Disclaimer: I own Nothing.
Today's the day! I sprung out of bed like I'd been injected with caffiene and quickly rushed in to the bathroom. She's officially eighteen! I had stayed up until midnight to text her. Of course I'd tried calling a few times but when I figured I was bordering on stalker mode, or annoying, I simply left a few messages, all of which wishing her a happy birthday.
I threw my clothes off and stepped into the shower. One should never be this excited to go to school. Shoving the thought aside, I tried to calm myself but it proved useless when I thought of the way she'd handled the Olaf situation.
"Hey st. James you got a date for prom?" He asked and I tried desperately not to charge in there and carry her off. Nope, I wasn't jealous...
"Leave her out of it, Olaf." Merida snapped.
"I know Anna has a voice and I would like to hear it." Olaf said gently so as not to provoke the other redhead. I absently took a step forward and in the back of my mind, I wondered if I was being obvious enough in the hall for anyone to call me out on it but I was too focused on the words that came out of my redhead's mouth.
"Who says I'm going to prom? I can't exactly go with my girlfriend and I very well can't go with a guy." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal and the look on Olaf's face was priceless
"I-I had no idea you liked girls." He stuttered and I wanted nothing but to rush in there and hug her.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Olaf." She gave him a tight smile, which was odd, since she rarely did so to anyone. I figured she was trying to be nice.
My smile faltered a bit at that confession, though. Merida caught on to it too and basically turned the attention away from them to the other plans they had for Prom. I didn't get to hear the rest as Anna excused herself and I did my best to skitter off down the hall to the restrooms. Of course I knew that was where she was headed and I wasted no time in attacking her there.
When I finished with my shower, I immediately went downstairs for a cup of coffee. To my surprise, Rapunzel was already awake. Normally I left for school before she even woke up but my ears picked up some odd rock music. Heavy metal? Nothing I listened to anyway. Is she really using my stereo without my consent? And what the hell is she even-
I stopped in my tracks as Rapunzel appeared out of nowhere still in those ridiculously short shorts of hers and barely there tank top. Luckily, by now I was almost immune to her sleeping habits, but if it were my redhead- "Too big. Too small, size does matter after all..."
I stared blankly at her, forgetting about that fantasy of seeing Anna there instead, I had not even realized that she could sing. I admit though, she didn't sound too bad, even if I couldn't quite understand what she was saying after the first line. German perhaps? Rolling my eyes, I slid around her to go to the coffee pot and again, to my surprise, coffee was already made.
"Did something happen? You're acting strange." I asked narrowing my eyes suspiciously at her.
"No-" she drawled ominously, lifting herself up on the counter to smirk at me. When she didn't elaborate I didn't press for fear that she'd go off on me. The woman had no shame, that much was certain. As if to prove my point, the song dipped and Rapunzel hopped off the counter to point a mock accusing finger at me. "You've got a pussy!"
My face drained of color.
"She has a dick! So what's the problem? Just do it quick!" The omitted words had me pushing her out of the way so I could unplug the stereo altogether.
"What the hell kind of song is that?!" I practically yelled with my heart pounding in my ears. Oh my god! I will not survive living with this woman!
"It's called Pussy and I thought it would get you in the mood to ravish your girlfriend today." She said matter-of-factly and I raised a brow at her. She wouldn't have just so happened to have eavesdropped on me now would she? By that glint in her eye, I knew she did. "What's the matter, you don't like vagina music?" That stupid smirk hadn't left her face.
"Do you seriously have to use those words so damn early in the morning?" Before coffee?
"Vagina, vagina, pussy-" She taunted and I had no choice but to tackle her. I didn't care if she went to school with bruises all over her or a sore neck, I just had to shut her up. If anything, I took her by surprise, she squealed as we ended up flipping over the couch and thankfully I landed on top.
"Stop. Talking . Like. That!" I growled at her, pinning her arms over her head.
"Ooohh kinky, what happened to your not-touching-intimately policy. Are you giving into me?" She licked her lips, eyes completely mocking me. Something about that look made something in me snap. A feeling of calm washed over me and I suddenly smirked at her.
"In your dreams, Kritzer. Your possibly very hot, very wet dreams." It was my turn to lick my lips sensually. I watched her eyes widen at my sudden empowerment. Already, her resolve was weakening, teasing faltering. In just that short time, I was indeed turning her on. "On the contrary, I think you're giving in to me Punzie. I can feel your body warming up." I lowered my voice, taking full advantage of her attraction to me.
"W-whatever-" She bit her lip in slight horror. She'd already cracked and I hadn't done anything. Guess she does like me that much. "A-alright you win! Now get off of me before you regret it." Scraping up whatever dignity she had left, she used it to bare her teeth at me in something between a sneer and a grin.
"I normally try not to regret my decisions, I mean, I let you live with me anyway." I giggled when that knocked her over the head.
"Y-you bitch-"
"How does it taste? A dose of your own medicine?" I pulled myself off of her, leaving her there in order to finish making that cup of coffee I really needed.
"Fuck you, Elsa!" came her distressed voice, no doubt trying to get her barrings once more.
"No thanks, sweetie. I already have someone to do that for me." I replied with my head held high for once around that damned brunette.
When Anna didn't show up to class I discretely tried to check my phone. Maybe she's just late? No calls, or messages either. I worried my lip. It wasn't like her to miss a day of school, especially since...well today was her birthday. Something we both were looking forward to. Are you okay, Anna? I had to text her and I ended up asking her just that.
"Ms. P? Are you alright?" Eric pulled my attention away from the screen to the rest of my class. "We're like, already done with our warm-ups-"
"For about ten minutes now." Nala added.
