Elsa woke up later than usual, with an atypical smile on her face. She took a moment to admire herself in her full length mirror before deciding to dress nicely for the day.
After a short, cold shower, Elsa dried off as quickly as possible, trying to maximize her shorter time period. She pulled out all of her pants, choosing her tightest dark blue skinny jeans, and hopped to pull them up. She paused again, making sure they accentuated her curves in the right way. Then, she grabbed out a nice lavender button down blouse, and threw it on, unbuttoning the top two buttons to reveal a little more cleavage. After rolling up the sleeves, she double checked herself in the mirror. She even spent some extra time fixing her hair and makeup, though it was a bit unnecessary with how immaculate she always was.
After a small healthy breakfast, Kai drove the girl to school. She stared out the window, watching the bubbling raindrops fall. The rain pounded on the roof of the car as she stared out the window. Walking down the sidewalk was a single pedestrian, umbrella covering her face from sight. Strange… Who would walk outside in this weather?
Elsa arrives at school, and promptly heads to her first class, Classical Literature. As always, she sits at the front of the room, and buries her nose in the book they've been assigned for the next two weeks. It wasn't the best book in the world, yet better than The Iliad; but Elsa had a talent for getting absolutely absorbed in any book she picked up.
The professor's monotonous voice cut into her concentration with the words "Group project." Annoyance settled into her thoughts, though her face remained complacent. He called out last names for pairs. "Adamson with Riskor. Cristensen with Petrov. Daneirus with Oskar. Ildkule with Solnberg…" At the mention of her last name, Elsa searched the room for another pair of searching eyes. Instead, she found teal eyes burning into her. Anna Ildkule. Well she certainly is a ball of fire. Elsa internally chuckled at her connection, before waiting for those teal eyes to move to the empty desk next to her. After a short battle of stubbornness, those teal eyes rolled, and she sat next to Elsa. Wow. She's gorgeous… Did she do her makeup? Her hair looks different…
Elsa watches as Anna pulls out her book, noticing the bookmark still stuck early on in the book, "We're supposed to be halfway through this book already! How are you still in, what is that, chapter 3?"
"1…" The response was so quiet Elsa almost didn't hear it.
At first she thought it would bother her more, but she just laughed, "Sorry… I just expected you to be further along than that."
Anna was blushing, "I-I don't have a lot of free time right now…"
Elsa watched her shuffle awkwardly, and uncharacteristically reached out for the young girl, "Hey, it's okay. I'll fill you in. We have enough time to perfect this presentation." You wouldn't do that for anyone else. She shook the thought out of her head.
The two girls worked over the basics of the plot and character development, and for the first conversation in her life, Elsa was holding up most of it. She found herself captivated in even the smallest responses she got from the fiery redhead. From the cute smiles when something good happened in the story, to the annoyed growls at the mishaps of the suitors, Elsa couldn't look away. She tried to peel her eyes off the redhead, digging through the book for textual evidence, only to find herself looking into those teal eyes within moments.
The clock showed five minutes of class left, and Elsa nearly had a heart attack when Anna shot up, "I still have your jacket! Oh my god! I promise, promise, promise I'll get it back to you tonight! I forgot that I have somewhere to be… Um… Sorry about this, but could you send me a text when you're good to hang out? Here's my number…" Before Elsa could even process the gibberish spewing from the redhead's mouth, there was a phone number on her paper, and the girl was gone. She's something else, isn't she? Her mind drifts off to their date the previous night, and blush spreads across her cheek as her heart picks up speed. Really something else…
After the bell rings, she moves into the locker room, pulling her fencing gear out. While everyone else was on one side of the locker room, she was on the other, changing behind a wall of lockers. After suiting up, she stepped into the gymnasium.
She could hear hushed voices from the corner of the room. Suddenly she met her instructor's eyes, and he tapped the person he was talking to, whispering something Elsa couldn't hear. The fencing mask slipped over the mysterious fencer's face before they turned around. Who's here?
Elsa placed her bag next to the one already on the bench in the back of the room. Atop the bag was a book, with a forest green sweater poking out from beneath it. Is that Anna's stuff? Where is she?
Sir Alden called attention to the class once the bell rang. Elsa snapped her attention to him and the fencer beside him. Anders? Sir Alden confirms her suspicions before introducing a strange idea, "Sir Anders is here today to spar with each and every one of you. I guarantee that you will have time to use his notes within the period. You will continue to practice with the partners you were paired with yesterday. Elsa, due to your partner's absence, you will duel with Sir Anders for the rest of our class time today. Otherwise, I believe everyone is here?" A murmur of agreement filled the room, and Sir Anders broke through the murmurs with a name. Ariel Trident was up first.
