Frozen belongs to Disney
Trigger Warning: Masturbation, Homophobia
Chapter 8
"Are you ready?" Elsa asked.
Anna unzipped her trusty backpack on her lap and shifted a few items around.
"Change of clothes? Check. History book? Check. Toothbrush? Check. Sunglasses?" she said, then pulled them down over her eyes, "Check. Let's hit the road!"
Elsa smirked, then eased out of the parking lot.
"Here, take this," Elsa said as she passed a piece of paper to Anna, "you can use it as a bookmark."
"What is it? You printed out directions?" Anna asked, "Are you sure you want me to navigate? Just a heads up we might end up in Canada."
Elsa chuckled.
"Then we'll see Niagara Falls," she said.
They pulled out onto the country road which skirted around Arendelle and headed west, to the interstate. Anna read for about ten minutes, then started fiddling with the radio.
"What kind of music do you like?" she asked.
"I'm okay with anything. You?" Elsa asked.
"Katy Perry, kinda. Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, you know," Anna replied as she found a station that came in clearly. She turned the music down so it was barely noticeable in the background and opened her book.
"Okay, study now so you can have fun later," she said. Her tongue protruded slightly as she focused on her studies. Less than twenty minutes after they pulled onto the first highway, Anna was fast asleep.
"I bet she hasn't had a good night's rest all week," Elsa thought as she plucked the directions from her lap.
Elsa had opted for a slightly longer route that was easier to follow, but it wasn't long before she realized she didn't really need the directions; less than an hour into the drive, she saw the first sign for New York, and they appeared at semi-regular intervals after that. They chased the setting sun southwest, until it dipped below the horizon and Elsa flipped her sunglasses up and the headlights on. Before long, it was fully dark and Anna slept on. Once they crossed from Connecticut into New York State, the famous Manhattan skyline rose up against the dark sky, and Elsa just had to share it. She nudged Anna in the elbow.
"Huh? What?" Anna said as she stirred, "Why is it so dark? Oh."
She took her sunglasses off and stared.
"Oh wow," she said as the glowing buildings grew in the distance, "Oh… crap, sorry, I was supposed to navigate. Crap! I was supposed to read history."
Elsa chuckled.
"It's okay. You'll be able to remember more when you're well rested," she said. It was pure rationalization, but she wanted Anna to relax on this trip.
"I guess that makes sense," the redhead said as she shut her book and stuck it into her backpack, "hey… where are we staying, anyway?"
"I booked us a hotel," Elsa replied.
"Oh… not an expensive one, I hope," Anna said, "my finances aren't exactly uhh-"
"Don't worry about it," Elsa replied.
Anna paused.
"Hey wait," she said, "I can pay at least-"
"No. This weekend is on me," Elsa said.
Anna paused for a moment.
"Well… I mean- I don't want to feel like a burden," she said.
"You could never be a burden Anna. Don't you understand? A single weekend with you is worth more than an entire month's worth of hotel stays," Elsa thought, but she couldn't say that.
"You're not, trust me… but I'll make you a trade. I've heard New York pizza is the best in the world, so the rest of the weekend's on me, but you have to treat me to some authentic New York pizza," Elsa said, "Deal?"
Anna stared at her for a few seconds.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Elsa looked to her right and allowed the thought of spending an entire weekend with Anna all to herself to bubble up from her chest and into an overjoyed smile.
"Positive," she replied, "but you're not allowed to mention money again."
Anna chuckled to herself, then smiled.
"Okay, deal," she said, "but just for this weekend. I'm no mooch."
"I know," Elsa said quietly.
They drove a few more minutes in silence, until Anna's phone buzzed. She flipped it open, then tapped out a response on the number pad.
"Anyone I know?" Elsa asked.
"Just Punzie," Anna replied as she typed, "asking if I'm okay. Telling me not to worry."
The redhead sighed deeply.
"And, are you? Okay?" Elsa asked.
"Obviously not, but I couldn't exactly tell her that. I mean I could have, but I didn't," Anna replied. Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa spied her chewing her lower lip, "I know she's busy and all, she's also an RA… that's sort of like… student staff for the dorm. But, it seems like whenever she's not on the ice or working, or in class, she's hanging out with Flynn."
"Aren't they dating?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah, but I'm her best friend, or at least I was," Anna said.
"She hasn't, I don't know, tried to help you after… after what happened?" Elsa asked.
Anna stared out the window.
"She texted me a few times, asking if I'm okay," the redhead replied, "telling me it'll blow over, and I mean, I always said yes… and I have Kristoff too, only he's always telling me to go to the police. He just doesn't get it."
This wasn't the mood Elsa wanted for their arrival.
"Well, that doesn't matter. It's the two of us this weekend, and we're supposed to be leaving school behind for a couple of days," she said.
Anna perked up and nodded her agreement.
"Yeah, that's right," she said, "consider it put behind. Watch out New York, here we come."
Elsa caught a glimpse of her smile in a passing streetlight, and her heart lifted in response.
"Tell me something about yourself," Elsa said. "What's your favorite color?"
"Green, you?" Anna replied.
"Blue," Elsa said.
"Ha, matches your eyes," Anna said.
"You too!" Elsa said.
"Hey… I never thought about that," Anna said.
They chatted more, about nothing, as the highway continued like a ribbon of asphalt, while the buildings in the distance grew taller, and those they passed grew denser, until they officially crossed into Yonkers.
"I need you to navigate now," Elsa said as she passed the directions back to Anna.
