NOTE: So I want to take another moment to thank all of you guys for the positivity in the comments you've left along the way, thank you SO MUCH. Really gratifying to know that the aspects of storytelling which I kick my ass over are paying off!

~ Chapter Twenty-Seven ~

"Well, that's freakin' adorable."

Anna awoke with a start, feeling a nose on her nose, lips on her chin. It took several blinks before she realised what that might mean, and why she could see nothing but a mass of golden hair in her field of vision.

"No, no, don't get up on my account," Esmé chuckled from somewhere behind her. "Wouldn't want to interrupt Elsa 'discovering herself' in the goddamn living room."

But even with all that loud talk, Elsa didn't stir. She simply lay there, her face pressed right up against Anna's, their arms and legs holding each other in a tight embrace. Anna didn't want to move. She didn't need for things to get deeper, more amorous, but she also felt as if breaking the spell would be the end of the world.

Meanwhile, the other SEEK diva was padding into the kitchen, calling back over her shoulder, "Hungry enough for crepes? I see you have milk and flour and egg, fresh fruit. Is there any cheese for the savoury kind?"

"Actually," Anna rasped, feeling her own lips move against Elsa's cheek and trying not to think about that. Leaning her head back and away, she cleared her throat and said, "Th-that stuff's supposed to be for waffles, but… I guess if you…"

"My crapes are to die for, trust me." As she began getting things together, she said, "So I came back this morning to find you two like that. Feel like dishing details, or is this like, your first time together?"

"It's… Elsa was drunk, we cuddled. That's it, I swear."

"Bullshit. That is not it, not the way you were snuggling into her when I walked over."

Anna felt her ears burning. "C-come on, I was not, you liar!" Out of instinct, she tried to pull away so she could go talk to Esmé directly, but Elsa's arms were stronger than they looked.

"Listen, I might love to tease as much as the next girl, but I don't lie, and you definitely were. Maybe you were dreaming about somebody else, but you sure as hell weren't cuddling on the couch with Dream Boy."

Thinking hard, she couldn't come up with what she had been dreaming. Scattered images of people, yes — more than just Elsa, luckily. None of them strung together to form the short film that was her dreams.

"Just saying, it's very unusual for Elsa to care about anybody as much as she seems to care about you. Even who she's dated before, other friends… pretty weird. So I've been wondering if this was going on before I got here."

"It wasn't," Anna said weakly, unable to help but think of the first time they had passed out next to each other. But neither time was it romantic in nature; just drunkenness. Maybe they should abstain from alcohol for the remainder of the vacation…

Meanwhile, Esmé was chuckling as she cracked an egg on the side of the bowl. "You really expect me to believe you fell asleep on the same cramped couch with her just because she was drunk and you felt bad?"

"Yes! Because it's the truth, I just… not that I don't like cuddling her, but I didn't do it for… for reasons like that, okay?! She didn't want me to go, I…" But she could hear that the more she tried to argue her side, the less platonic she was making them sound. Therefore, she fell silent.

"Sorry," the tall woman said as she walked back into sight, a whisk churning the contents of the bowl. "I was half-teasing, half honestly curious. But you sound pretty upset." When Anna didn't answer, she sighed, setting the whisk down for a moment. "You really love her, don't you?"

"What?! I thought you weren't going to tease me anymore!"

"Did I promise that?" Esmé laughed wickedly. "But… I didn't say it was a romantic love. Just that you're really close. You want to protect her honour at all costs. She's lucky to find a honest friend like you out of the blue like she did."

Anna slowly sat up, finally able to peel her way out of the cocoon the blankets and limbs had built around her body. "Gotta say, you're taking it pretty well that two women are… y'know, allegedly hooking up under your nose."

Again, the whisk picked up its pace as Esmé turned back to the kitchen. "Like I'm supposed to be shocked by it, huh? I grew up in el Barrio, tu se? Even though I'm not Latina, I have seen the same shit everyone in that 'hood sees. How am I supposed to be shocked at you two when I've walked past a street corner where a guy is going down on a girl's cock like it's no big deal?"

There was so much about that last sentence that Anna had to sort out in her mind. While her brain was working, she merely whispered, "A girl's cock…"

"Yeah. Y'know, transsexual pros. We used to call them all kinds of horrible things when I lived there… I regret that, but it was how I was taught. You live and learn."

Finally walking around the couch, she came to a stop next to the taller woman. "Yeah, I remember reading that you, um, weren't quite as privileged as the other three. The article didn't go into a lot of detail, though."

"Those details don't have anything to do with my life now. So yeah, I got no reason to tell the tabloids about my crackhead brother, or how my mom gave me up for adoption because she didn't want me to force me to deal with her being a prison mom." Then she shrugged, turning to walk back into the kitchen. "Or how close I came to being one of those pros myself. Not one with a dick, obviously."

