Disclaimer: I own nothing.

'Got to meet the hottie with the million dollar body. They say it's over budget, but you'd pay her just to touch it, come on!'

A quick, accidental glimpse inside of that bar made me frown in question. Is that how it always looks in bars and clubs? So Dark and Danky? From what I managed to see, there were a few neon beer signs scattered about with barstools lining the actual bar, but it was mostly just dark, smoky and mysterious. Oaken had informed us that it wasn't even open yet and that apparently they liked to work with the music blasting loud enough to rupture the poor eardrums of people passing by. Seriously, I could feel all the vibrations in my body.

'...I love the way you dance with anybody. And tease them all by sucking on your thumb. You're so much cooler when you never put it out. 'Cause you look so much cuter with something in your mouth.'

That time my brow rose in amusement, yet I gulped a little awkwardly. What kind of song is that? But I'd honestly be lying about not wanting to hear the rest of it. Too bad Oaken had already pulled me up by my arms so he could give me that stupid knowing grin of his.

"Tell me, Panda-"

"S-she had something on her face!" I cut in, trying to look away from him lest he see my apparent embarrassment. What were we thinking?! It wasn't like we were alone! But, still…Thinking of Elsa and all there was to her made me almost grin stupidly again. Get it together, Anna!

"I see." Oaken mused. "And you were being such a good friend that you decided to remove it from her face with your mouth?" His tone of voice was so darn smug I wanted to kick his shin.

"How did you not graduate Valedictorian?" I eventually looked back and asked with a too sweet smile on my face. Just after I asked, I immediately cried out in protest when that wall of a man reached out to pinch my cheeks pointedly. That was one thing I couldn't resist teasing him about but he didn't mind whatsoever. Of course he felt the need to put me in my place every once in a while and today just so happened to be the day. Super.

"Okay, sassy-pants." Oaken chuckled heartily and let go so he could straighten to his full height. I glared right up at him while rubbing both of my cheeks in annoyance, all while trying to ignore the light giggles that came from Elsa. I must look so lame right now. My internal discerning was cut off by another question. "So, does Ben know about this?" Before I could even think to answer, he turned to ask Elsa directly. "That delightful woman was your mama, right? Does she know?"

My eyes narrowed when those fetching blue eyes immediately took on a more guarded look at his non-aggressive interrogation. "Know what, exactly?" I snapped and didn't hesitate to step in front of Elsa defensively. I knew Oaken wouldn't do anything whatsoever to hurt her, but my protective instincts kicked in as they always did with her. Nobody disrespects Elsa Mariani on my watch.

His own eyes narrowed suspiciously. "That you're…you are dating, aren't you?" Hazel eyes looked from mine to hers and then back to mine in nothing but inquisitiveness.

"No, we just like the feel of the others' lips." I replied and crossed my arms with an arrogant smirk.

"Anna." Elsa's hands touched my shoulders and even though I couldn't see her, I knew she was starting to blush. Probably wanted to smack me too for being so deliberate.

"So, that means nobody else knows, huh?" Oaken made another playful grab for my cheeks, but I raised my own hand and wordlessly dared him to touch me. He didn't move another inch closer.

"And we'd appreciate it greatly if you didn't say anything more until it's figured out." I said and then let out a heavy sigh, taking his hand in mine instead of hitting it like I threatened to do earlier. "I-I'm sorry, Oak. I didn't mean for our unexpected reunion to turn out like this."

The gigantic man threw his head back and chortled before squeezing my hand back so hard I thought he'd broken a few fingers in the process. "First of all: don't worry about this uncalled for reconsolidation! Ben and Liza did an awesome job raising you and you honestly wouldn't be our cute little red panda if you didn't fight for something that mattered so much to you." Looking beyond me, he gave Elsa a wink. "From the looks of it, sweetheart, the girl does mean a lot to you." His hands then came up to cup my shoulders. "And secondly: what's there to figure out? You both obviously have a thing for each other so…why not just ask her?"

