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The sound of a door closing filled Marie's small apartment. Her parakeets greeted her and Elsa upon arrival, but their greeting was barely reciprocated by the two women as Elsa strode into the apartment, her hands clutched tightly in front of her. Marie locked her door behind them. "I don't understand," Elsa said as she turned her head slightly to the side, her face twisted in a way that showed that she was extremely bothered. "The dark figure was my mother this whole time?"
Marie scratched her head. They had already discussed what Marie had seen in the church bathroom on the way home, but she could tell Elsa still wanted to talk about it. "I think so," she answered. "She didn't really say." She cupped her chin in thought. "Maybe your mom is a spiritual being now. Didn't she show up in Ahtohallan as a spirit?"
Elsa turned around, her hands still tightly clasped together in front of her. "Yes," she replied. Marie felt her chest lurch when Elsa's demeanor fell into a state of sadness. "But why show up only to you? Why, after going to Ahtohallan countless times looking for her, after countless times begging the dark figure to show up, did she not show up for me?" She tore her gaze to the floor, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't understand…"
Marie lowered her gaze as well. "I don't know why," she said softly. "But she asked me to stay by your side."
Elsa looked up. "What did you say?"
"Um…" Marie felt herself growing hot. "I said I would, because, you know…of the whole balance thing." She could feel Elsa's eyes bearing deep into her with every passing word. Marie sighed and shook her head as she decided to give up her façade. "What I really said was that nothing made sense until you came…That I could do anything…" She blushed and looked at the floor.
Elsa took a step forward. "Yes?"
Marie swallowed a lump in her throat. "…with you by my side."
To her surprise, Elsa gently grabbed her hand and held it tenderly. Her touch ignited what felt like fire inside of Marie. "I feel the same way," Elsa said softly. "I always have." She stroked Marie's hand. The intensity of the feeling alarmed Marie, and she pulled away. Elsa lowered her hand. "Was she well?"
"She was spirit-y," Marie replied with a chuckle. Elsa laughed and winced. "Your shoulder?" Marie asked.
Elsa nodded. "May I bathe again? I think that will help."
"Absolutely!" Marie began rummaging in her kitchen shelves. "You're welcome to use anything here. The hot water runs out when the tub is half full, but I can heat some water up for you on the stove."
As Marie began filling up some pots with water, Elsa leaned against the tan counter and watched her. "I know a lot has happened, but you're still you. Still so kind and gentle."
"Well, that's good!" Marie said with a laugh. "I was beginning to wonder if I had changed or not." She bit the inside of her cheek to chastise herself. She was never good at receiving compliments. As she lifted a full pot from her sink to the stove, Marie cast a glance at Elsa. "You're still the same, too, from what I can remember."
Elsa perked up. "Have you remembered anything else?"
Marie lifted another pot onto the stove, her cheeks growing red once again. An image of Elsa braiding her hair in firelight buzzed around in her mind. "I'm still trying to process what I have remembered…"
"How are you? Wha' ya dune?"
Elsa and Marie both laughed as Marie's parakeets spoke. Elsa leaned down in front of the cage to look at them. "I didn't know they could talk!" she exclaimed. She smiled. "I'm doing well. How are you?" They replied with a sweet-sounding chirp, which made Elsa laugh softly.
Marie turned around, her ears pink. "I'll start on supper while you're in the bath." She lifted a pot full of hot water and brought it to the bath. She began running the hot water for Elsa before turning around. "Let me know if you need anything." Elsa nodded and shut the door. Marie exhaled deeply, her mind whirling. Elsa is in my apartment, she thought to herself. THE Elsa! She shook her head as memories of her in Arendelle swirled in her head. Although she was nervous about Elsa staying with her, she was reminded by her own memories that Elsa was still a person just like Marie. She turned her little couch to the side and began making the hide-a-bed it contained. Thankfully, she had a piece of memory foam that fit the mattress. I want her to be comfortable, especially with her shoulder. She fussed over the bed for several minutes until she remembered that she was going to make supper as well. Even though Marie knew Elsa was just a person like her, she still wanted to give Elsa the best she could muster. As she began cooking, Marie's heart beat loudly in her chest. She poked the vegetables with a spoon.
"Do you like women?" echoed Anna's voice in her mind.
Marie looked at the closed bathroom door. The image of Elsa braiding her hair in firelight filled her being. She accidentally spilled some gumbo on her stove. Marie stared at the food. Do I? she asked herself.
The bathroom door opened. "Um, I forgot to ask," Elsa's voice rang in the small apartment. Marie began turning around to look at her. "May I borrow something to wear?"
