They break apart slowly. As Anna leans back, her sister seems to follow before catching herself, eyes fluttering open and mouth agape.

Elsa's lips are warmer than she was expecting. That's the first thing that runs through her mind as soon as she's able to form a coherent thought. The next leads her down a spiraling path of choice and consequence that both excites and terrifies her.

She kissed me back! The implications are nerve-wracking.

Everything seems to be frozen still around her. The dancing ribbons of light hover eerily above them and the crystals—once gently floating as they ebbed with the wind—now remain in place, utterly unmoving. She's breathing hard. They both are. Her heart hammers in her chest as she tries to calm herself. Elsa is standing in front of her, half-lidded eyes widening a fraction as she brings her fingers slowly up to her lips.

Anna watches those fingers raptly. A knot in the pit of her stomach clenches at something, and she feels the need to speak. A vague worry that if Elsa dwells too long on what they've done, then things would begin to unravel.

And so, of course, she giggles nervously, and Elsa's piercing blue eyes instantly shift their focus onto her, wide and alert. Anna sputters and swallows hastily. Her hand is still on the back of Elsa's neck, tangled up in those soft strands of golden white hair. When she moves to undo her grip, Elsa lowers her hand and lets out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a whimper. It's sudden, as though she'd been holding it in, and Anna nearly gasps at the sound. "S-sorry!" She manages to avoid injuring Elsa as she quickly withdraws her hand and pins it to her side, blushing furiously when the weight of what just happened finally hits her with full force.

"Anna…"

It's not a reproach, her name whispered so softly that she barely hears it at all. Still, she feels chastised all the same, stepping back and giving Elsa some space. In case she wants to run. Her ears are burning and pinpricks of shame crawl up and down the back of her neck. "I-I know. I'm sorry, Elsa. I don't know why I did that! You were just- That dancing… A-and the way you looked at me, I-" She groans in frustration. "Great, now it sounds like I'm blaming you for what I did."

Elsa's gaze seems to focus on infinity, just over Anna's shoulder. "What you did…" Her voice is still hardly more than a whisper, and she trails a slender finger along her lower lip. After a moment, her eyes focus back onto Anna's with startling quickness. "You kissed me."

Blunt and to the point, and Anna doesn't know how to respond. Or if she even should. Before she can talk herself into breaking the painful silence, Elsa's voice rings in her ears. "You're not sick, Anna. Why do you say such things?" She reaches out and takes a single step toward Anna.

Elsa's soft voice breaks through the haze in her mind. Impossibly gentle, yet chiding all the same. The things I said before I kissed her… I must have really worried her. Anna knows how much it upsets her sister when she berates herself. She should have been prepared for this, but she never is. Elsa is just so adept at making her feel both elated and so utterly small. "Is it really a surprise?" Anna croaks, taking another retreating step. When did she get closer? "Feelings like this… Normal people don't have to fight the urge to kiss their sister whenever she does something nice for them. They don't wake up in her arms and bite back the impulse to rouse her with a kiss on her neck. They-" She swallows. The lump in her throat aches and fresh tears make her cheeks burn in the cold as she tries to hold it together. "They don't dread the moments apart from her, and they don't lose their breath whenever she walks into the room! God, every time you smile at me, Elsa… it feels like I'm slipping from a branch, trying to stop myself from hitting the ground."

"I would catch you," Elsa whispers hoarsely, her gaze dropping to the pure white snow covering the ground between them.

Such a simple, earnest response. Anna is gaping like a fish out of water and Elsa… Her sweet sister is blushing more furiously than she has ever seen, stroking her braid anxiously and stealing a glance at Anna's stunned expression with as much subtlety as she can muster.

"Elsa, you-" Anna finds her sister's fingers tangling with her own and her heart leaps. "You don't have to pretend to be okay with this. I shouldn't have…" Her eyes squeeze shut as the shame redoubles. "...kissed you. You were already uncomfortable from earlier and I just couldn't leave well enough alone. I'm so sorry, Elsa."

When she opens her eyes, Elsa is looking at her with such sadness that she finds herself panicking. She squeezes her sister's hand gently and moves to let go, but Elsa doesn't let her.

"Not… uncomfortable," Elsa murmurs, almost beneath her breath. She clears her throat hastily and stammers, "Shocked, yes... though perhaps not as much as I should have been. I think," she trails into another whisper. Her blush is as intense as ever, and Anna desperately hangs on every softly spoken word. "I think I'd like to try it again," she says, and their fingers interlace as she brings them up to her mouth, laying a single soft kiss on Anna's knuckle.

