Prompt 5: We're cool in the summer

Elsa adored the feeling of waking up in her lover's arms, but when the weather was too hot? Eh, not so much.

It was the heat of the afternoon that woke her up from her slumber. She groaned, trying to pry a pair of strong arms, which closely held her from behind, from around her torso. There was plenty of room in her king-sized bed, and she rolled farther from him. Lying on her back, Elsa then removed the blanket, and conjured up a camisole to cover her bare body. She closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep, despite knowing that it was probably lunch time, but it seemed like the humidity wanted to keep her awake.

"I hate it!" The Snow Queen muttered, before waving her hand to form a flurry cloud above her. The gentle caress from the snowflakes over her skin was wonderful, and she smiled in contentment. "Much better." And sleep claimed her, once again.

Elsa didn't know how long she'd fallen back to sleep, but the next thing she knew was a slight pressure on her chest, which made it hard to breathe. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked down to see a mass of auburn head lying on her chest, an arm was draped over her stomach. Scowling, the blonde shook his shoulder.

"Hans," she called, gently at first. Shoving harder, she repeated, "Hans, wake up!"

She heard him muttering something under his breath, but there was no sign of him waking up. Sighing, Elsa tried to pry his arm away from her. Not that she hated it, but the way their bodies pressed together only produced more heat, and the pressure on her breast was making it worse.

"Hans!" This time she knew not to be gentle. "Hans, please! You're heavy."

Any other day, in the right weather, she would gladly cradle him close, but not that day. She knew their long journey on the previous day was to blame, but right at the moment, she couldn't care less.

"You're so comfortable." Came his sleepy murmur.

"I know I am, but I also need to breathe." Elsa sighed. "Please?"

Reluctantly, the Admiral moved away. He went to lay beside her, with his head on her pillow. Taking a deep breath, Elsa then rolled over. She turned to him only to see him staring at her with a sleepy gaze. A small smile played on his lips. It seemed as if the fallen snowflakes against his bare torso didn't bother him at all.

"Morning, Kaere." He greeted huskily, baritone voice thick with sleep. "Did you sleep well?"

Elsa pouted, staring at him with narrow eyes. Finding the gesture adorable, Hans leaned in to peck her pursed lips. It was brief, but it was enough to annoy her. Her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's afternoon." She shortly said. "Also, it's too hot, and you're not making it any better."

"Aww, is the Snow Queen grumpy in this fine morning?" He smirked, still gazing at her. "Sorry, I mean, afternoon. Yes, I haven't noticed. How could I, when I can't take my eyes off this beautiful goddess?"

Hans could talk his way out of almost everything, this fact she should remember. With his messy bedhead, sleepy gaze, and silver tongue, Elsa found herself unable to keep her lips pursed. Lying on her back and trying to focus on the small winter cloud under the canopy, she tried to bite back a smile.

"You know resistance would get you nowhere, huh, Kaere?" He was now lying on his side, with his head rested on his propped arm. His words were teasing her to the core.

"I don't do resistance." It was a lie, just like the first time she figured out her complicated feelings for him, which now had a name. Turning her head, Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you cold? It's snowing."

"I'm aware." He replied, without taking his eyes off hers. "But in this kind of weather, you should share your way in keeping cool."

"You mean this cloud?" The corner of her lips tugged upwards, as she rested one hand on his chest. A thin layer of frost began to spread. "Or this?"

"Both."

His sleepy gaze fell on her mauve lips. They looked so inviting, and he found himself gulping. Without hesitation, he captured those lips with his own, as he moved on top of her. The ice dissipated into the thin air, and Hans roamed his hand over her clothed side, feeling the slight bump of her healed scar. Kissing him back, she waved her hand to dismiss the cloud. His kisses trailed down to her jaw, oh so slowly, and she moaned That was when someone decided to barge in without knocking.

"Oh, my God!"

Hans pulled away abruptly, pulling the blanket up to cover himself. Being caught in the queen's sister's chamber was the last thing he wanted.

"Hans, I thought you're in the room next door?" Anna folded her arms across her chest, as she stood by the door with a frown.

But before the flushing Admiral could reply, Elsa quickly got up and strolled towards her sister. "Anna!" She casually greeted her sister, as if nothing happened.

"Don't Anna me!" Anna retorted. "The door wasn't locked, what if someone else came in and reported this to one of the councilmen?"

Admitting her carelessness, Elsa's gaze fell. "Sorry."

Anna pressed her lips in a straight line, before extending an arm to hold her sister. "It's okay. Just, be more careful next time." The queen smiled. "Oh, and since it's way past the lunch time, you two can go to the kitchen and ask Olina to make something for you. I hope you don't mind." She looked back and forth between the couple.

"We don't!" Hans replied.

"Great! I'll leave you to it." Patting her sister's shoulder for one last time, the queen added, "Oh, and since I'd be busy for the rest of the day, is it okay to reschedule our game night tomorrow?"

Elsa smiled knowingly. "Of course. You have duties to attend to, I completely understand." Unknown to her, Anna caught the Admiral's gaze and nodded briefly.

