Here is the next chapter. After this chapters will come more slowly. Hope you enjoy.
Elsa's POV
Sleep came quickly to Elsa and she felt well rested as her alarm brought her to the land of the living. She swiftly rose and shut off her alarm, in doing so she noticed she had a few texts. Her grandfather had text the family group message and so had her parents, all three expressing happiness that the girls had made it safe and wishing them luck on their dawning semester.
As she scrolled to the next message thread that had a blue dot next to it, indicating an unread message, her heart fluttered. The message was from Alex, she hesitated for a brief second before tapping her well manicured finger on the thread to open it.
Alex – Awesome to meet you too. :) Looking forward to dinner tonight.
Elsa couldn't help but smile, she set her phone down and decided on a run before breakfast, Anna and Rapunzel wouldn't be up for another hour or two at least. Elsa made it into her closet and changed into some running shorts and a sports bra and threw on her favorite, ice blue, Nike Free running shoes. She made her way to the kitchen while throwing her hair into a high ponytail, had a quick protein bar and grabbed a water bottle, before heading out the door and towards her usual trail.
Running always allowed Elsa to fell totally free and uninhibited, which was usually a blessing. Though much like the last day, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Alex. She couldn't understand why this was so, even when she first was with Craig she never thought of him this much.
It wasn't long before she had made it to to her favorite bluff overlooking the town. It was true that she thought Alex was incredibly attractive, but she barely knew him, correction she didn't know him at all. After what seemed liked ages of thought, Elsa figured it was best to focus on not focusing on Alex until she knew him better and could have a better handle on the situation.
Just as she was making her mind up, she heard someone speak behind her, nearly making her jump out of her skin. "Hey stranger"
She turned around quickly to see the smiling face that had been at the forefront of her thoughts for the last day.
If there was a God Elsa couldn't decide if he was looking out for her or playing the world's biggest prank on her.
Alex's POV
Even with his nap earlier, Alex slept like a rock. He was surprised his alarm actually woke him. He felt entirely well rested for the first time in months, probably for the first time since his grandmother passed. As soon as his thoughts reached her he quickly shook them off as had become habit.
Alex decided that a run was his best bet at clearing his mind both of this grandmother and a certain blonde haired blue eyed beauty that was the star of his dreams last night. He tossed on a pair of old running shorts, a tattered athletic shirt, and his running shoes. Before leaving he threw back a protein shake. As he made his way out the door he remembered seeing a trail last night when he was bringing in his stuff with Konrad.
Alex made his way to the trail. It felt good to run after being cooped up in a car for a few days. Both physically and mentally he was stiff. While he had mostly come to terms with his grandmother, it still caused him pain from time to time. On top of that, he was still confused about what he could find out about his parents, he was still hurt by Carly's actions, they had been together for almost three years.
Running allowed him the time he needed to come to peace with many things, though over the last few weeks these still had been weighing heavily on him. He knew that he wanted nothing to do with Carly ever again but he was still hurt by her actions. It certainly did not help that she constantly text him and tried to call him. She just couldn't process that they were truly over. Not that it mattered to him, but Alex could not figure out if she was so worried about it all because she really loved him or was still only after his money.
She had apologized for how she had acted, though it mattered little to Alex at that point, it did not stop him from wondering how sincere she was. Unfortunately for Alex, after being with someone for three years, one could not simply turn off feelings for them like a light switch. Alex was hoping that in time, and not too much at that, he would be able to get over Carly and find someone else.
If the untimely deaths of his parents and subsequently the death of his grandmother had taught him anything, it was that time was precious and it should not be wasted. Alex wanted to live a full life, have a big family, and find his way in this big messy place known as the world.
Alex had been running down the winding trail, that slowly crept up in elevation, for some time when he came to a bluff that overlooked the town, he noticed quickly that he was not the only one here. He saw a woman sitting on the edge of the bluff with her knees tucked into her chest. Alex immediately recognized the blond hair and knew it was Elsa that was sitting merely feet from where he stood. She hadn't yet noticed he was here, which gave him an opportunity to get a better look at her.
Alex quickly realized that was a mistake as she eyes scanned her body, his mouth became quite dry. Elsa was wearing significantly less clothes than yesterday. She had only a sports bra and small pair of running shorts on. Both accentuated the natural curves of her body. The longer he took in her body the more a part of his body came awake.
Alex decided it was best for him to say something before she noticed him staring, wide eyed and moth agape. He quickly adjusted himself to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment and spoke with a crooked smile, "Hey stranger."
He knew immediately that he had scared her as she jumped to her feet and twirled around in one impossibly fluid motion. Her eyes were wide with surprise, but quickly returned to normal, as they connected with Alex's. Had Alex not been so startled himself by the situation, he would have noticed a slight twinkle in her eyes.
Alex quickly stepped forward, stumbling over his words as he tried to remedy the situation, "Elsa I am so sorry, I did not mean to scare you!"
Elsa giggled behind her hand at this, "Its okay Alex, I was just thinking and didn't expect anyone to be up her besides me."
Alex let out a deep breath he had not realized he was holding in, and gave a soft chuckle, while his hand reflexively found the back of his neck, "I'm glad I didn't scare you too much, I wasn't expecting to see anyone myself, I figured that I was the only one crazy enough to run this early in the morning.
