Elsa paced back and forth in front of her desk, eyes locked on the white card she'd found in her hand. The card was badly creased and wrinkled, but still in one piece.
Come on, Elsa think. There has to be a way out of this.
Her brow furrowed. After a moment of silence the soft thumping of her footsteps started up again, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Maybe if... No that wouldn't work... Come on you're better than this! Think!
She groaned in frustration. The blonde snatched up the small card, crumpled it up in both hands before throwing it across the room.
Conceal it.
She took a deep breath and walked over to the ball of paper. As she walked back to the table, she unfolded the card. After taking a moment to look at the writing, she put the paper back down on the table to resume her pacing.
"Kristoff!"
"Ah-what?"
"Come on, we're actually spending time together and you're off in your own little world," Anna pouted. "Did you even hear what I was saying?"
"Uh yeah, something about your..."
Please don't make me say it.
"My boyfriend, Hans?" She sighed. "Never mind, it's not important."
Kristoff glanced down at his phone.
"Are you expecting a call or something?"
The blonde boy's eyes widened. "W-what? No, I was just... Checking the time?"
"Sure you were..." Anna groaned. "Come on Kristoff, what happened? We used to be so close, look at us now! We can't even hold a conversation over lunch." She looked down at her fidgeting hands. "What are we gonna do?"
"I'm sorry," he tried to make eye contact with the redhead. "It's not you, it's... me. I'm just-"
"Wait wait wait, are you-" she looked at him questioningly. "Are you breaking up with me? Kristoff, you can't break up with me we're not even going out," she smirked.
"Wait what? No, of course not! I would never-" the boy's face reddened as he scratched his head. "I would never break up with you."
Anna blushed at the unexpected response. "Oh, um..." She looked back down at her hands, fingers knotted together.
They sat quietly eating their meals, too embarrassed to look at one another. The uncomfortable silence was finally interrupted by Kristoff's phone, which lit up with an unknown number.
"Oh!" Kristoff quickly grabbed the phone. Before he picked up, he looked over at Anna. "I should probably take this, do you mind?"
"No, it's fine, go a head!" Anna smiled at him. "I'll be here, waiting."
He gave her a smile before rushing towards the door. Once he was outside, he picked up the call.
Anna watched Kristoff as he took his call. There were long pauses between his replies, and he had a stern expression that Anna had learned to associate with her being in trouble. Before she knew it, Kristoff hung up, and walked back into the restaurant. She quickly picked up her sandwich and stuffed her face, trying to be as casual as possible when he sat back down.
"Wh-" she chocked on a piece of lettuce. Anna coughed for a moment before she was able to swallow the rogue leaf. "Who was that?"
"That was a patient of mine- well not a patient obviously, but you know what I mean," he grabbed his sandwich, finishing the rest in one giant bite. He washed it down with the rest of his lemonade.
"There's an emergency, I gotta go to work," he stood up, grabbing the check. "I'll take care of this one, uh..." He stopped, giving the girl an apologetic look. "Sorry for running on you like this, I'll make it up to you soon." She gave him a nod. Anna watched him pay the bill as fast as he could before rushing out the door.
He sat in the back of the limo, playing with his thumbs.
Should I... Talk to him?
"So... Has she fainted since she's been home?"
Are you fucking kidding me? That's all you could think of?
Kai took a second to look back at the blonde through the rear-view mirror. "She felt much better today after a long night's sleep. Thank you for your... Concern."
New plan, keep your mouth shut until we get there.
After what felt like an hour, they finally pulled into a long driveway. Kristoff's eyes widened as he looked up at the giant mansion.
This is... She lives here?
He nearly jumped when the door suddenly opened, the driver looking down at him, studying him carefully. He cleared his throat before stepping out, mumbling a 'thank you' as he walked past.
He walked up the marble steps, hand sliding up the rail. He marveled at the craftsmanship, muttering to himself under his breath as he approached the door. He went to knock, only for the door to open, a short lady standing behind it.
"Right this way... Sir, Miss Beck is waiting for you." She motioned him to follow her.
