"We are not doing that again." Keahi spoke beside her.
Elsa glanced over at her, they were both lying down in bed. They came up after their intense dance in the ballroom. But everything felt so clear now. She arched a brow. "Do what again?"
"Singing together. That wasn't a sea shanty that I'm used to. I think I'll have to rest my throat for about a week."
Elsa laughed, rolling onto her side to face Keahi. She shyly scooted closer. Keahi looked like she tried to pretend not to notice. But Elsa felt her move closer. Hesitantly, she laid her head on Keahi's shoulder. "It's not my fault you can't keep up."
Keahi smirked at her, "Alright, when did you get so feisty?" She huffed jokingly.
Elsa chuckled, she felt a little more free with Keahi. The other woman sat up on her elbow, leaning over Elsa. Her heart quivered clumsily in her chest. Keahi rested a hand on her hip, heat exploding and traveling down her legs.
Just as Keahi leaned down, Elsa tipped her chin upwards, greedily wanting to accept the kiss. Their lips met gently, and Elsa felt herself arch upwards as close as she could to Keahi. Music sang in her veins as the world and everything in it faded into the background so that there was nothing left but them.
"SAMANTHA?!" The door to her bedroom slammed open and Olaf sauntered in. "I still don't know a Samantha." He announced.
Elsa jumped and rushed to sit up, clanking foreheads with Keahi who let out a hiss of air and they both sat rubbing their foreheads. "Olaf! What are you doing?" Elsa fumbled out.
"I think Olaf got into the wine." Anna's voice echoed in the hall, coming into the room and chiding Olaf. Anna looked up and stiffened at the sight of Elsa and Keahi. She straightened and grabbed Olaf, her cheeks heating. "Oh, hi, yeah, I'm sorry. He - he kinda got into the wine."
Elsa shoved Keahi off the bed.
"Owe!" Keahi echoed from the floor on the other side of the bed.
Elsa hurriedly stood and adjusted her dress, which crumbled up around her knees from the way she was laying. "This isn't what it looks like." Elsa replied calmly, but her voice shook as she laced her hands calmly in front of her.
"It would've been exactly that in a few minutes." Keahi grumbled from the floor as she leaned up and peeped just her eyes over the edge of the bed. "Caught by the magical snowman, figures." She finished.
Elsa glanced to the side, back at Anna and Olaf, before clearing her throat and lightly tapping her foot on the ground. A jet stream of ice went under the bed to the other side.
"Ouch!" Keahi echoed once more and a resounding "thunk" bounced in the room.
Elsa cleared her throat, both Anna and herself eyeing each other awkwardly.
"Did you know male dolphins are interested in both males and females? I don't exactly know what that means but..." Olaf announced with a hiccup.
Elsa put a hand to her forehead, resting it in her palm and groaned. She could hear Keahi behind the bed, stifling a laugh.
"All right, Olaf, let's get you to bed." Anna announced quietly. Once she ushered him out of the room, Anna peeked her head back in. "Can I talk to you... in the foyer?"
"Yes, of course." Elsa replied swiftly.
Once Anna left, Elsa put a hand to her chest and let out a relieved breath. Scowling and turning to round the bed to see a grinning Keahi on the floor.
Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand and Keahi took it as she helped the other woman up.
"I'll be back." She murmured, going to leave.
Keahi took her wrist gently, keeping her from leaving. "Should I leave…? Or…?"
Elsa glanced outside to the moon, then to the bed and heat rose slightly to her cheeks. "No, you can... stay. I need to go make things right with Anna." She didn't bother to explain further and Keahi didn't ask as she released Elsas's wrist.
She gave a half-hearted smile before heading out of the room and to the foyer.
Anna was standing in front of the fireplace. Warm fire cackled in its hearth and she had her traditional tan and green nightgown on.
Elsa cleared her throat, causing Anna to jump and twirl around to face her. Stopping a few feet away from her, both were silent and glancing away from one another.
"I just —" both started at the same time. They immediately stopped, both laughing clumsily.
"I'm sorry." Anna blurted out, wringing her fingers together and playing with the wedding ring on her hand. "I know I can be loud and overbearing. I just... you're the last family I have. I want to protect you. With everything changing and with everyone growing...you're my one constant thing from the past. Everyone is going off in different directions." Tears brimmed Anna's eyes as she sniffled.
