A/N: Loooooooooots of dialogue in the chapter, just a heads-up. Thought it would be a nice break from all the inner turmoil of the previous one. As always, thanks for following and reviewing; it really means a lot to me. If you had questions or concerns or critiques, don't be afraid to PM me about them. I don't bite. Probably.
Credits to pond21 for a certain phrase in this chapter. :)
Elsa wasn't sure what she was expecting. If she were expecting anything at all. Though she supposed that everything would be a jarring surprise if she did not have any inkling of what she was expecting.
Of all the possible reactions that she was prepared for though, perhaps this one was the least foreseeable. The worst thing was, her socially inept brain could not put an emotion to Anna's face outside the confines of…well, sad. Her prestigious Oxford degree was doing her a fat lot of good in this situation—she certainly hadn't predicted herself being so incompetent that she would not be able to decipher the feeling on her sister's face when they met again.
Anna just looked…sad. Elsa had expected resentment, expected disappointment, bitterness, even pure anger at the indignation that she had put Anna through—yet, there was none of that, because if she really thought about it, Anna would never feel that way toward her. And perhaps that was the most devastating thing of all—that Elsa had completely and utterly disappointed Anna, that Anna had every right in the word to be belligerent or bitter, but still, she wasn't. Her faith was still not shattered like the broken glass in Elsa's chest, but rather, resilient, like perfect gold—malleable, ductile, stretched thin and still remaining unbroken. Where did this undeserved loyalty come from?
They still had an audience, so Elsa gave an appreciative nod to Cruella De Vil, reached for Anna's hand—which was disconcertingly cold—and ushered her to the passenger side of the custom-made Lamborghini Gallardo that she had hastily ordered this afternoon. Elsa opened the door for her sister, and Anna slid in after a stilted wave to the kids. Amiably, but wordlessly, no doubt automatically deferring authority to Elsa in front of their observers.
She shifted back into the driver's seat, and turned on the ignition, the hungry roar of its 570-horsepower engine desperately crying for speed. With a wistful glance at Anna, who was staring silently out the side window, she eased on the accelerator and turned the car around, going back down the road she came.
The silence was deafening; even the rumble of the engine failed to drown out the reticence. Keeping her eyes locked anxiously on the road, Elsa opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. Open, close.
"Do not just blurt an apology," Ariel had exhorted her.
"Why not?"
"Because it's exasperatingly thoughtless. Anyone can say 'I'm sorry'. It takes more than that to actually prove it. You of all people should understand that."
Damn this social ineptitude! Was she so stunted that she couldn't even initiate a simple conversation? Hands gripping tighter around the steering wheel because even the damned leather upholstery was more coherent than she was, she snuck a glance at Anna.
Anna's head was turned to face the outside, head propped lightly on the hand of the arm resting at the base of the window.
Why was this so hard? Whatever she might say, Anna would never judge her for it. Always accepted, that was what Anna did. So why did words feel like boulders lodged at the bottom of her throat, too heavy to force out? Being with Anna, it was supposed to be as easy as breathing, but even so there were times when you had to gasp for air.
She actually did have a speech of some sort, prepared for this moment. She'd written it after an hour of restless pacing that afternoon, after speaking with Cruella De Vil. In case something like this happened, where the air was so thick and stifled that she almost had to wheeze for breath.
"Anna," Elsa finally managed, through the tunnel of her throat. "Someone once told me, 'In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing'. Perhaps it was rather paradoxical in its meaning. Sometimes nothing is the best thing." No, no, this was all wrong. This was not supposed to sound like some speech she'd prepared for Philosophy 101, and it would only result in Elsa hiding behind big words and definitions. No. She did not need a script around Anna. She never did.
No, this was not something that was professional or logical. It did not need a thesis and arguments and counterarguments. Because the world never worked that way. She tried again, muttering, "No, scratch that." Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her hands were clammy against the soft leather of the wheel. Why did she feel like she was giving a campaign speech to the entire population of Canada?
Then it occurred to her that Anna was more important to her than the entire population of planet Earth combined. Because Anna amounted to more than every life form, every human being, every creature that ever walked the Earth and would walk the Earth.
And that was precisely why this was a matter of heart, not of mind. Elsa knew who she was, and to whom she belonged. So why did she need to pretend? Why did she need to sugarcoat her words? Why did she need to use some roundabout façade to communicate her feelings?
She didn't!
Just say what you feel.
Spaghetti.
With a jerk of the wheel, she swerved the car off the road and the sports car (which probably should have been treated with more care and respect) lurched to a halt, and before she could lose her nerve she blurted, "I want my meatballs back." She focused her eyes on the rear view mirror to distract herself and dissipate the embarrassment that was forming, watching her bodyguard's black car pull in behind them, before craning her neck to gauge her sister's reaction.
Cars on the highway whizzed by them, and Anna had turned to look Elsa in the eye for the first time since they'd started driving, eyes uncertain. And offered a tentative smile, which was more than evidence that she wanted to fix things, too. "We can get Swedish meatballs at Ikea."
"No, you—" Too many things were trying to barge out of her mouth all at once, and Elsa had to steel herself, sifting through all the jumbled apologies and half-developed ideas. "I lied, Anna. I did have a dream before, when I was a kid. I used to envision a future where…where you were safe and healthy and happy—and as far away from me as possible."
Anna opened her mouth to reply, or maybe to refute, and Elsa held up a hand to stop her. "Please, let me get this out." Because if she stopped now, she might not have been able to afford enough courage to push the words out again. She stared firmly at the Lamborghini logo on the wheel, to concentrate, to get her words out just right. "I used—I used to think that as long as you were safe and well that you'd be happy, whether we were close or not. I used to think that I could get away with eliminating every threat to your wellbeing in the shadows, without ever letting you know. I thought that being away from you was an adequate price for your happiness, if that was what it took."
Deep breath. "But I should have known that you, being you, would have never taken that lying down. Of course it was you, being you, who never gave up on me, never forgot me, never abandoned me. And even more I should have known that you, being you, would never just stand idly by while watching me work. Because you're you. You're the sun, Anna, everything your light touches turns warm. Even the furthest, coldest planet. Asking you to leave me alone would be like asking the sun to stop shining." She was a little shocked at her coherence—she'd thought she would have been reduced to a blubbering puddle of words by now. But then again, everything was easier with Anna. "And you have no idea how much that means to me."
Inhaling again, she concluded, "And therein lies the problem. I was—I was so desperate to protect you that I—I tried to take away your power to choose. I'm trying to be honest, Anna. I don't know what to do anymore. But…the only thing I know is this: whatever I decide to do, I want it to be after I talk about it with you." After a moment of stewed silence, she snuck a glance at her sister.
