Final chapter. I can't believe it's been three and a half years since this fic's inception. Holy smokes.

I have enjoyed writing this. The final chapter has been in progress since 2015 (omg) and tbh i'm still not completely happy with it. But I dont think I ever will be, not unless I rewrite all three chapters (which... yeah no xD)

anyway. I hope you enjoy it. I promise, no twists or turns in this one. Just two girls finding each other :) (and yes, they certainly do, and yes, they certainly kiss).

Enjoy!

The ease back into friendship is only slightly less difficult than Anna expected. It's almost like they've been transported back to when Elsa was new, only now Anna actually knows things about the girl that she hadn't then.

Elsa stutters sometimes, when she speaks English. Of course, her French is as flawless as ever, but now that Anna knows why there's such a disparity, it doesn't feel so much like a slap to the face. Elsa had a reason for being good at French; her reason for being good at English wasn't good enough, clearly.

That thought hurts far more than she ever would have expected, and she isn't even sure why. They are friends, but it's... it's different. And regardless of Elsa's reasons, she's not going to blame her, or attack her for it.

There's a reason the blonde girl is the way she is, and Anna has a feeling it's mostly to do with the thoughts that swirl inside her head.

But that's just another thing that goes unsaid. Anna doesn't ask for a reason – or anything more than that, really – because she doesn't need one. Not like this, anyway. She never sought out an apology, she only ever sought out her friend. Now she has that back, she... doesn't need anything else.

Elsa is enough.

They actually start hanging out again. Elsa doesn't seem to want to go near Anna's friends, and though she doesn't explain why, Anna doesn't push it.

It's stupid. Elsa knows. It's really stupid. But if she goes near Rapunzel, or even Kristoff, she'll see the anger in their eyes. Anna's forgiven her – or at least, she's forgotten – but the other two... Elsa wouldn't be so lucky.

And she knows how lucky she is. Every waking moment spent with Anna is another testament to her friend's good heart. Pure heart. Against all odds, Anna doesn't hate her, even though she should. Elsa deserves it, after all. She deserves to have Anna spit in her face and tell her to go away, just as Elsa did to her.

But Anna doesn't hate her and Elsa craves that far more than she's willing to admit. Perhaps the not-hate covers for something else, something Elsa wants to keep unnamed and innocent, because at that simple thought her heart swells, lodging in her throat and suffocating her.

Talking to someone helps, she's discovered. Someone who is impartial and doesn't care for the particulars, but cares about Elsa. Once upon a time she may have been against it, but after everything... well. People change. When her mother had asked, one night, if perhaps she wanted to see someone to help sort through her thoughts, she didn't immediately balk at the idea as she may once have done.

Plus, Doctor Pabbie is... nice.

"You have so much more power over yourself than you realise, Elsa," he'd said at the end of their first session, and they're words she's carried with her ever since. When she doesn't feel powerful – when she feels alone, and lonely, and scared – she just thinks of Anna's smile and those words, and the pressure begins to ease. She's always tempted in those moments to ring Anna – to hear her words and soak in her comfort – but everything is still so raw and fresh. Right now, the last thing she needs is a dependency.

Perhaps for the first time, she doesn't see anger or hatred in her father's eyes – if it ever existed there before. She only sees curiosity, and perhaps sadness (but it isn't about her, it's for her, and that subtle change makes an entire world of difference).

Her mother just takes her into her arms and holds her, and this time, she doesn't care that she's almost an adult and beyond hugs such as these.

She just enjoys the feeling of being in an embrace.

"Elsa va bien."

Elsa's doing more than fine, but Anna's not entirely sure how to put that in writing, so she sticks to succinctness. She doesn't have the time or patience to write out everything in mangled French (by either her own doing or Google Translate's). She almost wants to try simple things in Norwegian, but Belle's already said she's not very good, and Anna doesn't want to wreck yet another language in front of her.

She wants to be able to say other things about Elsa, too. She wants to say that the've been talking, that they're friendsagain. But it's not true, so she can't. They're not friends. They're just people who talk to each other.

Anna's more disappointed at that thought than she though she would be.

–-

The first day of swimming class comes and Elsa's absolutely terrified. She wonders, vaguely, if this is how Anna felt, getting up in front of all her classmates and speaking a language she obviously didn't know. Then again, Elsa doubts that anyone in the class really understands what they're saying. Mr Oaken tries, but high schoolers, unless they genuinely care, just aren't gonna learn a language.

Like her with her swimming.

She files in behind all the other girls. She hadn't worn her swimming costume underneath her uniform – apparently missing an important memo. There's so much bare skin it sends her head spinning, and she feels terrible about it because her classmates are blissfully unaware that she has such... predispositions. Not only that, though, is the fear that she's expected to change in front of them – an impossible task, really. Her grip on herself and her emotions is tenuous at the best of times.

Is she supposed to get changed here, in front of them? She can't- she can't think. She's two seconds from marching out to the teachers to feign illness when she feels a hand on her arm.

Anna.

The first time the redhead speaks, she misses the words, but Anna – sweet, kind Anna – obviously realises because she doesn't let go and repeats herself.

"Need to pee?"

It doesn't matter if she meant the question seriously, or if it was code for something else. Elsa, eyes wide, nods. It gives her an out. It gives her a reason to wait and use the cubicle so she can get changed without everyone's eyes on her.

But that's really only the first step. She takes her time, moving slow on purpose so that she doesn't finish before people start leaving.

Eventually, her classmates disperse. Elsa doesn't realise how long she's been or how hard she's listening until a voice rings out, startling her.

"You okay in there, Els?" Anna asks. "Having troubles with the outfit?"

Swallowing, Elsa shakes her head. "N-no, thank you! I'll- I'll be out in a minute!"

Anna's probably got a frown on her face. It sounds like she's frowning when she says, "Okay... I'll meet you by the pool?"

"Yeah," Elsa closes her eyes, "Meet you there."

She does genuinely intend on meeting Anna there. Bundling her clothes and shoving them into her bag, Elsa tugs self-consciously on her one-piece. The only thing Elsa likes about it is the fact that the school has an actual swimming uniform, so technically, Elsa should look the same as everyone.

She doesn't feel like she does.

Instead, she catches herself staring at her classmates, enamoured by their forms and figures, and blushes red. No one seems to have noticed, but Elsa still feels... bad. Like it's really not something she should be doing. Like a voyeur. It's wrong. Her classmates have no problem ogling the boys, and showing off for them, though. Elsa feels Hans' eyes on her, and it makes her feel sick.

But it's more than just disgust. It's a familiar uneasiness that's more accurately described as 'nausea'. Her breath comes short and fast, and it feels like the eyes of the entire class are on her. She shouldn't- she shouldn't have waited. Should have just come out with everyone else.

Anna's the first, and only, person to notice her state. Slipping away from Rapunzel, she moves closer to Elsa, who doesn't seem to see her at all. She's staring straight ahead, quivering, and she's got that same expression on her face – the one she had way back when, back when they were in Anna's room and Anna had made some stupid, off-hand remark.

Only this time, no one's said anything at all. The teachers and aides are trying to organise people, so she remains unnoticed as she slips away.

Elsa jerks when Anna's hand slips into hers, and she knows she looks like she's about to cry.

"I forgot to pee before. Come with?" Anna asks, and all Elsa can do is nod, breath coming shaky and weak.

Anna actually does go into a stall, giving Elsa a chance to sit on one of the changing benches in the change rooms and catch her breath.

It's stupid. No one, not even Hans, was doing anything particularly bad – they were just looking! But... she can't help her mind when it runs off like that.

She's older, but she's not especially tall or well-endowed. With her budding breasts covered by a navy-blue one-piece, she's actually one of the smallest there; while usually she's grateful, right now it makes her feel juvenile. Not like- not like Anna...

Anna who is actually developed. Who isn't lanky or flat.

But not only that, Anna is pretty. Beautiful, even. Not in the conventional way, but in other ways. Her laugh and her mannerisms. Her confidence and self-esteem. The way her face crinkles when she grins, and how it seems each and every muscle of her face puts in work when she's speaking. Widening eyes for emphasis, narrow when she's thinking. She'll talk with her hands if she thinks it'll get her point across better, and it just makes conversations fun.

Anna returns in that moment, taking her hand again and asking if she's feeling better. She isn't, really, but she's also not on the verge of breaking down, so she takes it with only the smallest amount of hesitation as she smiles.

Of course, Elsa doesn't have a chance to think about girls, or boys, or Anna, because by then they have to actually get in the pool and she's too focused on not drowning.

The pool isn't actually that deep, but she can't quite keep her head above while still having her feet touch the floor – even when she's on her tippy-toes. The other girls tread water as though there's nothing to it, and Elsa's flailing about like a drowned cat. She inches her way towards the bars along the side and manages to get a grip next to Anna just as the instructor begins to split them into two groups.

And in typical Murphiacal fashion, Elsa is in group one while Anna is in group two.

She sends the redhead a pained expression, and Anna returns it with a sympathetic grimace.

"It's to see where you're all at so we know where to direct our focus," Ariel says, and Elsa's heart sinks so fast to the bottom of her feet, she wonders why it doesn't weigh her down and drown her, too.

Predictably, she does absolutely horribly. She gets half a lap into the first exercise (freestyle, of all things) when Ariel calls her over.

All the other girls have finished the third exercise, and even a few of the boys from the other pool are openly laughing at her. She feels her face and eyes burn from things other than chlorine, and she wordlessly follows Ariel.