Elsa smiled in a way that melted Alex's insides and gestured to her well toned body with a small wink at Alex, "I can't keep this figure up without some hard work."
Alex stumbled over his words, Elsa gesturing to her body was not helping Alex keep his eyes level with hers, which she made even more difficult when she winked at him. As he diverted his eyes from hers, he got a good look at the rest of her body. She truly was well defined, in a feminine way, her legs were toned and lithe, her arms though thin had the subtle outlines of muscles. Her stomach showed the outline of her abdominals. Alex made sure to not le his eyes scan over her chest, otherwise he knew he would be in a much more embarrassing moment than he already was.
After a long pause Elsa spoke again, which Alex thanked whatever God might exist for, and while she did she laughed heartily, "It would seem I startled you as much as you did me just a moment ago."
Alex quickly found his voce when he realized that she was teasing him, two can play at this game.
"Well it would seem that we are even…for now," Alex gave a sly smile at Elsa as he said this and walked passed her to sit where she previously had been, as he walked by her, he couldn't resist teasing her a bit more, "Absolutely gorgeous…the view that is."
Elsa's POV
At the sound of the voice Elsa sprang to her feet and turned around in surprise. Her eyes were wide with surprise, but quickly returned to normal when she realized who had startled her. She couldn't stop the smile that rose to her eyes just as she couldn't stop her stomach from filling with butterflies.
Alex quickly stepped towards her, stumbling over his words, "Elsa I am so sorry, I did not mean to scare you!"
Elsa giggled behind her hand at this, he is so cute when he gets worked up like this, she figured should quickly say something before he stressed even more over what truly was an accident, "Its okay Alex, I was just thinking and didn't expect anyone to be up her besides me."
Alex let out a deep breath and gave a soft chuckle, the one that turned Elsa to mush every time she heard it, while his hand moved the back of his neck, "I'm glad I didn't scare you too much, I wasn't expecting to see anyone myself, I figured that I was the only one crazy enough to run this early in the morning.
Elsa flashed Alex her most brilliant smile, time for a little revenge, and gestured to her well toned body with a small wink at Alex, "I can't keep this figure up without some hard work."
Elsa saw Alex's body stiffen at her actions, bulls eye, he noticeably tried to keep his eyes locked with hers, that is until she winked at him, what the hell am I doing?!, then they diverted to anywhere but her own. Elsa could see that his eyes trailed her body, she couldn't help but smile triumphantly at this. Elsa truly didn't know where this side of her was coming from, but Alex's reaction was well worth the surprise.
After a long pause Elsa spoke again and while she did she laughed heartily, "It would seem I startled you as much as you did me just a moment ago."
Alex's eyes showed his mind working in overdrive, it was a long, though comfortable moment, before he responded. As he did he face wrinkled as his lips formed into a crooked smile that made Elsa's knees weak.
"Well it would seem that we are even…for now," Alex gave a sly smile at Elsa as he said this and walked passed her to sit where she previously had been, as he walked by her, "Absolutely gorgeous," her breath hitched and then he continued, "the view that is."
After the initial shock wore off she realized what he had done, she rolled her eyes and turned to sit next to him, this isn't over buddy, you just wait.
She sat close to Alex, close enough that she could feel the heat rolling off him from his exercising. She took a deep breath to calm herself before trying to talk, which did little to help her as it only gave her a deep inhalation of his woodsy scent. Elsa was relieved when Alex spoke, "So, you run often Elsa?"
She smiled, normal conversation is good, be calm Elsa, its just a simple conversation, "Yeah, since I was young its always been on of my favorite things, at my parents' house there are a lot trails near it so I got started running those. When I came to St. David's I found this trail and have been running it ever since. I often come up here when I need to think. What about you?"
Elsa looked at Alex through her peripheral, seeing a slight smile on his face as he looked out over the town, after a moment he responded, "I know what you mean. Growing up if I was being a handful my grandma would yell at me to go run around the block a few times, and eventually it became a more voluntary way to let out my emotions. It was especially good for keeping me in shape for basketball during the off season.
After my grandma passed last spring," Elsa gasped slightly at this revelation, "running was all that kept my head on straight. After I found out I ran for hours, I ran until I collapsed and could barely move, for weeks it was the only way I could fell anything."
So much for normal conversation, way to go Elsa.
Elsa was beating herself, she always had a knack for accidently bringing up the worst topics, "Alex, I'm so sorry, I had no idea."
Alex turned to her and smiled, "It's okay Elsa, its good to talk about it. The reason I came here was to find out more about my family and myself, I certainly can't do that without talking to people and making friends."
Elsa smile at this last word, sensing it was an invitation of sorts, "Well lucky for you you just happened to make fast friends with a group of people who help each other out no matter what."
After that the conversation turned much lighter, Elsa finding it surprisingly easy to talk with Alex. The talked about everything under the sun from movies, to books, to their families. Elsa was heartbroken when she found out Alex had no family left after his grandmother had passed. Alex went on to tell her parts of the letter he had received, leaving out the information about his father's company, told her about why he was here, and told her some of his favorite stories of his grandmother. After what seem like a short time, Elsa checked her watch and was surprised to see how much time had passed. The two had been sitting and talking for nearly two hours.