"I really…miss spaghetti, too. Everything you've ever done was for my sake. I knew that, but I still say such lousy things. I've been such an idiot."
A wave of relief washed over her, and she let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Apparently, it runs in the family." Then she reached out to lightly brush the thin cut on Anna's neck with her index finger, feeling the wound slice across her own neck. "That—must have hurt." She half-expected Anna to shy away from her touch, but it didn't happen.
Instead, she felt a warm hand holding hers in place when she tried to pull away. Elsa couldn't help but stare, dumbly and silently, as Anna threaded their fingers together. God, she'd missed this. Feeling it again brought the sensation of missing to an even more acute level, like the sharp pain of a wound after being pressed.
"There are worse things," Anna said, revealing a smile, as precious and priceless as a newly discovered diamond.
"Like being disappointed by someone you love?" Elsa replied, lips curving down in a forlorn gloom. She'd screwed up so badly. And twice. Because if she were completely candid with herself, she would admit that her decision to go to Victoria was not purely out of interest for the company. Again, she had been running away. And she hadn't even succeeded in running away, pathetic thing that she was. Putting as much distance between them as she could rationalize doing. "I got your message too late, Anna. I know that's no excuse, but—"
"If I were honest too, Elsa, I think a part of me didn't want you to come. The part of me that chose to message you on Skype, where you probably wouldn't even see, believed that I didn't deserve you coming. I said some really horrible things, see, and when I think about what you did for me, I just—I just thought I deserved some sort of punishment for that. I probably deserved worse."
If Elsa weren't holding on to Anna's hand, she imagined that Anna would have pulled away (ironically). "It was my fault, Anna. I shouldn't have been so addled when I found out."
A pair of bright teal eyes swung up to stare defiantly back at her. "No! I should have—I should have told you. Heaven knows I would feel betrayed too if I found out you were doing dangerous things behind my back."
"No, it is most definitely my fault! If I had worded my—my thoughts differently, then you wouldn't have been so angry to say what you did!"
"I was the one who said hurtful and thoughtless things! I—I should put a muzzle on my mouth to prevent all the stupid things from spilling out of it."
Elsa laughed, feeling lighter than she had all month. Held up her other hand in defeat. "Okay, okay, truce. Onions, right?"
Anna grinned back at her. "Onions." A beat, and then, "I'd be grateful if you would tape my mouth shut if I say another stupid thing."
"You may tie me to a chair if I try to run away again," was Elsa's playful retort. Her attention was alarmingly arrested by the sensation of her sister's thumb tracing gentle circles on the knuckle of her index finger.
"Actually, about that," Anna said, and Elsa had to tear her eyes away from their entwined hands. "I get why you do. It's not always bad, I think. You don't give yourself the chance to say something more hurtful back to me. I think that's a better choice than staying and saying something you'll regret. I know that's what I should have done."
"It wasn't one hundred percent for selfless reasons," Elsa grumbled, and shot a glance at the rear view mirror. There was a reason she chose such dark windows for this car. Might be too soon for that, though.
On another note, even the black glass wasn't enough to keep out the persistent rays of evening sun, and the golden light touched Anna's hair to flame. Reason number four thousand and eighty-one why Elsa loved Anna so much. The way the soft star fire rested on her, turned her hair to molten copper, her eyes to liquid kindness—anyone, even a stranger could immediately see that this person was the epitome of love.
Although she would be lying if she'd said she wasn't attracted to those full, pink lips, that fair, creamy neckline. Those aquamarine eyes—she would be happy to look into them for the rest of eternity. Get lost in them.
She didn't realize that she had been staring (so distracted) until Anna whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Me, too," she said back, reaching out with her other hand to cup her sister's cheek, relishing the relief the feeling brought. Like she had been suffocating and Anna was her air. Like she was dying of thirst and Anna was her water.
They were close enough to kiss then, and they did. Elsa couldn't remember who instigated it through the haze of fervor in her mind, but she responded eagerly and all she could feel was Anna's lips, soft but demanding, Anna's cheeks under her hands, delicate but firm. She vaguely noticed the sensation of the seatbelt holding her back, and she fumbled with the buckle to remove it as quickly as possible, leaning closer when she finally managed it.
This time, she didn't hold back. This time, there was no retreat while her sister advanced, no restraint on her part at all. A month of segregation had thoroughly destroyed it. An alcoholic having the finest brandy for the first time in forever.
So she couldn't hold back a moan when she felt her bottom lip being gently tugged at by a hot mouth, but the sound was muffled by a warm tongue, gentle but adventurous, pressing against her own.
And the stupid stick shift was a third wheel between them, preventing tighter contact. Elsa growled when she felt it press against her hip when she tried to shift closer from the edge of her seat. She briefly wondered why she'd chosen a sports car with manual transmission for tonight's excursion, but the thought dissipated through the mist in her brain because despite all the practice that they'd had, a month of separation seemed to wipe it all away, and Elsa found it hard to focus on anything aside from Anna, Anna, Anna. Hands on her shoulders, neck, fingers tracing her jawline—Anna was everywhere, solar flares everywhere, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep track.
There was a fleeting satisfaction that the Anna's face and neck were also growing warmer under Elsa's caresses, but it too joined the pile of discarded thoughts that she was too addled to entertain. Who needed coherent thought when they had tangible sensations anyway?
A sharp rap on the driver's side window shook them apart, flushed and panting and alarmed. Elsa smoothed her hair back and rolled down the window to find a police officer hovering outside. When had the police shown up? She must have been really distracted to not have heard the sirens. Actually, yeah, she was really distracted, and she reddened at the thought.
"Yes, officer? How can I help you?" She was slightly annoyed at the interruption, because she still had not gotten her fill of brandy yet.
"Are you aware that you cannot stop here?" The man responded.
Was that it? That was what she had paused kissing Anna for? Pfff. She almost laughed. "Go ahead and put the ticket on the windshield," she said, and that was the end of it because there were more important things to do. Smiling widely like an idiot, she reached again for her sister, who had turned her head to stare out the window (most likely to hide her blush). Her fingers tangled in the fiery locks at the back of Anna's neck, and the girl turned at the contact, an amused smile on her lips.
Elsa pulled her into another kiss, and they could feel each other grinning, because there was a voice, distant and unimportant calling for their attention. Neither of them cared, because there were more important things at hand.
And it felt so good to not care. An army of RCMP could show up, in their royal uniforms and situated loftily on horseback, and they still wouldn't be enough to make Elsa stop kissing Anna. There was a faint chuckle, Elsa vaguely registered, which she supposed was the officer giving up in his attempt to reacquire her attention. But it was swiftly lost when she felt a tongue on her lips demanding access once again.
