NOTE: This one's a bit longer, to make up for how short the past couple of chapters have been!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

That evening, Elsa noticed Anna was even flightier than usual when the two of them were getting ready for bed. Every time they brushed past each other or otherwise came into contact resulted in a blush and a stuttering apology; she returned them, but still wasn't quite certain why they both seemed so twitchy and weird.

Weren't they both glad to be back together again after so many years? It almost seemed ungrateful somehow to take their reunion and turn it into something awkward. Yet there they were.

After spending several hours tossing and turning, trying not to think too deeply about all manner of subjects, Elsa finally fell into a fitful slumber. Riddled with dreams about their few-but-still-too-many kisses as it was, she felt lucky to get any sleep at all.

Still, she felt oddly refreshed and optimistic upon waking up Sunday morning. So much so that the first thing she did was turn with a big smile the moment her sister was awake.

"So," she began hesitantly.

Anna blinked at her sleepily. Her hair stuck up in all directions and resembled a lion's mane after it was struck with lightning. "So?" she mumbled, yawning and stretching out her lean limbs with a grunt as her back let out a satisfying pop!

"Um…" Again, just as with their picnic, she had to suppress nervous jitters. Why did this matter so much? Of course, she knew it was because the two of them had missed out on so much together, but she didn't want to acknowledge that. They could be exactly as they were again; it would simply take a little effort. "S-so…"

"Do you have a statement to back that so up or are we going to be stuck in a cycle for awhile?" Anna sleepily giggled and gave Elsa one of her megawatt grins.

"Sorry." She had to stop being so awkward; not first thing in the morning. She was stalling for too long! The purpose for their trip into the nearby town was too important; so Anna wouldn't get reprimanded again. Therefore, she blurted out in a rush, "You have to get out of those clothes for me."

Anna's brow furrowed slightly and it was clear that she was really thinking about what Elsa had just blurted. Slowly a pink blush overcame her cheeks and her teal eyes cleared from any tiredness. "You… need me to get naked?" she asked slowly.

"What? Get- OH! Oh, no, that wasn't- I was thinking about…" Suddenly, Elsa was almost as red as Anna, but she managed to correct her colossal fumbling. "Y-your other clothes, the ones that aren't camp regulation! I meant we should get you new ones today!"

"O-Oh," Anna's cheeks turned an even darker shade and she hid her face in her arms at such a blatant mistake. "Oh my god! That makes so much more sense! I am so sorry!?"

Shaking her head, Elsa tried for a laugh that more sounded like she was choking. "N-no, it's my fault, I… WOW, did I phrase that as wrong as I possibly could have!" Pressing her fingertips into her face to cover the shame radiating from her face, she went on, "Sorry, Anna… b-but yes, I meant, um, we're going shopping today, right? For longer shorts, and a one-piece bathing suit?"

"O-Oh yes," Anna laughed nervously and started fiddling with one of her braids. "I still don't get what's wrong with my own clothes...it's really not as bad as you and the others make them out to be. I mean, I have a skirt at home that's just past my butt that I use for dates! I brought my most conservative ones."

"Just past your butt?" The vision swam into her mind, eager to outline what that would look like, but she shook it off as quickly as she could. "W-well, I don't mind the clothes you brought, personally, but… I don't want them to make trouble for you. That's all."

"Fine," Anna pouted briefly but it was gone quickly, replaced by a dazzling grin. "Besides, shopping with you sounds like an amazing way to spend the day, anyway."

Sighing in relief, Elsa smiled over at her as she caught up her clothes and her toiletries. "Good. I'll go shower first so you can wake up a little, if that's alright."

"Mmkay," Anna yawned again, shamelessly stretching out like a lazy cat on her bed and heedless that her shirt rode upwards, showing off a strip of her freckled back and sides. As she was passing by the bed, Elsa stopped to gaze down at it for a moment.

"Maybe… it's bad that I have to ask this, but were you always so freckley?"

"You would know better than I would," Anna retorted with a playful scoff. "I mean, you used to help Mama bathe me when I was a baby, or so Papa told me, so you should be able to tell me if I always had these devil spots everywhere."

"That's right!" Elsa laughed suddenly, clapping a hand against her leg because the other was full of shower commodities. "Maybe I should do that again sometime. Double-check."

Only after she made the joke, which shouldn't have been a problem, did she feel a slight flutter of bashfulness. Grown women didn't bathe each other. Why did she say that? Anna's face, which had just turned back to it's original shade, flared right back into the red zone — however, her teal eyes regarded Elsa with a mix of nervousness and mischief eagerness.

