The girls made their way to Elsa's room. They didn't have to, they were alone in the house, but it was Anna's idea. That meant that she was cognizant of Elsa's struggle and making sure to accommodate it, it meant the world to Elsa. Anna was looking out for her, even if it wasn't outright stated.
The walk there was still awkward and silent, though. Elsa didn't know if she should talk on the way or hold hands or something. There was an odd, uncomfortable feeling between them that reminded Elsa of the Uncanny Valley, but a different kind of discomfort. A ravine dug between two people who were once best friends. It wasn't like two people like that could just go right back to the way they were before, they had to go through a process similar to getting to know one another all over again, but that was extra awkward feeling because they already knew each other.
Elsa decided that entering her own room with the knowledge of what was about to happen felt like having a cool flash of relaxation followed by a severe hot flash of nervousness. Her heart was loud and clear, she was already beginning to get hostile chills, and her throat was tight.
Anna shut the door behind them, Elsa hardly noticed. They sat down on Elsa's bed, as if their increase in physical comfort would also ease their minds. The sisters were perched a few feet apart, neither wanting to shatter the impressively sized bubbles of personal space they both had formed over the last weeks.
Elsa forgot how to talk.
Luckily, her sister did not. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, running her hands through her bangs and subsequently trying to tuck hair behind her ear. Elsa always liked that quirk. "I um," the younger woman began in a very low voice, "I don't really know where to begin."
Elsa didn't either, so she kept mute. Her throat was already starting to ache from holding tears. She hugged herself to dispel her unease.
"I guess," Anna said sincerely as she made apologetic eye contact with her elder. "I guess I'll start by saying I'm sorry."
A bizarre vocal production escaped Elsa, something akin to what a crying mouse might sound like. "I'm sorry, too," she sniffled and whispered. Her sister's apology was like a band-aid finally placed over the heavy wounds she had attained: a great comfort to have but functionally inept for the job being performed. If it was a small cut, that'd be fine, but it wasn't. If the apology was like a band-aide, maybe the talk would be like time, healing everything.
That's not to say it didn't feel good, because it did. It felt glorious, relieving, exciting, and head-spinning. Anna was back, helping to mend their relationship, they were going to be sisters again, and Elsa had high hopes that they'd be just as close as before. Her heart was upbeat and fast and her eyes were damp when she made eye contact with her younger sister.
God, Elsa missed staring in to them. And here she was, doing just that, right now. It rejuvenated her, being able to openly look into aquamarine orbs for several extended seconds. It created a spasm that was halfway between a sob and a laugh. "I- I missed you, Anna."
For the first time in a long time, Anna smiled genuinely at her older sister. She displayed affection, caring, love as she tenderly whispered "I missed you, too." She placed her hand uncertainly on Elsa's, ever so gently making contact and bridging the gap between the two. The touch sent warm tingles up the platinum blonde's entire arm, giving her goosebumps congruously over her shoulder and back. It was a clear swirl of happiness in her turbid life.
"Look, Elsa," the younger continued. Elsa held her breath. "I know now that I hurt you a lot, I just wish I saw it sooner." Anna gently squeezed Elsa's hand to emphasize her point.
Elsa was pretty sure she was actually melting. That apology felt like a swish of refreshing air over a burn. It stymied the pain momentarily, but didn't finish the job of healing. She was still a little scared, but felt more safe now that she was with her sister, the real one. "It-it's okay," she sniffled, "you didn't mean it."
Anna smiled in a way that Elsa could only describe as lovingly. It gave her butterflies.
"Plus," the platinum blonde said, voice shaking in apprehension, nervous about how her Anna would take what she was about to say, "Hans had a lot of control over you."
Anna looked slightly uncomfortable at this comment, taking her hand from Elsa's in order to fiddle with her own. Elsa was terrified that she had said something wrong and it was going to cause her sister to close off and become distant again. She waited with baited breath in suspense. Finally, Anna lightly said "I've been thinking about what you said, that Hans is manipulating me." She hugged herself and looked down self-consciously.
