A/N: Some backstory, a little bit of foreshadowing, phone conversations, and Meg. Quite a bit of Meg in this chapter. Meg is wonderful. I love Meg.
I'd like to thank everyone again for all the reviews and I'm incredibly happy to see how many follows this story has gotten! Over 200 follows and over 100 favorites, really you people humble me. And I'm glad to see some of you are wondering about what's going on, it's a delight to read your reactions. Don't worry, everything will eventually fall into place.
Enjoy!
EDIT: Apparently there was an issue where chapter 7 got mixed with chapter 6. Hopefully, it's fixed now. Thank you to the reviewer who alerted me. Also, please know that you can always check my tumblr for updates or message me for concerns, I have anonymous ask settings open if you do not have an account.
The alarm blared in her ears, jolting her from the dream.
Elsa jerked up in bed, blinking furiously at nothing in particular. The remnants of it were fast slipping away from her, but she could still see the dim fog behind her eyelids. She shivered when she noticed the goose bumps raised along her arms and tried to push away the last chills of the dream. Elsa groaned and rubbed the palms of her hands into her eyes, feeling the last dregs of sleep still tugging at her mind. She turned to glance at the alarm clock on her night stand.
What time is it?
The blue light read 5:30.
Elsa let out a heavy sigh and pushed aside her bed covers, slipping her feet into a pair of warm slippers. The light that streamed in from the creases of her window curtains was weak, but gentle from the rising sun. The room was illuminated just enough where she could see without feeling like she needed to turn on the lights, but the sky beyond the curtains was gray—a dreary gray that pulled and tugged back the receding memories of her dream.
She sighed, shoulders slumping. Though she wasn't as prone to the cold as others were, she had noticed the rising chill of the air as the days trudged closer to winter and the skies grew drabber.
It was going to be a rainy winter this year.
The thought made her frown.
I hate the rain.
Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep after her dream, she rose from her bed and decided that an early, relaxing bath was in order. As she padded across the room toward the door, a snore from the bed beside hers made her smile a bit.
At least one of us is sleeping soundly.
She quietly slipped out of the room and walked down the hallway, slippers scuffing against the wood flooring. The silence of her condo, along with the cold weather outside, brought an old, familiar feeling. It brought a heavy weight down into the pit of her stomach.
Yes, she desperately needed a bath.
Elsa slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door with a soft click. Within the privacy of the marble white room, she allowed herself to relax, loosening the knot of her silk night robe and setting it aside. She placed her slippers beside the door and walked over to the corner tub, rotating the handle and letting the water run. Elsa allowed a small smile to grace her face again as the water filled the tub, twisting and turning to knobs to gradually raise the temperature rise until she was content.
She had a couple of hours until her first class started. She could afford to take her time once in a while. The bleak weariness she'd been feeling since waking up called for some special tending to.
Elsa made sure to keep the essentials nearby—shampoo, soap, oils, and her towel. Smiling more easily to herself, she brought her hands up to her braid and began to slowly undo it. The white-gold strands fell loose about her shoulders and she gently ran a hand through them when she was done. The feeling of her nails gently scraping her scalp made her shiver and melt. Then, she dipped her toe into the water to check the temperature a second time. It was warm—not too cold and certainly not too hot. Just the way she liked it. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved to slowly lower her body into the tub, water rising to cover her shoulders and sternum.
Yes, I definitely needed this.
Elsa tilted her head back, letting pale locks of hair spread outward and waver in ripples. She closed her eyes and sighed dreamily as the water warmed her skin. Then after a moment, she reopened them and moved to grab the soap and sponge sitting on the rim of the tub. Elsa lifted a long, white leg to settle it over the side of the tub, humming to herself as she soaped the sponge. Raising an arm, she dragged the sponge in rhythmic circles back and forth over her skin. She worked her way up her arm and over her shoulder, kneading at the base of her neck and gliding the sponge across her collarbone. She slid it over her front and down to her stomach, allowing the soap's perfume to ease her nerves. It'd been a while since she'd given herself the time for this.
Is it getting to me? She mulled over the thoughts in her head as she moved the sponge down to her waist and along her flaring hips. Then she combed the sponge over the leg settled over the tub's rim, mindlessly soaping the silky skin. As she did so, the nostalgia from earlier washed over her again.
"Personal appearance is everything Elsa. That includes taking care of your body. Never let your employees and peers think you lack personal hygiene."