They made a few more turns and continued heading south through heavier and heavier traffic, a sea of red lights in front of them, until they officially crossed into New York City and then into Manhattan. Skyscrapers loomed on both their left and right, and Elsa stared up whenever they stopped at a red light.
"We're close now," Anna said as she leaned forward to catch the glare of the street lamps, "should we find a place to park?"
"No need," Elsa replied as she spied the hotel on the right. She turned into the short driveway and stopped by the hotel employee who walked over to greet them.
Anna stared, wide-eyed. She caught a small glimpse of the lobby as they pulled in, and it looked fancy, very fancy. Elsa stepped out of the car as a uniformed hotel employee stepped forward. Anna hurried to climb out and the smell of exhaust, the revving of trucks, and honking of car horns from the street swept over her as she slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Valet please," Elsa said, and she handed over her keys and received a token in exchange.
"Elsa?" Anna asked.
Elsa smiled at her.
"Come on," she said, then strode through the revolving door into the hotel lobby. With a single glance over her shoulder at the busy street, Anna followed along in her wake. Heated air drove away the chill of the November evening as she entered a well-lit lobby. A trio of crystal chandeliers with hundreds of electric bulbs each hung from the ceiling, and a grand staircase, the kind with two sets that joined near the top, dominated the far wall. Anna expected some kind of ballroom lay beyond. A few hotel guests either sat in plush chairs in the lobby, reading magazines or speaking on a cell phone, and several hotel staff also crossed the floor, some pushing brass carts filled with luggage. Large potted plants dotted the space at the bottom of the walls at semi-regular intervals around the room. She realized she'd stopped walking and glanced about, then spied Elsa by a row of counters set against the far wall. She hurried to catch up.
"…specifically requested two beds," Elsa said, "what good is a reservation if it doesn't reserve the room?"
"I'm truly sorry ma'am, can I offer you an upgrade to an executive suite?" the young lady behind the counter replied.
Elsa turned to Anna, hands clasping and unclasping.
"They only have one bed," she said.
"It's a king size," the young woman behind the counter said helpfully.
"Isn't a king size huge?" Anna asked, "It'll be fine."
Elsa sighed, nodded, then turned back around to complete check-in. A quick photocopy of their ID, Anna had to use her student pass, and they were off to the elevators. Up and up they went, not quite to the top floor but near enough. Anna practically bounced on the balls of her feet as the numbers ticked higher.
"I am SO excited right now," she said.
She did her best to push the negative emotions and experiences of the past week behind her, to mask them with exuberance for an exciting weekend of fun. Still, she felt off, like something wasn't quite right, but she ignored that and focused on their room. Elsa passed her one of the keycards and they walked past several doors until they found theirs. The automatic lock buzzed as Anna held her card over it, and she thrust the door open.
"Wow!" she said. The room was actually two rooms, a sitting area and a bedroom. One bathroom sat by the entrance, while presumably a second one was attached to the bedroom. Plush green carpeting covered the floor, and a large window dominated the far wall. Anna kicked off her shoes then bounded over to it to stare out at the glittering skyline, all dotted lights except for a large dark patch with glowing ribbons running through it.
"What's that… Central Park!" she said.
"There's a chair over here," Elsa said, "I can sleep on that, or the couch outside."
Anna followed her voice into the bedroom, where an absolutely enormous bed with pristine white sheets and an extra blanket folded up by the foot sat against the far wall.
"Don't be ridiculous, this bed is HUGE," she said, "plenty of space."
She took a running start and leapt onto the large mattress, then glanced over her shoulder where Elsa stood, hands clasped, as she stared at the bed. Anna sat up.
"Well I mean, if it's a problem, then I should be the one to sleep on the couch," Anna said, "you're paying for the room, after all."
Elsa's eyes snapped to hers.
"Absolutely not," she said, "like you said, plenty of space."
The blonde turned and flicked the master bathroom lights on.
"They have a jacuzzi," she said.
Anna practically leapt off the bed and stood on tiptoes to see over Elsa's shoulder until she moved all the way onto tiled floor. Set against one side of the enormous master bathroom, the empty hot tub was easily six feet across, and looked like it could comfortably seat a half-dozen people.
"Whoooa, we have to use it," Anna said.
Elsa nodded.
"It'll help you relax, for sure," she said.
"Not just me; you're coming in too, right?" Anna asked.
Elsa didn't seem to want to make eye contact with her.
"Um.. I didn't bring a swimsuit," she replied.
"I didn't either," Anna said as she looked wistfully at the empty hot tub, "but I really want to try it."
"You could always go alone," Elsa said.
"I…" Anna said. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be distracted, to have someone to talk to, to help her forget about the disaster of her videos with Hans being stolen and posted online. She pictured herself sitting alone in the hot tub, with nothing but bubbly water and her own thoughts swirling around.
"I don't want to go by myself, but I… you wouldn't want to go like… without clothes, would you?" she asked.
Elsa's mouth dropped open, and Anna kept talking.
"It would be like the showers, right?" she said, "wait, that's stupid, forget I asked." Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as she looked away.
"I uh… not exactly like the locker room… I have an idea though," Elsa said, "fill it up, I'll be back soon."
She vanished back into the bedroom, and then the sound of the hotel door closing reached Anna's ears. She stared at the open doorway where Elsa had stood.
"Why did you say that?" she thought, "You don't know her nearly well enough."