Elsa was reluctant to leave but she knew she had to get ready for the day and she was getting hungry, her protein bar was slowly wearing off. She stood and brushed herself off, "As much as I don't want to, I really need to get back, I need to get in the shower before Anna otherwise it'll be hours before I can get in there."
Alex chuckled in response and turned himself to her raising a hand, "Want to help an old man up?"
Elsa couldn't help laughing at his antics, knowing full well she did not have the strength to pull him up, nevertheless grabbed his offered hand and pulled as he stood up. As he was rising Elsa got a good look at Alex for the first time that day. He was wearing shorts that showed he well toned legs, a scruffy shirt that seemed to match his mildly unkempt but oh so sexy look, Elsa stop that train right now! His shirt was tight throughout and offered a subtle hint at the abs that must lie beneath the fabric.
Once he was up Elsa noticed just how close they were, her cerulean eyes locked with his pine, just how close their lips were, stop it Elsa! Moving way, way too fast!
Elsa had to do something fast before she kissed him or the moment turned awkward. A devious smile spread across her lips shortly before she sprung into action.
Alex's POV
Alex was becoming lost in those deep, ocean like eyes of hers, they were close, almost too close, and yet not close enough, and before he knew what was happening she was gone, the ponytail whipping behind her, when she was about ten feet away she looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Last one to the apartments loses!"
Alex couldn't help but grin as he took off after Elsa, he also couldn't help but continue to admire her as he ran behind her. She ran with the grace of an antelope, her feet seemingly barely touching the ground, almost gliding as she ran. She was fast, unfortunately for her, he was faster.
Elsa's POV
Elsa ran like she had never before, the mirth and nerves that filled her fueling her mad dash back to the apartment. Running as fast as she was, she expected to be far ahead of Alex, yet when she looked over her shoulder for the briefest moment, she saw that he was right on her heels.
It's those damn long legs of his!
She faced forward, seeing the apartment building in the distance, as she began to pour on the speed, she saw Alex flash by him. No matter how much she pushed she could not catch up, she went out too fast in the beginning. When she got to the stairs leading to the third floor Alex was sitting on the lowest one, smiling, waiting for her.
As she got closer stood up and held his arms aloft in victory. Though never one happy in defeat, Elsa couldn't help but smile at his antics. She walked the last few feet towards Alex preparing for his gloating over his blatant win.
When she was close enough for him to not have to shout, Alex spoke, "You surprised me speedy, wasn't expecting that out of you, I had to really pour it on at the end to catch you."
Elsa beamed, always appreciative of praise when it came to her running. She may not have run competitively since high school, but she still took pride in her near perfect form. She herself couldn't help but admire Alex's ability, especially with how big he was. Elsa's petite size gave her quite the advantage when it came to running.
Elsa leaned against the wall and looked up at Alex still smiling, "Maybe next time if I try, I'll be able to beat you," she teased, the gleam of sweat on her forehead and her short breaths betraying her statement.
Alex laughed, "Keep dreaming speedy, didn't you say something about a shower before Anna claimed the bathroom?"
Eyes lighting with realization, "Right! Thanks for the reminder," Elsa began to make her way towards the stairs, as she raised her foot to meet the first stair she stumbled as she already was feeling the effects of her sprinting. Alex reached out a hand to help steady her, she laughed at her situation, "Thanks, at this rate, by the time I get upstairs it'll be Christmas!"
Alex gave her a smile and turned his back to her bending slightly at the knees, which confused her until he spoke, "Your chariot awaits your highness."
Elsa couldn't help but giggle at his actions, she knew an intimate position such as that and all the contact she would have in said position wouldn't be the best idea, and yet her body, as if on its volition, moved and climbed onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms lightly around his neck.
She put on hand in the air and in an overly dramatic voice, mock shouted, "To the Bat Cave!"
Alex could only laugh at her as he began to climb the stairs. Elsa settled in for the ride, resting her cheek against Alex's shoulder. His back was taught with muscles, she felt like she was against a marble slab. His arms hooked around her legs to keep her steady, she could feel his muscles in his arms likes bands of steel. She hadn't seen someone as defined as Alex since she first met Sven. Elsa was hoping she would be able to sneak in her apartment and make it to the shower with Anna and Rapunzel none the wiser.
Once again using his long legs to his advantage, Alex took the stairs by twos and before she knew it, they were on the third floor. As she was about to hop down from Alex's back, the door to Elsa's apartment opened, Rapunzel traipsed out, stopping dead in her tracks, hands frozen in the midst of braiding her wet hair, mouth hanging slack.
So much for sneaking in unnoticed.
To her credit, Rapunzel recovered to the scene quickly, she gave the pair a sly smile before speaking, "You just missed your chance, Anna just hopped in the shower."
After she gave the bad news to Elsa she skipped across the hall and into Alex's apartment. Elsa laid her forehead on Alex's shoulder and groaned. Primarily because she now would have to wait for a long time until Anna was done, and secondarily because she knew that the whole boys' apartment would know about what Rapunzel just saw. If Elsa's group of friends were not already scheming, they were now.
It took her a moment to realize that Alex was looking at her and speaking, "Earth to Elsa?"