My face had grown so warm that I felt like all of outer space could see my furious blush. S-stupid giant! But his last words made me hesitate long enough of my embarrassment to try to digest what he'd said. Still partly confused, I gulped audibly and wavered my somewhat secure gaze into his eyes to glance to the side. It's that easy?

"Oaken. Boss wants to see you." Another deep voice presented itself over the blast of a newer song that was playing in the background. Instead of answering any of the big man's questions, we all turned to see an equally huge, scruffy guy with sunglasses hanging out of the double doors. Now, when I saw him I figured that the place was more than just a simple bar. A club maybe? It's gotta be a club.

"Be right there." Oaken sighed too, but didn't hesitate to wrap me up in another hug. "I'll see you later, Panda." After setting me down so I could gasp for air again, he held out a meaty hand to Elsa who visibly gulped at its mass. I didn't blame her. My dad's best friend looked like he should compete in the top body building contests in the country. Beast. "A pleasure to meet you, friend of Anna." His deep voice rumbled. Of course, his opposite goofy demeanor could throw anyone for a loop. Truly a man of steel with a heart of gold.

Elsa smoothed over her slight wince at the grip of his hand and met him with a dazzling smile of her own. Even I couldn't tell if it was fake or not. "Elsa Mariani. It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Woodsworth and thank you for not ratting me out."

"Hey, don't mention it, little lady. Any friend of Anna's is a friend of mine and I'm also sorry for scaring you at first." Oaken chuckled sheepishly. "Just promise me you won't try hiding in another club when running away." With a last wink at both of us, he retreated back into the darkness of Coyote Ugly.

"That was interesting." Elsa commented quietly after we rounded the corner.

"Yeah. I didn't think I'd be seeing him anytime soon." Grinning to myself, I added under my breath, "Just wait till I tell dad about where he works."

"What's that?" Elsa leaned closer as a group of people tried to squeeze by us like they owned the entire walkway.

"Oh, nothing." I smirked but froze when a feminine voice called out from across the mall.

"ELSA!"

Said girl's shoulders stiffened uncomfortably again. Great. Thinking quickly, I yanked the beanie from my head and pulled it down over hers before taking her hand. An unfinished question got cut from her mouth as I took the lead and lead her to the nearest set of stairs. It didn't help that her mother was also on the second floor, so by the time we got to the last step, she had too and was already starting a brisk walk toward us.

Gritting my teeth to keep from saying anything, I hurriedly tugged Elsa along and made a mad dash for the next place I knew where we could get either find another hiding spot, or at least enough time to make our total escape. We almost expertly weaved, dipped and dodged through the many oblivious people enjoying their weekend at the mall until the familiar purple glow of the Djali's sign came into view. Finally!

Bursting through the door, I ran straight into Esmeralda's chest.

I only knew that because the woman was taller than I and I could actually feel her heart start racing since I was already hyped up on adrenaline. "Wha- whoa-" She let out an awkward chuckle and once she finally recognized me, she patted my head delicately. "Normally, I'd say 'buy me a drink first,' but since it's you, my dear redhead...I'll make an exception." Her voice held a very inviting lilt that would have swayed anyone. Not me.

"E-Emmie!" I leapt backwards with my face on fire, but I still managed to glare at her.

"What? I'm only joking, Annalicious." Emerald eyes glimmered with friskiness and it didn't help that she winked immediately after. Darn you. I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end when she placed a hand on her hip, not bothering to back away. Or stop, if anything.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Not a chance." She smirked and then finally looked behind me. "Oh, hello again." Her playful smirk suddenly turned into a friendly one as she addressed my companion. "Elsa, right?"

"Right." Elsa partly hissed. If I wasn't paying close attention, I would have missed the almost subtle way she tightened her grip on my hand.

"Look Em, we need some cover because we're running from a flesh-hungry zombie." I tried to make it sound more amusing, but realized all too late that I might have unintentionally referred to Elsa's mom a zombie. Oops.