"No," Anna breathed, trailing after her. When Esmé didn't continue immediately, she rummaged for a pan to cook the crepes in. "Um, I'm really glad you didn't, that… couldn't have been a fun memory to have."

"It's bad enough that I stripped for a few months," she sighed as she added milk into the batter, looking for the right consistency. The loud clang of Anna dropping the pan went ignored. "Wish I could go back in time and poke out the eyes of every fucking man who walked in there to get a good look at me… but it's whatever, just a job. I don't really care that much. What's done is done, and I know I have a beautiful body. Why be ashamed of it?"

"Y-yeah," she laughed nervously, placing the pan down gently on the burner. Best not to focus on how beautiful Esmé's body was. "Anyway, um… I'm glad you're where you are now. You seem pretty cool so far, even if you and Elsa are…"

At that dangling sentence fragment, Esmé glanced over at her. "We're what? What have you heard?"

"Huh? You know… enemies. Or mad at each other, at least." When the other woman nodded thoughtfully, Anna squinted. "Why, what did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing specific. Just curious what the gossip is." Then she went on to tap the whisk on the side of the bowl. "I think this is ready. Is the pan?"

~ o ~

By the time Elsa awoke, they already had a discarded test-crepe and another five besides. Anna was plating them, trying her hand and rolling them in fruit while the more experienced of the two "chefs" was using a practiced hand to form the thin batter membranes. Completely delighted, Elsa dug through the cabinets until she found a jar of Nutella - which had expired a few months prior. They all silently agreed not to care.

The brunch seemed to help smooth things over somewhat between the two pop stars, for which Anna silently thanked anyone invisible who might be bearing witness. Elsa even asked how Esmé's night had been, and she told her she didn't want to know with a mischievous smirk. That made the blonde roll her eyes, but at least their conversation continued to stay upbeat.

"Hey, you know what could be fun?" Anna said as they did the dishes. "Um… only if it's okay with Elsa; she and I were supposed to hang out together, and we only have a couple more days. But maybe all three of us could grab dinner, at least one night before we go."

Elsa glanced at Esmé, who was politely acting as if she weren't heavily invested in her answer. "I'm… not sure that would be a good plan right now."

"Why?"

"Because." When Anna didn't budge, she sighed and said, "Because of how mad I was with her when she got here. I'm still not over it, even if it's possible I should be." It was at least a partial admission that she had overreacted.

"Alright, enough." Shaking the water off her hands, Esmé turned and knelt down in front of Elsa, taking one of her hands. The blonde looked quite alarmed, but merely gulped and stood her ground, waiting for what was about to come next.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. I meant it before, but having an extra day to think it over… I realise that you were so right to be mad. It's not fair for me to act like me breezing in here was no big deal when I don't have any way to know what I interrupted, or how important it was. Can you forgive me?"

By the end of that, Elsa was very slightly flushed, probably due to multiple factors. She cleared her throat and whispered, "I will if you get off the floor and stop looking like you're going to propose to me. GOD."

Esmé complied, smiling and drawing Elsa into a hug, which she returned with a few pats on the back. "That's better. Ohh, I hate fighting with you."

"Agreed. I'll try to let this go, if I can - it's only hard because I wanted Anna and I to have the house to ourselves. I'd have been just as angry if it was Kida or Snow who walked in a couple of days ago."

"Good!" Anna burst out with a huge grin as they broke apart. "Well, that's better! Now, maybe Elsa and I can go to the beach for a while, and later tonight we'll have a dinner for three?"

Glancing at Anna, Esmé grinned. "I can see why you brought this carry-on."

"She has her uses." But Elsa's eyes weren't even teasing; only full of affection for her new friend. She lightly touched her shoulder with a fond smile before they all went back to clean-up.

~ o ~

"Wow," Elsa breathed as they spread out the blanket. "I can't believe the trip is so close to its end and this is the first time we've come down to the beach together. Seems a shame."

The redhead shrugged, putting down her bag on one corner as she took a seat. "We've had other fun, and we did swim before. Besides, I like the beach, but I'm not totally gay for it."

Grinning as she pulled out her sunblock, she asked, "Is the beach a woman? Never really thought about its gender before."

"Why not? It's a total beach." While Elsa was groaning at that lame pun, Anna tapped her wrist. "Want me to put that on for you?"

"Hm? Oh… well, I suppose you could…" Then she narrowed her eyes. "If you can handle that. I might not be as hot as this beach, but-"

"Stop that awful metaphor right there," Anna snickered as she popped open the cap. "I think I can handle a little sunblock." Pouring a huge glob into her hands, she said, "Turn around?"

Elsa obeyed. For a few seconds, she simply kneaded the cocoa butter mixture into her shoulders and upper arms. One of Elsa's hands swung out, and Anna poured a little into her palm so she could work on her front and her forearms. Then Anna continued down her back, kneading the skin a little as she worked the lotion all over.

