A/N: Warning: Mature things implied (not explicitly described) and mentioned in this chapter.

"Elsa."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

And Elsa's lips were suddenly on hers, releasing years of repressed desire and forbidden love. She reciprocated eagerly, pouring in all her own feelings, weaving her hands through her sister's gorgeous platinum blonde hair. She felt Elsa's soft lips coax hers open, and suddenly the sweet taste of chocolate and strawberries filled her mouth. She moaned into the kiss, pressing her body flush against her older sister's slender form, relishing in every inch of skin where they were touching.

Cool hands brushed the exposed skin of her hips, leaving a longing burn in their wake, pulling her ever closer, and she responded by running her own under the hem of Elsa's shirt, higher and higher, until—

Anna woke with a start. And turned bright red under the covers when she realized exactly what she had been dreaming about. I must miss her more than I thought. Or maybe Kristoff doesn't kiss me enough.

God, I miss her so much.

She swiftly hopped off her bed as soon as it dawned on her that Elsa's flight would be arriving today—Elsa would be returning today!—all but sprinting to the shower and eager to the end of her day.

It was May, and Elsa had graduated from the University of Oxford a year early, with a PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) degree. Of course, her premature graduation had cost her summer vacations; she couldn't return to see Anna because of summer courses, so they had literally been separated for three years. Apart from the short Skype video calls they occasionally had between the time difference, Anna had only a faint idea of how Elsa was faring so far from home.

She had practically begged Elsa to come back before her high school graduation; the latter had intended to stay in the UK for an internship, but Anna had vehemently insisted that she return, her entreaties so persistent that even their mother had acquiesced reluctantly. Anything to get Elsa home as soon as possible.

Flushing again at the memory of her dream, which had been a recurring one ever since Elsa had left, she turned on the shower and tried to convince herself it was just because she missed her.

Waving goodbye to her chauffeur, she bounced joyfully through the doors of Arendelle High, and right into the arms of her boyfriend, Kristoff. She and Kristoff had been dating for almost a year now, both deciding to take things slow after his drunken confession and her drunken reciprocation. But he was good to her, funny and charming and a little goofy, and spending time with him almost kept her mind off her absent sister and the hole in her heart.

She threw her arms around him and gave him a long kiss. "Woah, woah! You're more excited than usual. Must be 'cause Elsa's coming back today?" He asked her, grinning as she pulled away.

"Yuh-huh. I can't wait to get this day over with. Her flight lands at four!" Fingering the necklace of Olaf that she always wore around her neck, she swore this day couldn't go by fast enough.

"Only two more hours till our flight lands!"

"Yeah," Elsa agreed, eyes still on the shopping catalogue in front of her.

"Oh, come on, Elsa, you already got her something. Three somethings."

Elsa looked up at Ariel, taking in her vibrant red hair and sea-green eyes. "This is my little sister we're talking about. Three hundred somethings wouldn't be enough to express how much I've missed her."

"Hmph," Ariel sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.

"Why, Ariel, are you jealous?"

"Maybe a little. Maybe you should cheer me up."

"Would you like a something, too?" Elsa laughed, melting her friend's mock discontent.

"Bet you never expected that you'd be bringing me home three years ago when you were on the way to Britain, huh?"

"Oh yeah. You were definitely unexpected."

Elsa stepped out of the car and looked up as the chauffeur closed the car door. "Here?" she asked in disbelief as she was shown to her 'dorm'. If you could call it that. Apparently her mother had bought the penthouse of the school dorm as soon as she was accepted here. So much for having a normal college experience. She was so looking forward to having a roommate and friends, too.

Sighing as the chauffeur pulled her suitcases out of the trunk, she entered the building, called the elevator and rode it to the top floor.

As she opened the door to the penthouse, however, she was greeted with a strange sight. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the furniture was knocked over, forks and spoons were on the ground, like the place had been ransacked. In the middle of everything stood a girl with bright, long red hair and beautiful blue-green eyes, the colour of the sea.

"Who the hell are you?" the girl asked incredulously, looking from the chauffeur to Elsa, and back again.

"I'll… uh… be staying here?" Elsa was just as confused.

"Ohh… you're the live-in maid! Well, Daddy always said he was gonna get one for me," the girl shrugged. "You're pretty hot for a maid, though."

"No… I'm a student." Elsa corrected, slightly irritated. Who was this rude girl? What was she doing in her apartment?

At that moment, the phone rang. The red-haired girl scrambled to pick it up. "Hello! Yes, Daddy! Oh. Oh, I see. Okay, bye!" Turning to Elsa, again, her face bright red, she sheepishly held out her hand. "Um... I'm Ariel, your roommate."

"My… roommate." Elsa repeated dumbly, ignoring the hand.