This kiss was airy and carefree, coloured by occasional giggles and short-lived laughter but not without a measure of heat rivalling that of the last one. Fingers coiled in golden locks, pulling them free of their braid, and hands knotted in chestnut ones, until they mixed into a river of champagne and rosé, liquid platinum in molten lava.
When they finally broke apart, they were still giggling, with foreheads pressed together and noses touching.
Still snickering uncontrollably, Anna whispered, "I can't believe you just shooed a cop away."
Elsa's hands were rested like a necklace around Anna's collar. She was smiling too, almost grinning, which was a little unsettling, rather unlike herself. She did have her grinning-like-an-idiot moments, but usually those were encountered in the privacy of her bedroom, and were usually brought on by silly memories or frivolous quotes. Seldom did she grin so crazily in front of company. Then again, Anna did have a way of bringing out the best parts of her—wait, if this was one of her best parts, that was a bit disturbing. "I missed you."
Anna leaned in for another kiss. "Mm, you should miss me more often, then. You usually kiss me like I'm a piece of expensive china."
Elsa hummed blissfully in return. "No, I wouldn't treat expensive china with as much care."
"Liar. You treat everything with care."
"Not the same care though," she murmured, and silenced any further retorts with a wicked kiss.
"How many are we at now?" She heard Anna ask when they parted for air again.
"Hm, lost count."
Anna looked away, fiddling with platinum blond locks. "What are you thinking about?"
"About how if I don't feed you soon, I could be convicted of a crime. You see, your stomach is protesting. Rather loudly, I might add." Elsa watched in bemused silence as Anna peered down at her traitorous stomach and flushed a bright red.
"I haven't eaten all day, okay?" Anna sputtered hastily.
Elsa laughed. "It's like the call of the void. Well, it's good you're hungry. Let's get going, then."
Elsa tossed the valet her keys and she and Anna headed for the restaurant.
"Why is the beach empty? There were a lot more people when I was here last night," Anna said, looking around at the empty water and deserted sandy shores. The sun was a flaming ball of fire a little ways above the horizon, casting dancing stars onto the ocean waves.
"I…closed off the entire beach."
"You—what?!"
Elsa shrugged. There were two scenarios that she'd planned for: one where she had clammed up the entire car ride and one where she'd somehow conjured up the courage to talk. If it had been the former, then she had imagined Anna might've been angry, and this way she could reel on Elsa all she wanted—without the curious glances of an audience. "I can open it up again if you want."
"Why did you close it down in the first place?"
She shrugged again. The notion seemed silly now. "In case you wanted to kill me, you know. There would be no witnesses, so you could get away with murder."
Anna stared at her as if she'd just sprouted antlers. "You thought I would be angry?"
The tips of her ears felt hot; Anna was using an uncharacteristic tone of chastisement—the sound made Elsa want to hide. If Anna weren't angry before, would she be angry now? "I don't know," she admitted weakly. "I just thought—you had every right to be angry with me."
"I hope we aren't revisiting this argument again. You're the one with the right to be angry."
"But I'm also the one who kept you waiting all night."
It was Anna's turn to shrug as they crossed the road. "We talked about this, too. Can we just settle on this being no one's fault?"
Elsa readily agreed. She was tired of things not black and white. "I'll settle for that," she said. "No," she interrupted when Anna pulled open the glass door of the Cactus Club.
Anna stared at her quizzically. "Not here?"
"Not here." With that, Elsa ushered her sister around the outskirts of the restaurant and toward the beach. She'd had a dock made just for tonight, extending relatively far over the ocean. It had needed to reach over a deeper portion of water, because the of that thing, just the way she had commissioned it. A two hundred and sixty foot motor yacht, complete with three floors and six rooms—essentially a hotel-on-a-boat, for it had all the amenities of a five star hotel: a swimming pool, hot tub and Jacuzzi, gym, spa, jet skis (she figured Anna would be all for those). Most importantly, it featured a circular dining room overlooking the water, and a state-of-the-art kitchen.
She felt Anna grab her arm, gripping it in a vice. Indistinctly alarmed, she looked over at her sister.
"Elsa. Help. I'm falling." Anna's voice was choked, coming out in a squeak.
Elsa raised an eyebrow and shot at glance at Anna's feet, which were still firmly planted in the sand. "Um. You're fine." The last bit was kind of a question.
"Is that—is that for us?"
She guided Anna a closer, just enough so that the large boat blocked out the sun and they would make out the name: SS Oblivious. She had to laugh at the irony; she'd picked out the name herself and had it painted over its original title. "No, actually, we're going out in a canoe. This is for some other pair of siblings from another filthy rich family." She waved to the smaller boats next to it. They were actually for her guards, since she wanted as little a crowd as possible on the yacht, and she had requested beforehand that they follow in smaller motorboats.
But Anna paid her jibes no heed, tugging repeatedly on Elsa's sleeve. "Oh, my god, Elsa, that's a boat! That's a yacht!"
"Yes…"
"A yacht!"
"I know. I picked it out."
"Ohhhhh my god, you—you did?!" Only a moment before, Anna had been still as a statue, the next she looked ready to hop about across the deck and dive straight into the water, eyes overflowing with excitement, like a small child seeing her first toy.
Elsa imagined that anything she said right now would be exciting to Anna. Most likely including the colour of the bagel that she'd had for breakfast or the sixteenth decimal of pi. Still, she was relieved that finally she'd done something right. And that it'd made Anna happy. She would have to come up with stuff like this more often, because she knew she would want to see Anna look like this again, almost hopping with excitement.
"Do you want to board it?"
The question was barely out of her mouth when the eager girl raced across the rest of the long wooden platform. Elsa decided that she was probably buoyant enough to walk on water at this point. To her surprise, Anna stopped when she reached the boat and came running back to her.
"Come on, Elsa!"
And then she was being tugged forward by the force of a freight train, barely managing to keep from tripping over her feet. Where did Anna's sudden balance come from?
"I'm glad you like it," she breathed, when they scrambled onto the main deck. "Shall we set sail?"
But Anna had already run off to check out the swimming pool and hot tub a little ways off, leaving Elsa to just stare happily after her. She felt more fulfilled and satisfied at the look of pure elation on her sister's face than she had after countless sessions of successful contracts or meetings. More delighted than being praised for her perfect grades or perfect posture or perfect whatever.
I wish all the happiness in the world for you.
Her captain for the evening, Eric Jensen, trod up beside her, boots clicking against the finely polished wood. He was a slim young man, in his late twenties, with black hair and brown eyes. His age rendered his experience prone to doubt, but Elsa had been impressed by his resume in the short time that she'd had to prepare and decided that he was the most suitable for this evening. The clincher was this: during his background check, she had discovered that he was gay.
"Fine night to go sailing! Shall we set off?"