"Great, I'll see you at dinner." Anna pecked her sister's cheek, and turned to the redhead sitting on the bed. "Oh, and Admiral, you might want to wear something to hide your neck." She smirked and winked when she noticed his flushing cheeks.

Once Anna left, Elsa pushed the door closed and leaned against it. Her blue eyes widened, realising what her little sister had just implied, before she burst out laughing.

"Very funny indeed, Kaere."

Hans tried to sound annoyed, but to no avail. He grabbed his shirt from the floor, and put on his breeches. With a pile of clothes in his arms, he made his way towards the former queen.

"So, meet me here in half an hour?" Elsa smiled at him, thumb rubbing circles on his cheek.

"Certainly, Your Highness." He leaned in to kiss her gently.

*

It was almost two hours later when the couple found themselves down at a small dining room that was connected to the kitchen, just finishing lunch. Empty plates were stacked up neatly, waiting to be picked up by any of the kitchen staffs later. Apparently, Queen Anna gave most of the staff and servants a break before it was time for them to prepare for dinner. How kind of her, Elsa thought. Sure she had done a similar thing during her reign, just not as often as her sister.

"So, would you like to go back upstairs?" Elsa suggested, holding his hand on the wooden table. "Maybe we can see Jensen or Olaf? Olaf did say he has a new trivia for us." The corner of her lips curved into a half smile.

On the way to the kitchen, they bumped into the talking snowman, who was so eager to see them. Olaf suggested that they should go on a picnic, but as much as they liked the idea, the cool spare dining room down in the kitchen was a much better option in such weather. So, Elsa politely declined, promising that they could catch up later and would love to hear the new trivia he had discovered.

"I don't know, honestly." Hans sighed, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He wanted to spend more time with her, besides, there's a chance that his surprise plan would be blown if they decided to explore the upstairs before Anna could finish.

"Then, what do you want to do?" Elsa raised an eyebrow, cerulean eyes were studying him closely, as the Admiral looked around the place. She watched as he smiled.

"I can make us some drinks, you know." He suggested. "If there's a bottle of whiskey somewhere, we can make use of it."

The blonde chuckled. "Whiskey in this kind of weather? How about some ice cream instead?"

"We can always have some ice cream later, Elsa." He spoke softly. "Trust me with this one."

"Fine." Deep down, she was curious about what he had in mind. Maybe drinking some cocktails wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Great!"

Elsa watched with interest as Hans prepared the ingredients. A big bottle of whiskey was placed beside two double old fashioned glasses. Once everything was settled, he began to crush a sugar cube, some water, and a few mint leaves he stole from the pantry on each glass.

"Can you please conjure some crushed ice?"

With an eyebrow raised, she waved her hand and filled the glasses with ice.

"Thank you, love!"

Hans poured the booze evenly, before giving each glass a proper stir. Garnishing it with mint sprigs, he then pushed one glass towards her, and served the other glass for himself.

Elsa had her fair share of alcoholic beverages, like champagne and wine, but a whiskey cocktail? Her gaze was focused on the light brown liquor, as she lifted her glass up and gave it a sniff. It did smell like a fine whiskey, but not too strong. She looked up to see him smiled, holding his own glass.

"You may give it a go, Kaere!"

His emerald eyes were enough to encourage her, and she took a sip from her glass. Elsa was stunned, not expecting the cooling sensation to follow. She only drank whiskey on Christmas, and although she knew that the booze can be enjoyed throughout the year, it was her first time drinking whiskey in summer. The drink tasted sweet and minty with a hint of oakyness from the bourbon, and Elsa found herself taking another sip.

Hans smiled gladly, knowing that she enjoyed the drink. Finally, he could show her one of the things he had learnt from years of travelling before he was summoned back to the Southern Isles. His experience with various drinks from various bars he had been in led him to learning how to make cocktails.

"Do you like it?"

Elsa smiled ear to ear, her glass was almost empty. "Like it?" She raised an eyebrow. "I love it! This is so good!"

It didn't take her long until she downed the entire glass. She was feeling very refreshed with a lingering warmth in her stomach. With the newfound confidence, Elsa grabbed the bottle of whiskey, in which the action caught Hans' attention.

"Elsa, no!" Before he could react, the former queen already poured a generous amount of liquor. That was when he knew it wouldn't end well.

She took another sip and let out a giggle. "What? You think I can't handle it?"

Hans raised his eyebrows, amused by the sudden change of mood. His own drink was barely reaching half of the glass, yet she had poured herself another. Sitting down next to her, he set the glass down with a small thud. He wanted to tell her that pouring herself more whiskey would only make it stronger, but knowing Elsa, she must have known that.

"You know, I have never been day-drinking before. My alcohol intake is limited to the ballroom or dining room." She rested her chin on her hand that was propped on the table. "Oh wait! I have, actually, once." She grinned at the memory.

"It was from years ago, before my first audience with the people in the throne room. I had a shot of rum, just a bit," she paused, showing him a narrow gap in between her thumb and index finger, "but," she emphasised, "it was enough. Oh, don't tell Anna! She will disapprove."

