"Yes Meg, I'm home safe and sound. I still have all of my limbs, I didn't set anything on fire, and no one's dead. It was a perfectly relaxing weekend."

"Why do I not believe you?"

Anna rolled her eyes and nudged the apartment door closed with her elbow. "Alright, you got me. I now have a prosthetic leg. Lost the real one in a horrible waltzing accident. Woe is me!"

"Watch the sass there, Gingersnap. So, was it your plan to leave me in suspense all weekend or did you seriously just forget to answer any of my text messages?"

Anna frowned, her voice growing indignant. "Hey! I totally answered you!"

She could practically feel Meg frowning in response. A picture of the curvy brunette rolling her eyes as she smacked a hand to her forehead appeared all too easily in Anna's head. "Gingersnap, I know that you may be socially stunted, but one measly 'I'm alive!' message the night before the party does not count as 'answering,' it's barely even a nod in my direction."

Anna couldn't help the giggle that slipped past her lips. "You're so needy. You think Kristoff was this worried? Geez, I'm fine!"

"Your prosthetic leg says otherwise."

Anna narrowed her eyes, but a grin curled at her lips. She tossed her duffel bag onto the couch and then placed her hand on her hip. "Very funny. Look, you wanna go to Ralph's or something? You can interrogate me all you want there."

She wondered briefly if Meg would accept the invitation or continue to give her grief. Anna was pleasantly surprised when, instead of another sassy remark, Meg offered a meek "….be there in ten."

Truthfully it took Meg more like thirty minutes, but Anna didn't mind waiting. She plopped herself down face-first onto the couch, using her duffel as a makeshift pillow. She inhaled the smell of home, grinning as she snuggled into the familiar warmth. Her bed at Elsa's place had been fantastically soft but there was nothing quite like being in your own home, surrounded by your own scent.

Well that was a weird way to put it. I can't even really smell anything… why is it that other people's houses always smell so nice but your own home never smells like anything?

Anna half-rose from the couch and lifted her head as she breathed in again, air whistling through her nostrils as she tried to capture even the slightest clue as to what she smelled like. She held it in for a moment, forehead creasing as she contemplated the odor… or lack thereof. With an exaggerated sigh she flopped back down onto her duffle. She winced as her chin clacked against one of the buckles. "Ow… I give up. Guess I'll remain odorless forever."

Her butt began to vibrate and she jumped, turning to look over her shoulder. She reached back and retrieved her phone from her pocket, grinning when she saw that it was Meg calling. With a flick of her thumb she answered the call, pressing the device to her ear. "Meg? Are you here? Ah, alright sweet! Be down in a sec!"

The bubbly little redhead rolled off the couch and hit the ground running, scrambling to pull on her shoes. She double-knotted one sneaker and got halfway through doing the other before deciding one knot was good enough, leaving the half-done knot to flop around as she left her apartment, locking the door behind her.

When she made it downstairs she grinned at the sight of Meg caught in yet another argument with Jim, the doorman. Jim seemed to be counting something off on his hands, most likely reasons why his motorcycle was better than Meg's, while Meg just stared at him with her arms crossed, unimpressed. Anna's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she took a second look at Jim. While the temperamental (but very attractive, Anna had no problem admitting that) young man was usually unkempt and faintly vagrant-looking, he almost looked the part of gentleman today. His rat-tail had been cut away, his hair neatly clipped and brushed, and the gold hoop that he normally wore was missing.

She cocked her head, curious as to what could have caused Jim's makeover. With a smirk, she stepped between the two arguing brunettes, laying a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. "Now, now guys, you're both pretty." Meg snorted and tossed her head, but Jim had the decency to look sheepish and he raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck. Anna eyed him with a grin. "Well Jim, we're looking mighty spiffy today. What happened, did your mom finally chop off your ponytail while you were asleep?"

Jim narrowed his eyes and looked away. "It was not a ponytail!" He crossed his arms, shoulders slumping like a petulant child's. "My Uncle Silver just hit it big with his new mine. His crew called on Friday, not long after you left actually. They found a really rich vein or whatever, so he threw this huge party. Probably spent half of what this mine's gonna make him, too. But you can't tell that numbskull anything," Jim said with affection clear in his voice.

