the-magic-one-is-you asked: Elsanna 14 (bonus points if you can add 15 in there)

I’M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, let-it-geaux​. D:

Anyway…just a note to all that this takes place in Tick Tock because there is a situation that could work well for this…though it probably won’t be finalized when it actually happens. Fortunately, you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this since I’ve hopefully kept it vague enough. And I also had to remind myself that this was just a prompt, not another chapter whoops

14. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

15. “Please don’t argue.”

α

November 26, 1845

“Elsa, have you been…sleeping okay? You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine, Anna,” her sister nearly spat, running a hand through her blonde bangs as clearly bloodshot eyes darted between the book clutched to her chest, and the redheaded princess before her. Anna couldn’t help but flinch at the sharpness of her tone, and saw Elsa’s wild gaze soften considerably at that.

“Anna wait, I—“

“N-No, I…I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Well, I mean…I should know,” Anna interrupted, biting at her lip as she took a step back, hands clutching at her skirts. “I shouldn’t have touched your stuff in the first place. But I mean…it’s just a book, Elsa. You didn’t have to freak out so much. It’s not like it’s—“

“Just a book?” Elsa repeated as her gaze hardened again, fingers tightening against its worn cover. “Anna, it’s still a part of my things! Even if it’s ‘just a book’, that doesn’t mean it’s of less worth than my jewelry, or my paperwork!”

Anna frowned, squaring her shoulders as the queen began pacing restlessly back and forth, mumbling things under her breath. “Why are you being so defensive, anyway?” she shot back, “Unless it’s something inappropriate? Is that it? Are you afraid I’ve found your secret erotic novel? Because if that’s the case, you’re terrible at hiding things if you’re just going to leave it right there on your desk!”

Elsa suddenly stopped, spinning on her heel to face Anna so fast, her braid nearly whipped her face. Bloodshot eyes drilled into hers as the temperature plunged. “I’m terrible at hiding things?!” she echoed, and Anna vaguely wondered if her sister had been replaced by a parrot with how she seemed to be repeating her words. The queen took a step closer, ice hissing beneath her feet as she scowled. “This…This incident was an exception! I’m far better at hiding things than you are—you, who wears your heart on your sleeve, and rushes into danger, and hasn’t gone through the burden of ‘concealing’ and ‘not feeling’ for twelve years! So don’t speak to me about hiding! Least of all now!”

Anna’s breath sharply hitched as Elsa’s words stabbed into her like a hot knife. Her bottom lip trembled as a tense silence draped over them like an oppressive shroud; the queen’s ragged breathing the only sound in the room. The bags under her eyes seemed more prominent now, and her face seemed gaunter than the last time Anna had seen her.

With great difficulty, she forced herself to distance from her sister’s hurtful words, swallowing the hard lump that had risen to her throat and threatened to bring tears to her eyes.

“Elsa, you’re saying things you don’t mean, and don’t relate to this,” she said carefully, her hands leaving her skirts to fiddle with the ends of her braids instead. Maybe that would stop them from shaking. “You haven’t gotten enough sleep, and you’ve clearly ran yourself ragged from planning the party.”

“I’m fine,” came that frosty hiss, and Anna endeavored to ignore it.

“No. You’re not. You need to rest before you say anything else you’ll regret later,” she insisted as firmly as she could, meeting the wild blue of her sister’s eyes and hoping her voice wasn’t trembling. “You’re not thinking clearly.”

Elsa took another step forward, and Anna stayed her ground. “Out of everyone in Arendelle, I’m the one with the clearest mind,” the queen whispered harshly, eyes narrowing into slits. “I can see the bigger pict—”

“Stop it! Both of you, stop it!” a familiar voice shouted from the open doorway, drowning out the rest of her words. There was a certain pitter-patter of snowy feet that Anna knew all too well, and soon enough, Olaf’s personal flurry came between them, with the loveable snowman following suit. But while he usually had a smile ready, and enough cheer to rival Anna’s, this time, a deep frown had carved its way onto his face.