The sound of her mother's words came rushing back to her as memories of when she had been a small child surfaced to her mind. Her mother had used to wipe a cloth up and down her back while Elsa idly splashed around in the bathtub, morose and soothed only by the gentle motions. The heaviness in her stomach returned and Elsa slowed down her movements. She let out a sigh and placed the sponge aside, closing her eyes tightly to block out the regret and loss.
It was a rainy winter that time too, when they left…
She clenched her jaw and swiped the shampoo, uncapping it and dumping a generous amount onto her scalp. Splashing water over her head, she furiously scrubbed at her blonde hair, digging fingers deeply into her skin. The sharp press of her nails brought her back down to earth as she pushed the memories back.
I have to get over them. It's been six years now. No good will come out of moping around. As she reached over to turn on the shower head, another thought flashed through her mind. You keep telling yourself to move on and yet you're still unwilling to go back to the company.
A jet of water splashing against her head stopped her from dwelling on the thought, but she couldn't ignore how melancholy her mood had become. She lay still against the side of the tub, eyes closed and feeling only the rivulets of water running down her head and shoulders. When shampoo didn't threaten to sting her eyes, she shut off the shower head and rubbed her temples. Even alone, she still couldn't relax for long without the memory of her parents' hanging over her.
Even when I'm trying to think of happier times, it still hurts.
A wetness that was unrelated to her bath burned behind her eyelids. She groaned and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them and pressing her forehead against them. This was supposed to be a time for relaxation and yet she still found herself spiraling down into one of her oppressive moods.
Elsa groaned again and shook her head, muttering to herself, "Don't feel, don't feel. Don't..."
Her mind flashed with the image of seeing the headlights of her parents' car as it disappeared down the street, rain obscuring it as they drove farther and farther away. She dug her nails into her legs, the pain momentarily blocking out the memory.
"Don't feel," she hissed.
Despite her efforts, she could still hear the the pitter-patter of rain among the rooftops of her family's manor and she could still feel the glass against her fingertips as she watched them leave for the last time.
Gray skies.
Fog.
Rain.
Something solid and cold against her fingertips.
Why does everything always—
For some reason the white streak within Anna's hair appeared in her mind's eye.
Elsa blinked, blue eyes widening and she lifted her head from her curled position.
Anna.
The blonde blinked back her tears and unwound her body. The water in the bathtub had cooled so she reached over to the tap to let in a little more warmth. Then Elsa grabbed the conditioner from where it stood off to the side and poured a dollop into her hand. She ran the substance through her hair, letting the scent of lavender and vanilla push back the onslaught of emotions. She turned the water flow off when the temperature rose again.
Anna's freckles, pearly white teeth, and the way her dimpled grin caused the skin around her eyes to crinkle so that it seemed as if those sea-green eyes were smiling too was a momentary distraction. She'd never really understood what people meant when they talked about how a person's smile met their eyes until she had met Anna. The images of Anna brought a calming reprieve that Elsa craved away from her memories.
A shiver ran down her spine when she recalled the way Anna had slipped her arm around her shoulders in the theater. In stark contrast to today's gray morning and that night's chill, her date had ended with her leaving in an array of warmth, lightheadedness, and butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
Elsa pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to prevent the giggle from escaping her throat. Thinking about Anna seems to chase away any dark thoughts.
Elsa sighed sweetly and tilted her head back against the tub, closing her eyes as she remembered the way Anna had laid a kiss upon her head, soft lips brushing against her temple. Anna's hair had tickled the side of her face when she'd done it and one of her braids had obscured Elsa's vision for a few wonderful seconds. For the next several minutes, she was content to simply lay there, letting the water—and Anna's bubbly cheer—slowly pull away her restless night of sleep, her parents' memory, and the remnants of the odd dream she had had.
She was wavering between recalling the way Anna had pulled her closer in the theater and how Anna's lips had felt as she kissed her cheek goodnight when there was a sharp knock on the bathroom door.
Elsa jumped, flailing her arms in the water as she sat upright.
"Elsa, are you done in there? Been a while..." Meg's voice, still hoarse from sleep, carried through the wood.
The blonde blushed and frantically reached over to drain the tub. "I'm sorry Meg, I didn't realize how long I was taking. I'll be out soon!"
Meg grunted on the other end and mumbled, "You better be Blondie or else you won't have time for your usual morning routine."
Oh for goodness's sake!
Elsa hated missing her morning prep. Despite the fact that it had been tiring having to constantly keep up her appearance for the sake of her family's associates, she still liked her make-up.
