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"I want you," Marie breathed. "I want you so badly…" Her hands were sliding to the sequins of Elsa's dress, tugging at them longingly.
Elsa gazed at her and cupped her face. "Take me." They kissed and pulled away as Elsa took a breath. "Have me." She leaned in and spoke against Marie's lips. "Love me."
Marie smiled and pressed her forehead against Elsa's. "I will." Their hands glided to the sequins of their dresses and slowly began undoing them.
Suddenly Marie was impaled, blood spurting out of her mouth. "I-…" She looked Elsa in the eyes. "…love you, too."
Elsa jolted awake, a loud gasp escaping her. She sat up and gripped the purple blankets tightly, her breath labored. Marie's parakeets chirped loudly in response and Marie rushed to her side from the kitchen. "You okay?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Elsa immediately threw her arms around Marie and nestled her face in Marie's shoulder. The brunette hugged her back. "Did you dream about it again?"
"Yes," Elsa said quietly. She pulled away but averted her gaze. "Do you still not remember it?"
Marie looked away, a gesture she always did whenever Elsa asked her about her memories. "It comes in bits and pieces," she answered, her hand sliding down to her abdomen. "I always knew something happened, that I died." She looked at Elsa and immediately smiled. "It's alright! I'm okay now." Elsa had hidden her true thoughts and feelings for most of her life, but ever since Anna had saved her, she no longer did so. It was hard for her to conceal them now, especially around those she loved. Marie was no exception. In fact, Elsa knew she could fluster Marie with a single glance. Her heart raced whenever she neared Marie, and she could not help but gaze at Marie's lips as her own hand drifted to her chest. Even though it had been a week since the light bullet incident, Elsa still grew red upon thinking about it. They made eye contact and held it for a few seconds. How could a mere gaze unravel her so? Elsa clutched her pajama shirt over her heart. Marie shifted and asked, "Did you dream about anything else?"
The memory of Marie's lips running along Elsa's neck filled Elsa, causing her to grow red. "Yes, I did," Elsa replied. A familiar expression covered Marie's face, and Elsa searched every micro expression on her face with a racing heart. Sometimes Marie would get a certain look on her face: a nervous, unsure look. Elsa had a hunch that Marie remembered more than she was revealing, but Elsa knew she could not rush Marie. The parakeets chirped loudly again. Elsa stretched her arms above her head. "Have I upset them?"
Marie chuckled. "They just got worried. It's okay, boys," she said with a higher pitched, baby tone that she only used for her pets. Elsa smiled. She found it cute. "Are you hungry?" Marie asked her, turning her blue eyes back to Elsa. "I can whip us up some eggs or something."
Elsa rose and made her way to Marie, her hip pressing against the counter as she leaned. "You know, you're quite good at managing a household," Elsa said. A flutter of bravery flickered in her chest as she paused, unsure if she should say what she wanted. Her mind went back to her dream, and she closed her eyes for a second. I promised myself that if I ever found Marie, I wouldn't hold anything back, she thought to herself. With renowned confidence, Elsa added, "You'll make a great wife someday."
Marie dropped the skillet she was holding. "A w-wife?!" she blustered as she shakily put the skillet on the stove. "I have enough problems trying to date, let alone thinking about being someone's wife!" She laughed nervously and scratched her head, and Elsa had a feeling of satisfaction run through her.
"I meant it in a good way. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Elsa said gently. She tucked her arms together. "I was never taught how to cook or prepare anything around the castle. We always had servants to do that."
Marie grew still. "But you could hold down a job," she answered quietly.
Elsa put a hand on Marie's shoulder. "What you do is just as important." Marie scoffed, causing Elsa to squeeze her shoulder. "I mean it." Her hand slid off Marie's shoulder. "Will you teach me how to prepare the eggs?"
Marie perked up and smiled. "Sure!" She moved over and opened the refrigerator to fetch the ingredients. "How would you like them? Scrambled? Fried? Over easy?"
Elsa could not help but look at her fondly. "I like them scrambled."
As Marie helped Elsa crack the eggs into a bowl, she grew still again. "Th-thank you," she said softly. Elsa tilted her head to the side. "About what you said earlier. I'm just…hard on myself."
Elsa rinsed her hands off after throwing the eggshells away. "About being-"
"Disabled," Marie finished. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, her face forming into a frown. "I don't like to talk about it but thank you for saying what you did. I have a hard enough time accepting it, let alone living with it." She looked away. "My family doesn't accept me. They're quite cruel about it." Suddenly, she shook her head and stood up straight. "Sorry! I don't know how I got on that tangent!" She let out a forced laugh.
