The Chance to Fly, Chapter Four
A.N: Well, you're in luck! I am managing to keep two chapters ahead of you guys, so here is another one for you. I hope you enjoy it, let me know!
Anna was back at work following her not-so-relaxing night off that had in fact become altogether one of the most confusing evenings she had had in a long time. Tonight, the place was not quiet. The regulars were all in, manning their preferred spots along the bar, and suspiciously eyeing any newbie who thought they could take up one of the leather-topped stools. Anna had been in for a couple of hours now, and with it being one of the busier nights of the week, with a band playing later, Anna had the company of fellow member of bar staff, Magnus.
Magnus was a big guy, he stood nearly two feet taller than Anna, towering over her behind the bar. He was not only tall, but also rather muscular with hugely broad shoulders. He was, however, a total gentle giant. His hair was a sort of dull brown colour, it always looked like it could do with a trim, and his chin often sported several-day stubble. He was a good friend of Anna's and they always had a good time when they had shifts together. The atmosphere in the place was buzzing, general chatter and clinking of glasses filled the bar, and on the stage at the back a young local band was setting up their equipment and instruments. This was Anna's favourite kind of evening at Oaken's, there was a real sense of community in the place. She supposed, there was that feeling most nights really. Oaken's wasn't the sort of place where trouble often kicked off. Thankfully. Anna wasn't sure she'd be the right person to have to break up any fights. Though Magnus was certainly large enough to step in. The worst Anna ever had to contend with was a customer who had had a few too many drinks, or perhaps the odd ass-pinch from a particularly sleazy patron. But that wasn't a regular occurrence. Usually, the only interest she sparked in the customers manifested itself in little comments and, if she was being honest, those didn't bother her too much. Plus, there was an upside to having regulars who were mainly of the male persuasion; that little gang of guys knew Anna pretty well, they often chatted with her and kept her entertained on the quieter nights, they had developed protective feelings over her, sometimes they were downright fatherly towards her. Any hassle from 'outsiders' would be quickly noted and interrupted by one or other of the regulars. They're kind of like my little guardian angels, Anna thought, my boozy, bearded guardian angels. The thought had Anna smiling as she pulled another pint for one her favourite regulars.
It had been a few days since Anna had overheard Elsa crying through her bedroom wall. Anna had not seen her since, and she not heard anything else either. The whole episode had been so strange that Anna was beginning to wonder if it had happened at all. Maybe she had imagined the noises. Maybe it had been a dream. Maybe she had eaten too much ice cream and gone into some sort of sugar-fuelled hallucination… For the most part, Anna had put the incident out of her mind. She had been working extra-hard to ignore the somewhat overwhelming feelings that arisen out of nowhere for the blonde woman she barely knew. Besides, she almost completely ignored you the last time you saw her Anna reminded herself. Over the past couple of days, her feelings of confusion and, in all honestly, faint arousal at Elsa's behaviour when she had interrupted Hans' and Anna's conversation in the hall, had given way to slight resentment for the blonde. Anna hadn't been doing anything wrong. If Elsa was annoyed at her husband for some reason, there had been no need to take it out on Anna. She didn't really take it out on you Anna… But she had ignored the redhead after she initially noticed her. She didn't even say goodbye… It was quite rude. And so Anna was easing her awkward feelings for Elsa by concentrating on the woman's apparent flaws instead. It sort of helped. Sometimes.
"Anna, I just need to go down to the cellar and change a barrel. You alright up here?" It was Magnus.
"Yeah, yeah. That's fine, Mag." Anna replied. Just as Anna turned back to the bar, she heard another voice calling her name.
"Anna! Hey neighbour! Fancy seeing you here!" Standing in front of Anna was Hans, his almost perpetual smile in place as usual.
"Ah! You came to check out Oaken's then? How's it going, Hans?" Anna asked, discovering that she too was wearing a smile now.
"I did indeed! It looks great, and it seems you're going to have some live music for us later too?" Hans said, looking appreciatively at the room around him.
"Yeah, they're a local band. The Frozen Fjords. Pretty good actually, they're kind of folk-y." Anna explained looking over to the stage at the back where it seemed that the band themselves were nearly ready.
