color for you."
I'm sure the fact that I'd have to pay for two gems has nothing to do with your advice! "I do love green..."
"Is that your favorite color?"
"Yes, it's a color I often wear, but finding a gem that matches my eyes might be a better idea."
"Well," the saleswoman said while staring at Anna's eyes, "we could always try to go for different shades of blue, but it could be tricky. What color would your partner associate with you?"
"Green, for sure." At least I think so.
"What do you think about this then?" she asked, showing her a ring with an infinity symbol and two gems.
"I love the gems, but I'm not a fan of the ring itself."
Anna spent some time looking at rings, but she couldn't find exactly what she wanted.
"Well, that's all I have with that combination of gems, but we can pick another ring and have the gems changed."
"Let's see what you've got then!" Anna said, getting caught up in the action. It wasn't long before she found the perfect ring. "This one is so beautiful..." Anna gushed, feeling all mushy just thinking about wearing it with Elsa.
"Yes, it is! And we can replace the diamonds."
"How expensive would that be…?" Anna fretted.
The saleswoman showed her the price and Anna almost choked. It was insanely expensive!
"Sapphires are cheaper than diamonds, but… that's not the case for emeralds. The price may be even higher, especially with the gem substitutions."
Anna's heart sank. This was the perfect ring, and she loved the idea of changing the gems to customize it, but she hadn't considered the extra cost.
"We can always go for silver instead of gold," the saleswoman offered, and Anna guessed that she must be wearing her emotions on her sleeve.
"No, I don't think so… well, I'll think about it. At least I have some ideas now."
"Of course, of course," the saleswoman replied, a bit disappointed. "Don't hesitate to come back!"
"I will, thanks!" Anna replied before leaving, feeling both excited and disappointed.
She slept on it and tried to forget about the ring over the next few days, but the more she tried to forget, the more she was convinced that it was the perfect ring. We're going to wear it for the rest of our lives… it has to be perfect! Maybe Elsa is right to wait, I should save up enough to buy it. But what if she makes a move first, before I can afford it?
One day, when Esméralda came by to check on the store, she couldn't help but reach out to her.
"Is there any way you could find more hours for me?" she asked.
"Sure! I was thinking about closing a little later. Would you mind staying longer?"
"No, that would be great!"
"I don't want Elsa pestering me because you're working too late, though"
Anna laughed. "It'll be fine. Even if I work an extra hour every day, we'll still have plenty of time together."
"Why do you need the money, by the way?"
"Well… I have some expenses."
"Hmmm… intriguing. Are you still blaming yourself for not paying rent?"
"No, well, yeah, but no! This is about something else."
Esméralda squinted her eyes. "You're not buying drugs, are you?"
"Whaaat? Of course not!"
"Gambling?"
"No!"
"Then why?!"
Anna looked around her to make sure nobody would hear. "I… um… first, promise you won't tell anyone!"
"Only if it's not dangerous."
"Of course it isn't!"
"Ok then, tell me!"
"I want to propose to Elsa, and I found the perfect ring, but it's expensive as hell."
Esméralda opened her mouth in shock. "Really? That's amazing!" she exclaimed, beaming.
"You think so? You don't think it's too early, or that I should wait for Elsa to make a move?"
"Well, seeing how long it took her to agree to date you, your hair may go gray before that happens."
"That's what I'm afraid of too… do you think she might say no?"
"Are you nuts? She's crazy in love with you. There's no way she'd say no."
"I hope you're right..."
"I can lend you money if you need me to."
"Thanks, but I want to earn it."
"I understand.. where did you find the ring?"
"At the jewelry store next door. Wanna come and see it? I could use a second opinion."
"Of course, I'd love to! Let's go right now!"
"My shift ends in half-an-hour."
"You're fine, there aren't that many customers. Let's go!"
"You're the boss," Anna said with a wink, before following her outside. She was grinning just thinking about seeing the ring again.
"Oh, you're back! And I suppose you brought your girlfriend with you," announced the same saleswoman from last time.
"Oh, no!" Anna corrected, blushing. "She's a friend. Well, she's actually my girlfriend's cousin."