The match started, and it seemed to end as soon as it began. When Ariel removed her mask, her eyelashes were fluttering, obviously stunned. "I apologize. I will let your technique show first." A gruff voice came from the still masked character. The duel began again, and it was obvious that the man was holding back from winning, simply dodging and parrying, until he truly understood the girl's pattern. "You must be the fish out of water Sir Alden told me about. You hold your foil like it's some unnamed specimen, and your feet don't seem to know where to move to hold your weight. I suggest you start doing wall sits, planks, pushups, and just practice holding the foil like," his arms wrapped behind her, adjusting her grip on the foil, "such." Ariel looked like she was seconds away from bursting into flames with how furious her blush was. Elsa, on the other hand, felt herself seized with anger. Jealousy, her mind corrected. At that thought, she began blushing as well. Ariel returned to the group of girls, and they immediately burst into murmurs of, "What did it feel like?" and "I'm so jealous! I hope he holds me like that!" and similar exclamations. Elsa watched as he turned away acerbically, his twin braided pigtails peaking out from under his mask. That looks like Anna's hair… Speaking of… where is she? Isn't that her stuff…? Looking over at the bag next to hers, Elsa felt herself begin to question her partner. Why was she busy? What is she doing? Before she had even realized it, her name was being called out.
As she stepped onto the mat, she felt as though the eyes behind that mask were boring into her soul. Fluttering feelings filled her stomach, and she couldn't seem to shake the worry over her partner. Because of these overwhelming feelings, she never even raised her foil for the start of the match. "Again!" The voice of her opponent barked. Suddenly, she found herself much more interested in the spar. Elsa parried when she could, but soon found herself losing footing, and pushed back just out of range. Before she could point-in-line, Sir Anders met her with one, stalling for a small moment before moving out of point-in-line with a beat against Elsa's foil. She felt provoked already, and moved to attack, but Sir Anders stood outside her range, dodging the lunge. Before she knew what happened, Sir Alden was calling the match, Sir Anders' foil bent against her chest. "You're afraid to advance. You're afraid to attack. You can't only parry, you need to take time to riposte as well. You weren't steady on your feet. That being said, you are also the only one to make it past 15 seconds on the mat with me, so I applaud you." The entire class cheered while he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "We'll adjust your training plan today. Good job." Blush erupted on her face, and everyone went silent, curious, jealous faces glaring at her. As soon as she stepped off the mat, they bombarded her with questions as to what he said. She simply ignored them, and turned her eyes back to the man who'd sent her heart racing.
He walked over to the bag next to her own, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, and heading out the back door. She moved to follow, but Sir Alden stopped her. Why is Anna's sweater in his bag? Why is her stuff with his? Are they together…? Is it something else? Maybe they're related… But their last names are different. Perhaps I should just ask her. That thought reminded her to message the redhead about their book presentation. While guzzling down her water, she sent off a simple message to the redhead.
「Hey, did you want to hang out today from 3:30 to 5? We can work on our project at Oaken's! If you can't that's fine too...」
Just moments after she sent the message, a phone buzzed from the bag next to hers, and it took all of her willpower not to reach over and check if the phone belonged to the redheaded girl. Sir Anders returned, and sent her to the mat, as he drank up some of his water, pulling out an ancient flip phone. He typed out something on the phone, and she just watched, foil in hand. He turned towards her, walking briskly to join her.
"Let's get moving. Stand in your pose, foil up, core tight, but body loose." She tried to follow his direction, but after a moment, she found herself on the ground. He'd pushed her. Before she could yell expletives at him, he interjected, "Stronger stance. I shouldn't be able to push you over like that. You'll lose footing if you can't get your stance right."
For the rest of the class period, she listened to his advice, finding herself on her butt more than on her feet, but at the end, he couldn't push her down, so at least she had something to show for it.
It was her last class of the day, so she quickly stripped down, and redressed into the clothes she'd been wearing throughout the rest of the day. She checked her phone, seeing a reply from the girl nearly 30 minutes prior.
「3:30 it is!」
She felt a sudden giddiness fill her heart, as she sped out to meet Kai at the car. He nodded at her, and as she settled in the black car, she watched the mysterious fencer begin his trek down the hill.