"I wouldn't complain," Anna said, her voice teasing but still slightly tense. "I mean, we're sisters and we used to bathe together as kids."

"Yeah. Sisters. Right, it's no big deal if we… take a bath together. Or change in front of each other." Frowning, she glanced at the clothes in her hands and whispered, "Sorry about how I was when you first got here. I feel like that was… probably very cold to you."

Anna gave Elsa a sad smile, getting up from her bed to walk towards her older sister. "You were hurt and angry," she said gently. "It's not your fault." She rested a gentle hand on her shoulder and rubbed the pale skin soothingly.

"I know." Then she shook herself, smiled over at Anna reassuringly, and swept from the room without another word.

In the shower, all Elsa could do was mull over their conversations. Why did she always seem to be saying the wrong thing? Thinking the wrong thing? While she had been trying not to examine the implications of their kissing, the way they behaved around each other, that was getting harder and harder to do. She knew exactly what she would be saying if she noticed some boy and girl at her school acting this way around each other. That at least one of them had a crush on the other.

But that was impossible. Ridiculous! Even if Anna was bisexual, it didn't mean she had a thing for her own sister. That was just about the only sin that would be worse than being gay in the first place! So why should there be any problem? Why did she feel so excited every time Anna laughed, or blushed and fidgeted, or looked up at her with a shy, secret smile? Those weren't normal actions, and her heart speeding up was not a normal reaction to those actions.

"Anna…" Just speaking the name aloud made the blood rush in her ears, her heart thump more wildly in her chest. She really did love her sister, more than she remembered. It was so good to see her again! Why was she being so insane about this? Why couldn't she just embrace her long-lost sibling, soothe her and tell her they would never have to lose touch like that again, and leave it at that? The thought of what her feelings might mean was maddening. And she was supposed to be the straight one!

Finally, Elsa stepped back into their cabin, clad in underwear with the towel around the rest of her. "All yours," she told Anna cheerily.

Anna looked up from where she was playing on her phone. She was lying on her stomach and her shirt had been shed at some point while Elsa was showering, so her bare back and simple red sports bra were exposed to the cool air. "Thanks," she chirped. She gestured to herself and added, "Sorry about the state of undress, it's a little too hot this morning."

"No big deal," Elsa lied. She felt guilty, but more guilty for not being okay with Anna exposing so much skin. Purposefully ignoring it, she walked back over to her bunk and dropped her towel on the bed, not facing her sister as she began to select her clothes for their day out.

She just barely noticed the way Anna's cheeks turned pink at seeing almost her full body on display. However the teal eyes trailed slowly, drinking in the image almost unwillingly before she saw Anna do a minute shake of her head and hurriedly gathered up her stuff. Then the redhead coughed out a "be right back" and went to shower.

The blush made Elsa wonder, but she couldn't be sure. Just like with everything else, it was all guesswork. Dressing hurriedly, she tried not to think about the slight fluttering in her stomach, or the way her palms began to perspire, or the sound of her own heart thundering behind her ears. It was too distracting.

It took almost twenty minutes for Anna to return, dressed in a green tank top with a neckline that dipped down just enough to expose the swelling of her breasts, and jean shorts that clung to her shapely butt and stopped just a tantalizing few inches above her knees. She was vigorously rubbing her head with a towel, her skin still slightly slick.

Elsa tried not to think about the clothing choices, and instead just laughed and said, "You know that's bad for your hair, right? You're supposed to blot."

Anna let out a playful huff and shook out her hair, several of the damp strands sticking out in all directions while the rest hung heavily down her back and face. "Quicker this way," she laughed, "and it makes my hair feel lighter."

"If you say so." Putting the finishing touches on her own braid, she walked over and asked, "Do you want me to braid yours? It's… been a while."

Anna beamed and nodded enthusiastically. "It has! I always loved it when you and Mama braided my hair… you were always so much better at it. Punzie's even better at it than me."

She sat down on the floor in front of the bed and fluffed out her hair a bit so that it fell along her back in easy access. Soon enough, Elsa was running a brush through the damp locks, feeling them dry as she went. By the time she was beginning to put them in Anna's usual twin braids, the mundane action had soothed her anxieties, and she felt at peace again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to do this for you the past few years," she told her as her fingers worked quickly.

"That's okay," Anna answered, her voice sounding pleasantly content as Elsa worked expertly with her hair. "It's not your fault… and I guess I had to learn how to do it myself sooner or later."