"Sorry trying to figure out what to do for the next hour while Anna inhabits the bathroom"
Alex gave her a crooked grin, "As I was saying, we have two showers in our place, and Flynn has some surprisingly feminine shower products, you are free to shower at our place."
Elsa considered this, it would not be the first time that she had showered at the boys' place, however this time it felt different for some reason.
Yeah, some reason, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the hunk of muscle you are currently melting into.
The voice that Elsa was increasingly getting annoyed with must have spoken for her, as she has no recollection of making a decision, but regardless the words passed her lips, "That would be great thanks."
Alex helped her untangle herself from him and set her down, she immediately missed his touch, regardless of how sweaty he currently was. He spoke, which broke her thoughts, which she was thankful for, "Think you can make it to your room and then to our place safely or do you need another ride?"
He flashed her a smile, she almost thought he was flirting with her. Elsa stop, you don't even know if he is single yet. Her voice of reason chimed in at what she would consider an inopportune moment, but what was new?
She wanted to say yes more than anything, but she knew that for now it was best to decline, but she offered him a small smile, "I think I'll be okay, I'll see you in a little bit. I need to grab a change of clothes and a towel."
Alex nodded and began to walk backwards towards his door, "Sounds good speedy see you in a bit," he flashed her one more of his knee breaking smiles before he turned and disappeared into his apartment.
Elsa turned and quickly did the same, turning into a puddle of goo in the middle of the hallway was not a good choice. As she entered the apartment she could see the remnants of the late night movie marathon and she could hear Anna singing in the the shower.
Good thing Alex offered his shower, if she is singing it will be even longer than usual.
Elsa first stopped in the kitchen grabbing a glass of water, a banana and depositing her empty bottle in the sink, she then made made the short journey to her room. She made quick work of the banana and threw the peel in her trash can and went to sit on the floor of her closet. She sipped from the glass as she debated about what to wear for the day. Per usual over the last day and a half her thoughts drifted towards Alex.
She wasn't sure what she should do, she couldn't deny her physical attraction, in her limited interactions with him he had seemed like a great and nice guy. He definitely made her laugh and smile. She had promised herself no distractions this year, but she had never imagined one being so sexy…Craig had been good looking, but Alex was in a whole other league of his own.
Elsa decided it was time for her to take a page out of her sister's book and take a risk for once. I mean dad is always trying to teach me the value of a good risk in business, and as they say practice makes perfect. First thing is first, have to figure out if he is single or not. As she made up her mind she realized she had been sitting in her closet for a good ten minutes, she quickly grabbed a pair of black and silver leggings that reached her knees, a hot pink sports bra, and another of her father's old, oversized t-shirts that she loved so much.
She quickly took out her contacts and threw on her glasses. She grabbed a towel from the rack on the back of her door and headed out of the apartment, skipping any shoes. Elsa crossed the hall and let herself in to the boys' apartment; for the most part the group of friends had an open door policy for the two apartments. Elsa walked in and saw no one, figuring they all must be in their rooms in various states of waking up and getting ready for the day.
If memory served her right, which it often did, Flynn's bathroom, which she figured by process of elimination would also be Alex's, was the one at the end of the hall. She padded barefoot towards the door passing the other boys' rooms as she went, carrying her belongings. Just as she was getting close enough to open the door, it opened from the other side, walking out, with wet hair, lightly dripping water down his very bare chest and abs, was Alex. No longer was any part of his very muscular torso and abdomen left to her imagination. All that covered the most private areas of his body was a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.
Elsa could not help the deep blush that she knew was appearing in her cheeks, nor could she help but admire the well defined man in front of her.
Alex's POV
A long cold shower was exactly what Alex needed to relax after his surprise morning with Elsa. He was just drying off when he heard a door opening and shutting, assuming it must be one of the guys. He silently cursed under his breath as he realized that he had forgotten to bring clothes with him, back in Oregon he hadn't had to do that, it was something he would have to get in the habit of doing.
Well my room isn't that far away, I'm sure I can make it without incident.
Alex had never been so wrong in his life. He opened the door and stepped out only to run into Elsa. He had momentarily forgotten that he had told her she could shower at his place. She was wearing the same clothes as before, but was more prepared than he was and had a change of clothes in her arm. He suddenly felt very naked, probably because he was save for a towel around his waste. Alex couldn't help but notice her eyes trailing from his down his torso, her pupils dilated.
Before anyone could find their way into the hall and make the situation more awkward than it already was, Alex spoke, "Well, umm, shower is there," he pointed behind to him the open bathroom door, "but you seemed to have already known that. Tell you what I'll head in my room and get out of your way."
Alex stepped to the side so Elsa could pass him. She hurried passed him, he could almost swear there was a slight blush on her cheeks. She quickly moved into the bathroom and shut the door. Alex leaned back and rested his head against the wall, closing his eye. As soon as the shower started all three of his roommates opened their doors, Alex didn't even look at them as he spoke, "Not one word."
As quickly as they opened the doors had shut, though Alex of course could hear their laughter though. He groaned and made his way into his own room. He threw his towel into his hamper and threw on some old sweats and a zip up hoodie. He sat down on his bed and fired up his PlayStation, seeing that the guys were on a game of NBA Live, Alex jumped into their party, the guys were strangely silent.