"I'm here to inspect this perfect ring that's going to put her in the poor house!" Esméralda declared.
The saleswoman smiled and ignored Esméralda's comment. "Of course, if I remember correctly, it was this one, but with different gems."
Esméralda whistled. "Nice. You're taking this seriously! Why change the diamond though?"
"I want a sapphire and an emerald," Anna explained.
"Oh! For you and Elsa? That's a nice touch."
"So, what do you think? Should I go for it?"
"Absolutely! Elsa's going to love it."
"Great, it's settled then!" Anna smiled. She couldn't believe she was doing it. I'm gonna propose to Elsa. I just have to save enough for two rings. "So, can I work extra hours?"
"Of course. And maybe it's time for a promotion as well," Esméralda agreed with a wink.
It took Anna a few months to save enough money to purchase the rings. She didn't mind the extra work, though, knowing that it was for the perfect cause and she was absolutely ecstatic the day she actually put in the order. Once she actually had the rings, she struggled not to repeatedly sneak peeks at them. She did her best to hide them so that Elsa wouldn't stumble on them accidentally, which is why she ended up storing them at her parents' house in her old bedroom. She wasn't sure how her mom would take the news, so she didn't mention the rings to either parent...
Now that the rings were no longer an issue, it was time to think about how to pop the question, but that was harder than she thought. Thankfully, as the months passed, it grew closer to summer and Anna decided she could just figure something out once they were in France. Elsa isn't a big fan of Paris, but it would be a shame not to take advantage of a visit there…
So, when they finally left Arendelle to visit Elsa's parents, Anna retrieved the rings from her old room and got ready to propose during the trip. Should I ask her parents for their blessing while I'm at it? Nah… that's too oldschool.
She wasn't sure how to execute her move, but she was waiting for the right opportunity and carried the rings with her all the time. An opportunity finally presented itself when Elsa mentioned that she had an early birthday gift for her and brought her to dine at the Eiffel Tower. Anna had actually thought about taking Elsa there too, but that was too late, since reservations needed to be made well in advance.
The evening went exceedingly well, and Anna couldn't hope for a better setting, sitting there with a perfect view of the Champs Elysées in the city of lights. She couldn't help but feel nervous, afraid that Elsa would turn her down, but she knew she had to take the chance. I mean… even if she says no, it doesn't mean we have to break up, right? There's no way she would do that. Nevertheless, Anna knew that it would devastate her. If she really doesn't want to marry me, I still get to live with her...
"It's an amazing evening, don't you think?" she casually commented while Elsa was absently gazing at her. For the occasion, Elsa had dressed to the nines, and Anna had rarely seen her look so beautiful. Obviously, Anna had attempted to do the same. "Thanks for the gift. This is such a romantic setting."
"I'm glad you liked it. I know how much you love this city."
"Elsa, I…" Anna started, her heart speeding up.
"Yes?"
"I know I've told you this hundreds of times, but… I love you."
Elsa gave her a bright, heart-warming smile. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that. I love you, too."
"I know you said this was for my next birthday, but… I have something for you, too."
"Huh?"
Anna grasped the jewelry case in her coat, and handed it to her girlfriend. Elsa looked at it suspiciously, and Anna thought that there was a glimpse of fear in Elsa's eyes.
"Wha… what is it?"
"Well, open it and you'll see," Anna suggested. By now, her palms were sweating and her heart was beating rapidly.
Elsa took the case in her hands carefully, while Anna felt as if she was suspended in time, more nervous than she had ever been. The moment seemed to drag on for an eternity, but Elsa finally opened the case, revealing the ring.
"Elsa, will you marry me?" Anna managed to say despite the stress, maybe because she had repeated the question a thousand times in her head.
But what she was definitely not expecting was Elsa's reaction after hearing those words..
"What? No! This isn't…" Elsa stammered.
Anna's heart sank. The rejection threatened to overwhelm her. She had spent the last few months anticipating this evening, thinking about it every day, working hard for the sole purpose of this moment, feeling giddy every time she pictured the rings and what they symbolized. It was all she could do to keep her tears at bay. She couldn't let Elsa see how much she was hurt. Anna knew that she couldn't force Elsa to marry her, but her emotions finally got the better of her .