Nodding as she tied one of the braids off, she said, "Still wish I could have taught you." Then she smiled a little wistfully as she started in on the other. "I really do a better job than Mama?"

"Mama always made my braids too tight," Anna confessed. "It hurt a lot but I just never really said anything. You always knew how to do it perfectly."

Elsa couldn't help the pleased smile that blossomed across her lips. "Well, then… I'm glad I can at least do that correctly." In short order, she was finished, and she tied off the other braid and patted Anna's shoulders. "There. Are they still perfect, or am I losing my touch?"

Anna carefully maneuvered the braid so that it was draped over her shoulder for her to inspect. There was several moments of silence before Anna cheerfully exclaimed, "This is probably the best one you've done for me!"

"Good!" she giggled, kissing the top of Anna's head automatically. It felt a little silly a moment later, when she thought about it, but she couldn't seem to stop the action. Deciding she didn't care one way or the other, she embraced her from behind. "Then that's all that matters."

Anna smiled at the familiar action, her eyes filled with love and fondness for her big sister. "You're amazing," she hummed and gently took Elsa's hand in hers. "Want to get going?"

The blonde's cheeks bunched with the force of her smile, and she found it hard to suppress her excitement. "I really do. Let's go!"

~ o ~

A few shopping bags were piled in the booth next to Elsa and Anna as they sat waiting in the restaurant, waiting for their dessert. They already split a hamburger and an order of poutine, so neither of them was starving enough to need their final course right away. It was a nice, lazy atmosphere between them, and it was just exactly what Elsa needed.

Especially after all those close calls in the changing rooms. Every time she turned around, Anna was asking to be zipped up, or wearing a too-small shirt and asking if it looked okay. Or worse: a too-small swimsuit. None of those things should have mattered to her in the slightest, and yet she kept getting flustered, stumbling over her words, knocking over mannequins. Anna had to stop and ask her several times if she was feeling alright, and she honestly wasn't sure if "Yes, I'm fine" was a lie or not.

Anna was humming as she tapped away at her phone, looking as happy and content as a spoiled housecat. While Anna had insisted on buying a majority of the clothes they got, including several cute pieces for Elsa, there was one thing Elsa had ended up purchasing for Anna that warranted the look on the redhead's face. A necklace that her free hand hadn't stopped playing with since it was placed around her neck.

"You really like it?" Elsa asked in a shy voice, nodding at the silver crescent moon pendant being spun between her sister's fingers.

Anna gave Elsa a bright smile and nodded enthusiastically. "I love it!" she gushed, "It's so pretty, but it was a little pricy, wasn't it? Are you sure you want me to have it?" She toyed with the pendent some more, looking awed at the cool feel of real silver against her skin.

"Don't worry about that," she assured her very quickly, reaching across the table to rest her fingers on Anna's wrist. Anna turned her hand so that she could entwine their fingers. The feeling of her skin was electric to her, but what she had to say was more important than weird discomforts she couldn't quite name. "I… I wanted to somehow give you some proof that we were here, together. That it wasn't just you missing me. Maybe that's stupid, but I hope the necklace can do that, Moondrop."

"Thank you, Elsa." She lifted the hand and lay a soft kiss on Elsa's knuckle. "I'm so happy to have you back."

"Me, too." Just as her cheeks were reddening the tiniest bit, the waitress arrived with their small dishes of ice cream. Once they were set down, she glanced up and said, "Thank you."

"No problem," the large woman told them pleasantly. Though she did notice a slight disapproving look as she retreated.

Anna watched her leave with a raised eyebrow. "It's like she's never seen a pair of sisters before." She shrugged her shoulders and picked up the spoon, looking eager to dig into the sweet chocolate.

"That does look good," Elsa laughed. When Anna looked up, she nodded at her dish. "Now I'm almost sorry I ordered this pistachio monstrosity." In her own dish was a banana with two scoops of pistachio ice cream on top, drizzled in raspberry and hot fudge, and with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

"I can't believe you actually like pistachio," she teased, eying the treat. "I mean, it doesn't look bad but I've never heard of anyone who actually likes that stuff, I haven't even tried it before." She paused for a moment, looking contemplative, before she scooped a generous helping of her ice cream and held it out for Elsa. "Here, you can have my first bite," she chirped.

"Okay, if you're sure." Elsa opened her mouth, and allowed the spoon to glide in past her lips. Closing around it, she let out a long, wistful sigh. "Mmm… I do like a good chocolate, and theirs is very good."

