the elsanna is picking up but so is the hanna :( sorry guys. big thanks to Turwen for betaing!

also the night elsa uh wasn't home? i have er kinda written exactly what she was doing. i might release it someday... if anyone is actually interested lol

The rest of the week passes by in a blur of activity. It seems as though you probably only needed to be here for like, two days, because after the third meeting, you stop attending them.

Elsa stops attending them.

"We really didn't have that much to do," she had said when you asked her about it. "I wasn't sure how successful that first one would be, though, so I needed to ensure we'd have time to rectify any... issues."

By 'issues', it's obvious that she means like, people not doing what she needs them to do. Though if that meeting that you understood – the one in English – gave any indication of the kind of businesswoman Elsa was, then you certainly weren't going to object to her business practises.

The only odd – and it definitely is odd – thing that happens comes at the end of the week. The night before you're due to fly back home. You'd gone to lunch (and it had been a very nice lunch) before returning to the room. After that, you'd set about packing your things while Elsa... did what Elsa did.

She got dressed up, and she drank.

"Going out?" you ask, just as she slips into a pair of really nice heels that probably cost more than your annual salary, and you don't really know why that makes you feel the way you do – low heart, a little disappointed. Not that you should, because the look of utter annoyance that crosses Elsa's face is enough to have you giggling a little. It's enough to make her own expression drop for a second, to be replaced with a wry smile.

"I uh-" She seems a little surprised at having been asked. Her mouth closes firmly for a moment, and you're already beginning to reprimand yourself, when she speaks. "My mother- when I caught up with my mother earlier in the week, it did not end well. Given that it may be some time before I see her again, I wanted to... well." She gives you a brief smile. "I'd much rather spend it here."

She... would? And, wait, she went to see her mother? You try not to let your confusion show because people don't normally return in... her condition... if they've just gone to see the folks.

But if she's happy to mention that evening in casual conversation, you're not going to make it weird.

Instead, you offer what you hope is a sympathetic smile. "Want me to wait up? I can get Uber Eats to drop off some ice-cream and we can pig out when you get back?"

The smile stays on her face, but it gets a little sad. "I'm afraid I don't know when I'll be back," she says. "No need. But thank you for the offer."

And the thing is, she genuinely sounds touched. Like she's honestly happy that you bothered to ask.

And they say that close enough is good enough, and you're starting to find that it's mostly true, but not quite. Because it is 'good enough', and maybe you're just being a little selfish for wanting more, but every time you think you're making progress, she seems to sidestep it, just a little.

She's a mysterious little egg that you kind of want to crack.

You frown at the metaphor. It's not a very good one.

Fortunately, Elsa doesn't notice. She's putting her purse together – she's already neatly dressed, hair done up in a bun. It's very... austere.

Still beautiful, but she definitely looks like she's trying to impress someone. Her mother?

But then she's sending you a smile and heading for the door.

"If I don't manage to see you before tomorrow, have a good sleep," she says. "And don't worry about setting an alarm; our flight isn't until the afternoon, so take tomorrow to sleep in."

And then she's breezing out the door. You can hear her heels all the way down the hallway.

It doesn't take you long to pack your things. Then you empty your bag and repack it because you weren't sure if you'd done it right the first time.

You had.

But even after all that, it was still too early to go to bed.

So, you pull out your phone and ring Kristoff.

He answers on the third ring, but he sounds busy. There's lots of background noise and talking, and you find it hard to hear him. Even though you'd like to ask about Joan, and about how his week has been, you don't. Instead, you just double-check that he can still pick you up from the airport tomorrow evening.

You're still at a loss to do once you hang the phone up.

Maybe... you could ring Hans?

You should have before now, but you've kind of been having fun without talking to him. Like, you miss him, and you can't wait to maybe get back and kiss him again, but at the same time, you've always been your own best friend. You've always had to be, so being alone isn't really anything new.

At this point, it's almost preferable.

So, you unlock your phone again. It rings almost twelve times before he answers, and he doesn't seem to have looked at the called ID because he says, "Yes?" in this really impatient voice.

Oh dear, he's probably been waiting on a different call or something.

"H-hey, Hans," you say, not entirely sure why you stuttered a little but trying to soldier on.

"Oh, hey Anna."

You frown a little at the- is this attitude? You're not sure, but you don't like it.

"I uh, I have some time free," you tell him. "If- if you're free too and wanna chat?"

You can almost imaging the shrug that accompanies his, "Sure, I'm free. I guess you've had a really busy week, huh?"

That's more like the Hans you know. He was probably just surprised because you really... should have called a little more frequently.

But instead of dwelling on that, you clear your throat and agree with him instead. "Yeah. Crazy busy. I meant to call, I'm really sorry – but I'm coming home tomorrow!"

"Oh, that's good! We'll have to do something."

"Yeah!" You launch into a bit of a spiel about flight times, and the fact that Kristoff is picking you up, but you make sure to end it on a good note. "How about brunch or something the day after?" You still have some cash – you'd saved it for this trip, but you didn't really spend that much of it. The usual expenses, like food and taxis, didn't really apply this time.

But Hans gives a groan. "I can't do that," he says. "I'm really busy this week outside work – lots of commitments piling up. How about next weekend?"

It seems a little odd to you, but he's probably had these things scheduled for weeks. Has probably told you about them, too, but your mind is like a sieve at the best of times.

So you just say, "Oh, okay then," and leave it at that because it is okay, even if it is also a little strange.

"But..." he says, something new entering his tone, "I can't wait to see you again. Maybe do a little more of that thing you did at the airport?"

Immediately, your face flushes, and you're glad he can't see you because that would have been horribly embarrassing. You almost want to shield it anyway, even though there is literally no one present.

"Really?"

"Mhmm. Maybe even... some other things?"

Oh God. You are most definitely the brightest shade of red ever, and he hasn't even said anything really terrible! It's actually really good! You don't quite know how to respond to him, so you give a non-committal kind of noise. Is that- has he been... imagining... things? With you?

You've never done anything like this before. Ever. And before you have a chance to stop yourself, you're blurting out, "Are we dating?" like some goddamned tween. Maybe he can walk you home and ask Kristoff if he can take you to see the latest Disney movie.

Yeuch.

"I mean-" You try and fix it – even though you didn't actually break, or ruin, anything. Because you really shouldn't have asked, and you're actually fairly certain that you've already established that you are, in fact, dating, but it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of reassurance.

"I would love to 'date' you," he says, before you can get too carried away explaining yourself. "If that means I get to experience everything about you, then absolutely I want to date you. Anna, would you date me?"

And he's definitely teasing but he's not actually making fun of you. You let out a little giggle, because apparently everything he does turns you into a schoolgirl, and you have to bite the inside of your cheek just so your smile doesn't get too big.

"I would really like to date you, too," you tell him. "What- what sorts of things do you want to experience with me?"

At that, he lets out a chuckle. "Everything."