When Elsa was a few years younger she would sneak into the library late at night when she didn't think anyone would see her. It was difficult the first few times because the upper levels of the mansion often had security patrols. Nevertheless, she always figured out the right timing.
She found books to be endlessly fascinating. Her focus was supposed to be directed towards books on history and strategy but Elsa could absorb anything. She read books on everything from architecture to the Arctic craving any kind of knowledge she could obtain.
One night she had been so engrossed in one of her history novels that she drifted to sleep in the middle of the library floor. She dreams of a room with checkered tiles and a ceiling that stretches on for miles. On either end of the tiled room is a line of headstones. She sits in the middle and stares into infinity. After what must have been just hours but felt like an eternity she hears a soft and soothing sound slowly descend the ceiling and like a fish to a fishing line she gravitates to it. "Elsa" it calls.
"Elsaaa… Psst! Umm… Elsa?"
Elsa jolted awake at once, reeling from the sudden realisation of what she was actually hearing. She swallowed hard blinking to focus as the familiar eyes of the General's daughter gazed questioningly at hers. They were impossibly close and Elsa could practically feel the girl's warm breath on her face.
She was on her feet at once, trying not to look too startled. "Anna!" She tried to straighten herself bowing her head to the ground trying to hide her embarrassment from spreading across her pale complexion. "I ugh… please forgive me. I wasn't expecting to…" she trailed off, trying to gather what exactly had just happened.
"Fall asleep in the middle of the library?" Anna offered, clearly amused by how flustered Elsa seemed to be.
"Yes Miss Arendelle." She stood steady now hands at her side, back straight. "I apologise for my inappropriate behaviour, and I will have everything straightened out right away".
"You can just call me Anna you know? We've met before don't you remember?" She was circling Elsa slowly, looking her up and down very curiously.
Elsa's features softened. "Yes of course" she breathed. How could she forget the energetic young girl who had called to her from across the hallway the first week she had stayed there? Then there had been several times when she had seen Anna while helping the staff, but the other girl couldn't possibly have been bothered to notice her. Could she have been?
Teal eyes were still looking her up and down. She was silent for a moment. The tension built. Elsa had already mapped out potential escape routes.
"So you like books so much you sleep with them, huh?" Anna winked, a wide grin spreading across her face as she wiggled her eyebrows.
And just like that the tension was gone. Anna dropped herself into a nearby leather chair smiling deviously. Elsa stared in disbelief. The General's daughter just asked me if she slept with books. Wait? Did she mean SLEEP with books, or? Did she just…? Is she insinuating that I…?
Her train of thought was interrupted by the fit of giggles coming from the leather chair. Anna was covering her mouth, clearly proud of herself for the startled reaction she had gotten out of the other girl.
"Loosen up there soldier, it was just a joke" she laughs, springing from the chair she marched her feet and held out her hand in mock salute "Aa-tteen-tion! I'm gonna need you to loosen up and have some fun recruit! That's an order!" she marching around in full dramatics now, swinging her arms and stomping her feet.
"I'm gonna need smiles on the left flank and a- whoa!" Anna lurched forward, suddenly colliding with a stack of books on the floor. Elsa's reflexes were graceful and catlike as she grabbed Anna by the waist and held her steady.
"Oh my god I'm sorry! Wow thanks for catching me; you're like, really fast. And strong. And gorgeous. WAIT WHAT? I mean not gorgeous! I mean obviously you are! Gorgeous I mean. I just… I didn't mean to say that now! I mean it's totally true but I didn't, you know, mean to say that…to you... out loud" Anna was rambling, her face slowly matching the shade of her hair.
She thinks I'm… gorgeous? Elsa was staring at the girl with a mixture of confusion and fascination. She had just woken up from sleeping on the floor of the library; her ice blonde hair was slightly dishevelled in a loosely plaited side braid thrown across her shoulder. Her fitted army pants tucked neatly into black combat boots and she was wearing a black shirt, now crinkled from sleep, that was slightly too big for her slender frame.
Anna on the other hand was wearing vibrant blue jeans that hugged her figure in all the right places. She had on a fitted black tank top with a subtle flower pattern up the center. She had on a fashionable magenta sweater that was slightly longer than her top length. Her hair was in two side braids with a fringe of hair sweeping down her forehead. It was casual and comfortable but still put together.
There is no way that this girl thinks I'm gorgeous. I mean look at her? Her chest felt warm for some reason she couldn't place. "She's the beautiful one."
Suddenly Elsa realised the inappropriateness of her arm position, still slung around the other girl's waist. Anna was still rambling. She hastily let the girl down and stepped back from her.
Anna stopped talking as soon as she noticed their lack of contact. "So what exactly did I trip over?" she asked dipping her head to read the titles on the floor. "Histories of War: Joan of Arc. Wow that's so cool! I love Joan! Did you know, spoiler alert, that in 1430-"
"She was captured just outside of Compiègne by a group of Burgundians, led by the Duke of Burgundy, in a minor siege?" Elsa recited the historical fact like it was a house address.
Anna smile excitedly "Yeah how'd you know?" she was slightly disappointed at missing the opportunity to impress the blonde.
Elsa's lips twitched into an apologetic grin "I don't think you can say 'spoiler alert' to one of the most important and well documented points in the Hundred Years War" Anna returned her grin huffing and narrowed her eyes into a pouty glare.
"You have a good memory." Anna shrugged, feigning indifference but turning around to hide her smile.
Practically photographic. "I guess so." Elsa replied, bending down to gather the books beneath her.
It's quiet for a moment before Anna changes the subject. "Sooo… you come here often?" She jokes settling back in her chair.
Almost every night. "Sometimes" she lies.
"Well then maybe we'll finally get to see more of each other?" Anna's smile is infectious. "I feel like we could be really great friends, you know? I mean it's weird that you live in our basement and I know nothing about you. I know almost all of the other staff members who live down there" she's blushing again "but I don't know you at all".
Elsa hesitates "I don't think that would be proper, I doubt the General would approve" his words echoed in her mind, seen and not heard she thought. She turned to put the books back on the shelf, hiding her own disappointment.
"Well…" Anna was suddenly right behind her, whispering softly in her ear, "…what he doesn't know won't kill him, will it?"
Elsa tried to remain calm and come up with a professional response, ignoring the urge to point out that what you didn't know actually did have a very high risk of killing you.
But when she turned around Anna was already across the room and slinking out the door. "See you soon sleepyhead" she called from afar, flashing one last smile before closing the door shut behind her.
A/N Yo! People are reading this and that's really cool! Thank you for not hating it haha I'm a first timer so it's all a bit overwhelming and scary and I'm sorry if it ends up not being good or making sense or anything! Love all you follows and faves out there :)
And to comment on your comments...
President Raggy: Your fic is so great I can't believe you sent me a comment! Thanks for the heads up on the punctuation as well! I've got 99 problems and punctuation is like a solid chunk... I'll try and fix everything when I get a chance! I'm sorry y'all!
(Is that reference still relevant? Do ppl still get that? Does he go by J-Knowles now? Asking for a friend...)
Guest: I'll try!
Also bigups to google for the history lesson (as if I know anything abt J-Arc pls)