Esmeralda didn't even miss a beat. "Aw, is Toff trying to bash your heads in for trying to get him to talk to sweet little Sen again?"

Rolling my eyes, I blew my bangs out of the way. "No. Why does everyone suspect it's Kristoff right- wait, do you- can we hide here or not?" I cut to the chase and asked instead when I felt the warmth of Elsa stepping closer to me. Just then, Esmeralda's eyes darted behind us and then widened.

"Kitchen. Go!" She seemed to finally get it and practically shoved me in that direction scant seconds before the front door opened again.

That time, I didn't bother to listen in as we frantically skidded around the corner and ended up just inside the kitchen doors. Good thing I'm in shape. I couldn't help but think as I let out a sharp breathless chuckle and after pushing my free hand through my hair, I lazily leaned back against the wall. The aroma of fries, chocolate, cake and a ton of other yummy additions filled the air along with the clinking, sizzling, and shouts that came with a kitchen diner. Which reminded me that I hadn't even eaten yet.

My sudden hunger reminded me that I was there with the girl of my dreams. Forgetful much?

"So, can I ask why you're- we're-" I nibbled on my lip for a short second and then decided to bite the bullet, "hiding from your mom?" When I looked at Elsa, she wasn't even facing me. She may have still been holding my hand, but her closed off body language made it seem like she was...mad. Mad? Why? Before I could react, she even let my hand go and turned her back to me and tried to seem interested in what was happening outside the little window in the door. "Elsa?" I asked carefully once all her walls seemed to go up.

Stepping closer to her, I hesitantly brought my hand up to place it on her shoulder. Whoa she's really tense! "Hey." I slid the same hand over her tight shoulder blades and without thinking, leaned in to kiss her other shoulder. The guileless action made her stiffen up more, which I didn't know was possible, so I ended up taking a cautious step back. What? Why is she- I frowned in confusion. Is she jealous? The thought was possible, but also a little unrealistic in my eyes. Why? Mostly because I was...still under the impression that she and I- argh! I'm dreaming again, aren't I?

Growling under my breath, I pushed both my hands through my hair and lightly banged my head against the wall I'd been leaning on. "Can-" I cleared my throat and tried again. "Is this because of something I did?" I honestly had no real idea what set her off, but I wasn't going to pretend that whatever it was that was bothering her didn't exist. And did I need to make it about me? What if it's about her? Thinking over what had transpired recently, I turned to her again with a set jaw. "It's Esmeralda, isn't it?"

"She has a nickname for you." Elsa glanced brokenly at me before getting out of the way so the waiters and waitresses could get in and out of the kitchen again. "You even have-" Before Elsa could finish, I took her hand and lead her through the rest of the kitchen so we could get to the ally. Even then, I didn't stop until we were away from the dumpsters and in a more secluded area of the mall. When even that wasn't good enough, I continued to pull her into a half finished store front, not caring if we'd get in trouble or not. I just needed to try to get her to talk to me without feeling more insecure than she already was.

"I'm sorry." I whispered when we both stopped and without bothering to let go of her hand. "But, I-I'll have you know that she has a fiancé and would never try to do anything to, or with me. Seriously, she's like twenty-five or something." I stifled a chuckle.

"She's attractive."

"So are you." I shot back. "I-I mean, yes, she's got- well, I won't spend time highlighting certain things that people comment to her on-" I coughed a little awkwardly since we were blatantly talking about an unsuspecting woman that was older than we were, but decided not to dwell on that part. "But I can safely say that she's not my type." Admitting that, I turned her hand over so I could watch both of my thumbs rub against her knuckles. There was another small scar on her first knuckle that I hadn't noticed before.

"What is your type, Anna?" Elsa gingerly took her hand back and crossed her arms. When I looked up, she avoided my gaze. Huh. Okay then. I took a deep breath and straightened up in case she wanted to look back at me anytime soon.