"Sure! Just let-" Marie froze at the sight of Elsa standing in the yellow light of her bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Her hair was dripping wet and pulled to the side, and her skin was still glossy from the moisture that permeated her smooth skin. Marie looked down at the floor, her face turning a beet red. "I'll f-find you something. Hang on." Moving faster than she had in a while, Marie bolted to her bedroom and partially closed the door behind her. She faced the wall and ran her hands over her face. I do, don't I? she thought. It doesn't help that she's drop dead gorgeous! Marie groaned and began rummaging through her dresser for pajamas. She found some and went back to Elsa. To her surprise, Elsa averted her gaze for a moment, and it took a few seconds for Marie to realize that it was because she had been staring at Elsa very intensely after coming out of her bedroom. "H-here," Marie stammered, finding it hard to look away.
"Thank you," Elsa said just as nervously, her cheeks red. She reached out a hand but accidentally dropped the clothes. Marie immediately leaned down to pick them up at the same time Elsa did. Elsa's bare upper chest drew close to Marie's face, so close that Marie could smell the water and soap that clung to Elsa's skin. Marie's breath cascaded across Elsa's skin, and Marie sucked in a breath as Elsa gasped quietly. The sound filled Marie with that feeling of fire again. Why was this familiar? Did it have something to do with what Elsa had said about them falling in love? Marie and Elsa met face to face, coming within inches of touching.
Sizzling sounded on Marie's left, and she stood up quickly. "The food!" she said more to herself than Elsa. Luckily, it did not burn. She heard the bathroom door close as Elsa quickly gathered the clothing and shut herself within the room once more. Marie tried to ignore the pounding throughout her body. She did not need to remember specifics to know that what had just happened between them was not the first time they had been so close, and that Marie had felt these feelings before.
The door opened again, and Elsa peered out from behind the door. "Would you mind bandaging my shoulder again?" she asked politely, her voice sounding more even.
Marie turned to see Elsa dressed in her lower half, but not her upper half. She was still clutching the towel around her to cover her upper body. Marie nodded and took the food off the burner to go fetch the gauze and other medical supplies. Elsa sat down on Marie's computer chair, and Marie settled behind her. Although it looked better than before, Elsa's wound was still infected and needed care. As Marie lightly disinfected her wound, she felt her nerves slowly calming. She could not help but notice the droplets of water that dripped down Elsa's back. Marie moved Elsa's hair to the side to make room for the bandaging. Elsa's expression was tense, and Marie ventured by saying, "I'm sorry about yesterday." Elsa looked at her, waiting for Marie to continue. Marie lightly put antibiotic cream on the wound. "For kicking you out. It wasn't right."
"You were overwhelmed," Elsa responded. "I understand why."
"Yeah, but you had crossed worlds to find me and I just-…" Marie clenched her jaw. "I threw you aside. I hadn't remembered anything yet, but still."
"Still," Elsa argued softly, her tone gentler than anything. "You found me." She stared at her hands, one being clenched on her lap and the other clutching the towel. "I knew that it could be a possibility that you didn't remember anything and didn't want anything to do with me."
"But you crossed worlds anyway," Marie said quietly.
"Yes." Elsa looked at her from the side. "Because I love you." Marie immediately grew red and withdrew, looking at the floor. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to be honest."
Marie nodded and swallowed a huge lump in her throat. She finished coating the wound with cream and reached for the gauze. "The roles are reversed now," she said forcibly in a higher pitch. When Elsa gave her a look of confusion, Marie pointed at her wound. "I'm the one healing you instead."
"Oh!" Elsa smiled. "It's even complete with a recent visit from the dark figure and everything!" Both chuckled before Elsa's expression fell into a state of sadness.
Marie noticed. She gently placed gauze over the wound. "So, you tried reaching out to her before?"
"Yes," Elsa said softly, her eyes clouded. She retold the story of how she had crossed worlds. "I tried everything to find you, and now I have." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Marie. "And I'm so thankful."
Marie put medical tape over the gauze, her hands suddenly shaking. "I'm thankful, too," she replied honestly. "Nothing made sense. There's still a lot that doesn't, but having you here helps clarify things." She leaned back and looked at the dressed wound. "There. All done. You hungry? Supper's done." As Elsa rose to go to the bathroom to put on a shirt, Marie turned around and began fixing her a bowl of food. She quickly tasted some of the gumbo to make sure it was up to par. Elsa opened the door and looked down at the pajamas she was wearing. Marie felt her ears grow red at the sight of her. She was wearing pink plaid pajama pants and a light blue shirt that accentuated her eyes and hair. Marie held out the bowl of food and could not help but think Elsa looked cute. "Do they fit alright?" Marie asked, motioning to the pajamas.