She taps her pencil impatiently watching, waiting for the clock to strike 3, marking the end of her math lesson. Fifteen more minutes. Then I can get ready to meet with Anna. As soon as she actually focused on the problems in front of her, the fifteen minutes passed in a fly. She shot out of the room faster than ever, and freshened up. She'd already arranged for Kai to drive her to Oaken's at 3:15 so she could arrive a bit early. All of her time spent before school saved her from having to fix herself completely.
Striding into Oaken's lent to a beautiful sounding guitar, followed by an unforgettably sweet voice. Anna's here? Sure enough, the girl was on the stage next to the strange, gruff blonde boy… Christopher…? Those teal eyes were closed as she sang her heart out. Her outfit had changed entirely, hair back in it's signature braids, underneath a backwards turned ragged baseball cap. She had a simple black muscle tee on, a flannel balled up on the ground next to her. Her legs were in loose, ripped jeans, with well worn converse adorned upon her feet. Elsa almost laughed at how the girl could be cute and extremely feminine one moment, to some punk rock star the next.
While the redhead sang, Elsa ordered a coffee, and settled into the corner booth by the stage. She opened up her personal laptop, staring just over the screen at the redhead. All of a sudden, Elsa's eyes met those sweet teal ones. She could see the slight smile that arose on those moving lips, and she found herself enchanted by those pink lips, watching the way they formed around the words leaving them. Still in a daze, she didn't notice the girl had settled next to her in the booth, downing a whole bottle of water. It took Anna shoving her to be drawn from her dazed stupor. She looked over at the beautiful girl beside her, and smiled sheepishly.
"So… you're here early!" The voice rang loudly in her ears, and blush burned brighter on her face.
"Uh… yeah, I didn't want to make you wait… I didn't know you'd be singing…" A moment of silence passed before Elsa spoke up again. "You have a beautiful voice…" This time, she got to watch the redhead's face turn red. A small smile graced the lips that captivated Elsa not too long ago. I always want to see her smile. She's beautiful. After moments of stunned silence, Elsa's reached out to the redhead's arm, hand brushing the bare skin, "Hey, are you- Wow… You're arm is so strong…" Her counterpart's face burned brighter, if that was even possible.
"I. Uh… I work out a lot…" Those teal eyes wouldn't meet Elsa's, so she decided to change the subject back to that of their book.
At some point a refill for Elsa's coffee arrives, and Anna gets a hot chocolate. They finish up outlining their project, and decide to chat to fill the rest of their time.
"Do you have any siblings?" Elsa asked, the curiosity over Sir Anders having her sweater resurfacing.
"Ah. No. Only child… Are you dating anyone?"
So she's an only child… Why then? That was definitely her book and sweate- Wait. Did she just ask if I was dating someone? "No. I… I've never dated anyone before." She shuffles awkwardly. "You?"
Elsa watched as Anna shifted in the booth, "No girlfriend… I mean or anyone…" Elsa caught the slip up. She's gay. That's why Oaken… Did he really think we were dating? Now Elsa found herself blushing at the thought. Dating Anna…
Awkward silence stretched between the girls. Elsa's phone buzzes loudly against the table. Both girls jump at the sound. Elsa nearly dropped the phone as soon as it was in her hand. Kai was calling. With a quick apology to Anna, Elsa answered the phone. Kai told her he had arrived to pick her up, because she needed to prepare for her fencing lessons.
As Elsa and Anna bid each other good night, the redhead bolted off, and returned with Elsa's leather jacket in tow. With a short thank you, Elsa grabbed the jacket. Their hands brushed and again, Elsa felt a shock ripple through her body. Her heart skipped in her chest and she tore her hand away so fast that the jacket fell to the floor. "A-ah… Sorry…" She bent to retrieve it. With a thud and a groan, their heads collided as they reached for it at the same time. "Sorry! Are you okay?" Elsa began to examine Anna's forehead.
"Oh… No, I'm fine. Here's your jacket."
With a smile, Elsa grabbed the offered article, making sure to keep a distance between their hands. Again, they stood awkwardly, unsure of how to depart. This time, Elsa initiated the hug. Through the thudding of her heart, she held the redhead. Just when the hug began to get awkwardly long, she let go. "I'm sorry. I have to go… Soon?"
"Soon."