Chest tightening, Anna gasps at her sister's words. When Elsa looks up and sees the disbelief etched on Anna's face, she gives a shy smile and lays a cool hand on her cheek. "Anna," she breathes into the space between them, "This is dangerous. I'd like to try it again, but… we need to be cautious. More than that, we need to talk about this properly. But please do not think I'm simply humoring you. You do a disservice to yourself and…" Elsa swallows and furrows her brow. Her nerves show plainly on her face as she seems to force herself to continue, "And to my own feelings as well."

Her feelings? Anna feels faint, and her useless arm is still buzzing with pain. Does she..?

This is all just so much. Even at her most honest and introspective—those times spent awake at night, trying to fall back asleep before she disturbed her overworked sister—she had never explored the full scope of her feelings for Elsa. She had vague, unformed desires and wishes, but if she tried to solidify them, it would have likely amounted to not much more than simply wanting to spend the rest of her life wrapped up in Elsa's arms as often as possible. Nothing as grand as a declaration of romantic love and certainly nothing like what transpired earlier. But with one, or perhaps two reckless moments of poor impulse control, her entire world has been upturned.

I spend far too long going over the hypotheticals for how terrible my decisions are. But Elsa wants to talk properly… And that could be wonderful! Or mortifying. The important thing is that I have the chance to handle this with grace. I can't mess this up.

"Are you still with me, sweetheart?" Elsa asks tentatively. "I hope I didn't overwhelm you."

"No! Oh, Elsa, no, I just- God I don't even know how to… I wasn't trying-" She winces as her arm burns, and Elsa's fingers are softly stroking her where it hurts most. Her touch is immediate— confident as she massages around the scar, careful to keep it covered against the frigid air.

"Shh, come now. Let's get you warmed up, all right?"

Anna looks around with dismay. "But we were going to build a snowman! A-and I wanted to see more of your magic…" She sounds so childish and sullen, and Elsa is laughing softly in her ear as she holds her close.

"We'll have time for that later, I promise. It's still early in the day. Some cocoa will do your body good." With a smile in her voice, she continues, "We still have those cookies, you know. I had them set aside when you left the table at breakfast." She finishes with a conspiratorial whisper and Anna is awed by how smoothly her sister seems to be handling the situation. If Elsa had been the one to kiss her, she's fairly sure she'd be a hopeless mess right now.

"How are you not disgusted by me?" She can't help the pitiful groan that slips out when her sister stills and then moves to look her in the eyes again. I shouldn't be allowed to talk. There should be laws against it.

Cool hands rest on Anna's shoulders and Elsa frowns deeply, brow furrowed. "There is nothing—" Her voice is firm and her hands grip tighter when Anna tries to look away. "Anna." Their eyes lock once again. "There is nothing you could do or say that would disgust me. I love you. We will always be there for each other." Elsa's eyes pierce Anna's soul. She swallows anxiously, and Elsa adds, "And we will always talk things through, won't we?"

Anna sniffles once and nods jerkily.

"And besides, If I were the one to have kissed you, would you have run? Rejected me outright and left me here alone with my thoughts? Would you have berated me? Or said horrible things to me? Would… Would you have struck me in anger? Or revulsion?"

"N-no! Never…" Anna is horrified by the thought alone. "I would never do something, anything like that."

"Then I simply ask that you hold me to the same standard, Anna, and just… be kinder to yourself. You didn't attack me or catch me off guard. I was surprised, but anyone could have understood your intentions when you leaned in to-"

Anna whimpers and slams her eyes shut in embarrassment.

Elsa clears her throat. "Well, it happened, and I was not some blushing maiden swept along by your chauvinistic might."

Anna giggles wetly despite herself. Even considering the absurdity of the conversation, the idea that anyone could intimidate Elsa or drag her along through sheer force of will is laughable.

"In fact, I'd argue that by the end of it, I had the upper hand." Her eyes flash and her mischievous smirk makes Anna's heart leap.

"Elsa, please, I don't think I can handle your teasing right now," she responds weakly, turning to hide her blushing face. Even in this frozen woodland clearing, she's positively sweating from shame and humiliation.

Beautiful laughter rings through the air like yuletide bells and Anna collapses in on herself even more. "My apologies, then. I'll keep my tone strictly regal and proper, if it pleases the Princess."