"Sounds good. So how are you, Anna?" Hans said, once again genuinely interested to hear about the redhead.
Anna, for a split second, considered asking Hans about Elsa. About why she might have been crying the other night. No, Anna. Don't do that, that would be totally weird and inappropriate. She stopped herself just in time.
"Yeah, all good, thanks Hans. My brother is still away so I'm enjoying having the apartment to myself!" Anna said, over elaborating to cover up her momentary hesitation.
"Glad to hear it! I guess I better order some drinks then." Hans stated, studying the chalkboard behind the bar and considering the row of beer pumps. Anna looked around and noticed that Hans had entered the bar with a small group. The group was noticeably made up of couples, and noticeably lacking one Elsa. Hans reeled off a list of orders he had obviously collected in advance from his party.
"And I'll have… whatever you recommend." Hans finished. Anna nodded and set to work gathering everything on the list of beverages.
"No Elsa tonight?" She asked and she poured a measure of vodka into a glass. That time she hadn't been able to stop herself. Hans looked behind him, as if checking that Anna's observation was correct. He turned back to her and shrugged.
"She was going to come. It was just dinner with some friends from the office and their partners, then I thought we could continue the evening with a drink and music in here. And visit my favourite neighbour, of course! But Kai hasn't been all that well, so Elsa stayed home. I swear, she loves that thing more than she loves me!"
At Hans' final sentence, the bottle of vodka slipped slightly in Anna's grasp and the bar ended up receiving a splash of the stuff across its gleaming wooden surface. Then, from the back of the room, came the first strum of a chord from the band, which was greeted by cheers from the rest of Oaken's. Any further conversation was henceforth impossible. Anna finished up Hans order and placed the drinks onto a tin tray for him to carry back to his group.
That thing?! Anna thought as she watched Hans' weave his way through the tables to his own. Who speaks about his own child like that? Those two get weirder and weirder.
The rest of the evening rolled by quite quickly, the band got a good reception and the merry atmosphere continued into the night. Hans' returned later to chat again with Anna, and was his usual funny and charming self. Anna was beginning to find that she enjoyed her talks with Hans. Maybe I misheard him earlier, 'thing' could sound a lot like 'kid', and it is noisy in here… Anna reasoned with herself. That makes much more sense.
By the time the band had finished their set, and closing time had come around, Hans had said goodbye to the rest of his group and was still leaning up against the bar, talking with Anna. He was good company, and she was glad to let him stay as she wiped down the surfaces. He even went around the room picking up chairs and placing them onto the tables so that the floor could be cleaned in the morning.
"I'm glad I came in tonight," Hans called from the other side of the bar, as he lifted the last chairs.
"It's been good to have you here!" Anna replied from where she was wringing out a cloth into the sink.
"It's a shame Elsa wouldn't come. She would have enjoyed it, I think. And it would be good for her to socialise a bit more. I think you and her could be good friends." Hans said. Anna dropped the nearly dry cloth back into the wet sink.
"Yeah?" She replied, uncertainly.
"Yeah, it would help her to settle in better. She's found the move quite difficult. An apartment block is not quite what she's been used to." Hans elaborated, before adding, "There! All done." He put the final chair onto the table.
Anna did not respond. The subject of Elsa often made her overthink her replies to the point of not knowing what to say at all.
"Ready?" Hans asked.
"Ready." Anna agreed. They exited the bar and Hans waited whilst Anna locked up. She pulled her hat from her jacket pocket and slipped it on, pulling it down over the tops of her plaits. Hans smiled.
"You look very snug!" He said, holding out an elbow to Anna in a gentlemanly fashion. Anna, though she didn't quite know why she felt comfortable enough to do so, slipped her arm through his. There wasn't a flirtation between them. If anything, Anna was beginning to think that herself and Hans could be very good friends. They walked together the short distance down the street, into the apartment block and up the stairs, before saying their goodbyes outside the door of Anna's apartment.
