A/N: Like with AAFS, I really want to say I'm sorry for the extreme wait between chapters everyone. Classes started up a while back and they've really cut into my writing time so things have significantly slowed down. Nonetheless, I hope you all can continue to enjoy this story and thanks for being incredibly patient with me!
I should've looked again
It's hot.
The summer weather of Southern California beat down on her back. The sun's heat made the air feel stiff and thick. The scent of asphalt stung her nostrils. She was grateful she hadn't worn a jacket this day, but she still felt as if she were sweltering in a giant toaster. Her jeans felt tight on her legs and she could feel a droplet of sweat roll down her neck. Her throat was dry.
I should have brought a water bottle.
Anna swallowed and made a face when a stinging pain flared up. She sighed and stood up from the ground. After spending several minutes panicking at the bus stop, the redhead had hurried to find a small, shady spot to shelter her from LA's current heat wave. Which hadn't turned out entirely successful since the high sun had made finding decent spots virtually impossible. There wasn't a cool place in sight.
No free ones anyway.
So Anna had perched herself at a tiny store's corner, ducking under the small incline to get some semblance of shade. Still, the tiny edge barely covered anything and she had sat there in the stifling heat for a while contemplating her choices.
The redhead ran a hand through her hair, cringing when sweat collected on her fingers. She wiped her hands down her jeans, pretending the increasingly sweaty palms were solely from the heat.
"Okay," Anna huffed to herself, straightening. "Now what?"
Call Elsa.
She made a face as soon as the thought entered her mind. Anna fingered the phone in her back pocket.
It was the right idea. Even if she was working, Elsa would stop whatever she was doing to at least tell her what bus she could take to get back to the apartment.
Ugh, come on Anna. Be more positive about this. Elsa would do more than just spare you a few minutes.
A car drove past, kicking up a breeze of dust and hot air. It stung her nostrils and throat.
Right?
Her stomach twisted. She pushed her toes deeper into the soles of her shoes, biting the inside of her cheek. She should call Elsa. It was the most logical thing to do. She would be in far deeper trouble if she hadn't returned by the time Elsa had finished work. Or God help her, what if Elsa actually called the apartment and she wasn't there to pick up the phone?
Well, she can call my cell.
Anna nodded to herself, beginning to unconsciously rock on the balls of her feet. "Besides," she muttered to herself, "this is Elsa I'm talking about here. She's not going to freak out about me being missing."
It wouldn't be the first time she hadn't been at home at some odd hour. Day or night.
Even if, a part of her brain whispered, calling Elsa is still the most logical thing you dolt. You're just making excuses to avoid calling. What's the harm in asking?
Anna snorted. What was the harm in asking, she asked herself. It wasn't as if she was unused to making decisions on her own. She'd done it since she was small.
I'm going around in circles!
Anna groaned and pulled at her hair. "Calling someone shouldn't be this hard!"
A passerby glanced in her direction and she quickly lowered her hands back to her side, fingers clenching into fists. She offered the person a sheepish grin, inwardly cringing when she felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face. The stranger stared at her with an odd look before shrugging and continuing on.
Anna let out a shaky breath and let her shoulders sag.
I should just buck up and call her.
It was hot and she was without water. Her throat was so dry that the stinging had increased in the past few minutes. The disruptive sleep pattern she'd been having ever since leaving New York was affecting her terribly. She felt nauseous and exhausted.
It's the heat. That's what it is. Nothing else.
The redhead bit her lip and grabbed her phone from her pocket, swiping the lock screen. She cringed when she saw that the battery was at half power.
"Great, that's another thing I forgot to do," Anna grumbled. She rubbed her face with her free hand, a headache beginning to pound at her temples. "And I'm still talking to myself."
A habit she thought she had broken after moving in with her relatives in New York.
She pressed her thumbs hard against her phone, jaw hardening when the lock screen flared to life. Her eyebrows knit together tightly and every muscle in her body tensed.
Elsa's face smiled back at her, hair loose from her braid and headband. Her cheeks were red; flushed from laughing and she had a smudge near the bridge of her nose. Her fingers covered her mouth, vainly trying to hide the fact that she was openly laughing. A lollipop was held tightly in her other hand, the cherry red color complimenting the blush on her face.
Anna was right next to her, planting a sloppy, wet kiss on the side of her face. Her hair had been caked with snow and flecks of mud.
I haven't seen her smile like that in forever.
An ache—twisting and sharp—splintered in her chest. The heat of the sun suddenly wore down heavy on her shoulders and one of her hands dropped to her side, limp and weak.
She worked her jaw absentmindedly, thoughts running quickly through her brain.
