Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Shit. Again. Anyway, this is a sequel to Scheherazade and Sultan. It's pretty important you read those first. Seriously.
Also... Warning: This fic covers about the same amount of time as the previous fics combined and gets a bit more real. There will be highs and lows. You will probably curse me at least once. Essentially, proceed at your own peril.
They fell into a new routine after Valentine's Day. Somehow, it just made sense to spend some nights at Elsa's apartment, seeing as she already had some of her clothes there. Sometimes, they'd go out to dinner or ice skating- after the third time, Anna was pretty sure she was getting the hang of it- or the park, then go their separate ways. Other times- which Anna openly admitted to preferring and were occurring with greater frequency as the months wore on- the redhead would get off work and head straight over to Elsa's, either with enough time to eat dinner and talk about their day or just to spend the night wrapped up in each other.
Though he still complained loudly about the light bruise Anna had given him as repayment for his role in Valentine's Day, Kristoff seemed just as pleased with the change in their routine as they were. Anna blamed it on the fact he was no longer being kicked out of their apartment more often than not but he insisted he was happy for her. Of the three of them, he was the first to broach the topic of Anna possibly moving in with the blonde, though the redhead was the one to reluctantly shoot him down.
As much as she adored the prospect, the reality was she still had school work that she could barely keep up with, forget trying to concentrate on a textbook while Elsa was in the next room, much less the same room. Maybe once the semester ended, she could use the summer to adjust and hopefully build up some self restraint. In fact, Spring Break was coming up, so they could use that time as a trial period. When she suggested as much to Elsa, the blonde shot her a positively glowing smile and eagerly agreed.
It was weird, having something so... blissfully and ridiculously domestic to look forward to but Anna couldn't keep the smile off her face every time she thought about it.
Tonight happened to be one of the nights where they had time, so they were lying on Elsa's couch, watching yet another musical, with Anna tucked up into Elsa's embrace, their right hands clasped and resting on Anna's stomach. Though Sweeney Todd was much darker than their usual movies choices, Anna enjoyed the music and the accents.
Okay, mostly the accents.
"You cannot be serious!" Anna laughed, turning her head to eye the blonde over her shoulder.
"I'm being serious," Elsa replied calmly, lifting herself up so she could meet the redhead's gaze. "They have a museum dedicated to Sweeney Todd in London, down on the real Fleet Street."
"I don't believe you." Anna shook her head with a smile. "Sweeney Todd isn't real and you're making fun of my American sensibilities."
"But I'm not." The blonde shifted slightly, lips curling into a shy smile. "Maybe you will let me prove it to you?"
"You have pictures of this supposed museum?" She raised a brow but furrowed them almost immediately when Elsa looked away, a light blush coming to her cheeks.
"Actually, I was thinking we could go see it. Together."
The redhead's mind went blank a moment, her body filling the void by turning until she was on her back until she could articulate properly. "You want to take me to London?"
"Well, to be honest, I want to take you to The Netherlands, but we could stop by London along the way." Elsa cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at Anna as she released the redhead's hand and started fiddling with her braid. "I-it's up to you, of course."
Recognizing the action, Anna quickly set about pulling Elsa into her arms, settling the other woman against her, tucking her head under her chin and stroking up and down her back. They stayed like that for a while as the movie continued in the background, Anna's attention focused completely on calming the woman in her arms. When she felt ready, Elsa pushed herself up, hovering over the redhead and meeting her gaze.
"My parents live near the corporate headquarters in The Netherlands. I usually visit them in the summer for my birthday. I was wondering if you could-" She cut herself off, shaking her head slightly and starting again. "I was hoping you'd be willing to accompany me this year, so you could meet them. Or maybe next year, if this year is too sudden."
"You want me to meet your parents?" Anna waited until Elsa nodded her confirmation before continuing, her face and tone serious. "One condition." The blonde nodded again, more curious than concerned. Anna broke into a wide smile. "You have to meet my parents, too. How's that?"
Elsa visibly relaxed, snuggling up to her. "Absolutely. Whenever you want."
"My mom'll go bouncing off the walls when I tell her." The redhead chuckled. "I'll tell you when we have a set date."
"They live close?" Elsa's brows furrowed. "You've never really talked about your parents."
"Well, I can fix that."
The two spent hours exchanging stories about the escapades that their parents seemed to remember best, filling in the details they'd previously left entirely alone. Anna painted her parents as the fun loving, gentle, nurturing terrors they were, including how very fond they were of hugs. Elsa spoke of her own parents with a mixture of respect, utter adoration, and frustration.
The conversation added context to what she'd already mentioned of her parents; between the two, it was Elsa's mother who objected strongly to her going to America and always pushed the issue of a 'suitable' match. Her father, on the other hand, seemed to easily bend to her wants whenever the issue of Elsa's happiness was broached. He needed supporting reasons, of course, but Elsa was certain he'd only pretended to be reluctant about agreeing to her moving to America to appease her mother.
He was dead set on her succeeding him as head of the company, though, and he wasn't exactly happy when she mentioned he should choose someone else.
"Wait, should?" Anna furrowed her brows and frowned. "Snowflake-"
"Shush." Elsa pressed a finger to her lips, effectively silencing the redhead while she smirked. "Don't 'Snowflake' me; this particular conversation occurred before I even considered coming to America." She pulled her finger away, leaning down to gently lay a kiss in its stead. "Just like Jack, I grew tired of the crown I was to inherit. I tried to give it up but my father refused to acknowledge the possibility. He told me he'd gone through a similar phase when he was young and that I'd get over it, eventually." Elsa's eyes unfocused, as if she was reliving a memory rather than lying on a couch with Anna. "Now, I suppose I understand exactly what he meant back then."
Unsure what to say, Anna pulled Elsa towards her, peppering light kisses along the blonde's neck and nuzzling the skin there, waiting for her girlfriend to reciprocate. It took a few moments before she did, obviously distracted by wherever her mind had gone.
"I'll have to tell them about us before we go. I'm not sure how they'll react." Elsa admitted, drawing back to look at Anna.
"My mom always says that, when it comes to things like this, those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind. I'm sure they'll accept you after they get over the initial shock." She laced their right hands together, placing a gentle kiss on Elsa's ring. "Either way, you're not getting rid of me that easily, not now."
"Good." Elsa pressed a kiss of her own to Anna's ring. "I'd choose you over anything IKEA could offer, any day."
Anna playfully gasped. "Even the meatballs?"
She didn't miss the mischievous twinkle in her girlfriend's eyes. "Especially the meatballs."
"Well, then it's official." Anna nodded. "Either you're a keeper or you're certifiably insane. Perhaps both."
"Will you take me anyway?"
"Like you even have to ask," Anna said before claiming the blonde's lips. They didn't even notice the movie ending as they continued making out, only stopping when Anna had to beg off from being a tad too... excited.
Anna spent the rest of the night alternating between teasing Elsa for getting her so worked up and soothing the blonde's guilt. She only stopped when her girlfriend threatened to withhold cuddles.
Considering how ridiculous their threats to each other were, they were surprisingly effective.
Anna took a deep breath, taking Elsa's hand in hers as they started up the steps to her childhood home. She'd chosen her best slacks and blouse for the occasion while Elsa was wearing a more professional looking skirt and blouse, with heels. It had taken Anna a good twenty minutes to get over the heels, her attention only drawn away when Elsa donned her jean jacket. Somehow, that was still the thing that caught her attention most effectively.
Now that they were actually at their destination, though, Anna felt a strange sense of nervousness worming its way into her gut. This was an entirely new experience for the redhead; she couldn't remember even mentioning taking a boyfriend or girlfriend to meet her parents. She certainly hadn't even considered the notion with Hans, charming though he was.
