A/N: It's a few hours later than I normally post, but still on time :) I've studied for a total of 13 hours today, which is why this chapter was a few hours late. I truly hope you like it!
It was an odd feeling, seeing that Anna did in fact clear the plate of food that Elsa prepared for her each morning. They didn't cross paths after waking up, both girls made sure of that, yet the platinum blonde would get up extra early every day just make her sister breakfast. It was an almost compulsory act brought upon her by the arcane emotion of love.
She was still mad at Anna. The feeling wasn't diminishing, and she was downright mortified of Anna. Yet she still made her breakfast, and a couple times even prepared her dinner, and was subsequently absent when any of the offerings were eaten. They weren't gestures of peace or apology, they were simply something Elsa had to do, and both sisters seemed to understand that.
Maybe that's why it felt good to see the plates cleared from the table and stowed in the dishwasher during Elsa's sparse and short trips downstairs, ones she made only when she was absolutely certain that her sister had gone for the day. Because it was some sort of communication, a link between the two, something constant that, in one way or another, tied them together.
After all, the passed week, since the incident with Hans, had been largely vacant of any sort of interaction between Elsa and Anna. Sure there were passing glances here and short words there, their days peppered with brief, uncomfortable, silent communication, but that didn't really count. It didn't count because nothing was really said.
But the plates spoke, the meals whispered. Anna continuing to eat the breakfasts that Elsa prepared her meant, to Elsa, that she wanted to keep interacting with her elder, in one way or another. After all, Anna was quite obviously able to prepare and eat her own breakfast, yet she chose the pre made one. But then, perhaps that was just because it was easier than making something herself.
Elsa didn't like that option, though, so she made herself believe that Anna was speaking to her. What else could she do after spending, long, droning days mulling over her sister in a saturnine room with a window looming over her head like a threat?
And the feeling that was bubbling up deep in the roots of Elsa's gut that Halloween morning when she noticed a cleaned plate by the sink was only farther proof, right? The feeling that wiggled her stomach and very briefly ebbed her fear of the downstairs. It was like a taste, just a drop of the nectar that was the sensation that she used to get when Anna would comfort her. It left her hungry for more.
But it was transient, and once it took its natural leave, the platinum blonde would once again see the walls around her fall, exposing her to the world. She'd again feel the prickle of fire in her blood and the sore, unsealing, and aching hole in her heart. The necrotic tissue burned like a match beneath her skin. She'd again feel her more than impressive discomfort at being outside of her room.
She had to focus right now. Elsa pinched her eyes shut and intently subdued the surge of panic as best she could. She began to shake and her ears tickled with the prognostication of ringing. I have to do this, it's for Rapunzel- for us.
Even though it was Saturday, Elsa had still made her red headed sister something to eat. She was in her room stressing over how she'd find the time to prepare everything for Rapunzel with Anna patrolling the house all day, when a stroke of luck finally found its way over to her. The front door had thudded shut, which perked Elsa's ears up. Anna was out somewhere right now, and although Elsa didn't know how long she had, she knew this might be her one chance to get everything started for that evening.
So she had forced herself to stumble into the kitchen, which is where she now stood, staring at an empty plate. Her mind was on high alert and every sound, every click from the central AC, every soft call of wind, everything brought her to the cusp of a heart attack. But she was going to make this night perfect.
Elsa decided to start on dessert first, as she'd have to let it set all day, anyway. She had the perfect idea in mind: a bunt cake. To match the season, she'd flavor it with pumpkin spice. She had made such a delight before, albeit not pumpkin flavored, so she knew what she had to use. Crossing pale fingertips, she hoped beyond hope that the kitchen was already furnished with all the necessary provisions. Zipping through a mental checklist, part in the fridge and part in the pantry, the woman's heart became more volatile as each item was secured. It seemed as though luck was genial for her that morning, relatively speaking, because she had everything she needed right there.
She got to work, mixing what would become a delectable dessert. It soothed her. The precise measurements, ensuring the proper amount of each ingredient so as to not desiccate the final product; the familiar action of blending odds and ends together; the powdery mess that seemed to come hand in hand with baking, no matter how tidy the culprit was; the heat wave billowing from the pre-heated oven, roasting Elsa's skin as it engulfed her head. It all totaled up in to a distraction, one good enough that it ALMOST took her mind off of her phobia, off of Anna.
But then, that's just what was missing, wasn't it? Anna. Her proud, excited grin, smiling teal eyes watching the elder sister work her magic. Elsa was alone, and that struck a chord in her, powerfully enough to cause her to stop and catch a tear as she swung shut the oven door. The prosaic pumping of blood within her seemed to halt altogether as she rapidly began to feel sorry for herself. This is for Rapunzel, Rapunzel will be proud. That didn't help.