She nodded, not taking her eyes off her sister. "Yes. Please." She then approached Anna, who was entertaining herself by making waves in the pool with her hands. "Anna, I'm going to go change. Um, there are clothes for you in the master stateroom; I'll have someone show you where it is. If you want."
Anna stared at her curiously, for Elsa's tone suggested that this was more than just a casual dinner date. "Okay," she agreed. But before Elsa could take off, she was seized by the elbow and locked into a bear hug. "Thank you."
"You don't…need to thank me."
Falling, falling so hard.
That is how Anna felt, once again, when she stepped into the master stateroom. This room was bigger than her room back at Arendelle Manor—it had room for an L-shaped white leather sofa in the corner, an aquarium half-separating the bedroom-living room hybrid from the area where the bed was. And the view! When she looked out the window, all she could see was a vast expanse of untamed ocean.
Elsa was taking her by surprise in so many ways that she, despite being the spontaneous, could not recover from one before another came. Not fair, not fair at all, Elsa's effect on her. She still haven't recovered from the extraordinary kisses that she had received in the car—and Elsa had actually broken character and told a police officer to get out!
Just thinking about those kisses sent a rush of adrenaline pulsing through her veins, and a hot flush creeping up her neck. God, those kisses were so—so—unbridled. Powerful and hungry, like the water from a burst dam—free. Anna fanned herself—Elsa would be waiting for her if she did not hurry up and find something to wear. Ack, she'd forgotten to ask Elsa about the dress code for tonight and wondered if the walk-in closet would have answers.
Padding across the snowy carpet and pulling open the door, she was greeted with a mass of clothes—ranging from dinner dresses to graphics tees, separated into sections. Wait, were all these newly bought? Because Anna did not recognize a single article of clothing. She was wondering what exactly Elsa wanted her to wear when she discovered a note, taped above the spot between the dinner dress section and the summer dress section.
These would be most appropriate for tonight—but only if you want.
God, Elsa was saying that a lot these days, wasn't she? Why was she under this weird impression that Anna would not want whatever she wanted? Anna was going to have to change that one way or another. She bit her lip, scanning the selection of dresses that would best compliment her hair and eye colour—Gah, Elsa had not made this easy at all! All of these went with her hair and eyes, ranging from turquoise blue to emerald green to topaz gold to coral rose to crimson garnet. Why? Whyyyyyy!
She selected a dress at random, after a game of eeny-meeny-miny-mo, and her hand pulled out a strapless satin chiffon dress—light coral, bordering on pink—and tried to imagine herself in this. And blushed, because its jeweled bodice featured a strapless sweetheart neckline, which showed off more than she was used to. But, she was going to meet with Elsa, right? Soooo there was nothing to be afraid of.
It was on in a flash, and after pulling up the side zipper, she surveyed herself in the mirror. Well, success, because she didn't look horrible. Then again, she probably couldn't look horrible in any of these dresses, what with all the effort and thought that Elsa put into choosing them for her.
For a second, she let her mind wander off to what Elsa would be wearing. The ice blue dress from the Anniversary Banquet? Because holy god, did Elsa look gorgeous in that. With that thought, Anna glanced back down at herself. Elsa would without a doubt be eons nicer-looking than Anna in whatever she wore.
Anna sucked in a breath as her mind entertained all sorts of interesting (haha) images of Elsa in different shades of blue, in dresses of varying lengths and how good they would look on her…
…And how good they would look off of her—Nonononononononono stop that train of thought this instant! Augh! You are not a pervert!
She needed to stop herself before all cognitive functions shut down from the overload, so she drifted over to the shoes section and searched for the right pair of heels. Elsa had chosen heels with moderate height for her on the night of her prom, but Anna did not imagine they would be doing much jumping today, so she selected a daring pair of five-inch silver glitter platforms.
Then she undid her hair, because pigtails were not the right type of hairstyle for this dress, and frowned in front of the dresser, mulling over what she should do with her bird's nest of copper locks. She fumbled in the drawers for equipment, and found a curling iron, makeup, and a myriad of hair accessories. Okay, among the limited things she could do with her stubborn hair, there was only one style that would appropriate for tonight.
Ugh, finally. How did Elsa get her hair to obey her so willingly like the servants she employed? Was her air of dominance so compelling that even her hair had no choice but to comply?
Well, a mussed-up wavy look was all Anna could manage, so after a few experiments with various shades of eyeliner and lipstick, she wiped them off, deciding that she would fare better going the all-natural look than sporting crooked lipstick or uneven eyeliner. Also, a small part of her brain told her that even if she wore lipstick it would be smeared pretty soon. Heh.
She flushed again, shook her head, and made for the hallway that led up to the deck at the bow of the boat, where they would be having dinner. The waves gently rocked the yacht, and the air was sprayed with the scent of sea salt. The sun was just touching the horizon now, infusing the water with a mist of fire.
Anna reached the round dinner table where they would have their meal, and waited, hoping she did not look silly.
She did not have to wait long, for Elsa emerged from the other side of the deck.
"Anna?"
She turned at the sound of her name being called and the clatter of heels on wood.
And her jaw. Dropped. Hit the ground with a crash, taking her mental functions with it on its suicide dive.
Elsa was…Elsa was…
D-dressed in a t-t-t-tuxedo. Only this one looked like it had been tailored with Elsa already in it. The jacket was a shiny obsidian, its contours cherishing the soft curve of elegant hips, the kind that forbade blinking or any lapse in attention whatsoever. The waistcoat underneath coloured a sensual blue, coinciding exactly with the shade of Elsa's eyes and somehow emphasizing the swell of her bust. And a tie, midnight blue—like the blue of morning before dawn—held together the collar of the white dress shirt underneath.
Anna had no idea where to look, each part was vying for her attention and her brain had promptly aborted all process and abandoned ship, so she stood there, blinking as fast as she could in a failed attempt to reorient herself, mouth flapping dumbly like a seagull's wings.
Another surprise that hadn't failed to knock her off her feet—she was not ready for this! Her eyes were not ready for this! Her brain was evidently not ready for this, god dammit. And she hadn't even looked at Elsa's face ye—gah!
"Could you—c-could you blindfold me for the rest of the evening so I can actually function?" She coughed, slapping a hand over her eyes.
"Why?" Anna heard a confuzzled voice ask. "Do I look weird?"
That was so ironic and WRONG that Anna almost shouted, "N-no. No no no no. You look—very…handsome. And beautiful. And gorgeous and stunning and amazing butIcan'tthinkifIlookatyousoI'msosorrybrainisherniatingagain—"
A gentle hand coiled around her wrist in an attempt to pry her hand off of her eyes, and as soon as she could see again, Elsa kissed her, long and hard. She gripped onto Elsa's shoulders in a weak attempt to steady herself, and it's a good thing that an arm was holding her by the waist because she was ready to fall over, five-inch heels be damned!