Her parents, well, they always knew when she was dating, because she was always a bit too honest with them for her own good. If they ever wondered why she didn't introduce any of her former significant others, they never said anything about it.
But now that she was bringing Elsa to meet them? Dear Lord, her mother would not shut up about it! There were at least a hundred phone calls between them and twice as many texts setting up the dinner, making sure every detail was accounted for and a back-up plan in place, and a back-up plan for the back-up plan's back-up plan.
Her mother went a bit overboard with the planning thing, when given the chance. At least her father was weathering the storm alongside her, in spirit if not physically.
Actually, he was probably getting it worse, considering Anna was a good two hours away.
"You know, you being nervous is making me nervous." Elsa whispered loudly, nudging her shoulder and smiling.
"I'm not nervous; I'm just my mother's daughter."
"That explains nothing."
"Wait until you've met her," Anna replied, standing in front of the door and debating on knocking momentarily before opening it anyway. "Mom? Dad?"
A loud crash echoed from the kitchen and Anna braced herself, releasing Elsa's hand to wrap an arm around the blonde's shoulders as they stood in the entryway. Not two seconds later her mother emerged from the kitchen further down the hall, eyes wide as she beamed at them.
"Just remember: I love you," Anna said before pushing Elsa forward and causing the blonde to stumble slightly.
Which wasn't a problem because, before her girlfriend could even utter a suitable exclamation of surprise, Elsa was wrapped up in her mother's arms as the woman nearly squeezed the life out of her.
Anna would've felt bad about essentially sacrificing Elsa to the wolves if she didn't already know the 'wolf' in this case was more like an over-sized puppy with boundary issues.
"So you're Elsa! I've heard so much about you, dear, and aren't you just the cutest thing!" Her mother drew back, looking Elsa up and down and commenting so quickly, no one could get a word in edgewise. "Look at you! Such bright eyes, so blue, and you've got the most adorable, barely-there freckles I've ever seen! And your hair, so luxurious, you must take good care of it, and your outfit! Sweetie, you're like a Scandinavian Barbie, but so much cuter!"
"Mom!" Anna groaned, running a hand over her face. "Could you calm down? Please?"
"But Anna, she's gorgeous!"
Elsa seemed to recover from her mild shock at that point, finally returning the hug and laughing. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Andersen."
"Oh, and so proper!" Anna's mother laughed, shaking her head. "Dear, you can call me Mom or Bulda, but Mrs. Andersen is far too formal! We're very laid back around here."
"She's right. Trust me on this," Anna's father said as he descended the stairs, wearing a soft smile and nodding towards Anna. "After you've tried to teach this one some manners, you begin to realize that some of that stuff is just too silly to bother with anyway."
"Thanks, Dad, thanks for making me out to be some sort of heathen." Anna rolled her eyes but quickly hugged him as he opened his arms for her.
He merely chuckled, turning his gaze to Elsa. "You've seen her eat, right? I don't think anything makes a better case for me than that."
"For the record, Mr. Andersen, I think her manners are adorable." Elsa smiled at her, accepting the hand her father offered.
"Cliff, or Dad, as the case may be. We really are the informal type and-" he paused, pulling on Elsa's arm as Bulda released the blonde, wrapping her up and a hug beside Anna. "-we're the hugging type, too."
"You can't even say I didn't warn you." Anna mumbled, though it morphed into a smile as Elsa chuckled.
As Cliff released them, he turned to Bulda, who seemed ready to launch into some sort of speech- or, more likely, a never ending game of twenty questions. "How's dinner coming?"
"Oh! Right." Bulda turned, bustling back towards the kitchen while Cliff winked at them.
"I'll come get you when dinner's on the table, Sweetheart," her father said, turning to follow his wife and throwing over his shoulder in a softer tone. "Take advantage of the break."
Left alone in the entryway, Elsa turned to Anna wearing the brightest smile. "Your parents are lovely, Anna." Her smile fell slightly as she absently reached for her braid. "I'm not sure if you can expect such a warm reception from my parents, though."
Anna smiled reassuringly, guiding Elsa upstairs. Her father wasn't kidding; when her mother got this excited, it was a good idea to catch a breather when the opportunity presented itself.
"Have you talked to them yet?" She gently probed, having resisted asking ever since the blonde mentioned broaching the topic of their relationship during her next conversation with her parents.
With Spring Break coming up, Elsa had invited Anna to stay the week at her apartment. Doing so, however, would invariably mean that Anna would be present when Elsa's parents called or vice versa and the blonde didn't want to lie about who Anna was or why she was there or have the redhead hide until the call was over.
"I did, actually," Elsa replied, her voice carefully neutral as they stepped into Anna's old room. The blonde took a look around, grinning slightly as she looked back at the redhead. "Boy bands? Really?"
"Maybe I was under a bit more pressure to 'fit in' as a teen, so sue me." Anna playfully groused, going to sit on her old bed, surprised by how comfortable it still felt. "As I got older, I kinda got attached to them. Reminders of simpler times, ya know?"
Elsa shook her head, sitting beside the redhead and leaning against her. "They were shocked, initially. My father more than my mother."
Anna winced, wrapping an arm around Elsa's shoulders and pressing a kiss to her hair. She didn't like the way this seemed to be going.
"It passed surprisingly quickly for my mother; she was... a bit vocal in her disapproval." Elsa laughed, though it wasn't a happy sound, and that cut Anna to the core. She'd never heard her girlfriend make a sound like that and she held her all the tighter for it. "I can't say I'm surprised, really."
"And your father?"
"My father..." Elsa buried herself further into Anna's embrace, putting her arms around the redhead's waist and hugging her. "He wants to meet you."
Anna felt the dread that was formerly welling up in her chest collide with a growing sense of relief.
"He was more shocked than my mother and didn't recover very quickly. It wasn't until I started explaining to her how you make me feel, how I'd happily be disowned if it meant I could stay with you, that he seemed to snap out of it." Elsa chuckled, slightly happier this time. "He even offered to fly us out to The Netherlands for Spring Break. I think he was a little disappointed that we already agreed on going for my birthday."
"So, he's okay with it?" Anna tentatively offered, trying not to get her hopes up. As much as it pained her, she would really feel horrible if their relationship meant ruining Elsa's bond with her parents.
"Knowing him, he's withholding judgment until he can assess the situation from all angles." Elsa explained, adopting a tone Anna had begun to associate with anything the blonde learned in regards to business. It just seemed like she was enunciating her words clearer, carefully crafting her sentences. Serious, almost regal, really. "He doesn't act on impulse or make emotional decisions- except in regards to me, but only on occasion. He always waits until he has as much information as there is, looking from every side, and choosing the most appropriate path. Even the smallest decision can have a global impact, so he must be careful which proposals he approves and which ones he denies and he applies that philosophy to all aspects of his life."
"So, this is like a business venture to him?" Anna raised a brow, pleased when Elsa drew back enough to look her in the eye, wearing a small grin.
"Everything is a venture, Sunshine, and requires his utmost care before making a decision." She outright laughed. "I swear, he takes at least five minutes to choose which socks to wear every morning, depending on the weather, his suit, and how much sitting he's projected to be doing that day."
"I can't wait to meet him. Both of your parents. Maybe we can change your mother's mind." Anna leaned back, pulling Elsa with her as they reclined on her bed. They stared at the ceiling for a while in silence, Anna's frown deepening as she process what Elsa had said.
What if she couldn't convince her mother otherwise? What if she made a poor impression on her father? What if they demanded Elsa dump her and the blonde refused? Could Anna really be the reason Elsa was disowned by her own parents? Maybe they weren't as close as Anna was with hers but, damnit, that was the blonde's family! Could she really take that away from Elsa? Wasn't that selfish on her part?