Elsa sniffled, trying not to let tears fall from her eyes and choking on a tense neck. Reality was like a bucket of cold water being splashed on her face as it reminded her that she was all by herself, downstairs, away from her room. Hyperventilating and gagging on an effervescent mixture of fear and sorrow, she willed her stiff yet unhinged knees to carry her back up the stairs.
She had time, she had to find out what to wear anyway. It was a win-win, in a sense: Elsa escaped the dangerous clutches of the world around her and got to determine what would be best suited for that evening.
She arrived to her room panting and took several minutes to calm down as the memories of all the laughs and smiles she had shared with Anna while cooking scuttled about her mind. This was going to be a taxing evening.
Early that afternoon, Anna was still out, and Elsa was beginning to become restless. She did her best to ignore it, to fill the gaping, ravenous hole in her heart by texting her girlfriend and preparing their supper, but it didn't work. Even as she meticulously stuffed a couple bell peppers and carved jack-o-lantern faces on them, she couldn't get her mind off of where in the world her sister was.
Strange, she didn't want Anna to be gone, but she certainly didn't want Anna to be home. Indecisiveness agitated her stomach like a rattlesnake's tail and threatened to stick its hungry fangs right into her heart. It felt like she was being physically torn into two pieces.
Elsa looked herself up and down in the mirror, puffing her chest out as if to appear more confident, a personal fib. She wore a black dress, the wavy skirt floating down to her mid-calves, and an orange belt hugging her curvaceous waist. The top was sleeveless, however, it had shoulder straps knitted to look like spiderwebs creeping over her deltoids, down to her collar bone. The outfit was completed with more spiderweb trims and small, stylized arachnids seemingly crawling along their spinnings. The intense black was charred darker than the deepest Halloween night, the orange belt blazing off of the middle, and milky, moonlit skin shining everywhere it was exposed. Such stark contrast made Elsa look as white as a ghost, which, for the night, was a desired effect. Plus, Anna always seemed to like her sister's pale complexion.
A generous bust was held by the chest cupping of the dress, which actually provided a display of some cleavage. Although it was a small amount, it was still noticeable, and was definitely more than the platinum blonde would normally show. But she wore this dress only one day out of each year, for only one reason: for Anna. Anna had helped her pick it out, and was the only other person to ever see her in it. She was, for all intents and purposes, the sole reason for the ownership of such a dress.
But tonight, it wasn't for Anna. Deep down, in some dusty corner of her rapidly drying heart, Elsa knew that it felt wrong to use this dress, but superficially she just didn't care. It was symbolic, in a way, taking one object that was only for Anna and bestowing it upon Rapunzel, much like she was trying to do with her heart.
Not feeling particularly great about herself, Elsa applied some lipstick. Orange, to match her outfit. When she was satisfied with her handiwork, the platinum blonde gathered her nerves. Rapunzel would be there soon, and she had one more thing to do downstairs. She wouldn't be back in her room for several hours. Elsa gulped and stayed put as long as she could.
Being in such an open area like the lower floor felt like balancing on the cusp of a cliff, like a tiny gust of wind could put her off-kilter and send her plummeting into God knows how abrupt and painful of an impact.
Elsa was busy dimming the lights and placing several candles, the lighting glowering with romanticism, the heavier light and heat from the candles and fireplace giving the room an almost husky aura. She could barely keep hold on her match, as her hands were to tremulous. Relax, that's the last candle, Rapunzel will be here any minute and you'll feel a lot better-
Click-squeak-clang
What in the world? Elsa peered over at the from door, towards the noise she had just heard, heart stopped dead in her throat and body paralyzed. Did Rapunzel just walk in- oh, no no no no, Anna's home!
Now in view of the living room was stood a very befuddled looking Anna. Elsa was perfectly still, as if her sibling was a starved T-rex, unable to see her prey so long as it didn't move an inch. They made eye contact for what felt like a grueling hour of interrogation, the younger's brow furrowed as she absorbed the atmosphere she had just walked in to.
Anna was in a simple green t-shirt and skinny jeans, and her hair was still wrong. She carried a bag, the label on which Elsa couldn't make out. "Elsa, what's all this?"
The voice sounded... Actually, Elsa couldn't even put a finger on how it sounded, her mind simply didn't have room. It was busy glossing over every escape route and the totality of their interactions over the last couple weeks. Maybe something in those moments would give a hint as to what Anna's tone meant. "It's- I- uh, nothing."