Elsa just listened, completely ambivalent about where this conversation was about to go, but seeing her sister so vulnerable looking broke her heart.
"What um, what made you think that?" Anna looked nervous as she asked the question, eyebrows hung loosely over her eyes and teeth acting on her lower lip. The anxiety in her voice was almost palpable.
Elsa took a deep breath. Where to even begin? She supposed she'd start with the most obvious. She told Anna what happened the night of their double date, when Hans cornered her in the kitchen.
While listening, Anna looked like a swirling mixture of heartbreak, caring, anger, and attempted atonement. She once more clutched her sister's hand. "Oh, Elsa, I- I had no idea, I..."
"It's okay," the older woman said in a deep sigh. "You didn't know." She looked off to the side.
Anna's eyes widened suddenly, and Elsa didn't have to wonder what her epiphany was, because she immediately started working through it out loud. "That means- that means that that night, where you yelled at Hans and I thought you didn't have a reason, that night you did have a reason, and I got mad at you, Elsa, I'm so sorry! He- he was taunting you right in front of me!"
The younger sister was working her own blood pressure up in a self feeding cycle. The more she realized, she angrier she got. Except this time it wasn't at Elsa, this time it was all for Hans. She continued. "That- that- agh! I can't believe he tricked me like that, I can't believe he hurt you like that! And all this time I thought you irrationally hated him! That- that dirtbag! No, you know what? Dirtbag is too good for him, I don't even know what to call him!"
It was Elsa's turn to reach out. Literally. Her heart struck like nearby thunder as she extended her free hand to reign in her sister's flailing ones. "It's okay, it's okay, Anna," she insisted, her voice hitching on every other syllable with sobs. When she did this, Anna calmed down and refocused, looking apologetically at her elder and they found themselves just staring into each other's eyes for what felt like a long time. Elsa noticed how soggy and water-logged Anna's eyes looked and it made her own prickle with insipid tears.
They both seemed to draw the same conclusion about what to do next, because Anna just broke down and lunged into her sister at the same time that Elsa did. They hugged tightly, their hearts beat so close together that they felt connected. Elsa was able to once again feel the electricity traverse her spine at the feeling her Anna's bosom on hers and the huge area of contact between the two. Endorphins gave Elsa a rush as they goaded all of the negativity away.
"I should have never left you," Anna whined. "I should have never hurt you, I shouldn't have let him hurt you." Nails were digging into her back, but Elsa didn't mind. She wasn't bothered by the wet spot appearing on her shoulder, either, because they meant that she was getting her Anna back. Even while being a sniveling mess, she was able to enjoy the familiar, flowery scent of her sister's hair.
Elsa utilized a trick she learned from Anna using it on her for years: she rubbed her thumbs in little circles across the younger girl's back, gently forcing order upon her. It seemed to work a little bit. "It- it's not your fault," the platinum blonde shamefully admitted, "it's m-mine."
Anna pulled back, leaving her hands on either one of Elsa's shoulders and giving her a stern look. "No, Elsa, I'm the one who starting dating him, I let it go on behind my back-"
"B-but I'm the one wh-who was too needy," the elder interrupted, a lump in her throat impeding her voice.
"No, Elsa, that's not why-"
"Yes it is!" Elsa launched right in to explaining her reasoning. "I needed you all day every day, I took up all of your free time, and th-that's why you started dating Hans, isn't it? B-because you needed space?"
"Elsa, you can't think like that, that's just tracing a butterfly effect, I'm-"
"And you said! You said you want to be done!" The platinum blonde's voice was hoarse with tears and the acute pain and subsequent ache from the argument came back in a rush, but she didn't shy away from her sister. She was confiding in her once again.
"Elsa," Anna just whispered with such care that it was like she was putting the finishing touch on a giant house of cards. She gently cupped the platinum blonde's pale, wet cheek as she said her name. "I- I didn't mean that, I was- I was just mad, and I'm sorry for saying that."
Diverting her gaze from teal, Elsa gently and mournfully said "r-really?"