Well, at least kissing Elsa meant that Anna wouldn't be able to see the rest of her but her libido was running wild at the way Elsa's lips moulded, soft but firm, against her own. A low moan, almost a whimper, escaped her because she was so overwhelmed by everything, Elsa's front pressed flush against her, hands tracing her waist, her neckline, and her shoulders—was this called sensation overload? And Anna was rarely overwhelmed—okay, just kidding, when it came to Elsa she was easily overwhelmed, haha.
Especially today. When Elsa arrived to pick her up in a Lamborghini that was the colour of her hair, when Elsa had explained all her feelings so thoroughly—it had been so much more profound than a simple apology. Anna would have been satisfied with a simple apology, but Elsa always exceeded expectations. In everything.
Her eyes were still closed when they parted for air, partly because she was still processing, partly because if she looked, then it would be brain cell mutiny. She licked her lips instinctively, and opened her eyes in surprise when she tasted lipstick.
"Haha, oops," Elsa said sheepishly, swiping a thumb across Anna's lips to rub off the lipstick. They were still so close that Anna could smell fresh wintertime on Elsa's breath, so close that she could number each dark eyelash, count every single freckle on her older sister's face. See the thin lines of black eyeliner around her icy blue eyes. The cardinal red on her full, supple lips. "You look beautiful, by the way."
"You're beautifuller," Anna huffed back, focusing on the creamy white of Elsa's jaw. Just when she thought she couldn't get more attracted to Elsa, here she was, falling even harder. So much more beautifuller.
A knock behind them made them jump apart. "Shall we start serving dinner?" A man, the waiter that Anna recognized from Cactus Club last night, asked.
"It's you!" She exclaimed.
"And she did come," the waiter said, gesturing to Elsa beside her. "Almost like she ran."
"You did?" Anna gasped, looking at Elsa, who ducked her head. Her beautiful, platinum blond head, with its locks twirled into a plait that formed her bun.
"Yes, I—"
"You didn't tell me!"
Elsa sighed. "I didn't make it, Anna. It's insignificant if I didn't make it."
"But you tried!" So Elsa hadn't just thrown those messages away, after all. Not that Anna thought Elsa would, but still, a miniscule amount of doubt had been there. Gone, now.
"So?" Elsa stared back at her, looking weary all of a sudden.
Anna grinned at her. She thought they were making progress about how the world wasn't in black and white, but—baby steps. "The point is you tried. You get an A++ for trying."
"Okay," Elsa said, but it seemed more like an I-don't-want-to-discuss-this-right-now okay rather than an I-agree-with-you-one-hundred-and-fifty-percent okay. "Let's eat. You must be starving."
"I could eat a horse," Anna replied, as if it were fact.
"No horses today," Elsa chuckled. "But I have a feeling you'll like what I have planned."
Anna's stomach rumbled. "God, Elsa, I'll even eat the forks and knives."
The main entrée for dinner, as it turned out, was Spaghetti Bolognese, prepared with extra meatballs. Anna was so hungry that they decided to skip the appetizer (because who needs salad, anyway?) and go straight to the main course. Three large heaping portions of pasta, two crème brûlées, and three ice creams later, Anna settled back in her seat and sighed happily.
"Anna, I had forgotten that you were a walking void. Were you planning on eating the entire yacht, too?"
"Yeah," Anna retorted, "If you're not nice to me, I'll eat the entire boat and wash it down with ocean."
"Then you'll expand to the size of Pluto and become a new planet with your own gravity." Elsa shuddered. "Dear god, that thought is scary. Planet Anna."
"That has a nice ring to it," Anna said, snickering. "If I had my own gravity, you'd need a rocket to escape me."
Elsa grimaced. "I'm trying to imagine your face on a planet and the images are so horrifying that I'm afraid I might not get any sleep tonight. Please don't ever change."
"Will you still love me if I turned into an obese planet?"
"An obese planet? Good god, how massive do you want your gravity to be?"
"Big enough to keep you around forever," Anna quipped.
"I'm not sure I want to be around you forever," Elsa retorted, laughing, and Anna wanted to give her a good whack. Then, so soft that Anna almost missed it, "You wouldn't need any sort of gravity to keep me around forever."
She didn't know how to respond to that; Elsa was always the one who was good with words.
"What would you be though?" Elsa asked, leaning forward, elbows on the table. "If you had forever."
At first, Anna thought jobs—her crazy dream jobs—astronaut, firefighter, scuba diver, private investigator. But then she realized there was something she wanted to be, above all of that. Above and beyond. "Your sister."
Elsa looked surprised, genuinely surprised. Well, Anna was a little surprised at her answer, too, but that did not make it any less true. "You'd already have that forever. It isn't something you can change."
"Forever, though," Anna said. "In the next life. And the next. And the next. I wouldn't trade anything for who I am right now."
"Despite all the times I've hurt you?"
"I wouldn't trade those memories away for anything in the world, either."
"Anna—"
She fiddled with the tablecloth. "You make it sound like I'm the one who had it tough all those years, Elsa, when it was really you."
"Not knowing is the hardest thing."
She turned to look at the sun, the last bit of it melting into the horizon. "It's also the easiest thing."
"I feel like we've gone off on a tangent," Elsa said, and Anna knew that was her way of acknowledging the truth of both statements. "What do you want to do now?"
Anna lit up with an idea. "Sing!"
"Sing?" Elsa echoed.
"I saw a karaoke set in the theatre on my way to the master stateroom. Come on, Elsa! It'll be fun!" She batted her eyelashes, and watched smugly as defeat settled into her older sister's eyes.
"Oh, alright," Elsa said, and Anna was already free of her seat, skirting around the table to tow Elsa to the room.
The theatre was small (for a theatre), containing only a large plasma screen and a snowy white foam couch that actually felt like laying on powdery flakes. Anna was thankful that she was moderately good with electronics, because Elsa was (or seemed) completely uninterested in them. She plugged in the karaoke set and chose a song, handing Elsa a mic.
"Uh, how about you sing, and I'll listen?"
"Elsa! There's no one here, and we both know you can sing. Come on, think of it as a late birthday present? Pleeeeeze?" Anna begged. "I'll get down on my knees if you want."
Elsa took the microphone before Anna could follow through with her offer. "Okay, okay, fine."
Anna grinned. Elsa was so cute. "You're the best."
The first strains of the tune started playing, and Elsa grumbled, "Wait, Anna, I don't know this song!"
"Oh, come on, you can infer it from the harmony of the instrumental!" Upon an exasperated look from Elsa, Anna paused the song and sifted through the cabinets until she found a songbook with the chords. "You can sight-read it, right?"