This time, the platinum blonde could ascertain the hints of emotion within her sister's words. "It clearly isn't nothing." Normally, that would come with a playful elbow, a raised eyebrow, or a self-gratified smirk, a healthy dose of frolicsomeness. It would have made the elder's heart flutter and put a silly grin on her face.
But none of that was present. Anna sounded, to some degree, irritated. Elsa winced like it was a physical blow. Maybe she deserves to be annoyed, I did just try to avoid her question. "It's for- it's uh-"
"For Rapunzel," Anna finished with a collision of dejectedness, jealousy, and sourness.
Elsa gulped and nodded.
Anna donned a simulacrum of a smile in an attempt to behave how she should have. But her imitation stood antithetically by the side of the zeitgeist she was trying to summon. "That's great." Her eyes were burdened with a weight that took Elsa all of half a second to identify, it was a look that was becoming all too banal: hurt. She knew as Anna's pupils took a quick sweep down then back up that she recognized the dress. Anna noticed that Elsa was taking something that was only ever for her and giving it to Rapunzel.
And it showed. The normally bright teal eyes were darkening and glistening. A candle's reflection could be seen in them as it etched away at the air. Elsa knew she was going to defray her choice that evening, if not through repercussions coming directly from the red head, then via endemic payment. It was a prickly subject, and she didn't want to hold on to it for any longer than necessary, lest it cause lasting injury, so she dropped it to the ground and thought for an awkward stretch of silence. A quietude that left the platinum blonde cowering in her spot like the craven woman she was. "So, w-what's in the bag?" Elsa pointed meekly.
Anna's eyes traced her sibling's finger to the object she had tucked away in a bag. She blinked a couple times and simply explained "a costume."
"A c-costume? Y-you're going out?"
Before the strawberry blonde could answer, Elsa's phone buzzed. It actually startled her when it broke the glass air. After hesitating for a moment, she checked it. "R-Rapunzel's here." She looked helplessly at her sister.
Anna quickly knew why she was receiving such a look and was ambivalent. She eventually, however, rolled her eyes in a way that was definitely not playful, intimated by the frown her lips sank to, and sighed "okay, I'll get the door."
The limpid distaste dripping from her sister's words just farther entrenched Elsa in her spot. Her heart plummeted into her stomach and made her sickly, tying her shoulders down in a slump. Anna was reluctant to help her. "Thanks," she muttered weakly.
Anna's expression loosened momentarily as she nodded in acknowledgment. She then went over to the door and let her old friend in. Elsa felt rapid, hammer-like pounding beneath her ribs, nervously trying to anticipate what would happen with the three of them around the house that night. She didn't want to make Anna even more angry with her, but she had to really make affection for Rapunzel. Doing both sounded utterly impossible.
"Hello? Elsa? Yoohoo." Elsa was shaken out of her thoughts and jumped as she saw green eyes peering at her.
"Wuh, uh, huh?"
Rapunzel giggled. "I said you look spooky but beautiful, Elsa."
Pale cheeks reddened at the compliment, a sensation that Elsa hadn't felt in quite some time. It was time to really set her plan in to motion. "Th-thank you." Now, she actually looked at Rapunzel. She wore a formal, pastel dress. It had a, sheer, medium cream brown skirt that stopped just above the knees, under which was an underskirt of a the same palette but a lighter shade of brown. The dress left the sleek, charming skin of Rapunzel's trimmed legs exposed. While the outer material didn't look coarse or uncomfortable, the under fabric, from what Elsa could tell, was a very fine one. Silk or satin, most likely. The top matched the color of the outer skirt, reaching modestly above her breasts and concealing any cleavage, and had short sleeves. It had humble, well balanced lace patterns scoring the surface of the body in the same shade as the underskirt. The color scheme worked to embolden her bright pink lips and contrasted green eyes, complimenting a rather tedious but ornate looking braid that hung down behind her head.
Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders to her ears in embarrassment, cheeks filling with a rich blush. "I didn't dress very 'Halloween' themed."
Elsa forced a smile as sincere as she could, but it was hard under the weight of her sister's eyes. "That's okay," she assured. Then, in a quieter voice and to the floor, hoping Anna wouldn't hear, she added "you look really pretty." She glanced up to see if the red head heard.
Rapunzel bit her lip and blushed, and Anna scowled. Elsa quailed, but also became more agitated at her sister. Anna had been out practically all week with her boyfriend, and now that Elsa had her own significant other over, Anna had a problem with it. Elsa didn't know which of the plethora of emotions fighting within her was winning.