“Please stop arguing,” Olaf commanded, looking back and forth between the two of them as his stick hands clenched and unclenched. “You two shouldn’t fight like this. It’s not right with how much you love each other!”

Love is probably the furthest thing from Elsa’s mind right now, Anna couldn’t help but think as she crouched down to place a hand on his snowy shoulder. “Olaf, can you put Elsa to bed? She desperately needs the rest right now, and…”

…And she’s not listening to me.

His frown deepened. “But…the sun’s still awake.”

Anna smiled tightly, hoping she was just imagining the mistiness in her eyes. “I know. Elsa’s just really tired and cranky. This can’t wait until nighttime.”

The temperature got colder.

“Anna—“

Elsa sounded panicky and apologetic now, but Anna refused to look, too focused on trying not to cry now that Olaf was here to probably accomplish something she couldn’t. “I’ll talk to you later,” she said, hurriedly standing up and moving towards the door. “Hopefully you’ll feel better then.”

“Anna, wait!”

But Anna was already gone.

Anna blinked. “Wait…what?”

“The preparations are already taken care of,” Kai repeated with a sigh, “The bulk of the details were already handled a few days ago, actually.”

“But then…why is Elsa so exhausted, then?” Anna persisted, furrowing her brow.

The portly servant arched an eyebrow. “Exhausted? But I just saw your sister earlier, and she seemed perfectly fine.”

She’s…fine? Anna narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she leaned in closer, hands on her hips. “Define ‘fine’.”

“Well-rested, considering your concerns,” Kai chuckled, tucking the papers under his arm closer to him. “I believe she might have even been looking for you. But if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I really need to get these to Espen.”

“Tell him I said ‘hi’, will you?” Anna called over her shoulder as she too began heading on her way. “He’s always so nice to me.”

“Of course, of course…And I suppose I should warn him against any courting? Considering you’re already taken.”

Her cheeks blossomed red at the servant’s parting remark, and she grumbled under her breath at her failure to get the last word in. They were already far away from each other, and she didn’t quite feel like yelling this time.

Because yelling reminded her all too well of the shouting match she had with Elsa hours ago.

“Oh…Anna! There you are!”

And speaking of Elsa…

Anna stopped walking, keeping her eyes trained on the floor after spotting Elsa at the end of the hallway. Even though she had plenty of time to compose herself privately and steel herself for their next encounter, it still felt like—

Arms suddenly wrapped tightly around her, soft blonde hair filling her vision as she looked up in surprise. Elsa pulled away a little, blue eyes bright and lacking any sign of sleep deprivation as a hesitant smile rose to her lips. Her cheeks had a certain glow to them, and her sister leaned in to a press a kiss to her forehead.

“I’m so sorry, Anna. I shouldn’t…It was unacceptable behavior on my part,” Elsa murmured against her skin, voice so raw and true that Anna’s bottom lip began to tremble again.

Her eyes slid closed as she returned Elsa’s embrace, burying her face into the queen’s shoulder as a weight lifted itself from her soul. She hated arguing with Elsa and had been so afraid a rift would form between them again. But now, with Elsa’s wintery scent filling her nose and arms wrapped protectively around her…

“It’s not fair how quickly you recovered after only a few hours of sleep,” Anna blurted out, hoping her voice didn’t sound too strangled with emotion. “I would still be a little cranky if I were you.”

Elsa giggled lightly, and Anna pulled away enough so she could see her. Elsa’s smile had grown, laced with a familiar hint of mischief. “It’s a good thing you’re not me, then.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Anna asked with a smile of her own, though she already knew what was coming.

“Because I get to hold you like this,” Elsa answered cheekily, leaning forward so their foreheads met and that one rebellious strand of hers tickled Anna’s nose. A hand dropped to the small of her back, tugging Anna closer to her.

“…And I get to lay eyes on the most beautiful girl in the kingdom,” Elsa murmured into the space between them, “A girl who deserves to know that she is so dearly loved, every second of every waking hour.”

Anna’s breath hitched.

“Please…never doubt that. Not again.”