A/N: First off, I'd like to draw your attention to the fancy new cover image that was wonderfully drawn by a good friend of mine. Of her own free will, too! I posted her tumblr on my profile, drop on by and tell her to draw something.
This is the longest chapter yet at over 9000 words, and I'd like to start lengthening the chapters to about this length instead of the normal 4-5k. It's a very important chapter as well! And we're just getting started, if all goes as planned this is going to be a pretty long fic.
TRIGGER WARNING!: A couple paragraphs pertaining to child abuse are on the lower half of the chapter, be wary of that.
I'd like to thank you all for your continued support and nice comments. Y'all are awesome.
Enjoy!
"And thus concludes day one. Remember to look over the syllabus! There will be a short quiz on it at the end of the week."
And with that, Aleks couldn't get out of the door quick enough. It took everything she had to not fall asleep during the hour and a half lecture on if a chair really was a chair. Why she decided to take philosophy as an elective was beyond her. She figured it would be a free period to sit around and just think about stuff, but if she was going to be thinking about what a chair really is then it was going to be a long semester. Her first thought was instantly to find Elsa and make sure she was alright on her own. She had gone down the stairs and didn't see her sister follow her, which meant she must have went up the stairs. Figuring she would eventually have to come down the same stairs, Aleks made her way back up the stairs and leaned against an adjacent window. She had awhile before her next class, so she could wait.
And wait she did. Seconds turned to minutes, and before she knew it a half hour had passed. Many people had made their way up and down the stairs, but none of them were Elsa.
Maybe she just scheduled two classes right next to each other. She pulled out her phone and checked the time, by this time classes had to have started back up again. But there still should have been a little time allotted to walk to her next class. She leaned her head against the window and sighed. It really didn't surprise her that she would go without seeing Elsa, they had hardly seen each other the past few days. Although Aleks really couldn't complain, the way Elsa explained it she made it out to appear she was having a genuinely good time with Anna.
Anna.
The girl she had punched in the face for surprising her. The girl she verbally assaulted and caused her to break down right in front of her. She wasn't ashamed, it surely wasn't the first time she had to lay down the law. But the look in her eyes was something Aleks hadn't seen before; suffering. Perhaps even as far to say anguish. As if every word she said was an arrow hitting a bulls eye. But maybe it would be best to apologize to the redhead. If Elsa made friends with her, it would naturally be in her best interest to be on decent terms with her. But something told Aleks that Anna wasn't exactly ready to talk to her. She wasn't going to go out of her way to apologize to the girl, but it would be something she'd consider if they happen to run into each other anytime soon. She was genuinely proud of her sister, though. It was completely unlike her to walk up a crowded stairway by herself. Maybe the whole college experience was exactly what she needed to bring her out of that shell. Although it did make Aleks a little jealous and lonely at times. Elsa was not only her only sister, but her only friend as well.
Figuring Elsa wasn't going to make it down this way, Aleks sighed again and made her way back down the stairs. She still had awhile until her next class, but she spied a vending machine on the lower floor earlier and fancied something sweet from it. The thought nearly enough to make her drool until she collided with someone and nearly knocked the wind out of her. After she regained her bearings, she saw a man sitting on the floor surrounded with papers that were knocked from his hands from the impact.
"Mind watching where the hell you're going, dipshit?" She said aggressively and crossed her arms while she watched the man scramble to pick up the paper that were strewn about.
"I should say the same to you, asswipe." He retorted as he picked up the last sheet of paper and stuck it in his bag, he rose to his feet and the two made eye contact. His green eyes boring into her own blue, he was nearly scowling with a raised eyebrow as he looked Aleks up and down. "The fuck are you staring at?"
Aleks shook her head and let out a small chuckle. "Dude, your sideburns look like shit."
He offered his own small laugh and softened his expression slightly. "Did you take your inspiration for your hair from an onion?"
"Cargo shorts? Are we in kindergarten or something?" She pointed towards his beige cargo shorts and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"I should ask you the same with that headband." His retort came instantly and caught Aleks off guard, she didn't expect that.
"Hey, you have a cute man purse at least." She shrugged and the man adjusted the single strap over his shoulder and patted the black bag Aleks was referencing to.
Not having another witty retort, he extended his hand and admitted defeat to Aleks. "Hans Westerguard. I'd say it is a pleasure to meet you..." He looked the girl up and down again. "But quite frankly you're a bitch." He offered a small smile as Aleks shook the man's hand and offered her own smile.
"Westerguard? Never heard of that house." She scratched the back of her head, rubbed her chin, and appeared to be lost in thought. "Are you after the throne too or are you one of Joffrey's lapdogs?" She said mockingly with a large smile. "Aleks Delle."
Hans let out a long, fake, drawn out laugh. "Like I've never heard the Game of Thrones joke before." He shrugged and gave a coy grin. "But hey, I'll let you know if I have a problem with my laptop. It's a Samsung though so you may not know anything." The comment caused Aleks to roll her eyes. Hans ran his hand through his dark red hair and checked his wrist watch. "Well I have places to be and I assume you have to go down to the kitchen to find inspiration for a different hairstyle." He gave a small chuckle as he made his way past Aleks and up the stairs, but not without bumping into the girl first.