The faint tint on her nose was enough to tell Hans that Elsa, perhaps, had too much fun.

"You're tipsy, Elsa." Hans sighed, feeling at fault for not stopping her earlier. He was there to make her some refreshments and not to get her drunk. If Anna knew about it, she would think he was a bad influence for Elsa.

"Pfft, please." She snorted, slapping his arm gently. "I haven't felt this good for months! Okay, probably not, but this thing you make, Hansy, it's good!" Despite getting even more light headed by the minute, Elsa took another sip from her glass, and down everything in a big gulp.

"Thank you." He sheepishly smiled. "I got the recipe from when I visited this land in the west..."

Hans began to tell her about one of his adventures, the first time he learned about the drink, but with the good amount of alcohol in her system, it was rather hard for her to focus. Elsa blinked a couple of times, trying to ease the light throbbing in her head. Her gaze landed on his lips, suddenly finding them inviting. The way he spoke as he retold the tale, so animatedly, made his emerald eyes look more mesmerising than usual. Her attention shifted to the small growing facial hair on his cheeks, a proof that he hadn't shaved for four days now. In her head, Elsa tried to picture how rough he would look had he grown a full beard, and something inside her stirred with excitement.

"Elsa?" He stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Elsa!"

"Oh." Realising that she had been caught getting lost in her own thoughts, Elsa giggled. "Sorry. I just, I don't know, I was imagining how you look with a beard." Boldly, she reached out to stroke his cheek, feeling the sideburn. "Oh, yes, definitely." Her blue eyes were big with wonder.

The Admiral, intrigued by her boldness, covered the hand that was cradling his face with his. "What makes you think so?"

"I don't know, but I like it." She leaned closer, biting her lower lip. It seemed like the liquid courage had worked. "Can you grow it, please?"

"We will see about that." He smirked, playing along with her flirtiness. "Do you really think I'd look good with a beard?" Sure, he had thought about growing his facial hair, but he hadn't really considered it.

"Is that even a question? You always look good, Hansy." She winked, then looking back and forth between his eyes and his lips. "You know how else you look good?"

"Hmm?"

"When you're undressed," she paused, "covered in nothing but skin."

His eyes widened in surprise at her confession. His breathing got heavier when she rested her other hand on his thigh, drawing even closer. Within the close proximity, her breath smelled like whiskey, and immediately he noted that the woman, who was about to straddle her, was more intoxicated than what meets the eye.

"Your Highness!"

Footsteps came approaching, followed by a female voice. Hans was alert, trying to put Elsa back to her seat, not wanting any staff to find them in such a position. Deciding that they should leave the place, he helped her back to her feet, silently hoping the cook wouldn't notice that Her Highness was, in fact, not sober. It was newfound information for him that she might only be tipsy (and not yet drunk) after two glasses of booze she finished in under thirty minutes.

"Come on, Kaere, act normal." He murmured, holding her stumbling form by the waist.

"Ah, there you are, Your Highness!" It was Miss Olina, the cook. She came approaching with her usual glee. "Queen Anna was wondering if you'd like to have a chocolate cake for dessert tonight."

With cheeks flushed and head throbbed, Elsa held onto him for support. "Olina, hi!" She greeted rather cheerfully. From behind her, he could see the surprised look on the cook's face. Elsa then added, "Thanks for the lunch! It was delicious, and the lamb was well seasoned. Well done!"

Olina blushed, before curtseying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Oh, no, no, no! No need to curtsey, it's just me!" Letting go of his arm, Elsa took a step forward, as if she tried to reach out to her, only to stumble in the process.

Hans, with his quick reflexes, caught her in time and pulled her in his hold.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Not trusting Elsa with the answer, the Admiral decided to step in. "She will be fine. She got a little dizzy, I guess?"

Elsa didn't look dizzy. The colour pink tinted her cheeks, and her smile was still there. But she played along, not even wanting Anna to find out about her day-drinking.

"Yes, I am." She replied, a little too cheerful. "As for chocolate cake, yes, yes, I'd love to! Thank you."

"Certainly, Your Highness."

Hans helped her walk to the door that connected the dining room to the kitchen, but not before flashing the older brunette an apologetic smile. He knew that the two empty old fashioned glasses would give a clue that yes, they had been drinking, and he wished the cook wouldn't reported it to the queen.

Once they reached the ground floor and realised that they were the only ones in the deserted corridor, Elsa tried to wiggle free from his hold, and surprisingly, she succeeded. Giggling, she gave him a little shove, before taking off.

"Come and get me!"

Her laughter echoed in the empty halls, and the sound brought a smile on his face. It might be the liquid courage or just her playful personality, but Hans still found it adorable. He didn't immediately go after her, letting her have the fun. It was when he saw where she was heading, did he break into a sprint.

"Elsa, no!"

No, she can't find out about the surprise so soon! It was his thought, as he prevented her from barging into a certain room. Right, someone really needs to keep two eyes on her.