"So… what, you're mom made you get a haircut so you'd look nice?"

Jim turned his eyes back to her. "What makes you so sure my mom made me? What if I just wanted to get a haircut?"

When Anna answered, completely innocently, "Because you do everything your mom tells you to," Meg burst out into laughter. Jim's cheeks reddened and he mumbled something about checking on the furnace before fleeing the scene. Meg continued to laugh, one hand clutching Anna's shoulder for support.

"Oh my God, Gingersnap," Meg chuckled again as she carefully wiped a tear away from her eye. "That was great." After she got herself under control Meg's lips split in a wide grin and she pulled Anna into a fierce hug. "I'm happy you're back, short stuff."

Anna smiled and returned the hug. She enjoyed the warmth for a moment before stepping back and twirling once. "See? Still in one piece!"

Meg cocked a brow and the corner of her mouth twitched up in a smirk. She reached out and pinched Anna's cheek, chuckling when Anna yelped in protest. "Alright sassy, I get it. Come on, let's go get some chocolate in you; I think you might be suffering from a deficiency. That would certainly explain all the lip you've been giving me." Meg held on for a moment longer, smiling down at the now-frowning redhead. Granted, the frown was anything but intimidating considering the skin of Anna's cheek was stretched out quite comically. "Come on, I brought the bike."

In an instant the frown disappeared and Anna's face lit up. When Meg finally released the poor girl's cheek Anna pumped a fist in the air with an excited shout. She practically sprinted for the doors, leaving Meg to follow along at a more relaxed pace, rolling her eyes as she went. By the time the brunette made it outside Anna was already seated on the Yamaha, helmet clapped onto her head. She was bouncing up and down in the seat, excited beyond belief.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!"

"I have an idea. If all you wanted me for was my bike, why don't you just get your own?"

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny."

"I thought so," Meg said smugly as she swung a leg over the bike and settled herself in front of Anna. She put on her own helmet and started up the bike, a grin curling at her lips when the sound of Anna giggling reached her ears.

"You and I both know I'd probably end up driving into a lamppost and breaking myself." The pleasant warmth of Anna's body pressing up against her back as the redhead wrapped her arms around Meg's middle had her mischievous grin settling into something softer, more affectionate. "Besides, why drive myself when I have you as a chauffeur?"

Meg just shook her head, a faux-exasperated sigh escaping her lips as she revved the engine and kicked off from the curb.

Within twenty minutes they were seated at Ralph's, Anna getting ready to dig into her super-chocolate-holy-cow-how-can-you-eat-that-and-not-get-diabetes sundae. Meg had stuck with her usual root beer float and sat with her legs crossed, swirling the straw in her drink.

"So, Gingersnap. I'll give you five minutes of peace to scarf that thing down like I know you're going to, and then I expect the full low-down on this weekend. Capisce?"

Anna gave her a mock salute, a grin curling at her lips. "Aye aye, captain!"

And to Meg's disgust, five minutes was all it took. When the spoon clattered into the empty bowl Meg pushed the napkin dispenser towards Anna, averting her eyes as she did so. Anna, who had chocolate smeared around her face, muttered a 'Thank you,' and began the arduous task of cleaning herself up. "I'll never understand where you put it all, Gingersnap. It's truly frightening."

Anna removed the napkin from her face to stick her tongue out and then settled back into her chair with a content sigh. "It goes straight to my happy place. It's like fuel."

Meg raised a brow and leaned forward, face growing serious as she rested her elbows on the table. "So, Anna. You've got your fuel, you've got your audience, time to spill. Tell me about this weekend."

Anna's brow furrowed, eyebrows coming together as her smile fell. "Um… well, it was fine. Fun! It was fun. The party was great, and I didn't trip over myself or anything and I got through the night without embarrassing myself too bad. I mean, I did kinda fall once but then I… oh! I got to see my cousin! Yeah, apparently my uncle's ranch is really close to where Elsa lives? Weird, right? Like, who'd a thought? I mean, yeah they're kinda out of the way, it's mainly country and forest up there so who knows how far apart our houses actually are, but still! Small world, huh?" She trailed off with a nervous laugh, trying desperately to keep her poker face as Meg's eyes bored into hers.