She shook her head and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she made her way down the hallway and stood in front of the vending machine. Depositing a dollar and retrieving the small bag of chips she felt a familiar buzz in her back pocket. Pulling out her phone, she was surprised to find a text from Elsa.
'How long can this man go on about chairs?' The text caused Aleks to audibly let out a loud laugh as she realized Elsa was in the same class she just got out of. She was about to type out a response when it hit her. That class is on the lower floor. She scrambled to turn around and dashed to the door her class was previously held in. Looking through the small window, the classroom was totally empty and the lights were even off. The fuck? She pulled out her phone and hastily sent out a reply. 'For about an hour and a half so get comfortable. Hey, what room is that class in?' It was also unlike Elsa to text during class considering how studious she was and how serious she took her education. And it wasn't long before she received a response.
'301c. Why?' She glared at her phone, that was the third floor. But she just got out of that same class not too long ago. Do professors change classrooms? Is that a thing? 'I just got out of that class but it was held on the lower floor.' She stuffed her phone back in her pocket and dashed her way up the stairs. It wasn't that she didn't believe Elsa, but she found it odd that a professor would just change rooms like that, and she grew worried. When she reached the landing between the second and third floor, history repeated itself and she collided with another body.
"Ay! Got me right in the noggin'." The redhead on the floor rubbed her forehead and winced. "Gonna leave a nice bruise that one will." She spoke with an obnoxious accent which annoyed Aleks more than Anna's rambling. But her hair is what grabbed Aleks' attention which looked like it's never seen a brush in it's life. Long, frizzed curls were spread about the ground over the pale woman's face.
"Apparently nobody watches where the hell they're going in this school." She rolled her eyes as she watched the woman rise to her feet and brush off her pants.
"What do ye' mean?" The accent only grew more obnoxious as she spoke.
"I've already ran into another dumbass today. I wonder if there will be a third." She went to walk around the redhead but was stopped when she outstretched her arm. "What's your problem?"
"My problem is that ye' already insulted me." She grew more serious and glared at Aleks from the corner of her eye. "And I'll let ye' know that I'm certainly not a pushover."
Aleks rolled her eyes again and returned the glare as if a challenge was issue. She coughed and insultingly mocked her accent. "Certainly not a pushover but that still makes ye' a dumbass." The shocked look on the redhead's face meant it was working. "Now run along now little lassie before ye' get ye' little tail beat." She gave a smug grin and shoved the girl out of her way. But before she knew it, the back of her head was slammed against a large window with an iron grip around her throat. She ignored the ringing in her ears and managed to open her eyes to see the redhead with her fist cocked back and gritted teeth.
"I woulda let ye' get away with callin' me what ye' called me." She leaned in a little closer to Aleks. Close enough that she caught a small sniff of the girls woodsy scent and spotted the light freckles that sprinkled her rosy cheeks. "But nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody mocks Merida Dunbroch in that manner and walks away scot-free!" There was a tone in her voice brought chills down her spine, but she still managed a coarse laugh.
"Well, I hope you don't fight like you talk. That would truly be hilarious." She mocked again, raised her leg, and with a great push she kicked the girl in the stomach. But the grip on her throat didn't lessen, and when Merida was pushed back, Aleks was pulled forward against her will. Before she had time to react, she felt the girl slam her elbow into the back of her neck and the fell onto the cold floor face first. The ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing whatever Merida was saying, but if she had to guess it was probably an insult. She opened her eyes to see the young woman start to walk away, but Aleks had no intention of being made a fool of. Scrambling to her feet and extending her arm, she froze the ground underneath Merida's feet right at the top of the stairs. Before she had time to process what was happening, she was soon barreling down the stairs and a sick satisfaction grew in Aleks when she saw the redhead skid across the floor on her face.
"Oh dear, lassie." She continued in the same mocking tone which caused the scuffle in the first place. "Ye' really should watch where ye' put ye' clodhoppers!" She gave a triumphant laugh as she continued on with her original goal of finding Elsa. Ascending from the last stair, she made her way down the row of doors and the classes being held in them until she found the room mentioned in her sister's text. Gazing into the room, it didn't take her long to find her sister in the back row, eyes buried in a notebook presumably taking notes. She let out a sigh of relief and let out a small chuckle at herself for being worried about her. Already Elsa had grown from the shy, reserved, anti-social girl Aleks always known her as. She still had a long way to go to being a social butterfly, but she was on her way. Aleks turned to make her way back down the stairs, and nearly yelped when she found someone standing behind her.
"It hasn't even been fifteen minutes and you beat a poor girl senseless? Crazy bitch." The man sounded amused and shook his head. "You're lucky it was only Merida and not anyone real important."
"The fuck do you know about any of that, Hans?" She spat and jammed a finger in this chest. She wasn't sure if she was legitimately angry or just putting on a show, but the mention of Merida's name was enough to set a small fire in her stomach.
"I know I saw a poor little lass out cold on the floor with a bloody nose." He replied in a snark manner and shrugged. "Like I said, nobody important. She's just an irrelevant immigrant."