Eugene was the first to speak up, "So Alex, how's it going?"
That was all it took for the three of them to break out into laughter again. Alex could only groan and roll his eyes. In the background of Eugene's mic Alex could hear Rapunzel yelling, "Be nice Eugene!"
Konrad and Kristoff were smart enough to not say anything. Time passed quickly as the boys played, when Alex heard a knock at his door him and Konrad were about to win their third game against Eugene and Kristoff. Alex muted his mic, pulled his headset off, and called out, "Come in!"
When he did his door open and Elsa walked in. She was drying off her hair as she entered. She offered a small smile as she sat down on the end of his bed. She had on a short pair of leggings that ended at her knees and a large dark grey, faded St. David's t-shirt, Alex swore she could wear a paper bag and she would still be gorgeous.
Alex continued to play but talked with Elsa, trying not be distracted by the way in which her leggings perfectly hugged her hips, "Sorry about earlier, have a good shower?"
Elsa's cheeks had a slight tinge of pink to them, she set down her towel and and started to brush her hair, she gave him a heart stopping smile, "No worries, I mean it is your apartment. It was good, thanks again for letting me shower here, felt great to not have to wait forever for Anna to be done."
Alex returned her smile, "Its no problem. Any plans for the rest of the day?"
Elsa turned to view his television to see what he was playing, "Nope," she popped her "p", "just dinner with everyone tonight. So I see you play videogames like the other guys do."
Alex cursed as Kristoff had just stolen the ball from Alex and was about to score, "Yeah," he laughed, "yet another way my grandma would get me out of her hair if she was busy. You play at all?"
Elsa returned her gaze to Alex, trying her best to stare at his bare chest that was peaking through his partially opened hoodie. She shook her head as she responded, "No, I never have had much interest. I've seen the guys play a few times but that's about it."
Alex, had a great idea, sat up and crossed his legs, he gave Elsa a wicked smile as he patted the bed in front of him, "Come sit by me it is high time you gave it a shot, you don't know what you're missing."
Elsa began to protest immediately, but before she could do much of anything, Alex moved with speed that betrayed his size and grabbed her. Her pulled her back to where he was originally sitting and sat her in front of him. He grabbed the brush out of her hand and sat it to the side. He then proceeded to put his blue controller into her hands, wrapping his arms around her and cupping her hands in his as he began to tell her which button did what.
He finished as a voice projected from his head phones, "Jesus Alex are you sleeping in there that's the third time I have stolen the ball from you in a row," Eugene yelled.
Alex unmuted his mic and laughed, "About the only way you could ever steal it from me Flynn, and no I am not sleeping."
As he finished speaking he muted his mic again and discarded the headset to the side. "Alright now your team is the team in white, you are playing with Konrad, that is his player," Alex pointed to a player on the television and then moved to another, "and that is the player that you are controlling, the other three are controlled by the computer. You got this, Flynn and Kristoff are no match for you and Konrad."
Elsa gave a small laugh, "I think you highly overestimate my ability to pick this up quickly."
As she began to play and Alex watched from behind her, an idea began to form in his head. He quickly grabbed the previously discarded brush, which Elsa did not notice as she was already engrossed in the game. Her eyes fixated on the screen in front of her, her tongue slightly poking out from the side of her mouth, her brow furrowing. She did notice however as Alex began to draw the brush through her hair.
"What're you doing?" she asked half surprised, half inquisitively.
Alex grinned as he continued to brush and Elsa turned her attention back to the game, "Well I figure if you are trying something new I might as well. And seeing as its my fault that your brushing was interrupted it seemed like the perfect opportunity."
Had she been facing Alex, he would have seen the light pink blush travel to her cheeks. They sat like that for some time, Elsa playing, not too terribly either, and Alex brushing her hair. By the time the second game she had played ended, the need for brushing was long gone, but Alex couldn't help but continue as he didn't was to lose the chance to be close. After the game ended, and the system indicated that the other guys had signed off, Elsa turned around with a wide grin on her face as she spoke, "That was awesome! I should have tried this way sooner!"
Alex returned her brilliant smile with one of his own, "Told ya so. Now just wait until we play some first person shooters, best way to let out some pent up aggression is to run around killing people online."
Elsa's eyes lit up, "Can we play now?" she asked eagerly.
The hearty laugh that escaped his lips couldn't be stopped, Alex wondering what exactly he had started here, "Sure, I'll pop in one that we can play together."
He stood from the bed and moved towards the console, switching one disc for another and grabbing his spare, black controller. He sat down next to her this time. As the game loaded Alex once again explained what the different buttons did, Elsa nodded with comprehension.
Once the game had fully loaded they began to play, Elsa once again showing a knack for the game with fast reflexes and a mind for strategy. They played a few rounds and would have continued had it not been for the loud growl that came from Alex's stomach.
Elsa giggled behind her hand at him and then spoke, "Sounds like someone is hungry. Want to see what the others are planning for lunch and go from there? I could go for some food myself."
Alex couldn't help but be happy with how great this day was turning out for him, "That sounds great. Let me throw on some real clothes quickly and I'll meet you in the living room."