Elsa took the book from her. "Anna, do you know how long it's been since I sight-read anything?"
"You can do it! I know you can! You have the guy part, okay?"
"Why do I have the guy part?"
"Because your voice is lower!"
Elsa sighed in defeat and scanned the notes. "'Love is an Open Door'? Really? This song looks way too happy."
"Elsaaaaaaa," Anna whined. "Pleeeeasee? 'Hakuna Matata' is way happier than this song!" If puppy dog eyes weren't going to work, then she would resort to violence. "You always used to sing with me!"
Elsa shot Anna an amused expression. "I reject that. I feel I was coerced." But then, when Anna looked ready to hit her, she acceded, "Alright already, just go."
Anna hit play on the remote, and she began, "Okay, can I say something…crazy?"
Elsa made a face. "'I love crazy'? Seriously? Only weirdo manipulative creeps say things like that. No one actually loves crazy. My skin is crawling already."
Anna paused the song. "Elsa!"
"Okay, okay. I love crazy!" She said mockingly when Anna started the song again. Anna's hand was itching to hit something, but decided that this was probably the best she was going to get.
"All my life has been a series of doors in my face," she sang, "And then suddenly I bump into you."
"I…was thinking the same thing? 'Cause like, I've been searching my whole life to find my own place, and maybe it's the party—what party?—talking, or the chocolate fondue," Elsa paused the song. "Okay, I'm really questioning your taste in music right now."
"Just humour me!" Anna yelped. She was already starting to regret her decision in choosing this song, and wondered if people would laugh at her funeral if she died by humiliation. She pushed on anyways. Unpause. "But with you—"
Elsa (reluctantly) continued, "But…with you, I found my place."
"I see your face."
And they both carolled, "And it's nothing like I've even known before…"
"…Love is an open door…"
"Love is an open—"
Elsa paused it. "I cannot tell you how weirded out I feel about this." Anna shot her a death glare, and she quickly restarted the thing.
"Love is an open door—"
Anna sang, "With you—"
"With you." Elsa deadpanned.
"With you!"
"With you," Elsa said, the corner of her mouth twitching, and Anna couldn't tell if it was going to be a taunting smile or an amused one but neither were really contributing to lessening Anna's embarrassment.
"Love is an open door."
Anna sighed at the interlude. "We don't have to keep going."
Elsa laughed. "No, keep going. I'm enjoying this despite the cheesiness."
"You're enjoying yourself at my expense?" Anna wailed, lips jutting into a pout. "You have to take this seriously if you want to keep going."
And she couldn't help but feel unsettled as Elsa let loose a smirk. "Okay."
It seemed that Anna had just dug herself into a hole. Well, if she was going to be crushed under a waterfall of humiliation, might as well try to enjoy it. She pressed play on the remote.
"I mean it's crazy," Elsa half-sang, half-laughed.
Anna wanted to melt into the carpet. "What?"
"We finish each other's—"
"—Sandwiches." Anna finished, and Elsa was shaking uncontrollably. In retaliation, Anna unleashed a smack of her hand against Elsa's shoulder.
Snickering, Elsa crooned, "That's what I was going to say!" And Anna could almost hear Elsa thinking, seriously, this guy is creepy.
She looked into Elsa's eyes, and saw that Elsa really was enjoying this, maybe not entirely because of Anna's humiliation, either. "I've never met someone…"
Humming together, they serenaded, "Who thinks so much like me. Jinx! Jinx again!
"Our mental synchronization…can have but one explanation!"
"You," said Elsa.
"And I—"
"Were—"
"Just—"
Both smiling, "Meant to be." Anna briefly marvelled at how well Elsa harmonized with her, especially since she was just sight-reading.
Anna started the next verse with, "Say goodbye…"
"Say goodbye," Elsa repeated, donning a genuine smile this time, and Anna almost let out a sigh of relief that the endless mocking was over.
She reached for Elsa's hand, and Elsa gave it. "To the pain of the past. We don't have to feel it anymore…"
"Love is an open door," They belted, laughing now, "Love is an open do-o-o-or."
Anna: "Life can be so much more, with you—"
"With you—"
"—With you—"
"With you," Elsa whispered, sneaking forward to kiss Anna on the forehead.
Anna pulled Elsa down for a kiss, and they dropped the mics, mumbling, "Love is an open door," against each other's lips.
But it was short-lived, because Anna remembered what was coming next and cut the song. There was no way Elsa wouldn't laugh at her for that.
"Well done," she said, beaming at the blonde.
Elsa shed her jacket, revealing more of the blue waistcoat. She looked more serious than Anna anticipated. "I hope that's made something clear."
"What?"
Frowning at the ground, Elsa said steadily, "I can't be like those creepy fairytale princes that you love so much. This," she tugged on her tie, "Is just a cheap imitation. I'm not a man, or a prince, or a sword-wielding hero. I can't give you any of that. I don't have a castle to protect you from enemies, or an army to command. I'm not any of that."
Yes, yes, that was all true. And Anna did love those fairytales, but did Elsa know it was because she used to read them aloud? She wouldn't lie and say there wasn't a time where she was entranced by the notion of a Prince Charming, who would a slay a dragon and climb to the highest tower of a castle to get her, but in her opinion, her honest, brutally honest, opinion, what she had now couldn't even be compared to that.
"You're right," she said slowly, and then rushed to finish, "You aren't any of that. And being with you isn't like a fairytale. It's much better. You're way better." Who needed a castle, when she had Elsa's arms? Who needed an army, when she had Elsa's love? Not in a million years could she dream of a better other half than Elsa. And that was a gross understatement. "Now, if you're trying to get rid of me, you're going to be the one to tell me to get out, because I'm not going anywhere. I love you. I am in love with you, Elsa Arendelle, and I am not going anywhere."
"Are you sure?" Elsa asked, uncertainty lodged like a glacier between them.
"Never surer. Now, I was wondering, could we maybe go swimming, or ice-skating? I mean, we could swim right here, but—"
"No!" The rejection in Elsa's voice startled both of them. "No. You can't. No. Anything but those."
"Why not? You were so good at it—"
"I said no, Anna!"
Anna's brows furrowed in confusion at the vehement refusal that sounded almost…fearful. She looked into Elsa's eyes, and saw a flash of ice and snow that chilled her to the bone. A memory from six years ago. Water filling her lungs and freezing her blood. And Elsa, thirteen-year-old Elsa, eyes wide and fraught with horror, hanging onto her hand.
Anna blinked, and she was staring into Elsa's eyes. Nineteen-year-old Elsa's eyes, and she suddenly understood. Elsa was looking the same kind of horrified now. Heart constricting, Anna reached out to palm Elsa's cheek, mentally berating herself for not seeing it before. Her sudden epiphany had left her feeling just as fearful, but not for the same reasons.