Still, Elsa had asked her to fill up the hot tub, so she fiddled with the knobs until a stream of near scalding water poured in. It was a minute later before she realized she had to set the large plug in the hole at the bottom. She explored the rest of the room and figured out how to work the curtains, which operated via a pair of switches, one each in the bedroom the living room. She had just considered texting Elsa when the hotel door opened again. The blonde slipped inside and locked it behind her. She glanced up at Anna and smiled, then held up a large paper bag.
"Bathing suits," she said, "I did the best I could, but it's November and I wasn't really able to find something in exactly my size… and I guessed on yours, but I think-"
"You bought bathing suits for us?" Anna asked.
"Yup," Elsa replied with a smile.
"You… should have asked first, I mean… I'll pay you back," Anna said.
"Nonsense, it's a gift," Elsa said. She lifted a pair of two-piece swimsuits out of the bag, one sea green and the other dark blue.
"This is too much, I mean… I didn't know you booked a hotel like this, and… not that I'm not appreciative, but why are you doing all this?" Anna asked.
Elsa stared at her for a few seconds, then moved to the couch, and Anna sat in the adjacent chair. Elsa looked down at the glass coffee table for a long moment, her eyes unfocused.
"Before I came to the US, I was more or less ostracized in my home town," she said, "it was… well it was a combination of things, but because of who I was, who I am, and some things that had happened, people weren't exactly friendly. It was a small town, like Arendelle."
Anna listened with rapt attention to every single word as Elsa took an unsteady breath.
"What I'm saying is, I know what it's like to have everyone looking at you, whispering about you," Elsa said as continued to stare off into the distance, "it's not… it takes a toll. A change of scenery really helped me so I figured... I'm just trying to help you the same way. I can return the bathing suits if you really want."
"She's just trying to be nice, you could be a little more gracious," Anna thought
Anna picked up the green swimsuit and it to her chest.
"I really like the color," she said quietly, "let me try it on."
She retreated to the bedroom to change.
"What happened to her before she moved to Arendelle?" Anna thought as she shimmied out of her jeans. She set it aside for now; it seemed like a painful subject for Elsa, so Anna decided not to press her on it, at least not until she knew her better.
Elsa waited in the living room while Anna stepped into the bedroom. Just the thought of her slipping out of her clothes and into the brand new bikini sent warmth coiling in her belly, and she put her head in her hands while her brain pictured Anna's naked body by the bed.
"Elsa? Come on, the water's great," Anna said, and Elsa sat up straight. She walked to the bathroom to see Anna already in the hot tub. The redhead pressed a button, and jets of frothy water swirled about.
"It fits okay?" Elsa asked.
"It's a little large but no biggie," Anna replied, "so, are you coming?"
Elsa nodded and stepped out of view to change in the bedroom. Anna's clothes lay spread out on the covers, including her supergirl underwear, and Elsa swallowed, then stripped down and laid her plain panties down on the other side, and stepped into the blue two-piece. She pinned her hair up in a bun and returned to the bathroom. The redhead had apparently dunked her head under, and Elsa's heartrate kicked into overdrive at the sight of her slicked back hair and water droplets clinging to her lightly freckled face. As she walked across the tiled floor, Anna's gaze caused modesty, something she hadn't felt in years, to steal over her, and she quickly climbed the small steps and swung her leg into the near-scalding water. "Oh, that's good," Elsa said as she sat down on one of the ledges around the edge of the jacuzzi.
"Isn't it?" Anna said as she lowered herself down to her chin, "and the swimsuits were a good idea too. Though thinking about it, I probably shouldn't care if you see me naked… everyone else has."
She frowned.
"Hey, stop that, right now," Elsa said, "we're getting away so you can forget about all that."
Anna sat up and nodded.
"Right, sure. Let's talk about something else, umm… Okay, you're rich, I get that… but just how rich are you?" Anna asked.
Elsa chuckled. This wasn't a subject she really wanted to talk about, but if it took Anna's mind off the sex videos…
"It's not really me… my father is the CEO of a shipping company, containers and whatnot," Elsa replied, "we ship goods all over the world."
"Whoa," Anna said, "that's crazy."
"Yeah," Elsa said, "though, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. I don't really… I mean I'm trying to keep a low profile."
"Yeah, no problem," Anna said, "I get it."
"If he had his way, I'd be back at the company right now, learning how to run it," Elsa said.
"Instead, you're here," Anna said.
"Instead, I'm here," Elsa said. "I guess you could call it an act of rebellion."
Anna giggled.
"Well, I'm glad," she said as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "I know all about overbearing fathers and acts of rebellion, you know."
"Hmm?" Elsa said.
"Yeah. My dad's super strict and conservative. It was a huge battle just to let me live on campus," she said.
They fell quiet for a moment, and although Elsa sat perfectly still amidst the bubbles, the knowledge Anna reclined on the far side of the tub wearing only the bikini she'd bought for her set her heart racing and her mind coming up with all sorts of scenarios where she 'accidentally' nudged her with her foot, which led to making out in the jacuzzi, or other, equally ridiculous fantasies. The jets turned off and the water cleared. Elsa's gaze drifted downwards to Anna's feet, relaxed at the bottom of the jacuzzi, then drifted up toned legs, over her hips, across her stomach, to her breasts, and there Elsa froze. The green fabric, slightly too large, had slipped a little in the jets. A small gap between her curve of her breast and the cup of the bathing suit revealed a single pink areola, and Elsa thought she spotted the peak of her nipple beyond. She swallowed and her eyes widened as her brain went into overdrive.