"Yes," Elsa responded. She looked down at the pajama pants. "I like how women wear pants all the time now. I always liked pants." They both giggled and Elsa tilted her head as she stared at the bowl of gumbo in Marie's hand. "That smells wonderful."
"Here," Marie said, handing the bowl to her. "It's made from vegetables that I grew."
Elsa clutched the bowl of food close to her as her eyes clouded over with a memory. "I remember you saying how you loved to garden…I made a garden spot at the log cabin."
Feeling her ears grow a deeper shade of red, Marie turned around and fixed herself a bowl of food. Her hands shook. Every time Elsa mentioned the other world, a pit twisted in her stomach. She lowered the serving spoon in her hand. "I wanted to stay there, didn't I?" Marie turned to look at Elsa. "In Arendelle."
Elsa lightly gasped. "Do you remember?"
"No. Just a feeling I get." Marie stirred the gumbo in her bowl. "The past two years, I've felt…lonely, like I've missed someone or something. I recall a sense of belonging that I don't have here. I don't know…It's all confusing."
"You were loved, ARE loved, by everyone there. The entire town formed a search party for months after you were pulled back."
She noticed Elsa poking at her food and said, "You found me."
Elsa smiled in a way that made the hairs on Marie's skin stand on end. "I did." She set her bowl of food down. "Marie? Is it okay if we hug?"
Marie blushed, her heart racing faster than she expected. "Oh! Um…"
"It's okay if you say no," Elsa said, her voice cracking slightly as her face grew red. "I just…" She gasped when Marie set down her food and opened her arms. Elsa hesitated and clutched her chest. Marie looked at her, her arms beginning to drift downward, but she was nearly knocked back as Elsa charged into her arms. Her body met Marie's in fervor, and Marie immediately felt that fire course throughout her. Elsa squeezed her tightly and nestled her face in the crook of Marie's neck. Much like the day before when Elsa found Marie on the river, it was an embrace only those who were close would share. Marie wrapped her arms around Elsa and blushed deeply as Elsa's breath hitched in response.
"I thought…" Elsa's voice cracked as she tried to speak. "I thought you were dead…" She squeezed even tighter, her hands clutching Marie's shirt and twisting it. Marie's breath caught in her throat as she felt tears run down her neck. "I thought-"
"Hey, it's okay," Marie soothed as she rubbed Elsa's back. "I'm okay. I'm right here." She placed a hand on the back of Elsa's head and squeezed her just as tightly. "You found me." Her touch was familiar. Memories of Elsa healing Marie in Arendelle filled her mind, especially the part of Elsa's body over her own, so confident, yet so shy. Marie could not lie: she liked Elsa's touch. All the loneliness, all the confusion of the past two years came flooding back to Marie, and she wrapped her arms around Elsa even tighter. She pressed the side of her face into the side of Elsa's and tried desperately to not grow emotional, but that was harder than Marie expected. "Thank you for finding me," she breathed into Elsa's ear.
Elsa's lips moved across Marie's neck as she spoke a soundless whisper on her skin, but Marie did not need to hear what she said to know what it was. Marie lost balance for a moment in response, and their bodies collided with the stove. Elsa continued to embrace Marie, her tears still staining her skin as Elsa rubbed her face even further into the crook of Marie's neck. Her breath was hot on Marie's skin, and her body pressed into Marie's in a way that made Marie's entire body pulse. Marie's fingers spread over the curvature of Elsa's body and gripped her tightly. Elsa slowly began to pull away, but she surprised Marie by resting her forehead against Marie's. Marie swallowed a huge lump in her throat but let herself rest against the other woman's touch. She lifted a hand and wiped the tears off Elsa's face, her touch soft and gentle. Elsa's breath flowed over Marie's face, and their breath mingled as Elsa pulled away yet kept her face close to Marie's. Their eyes locked as Marie wiped another tear away with her thumb. Elsa's gaze lowered to Marie's lips, and she began to close the small distance between them.
"Um…" Marie placed her hands on Elsa's shoulders and leaned back. She thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest because it was beating so hard. Nervousness filled her. She wiped one final tear off Elsa's face. "We should eat."