I don't want to stress her. She obviously hasn't slept well since I got here. She tried not to cringe at her own words. But not calling is going to stress her more. She probably thinks I'm at the apartment. I should've left her a message or something. Anna bit her bottom lip, grumbling, "Way to think ahead Anna."
Still talking to myself.
The redhead shook her head and glanced back down at her phone. Her expression softened when she took in Elsa's happy face. The picture had been snapped when they were kids, still living in Pennsylvania.
She could still smell the dew and frost from that brisk, sunny winter dawn.
Anna stared at her phone for a while, heart skipping a beat in her chest and dropping low. Another car drove by and zipped past her, the hot wind trailing it making her eyes water.
It's just the heat. It's just the heat. It's nothing but the heat.
After a few more seconds of stillness, she slipped her phone back into her pocket.
"I'm going to get something to drink first," she muttered to herself.
Turning on her heel and stuffing her hands into her pockets, Anna headed down the sidewalk.
She was avoiding it. That much was certain. She was avoiding it because she didn't want to cause Elsa more worry, stress, or even anger her.
But more than that.
More than the possibility of Elsa being frustrated with her wayward mind, or scolding her like an irresponsible child, she was afraid that—
I'm such a fucking baby.
Elsa wouldn't react at all to her missing.
The clack-clack of her fingertips against the keyboard was becoming—or had become, her mind reminded her—an increasingly familiar sound in the small, three-walled cubicle.
The only thing keeping her awake at this point was the caffeine flowing through her bloodstream.
Elsa paused and then sighed. Her shoulders sagged as she reached for the lukewarm cup and brought it to her lips. The bitter taste of coffee spilled onto her tongue as she sat back in her chair and contemplated the numbers and figures on her screen. Even with the shadows painting her skin, her eyes still flicked over each entry with precision, checking to see if she had made any mistakes in her calculations.
Several more hours of this and then I can go ho—
Her cup slammed onto her desk.
There was a clatter before a head poked up from the wall next to her.
"Woah," Meg said slowly, eyes widening. She glanced at the droplets of coffee that had dripped onto Elsa's desk and then back at the blonde. "I know the coffee around here taste like hot water shit Elsa, but I don't think it's worth getting violent about."
Elsa groaned and buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "I wish it was just the coffee." She rubbed her temples and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Her eyelids dropped and the familiar sensation of fatigue settled over her limbs.
I really wish it was.
Another head, on her other side this time, peeked out. The short man had a crop of black hair and large, dark eyes. He struggled to see over the cubicle wall, but she noticed the clear concern on his face.
Elsa smiled faintly and curled her fingers in a small wave.
"You alright Elsa?" he asked, brow furrowing. He braced his arms along the wall and smiled slightly. "Want a warm hug?"
"No thank you Olaf," Elsa said softly. She lightly clasped her hands together, staring at the spaces between them. She couldn't voice the fact that she didn't want to be touched at all today. Or any other day really. She dug her nails into her skin.
"Then do you want more coffee?" Meg quipped, already reaching down over her wall and snatching up Elsa's cup. "You could use it. You're—"
"Dead on my feet," Elsa interrupted. She shot the brunette a smirk when Meg gave her an annoyed look at being cut off. The blonde smoothed down her skirt and tipped her head back, groaning when she felt an ache in her neck. "No amount of coffee is going to cure this dreadful atmosphere."
"That's just the weasel's preferred office spray." Meg wrinkled her nose. "Whatever the fuck it is."
Elsa gave a short, dry laugh. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over them, nerves relaxing at the momentary darkness.
"Coffee won't help, but some actual sleep will."
Elsa stiffened in her chair. Her stomach twisted at the tone in her coworker's voice. "Olaf," she began, not taking her hand off her face, "now really isn't a good time for this."
"Good time for what?"
Elsa tore her hand away and whirled around in her seat, shoulders tensing. Meg and Olaf turned their heads sharply to the side, taking in the newcomer.
The man before them was well over their height, his barrel chest covered in a pressed red shirt and black tie. He had biceps the size of Elsa's computer tower with pectorals and thighs to match. The man's dark hair was slicked back and tied neatly into a low ponytail and his blue eyes shone with a large amount of self-assurance.
Gaston Belmont would have been a handsome man if not for the leering smirk on his face.
Elsa hardened her jaw, gripping the armrests of her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Meg curl her nose subtly and Olaf frown.
"Gaston," she said slowly. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."
Gaston's smirk turned into a grin and he brandished a folder in front of him. "I don't think it should count as a surprise to see me Elsa," he purred and the blonde mentally shuddered. "After all, we do work in the same office."
"Unfortunately," Meg grumbled under her breath.