"More like five." Aurora corrected, rolling her eyes.
"Where's Anna? I totally wanted to embarrass her by having the class sing Happy Birthday to her." Merida looked as puzzled as I did. Well, if Merida doesn't know...
My phone rang just then and I practically jumped ten feet in the air. They stared at me like I was insane but I didn't care, holding up a finger, I hushed them and answered.
"Hey Elsa, are you busy? No, of course you are it's Friday. A-anyway I'm home with the stomach flu, you know that Jasper's Diner? Don't eat there because-"
"A-Ariel is there a reason you're calling? I'm kinda in the middle of class." I interrupted, gaining a few smirks from said class. They didn't seem to mind much either way. She doesn't even sound sick.
"Oh, right. If you're wondering where Anna is...well, since last night, she hasn't come out of her room." She paused. "I think the argument they had was a little more harsh than usual. Mother doesn't normally drink but she mentioned something about 'complete imbecile's' and 'incompetent fools' (I think she was referring to work) before having a glass of wine and then she started in on Anna."
That was a lot to take in.
All the same, I gathered that Ariel was calling me to make good on what I'd told her I'd do if this happened. She didn't say anything about Anna drinking so that wasn't too bad, but the fact that she'd indeed had another fight with her mother had me wanting to rush over there right away. Could I? This could very well be an emergency. Looking at the faces of my students, I was at a complete stand-still. I'm not sure I can leave right this instant!
"Mother left this morning by the way. The rest of the staff gets to go home early too. I understand that you are needed at the school and I'm sure-"
"T-there's always a lunch-break. I'll be there in about an hour." I cut her off when I saw Rapunzel walk by the door, only to turn around and poke her head in. She leaned against the door with a smirk.
"Talking to someone while you have a class is very unprofessional, you know." She may have been poking fun at me but I didn't miss the sweep of her eyes around the room.
"Personal matters." I muttered and rose to my feet so I could continue with class. Rapunzel nodded understandingly before excusing herself with a knowing look while I asked the class to get out their copies of The Color Purple. As I read the first few chapters, I noticed that Merida seemed to pay extra attention today and I wondered if she'd ever met Ariel, or at least knew Anna had a sister named so. Considering that I'd blurted her name earlier, but all the same, I needed to get to my redhead as soon as possible.
"Anna, I know you're in there. Let me in, please?" I pleaded to her impending ivory colored door. "Let me hold you." I added a little more quietly, bringing my hand up to feel the cool surface. It was heartbreaking for me. Speaking to that door and knowing that with all her might, she was keeping herself from opening it. She didn't want me to see her that weak, that hurt and just with those thoughts alone, I knew she really hadn't drank anything, if she had, it would have been a repeat of last time because I was able to get to her without her knowledge.
And now?
It just had to be on her birthday didn't it? I thought bitterly. I had fully intended on celebrating, even if we had to go to another town to do so. What should I do? I knew she was stubborn so getting her to open this door was going to take some sort of persuasion...my head jerked up and I called Ariel.
"Elsa, you saw what door I went into. Across the hall and two doors down." She stated before I could even ask. Don't judge me! This place is huge and without an escort, I very well may have ended up in the wine cellar looking for her room. Regardless, I followed her directions and found her sitting at her sun nook.
"Do you have a guitar? Or know of where one might be?" I asked when she stood.
"Yeah, Anna bought me one for Christmas last year but I'm more of a Viola girl." Ariel, in all her ocean themed pajama glory, went to her closet and pulled out a very handsome looking guitar that clearly hadn't been used, hence the proud, clean look of it.
"Thank you." I gave a brave smile, wondering if I could play a song with a new guitar. I knew the strings were tight and I prayed to whatever religious deity would listen to let me play without making a fool of myself.
I positioned myself back at Anna's door while lightly tuning the strings. It was new but since I'd been playing some, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. "Anna? This is for you." I declared beginning to strum. Fingers don't fail me now!
"...If your sky is falling, Just take my hand and hold it." I decided to skip the first verses and focused on the more important ones.
"You don't have to be alone, alone, yeah, I won't let you go." Luckily my fingers were able to adjust so the words were able to flow through me without fail.
"And if you feel the fading of the light, And you're too weak to carry on the fight." My mind blanked, save for the meanings of the words and images of her cute little smirk.
"And all your friends that you count on have disappeared. I'll be here, not gone, forever, holding on, Oh." I let emotion seep into my voice.
"If there's love just feel it. And if there's life we'll see it." My heart fluttered when I remembered how she'd looked that one day before she played me her favorite song.
"This ain't no time to be alone, alone, yeah. I wont let you go." The first time she sang for me.
"If your sky is falling, just take my hand and hold it." I thought I heard a shuffle on the other side of the door.
"You don't have to be alone, alone, yeah-" The door opened swiftly and I beheld tears in her eyes as she instantly pulled me to her. Burying her face in my neck, I awkwardly tried to squeeze the now cursed guitar from between us when I heard her sob. Finally getting the guitar behind my back, I flushed her to me, running one hand soothingly along her back while the other gently scratched the back of her neck. "I'm here. It's alright." I whispered with my heart in my throat. Until now, I hadn't seen her cry and it broke me.
"I-I love you, Elsa."
I froze suddenly. Did... I just hear... My legs felt weak, mouth dry and my heart was pounding at the speed of light. She- she said it. I let out my own sob. What did I do to deserve you? Indescribable happiness roiled through me as I clung to my redhead.
"Me too." I whispered, more sure of that than anything I'd ever been sure of in my life.
I won't let you go.