A/N: Fairly short and sweet chapter.
I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for your continued support. I feel like I do that a lot, but honestly, it means a lot to me.
With every view, favorite, follow, and review, I feel more confident about how the story is coming along and that people actually enjoy it.
Also! Like I stated a couple chapters ago, Burning Low is about 2/3rds finished at this point. It's still a ways off, but I have been thinking of another story that I'd like to write once everything is said and done with Burning Low. The thing is, since I've been writing, I haven't been reading as much fanfiction as I'd like to. Therefore, I have no clue if this idea I have is unique or if it's a carbon copy of another fic out there that I have no idea even exists. So, would it be too much to ask someone to message me so I can pitch this fic idea to so I can be sure it hasn't been done already? Either here on , or Tumblr. Preferably someone who has been able to read a lot of the fics currently out there, and who wouldn't mind spoilers to this idea I have.
But I digress.
Constructive criticism is, of course, always welcomed.
Enjoy!
"Rapunzel! Can we speak?" Pocahontas asked, tugging at the hem of Rapunzel's shirt as she rounded the corner.
The brunette turned around with a suspicious glare as she soon realized who had called her and her face softened. "Yeah, I was about to meet everyone else on the next floor. What's up?" She asked cheerfully as she leaned against the wall.
"I know." Pocahontas replied with a smirk and a shrug. "I wanted to ask you if it would be alright if I brought someone along." She asked in a lighthearted tone, trying to keep the atmosphere positive.
"We could squeeze another person into the car, sure. How many would that make?" Rapunzel asked as she looked up and started to count on her fingers. "Seven? Eight?" She shrugged and smiled. "We can stuff Kristoff in the trunk."
Covering her mouth as she chucked, Pocahontas shook her head. "I only ask because I don't want there to be any tension between her and everyone else."
Rapunzel scrunched her eyebrows and crossed her arms, knowing exactly who she was referring to. "Do you mean-"
"Aleks, yes." Pocahontas answered before Rapunzel could finish as she swept her hair behind her ear and pursed her lips. "Elsa is important to her. And through extension, Anna is too."
Rubbing her temples, Rapunzel swept her hair back before shrugging. "I don't really mind her being there, I guess. It's Jasmine and Merida I'm concerned about."
"I'll talk to them later." Came a voice from around the corner as Rapunzel turned toward the direction it came from, fighting the urge to roll her eyes as she saw Aleks confidently stride down the hall. "You're the one who is related to her, you're the one I want to be okay with." She reached the duo before leaning against the wall and shrugging. "For now, at least."
"I can't just forgive and forget, Aleks." Rapunzel stated plainly as she crossed her arms with a stern expression.
"I'm not asking you to. I've done some shitty things, I know." Aleks admitted as she turned toward Pocahontas and shrugged before turning back to the woman in front of her. "But for the sake of Elsa and Anna, it isn't really ideal if we're down each other's throats the entire time, right?" She tried not to sound condescending as to not provoke Rapunzel any further than her mere presence did.
Rapunzel gazed intensely at Aleks, taking note of every tiny demeanor. Even though she came here for some sort of reconciliation, she still gave off a cocky vibe. Maybe it was her tone of voice, or maybe it was how she seemed to relax despite the slight air of tension. Whatever it was, it was hard to disagree with her. If Anna is to continue to be with Elsa, Aleks wasn't going anywhere. For the moment, Rapunzel was willing to put up with this for her cousin's sake and for the sake of her relationship. She forced a smile as she extended her hand for a handshake.
With a smug grin, Aleks slapped at her extended hand as she pushed herself off of the wall and toward the stairwell. "I'll meet you two upstairs." She announced, leaving Rapunzel staring blankly at the space Aleks had previously occupied.
"I hope this ends well." She muttered to herself as she felt Pocahontas place a hand on her shoulder. Perhaps she felt guilty after yelling at her in the cafeteria the other day. Or maybe she was just going crazy. The knot forming in her stomach just made her feel worse about the situation.
"Sometimes the smoothest course isn't the wisest option, Rapunzel." Pocahontas stated as Rapunzel turned her head to face her. "Rivers are a curious thing like that."
Anna inhaled deeply as she entered a deep stretch, only to cringe when a sharp pain started to shoot through her body. She didn't mind it a whole lot though, because it signified a good change in her life. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms as she wiggled out from underneath the blankets and off of the bed, trying not to wake her sleeping girlfriend beside her. She looked back and smiled at Elsa as her chest steadily rose and fell.