She returned to the house, and put away all of her school supplies. Then, she dug through her fencing bag, pulling out her uniform. Before adorning it, she rested on her bed, reflecting the day. She's truly gorgeous. I want to know more of her… She's… amazing. I've never felt so free to smile and laugh. I wonder what she does that keeps her so busy though… So busy she can't read, but not busy enough to not be free when I need her… Also, why did he have her stuff? Especially if they aren't related or dating… I'm so confused… She shook her head, reminding herself to prepare for her lessons. She was halfway done dressing herself when she heard the front door open. Must be him… The basement door closing confirmed her thoughts. She finished suiting up, and with her helmet tucked under her arm, she descended into the basement.
As Sir Anders entered her view, she noticed he was slipping on his own helmet. His red braids lay on his back, mallen streak just as prominent as ever. She admired the slender, pale neck that became hidden by the mask. Wait… Slender? He clapped, regaining her attention. Just before she accoutered her mask, she noticed the flannel that had been beside Anna on stage was thrown haphazardly across Sir Alden's bag.
Sir Alden spoke, interrupting the questions that nearly spewed from her mouth, "It's time for a change in lesson plans." His voice was gruff, as usual. It still didn't sound feminine to Elsa, so she put aside her questions. He led her through the beginning of her straight attack drills, to build a sense of distance and timing, and strengthen her ability to maintain her distance with the opponent.
She let her stance dance with his, and though she couldn't land a hit on him, their little drill felt fun. Well at least more entertaining than the painful weeks she'd been going through before. It felt like he was playing with her, rather than scolding her. Of course, he never let her get too out of hand, correcting her when she became too aggressive. He also pushed her when he noticed her footing slipping. It became a game of how long she could make it before he'd do something to stop her. Before she'd realized it, he wasn't pushing her down anymore. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Elsa pulled off her mask, sweat dripping down her face as she smiled at her instructor before yelling a "come in" to their guest. The door opened, and everything in the room changed.
Anna awoke with Elsa's jacket in arms, the sight bringing a content smile to her face. Memories of the night flooded in, and the scene on the roof replayed in her head. She hadn't been planning on telling the other girl so much about herself, yet it felt like a heavy weight was taken off her shoulders. I need help. I'll see if Kristoff can meet up. We need to talk. She looked for her nice pair of Converse, an overly large sweater, and leggings, preparing for the day. She took extra care in fixing her hair up into a messy bun, and applying her mascara. With a once over in the mirror, she smiled. Good God. What am I even doing. I'm never like this. With that thought, she slung her bag over her shoulder, slipping out of the house before Elsa would be exiting the shower.
The rain spilled over her shoulders, and she smiled, popping her umbrella open to prevent soaking her clothes any further. Kai stepped out after her, but she shook her head at him. With a nod he returned to the house, and Anna began her climb up the hill. She relished in the sound of rain splashing against the pavement. It brought a certain comfort with it, a comfort she didn't find often.
With her shoes soaked through, Anna slipped into the back of her literature class. She stared forward, admiring the beautiful blonde with her head stuck in a book. While waiting for class to begin, Anna let her mind drift to the previous night.
Anna sped out of the basement, releasing Elsa early. She ran upstairs to see a cute little spring green sundress laid out on the bed. She smiled. Thank you Gerda. She quickly combed her hair out before braiding it again.
After a quick once over in the mirror, she smiled and silently slipped out of the window, using her climbing skills to scale down the wall, and sneak around front. She quickly patted down the skirt of her dress before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.
Gerda opened the door and smiled.
"Anna! So good to see you! Why don't you come in and wait while Elsa finishes getting ready." Anna smiled and nodded, the nerves making it too hard to speak, "You look amazing dear. You might just make that girl fall head over heels for you." Gerda smiled, but Anna just blushed furiously.
"She's not… Wait how did you know? I don't recall telling you... " Anna's inquisitive gaze earned a knowing smirk from her elder. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Don't assume with that girl. She may be work but she's worth every effort, I promise you." Anna nodded in agreement, though in the back of her mind, she registered that Gerda never answered the question. A dumb smile displayed across her face, lighting up her eyes to hope for the future. She quickly disregarded that hope, remembering those fateful words No one will ever love you. She shook her head but smiled at the ever kind woman.
With a creak at the staircase, her gaze was drawn to the blonde beauty, and her heart burned with an aching urge to envelop the girl in her arms. She quelled the urge, and smiled at the girl, her head pointing out admirations of her crush. She looks like she could take on the world. Damn that leather jacket is sexy on her. She's like some new age greaser girl with her hair like that too.
"A-Anna," the sweet voice drifted into her ears, snapping her out of her reverie. She greeted the beautiful blonde, and soon enough, the two girls were on their way out the door.