There was a length of time where no sounds came from either girl and the air became like stretched elastic between them. Elsa didn't have to look up, she could feel the gears turning as her younger sister thought about what to say next. "Maybe it was Hans getting in my head," she suggested, implying strongly that she fully agreed with Elsa about Hans. "But I was saying those things to hurt you, and- and I wish I didn't."
"E-even when you were in your room talking to Hans?" The words came out a little offensive, but were still largely in the defensive position.
Anna looked dumbstruck. Her eyes stared in shock while her mouth hung open silently. After a few seconds, she regained some motor control. "I- wuh- what? When?"
"The n-night we t-tried to confront d-dad," Elsa sounded like she was half crying, half talking. "I overheard y-you talking to Hans in your r-room." When her sister remained mute, the elder explained exactly what she overheard, about how she found out Anna was lying.
A couple seconds went by and a freckled face filled with recollection and understanding. Anna was having an epiphany, a moment where she finally understood why Elsa had become distant, what really catalyzed their mutual drift and wreaked havoc on their lives like a bull in a china shop. She deflated, eyes watering. "Oh, no, Elsa, you- you didn't hear everything."
Elsa's ears perked up. She had mixed feelings about the way that this could go, but she just sat there, inviting the answer to come.
"The last thing that I said was 'maybe you're right, but I'm not giving up, and neither is she.'"
Now, Elsa looked back up. And when she saw the candid eyes and the soft, apologetic smile on Anna's face, she could tell that there wasn't a single lie being told. She had been wrong. Anna wasn't giving up, Anna didn't mean what she said last night about wanting to be done, she was putting on one Hell of a convincing show. Elsa had to take a moment to let the wonderful and powerful set of emotions inundate her body. "S-so you're still not tired of taking care of me? Of dealing with my- my- agoraphobia." Saying that word was harder than eating a huge, hairy spider, and it felt just like one traversing Elsa's throat. But she said it, because that was the first step to owning it.
Anna stroked Elsa's bangs gently, sending a delightful shiver all over the older girl's body. She closed her eyes to focus more on the ecstasy and leaned in to the touch. "How could I be? You're my blondie."
Elsa felt an overpowering urge to cry collide with an unstoppable need to laugh inside of her and it made her feel like a wet noodle for just a second, then settled like a buzz in her stomach and around her heart.
"I still wouldn't trade you, exactly how you are, for the world, Elsa."
Every single muscle in the older sister's face was at odds with its complement as she held back tears. She leaned in and once more clung to Anna, burying her face in the crook of a familiar, comforting neck. "And I wouldn't trade you for anything."
Anna's voice considerably lifted the mood surrounding the atmosphere. There wasn't too much tension from alienation between them at this point, but however much was left was annihilated by her witty comment. "Not even for a new dress?" Elsa could hear her sister's smirk, no need to leave the embrace. I've missed her so much, she thought as a small chortle escaped.
"Who needs a new dress when I have you?" She meant for the reply to come across as playful, but it instead sounded impressively serious. Anna didn't seem to mind, though, as she hummed and tightened the hug. Elsa's heart was on overdrive, finally able to take a reprieve from stress only to be swamped by love.
"I don't know, I hear there are some really nice ones on sale," Anna joked.
Despite herself, Elsa smiled and laughed at the comment, giving her younger sister a good-natured slap on the back. "Don't push your luck." They both sat up, enabling eye contact, Elsa still grinning like a fool. Looking rapidly between her hands, which were restless, and Anna, the platinum blonde quietly reiterated "I've missed you so m-much," her eyes becoming misty.
"I've missed you, too," Anna said sweetly. "I missed being able to talk to you about anything."
They just smiled for a few moments. Anna then seemed to snap out of something and subconsciously closed off her body language somewhat, as if she wasn't confident or willing to control something. She tucked some hair behind her ear. Elsa panicked, afraid she'd done something wrong, scared that something had been ruined between them again. The room started spinning, but Anna's hesitant voice stopped it.
"Hey, um, I know I wasn't there and I'm sorry, but- well, I just wanted to make sure- I mean, I've asked you before but we were kinda sorta not talking when I did and I just wanna be really sure that um, that, you know, since you broke up with Rapunzel and all, that you're really okay."
