Day Seventy: Back to Reality

A/N: This story needs more angst.

This...can't be good.

It's check-in day, and I'm all set to tell Olaf that nothing's wrong so that I can go back to texting Aurora, but we're not alone. Elsa's here too, and she's holding my pillow. And on the table is a vaguely familiar piece of paper. Olaf turns around to look at me when I leave my room and see this waiting for me.

"Anna! It's great that you're here, come sit down so that I can talk to the both of you." He's smiling when he says this as if that's supposed to reassure me, but it only fucks with me more. I turn to Elsa to see if I can get some answers, but judging by the way she's clutching the throw pillow and staring at the ground- not acknowledging my existence- I don't think I'll be getting anything out of her.

This all seems like the setup for an intervention. I sit down as far as I can on the other side of the couch, picking up my feet and bringing my knees close to my chest. The more of Elsa's personal space that I avoid, the better. At least that's what I think, she doesn't even seem to notice I've sat down.

"What's...this about?" I ask Olaf, "Aren't these check-ins supposed to be one-on-one?"

"Correct! But under very rare circumstances is it required for me to have you both in the room. This is one of them."

"And what exactly is this?"

Olaf leans over and pushes the piece of paper on the table towards me, flipping it around so that I can read the title: OFFICIAL RELEASE FORM. Elsa's signature is already at the bottom.

Shit.

He also slides a pen near my way, "All I'm going to need is your signature, and we can finalize the move-out. Now I know I'm not supposed to be biased, but I really am going to miss you guys. You two were one of my most favorite couples to work with."

This is a nightmare, right? I'm still asleep in my bed after a late-night phone call with Aurora, right? There's no way that this awful, sudden turn of events could actually be happening right now. No...no, I'm wearing pants which means that this is real. Elsa wants to leave, but I don't. I can't. I won't.

I scoff and move the paper back towards him, "I'm not signing this!"

Olaf blinks, "Oh. I was under the assumption that you were both on the same page about this."

"Well obviously we're not!"

What follows is a chain of reactions by the dumbfounded employee. He opens his mouth, closes it, makes a bubble with his cheeks, lets out an uncomfortable breath, and scratches the top of his head. "Well! Um...it seems like you two have some talking to do. I'm going to go ahead and take the form back and leave you to go about your business."

I cross my arms, giving him an unnecessary glare as he collects his belongings and stands up, making his way to the front door. "I'll go ahead and chalk up this week as a success, and I'll see you next Sunday. Good plan? Great plan. Byeeeee!"

He closes the door, and I'm pretty sure I hear a muffled "Yikes." I wait a few more seconds for the uncomfortable silence to simmer some more, and then I turn my whole body towards Elsa. She's looking at me now, fully expecting another anger-fueled conversation. And that's exactly what she's gonna get.

"Really, Elsa?" I hiss. "Really?!"

"It was the only way I could think of to get you to talk to me," she reasoned. Her face is impressively composed, but I can see in her eyes that she feels like she's made a mistake. There's guilt all over them.

"Do you want to leave? Is that why you signed the form?"

"No! ….I-I don't know, I mean…" she sighs, "I just hate this whole not talking to each other thing."

"Yeah it doesn't feel very good, does it?!"

"I know it's my fault, okay?! You don't have to-" Elsa stops herself, reining in that burst of emotion. She bites her lip, unable to keep her eyes on me and instead bringing them to the coffee table. "What do I have to do to get you to talk to me again? What do I have to do for things to be normal between us?"

I scoff and cross my arms, "You and I both knew going into this situation that things would never be normal between us."

"That doesn't mean we can't try!"

"I have tried! I've tried so many times…"

"Well then let me try this time. Please? I-I can't lo…" Elsa meets my gaze again, pleading with that look she knows will get to me. "I don't want you to be mad at me anymore. I know I still have some things to work through, and that shouldn't be your burden to deal with."

"See that's the thing, Elsa, I've wanted to help you. Ever since you told me what happened, I've wanted to be there for you somehow. But I didn't know what to do, and every time I tried to help, I just felt like I made things worse for you."

"You didn't! If anything went wrong, it was because of me."

"Well it's good to fucking know that now!"

"I know, and I'm sorry that I haven't been taking the blame sooner. I know I should have been, but I was scared because the way you were acting-"

"The way I've been acting?! Have you looked in a mirror recently."

"A...Anna that really hurt."

"Well I'm sorry! There! There's your goddamn apology, that's what you wanted from me right?"

"No! I just want to talk to you and spend time with you because I can't...I can't…"

Ugh, again with the arguing and the pointless back-and-forth. How many times are we gonna have to go through this?! I don't even know what to say anymore, aside from cursing her out and storming back into my room. And I'm not doing that because Elsa's too goddamn fragile, and also because it wouldn't feel right.

I need something, anything, to get me out of this mess. And that's when I feel my phone buzz, and I go to check it. It's a message from Aurora, my savior, which has me letting out an internal sigh of relief.

AURORA: In the lobby. Get your cute butt over here ;)

I close my eyes tight and groan, "Look, I gotta go okay? So just...yeah."

"What? No Anna, we need to talk about this."

I stand up, turning my back to Elsa, noting how painfully familiar this scene feels. All that's missing is a box of leftover Italian food that'll never get eaten, and me taking off her old NMU hoodie. "No! We don't! Not now, not later, not ever."

"What? Anna, wait…"

I'm done talking about this. Aurora's waiting for me. I turn my doorknob and-

Whoa.

What the hell?

I'm nudged forward before I can open my door. Nudged by something soft, warm, and shaking. I look down and see hands wrapping around my waist from behind. Elsa's hands…

"Please don't leave…" Elsa whispers, and it feels like there's a word missing there that she can't say. Or won't. "I miss you, and I'm sorry for not being better. I'll try to be better for you, and make up for everything. But I really miss you, and I can't... Please don't leave, Anna. Please…"

…

I…

This…

...

Fuck.

I gently remove her hands from my waist, noting the way she shivers slightly, and open my door. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," I tell her, "I'll be back later."

True to her word, Aurora's waiting for me down in the lobby. I've never been more relieved to see her. She stands up when she spots me, and her lips curl into a smug grin. "What took you so long?"

I don't answer. When I get close enough, I drop my bag on the floor and pull her in for a deep, long kiss. One that leaves everyone around us uncomfortable, one that'll drown out my thoughts for the time being. Aurora's surprised at first according to the cute, little noise she makes at the start, but reciprocates just as passionately the longer it goes on.

I've never taken charge like this in a while. Right now it's needed, and it feels damn good. I pull us apart when my lungs feel like they're about to burst.

Aurora takes a second to catch her breath, looking at me with wide eyes as she wipes her lips with her thumb. "That was...wow. Guess you missed me pretty bad, huh?"

I pick up my bag from the floor and put my hand back on her waist. "I need a place to stay. Just for a few days," I tell her, "Can I stay with you?"

She blinks, no doubt taken aback by my sudden mood shift. After all, it was only a couple of hours ago we were doing some heavy flirting through text. "Uh...y-yeah sure. Of course you can."

That's the answer I was hoping for, the answer I needed. And damn it, it's happening. I'm going to fucking cry, even after I specifically told my body not to. I rest my head on the crook of Aurora's neck, mumbling out a "Thank you".

If she says anything, I don't hear it. Her hand comes up to stroke my hair and I get lost in her lavender scent, the intricate pattern of tattoos on her arm, the soft cotton of her blouse. It's what I want right now, it's what I need.