Anna is shaking with nerves but she can't help but smile as she plays along with a curtsy, spinning to face her sister once again. "It does. Thank you, Your Majesty." Head bowed and eyes closed, she doesn't hear Elsa's silent footsteps as the snow parts beneath her feet.

"Should I carry you back to the castle, sweet sister? You look so cold." A shudder runs up Anna's spine and Elsa coos, "You're shivering."

Anna's legs almost fail her as Elsa's breath brushes over the shell of her ear. I hadn't even noticed her leaning in! Her voice is so gentle… "No, " she says as she shakes her head defiantly and stomps off. After a few steps, she fully registers Elsa's words, turning and shouting, "And don't make fun of me! I'm almost as tall as you are." Elsa follows along behind her with a light giggle. Anna manages an indignant pout, but her insides are being jostled with each step. Even if I was as cold as she thinks, her words make me feel so warm inside.

Anna risks a small, embarrassed smile, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear as she marches toward the distant ramparts of the castle. An excited grin threatens to erupt with every new thought.

At least the way back has already been cleared of snow. I'm trying really hard not to make a fool of myself and apparently I need all the help I can get. Elsa's reaction to all of this is so far removed from what I was expecting… Even if she's not repulsed, surely she has to be putting on a brave face for my benefit. What other explanation could there be? Is she just toying with me? Am I okay with it if she is? She chances a quick glance back at her sister and nearly trips when she sees those blue eyes looking directly at her. Elsa's eyes widen when she seems to realize that Anna is looking back at her and she blushes, averting her gaze. Okay, yes, I am. Wow, I am so okay with that.

Her thoughts chase themselves around in circles as they approach the ancillary gates of the castle's southwest wall. They'd been walking in silence for a good while and at some point, Elsa had taken up the lead as they went. She stops in front of the gate as a watchman announces their presence. Anna manages to gracelessly avoid bumping into the Queen in front of the watchful eyes of the royal guard. They guard you as well, you dolt. What will they do, loose an arrow into your back for touching your sister? She giggles nervously at the thought and Elsa glances at her with a raised brow. The gate opens and Elsa grabs Anna's hand with a fond shake of her head. Am I charming her? Can I even be charming? Is it charming to giggle at your own thoughts? Or is it insane? Or both?

Elsa strokes the back of her hand with her thumb. Oh, her hand is so soft… Wait, what did she say? "-your chambers, and I'll be there in a few minutes." They passed the guard's quarters and were heading through the courtyard when Anna realized they had stopped. Her sister was looking at her, perplexed.

"I'm so sorry Elsa, what were you saying? I was distracted."

"It's all right," she says, and her voice is almost musical, "I said that I'll head to the kitchens and fetch us our snack, if you want to head to your chambers. Or I suppose I could ask Kai to bring it to us…"

"Oh, no, I'll head up on my own. There's something I need to- uhh, nothing, nevermind, yes, go grab our cocoa and I'll see you when you return! Okay…" She looks around to see which direction she should sprint away in. "Good luck!" She waves and runs off. Elsa stares after her, unmoving. Anna turns a corner and stops to catch her breath.

'Good luck'? Is fetching cocoa an arduous quest or something? What is wrong with me? She heaves a sigh and leans back against the wall. Ran the wrong way, too. I'll be lucky to reach my chambers before Elsa does. With several offensive words of… encouragement running through her mind, she doubles back and tears through the courtyard toward the correct wing of the castle, dodging a few of the staff with gasping words of apology and climbing the stairs two at a time.

She enters her bright, sunlit chambers and finds herself alone, which is perfect for the mental breakdown she was planning on having.

Oh my god, I kissed Elsa!

She runs to her bed, leaping into it and holding a pillow to her face. I kissed her and she kissed me back and then she TEASED ME ABOUT IT! Or I think she did… What on Earth is going through her mind?! There's no way she's handling it this well. Is she trying to laugh it off?

Rolling onto her back, she tears the pillow away and stares blankly at the roof of the fourposter.

And what did she mean when she said I do a disservice to 'her feelings'? What are her feelings, exactly? Where in the world do we go from here? Where can we go? Is there even a future for… whatever this is?

She suppresses a groan. I kept telling myself I was content with what I had. With what we had. Why did I have to complicate it? And why did she have to be so… sweet about it? How will I ever learn to be satisfied if I don't stop trying to push for more? What more could there even be? She's my sister, and she loves me. Why isn't that enough?