Given more normal circumstances, Elsa would have giggled at her sister's little, awkward rant. But these were far from average times and she couldn't help but feel a little discomfort as memories of her and Rapunzel surfaced. She wondered how her friend was doing. After all, they hadn't really talked. Maybe I should call and see... after I get a new phone. Or should I give her more time? Elsa still felt bad for what she did, and that brought her down a little. Anna definitely noticed the minute change in her sister's behavior, but she let the subject pass tacitly, probably using it to guess what Elsa's answer would be.
But Elsa had to think, really think about Anna's question. Was she sad at the loss of Rapunzel? Yes, she was, but it felt like she was upset about the prospect of losing a friend. She was also lonely, oh so lonely, and that was one of the worst parts of the passed few weeks. But she had Anna back now, so she didn't feel as isolated, she didn't ache as much.
So, was Elsa okay? "Yes, now that I have you back," she decided, cheeks flushing slightly. She shyly looked up to find a small grin on perfect, pink lips and a hint of scarlet on matching cheeks. The sight made Elsa's heart flutter.
"I'm glad you're okay," the red head offered, appearing to believe her sister's words.
Elsa couldn't hold it back anymore, she had been pining to say something out loud ever since Anna started drifting away from her, but it kept getting caught in the proverbial filter between her mind and her mouth. "I love you so much," she whispered. It felt amazing. It elicited a release of dopamine so powerful that it made her entire body shudder and her heart skip a beat.
But that was nothing in comparison to the warmth and joy that ravished her when Anna fell into a tight hug once more and said "I love you too, Elsa," leaving her breath to trickle down her older sister's ear and seduce her back.
Elsa sighed in joy. She had her Anna back.
The next day, when Anna returned from class, the girls got right to their homework. It felt good, being able to at least sort of focus on her powerpoints and example problems. But, Elsa still wasn't fully focused. How would she be? Anna was right next to her on the couch, their shoulders brushing against each other. She'd steal glances like precious gems, blushing whenever Anna would catch her. Anna didn't seem to mind, though, she was smiling, too. Oh, and the pig tails were back.
Yes, the couch. Elsa wasn't completely back to being comfortable downstairs, but she was trying. Having her sister back and life returning closer to normal helped magnitudes. She still would have minor flashes of panic, during which she'd have to close her eyes and pretend she was in her room. Anna noticed the first time it happened.
"Elsa, are you okay? What's wrong?" The voice sounded a little far away as the older girl focused on not having a panic attack.
"I- I'm just not used to leaving my r-room," she said in a shaky voice, unwilling to expurgate her thoughts after what happened last time she lied.
There was an arm wrapped around her shoulders now. It placated the trying thuds of her heart and took ascendancy against her upcoming attack. "Do you want to move upstairs?"
"No," Elsa said, because she wanted to step outside of her comfort zone. Facing the smallest encampments of her fears first was the only way to start making progress, to at least getting back to where she used to be.
"Are you sure?" Anna was craning and leaning in to make eye contact with Elsa now. The platinum blonde drank in the sight, hoarding resolve as she did.
"I w-want to get better."
Anna's mouth curved so smoothly that Elsa almost missed it. Her eyes seemed to pile up with something as she took a moment to collect her thoughts. "I'm really proud of you, Els." And that's all that Elsa needed. That was the only thing she required to be satisfied with her decision, to have the willpower to actually follow through with it. And Anna making an effort to show how truthful she was being helped, too. "I mean it."
A couple of hours after that, with dinner time approaching, the younger sister got Elsa's attention and gave her a straight, serious look. She wore a nice, dark green dress and had put effort into her makeup. She didn't, however, cover her freckles. "Elsa," she said, unconfident in her words and making the platinum blonde apprehensive.
"Y-yes," she asked, looking up from her work.
Anna interlaced both of their hands. That helped Elsa focus on the situation at hand instead of on her imaginative worst case scenarios. "I have dinner plans with Hans tonight-"
"B-but I thought- I-" Here came that panic attack from earlier, and fast. Elsa's mind was spinning like a rampaging merry-go-round.