"Elsa Mariani." I replied instantly with a ridiculous grin. I had the sweet pleasure of seeing her eyes dart to me before shooting back away. "You know.." I drawled playfully and stepped forward again, trying to get her attention. "Completely adorable, has deep gorgeous eyes that shine like the brightest stars in the night sky, tries and fails to hide what she's really feeling, drives a classy beetle, kisses like a sunny afternoon out there on the water, has these barely visible freckles that nobody gets to see because she won't let them get that close..." My heart instantly swelled with warmth and it made a bigger lovesick smile stretch across my face. Wow.

Slightly watery blue eyes met unwavering teal.

"Sei il mio eroe." Elsa let out a quiet giggle before turning all the way around to me so she could wrap her arms around my waist. As her sweet lips touched mine, I felt my toes curl. Fireworks exploded behind my eyelids and I positively melted into her firm hold. My own arms came up to wrap around her shoulders just as decisively.

The kiss we shared was hard, yet forgiving; scorching, yet adoring. It was chockfull with desire, but also curiosity and it made me understand that that every kiss should come gift-wrapped. Not stripped naked. And as she leaned back for much needed air and we made a soul-telling eye-contact, I immediately found that I wanted another kiss. Exactly like this one.

Elsa Mariani didn't disappoint.

Back at school.

Oak: Hey Panda. What's Ben's number?

I rolled my eyes at the text on my screen. Guess I forgot to give it to him. As my fingers flew over the screen with the correct number and a witty comment, something else flew across my peripheral vision, making me yelp in surprise and jump to the side. Kida let out a disapproving grunt and before I could apologize to her, I heard a chilling splash behind me. There was even a presence of something cold on the back of my neck that told me that it had been some sort of liquid.

We both turned around to find an unrecognizable girl standing frozen in shock while a purple substance dibbled down her face.

"What-" I began to ask when she suddenly opened her eyes to stare at me in betrayal.

"W-why would you do that?" She asked brokenly.

"Me?" I pointed at myself in utter confusion. "I-I didn't-" The girl didn't let me finish and started crying before she pushed by me to run to the restroom. Staring after her in disbelief for a second, I snapped my head back to an equally surprised Kida. "What the heck happened?"

"You got me." She shrugged. "Olaf was asking me if I was free to help him with his lines later."

Glancing at my phone, I frowned quizzically at it like it was the sole cause. "And I was responding to-"

"Crescent! Don't think I didn't see that!" Coach appeared out of nowhere and placed a sturdy hand on my shoulder so I wouldn't run off.

"See what?" I asked skeptically, eyeing his hand. "I didn't do anything."

"It's true, Smoot. Anna didn't do anything." Kida came to my defense, making him narrow his eyes at both of us.

"I know a troublemaker like you would think of something like this. Slushies'!" He bellowed incredulously before leaning down to pick up a rather large empty cup that was settled in purple liquid at my feet. What? Around us, students paused to look on before skittering off down the hall when we all glared at them.

Composing myself, I popped my neck and looked from the cup in his hands to dark, piercing eyes. "While I admit that a slushy to the face is pretty genius-"

"What?!" Coach leaned into my personal space. I never wanted to head-butt anybody as much I did in that moment, but I held my ground.

"What?" I crossed my arms aggressively. "It is an awesome idea, but I. Didn't. Do. It." Came more of a growl through my teeth than a response.

"I know it was you." He seethed, nose flaring in nastiness.

"Have you proof, good sir?" I didn't hesitate to bare my teeth at him, but also to keep from out-right gagging at the smell wafting off of him. Man, he needs a shower ASAP! But, honestly I was a little flattered he thought I was clever enough to come up with an awesome prank like that.

"When I catch you, loudmouth. You'll be expelled." With that delightful note, he stormed off down the hall, smashing the poor cup into the trashcan while he was at it.

"Wow! He's such an a-hole!" Kida huffed and then wrapped a comforting arm around me. "You okay?"

"Fantastic." I grinned at her before searching around to see if I could find the culprit.

No such luck.

"Tsk." I flexed my jaw and finally finished my reply to Oaken. Thanks you brick wall. Because of you I got in trouble. Kidding.