The oldest of the three, still smiling with a goofy curve of her lips, raised her hands as if to showcase the scenery and gushed "and it looks so nice in here, what with the candle light and the fireplace going. It's very romantic." she winked.
Elsa blushed until she heard Anna mumble "more like a fire hazard."
As azure eyes narrowed at such a comment, a chuckle danced from pink lips. Rapunzel had taken Anna's words as frivolous. "Yes, but it's definitely worth the risk." The green eyed woman winked at her girlfriend, causing Elsa's heart to skip a beat.
The tone of a soured voice was crystal clear to all present parties with the strawberry blonde's next comment. "Whatever you say." It was dismissive. Her fists, Elsa noticed, were clenched at her sides.
"Anna, is everything okay?" Of course, all three knew it wasn't by this time.
A tawdry expression was concomitant to "of course, why wouldn't it be?" Anna also looked like she was trying to restrain something within her, but it was still able to show glimpses of itself at her surface.
Elsa didn't even notice she was literally biting her tongue until the powerfully metallic taste of blood alerted her to it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't a simulation, this was real life, and it was gaining on her.
Rapunzel's voice had a smattering of confrontation now, but it was well mollified by concern. "It's just that, well, you've been acting a little weird lately. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah," came the insistence, followed by Anna meeting Elsa's eyes with an expression so miffed and sharp that she feared she might be skewered. She began to fight like a caged animal for air, but was also riled up like said beast. Anna continued scathingly. "I'm alright."
Elsa was held in place, focus being forced upon the teal eyes burrowing in to her like an arrow, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw her girlfriend glance between her and Anna. Rapunzel capitulated. "Okay."
A warm, protective hand grabbed a cold, frightened, shaking one, and Elsa felt that power roll in from her extremity to her chest and give an edge to her anger in its battle against her fear. It wasn't much of one, but it was enough to tip the scales, as it were. Tonight I'm going to fall in love with Rapunzel, she thought in retaliation to Anna's behavior, once again getting her plan back on track. It hadn't gone so well, but it hadn't derailed completely. Elsa turned to Rapunzel and pressed tightly against her so hard that she might have actually knocked the wind out of her, but she didn't care, she dug in.
She felt petite breasts against her own, she felt fingernails grab her back, she tried to feel something thrilling in the embrace, she searched every corner she could find, but just wasn't seeing what she wanted. So she kissed Rapunzel, who quickly kissed back. It felt good to do that in front of Anna, not because she wanted to arouse jealousy, but because if felt like she was getting back at her for something: anything, it didn't matter what. Anything Anna had done recently.
It did spawn a click of sorts in Elsa's core, but nothing major. It certainly made her heart beat faster, but there was a litany of reasons for that, the most prominent being that she couldn't stop herself from pretending that she was kissing Anna. Elsa wasn't about to give up, though, because she still had all night, and to Hell with Anna, she had had just about enough of her sister's surly attitude. So she kept kissing, and parted her lips to press her tongue against Rapunzel's. She didn't really know the rules even still, but she had picked up on what to do, for the most part.
Her girlfriend's lips opened and Elsa stuck her tongue in, finding and licking the other. The smooth yet bumpy texture filled her mouth and she pulled lightly on organized blonde strands of hair, the gentle and pleasant sensation of Rapunzel's hands roaming on her back. The short lived surge of energy at knowing she was making her sister jealous felt good. When Elsa pulled away, she was panting, and Anna was practically foaming at the mouth.
Instantly, Elsa regretted her actions. She played it cool as Anna grumbled and marched angrily upstairs.
Rapunzel had a lovestruck fool's grin when she commented "well, that was a little unexpected." She elbowed Elsa. "Maybe you and Anna should argue more often."
Elsa blushed furiously but also felt piqued, both happy with how well she was fairing while downstairs and sticking to the plan, and a little bothered by Rapunzel's statement. She tried to force any negatives away, though, because being angry with Rapunzel wouldn't make falling in love with her any easier. At least now Elsa had a break from the extreme stress that a battle of wits with Anna put her under, enabling her to relax slightly. "I can be exciting sometimes."
Rapunzel winked. "You're exciting all the time."
This was like their less than innocent texts, but right there and Elsa didn't have as long as she needed to think of a reply. So, she just let the fire on her face burn and dropped her gaze to the floor with an embarrassed smile.
Stepping a little closer with a wry grin, the older woman said "so, do you wanna watch a scary movie?"
Elsa, still flushed, looked up. "We do have a little while before I have to heat up dinner," she reasoned aloud.
