Author's Note: Scratch what I said about the last one, this was probably my favorite ^^ Enjoy
There was something about mornings. Maybe it was the song that birds shared at sunrise. Or perhaps the invasive sunlight that forced its way through curtains. Could it be the sheer liveliness that was carried over the morning breeze? There was something about mornings that she could never quite put her finger on, but Elsa always hated mornings. This morning was… different.
The light that tapped against her eyelids didn't seem so invasive today. Elsa stretched, a smile already lining her face and a dull satisfying ache thrummed throughout her body. A hum escaped her lips with the pop of her back. The sheets had never seemed so soft against her body.
Wait…
It took a few minutes for Elsa's mind to pull away from the lull of dreams gone by, but when it did, she finally noticed that her bedsheets were draping off her nude form.
Prude… was an understatement. Elsa does not sleep naked. It doesn't matter if she's alone. It doesn't matter if nobody is going to see. Elsa does not sleep naked. Then again, I've never slept this good in my life. Maybe I should make this a habit.
For once it wasn't hard for Elsa to roll herself out of bed. She may have been an early-riser, but that never meant she was a morning person. Again, today was different. So wonderfully different.
A tickling against her back made her realize that at some point, her french braid had come undone. She couldn't find it within herself to care.
She took the moment to admire the room, something she can't recall ever doing before. The warm hues that painted her bedroom walls were… welcomed. The way the birds' song filled the air felt more beautiful than annoying. The subtle rhythm of a not so gentle snore filled her chest with a feeling she's never known before. Elsa looked fondly over at her bed and the nest of strawberry-blonde hair peeking out from the messy sheets.
And that's when everything froze. Her body became rigid and cold.
You mean that really happened? Ohh, God no.
Some shuffling followed by a cat-like yawn and stretch, and all of Elsa's fears were confirmed when those gorgeous teals looked back at her dazily. The girl had the most endearing smile, if not a bit goofy, as she clutched the sheets close and took in her surroundings. Elsa could practically see the dots connecting in Anna's head, slow as that process seemed.
Elsa could see as the realization dawned on her face and it fell completely. Anna's mouth dropped open an inch per second.
"That wasn't a dream," the redhead breathed.
Anna sat up, the sheets pooling around her hips and flushed freckled skin seemed to glow under the early morning rays. As much as Elsa knew that was simply impossible, it didn't stop her eyes from seeing it that way. Everything about her was perfect, even with that lion's mane bedhead. Her skin, her neck, her shoulders, her breas-
"Oh my lord, you are so naked," Elsa rambled, her cheeks pinking brightly.
"Well, so, so are you!" Anna sputtered, pulling the sheets over her chest. "You're nakeder!"
"It's my room!" Despite her argument, Elsa pulled open a drawer near her and draped herself in a black cotton robe. They were both breathing hard, trying to wrap their heads around the events of last night. "So," she began with a nervous chuckle. "That really just happened…"
"We weren't supposed to do that…" Anna shrunk deeper into the sheets. She groaned. "What do we do now?"
Elsa looked at her and the girl looked back at her expectantly, waiting on the answers. Thing is, Elsa didn't have any answers. Not even close. Right now, she was using all of her mental fortitude to not have a complete breakdown. And even then, she wasn't doing a very good job at that. Her fingers were running feverishly through her hair and she could feel herself sweating. "I honestly don't know."
"This is my fault, I should've just done my work at home."
"No! No Anna, I'm not going to let you blame yourself for this." Elsa stumbled back and leaned against her drawer. "I mean, what was I thinking? I could've disconnected the TV and we could have stayed downstairs. And Christ, if bringing you up to my bedroom wasn't bad enough... I was so stupid, I shouldn't have kissed you." At some point in her rambling, Elsa had begun pacing her room floor, Anna watching from the bed as she clutched sheets to her chest for dear life.
