Chapter 49

Anna stood in front of the massive window of Elsa's office, scanning the streets like she'd be able to spot him the more that she looked. Unfortunately, the night sky covered the streets below in darkness, punctuated in only certain areas by house lights, street lamps, and headlights.

Any other day, she'd be happy to finally see this place through Elsa's eyes again, but given the circumstances she couldn't exactly relish in the view.

She gripped the strap of her overnight bag tighter, hoping that Rapunzel got out of the apartment okay. It would have been nice to have her here, but it would have been too dangerous. Hans was after them, not her.

"I just got off the phone with Flynn." Elsa said, her reflection grew closer in the mirror until she was right by the redhead's side. "He convinced Robin to take her in, since he's got bodyguards all around his house The Neighborhood's probably the safest place she'll be."

Anna breathes a sigh of relief. "What about Flynn?"

"Somewhere else. I asked him to do something for me." When Anna gave her a look, Elsa shook her head. "It's best if you don't know."

"Elsa, remember the last time you didn't tell me something?"

"I know! I know, you don't have to remind me. But...just trust me okay?"

Anna wants to argue, she wants to take some of the burden off of Elsa. But she's looking at her so seriously that the words escape her.

For the past four years, planning and working through high-stress environments was all that Elsa's done. Running a bakery paled in comparison to running a multi-million dollar company.

"I do trust you." She says as she sets her bag down and places a hand on Elsa's tense arm. "I just...I want to feel useful too, you know?"

Elsa let out a breath and smiled, "Just having you here, reminding me that I have something to fight for, it's helping more than you know. I just need you to be yourself right now, okay?"

It's not a very specific job, and one that she doesn't think is all that important, but Anna gladly agrees to it. This wasn't about who did more to keep them safe until Hans was caught, it was about being there for each other through this unfortunate snare in their happily ever after.

She smiles, as difficult as it is right now, "Well luckily, I'm always myself. There's only of me after all."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Elsa took the hand that was on her arm and kissed it. She gestured towards Anna to come closer, and she's right in her arms in a second.

It feels right, standing here in each other's arms and looking out at Arendelle. For Elsa this is her kingdom, she sees this city as her dominion. For Anna this is her home, she saw comfort and warmth everywhere she looked. For each other this is their life, all their memories- both good and bad- happened here.

Right now, despite the fact that a vengeful madman was trying to hunt them down, this was a good memory.

"Does the view from here ever get old?"

Anna sees Elsa's reflection, sees the way she looks at her for a split second before her smile grows wider. "No, I can't say it does."

She nuzzles into Elsa's neck, humming to herself, and they stand there silently for just a few more minutes. In a little bit they'll have to come up with a plan, but right now...right now all that mattered was this.

"So what's the plan, Elsa?" Anna asks regretfully when the moment of bliss seems to be dying down.

"Hans will never come after us up here, not with all the security and the fact that my office is way too visible." Elsa hasn't let her go yet, in fact she holds her tighter. "You and I have enough clothes to stay up here for a few days, and we'll have protection if we absolutely need to go out in public. For now, though, we have to stay here while the police do their best to catch him."

Anna frowned, "So the plan is just to sit here and wait? What about the bakery? And how are you supposed to do your job? We don't even know where Hans is, it could take weeks or months just to find him."

"It's only temporary, Anna. This is the best I could come up with in such a short amount of time, I'll think of something better tomorrow."

"Why don't we just...draw him out somehow? Trick him into coming to us, get him someplace that seems like it's in the middle of nowhere and then have the cops surround him with guns after we say some sort of code word."

"Draw him out how? Making a deal? Anna, the only deal he'll accept is the two of us dead at his feet."

"Well then why not find someone who knows him? We can go to the Southern Isles and talk to one of his five hundred brothers. Maybe we're lucky and they hate him, but also know some places where he'd lay low."

Elsa shook her head, the worry in her eyes has grown. "The protection we have will only stay with us so far. Our relationship with the Southern Isles is rocky to begin with, how do you think they'll feel if we start bringing our cops onto their island?"

"Ugh!" Anna pulls away from her girlfriend's arms, immediately regretting that decision as her skin suddenly feels fifty degrees colder, and sits down on the bed. Her hands dig into the sheets. "I don't like this, Elsa. I don't like just sitting here and knowing that he's out there and we can't do a thing to stop him."

There's pain on the blonde's face, she thinks that Anna pulled away because of her. She wants to walk over and say this isn't her fault, but Elsa's already walking towards the bed.

Anna expects another expertly crafted rebuttal, a new perspective that she just isn't seeing, but instead Elsa just sits next to her and places her hand on top of the ones gripped into the sheets. It relaxes when she feels delicate yet strong fingers stroke her knuckles.

"I know how frustrating this is, Anna. I don't like sitting here and not being able to do anything either, but the last time we- I went in headfirst without a plan I...I almost lost you. And I never want that to happen again."

"But we can't...we can't just…" She sighs dejectedly. There really is nothing they can do right now.

The hand that was delicately stroking hers reaches up and caresses her cheek. Anna lets the hand guide her until she's looking into those deep blue eyes. There's a look on her girlfriend's face that she hasn't seen in a long time:

Joy.

After everything that's happened, even despite their predicament, the smile and brightness in Elsa's eyes makes her look so joyful and at peace through it all. When she speaks again, it's exactly what Anna's thinking.

"Everything is going to be okay, because we're together now."

A wave of calmness rushes through Anna, the tension in her shoulders releases and she smiles. As always, Elsa had this amazing way with words.