Elsa set down the bowl filled with eggs. She did not know much, but she knew that Marie had been through extremely traumatizing things for several years of her life. Whenever Amos was brought up, Elsa noticed that Marie still seemed afraid, but she was also resolved and focused. This did not stop Marie from always being hypervigilant, especially in public, but Elsa remembered that she also did this in Arendelle. Elsa found herself gazing at Marie. She longed to quell Marie's anxiety, to comfort her whenever she could, but she knew that this was also something she could not rush Marie on. She would have to wait for Marie to open up about it in her own time. She went to stand next to Marie, who looked away. "It's funny," Elsa said after a few seconds of silence. "I can't imagine you any other way. I love you for who you are."
Marie grew red. "Then you're the first."
Elsa slipped her hand into Marie's. "You did say there were a lot of firsts with me," she said coyly. This made Marie chuckle and smile. She showed Elsa how to whip the eggs using a fork, and Elsa was impressed that they did not fling out of the bowl. As she watched, Elsa asked, "So, is it something that you want?" Marie looked at her in confusion. "Being a wife someday?"
Marie blushed. "Actually, yeah. There's a part of me that's always wanted to be someone's wife."
Elsa nodded, and she suddenly felt nervous. She took the bowl in her hands. "Like this?" she asked as she began whipping the eggs, imitating Marie.
"You got it!" Marie replied.
Elsa tried to focus as Marie's side touched her own. Every time they were close, Elsa felt her body pulse and her heart race. It was a feeling she had felt before around Marie, but with each passing moment, it became stronger. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that she longed to be intimate with Marie. I want more than being close to her, Elsa thought to herself, trying desperately not to spill. I want- Her thoughts were interrupted as she accidentally spilled some of the eggs on the floor. "Sorry!"
"No worries!" Marie said gently as she grabbed a towel to wipe up the mess. Elsa bit the inside of her lip to distract herself from her own thoughts. Marie showed Elsa how to turn on the stove. She had explained what electricity was and how certain appliances worked, and Elsa still marveled at the idea of electricity itself. According to Marie, it would not be used in homes for another eighty to ninety years in Arendelle's realm. "You'll want to use either butter or oil to grease the pan, otherwise the eggs will stick and burn easier." She handed Elsa some vegetable oil, who put a small amount in the skillet. "Now, add the eggs. Make sure to stir frequently or it'll burn unless you want an omelet." Elsa paused, confused. "Maybe another time," Marie said with a chuckle. They finished making breakfast and sat down to eat.
Marie suggested training in the woods outside of the town. Over the last week since they had encountered Marie's father, Marie wanted to train almost every day. Elsa set down her fork. "You'll exhaust yourself," she commented.
Marie looked down at the floor. "I just learned how to block all of your icicles." She looked back at Elsa. "I want to be able to protect you from the light bullets."
Elsa smiled, a prickle of surprise rising in her chest. "You already have," she reminded Marie. "And I know you will. You've grown stronger." Much like her fighting style in Arendelle, Marie used her magic to enhance her body's movements, making her faster and stronger. She also used different weapons of darkness for different fighting styles: a sword for close distance, her shields for mid distance, and arrows for long distance. She was quickly becoming formidable. However, her progress would halt if she did not take a break. "Let's not train today," Elsa said. "Give your body a break." Before Marie could argue, Elsa pressed one of her fingers into Marie's lower neck, causing her to groan. "I can tell you've been carrying tension here." She moved her finger to Marie's lower back and pressed there as well, inciting another groan from Marie. "And here." Elsa withdrew her finger, satisfaction spreading through her once more. "Rest."
Marie frowned. "Fine," she mumbled. "But I can't rest completely. I have to go to the store."
A marveled gasp escaped Elsa. She was standing in a large store called Walmart, and she could not believe all the merchandise that the building held. Food, clothing, appliances: it had them all. Marie was a couple steps ahead of her and she looked back with a smile on her face. "What do you want to see first?" Marie asked. "I suggest electronics." Elsa nodded and followed her, her head turning back and forth as she tried to take in all the aisles stocked full of items. As they walked by the crafts, Marie stopped and pointed. "Remember how I said that you were famous in this world?"
Elsa looked at where Marie was pointing. Among the many types of writing utensils was what appeared to be a young blonde woman with animated, large eyes and a small face standing next to a redheaded woman with the same features. Leaves swirled around the two and the sentence, "Nature is Magical" was below them. Elsa twisted her mouth as she tried to hold back a laugh. "Is this supposed to be Anna and me?"