"You should tell her," she thought, "no wait, don't tell her, then she'll know you were looking. But what if she notices first and you didn't say anything?"
"More?" Anna asked, her eyes still closed.
"Sure," Elsa replied, and when Anna rose to her knees and turned away from Elsa to reach the jacuzzi control panel, she casually adjusted her top. The jets turned back on, and the moment passed as Anna sat back down.
"This is really, really relaxing," Anna said, "thank you so much."
"Don't mention it," Elsa said.
"What if… what if she knew, and she did it on purpose?" Elsa thought.
Anna leaned her head back and closed her eyes again, while Elsa did her best to keep her staring down to periodic glances and banish the thought that Anna had just intentionally flashed her.
"Mmm. I'm going to fall asleep," Anna said. "Better get to bed, busy day tomorrow."
"Good idea," Elsa replied.
They made use of the fluffy white hotel towels to dry off, then Elsa changed in the living room while Anna stayed in the bathroom. Warmth in her belly had long since advanced to tingling between her legs, and even her cotton nightgown felt like a lover's caress against her hypersensitive skin; thirty minutes in a hot tub with Anna had left her hopelessly aroused. She re-entered the bedroom to see Anna had already claimed a side and had pulled the sheets over herself.
"You're sure you're okay sharing the bed," Elsa asked as she walked around to the far side.
Anna yawned and nodded.
"It's fine," she replied.
Elsa set her phone to charge on the night table and doused the lights. Despite napping in the car, Anna's breaths deepened and slowed almost immediately.
"She must have really had trouble sleeping this week, and no wonder," Elsa thought.
The thought of Anna, wearing only a nightgown and lying just a meter away in the same bed, sent her heart racing anew. Sleep was no doubt hours away, if it would come at all. Thoughts of 'accidentally' slipping an arm around her while she slept flitted through her mind and threatened to grow into full blown fantasies, but she pushed them away.
"You can't," she thought, and the truth brought a physical ache to her chest.
Her phone lit up as it buzzed; she'd forgotten to silence it. She glanced at it, an incoming email.
'Hey, check out my hot vid!'
She nearly deleted it out of habit, but her finger froze.
"Could it be?" she thought. She opened the email to see the link 'Anna Christiansen sex videos', and her breath caught.
"This is it, the videos of her and Hans Westergard," she thought.
She knew she shouldn't click on the link, that if Anna found out, she would be incredibly disappointed, angry, and betrayed.
"But everyone else, or at least a large number of people, have also seen them," she thought.
Anna's naked body that she had just been admiring… athletic limbs, flat stomach, freckled skin, pink nipples, all beckoned from the other side of the link.
"You're being selfish," Elsa thought, "what is wrong with you?"
She quickly deleted the email, set her phone to airplane mode, and placed it face down on the night table.
"You could still undelete it," she thought, but she didn't move.
Anna let out a single snore, really a very soft, cute sound. Though Elsa listened for more, the redhead shifted slightly in her sleep and smacked her lips, then settled again. The burning, throbbing insistence in her groin showed no sign of abating, and Elsa swallowed. She curled up on her side and squeezed her thighs together, but that only served to remind her of what she wanted to do. She paused and listened to Anna's even breaths again.
"Anna?" she whispered, but there was no response. Quietly, Elsa lifted her nightgown, hooked her thumbs about the waistband of her underwear, and lifted her hips slightly to pull them down, then drew her knees up so she could slip them off completely. She set the undergarment down on the night table, next to her phone, and let her hands wander down her naked abdomen and hips to her thighs. Anna's nude form swept across her mind as imagination filled in the blanks covered by the green bikini. Elsa's fingers slid lower, seeking the warm and slick moisture below as she pictured Anna disrobing, revealing her breasts, revealing a patch of fiery red between her legs. She swallowed as she drew wetness up to her clit.
"There's so much, and I haven't even done anything tonight," she thought as her fingers went through familiar motions.
Her other hand hiked her night gown up higher, and she imagined Anna's hands running over her breasts and hardened nipples, teeth nibbling as she pinched and twisted one of them. Her lower hand balled into a fist tucked between her thighs and she ground her sex against her knuckles while she bit her lip to keep quiet. She settled into an even rhythm as her slick spread across her hand and she threw the heavy blanket off.
"Just a little more," she thought as her hips thrust against her fist almost of their own accord; her need for more friction dueled with the necessity of not waking Anna with her motion, and she chanced just a little bit more. The wave rose quickly and the crest nearly took her by surprise as she fought to keep silent. A few involuntary, shuddering breaths escaped as her whole body tensed and convulsed. As she came down, she listened, but Anna's breaths remained the peaceful and slow of deep sleep. Although she wanted to lay close to Anna, to press against her, Elsa instead stayed on her side of the bed and rubbed her hand until the moisture evaporated. She left her panties on the night table as she pulled her nightgown down and covered herself with the blankets again. She turned away from the slumbering girl on the far side of the bed.
"What is wrong with you?" she thought.
The wind tore at Anna's clothing as they hiked up the street. After the first good night's sleep in a week and a hearty complimentary breakfast with Elsa, her muscles begged to be used, and she wanted to simultaneously sprint up the road, crane her neck up at the buildings around them, and stare at the motley streams of people who already filled the sidewalks, all at once. Determined to put the videos behind her as much as possible this weekend, she shoved them as far back into the deep recesses of her mind as she could. On Monday, she was back to class and Arendelle, but for today and tomorrow, she was with Elsa in New York City.