"Shh, shh, Elsa, Elsa, it's okay," Anna interrupted, taking a squatting position in front of her sister.
"Please don't go." To herself, Elsa's voice sounded like a sad kitten.
"I can't just ignore him."
Almost too eagerly, the elder insisted "y-yes you can! What if he does something?"
Anna looked appreciatively at Elsa. "Don't worry, I just need to talk to him, I won't let him play any mind games on me. I just want him to pay for what he did to you. To us."
Elsa knew she couldn't win this, even if she didn't think her sister was completely right. She had to trust Anna. "Okay," she relented. "B-but be careful."
A gentle squeeze of the hands was the first response that the elder got. It felt like Anna was wringing the worries out of Elsa like one wrings out a wet towel. "I will."
Elsa just nodded. Her heart squirmed in her chest and her stomach pitted itself. She wanted Anna to stay. But I have to learn- I have to give her the space she needs, and she needs to do this. Elsa could tell that much. Anna was too hard-headed to leave something half done or give up halfway through. That's one of the many things that Elsa loved about her.
"I'll be back before you know it, okay?"
Again, the platinum blonde answered mutely. She saw Anna off, standing way back when the door was opened and anxiously waving her goodbye. Yes, Elsa was discontented that Anna left and was with Hans, but her mental strain was eased because she knew she had Anna back; she knew she could trust her.
Elsa tried to stay downstairs for the entire time Anna was gone, but over the course of a few hours, her intransigent fear started to get to her. She wanted to stay and fight it, but it slowly became a losing battle, and she had to fall back to her room, where she knew she was safe. She worked through as many more powerpoint slides as she could, doing her darnedest to focus, but eventually her mind became weary and so did her body. It was getting a little into evening and she hadn't really slept the night before, so she started feeling the weighty affects of drowsiness rapidly.
She really hoped that Anna was okay, and she wished that she was back home. She thought she might as well prepare herself for bed. Even though it was difficult, she went out and brushed her teeth, then changed and went back to her lessons.
Unfortunately, she had to hunker down for a little while longer before she finally heard the front door open back up. She jumped out of her bed in excitement. It had to be Anna, it wasn't late enough for their father to be home. She cracked open her door just enough to fit her head out, and sure enough came the voice she wanted to hear. "Elsa?"
The platinum blonde's heart leapt. "I'm- I'm up stairs!"
Shortly, Anna was in front of her sister. When she got there, she smiled and gave her a hug. "Hey, Elsa. Ooh, you're all ready for bed?" Anna didn't sound upset, just surprised.
Elsa hugged her back. "I didn't sleep well last night," she admitted, half hoping that Anna wouldn't figure out that it was because of her. She didn't want her younger sister to feel bad. After all, she knew she'd sleep well tonight.
Anna winced, causing Elsa to also flinch, because it meant she knew why Elsa didn't sleep. "Yeah- uh, sorry about that- I should've called or-"
"No, it's okay." Elsa wished to not let the mood get lost in the dark. She felt a furious heat permeate her cheeks as she admitted "I um, I broke my phone, anyway."
"You what- huh- how? Actually, you know what? I don't even want to know," Anna was baffled but still teasing.
"I was a little angry," Elsa offered shyly.
Anna bit her lip in thought and then rubbed Elsa's shoulder. "We'll get you a new one tomorrow." She smiled without judgment. "Oh, and a new dress," she teased.
Elsa blushed but was relieved that she wasn't receiving any flak for her reckless action. Anna apparently knew pretty wellhow sensitive the topic was, so she was being careful not to poke too much fun at her sister for it. The elder appreciated that. "Thank you," she blushed. "So, um, how did your talk go?" Her stomach felt like it was being eaten from the inside out by rats.
The red head gulped and tucked an ethereal strand of hair behind her left ear. Fidgeting in place she said "I-I broke up with Hans."
Elsa didn't know whether to make sure that Anna wasn't broken up about it or cheer as loud as she could. There was a parade pounding through her body, and upbeat, loud, excited fanfare playing to the march of her heartbeat.