"She started it." Aleks rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, not impressed with how smug the man across from her appeared. She wasn't exactly lying though, Merida was the one that made the first violent contact.
"I didn't ask who started it, and quite frankly I don't give a shit." He gave an annoying little pretentious laugh and shrugged again. "All I know is that she probably won't be getting up anytime soon."
"Where the fuck are you trying to go with all this? So she fell down the stairs, big whoop." She threw her hands up in front of her to further accentuate her point and tried to walk away, only to be stopped when Hans stepped in front of her.
"My point is, she's just been a pain in my side and now I don't think I'll see her around much anymore." A cocky grin grew across his lips as he outstretched his arms. "So, I thought I'd congratulate you." He clapped his hands together and rubbed them, never losing the smug grin. "I'd like to treat you to dinner later this evening."
"Are you trying to ask me out?" She scoffed and waved the man off and went to walk away only to be stopped again. "Will you get the fu-"
"My treat."
"What time?"
Elsa made her way down the crowded staircase, she didn't have another class for a couple hours and she wanted to find a nice quiet study hall to settle down in and relax after sitting through a tediously long lecture about whether a chair is really a chair. Her crowded mind was enough to keep her attention off of the people shuffling around her and she didn't even realize she wasn't alone on the stairwell. She made her way down the rows of classrooms when her mind suddenly shifted to Anna.
She hadn't seen her since the morning when she came out of her room all flushed and sweaty, and she grew slightly worried about her new friend. For the past few days, they had nearly spent every waking moment together. Although Elsa was still wary of her, she allowed herself the luxury of trying to have fun around the girl.
Elsa eventually made her way to the small room filled with little more than small round tables. She found her own in a secluded table and pulled out her phone. Aleks had texted her earlier and she hasn't heard anything back from her since the class started. A part of her grew worried about her twin, but she knew what her twin was capable of. And knowing Aleks, she probably got preoccupied with food in one way or another.
She had just pulled out her notebook and turned to a recent page of her notes when the door swung open and two figures walked in. One appeared to be hobbling and leaning on the shoulder of the other, and upon closer inspection Elsa found that Rapunzel was the one being leaned on. Elsa had only met the girl briefly during her first class, but the situation piqued her interest and she stood from her table and waved the girl over to her without a second thought. Elsa pulled out a chair when Rapunzel came closer, and she sat the hobbling girl down, who promptly slumped over and thumped her head on the table, and nodded a silent thanks to Elsa as she pulled out her own chair. When Elsa sat back down she saw the face of the injured woman sitting across from her, her entire face was swollen. Dried blood was caked from her nostrils to halfway down her neck. Some of her long and curly hair was matted to the sides of her face and appeared to be stuck on with dried blood. It was slightly gruesome and nearly made Elsa gag.
"Who is this, Rapunzel?" She rubbed her hands together in her lap under the table and couldn't decide whether to look at Rapunzel or the injured woman in front of her. Her eyes were only half open but it appeared like she wasn't registering anything around her. The sight of dried blood covering the girl's face brought back unsavory memories to Elsa, she felt her stomach churning and her heartbeat increase. "And what happened to her?" Her voice was shaking, and she looked towards Rapunzel for some kind of solace.
The brunette shrugged and began shuffling through her purse. "I was walking to the parking lot to meet my cousin for lunch, so I came down the stairs and I just saw this chick laying on the floor!" She looked up from her purse when she found a small package of baby wipes. She pulled one up and raised the woman's chin and began wiping the dried blood off. "She's barely conscious and hasn't said a single word yet." Rapunzel grimaced when she saw just how much blood she collected on the baby wipe already. She groaned and winced. "Oh, her nose may be broken."
"Do you know who it is?" Elsa leaned across the table to try and help, but shot back to her seat when the woman grimaced when Rapunzel brought the baby wipe up to her obviously sore cheek.
"I don't know who it is! The last time I saw this much blood running out of somebodies nose is when I slapped my boyfriend when a frying pan!" Rapunzel was nearly in hysterics and freaking out when she had to replace the baby wipe for another new one when it was covered in blood. She would lightly dab some places but vigorously scrub others, clearly not thinking very straight.
A frying pan? Elsa narrowed her eyes and stared at the brunette making squeamish faces as she continued to clean up dry blood. Why does that story sound so familiar? She delved into the corners of her mind, but Elsa could not figure out where she heard a similar story before. But was pulled back into reality at the sound of her name.
"Elsa, that's your name right?" Elsa gave a quick nod. "Her face is swollen really bad, could you head over to the infirmary and grab a bag of ice? Or a cold pack? Or anything cold that would help?" She sounded desperate, but Elsa wasn't about to venture out on her own in this situation. But she did have an idea.
She placed her purse in her lap under the table and reached around for the water bottle she knew was in there. When she found it, she grasped it tight with both hands causing an audible crinkle which got Rapunzel's attention.
"Do you have something?" She asked with a hopeful gleam in her green eyes, she had gotten most of the blood off of the injured woman but she still looked pretty worse for wear. Hair was still stuck to her swollen face which was nearly as red as her hair.