"Hey," Elsa said, swinging a leg over as she settled above Anna. Despite the position, sex was the furthest thing from the redhead's mind- even if it caused that skirt to ride up a little- as Elsa leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before continuing. "Sunshine, put those thoughts away. If I had never met you, I wouldn't have the courage to tell my parents the truth. I wouldn't have the motivation. I came to this country looking for a freedom that you give me every time you smile." She caught Anna's right hand in hers. "If I can't have both my parents and you in my world, then I choose the part that accepts me as I am. I love my parents but whether I stay in their lives is their choice. Not yours and not mine, so don't feel guilty for how things turn out."
Anna pressed her lips to their joined hands, blinking back tears as Elsa settled against her, wrapping her free arm around the blonde's waist.
"I love you, Snowflake."
"I love you, too, Sunshine."
They stayed like for a while, their quiet breathing the only sound filling the room, and Anna could feel herself slowly falling asleep. She shifted slightly to try and stave it off but Elsa took the action differently, claiming the redhead's lips in a deep kiss as she continued to pin Anna down.
The redhead moaned, eagerly returning the blonde's affections.
She'd completely forgotten how they were waiting for dinner to be ready in her parents' house until her father opened the door.
"While we're not exactly strict as a general rule," he began, politely keeping his gaze towards the ceiling, though neither woman doubted he'd taken notice of their rather compromising position. "I must insist you wait until after dinner for your... dessert." He turned, heading back towards the stairs. "Oh, and dinner's ready, whenever you two are. Take your time, no rush."
Anna and Elsa looked at each other, slightly horrified at being caught making out by Anna's father. Realizing that, though, brought a wide smile to the redhead's lips.
"We're both in our twenties and we just got caught making out for the first time in our lives." She fought to keep her voice steady against the slowly rising laughter bubbling up from her chest. "By my Dad of all people!"
Elsa visibly shook off her surprise, gracing Anna with a small smile as she slid off the redhead and stood up, straightening out her clothes. Anna stood up, allowing herself to laugh as she wrapped her girlfriend up in a fierce hug.
"C'mon, you gotta find this funny." Anna peppered Elsa's jaw with little kisses until the blonde relaxed.
"I suppose. I just hope I didn't give them a negative impression." Elsa caught one of her kisses, returning the embrace briefly before pulling Anna towards the door. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."
Anna beamed, secretly hoping her dad wouldn't mention anything about the incident to her mother. She doubted Elsa's concern was well founded; if anything, it probably made him happy that they were being affectionate and comfortable with each other.
But if her mother found out? Well, there wouldn't be even the slightest doubt as to what she thought about it. She wanted to spare Elsa that fiasco.
At the very least, her father was kind enough to wait until towards the end of dinner before bringing it up. And yes, her mother was very clear that he shouldn't have interrupted them, completely missing the blushes rises on both women's cheeks.
Things only got more awkward when Bulda and Cliff presented Elsa with two 'welcome to the family' gifts after they'd relocated to the living room.
One was a handknitted sweater which didn't surprise Anna in the slightest; she had more than a few and even Kristoff had a couple from spending time around the Andersens. They were itchy but very warm and Elsa accepted it with a grateful smile.
The second gift, on the other hand, was a box of chocolate flavored condoms.
What.
"Not that we're opposed to grandchildren," her mother said as shock settled into both of their systems. "We just don't want any 'accidents', seeing as you're both very young and still looking for some stability in your lives."
While Elsa turned several shades of red, Anna was busy leaping off the couch and chasing her mother through the house with a broom while the older woman positively cackled with glee. Her father merely continued drinking his tea, reaching out to comfort the blonde as Anna cornered her mother in the back room.
"Mom, what the hell did you do?" Anna fumed, ready to throttle the other woman, loving maternal figure or not.
"Nudged things in the right direction, I'd like to think," her mother replied with a cheeky grin. "Take it from a love expert, honey, I know what I'm doing."
"That's what you said when you tried to reprogram the VCR."
Her mother set her fists on her hips and cocked them to one side. "Number one, no one knows how to program VCRs in the first place, so you can hardly hold that against me. Number two, that was almost twenty years ago, and I'd remind you I have albums full of your less than stellar decision-making skills that cover that particular span of time if you really want to go that route. And number three-" she laughed "-I don't hear a front door slamming."
She hated when her mother had a single irrefutable point against her, so three of them left the redhead trying to choke through syllables before giving up and releasing her frustration in a quick shout and storming off.
By the time Anna made it back to the living room, Elsa was chatting amicably with her father about the stock market- of all things- and seemingly entirely at ease. With little choice, Anna rejoined them and willed herself to calm down, the four of them talking- okay, mostly her parents playing twenty questions with Elsa to learn more about the blonde while Anna bailed her out if the questions got too personal. Either because her parents were done torturing her or through sheer luck, her father recalled a doctor's appointment he had the following morning and they left shortly after, exchanging hugs and promises to get together again very soon.
The redhead didn't miss that Elsa took the sweater and the condoms when they left, opting not to comment on it for the time being.
They'd talk about it when Elsa was ready.
In the meantime, Anna was busy mentally celebrating the fact that her parents absolutely loved the blonde, not that there was much doubt regarding that outcome. It just... gave her a sense of pride, that her parents, best friend, and girlfriend all got along- though they seemed in league to drive her insane- and that she was lucky enough to have them all in her life. A sense of responsibility accompanied that, to take care of these precious people who loved her unconditionally.
Anna slowly returned to the waking world, grumbling incoherently and turning her head into the pillow in an attempt to return to sleep. It was Spring Break. She didn't have work or classes, so why not take the opportunity to sleep in? She took a deep breath to try and trick herself back into sleeping but caught two distinct scents in the air. One was the familiar, crisp, light smell of Elsa's linens; the other was the mouth-watering smell of freshly cooked bacon.
Anna scrubbed at her eyes as she sat up, stretching her arms over her head and yawning loudly.
"Damn." Anna blinked in surprise, looking over to the door to Elsa's bedroom and finding none other than the blonde standing there, a lopsided grin on her lips as she held a fully loaded tray in her hands. "I was hoping to catch you asleep."
"Sorry." She shrugged, scooting over so Elsa could sit on the bed and set the tray between them. Anna promptly took the tray into her lap so the blonde could move even closer. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before sighing. "Okay, I got nothing. What's the occasion?"
"Well, I woke up this morning with a beautiful woman in my arms who I love dearly and who loves me in return and will be spending the entire day with me." Elsa reached over, grabbing a piece of toast and adding some eggs to it. "I feel that's worth celebrating."
Anna leaned over and pecked Elsa on the cheek, digging into the delicious food before she could stutter out a reply. It was day three of Spring Break and the redhead couldn't help but be surprised at how... normal it felt, spending whole days with her girlfriend. They'd gone out to lunch and ordered pizza the first day, spending most of it curled up together on the couch and marathoning foreign films as Elsa described little details missed in the subtitles. The second day, they'd made a trip to the grocery store and took turns cooking, Elsa taking lunch while Anna made dinner, and the two going for a walk inbetween the meals.
It was all so ridiculously domestic, Anna was beginning to think she'd been involved in some horrific accident and was actually lying in a coma in some hospital and the whole experience was a drug induced dream she didn't want to leave.
But then Elsa would kiss her or take her hand, grounding her in the moment, and Anna was totally willing to stay in this dream forever.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Anna spoke around a bite of chocolate filled crepe, leaning against the blonde as she sipped her chocolate milk.
"Well..." Elsa trailed off as her desktop computer suddenly sprang to life, the familiar ring tone of a Skype call coming over the speakers. Anna noticed how her eyes flickered to the clock that was set to The Netherlands' time zone above the desk. "That's odd."