As she fought down any thoughts about what they were doing; any at all, no matter how good or bad. Nope, no thoughts here, she mentally squealed as she slid her hands around Elsa's hips, just above the strings holding her pale blue bikini in place. Not a single one! Totally a thought-free zone in my head!

"Here," Elsa said, turning and surprising Anna so much that she clutched Elsa's sides with her nails. "O-oh! Ooh, Anna, that's…"

"That's what?"

The blonde's eyes were vaguely confused, but she blinked a few times and smiled. "It didn't hurt as bad as I thought, I guess. Forget it. I, um, was going to say I'd do your back now."

"Okay," she whispered skeptically, trying to shake off the sense that Elsa had come very close to admitting something more. Had she enjoyed being grabbed onto that way? Probably not. No, that was just her old crush on the pop star getting its hopes up over nothing.

"Lay down," Elsa insisted, and Anna lay down on her front, trying her best not to mess up their blanket as she did so; it was so easy to get sand on it! "There we go."

The minute a pair of hands was kneading her back, she forgot everything. Elsa was quite skilled, and since now she was facing away from her former crush, only being touched by hands that had already hugged her, patted her on the back, held her own many times, it was a lot easier to manage those old feelings. She could fully relax into the application of lotion that was partly a massage.

In fact, it was becoming a lot more of a massage as time went on. "Mmm, what are you doing?"

"You were a little tense in the shoulders," Elsa commented gently as she worked. "You probably forgot I offered you a massage, didn't you? Just keeping my word."

In truth, she really had forgotten; the very idea of THE Elsa kneading her hands into her skin was so ridiculous to her that she had put it out of her mind. "Mmmm, good."

"Do you mind if I go under the strap?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, go ahead." Elsa used one finger to lift the wide band of green fabric around Anna's back while the other hand slid underneath, oiling her up. When she began to move lower, she found herself sighing, "Mmm, you're so good at this…"

Elsa let out a long, pleased laugh as she poured more lotion into her palms, working it and setting to task again. "Thank you. This is actually the first massage I've ever given, except one neckrub I gave Snow a while ago. Well, and that one I started to give you before we went to dinner."

That was even more incredible. Elsa was able to give her a near-professional massage simply because she had received so many of them, and remembered how they did things. Where did the myth end and the actual human being begin?

Having fingers trailing the back of her thigh just underneath her buttock was enough to snap Anna out of her pleasant daze. Everything else had been purely in her head; the desires she had buried longing to see the light of day again. But this actually felt too good to be allowed. Stomach clenching, heart racing, she tried not to let it happen, tried to manage the reaction…

She failed. A tiny sigh of pleasure fell from her mouth.

"What was that?" Elsa asked as her hands trailed further down Anna's thigh to her calf.

"Nothing." Now they were on her foot, kneading into the sole and making her chuckle. "I don't think I'm going to sunburn the bottom of my foot, but thank you."

"Just trying to be thorough; this is a massage and a sunblock application, isn't it?" When she started at the top of the other thigh and heard the sigh again, she stopped — unfortunately, with her hands still resting at the area that prompted such noises. "What's the matter? Not digging in enough?"

Anna licked her lips. "Nothing. It's nothing, don't worry." When Elsa maintained the exact same position stubbornly, she realised she would have to give her something or she'd have to suffer with Elsa's hands on the top of her thigh forever, so she said, "J-just, that's a pretty sensitive place you're touching."

"Oh?" The fingers gouged in, jiggling back and forth. "Is that so?!"

Playful Elsa had arrived, and Anna was ill prepared. She let out a long laugh, legs kicking up and down as she pushed her head up off the blanket slightly before it came back down, panting breathlessly. How long had it been since she was tickled — and especially in a place like that?! Of course, Elsa probably didn't know her laugh well enough to be able to tell that the tail end of it was a little bit more of a moan than anything.

"St-stop!" Anna panted, a limp noodle on the beach blanket.

"Never!" Both hands attacked this time, running down the thighs to the backs of her knees. Anna cackled like mad, unhinged, her fingers clawing at the blanket. She didn't even think she was still ticklish at that age! How had Elsa discovered it so effortlessly?!

However, this time when she trailed back up to the junction where thighs met backside, the thumbs pressed in a little more between them, seeking out that vulnerable inner-thigh flesh. There was no way she could have missed that the very end of her laugh was a long, low groan of pleasure.

"Anna?" she asked, hands pausing where they were. "What's- I mean, are you alright?"

Weakly, Anna told her, "I won't be if you keep that up! Damn…"

Finally, Elsa seemed to be coming within reach of understanding what precisely she had done. The hands drew away immediately. She hadn't quite said something, though… and as it turned out, she wouldn't have the opportunity to do so for a short while.

"ANNA!" gasped a voice as someone jogged over to them. However, it wasn't Esmé, as Anna had half been expecting when she rolled over.

"Mulan?!"

~ To Be Continued ~