"Ooh, what's for dinner?"
"That's a secret," the platinum blonde teased. She could behave with Rapunzel more like she did with Anna. Maybe that coupled with the blonde's and redhead's similar looks would help her fall for her girlfriend.
Rapunzel smiled but narrowed her eyes. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?"
"Mhm."
"Even if I say please?" She accented her question with a puppy-dog face. It reminded Elsa of the times that Anna did that. It always got to her, always shook and weakened her will. Unfortunately, the face Elsa was looking at right now didn't really make her want to cave. She had to keep up appearances, so she inserted some raillery into her voice, though it might have sounded a little forced.
"You'll just have to wait and see."
"Oh, you're a mean one," the other woman smirked.
Relieved she had played it off the way she wanted, Elsa grinned and put on a self-satisfied face. "I know."
Rapunzel chortled and said "C'mon, let's find a movie to watch," reaching out for Elsa's hand.
Elsa took her girlfriend's hand. She looked around her house and when her lungs became stiff, focused on the ground beneath her feet. Anna definitely wouldn't come back out. Elsa knew that her sister was fulminating safely away in her room, probably mentally spitting vitriol about how Elsa had chosen that dress.
Elsa still had an uneasy feeling in her gut, though.
They were laying down, well into a movie that Elsa wasn't paying a particularly large amount of attention to because of how fidgety she was. Throw yourself at her, Elsa had reminded herself. So, she was leaning on Rapunzel's shoulder and had her hand on a shapely thigh. It rested uncertainly at first, but when she noticed the light smile it earned, Elsa rested her hand more confidently. She'd rub said leg every now and then, which almost always elicited a tranquil purr from the older woman.
During the more frightening moments of the flick, the platinum blonde would squeeze said leg, and she noticed once that her hand had drifted farther up than she thought, being more than halfway up Rapunzel's thigh, encroaching a little under the hem of a brown skirt. She herself was uncomfortable with the situation when she noticed, and was about to fix it, but then remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She gauged her girlfriend to see if she was bothered, and was given an answer when Rapunzel put her hand on top of Elsa's and brushed her thumb over Elsa's knuckles.
So Elsa kept her hand there and had a pretty good idea about what exactly her significant other was feeling right then. It was given away by the excited smile and mild nibbling of pink lips, by Rapunzel's transparent disinterest in the movie and the unconscious brushing of platinum hair when they shared eye contact.
If Elsa were in Rapunzel's spot and it was Anna's hand on her thigh, rubbing her skin and squeezing tight, Elsa would be more than a little aroused by it. She'd probably be fending off a thundering heart and lecherous beg. Even when she pretended it was her sister's leg that she was touching for brief moments, she'd have a salacious reaction.
Speak- or rather think- of the Devil, and he shall appear, though, and Elsa was left with little time to ponder her questions. Heavy footsteps and a proud sounding declaration of "I'm going out now" made Elsa jump out of her skin.
Rapunzel calmed her down. Elsa held her breath and they both hesitantly looked back.
Elsa's eyes actually popped out of her skull. Her mouth dried so rapidly that she was sure her tongue would turn to dust, and her heart worked so fast that it felt like it was stopped. For a moment there was no noise. No movie in the background, no fire crackling, nothing, just sight so that Elsa's brain could use every last bit of power to focus on what she was seeing.
Anna was in quite the Halloween costume. Her top was plaid red and black, consisting of just a much too small button down shirt with the highest several buttons undone, the hem tied around her ribcage, leaving from just below her breasts to underneath her belly button completely bare. The top was open in a "V" formation, revealing breasts that had been pushed together and up to make nice, rounded mounds. The sleeves were long, but nothing else. Over her shoulders were slung overall straps, outlining her abdomen, which was smooth as satin and had sparse freckles.
Her pants- or rather mini shorts- were an embarrassment to overalls. They came to a halt once they did their job in covering Anna's backside, leaving more area than ever before for Elsa to drink up. They were a dull yet dark blue, along with their straps. To top it all off, the young woman wore mountaineer boots. Elsa had a hard time ripping her stare away from Anna's navel, especially considering how the red head was standing: resting on one straightened leg, hip cocked to the side, hand perched almost sensually on her waist, and quite an attitude on her face.
Fiery hair was once again pulled back in the way that Elsa was beginning to despise, covered by a woolen hat fit for a mountaineer. Elsa surmised that that's what the costume was supposed to be: a mountain woman. It failed in all functionality, obviously. It'd never be warm enough to brave such a terrain, let alone protect her from abrasions, bugs, and animals! It did, however, succeed with flying colors at spawning a demanding heat between Elsa's legs. She'd never seen Anna so exposed. She could feel libidinous desires pressurizing between her legs, felt the dampness they produced in hungry anticipation for what her entire body was aching to happen next.