"Out of sight, out of mind," she thought.
"C'mon!" she said.
Elsa chuckled and smiled at her.
Freezing temperatures were common in New Hampshire, but the wind in Manhattan whistled between tall buildings and cut right through Anna's light jacket. While her wool hat, thankfully thrown into her bag as an afterthought, now kept her ears from freezing off, Elsa wore only her 'New York' sweatshirt with her dark sunglasses currently perched atop her platinum blonde locks. Anna shivered as an especially strong gust tugged whipped one of her braids, but Elsa didn't even flinch.
"Aren't you cold? Moving faster will keep us warm," Anna said as she skipped ahead and hopped over a frozen puddle.
"I'm from Norway, this isn't cold," she replied.
"Brr, let's go!" Anna said. She grabbed Elsa's wrist and pulled her along.
They half-walked, half jogged a block to Central Park and found a path to take them across to the far side. At first, she worried people might stare at her, that her videos had made it all the way out here. Logically, she knew it was insane, but the irrational fear remained until they passed the fourth or fifth person, and were completely ignored by all of them. Even when she ran into the grass and spun around in circles until she could barely stand, she didn't even warrant a passing glance. Numerous fitness aficionados as well as regular sleepy folks out walking dogs passed them; Anna stepped back onto asphalt and zigzagged down the path, trying to see everything at once. She turned around and caught Elsa smiling at her again.
"What? It's my first time here, I'm surprised you're not more excited," Anna said.
"This is me excited," Elsa deadpanned, then she smiled again, and Anna laughed.
They found their way through green, manicured lawns and bare trees to the west side of the park, where the American Museum of Natural History, the first stop on the itinerary Elsa had planned, beckoned. After a few hours wandering about inside and posing for a photo underneath the dinosaur bones (they were HUGE), they exited the museum and turned left to follow along the edge of Central Park in a generally southern direction. The overcast sky had cleared, but between the tall buildings, no sun reached the streets. They walked past the park and continued towards the landmark Empire State Building, formerly the tallest in the world. Upon entering, they lined up with several other tourists for about ten minutes, then took an extremely fast elevator up to the observation deck to emerge under a brilliant sun, low in the crisp blue autumn sky.
"Wow!" Anna said, "can you believe we walked all that way? And look at that, I didn't know Central Park was so huge!"
"Let's take a photo, to commemorate the occasion," Elsa said. She had already put her sunglasses down.
"Wait, let me get mine," Anna said as she fished hers out of her trusty backpack.
They posed for a selfie with the mass of buildings and deep green and brown park behind them, then walked to the southern side to take one with Lower Manhattan in the background.
"Damn we look good," Anna said as Elsa showed her the photos.
Elsa turned to look at her for a second, then glanced back down at her phone.
"I'll send all of them to your email later," the blonde said.
As they exited back onto the street and continued walking downtown, an incredible scent turned Anna's head.
"What is that amazing smell?" she said.
Elsa inhaled deeply.
"Pizza," she replied. Anna's stomach grumbled hungrily, and she set off in search of the fragrant food. They didn't have to walk more than a block before she spotted the green, white, and red Italian flag and a line of patrons that just barely stretched out of the door and onto the street.
"Lines are usually a good sign," Elsa said.
"Okay, find us a table," Anna said as she took a spot at the end and checked the menu. Elsa stayed with her.
"Are you sure?" she asked, "I mean I know what I said, but really I don't mind payin-"
"No. Get out of here," Anna said and she shoved Elsa by the hip towards the tables. The blonde laughed and staked out a spot at one of the booths near the rear of the pizzeria.
Anna ordered a medium half-pepperoni and waited while it baked. The operation behind the counter was a well-oiled machine of Italian accented English, pizza dough, flour, sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Anna's mouth watered as whole pizzas slid into boxes and out for delivery and numbers were called. Finally, they called hers as the cutter expertly sliced their pie, and she picked up the large metal tray and brought it to the table. Elsa had already stocked it with parmesan cheese and oregano shakers.
"It looks amazing," Elsa said.
"It smells amazing, and I'm starving," Anna said.
An explosion of taste hit her tongue and Anna's eyes widened. The melted cheese burned the roof of her mouth but she didn't care; this was by far the best pizza she'd ever eaten in her life.
"Oh my… this is amazing," Elsa said with her mouth half-full.
"I know!" Anna said, "where have you been all my life?"
Elsa's eyes snapped to her, and Anna grinned to her over her slice. The next few minutes were silent as they polished off three slices each.
"Okay… even though I totally could, I'd better not eat any more, or they're going to have to roll me out of here," Anna said.
"We can save it for later," Elsa said. They packed the last two slices and continued walking south, all the way down to the financial district. Along the way, they passed by people of all shapes and colors; Anna swore she heard at least seven different languages as they hiked, and none of them so much as glanced at her. The buildings grew taller again, and they passed the New York Stock Exchange. It took a little searching, but they found the green and white Wall Street sign and took a photo in front of it, then Anna got the inspiration to hang off of it like Gene Kelly.
"Hurry, take the photo," she said as she clung to it with one hand and one foot. Elsa could barely hold her phone steady as she laughed while snapping a few pics. Afterwards, they stopped by what used to be the World Trade Center, where cranes and scaffolding had just started erecting the replacement tower. Elsa glanced at her phone.