Olaf shot her a look and the brunette clamped her mouth shut. Elsa cleared her throat and took the papers from Gaston, glancing at him briefly before opening the folder and beginning to flip through it. She noticed his grin widen and refrained from visibly gagging.
"I'm assuming these are things Mr. Weselton wants me to look at?" she asked, voice low and clipped. She thumbed a page and frowned, already calculating how long she would have to stay overtime to take care of any additional duties.
Long enough that Anna will probably be asleep by the time I get home.
Her stomach twisted at the underlying relief she felt from the thought.
"You know…"
Gaston's voice sounded close by and when Elsa lifted her head, she jerked the folder in her lap and pressed it tightly to her chest at seeing him right next to her. He winked and crossed his arms right behind his back.
"I could help you with any additional stuff you have left to do." He leaned in close to her face and she could smell the abundance of mint on his breath. "I've noticed you've been working late more often. Thought I'd offer," Gaston waggled an eyebrow and Elsa squirmed, "my services."
Anna—
A hand grabbed a fistful of Gaston's shirt and he was tugged back roughly.
Elsa started as Meg glared up at the broad man. Olaf squeezed in between the two and scurried to her side. She tensed when he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Can it Belmont," Meg growled. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"
Gaston's smile vanished and his lips curled downwards. He plucked Meg's hand from his shoulder easily and stared down his nose at her. "You seem to be under the impression I was bothering Elsa here, Megara."
Elsa twitched and clutched the folder tightly.
You are bothering me. Everything is bothering me.
"I can help you with your work later Elsa," Olaf whispered in her ear, patting her shoulder gently. Her muscles twitched under his gentle hand, but she didn't pry away from his grip.
"Yeah, she really appreciates your oversprayed, cologne-stenched ass," Meg hissed, crossing her arms.
The leer finally vanished from Gaston's face and he mirrored Meg's position, towering over her. "I think," he grunted, all false pleasantries gone from his voice, "Elsa here is capable of speaking for herself." He glanced at her and she gritted her teeth together. "Isn't that right?"
Yes I am and I don't have time for any of this. I barely have time enough for my own—
Everything seemed to burst around her in a clatter.
"Listen here you little shit," Meg hissed.
"Excuse me?" Gaston growled.
"I think we all just need to settle this over a nice cup of frapuccino," Olaf started.
"I shouldn't have bugged you."
"Enough!" Elsa spat. She shut her eyes tightly and flung her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the excessive noise. Anna's stunned expression flashed through her mind's eye and her insides coiled tightly. "I can finish this fine on my own!" She felt Olaf tense beside her and knew Meg was already turning to comfort her. "So please," she said, recoiling from their hands because she couldn't stand it.
"I didn't mean for it to turn out like this."
The irritation drained out of her body like water from a tap. Her earlier fatigue came back in full force. "Just let me work in peace," Elsa mumbled, shielding her eyes.
For a long, tense moment she thought her coworkers would continue.
Then she heard Gaston snort and mutter something under his breath before his footsteps stomped away. Olaf's hand slipped from her shoulder and she sagged in her seat.
"Elsa," Meg sounded cautious and it sent her nerves racing under her skin, "this is more than the coffee and the crappy work hours isn't it?"
The blonde sighed and her hands dropped from her face. She pushed her chair back in front of her computer, staring at the screen dejectedly. The folder still lay on her lap and its light weight seemed to dig into her legs.
"You can tell us you know," Olaf said. She glanced briefly over her shoulder and saw him grin, extending his arms out. "We've got plenty of warm hugs to spare!"
Elsa stared back at her screen. The lack of restful sleep made her eyelids droop. The hands on her wristwatch ticked, continuing to count down the remaining time of her work hours.
Her breath came out slow and her chin dropped to her chest. "We had a fight," she whispered.
Meg and Olaf glanced to each other, confused.
"Sort of," she added, biting her lip.
"We?" Meg quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I know none of us get along all that well with Gaston exactly, but I don't know if I'd call it a fight," Olaf said. "More like a biiiig misunderstanding."
"No, not him," Elsa grumbled. She dug her nails into her skirt. "An—" she stiffened and knew Meg and Olaf were giving her strange looks. "My sister and I. We fought earlier this morning."
I wonder if she's still hurting.
"Oh," her coworkers said.
Elsa grimaced at the simultaneous reaction. Was she that predictable at what was bothering her?
"Well, lots of siblings fight." Meg shrugged and leaned against her cubicle wall. "What's the big deal?"