Anna filled the silence with some of the happier tales from her childhood, lamenting on the adventures with her underwear on her head, and a curtain as a cape. It was all to hear that beautiful laugh that sounded from the paler female. Just the sound alone warmed Anna to the core.
As soon as they'd reached city center, Elsa had offered her coffee. Now, Anna, always the proud one, didn't want to let Elsa buy her a coffee. She denied and denied, turning the offer around on the girl. Embarrassedly, she let her money problem slip through, but she tried to cover it up with her own ramblings.
However, when Oaken asked if Elsa was her girlfriend, Anna nearly died. My girlfriend? No. She'd never want that… I mean I'm lucky enough to be here as friends right now… I mean I don't want that either… She glanced at the blushing blonde. … Do I? After vehemently denying it to herself, she accepted her favorite drink from the man. Hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. Just enough to wake her up, without taking away from the chocolatey goodness.
When Elsa tried to pay, Anna felt her pride buff up, but before she could defend herself, Oaken cut in, calling her his favorite girl. She shrunk back shyly with that, and let Elsa lead them out of the coffee shop. Chivalrous as she was, she opted to let Elsa choose their next destination. Elsa's response shook Anna to the core with sadness. Even I have had the time to go with friends. What's kept her back? So she asked that very question. With each degradation Elsa shot at herself, Anna felt a shot rip through her. I never want you to feel alone again Elsa. I promise to you that if nothing else, I will be a friend to stand by you. They can't see you for you, and they don't deserve to. The thoughts rang from her heart and she felt actually angry at everyone who'd ever treated Elsa wrongly. Anyone who didn't even try to get to know the magnificent blonde she now had the pleasure of knowing.
"Well, I will admit. Solnberg is an intimidating name. But it's not your fault. I mean…" He has ruined my life. And many others… Anna shook her head, unwilling to admit anything to the blonde just yet. "Nevermind. I just want to get to know Elsa. Just Elsa." She stared blankly at Elsa who had suddenly gone silent. She examined the troubles scripted in Elsa's eyes, before it became too much. Her gaze shifted to the drink in her hands. What's on your mind? I don't want you to worry about me at all. Nothing that I've been through is your fault, and I won't hold it against you… I want you to understand the me as I am now, not the me I was… But… I should tell you now, before we get too far. I don't want to get attached to someone who'll leave because of my past. Her own mental pep talk was hardly a boost up but at least now she was feeling strong enough to speak with Elsa. She opened her mouth. Elsa beat her.
"You said there was something you wanted to show me? I'd like to see it now…" Elsa was smiling at Anna, and Anna got lost in that expression for a moment, until the uncertainty began to show through. She regained herself if only to respond. The brightening of the blonde's expression had Anna's heart racing and she couldn't figure out the reason. They each quickly finished their drinks so Anna could lead them to her special spot. She stood, taking Elsa's hand into her own. She immediately found her knees locking up and her breath caught in her throat. Shaking it off, she braced herself again. It's okay. Remember, if she can't even handle this, then she can't handle the rest of you. If the lightest of your demons are too dark for her, she'll never be able to accept the rest of you… Especially not… him. Before she could even realize it, she was standing at the back of Oaken's Brew. She pulled herself out of the pits of her mind as she climbed up the various pipes and other protuberances. Slowly, she let down the ladder Oaken had installed for Kristoff and herself. As Elsa rose, Anna slipped over to her favorite spot. She stared over at the looming industrial building. It's so ugly.
When Elsa settled next to her, she glanced over.
"That's your dad's building. All of the buildings around it used to be smaller too. But your dad erected this huge building, and with the growing tourism, came growing buildings. They used to look more like Oaken's, more traditional. But your dad prompted a modernization that wasn't necessary. I used to sit on the corner, over by Edna's, and sing for money. I enjoyed it, and she let me. Then I'd spend my nights here gazing at the moon and stars. But when your dad modernized Arendelle, everyone got crankier. No one wanted to give money to a panhandler anymore, and I'd get spit on, so I moved over here completely. I couldn't watch the stars anymore because your dad's building was constantly lit up, and ruined the view. That's why Solnberg sets me off. Stupid, isn't it?" It really is stupid… But I was starving because of him. My nights were freezing cold because of him. I- Elsa's admittance to hating the building too had Anna's eyes shooting up to examine the side of the blonde's face. There was sadness encrypted in those icy blue eyes, and Anna could sense there was something simmering under the surface. Her eyes drifted back to the building, enjoying the blonde's voice.