She opted to focus on Anna. "I- are you okay?"
Pink lips twitched in several different directions sequentially, as if their owner couldn't decide which emotion to exhibit. "Y-yeah," came the answer after a few seconds. "Let's um, let's just get you to bed, okay?" She placed a gentle hand on Elsa's back and guided her to the bed. The touch felt like a soft, electric current buzzing into the elder's body. She loved it.
"How-how'd he react? Did he hurt you?" Elsa asked a little bit anxiously. Given how much of a slime ball she felt Hans was, she was worried about possible repercussions from Anna's actions.
"No, he- he tried to play it cool and charm me in to changing my mind, but-" Anna looked at her sister, boring her eyes truthfully into Elsa's, "-but after what you told me, nothing will change my mind."
Elsa's heart swelled ferociously, but her sister's behavior was still a little tense. Now at her bed, Elsa looked over at Anna. She felt a spike of love so powerful that she was barely able to contain the urge it created to hug her sister and smother her with kisses. "Are you sure you're okay?" The party within her had died down rather quickly when she noticed Anna's inarticulate but clearly not okay look.
"Mm-hm, I'm fine."
Elsa wanted to push the subject, but she refrained from doing so. Maybe Anna just needed a little time alone to process the whole thing. Don't be too needy, give her some space, or else you'll screw everything up again. Conflicted, the pale woman postponed climbing into her bed to give her sister a hug. The embrace was returned readily with a soft shudder from Anna that made Elsa's heart skip like a broken record. "I'm here for you if you need me."
Anna sniffled. "Thank you," she whispered.
When they were done, Elsa got comfy and Anna leaned over the edge of the bed. The older girl's heart pounded progressively louder as her sister got nearer. Was this happening? It'd been so long that Elsa's mouth went dry at the prospect. It was, Anna was puckering her lips.
Elsa closed her eyes as warmth pushed gently against her forehead, almost moaning at the soft, obscenely intimate feeling contact. Swirling around her entire body were stirring desires and delights alike. It felt so much more than sisterly.
To Elsa's dismay, Anna pulled back, leaving a cool spot where her lips once were. "Goodnight, Elsa. I love you."
"I- I love you, too," she whispered. Anna grinned warmly at this and turned to leave, Elsa catching her walking away in her form fitting jeans. "Too much," she whispered because she had to, but she didn't want Anna to hear. Heat pooled naturally between Elsa's legs as she watched, only to see Anna glance back tenderly as she passed through the door. When it shut, Elsa rolled over.
Yep, everything was right back to normal for Elsa, down to pining for Anna to walk back through that door and stay with her all night. But that was just a hope, a wild dream.
Elsa was starting to drift off. Although she was still concerned about Anna and how she was certainly not okay, her mind was, relatively speaking, peaceful. She could tell that that night would be the most restful one she'd had in a while.
And that's one of the reasons why as she began to fall asleep, she had a serene smile on her face.
That is, until a knock shocked her like a nine volt to the tongue. Her eyes ripped open and heart pounded at the startling noise as she turned rapidly to face her door. "Elsa?" came her sister's voice.
Elsa had to clear her throat to speak. "Yes, Anna?"
"Can I come in?"
"o-of course." Her heart skipped like a flat stone on a pond.
Anna did just that, Elsa sat herself up against the headboard. Teal eyes were trained on their hands, who were nervously fiddling with each other. Anna sat on the side of the bed such that she was close to Elsa and she could turn her body to face her. "Earlier, I- well, I don't want to keep anything from you."
Being jittery but also ecstatic was starting to become banal to Elsa. She sat there expectantly, silently asking for Anna to elaborate. She did.
"I really am sorry for leading you on about, well, you know, your progress. I thought I was helping but- but I wasn't and I should have just told you the truth." Copper hair, which was undone from it's twin braids, hung shamefully.