The big deal is that we're always fighting. Elsa's lower lip trembled as she placed the folder on her desk and sifted through it. She resumed typing, muttering, "It's been a few days since she's moved and we haven't," her fingers paused briefly and her head throbbed, "exactly seen eye to eye."
"When was the last time you talked?" Olaf asked.
Elsa winced. Her hands itched, the urge to fiddle with her braid strong. "I don't...really remember," the blonde admitted. Her cheeks flushed and guilt sunk in her stomach. She was sure the last time she and Anna had spoken had been on her younger sister's birthday.
At least I hope it was.
"Well just give her a warm hug when you get home!" Olaf chirped. "A good hug is always appreciated."
Meg rolled her eyes. "That actually requires Elsa to go home." The brunette fixed her with a stern look. "Come on Elsa, you can't keep avoiding whatever," she gestured with one hand, "this is."
But that requires me actually knowing what to say to her.
Elsa sighed and buried her face into her hands again. She felt Olaf rub her shoulder once more. Elsa blinked and felt a headache begin to pound in her temples. "I don't know what to do."
The cold that washed over her when she stepped into the convenience store was probably the best thing Anna had felt since landing in LA. The smell of donuts, coffee, junk food, and snacks was glorifying.
The redhead inhaled shakily before ducking right into the aisles, sneakers squeaking along the tiled floor as she hurried to the beverages.
"Good ol' fashion H2O," Anna said, grinning sweetly as she grabbed a water bottle from a compartment. The brisk air that washed over her made her pause briefly. "God, that feels great." Anna shut it carefully and walked more slowly towards the snack section, basking in the air conditioning. I should check to see if we have air conditioning at home.
Her sneakers skidded to a halt in front of the chips and donuts.
Anna bit her lip and nibbled it as the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She pretended it was just the sudden change in temperature. She had been walking around LA's streets for the past couple of hours, mentally checking which streets were which and where certain ones were.
Even though a part of her brain nagged and nagged at her that she might not even return to this part of the city before her summer vacation ended and she would be preoccupied with classes at her university.
I'm not making excuses.
Anna sighed and moved to grab a bag of chips when a buzzing started in her back pocket. The redhead jumped and scrambled to retrieve her phone.
Wait, what? Who'd be calling me—
Elsa's name and number flashed across the lock screen.
Anna froze and this time she couldn't deny it and say it was the cold air from the store's AC washing over her. She gripped her phone tight and clenched her jaw as she swiped the screen.
Her stomach dropped when she saw it wasn't a call from Elsa at all.
Text message from work I guess. Anna flicked through it and her brow furrowed at the short message.
"Will be home late. Don't wait up."
"Of course," she grumbled. She was about to put her phone away when her eyes caught the battery level. It was past halfway; in the red section. "Fuck," she hissed.
The clerk's head looked up from the register.
"You alright miss?" he asked.
Anna winced and nodded rapidly, a blush sprouting on her cheeks at her sudden outburst. She turned her back on him when he looked away, shoving her phone momentarily back in her pocket.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she whispered harshly to herself as she skipped over the snack section and grqbbed an apple quickly from the meager supplies they had and walked to the counter.
I should have turned it off to save power.
But she had been waiting on the off chance that Elsa would call her instead of the other way around.
Guess that's what I get for playing the waiting game.
Anna pursed her lips and ducked her head when she reached the register, pushing the apple and water bottle forward. The exchange was quick and impersonal. The dollar and coins rustled together when she handed them over.
"Come again," the clerk said as she grabbed her items.
Anna blinked and twirled the apple in her hand before shooting the man a half-grin. "Thank you."
Maybe I'll fall asleep on the bus again and land right back here.
The sunlight flared in her vision as she pushed open the door and walked right back into the traffic of Los Angeles. A wave of hot air blew over her and Anna let out a breath as she stood outside the convenience store.
"Okay," she mumbled to herself. The tiny parking lot was barren save for a car or two. She felt less self-conscious talking to herself now than she had earlier. She walked over to a curb and settled down, uncapping the water bottle and sipping from it. "First things first, figure out how to get home…"
Obviously the obvious answer to that is to call Elsa before my phone dies.
The thought wormed its way down her back and made her curl her toes deeper into her shoes. Goosebumps crawled up her skin despite the hot sun on her shoulders. Anna pursed her lips and bit into her apple, teeth sinking roughly into the slightly overripe fruit. She chewed absentmindedly as her hand slipped down and fished out her cell phone.
The sunlight shone on the plastic, blinding her for a second and making her wince. She blinked a few times and her eyes honed in on Elsa's smiling face again.
Anna swallowed, a shiver racing down her spine. Something twisted in her stomach, coiling tightly and crawling up her chest slowly. She almost didn't want to flick the lock screen, but her sister's joyful expression was uncomfortable to look at.