The blonde made sure she didn't have traces of soap, shampoo, or conditioner on her as she rose from the tub, grabbing the fluffy towel nearby and wrapping it around her torso as she hurried out of the bathroom.
Meg gave her a half wave, chuckling as Elsa rushed back to their shared bedroom. "You still have time your Majesty, don't hurt yourself!" she called.
The tips of Elsa's ears turned bright red and she somewhat regretted telling Meg that Anna had called her that.
Somewhat.
x x x
Anna was a whirlwind of activity. She grabbed the nearest food item, swiped it and rang up the rest of the customer's items, bagging them as quickly as she could. She resisted the urge to wipe her brow, feeling a small drop of sweat along it. She'd been at her job for hours today and although she felt her shoulders and arms aching, she was desperate for the amount of hours she was putting in. She and Rapunzel had agreed to go shopping as soon as Anna had acquired her latest paycheck.
My fingers are going to fall off once I'm done.
She frowned and placed the bread in the last bag, ignoring the way her stomach growled as the scent of it hit her nostrils. She had already taken her lunch several hours ago and now her stomach had begun to rumble in the past thirty minutes. The strawberry-blonde pushed the thought of her hunger away and flashed a large grin at the tall man as she handed him his receipt.
"Come again soon!" she called to him as he muttered his thanks.
Her hand dropped mid-wave and her shoulders slumped. That had been her last customer in line and she was grateful for the short reprieve it brought her.
"I think I'm going to add 'new work shoes' to the list," Anna said to herself. Her feet were sore from standing for so long and her legs had locked up multiple times that day. She rolled her shoulders and stretched, giving a pleased groan when she heard a distinct pop along her spine.
Sometimes her cashier job beat out even the physical labor at her theater group. She was used to carrying boxes, pushing spotlight floor lamps, tugging ropes, rushing back and forth between those on set and backstage, but a myriad of impatient and angry customers still took a greater toll on her than dealing with inanimate objects.
It's all worth it though.
Anna grinned to herself and grabbed the rag hanging from her back pocket. She wiped her brow and let out a large sigh, feeling the tension and exhaustion leave her bones.
Besides, she liked her job—or at the very least liked certain aspects of it. Being a cashier at the grocery close to her campus meant she saw her peers quite often; as well as a host of other new people. And she loved meeting new people. Anna considered it a day well spent if she met and engaged with someone she didn't know. Hell, she had met Ariel in this very store!
The other redhead had recently moved into the city from farther out west to attend her university and Anna had volunteered to help her find the things she was looking for.
Though she certainly hadn't expected Ariel to become a frightened, slightly shrieking mess when they had arrived at the store's rather expansive seafood selection. Anna had quickly led Ariel away when she saw how much it had upset her new friend and through that incident she had learned that Ariel had moved to study here as a marine biologist.
So fish. Touchy subject. Anna had decided that day.
Still, her sympathetic display had cemented her job at the grocery store at a time when she had been trying hard to find work that managed to give her time for both her classes and her job at the theater. Her boss had been pleased to learn that she had good people skills despite her awkward tendencies.
Seeing Ariel searching around, looking lost and confused, had struck a cord inside her. One she would never admit though.
Furthermore, it was helping her pay her way through college. Having a large family meant money was tight at times. While her parents had never been able to have children of their own (though not for lack of trying), it hadn't stopped them from having children. It just meant that she—and by extension Kristoff and her other siblings—was adopted. Her incredibly affectionate and loving parents was one of the reasons Kristoff had sought out a sports scholarship. Her brother had always been economically-minded and if it meant putting less of a strain on his parents and their large family, he'd take the chance, no matter how many blows to the body it meant.
She hoped he was okay.
"Ahem."
Anna snapped her head up, the glazed look in her eyes disappearing as she realized she'd been staring into space while a customer had waited.
"I'm so sorry!" the redhead exclaimed as she frantically grabbed the brunette's items and swiped them, fingers deftly pressing combinations on the keypad of the register.
The tall, thin woman smirked, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one foot. "Don't worry about that sweetheart. I'd figure whatever you were thinking about was private so I didn't want to interrupt right away. But thanks for coming back to the world of the living."
The woman's violet eyes flashed, though for whatever reason Anna was unsure.
She blinked and swiped a box of chocolates, eyes flicking down to see it read "dark chocolate and mint."
The brunette's smirk grew and she shifted her weight again, hartman hips moving underneath a pair of light blue jeans that looked vaguely familiar. "Don't look so surprised there sweetheart. I'm pretty sure anyone within college-age range knows what I'm talking about."