She puffs out a breath and, in a tone low enough that the other students can't hear but loud enough that it doesn't feel like they're doing some kind of shady business, Ariel speaks.

"When you said you couldn't swim," she begins, "I didn't think you actually meant you can't swim."

Elsa can't even come up with a response. She can hear her classmates murmuring about themselves, and though in all likelihood, most of them aren't talking about her, the fact that they could be is enough for her to hang her head and choke back a response.

"Look, maybe we should move you to a junior class-"

Elsa whips her head up at that, shaking it emphatically. "No!" she cries out, before biting her lip and lowering her tone. "No I- Anna has agreed to help. I don't... I don't want to move..."

She's already a seventeen-year-old in fifteen-year-old classes. She's not going to be put down again.

Ariel makes a face, but relents. "Okay. You should... sit out for today, though..." Elsa can't find fault with her logic.

Except for when she's dressed and dry and sitting on the sidelines, and she knows that everyone else knows why, and she can't keep her eyes off her classmates as they move about in the water.

She isn't sure which part made her face redder, but when Anna chalks it up to sunburn, Elsa absolutely refuses to refute her.

"So... private lessons?"

... It wasn't sunburn or embarrassment that time.

"How do you know, Anna?"

Kristoff hasn't stopped questioning her all day, and Anna's actually a little sick of it. She rounds on him, but he puts his hands up in surrender before she can get the first words out.

"I'm just saying, she was mean. She didn't even think of you as she threw your friendship in your face. What about her boasting about her French mark? How it made you feel?"

Anna doesn't have a response to that. Truthfully, she doesn't know why Elsa did that, or what she was thinking when she did. It still hurts, a little, but Anna's mostly gotten over it. She's doing really well in Norwegian, and can read children's books in it and understand (most) of what's going on. She has more difficulty with nouns than anything else – she doesn't have the vocabulary to be able to understand what's going on right off the bat, but if given a chance – and a dictionary – to work it out, it's actually not too hard.

She tries to explain to Kristoff that she doesn't care about French, but he's obviously unimpressed. Anna doesn't care about that either.

"She's my friend, Kris," she says instead. Kristoff shrugs.

"How do you know she won't do it again?"

Anna thinks back to everything she's learnt. She thinks of Belle and the diary, and realises that she can't actually tell him any of this. She can't tell anyone because it's not really for her to tell.

So instead she just shrugs again. "I believe in her," she says, and ends the conversation.

Nevertheless, Kristoff's words plague her over the next few days. She doesn't want to think of Elsa as a boastful, horrible person, but she can't think of any reason that the girl would have showed off her perfect result unless she wanted to insult or hurt. After several days of wrestling with herself, wondering what she should do, Anna decides to go the simplest route of all: ask.

Elsa's saving her seat in the cafeteria when she wanders up. She's reading a book, sort of, but the title is in Norwegian and Anna can only understand the word hunden.

"I have a question," she starts when she sits down. "And like... I'm not angry or anything, just curious."

Elsa raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say a word. There's some form of fear, flickering in her eyes, but she doesn't stop her from listening to what Anna has to say – a fact that the redhead appreciates more than she'd let on.

"You um... that French mark. Why did you do it...?"

Elsa's head cocks, and she frowns. "Why did I... pass?" she questions, and Anna has a brief moment of wondering if Elsa was the stupidest smart person she's ever had the pleasure of meeting, because wow that really was quite dense. She shakes her head, and lets out a long-suffering sigh.

"No, I mean... why'd you show me your marks? After you saw mine?"

Elsa's eyes widen, and she seems to chew on her words before she replies. "I wanted to... help..." she finally admits, voice soft enough that it almost passes undetected in the hubbub of the cafeteria. "I... didn't want to approach you. I couldn't. But I... wanted you to talk to me. I thought that if you thought I could help your French, you'd say something..."

Anna just looks at her. Elsa colours, realising how stupid the idea was in the first place.

"I can... see how that failed," she says, biting her lip and looking down. She only pulls her eyes from her lap when Anna's hand rests on hers.

"Hey," Anna says, smiling. "It's okay. I knew it wouldn't be anything bad."

And she doesn't mention it again.

Anna doesn't have a pool, which is kind of a problem. She suggests having their private lessons at the not-so-private public swimming pool, and while Elsa isn't super happy about that, it's not like they have any other options. Anna's not actually a swimming teacher, really, so she isn't like, a pro or anything, but it helps to know that all they have to do is get Elsa swimming better. Good enough to pass.

The 'better' part is easy because... well, she sucks. Good enough to pass? That's... going to be a challenge.

Elsa's not sure what Anna's got planned. She isn't really sure what's going to happen, and she finds herself stressing the morning of, trying to find a swimming outfit. She has no idea what Anna will be wearing – the school swimming uniform or her own – and she can't help but wonder about after. Are they just gonna meet up and do their thing, and then part ways, or will Anna want to like... "hang"?

She's brought a twenty-dollar note just in case, plus some coins to get into the facility. She also packed both her school swimming outfit and her own personal one, and she's pretty glad she made that decision because by the time she arrives, a few minutes after the agreed time, Anna's already waiting for her.

In a bikini.

Oh god.

Elsa can't do this. She- she's going to make a complete fool of herself. Anna will laugh and she'll probably drown. Dying of humiliation – what a way to go.

She's body-shy, absolutely, and wow she is very definitely not-straight because she's finding it embarrassingly difficult not to stare at Anna. Her throat dries right up, a lump forming, and she can't bring herself to continue on.

But then Anna smiles, all soft and warm, and Elsa feels her heart slow down. No longer does it thunder in her chest; the stampede slows from a gallop to a canter, and then to a trot as Anna approaches her.

"How- have you been waiting long?" Elsa asks. Anna shakes her head, pigtails flying.

"Nah. Plus, I figure, we've got all the time in the world, so..." she shrugs, unfazed. Elsa just stares. It's not until Anna raises an eyebrow, glancing between Elsa's eyes and the bag, that she realises.

"Oh-oh! I should, er, go and get changed." And with that, she's off; grateful, actually, to be turning away from Anna, if only to hide the redness that's sure to have infected her cheeks.

She emerges ten minutes later, wearing a hat and her togs. Not the school one – not now that she's seen what Anna's wearing. She's still not confident enough to rock her own bikini, and before today, her two-piece didn't faze her.

Now... now it just feels childish.

A small strip of skin is visible between the bottoms and the top; she sucks in her stomach when she heads towards Anna, even though she's also got her arms crossed in front of her.

Anna's sitting on one of the plastic chairs, applying her sunscreen. With her bent down to rub it into her calves, Elsa gets a really nice view of her cleavage.

Something twinges in her stomach and she looks away immediately. The last thing she needs is for Anna to catch her staring and get uncomfortable.

But then she looks down at her own small chest. No wonder no one's ever asked what a seventeen-year-old is doing in the fifteen-year-olds' classes. She looks so young, and not in the good way.

Fortunately, that train of thought is quickly put to a stop because Anna finishes up applying her own suncream and offers it to Elsa. Biting her lip, Elsa puts it on as quick as possible. She wants to get into the water, if only so Anna can't look at her anymore. Which is sad, she supposes, but it's not like she can help it all that much.

As soon as she's done, she steps towards the pool. They've got a little table in the shade for all their stuff, and she trusts that it'll be safe there.

She completely forgets for a moment about her earlier concern with her swimming costume, but then Anna says, "Cute outfit, Els," with that same cheeky smile...

Elsa's no longer fearful that her cause of death would be drowning. Something along the lines of sheer mortification seems about right.

The lesson, as Elsa predicted, is a bit of a shamble. She just can't get the motion down, and whenever Anna touches her to help, she just... freezes up. Her mind wanders to some entirely inappropriate places and she hates her sexuality in this moment because it makes everything super weird and uncomfortable. And the worst part is that Anna has absolutely no idea. It feels... it feels like she's using her, even though Elsa has absolutely no reason to feel this way.

But every time Anna touches her – or every time she brushes against Anna, hand or arm sliding against her smooth skin – she just wants more. She wants to hug and hold and be held, and that's the scariest thing of all. Anna's not interested in her; she just wants to be friends. That should be good enough.

It is good enough, she keeps reminding herself.

So they splash about for about an hour, until Elsa starts getting too tired to even keep herself appropriately buoyant. Anna, on the other hand, seems to have boundless energy. When Elsa clambers from the pool, Anna excuses herself just to do a few quick laps and it's impossible not to watch.

Elsa tells herself that she's just... observing her technique, even though she's really just observing Anna. Where the redhead is clumsy and uncoordinated on land, she really seems to be more in control in the water. Vaguely, Elsa wishes swimming lessons had been mandatory in her childhood; but, in Norway, it really wasn't very important. Unless it was in a heated pool, swimming wasn't really a leisure activity.

When Anna finally rejoins her by the table, she's out of breath and a little red. Elsa's not sure if it's just from the exertion or sunburn. She already knows that she's probably burnt. Already her nose feels sensitive.

"Do you wanna get some food?" Anna asks as she approaches, water dripping from her skin. The same twinge from earlier is back, and this time, Elsa can't help but look. Anna doesn't have abs; her stomach is all soft and smooth, protruding just the smallest amount. She looks... she looks really good. She's rocketed from her thoughts when Anna reaches around her for the towel, and all too soon, she's covered up.