The blonde quickly crossed the room to answer the call, Anna trailing behind, only slightly apprehensive. Sure enough, the monitor displayed a man in his forties, hints of gray at his temples but otherwise looking immaculate and imposing in his suit. His face was set into a severe gaze that would have most people cowering and fleeing the vicinity quickly; there was no doubt that this was Elsa's father, CEO of IKEA and one of the wealthiest men in the world.
"Hallo far," Elsa said in Norwegian, a smile on her lips. From over her shoulder, Anna watched and listened to the exchange, trying to put her sparse language lessons to the test. At least, until Elsa turned slightly and waved her closer. "Dette er Anna."
Crap! Now she had to say something!
"Uh, Hallo. Hyggelig møte deg." Anna smiled, internally celebrating that she'd somehow remembered 'nice to meet you' until Elsa leaned towards her.
"Hyggelig å møte deg."
Damnit.
"Hyggelig å møte deg." She corrected, flashing Elsa's father an apologetic smile. "Unnskyld. Jeg... jeg... I'm still learning."
Anna ducked her head, taking little comfort from the soft kiss the blonde pressed to her cheek. She'd really hoped to impress Mr. Aren, not come off like a stereotypical, uncultured American.
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better," Mr. Aren said, his voice firm but not exactly unkind, like a king reading a decree; his word was law, and she could picture in her head the compassionate ruler rather than the intimidating tyrant looking at her through the screen.
"I recognize that. He wrote plays... starts with a 'B'..."
Mr. Aren nodded. "Beckett. Samuel Beckett."
He turned his attention to Elsa, rattling off something that was too quick for the redhead to catch. It wasn't until the blonde responded, her voice betraying her exasperation, that Anna realized they were talking about visiting The Netherlands so Anna could meet Elsa's parents properly. Apparently, Mr. Aren was trying to find some other holiday break or week- regardless of school or work- that would be sooner than waiting for the summer.
Recognizing the beginning of an argument, Anna quickly draped her arms over Elsa's shoulders, placing a kiss just beneath her right ear. The gesture calmed the blonde considerably, earning her a brief glance and a hint of a smile before Elsa's attention was focused on her father once more.
The man sat, as rigid as when he first appeared, and just stared at them through the screen until he released a long sigh, his shoulders dropping the barest amount. When he was finished, his lips actually quirked up into the barest hints of a smile, speaking softly and slowly enough this time for Anna to understand that he was dropping the issue and was looking forward to their visit in June.
After saying goodbye, Elsa and Anna stayed staring at the screen, the redhead more than a little confused while her girlfriend seemed deep in thought.
"He likes you," Elsa eventually said, turning to press a kiss against her cheek first, then her lips as Anna turned to meet her.
"How can you tell?" She moved, running her hands up and down Elsa's arms while pressing open mouthed kisses all along the blonde's neck.
"He smiled." Elsa mumbled, tilting her head away so Anna could have more room to work.
However, the redhead paused, frowning slightly. "Well, that's terrifying. Does he not smile often?"
"Not while he's at work." She blinked as Elsa reached up, tangling a hand in her hair and pulling her down for another kiss. The angle was a bit odd but not entirely unpleasant. Then again, things with Elsa rarely were. "He has an image to maintain. He's a stern man but a very loving father. You'll see."
"I'll take your word for it." Anna shook her head slightly, pulling away slowly to return to the bed. Their breakfast would get cold at this rate. "Come back to bed, Snowflake."
Elsa laughed, joining her to continue their breakfast. "As I was saying, I was wondering if you would be interested in going to IKEA."
"Hmmm." Anna contemplated the offer while munching on her crepe. She swallowed, turning towards Elsa. "Will you promise me you won't let me buy anything? We really don't have the room for it and Kris will seriously kick my butt if I bring home another swirly office chair."
"Deal."
The trip to IKEA was, mostly, uneventful. Anna pointed out some of the nicer furniture sets she'd picked out as her goals for whenever she finished school and got a place of her own while Elsa introduced her to some of the blonde's coworkers. She was also re-introduced to Mr. Oaken, the burly man she'd nearly attacked on Valentine's Day, who also kept a part time job at the IKEA to maintain appearances. Their second meeting went much smoother than the first, thankfully.
Afterwards, they stopped by the cafeteria for lunch.
"I'm not complaining or anything but... why did we come here again?" Anna glanced at her girlfriend beside her. "'Cause, now, all I can think about is how badly I want to redecorate my room."
Elsa toyed with her salad a moment before flashing her a shy smile. "I suppose I wanted to... show off." At the redhead's questioning look, she continued. "Whenever my father would take me to events, he'd always introduce me to his associates, and they'd introduce their spouses or families or whoever they brought with them. Until I introduced you to my father, it never really occurred to me how thrilling it could feel to tell someone else 'this is my girlfriend and she's amazing and she loves me and she's mine, so please keep your jealousy to yourself', though not in so many words." She shook her head. "Silly, isn't it?"
Anna blinked, smiling as she gently nudged her girlfriend's shoulder with her own. "Not at all."
Elsa flashed her a grateful smile, taking a bite of her food. "I noticed you didn't point out a bed that you liked."
"Oh, yeah, see, I had my eye on this twin sized one for the longest time, but..." The redhead cleared her throat, feeling a light blush rising in her cheeks. "Well, I've noticed sleeping in a twin is kinda uncomfortable for two people."
Her girlfriend hummed. "So, you're saying you prefer mine?" Anna nodded, hoping the blonde didn't see the answer as anything more than what she meant. "I suppose a queen is more comfortable. Good to know."
Anna released a quiet sigh of relief. She really didn't want Elsa to think she was trying to push the issue of sex any time soon.
Kristoff brought out the big guns, laying it on thick with a puppy dog pout that could bend the Devil himself to his will. "Please Anna? You know how important this is."
The redhead sighed but, without her friend's knowledge, had already planned to relent. That didn't stop her from cursing the timing of everything. "Honestly, I don't see how throwing Eugene a surprise kegger that he already knows about as a belated birthday party trumps date night with Elsa, but we already talked about it. We're in."
Kristoff dropped the pleading look in favor of raising a brow. "Wait, 'we' as in she's coming, too?"
"If that's alright." Anna shrugged, favoring him with a shy smile.
"Of course it's alright!" He laughed, clapping her on the back. "It's about time you introduced her to the crew! Plus, if she can make it through a night of drunken stupidity on our parts, there's literally nothing you can do to scare her off!"
"Need I remind you she's already had to deal with you being incredibly intoxicated?"
"But she's never dealt with Eugene being incredibly intoxicated." He quickly pointed out.
Shit. He was right.
"But I'm sure everything will be fine." Kristoff turned, heading back towards the living room. "Just be sure to keep an eye on her! You know how some of the guys get around pretty women."
Anna turned back to her homework, taking a moment to reevaluate her choices. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends to behave; she just really hoped none of them gave her ample reason to chuck them through a window. She didn't mind teasing but they would have another thing coming if they thought she would sit back and let them make her girlfriend feel even the least bit uncomfortable.
Eugene's place was two stories, so her back-up plan was at least possible.
Despite Kristoff's warning, everyone was behaving themselves remarkably well.
Well, relatively speaking; this was still a college kegger, which meant alcohol was flowing freely in every room, nearly everyone was intoxicated beyond redemption, and those who weren't shamelessly acting like idiots were making out in various dark corners. However, no one had even dared hitting on Elsa since they arrived and the blonde was enjoying herself, so the redhead had no complaints whatsoever. Anna had never had much of a taste for alcohol but the blonde had apparently taken a liking to beer during her trips back home- though wine remained her poison of choice- and surprised nearly everyone by drinking the guys under the table without so much as developing a slur. While she wasn't a fan of American brands, Elsa was more than capable of holding her own.