A wink from the slender woman sent heat rushing through Anna's cheeks. "No, no, no! You don't understand!" she spluttered as she began bagging the items, fingers trembling.
"I wasn't thinking anything inappropriate! Just, you know! The usual job and money worries and stuff! I was completely in the on-the-job mindset."
"Oh?" The woman quirked an eyebrow at her as she opened her wallet and paid.
Anna's blush darkened for some reason. Her latest customer was slightly intimidating.
"Uh, yeah," she began, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "Just trying to get through college and you know-" her face probably resembled a tomato now "-money is kind of a necessity for that sort of thing. Classes, books, lunch…"
Anna trailed off, flush spreading to her ears. "Dating," she mumbled.
Oh god, why am I telling a complete stranger these things?! That's not professional and she probably thinks I'm weird.
She reached over to bring up the woman's receipt just as she heard a chuckle.
Anna's eyes flicked up to see an amused expression on the brunette's face. Full lips rose up into a smile, though still somewhat sarcastic.
"Well, I'd say I wasn't far off the mark despite what you're saying." Then the brunette's expression softened and Anna was suddenly reminded of Elsa's gentle face.
"Money tight huh? Don't worry, it's common for most college students. Though," she raked her eyes up and down Anna's attire, leaning over the counter to glance at her faded white sneakers, "pretty sure you're probably already aware of that."
The strawberry-blonde cringed and gave a strained smile, pulling out her customer's receipt and handing it to her. "Can't deny that," she mumbled.
The brunette hummed in response, grabbing her bags.
Impulsively, and because those jeans looked really, really familiar, Anna added, "Just trying to do my best at school and trying to, uh, impress," she cupped her hands together, "someone."
That fine, brown eyebrow rose again and the woman's smirk returned. "I see," she simply said.
Anna blushed again and looked away, trying to distract herself by checking to see if anyone else was waiting in line.
No one. Figures. Well, it's almost closing time anyway. My shift's nearly done.
"Don't stress yourself trying too hard, enjoy the ride while you're at it sweetheart."
Anna jerked her head to see the brunette walking away, lifting her hand in departure.
"Uh, sure! H-have a nice day!" the redhead said, waving back.
"Bye bye, Wonder Girl!" the brunette said, glancing over her shoulder to give her one final smirk.
Anna blinked and dropped her hand, staring in confusion. Wha? Wonder Girl?
She shook her head slightly, cheeks cooling at last. I guess there's no point in dwelling on it. Though, why had those jeans looked so familiar?
Anna shrugged to herself and went back to waiting. Though luckily for her, the odd stranger had been her last customer for the day. The store signaled it would close in another fifteen minutes and she was glad to hang up her work apron when it was time. Her feet really were aching and she was itching to get home, not to mention her stomach was practically growling in agony now as she made the trek through the parking lot to her truck.
"God, I need a sandwich," Anna grumbled to herself as she climbed into her truck and turned on the engine and began the drive home.
Her college campus couldn't come into sight fast enough that night.
x x x
Elsa hummed to herself as she shook the pan, stirring an arrangement of vegetables while simultaneously keeping an eye on the boiling water that held tonight's pasta. After this morning's overcast sky, the clouds had cleared up a bit and to her inner delight, it hadn't rained at all. Though the weather forecast had said the city should be expecting some light showers soon.
As long as there isn't too much rain, then everything's fine.
The sound of the door swinging open and the shuffling of feet along with bags being thumped on the ground alerted her to Meg's return.
"Elsa! I'm home!"
Elsa glanced over her shoulder and gave the brunette a small smile as Meg walked into the kitchen, holding a box in one hand and groceries in the other.
"Welcome back, how was your work and did you find everything well?"
The brunette didn't answer right away, busying herself with shuffling through her bags and putting away the groceries into the refrigerator. Afterwards, Meg just placed the box atop their round table and headed over to the white cabinets, grabbing two clear glasses from the shelves.
"Work was fine. Same ol' Phil being his loud, 'loveable' self while I stand there among a bunch of sweaty people wondering why I decided to work at a gym," Meg said, opening the next cabinet over and snatching a bottle of white wine.
Elsa smiled softly and checked the pasta. Satisfied it was done and hadn't been overcooked, she pulled it out and strained it. "You wanted to be closer to Hercules, if I recall correctly. And you said something about not liking your old boss."