Immediately, Elsa ducks her head, cheeks and ears reddening. She shouldn't have done that.

But perhaps Anna didn't notice because she says nothing other than a repeat of her question. Now that she's not distracted, Elsa has the faculties to actually think of an answer. When she does, a soft, "Sure," spilling from her lips, she realises that it's more than that.

She doesn't feel as anxious as she would have expected, given what she had just seen. Her heart has already calmed, and though there's an inexplicable urge to pull Anna close and hug her, it's easily quashed and pushed to the back of her mind. The idea is enough to relax her, and she smiles. The one Anna returns to her is just as bright and beautiful as the girl herself.

They pack up their stuff and head to the bathroom to get changed. It smells like chlorine and Elsa almost wants to get changed in the open – prove something to herself, and to Anna. She ends up chickening out, but she knew that would happen. It's not really a surprise.

What is a surprise is that she finishes far quicker than Anna, so she excuses herself to go outside and ring her mother. If she was going to get food – basically dinner, by this point – with Anna, then she probably won't have enough cash to get home. She's sure her mother wouldn't have an issue if it mean that she was spending time with a friend, particularly if that friend is Anna. Regardless of what her parents think, or don't think, about her sexuality, it's undeniable that they do like Anna, and Idunn especially seems convinced that she's good for Elsa.

But on the subject of her sexuality... it's not really a topic she knows how to broach with her parents, mostly because it brings up sad memories, but also because it just feels so incredibly awkward. That, and she doesn't really have the words to describe how she feels when she sees a pretty girl, or hears their laugh. When they smile at her or when she imagines hugging, kissing, going further with them.

It's like someone's bottled happiness and doused her in it. Like a fire, smouldering gently in her stomach and warming every part of her.

Anna rejoins her not long after, and it becomes immediately obvious why she took so long. Instead of just getting dressed into a t-shirt and jeans, like Elsa, she's got a dress on. A pretty dress. It's light and bright and looks absolutely gorgeous on her. Her hair isn't dry but it's neat. Elsa, by comparison, feels a little bit like a slob. She just stares, dumbstruck for a moment because geez her emotions can't handle much more of this today. Fuck liking girls; she just wants a normal friendship.

"Ready to go?" Anna asks as soon as she's by Elsa's side. All Elsa can do is nod dumbly as Anna links their arms together. "I figure there's a nice little café not far from here, if you don't mind a walk?"

Walking with Anna? Not at all...

They find themselves at a little place called The Happy Kitten Cat Café and honestly the last thing Anna expected was for their little town to have a cat café. Apparently it's new, though, and all the kittens and cats are available for adoption. It smells like coffee and there's a selection of cakes in the window on the counter, and it actually has a pretty decent lunch-slash-dinner menu. Anna absolutely wants to skip straight to dessert, but when Elsa orders first – a chicken schnitzel burger with bacon and cheese, and a side of chips with aioli – she reconsiders.

"I can have dessert afterwards," she says, trying not to let the disappointment colour her tone too much. It brings a small laugh out of Elsa, which makes it all better. She ends up getting excited over a carbonara, and when her tummy rumbles she knows that having dessert last was a good idea.

Elsa's meal comes out first, and with nothing better to do, Anna just watches her friend eat. She tries not to be weird about it, and she probably succeeds because Elsa doesn't say anything or look at her weird.

She doesn't even seem to notice Anna watching her.

It's stupid, Anna thinks as Elsa dips a chip into her aioli and takes a bite of it. It shouldn't be this amazing radical thing, watching Elsa eat a burger. It's just... it's not really a food she associated with Elsa anyway. Elsa makes jeans and a t-shirt seem classy, so watching her be all sort of... casual? It's a head spinner.

Elsa just carries herself with such grace and sophistication that Anna finds it hard to keep up. So she wore a nice dress just in an effort not to be upstaged – Elsa probably doesn't want to be seen with someone who doesn't seem to care. The last thing Anna wants is for Elsa to be embarrassed to be seen with her.

Not that Elsa's even taking much notice. She's munching happily on her burger, being distracted by the cats. They're not the only two in the café at the moment, but there are a lot of cats. One jumps up next to Anna and gives her a fright. It brings a smile to Elsa's face, so she can't be too upset about it.

Her own meal comes out not long after but, contrary to her usual table manners, Anna doesn't scoff it down as fast as possible. Truly, most of her attention is still on Elsa. She's been given cutlery but she hasn't used it at all! Watching Elsa pick up her food between her dainty hands and take a humungous bite is a memory Anna will treasure forever – made only better by the fact that as she puts it down, there's a dab of sauce on her upper lip.

Anna has a vague notion to wipe it away. She doesn't, because that would be weird, but neither does she deny the fact that she had the thought in the first place.

So while most of her attention is on Elsa, that's not the only reason for her eating slower than usual. It's just... she wants the day to last. Even though it's getting late and the sun will be setting soon, she doesn't want to part ways just yet. This is the first time they've really spent any time together since the... incident... and Anna's determined to make the best of it as she can.

It helps that after their meal, they can pet the cats and waste some time doing that.

Predictably, Elsa finishes first. Anna knows that she's being watched and tries her best not to be a grub. It's hard, with pasta, because it kind of goes everywhere. Fuck, this was a bad idea. Especially when it flicks up and some sauce definitely lands on her cheek. Mortified, she tries to rub it away as best she can. It seems like she succeeds, too.

And then one of the cats comes up to her and starts licking her cheek.

Blushing red, it takes a moment to realise that Elsa is actually... laughing. At her. But not the mean 'laughing at someone', no, this is different. Her eyes are full of mirth and she covers her mouth in the quirky way she does, like she's trying to hide it.

She shouldn't. She has a beautiful laugh, and Anna's certain it looks just as pretty, too.

When she tries to shoo the cat away, Elsa stops her laughing to let out a little coo and encourage it over to her. The turd turns back just long enough to glare at Anna before he's rubbing his face all over Elsa's. By the time Anna finishes her food, he's sitting in her lap, purring as Elsa gently strokes up the centre of his nose and behind his ears. The last thing Anna wants to do is interrupt, so she just watches for a while. Until Elsa notices she's being watched and looks up, guilt hovering in her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm wasting time, huh?"

"Pshh." Anna brushes off the apology with a wave of her hand. "It's fine. Kitty looks very comfortable there." Looking down, Anna sees the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, he does..."

She's struck in that moment just how... lonely Elsa seems. She hasn't ever spoken directly of her life in Norway, and perhaps there's a very good reason for it. She hasn't ever mentioned Belle to Anna, either, though that didn't stay a secret. Anna shouldn't even technically know about the other girl, really. There's a reason Elsa has kept knowledge of her so guarded.

Elsa texts her dad not long after, asking if he can pick them up. Anna would have done it herself but her father has a night shift and her brother is at a friend's. She doesn't mention a mother and Elsa doesn't ask.

So, ten minutes later they're waking the kitten up and thanking the café staff. The cat watches them all the way to the door, and Anna notices Elsa pause to look at it once more before she leaves. She's not really surprised that Elsa has bonded with it; she's always seemed more like a cat person than a dog person.

And more an animal person than a people person...

Agdar doesn't take long to arrive in his nice sedan. When he asks if Anna's father is unwell, Elsa realises that he's genuinely concerned; he's not asking why he had to pick them up when Mr Sommers could have done it himself.

"He's got work, unfortunately," Anna says. "Lucky I've already eaten." She's got a smile on her face and genuinely doesn't seem to mind; even so, Agdar gives a subtle frown. Elsa's not much happier.

Her father's at work and her brother is at a friend's for a sleepover. Perhaps... perhaps she should ask Anna if she wants to sleepover, too?

It can't hurt to ask, she decides, so what the hell?

Once they've arrived at Anna's place, the redhead halfway to her door, Elsa leans forward to ask her father.

"Kan Anna bli over i kveld? Hennes far har en sen skift, og hun burde ikke være hjemme alene." Can Anna stay over tonight? Her father has a late shift and she shouldn't be home alone.

Perhaps it's the desperation on her eyes that convinces Agdar, or the fact that their relationship is still struggling a little, and this would help.

Maybe it's just because he really does like Anna and he does believe with every inch himself that she's good for Elsa; so, with a small smile, he nods.

Smiling wider than she could remember in months, Elsa wrenches open her door and sprints towards Anna's. It's already shut so she has to wait for Anna to come back before she can ask, a little breathless, if she wants to spend the night.

She tries not to smile as she asks, tries not to give away just how much it would mean if she said yes. She wants Anna to agree because she truly wants to.

At first, Anna just looks a little confused. Likely because it's a school night and they've only ever had one sleepover and it's not like it went fantastic then, either.

But Anna grins and nods, biting her lip.

"Come and help me pack, then," she says. Elsa turns to the car to give her father a thumbs up before following Anna into her home.

Anna's room is even messier than last time, though Elsa supposes that it's kind of fair. She wasn't expecting guests.

That being said, she doesn't seem particularly embarrassed; not by the bras and panties strewn about the carpeted floor, nor the plates on the desk and the rubbish littered around it. Anna was just not a particularly clean girl. At least she didn't smell, and she did have a laundry basket.

"Why do you have a basket if you don't put your clothes in there?" Elsa asks, looking more directly at a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. At least the underwear seems clean. Anna just shrugs at her.

"If they stay on the floor long enough, they'll get dirty enough to wash."