"I-I think so." Elsa said shakily, she knew she could help but wasn't sure if it was the smartest idea. She had never used her powers in front of anyone other than her parents, Aleks, or her grandmother. But she couldn't sit there and do nothing. She felt her palms start to sweat and she shifted uncomfortably, knowing she was taking a risk. So, summoning all the courage she could, Elsa quickly froze the water inside the bottle. With a shaking arm, she handed the frozen bottle of water to Rapunzel whom she hoped with her entire being that wouldn't notice anything odd about it.
"Thank you!" Rapunzel snatched it from Elsa's hand without a second glance and placed it on the side of the woman's swollen face. Much to the woman's dismay.
"Ay! That's really cold!" She shrieked as her eyes shot open and Rapunzel shot back. "What'd' ye' have to go and do that for!?" The stern gaze she was giving the brunette softened and suddenly turned to curious as she looked around her and tried to catch her bearings. She grimaced when she noticed the pile of bloodied baby wipes in the center of the table. Her eyes eventually caught Elsa's worried gaze and shifted back to Rapunzel's shocked expression. Then back to Elsa's before returning to Rapunzel's. "Who are you two and where am I?" The accent she spoke with was actually fairly charming to Elsa's ears, and the genuinely enjoyed it. It was thick and foreign and just fun to listen to.
Rapunzel placed the water bottle on the table and placed her hands in her laps. "Well, I'm Rapunzel and this is Elsa." She said as she waved her arm over to the blonde who offered a meek little wave and tried at a smile. "I found you laying on the floor on my way to the parking lot."
"Oh yeah! I slipped and fell down the stairs." Her face grew concerned as she brushed some of the matted hair from her face and stared at the ground intently. "I'm not too sure how I went and did that though."
"Well, what do you remember?" Elsa asked, half curious and half just wanting to hear her speak more. She leaned forward as she placed her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands.
"Well," The redhead started as she brushed more hair out of her face. "I was well on my way down the stairs, minding my own business and everything when I ran into this..." Her face scrunched with disgust. "This dobber-" From the tone of her voice, Elsa assumed that was a particularly nasty insult. "-bitch! And she started laughing at me and calling me nasty names!" She balled one hand into a fist and punched her other hand multiple times, which caused Elsa to flinch with every punch. "She was mocking me! So I thought I'd teach the bugger a lesson and I right did! I went to walk away back to my own business and the next thing I remember was falling!" She shrugged and let her arms fall freely into her lap.
Rapunzel opened her mouth to comment, but was cut off when the redhead butted in. "Oh! And my name is Merida by the way. I'd like to thank you two for taking care of me when I had my lights knocked out."
"Well, do you remember what this woman looked like, Merida?" Rapunzel finally got out.
"A lot like you, actually." Merida put bluntly as she pointed towards Elsa, much to her surprise.
"What?" Elsa was taken back as Merida nodded.
Aleks! Why doesn't this surprise me? I love you, sis, but this is crazy. Elsa began to think that her sister just had a thing against redheads. She thought about what possibly could have happened that would set Aleks off like that, but suddenly remembered how short a fuse her sister could have. Her eyes shot open with shock when she realized how Merida fell down the stairs. She didn't fall! She slipped! She clenched her fists in her lap, digging her nails into her palms. On ice! Aleks' ice! She would have to talk to her later, she was currently in complete disbelief that she would be that reckless. Elsa's stomach was in knots when she thought about how horribly wrong that situation could have played out.
"Elsa!" Her gaze was shot over to Rapunzel when she called her name. "Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost."
She shook her head and waved the brunette off before shifting her eyes to Merida. "I'm afraid you had a run in with my twin, Merida."
"Your sister is a ninny."
"Yes, I'm aware." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I apologize on her behalf, I really do."
"It isn't your fault, Elsa." Rapunzel added in as she placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder which nearly caused her to jump. "You're not held responsible for her actions." She offered a small but reassuring smile.
Elsa placed her own hand on top Rapunzel's and returned the smile. "Thank you, but rest assured I'll talk to her about it." She pulled out her phone from her purse and sent a quick text to her twin telling her to meet her in Elsa's dorm in thirty minutes.
Merida stood up and arched her back in a deep stretch, she winced when she straightened back up and placed her hands on her hips.
"You aren't sore?" Rapunzel asked in disbelief, one does not simply fall down a staircase and walk off with just a little dust on their shoulder.
"Sore isn't the word for it lassie! I hurt all over!" She laughed it off and gave Rapunzel a hearty slap on the shoulder. "But I have three brothers – triplets. I've learned to take a beating over the years." She shrugged again before giving a wave and a smile to the two girls still sitting at the table. "But I need to get back, I think my next class is starting up soon. I'll be seeing you two around though!"
"Oh! I'm late!" Rapunzel remarked as she scrambled out of her chair. Before leaving the study hall, she gave an enthusiastic wave at Elsa. "See you around!"