Elsa had to hug Anna. She had already forgiven her for that. I suppose I didn't make that clear enough. She leaned forward into an embrace that was soft and warm-hearted, as inviting as she could make it without accidentally crossing the line from sisterly territory. Anna returned it and buried her face into the crook of Elsa's neck. It tickled. "It's okay, Anna, I know you were just protecting me."
Anna let her weight loose so they both fell onto the pillows, now lying down on the bed. Elsa was hyper conscious of her sister's night gown and thought she might pass out. She desperately needed to fan herself off, but there was no opportunity for that. The younger girl mumbled "I'll tell you the truth from now on, okay?" She still sounded upset with herself.
To lighten the weight on Anna's shoulders, Elsa pulled her head back to make sure that she was seen grinning. "Only if you promise to also keep being the best sister ever."
This seemed to work, Anna chortled. "I promise, Blondie."
Elsa giggled. "Is that a thing now? 'Blondie?'"
Winking, the younger girl poked fun. "I think it's a cute nickname for you."
Blushing wildly and also smiling like a crowned fool, 'Blondie' decided it was time for a counter-attack. "Whatever you say, Freckles."
After a split second of faking a taken-aback reaction, Anna laughed and confided "I like that one."
Elsa smirked. "Me too."
They found themselves laying on their sides, faces inches apart and facing each other. Anna's eyes looked so big from this close, so full of everything that Elsa wanted, so pure, and so troubled, even if her lips were curved upwards. And in an instant, Anna was crying.
Eyes widening at the sudden display, Elsa once again pulled her sister close. She was confused, just seconds ago, she seemed to be so happy. "Anna, what's wrong?"
Wow those nails really dug into Elsa's shoulder. "I just- after I broke up with Hans, I needed some time to think, so I went and s-sat in the p-park, that's why I was gone for so l-long."
Anna sounded like she was going to continue, so Elsa simply rubbed her back and whispered "it's okay."
"And I- I realized something." She pulled back to look her elder in the eyes, her own turning red and puffy, oozing tears. Anna sniffled and wiped her button nose.
Elsa furrowed her brow. "What'd you realize?" She was selfishly frightened that it was something about her, but no matter what, she was going to let Anna get this off her chest. Elsa just hoped it wasn't going to damage them.
"Hans," Anna said, to the platinum blonde's relief, "the way he was behaving- for our whole relationship- was really a-abusive, and- and everything he did to me- to you- m-makes sense now. It's s-sick, but it make sense."
Elsa was almost speechless, sporting a lump in her throat. "H-how?" She gulped.
"H-he was putting you down behind m-my back, he was making it seem, to m-me, like you w-were giving up and th-then I think- I think," Anna sniffled and sobbed in the middle of her thought, trying to collect herself. Elsa helped her along by comforting her. "I think he was purposefully alienating us and- and wanted c-complete control over m-me."
"Anna-"
"I mean, he tried to make me reliant on him! He made me change the way I act, the way I look, everything that makes me, me!" She whispered remorsefully. "H-he was trying to take away the part of my life that really matters." She then made eye contact with her sister, conveying her meaning. "You."
The older girl's heart swelled, surging burning tears into her eyes and thudding against her ribcage. I'm what matters to Anna, she thought, letting the feeling wriggle around in her stomach and blossom like a vivid flower. And Anna's what matters to me. She couldn't speak through the cotton ball lodged in her esophagus, so she just pressed herself against her sister so tight that they may have partially fused.
And Anna did the same.
Elsa took a tremulous breath. "I love you, Anna."
That was apparently exactly what the other girl needed to hear, because she hummed and adjusted into a more comfortable position, markedly relaxing into their now tangled mess of limbs. "I love you, too."
Elsa didn't want to move, ever. So she didn't. She felt the inviting pull of arousal form between her knees at the full body contact with Anna. Their soft night gowns didn't provide very much separation, and that made her heart pound and entire body feel numb with desire. But the best part was the reciprocal love that Anna displayed, even if it was only sisterly, it was still love. It made Elsa feel wanted, it made her feel safe, and it made staying put, right where she was, so close to Anna, the only thing she wanted at that moment. A little while later, she finally dozed off, and they fell asleep in each other's warmth.