Chapter eight

A cry in the dark

For the third night in a row, Anna was restless.

She tossed and turned in her bed, reflecting once again that it was more suited for two to sleep in than one. Already she missed the warmth of Elsa's body next to her, so spoiled was she from the previous night. She grabbed a pillow and wrapped her arms around it, squeezing it tight – a poor replacement, but maybe it would stop her shivering.

It was fascinating. Elsa could conjure up a palace of ice with the snap of her fingers, and yet her body was still just as warm as anyone else's. Even parts of her body that were normally covered by her icy gown were delightfully warm to the touch. It was a strange, yet intriguing, fact, the kind that Anna hoped she'd become intimately familiar with many of in the years to come.

Elsa hadn't volunteered to sleep with her tonight, and Anna hadn't pushed it. Part of her was regretting that now – a large part, in fact – but she had pledged to be cautious. What mattered, first and foremost right now, was what Elsa was comfortable with. She wasn't about to risk everything they were working towards for a little pleasure.

But it was getting harder and harder to hold back.

Anna shivered, the highlights of their date still replaying over and over in her mind. The simple joy of the spring, the beauty of Elsa in her red swimsuit, her ill-advised makeout session – everything had been so wonderful.

But the best part of it was far more intangible. Throughout both of their previous dates, there had been an air of awkwardness underlying the whole thing. Much like their initial sessions, they hadn't really known what they were doing, and it almost felt like they were just going through the motions for it. Anna's horrible attempt at making herself look pretty was a perfect example of this; she had done it because that was what people did, right? Now, she had actually started to feel…well, not at home, not yet, but certainly more comfortable with it all.

I'm really on this date with Elsa. She's kissing me, and I'm kissing her. We're really holding hands. We are actually doing this.

She was spending more and more time with Elsa, and having a whole lot of fun while doing it. Their third date had gone off much better than the previous two – nearly perfect, in fact.

Nearly.

Anna groaned. She begged herself not to think about this, not when there was so much going right between the two of them, but her mind would not let it slide.

Something was off.

She had felt it many times during their dates; a worrying look on Elsa's face, hesitation a moment too long to be explained away by caution, Elsa simply refusing to take a step forward when it would only make sense to do so. Every explanation she had offered sounded flimsy and unconvincing after she thought about them for a while. Something was making Elsa hold back, and she didn't know what it was.

You know what it could be.

That awful voice popped up in her head again. Anna immediately silenced it and did what she always did – pushed it to the back of her mind and replaced it with optimistic thoughts.

Whatever it was that was bothering Elsa, it was almost certainly something she could fix. She couldn't ask Elsa about it outright, of course, but she felt confident that Elsa would tell her in time. After all, they were only getting closer and closer to each other. It would happen sooner or later.

It would hardly be the longest she had to wait for Elsa.

Again, this thought threatened to overwhelm her with sad memories, so she quickly worked through it. Elsa preferred to take things slow, that was how she dealt with things. It would be so easy to get impatient and rush her into something she didn't want to do, but that would turn out poorly for both of them. Elsa was happiest when moving at her own speed, and if Elsa was happy, she was happy.

Content with her rationalization, Anna closed her eyes, her grip on the pillow loosening.

She still wanted to take that final step with Elsa. To make her feel that ecstasy that the mere thought of her sister had brought her. But she knew she couldn't yet, and she was okay with that. Besides, the dates, the simple kisses, merely spending this much time with her sister – these things were also very enjoyable, in another kind of way. Not an immediate spike of pleasure, but a longer, lingering kind, the sort that leaves you happy for hours afterwards.

I can wait, Elsa, she thought, feeling sleep start to overcome her. As long as you need me to. However many dates you want to go on, however many nights we keep our hands to ourselves, however many kisses that end too soon, I'll do it.

Because...this is a lot of fun, too.

xxxxxxx

She was stirred out of her sleep by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder.

Instantly, her eyes shot open – she couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour – and she turned to see a familiar face.

"Elsa?" she said, surprised. "What are you-?"

Elsa pressed a finger to her lips. "No words," she whispered.

Elsa threw aside the covers, climbing onto the bed and straddling Anna. She leaned down and kissed her, her tongue darting forward immediately.

Anna opened her mouth, engaging her tongue as well. Elsa's kiss was far more aggressive than any the two had shared so far. Anna had to struggle to keep breathing.

Is this a dream?

Instantly, the fear that this might all be a fabrication of her mind flooded her.

Anna pushed Elsa away, breaking the kiss. "Pinch me," she breathed.

For a moment, Elsa looked confused. Then, she smiled.

Her hand reached under the hem of Anna's nightgown, then moved quickly up Anna's body, dragging the gown with it. Anna's breath caught in her throat as Elsa's hand settled on her breast, thumb and forefinger gripping her nipple.

She squeezed. The pain was very real.

Anna yelped, more from surprise than anything. Elsa covered Anna's mouth with her own, muffling her screams while still applying pressure.