"Pah! You could say Hades was a hothead, even when he was trying to be cool."
Elsa looked over her shoulder to see Meg place the wine bottle and glasses next to the box on the table.
"Chocolate?" she inquired, unable to help herself from leaning forward a bit, eyes widening hopefully.
Meg sat down and placed her chin on her palm, smirking up at her. "Yes, I did find everything that was I looking for. I saw this morning that we were running low on the stash. Couldn't have that happening so I picked this up while I was at the store."
Elsa grinned shyly and served the sauteed vegetables and pasta on the plates she had set aside earlier. When she turned everything off and sat opposite of Meg, she noticed the brunette's violet eyes twinkling in amusement and it seemed that today her smirk was unusually mischievous. Well, unusually more mischievous than was normal.
The blonde blinked, a confused frown marring her features as she lifted her fork. "What's that look for? Did something good happen with you and Hercules?"
Meg chuckled and said, "Oh no, not between me and Herc, but something good definitely happened." Her friend twirled her own fork into her dish and lifted the spaghetti to her lips. She let out a noise of appreciation when she ate it. "This is good," she mumbled.
Elsa chuckled and brought a stem of broccoli to her lips. She chewed for a moment before gathering up the courage to ask, "If it wasn't between you and Hercules, then what did happen? You're oddly happy and calm tonight."
"Oh, what's not to be happy about?" Meg reached over and uncorked the wine bottle, letting the clear, golden-white liquid spill easily into her glass. She took a sip and said, "Today was a good day."
Elsa narrowed her eyes slightly as she swirled around a batch of pasta onto her fork.
"I got off to a good start in the morning."
"Meg, you never get off to a good start. You're half dead on your feet in the morning."
Meg shot her a look as she twirled her glass, one eyebrow raised. "It can happen. And it happened today if I say so."
Elsa shrugged and speared a tomato. "If you say so."
"Anyway, work was fine."
"You complained about a bunch of sweaty people as soon as I asked you," the blonde pointed out.
The brunette huffed and chewed on the end of a noodle. "I got to spend time with Herc before I went grocery shopping. That made things better."
Now it was Elsa's turn to chuckle. The tall and broad-shouldered ginger-haired man had always been a soft spot for her roommate. Though she always denied, Elsa knew Meg found it difficult to be her usual sullen and sarcastic self whenever Hercules was around.
"We had clear skies-"
"Meg, it was cold all day and the weather report is saying it'll get worse eventually."
Meg dropped her smirk and raised both eyebrows this time at Elsa. She grabbed the wine bottle and filled the blonde's glass. "Here, have some. Positivity is not a strong point of yours. Especially not today it seems."
"This coming from you?" she commented, though without jest and gratefully accepted the glass from her friend.
Elsa was sipping her wine when Meg suddenly and loudly added, "And I met this adorable and charming redhead at the grocery store near campus! A redhead with freckles and two braids."
Elsa spat out the wine that hadn't slid down her throat, sputtering and coughing with blazing cheeks. She beat at her chest as Meg threw her head back and laughed.
"I-I-I- what?! Who? Redhead? Grocery store? F-freckles?!" Blue eyes widened in shock and blinked rapidly, stinging with the force of tears as she hacked and coughed. She gaped as Meg grasped her sides, shaking in her seat.
"Looks like the cat's out of the bag Blondie! Couldn't hide her forever." Meg wiped a tear from her eye, a genuine smile replacing her usual smirk.
"I wasn't trying to hide her," Elsa mumbled, shoulders hunching as her ears reddened and her coughing fit settled. She really hadn't been trying to hide her relationship with Anna, especially not when she had told her friends about the redhead soon after Anna had asked her out. It was just that, and she knew she had been more secretive than usual with this, but a part of her had just wanted to keep the image of Anna to herself for as long as possible. At the very least, for a little while longer.
"I was just waiting for the right time to introduce her to you," she said feebly, feeling her cheeks heat up even more. Of course Meg would have noticed her odd behavior. Elsa was a reticent person by nature, but even she could recognize when she was being more tight-lipped than usual. She'd been a bit of a fool to think that her friend wouldn't have tried figuring out the reason for her odd behavior lately.
Meg sipped from her glass again, a smirk replacing her smile. "Well, looks like I was destined to meet her the same way as Tiana. No proper introductions. You can't control everything Elsa. It's fine to just let things happen once in a while."
Elsa curled into herself and stared down into the light golden liquid of her glass. She took a sip from it and whispered, "I-"
What had she wanted?