"Yep! You're everywhere." Marie grabbed Elsa hand and pulled her down the aisle. Her touch was soft and gentle, and Elsa squeezed her hand fondly. Several merchandises had Elsa on them, along with Anna and sometimes Olaf. Marie pulled Elsa to the toy section, and Elsa could scarcely believe the number of items that she was on. With a giggle, Marie picked up a toy and pressed a button, causing it to sing.
Elsa covered her mouth to hide her smile. "Again, is that supposed to be me?"
Marie set it down with a childish grin. "Technically, it's Idina Menzel, who voice acts for your character." They listened for a few seconds as the song rang out, "Into the Unknown." Marie's face suddenly changed into a thoughtful expression.
Elsa took a step towards her. "Remember that night, on the balcony of my bedroom?" she asked, her heart racing.
"Yeah, I think so…" Marie said slowly. A small smile ran across her lips, and she looked at the singing toy with a soft gaze. "You sang this song, and a drunk guy hollered back!"
They both laughed. "Bernard," Elsa answered. They looked at each other, and Elsa closed the distance between them. She looked down at Marie's hand as she went to hold it. "Do you remember anything else?"
"Mom. Mom. Mom. Mommy! Mommy!" came the voice of a child from behind them.
"What?!" the exasperated mother replied. Elsa and Marie stepped away from each other.
The child pointed. "Mommy! It's Elsa!"
Elsa turned around to face the child. She heard Marie shift uncomfortably as she knelt to the child's level. The mother grabbed her child's hand. "I'm sorry," the mother said. "He really likes the movies. C'mon, Teddy."
"It's okay," Elsa said politely. "My name is actually Elsa."
The boy jumped up and down. "See?!" He broke free of his mother's grip. "Can you do magic?!" Elsa twirled her hands around as she made an ice puppy. The child gasped loudly as the mother looked at her in alarm. "WHOA! Thank you!"
Suddenly the mother yanked her son away from Elsa. "What did you do?!" she hissed.
Elsa stood, her chest beginning to ache. She was used to people reacting in all types of ways regarding her magic, but it had been a while since someone had sounded so upset. "I didn't mean-"
"Your magic tricks have gotten pretty good!" Marie suddenly piped up. She grabbed Elsa's hand and began pulling her down the aisle. "Let's go look at electronics! Have a good day!" she called the last part to the mother and child.
Elsa frowned as Marie dragged her down the aisle. When they were a few aisles away, Elsa broke free and halted. "What did you do that for?"
Marie turned around. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I just saw that mom's face and-"
"You didn't need to do that," Elsa said firmly, clasping her hands in front of her. "I had it handled."
Marie grunted uncomfortably. "I don't think it's a good idea to do your magic in public like that. This world is different from yours. People aren't used to seeing magic."
"Do you think people always reacted positively in Arendelle?" Elsa asked, her voice rising slightly. "I could see the fear in their eyes, their discomfort. I'm used to it, Marie. You didn't need to pull me away like that."
"She was reaching for her cell phone," Marie argued. She paused when an elderly woman passed them. In a lower tone, Marie continued, "I think she was going to call the police."
Elsa straightened her shoulders. "So?"
""So?"" Marie echoed in surprise. "That would have meant you would have gotten arrested and taken away!"
"I don't think that would have happened," Elsa replied, shaking her head. "I know how to deal with law enforcement."
"Not in this world!" Marie fired back, her voice rising in desperation. "This world is different than yours. People are hunters with cell phones. They would have recorded you doing magic, making it impossible for you to deny any of it!"
Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in anger. "I'm not hiding who I am, Marie. I spent most of my life doing that, and I won't do it again." She began to walk away but stopped with a huff. "I don't know where I'm going," she grumbled.
Marie ran a hand over her face in exasperation. "Elsa, I'm not asking you to hide who you are." Another customer passed them, and Marie gave them a half smile. Once they were gone, Marie said, "I'm just trying to say that it might be dangerous for you to do your magic in public. Please, just listen." Elsa shot her a glare but paused. Marie was trembling slightly, and her eyes were wide with fear. There was real concern. Elsa sighed and listened. Marie walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She paused, her mouth twisting into a frown. "I'm afraid that you'll get taken away somewhere that I can't follow, somewhere horrible. This world is cruel that way. I'm not kidding when I say that you'd get taken somewhere and experimented on, or even worse." She gritted her teeth and pulled away. "How could I face Anna after that? How could I tell her that you were gone? You'd be-…" Marie hid her face with her hand. "I hate asking you this but think about it. My father has used his magic to hurt people, and there's been coverage of it already. People are scared."