Elsa doesn't really have a response for that, so she doesn't bother trying.

"What do you think I need?" Anna asks. She has her schoolbag, and Elsa trusts that it has everything in it that she needs – Anna isn't really the type of person to pull things out of her bag unless entirely necessary.

"Oh, just some clothes, I suppose. Perhaps text your father?"

Anna nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, and I'll let Mrs Silverman know that I'm at yours in case something happens with 'the brother'." She says the last words with barely-concealed annoyance, but then when she catches Elsa's eye, she gives an impish grin.

"He... means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Elsa asks. Anna pauses her rifling through her duchess to think for a moment.

"Of course he does," she says. "He's my brother. And after Ma-" She cuts herself off, and it's not as though she has to talk about it, but now Elsa definitely is curious. She'd never make Anna talk about something she didn't want to, though. That'd be a rather large double-standard and she's not willing to make Anna angry at her by probing too much. Whatever the answer, it doesn't matter too much.

They only take about ten minutes to get all her stuff – she almost forgets her toothbrush, but Elsa's there to remind her before they manage to get out the front door. Agdar had been patiently waiting for them, and Elsa realises for the first time that she has Anna to blame for improving her relationship with her father. Without her influence... she doubted they would ever have changed.

Idunn seems more than happy to see Anna as she walks in the front door. The whole house smells like something warm and cooking and Anna's a little upset that she's actually full from lunch. Elsa says something to her parents in Norwegian that Anna misses most of it because she's not really concentrating. In any case, they end up bypassing the kitchen entirely to head towards the living room and then down the hall.

Anna's never seen Elsa's bedroom, but just like watching her friend eat today, it's not entirely what she expected.

The walls are a pale purple, almost blue. They go with the bedspread, which is a pastel shade that Anna can't really identify. It's purple, too, but not the same kind of purple as the walls. Brighter. Atop it is a giant stuffed reindeer, and she would have laughed had Elsa not seemed incredibly upset that it was sitting out and rushed to throw it into her cupboard. Obviously, it meant a lot to her, even if she doesn't want to share that with Anna. And that's okay.

So she doesn't laugh. She just says that it's cute and looks nice and then suggests that they watch a movie or something because they might as well. Elsa's more than happy to oblige.

When Elsa awakens the next day, she's not too sure what's happening. She's warm – warmer than usual – and she feels surprisingly well-rested. Her shoulders definitely feel burnt from the swimming, but not super tender, which is good. Either way, the temperature isn't a bad one and she's a little miffed when it shifts, disturbing her sleep further. Her alarm hasn't gone off yet and she doesn't want to get up.

She burrows her face into her pillow for a moment, drinking in the warmth and aroma before her eyes burst open and she rolls away so fast she almost topples off the bed.

Anna. Not a pillow, Anna, lying asleep next to her. The redhead grumbles a little when Elsa moves away, but she doesn't stir. A glance at her phone tells Elsa that she still has an hour before most people even begin to consider waking up.

Picking herself up off the floor, she grabs her laptop from where it lies beside her bed – evidently where she'd put it after they'd finished their movie – and sneaks out to the living room. She turns the coffee machine on and slumps on the couch.

Her first instinct is to just... bury it. Forget what had happened or brush it off. It is true that many girls have sleepovers – and they're used as a friendship strengthening activity!

But... none of the girls in her books were... like her. There was no girl in The Sleepover Club who liked her friends the way Elsa did.

Sucking in a breath, she tries to push that thought from her mind. She hasn't ruined anything. Hopefully Anna doesn't even realise. Closing her eyes to allow a moment of calmness to seep in, she opens her laptop and lets it reboot. Decides what exactly she's going to do.

As soon as it loads, she opens up Skype. Apparently Belle is online, but she's learned not to trust the little cloud, so she types out the message without any expectation of a reply.

"Tu me manques," it begins with. "J'espère que tu vas bien?" I miss you. I hope you've been well?"

She pauses then for a moment and thinks. She genuinely does hope Belle has been happy, but for that to have happened, everything needs to be okay with her boyfriend. And Elsa... hopes he's happy, too.

It still stings, just a little bit. She still misses Belle, but it no longer feels like her world is ending. Perhaps this is what moving on feels like: sending heartfelt messages of happiness at five-thirty in the morning while... while another girl sleeps in her bed.

That last thought is what sours her mood, and she doesn't even really have a reason for it.

"Anna est fantastique. Elle n'est pas toi, bien sûr, mais elle illumine toujours ma journée. Je pense que vous deux deviendriez rapidement des amis."

Anna has been fantastic. She's not you, of course, but she still brightens my day. I think you two would become fast friends.

They definitely would get along well, Elsa thinks wryly. Both were insistent that they get to know her even when she didn't want anything to do with them. Both encouraged her to open up. Both of them made her better.

"Et je pense... si ça te conviendrait... je pense qu'elle pourrait être une de mes meilleures amies. Si j'arrête de tout gâcher. J'ai juste... j'ai peur. J'ai peur de perdre et j'ai peur des façons dont je pourrais gagner..."

And I think... if it were okay with you... I think she could be one of my closest friends. If I stop messing up so much. I just... I'm scared. I'm scared to lose you and I'm scared of the ways in which I might gain her...

Biting her lip, she debates her words for a moment before deciding not to delete them. They're honest and truthful and something she needs to tell someone. Doctor Pabbie is kind but he's old and has never experienced how she feels. Belle is far closer, both to Elsa and to understanding.

"Quoi qu'il en soit, tu me manques tellement. La vie en Amérique... après le choc culturel, ce n'est pas vraiment un mauvais endroit. J'espère que vous aurez l'occasion de voir un jour, aussi. "

Anyway, I still miss you so much. Life in America is very different to how I imagined it would be, but after the culture shock, it really isn't a bad place at all. I hope you get to see it one day, too.

She sends the message, and as soon as she knows it's gone through, she closes the computer lid. The coffee maker has finished by now, so she pours herself a glass. Adds some sugar and foregoes the milk, but she leaves the machine on so it keeps the pot warm. Perhaps Anna would like one later?

It's still only early when she finishes it, and so she only has a few options. Go back to sleep, on either the couch or next to Anna, or she can begin getting ready for the day.

... When she returns to her bedroom, she makes sure to keep the door open, just in case.

Anna's still in the same place, but she's not quite asleep. She looks up at Elsa, bleary-eyed.

"What're you doin'?" she asks, sleep infecting every syllable.

"Oh, I just woke up early-"

"Too early," Anna grumbles. "Now... c'mere and hush." When Elsa pauses, she beckons her over more fiercely. "Too early," she complains again. "Don't make me get up and grab you."

Elsa lifts an eyebrow at the threat, but truthfully, she doesn't want to fight Anna over this.

She's just as warm as before, and it completely encompasses Elsa as she's pulled into a tight embrace. She might regret this later, but for now... it's nice.

Elsa still refuses to go near Punz and Kristoff, and Anna can't quite figure out why. They're nice people! And Elsa is nice people, too, so logically they should all get along.

Neither Punz nor Kristoff actually help, though. Both seem more than happy not having to deal with Elsa, which stings a little because Anna knows she hasn't traditionally been the best judge of character – she did date Hans (did a bit more than that with him, too) – but Elsa's not like that. She needs her friends to all like each other because isn't that the most important thing in high school? Solidarity?

But it doesn't work that way. Kristoff thinks she's wasting her time, helping Elsa with swimming, and Punz still remembers how devastated Anna had been that morning in the bathroom.

Anna knows this and she loves and appreciates the fact that they care, but she also needs their trust, and right now, it's like they don't trust her to be able to make her own informed decisions. True, they weren't privy to as much sensitive information about Elsa as she had been, but that made little difference in the grand scheme of things. They ought to trust her because that's what friends do!

When she'd argued that, they'd grudgingly accepted the truth in her words, but neither made any move to actually be overtly friendly to Elsa.

"If she approaches us, fine," Kristoff had told her one day after she cornered him about it, "But I don't need to go out of my way to make her feel better when she hurt you so bad, Anna."

"But I'm fine," she'd argued. It was pointless. Punz was much the same, even though she'd occasionally send Elsa a smile if Anna were around.

Harder still, though, was in getting Elsa to approach them. Perhaps if she'd just apologise to them directly, they'd forgive her and all would be good. But Elsa's own moral beliefs got in the way on that front: she knew her mistakes and was happy to own up to them, but she had not hurt either Kristoff or Punz. Thus, there was no reason for her to apologise. She had Anna's forgiveness, so why would she seek any from people who had no need to give it to her?

The side effect was, though, that occasionally Elsa would be left alone. Anna refused to forsake her friends for Elsa – though Elsa had never asked her to. On those days she simply pulled a book out and kept reading. Anna was tempted to ask to borrow one, but she didn't want to spoil the fact that she was learning the language.

Not even Kristoff or Punz knew, and she wanted to keep it that way.

They end up developing a routine, of sorts. Every Tuesday and Sunday afternoon, they go to the local pool and have a swimming lesson. Elsa slowly gets better, but the bar for 'good' is pretty low for her. She knows it, Anna knows it. At least Ariel doesn't make her sit out anymore.

Then, afterward, they would go to the cat café. Instead of a meal they often just had a sweet, in part because Anna always wanted one, but also because they usually had dinner plans afterward, too.