"We should start heading back, I have tickets to Madison Square Garden," she said.
"Madis- a hockey game?" Anna asked.
Elsa nodded with a small smirk.
"How much did that cost?" Anna thought, and her smile faded. Elsa seemed to catch on immediately.
"Call it research, maybe we'll learn something we can use," the blonde said. This time she was the one who took Anna's wrist and dragged her northwards. They finished off the pizza on the way and made it inside with plenty of time to spare for opening faceoff. Three things struck Anna about the game. The first was how fast it was; the professional players zipped around the ice and had almost no time or space to do anything before the defense were on them. Second was all the stoppages for television commercials, with players standing around and chit chatting by the benches. Third was the fans.
There was nothing like sitting in a crowd of thousands of unruly New Yorkers, especially with their team doing poorly. Anna heard some of the most colorful phrases on her life, but when someone shouted, "Hey ref, are you pregnant? You missed two periods already!" she and Elsa locked eyes and burst out laughing until tears leaked and her stomach hurt. She'd never seen Elsa laugh so hard either, and the sight of it made her laugh all the more. The home team ended up losing 3-1, but a warm, bubbly feeling pervaded her entire being despite the nighttime skies as they walked across Central Park again, this time in the opposite direction.
"Did you see that power play goal? It was like tic-tac-toe, back of the net. I think you me and Punzie could definitely pull that off," Anna said.
"Maybe. We'd have to practice it," Elsa said.
They arrived back at the room and Anna plugged her phone in, then flopped face down onto the bed.
"Did you want to try and find a restaurant? Or we could eat at the hotel restaurant downstairs," Elsa asked.
"Let's eat at the hotel, my feet are killing me," Anna replied.
They returned downstairs and sat at a table for two at the dimly lit restaurant as a live pianist near the far corner played a smooth jazz tune.
"This looks fancy, are you sure?" Anna asked.
Elsa replied with a stern gaze, and Anna looked down. She settled for a spaghetti carbonara, while Elsa ordered spring chicken.
Elsa smiled as Anna finished off her pasta. The day had been a smashing success. Anna had worn an almost perpetual smile; she no longer hunched her shoulders. She'd even taken her by the hand to all but run through Central Park after the hockey game, and Elsa had managed to stop herself from kissing her in public at the top of the Empire State Building. The little spark of hope, the ever so tiny possibility that perhaps Anna might not be one hundred percent straight, threatened to grow into an all-consuming conflagration.
"Stop, you're deluding yourself," she thought. Anna was talking non-stop as they ate and Elsa smiled and nodded.
"She is so beautiful," she thought, "oh, what would I give…"
Images of a life together, dozens of dates, a wedding, a home, a family, flashed before her eyes.
"I could do it. With her, I could do it," Elsa thought as Anna continued to talk and gesture, "but you can't, Elsa. She's straight, and even if she wasn't, it's too dangerous for you to get that close to anyone."
"What's wrong?" Anna asked. Elsa realized she was on the verge of tears.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing," she replied as she blinked them away.
"It's not nothing, you were just… what was that just now?" Anna asked. The genuine concern on her features tugged at Elsa's heart.
"I was just thinking about… some stupid stuff, ancient history," she replied.
"Okay…" Anna said, clearly unconvinced but at least willing to drop it for the time being.
She glanced over Elsa's shoulder and winced.
"Ew, gross," Anna said.
"Hmm? What?" Elsa asked as she twisted around. Most of the tables were occupied, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"Oh, nothing. Those two guys over there just kissed each other, like… on the lips," Anna said, "I know right, New York City, should expect to see something like that, but still, blech."
Anna changed subjects, but Elsa's thoughts remained riveted on the simple and casual way the redhead had spoken.
"It's not possible, Anna's a good person. She couldn't mean it that way," she thought. She had to know.
"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.
Anna blinked.
"Huh?" she asked.
"What did you mean, when you said those guys were gross, like…" Elsa said.
"The gay guys?" Anna asked, "well, you know, it's like… unnatural, right? Abnormal."
Elsa's heart thudded in her chest and she thought she might be sick to her stomach. This time, Anna didn't continue talking. Elsa swallowed. She could lie and agree with her. She could change the subject and choose to talk about something else.
"What would that say about me though?" she thought.
"What if it was like… one of your friends?" Elsa asked, "I mean… what if Kristoff, or Rapunzel were like that?"
Anna chuckled.
"Kristoff's not gay, I'm pretty sure he had a crush on me in high school, and Punize's with Flynn," she replied.
Elsa twisted her hands together beneath the table.
"I know, but what if it was one of your other friends?" she asked, "would they be gross and unnatural?"
Anna's eyebrows came together, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.
"Wait, are you…? Is that what this trip is about?" Anna asked.
"What?" Elsa thought as she blinked and sat up straighter.
"No," she said, "it's not-"
"Paying for everything? The fancy hotel, the room with one bed?" Anna said as her hand went to her forehead, "…and a jacuzzi? Is this a date?"
"I asked for two beds-"
"Oh my god, like I don't have enough going on right now," Anna said, almost to herself, "I can't- I need to…"
With a scrape of wooden chair legs, she stood up.
"Is it a date, Elsa? Is that what you've been doing?" she thought.
"Anna wait, I'm just trying to help," Elsa said.
Anna paused, tears in her eyes.
"I… I need to be alone right now," she said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she turned and walked to the exit of the hotel. Elsa took a shuddering breath and felt the signs, the growing pressure in her chest, the rising panic.