"It's rude to not shake when someone offers!" Ariel huffed, grabbing Elsa's hand and pumping it up and down. She shrugged again. "Apparently my dad and your mom struck some deal and we'll be rooming together. Sweet."

"And she didn't bother to tell me. Of course," Elsa sighed, shaking her head.

"I know how that feels," Ariel replied, "Daddy never asks what I want. All my life I've only done what he wants."

Elsa stared up at her, suddenly bewitched by the prospect of someone understanding what she had been through. Was this girl the daughter of some wealthy CEO too? "I'm Elsa," she said finally. "Heir to Arendelle Corp," she ventured, cautiously.

"Well, Elsa, nice to meet you. Neptune Corp," Ariel explained, pointing to herself.

Neptune Corp. The company that owned a line of five star luxury cruises. Well, that explains a lot. "I guess our parents wanted us to… build relationships for future ventures."

"I guess so," Ariel laughed, her voice like the soft breeze of the sea.

She had the most beautiful voice.

"This is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent into Vancouver. The ambient temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius."

"Well, here we go," Ariel mused.

Elsa and Ariel stepped out of the terminal with their 'bodyguards' taking care of their luggage behind them. Elsa's heart was thumping as she looked around the crowd and saw her ginger-headed little sister almost as quickly as her sister spotted her.

"Elsa!" Anna was racing toward her, arms already outstretched. Elsa felt another tug at her heart, prompting her to mirror the action.

They caught each other midway, burying their faces in each other's hair, just taking in the unfamiliar yet familiar scent of one another.

"Anna, you will not believe how much I've missed you," Elsa whispered into her sister's neck.

"Probably almost as much as I've missed you," came the obstinacy that Elsa missed so much.

Someone clearing their throat made them pull apart. Realizing it was Ariel, Elsa quickly added, "Anna, this is Ariel, my—er, roommate. Ariel, Anna, my sister."

Anna caught the hesitation in her sister's introduction, but decided not to press it. "Charmed," she said curtly, eyeing Ariel's extended arm.

"God, does no one in your family actually shake hands when they're supposed to?" Ariel asked in mock disbelief, flicking a glance at Elsa as she reached for Anna's arm. Elsa stifled a laugh, one hand covering her mouth.

Anna looked at them, feeling a strange anger at their inside joke, and for the first time she took in the changes in her sister. Their poor-quality video calls over Skype had not done her justice, she decided. Elsa had become more womanly, certain parts of her more fleshed out, her jeans hugging the curve of her hips, and she had begun wearing make-up; Anna could just make out faint purple eye shadow that sat above her thick eyelashes, contrasting magnificently against the bright blue glimmer of her irises. Her platinum blonde hair was still in a single braid, hanging loosely over her shoulder, but Elsa was looking more enticing than ever and before Anna could stop herself, her dream came flooding back to her, and she blushed. What are you doing? She yelled at herself. You were just ogling your sister!

Before she could embarrass herself, Elsa spoke up, "Well, I am exhausted. What do you say we head on home?"

Anna could only nod, and before she turned to head toward the entrance of the airport she notice Ariel with one arm hooked around Elsa's. Feeling a surge of anger, or something, as she watched someone else touching her big sister, she impulsively grabbed hold of Elsa's other hand. This was her sister! The handholding and touching should be her privilege, and hers alone! And whatever else sisterly that they did!

Elsa didn't seem to mind, though, as Anna possessively grabbed her other hand, and gently gave her little sister's hand a reassuring squeeze.

The car ride was, for the most part, quiet. Before Anna could stop herself, she demanded, "So where's Ariel staying? I hear The Empress has marvelous high tea, or The Weston if you're big on business—"

"She's staying with us, Anna," Elsa stated matter-of-factly. "We have sixteen bedrooms. We can accommodate her."

You didn't mention that in your Skype call. Anna huffed silently. "You never told me you would have a roommate."

That earned her a (frustratingly) simultaneous chuckle from both Elsa and Ariel as they caught each other's glances. "Well," Elsa said, "We didn't know we would have a roommate either. Mother and Ariel's father arranged it behind our backs."

The way you say it makes it sound like they arranged a marriage behind your backs, Anna thought angrily. Why was she so upset? She should have been relieved that Elsa found a friend in a foreign city, someone to talk to. But try as she might, she could not feel happy about her sister finding someone else to talk to, someone else to confide in.

She decided to change the subject. "You're going dress shopping with me tomorrow, right?"

When Elsa gave her a blank stare, Anna clarified, exasperated. "For prom! It's in three weeks! You promised you would help me pick out a dress!"

"Oooh! I love dress shopping! We have to help her, Elsa; prom dresses are a big deal," Ariel chided.

Who's we? I only asked Elsa! Anna was boiling with irritation now.

Elsa shrugged. "Oh, yeah, of course, Anna. I'd love to help you pick out a dress." She smiled. "And Ariel has better taste in fashion than I do; she'll be a great asset."