And with that, Elsa was alone and seething with disappointment and anger. She shot up and didn't even bother to push her chair back in as she slung her purse over her shoulder and stormed out of the room. The people crowding the halls didn't even phase her as she made her way outside of the double glass doors with only one thing on her mind. The walk back to the dorm building seemed short as she went over phrases in her head about how she was going to chastise Aleks. When she entered the double glass doors, she was surprised to find how empty it was. Normally the lobby had people lounging about. Figuring most people were either in classes or out for lunch, she entered the elevator and slapped the button hard enough to send a shock of pain up her arm but she didn't care. The five floor elevator ride was spent steaming and as she neared the door, she bared her teeth and felt a fire in her chest. As she inserted her key card and started turning the knob she had a death grip on, she threw open the door as it caused a loud thud when it swung all the way back and hit the knob.
"Sup." Aleks was lounging on the recliner with her legs thrown over the arm, playing on her phone. She didn't even look up at Elsa as she walked in.
"Sup is all you have to say to me?" Elsa accused as she slammed the door and threw her purse on the coffee table in the middle of the living room.
Aleks shrugged. "I don't know. What's up? Any better?"
Elsa scoffed and loomed over her twin, blonde curls were nearly touching her face. "What's up? How about an unconscious Scottish woman?"
"Oh, you heard about that?" She had a smug grin as she looked up at Elsa's menacing face.
"I also heard she just happened to fall down the stairs." She raised her voice slightly, hoping to get Aleks' full attention from her phone.
"Well, she should watch her step." Aleks shrugged it off.
"After she fought somebody who looked an awful lot like me. Cut your bullshit, Aleks!" Elsa straightened up and couldn't believe how nonchalant her sister was. "She didn't fall, she slipped!"
Aleks looked up from her phone as she stuck it in her back pocket and locked eyes with Elsa's. "So?"
Something inside Elsa snapped as she started seeing red. All the frustration from the past few years all seemed to bubble up from within her stomach as her heart started to race. "So? Aleks don't you understand the risk!?" Snow started to form around Elsa's slender figure and slowly started to fall into a lazy rotation around her. "How could you be so reckless to use these powers we have – this curse we have, so nonchalantly!"
Aleks stood up from the recliner and shook her head, ignoring the snowflakes hitting her pale skin. "You dare say I take these powers nonchalantly?" She raised her hand as a flurry of ice and snow appeared and dissipated in her palm. "Everything I've done for you-" She raised her eyebrows and gave a small laugh. "-for us? And you think I take this nonchalantly?"
"Yes! You know what would happen if people fou-"
"Nobody will find out!" Aleks stepped closer towards her sister, ice forming on the ground with every step. "Elsa, there's nothing in this world I take more seriously than you or these powers."
"Then act like it! Act like the sister I know you are and don't be so reckless!" She snow around her started picking up speed as random strands of hair started to catch in the breeze.
The response gained a chuckle from Aleks. "You want to talk to me about being a sister when I haven't seen you since we've arrived?" Her eyes widened as she took another step closer, causing more ice to creep across the floor.
"I'm taking your advice! I'm making friends!" The storm picked up again as her hair whipped across her face and she heard something from the kitchen fall to the floor. "Which is more than you've done cause all you've managed to do was make enemies!" She was nearly shouting to have herself be heard over the howling of the wind.
"By ostracizing your sister? Again, after all I've done for you? Do you think I like these powers, Elsa? Aleks spat as she extended her arms and shoved her twin. "All I've ever done is protect you!" Icicles began to form on the ceiling, extending down to a point and casting reflections across the ice skittered across the floor.
"I never asked you to protect me, Aleks!" Elsa shouted in pure anger as the fire in her chest grew larger. She saw Aleks clench her fists and bite her lip as she grunted in frustration, when she looked up at Elsa she noticed a single tear carving it's way down her cheek that froze by the time it reached her chin. "You don't have another snarky remark this time, Aleks? Don't have some snide jo-"
"I killed our father, Elsa!"
The room grew quiet as the swirling storm suspended in mid air, not a single movement from any snowflake. Elsa's arms dropped to her sides as she fell to her knees and her eyes widened in memory. She felt everything, every accusation from her father and every beating. Every tear that cascaded down her pale face as she failed to defend herself. Every worthless feeling she would get when she was too afraid to try and protect Aleks from the same punishment. She remembered the screams of her father as he was hurled from the balcony. She felt not only the sadness, but the relief when she heard Aleks tell her that nobody was going to hurt her anymore. She missed her mother.
Aleks bent over and gripped at her hair, fighting to get words out. "I was the reason he fell from the balcony!" Her voice was trembling and Elsa could see teardrops falling from her face, freezing and shattering as they hit the icy floor. "I couldn't stand it anymore, Elsa!" Her voice was strained and forced. "I saw him beating you again, and I-I I just couldn't take it anymore! The flurry that sent him falling from the balcony was mine!" She fell to her knees and her forehead hit the icy floor. "It was to protect you, Elsa!"