"I get it now," she whispered, hands on both sides of Elsa's jaw, thumbs stroking her face. "Why you got so angry when you found out about Mrs. De Vil. Why you're suddenly so angry now. Why you try so hard to protect me, why you treat me like I'm made of glass.
"You still haven't forgiven yourself," Anna murmured softly, as if speaking this revelation any louder would scare Elsa away. The moment the thought occurred to her, it clicked into place as truth. "You still blame yourself for everything that's happened to me. Everything that's hurt me. Those were accidents, Elsa. If they were anyone's fault, they're mine."
"I should have known better," Elsa replied shakily, as if she were reciting the lines of a poem. Wild blue eyes fearfully scanned the room, as if she didn't know where she was anymore. "I should have known better."
"This…has been like a curse on you, hasn't it? You've been carrying this blame around for six years? It's okay to let go, Elsa. They weren't your fault. You couldn't have known better. You couldn't have." She pulled her sister into a tight embrace, chastising herself for being stupid, stupid, stupid. How could she not have seen this earlier? Elsa always blamed herself. What worthless part of Anna's brain had overlooked that?
"I—I can't."
"You can. I'll teach you to forget," Anna whispered in Elsa's ear, "I'll show you how to forgive yourself. Okay?"
Elsa nodded against her shoulder. "Sorry this got so depressing. It was supposed to make up for screwing up your prom. And your birthday."
"You didn't screw it up to begin with, but I'd say this more than makes up for it. I'd miss a hundred more birthdays and a thousand more proms if I get to do this with you again." She took both of Elsa's hands and pulled her to the deck again. "Dance with me, handsome Prince."
"'Handsome'?"
Anna reddened. "Well, I was going to say 'hot', but it might not be the most suitable—" not word, it is most definitely the right word, "—language, for right now."
Elsa reddened, too. "I can't dance."
Impossible! "You took ballet!"
A shuffle of fabric as Elsa shrugged. "That was just for balance."
But Elsa's expression did not look unwilling, and Anna knew that she only needed a little push. "Please?"
Just as she predicted, Elsa caved again. "Fine. So isn't it the Prince's job to ask for the dance?"
Oh god, Anna wondered how embarrassing it would be if she fainted, because the mere thought of Prince Elsa asking her for a dance was just…overwhelming. She held her breath as Elsa bowed and offered her a hand, palm facing upward.
"May I have this dance, fair Princess?"
Anna forgot how to speak. How to breathe.
Elsa's expression changed from courteous to concerned as quick as a flash of lightning. "Anna?"
"I can—I can't breathe."
"Do you need CPR?"
No, that would probably just kill her entirely.
"You look tired. Do you want to rest instead?"
Are you kidding? She wouldn't miss this for the world. "I'm probably going to step on your feet. You'll have to keep me from falling over."
"Of course you chose the high heels. Why did I even get them? They're a hazard to you."
Anna hammered a fist onto Elsa's shoulder. "This teasing has got to stop."
"It's too hard to resist," protested Elsa, gesturing to someone behind Anna. "You sure you're not too tired?"
Anna tilted her head back to look at the stars, bright and sparkly, like the night's personal diamond necklace, and thought that never in a million years would she have been able to anticipate such a night. Despite her extremely active imagination, Elsa always managed to surprise her. "Absolutely."
As a violin began to sing the first strains of Pachelbel's Canon in D, Anna settled on hand on Elsa's shoulder, the other in Elsa's hand, and leaned her head against Elsa's chest to listen to the heartbeat that was more calming and comforting than any word, song, or gift could ever be.
"Hey," Anna whispered. "I love you, you know that?"
"Mm," Elsa mumbled into her hair.
"Do you have three words to say to me?" Anna prompted. She was happy with their current situation, but there was something that could make her even happier.
"Are you hungry?" Elsa asked, sounding sincerely confused.
Lady Dense of the SS Oblivious. How befitting, Anna thought sardonically. But she was content enough at that moment that it didn't bother her too much.
Just kidding, it bothered her a lot. That night, Elsa ushered her to the master stateroom and left her alone to sleep (which was really disappointing, but she was too tired to argue). And she just lay there, wondering why the hell Elsa hadn't said it to her since they'd gotten together. Like, Anna knew how Elsa felt, but she still really, really, wanted to hear it. Was that strange?
"I don't get it! She used to say it to me all the time! Okay well, not all the time, but she wasn't so tight-lipped about it!" Anna was grumbling to Ariel over the phone.
Ariel did not sound impressed, most likely because she was about to go to sleep (it was one in the morning). "God, Anna, you should know by now that Elsa values actions over words. How do you still have doubts?"
"She's never once told me she was in love with me, and she didn't say it back when I said it to her! Am I wrong to want to hear it?"
Ariel made an irritated noise. "Anna, would you rather Elsa be like those mushy gushy lovers that you see on TV who love you one second and leave you the next, or do you want her the way she is now? 'I love you, honeybuns, I love you so so so much!' Is that what you want?"
Her skin crawled at the prospect of Elsa sounding so corny, and realized that that was not at all what she wanted. "That's not it; I don't need her to say it at every opportunity. Just more than she is now."
"You are never satisfied, are you? How could you want more confirmation that Elsa loves you?"
"I don't want confirmation that she loves me," Anna protested, "I want confirmation that she's in love with me."
"'Kay, just be patient and she'll say it eventually. Sorry, I forgot you're an impatient brat. And I say that with all the love in the world. If it really bothers you, just ask her. I'm going to sleep now. Bye."
Anna opened her mouth to object, but Ariel had already hung up, gone like the extinguished flame of a candle, leaving only smoke in its wake.
She gasped and shot up in bed; the first tendrils of sunlight had begun to seep through the curtains. She still had to babysit Ivy and Cecil today! Argh, she pulled herself out of bed, and went to inform Elsa of her sudden recollection. Really, she hadn't gotten any sleep at all, even though she was completely worn out. And her stomach was rumbling like a firebreathing dragon, but that was beside the point.
Rubbing her eyes, Anna knocked on the door of the room next to hers. "Elsa? Elsa, we need to go back to shore." She cracked open the door, and the un-curtained window freely letting in golden rays of sun told her that Elsa may be already up.
After checking the theatre, the gym (why would Elsa need to be in the gym?), the spa, which all turned up Elsa-less, Anna padded to the kitchen, deciding to sate her stomach first. Grabbed some water and fruits, devoured them quickly. Then raided the cupboards to see if there were chocolates that she could steal.
"What, up so early? I realize I should have fed you a midnight snack last night."
A voice, soft as velvet, made her jump. "Elsa! I've looked everywhere for you!"