"Then we can show them that magic can be good," Elsa replied.
Marie walked a few steps away and groaned. "Please, just think about it."
Elsa took a deep breath. During the first couple of weeks before she had found Marie, Elsa spent a lot of time in the library trying to learn about this world. She had seen the wars and brutality that plagued Marie's realm, and she had seen the prejudice regarding anyone different than the norm. Was this what Marie was trying to say? It was clear she was afraid, but not of Elsa herself, but the possible retaliation of her being found out. She looked at Marie, her offense slowly fading. "Alright, I'll think about it."
Marie exhaled and gave her a small smile. "I don't like asking you this. I wish I didn't have to." She approached Elsa, and the young queen found herself growing hot at the look that Marie gave her. Her eyes were focused, and her breath ran across Elsa's face. "I want to protect you, and I'm sorry if that came across as me making you hide who you are." With what felt like instinct, Elsa found herself slowly leaning in, and Marie did not pull away. Their breaths mingled as they neared each other.
"Excuse me?" Both women broke away from each other as a young teenager approached them shyly. She had her cell phone in her hands and was accompanied by a younger child. "My sister thinks you look just like Elsa," the teenager said. The child peeked out from behind her older sister. "This might sound weird, but can we get a picture with you?"
"Sure!" Elsa responded. She looked at Marie. "That sounds harmless." Marie grunted but nodded, dropping her discomfort.
"Can you take it?" the teen asked Marie, who obliged. Elsa posed with the siblings and remembered that cameras were much faster than the ones she was accustomed to. She smiled and Marie handed the cell phone back to the teen. The siblings thanked them and scurried down the aisle, giggling the whole way.
Marie approached Elsa as they watched them depart. When Elsa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Marie, Marie rolled her eyes. "I never said you couldn't take a picture with people, just about you not doing magic in public!"
"Uh-huh," Elsa responded as she walked away with a smile.
Later that night, Elsa and Marie were sitting on the pull-out bed watching Frozen. As the ending music rang out over the scene of Elsa and Anna skating, Elsa felt a sharp pain in her chest. "What's wrong?" Marie asked. "Did you not like it?"
"No, it was alright," Elsa replied. Her gaze drifted downward. "They got Anna's mannerisms really well…" She felt hot tears begging to be let loose behind her eyelids.
Marie leaned towards her. "You must miss her."
Elsa wiped a stray tear away. "Yes." They both looked at the television as a long line of words began to play out on it. "They got a lot of it right," she commented. "Even the part about Anna not knowing how to skate that well." She huffed in amusement. "She knows how to now."
Marie nodded. "I know how, but I don't know how to skate backwards. I've always wanted to learn." Elsa stood and held out her hand, causing Marie to say, "Huh?"
The ice queen giggled and stretched her hand out farther. "Let's go skating. I'll teach you."
A few minutes later, Elsa and Marie made their way across the street. A very light snowfall welcomed them, helping to brighten the darkness. Marie's apartment building was right across the street from the town plaza, and in the middle of it was an outdoor skating rink. Soft yellow lights were draped above the rink, illuminating it with an enchanting aura. Marie held out her arm to block Elsa from oncoming traffic. They crossed once it was safe and sat down on a snowy bench.
Marie cast a glance at Elsa. "You're gonna make yours, aren't you?" she asked. There was a family skating, but they were distracted. Elsa waved her hand over her boots and made herself a pair of ice skates. "That's so cool," Marie said in awe. Elsa raised her eyebrow at her. Marie blushed and looked away. "Okay, not every time you use your magic is bad," she mumbled. Elsa laughed, a welcome act for her aching chest. She missed Olaf, Kristoff, and even Sven, but most of all, she missed her sister. Elsa sat and waited for Marie to tie her skates. The family that was skating had a little boy and a girl with red hair. An image of Anna swept through her mind, and she bit the inside of her lip to keep her eyes from swelling. Marie leaned into her. "It's okay to be sad, you know," she said gently. "We can go in if you want."
"No." Elsa stood, shaking her head. "I want to teach you how to skate backwards."
Marie was looking at the family, her facial expression growing sad. Elsa followed her gaze to the little boy. "He's the same age as Grey…"
Elsa helped Marie up once she was done tying her skates. "One of your nephews?"
Marie shook her head and smiled widely. Elsa felt her chest lurch at the disingenuous gesture. "Let's skate, shall we?"