Without the slightest hesitation, Anna took another spoonful and popped it into her mouth, completely ignoring the fact that Elsa had used it before her. The moan that passed her lips was soft and practically sinful. "Best chocolate ice cream ever," she agreed blissfully before looking at Elsa's bowl again. "You going to eat that?"

But Elsa was still preoccupied with having watched what Anna had done. The sound wouldn't have bothered her if she wasn't watching Anna use the spoon without even wiping it off first! Still, she had to answer. "O-oh. Yes, of course; I ordered it, didn't I?" Plunging the spoon into her own dish, she got a bite that was a bit too big for her and wolfed it down, barely able to keep from gagging on it.

The giggle that passed Anna's mouth was filled with amusement. "Careful there, I know you're eager to eat your ice cream but there's no need to choke yourself." With a playful smirk, she reached out and took Elsa's spoon from her. "Maybe I should feed it to you.. .so you won't do that again."

"What? Anna, I… I'm not a child!" However, she couldn't summon any real annoyance at her sister. In fact, that sounded oddly nice. She followed up asking, "Do… you really want to?"

Anna's smirk softened into a simple grin and she casually pulled Elsa's bowl closer towards herself. She got a spoonful of the delicious sundae and offered the serving, hovering it a few inches from Elsa's mouth. "Say 'ahhhh'..."

The blonde's cheeks were pink by the time she opened for her, allowing the spoon to glide inside and closing her mouth around it. And she couldn't explain why… but that bite was the slightest bit sweeter than her first had been. Intellectually, she knew that it was probably because the first had been right after chocolate, and the pistachio was more savoury. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was because Anna was feeding it to her.

The look of delight that Anna gave her as she accepted the feeding was most definitely a factor. The redhead hummed happily and gently tugged the spoon out of Elsa's mouth. "You enjoying yourself?"

"Y-yeah," she gasped softly, eyelashes fluttering. Why did she feel the slightest bit lightheaded? Shaking it off as best she could, she took the dish and spoon back from Anna and muttered, "Th-thank you." Anna nodded and grabbed her own spoon, cheeks tinged a deep pink as she started eating her own ice cream again. "Um… d-do… you want to…" What on earth was wrong with her? Clearing her throat, she collected another spoonful and asked, "Want some of mine? I know you haven't tried pistachios before, but if… you're curious…"

The redhead looked up from her bowl and, suddenly looking shy, she nodded and opened her mouth for the offering. Elsa pushed the spoon inside as gently as she could, wondering what would happen; it was her spoon, after all. Didn't Anna care?

Just like with her own spoon, Anna didn't hesitate to close her mouth around the metal. Her eyes closed as though savouring the taste of the cream, a pleased sound escaping from her throat. "It's good," she murmured as she pulled away. She licked her lips. "Better than I expected anyway."

"Yeah?" Elsa breathed, a little pleased. "Th-that's good! Um… one of my friends from the dorms got me to try it. And I was like you, kinda worried that it would be weird, but… maybe…" As the words spilled out, she realised they had a double-meaning, but could no longer stop them. "Maybe I'm up for more 'weird' than I used to think I was."

A half-curious, half-contemplative expression crossed her sister's face as she fiddled with her necklace. "So you're up for being a little… adventurous, then?"

Lifting the spoon to her mouth again, she said, "Guess I am." She hesitated an instant before taking it in; Anna had just used that spoon. Maybe it was stupid to care so much, especially after they had kissed a few times now. This wasn't that different from kissing; still swapping spit.

But she ate it anyway. She ate it, trying to ignore the tingles in her stomach that had nothing to do with the flavours bouncing along her palate.

"Hey Elsa," Anna spoke up, her eyes glinting with mischief. "I just realized...I never did get to pay you back for that little dare a few days ago… and I thought of something to test this adventurous side of yours."

Eyes fluttering open, Elsa barely had the wherewithal to ask, "And what's that?"

Anna made a come hither motion with her hand, gesturing to the seat beside her. Her eyes went slightly half lidded in what could almost be taken for a seductive expression. "I need you to come here first."

"Well…" Her instincts told her this might be a bad plan, but she half-stood anyway, rounding the table to edge in beside her sister. "Alright. What's this 'payback' of yours?"

It took a few seconds for Anna's eyes to dart between the two flavours, looking at each intently before finally she selected the chocolate ice cream, taking a generous spoonful. "You can have another bite of mine." She grinned mischievously. "But there is a catch."

