A/N: Hey! Thank you for all of the support last chapter. It really does mean a lot to me, and it really helps me. BTW, Elsa's clothing is on the Roses polyvore link, which is on my profile.
Nico had dragged Elsa out of the crowd before she could say something to Calypso. He saw that she was crying, but didn't say a word until he had summoned Jules-Albert, and they were in the back of the car together. He handed her a box of tissues, and let her have a minute to pull herself together before he said anything.
"What happened back there?" He asked gently.
"I…" Elsa sniffed. Her voice was wobbly. "I fell… Calypso… I think-I think Calypso is my true love… My-My soulmate."
"Wait, so it was really love at first sight?" Nico's eyebrows furrowed. She nodded, and blew her nose.
"I felt something I'd never felt before back there." Elsa murmured, almost whispering. "My heart was beating fast, and I could barely pull my gaze away… She's so beautiful… And so is her name… Calypso." She sighed, her lips forming a wobbly smile.
"So you're sure that this was love at first sight?" He asked. Elsa nodded.
"I wanted to kiss her." She murmured, smiling down at the box of tissues. "Right there in front of everybody. Nico… I've never wanted to kiss someone on the lips before… I mean, I've felt admiration before, but never this. She looked so upset… And I just wanted to take her into my arms, and make it all better."
"Elsa… Not to be insensitive or anything… But you have the presentation to focus on." Nico reminded her. "This is really important for you, remember?" Elsa nodded.
"I know… I know… I just… I'll pull myself together by the time we get there." Elsa replied, avoiding eye contact. "But it's just… It's like… Wow… Suddenly, after feeling the limited love I felt before… Bam… I feel… This…"
"I know." Nico lied, not understanding in the least, but he had to get Elsa back on track. "Just remember how important this is. You have priorities."
"Yeah. I know. The presentation." Elsa inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. She seemed to be calming herself down. She pulled out a mirror and got rid of her messed up makeup. She closed her eyes, and just breathed. Nico took her hand, and squeezed it, reminding her that he was there for her.
"I just have to hold on until the presentation is over… Annika will take care of the sponsors after that. I just have to hold on until then."
"We can go get something to eat after the presentation is over." Nico offered.
"Like what?" Elsa asked.
"We could go to that dessert place that we like." Elsa smiled at that, and let out a moan.
"That sounds like heaven." She sighed. "At least I have something to look forward to."
"Okay, so tell me about the presentation, and why it's important." Nico told her. Elsa sat up straight; knowing what he was doing. He was getting her focus on the presentation.
She began talking about how much good the youth center did, and all of the potential lives it saved. She talked about different possible situations, and how some real survivors who had been saved by the youth center would speak about their experiences. Elsa was now strictly all business, and she redid her makeup. You could still see a longing mixed with a faraway look in her eyes, but Nico supposed that you had to know her as well as he did to know that her heart was elsewhere, and see the faraway longing in her eyes. Her smile would most likely fool the sponsors and potential sponsors, so he told her that she would do great.
When they got back to the building, Elsa made sure that those going to speak were ready and had what they were going to say. Nico and some other people sat in the room so that they could rehearse. Elsa put passion into the presentation; giving mainly logos and those sharing their stories gave it the pathos it needed. Both Elsa and the people sharing their stories added ethos to it.
After the rehearsal finished, Nico helped Elsa to set up; making sure that everything was perfect. Elsa went into the bathroom for a few minutes to take advantage of some hair spray to get rid of flyaway hair and to touch up her makeup. She fixed her clothes to perfection in order to appear completely professional despite her age.
When Elsa came out of the bathroom, her appearance was impeccable. Nico helped her to set up the webcam recording her. He made sure everything was in order before making himself scarce, because Elsa had to go out and greet the sponsors.
Greeting the sponsors was something that secretly irritated Elsa. She kept smiling the whole time as she introduced herself as Elsa Arendelle, the owner of the building, and the creator of the youth center. She was almost always asked how old she was, because Elsa just looked young. Luckily, her heels gave her a boost and made her look a little older. Unfortunately, Elsa had to answer that she was fifteen years old. She got a lot of raised eyebrows at that. They asked her how she could own the building, and create the youth center if she was only fifteen, and she merely responded that all questions would be answered during the presentation.
As Nico watched in a vacant office, he grinned. Elsa was amazing. She told a heavily edited version of her story, saying that she'd grown up forced into isolation from her adoptive family, and the only person who loved her was her sister. She explained that they were an old fashioned family, and the reason she'd been forced into isolation was because it had been apparent from a young age that she was a lesbian. (That actually was true. Elsa felt no attraction towards boys; only girls.) She explained that she'd run away at thirteen, and found her real mother. Her real mother was also abusive, as well as her uncles who lived with her, and Elsa was saved by her grandfather. He was rich, and he let her create this youth center when she was fourteen. Elsa went on to say that she didn't let people do stories on her, because she wanted a normal life, and aside from the youth center, her life was normal.