Good God, Elsa couldn't breathe, the outfit was controlling her like a puppet, which might be exactly what Anna wanted. That must have been what she bought earlier that afternoon. Surprising both other women, but mostly herself, the platinum blonde burst "in that!?" Before anyone else could speak.
Anna cocked her head to the side and focused her attention on Elsa. With a wicked, self-assured grin, she said "yes. Do you have a problem with that?"
Elsa gulped. She was gonna faint. She was gonna die. Her diaphragm was so insolently uncooperative that she started seeing red spots in her field of view. "I- uh- I- just- it's just- uh, won't you be c-cold?" At least she found some kind of objection that didn't make it sound like she wanted nothing more than to rip those shorts off right then, right there.
Glaring eyes and a vile smile made clear the fact that Anna's next words were intended, undoubtedly, to hurt. "I'm sure Hans will keep me plenty warm."
They hit their mark. Elsa recoiled and her eyes misted, obscuring the pleasurable sight of her sister a little. Luckily, Rapunzel responded for her. "I'll keep my girlfriend warm while you're out, don't worry." She put her arm around Elsa's back, her digits resting upon flexed sides.
Anna looked bothered by this, but she kept chary. "I'll just have to see my sister later." The women stared each other down, both sizing the situation and trying to keep ahead of the other's wit. It seemed a little petty for either one, but based on Anna's attitude over the last week or so, it mostly seemed beneath Rapunzel.
That's why Elsa was actually relieved when the woman on the couch with her and sizing green eyes forfeited the duel, to an extent. "Just don't do anything stupid." Her words had an edge to them, but it was dull and ill-kept.
Anna was taken aback, emphasizing herself by placing both hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means just don't do anything you might regret, okay?" The hand on Elsa's side began to trace circles on her back, as if the deliberate shape created by such an act would bring order to the chaos of her mind and body.
"What could I possibly do with Hans that I'll regret?" When she said her boyfriend's name, the youngest of the trio glanced at her sister. Didn't breaking focus on her discussion and looking at Elsa mean that Anna was thinking about her when she said that? Elsa was fairly certain it did, otherwise, why look? Plus, even though Ann looked certain while facing Rapunzel, just for a split second when she turned her attention to Elsa, the confidence in her eyes fractured. The glance and the uncertainty Anna showed meant that she, on some level, linked Hans and Elsa together. That made sense, they were the two biggest people in Anna's life, but was there another reason?
"You never know," Rapunzel said with a certain amount of implication.
Anna pursed her lips, clearly angry, but also thinking. She eventually looked between her two foes and huffed. She then gave Elsa a trenchant, harsh, scolding, and jealous look and addressed her directly. "You'd better not do anything you'll regret, either."
It was an outright command, not a request. Like a sergeant to a private, she was telling Elsa what to do, telling her to behave. It intimidated the platinum blonde to the point of stupefaction and subpoenaed a fit of terror that always dwelt near the surface, so that it might act faster. She fought dyspnea. How dare Anna tell her what to do, though! After all the lies, after everything, she had the audacity to tell Elsa how to conduct herself! Elsa's body was tremulous in fear and fury, but her tongue was tied by the former. So she remained silent.
She was anxious in wonderment about where Anna was going and what she'd be doing, but that, for the time being, took a back seat.
When the red filter was removed enough for Elsa to see again, she saw her sister turn around, chin up, and march away. And wow, those hips. The natural sway in them made Anna's generous backside vie competently for attention. Her shorts hugged her curves tightly, and the all too familiar smarting between Elsa's legs and hotness on her chest returned as she watched her sister walk away.
Then, Anna was gone, swallowed by the horrible, extra-central world, and Elsa was just staring at where she had been for a moment. I'll do whatever I please, she thought in vengeance. Shortly, Rapunzel spoke up. "I'm sure she'll be fi- agh- mmm."
Elsa had jumped on her girlfriend, smashing their lips together. She was pretty sure that she bruised something somewhere or other, but that didn't matter. For now, she need Anna off her mind, and Rapunzel on her mind. So she made out with her.
Rapunzel's hand inched its way up Elsa's thigh, cautiously ferreting for the hold she wanted. It left tingles wherever it went. It breached the hem of her skirt and came a little close to her backside, however. Elsa tensed and although she was a little disconcerted by it, let it happen.