Elsa gave him a shy smile and nod as she stood and made her way to the door, shutting it behind her. Alex changed quickly, opting for a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of dark brown, leather boat shoes. He grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone sliding them into his pockets. Alex found Elsa in the living room waiting for him, but saw no one else, he raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Elsa was quick to respond, "Konrad walked out just as I made it out here and said he was on his way to the gym and was under where Eugene and Kristoff had gone. Let's check my place, as they are likely attached to their better halves, and if not we can go ourselves. I'd also like to throw on a different shirt and grab some shoes."
Alex nodded his head and gestured for her to go ahead of him, "Lead the way."
The bright smile she flashed him nearly made his knees buckle, with her usual grace, Elsa led the way across the hall and into her apartment. They found it to be just as empty as Alex's. Elsa was the first to speak, "Well it looks like its just you and I then. Let me go change my shirt and we'll be off."
"Sounds good," Alex voiced as he sat in one of the dining room chairs. Elsa made her way down the hall towards her room. Alex pulled out his phone to see if he had missed anything in the last few hours. He saw a message that he had missed earlier from Kristoff, just as he finished reading it he heard Elsa returning. She had traded her t-shirt for a more appropriately sized navy blue shirt, with a light grey zip up hoodie that said "PINK" on the left breast area, she had thrown on a pair of blue Converse.
Alex admired how she could make such a simple outfit look so amazing, he shook himself to the present as she was standing in front of him, and relayed the contents of Kristoff's message, "Apparently the girls dragged Eugene and Kristoff on a hike and picnic, Kristoff said they will be back in time for dinner."
Elsa rolled her eyes and smiled, "Well than shall we? I have the perfect place in mind. It's a local diner," at this point she began to speak much more quietly and her eyes were downcast, "I know you said that you wanted to see more about where your parents went to school, and I know when my parents were here they and their friends would go to this diner all the time."
He could see that she was nervous about this idea, but thought it was a great one, appreciative of her effort to help he find out more about his parents, "Elsa that sounds perfect. How about I drive and your direct me there?"
She looked back up at him, her eyes sparkling as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door, "Let's go!" Alex wishing that she would never let go.
Getting to the diner took little time at all. It was located on the main street of the town which had no parking, so they parked on a side street and walked the short distance to the diner. As they walked up to the store front Alex saw a large, faded sign, that read, "C's Diner – Good Eats, Better Laughs, Best Times". He smiled as he held the door open for Elsa and they both entered. Walking in Alex thought he had traveled back in time, the diner was straight out of the fifties. On his left was a long counter with stools on wrapping around the outside, on the inside was where the staff could move around, with a window to the kitchen to grab orders. On his right all along the wall were booths, with tables that had seen their fair share of diners, as evidenced by the signatures left all over the tops. The walls were adorned with pictures of what Alex assumed to be past patrons. He didn't recognize any of them and figured they must be people from the town and from the college.
An older man, with a nametag so faded that Alex couldn't read it, walked up to the pair. He smiled warmly at them, "Welcome to C's diner, grab a seat anywhere that pleases you and we will be right with you."
They walked to a booth in the far corner and sat down. The pair began to look over the menu, trying to decide on what they should eat, Alex looked up from his menu and saw Elsa was doing the same, he smiled at her and asked, "Have you been here before?"
Elsa responded, "Not since I was little, with my parents, when they were visiting for their ten-year reunion. I always mean to come here but something always comes up or I forget about it when thinking of where to go. When they went here, my parents and their friends went here all the time. I am pretty sure the last time I was here the older guy that welcomed us was here."
She giggled as she said this and Alex smiled again at her, damn this girl makes me smile a lot, neither had notice that the aforementioned man had made his way to their table, he was smiling softly at the duo "Well you would be right about that little lady, its hard to have a C's Diner without C himself."
Alex was impressed with this, it wasn't often that the owner of a place was the one waiting on the customer, "You're the owner then?"
C smiled even more warmly, "Aye, owner, operator, cook, waiter, bus boy, mop boy," he then gestured at the photographs on the wall, "resident photographer, you name it I do it."
Elsa beamed sincerely at the man, "That's really amazing. My family has a company also, I have great respect for those that can run a business and more so those who do it right next to their workers." This compliment made C grin from ear to ear, Elsa continued, more to herself at this point, "I wonder if my parents are on this wall."
C looked at her and questioned her, "Did they come here often?"
"According to them in their 'hay day'," she said with air quotes once again turning towards the man, "they were here all the time."
C looked more inquisitively at this point, "If they were here as much as they say I am sure they are, maybe I recognize their names?"
"They certainly aren't names you would soon forget, my father is Agdar Winters and my mother, before they were married was Idun Hoffman." As she mentioned her parent's names C's eyes widened with recognition, he grabbed their menus and began to walk to the front of the diner. Elsa and Alex gave one and other a confused look, and when C realized they were not behind him, he called over his shoulder, "Well come on will ya? I certainly am not getting any younger.
The two rose and followed the short distance after him, Alex was sure he was about to be thrown out. So he was surprised when C stopped short of the door at a corner booth Alex had not noticed on his way in. It was the least worn booth, and the table with the least amount of signatures. In fact, this table, unlike the other which were filled, only had six signatures. On the table sat small reserved sign, which C picked up and replaced with the menus he had grabbed earlier. He motioned for them to sit down, the both slid into the booth, towards the center so that they could face him.
