It was a nice night, Honeymaren thought, to be wrapped in the arms of the woman you loved. It was an even nicer night to be wrapped up with her in a hammock, swaying in a gentle breeze while the moon shone bright overhead. Elsa was close behind her, her scent comforting and the sound of her breathing even more so. After everything they'd been through, it was nice to just lay here.
She was lucky, and she knew it, to have Elsa as a friend and a lover both. It wasn't really the Fifth Spirit thing or even how beautiful she was; it was because of the person Elsa was. Sure, she could be stubborn and pig-headed and a little vindictive at times, but she was also kind, and mischievous and possessing a subtle but wicked sense of humor. She worked hard, too, to make sure that she pulled her weight, which Maren admired. No one could say that Elsa had moved in one day and tried to take over, like her Grandfather might have. Quite the opposite; some days it took an effort on Honeymaren's part to convince Elsa it was okay to include herself in daily activities.
She'd gotten a lot better at that since the sleeping sickness, though.
Elsa nuzzled the top of her hair, inhaling deeply. Maren's thoughts veered sideways and she thanked her lucky stars, whispering, "I love you."
"Mm?" Elsa laughed, "I love you too, Mare."
Yeah, Honeymaren thought. She could hear that a thousand times and it would never feel old, "Baby, can I ask you a question?"
"Always." Elsa shivered against her. Maren hadn't been sure at first how she'd react to that kind of pet name, but she'd learned quickly that Elsa liked it. At least, only from her. A bit like being called Mare, Maren reasoned. Only Elsa and her brother were allowed that.
"Out of everyone you could have chosen, why me?" Maren sat up a little in the hammock, careful to not send them both tumbling out of it, and twisted to watch her. It was one of her favorite pastimes so it wasn't exactly an imposition.
Elsa regarded her with both eyebrows raised and a glint of surprise in her eyes, "To be quite honest, I never wanted anyone else before. It wasn't until I met you and we became friends that I really began to think it was even an option for me. I knew all along, or at least hoped that we'd be friends, and I knew you'd be important to me somehow, but…" She shrugged one shoulder, "Everything else was kind of a pleasant surprise."
"Do you think you had a choice in the matter?"
"Yes," Elsa answered, immediately. "We always have a choice, Mare. Maybe destiny or fate points us in a direction but it's still up to us to make the decision on whether or not to follow. But I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes on you." Her smile was as soft as the moonlight, "Did you know that I once told Anna there were two times where I fell in love with you?" Her smile was almost shy, "The first time, and then the time when I actually realized that's what I was feeling."
"Now I'm really curious."
"Remember the Lutefisk Festival, before the sleeping sickness?"
Honeymaren nodded.
"When we danced in the square. There were all these people around us but it was like you were my whole existence, if only for a night."
That wasn't an answer that Maren expected, but it thrilled her and made her flush at the same time. She remembered that Elsa had told her she didn't dance. And then she had, "That was a good night. But when did you realize it?"
"When we were on the ship, near the beginning of our grand adventure." Elsa took Maren's hand and squeezed it, "And you asked me to sing for you."
"I used to dream about a singing woman." Honeymaren had never told Elsa this before. Only her mother and brother knew, "I'd be wandering through the forest and following the song. Then I met you and wondered if something had been telling me you were coming all along. Pretty sure I was in love with you right away."
Elsa laughed, face reddening, "I really want to know more about these dreams."
"I'll tell you someday," Maren promised, with feeling.
"If you fell in love with me then, when did you realize it?"
"The meadow. Our meadow, that very first time we lay in the field of flowers together."
"I guess I'm a bit slow on the uptake," Elsa admitted.
"No, I think it was just right." Maren shifted until she was laying on top of Elsa, facing her, "I know you needed time and space to figure yourself out and I'd have waited a thousand years for you. A thousand thousand."
Ages of the Earth, if she had to.
Eyes watering, Elsa gazed up at her, "I love you and you don't have to wait ever again." She slid her hands up Maren's arms, and then pulled her down.
Their lips met and it was like kissing for the first time. It was always like kissing for the first time. That same thrill and that same buzz and that same sort of wordless joy.
Some things were meant to be, and as Elsa's arms folded around Maren and held her close, Maren again reflected how lucky she was. How lucky they both were.