I don't care! Ariel could be a world famous fashion designer, and I wouldn't give a rat's ass! I only want you. If the car hadn't arrived through the gates of Arendelle Manor, causing Elsa and Ariel to look out the windows, they would have seen a red-faced Anna with steam practically blowing out her ears.

"Wow," Ariel breathed, stepping into the grand foyer, "Reminds me of home."

"Well, you better go get washed up, maybe take a nap," Elsa motioned to one of the maids to show Ariel to her room, which was in the other side of the mansion. "See you at dinner!"

Yes, now get out of here so I can spend time with my sister. Anna gripped Elsa's hand tighter, and pulled her to the stairs toward their rooms.

"Woah, feisty pants! Slow down. I know you've missed me, but you've got to calm down! It's not like I'm going to disappear in the next minute."

Anna suddenly hugged her. "I know, but I've just—I've really, really, really missed you," she breathed into her sister's hair. And tried to ignore the burning sensation in her heart that was overjoyed at having her sister's body so close to hers.

Elsa was stunned when she felt something wet against her neck. Was Anna crying? "Aww, Silly, I missed you, too. A lot." She felt an ache in her heart at her sister's tears and instinctively wrapped her arms loosely around the redhead's shaking body, rubbing her back soothingly. After a couple seconds, though, the older girl pulled away, looking uncomfortable.

Elsa was biting her lip. "Anna, I really need to shower. I smell like airplane and sweat and it just feels awkward in general. I'll come find you in a little bit, okay? I really missed you, too." With that, she ran into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Elsa let the water wash over her, and ran her hands through her hair, lathering up her shampoo. What had she been thinking?She chastised herself. The moment Anna's body pressed so close against hers, it took all her self-control to not pull her younger sister even closer. She noticed her sister had grown quite a bit since they'd parted ways three years ago. Anna's hair was longer, and she was a little taller; the top of her head now reached Elsa's eyes. The curvature of her waist was more defined, as well as other places. And Anna's scent—was she wearing perfume now? So alluring, so sweet, something floral mixed with rich vanilla—she smelled just like summer. Everything about her was so attractive. It took all of Elsa's self-control to be able to pull away.

She pressed her forehead against the cool marble wall of the shower. Ever since Anna had kissed her in a drunken daze, she couldn't stop thinking about the feel of her little sister's lips moving against hers; even at Oxford, scarcely a day went by without her thinking of Anna. She had thought the illicit feelings she had for her sister had weakened or disappeared over the span of three years, but when she saw Anna again at the airport, they seemed to flare up again with an even greater intensity, growing exponentially every time their eyes met.

Ugh, and Ariel. What was she going to tell Ariel? She asked herself, as memories flooded back to her.

"So, Elsa, you're into girls, huh?" Ariel asked, calmly sipping her coffee across the round wooden table. They were on the patio of a coffee shop, enjoying the afternoon of no classes, watching the hustle and bustle of university life.

"Excuse me?" Elsa almost spat out her cocoa.

"You heard me. After a year and a half of living with you, I've never seen you with a guy."

"I'm sorry, but, if you haven't noticed, we don't get to go anywhere except here and our house, what with these bodyguards accompanying us everywhere."

Ariel laughed, her voice the sound of bells in the wind. "Please. I might not be as smart as you, but I'm not an idiot. I've seen you ogling girls. Redheads, in particular."

When Elsa said nothing and just sat there staring awkwardly at the crowd, Ariel leaned forward and asserted, "So, do I fit the bill?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, come on, Elsa. I know I'm not the best-looking person in the world, but you could do a whole lot worse than me. Plus, I bet our parents would be thrilled if we were… good friends." She said the last line with a wink.

"Ariel, I like you, but not like that," Elsa sighed, suddenly very focused on her cup of cocoa.

Her sound rejection didn't do a thing to deter her friend, it seemed. "Fine. Then let's just be friends… with benefits."

"What's that?" Elsa looked suspiciously at her.

"Oh, it's just like what we are now. Except there is the added benefit of sex."

Elsa actually spat out her drink this time, staining the light birch table. "You want to have sex with me," she repeated incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Ariel gave her a seductive smile, "Why not give it a try?"

She sighed again, thinking of her sister. What would Anna say? Would she care? Would she be for it or against it? Then she stopped herself. Anna doesn't have anything to do with this, she told herself.

Why save herself for someone who couldn't love her back?

Against her better judgement, she agreed.

She had hoped her relationship with Ariel would help purge her of her unrequited feelings for her sister, but the moment she saw Anna again, it was like something exploded in her heart, and the box containing all the romantic love she had for her broke into a thousand pieces, letting those feelings run amok in her mind.

She felt disgusted. With herself, for using Ariel, for being in love with her sister, for lying to both of them. She scrubbed her skin with more force than necessary, hoping the sting would bring her to her senses. Sighing again, she turned off the shower and stepped out.