"I don't want to force you to be my friend…" She whipped over to the blonde, vehemently denying even the possibility of that being true. She felt content when Elsa accepted the truth, until, "Why did you sing for money?"
It wasn't a question she'd prepared herself for. In fact, she hadn't prepared herself for anything other than the blonde leaving. She wasn't ready for anything, so she asked for more time. More time to prepare herself at least.
Her admiration of the beauty of the blonde was interrupted by their Literature professor. She tuned out the names listed off, figuring her assigned partner would find her. Despite that idea, she was thoroughly surprised to find icy blue eyes meeting her own. It took all of her willpower not to give the blonde beauty a lopsided grin, instead settling into a smile. She waited for the girl to move back, trying to communicate with her eyes that she didn't want to move. When the blonde didn't budge an inch, she rolled her eyes and moved her lightweight bag up next to the girl.
After a short bout of embarrassing teasing, the blonde filled her in on all the woes of Odysseus' journey so far. When Els introduced the greedy, slimy suitors, Anna was growling. At least Penelope won't marry them. And besides, Odysseus will totally come home and kick their butts. Elsa's voice captivated her. The melodic tone, and the way it was obvious the girl just got swept up into the storytelling. There's something to be said about being a good storyteller, and Elsa certainly was one. Suddenly, Anna realized the time, and excused herself from the room. It dawned on her, "I still have your jacket! Oh my god! I promise, promise, promise I'll get it back to you tonight! I forgot that I have somewhere to be… Um… Sorry about this, but could you send me a text when you're good to hang out? Here's my number…" If Anna was being honest with herself, she wasn't even sure she wanted to give it back. She just really wanted the blonde's phone number, but didn't know how to ask for it.
Before Elsa could reply, she bolted out the door, rushing to the gym. She was already late, and Sir Alden would be expecting her in her gear quite soon.
She arrived posthaste, and thanks to the years of fencing, she was dressed in her gear just before the first bell rang.
Sir Alden had approached her and delved into the details of her lessons with Miss Solnberg.
"No. El- Miss Solnberg hasn't complained at all about the pain. It's surprising… but she's a good sport. I think she's beginning to enjoy our matches."
Sir Alden laughed and just under his breath she heard, "For more than one reason I'm sure…"
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing… she just seems particularly enamored with you whenever 'Sir Anders' comes to visit…" she caught him checking over her shoulder before he tapped on it, "Like she is now."
Anna caught the hint and with a nod dropped her helmet on and turned to face the beautiful blonde girl, who was unaware of the furious blush Anna was sporting. They moved to the center of the room, and Anna waited for the rest of the class to shuffle in.
Class began and Sir Alden addressed the plan for the lesson. Anna called up Ariel Trident for her first opponent. The match ended as soon as it started, and she decided to let the girl prove herself once more. The movements were all sloppy, and it was taking all of Anna's willpower not to groan. She gave her notes and called up the next few people, anxious to call up Elsa.
As soon as Elsa was on the mat, Anna felt herself truly relax into the match. For the first time in a while, she was enjoying sparring. However, Sir Alden called the match and Elsa never raised her foil. Anna aggressively jabbed the blonde before calling a rematch. The rematch was much more enjoyable. It felt more like a dance than anything. Anna would give up every national match for this feeling.
However, it ended much too soon. She gave the girl notes, and resumed sparring with the rest of the students. As soon as their matches finished, she held up a finger to the blonde. The sparring had taken its toll on her spirit, so she stepped outside for a smoke.
After stepping around the corner and lighting up her cigarette, she took a long drag, letting her thoughts spring up. When was the last time fencing was fun like this? Before Sir Anders became famous… It's been so long I can't recall… but… that was beautiful… even if her technique could use a lot of work… that was incredibly amazing. I… I want to do that again. Before she'd even realized it, she had finished her cigarette, and stomped out the butt. As she made her way back into the building she clipped her shoulder on the corner of the brick building. Shit. That's gonna hurt tomorrow. She rolled her shoulder back a few times before slipping her mask into place and stepping through the doors.