When both started to get hungry a little while later, Elsa popped in the stuffed peppers she had prepared earlier into the oven. Soon enough, they were seated at the table, across from one another, in the low, uneven candle light. The gentle scent of said candles hung soothingly in the air, their flames dancing like merry couples. Elsa imagined that had she been eating with Anna, they'd be next to each other. It was just passing sunset out, so the night was starting to come alive with tiny tots out on the hunt for free candy.
Elsa wasn't entirely present, though. She smiled and said "thanks" when Rapunzel guffawed and excitedly proclaimed how cute the jack-o-lantern themed peppers were, she stayed just engaged enough in conversation with her companion to keep it alive, and she ate slowly but surely. Now that her mind was free to wander, she wasn't exactly hungry, but she forced bites down here and there to keep appearances up.
Her mind was on Anna. Where she was, what she was doing, what the remnants of their once rich relationship looked like and if it was salvageable. Elsa didn't know what exactly she was feeling. There were the obvious components: choler, sorrow, anxiety, and loneliness; but there were more there, and she couldn't put her finger on them. Maybe it was simply indecisiveness, Elsa's inability to decide which emotion she wanted to feel. And that was the worst part: she didn't know if she wanted her relationship with Anna to be redeemable because she didn't know if she could survive the one-sided love, especially with how things had been going.
She needed Anna, yes. She loved Anna in the deepest, truest way possible, sure, but after all the pain that love had caused, Elsa thought she might want to cut ties. It was Rapunzel that initially made Elsa consider moving on from Anna, but maybe, in light of recent events, even if Rapunzel wasn't in the picture, burning the bridge was the best idea. Maybe Elsa should still move on.
But then what would I have? I'd have nothing! The platinum blonde nearly choked on her forkful of food, gagging at the idea of no Anna. Even their strained, stressful, and minimal contact provided some kind of remedy to Elsa's mind. Then, there was the matter of Hans. Elsa didn't trust him, especially with her sister. She couldn't just abandon Anna and leave her in what could be a detrimental relationship! Why was life so hard!? She sniffled and looked up, meeting dark green, very concerned eyes. "I know you're worried about her. She's going to be okay."
Elsa reckoned that Rapunzel was right to an extent, because it did calm down one sector of her brain or another. She gave a half-hearted smile. "Thank you, I know, I just, I..."
"You're stressed."
"Is it that obvious?" Elsa sounded more self conscious than she intended to.
"Only if you're paying as much attention as I am," the older said with a softness to her voice. The platinum blonde blushed and looked off to the side. Rapunzel continued, reaching across the table and grabbing pale hands in her own. "I'm here for you, Elsa."
Looking up, now on the verge of tears, Elsa dove through the window to her girlfriend's soul. She could see everything Rapunzel had to offer, but hadn't said, she could taste the replete emotions and plunge into the unbridled depth they owned. She couldn't help but wonder one thing: why was she still not falling in love?
The doorbell rang, making Elsa jump in her seat and snapping her attention to the door. Still, it was a welcome interruption, because the line she was just balancing on was perilous and unpredictable.
Rapunzel looked, too, then back to Elsa. "Should I get it?"
"Yes, um, yeah, I- I have some c-candy here." Elsa snapped out of it and nearly tripped over herself in haste for retrieving the tasty treats.
She handed the bag over to Rapunzel, who smiled and made sure their fingers caressed one another. The older then swung the door open to a chorus of "trick or treat!" Elsa wrapped her arms around her waist to shield herself from the terrors of the outdoors and watched from afar. She spied as Rapunzel giggled and complimented two young kids, who were bouncing in place, on their costumes, then gave them each some candies.
One was a little boy, who, from where Elsa stood, was no older than six or so. He wore an adorable snowman costume that even made his arms look like anamorphic sticks. Next to him was another boy, slightly older, who had on a simple reindeer costume. It was more Christmas-y, Elsa mused, but that didn't matter. The kids were out having fun with their father: her neighbor Oaken, a giant of a jolly man standing proudly behind his sons.
Out having fun. Wandering the streets, sneaking sweets, not a care in the world. Elsa remembered her days of trick-or-treating, before their mother passed. It was always perfect, with little Anna trotting beside her and her father, mother, or both guiding them around the neighborhood. She missed that. She missed being outside, she missed having a family.
Her heart howled in agony with a voice so truculent that it tightened her stomach and reduced it to nothing but a pit of putrid, toxic garbage with an offshoot more foul than a skunk's stink. Elsa breathed forcefully and wiped a newly formed tear from her hot, puffing eyes. She wanted to get better.