"I wanted to make sure you'd like her. Before you met her."
Meg hummed and swirled her wine. "You told me she was sweet."
Elsa lifted her eyes and stared dejectedly at the brunette. "She is."
Her friend's smirk softened into a mild smile for the second time that day. "The poor dear was intimidated by me, I could tell. She has money troubles?"
Elsa nodded and said, "I'm assuming. At the very least, I'm certain her family isn't on the high end of the social ladder."
"I don't know about your experience, but most people who have rich high uppity parents probably wouldn't have approved of their only star child dating someone who wears old sneakers to work. Really old beat up ones."
Elsa flinched and clutched the glass. She wasn't actually sure how her parents would have reacted to her dating Anna. They'd been loving and accepting of her most of the time (they always had been), but she couldn't deny that they might have had certain expectations of her. Everyone always had. She could understand where Meg was coming from.
Meg downed the rest of her glass and pointed a finger right into the blonde's face, causing her to lean back and go cross-eyed in surprise.
"But whatever the case is, whatever they would have wanted doesn't matter, in the end. What matters is what you want to do. So, good on you for doing something for yourself."
Elsa stared at her, immediately feeling her dejection evaporate to be replaced with relief. "Y-you mean you don't mind?"
"Why would I? You told me about your dates already and you said she was sweet more than once. I started keeping tabs on how often you mentioned that word. It's a lot by now just so you know. I'm considering it making it a drinking game. Me and Tiana have thought about it. "
Meg reached over for the chocolate box and opened it. Paper crinkled as she popped one into her mouth, chewing before she continued, "And this time I got to see her in person! So that was a plus today. She's like a button."
Elsa beamed and straightened, slim fingers grabbing her fork again and twirling the remains of her half-eaten pasta. "Isn't she? I've started sitting next to her in classes recently and you would think she'd won the lottery with the face she made the first time I did so." She placed her fork down and pressed an open palm over her chest. "It's a little harder to concentrate in class nowadays." Her smile softened into a gentle curl as she reached for her own piece of chocolate.
"Well look at Miss Ice Queen in front of me, melting into a puddle of water. I didn't think anyone would ever be able to distract you from class," Meg said, chuckling.
"I still pay attention!" Elsa protested. "It's just that I have other things that demand my attention now too."
"Ha! Wonder Girl indeed."
Elsa rolled her eyes at the nickname.
"She mentioned you," Meg said as she refilled her glass.
The blonde stopped her hand from delving into the chocolates again."Huh?"
"Not by name of course," the brunette clarified. "Just some stuff she said that convinced me she was thinking about you."
"Oh." The thought made warmth bloom in Elsa's chest. She bit her lip and decided to take a sip of her wine instead of eating a chocolate.
Meg just smirked and decided to let the subject drop for tonight. They exchanged small talk for several minutes, eating the rest of their dinner.
Meg slammed her empty glass down suddenly."Actually, hold on a second! Something bad did happen today!"
Elsa blinked, light brown eyebrows rising to disappear under her white-blonde hair. "Now that sounds more like your typical day. What happened?" She gathered the dishes and rose from her seat, crossing over to the sink.
"Some asshole parked in my spot!"
"You don't own that spot," she pointed out as she turned on the facet to begin washing.
"It's a thing Elsa! It's a rule! You like rules right? You don't do that with parking spots!"
Elsa chuckled as she scrubbed the dirty plates. "Well, all's fair in love and war."
"Not this war! I had to drive to the other side of the parking lot! I had to actually walk here!"
"And what's so horrible about that?"
"Think of my weak ankles! You can even see his car from the window." Meg grumbled and got up from her chair, marching to the adjoining and spacious living room to glare out the large window.
Elsa rinsed their dishes and placed them back onto the dish rack before washing her hands. She dried herself with a rag as she walked out of the kitchen to stand beside Meg, who was still grumpily peering outside. She smirked at her roommate before leaning over to peer outside the window herself.
A silvery white car was situated where Meg usually parked her own car.
"Ha! Look at that rich snob! He owns a Porsche! I bet he's a fratboy." Meg sneered at the car as if the owner had personally keyed her beloved Nissan. "Fuck that guy, I'm going to go watch some toons." She turned on her heel to retrieve the chocolates she bought (likely to munch on them and stew in her mood). Then she flopped onto the couch, grabbed the remote and began to flick through the channels. "Come onto our space and take my spot, why I outta-"
Elsa frowned lightly, only half paying attention to her roommate's muttering as she moved away from the window to walk back into the kitchen. She placed the rag back on the stove's handle and grabbed the wine bottle off the table to put it back in the cabinet. All the while, she wondered why the white Porsche looked vaguely familiar. She tried to remember if she had seen anyone with that particular model, but her mind was drawing a blank.