She stared at her phone, frowning. Her thumb hovered over the screen. Should she call Elsa?
Anna grit her teeth and all but punched the number of Elsa's cell into her phone. She whipped it to her ear and hissed, "This is so stupid of course I should call her, I'm lost for fuck's sake."
Her stomach turned as the dial began to ring. She hoped Elsa wouldn't be mad.
Even though she had never been to LA in her entire life until now, the feeling that welled in her chest—a deep, aching loneliness—felt all too familiar.
She sighed and stared down at her hands, at the minute nick scars that littered her knuckles.
"Feels like I've been here before."
The hot sun bore down on her back and she smelled asphalt again on her nose. Cars zipped past and she listened to the sound of people walking by and the traffic around her. She bit into her apple again and again as she waited.
Her stomach twisted and a pang hit her in the chest. That familiar feeling hung over her. The phone rang three times before she heard a click.
What if I just get her voicemail?
It wouldn't be the first time.
There was static and then the sound of a keyboard before everything quieted around her. Anna tensed, the stillness unsettling.
"Anna?"
She let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Her older sister sounded confused. Not curt or disengaged like she had feared. It gave her the bit of courage she needed to push forward.
Anna cleared her throat. "Hey, Elsa, are you busy?"
"Anna, I'm currently—"
Her breath hitched and her body was already tensing for the inevitable rejection. The leftover apple core slipped from her hand. Elsa must have heard her because there was a sudden pause on the other line. Anna dug her tooth into her bottom lip to keep from blabbering. She didn't have to be next to her sister know she was frowning.
"Well," Elsa continued softly and Anna's fingers twitched at the exhaustion in her sister's voice. "I was about to head out for a quick bite to eat. What did you need?"
What did you need?
Anna bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted copper on her tongue. She stared down at her nails and played with the tip of one as she said, "I was wondering," slowly because she could feel that horrible—and disgustingly familiar—tension seeping into her skin. "If you could come and pick me up."
A sudden vertigo washed over her and she reeled as her mind played backwards. She wasn't under the bright sunshine of Los Angeles's streets anymore, but sitting on a curb outside her old middle school, listening to the rain pound on the grounds as she waited, skateboard tucked at her side.
"P-pick you up? What do you mean?"
Anna blinked several times, the edges of her eyes slightly more wet than usual. She wiped her brow and felt sweat on her forehead. It helped her remember that she wasn't back home in Pennsylvania.
"Anna, where are you?" Elsa's voice hardened and Anna swallowed at the edge that slipped into it. "You're at home right? Tell me this isn't another prank of yours.
Anger flashed in her blood. Anna gritted her teeth and grumbled, "No this isn't a prank. I haven't pranked anyone in years Elsa." I wasn't the pranking type anyway, but apparently I'm the only one who thought that.
"If this is about this morning," Elsa continued, "then, look, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean—"
"Elsa," Anna cut her sister off with a hiss. The other line went silent. She wanted to kick herself in the gut for her own interruption, but that feeling of something crawling along her skin was incredibly off putting. Great job dork. You've gone and upset her anyway. Her sister's face flashed in her mind's eyes, pale with shadows under her eyes and hair unkempt.
Not glowing with a smile and a candy kiss on her cheek.
Anna ran a hand through her hair and huffed, words starting to spill from her lips. "Okay, look. I'm lost right now. I took the bus and fell asleep during the drive. I was going to check out the campus, but—"
"You're what?! Where are you and what you have been up to?"
Anna jumped, eyes widening. She blinked several times. A mixture of emotions coiled inside her. She wasn't sure whether to be annoyed at Elsa asking her what she'd been doing as if she was still a teenager or to...
"God, Anna, tell me you at least have some water with you. This heat has been causing strokes for people!"
Something fluttered in her chest and she suddenly found her tongue was thick and dry; clumsy. The redhead laughed nervously and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. A strange mixture of guilt, anxiety, and elation bubbled inside her. She had managed to worry her older sister after all, but Elsa sounded worried for her.
It wasn't something she was used to.
"Anna?"
Anna's shoulders twitched. She cleared her throat and hurriedly said, "I-I'm here! Sorry! Sorry, I just, uh," her free hand knocked against her water bottle and she glanced at it before picking it up and brandishing it as if Elsa could see. "I do have water! I bought some at a 7/11!"
There was a heavy sigh on the other line and she couldn't tell if it was from exasperation or relief. Anna messed with the plastic wrapping along the bottle and chewed on her bottom lip.
She hated causing Elsa stress. Absolutely despised it. And ever since moving in with her older sister that had been all she'd been doing to Elsa. Even if they had only spent a few days together so far.