She glanced at the blonde, who appeared to be deep in thought. She sent the blonde over to their mat and gulped down some water, noticing a blinking light in her bag. She pulled out the only phone she's ever known, and read the message. Elsa… I need to remember to save her number… what if we start staying up to talk to each other… and everything just grows from there…
She typed out a quick reply before joining the blonde on the mat, "Let's get moving. Stand in your pose, foil up, core tight, but body loose." And with that, the coaching began. After a moment of the blonde's fumbling into a stance, Anna pushed her over. She quickly explained herself, so as to stay on the girl's good side. As the class wore on, Anna felt herself beaming with pride. Her partner was spending much more time on her feet than on the floor, and it was because of Anna's coaching. Perhaps the pride was more in herself than in the blonde beauty next to her. Pride for coming this far. To be able to enjoy herself more.
The bell rang, and they split ways with a handshake, much firmer than their first. Anna grabbed her bag, and set out to walk back to the house to change into her show clothes.
Kai stopped her for a moment, "Thank you."
At first she didn't know what he meant by that, but when she turned to see where his gaze had landed, she understood. The blue eyed beauty that had captured her heart with one glance, had captured it again with the lazy grin that sat upon her face. She nodded back to the driver, and continued walking down the hill, a renewed joy in her pace.
She made it back to the house just before the blonde, and slipped into the tee shirt that she cut the sleeves off of to make a muscle shirt. After adorning her favorite flannel to keep her warm, Anna snuck out of the house, and practically skipped down to Oaken's, leather jacket tucked under her arm. The smile she'd seen earlier burned into her mind, and it was all she could see. So much so, that she literally ran into Kristoff. He noticed the lovestruck look on her face.
"Good date last night?" He asked as if he didn't already know the answer.
"Oh, Kristoff, you have no idea how perfect she is. She's nothing like her father! Did you know she and her mother hate that building too? That both begged him not to build it, but he never listened. Oh, and, she's really enjoying our lessons! You should have seen the way we practically danced on the mat today… oh and her smile… It's just breathtaking. Oh my goo-" His laugh cut her off, and her cheeks began burning up. "God, I'm a lovestruck fool aren't I?"
"I may not be God, but yes you are, and I gotta say it's a good thing. I haven't seen you this happy in so long, Banana. I'm so glad she makes you happy. Now when's the next date?"
"Well… you see… she's coming in at 3:30 for a study date… We have a project together…"
"A study date, eh?" He winked at her, "That's fine. I'll play some mood music for you."
She groaned and dragged him into the establishment. They set up quickly for the show and he went over the playlist for the first half of the show. They were mostly happy lovey dovey songs, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had already known how the night went. Or maybe he just knew how in love she already was.
She took off her flannel before they started, the heat of the building already killing her. For some reason Oaken thought a sauna in a coffee shop was a good idea. Funny enough, people loved it. Hell, even Anna loved it from time to time.
The sound of Kristoff's guitar pulled her out of her reverie, and she immediately found herself singing her heart out. The way he played could pull her into a song in an instant. She let his strings guide her through each song, as she closed her eyes to envelop herself into a world of music.
It didn't really strike her that she'd opened her eyes until they met the icy blue eyes that inadvertently lit the smile tugging at her lips. As they finished up the last few songs she found herself unable to contain the urge to sidle up next to the blonde, whom she hadn't broken eye contact with since she opened her eye.
"Go get 'em tiger." She sprung off the stool before even fully registering Kristoff's words to her. In spite of herself, an excited grin slipped across her face, and she joined Elsa in the booth. For a moment, she waited for Elsa to register her presence, but when it seemed that would not be happening anytime soon, she simply snapped in front of the girl's face. When even that proved to no avail, she shoved the blonde woman, barely containing a laugh as the woman seemed close to exploding from embarrassment.
Elsa was definitely here early, and part of Anna was embarrassed by that. At least the part that was shy of her singing voice in front of the absolute picture of sophisticated grace. But Elsa eased her embarrassment on that end, and sent butterflies into her stomach with the compliment. And when the world's softest hand brushed her arm, sending fire burning across her skin, she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Not to mention the subtle grip she felt on her muscles as Elsa complimented them. She had never felt so affected by the most simplest words and touches; but every word from Elsa seemed to be a treasure trove to Anna, and every touch another patch of skin that would remember those graceful fingers that danced across the keyboard.. She felt the pit of her stomach boiling with affection towards the blonde, while her head raged war against it. Even after their dat- hangout. It wasn't a date Anna. It was not a date. No matter how much you wish it was. She subtly shook her head. No. I didn't want it to be a date… right? Right. Yes. I did want it to be a date. I mean not a date but a date. I mean… God why am I arguing with myself over this. Regardless of the status of the night before, her head still refused to accept Anna's affections for the daughter of Agðar Solnberg. Hr heart ached to have the girl all to herself, but her head fought it every step of the way. Yet, Anan had never been much of a thinker. Always a doer. And doers… well they tend to follow their hearts.