Before she could dwell on it any longer, her phone rang. She started and pulled it out of her pocket, glancing at the screen. All thoughts of the Porsche vanished from her mind when she saw it was an incoming call from Anna. She touched the accept button and held it close to her ear, one arm wrapping around herself in delight. "Anna?"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Meg look away from the TV, a chocolate halfway to her mouth. She blushed slightly when her roommate raised an eyebrow at her and smirked.
"Elsa! Hi, I'm not calling at a bad time am I?" Anna's voice, filtered through her phone, sounded like its normal, perky tone, but Elsa heard a distinct lull in her girlfriend's words.
"No you aren't," the blonde said, turning her back on her roommate and beginning to walk down the hallway to her bedroom. She heard a groan in the background and rolled her eyes.
No eavesdropping for you Meg.
She opened the snowflake-patterned door and closed it. "It's good that you called when you did actually. There was something I wanted to discuss with you as soon as possible."
"O-oh?" Anna's breath hitched on the other end and Elsa stiffened.
"Oh no! It's not what you think! It's nothing bad, you don't need to worry," the blonde said as she crawled onto her bed and lay down, curling her legs underneath her.
"Oh, right. Of course it's not." Anna laughed nervously and Elsa mentally kicked herself for making her worry.
She bit her lip and wondered on how best to approach the subject. Then she mentally slapped herself and thought that the best way was to just straight out tell Anna.
"So, you met Meg today."
"Huh?" Whatever Anna had been expecting Elsa to say, it certainly hadn't been that. At least not according to the utter befuddlement in her voice. "Meg?" the redhead echoed.
Elsa giggled, lifting a hand to bite one finger. She could easily imagine Anna's face in her mind—her brow scrunched up and pink lips formed into a small 'o' shape.
"Yes Meg."
"Meg?" Anna repeated, Elsa's answer still obviously unclear to her. "Who's Meg?"
Elsa giggled again and she heard an irritated mutter on the other end. "My roommate. Tall brunette, has a tendency towards light purple clothing, and has a tongue sharper than any knife." She paused for a moment, before adding, "And wide hips."
There was a long moment of silence on the other end and Elsa briefly wondered if Anna had fallen asleep. She seemed more subdued than usual. Had she had a long day? Elsa frowned worriedly and clutched her cell phone. "Anna?"
Is she alright? She did sound tired when I answered.
"So THAT'S why those jeans looked so familiar!"
The blonde jerked back from her phone, suprised. Anna continued shouting on the other end.
"I thought I was going crazy! I couldn't stop looking at her legs! I kept looking back at those jeans, wondering why I recognized them!"
Elsa blinked. "You were looking at her legs?" she asked innocently.
"Ack! No! N-not in that way! The jeans! I meant the jeans she was wearing, really! I was just distracted by them. They looked like the ones you wore on our first date! Did you borrow them from her? Or she from you? I was subconsciously thinking about you I swear!"
Elsa bit her lip and couldn't help the teasing lilt to her voice. "Oh Anna, I didn't know you had a thing for brunettes."
"W-wha?! No I don't! I like blondes better! Blondes are prettier! Blondes are cooler!" Anna yelped frantically.
"Hmm, I'm not quite sure if I believe you," Elsa purred, eyes flashing in delight when she heard Anna squeak in protest. "Perhaps I should dye my hair brown, I wouldn't want to lose my edge in the competition."
"There is no competition Elsa!" Anna cried out fiercely. There was a slight thump on the other end and the blonde wondered if Anna had fallen. But Anna's voice continued with a ferocity edged in her tone, "I've had my eye on you for a long time. Hair color won't change that."
Then, Elsa heard her girlfriend's voice soften to a whisper. "You're perfect the way you are. Uhh, as cheesy as I know that sounds..."
She blinked and all pretense of teasing disappeared. Oh Anna, how can you say something like that so easily? I'm not perfect, not at all.
She didn't realize she had been quiet for a while until Anna's voice came back to her again.
"E-Elsa? You still there?"
Elsa broke from her musings with a low gasp and clutched the phone to her ear again. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry Anna, I was only teasing you. I don't think it's in your character to look at someone that way when we're dating."