"And… Elsa?"

Anna tried to swallow the lump in her throat, right eye twitching ever so slightly. "W-what about Elsa?"

Meg remained silent, though her eyes hardened and she leaned further forward, crossing her arms on the table top. Lavender eyes stared hard into Anna's, her mouth drawn in a firm line. Anna blushed under the scrutiny, and eventually had to turn away. Her eyes fell to the linoleum floor, occasionally flicking up to glance at Meg out of the corner of her eye. Slowly her shoulders began to scrunch up towards her ears, and she began to fiddle with her hands.

When she did, Meg's eyes glanced down. Realizing how uncomfortable the younger girl was, she relented with a sigh. Meg reached out and laid a hand on top of Anna's. Anna jumped at the contact, eyes snapping back up as she sat at attention.

"Look Gingersnap, I just want to make sure you're okay. If something happened between you two, then you don't have to tell me. It's your business." Anna's eyes lit up in surprise. "But… if something did happen… then I want you to be able to tell me about it." When Anna just stared blankly at her, Meg felt the heat rising in her cheeks and she withdrew her hand. She crossed her arms and thumped against the back of her chair. Now it was her turn to look away, embarrassed. "I mean, isn't that what friends are for?"

Anna cocked her head. There was silence between them for a moment, as Anna's gaze fell to her lap. She twiddled her thumbs absentmindedly, biting at her bottom lip as her thoughts raced.

"…are you gonna finish that?"

Before Meg could even answer Anna had swiped her root beer float, pulling it towards herself even as Meg whined in protest. The redhead brought the straw to her lips and sucked, slurping up the beverage as Meg glowered from across the table.

"…I will tell you." Anna had placed the glass back down, eyes unreadable as she stared at the table. "First I gotta figure some things out. Elsa's fine… we're both fine. It's just…" Anna sighed, running a hand through her bangs. "A lot of things happened this weekend, you know? Nothing bad!" she exclaimed when Meg opened her mouth to speak. "Nothing bad…"

She trailed off and Meg tilted her head, trying to meet Anna's eyes. "Nothing bad but… nothing good?"

"I wouldn't say that… I actually really had fun at the ball. I had fun most of the weekend, actually. I just… found a lot out. About Elsa, about her family… maybe even about me. And… I think just need a little bit of time to process all of it before I figure out how I feel about it. It's like… I think I know what I feel, and I know how I'm supposed to feel about it, but I'm not actually sure how I feel about it. Like, if someone told you that they failed a test and later you find out that you aced it part of you want to feel bad for them but then the other part of you wants to dance around and sing hallelujah and you're not really sure what to do… so you kind of just stand there awkwardly until you figure it out."

Meg blinked, confused as she tried to deconstruct Anna's speech. Said girl sighed and put her head in her hands, pushing the half-finished root beer float back across the table. "Ugh, ignore my word vomit, please."

"Um, no… I think I get it. You're just not sure where things stand, is that it?" Anna nodded. "Well… are you and Elsa still on, sorry for the wording, speaking terms?"

Anna looked up. "Yeah! No, we're fine. I'm still gonna go visit her on Wednesday."

Meg was quiet for a moment. Finally she nodded and stood. "Come on Gingersnap. I think you need some time to defrost your brain and come back to the real world. I'll leave you alone for a while, give you time to figure out what's going on in that crazy little head of yours. But when you finally do figure it out, we can come back for more ice cream. Maybe then I'll actually get to drink my own root beer float."

Anna grinned sheepishly, but stood and followed Meg out of the ice cream shop.

Later that night Anna lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't moved for what felt like an eternity, and had no intention of doing so any time soon. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, all in circles. Throughout the day it was true that she'd been distracted; her interactions with Meg that had been cryptic to the point of nonsense, and it had only worsened the moment Meg had dropped her off at home. At home, where she was alone, where her mind was perfectly free to wander and cause nothing but grief.