"Well, you can't blame yourself for that. We've kissed before, how were you supposed to know we'd end up having-"
"Please don't say it." Elsa cut off her off quickly, pausing in her pacing to stare at the girl in her bed. "We kissed in a bed, where the hell else could it have gone with the way we've been acting like a couple of horny teenagers all this time?" A trembling hand wiped at her face as she tried to calm herself down. "I can't believe I did this to Kris…"
It was barely louder than a mutter but Anna heard her loud and clear and the redhead sprung to life, wrapping her arms around Elsa as if to tell her everything would be alright. Of course in this situation, she couldn't just say it. She couldn't make those kinds of promises so lightly. She could however, hold the blonde woman tight against her and press a kiss against her neck, just below the ear, and whisper another assurance. "You didn't do it to hurt him."
"My intention doesn't change the result."
"But it does make it easier to stomach."
Elsa couldn't find the words, or the strength, to retort. Finally, she brought her arms up to Anna's waist, and returned the weak embrace. She didn't even bother to comment on Anna's nakedness or the fact that she was the same under the black robe.
She didn't just want this anymore. If she was being honest with herself, she never just wanted this. She needed this. Elsa needed the girl wrapped in her arms the way people need air. It was a need she never knew she had until she met Anna and she couldn't just shake it off just because she realized she shouldn't have Anna.
"I can't believe we thought this would work." Elsa gave a self-deprecating chuckle. Anna was kind enough not to comment. "I can't believe I thought I could do this."
They stood in silence, Anna stroking soothing circles into Elsa's back against the cotton robe. It was noticeably doing wonders for her panic but it didn't ease Elsa's guilt in the slightest. Especially when she considered that right now she was being comforted by Anna for sleeping with Anna. She grit her teeth and pulled the girl in tighter, feeling like the most inconsiderate idiot in history. "I'm sorry."
Anna simply nodded, as if she read Elsa's mind and completely understood. "Do you regret it?" Elsa didn't miss the way Anna's voice cracked, as if she was scared to hear the answer.
"No. God, no. It was probably the best decision I've ever made ever." And as ridiculous as that sounded, it didn't sound any less sincere. Plus it made Anna laugh which made the moody blonde feel like she was on top of the world.
"It was a little bit mindblowing." Anna teased.
Elsa grinned. "Just a little bit? Are you sure?"
Anna hummed, fiddling with the strip of fabric that held Elsa's robe closed, acting as though it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "Hmm, you know I'm not sure. I might need a reminder."
Elsa played along seamlessly, craving the distraction. The kiss they shared this time was deep and heated. Anna peeled the robe off of Elsa and slid it off her shoulders smoothly.
This time they were profoundly aware of what they were doing and the wrong of their actions tapped voraciously at the back of their skulls. They just chose to ignore it though, allowing themselves to melt into each other's forms, completely intoxicated by the heat of their moment.
…
Anna tugged weakly at her jeans, leaning against the door for support and cursing herself for the decision of wearing skinny jeans when she came over the night before. Given, she didn't expect to have lost all feeling in her legs twice over the course of a few hours.
She felt a pair of hands come around her waist and helped to finally button the stubborn clothing.
"Thank you," she breathed as she pressed against the body behind her, tilting her head to place a peck on the blonde's jaw. Elsa was already dressed in a pair of old sweats and an oversized white t-shirt; she'll change into something more presentable once she took a shower. "That desk is surprisingly sturdy by the way."
"I can never look at that desk the same way again." Elsa laughed with a forced shudder, earning a slap on the arm. The slap was followed by a squeeze to her bicep as Anna's face fell and became serious.
"How are we going to handle this?"
Elsa sighed as if she was trying to avoid thinking about that for as long as possible. "I have to tell Kristoff. The sooner, the better."
The sun was finally up high enough for it to officially be deemed morning but it was still quite early. Probably around 8am or so. Neither of them bothered to check a clock. It was time for Anna to go home and Elsa to start coming up with her speech and considering her last rites.
"Are you sure you don't want me to tell him? Or at least be there when you tell him?" Although the circumstances surrounding their relationship weren't ideal, Anna still viewed the blonde oaf as a friend.
"I'm his best friend, if anyone has to tell him, it's me." Elsa gave a smile to at least show she was appreciative of Anna's offer. "Plus I don't want you anywhere near the explosion when he blows up at me."