A shake of her head. It is enough. It's more than I've ever dreamed. She's so perfect and she cares so much for me. I need to respect what we have. I do respect it, and I need to show it. Elsa deserves whatever she wants from our relationship. Nothing more, and never anything less.

With a new resolve, Anna sits up in her bed, the supportive, attentive pillow promptly forgotten. I'll not do anything but reciprocate. I will not push her into anything. She is far too lenient with me already, and cares for me at the cost of her own well-being. If I took advantage of that, then I really would be disgusting. We'll talk about this like adults, and I'll obey her every boundary. Anna knows it won't assuage her own fears and self-doubts, but at least it will ensure her sister's comfort.

With that problem squared away, it's then that she realizes she'd never changed out of her snow-covered dress and overcoat. She pushes herself off the bed and sighs at her foolishness. Grabbing a corner of the sheet, she pulls and gathers up a large armful of soaked bedding. Silje probably just prepared the bed, too. I'm such a mess.

There are a few soft knocks from the other side of the door, and Elsa's voice floats into the room, "Anna? I come bearing gifts."

Anna nearly drops the bedding on the floor in her surprise. She quickly places the burden on the bedside chair and races to the door, breathing deep and running her fingers through her hair. Just act normally. It's Elsa. There's nothing to be nervous about. One last sigh and she responds, hand on the doorknob,"But my birthday isn't for four more months!"

When she opens the door, Elsa smirks at her in that playful, lopsided pull of her lips. Anna's heart pounds in her chest.

"Since when have I needed an excuse to spoil my beloved sister?" Elsa replies, and it's said with such warmth and affection that Anna ducks her head to hide her blush, stepping aside to let Elsa enter the room with a tray of cookies and cocoa.

She averts her eyes as Elsa bends to place the tray on an end table. For goodness' sake Anna, don't be a lecher.

"Shall we?" Elsa asks softly, gesturing to the couch. Her demeanor seems to have shifted in an instant back to a quiet shyness, gentle and a bit unsure.

Oh, I hope she didn't notice. "O-okay, yeah. Um, Elsa, we don't— we can save this for later," or never! "Just, I don't want to force anything…"

"Nothing will happen unless we both agree to it." Elsa clears her throat, her hand falling to her braid, idly stroking the intricate plait. "I'd like to talk to you—about quite a few things, as it happens—and I should hope that our conversation will prove to be quite pleasant, on the whole."

When Anna sees that small smile grace her sister's lips, she is instantly transported to the day of the Great Thaw, when she was granted access to Elsa's ice palace for the first time… Back to when she first saw her sister, so open and free and… And so full of life.

To see her now, that same proud, reserved smile on her face as she beckons Anna to sit beside her, Anna feels strong and sure. Sure that this—Whatever this is… or might become—is something that Elsa wants, as sure as Elsa wanted her sister to see her in her palace that fateful day.

With a deep, elated sigh, Anna gathers her courage. Hand over heart, she slowly makes her way to Elsa's side, careful to keep a respectful distance as she takes her seat.

Tentatively, but with no small measure of immediacy, Elsa closes that distance and takes Anna's hand in her own, holding it in her lap.

Clasped between her sister's, Anna's hand tremors as she screws her eyes shut. They sit in silence for a few minutes. Elsa softly caresses Anna's hand from time to time, patient and kind as she waits for Anna to compose herself. Anna's hand continues to shake and she feels like she should address it, "S-sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

Elsa's delicate whisper carries well in the quiet chambers. She sounds as though she's all around her, and Anna revels in that thought for a brief moment. "F-for being so nervous. It feels like I don't have the right to be, after what I did."

Cool hands squeeze tighter and Elsa's thighs shift as she turns to face her sister. "You have every right to feel nervous. I'm sorry as well. I hadn't intended for this to be so foreboding. I truly just wish to talk. No obligations or judgment… And certainly nothing to fear." A pause, and Elsa seems to lose herself to contemplation before, "I could start, if you'd like?"

Anna knows that Elsa must be just as nervous as she is, though she has to imagine that her sister's nerves are not quite for the same reasons. Not entirely, at least. Wow, even that small hope is enough to terrify me in the best way. Even though Anna knows this, she still can't bring herself to object. Coward that I am. "A-all right." It's more of a high pitched rasp than anything else but at this point, Anna's proud that she managed to open her mouth at all.