At the moment, Elsa was finishing off Kristoff's half of the spoils from a lost round of Beer Pong, lightly teasing him about missing the table completely on the last shot. Anna was standing against one wall, taking a few sips from her water. Much more at ease around her friends than her parents, Elsa had clicked with most of them, and even convinced Eugene to start using her name instead of 'blonde chick' within the first ten minutes. She also managed to strike fear into some poor soul who had the nerve to insinuate that American beers were just as good as European ones.
Apparently, that won her bonus points with Anna's friends. Anna wasn't quite sure if that was a good or bad thing yet.
But, it was moments like these that Anna could really see Elsa becoming the successful CEO of a global company: charming and intimidating at the right times and capable of discerning how to best approach a situation and, somehow, remarkably human.
Well, as human as a goddess like her girlfriend could be, she supposed, smiling fondly as the next game was set up.
"Hey, Sexy." Anna nearly jumped out of her skin as some woman she'd never seen before in her life pressed against her out of nowhere, long black tresses trailing down her back. "Don't tell me you're, hmmm, all alone, tonight?"
"Actually, my girlfriend's standing right over there." The redhead nodded towards the pong table, trying to gently shrug the other woman off while smiling. Damn waitress' manners.
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, a spark lighting in those glazed eyes that clearly spoke of a singular mission on the woman's mind. "She seems busy. How about we have a little fun?"
"No thanks," Anna said firmly, about to push off the wall and make her way over to Elsa when the woman suddenly- and a bit too firmly- pressed a hand to her crotch. She winced instantly, not appreciating the rough way the woman was touching her. "I said no."
"Aw, come on- oh." The woman looked down, squeezing her hand and nearly causing Anna to bite her tongue as she held in a yelp of surprised discomfort. "That's different. Eh, whatever. I don't mind fucking a freak."
Bile rose in the back of Anna's throat as she roughly pushed the woman off of her, stumbling away the moment she was free and downing what remained of her water. It nearly made her hurl but she needed something to distract herself from the urge to scream, anger and disgust and shame boiling just under the surface and making her skin crawl.
So consumed by the inner turmoil, Anna almost lashed out as arms circled her waist, barely keeping herself in check as a set of very familiar and very concerned blue eyes met hers.
"Sunshine? Are you okay?" Elsa's hands drifted along her back and sides, soothing motions that calmed the redhead considerably. "Did something happen?"
Anna ducked her head, leaning into her girlfriend's embrace and shutting her eyes. She was momentarily caught between the need to vent and the desire to just forget the interaction completely. She ended up going with the latter. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just don't feel well."
As the chaos of her mind and body clashed with that of the party, Anna was too grateful for words when she heard Elsa tell Eugene they would be leaving, making an excuse that the blonde had an early shift at work the following day- which she didn't. She felt bad, letting Elsa take the fall for them departing early, but she couldn't really find her voice once they were moving.
In fact, she couldn't find her voice until they were almost to Elsa's apartment. "I'm sorry-"
"It's okay, Sunshine. I was ready to go anyway." Elsa smiled softly from the passenger's seat, reaching out to take Anna's hand in hers. "You have some very interesting friends."
A flicker of a smile ghosted over the redhead's lips. All she could think about was taking a long shower, washing the feel of that woman away; she barely registered the way Elsa was worriedly watching her until the car was parked. "I'm sorry, Snowflake."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Anna turned her head, noting the overwhelming concern and twinge of sadness on her girlfriend's face.
No doubt the blonde was worried about her. She sighed, lifting their joined hands to place a kiss on the back of Elsa's. "Not right now. Right now, I just want a hot shower and cuddle time. Is... that okay?"
"Of course," she immediately replied, mustering a reassuring smile. It was painfully obvious that Elsa wanted to discuss it right then but was being considerate in light of Anna's feelings. "Jeg elsker deg, Sunshine."
The redhead could barely muster her reply. "I love you, too."
Lying in bed that night, Anna pressed herself back against Elsa as much as she could without waking her girlfriend. The shower had helped but there was still a lingering amount of disgust, shame, and guilt swirling in her gut. She'd let go of her anger over the mystery woman's presumptuous attitude but getting over the rest was much more difficult.
She was utterly disgusted how anyone could just walk up and touch someone else- especially so intimately- without permission. How someone could do so without even thinking it was wrong or considering that person's feelings about being touched.
And ashamed. Not so much over the woman's actions as her words. How many times had she been called a freak? Why did that word still cut so deep? It wasn't like that woman knew anything about her, so why should her opinion matter?
Both of those just brought on the guilt. That had manifested after she'd let go of her anger and it weighed on her the heaviest. Really, she should've pushed away sooner, should've stopped that woman from getting so close. She was just being polite but that was just an excuse. And what did it matter what that other woman called her? She was in the arms of a beautiful woman- her smart, kind, wonderful, loving girlfriend- who didn't think of her as a freak, who respected her, who loved her.
So why should she let anything that drunk woman did or said bother her?
Yet, it did.
It really fucking did.
Anna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the tears away.
How was she going to explain all of this to Elsa? It wasn't like she initiated it. Maybe if she didn't mention it...
No. No, she needed to think this through. What if it was the other way around? If something happened to Elsa that made her uncomfortable, she'd want the blonde to know that she was there to soothe and comfort her, support her in whatever way she needed.
Sure, she'd be pissed and would probably handle it much less gracefully than her girlfriend if the situation was the same, but she'd still want to help in any way she could, and she would keep asking until Elsa relented. It wouldn't be fair to shut the blonde out but expect full honesty from her at the same time.
They'd talk about it tomorrow, after work. Anna had the later shift but she didn't have classes to wake up early for and Elsa didn't either, so they could stay up and talk things out.
Hopefully, that would make it all better.
The next night, Anna mounted the stairs, weary down to her bones. For obvious reasons, she hadn't slept well the night before, which made the entire day drag. If she wasn't so keen on putting the incident as far behind her as possible, she might've opted out of the conversation with Elsa entirely in favor of going straight to bed. But, she'd already told the blonde she wanted to talk when she got home, so trying to beg off might worry her girlfriend even more.
She really, really didn't want that.
Using her copy of the key to Elsa's apartment, Anna let herself in, calling for the blonde before the door was even shut behind her.
This conversation would be like ripping off a band-aid; get it over quickly, and move on. That was the plan.
When no one answered her call, Anna went further into the apartment, heading towards the bedroom. However, she stopped in the dining room when she noticed two very out of place, very distinctive bottles sitting empty on the table: a fifth of Jack Daniels and Elsa's favorite red wine. Neither of them drank hard liquor and Elsa had just bought a new bottle last week; last Anna checked, it was unopened, so it was highly unlikely the blonde had finished it off in less than two days.
So... where the hell did these come from?
The answer made itself obvious as Elsa appeared in her doorway, wearing nothing more than a blue tank top and panties, leaning against the frame for support.
"Heeeeeey, Sunshine." Anna felt something akin to a rock settle in her gut as she glanced back at the empty bottles. Her girlfriend was drunk. She was swaying and slurring and obviously drunk. All evidence pointed to this being a completely valid conclusion. The question was: exactly how much and how quickly had she drank to get to this state? "I've been waiting... C'mere."
"Snowfla- whoa!" Anna hurried forward, managing to catch the blonde as she tripped on nothing, her coordination so far gone that it was a wonder she'd made it to the bedroom door in the first place. "Okay, you need to sit down for a while."
"'m fine."
"No, no you're not," Anna replied, scooping her squirming girlfriend into her arms and heading for the bedroom. "You're drunk."
"Relaxed. Not drunk." Elsa giggled, pressing a sloppy kiss to Anna's cheek as the redhead set her down on the bed. "There's a difference."