"I was in the study, catching up on some work."
This boat had a study? Of course. Of course it did. Anna looked at her, and was relieved that she was not still dressed in that mind-blowing tux. Still, that did not make her any less stunning. Elsa was absolutely radiant under the morning sun, her hair free of its plait, cascading down her back like spun gold. Anna suddenly forgot why she had been looking for Elsa.
"If you're worried about your babysitting thing, I convinced Mrs. De Vil to give you a day off."
Oh, was Elsa a psychic now?
"Are you okay? Your eyes are a little bloodshot."
"I couldn't sleep last night," Anna admitted.
Elsa approached, "Why?"
Really, really, really, she should be satisfied with what she had and that they were back on speaking terms after such a long argument, but Anna was never one to keep her silence. "Why won't you say you love me?"
To her surprise, Elsa looked relieved. "Were you worried about that?"
"Yes!" Why wasn't this a big deal to Elsa? She was smiling as if Anna had been brooding over a trivial matter. "You haven't said it to me since—since the week of Ariel's accident."
Elsa kissed the side of her forehead. "Is that a problem?"
"Yes!" Anna exclaimed indignantly. "You never say it to me anymore!"
"So you would like me to confess my undying love for you on a daily basis?" Elsa whispered, lips curling into an enigmatic smirk against their spot on Anna's temple. Anna inhaled sharply, and she could feel Elsa radiating amusement. "Should I fill your lecture halls with roses, too?"
"That's not what I meant! I mean…it's just—I want—it's just nice to hear it—more often than the once in a blue moon that you say it to me, okay?" Anna hid her face against Elsa's neck, heat creeping up to her cheeks. Why had she brought this up? She was always digging herself in these holes.
"Hmmm…and my actions don't tell you this enough?" Anna could feel Elsa's smile widening, as she planted another kiss on Anna's forehead. "You are so adorable." She chuckled at Anna's following huff of indignation and hummed quietly.
"You're trying to change the subject!" Anna protested, despite the warmth in her cheeks. "Tell me, Elsa, is it that hard to say that you love me? Are you still bothered by the fact that we're sisters?"
"You have taught me that love is an open door, Anna," Elsa replied, voice dripping with delight at her control over this conversation, and Anna hated it.
"This is not the time for stupid jokes! I'm being serious!" Anna pouted at her, "I can't believe you of all people are making a joke at a time like this!"
She could see Elsa trying to hold back her exuberance, but was unprepared for further verbal prodding. "Okay, how about…'I adore you'? 'My affection for you is unrivalled'? 'I am very fond of you'?"
Anna impatiently butted her head against Elsa's shoulder, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from the older girl. "They're not the same! And don't say it like a question! You make it sound so…ugh…professional and impersonal. You're not taking this seriously, Elsa," she complained, impatience and sleep deprivation getting the better of her.
For some reason, Elsa did not seem at all bothered by Anna's outburst; rather, she was just watching in bemused silence. "Volim te, draga," Elsa then murmured, tone hushed, but Anna could still feel her still smiling.
Anna knew her sister could speak a myriad of different languages, but Elsa had never used them in a showy display of condescending snobbishness before, especially because Elsa knew that Anna didn't understand anything besides English and some French. "What does that mean? Are you making fun of me? You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
"Miluji tê, miláčku."
Anna could tell this was probably a different language from before, and she pulled back to narrow her eyes crossly at her amused sister. Elsa's eyes were glowing with a warm azure, and Anna got the creeping sensation that she was missing some kind of joke. "Elsa, I know you know a lot of different languages, but you don't need to use them to bully me."
"Jeg elsker dig, min kære," her sister whispered delicately, smiling spreading even wider.
As much as Anna loved to see Elsa smile, she was becoming frustrated with her lack of understanding at Elsa's escalating glee. She puffed out her cheeks, "Now I know you're making fun of me!" She felt thoroughly mocked.
Elsa's only response was, "Ik hou van je, schat," And she brought a hand up to tuck a lock of Anna's hair out of her eyes, fingers lingering on the redhead's cheek, still swelling with indignation.
"Elsa," Anna whined, turning pinker at the contact, "I'm going to abandon ship if you don't stop bullying me with your mastery of European languages."
"Ich liebe dich, schatz."
Again, a different language, the rough intonation indicating that it was German? Still, Anna was not any closer to deciphering what Elsa was teasing her about. She knitted her eyebrows together in frustration and loosened her hold around Elsa's waist to restlessly poke at the blonde's sides. "I mean it; stop making fun of me!"
Elsa twitched at the sudden contact, but her smile remained ever wide (and infuriatingly smug, Anna might add) as she said, "Jeg elsker deg," with deliberate intonation.
This sounded very similar to the words Elsa had spoken only a few moments ago, and Anna brought her fingers to tickle Elsa's sides. "You said that already!"
Elsa giggled, but kept her hold around her sister's shoulders and leaned forward playfully to press a kiss to the huffing girl's forehead, "Te iubesc, dragă."
"I have absolutely no idea what you are saying, Elsa, so you better stop it."
Oh, the irony. Elsa tugged slightly on Anna's shoulders, pulling her closer, and gave her a quick peck on the nose, "Szeretlek, kedvesem."
Anna, getting more frustrated and confused by the blonde's kisses and amused murmurs, retorted, "I'm going to eat all the chocolate on this boat if you don't switch to English this instant, you bully!"
Elsa laughed again, "Te quiero, mi amada," and tenderly kissed both of Anna's flaming cheeks.
Anna was almost a tomato now, face getting redder with every kiss that Elsa gave her, and every phrase she didn't understand."Look, Elsa, if you don't feel comfortable saying you love me, then just tell m—"
The smirking blonde interrupted her this time with two fingers on Anna's lips, "Te amo."
"Is there a joke I'm missing here? Because—"
"Ti amo mia cara."
"Okay, you just said the same thing again! I don't know what you're trying to tell me, Elsa, but—"
Elsa interrupted her with a light kiss on the mouth this time, but Anna could still feel her smile. "Je t'aime, ma chérie, " Elsa mumbled gently when she pulled back, one eyebrow lifted in expectation, still smiling.
Anna's face lit up, "I got that one! That was French, and you said—" Wait. Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait. Did Elsa just—? Anna gasped as realization set in, and tears began to gather in her eyes, "you said—"
"I'm in love with you," Elsa whispered, leaning forward so that their foreheads met, hands cupping either side of Anna's cheeks, thumbs brushing away the hot tears rolling forth. "And I only had to say it twelve times before you finally understood," she teased, with mock exasperation. "And you're wondering why I don't say it more often."
A/N: Okay, if I screwed up your language please let me know like ASAP because I am so so so so sorry *prostrates self on ground in shame*.