Elsa nodded and pulled away. Her eyes shimmered with a look of sultriness that nearly made Marie pull her back in, but Elsa broke from their embrace and took a step back. "We should…"
The rest of the evening went by in tense conversation as they ate on the hide-a-bed. Elsa asked if Marie could go shopping for clothing the next day, and Marie agreed. She pulled out her phone to check the hours of several clothing stores when she felt Elsa's head rest on her shoulder. Marie froze for a second before looking down at Elsa. She was fast asleep. That's right, Marie thought. She didn't sleep last night. She gently laid Elsa down on the bed and pulled a blanket over her body. Marie paused to look at her. For the first time, Elsa finally looked at peace. The rise and fall of her body as she breathed soothed Marie, and she stroked one of Elsa's hands. "Goodnight, Elsa," she said softly. Her cheeks turned red as Elsa pulled Marie's hand close to her face and cuddled it. Marie sat down next to the bed and smiled. After a few minutes, she broke away to get ready for bed. Marie covered her birds' cage with a blanket and double checked that Elsa was also covered.
Once everything was satisfactory, Marie retreated to her own bed. She plopped down on the mattress and stared at her hands, which were lifted above her. She had both light and dark magic? It was hard to take in. The wolf that was on the river was also made of light and darkness, and it was frightening to say the least. The light had felt so glaring and harsh. Every stereotype of light that Marie had heard before seemed off to what she had experienced. Could it truly be evil in the wrong hands? And were those hands the hands of her father? Marie stared at her empty palm and gritted her teeth. She sat up. Taking a deep breath, she conjured a loose sphere of darkness and focused on it. There, barely smaller than a pebble, was a sliver of light. With two fingers, she picked at the sliver and tried to pull it out of the sphere of darkness. Suddenly, it swelled and exploded, knocking Marie onto her back. She groaned and sat back up, rubbing her head. "Ow…" Marie got up to check if it had woken Elsa up. To her relief, the royal was still sleeping peacefully. Marie sighed and closed the door. She had a lot of training to do.
The morning came quickly. Marie woke and checked the time. Her phone screen showed 10 a.m., which made Marie shoot out of bed. She opened the door, ready to apologize for sleeping in, but to her surprise, Elsa was still asleep. Marie scratched her head. I guess she's really tired, she thought. Quietly, she uncovered her birds' cage and fed them. Now, what to do for breakfast? Their encounter from the previous night kept playing in Marie's mind, and she blushed as she whipped some eggs in a bowl. Everything she remembered seemed to be unreal, yet she could not deny any of it. Could she tell anyone the truth, especially her family? Would they even believe her?
Shuffling sounded behind her, and she turned around to see Elsa sitting up in bed, her hair a slight mess. Elsa yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She smiled at Marie. "Good morning."
Marie could still feel Elsa's hot skin touching her own, and it made her blush even deeper. "Good morning. How did you sleep? I know that bed's not the most comfortable…"
"I slept very well," Elsa said gently, her tone attempting to alleviate Marie's worries. "Being here helped with that." When Marie looked at her with a red face, Elsa herself blushed slightly. She began running her hands through her blonde hair. "Have you been awake long?"
"No. I was afraid you had, though." Marie turned around and began frying the whipped eggs. "I don't always sleep at night, so I grab sleep whenever I can in the morning." She felt her heart race slightly as she added, "I remember that you're an early riser." She swallowed a lump in her throat. How she knew that she could not say, and Marie was reminded of what Elsa had said about them falling in love. Marie's heart raced even faster. She turned her body halfway towards Elsa so she could stir the eggs. "U-um…" Marie poked the eggs as she summoned the bravery to ask what she wanted. "I have a question."
Elsa stood and clasped her hands in front of her. "Yes?"
Marie took the eggs off the burner. "H-how far did we go?" she asked quietly. When Elsa tilted her head in confusion, Marie felt herself sweat. "How intimate did we get?"
Elsa leaned against the counter. She stared off into the distance. "We didn't consummate, although we might have at the wedding…" A soft chuckle escaped her as she hugged her arms. "We kissed…quite a few times. It got passionate. We would also spend nights together." She looked at Marie, and Marie swore she was going to drop to her knees because of the look Elsa gave her. "Every kiss, every embrace was full of love. Nothing was fickle."
Marie nodded and tore her gaze away, shyness consuming her. "Wedding? Anna and Kristoff's?"
"Yes." It seemed that the topic was almost painful for Elsa to talk about. Her facial expression was somehow fond yet melancholy. "I had told you that I loved you, and I was waiting for you to say it to me. Towards the end, we found each other and-…" She cleared her throat and shook her head. "You said that you wanted to stay in Arendelle with me. I built you the house you drew for class, and I crossed worlds to find you." Her eyes bore into Marie. "Does that answer your question?"