"Uh huh." Rolling her eyes, Anna gave her a small grin. After the stress of everything, coming home to a giggly, affectionate, drunk girlfriend wasn't the worst case scenario, so long as Elsa was forthcoming with answering a few questions. She sat down beside the blonde, wrapping an arm around the other woman's shoulders as she leaned against her, as much for her own sake as to keep Elsa steady. "When did you start drinking?"
"Noon. Ish."
"What about work?"
"Sent home. Wasn't focused." Elsa started nuzzling into her neck, lips skimming Anna's skin.
"Have you eaten anything? Recently?"
"Pasta."
"When?"
"Dunno."
Well, she wasn't getting anywhere with that line of questioning and thinking was becoming progressively more difficult. "Okay, and why did you need to 'relax', as you put it?"
"You wanted to talk." Elsa's lips found her cheek again, then her ear, prompting a delightful shiver from the redhead as a tongue traced along the sensitive skin. "I don't wanna talk."
"Y-you don't?" Anna's eyelids fluttered as Elsa coaxed her into laying back, the blonde straddling her hips while lavishing attention on her neck once more. Her fingers were fumbling with the redhead's tie, bereft of their usual dexterity due to her state of inebriation.
"Mm-mm. I want action." Elsa pulled the tie loose enough to start fumbling with the top button of her shirt but wasn't making much progress. In the meantime, she peppered kisses all along Anna's jaw. When the redhead couldn't take it anymore, she turned her head and captured those adventurous lips with her own briefly. "I don't want you to leave."
"Leave?" Anna chuckled, running her hands along Elsa's thighs, surprised at how quickly everything melted away as her blood was diverted elsewhere. Elsa could get her worked up so quickly, it was almost embarrassing. "Leave where?"
"Leave me."
"Wait, what?" Those words snapped Anna out of her lust induced haze quicker than a cold shower, allowing her the mental processes to recognize a few things.
One: Elsa was drunk. To a level she'd never seen kind of drunk. There was no telling if she'd even remember anything the following morning, seeing as the most alcohol she'd ever consumed in front of the redhead was three glasses of wine on New Year's. Two: Elsa got drunk for a reason, and that reason was probably her. Three: Elsa was concerned about her leaving.
And then it clicked, the most likely course of events that led them to this moment: Elsa was worried for some reason that Anna's talk involved breaking up, so she decided to broach the seemingly biggest hurdle in their relationship- sex- with the assistance of some liquid courage. And went overboard. By a lot.
While there was definitely a little voice in the back of her mind complaining that she really didn't need to deal with this right now on top of recent events, Anna focused on gently grabbing Elsa's wrists and pulling them away from her futile mission of unbuttoning the redhead's shirt.
"Snowflake, stop." Her voice was soft and calm- almost disturbingly so- and this must've registered to Elsa. Those beautiful blue eyes were wide, glazed, and scared, so Anna somehow mustered a smile. "I don't want to do this. Not while you're drunk."
"But... you do." She sat a little heavier on Anna's hips to emphasize her point and the redhead groaned in spite of herself.
"Please, stop." She choked out, relieved when the weight settled against her immediately receded, though she had to wrap her arms around the blonde's waist to help keep the other woman from falling off completely. "It's late and you need to sleep it off." Anna took a deep, steadying breath, sitting up and gently pushing Elsa off of her. "We'll talk when you're sober."
Apparently, Elsa didn't possess the energy or the ability to argue, instead sliding gracelessly away from Anna, fighting with the duvet while the redhead went to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of aspirin, tapped out two pills, and filled a cup with cool water, taking an extra moment to calm herself down. When she came back to the bedroom, Elsa was curled up on her side, facing the wall.
"Here." Anna waited until Elsa accepted the water, encouraging her to drink the entire glass. Once it was empty, she went back, refilled it, and set it on the nightstand along with aspirin, writing a quick note to accompany them before heading back towards the living room.
"Where are you going?" Elsa called from the bed as she reached the doorway, her voice thick from either the alcohol or from fighting to stay awake, the redhead wasn't sure.
"To sleep on the couch," Anna replied, grabbing the doorknob to close it behind her. "We'll talk about it in the morning."
Just before she shut the door, she heard in perhaps the most heartbreaking voice in the history of the spoken word: "Good night, Sunshine... I love you."
Anna stopped, sighing heavily. She was frustrated, disappointed, hurt, and a million other things, yes... but that didn't diminish what she felt for Elsa. She wasn't exactly pleased with the other woman at the moment but that didn't mean she didn't love her just as much as she did the day before. Love didn't work like that.
Flexing her right hand, Anna stared down at the pearl set in her ring a moment before reaching up to touch to cool metal of her necklace beneath her shirt.
Turning around, Anna went back to the bed and knelt down, gently tapping Elsa's shoulder. When the blonde rolled over, she leaned in and softly kissed her, cupping her cheek tenderly.
"Good night, Snowflake. I love you, too." She kissed Elsa again, her lips curling into a small grin as the blonde gave her a lazy, watery smile. "I'll see you in the morning."
She exited the room after that, leaving the door ajar in case Elsa needed her for anything, and laid down on the couch. It wasn't the most comfortable bed, but it was only for a night.
She stayed up for at least an hour, running her thumb along her ring while her other hand fiddled with her necklace.
They would get through this. Just like everything else, they would overcome this little bump in the road, then look back one day and laugh.
She slept like shit that night, tossing and turning on the couch. Not because she couldn't get comfortable- though it certainly didn't help- but rather due to worry. It seemed like every hour, she'd get fed up with trying to sleep or wake up from a fitful dream, tiptoe to the bedroom door, peek in to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend, ensure she could hear the steady rhythm of her breathing, and then retreat back to the couch. Rinse and repeat.
She also felt a bit guilty for the self-imposed exile from the bed. It wasn't that she didn't trust Elsa, of course not, but... to some extent, she didn't trust herself. Even though something was obviously wrong with the blonde, she'd let herself nearly follow through with whatever Elsa had planned. The last thing she wanted was to take advantage of her beloved girlfriend, or allow her to think she might have. Spending a night on the couch seemed the most practical way to prevent that.
But it was lonely. It had been just over two months since Valentine's Day and over a week since the last time she'd slept alone. She mentally made a note to never do anything that would result in getting sent to the couch for a night. If there was a reason- like they had work the following day or Elsa was going on a trip- then she'd probably be able to handle sleeping alone, but the knowledge that the blonde was a room away and they couldn't be together hurt worse than anything.
Through the blinds, Anna could see the sky begin to lighten as dawn broke. As soon as it was an acceptable hour to do so, she needed to call Kristoff. Or her mom. Someone. Someone who could-
Anna stiffened as she caught a few noises that seemed to echo in the quiet apartment. The shuffling of feet across the carpet and the shift of fabric were the loudest, but she could distinctly hear faint sniffling, almost like...
Almost like Elsa was crying.
Quickly rolling off the couch, the redhead stood up and took a step, her mind foggy in its troubled and sleep deprived state, before noting that the blonde in question was standing just a few feet away, the couch separating them. Elsa was wearing one of Anna's hoodies, fitting her taller girlfriend rather snug, one hand gripping her braid while the other was crossed over her stomach.
They stared at each other for a while as Anna struggled to voice something, anything. She didn't want to come off too harsh, asking if the blonde needed something, but neither did she want to seem apathetic. So, she settled on the only 'safe' question she could think of.
"How are you feeling?"
"Miserable," Elsa replied, voice scratchy. "Lethargic, dehydrated, I've got a headache... and I'm cold."
That was a bold faced lie if there ever was one; Elsa didn't get cold. She wore jackets as a fashion accessory rather than for warmth. She was Anna's Snowflake; the cold never bothered her.