Elsa wasn't sure what to make of her twin's confession. A part of her kinda knew all along that she had a role to play for her father's death, but she never wanted to admit it. But it suddenly gave more sense to all of her sister's actions. The tears falling from Elsa's face was only a reminder of how weak she always has been. But as she wiped her eyes free, she decided no more. She wasn't going to be this helpless little girl who needed her sister to come and save the day. She didn't want to be that same little girl who spent every night in fear of another drunken rage from her father. She only grew frustrated and angry at her sister for keeping her in the dark for so long, and preventing her from being independent. The past few days with Anna taught Elsa that she was so much more capable than what she thought she was.
Elsa looked up at the snowflakes suspended around her, and how their reflections bounced off the icicles and onto the floor. There was certainly a beauty in these powers that she couldn't deny. But there was also great danger. Every hope she had of being normal was ripped to shreds at the reminder of the ice and snow at her command. But she was going to take control.
"Leave." Elsa muttered slowly and solemnly.
"What?" Aleks looked up in disbelief.
"You heard me." Elsa repeated sternly as she stood back up and made her way to the door which was coated in a layer of frost. The tension in the room was enough to put Elsa's stomach in knots. She didn't want to send her sister away, but she felt like it was a necessity. She loved her dearly, but she needed to be independent from her. And at this moment in time, it sickened her to look at her.
"Elsa, what happened? How coul-"
Aleks' words were cut off from a blast of ice that exploded next to her, causing her to jump.
"I said leave, Aleks!" Elsa shouted with tears streaming down her face. She watched her broken sister collect herself and pick herself up off of the floor. She wiped residual snow from her arms and slowly made her way to the door. When she approached Elsa, she opened her mouth to say something, but instead just shook her head and silently left. The last thing Elsa saw was frost lined across her sister's eyes. Frozen tears from a broken heart.
"What's on your mind, Anna?" Rapunzel asked as she turned down the radio in her car. Anna turned her attention from the window and the buildings outside of it to her cousin. Ever since Rapunzel was late in picking her up, Anna had hardly said a word to her which was totally unlike her. Her mind was obviously on other things, and she just hadn't felt like talking. She scratched the back of her head, careful not to mess with the bun she worked so hard on a couple hours prior and shrugged.
"I've just been thinking I guess." Anna commented as she drummed her fingers on her knees, lost in thought again.
"Would you like to spill the beans or should I get the can opener?" Rapunzel said lightheartedly as she pointed to a frying pan that sat in the back seat. "Ask Eugene about the can opener." A small laugh escaped her lips as Anna knew exactly what she was talking about.
"That thing is a little more than a can opener." Anna laughed and began counting on her fingers. "Can opener, baseball bat, golf club, back scratcher on more than one occasion." That comment earned a giggle from Rapunzel.
"Okay, you know it works!" She retorted with a large grin and a small chuckle.
"Oh hold up, I'm not done. Ping pong paddle, home defense mechanism, a hammer, and it's really useful for breaking the smolder of a Eugene Fitzherbert." She finished, feeling confident from the giggles that escaped her cousin's mouth which she couldn't help but copy.
"He knows not to wake up from napping anymore!" She shrugged and shot Anna a smug grin amongst the laughter. "But really, Anna-banana, what's going on up stairs?"
"Nothing much as usual." Anna shrugged and readjusted herself in the car seat. Messing with the air conditioning vent, she found a comfortable position that had a steady stream of cool air blessing her face. She turned to look at Rapunzel who was giving her a knowing look from the corner of her eye. She always knew when something was bugging Anna, and this case was no exception.
"Anna." She said drawn out and sternly, waiting for Anna to share what's on her mind.
"I just think I have a crush on somebody, Punzpunz. That's all." Hoping to alleviate her cousins worry with the use of a childhood nickname that died out years ago. Anna rested her head against the window, and even though she was in the safety of the air conditioned car she could still feel the humidity from outside.
"Ooh! What's his name? Is he cute? Is he the nerdy type or the athletic type? You've always seemed go to after the athletic ones!" Rapunzel's excitement was clear from the tone in her voice. She kept rambling on and on about different kind of guys and trying to guess the exact person Anna was crushing on but all Anna could do was shake her head. Eventually running out of ideas, Rapunzel admitted defeat. "Then who is it, Anna?" She asked as she turned a corner, causing Anna to bump her head rather forcefully into the window. "Sorry."
Anna waved her off and swept a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, Rapunzel..." In an unsure tone and nearly in a whisper. "I never said it was a guy." She shrugged and turned to face out of the window again, too embarrassed to see her cousin's reaction.
"Damn, I owe Eugene money." Was the only response that came from her.
Anna perked back up and turned to look at her cousin who had a large grin. "Wait, what?" She was taken back as she adjusted herself to turn towards Rapunzel. "You had a bet going with your boyfriend about my sexuality?"
Rapunzel giggled and playfully shoved Anna's shoulder. "It was never about your sexuality, it was about when you would come out." She sensed the confusion from Anna and further explained. "You never looked really interested in any of the guys you dated, so it was fairly clear that either you had a string of bad luck choosing guys or that you were gay." She concluded with an affirming nod and another smile.
Accepting her answer and shrugging it off, Anna sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "So why do you owe Eugene money?"
"He said you would come out within your first month here, I figured it would take you at least until sophomore year."