"It's not her fault."
Anna swallowed down the bite and guilt rising up her windpipe. It tasted foul and the hot air made her stomach roll with nausea. Suddenly, she wished she could see her sister's face.
"Anna, tell me where you are. I'll—"
"I'm sorry."
"—get—wait, what?"
Anna blinked. She felt heat all over her body. Her lips were dry and when she licked them, they cracked under her tongue. The back of her neck was burning from the sun's rays and a flush that traveled down her spine. The soles of her shoes were warm from walking around for a long while now. Again, her eyes were wet. Wetter than usual.
Anna sniffed and then let out a shuddering breath. Fatigue seeped into her bones. "I'm sorry," she repeated.
Elsa was silent.
The redhead swallowed and clutched one of her braids. "I didn't mean to get lost. I was, uh," she cursed her stumbling and stuttering, "tired." Elsa's breath hitched on the other line and she wanted to kick herself again. Anna blinked a few more times. God, this is so stupid. We're going back and running around in circles by this point. "I really was just going to check out the campus." She inhaled, exhaled, and sagged on the curb.
She wished she was home.
A home that included Elsa.
"I'm sorry for being so upset last night and I know that I've been acting...weird since I got here."
The silence continued. She dug her nails into her phone. Her stomach was in knots, continuously twisting as the time stretched between them. The thick, tense atmosphere that seemed to follow her and her sister was suffocating.
Say something. Please.
Elsa inhaled softly. Anna perked up, her own breath catching in her chest.
"You fell asleep on the bus because you were tired…"
It was such an odd way to word it. It was an obvious way to word it. Of course she had fallen asleep on the bus because she was tired. That was the way human nature worked. Her body had been running on comparatively disruptive sleep. The feel and sound of the bus under her feet had lulled her into a doze until she couldn't remember anything after closing her eyes.
And yet…
There was something in Elsa's voice that stopped her from making a short remark; stopped her from saying, "Yes, pay attention," or, "Of course. That's kind of what bodies do when they don't have energy."
"You were tired," Elsa whispered.
Her sister's voice was distant. The wall between them was still there. She was still miles from wherever Elsa was. It wasn't even a physical distance that she ached to cross. She squeezed her shoes together. Her lips trembled. But there was something in her older sister's words. Something that made her heart pound in her rib cage. It sounded as if her sister had come to a conclusion of sorts. Anna felt a tingle travel down her spine.
The image of Elsa's smiling face flashed in her mind's eye again.
"You haven't been sleeping well have you…"
Oh, Elsa.
Her vision blurred.
Anna's expression softened and she leaned her head closer to her phone. Her lips twitched. A tiny smile curled on her mouth. "Y-yeah," she admitted, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "S-sorry, about," she gestured uselessly, "all this."
Elsa sighed again and when she spoke once more, her voice was closer. As if she had pressed her cell tighter to her ear. "No, that's alright. You don't have to apologize. Jet lag from the plane I guess." There was a short pause before her sister continued, stuttering, "You...you said you had water right? You've drank plenty by now right?"
She is worried about me.
Anna released the breath she'd been holding quietly and brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. The water bottle crinkled between her body and the fabric of her jeans was rough against her skin. It scratched her chin, but she didn't care at the moment.
"Yeah, I'm okay for now." She giggled and played with the end of a braid, eyes glazing over. "You know me, I'm resourceful. I did actually remember to bring cash with me this time. Since I figured I'd be out for a while."
Elsa laughed, once, and the sound was so foreign to Anna's ears she almost did a double take. It sent chills down her spine. "Yes, I distinctly remember you knowing what to do at odd hours in the day," her sister said, voice soft and light.
You do?
She so badly wanted to ask, but the possibility of saying the wrong thing—and she had a terrible habit of not filtering her words—stopped her from doing so.
Anna felt warmth bloom in her cheeks and down in her chest. She played with a loose thread on her jeans. "I'm sorry for interrupting you at work."
"It's fine. Like I said, I was going for a quick bite to eat anyway," Elsa said and Anna swore she heard the faintest hint of a smile in her sister's voice.
She frowned, burying her nose between her knees. "Sorry for keeping you from that lunch break."
"It's fine," Elsa whispered and the lightness was still there in her voice. "You don't have to keep apologizing. What's with you?"
The guilt burned her.
Anna bit down on her tongue. Her muscles tensed and she breathed faster against her legs. "It's just you've been so busy these past few days." She scrunched up her face. "Past few weeks I bet, actually."
There was a pause on the other line. Then, Elsa sighed and the exhaustion was back. "Don't worry about that."