Anna giggled on the other end and, while it was shaky, Elsa was relieved to note that no real damage seemed to have been done. "It's fine. I guess we still have a lot to learn about each other. I didn't take you for a teaser."
The way Anna spoke the word made Elsa blush lightly. "I didn't figure I was one either," she admitted.
"I like it," Anna stated and her chipper voice had suddenly dropped an octave. Elsa's blush darkened considerably.
And she calls me a teaser!
She brushed back a stray lock of platinum hair from her forehead, coughing once. "Ah, yes, well t-thank you. I'm pleased you like that-" her voice, normally calm and polite, had broken into a fit of mild stuttering, "-that s-side of me. Delighted, in fact."
Anna giggled again, a smile clear in her words now. "Yes and I'm happy you trust me enough to think I wouldn't look at other people the way I look at you."
Damn it Anna!
When had the tides turned on her? Elsa could feel her flush traveling down her neck, pale skin rapidly heating. She hurriedly tried to change the subject.
"S-so Meg! You met Meg today!"
"I did," Anna said and Elsa glared at her pillow when she could still hear the playful lilt in her voice.
"She didn't give you a hard time right?"
Meg had mentioned that Anna had seemed a bit intimidated by her and Elsa knew that her friend could be overbearing at times. Despite her sarcastic and cynical attitude though, Elsa knew that Meg had a heart that was softer than she let on. It was just that people generally tended to find Meg's honesty and bluntness rather abrasive. Sugarcoating things had never been one of Meg's fortes.
"Um, well, she did catch me when I wasn't paying attention and she's a bit, well scary's not the right word for her..." Anna hummed. "She was like an old badger. Only not old and certainly more attractive. So not like an old badger I guess."
Elsa giggled and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes, that's one way to put it. She's a very good friend of mine though and I hope you can move past her sarcasm. I'd love it if the two of you got along well."
Anna chuckled and Elsa heard another thump on the line. She guessed Anna had jumped onto her bed. "Don't worry, she seemed like a nice person. She told me to-"
Anna paused and sucked in a breath. Elsa tilted her head curiously. "Anna?"
"Well, she just gave me a bit of advice is all."
Elsa had a distinct feeling she knew what kind of advice Meg had given Anna, but decided not to ask. If Anna wanted to tell her, she would. She smiled to herself and nuzzled her pillow. "Yes, she's a good person underneath her bite."
Anna clicked her tongue and Elsa could, once again, easily imagine the redhead's brow furrowed pensively.
"Your hips are better though."
"Anna!"
All at once her blush returned full force. Anna laughed on the other end and Elsa fumed a bit.
"I'm sorry, but it's true. Your hips are better. Well, more my style anyway."
Elsa groaned and buried her face in her pillow. How many times had Anna been staring at her waist?
"That's not a bad thing. It's a very good thing actually. They compliment your figure. Your very beautiful and slim figure."
"Enough Anna," Elsa mumbled, cheeks dark red.
Anna chuckled and said, "Okay okay, I'll stop. So how was your day?"
Elsa smiled in appreciation and began to quietly relate the events of her day.
They talked for another hour longer, Elsa questioning why Anna had called and Anna mentioning that an art exhibit she was interested in was opening next week. She had called to ask if Elsa had wanted to go since they hadn't had a date in two weeks. Needless to say, Elsa had agreed.
Another hour had passed by when Anna released a loud yawn.
The blonde blinked and her eyes softened. She glanced at her alarm clock and noticed that it was past midnight. "Are you tired? You sounded out of sorts when I answered."
"Just a long day," Anna muttered. "I'm fine though."
Despite her statement, Anna yawned again and when she said, rather unconvincingly, "Not tired at all," Elsa was now certain of the weariness in her voice.
"I think it's best you get some sleep," she whispered.
Anna groaned and it seemed like she was going to protest before Elsa added, "It's rather late Anna. It's better we both retire to bed. I'll talk to you soon?"
There was a small pause before her girlfriend mumbled, "Yeah I guess. My cousin is going to be home from her night out soon anyway. Talk to you soon Elsa. Goodnight."
Elsa chuckled. "Goodnight."
"Can't wait to see you," Anna mumbled through another yawn.
Then there was a dead buzzing as the call ended.
Elsa laid there for a long moment, staring at the ceiling as she brought her phone to her chest. The sound of her heart was slow and rhythmic in her ears, but the thoughts in her head felt light as air, for once.
I can't wait either.