"Oh no," she thought.
She tore several bills from her wallet, more than enough to cover their meal, and threw them down onto the table. In the lobby, she turned the opposite direction from Anna, towards the hotel elevator bank, and pressed the button repeatedly. By some mercy, it was empty, and she stepped in and jammed the button for their floor.
"Come on, come on," she thought as ice slowly spread across the floor, then started to creep up the walls, first frosting, and then completely obscuring the mirrors placed there. Images of ice encasing the small metal box until the cable snapped and she plummeted to her death washed over her, but the doors dinged and shuddered open. Elsa quick-stepped down the hall, then broke into a run, the tinkling of tiny ice crystals following in her wake as she left a frosted trail on the carpet. She burst into their room, all but dove into the bathroom by the hallway and slammed the door shut. An explosion of pure winter burst from her hands and chest, immediately coating the entire interior of the bathroom, floor and ceiling included, in snow and ice. Puffs of steam appeared with her breaths as she looked down at her hands, then clenched her fists. She leaned against the bathroom door, then slid down to sit with her back against it.
"At least there's no fucking wind this time," she thought.
She looked up in alarm.
"Anna!" she thought, "She's outside, alone, at night, in New York."
If anything happened to Anna because she just had to open her mouth, she'd never forgive herself. Elsa reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone… but what if the cold had broken it?
"And…, work," she said as she pressed the call button. The phone started ringing in her hand, and faintly, through the door, a ringtone sounded; Anna had left her phone in the room.
"Shit," Elsa thought, and she ended the call. She had no way to reach Anna, nothing to do but wait for her to come back. Seconds ticked by and turned into minutes that felt like hours, and still the anxiety did not abate. Little clouds formed near the ceiling and started flurrying, obscuring the lights and diffusing their glow. If she wasn't so worried, it might be beautiful, toilet bowl notwithstanding, but there was no way she could go outside like this.
"You could never be with her anyway, this confirms it," Elsa thought. The hope that had grown in her chest snuffed out, leaving only cold and lonely darkness in its place, and choking sobs bubbled up from deep within. Even though it had only been in her fantasies, she set her head against her knees wept for what might have been.
Some minutes, or perhaps an hour later, Elsa wasn't sure, the lock for the hotel room door clicked, and she sat up.
"Elsa?" Anna asked as she locked the hotel room door behind her.
"In here," Elsa replied. Her voice came from the nearby bathroom, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Anna said, followed by a small sniffle, "can I come in?"
"Not right now," Elsa said with the urgency of someone who was in the middle of changing clothes.
Anna reached for the bathroom doorknob but it near burned her fingertips.
"Ow, fuck, that's… cold?" Anna said as she recoiled.
"What the hell?" she thought.
"Yeah umm, I don't know what's up with the door knob," Elsa said.
"Can we… can we talk?" Anna asked the bathroom closed door.
"Okay, but I'm not opening the door. Not just yet," Elsa said.
Anna thought she heard a soft sniffle from the other side.
"Are you… are you crying?" she asked.
"No?" Elsa replied, but it was obvious if she wasn't, she had been until very recently. Pain and shame swept through Anna, and she hunched her shoulders.
"Now I really feel shitty. Please open the door?" she asked. She knocked and waited, but there was no response. Anna sighed and sat down with her back against the wood.
"I guess it has to be like this then," she thought.
"I'm- I'm sorry I ran off like that," she said, "it's just… with everything going on, I guess I'm not dealing with surprises very well. Also, about a block away, I remembered I have no way to get home."
She was trying for a joke, but it apparently fell flat as a long silence stretched.
"It's okay," Elsa said, but she certainly didn't sound okay.
"No, it's really not. You're the only one who's stuck by me, who isn't telling me what to do or think, who doesn't think I'm some attention whore slut," Anna said, "and then I went and… but seriously, is this a date?"
A deep sigh issued from inside the bathroom.
"Anna… I swear, I didn't mean for there to be only one bed, or a jacuzzi. I'm paying for everything because… because I have means, and I don't really like to advertise it, but this is important," Elsa said, "I only wanted you to forget everything that's happened, at least for a little while."
Anna nodded to herself as she squeezed her eyes and a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Well, it was working," she said.
"I'm glad," Elsa said, "but when you said that about those guys, it really hurt. It hurt to hear you say that, to you know felt that way about… about…"
A choking cry came through the bathroom door, and Anna's chest tore at her; she thunked her head against the door again.
"I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean those things about you. I mean, I didn't really mean them at all. You did all this for me and I… I made you cry," Anna said, "Jesus Christ, I really am a shitty person."
She tried in vain to staunch the stinging in her eyes, to stem the tears from flowing, but ended up staining her sleeve instead.
"No," Elsa said finally, now sounding much more composed, "you said a shitty thing, that doesn't make you a shitty person. I know you're better than that, and the fact that you feel bad, well that's a good thing."
Anna took a long sniff and nodded.
"I can't hear you nodding," Elsa said.
Anna coughed out a laugh, and nearly fell backwards as the door opened.
"Whoa," she said as she scrambled to her feet. Elsa's eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.
"I did that," Anna thought, and tears welled up again.
"I'm so sorry," she said, "you've been so nice this whole weekend, and I… can you… can you forgive me?"
Elsa paused for a few seconds.
"Of course," she whispered.
Anna wiped at her nose as she sniffled.
"Okay. Friends?" she asked.
Elsa paused again, then nodded.