"I should've recognized ya little lady. You have your mother's eyes you do." At this Elsa smiled and C continued. "They weren't kidding when they said they were in there. Many nights they closed this place down, them and their group of friends."
Alex could see a slight glisten in his eyes at this point. "This was their both, they were the hooligans who started this business of signing the tables on their graduation day," he gestured to the table top, "And they were the first picture on the wall. After four years of being here they felt they needed to leave a piece of themselves behind and gave that picture," he pointed behind Elsa and Alex, "to me on their graduation day telling me not to miss them too much as they spread their wings and flew from the nest."
Alex and Elsa turned around to see the picture that he was pointing towards, Elsa smiled but the color drained from his face.
Elsa's POV
I can't believe they only said they came here often. I am so calling them tonight. I wish I would have come here sooner.
After staring at the picture of her parents and their friends, two being Rapunzel's parents, and two who she did not recognize, for a moment she turned to see Alex's reaction, she wasn't expecting him to have much of a reaction as he didn't know anyone in the picture, and yet his face gone incredibly pale. C must have noticed this also, because he spoke moments before Elsa could, "Ya okay lad, looks like you've seen a ghost."
Alex turned to him and then back to the picture, he was trying to speak but it seemed his words were failing him, and then at last, barely audibly he spoke two distinct words, "My parents."
Elsa's eyes widened, her attention immediately shifted back to the large photograph, specifically to the two people she did not recognize. As she looked closer this time she could saw it plain as day, she couldn't believe she missed it a moment ago. Alex was a near carbon copy of the man she didn't recognize. It must be the beard and long hair, as the man next to her father has a cleanly shaved face and quite short hair.
C was the first to speak, seemingly not making the same connection that Elsa and Alex were, "I woulda sworn that Gerald and Ramona had little baby girl all those years ago, and unless I finally have lost my senses, ya look like a man to me."
Alex's POV
Alex found his words more easily this time, "Not them, them," he pointed at his parents.
The shock Elsa felt was nothing compared to the wave of shock that hit C. He steadied himself on the table and looked at Alex hard, his voice became hoarse, "You're telling me your parents are Mark and Laurel Stafford? That your name is Alexander Cornelius Stafford?"
If possible, Elsa noticed, Alex looked ever more confused than before, "Yes but how do you know that? Did you know them? Wait, how did you know my full name, only my grandmother knew that." Alex stopped as C held up his hand.
He pulled up a chair from an empty table and sat down as he spoke, with a small smile on his face, "First off, yes I knew your parents, damn shame what happened to them," he looked down at the floor at this point, "Day doesn't go by that I don't miss them. They were in here even more than the others. Your parents, the Winters and the Shrivers were near inseparable back in their college days. Your parents though, they became like second children to me. Your ma worked here all four years she went to school here. I swear I almost had to throw your dad out the front door more than once while she working, came in here distracting her and taking all her time with that smile and sharp with of his."
Tears were welling in Alex's eyes much like C's, but Alex couldn't keep the smile off his face if wanted to, he had never heard so much about his parents in one sitting. C continued on with his story, "Mark and Laurel were some of the best people I knew," he diverted his gaze to Elsa, "right next to your parents and the Shrivers. Was damn sad to see them all leave. Nearly broke my heart when I heard about Mark and Laurel. I was at the funeral," he turned his attention back to Alex, "you were too young to remember me back then. Helluva lot smaller then too."
Elsa and Alex couldn't help but laugh even with the somber nature of the conversation. C laughed a bit with them, and continued, "As to knowing your name," he looked down at this name tag and tried to shine it up, though it helped little, "Really need to replace this, can't get myself to do it though as it was your mother who handwrote this one for me, the name is Cornelius, for some odd reason your parents liked this old bastard enough to give you his name."
Cornelius gave Alex a wide smile, Alex's eyes were wide, his mind reeling. He stood, Cornelius doing the same, and Alex wrapped his arms around the man, doing something he hadn't done since the day he found out about his grandmother's passing, he cried. Cornelius held him as he did so and more than one tear escaped the old man's eyes himself.
Elsa's POV
Elsa could barely believe all she had just heard, she couldn't even imagine how Alex was feeling. When she recommended this place to maybe find something out about his parents, she never imagined something like this.
What an unbelievable coincidence, her parents had been friends with Alex's parents.
Elsa watched the two men hugging with a small smile on her face. After a few minutes the two separated and moved back to their respective seats. Cornelius and Alex both smiling, started a a conversation, Alex asking questions about his parents, Cornelius answered as well as he could.
After some time, Cornelius stood up and spoke to the pair, "Well I am assuming that because you know nothing of this place when you came in, you were coming for some lunch. I'll go grab you some food and be right back."
Alex smiled and spoke with a small laugh, "But we haven't even ordered."
Cornelius spoke over over his shoulder as he walked to the kitchen, "Don't worry about that, I have the perfect thing in mind."
Elsa and Alex shared a questioning look but shrugged it off, Alex then turned to the picture of their parents. As Elsa looked over at Alex and saw he had a blank look on his eyes. She could only imagine the million place where his mind could be at this point, she couldn't imagine how she would be reacting if she was in the same position.