Still smiling to herself, she made it to the bathroom and gently closed the door behind her as she grabbed her toothbrush and ran it under the water. She didn't even think the sun had risen yet considering how early it was. Although she was just in the bedroom, she didn't notice if the sun was coming through the window or not. But despite her burning disgust for mornings and her stiff body, Anna was determined to get as many waking hours with Elsa as possible before she had to leave in the next few hours. She heard a faint rustling sound on the other side of the door, but she paid no attention to it and wrote it off as Elsa walking about. As she finished brushing her teeth, she placed her toothbrush back into the holder and dried her mouth off with a nearby towel.
Exiting the bathroom and closing the door behind her, she caught a glimpse of someone in her peripheral vision that caused her to turn toward the living room. She looked directly past the group of people that had coalesced around the kitchen counter and on the couch as Rapunzel gave her an enthusiastic wave and a large grin. Anna blinked once. Twice. Then spun on her heel toward the bedroom door and shut it behind her. Slightly surprised to find Elsa sitting up and running her hands through her hair, Anna sat down next to her girlfriend and leaned her head on her shoulder.
"It's five in the morning." Elsa muttered, voice low and gravely with sleep as she wrapped her arms around Anna's shoulders and leaned her own head against hers.
"I have to be at the airport by ten."
Elsa groaned in acknowledgement as she took a deep breath before moving herself off of the bed. The moment her feet hit the floor, Anna saw her body physically tense up as she lowered herself back down onto the bed. "Sorry." Anna whispered, slightly amused at finding Elsa as sore as she was.
"It's the good kind of pain." Elsa whispered as she worked her way back up, and as she turned to face Anna, her eyes widened as she covered her mouth in surprise.
Anna raised an eyebrow and surveyed her surroundings, confused as to what Elsa was shocked about. "Wha-"
"You're going to want to wear a turtleneck or something today." Elsa explained as she turned toward the small closet and started to shuffle through the hanging clothes.
"You are too." Anna replied with a snarky undertone, barely able to make out the red marks strewn across Elsa's neck and shoulders in the dimly lit room. She brought her hands up to her neck, able to feel the radiating heat on the back of her hand from the little marks across her neck. She pulled at the collar of her shirt and her eyes widened when she found what looked like an extremely visible bite mark. She had been wondering what the fabric of her shirt was irritating. And it looks like she found her answer. She winced as she traced the mark with the tip of her fingers. "You have really straight teeth, Elsa."
"Thank you?" Elsa asked as she shut the closet behind her and tossed a pile of clothes onto the bed next to Anna. "I'm sure you'll find something that fits you." She stammered as she grabbed her phone off of the nightstand and used the light to survey the bright red love marks across her neck, chest, and shoulders.
Sifting through the pile of clothes, Anna shrugged to herself. "I don't even think anyone noticed."
Elsa's arms dropped to her side as her eyes widened and she stared blankly at the redhead. "What?"
"Yeah, there's a bunch of people in the living room." Anna mentioned as she started to count on her fingers. "Merida, Jasmine, Kristoff, Pocahontas, Rapunzel…" She dropped her hands. "…Aleks." Her stomach instantly tensed into knots as she looked up at Elsa with a shared worried expression.
Elsa tossed her phone onto the bed and scrambled toward the door, Anna trailing her. She threw the door open as it slammed against the wall behind it. With a dull thud and a wince, she was pushed against the wall when Anna had a hard time stopping. The pair eventually found their balance as Anna grinned and excitedly waved at the group of people who had coalesced around the couch.
Merida instantly erupted in a fit of cacophonous laughter as she braced herself against Kristoff's broad shoulders. Amidst her laughter, she pointed up toward the pouting blonde and teased. "You owe me fifteen dollars!"
Kristoff sighed and chuckled as he gestured over toward Jasmine behind the couch. "That's fine, cause Jasmine owes me twenty."
Rapunzel groaned as she leaned her head back against the couch and rubbed her temples. "All three of you owe me a drink."
Aleks raised her hand as she cradled her head in the other. "I'll buy." She chimed in as Pocahontas chuckled and shook her head. "You two get dressed, we're all taking Anna to breakfast and I'll be damned if the restaurant is crowded with a bunch of bonewalkers with their early bird special bullshit."
"You played Morrowind?" Kristoff asked with wide eyes as he nudged Merida off of her shoulder and leaned forward.
Aleks smirked and nodded. "Hell yeah, although I kind of prefer Oblivion when it comes to the Elder Scrolls."