She's not telling me.
It hit her in the gut.
Anna swallowed thickly. Her fingers itched. She wanted to pry something apart.
"Did you sleep well?"
And there she went with her habit of letting words slip. Anna sorely wished she could twist her own leg and kick herself in the rear. Elsa tried to cover up her sharp inhale, but the redhead had already heard it. She frowned and her lips turned downward.
"That's a no right?"
"I—"
"Elsa," Anna started, "I know you have this whole thing about work." Did she? The thought coiled tightly in her mind. "But you've got to get some sleep."
"I've gotten enough rest this week." Her sister's response was clipped. Her walls were coming back up again. Anna could hear the door shutting.
"You were dead on your feet when I arrived," Anna pointed out. It sounded petulant to her ears, but damn it she had a point! She wasn't a teenager anymore.
"Anna—"
She felt like it though.
"I'm just worried about you," Anna whispered.
The line went silent.
Cars drove by, their tires screeching against the asphalt. The smell of smog rose into her nostrils. The heat was noticeable again. It draped over the skin of her bare arms and made a drop of sweat roll down the nape of her neck. Her eyes stung. Her vision blurred again.
Her words hung in the open air, in the tense atmosphere that seemed to permeate and follow them wherever they were.
A shuddering breath against her ear brought the vague recollection of frosty air on a winter morning.
"Oh, Anna."
Anna inhaled sharply, a strange mixture of cold and heat seizing her body. Her cheeks warmed at the way Elsa whispered her name and yet a nauseating chill grabbed a hold of her.
"I didn't mean to—I mean, I'm sorry for w-worrying you, but I..."
And just like that, she heard her older sister again. A smile teased at the edge of Anna's lips. She shut her eyes and leaned her head on her knees, a giggle bubbling in her chest.
"You're laughing at me," Elsa said, huffing.
Anna bit her lip. "I'm not," she said. She tried to keep the teasing edge from her voice. She knew her sister was opening her mouth to retort. "Did you get something to eat?"
Elsa spluttered on the other end, obviously surprised at being cut off. "I-I...what? Er..." The redhead heard something crinkle over the phone. "Uh, yes. I got something from the vending machine. It's—"
"Chocolate," Anna said without thinking.
"Huh?"
She felt breathless all of a sudden.
"You bought a chocolate bar."
"Yes," Elsa mumbled and her older sister sounded equally breathless. "I—"
"Love chocolate."
She heard a hitch of breath. Anna felt the words catch in her throat. Her heart pounded in her rib cage. It roared in her ears. The sun beat down on her and she gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"Y-yeah," Elsa admitted. The redhead blinked a few times, trying to dry her eyes. "Did you get something to eat too?"
"Mhm," Anna hummed. She picked up her apple core and swung it between her fingers. "Apple." She narrowed eyes playfully. "Unlike Miss Slim and Blonde here, some of us have to watch our figure."
Elsa snorted. "You have the metabolism of a jackrabbit."
Anna snorted. Laughed. Giggled really.
The sun felt less harsh on her skin.
She heard a crunch on the other end and then a soft, contented sigh.
She still likes chocolate.
Anna tilted her head up and stared at the sky. It was slowly turning orange and pink. She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, but it just bobbed up and down.
She felt close to Elsa, even as she sat on the curb in front of a quiet convenience store while Elsa was at her workplace, surrounded by others typing away at their desks, having coffee, or speaking with other coworkers.
But Elsa wasn't doing any of that.
Elsa had picked up her phone. It hadn't gone to her voicemail. Elsa—her older sister who she didn't really know—had picked up her phone and was speaking to her.
They felt closer.
They weren't talking right now, but they felt closer.
It was the third day since she had arrived in sunny, smoggy Los Angeles and finally, they felt closer!
The buzz next to her made her jump.
Anna tore her phone from her head and stared at the screen. The warning message that her battery was at five percent stared back at her.
Crap I forgot this thing was dying!
Anna scrambled with her phone, jaw dropping when she saw the call had ended.
"And you made me hang up on Elsa!" she whined, furiously redialing her sister's number. "Of all the stupid times," Anna growled, "for something to interrupt us."
The phone had barely rung once before she heard a click.
"Elsa, sorry about that, I—"
"Are you okay?"
Anna blinked, stilling. There was an edge to her sister's voice. Something almost frantic even when it was still soft. "Yeah," Anna mumbled, a faint smile on her lips. "I'm okay."
A sigh caressed her ear. "I'm glad."
The sun was starting to set.
"Just my phone is dying," Anna chuckled.
"Oh, then I'm—what?"
Anna stiffened. Elsa's voice faded somewhat.