The following morning, Anna was once again up before 11am. This is become a habit… Maybe you're turning over a new leaf. She was dressed in her usual tight jeans, black, and, because it was definitely getting colder, she had topped it off with a green hooded sweater. The redhead had ventured downstairs to the mailboxes and was rifling through the various envelopes she had found within.
Bills, bills, something for Kristoff, catalogue for me, bills, bills, Elsa Anderson, something for Kristoff.
Wait.
Elsa Anderson?
Anna looked again at the brown envelope in her hand. Yep, definitely says Elsa Anderson. Weird. Anna trotted back up the stairs, deposited her own mail on the counter in her apartment and then headed back out the door. She stood in front of apartment number seven and knocked. Almost the minute she had done it she was reminded of two things; firstly, the last time she had been knocking on this very door, and secondly, that icy glare that Elsa had pulled on Hans a few days earlier. Oh, Anna. I don't think you thought this through. Is it too late to run back down the hall? Anna had just looked behind her to the safety of her own door, deliberating making a run for it, when the door in front of her opened.
Inside stood Elsa herself. Anna gulped. Elsa looked… wonderful. She was in a simple white T-shirt - that's brave with this chill - and her blue jeans that nestled against her skin the same way they always did. Her hair was not hanging loose around her shoulders this time though. Today it was up, worked into an intricate plait that wrapped itself around her head in a formation that Anna could not begin to imagine being able to construct. A couple of stray tendrils hung down and brushed the taller woman's visible collarbones. Anna had never found herself particularly attracted to collarbones in the past. In an instant though, that had changed. Anna could not tear her eyes away from the vision before her.
"Anna?" Elsa asked, breaking Anna from her haze.
You haven't said anything. You knocked on her door and then didn't say anything. You're just staring at her. Speak Anna! Say anything!
"I… Uh…" Anna stuttered, blind panic stealing her words.
"Are you alright?" Elsa spoke, concern lacing her words.
"Yes." Said Anna.
Great. A word. Now continue…
"This was in my mailbox. I think it's for you, they got your name wrong though." Anna said at last, flooded with relief that she had regained control of her senses. She handed the envelope to Elsa, brushing her fingers accidentally and feeling heat rush up the back of her neck at the contact. Elsa seemed unfazed by it. She looked down at the envelope in her hands.
"No, that's right." She murmured, turning the envelope over.
"But, Christian!" Anna burst out. Elsa looked up at her in surprise.
"On the buzzer. Your name is Christian." Anna explained, as if somehow Elsa may be unaware of her own surname.
"No, that's Hans." The blonde clarified. "I'm Anderson." She continued. "Elsa Anderson." The final words were said in almost a whisper.
"You're not married?" Anna ventured, hardly daring to hope for a certain answer.
"Hans and I? No. We're not married." Elsa said, her tone very matter of fact. Anna couldn't help herself, a wide grin spread across lips, and she couldn't wipe it away for all she was worth. Elsa looked up at her again.
"Are you sure you're alright, Anna?" she asked, curiously.
"Yes, I'm great. Just… great!" Anna nodded at her.
"Right, well, do you want to come in? Have that coffee you mentioned? You know, or tea, maybe you prefer tea. Or there's cold drinks. I probably have cold drinks."
Elsa was teasing her. She was throwing Anna's awkward wording back at her. She had remembered exactly what Anna had said, even though it was said days ago. Elsa was smiling at Anna, her eyes were kind again, calm again.
"Yes." That was all Anna could manage. Elsa turned back into the apartment and held the door open for Anna to follow her in.
"I wanted to apologise for the other night." Elsa was saying as she led Anna towards the kitchen. Anna stopped, was Elsa about to bring up the crying incident?
"Out in the hall, with Hans. I was rude. I'm sorry." Elsa finished. No. She was not about to bring up the crying incident. Anna felt quite relieved about that.
"Oh, it was fine. We all have our off days, right?" Anna tried to placate the blonde who was looking a bit troubled.
"I can't imagine that you do." Elsa said quietly. Anna let out a loud laugh.