It had helped, for a while. Having sex with Ariel had cleared her mind of Anna, and helped her sleep better. For a while, anyway. But Anna was everywhere she went, in the trees, the birds, the grass, the chocolate, the movies, the bikes, oh, she couldn't help but smile to herself every time she saw a bike, remembering how her little sister would ride her bike through the halls of the manor, breaking all sorts of rules and items.

This feeling was so foreign to her, being in love. She had loved Anna all her life, but this, this in love thing was so new. She was conscious of every time they touched, every little movement that her little sister made. She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like, now that her sister was older, if she were to lean in ever so slightly, and kiss her on the lips. She could do it so easily, under the guise of a sisterly gesture. But it was so wrong; this was her little sister. The same girl who fought with her over the last piece of chocolate; the same girl who give her a lopsided smile whenever their eyes met; the girl who shared her blood. God, this was so wrong.

But every time Elsa looked at her, her bright blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, her vibrant smile and her lively gait, she would feel an unyielding urge to reach out and touch her, to hold her, to kiss her. It was wrong, she knew, but it felt so right.

God dammit, control yourself, her mind implored, don't mess this up with her again.

Anna was getting more impatient by the minute. Did Elsa's showers always take so long? Before she could stop herself, she leapt off her bed and went to stand outside Elsa's room, pacing restlessly.

After what seemed like an eternity, her sister opened the door, surprised that Anna was already standing there.

"Hi," Anna said, as the smell of Elsa's sweet shampoo hit her nose. Strawberries and lilac, and winter. Anna didn't know how she pulled it off, but Elsa always managed to smell cool and fresh like snow. And I bet she would taste like strawberries too, some voice in Anna's head had the gall to assert, turning her cheeks a faint pink.

Elsa didn't seem to notice. "Come in," she smiled.

Anna didn't need a second invitation. Closing the door behind her, she sat down onto Elsa's bed, next to her. "So," she began, "about Ariel."

"Really? Three years, and you want to talk about my roommate?"

Anna pouted, "You never told me you had one!"

"We didn't exactly talk much the last three years," Elsa reminded her. "I wanted to spend the time talking about more important things. Like where you're going for college."

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I got accepted to Arendelle University!" Anna beamed at her, "I mean, I know it can't compete with Oxford, but our family did found it, so it can't be horrible. After all, I figured I'd come work for you or something if stuff doesn't work out."

Elsa laughed. "Work for me as what?"

"I dunno, maybe your PA?" Anna teased, "Then I would know exactly what was going on in your day and if you were lying when you tell me you're busy."

"Oh, I can't imagine the horrors in the office if you were my PA," Elsa replied playfully. "Seriously, though, congratulations on getting accepted! Have you decided what you wanted to do?"

"I was thinking about art—more like, graphic design, actually," Anna admitted. "I really like using Photoshop and InDesign. I was co-editor of the yearbook this year!"

Elsa's eyes widened, "You never told me that! Oh, you have to show me this yearbook. Wow, Anna. I mean, that's amazing! I'm glad you found something you like doing."

"When it comes out in June, I'll show you, and no earlier!" Anna stuck out her tongue. "So, are you going to be working for Mom this summer, then?"

"Most likely taking over some of her responsibilities. I mean, she put me in charge of the European branch when I turned eighteen, but admittedly, our North American company is a lot bigger. I think I'll be staying here, though. Mother can take care of the Europeans without me," she chuckled, "I like being here more, but she's already swamping me with work. I have to be in the office on Sunday."

"That sucks. I was hoping we'd have more time together. Oh well, at least we're dress shopping tomorrow!"

"Oh, yes, what colour is Kristoff going to be wearing?"

"Kristoff? What does this have to do with Kristoff?"

"Your dress, Silly! It has to match his suit, of course!"

Anna burst out laughing, "Goofy old Kristoff? He'll probably be wearing some maroon-coloured hand-me-down from one of his cousins! I would be screwed if I had to match his suit!"

Elsa shook her head in disbelief. "Aren't you going as his date?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, since I'm his girlfriend and all."

Elsa closed her eyes. "Do you love him?" she asked nonchalantly, suddenly serious, her eyes a chilling cobalt when she opened them.

Anna looked at her curiously. Elsa's mask was back, that damn mask that hid all of her emotions. "Yeah, of course," she replied tentatively, testing the way her response felt on her tongue. "He's good to me. He makes me laugh." That was a lie. She had only agreed to date him because he kept her mind from missing Elsa. She shouldn't have been using him. She shouldn't be leading him on; he deserved more than that. You monster.

"Are you happy?"

Now that you're back, I am.

Before she could respond, Elsa spoke again, still emotionless. "With him?"

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the voices that were yelling at her not to lie.

"Yeah. I am," she lied.