The same cat that Elsa pet the first time returns and sits with her, and Anna wishes they could take him home. But she doesn't have the money and she doesn't know if Elsa's parents would actually let her get a pet. Maybe it would help her open up. She's undeniably calmer after sitting for a while with the kitty – even the animal seems happier!

On those days, Anna's father often works late, so she goes back to Elsa's where she'll have dinner. If her father finishes early enough, he'll pick her up on the way home; if not, she'll spend the night.

Elsa's been very careful since that first night to always make sure she has the couch set up. Not for Anna, but for herself. As comfortable as it was, she can't let it happen again. It's unbecoming – especially when she can't work up the courage to tell Anna that she's actually... the way she is. It's not fair on Anna to share a bed with someone like that, especially unknowingly.

On Fridays, Elsa actually goes to Anna's. It's a thank-you from Mr Sommers, hosting her for dinner, but also just a good excuse to spend more time with her. Belle did end up responding, and her words of soft encouragement were more than enough to convince Elsa to just.. go with it. Not to pursue anything, because she's certainly not ready for that (plus, who's to say that Anna even wanted that?) but enough to just let her be friends with her and if something were to develop between them – something mutual – then Elsa's certainly not going to fight it.

It's about halfway through the semester that Elsa becomes bold: she asks Anna about her relationship with Hans. How it began, how it felt. She means to ask more than that but Anna begins answering before she can finish.

It's a Friday night and she's positioned on Anna's trundle-bed. The house is quiet and it's most definitely after midnight. Anna shifts around in her sleep a lot and it ends up keeping Elsa up. It makes little difference, and secretly, she'd rather be in this room unable to sleep than be out on the living room couch on her own.

So Anna's struggling to stay still and Elsa's struggling to sleep because of it so to compensate she just.. comes out and asks. And she regrets it a little at the time but Anna's always willing to talk and be open so she can't feel too bad.

"He asked me out," she says, after a long and drawn-out sigh. "Made a huge deal of it. Made me feel special."

Elsa wants to interject, say that Anna's always special, no matter what, but she knows that now isn't the most appropriate time.

"It was great, at first. He was nice and splurged and bought me things. Honestly, I just liked it when he kissed me, or hugged me. I didn't really care about the stuff he gave me. I was pretty blind to how much of a dickwad he was. Until you came, I mean." She lets out another sigh here, and Elsa has a vague feeling that she's being looked at. "I guess I broke up with him by punching him in the face, heh." There's a little laugh, and even Elsa can't help but smile at Anna's memory, even if, for her, it wasn't nearly as pleasant.

The sound also gives her the courage to speak her mind, say the words right on the tip of her lips.

"Did you sleep with him?"

The words are out before Elsa can bite them back, and for the first time that night, Anna's completely still. So is Elsa, for her part. She lies there, staring towards Anna in the dark, completely mortified.

"Els-"

"I'm sorry," she rushes. "You don't- please don't answer that..."

God what was she thinking? Why would she even ask that?

But she knows why. Anna's younger, but she seems so much more mature. So much more worldly. Elsa wants to know everything about her, wants to know about things that she hasn't yet experienced herself.

There's a deep sigh from the other bed, and finally Anna moves again. It sounds like she's rolling over, but Elsa doesn't know which side she was originally facing. The idea that she made Anna turn away hurts, but she definitely deserves it after such a question.

"I mean, I don't mind telling you," she says, and honestly Elsa almost misses it for how quietly she speaks. It seems like she's turned to look more fully towards the trundle bed, so that panic vanishes. "But you said don't answer. Do you want to know?"

Swallowing, Elsa thinks about it. She knows her answer already but what does it reveal about herself? Would Anna judge her? Hah, that was a silly idea – she just asked a fifteen-year-old about sex. She was already being judged.

But Anna wasn't just any fifteen-year-old, she was also Elsa's friend. So, biting the inside of her cheek for a second, Elsa slowly nods. "If- if you don't mind..."

The silence stretches long between them. With each passing second, Elsa regrets her request more and more. It's obviously a sensitive topic – and since when did she have the right to ask so much of Anna when she holds onto her own secrets, hiding them away so she might protect them.

She's about to speak, to tell Anna that she doesn't have to answer and that she's sorry, when there's a breath from the other bed, and then a word.

"...Yes..."

Already, Elsa can feel her heart sinking, for no apparent reason. She'd asked, and she should have known. There's no purpose for her feeling bad, so why did she?

"Do you hate me?"

The words are whispered and small, and it makes Elsa feel even worse because she doesn't know what she feels. Hatred? ... no. No, she doesn't hate Anna, not at all. So she says so, but Anna's still too quiet and unmoving for her to think that her words really penetrated.

"I don't hate you, Anna," she repeats, and that does something. Even in the near-blackness, she can see and hear Anna sit up in her bed.

"It was months ago now," she says, even though Elsa hadn't asked. She sits up too, a motion of solidarity more than anything. "Before you got here. Dad was at work and we were just watching a movie or something. And then he started kissing me and I liked it. It was one of those... those breathless ones, where you're kissed to within an inch of your life and you just want more and more and more-" She chokes here, and with a start Elsa realises she's crying.

Fuck and now she's upset Anna. Slowly, so she doesn't surprise her friend, she climbs up onto Anna's bed and sits next to her. It's the first moment she's ever felt older, which is ironic because Anna's talking about something she hadn't even tried yet.

As soon as she's close enough, Anna twists so she can have a hug. Elsa returns it gladly, squeezing as hard as she can. Pressure always helped her when she was having a rough moment or a panic attack. She could only hope it would help Anna, too.

"It got really... heavy really fast. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it but he had the stuff, y'know, and I thought it was the nicest thing ever, so I agreed. We came back in here and it felt good at the time, I guess. Hurt like a bitch but that's normal, right? Didn't last long but that's on him, not me.

"Anyway, he didn't hang around for too much longer after that. Had plans or something. And the next week the whole football team knew what happened and I was just so embarrassed and devastated. He said it was an accident – he told one guy for 'advice' or something – and that dude must have spilled the beans. I don't believe him, but what can you do?"

Elsa sits there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. If she and Belle had ever gotten to that stage, she knowsthat it would have been different. It would have been nice and meaningful.

Beautiful.

And Anna won't ever get a redo, either. You don't get to retry your first time. So all Elsa can really do is offer hushed apologies and consolations.

"One day you're going to find a guy who loves you for you; who appreciates everything about you, not just your body."

Perhaps the darkness made everything seem bigger, because when Anna pauses, it seemed as though the world stopped with her. Her next question ends up sucking all the air from Elsa's lungs.

"A guy?"

She recovers as well as she could in the circumstances, and just hugs her friend tighter. "Whoever you want. If they deserve you, you'll know."

They end up falling asleep, entangled on Anna's bed, and this time, Elsa doesn't really care.

There's two weeks until the swimming test. Elsa has been... doing a little better than Anna had guessed she would, but there's no way she's a pro swimmer. She sincerely doubts that Elsa would feel entirely comfortable in the water, but at this point, she's more trusting that she won't drown. Even Ariel seems happier.

The only one who doesn't seem very confident is Elsa, despite Anna's insistence that she's actually doing pretty good.

"You've got the freestyle down," she argues, "And breaststroke!" She doesn't say that both are just slightly too close to doggy-paddling to be very effective, but as long as it looks like she knows what she's doing and can actually not-drown, it'll be fine.

Anna knows it'll be devastating if Elsa can't pass this. And not fair. She does know how to swim, it's just backstroke. As soon as the slightest bit of water lands on Elsa's face, she panics and stops. It gives them something to work on, but with only two weeks, neither girl is feeling very safe.

If she's drowning the last thing she's going to try and do is backstroke out of the situation.

It's also hard for Elsa because it's the one stroke that requires Anna to get close and personal. She continues wearing the bikini and Elsa doesn't have the courage to ask her to change. Plus, she's comfortable in it, and it does look nice.

The alternative is to tell Anna about herself; her preference for the fairer sex, which includes Anna in her bikinied glory.

But Elsa knows she's never going to have the courage for that, so she doesn't bother even entertaining the idea.

She doesn't want to ruin another friendship. Her only friendship. And she would, she can guarantee it. Even if Anna accepted her – and truthfully, she does believe that would be the case. Anna is a very accepting person, after all – it doesn't mean that it wouldn't become weird and strained between them. What would become of their lessons? Of their sleepovers? Anna would likely spend less time around her; reduce contact because isn't that normally what would cause a crush to pass?

And that's not even to say that Elsa does have a crush on her. But it seems as though all straight girls thought that lesbians had the hots for them. Not that Anna would think that but-

Shaking her head, Elsa pauses to take a breath. She can't let this take over her life. There are too many variables and it was impossible to predict how Anna would react so she would just have to keep trucking as best as she could and let the chips fall where they may.

It occurs to her that the thought doesn't send her into a panic attack anymore, and she lets herself be proud for a moment. Where once the idea would have caused her to break, now she can plan out the right moment to reveal all without becoming too afraid.

She can't keep it a secret forever; she knows this. But, there was no reason why she had to reveal everything now, anyway. Perhaps... perhaps after the swimming. Her birthday was coming up. Maybe she could invite Anna out somewhere and tell her then?

Oh, but if she said no... that wasn't really something she wanted on her birthday...

So she buries the feelings instead, just for now.

Anna's friendship is so much more important.