But there was no time to linger on the subject. The door was shut and Rapunzel was coming back. It was time for dessert. She instructed Rapunzel to take a seat while she retrieved the cake. She put in on a plate and, before leaving the kitchen, thought about putting aside a piece for Anna. She caught sight of the sink, in front of which Hans hounded her all those weeks ago. Her mind linked that to when Anna failed to defend her, and her eyes narrowed. That alone wasn't enough to stop Elsa from putting some away for Anna, but coupled with how the red head was so controlling earlier, it was. She took the cake to the dining room table where her girlfriend was waiting and served them each a slice.
Rapunzel grinned at Elsa and took a testing bite. She hummed in delight and chewed, her face obeying euphoria. "Mmm."
When they made eye contact, the younger forced a smile. It was nice having someone else approve of your baking, but it was a whole other thing to have Anna approve of it. Rapunzel's reaction made Elsa happy with her cake, but not happy with herself. She found herself simply wanting to tuck away into her room. Instead, she forced a few bites of dessert into a less than cooperative stomach. Even her esophagus seemed to push the food the wrong way.
"Elsa," Rapunzel said in a slightly drawn out voice.
The white-blonde looked up to meet teasing eyes with a smirk below them. She furrowed her brows. "Yes?"
The other woman giggled and tried to cover it with her fingertips. "You've got a little frosting." She pointed to the corner of her own mouth.
Elsa's eyes went wide and she hastily grabbed a napkin in hopes of removing any offending food fragments from her face, but Rapunzel interrupted. "It's fine, don't worry, I'll get it."
"Oh, uh..." Elsa froze in front of the flirtatious expression. Her heart stalled if only for discomfort, not arousal. She just sat still as a gentle finger slid against the corner of her lips, delicate as a fine artist's paint brush. It tickled a little, but Elsa lacked the deep red hue that Rapunzel had when she performed her action.
She then stuck the frosted finger into her own mouth, sucking on it in a heavily mischievous way, her flush now concealing her freckles. Elsa imagined for a flaring second that it was her sister sitting before her. She nearly fainted at the butterflies it hatched in her stomach and heat wave it pushed on her chest. Unfortunately, chimerical blue-green eyes lost their cyan touch and she was left disappointed with reality.
That's when Elsa began searching for the proper way to give up.
By later that evening, Elsa hadn't made any headway on her predicament. Should she break up with Rapunzel? If she did, how? She didn't know if there was right or wrong way to go about it. She knew she didn't want to hurt Rapunzel, because she still considered her a very dear and important friend, but she didn't know if it was possible to cut off their relationship without some sort of collateral damage to their friendship.
Actually, Elsa was damn sure deep down that breaking up was the only option, she just didn't want to admit it because it would sire conflict, and that worried her. Never mind the resentment and sorrow. Even more going on in her life wouldn't be good. But, even if it didn't complicate things, when would be the least sordid moment to drop the bomb? Should I do it tonight and get it over with? Should I wait for the right time? Will any time ever feel right?
These questions were precisely why Elsa played along for the remainder of dessert and after that. They drained her mind of its analytical skills and forced auto pilot upon her body. As a result, she was just sitting with Rapunzel on the couch in front of the fire, indecisive as to what to do, and part hoping that Rapunzel would find it time to take her leave. That way, Elsa didn't have to do anything. She could just run back to her room and silently complain all night.
That is, until a serious yet shy voice pulled her back. "Hey, um, honey?" Rapunzel was fiddling with her fingers, looking between the platinum blonde and her lap, skittish and unsure of herself.
Now distrustful of her own instincts telling her to pay attention, the platinum blonde said "yes, Rapunzel?"
"I, um- ehem- I want to tell you something." Rapunzel meekly made eye contact, head still tilted slightly down and tips of her fingers white from squeezing too hard. The pusillanimous attitude coupled with the genuine, weighty air between them made Elsa want to not let this happen. But she couldn't just say no.
"W-what is it?" Elsa's heart was beating rapidly. Whatever this was, she was sure she wouldn't like it. Her mind was alight with swirling possibilities. Is it about my phobia? Is it about our relationship!? What if it's about my feelings forAnna!?
It seemed to take hours, the answer. Elsa had to wait in apprehension as ice enclosed her feet and Rapunzel grabbed her hands in a newly intimate way. It was just... different. More tender perhaps, more care given to the fingers and palms. She had to stand by as green eyes locked with hers, purposefully letting Elsa look all the way in. "I," Rapunzel finally muttered in a tremulous, breathy voice, "I love you."