"What kind of catch?" Elsa said, eyes narrowing to slits as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"This is the catch." Anna put the spoon in her mouth, holding it there for a minute before pulling it out and grinning at her sister before her mouth opened slightly, showing a glimpse of chocolate ice cream on her tongue. There was a challenging gleam in her eyes, daring Elsa to try to steal the semi-frozen treat.

"Are you crazy?!" Elsa hissed immediately, swinging her head around to glance at the rest of the restaurant. "We can't do things like that in here! What if somebody sees?!"

An instant later, what she had just said caught up to her; that was her concern. Not that Anna was asking her to steal ice cream from inside her mouth. She only cared if anyone else saw it happen. But she couldn't admit that. Even though, in a way, she just had.

Anna looked briefly nervous, her teal eyes darting about to see if anyone was watching. However, seeing most of the parlour empty and the other patrons going about their business without acknowledging the two, she gave Elsa a smug look. One that clearly said, 'No one is looking so if you don't do it, you forfeit.'

"Seriously?" She scooted closer, lips moving downward. "You're a lunatic. This is really the revenge you want?"

The flash of hesitation and Anna shifting slightly spoke volumes but Anna put on a brave face and nodded anyway, peering up at Elsa daringly. Elsa could practically hear the redhead's racing heartbeat with every closing inch.

"Fine!" she hissed, an instant before she abandoned her self-control and leaned in, burrowing her tongue into Anna's mouth. Anna squeaked into the shared space they had created, eyes going as wide as saucers. Elsa felt her grip onto the back of her shirt in surprise. She quickly found the ice cream, crimped her tongue and passed it up into her own mouth…

And still she did not withdraw. Part of her was thinking that she wanted there to be no question from Anna that she rose to the challenge, that she had gone the extra mile. But part of her knew it was more than that. She was enjoying herself. Too much. More than she ever had dreamed.

Anna was starting to quiver slightly in her arms, still looking shell shocked at the bold move. The seconds ticked past at an agonizing pace and it was as if time ground to a halt. Then, Anna relaxed and kissed back in a move that surprised both of them, if Anna's hitched gasp before she grabbed Elsa's lips with her own tongue was any indication.

That move broke the spell that had been settling over Elsa. Though she didn't pull away immediately, it all seemed to crash down around her ears. Kissing a woman. Kissing her sister. With tongue! Anna's tongue was in her mouth, and it was enthusiastic. She wasn't that kind of girl, no matter who was up against her lips, and for it to be Anna, of all people…

And it felt so wonderful.

Finally, she managed to bring up her hands and push Anna's shoulders back weakly. Not with any real force, because she didn't seem to have the energy. But she tried it a couple of times. At feeling the soft push against her shoulders, Anna retreated as if she had been burned. Both sisters sat in awkward, tense silence with the only real audible noise being their soft breaths as they regained the air lost. Anna looked terrified as she sat there, beet red and looking downright ashamed of herself as she avoided Elsa's gaze.

Finally, Anna broke it with a soft, "I'm so sorry."

"N-no," Elsa told her quickly. Then she cleared her throat and managed to whisper, "No, don't… I… I don't know…"

"That was stupid of me," Anna continued as if Elsa hadn't spoken. "I-I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have done that. I mean, I should've left well enough alone." She reached up to play with the necklace again only to stop just inches from the metal and place her hands back on the table. "I- I understand if you… if you want to leave now… I can pay for the ice cream and find my way back later…"

That sounded so appealing to Elsa for a number of reasons. There was so much spinning through her head! Some of it merely bizarre, some of it dangerous. But one look at Anna's face and she knew she couldn't do it.

"We'll… go back together." At Anna's curious look, she moved her hand just enough to cover one of her sister's on the tabletop. "I'm… well, I don't know what I am. But I said I wouldn't leave you again, and I meant it. S-so, um, let's finish our ice cream. Okay?"

Anna nodded hesitantly and quietly continued eating her ice cream. Her shoulders were tense and she continued to avoid Elsa's gaze but it was in no time at all that they finished their food and Anna slapped down a twenty. No one spared them a glance when they got up and left.

But Elsa still felt them all watching. The waitress hadn't said a thing, had even smiled as she waved to them when they left, but it seemed like she knew somehow. Splitting the bags between them, they began to make their way towards Elsa's car, never speaking.

All in all, Elsa was glad of the silence; she had a lot to think about.

To Be Continued...