"I-I'm… sorry, I need a minute," Anna feebly managed to mutter, standing up in an attempt to rush to the bathroom before she burst into tears
She was about to bolt when Elsa grabbed her arm. "Anna! Stop! I… of course I'll marry you!"
Yeah, well, it's too late now. I know you really don't want to marry me. She wanted to say something, but couldn't because the lump in her throat was too large.
"Anna, please, I'm so sorry! My words came out wrong!"
"I… it's fine," Anna finally managed to say. "We… we don't have to."
"No, no! I do want to marry you! Please just… just hold on!"
Anna stood there, lost, oblivious to the people gawking at them. Elsa rushed to grab her purse and returned, kneeling on the ground before her. Then she presented her with a small box, and things slowly started to click.
"Of course I'll marry you, Anna. Will you marry me?" Elsa asked as she opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring with a sapphire and an emerald on it.
Anna couldn't help but sob in joy as she finally understood what just happened. She launched herself at Elsa, crying on her chest. "Of course… You had me so scared!"
"I'm sorry," Elsa apologized. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. Of course I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It's just that I planned on proposing for so long… you completely took me by surprise!"
Anna kissed her deeply, and then realized people were still watching them. "Let's bail!" she suggested.
"Wait, I need to take your ring! I barely even looked at it!"
"Isn't it funny? We had the exact same idea!" Anna exclaimed, examining the ring Elsa had chosen. The designs were different, but the gems were the same.
They hurried outside of the restaurant and found a place a little more quiet in the tower.
"It's beautiful…" Elsa declared, inspecting the ring Anna had chosen.
"Wait, I didn't even put it on your finger!" Anna suddenly realized.
Elsa laughed. And soon after, Anna was, too. "Boy, that sure was a mess!"
"I'm so sorry! I had no idea! The last thing I wanted to do was to ruin your proposal!" Anna explained.
"It's all good. What's important is that it ended the way we both wanted," Elsa assured her with a smile. "And, at least I know now that you didn't say 'yes' out of duress!"
"Can we wear two engagement rings each?" Anna asked as she put the ring she selected on Elsa's finger.
"We could always return a set… it must have cost you a fortune!"
"I'm fine with wearing two…" Anna replied.
"Me too, actually," Elsa added while putting her own ring on Anna's finger.
They kissed again, and then Anna studied her hand with the two rings. A huge smile crept on her face as she realized what had just happened. "We really are engaged, right? I'm not dreaming?"
Elsa chucked. "Yes, yes, I think we are. Twice, if it makes any sense?"
Anna kissed her fiancée tenderly and stood still for a while, her forehead against Elsa's, their noses almost touching.
"I love you," Elsa whispered.
"I love you, too."
For a time, they barely moved, until they finally shifted positions, leaning against the railing, watching the city and the lights, hand in hand.
"I can't believe you preempted my proposal!" Elsa finally laughed.
"Hey, I just saw an opportunity and took it!" Anna argued.
"How long have you been planning this?"
"I bought the rings three months ago, but was hiding them at my parents' place. You?"
"Last September!"
"What? It's been almost a year?"
"Yes, but I wanted this to be perfect and propose to you here, in Paris. I knew how much you loved it here. But apparently I didn't take action soon enough!"
Anna looked at her fiancée and winked. "I just thought I had to take charge." She saw Elsa extend her hand to look at her fingers.
"Well, maybe I did the right thing. Two rings are better than one."
Anna stood even closer to Elsa and rested her head on her shoulder. She had never felt this happy. Elsa circled her arm around her waist and held her close.
"I love you more than anything… I still can't believe we're going to be married, but I'm sure I want to spend the rest of my life by your side," Anna confessed.
"We will," Elsa replied, "we will."
Notes : There we go, the last chapter of this story! I'm keeping the thanks and goodbyes for the next time, though, as you can expect an epilogue in two weeks!