Anna looked expectedly up at her dumbstruck girlfriend and chuckled. "What the hell is happening?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around Elsa's.
"If I had to guess? Fenrir escaped his prison and Ragnarök is upon us."
"What?"
Elsa shook her head. "I'll explain later."
"Nerd." Anna teased as she spun around and walked back into the bedroom.
"I can't believe you guys actually stuck me in the trunk." Kristoff contemplated out loud, shaking his head as he stabbed at his eggs and took a large bite.
"I can't believe you actually fit." Jasmine teased, bumping into the large man as she chuckled.
Pocahontas shrugged and nodded toward the window that the group was seated next. "I can't believe Denny's is open this early."
"I can't believe it's not butter!" Merida shouted with a mouthful of biscuit, launching out small crumbs that hit Rapunzel who sat across from her.
Rapunzel scoffed as she picked up a nearby napkin and wiped the crumbs off of her face. "I can't believe I thought it was a good idea to sit in front of Merida." She jested, smiling at the redhead across from her.
"I can't believe we didn't get pulled over since we had a body in the back." Aleks added as the table unanimously nodded in agreement, much to Kristoff's dismay as he rolled his eyes.
"At least it was a van and not a tiny little sports car or anything." Jasmine commented, trying to alleviate some of the flak off of Kristoff.
"You'll have a seat after this, Kristoff. I'm not going to the airport." Aleks commented as she stuck a strip of bacon into her mouth.
"You're not?" Elsa asked, slightly concerned. It was the first time in days she saw her twin, she had hoped that she would be able to see her for a bit longer.
Aleks shook her head and swallowed her bite. "You know I'm not really one for goodbyes. Besides, I have to go bash my head against my desk in philosophy."
"Did you have to take the test about the chair?" Jasmine asked in a distasteful tone.
Aleks knew exactly which one she was talking about as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."
"I can't believe I'm going to London." Anna mentioned. "I haven't had any time to practice my accent." She continued in the best British accent she could muster, which isn't saying much. But it did earn a small giggle from Elsa.
"Do you know who you'll be staying with?" Elsa asked as the rest of table started to devolve into their own conversation. Amongst the chatter, Elsa managed to hear Aleks and Kristoff talking about more video games. It made her happy knowing that not everyone at the table had distaste for her. Although there was a slight tension in the air as her and Merida periodically glared at each other.
Anna swallowed her bite and nodded. "Yeah, I'm staying with another student and her father. He had the most British sounding name I've ever heard." She reached for her glass of water, and extended her pinky as she swished the glass around. "Archimedes Q. Porter" She said in the same faux accent. "And his daughter Jane."
"The most British sounding name I've ever heard was Benadryl Cucumber." Jasmine chimed in with a small smirk.
"Did you say something about Babylon Concubine?" Rapunzel added as her and Jasmine joined together in a joyful giggle as Anna cocked an eyebrow and looked over toward Elsa with a confused expression.
"I think they're talking about Boobytrap Cheddarcheese." Elsa played along as the giggling between Rapunzel and Jasmine soon turned to an eruption of laughter. A few waiters from across the room looked toward the table and shook their heads.
Aleks nudged her elbow into Elsa to get her attention. "Does the last name Porter sound familiar?" She asked with a mouth full of gravy. She swallowed her bite before continuing. "I feel like I've heard that name before."
Elsa shrugged and chased around a link of sausage on her plate with her fork. "I imagine it's a fairly common last name."
Merida slapped her fork against the table, instantly causing everyone to snap their heads straight toward her. Jasmine opened her mouth and almost began to speak before a sea of red curls assaulted her face. "I have family in London attending university! Maybe you'll meet a couple of them." She mentioned with a large smile. "Ah yes, the MacGuffins. During a family reunion one year, everyone bearing that name was able to rip a log in half with their bare hands."
"Are they ninnies too?" Kristoff scoffed.
"Not like you." Merida retorted and stuck her tongue out.
"Okay, so, stay away from anyone with the last name of MacGuffin." Anna nodded. "Got it."
"Just tell them you know me and they'll probably form a shield wall around you."
Anna chuckled and moved her empty plate out of the way as she leaned forward on her elbows. "I'll bite. Why?"
"Let me tell you about the time my uncle Dingwall decided it would be a good idea to start up a game of American football at the family reunion."
Elsa shook her head and chuckled as she nudged Anna. "Excited?"
Looking over toward the hyped up squirrel known as Merida as she told the tale of what was sure to be the most intense game of football Scotland would ever see, Anna shrugged and leaned her head on Elsa's shoulder. "A little nervous right now."