Finally the day of the swimming test comes. It's really stupid, Elsa thinks, and she knows Anna agrees with her. They go in groups of seven or eight, randomly picked by the teacher, to swim the laps. Anna's in one of the first groups to go. As soon as they're done they're allowed to get changed, and by the time she returns, Elsa hasn't had her turn yet.

Anna gets the feeling that it's on purpose, but Elsa seems to be a bit too stressed out to notice.

Sometimes other people come over to watch their friends, but given that it's basically free time, most people are just hanging out in the shade with their phones, waiting for their friends to join them.

Anna doesn't. She goes up close to Elsa to stand with her while they wait for her name to get called. She's anxious, and Anna's not really all that surprised. She'd made leaps and bounds in improving her swimming but whether it would be good enough for the teachers was another matter entirely.

And Elsa knew it.

They hadn't asked what would happen if she failed, but they didn't really need that hovering over their heads. Elsa had faith that her parents wouldn't be too upset, but they would certainly ask why she hadn't told them.

Mostly she just didn't want to be laughed at again. She was already so out of place, and though it was easier to ignore than it had once been, Elsa's preference was still to... fit in. Whatever that meant.

But finally, her name is called, rousing her from her thoughts. There are only a few other girls, and before she moves away, she feels Anna squeeze her hand for good luck.

She's going to need it.

Anna sits on one of the pool seats, watching intently. Right from the start, she can see Elsa floundering. She doesn't have a solid start, and it all goes downhill from there. She's slow and wonky and keeps hitting the side barrier and having to realign.

But... she doesn't fail it. She manages to do the lap of backstroke she's supposed to and not stop or sink or do any of the things required to fail. And maybe she notices too – or she just sees Anna's big grin – because she gets more confident.

It makes a world of difference.

Of course, the other girls have finished their laps before she's even halfway through her second, but that's okay. They don't even mutter under their breaths or anything; they just get up and start heading towards the showers after finding out their result.

That throws Elsa off a little, and both Anna and Ariel can see her try harder and not do as well. She tries to swim faster than she's able, and by the time she finishes her lap she's out of breath and sputtering. Anna makes a quick trip towards her, leaning down to urge her to take her time.

"It's not a race," she says softly, smiling. Elsa doesn't return it.

"No, I would have lost it ages ago anyway," she says, voice sour and sad. Anna shakes her head.

"You're doing great," she insists. "Focus on that."

Waiting for her to nod, Anna backs away. She doesn't return to the seat; instead, she stands next to Ariel to watch Elsa complete the rest of her laps.

Ten minutes after starting, the poor girl is out of breath and exhausted, struggling to even get out of the pool. But, she's also finished. Anna rushes forward to help her up, and Ariel follows. When she's finally standing up and still, a heavy silence falls.

Has she passed? What will happen if she doesn't? They both stand there, backs to the pool and facing Ariel with most definitely something akin to desperate hope on their faces.

"So..." Anna prompts when Ariel doesn't begin. She can feel Elsa trembling beside her and it's more than just the cold.

"Elsa," Ariel begins, and already the both of them have a sinking feeling. Elsa's gaze falls and she looks towards the ground while Anna bites her bottom lip and watches her friend fight back tears.

"You passed."

"Hva?" Elsa's head jerks up, tears still beading at her eyes. She looks between Ariel and Anna, and it takes another assurance from the instructor before her words truly sink in.

"I... I passed?" she whispers, before turning to Anna. "I passed!"

And with no warning at all, she throws her arms around Anna in a gleeful hug that quickly becomes panicked as Anna loses her balance.

In a flash, they both go tumbling into the pool, a mixture of splashes and shrieks. Anna surfaces first, but doesn't have to help a floundering Elsa. As soon as they're both clinging onto the side of the pool, Elsa looks at her, eyes wide.

She doesn't have a chance to speak because Ariel is leaning down and holding out her hand. They make their way to the bathrooms, and it's not until they're inside the darkened room that something becomes obvious.

Anna was in her clothes, and now she's sopping wet.

When it becomes apparent, Elsa just looks even more upset. And really, it's not that bad. It's not the middle of winter so at least she's not going to freeze to death or anything.

But then Elsa surprises her by pulling out a second pair of clothes. Anna just looks at her for a moment, confused. "Why do you have spare clothes?" she asks, and Elsa bites her lips and shrugs.

"From when... Hans..." she starts, and she doesn't need to finish. Anna knows what she's going to say. The guilt gnaws at her, and she realises that while she expected an apology from Elsa for her actions, she'd never actually returned it. So, putting the clothes down on one of the drier benches, she steps close and looks her friend squarely in the eyes.

"I'm sorry about that," she says. "I was angry and confused, but I never should have let him do that to you. I should have tried to stop it, or help, or something."

Elsa gives a small smile. "Yeah, but if you had, maybe I wouldn't have some clothes for you now?" she asks. And it's forgiveness, Anna knows. Elsa's not truly upset or angry anymore, and if Elsa doesn't want to blame her, then she shouldn't blame herself.

So she just grabs the clothes and begins peeling off her wet ones. Elsa doesn't have a spare bra, but it's unlikely it would have fit, anyway. Elsa hasn't gone into the stall this time – no need, when it's only the two of them, she supposes – but she's still turned her back.

Anna's never noticed (never been given the chance to look before, really), but Elsa's... kind of perfect.

In another time, under other circumstances, she would have been the most popular girl in school. She's smart and beautiful and exotic, but she really isn't confident enough for other kids to take notice.

Except for Anna.

Finishing up, it's definitely getting late. The other teachers and kids have dispersed, so it's only Ariel waiting for them now. Elsa gives Anna an odd look when she's finished getting changed, but she can't place it. Isn't sure what it means, and doesn't really want to decipher it.

"Hey," she says as they're leaving. Elsa pauses to look at her. "We should go out to celebrate. Dinner."

"Dinner... with you?" Elsa starts. Her mind leaps far beyond those simple words to imagine an evening with Anna; a restaurant perhaps, together. She'd pay – a treat because Anna deserves as much.

But Anna shrugs. "Oh, we could invite Kristoff and Punz. If... if that's okay? I know they're a little... but really they just need to get to know you! Like I do. I'm sure they'd love you!"

Elsa isn't so sure, but she doesn't want to ruin Anna's good mood. "Sure," she agrees. "When?"

Anna looks at her a moment, a smile playing on her lips. "How about now?"

Thirty minutes later sees them all gathered at a local take-out. It's a Friday, which means it's pretty bustling. It also means that most people are getting it to-go and there's actual tables for them to sit at.

Punz and Kristoff are only too happy to come out, and Elsa only realises about five minutes after that Anna hadn't actually told them she'd be joining. They make a good go of it but inevitably she catches one of the glares Kristoff sends towards Anna and realises why.

It doesn't take her long to excuse herself to the bathroom and spend a good ten minutes just hiding.

She shouldn't have hoped the way she had.

Perhaps it's a sign that she really needs to just... work up the courage. Ask Anna out on her own.

She dismisses the thought as soon as it appears. She doesn't need to jeopardise their friendship. What she has is enough, definitely. Next step would be to befriend Kristoff and Punz, but that depended on them.

Even so... she can't help but imagine. Imagine what this evening could have been like if it were just the two of them. A fantasy of shy giggles and stolen looks fills Elsa's mind, appearing on her face as a red blush.

She lets herself imagine what kissing Anna would feel like – would taste like. What she would sound like as Elsa opened her heart and just showed her how much she meant.

Swallowing thickly, she has to use some toilet paper to dab at her eyes. A fantasy; that was all this was. A fantasy from a closest, touch-starved child. Perhaps one day she'd tell Anna, tell her about her feelings towards girls, and her feelings towards Anna.

That moment wouldn't come for a long while.

More than enough time has passed to make it all seem very suspicious, so with a sigh she steps from the bathroom. From here, she can see Anna from across the room. Hear her, too, because her laugh is that loud and light. It cuts through the air like a wind chime and she knows she could listen to it forever.

It's just not fair.

Anna had noticed Elsa taking her time, and she had a feeling she knew the reason. It maybe hadn't been fair but she'd wanted Kristoff and Punz around anyway.

"I just don't like her," he says, as soon as Elsa is out of earshot. Punz bites her lip, saying nothing.

Stealing a quick glance to the bathroom door, Anna retorts with a, "Well I don't give a toss. I like her."

Hearing that, Kristoff closes his eyes and takes a breath. "Anna, I just want you do be happy–"

"No you don't, because if you did, you'd see that I already am."

"Anna do you like her?"

Punz's words hit her like a freight train and everything seems to stop.

"Wha-? Hah, of- of course I like her, she's my friend."

But Punz just stares at her, and it doesn't take long for Anna to crack.

"So what if I do?" she demands, already on the defensive. Neither Punz nor Kristoff speak for a moment and it's obvious that, at least where Kristoff is concerned, he's not really sure what to say.

Punz, on the other hand, seems more like she's just waiting for the right moment to speak; like she's thinking about her words and ensuring they're actually the ones she wants to say.

"I'm not judging, Anna," she says softly. "Not... not about that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just... if you do like girls," Punz says. Anna flinches. "If you do, it's okay and we don't think any different of you. Right Kris?" She nudges his arm and he rushes to agree. "But... Elsa?"

"Why not her?" Anna asks. She feels very small, and she's a little grateful that Elsa's taking her time because she's not sure how she'd face her in this moment.

"She hurt you," Kristoff pipes up. "Really bad. Almost as bad as Hans did, or so it seemed to us–"

"Don't," she snaps, "Don't equate her to him. Elsa is so much better than Hans, even just as a friend. Yeah she hurt me, but we've moved past that. Why can't you?"