Anna sat there in a pout, unsure of what to think about the bet between her cousin and her boyfriend. She really did like the guys she dated in the past, and had good memories with them. But in hindsight, maybe it did seem like she wasn't really interested in them. But her crush on Elsa and having a crush on a girl in general had been the only thing on her mind and she didn't know what to think of that either. The short amount of time spent with Elsa has already given her fond memories. From that first day going to the mall, to losing at chess every night. Catching lunch at a local ice cream shop just down the street from the campus to the day Anna suggested they play mini golf. She thought she was just forming an actual friendship with the blonde, but the more she thought about it the more she realized that what she was feeling was a little more than just friendship. It really doesn't help that she looks so good! She was adorable in hoodies, but she's straight sexy when she dresses up!
"Shake the salt off, Anna. Love is love no matter how you look at it, and I don't think of you any differently." Rapunzel said with a reassuring hand on Anna's shoulder which caused her to look up and meet the green eyes of her cousin. "Now what's her name?" Rapunzel smiled as Anna let out a small sigh.
"I'm not going to tell you her name." The look on Rapunzel's face perfectly showed off her disapproval. "But she's smart, blonde, and really pretty! And actually once you get to know her a little bit she's pretty funny too!"
"Well she sounds nice." Rapunzel commented as she ran a hand through her short brown hair. "I'm thinking of growing my hair out and going blonde, actually."
Anna cocked an eyebrow at her cousin and twirled a finger through her hair. "You mean going natural?" She added and smiled when Rapunzel rolled her eyes at her.
"Whatever you'd like to call it, I'm kind of tired of the brown. I think Eugene prefers the blonde anyway." Rapunzel shrugged and suddenly perked up, causing Anna to jump back slightly. "Oh! Which reminds me! You know Eugene is starting to do hair now?"
Anna laughed and slapped her knee, not willing to believe how a manly guy like Eugene would get involved with cosmetology. "You're kidding me, right?"
"Not at all! My mother called him over one day to cut her hair cause you know how strange she can be-"
"That's where you get it from you know." The comment from Anna caused her to be playfully shoved again.
"-Shut up. Anyway, it turns out he's really good at doing hair and has actually started offering it as a thing on the side at the Snuggly Duckling." She finished and shrugged.
"Isn't the Snuggly Duckling that sketchy bar he works at though?" Anna asked, holding back giggles from the thought of a bunch of muscular, malicious, and scary men getting hair cuts at an equally scary bar.
"It isn't that bad, and a lot of the regulars there are actually really cool people once you get to know them. They just have a bad rep. You know Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns?" Rapunzel laughed at the shocked expression from Anna who was still fighting back giggles.
"Is this the same Vladimir that once slashed a guys tires for taking up two parking spaces? And what were you doing in a bar anyway, Rapunzel?" Anna asked as she crossed her arms and shot her cousin a suspicious look.
"You know I don't drink or anything, I just like to pop in through the back door every now and then to visit Eugene." She explained. Anna knew she was telling the truth and shrugged, Rapunzel has never been the one to lie to her.
"So Eugene does hair now, huh?"
Anna left the elevator once it dinged, indicating she had reached her floor. After her and Rapunzel had lunch, she went to her last class of the day and was just getting back to the apartment with dinner on her mind. Maybe I'll make burgers, it's been awhile since I had a good burger. Does Elsa like burgers? I bet she would like some lasagna, but I don't know if I have the noodles for lasagna. She absentmindedly made her way to the dorm door and stuck her key card in, after a click from the door the had to push a little harder to normal to get the door open as frost fell off of the door frame. Oh! Or maybe some fajitas. I do enjoy some fajitas. It's even fun to say Fajitas, fajitas, fajitas... She made her way to the kitchen table which still had a lair of ice over it and set her bag on top of it. Walking to the refrigerator, she forced it open and began searching the contents completely oblivious of the layer of ice and frost over everything in the dorm and the icicles looming off of the ceiling. Hey! There's still some shredded cheese left! Maybe I'll make a casserole or something. Does Elsa like casserole? She pulled the package of cheese from the fridge and stood up. "Hey El-"
Her words were cut off when she noticed the layer of frost and ice covering everything. She placed the cheese on the counter and carefully made her way to the couch as to not slip and fall on the ice. It's like a winter wonderland! Oh man, this is cool! Literally! Upon reaching the couch, she looked over it to find Elsa curled into herself in a deep slumber. The only sign she was even alive was from her visible breath amongst the cold. Her hair had no signs of curl left in it and was wildly windswept behind her, and even it appeared to have a layer of frost over it as it looked nearly white. "Hey, Elsa!" Anna poked the blonde on her side. "Psst! Elsa!"
Elsa's eyes shot open as she scrambled to sit up, she frantically shifted her gaze from wall to wall before she looked behind her and met Anna's turquoise eyes with her own widened blues. "Anna!" She shrieked as she scrambled to her feet and cast out her arms in self defense. "I can explain all of this!" Her voice was hoarse, and even weak as she desperately pleaded.