"-And then my uncle Macintosh brought out a whole frozen turkey, and of course my brothers had to have it…"
"I think I prefer the trunk." Kristoff groaned as he stepped out of the car with one of Anna's suitcases in hand. "At least I can gaze out of the window and ignore everyone that way."
"Oh come on, it could have been worse." Jasmine teased as she followed the man out of the car and crossed her arms over her stomach.
Kristoff gave a sarcastic chuckle as he set the suitcase onto the ground. "It could get worse than talking about all the troubles you all go through with bras?"
"You don't really have a lot of experience with women, do you?" Rapunzel chimed as she rounded the car and leaned on a nearby bench.
"I live on the second floor of a pizza place. What was your first clue?"
"The fact that you always smell like burned cheese and tomato sauce." Merida taunted.
"Come now, Kristoff." Pocahontas started as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't that bad. We didn't even get to talk about the pains of underwire."
Merida nodded. "It's like being prodded in the tit with a hot poker after a while."
Anna reached into the back and pulled out a backpack before stepping out of the car and slinging it over her shoulders. She nodded to Kristoff as she took the suitcase from him. The sun had risen as it shown straight into her eyes, causing her to squint as she stood in front of her friends. She tugged at the collar of the turtleneck she was wearing as it threatened to suffocate her in the humidity. "So, uh, thank you all for coming out and taking me to breakfast and everything." She commented, nervous under all of the eyes directed at her.
"Tony and I will hold down the fort while you're gone." Kristoff reassured with a hearty smile and a thumbs up.
Anna returned the gesture with a smile of her own as Elsa stepped forward and took her by the hand, leading her away from the group and toward the glass doors of the airport. After they had a little bit more privacy, she turned Anna toward her and brushed back a loose strand of hair that was sticking to her forehead. Anna sheepishly looked up toward the blonde and tried to force a smile. She wasn't looking forward to what was coming next.
"You packed a toothbrush, right? Deodorant? Soap?" Elsa teased with a small chuckle.
Pouting, Anna nodded and took both of Elsa's hands into her own. She wanted to say something, but couldn't really find the words. Instead, she just stared into her lover's eyes. Elsa's deep blue eyes were already starting to glaze over. "If you start crying, I'll start crying." She commented as she wiped the corners of her girlfriend's eyes with her thumbs.
"I know, it's just going to be so strange." Elsa muttered under her breath. "I'm going to miss you, Anna." She whispered as Anna wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her in.
"I'll miss you too, Elsa." Anna replied as she brought one of her arms up and pressed her hand against her chest. Just like the night prior, the small ice crystal that Elsa had around her neck started gave off a faint, pulsing light underneath her shirt. "Do you think they'll vibrate if we-"
"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed with a large grin. "No! Well-" She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "I doubt it."
"I don't mean to rush you two, but your plane leaves in thirty minutes." Rapunzel commented from the middle of the small group clustered near the bench.
Anna pulled the blonde in toward her and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "We're not saying goodbye, you know?" She pulled her in and gave her another kiss, feeling tears well up in the corners of her eyes. "It's more like a 'see you later'".
"You'll call me, right?
"I will."
Feeling like her heart could burst from her chest at any given moment; Elsa pulled Anna into a tight embrace and buried her face into her shoulder. "I love you." She whimpered, tears sliding off of her face and onto the fabric of Anna's shirt.
"I love you too." Anna replied softly as she returned the embrace, trying to squeeze every spare moment left she had with Elsa. When Elsa pulled herself off of her, she lingered for moment as her hands slid down her arms when Elsa took a few steps back, crossing her arms around her stomach and nodding.
She was excited for this whole new adventure and people to meet. But, seeing Elsa in front of her like this tugged at her heartstrings in ways she couldn't begin to explain. As bad as she wanted to pull her into an embrace and ensure her that everything would be alright, she had to leave. She turned toward her group of friends and waved them off as she wiped a growing tear from the corner of her eye. She gave a smaller wave to her girlfriend, who returned the gesture with a weak smile. As Anna turned toward the doors, she caught the reflection of Elsa walking back toward the car off of the glass. Before she entered the airport, she saw Rapunzel wrap her arm around Elsa as she led her toward the car. It really did pain her to leave, but she left with a confidence that her girlfriend would be taken care of.
We're not saying goodbye, you know. It's more like 'see you later'. The words reverberated and resonated throughout her thoughts. Everything is going to be okay.