"Did you see my note?" Instead of calling the blonde out- okay, maybe she was still a bit upset- she focused on trying to help, on being a good girlfriend, because starting a fight this early wouldn't do anyone any good.
Elsa nodded, quoting the hastily written missive verbatim. "'Take the pills. Drink the water. On the couch.'"
"I'll get you some more water." Anna turned to finish rounding the couch, heading into the kitchen for a fresh glass. When she came out, Elsa was standing in the same spot as before, concern and fear shining through despite how poorly she felt. "Here. It'll help."
Elsa took the glass hesitantly, clearing her throat before speaking. "If I drink it... will you come to bed?"
The redhead sighed, glancing at the clock. She didn't have work until later and Elsa had the day off. It was still early in the morning. They had time. "I'll go get changed."
Anna made short work of trading her wrinkled work clothes for comfortable sleepwear, sliding into her usual spot as Elsa returned to the bedroom. She waited for the blonde to join her under the covers, feeling her exhaustion acutely as the warmth of the comfortable bed enveloped her, but couldn't quite drift off. Usually, Elsa was the big spoon, with an arm at least wrapped around her waist, but the blonde was keeping her distance this time.
It was almost irritating at this point but that was just her being cranky.
Rolling over, Anna caught her girlfriend with one hand stretched out, though it instantly retreated as Elsa prepared to all but shuffle off the edge of the bed. Reaching out, the redhead caught the hand and pulled it up to her lips, softly kissing the knuckles.
"Jeg elsker deg, Snowflake," Anna said, her words soft as her gaze met misty blue eyes.
"Jeg elsker deg også, Solskinn."
"Come here." Elsa rolled over, allowing herself to be pulled back into Anna's arms. The redhead placed a kiss just below her ear. "We'll get through this." She followed the planes of Elsa's right arm until she could join their hands, pressing their rings against one another. "I promise."
They managed to catch a few hours of decent sleep before hunger roused them both. Not feeling up to cooking, Anna ordered a pizza while Elsa showered, taking one herself once the stall was free. Though they weren't going out of their way to ignore each other, they hadn't spoken since waking up. Anna was waiting for food, hoping that satisfying her hunger might help her think clearer. Whatever happened the night before required her utmost attention to get through without hurting either of them any worse.
They were halfway through the first pizza when Anna decided to speak. "Do you remember much from last night?"
The slice Elsa was preparing to bite into slowly lowered to her plate, abandoned as the blonde sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her stomach. It wasn't an aggressive posture, more self-conscious, scared. "Pieces. Everything sort of... blurred together. I'm not even sure if all of it was real."
"Can you tell me what happened? What you remember?" Anna abandoned her own food, focusing on Elsa while leaving the question she really wanted answered entirely alone: can you tell me why?
But Elsa understood. Her girlfriend was silent for a moment, biting her lip. Finally her shoulders slumped and she raised a hand to brush a few errant locks back behind her ear.
"I saw what happened at the party," she said, her voice soft and eyes trained on her plate. "I looked over and saw you talking with that woman and you were smiling. I thought she was a friend of yours and when I looked back, she-" Elsa shook her head and rubbed at her eyes, as if trying to keep herself calm. "She had her hand on your crotch and... I got jealous."
"Jealous?" Anna internally winced at how severe her tone sounded. That wouldn't make things any easier.
"She touched you like I haven't and it... it hurt. To see that." Elsa's voice was stronger now, fueled by frustration and maybe a little in response to Anna's tone. "I'm your... your girlfriend and I haven't and it hurt because I should have by now. Should've given you everything a long time ago, and yet I held back. I'm still holding back. And for what? So someone else could-" She cut herself off, swallowing a few times before continuing, slightly calmer. "I told Kristoff I'd be back and then I was in front of you and... it was like you didn't even see me... and you've always seen me."
Anna clenched her jaw, clamping down on the urge to reassure Elsa that she misunderstood, that that wasn't what happened, but refrained. She wanted to hear everything the blonde had to say because they obviously needed to talk about this more than the redhead initially thought.
"You were so angry and I didn't know what to do." She couldn't keep two tears back any longer, streaming down her pale cheeks slowly. "You wouldn't talk to me and when you did... you apologized. I didn't know why, what you were apologizing for. You barely even looked at me. I thought you were upset with me. Or... with yourself for... maybe enjoying the contact..."
Anna raised one fist to her mouth, biting into her knuckle as she mentally kicked herself. Okay, putting this conversation off was a really bad idea. A lot of this pain could've probably been avoided.
"I went to work yesterday but my head wasn't in it. You said you wanted to talk but... I didn't know what about. And then I remembered that woman..." Elsa shrugged sinking back into her seat. "I thought if I could do what she did- if I could give you what you needed- then I wouldn't lose you. So I told my manager I was having personal issues and he let me go early. I didn't know who else to turn to for advice, so I stopped by your apartment looking for Kristoff."
"He was at class." Anna clicked her mouth shut. She needed to listen, not interject.
Elsa nodded anyway. "I... saw the bottle on the coffee table." She glanced at the empty Jack Daniels bottle, still sitting where it had since the night before, ignored by both of them until that moment. "There wasn't much left. I figured a shot or two to loosen up would help... but I started when I got back thinking you didn't have work. Then I remembered you worked, so I thought I would just keep my, um, buzz going. Then the bottle was empty and you had the late shift, so I opened the wine bottle." Elsa sniffled, eyes darting back and forth, brow furrowed in concentration. "You came home and... I was in your lap... you told me to stop. You told me you loved me." She paused, silent until she finally shook her head. "Then you left. That's all I remember."
"Okay. Okay." Anna nodded slowly, fitting Elsa's version of the events alongside her own recollections. "Okay."
"Could you please say something else?" The blonde snapped, instantly sighing and opening her mouth to apologize but Anna beat her to the punch.
"Can we move to the couch, please?" She actually found a small smile work its way to her lips at the blonde's confused expression. After they'd moved- the food long forgotten- and settled on the couch side-by-side for a change, Anna took a deep breath and started filling in the gaps. "Starting from the beginning, that woman I was talking to, the one you saw? I have no idea who she is."
Elsa nodded, gaze drifting somewhere between the floor and the coffee table as she sat ram rod straight beside the redhead.
"Next... Snowflake, the way she touched me was painful and really unwanted." Anna had Elsa's full attention at that, shock registering first before the barest hints of anger. "That's part of why I was so upset. I mean, she was really rough and I'm pretty sensitive, plus I had already told her no." She sighed, dropping her gaze down to the space between them. It seemed too far to cross at that moment, despite how badly she wanted to do so. "I know I should've said something to you but... I was also upset because... well, she said she didn't mind fucking a freak, and-"
"She said what?" Anna flinched at Elsa's tone, looking up to meet the blonde's gaze only to draw back slightly in surprise.
This... this was new.
And this was scary.
Elsa was pissed.
Like, beyond livid, beyond angry, beyond anything the redhead had ever seen and it was more than a little terrifying. Her brows were drawn in a severe scowl, eyes glinting like the hardest sapphire, and mouth set in a thin line.
Anna shrunk back. She wasn't prepared for this.
"I-I'm sorry, Elsa-"
"You're sorry? No, you have nothing to be sorry for. That woman will be sorry when I get my hands on her." The blonde seethed, practically growling out the words. "Are you sure you don't recognize her from somewhere? No, it doesn't matter, Eugene must know her from somewhere. I'll turn this city upside-down if I have to; no one is ever going to insult you like that again and get away with it!"
"O-okay!" She squeaked out, garnering Elsa's attention.