Elsa nods, almost solemnly, and takes a deep, slow breath. "I think… From the moment I first met Kristoff, I was jealous of him."

Anna's mouth runs dry, her heart beating staccato.

"At first, I believed it was simply an idle worry that after finally being given the chance to reconnect, I'd lose you all over again in time. Of course, I immediately understood the feeling to be small and petty and not worth exploring. After all, we would always be sisters, and no one could ever come between that." Her eyes flit up from her lap where their hands lay intertwined, and she fixes Anna with a resolute stare.

"Els—"

"I should have known it was folly. Dismissing such possessive feelings without ever examining the root of them… It was bound to cause complications. But I was stubborn, and I was in denial. Oh if you only knew the thoughts that kept me up at night, Anna. The lies I forced myself to swallow. But I never once imagined that you would feel…" She pauses, eyes screwing shut as she seems to will herself to continue, "Well, not until earlier this morning, that is. Right over there," she gestures to the floor in front of the door.

Anna knows she's beet-red by this point, and when her sister turns back to face her, she jumps, looking down at the table in front of them. Sitting on tenterhooks, she strains her hearing, positively unwilling to miss a single word. Her ears burn. The back of her neck prickles and her chest feels as though it might burst. But if she's dying, she'll be damned if she goes before Elsa finishes—What? Is this a confession? A declaration?—baring her soul to her.

With reddened cheeks, Elsa proceeds, "Sitting right there on the cool wooden floor with your lips on my neck... I'd never felt so warm. It burned." Her voice is a whisper, wavering and tremulous. "In that moment, I prayed for your fire to consume me."

Sparing a thought to the heavens, begging them to take her, Anna shakes in her seat. She swallows roughly and almost… almost wishes that Elsa would release her hand so that nothing would tether her here. Would I really run from this? I've never been happier in my life… And yet I feel like I'm about to empty my stomach.

"When you started making your way up my neck, I must confess that I utterly panicked. Thoughts ran through my mind unbidden, but I refused to ignore them. What if someone were to find us there? What if the door was ajar and sound managed to escape? What if I was misreading the situation? You were in agony not a minute before… What if you were delirious with pain? You seemed perfectly lucid and coherent, but I could not- would never risk taking advantage. When you reached my lips, I could feel my magic pulsing up and down my spine. I forced myself out of the trance I willingly fell into, and I pushed you away." She smiles shyly and squeezes Anna's hand, prompting a small noise from her younger sister. "I hope by now I've made it clear how difficult that was for me to do, Anna. You are… quite irresistible, if you'll forgive my candor."

Anna doesn't really remember bringing her scarred arm to her chest, but she feels the tears fall as soon as they form. Lost for words and hopelessly besotted, she realizes that her sister is looking at her with apprehension. Fear. All she can manage is a small, pitiable moan. A murmur. She can't find words and the desperate silence stretches for an eternity. The merest beginning of everything she wants to say to her wonderful sister dies on her lips as Elsa's expression contorts into one of grief.

"Oh, Anna… I-if I've mistaken-" Elsa brings a delicate hand to her lips. "I'm sorry," she breathes, terrified. She reaches into the space between them, as though to touch something impossibly fragile.

"Wait," Anna chokes out. When her sister withdraws her hand, clenching the hem of her dress and seemingly preparing for the worst, Anna frantically works to soothe those awful fears. "Elsa, please, I… You have no idea how happy I am," and of course she's sobbing as she says it. "I should be the one apologizing! I just… I had no idea you felt this way." She sniffles and wipes at her eyes fruitlessly. "Ugh, I must look like such a mess," she groans, staring pitifully up at her sister. She manages not to pout.

Elsa giggles, frozen tears on her cheeks as she hands Anna a handkerchief. "Not at all. You're as beautiful as ever," she whispers softly, her thumb catching fallen tears as she cradles Anna's cheek.

Anna lets out a shuddering breath, clasping her hand over Elsa's and turning her head to lay a gentle kiss on her sister's palm. "I love you." The whispered words are simple. Desperate. But they hold a much deeper meaning... An unconditional promise, and a fervent hope for the future. Even if she can't quite express it right now, Anna will happily spend her life exploring the depths of her feelings, shining a soft light on every treasured moment.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Comments are what authors use to feed their families. c:

Shattered Glass has a new cover! Smol-grump has blessed me with a beautiful sketch based on the first chapter of this story. Huge thanks to Cani for commissioning it! My tumblr is 'neversung'. You'll find it there! :)