"Because you didn't see yourself crying in that bathroom," Punz says softly.

Anna doesn't have words for that, so she just stays silent instead. It seems as though neither Kristoff nor Punz know what else to add – if they even have anything else at all to say – and so the table devolves into silence.

By the time the food comes out, Elsa still hasn't come back. Anna's about to go looking for her when Punz, reaching across the table, stops her.

"If we... if we try and be friends with her, would that help?" she offers. Anna just looks at her for a moment because of course it would. How could it not?

So she smiles and nods. "I really want you to see the good in her like I do," she says. Punz smiles back.

"Well, I certainly see the good outside of her," she quips, and suddenly the tension is gone and Anna is laughing loud and clear through the small restaurant. She has little doubt that they do accept her, and even her feelings for Elsa. They're just scared for her. She can appreciate that.

Her laugh seems almost like a call because soon after, Elsa rejoins them. She's shy and quiet and nervous, but then Punz asks how her burger is and she gets a small smile.

The only interruption – a ring of Elsa's phone – comes towards the end of the dinner, when they've finished the main course and are looking at desserts. She hadn't had to ask her parents for permission to go out to dinner, mostly because of her age but also because she knew that they wouldn't mind, but she had texted them to say she was staying out with friends. Her mother's jeg håper du har det morsomt! meant a lot. Anna had caught sight of it over Elsa's shoulder and had been only a little full of herself when she realised she'd understood every word. The grammar... less so. But she still managed to figure it out!

They hoped Elsa was having fun.

A phone call is different, and though she can identify individual words, none of them make a lot of sense. Fortunately, there's enough long pauses for her to get the gist.

So, when Elsa says, "Jeg liker ikke bursdagskake, og jeg vil ikke ha en bursdagsfest," Anna actually knows what she's talking about. At least, knows what matters. And when she says, in a soft voice, "Jeg har bare en venn," Anna's heart sinks a little.

She says something else after that. A goodbye meant to encourage her mother. She mentions friends again, and the very dinner they're attending at that moment, and soon her mother hangs up. But Anna's still left thinking.

Something about a birthday. Elsa's birthday.

And she only has one friend.

As soon as she puts the phone down, Anna turns to her. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday," she says, and honestly the sheer surprise on Elsa's face is entirely worth it. Even Punz and Kristoff look astounded, but Anna doesn't really care about them at the moment. She's stuck looking at Elsa, whose mouth is a little agape and eyes searching. She recovers quickly, though, but the first thing out of her mouth isn't an answer, but a question.

"You understood?" she asks, voice low. Punz and Kristoff start talking amongst themselves, obviously realising this is a moment for Anna and Elsa. When they stand up from the table, saying something about... hazelnuts... Anna barely acknowledges them leave.

"I-" she begins, before stopping. She hadn't really expected to have to explain herself, which seems stupid now that she thinks about it. What was she supposed to say? She was lonely and wanted another way to connect to Elsa and her culture? That she'd found an ex-girlfriend – the only ex-girlfriend, by the looks of it – and had been given a lot of answers to her questions through her.

In part she was scared of Elsa's reaction. To her, Belle was still... sacred. As far as Elsa was concerned, no one knew about her. No one knew of her relationship or her past and she seemed to like it that way.

But Anna didn't want to keep secrets, so she just said, as clear as possible, "I spoke to Belle and I realised being your friend was important. I wanted to be close to you because you stopped... you stopped talking to me in English, and I'm terrible at French. So I thought if I learnt Norwegian you might listen. It sort of... became irrelevant, but I thought it was fun and interesting so I... I kept going."

She gives a shrug that's supposed to invite empathy, but for a while, Elsa just looks at her. There's no expression on her face – leastways, not one Anna can decipher – and it's the scariest thing that comes to mind right now.

They'd just repaired their relationship, too!

Her heart begins to sink as she notices tears filling Elsa's eyes, and her own begin to water. But then there's a warm hand on her shoulder, tugging her close before Elsa's arms wrap around her entirely.

"Du er så søt," Elsa whispers in her ear, and okay she doesn't know all the words but she can take a guess. You are so sweet.

It has Anna choking up a little because her she thought it was creepy, but to Elsa, it's the nicest thing ever. Either it genuinely was sweet or Elsa just has really low standards, and both thoughts are a little sad because neither of those things should be true.

"Du er min venn," Anna tries. It gets a small chuckle from Elsa that sounds perhaps a little more watery than it has any right to sound. They sit there, the embrace tightening every so often as one or both of them squeezes, just a little tighter.

It feels so good, being in her arms.

"You never answered my question," Anna accuses at some point. They pull away and this feels like a confession of something more. Neither seem willing to discuss it, though, so they just try and push past. It's not fair to bring it up – not when the other seemed so unwilling to face it.

"It is my birthday – fødselsdag – next week."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Anna demands, swatting Elsa playfully on the arm. "Now what am I going to get you?"

"Nothing! Just..." Elsa trails off, about to say something she knows she shouldn't. Something along the lines of you could give me you. But she doesn't have the courage, nor the strength if Anna rejects her. So she says, "Just being your friend is enough," and hopes that Anna understands.

The moment is broken by the return of Kristoff and Punz, scaring Anna. Elsa let out a little grin; a private grin.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Kristoff says. Anna glares, very obviously not believing him. "Punz and I have to head off. Her mom is already waiting for us, and you know what she's like... We'll catch up later, though. Same to you, Elsa."

Elsa starts, probably out of surprise in being talked to directly. Looking up at Kristoff, she sends him a small smile. "I would like that."

It's not even a lie.

Anna has a plan for Elsa's birthday – because of course she's getting her something. It requires only a little bit of secrecy and subterfuge, but it's for a good cause, she swears!

She can't believe Elsa didn't tell her it was her birthday. She's eighteen!

It takes her a while to figure out what sort of present to get her, and when she has an epiphany she realises that it's not going to be easy. Or cheap.

But it's something Elsa wants, even if she doesn't know it herself yet.

The second-most difficult aspect is that she has to talk to Elsa's mom about it, too, and maybe her dad.

She stresses for a good hour one afternoon at Elsa's, trying to create the perfect opportunity to get them alone to ask when it presents itself.

It's something as mundane as Elsa going for a shower – and how did Anna not think of that before!? – but it provides ample time and noise cover for Anna to outline her plan. Neither Adgar nor Idunn are particularly taken to the idea at first, but they're actually rather easily convinced.

They must realise how good it would be for Elsa.

Anna can only hope that it's not too late.

She rings up to double check that the gift is still available, and places the order over the phone when they tell her it is. She'll have to go down and pay for it later that week, but that's okay. Means she can prep some other things, like making sure Elsa's going to be home for it.

Friday afternoon comes sooner than Anna anticipated. She managed to slip down to buy the present, but had to leave it because there's no way she was getting it to her place and then to Elsa's. Which kind of sucks because she wants to give Elsa her present and see her reaction; she wants to see her smile because it's just so precious. It's their usual Friday night sleepover, which is a perfect cover for the surprise the present brings, but the plan is put on hold when Elsa's father reveals what he got his only child.

A car.

Agdar had bought her a car.

It's a piece-of-shit Camry, probably older than Elsa herself, but it's also been repainted a bright blue and there are cute seat covers and he's put in a new radio so she can plug in her iPod.

She loves it. The first thing she does is take it for a test. Agdar has to be with her because she's only got her learners, but Anna's more than happy to sit in the backseat. She has a feeling that there's something else to this – that it means more to Elsa than just a car.

Suddenly, her own present – safely boxed inside her bag – seems a little silly. A little... not good enough.

Dammit, no. She's not going to think like that. The present she has isn't comparable to a car. It's something different and personal and Elsa's going to love it.

But she sort of maybe wants to do something else, too, so when they arrive back at Elsa's building and catch the lift up to the apartment, Anna finds her voice.

"Hey," Anna says, grateful that Agdar's stayed down with the car, checking the oil or something. "We should go out. Celebrate your birthday."

Elsa looks at her curiously. "Invite Rapunzel and Kristoff again?"

Anna's mouth dries up. This is a chance!

So, she gives a casual shrug that probably ends up being really jerky and smiles.

"Oh, well, if you want. But I mean, it's your birthday and I know you're not really close with them..."

"So... just you?" Elsa's eyes are impossibly wide, a tinge of redness seeping into her cheeks.

Adorable.

It gives Anna the courage to bite her lip and nod. "If- if that's okay?"

Elsa smiles right back at her. "It is."

Elsa goes to get changed. Anna swings her feet from one of the barstools, nursing a glass of water and trying not to look at Idunn for too long.

Does she know? Can she hear Anna's heart, thundering in her chest? Can she see the way she bites back her smile, worried it's growing too big.

This isn't a huge deal. They go out together all the time.

But Anna knows that isn't quite true, and she knows Elsa can feel it too.

Of course, everything kind of stops when Elsa exits her room. Idunn could have tipped Anna's water into her lap and Anna wouldn't even have noticed because Elsa's standing on the carpet, feet bare but wearing the most gorgeous looking dress. Elsa is just so effortlessly beautiful it makes Anna's heart ache.