"Oh, Anna," Elsa ran up to Anna to wrap her in a hug. "I'm sorry too. I just got frustrated, and I took it out on you. I love you, Anna. And I love that you worry for me. But," she tilted Anna's chin so she would look up at her. "But there are some things going forward you may not be able to protect me from. I want you to worry about Arendelle, yourself, Kristoff. Don't forget he's your family now, too. Officially." Elsa ran her thumb over Anna's hand and the ring that glittered there.
"What about you, Elsa?" Anna whispered.
Elsa stiffened, "What do you mean?"
"I have Kristoff, Olaf, and Arendelle. I worry about you, being alone out there in the forest."
"I told you before. I have Honeymaren, Ryder, Gale, Nokk, and Bruni."
"Only two of those are people." Anna retorted.
"Only one of yours is." Elsa countered playfully, tucking a strand of hair behind Anna's ear.
Anna rolled her eyes. "Fine, I concede." She laughed, but she shifted and glanced away, looking embarrassed. "What about... Keahi?"
Elsa glanced immediately at the fire. "I didn't mean to keep secrets from you. I didn't know what I was feeling myself. It's still all very confusing. But I know that I care about her. I can't let her die from this curse." She chewed on her thumbnail. The more she thought about the curse, the more anxious she got.
What power did she have to stop this curse?
Anna giggled and grabbed her hands, Elsa jumped in surprise and Anna practically dragged her to the couch, yanking her down to sit together. "So, Elsa, you are obligated to at least tell me a little about her."
She felt her cheeks warm. "What do you mean?" She asked, feigning ignorance on what Anna was asking.
Anna just glowered and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. It's 12 o'clock at night and I managed to, you know, walk in on you... er, you know." Anna made a few odd hand motions that made little sense.
Elsa's brows furrowed, trying to understand what Anna was implying. Her eyes couldn't have snapped any wider at the realization of what Anna was implying. "Oh, no. No! We weren't... doing anything." She held her hands up in front of her defensively. At the doubtful look Anna was giving her, she grimaced and dropped her head in defeat. "We... were just about to kiss...that's all." She whispered, heat rising in her cheeks at the confession. If she could bury herself in a hole somewhere right about now, she probably would have.
If Olaf hadn't interrupted them, she was positive she would have given into every desire she had tonight.
Anna bumped her shoulder, "I never thought I'd know more about love and need to couch you on these things." She laughed.
Elsa peeked over at Anna, looking her over. "You're not... concerned? Keahi's a woman."
"Yeah, I can see that. Why does that matter?" Anna looked confused.
Elsa shook her head. "I was terrified you'd…" her mouth went dry when she thought about it. She didn't realize at that moment how terrified she was that Anna would push her away or find her disgusting. She shook her head, unable to finish.
"Elsa, you're my sister. Everything that you are, however you are, will always be accepted by me. In every way. I love you. And that doesn't have any stipulations. I can't imagine that love has any limits on who it should belong or be given to."
She choked out a sob and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. Relief washed through her and she felt Anna's arms encompass her. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but Elsa nearly fell asleep in the warmth of Anna's arms and the calming cackling from the fireplace.
Maybe she did.
"Thank you, Anna." Elsa sniffed quietly.
Anna touched her shoulder softly. "So, what do we do now, with this curse?"
Elsa stood up, rubbing her shoulders even though she wasn't cold. "I don't know." Elsa sighed out, realizing that soft snowflakes started on the balcony.
They exchanged looks and both went out to overlook Arendelle. Elsa held out her hand, the snowflake falling gracefully on her hand. "The first snowfall of the year." Elsa jumped, grabbing Anna's shoulder. "Ahtohallan! Maybe I can find the answers there."
Anna grinned at her. "I knew you'd figure something out. When do we leave?"
Elsa wrapped her in a hug. "You have to stay here, Anna. You're the Queen." She told her with regret edging her voice.
Anna's brows knit forward, "But! You went when you were still Queen." Anna gasped out.
Elsa laughed breathlessly and winced at Anna's fiery response. "Because we couldn't go back to Arendelle until we pacified the spirits."
Anna groaned and tossed her hands into the air. "This sucks!" She yelled into the night air, "But," Anna let out another complaining groan, "I'll make sure to get the Duke of WeaselTown out and Mattias will keep an eye on our... guests." She turned to Elsa. "Just come back as soon as you can, okay?"
Elsa grabbed Anna and hugged her tightly. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Anna waved her off, "Are you kidding? Mattias hardly lets me out of his sight." She gave a lopsided smile. "Find your answers. And I'll always be here when you need me."