Cornelius came back after a short while, that Alex and Elsa had passed with gentle conversation, Elsa trying to keep the conversation for light. As he came back, Cornelius was carrying a tray with two plates each with a burger and fries, a glass with a milkshake and a silver cup holding the rest of the milk shake. Cornelius, with practiced ease that came from years of working in the diner, set one burger in front of Alex, one in front of Elsa, and the milkshake in between the two, which had two straws. "Alright kiddos we have here," pointing at Alex's plate which held a burger and a half and a pile of fries, "burger and half with pepper jack cheese and fries and half of the fries from you sweet friend here," then he pointed at Elsa's plate, "half a burger with American cheese, half an order of fries, and finally" motioning to the milk shake, "half strawberry, half chocolate milkshake," finally pointing to the silver cup, "and the leftover milkshake topped off with half a can of whipped cream.
This is the exact meal is what your parents had every time they came in. Your father was a big guy, you obviously got his genetics. He always ate more so eventually I started putting half your mother's burger and fries on his plate, as they would end up there anyways. They could never agree on a milkshake flavor so it was always mixed, your father never liked whipped cream so his was put into the extra glass, along with an extra long spurt for your mother."
Alex was smiling more widely than ever, "Thank you Cornelius it looks great."
"Well you two lovebirds enjoy, this old man needs to get back to work," he smiled and winked as he walked away, leaving Elsa and Alex sputtering in denial as he left them.
After recovering from his statement, the two dug into their food, starving at this point, eating much later than they originally intended. They were amicably silent as they ate, all of the food was delicious and just the perfect amount for each of them.
Alex was the first to finish, "Damn was that good. I can see why our parents came here so often."
Elsa smiled, popping the last fry into her mouth, "No kidding. We will have to bring the other back sometime. I hope you don't mind me asking, but after all of this how are you doing?"
Alex returned her smile, "Not at all, I appreciate it, after all of this and everything last spring, it is nice to have someone to talk about it all with. I really appreciate you being here for me with this. Really was a great idea to come here," he gave her a light laugh as he said that.
Elsa smiled and reached her hand over to his, "It's my pleasure. I'm glad you are finding out more about your parents. If you want, I could call my parents and ask them about your parents."
Alex smiled but looked overwhelmed, turning his hand to hold hers, "Maybe later, but right now I am still processing all that we found out today. I heard more today about them than I have in my whole life."
Elsa squeezed his hand, "Makes total sense. Just know I am here for you, whatever you need."
Alex took a moment to glance at the clock on the wall and noticed it was quite late in the afternoon, "It's getting pretty late we should head back."
Elsa noticed the time herself, "You're right, lets go pay for the meal."
Alex nodded, reluctantly let go of Elsa's hand, she missed his touch immediately, and stood up from the booth. Elsa followed suit and they made their way to the cash register at the counter. Cornelius met them at the register, offering them quite the smile, "I sure hope to see you soon. You two remind me so much of your parents."
Both Elsa and Alex smiled at the old man and Alex spoke first, "Thank you so much for everything Cornelius. You can't imagine how much all of this means to me. How much do we owe you for lunch?"
Alex began to take out his wallet, but Cornelius held up his hand, "No charge my boy, this one is on the house. You have brought an old man more joy than you can imagine."
Alex smiled and put his wallet back in his pocket, Elsa spoke up, "Cornelius where is the little girl's room?" she turned towards Alex, "Have to use it before we head out."
Cornelius pointed towards the end of the counter, "Past the counter on the left, down the hallway."
Alex's POV
"Thanks," Elsa gave the man a warm smile and made her way to the bathroom. Cornelius turned his attention back to to Alex. "You don't let that girl get away from you Mr. Stafford. She looks at you in the same way your mother looked at your father."
For what seemed like the millionth time today, Alex's eyes moistened with tears, "I have no intention to let her go sir."
Cornelius smiled as he walked from behind the counter, returning the reserved sign to the table they had sat at, taking away the dirty dishes. After dropping the dishes of at the kitchen he returned to Alex. "You two and your friends are always welcome here, that table," he pointed to the booth, "is always reserved for you just as it always was for your parents and their friends. You better believe I have more stories about them all that will make you laugh so hard you cry; I have been waiting for over twenty years in the hope that I got to embarrass them to their kids."
Cornelius gave Alex the biggest smile of the day which Alex couldn't help but return, he was about to speak when he heard Elsa behind him, he turned and saw her smiling "We are just as anxious to hear those stories about our parents, thanks again for everything Cornelius."
"It's not problem little lady, now you two get out of here before you make an old man cry again," he made a shooing gesture with his hand, but had a smile that made his eye light up like Christmas.
Elsa and Alex made their way back to his SUV and climbed in. The short ride back to the apartment building was quite, but comfortable. Halfway there Elsa reached over and grabbed Alex's hand, which he smiled at.
She leaned over so her head rested on this shoulder and whispered while smiling, "Don't worry, I don't have any plans on letting you go either."
(A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope y'all enjoyed. Don't forget to review. A quick note, Elsa and Alex are not yet together, but they also aren't not together. They are in this weird "I just met you, but am inexplicably drawn to you" weird kind of a limbo. Is this realistic, not really, do I care? Not at all. Till next time!)