Anna chuckled at how frantic the blonde was, she made a whole three sixty as she observed everything from the ice she was standing on and gasped when she saw her reflection from the icicles hanging from the ceiling. She reached out and gingerly touched a snowflake that was suspending motionless in the air, sending a pleasant coolness up her arm. "Explain what? This is awesome! Did you do this?"
Elsa wiped a tear from her eye that was threatening to fall. "Anna, this isn't awesome. It's horrible!" She fell onto the couch and let out a deep sigh, visible breath lingering in the air. "Yes, it's my fault. It's all my fault." She admitted in defeat.
Anna pursed her lips as she knelt down and collected a handful of snow that had collected in a bank on the back of the couch. When she eventually had three snowballs stacked on top of each other in descending order of size, she reached into her pocket and ripped off the extra buttons. She placed them on the smallest snowball on the top for eyes. She pulled out a pencil from her back pocket and tore off the eraser, placing it just below the eyes to form a nose. Anna then broke the pencil and split it in half, exposing the led. She broke the led into small pieces and stuck them just below the nose to form a smile. She took the remaining pieces of led to form buttons going down the middle snowball. With her snowman finished, she stood up and placed it on the back of the couch. She nudged Elsa to get her attention, and she looked up at her through teary eyes.
"Elsa, you say this is horrible. But how can something so horrible create something so cute?" She said enthusiastically with a smile as Elsa picked up the small snowman from the back of the couch and laid it in her lap. She wiped one of her eyes with the heel of her palm and gave a weak chuckle.
"He's missing arms, Anna." Her voice was nearly in a whisper and soft as a mouse. When an idea came to Anna's mind, she walked over to the counter and ripped off a couple stems from the bag of grapes that was held in a fruit bowl after she brushed the frost off of it. She returned to the couch and plopped down right in front of Elsa, she turned the snowman around and stuck the grape stems into the center snowball.
"There! Now he's perfect." She said with a reassuring smile as she readjusted herself and placed a hand on Elsa's heel.
Elsa turned the snowman back around and smiled weakly at it as a single tear fell from her chin. "Why aren't you afraid of me? All of this-" She gestured to the entire room. "-is my fault. These powers – this curse that I was born with, I'm just a mon-"
"Hey now!" Anna cut her off and gave another wide smile. "I don't need any explanation for it. The Elsa I've met isn't dangerous in any way shape or form. She's smart, funny, and quite frankly beautiful in my opinion." The meek smile from the girl across from her caused confidence to swell up in Anna's chest. "I'm not afraid, and you shouldn't be afraid either. I haven't had any clue about any of this up until now, which tells me you do a pretty good job of controlling whatever this is. Therefore, why would I be afraid."
"Normally I can control it with little to no issue..." Elsa started with a sigh. She looked down at the snowman again and smiled. "But sometimes it just... happens, and I don't mean it to." Her shoulders slumped and she fell back against the arm of the couch.
"It's strange, yeah. But I mean how cool is it to have a roommate who has really badass ice powers!" Anna commented, trying to cheer Elsa up to some avail. "It's like you're from the X-men or something!"
Elsa gave another weak chuckle and straightened back up. She picked up the small snowman and set it down gingerly on the coffee table. "I'm not even sure Charles Xavier would accept me."
"Well, I accept you." Anna placed one hand over Elsa's and the other on the side of her face, wiping away a frozen tear on the side of the blonde's face. "Crazy ice powers or not, I know you'll never hurt me or anyone for that matter."
Elsa smiled softly and looked up at Anna, a slight blush growing across her face. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" Elsa asked, unsure.
Anna brought a hand up to her chest and drew an 'x' over her heart. "Cross my heart." She said with a reassuring smile. She took the moment to stare into Elsa's blue eyes, and although filled with sadness she could tell that there was relief in there somewhere. If it were up to Anna, she would have stayed there in that moment forever. Although shaken up and worried, to her, Elsa was the most beautiful creature on the planet. She knew it couldn't last though, and every moment felt like an eternity."But quite frankly it's getting a little cold so could you do something about that?" She tried to lighten the mood with another chuckle.
"Yeah, I can try to." Elsa said as she broke from Anna's gaze and stood up from the couch.
"Do. Or do not. There is no try, young Elsa."
Elsa turned around and cocked an eyebrow at Anna. "Did you just quote Star Wars at me?"
Anna shrugged and smiled. Elsa returned the gesture as she turned back around and looked down at the small snowman. Button eyes staring blankly back at her. She smiled as she extended her hand, and a small cloud formed over the snowman and small snowflakes began to fall from the cloud.
"What's that for?" Anna asked as she scooted over on the couch and leaned forward, inspecting the small cloud.
"So that it doesn't melt when I fix this mess." Elsa commented as she raised her arms and clapped them together, and all of the ice and snow in the room came together to form a large snowflake above her head. The ice from the floor shot up in a dense fog, as did the icicles hanging off of the ceiling. The large snowflake cast the entire room in a light blue hue as it slowly rotated, and when Elsa separated her hands, it disappeared in a cool breeze that caused shivers to trail down Anna's spine.
With a smile, Anna stood up and brought her arms around Elsa's waist and brought her in for a hug. "I knew you could do it."