The dress... it's blue, which is a colour Anna has really come to associate with Elsa. Some kind of cotton blend that hugs Elsa's slim frame in all the right ways. It's not even in the realm of 'formal', either – it's maybe a touch too posh for school, but that's it. Anna swallows a few times, fighting a blush as she glances at her own outfit: a Nintendo64 tee and blue jeans.

"Oh geez," she says, as soon as she finds her voice. "I really shoulda dressed up. It's your birthday!"

Elsa smiles prettily, and lifts her arms in a shrug. "It's not too much, is it?"

"No!"

Elsa and Idunn both stop and stare for a moment, and Anna becomes very aware of how similar mother and daughter look. She smiles sheepishly.

"S-sorry," she coughs. "Just uh... it's fine. Anyway. Better get a wriggle on."

Elsa smiles.

They bid Idunn farewell and take the lift back down to the ground floor. Agdar's finished with the car, and he's more than happy to give them a lift to wherever they decide to go. It takes a few minutes' debate before they finally settle on the kitten café – a coffee and cake is a suitable birthday treat. Anna's already made up her mind not to let Elsa pay for it.

Good thing it's a Friday, otherwise it may have closed earlier. Instead, when they rock up at a quarter-to-five, they're just in front of the dinner rush and are able to find a table in the back corner. The same little white cat notices them and immediately wanders over for pets.

Anna's content with watching Elsa pat him for a while – she's in no hurry to order, and really is just waiting for the perfect moment to give Elsa her gift. It seems like it's coming up because after a few brief moments, she notice's the smile on Elsa's face fall a few notches.

"What's wrong?"

Elsa jerks her head up, a guilty flush at having been caught. "Oh, it's nothing," she says eventually. Anna's not impressed.

"C'mon, spill, birthday girl," she says, one corner of her lips curling in a half-smile. Elsa sighs, then shrugs. Her hands still rub behind the cat's ears, and she chooses to focus on that instead of Anna. It takes a moment for Anna to realise she's supposed to be focussed on the cat, too.

Elsa's twisted his little collar around: where it once was blank, there's now a little tag that says "SOLD" in bright red.

"Just a little sad I'm going to be losing my drinking buddy," she says, an obvious attempt at a joke. It would have been a good one, too, if Anna hadn't caught the sheer sadness in her tone.

Biting her lip, she asks softly, "Well... what if you don't?"

Elsa looks at her, curious, and Anna doesn't wait for her to ask the question she can see clear in her eyes. Instead, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small box, placing it on the table between them.

Elsa eyes it warily. Anna's biting her bottom lip, trying to hold in her smile as she nudges it towards her friend. "Open it," she says. "It's for you."

Elsa looks up at her. She's not smiling, but that's not a bad thing. Her eyes are wide – hopeful – and it's pretty obvious that her body seems to have some idea of what's going on, even if maybe her mind hasn't caught up yet. Reaching out with her left hand, Elsa takes the box.

It's got some folded up paper, which is a little confusing. Her eyes flick up to Anna, who's still smiling.

"Read it," Anna urges softly. She's biting her lip, waiting to see Elsa's reaction.

Congratulations on the newest member of your family! We're couldn't be happier that you've chosen Olaf!

"Olaf- ...Anna?"

Smiling her little impish grin and still biting her lip, Anna says, "Happy birthday, Elsa..."

"You... he's mine?" Elsa asks, voice soft. Weak. There's no words to express how she's feeling, so she doesn't try. Instead, she puts the paper down, stands up, and moves around the other side of the table. Anna's not expecting the hug, but she returns it with equal fervour.

"Thank you, Anna," she says earnestly, the words barely more than a breath against Anna's neck. When she squeezes a little harder, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

They get a hot chocolate and spend the afternoon the same way they spend every afternoon in each others' company.

This time feels a little different, though, and Anna wonders if she's the only one to notice.

It's not unusual to want to see her best friend smile, is it? Or to make her laugh. Anna gets up to order them a slice of cake afterwards, mostly so she can get them to bring it out with a candle. When Elsa closes her eyes to blow it out, Anna can't help but wonder what she wished for – though she knows it's bad luck to share. The whole evening, her eyes just can't steer clear of Elsa's.

She doesn't want it to end.

Unfortunately, though, it must. Her father comes not long after seven, though he'd texted Anna to give her enough warning first. As much as Anna hates to do it, they've decided to forgo the sleepover tonight: Elsa wants to help Olaf settle in, and Anna can't blame her.

They both pile into the backseat, which isn't unusual – though this time, there's a box with a little kitty between them. The silence isn't even that odd, though it's not for the regular reasons. Anna spends the entire drive home cursing the fact that she didn't ask if they could share the cake, then cursing the fact that it wasn't even a date and she's getting way too ahead of herself.

It feels like it takes no time at all to get to Elsa's place. It's late and her parents are probably in bed, but even the solitude that would afford her isn't enough to make her want to leave.

She's grateful when Anna pipes up with an offer, saying it would be rude not to at least catch the lift up with her. Her father doesn't mind.

The lift is excruciatingly quiet. There's no muzak, and Elsa doesn't know what to say. Neither does Anna, even though she's known for being a chatterbox. It's just that every time she opens her mouth, the words escape her.

She never captures them, either. It's Elsa who turns to her, box in one hand and key half in the lock, and speaks.

"Why Olaf?" Elsa asks. She doesn't seem nearly as desperate to keep the night going as Anna feels. She shrugs.

"It's a Norwegian name, right? Saint Olav and all that. Also he's white and... I don't know. It just seemed like a good name."

Elsa smiles at her. "It's wonderful," she assures her. "He's absolutely perfect, Anna. Thank you so much. I don't... I don't remember the last time I had a gift so heartfelt."

Anna brushes off the remarks, but Elsa's insistent. "No, I'm being honest. You... you're just this wonderful human being and I am so lucky to have you as a friend."

This time, it's Anna who steps forward to hug her. This one feels different. Elsa feels different. And not just because there's a box in the way. When she responds, there's something else in her grip. Her cheek, warm and soft, presses against Anna's, and Punz's words come rolling back.

Yes. Yes she does like Elsa. And perhaps... perhaps Elsa likes her back. Perhaps this is the perfect time to tell her and reveal all.

It feels like now, there's nothing that can destroy their friendship.

Swallowing, Anna pulls back. She tells herself she's going to do it. Look Elsa in the eyes and close the difference and do what she's wanted for longer than she probably even knew.

But... she can't. She's rooted to the spot as Elsa stares at her, eyes flickering between her own and looking so kind and so blue.

Coughing, she steps back. "Goodnight, Elsa," Anna says, effectively ruining any chance she had this evening. Inside, her heart wilts and dies and she smiles all the way through it because it seems like that's what Elsa needs.

She watches her friend swallow and nod, her own lips quirking up in a half-grin. "God natt, Anna," she says, and there's a private smile between them that fills the air with warmth.

As soon as Elsa disappears behind the white wood of her door, it vanishes, Anna's smile with it. Letting out a breath, she squeezes her eyes shut.

"Stupid," she murmurs to herself. "I'm so stupid..."

She trails off, heart sinking low. She recognises this feeling. She feels bad, yes, but it's more than that. She's embarrassed, for no reason because it's not like anyone knows of her failure other than herself.

But she's also feeling... pathetic. She should be able to tell her friend she likes her. A pretty girl who might like her back .How hard did it have to be?

Too hard, apparently.

"If only I'd kissed her..."

Elsa breathes out a sigh as she closes the door. Leans against it for a moment and just thinks.

"Elsa?"

The box almost drops from her hand as she starts. She puts it on the floor near the door just in case. Her mother and father are sitting on the couch, reading together from a kindle. They don't like watching television, and in this moment, Elsa can definitely see how this is more intimate.

She's just about to greet them when something keeps her quiet: a voice, coming from the landing.

"Stupid. I'm so stupid..."

What? Anna?

"If only I'd kissed her..."

The world grinds to a halt, narrows in on the words and Elsa's heart. It's beating too loud in her chest, thundering, the blood pumping, roaring in her ears as she tries to swallow around the lump in her throat.

Anna... wanted to kiss her?

There's a sound, a little innocuous beep that has Elsa ripping open her door because that's the elevator sound, and Anna absolutely cannot leave.

Not now. Not like this.

Anna's already at the end of the hall, waiting by the lift. It feels like so much further. She calls out, and Anna turns. She says nothing. Her eyes are wide, surprised as Elsa rushes towards her; purposeful, desperate.

Now she knows. Knows she's not going to destroy a friendship because something even greater was already blooming.

When she kisses Anna, it's the most amazing, perfect feeling in the world. She feels her melt, into the kiss and into Elsa, and for the life of her, she can't let go. A hand comes up to cradle the sunset locks, and she moves closer – as close as possible, as close as Anna will let her. It's only when the need for air becomes so great that they part, panting as they stare at each other.

Anna's bright red and a familiar shame begins to settle on Elsa's chest. The worry and the humiliation and the concern that perhaps she'd been wrong.

"Anna, I-" she begins before stopping. She doesn't know what to say. Doesn't know what will make it better. The gaze of her parents burns a hole in the back of her head, but she can't turn to them.

She doesn't have the strength.

Fortunately, Anna's never really been good at silences. This one is a little different though, because she doesn't fill it with words.

No, she steps forward instead, hands landing on Elsa's shoulders as she reaches up, up, up onto her tippy toes. Elsa can see what she's about to do and her own hands fall into place at Anna's hips, steadying her as their lips meet once again.

It's not love, not yet.

But, it could be.