They shared one last kiss at the Elsa's bedroom door before opening it and finally allowing reality to invade their little world. Anna walked downstairs with Elsa just two steps behind her. When Anna stopped cold in her tracks at the last step, Elsa almost crashed into her.
"Kristoff! You're up early!" Anna's voice was nearly an indistinguishable squeak. Elsa's heart dropped and she could feel the cold sweat breaking out already. She wasn't ready for this. He is never up this early.
The man hissed at the sound of Anna's voice, cradling a coffee like it was the only thing keeping him steady in his seat on the couch. "Anna, I didn't know you were still here. Spent the night?" Kristoff did his best to speak loud enough to be heard but not so much as to rattle his fragile brain.
Hangover. A bad one. Elsa noted as she evaluated the situation with an internal groan.
"Yes," Anna answered quickly and stiffly, hanging on to the word as she attempted to come up with an alibi. She was caught completely off guard.
Kristoff raised a brow as he took a mouthful of coffee. "Did you get all your work done? I bet Elsa was a big help," the boy complimented his friend as he raised his mug with a wink.
"Most of it." Anna replied truthfully, trailing off and hoping Kristoff wouldn't question. Meanwhile, Elsa was still stalk-still behind her, completely shell-shocked and speechless. The idea was to tell Kristoff as soon as possible, but neither of them expected for it to be possible this soon.
Kristoff looked over the two with a frown. "Any particular reason you two are frozen stiff on the staircase? Do I stink?" He sniffed his collar, grimacing as he detected a faint odor. "Okay yeah, I need a shower."
He stood up, downing the last bit of his caffeine while making his way past them and toward the bathroom, mumbling apologies for his offensive stench as he passed.
It wasn't until the bathroom door shut that Elsa took what felt like her first breath since they came downstairs. She swiped her keys off the rack and started cowing Anna out of the room as quickly as she could manage.
"I'm dropping Anna home now!" She announced, only hearing enough of Kristoff's response to be sure that he heard her, even if she had no idea what he said. It wasn't important. She dragged the redhead practically the whole way to the car and made it to Anna's house in record timing.
...
"What, no flowers?" Elsa rolled her eyes and invited herself in, the brunette woman closing the door behind her with a smirk. "To what do I owe the pleasure Arendelle? Am I about to get lucky?" Belle teased.
"If you call a good laugh at my expense 'lucky' then sure." Elsa responded, tossing herself onto the couch with the grace of a drunk seagull.
It had been three days since that morning after she and Anna crossed the line. Three days of utter madness. Elsa couldn't bring herself to talk to Kristoff properly, let alone admit to what she had done. Anna also hadn't come over since that day and the redhead had been noticeably less chatty and more cautious of every word she typed. They agreed to slow things down until Elsa spoke to Kristoff and gave him time to cool off. Based on that, they would decide what would happen between them.
Now, they just needed Elsa to grow a pair and face the music. Something she chickened her way out of at every opportunity. If she left things the way they were, nothing would happen until she was on her deathbed.
She needed to take control of this. And when she considered that, only one woman came to her mind.
"I'm flattered," Belle sat down, crossing a leg and placing a bookmark in the short novel she had sitting open on the coffee table. Belle's apartment was dark and gave the impression of a cafe rather than a home. Her television set downstairs was ancient but Elsa knew she had a flat-screen upstairs that she recently acquired to sate her newfound video-game obsession. "Please, feel free to entertain me."
"Never one to beat around the bush." Elsa laughed as she adjusted herself to sit up straight in the sofa that was admittedly comfier than the one she and Kristoff owned. Seriously, how much did she pay for this and where do I get one?
"Tick-tock Elsa, time is wasting. I'm about a minute away from rescinding my southern hospitality."
"You're not from the south."
"Now you have ten seconds."
"Okay okay," Elsa threw her hands up. "But can I take you for coffee first? Being in this place makes me crave a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate."
Belle hummed with a smile, already kicking on her sneakers from under the coffee table.
There was a coffee shop within walking distance, but it was no Starbucks, much to Elsa's disappointment. The little menu featured drinks she was completely unfamiliar with, but Belle ordered drinks for both of them, and Belle knew her tastes.
When the drink was delivered to their table, Elsa was far from disappointed. Belle's was some kind of French, white-chocolate, something or another.