Suddenly, her girlfriend was almost back to normal, brows knit together in concern as she reached out and coaxed Anna into her arms, holding her close and rubbing her back in a soothing gesture. She could still feel the blonde's barely contained anger, so much like what had consumed Anna initially. "I'm so sorry, Sunshine. I... I had no idea. I'm sorry."
Although wary, Anna relaxed slightly. "It's not your fault. It's just a misunderstanding."
Elsa pressed her lips to Anna's temple. "I'll admit, my apology was not for my actions last night- though I am sorry for... a lot of that." She cleared her throat, some of the anger creeping back into her voice. "What I mean to say is- I'm sorry you endured that. I'm sorry I didn't help, didn't stop her, didn't hold her accountable for hurting and upsetting you."
"You didn't know. You can't blame yourself for that."
"I certainly didn't make things easier." She noted glumly.
Anna leaned into Elsa's embrace, a small smile playing over her lips. "I think we share the blame there. Like I was saying, I was so upset about what she said and did, I couldn't really... talk about it yet. I never meant for you to think I was upset with you. Granted, you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, especially when I keep telling you I don't care about sex-"
She drew back when she felt Elsa stiffen, the blonde eyeing her dubiously. "Sunshine, I understand what you're trying to say, but please stop downplaying it. You want me. It's not just your body's physiological reaction; you want to have sex with me."
"Well... yeah." Anna awkwardly admitted, some voice in the back of her head pointing out how this was probably an atypical argument for most couples. "But if I have to choose between love and sex, I'll choose your love every time." Anna continued, feeling her stubborn streak rear its head. They were getting way off topic but the redhead wanted to drive the point home. "I don't want to be with you for your body, Elsa. Yes, I appreciate you, but I love you and want to be with you because you're my story-teller, my Snowflake, not because you're drop dead gorgeous."
"Flattery aside, don't you see that's the problem?" The blonde's features softened, raising a hand to gently cup Anna's cheek. "You shouldn't have to choose. I love you, Anna, and I should be capable of giving you everything, being there for you in every way. But I haven't-"
"Bullshit." There was little bite to the word as it left Anna's lips. It was hard for her to sound even a little cross when she was leaning into the blonde's touch. "You've been there for me in ways I can't even put into words because I'm not as good with them as you are." She put her own hand over Elsa's, gently stroking over the blonde's skin with her thumb. "Sex and love are not the same thing and you can have one without the other."
"But you deserve both; you deserve everything!" Elsa sighed, tapping a kiss to her lips before pulling her close, running her hands through Anna's hair. "I want to give you everything, the world- the sun, the moon, the sky, all of it!"
"I already have all that," she replied, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and squeezing her tight. "You are my world, Snowflake. My sun, my moon, and my sky. What else could I possibly want?"
The blonde groaned, though she sounded more amused than genuinely annoyed. "Considering I'm the one who supposedly has a 'way with words', you're certainly making this difficult."
"You like that I'm stubborn, remember?" Anna playfully accused, allowing a comfortable silence to grow for a few moments while she battled with bringing up the subject again. They hadn't really settled anything regarding the topic of sex but she honestly wasn't as concerned about it as her beloved girlfriend. Okay, that wasn't entirely true. "Snowflake... there's something else about last night."
Elsa shifted, indicating she was listening but opted to stay silent.
"I just... I'm bringing it up because I don't... well..." She huffed, unable to figure out the best way to word her concern. So, she went with being blunt. "Did you really drink because you were nervous... or did you drink so you wouldn't remember... being with me?"
There was a pause, a hitch in the blonde's breathing that Anna heard but couldn't bring herself to glance up and meet Elsa's gaze for fear of what she might find. In her head, she was reassuring herself that it was okay, whichever way her girlfriend answered, she would do her best to not get upset. Then, a gentle grasp on her chin forced her to look up, and she looked into Elsa's sad eyes.
"Is that what I made you think?" She could see the tears forming as she hesitantly nodded. She hadn't asked to upset the blonde; she just... she needed to hear the answer, whatever it might be. "Sunshine, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm not ashamed of who you are, what you do, how you act, or of any part of you, physical or otherwise." Elsa blinked, a tear escaping that Anna quickly brushed away with her thumb. "I was scared that I wouldn't... do well, wouldn't be able to satisfy you. That after making you wait, I wouldn't be... worth it."
"How could you not be?" Anna quirked her lips up into a reassuring smile. "Every moment with you has been worth it- will continue being worth it- just to see you smile or hear you laugh. To hold you in my arms. You're worth every second of my time and every ounce of energy I possess, Snowflake."
A moment passed before Elsa grinned ever so slightly. "The latter quantity is higher than the former, you know."
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Yes, tease me while I'm trying to reassure you, because that's fair."
Earning a small chuckle, Anna leaned forward, stealing a kiss as she coaxed Elsa into laying down on the couch. She was still tired from the past few days and figured a nap wouldn't hurt, completely forgetting about the pizza and dishes and anything that wasn't snuggling into her girlfriend's embrace.
"Sunshine," the blonde said, running her hands along Anna's back. "We didn't really... come to a conclusion about sex."
"Do we have to, right now?"
"I'd prefer if we did."
Anna sighed, propping herself up on her elbows and meeting those beautiful blue eyes, changing tactics in hopes of setting her girlfriend at ease. "Alright, the way I see it, sex is like a side quest in one of your video games. It's not required and the main story- the part that matters most- is how we feel about each other and the relationship we build together. Yeah, sure, sex can maybe be an expression of that love, but that's only if we don't force it."
Elsa was giving her a look that clearly spoke of her amusement with Anna's analogy, though there was still doubt lingering in her expression. So, she tried a different approach.
"Snowflake, we've already established that I want you. Last night, you were practically half naked, in my lap, and trying to take my clothes off. I obviously didn't stop you because I don't want to make love to you in every conceivable way." She raised a brow, relieved when the action garnered a small chuckle from the blonde. "I didn't want you making a mistake; I didn't want to be one of your regrets; I don't want to rush something this important."
"You'll never be a mistake, Sunshine, nor a regret," Elsa said softly.
"Then let's just... let it happen, whenever. If that means next month, that's okay, if that means in twenty years, that's fine, too." She leaned down to press a chaste kiss against Elsa's lips. "There's no time limit on this and I'm not willing to jeopardize what we have for the sake of physical gratification."
Elsa was quiet for a moment. "You'd really wait twenty years for sex?"
"Yeah, why not?" She smirked. "I mean, I waited about that long to meet you and you're the best thing to ever happen to me! From where I'm standing, waiting for something with you by my side is a hundred times better than without."
"And here I thought all Americans viewed sex as the ultimate expression of love," Elsa said, softly enough it could almost be considered an aside to herself.
Anna pursed her lips. "I can't tell if you're teasing me or being sincere."
"A little of both." Elsa admitted, drawing Anna back down and wrapping her arms around her. "I'll try not to keep you waiting, Sunshine. I'd rather not start having children in my forties."
Anna chuckled, pressing a kiss just behind Elsa's ear. "You'll make a wonderful mother, Snowflake."
"You will too, Sunshine." Elsa brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.
Smiling, Anna drifted asleep listening to Elsa's steady breathing and imagining a mini version of the blonde learning how to ice skate, one tiny hand in Elsa's while Anna held the other. She'd hardly entertained the idea of romance throughout her adult life. Having a family of her own? Not a chance!
But... it certainly was a pleasant dream to surrender to at the end of a rough day.
Author's Note: So... Yeah, unlike the previous two fics, this is not just an exceptionally long one shot; the damn thing got way too long for that. While it is multi-chapter, there's not an exorbitant amount of chapters. Like... four, in total. Will update every day until complete, since I already have the whole thing written. A huge thanks goes out to all of you who have read, faved, and followed this series. Your support is amazing and I'm glad y'all are enjoying the fics.