Anna, with no other way to release the energy that Elsa was filling her with, flailed, clutching her bedsheets in balled fists.

Jesus Christ, this is really happening.

Elsa pulled away, at last releasing Anna from her grip. For a moment, Anna thought she saw a hint of doubt on her face. Then it was gone, replaced by a wide smile.

She hooked her thumbs under Anna's gown, pulling it upwards. Anna raised her arms over her head, and Elsa pulled the entire garment off, tossing it onto the floor.

Anna quivered, her upper body fully exposed to her sister. Elsa looked over her, eyes hungrily eating up the sight of her.

Anna tried to strike some sort of sultry pose, but her desire rendered her motionless. The only emotion she could display was one of unbridled want.

For just a second, they stared into each other's eyes, air thick with anticipation. Then, Elsa's head ducked down towards Anna's other breast.

Anna tensed, expecting a bite. Instead, she felt the wetness of Elsa's tongue dart across her nipple. She let out a gasp as Elsa worked, coaxing moans out of her with her hand and mouth.

Anna writhed, clenching and unclenching her fingers and toes. She wanted to reciprocate in some way – to at least try to match the pleasure that Elsa was giving her, but she was no longer in control of her body.

Then Elsa slipped her free hand down into her underwear.

Anna let out a whimper as Elsa's fingers glided across her already wet folds. Then they plunged in.

She arched her back off the bed, crying out as the euphoria shot up her spine. Elsa pulled her fingers out, then thrust them in again, starting to move them back and forth inside Anna. Elsa pulled her head away from Anna's breast, focusing all her attention on her hand's movements.

Every pass pushed her deeper and deeper into a blind ecstasy. Her breaths came in short gasps, robbing her of the guttural moans she desperately needed to release. Her body began thrusting back and forth in time with Elsa's fingers, until the two were moving in rhythm.

Slowly she felt her orgasm growing, much faster than it had come when she had been on her own. Elsa was relentless, speeding up with her thrusts and breaking out of their rhythm. Anna, gripping the sheets like she might float away if she let go, could only brace herself as it came.

She screamed, twice as loud as she had the first time, as the climax rushed through her body, an unbearable wave of pleasure. Her back arched sharply, then relaxed as she fell back onto the bed.

She sank into the covers, panting for breath as she came down from her high. For a moment, she couldn't think. Her body, exhausted from the effort, called for her to go back to sleep.

But she couldn't do that, not when she had so much more to do.

She wanted to thank Elsa for what she had done, to tell her what this meant to her. She wanted to kiss her all over, from her luscious red lips down to her long, elegant legs, and every inch in between. Most of all, she wanted to repay her in kind, to let her feel what she had, to make sure she-

The door clicked shut.

Anna's eyes flew open. She looked around the room.

Elsa was gone.

xxxxxxx

That went perfectly, Elsa thought as she raced back into her room.

She had spent hours planning every step of what she was going to do. She'd pored over books, choosing just the right techniques to use. She had agonized over whether to invite Anna to bed, follow her to bed, or wait until she fell asleep, and rehearsed hundreds of possible explanations to give, before deciding to just remain silent. Even now, parts of her were berating her choices, saying she should have done something different, or worrying that she might have been too aggressive.

But, in the end, she had done exactly what she wanted to. She had given Anna the pleasure she so desperately deserved, which she was very happy about. And while she still held reservations about letting Anna do the same to her, now, hopefully, it would be easier for her to wait.

Stop beating around the bush, she chided herself as she climbed under her covers. You enjoyed that.

It was the truth. She had taken immense pleasure in her actions, and not just because of how happy she had made Anna. The sight of her lying there, nearly naked on her bed, writhing with delight, was…intoxicating, almost.

Even now, while her mind still held reservations, her body ached to be pleased in the same way. She fought the urge to draw her still soaking hand down to her own sex, to do for herself what she had just done for Anna. A deeper, more powerful desire suggested she return to Anna's room, to let her do it.

No, she told herself, not yet. I'm still not ready to take that step.

But this rebuttal was far gentler than it had once been. As she had predicted, she was starting to warm up to the idea. In a few weeks – maybe even a few days – she was sure she'd be ready.

In the meantime, she told herself, eyes getting droopy, she was okay with what they had. Maybe tomorrow, she might ask Anna on another date. It would probably be awkward, talking to her after what she had just done – that was one of the reasons she had decided to leave immediately – but that would hardly be insurmountable.

Yes, she thought, pulling the covers up to her shoulders, things are looking good.

xxxxxxx

Anna lay shivering on the bed, cold and exposed.

Already, the sweat that had covered her body turned frigid, seeming to amplify the feeling of raw exposure. She reached for a sheet to cover herself, but only half-consciously, her mind elsewhere.

Never before had her spacious room felt so lifeless and empty. Never before had a night felt so dark, a pitch black that surrounded her, and drove home the isolation. She pulled the cover over herself, feeling a tear slide down her face.

She left me.