Elsa began to explain what exactly the youth center was like and how it worked. She gave statistics on how it helped people. She then brought in the volunteers who were sharing their personal experience, and stood off to the side as they talked. Nico noticed that she looked sad, and like her mind was elsewhere, which it probably was. Elsa was most likely thinking about Calypso.
When the volunteers finished, Elsa switched back into professional mode, and closed up the presentation. She had short conversation with them as they left the room to go and meet some of the other kids the center had helped. Elsa was done for the day. She was deflated as she fetched Nico, and cleaned up the conference room where the meeting had taken place.
"How was I?" Elsa asked in Norwegian, not having the energy nor the desire to speak in English. Though, it was much easier now, but still; Norwegian was still easier.
"Great." Nico responded in Italian. "Very passionate. You were amazing."
"Can we go to a café instead of that dessert place?" Elsa asked. "I could use some caffeine. That presentation took a lot out of me." She'd had to tweak it from David's version really quickly in order to fit her. The PowerPoint slideshow was still the same though.
"Sure." Nico replied. "Which one?"
"That one with the comfortable chairs." Elsa slung her purse over her shoulder as she retrieved it from her office which she only used once in a while now.
"Okay. That works." Nico agreed. She was not in the mood (due to Calypso being on her mind) to hold his hand. Plus, Elsa just wasn't in the mood to deal with people who took it upon themselves to say that they were a cute couple. They'd get that no matter what though.
They wordlessly got into the car, and Nico gave Jules-Albert the address. Elsa removed her jewelry and makeup, then let down her hair; leaving it in a braid down her back. She also removed her jacket.
"Do I look fifteen again?" She asked, slouching in her seat.
"Um… you look around sixteen… Maybe seventeen… I think it's the clothes." Nico replied.
"Why can't I just have my powers that let me change my appearance now?" Elsa groaned. "I'm sick of looking fifteen when I want to look older, and looking older when I want to look fifteen. Fifteen is a stupid age. I can't do anything good."
"Hey, you're not the only one who is fifteen." Nico reminded her.
"I know." Elsa grumbled. "But I'm just having an issue with it right now."
"Glad to see you're acting your age." He chuckled. Elsa rolled her eyes.
"Today is just not my day. I wish I could have met Calypso in the future, or last week. Just not today." She whined. "This is unacceptable."
"Well, you did meet your soulmate when you were least expecting it." Nico pointed out. She glared at him.
"Ha ha." Elsa said, rolling her eyes at Nico. "I would also like to formally apologize for my behaviors. This is happens when you're forced to grow up from a young age and act mature. Everything not mature bottles up and it comes out when you're stressed."
"It's not your fault." Nico assured Elsa. "At least you aren't so formal anymore."
"I'm no longer as formal because I learned to relax and be informal around you. I'm still a little formal around people who aren't you, but all formality goes out the window when we're alone." Elsa replied.
"Spot on with that statement." Nico commented. The café they wanted to go to was coming up. "We're almost there."
"Good. I need coffee and a pastry in the worst way possible." Elsa said sitting up. She picked up her purse as the car stopped. The two got out, and walked in together.
"I'm not much of a coffee person, myself." Nico replied. "Just isn't my thing."
"I don't like it when it's plain." Elsa commented, making a face. "It needs cream and sugar." Having vented, she found she had more energy now, and the two were talking in English. Elsa took Nico's hand. He was around five foot six, and Elsa was around five foot two, so she was about the same height as Nico due to the heels. The two ordered their coffee and pastries then went to sit down. Elsa sighed with relief upon sitting in the chairs, which she claimed were the most comfortable thing ever.
The two ate and drank. They talked about the youth center in their respective mother tongues, just to be funny. Eventually, three teenage girls came up to them.
"Hi," The girl said. "We've been watching you guys since you came in, and we just want to say that you're a really cute couple." She smiled at them.
"He's my brother." Elsa deadpanned, leaving the girls looking embarrassed. "Come on, Nico." And they stood up and left.
A/N: So the thing with people thinking that your opposite gender best friend is your significant other... That is totally real. I used to have a friend who was a guy. We were best friends, but people would ask us if we liked each other, or tell us that we should date. That was back before I realized that I was gay, so... Anyway, we had to start saying that we were cousins. I really liked the reactions from that, lol.
Please, leave some feedback, and let me know your thoughts.