Marie put bread into the toaster with shaky hands. "Last night felt familiar…Being close to you felt familiar." She sighed and closed her eyes as she let some of her walls come down. It was easier to do with Elsa than anyone Marie knew. That also felt familiar. Everything Elsa said Marie did not doubt. No, it was how Marie felt about the entire situation that confused her. She felt as though her emotions were charging ahead of her reasoning, and that scared her. "I've had dreams about you before you came to this world, of us…. together. I didn't know who you were, just that you were the one in the forest. And then last night, being close to you…" She jumped when her toaster went off. "Sorry to hit you with all of this right after you woke up."
Marie's entire body shook as Elsa took a step towards her. "What kinds of dreams?" she asked softly.
"Y-you know, pretty much what you d-described," Marie stammered. She turned to face the eggs to hide her embarrassed facial expression. "I've only h-had a couple…"
"I see." Elsa leaned against the counter again. "I'm always here if you want to talk about it." She paused. "Do you remember the last thing you said to me before you were pulled through?"
"Take me…"
Marie shook her head. "N-no." She could feel Elsa behind her as Marie dished up the eggs, and the thought of Elsa embracing her from behind swam around in Marie's head. She nearly spilled some of their breakfast at the thought. Why was she thinking of such things? It had only been a couple days since they had been reunited, yet Marie's thoughts and feelings were running wild. She had remembered so much in one night, and had her world turned upside down within days. Her mind swirled as she finished dishing them up.
As they ate, Marie kept staring at her palms as she relived the small explosion that happened the night before. Elsa noticed and asked, "Are you thinking about your magic?"
"Yeah," Marie said. She closed her palms and looked at Elsa. "Something odd happened last night. I want to show you to get your opinion." Elsa nodded and looked at Marie expectedly. "Not here," Marie said as she cast a glance at her birds. "I don't want to startle them." She motioned to her bedroom, and they went inside. Marie shut the door behind them, and she immediately grew red in the face as she realized how little space there was inside for them both. She had to move closer to Elsa to shut the door, and her heart raced as they brushed sides. Marie leaned against the door, unable to look Elsa in the eye. "We should probably sit." Elsa obeyed as she surveyed Marie's bedroom. Surprise flickered within Marie as Elsa picked up a photo that was on Marie's dresser.
"Your family," Elsa said. When Marie grew confused, Elsa smiled. "You showed me photographs of your nieces and nephews in Arendelle." She ran a hand over the photo as Marie leaned down to look at it. "I can see the resemblance."
Marie and Elsa sat down on the bed as Elsa put the photograph back on the dresser. Marie felt her chest tighten as she thought of her family. It had been a while since she had spoken to any of them, including her nieces and nephews. She tore her gaze away as the crushing weight of loneliness bore down on her. Elsa's shoulder brushed against her own, and she looked over at her to see Elsa smiling softly at her. Marie managed to smile ever so slightly. "I must have shared a lot with you, huh?"
Elsa scooted further on the bed. "You did. You made me excited to be an aunt if that's in my future." She looked at Marie with curious eyes. "What was it that you wanted to show me?"
Marie took a deep breath in and held out her palm. "I tried to separate the light and dark, and something happened. Brace yourself." She focused and formed a dark sphere. There, in the middle, was the sliver of light. Echoing her actions from last night, Marie tried to pull the light out of the sphere, her hands shaking in anticipation.
Suddenly, Elsa threw herself over Marie as the sphere exploded. A layer of ice covered them like a blanket. Elsa coughed and dissipated the ice as she lifted her head to look at Marie. "Are you alright?" she asked. Elsa sucked in a breath when she realized that Marie was clutching Elsa's forearms, pinning her in place. They stared at one another for a few moments, their breaths mingling.
Marie let go in alarm. "S-sorry," she stuttered. She blushed deeply as memories flitted across her mind. This was not the first time Elsa had been on top of her: Marie knew that much. "I'm okay."
Elsa gripped the sheets on both sides of Marie's head, causing Marie to melt further into the mattress. Her heart pounded in her chest as some of Elsa's blonde hair slipped onto Marie's face. Marie brushed it off, and she could not help but think of how soft Elsa's hair was. She rubbed it between her fingertips and looked into Elsa's eyes. Blue eyes burned into Marie, and for a moment, Marie swore that Elsa was slowly lowering herself onto her. Suddenly, Elsa sat up and averted her gaze, but not before Marie caught sight of the deep shade of red that covered her face. Marie sat up as well, and they both sat in awkward silence. "I-I think we should find a safer place to do your magic," Elsa said shyly. She twiddled with her thumbs. "Perhaps outside?"
Marie nodded, her face just as red. "Sounds good."