She hadn't even realized how much of the project outline they'd actually finished by the time she finished debating with herself over last night. When Elsa's eyes met hers, Anna nearly squeaked. They seemed so… intense. The eyes themselves seemed to hold curiosity and hope buried alongside it, all masked by something else… Something Anna just couldn't put her finger on. Yet when Elsa asked if she had siblings, heat flared inside her. Of course she probably wants to meet some brother. You know. I'm cute as a friend, so hopefully he's hot. I mean a girl that beautiful would never be gay… And if she was… Well, never for you Anna. The self hatred sent bile into her throat and she coughed out a hadn't even meant to ask if Elsa was dating anyone, but Anna's heart had. It panged when Elsa told her that she'd never dated anyone, though Anna couldn't call herself much better. A couple of one night stands could hardly be called dating anyone. She did try to date Kristoff once, before she'd fully accepted she was gay. When they broke up, he told her he'd known the whole time, and was just waiting for her to realize it herself. He really was a kind boy.
When her mouth got ahead of her, she found that, she didn't really regret it. For once, her heart and head agreed. Elsa needed to know she was gay if even a friendship was plausible. First she saw surprise, then… was that relief? Why would she be relieved that I wasn't dating anyone? Then curiosity seemed to burn brighter once more. Where did that poised emotionless face go? Anna smiled at her own inner thought, though the silence enveloping them was awkward to say the least. Luckily it wasn't long after her own confession that Elsa's phone vibrated loudly against the table. It scared Anna half to death, but she quickly recovered herself. As they were bidding each other good night, Anna reluctantly remembered the leather jacket the girl still needed. Everything that followed left Anna in a daze. A daze that started with the fire ignited in her body after their hands simply brushed. A gasp passed her lips, but it went unnoticed through the antics that followed.
SOon enough, she found those pale arms wrapped around herself, and it made her body sing. Her blood thrummed just beneath the surface of her skin, and even her head couldn't deny the intoxicating effect of the woman she was holding. The wintry scent that surrounded the woman invaded Anna's senses, and she had to stop herself from purposefully inhaling it. Smelling the woman you like tends to border on creepy.
Her blood rushed as kai gathered Elsa, and Anna shot out the back door. She ran a back route, that was kind of a shortcut Kai had shown her. Of course, Kai would definitely have Elsa home before Anna, but the time it cut would give her a small increment of time to be changed before Elsa appeared for their lessons.
Apparently the increment was shorter than she expected, because she was only slipping her mask into place when Elsa had entered their training area. She hadn't even had time to pack away and hide the clothes she'd been wearing all day. Elsa would undoubtedly notice, she had an immaculate attention to detail. However, if she could keep that mind just busy enough, she wouldn't have to answer any questions just yet. Surely Elsa would know the truth one day, but Anna truly hoped that day would not be today.
After the absolute joy she had felt when sparring with Elsa in class today, she decided they would spar again for their lessons for the next week. It seemed to really help Elsa, and Anna's body buzzed with energy and excitement for once in a very long time. She only hoped Elsa was enjoying it as much as she was.
It was incredible, the way she could feel her blood pulsing through her veins as she simply enjoyed the little game she and Elsa had begun to play. Maybe it being a game made Elsa all the more competitive, because she began to have much steadier footing, and the foil really was starting to take its position as an extension of her arm. However, this exercise was tiring for both girls after the long winded day they'd both had, and Anna practically ran up a mountain to be here on time.
Just as Anna was getting ready to call for break, Elsa allowed someone entrance into their space. Her blood was no longer burning with joy as the man stepped out of the shadows. Seething anger built inside of her body, manifesting itself in the tightening of her grip on the blade, as well as the low growl that was only contained by the muffle the mask provided.
"Hi, Miss Elsa Sonberg? I'm Hans Westergard, your fiancee." He gave her a small bow at his waist.
A/N: So... he's here... And to quote a lovely author. Not dead, just busy. I hope the longer chapter helps. Also I wrote a little poem for you all
Twas the night before Christmas, one light in the house
When Keanan came back, with a howl and a laugh
The keyboard clicks sounded, as he typed away
A present to all, from his bed where he lay
As he posted it, unedited that night
He hoped for joy, and probably some spite
Yet he posted away, for his readers to read
with a Merry Christmas to all
and to all a "Don't hate me please"