Once he was inside, he nearly forgot why he had come in the first place. He took a quick second to scan the area, taking in all of the luxurious home décor. Once he was finished, he chased after the small woman.
When they arrived at a set of large white doors, the woman stopped. She took a moment to look at him, before opening the door. He entered to find Elsa sitting in a black leather armchair, hands folded neatly on the table in front of her.
Kristoff walked over to the table. "So, uh-"
"Please," Elsa motioned at one of the chairs in front of the table. "Have a seat."
He sat down, trying his best to sit straight, or like 'royalty', as his foster parents used to say. "Listen, I just want to say-"
"Before we begin, I'd like you to sign this." She handed him a single sheet of paper. "It is a non-disclosure form. What I tell you in this room, stays in this room." She watched as he picked up the piece of paper. "Please, take as long as you need."
He glared at the blonde. "Are you serious? I'm not signing this," he threw the paper down on the table. "Let me tell you something," he pointed at her accusingly. "I don't care how much money you have, you're not going to intimidate me into anything. So if you want me to keep your secret, you're going to tell me everything. Now."
They stared at each other, tensions rising. Eventually, the girl backed down. She sighed, her posture no longer as perfect. The girl who sat in front of him was no "Ice Queen", he noted. She slumped back into her chair, which seemed much bigger than before.
"Very well, here is everything..."
Once she had finished, Elsa felt drained. She had never talked so much about herself before, let alone to a complete stranger. She braced herself for the worst, hoping he wouldn't try to extort her for too much.
"I'm so sorry."
What?
She looked up, shocked to see the boy's sad expression on his face.
"You've gone through so much, so fast. No one should have to go through all of that alone."
She blinked. "Well, people are, unpredictable."
"That's true I guess..." He glanced out the window, taking in all of the fountains and gardens in the estate. "Is it true that all rich people have exotic pets, like birds and horses?"
She laughed under her breath. "While I can't speak for all wealthy people, but I don't have any pets."
"Well, did you ever consider getting one? Not a horse or a bird, but like a dog. They're great companions, and I've heard they can do wonders for someone going through... You know."
"Gerda has asked been asking if I was interested in getting a dog," she pondered verbally.
"If you're interested, please let me know. I run a clinic that also serves as an animal rescue. We have some of the sweetest dogs that could use a home."
"I'll think about it, thank you for that."
"And," he scratched at his head. "And I'll sign this now."
Why?
She watched as he signed the document before handing it to her.
"Now that I know the whole story, I understand why you wanted me to sign this. I won't tell anyone anything, you have my word. And that legally binding paper."
"Also, um..." He scratched at his head. "If you need someone to talk to, you know, a friend, you can call me. If you'd like."
She studied him carefully. "Thank you, but, why are you doing this for me?"
"It's not for you," he blurted out. "Uh, I mean... It's for Anna. She really cares about you, you know that? I just-" a sullen expression ran over his face. "I don't want for her to be disappointed by another person." He quickly composed himself, making eye contact with the girl. "But don't take this as me agreeing with what you're doing. You need to tell her."
She blinked. "I understand. You care very much about her, I'm glad that she has someone like you."
A flush of red ran over the boy's face, as he stammered a reply.
"I'm sorry if I'm putting you in a tough place," Elsa continued. "But I'm doing what's best for everyone... Especially Anna." She stood up, walked past her table. "Thank you for coming today, Kai will drive you home."
Another person for you to disappoint.
She lead him down the hallway, smiling as he made comments about her paintings.
What are you gonna do now? Let's be honest, you don't think you're gonna make it do you? You're planning on leaving everyone who cared for you to suffer.
Elsa opened the front door for him, giving him a curt nod as he mumbled through a good-bye.
Gerda, Kai, Jon, this guy, and... Anna. They're all going to mourn you, even though you don't deserve it. Is that your plan? To have your fun with them while you're here and to leave them to suffer on alone?
She watched the car drive off, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
She won't be alone. She'll have him to take care of her.
A/N: Thank you all for your feedback on the last update, I will do my best to keep updating frequently.
As always, all criticisms are appreciated, next chapter will be up Saturday.