"I—no, sir. I wasn't—" She heard the sound of ruffling, but could only pick out the words "my sister," and "break." She guessed Elsa had clamped her hand over the phone.
Anna blinked and drew her knees in tighter. "Elsa?" she started slowly. Her stomach twisted as she continued to hear muffled talking over the phone. "Hey, you there?"
Nothing.
The nauseating chill from before returned.
Anna dug her nails into her jeans. "Hey, Elsa, I—"
Then her sister was back again, speaking curtly over the phone. "I'm going to call Kristoff and ask him to pick you up."
It was such a rapid and startling change that it left her gaping like a fish. "I- wait, what? I thought you were going to come get me."
"Anna, I can't." The exasperation was in the blonde's voice again. "I have work I need to get back to. And now my boss saw me being distracted so I can't come."
Anna clamped her jaw shut.
How many times am I going to be back in the spot?
"What street are you on?"
Elsa's voice was unfathomably polite. Not at all like the light and soft tone it had been earlier.
Anna blinked. She turned her head to stare at the street sign. Within her vision she caught a glimpse of the setting sun.
"I'm—"
The conversation was a blur to her after that.
Elsa mumbled a quick goodbye before she hung up.
The honk of a horn made her look up.
Anna blinked and inhaled sharply when she saw a familiar minivan park in front of the convenience store. She pocketed her phone and stood up, brushing her jeans as a blonde head poked out.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," Kristoff said, looking her up and down. She laughed once and gave him a half-wave, a sheepish smile on her face. He frowned, eyes narrowing. She stiffened, wondering if he had noticed the tear tracks. "You're probably going to need a shower when we get back."
Anna balked and glared at him, lower lip jutting out in a pout. "I don't think I stink." She angled her head and tried to take a whiff of her shirt as discreetly as she could. Her nose wrinkled and she slumped a bit. "Not that much anyway," she mumbled.
Kristoff just smirked and unlocked the passenger, jerking his head towards it. "Get in."
Anna's expression softened and she smiled slightly. She grabbed her water bottle from the curb, chucking the apple core towards the trash can, and hopped into his car. Her smile widened when the heat of the sun died away under the perfect temperature of Kristoff's minivan.
"Thanks for this," Anna said, buckling her seat in.
"Don't mention it," Kristoff replied as he began to back out of the small parking lot and onto the street. "I owe Elsa a favor anyway."
Anna glanced at him, rolling her water bottle in her hands. Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. "I thought you picking me up from the airport would have counted as repaying her."
"Well, think of that as repaying her fifty percent and this as repaying her the remaining amount." He stopped at a red light and grabbed a bottle, holding it out to her. "Thirsty? Yours is empty."
Anna made a face, but took it from him. "You didn't drink from it did you? Because that would be ew."
Kristoff snorted and shifted back into gear. "No, I only share my spit with Sven."
"Ew!"
He laughed and she gagged. Anna hesitantly untwisted the bottle and took a sip. Relief flowed through her at the taste of cool, fresh water. She downed half of it in a few gulps.
Anna sighed and sunk into her seat, shooting the blonde man a small smile. "Thanks again," she said and the entire day's frustration melted away.
He glanced at her, eyebrow quirked up at her tone. "Like I said, don't mention it." He shrugged and stared back at the road. "It's no big deal."
Anna hesitated before mumbling, "It is to me. My sister asked you to do something for her and you agreed." That Elsa had even gone to anyone for help was a marvel to her.
Kristoff frowned at her, but she looked out the window instead of meeting his gaze. Her chest ached and she absentmindedly fingered one of her braids.
"You and your sister really don't get along well do you?"
Anna jumped and whirled around to face him, teal eyes the size of dinner plates. "What? What makes you think that?" She glared at him, hands tightening into fist. "That's a huge assumption to make."
Especially considering that a while ago they had been.
Kristoff stared at her. Anna felt a lump rise in her throat.
"What did you need?"
She sagged and stared down at her hands. "Yeah," she admitted, feeling tears prick the edges of her eyes. She wiped them away furiously. Don't cry in front of someone you don't know, you big baby.
"Why's that?" Kristoff asked, looking away from her. He didn't comment on the crack in her voice.
Anna chuckled and stared at the late evening sun. She could hear Elsa's laughter in her ears as she pressed a kiss to her sister's cheek, cherry and snow on her tongue.
She could hear the remnants of her sister's gentle voice as she guessed correctly that her sister still loved chocolate.
She could hear the walls coming back up as their conversation ended, heard the door click shut.
The ache in her chest deepened.
"Well, I'm not exactly winning any awards for best little sister of the year."
But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made