"Alright, you've stalled enough." Belle spoke over the rim of her cup.
Elsa rested her half empty cup of dark chocolate heaven down reluctantly. In truth, she was preparing for what she would say from since she decided she would come see the brunette. So far, she was still drawing a blank on how to approach this. "I did something horrible and now Kristoff is going to kill me when he finds out. I have to tell him what happened, but I just can't bring myself to do it."
"Hmm," Belle hummed thoughtfully, giving the blonde across the table her full attention now. "So you finally slept with An-"
"DON'T JUST SAY IT!" Elsa launched up from her chair, hands flat against the table as she drew the attention of the few other patrons and the barista. More than a little embarrassed, Elsa gave a nod to everyone before sliding shamefully back into her seat. "How did you know?" This time she was sure to keep her volume as hushed as possible.
Belle was clearly amused, even if she didn't outright laugh at her. "If you must know, I knew it was her since Game Night." She paused with a smile as Elsa groaned, her head hitting the table. "If it helps your embarrassment though, I wasn't sure until after your little move in the kitchen."
Belle gave a knowing smirk as Elsa groaned into the wood of the small table. "Gee thanks," she deadpanned. "Because I didn't make a big enough ass of myself that night."
The brunette across the table hid a small giggle. "All the better to tease you with my dear. But the thing that's really mind boggling to me is this: If you're so crazy about her, why is Kristoff the one dating her? I know you two share half a brain sometimes but..." Belle trailed off, obviously satisfied with the way she was clearly getting under Elsa's skin.
Elsa sat up looking dejected, as if she questioned the same thing herself. "Because he met her first," she droned.
Belle scoffed. "And Kristoff was in the process of asking for my number when you swooped in, spotted my book and started quoting Jane Austen. I wasn't even reading a Jane Austen."
"No, but it was safe to assume that anyone leisurely reading an anthology of Kate Chopin short stories must be well acquainted with Jane Austen too." Elsa smiled a bit at the memory. "I'd be insulted if you weren't."
Belle seemed to share in the fondness of the memory, although her lips pulled into something slightly more mischievous. "You even made a joke about Kristoff 'taking no pleasure in a good novel'; a joke that flew right over his head might I remind you." They shared a laugh before Belle continued. "The Elsa I saw that day was charming and confident. I saw a woman that knew what she wanted and knew how to get it and could definitely work a whip," Belle purred in a way that commanded goosebumps along Elsa's arm. "What I didn't see was this disappointing blob of hopeless confusion that just screams 'useless lesbian' that's currently sitting across from me."
With that, Belle sat back in her chair and crossed her legs with disinterest, taking a sip of her coffee for good measure. Meanwhile Elsa sat stunned and it took a few moments for her brain to shake off Belle's frankness.
"What do I do?"
Belle rolled her eyes with a groan. "You already told me what you have to do. You have to tell Kristoff, so just tell him. Besides, I'm pretty sure he already has a pretty good idea what happened, he's surprisingly observant for an idiot."
Elsa's eyes widened more than they probably ever had before. "Oh God, you think so?" Elsa started going over the events of that day and if they had done anything that could have given them away. Oh please, we were so obvious you'd have to be an absolute numbskull with the IQ of a roasted peanut to not know what happened.
"Elsa, if you keep acting like this I'll have half a mind to flog you for a change."
"Can you please stop talking about that?"
"Not if you're going to keep this up." Belle sighed into her cup. "Apparently it's the only time you're confident."
...
"Hey Els, I got your text. Was planning to go jogging today so can we make thi- WOAH!" Kristoff stopped midway through the doorway of their apartment the moment he laid eyes on Elsa sitting there on the couch. "What the hell is that in your hands?"
"A crutch." Elsa spun the small wooden plank in her hand.
"Umm no, that's not a crutch, that's a fucking paddle." Kristoff closed the door behind him but still stuck as close to it as possible with his hand on the knob. Just in case. "I thought we agreed that toys stay in the bedrooms."
"It's not a toy." Elsa spoke firmly as she stood and Kristoff turned the knob slightly behind him, eying her every move. "We have to talk."