No matter what happened, no matter how long it took to catch Hans, everything was finally okay now. She and Elsa were together, there was literally no reason for her to not enjoy that fact. Nothing was gonna get solved tonight anyway.

And besides, there was another important question she had to ask.

Just thinking about the moment they shared only a short couple hours ago made her blush. Anna was confident of what Elsa was about to ask, but she needed to make sure. Plus...it would have been nice to hear it from the source.

"When we were at the yogurt shop…"

She paused.

Why did she pause?

If she was so confident, why was her heart beating so fast? Maybe it's because once she said it, it would become real. It wouldn't just be a guess, or a thought, whatever answer Elsa gave would become reality. And however she responded would become their future.

She knows that she's blushing too, and the same redness on Elsa's cheeks all but confirms her suspicions. But she has to ask, because she wants Elsa to ask.

"...were you going to propose?"

Elsa looks down for a moment and she lets out a breathy laugh, "Uh...y-yeah. I was going to."

"Oh…" Anna wants to kick herself for responding like that, especially after seeing the worried look on Elsa's face. Like she's done something wrong.

"I- uh maybe it would have been a stupid thing to ask right at that moment. I'm sorry. I mean we'd only just started dating again, but when you said that you wanted to be with me forever I took that as a sign. And plus I'd already been holding on to the ring for-"

"I would have said yes."

"Wh- you...you would have?"

Anna nodded, she hopes the smile on her face matches the joy that was in Elsa's eyes before. "If you asked me, I would have said yes. When I said I wanted to be with you forever, I meant it. I wouldn't have been trying so hard to get you back if I didn't see an entire future with you. Heck, if you ask me right now I'd still say yes."

It's not a suggestion, she wants Elsa to ask her.

She forces herself to not look too eager. In this moment eagerness might look too much like desperation, but it takes a stupid amount of effort to keep from telling Elsa to ask her again.

Elsa's eyes seem like they're searching for something in hers, maybe for some sign that she's messing with her. Meanwhile, Anna just waits to see what she'll do. Hoping that she'll ask again.

But she doesn't.

The blonde just lets out a heavy sigh and gives her an apologetic look, "Not yet Anna. I promise you though, after this nightmare is over, proposing to you is going to be one of the very first things I do."

Anna frowns, but nods. "I understand. I've waited four years to be with you again, I can wait a little bit longer to be with you forever."

"Thank you."

It still hurts though, and there's an anger in her heart that won't go away. It's not directed towards Elsa, thankfully, but towards the bastard who ruined this moment for both of them. This was just another injustice that needed to be undone, and she would try just as hard- if not harder- to track him down.

When she does get her hands on him…

She snaps out of those thoughts. They're together and that's all that matters, and right now with Elsa right here by her side, Hans should be the last thing on her mind.

"So, why do you have a bed in your office?"

Elsa looks away, thoroughly embarrassed, "Sometimes I like to take naps okay?"

She lets out a gasp that's obviously fake, "Elsa Andersen takes naps at work?!"

"It's only during lunch breaks!" Elsa pouts and picks at the blanket underneath her, "And sometimes...I just don't like going back to my apartment."

Anna doesn't have to ask why that is, she knows why.

"It's also why I have a fridge in here-oh crap I need to restock the fridge!"

The abrupt subject change made her giggle, it was kind of cute seeing Elsa freak out over something trivial. "You're adorable."

Elsa frowned, "No you don't understand, if we're gonna be using my office as a safehouse I have to make sure that you're taken care of. I'll go grocery shopping on my lunch break tomorrow, and I'll have Marshall watch over the bakery while you're working."

"Elsa-"

"I'll make sure that the only people who know we're staying here are Marshall, Hannah, Rapunzel and Flynn. The police will be staking out our apartments to see if Hans shows up there."

"Elsa-"

"I mean this is all just stuff in theory, I told you that I'd figure out something better in due time, but right now that's the best plan I've got. I just gotta make sure to get groceries and stuff so that you'll at least have something to eat-"

"Elsa!"

"What?! Can't you see that I'm trying to-"

A second later, she's closed the gap between them and kisses Elsa for the second time that night. She wants to tell her not to worry about tomorrow, and that she's grateful for wanting to protect her and take care of her, but right now she'd rather show than tell.

After the kiss is over, she'll say all those things. But right now it's just like Elsa said: Everything's okay because they're together now. So she'll say all those things when they finally part.

Except she doesn't.

There's a flame burning in her core, one that had been low and dwindling for a while since the two had been apart. But now that they were together, that flame was burning brighter than ever before.

And now that they had the added benefit of being alone, there was no doubt about it: She wanted Elsa. Right here, right now.

They regretfully part so they can catch their breath, but just a few seconds later and she's kissing Elsa again, harder this time. Hard enough to push her down onto the bed. The kiss this time is more aggressive, more inviting.

A clear message that she wants more.

Elsa reciprocates that feeling by adjusting Anna so that she's perfectly straddled onto her hips, and using her free hand to grab the back of Anna's neck. Now they're closer, now they're together.

And when Anna feels Elsa tugging her shirt up, and feels those warm, familiar fingertips rest on her hips, she doesn't pull away. She helps her.

A few minutes later and there are clothes on the floor, the sheets are already coming undone, and when Elsa kisses that spot on her neck with surprising accuracy and gentleness after all these years…

It's like fireworks.

A/N: Oh boy you're gonna hate me for this, but I'd just like to remind you all that I don't write smut. So...this is the most you're gonna get.

Just, I dunno, play the rest of the scene out in your head.