"Friends," she said. Anna stepped forward slowly and tentatively put her hands around Elsa's shoulders to embrace her. While they were about the same height, Anna was struck by just how slight the blonde was. Elsa stiffened in her arms at first, then she leaned in and her arms went up about Anna's back.
Bliss. Pure bliss, held by Anna, her breaths light against her neck, and Elsa wanted nothing more than to hold tight. The frost had retreated, allowing her to open the door, but she knew it could return at any time, when she least expected it. Finally, tentatively, Elsa balled her fists and let her arms rise up Anna's sides and around her to return the embrace. She nearly cried all over again; it had been so very long since anyone had reached out to hold her, and she instinctively pulled Anna closer. The redhead finally stepped back and Elsa released her grip, reluctantly. She looked up as Anna took in her apprehensive expression.
"I don't- what I said… I don't really think that," Anna said, "it's just… it's the kind of stuff my dad says all the time. God, he would kill me if he knew I was fraternizing with the enemy."
Elsa raised an eyebrow.
"Is that what I am? The enemy?" she asked.
Anna shook her head.
"Not to me," she replied, "I don't know. I was stupid. I shouldn't have said that."
"You know, just because I like women doesn't mean I want you in my bed," Elsa said.
"Except I do want you in my bed," she thought, "I want you naked in my bed, the two of us pressed together. I want to make you scream out over and over. I want it so bad it hurts."
"Ouch? That's fair though, I guess, the same way I don't like every guy I meet, right?" Anna said.
Anna nodded, and Elsa mirrored her.
"Just like that, yes," she replied, and though her heart screamed that it wanted so much more, she tamped the feelings down tight.
"Good, so, we can be friends, no biggie," Anna said, "because you're still super cool."
Elsa smirked.
"You too," she said.
They took turns showering, and again lay on opposite sides of the massive bed when Elsa turned out the lights. Hyper aware of Anna's presence, Elsa remained wide awake and waited for the redhead to fall asleep.
"Elsa?" she said quietly in the darkness.
"Yes?" Elsa replied.
"I'm really sorry, about what I said earlier," Anna said, "I just… I don't know. Sometimes my mouth goes before my brain thinks."
It still stung. Anna still seemed genuinely remorseful though.
"I know," Elsa replied.
"I'm not a bad person," Anna said, "I just… I never met someone… like you before."
"I've never met someone like you either," she thought. Then she blinked.
"Anna, you're in the Drama Club. Half those guys are probably gay," Elsa said. A long pause, and Elsa wondered if Anna had fallen asleep.
"Really? Huh, I never thought about that," she finally replied.
Elsa chuckled; this time she drifted off first.
The following day, they didn't mention the previous night's conversation, instead showering and checking out of the hotel early to head downtown again to catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. They braved the chilly waters and salty spray to reach Liberty Island where they took another photo, this time with the famous green statue in the background, then walked around the museum a bit before taking another ferry back to Manhattan to hike back up towards Midtown.
"There's one last thing," Elsa said, "I know you're into stage performance and all; we have time to catch a matinee showing of Les Mis."
Anna's mouth dropped open.
"Seriously?" she asked.
Elsa nodded.
"But if you'd feel weird, I mean, going to the theater with-"
"Uh, no no, not a at all. I've always wanted to see a Broadway play," Anna said.
Excitement showed plainly on her face, and Elsa smiled despite herself.
"Alright then, let's go," she said.
The play was excellent of course, but Elsa spent half the time watching Anna out of the corner of her eye. The redhead leaned forward for nearly the entire performance, smiled at some songs, had tears in her eyes for others. Whereas yesterday, Elsa would have been torn about whether or not to brush up against Anna's fingers as they sat on the arm rest, after the previous night's incident, she kept her hands in her lap.
Applause for the cast lasted a good five minutes, and Anna walked with a spring in her step as they exited the theater and back into the cacophony of the streets.
"So, you liked it?" Elsa asked.
"All of them were so, so good," Anna replied, "I mean that was just… I feel like I'm dreaming."
Elsa smiled at her; Anna was practically out of breath as she gushed about the performance.
"Good," she said, then glanced at her phone as she turned it back on. "Unfortunately, we've got to head out soon if we're going to make it back by dinner. Practice tomorrow morning."
Anna let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Ugh, back to reality," she said. A flash of worry flitted across her features, but vanished almost as soon as it appeared, replaced by a hopeful smile. "Well, we still have the drive."
Elsa nodded. They returned to the hotel where they picked up their bags and Elsa handed in the token for the valet to bring her car back. They hit the highway and put skyscrapers in their rearview mirror.
"I hope you had a good time," Elsa said.
"Are you kidding? This was like, the most amazing weekend of my life, aside from that one moment, you know, when I was a complete idiot. I don't know how I can ever thank you, seriously," Anna replied.
Elsa chuckled.
"Well, I'm glad," she replied, "and I'm glad we cleared the air, too."
Anna fiddled with the radio dial until she found a pop station, then turned the volume up.
"Things might be tough for her for a while, but she'll always have this weekend to look back on," Elsa thought, "and Rapunzel is right; it will blow over eventually."
She glanced over and smiled as the redhead pretended to hold a microphone and serenaded her as she sang along with the radio. It was a little bit off, a little too intense, like she was trying just a little bit too hard, but it was still like night and day from how she'd acted over the previous week.
"You might never get any closer than this, but at least she's in your life, and that's better than nothing," Elsa thought.