""It's okay to be sad."" Elsa echoed. Marie looked away and began skating. She turned around and waited for Elsa to join her. She skated well, even when it was evident that she was rusty. Elsa joined her with one fluid motion and skated a circle around Marie, who watched her diligently. Elsa felt herself blush as she skated backwards around a turn. Marie's gaze had always been deep with whoever she was with, but Elsa felt that her gaze could break through any wall Elsa had. It had always incited a racing heart within her. She inhaled the fresh air and spread her arms out for balance as she continued to skate. The chilly air rushed past her, but she never minded the cold. Her fingers outstretched, her arms cut through the air, and her feet guided her with ease. It felt so free. It always had.
Marie nearly lost her balance but recovered well. "So, what's my first step?" she asked as Elsa drifted to a stopping position behind her.
A satisfied feeling spread throughout Elsa as she slipped behind Marie and touched her elbows, causing Marie's already reddened cheeks to color even deeper. "Lower your body into a slight crouch," she said softly into Marie's ear, her hands gently caressing Marie's elbows. Marie did as she was told, and Elsa nodded when she looked back at her for approval. "Now start rocking as you would going forward."
"Like this?" Marie asked, lowering her hips as she focused on moving her body correctly.
Elsa glided to Marie's front and held her hands. Marie pressed her fingers into Elsa's palms. "Yes! Don't worry. I've got you," she reassured as Marie wobbled slightly. She felt herself grow red as Marie clutched her tightly. She wants to protect me, she thought to herself as her mind drifted back to their conversations earlier that day. Marie successfully skated around a corner. Elsa squeezed her hands fondly. "A little lower," she coached. Marie lowered her body, but she did it too fast and sent them tumbling backwards. Elsa let out a startled cry as Marie pulled her back, and they slammed into the side of the rink. Elsa's hands caught the siding, but Marie did not let go of her. In fact, they were pressed tightly together.
"S-sorry!" Marie stammered. "It's been a couple years since I've skated…" Elsa avoided looking at Marie for a few seconds as a powerful desire to be alone with Marie encompassed Elsa. Marie gripped her tightly. "Can we try again?"
"I want you. I want you so badly," Marie's voice echoed in her head.
Elsa sucked in a breath. She leaned forward, a coy smile covering her face. "You have to let me go first." Marie quickly released her and blushed deeply. I want you, too, Elsa thought as she skated a few feet away.She snuck a quick glance at Marie. So, so badly, but I must be patient. She smiled to herself as she skated around the family on the other side of the rink. "I will wait for you," she said under her breath. "As long as it takes."
They skated for another hour before hunger drove them back inside. Elsa grabbed a book from a pile she had rented from the public library and opened it with one eye on Marie. She had been quiet ever since they came back into her apartment. Elsa stared at the back of her head, but quickly pretended to be reading as Marie turned around. "U-um." Marie cleared her throat and took the food off the burner. She looked Elsa in the eye with that steady, unwavering gaze that made Elsa grow weak. "I have something to tell you."
Elsa perked up at the seriousness of her tone. "Yes? What is it?"
Marie paused for a moment before making her way over to the pull-out bed. She gripped the sheets once she sat down. "This might not make sense at first, but in this world, it's kind of a big deal." Elsa listened as Marie paused again. Marie closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. "I think…I'm bisexual."
Elsa tilted her head to the side. "Is that the B in LGBTQIA+?"
A surprised grunt came from Marie, but she smiled shyly. "Yeah, it is." Marie fidgeted with a strand of loose fabric on the blanket that covered the bed. "It means that someone is attracted to both men and women, or rather, more than two genders." She took a deep breath. "I've always known that something was different with me, what with me falling for my best friend growing up, but I thought it was just a phase I had. It's weird because I do like men. It's just hard for me to be romantic with them."
Elsa leaned towards Marie, suddenly realizing what she was trying to say. "And with women?"
Marie looked at her nervously. "W-well...um…That's how I realized I was bi." Elsa's heart began to race. "Because I remembered that, um…" Marie struggled to say the words she wanted to, and Elsa gently grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I remembered that I liked you. That I…." Suddenly Marie stood and walked to the kitchen. She halted with her back turned to Elsa and fidgeted with the cooking spoon. "I've got some money saved up." She poked the food that was off the burner. "I was thinking…We should go see a dinner theatre show in the cities. There's a nice place called The Geniveve that puts on shows and a dinner. Since it's over four hours away, we'd have to stay somewhere, but…What do you think?"
Elsa thought she was going to drop her book onto the floor. A giddy feeling filled her. "Do you mean…like a date?"
Marie looked at her nervously. "Yes."
With a racing heart, Elsa rose from the bed and approached Marie. She stopped a foot away and smiled. "Sounds like I'll have to find a dress."