"Of course I do! God, sometimes in the morning… You should see me in the mornings—I mean, not that you should be with me in the mornings… I… Uh… I'm just… not a morning person." Anna had turned almost as red as her hair. What was that? God, Anna, why do you do it? Elsa's eyes had widened at Anna's words, but they remained warm. She laughed quietly. That sound…
"Well, you work late." Elsa reasoned. "Now, coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?" the blonde asked, turning to peruse a cupboard behind her. Anna was more than thankful for the change of topic.
"Hot chocolate! I mean, hot chocolate, please." Anna said, hopelessly trying to rid herself of the stubborn blush on her cheeks. Elsa nodded. She pulled a box of unopened hot chocolate powder from the cupboard and set to work on the drinks.
While Elsa busied herself preparing the drinks, Anna took the time to look around the apartment. She had never been inside number seven before. The layout was similar to that of her own, only slightly bigger. The kitchen joined onto the living room where walls were freshly painted cream, one wall covered from floor to ceiling with filled bookshelves. There was a large, and very comfy looking, blue corner couch in the living room, and in the corner a small table supporting a record player, a stack of vinyl, and some fresh flowers. Dotted around were framed photographs, most in black and white, but none near enough for Anna to be able to tell what the pictures showed. In the kitchen the counters and cupboards were bare wood and the walls covered with pale blue tiles. Anna felt very comfortable here. It was a very calm space. She turned back to look at Elsa who had her back to where Anna was perching on a barstool at the counter that separated the kitchen and living room. Anna watched her for a while, studying the slight muscle movements in her arms as she lifted two mugs down from a shelf. Then Anna's attention moved lower to a certain part of Elsa's anatomy that was currently being hugged very tightly by her jeans. Anna cleared her throat and averted her eyes.
"So, how's Kai?" Anna asked, hoping the break the silence.
"Sorry?" Elsa said, looking over her shoulder at Anna.
"Kai. Hans said he was feeling poorly the other night. Kids can be a nightmare when they're sick, right? I mean, I don't know, I don't have a kid. Not that I don't like them, I just… don't have one." Anna was rambling once more.
"Kids?" Elsa looked truly puzzled now. "Anna, what are you talking about?" She asked.
"Hans said you didn't come out the other night because Kai was sick." Anna stated slowly, Elsa's puzzlement now beginning to affect her too.
"Kai was sick…" Elsa agreed, her blue eyes tracing over Anna's face as if looking for some sort of clue as to what was going on.
"Right. That's what I said." Anna nodded. Elsa's eyebrows knitted together. "Your son was sick, so you didn't come to the bar." Anna explained, as if Elsa was in someway mentally impaired.
"My son?"
There was a moment of silence and then the lines that had formed on Elsa's forehead abated and a look of understanding flashed across her features.
"Anna, Kai is my cat." Elsa stated firmly, shaking her head in disbelief at Anna. Anna simply stared at her.
"Your cat." Anna muttered. "Kai is your cat."
And then, as if by some kind of magic – or more likely just because he had heard his name so many times – a large black cat slinked its way into the kitchen, and swirled itself around Elsa's legs. It looked up at Anna, inspecting this new visitor closely, and then closed a singular green eye momentarily in a slow wink.
"Your cat!" Anna nearly shouted, realisation spread like fire throughout her. "You don't have a kid at all! Oh thank God!" Anna continued, losing all semblance of a filter between brain and mouth.
"Thank God?" Elsa asked, stooping to pick up the cat, that promptly settled itself in her arms and began to purr loudly. "You didn't want me to have a child?"
"No! I mean, of course not. What difference does it make to me if you have a child?" Anna quickly realised her mistake and tried to cover it up.
"But you don't have a child. You have a cat." Anna reiterated a slow smile spreading across her lips.
"Clearly." Said Elsa, stroking the large pet in her arms. She looked at Anna intently, registering the blush that had remained from moments earlier. Anna could have been mistaken, but she was sure there was a glimmer of comprehension in those arctic pools. Anna gulped. I think she may be on to you, Anna…
"So," Elsa started, returning Kai to the kitchen floor, "Hot chocolate for you," she said, placing a steaming mug on the counter in front of Anna, "And peppermint tea for me." She finished, smiling at Anna.