Anna sighed.

I mean… can you blame me? Everything's just so messed up. What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to feel?

…what am I gonna do when I see her on Wednesday?

Anna's eyes screwed shut as the scene began to play out again in her head. It had been just hours ago, before Mrs. Helland had driven her back home.

((Earlier that day))

Elsa and Anna had just finished having lunch with Elsa's parents, and everything had been fine. They hadn't asked about either girl's mysterious disappearance from the night before, nor had they asked about what they'd done that morning. Anton had been charming as always, and Catrine kept the same serene smile throughout the meal. When lunch was over, Mrs. Helland told Anna to be ready at three so she could be driven home. Anna had agreed with a smile, relieved that all the awkward tension and accusing glances she'd conjured up in her head had been nothing but her own imagination.

When Elsa and Anna had headed back upstairs, her head became filled with thoughts of home and Hans. She'd be going back to the real world, and she was too busy thinking to notice the way Elsa was watching her.

"I'm gonna pack all my stuff up, okay? I'll meet you in your room when I'm done," she said distractedly, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Elsa had eyed her warily before biting her lip and nodding, heading into her own room. Anna watched her go, eyeing the braid that she'd done for Elsa that morning. It was much neater than Elsa's usual braid, but that may have been because Elsa for some reason had left it alone. Which was odd, considering Elsa always seemed to be playing with her own hair. Anna couldn't recall seeing her touch her hair so much as once that day, except maybe to run a hand through her bangs.

When Elsa disappeared behind her door Anna had blinked and headed into her room. She headed over to the bed and picked up her duffel bag, tossing it onto the mattress. She grabbed her pajamas, which she'd tossed carelessly onto the bed when she'd gotten dressed that morning and, without bothering to fold them, shoved them in. Her clothes from the previous days were already squished in the bottom, so all she had to do was grab her Nintendo, her phone and her toothbrush.

'Well the toothbrush I can grab on the way over to Elsa's room…' So she reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her Nintendo, tossing it into the bag. She crossed the room to the dresser where her phone sat charging. Without checking for messages or missed calls she plucked it off the charger and shoved it into her back pocket. As quickly as she could she wrapped the charger up.

Once she had everything but her toothbrush packed she zipped up her duffel. She figured she could just shove the brush into one of the side pockets, so she headed into the bathroom. Once there she went to the sink and reached out for the brush, but something made her pause.

Anna turned to look at the door of Elsa's bedroom.

…are we really okay? Is she gonna be okay? I mean, she goes back to the institute tomorrow. Back to the big sweaters, the once-a-week visits…

And what about me? I have to go back to school. I had a history paper I could've been working on this weekend, but hey that's not due till Tuesday so I can probably crank that out tomorrow night. Now that I'm not visiting Hans so much anymore I can…

The thought of her brother made her frown.

Hans was still a problem. A problem that had been eating at the back of her psyche for quite a while, even though she'd been forcing herself to ignore it for the sake of this weekend. How was he faring without her? What were they doing to him? What if he was getting worse? What if he was getting into more fights?

What if he and that kid got into another fist fight? What if they really hurt each other? Oh my God… he could be lying in a hospital bed right now and I'd never know! No, that can't be right… I mean… they'd have to tell me if he was hurt, right? They couldn't just hide that from me. There's no way!

Anna bit her lip, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. Memories of Hans hitting that other boy flashed through her head, the look on his face when they'd taken away his visitation rights. When she closed her eyes she heard the sound of him crying out her name.

As pained lines marred her forehead, Anna gently massaged her temple. "Ugh… why can't life just be easy? Not boring, never boring… but it would be a lot more fun without all this extra headache."

Once again she turned to look at Elsa's door.

Oddly enough… despite everything that had happened between them… Elsa was the one thing that didn't give her headaches. Sure, sometimes things were awkward between them, especially after Friday, and quite frankly Anna had no idea where they stood. But still, despite all the uncertainty, when the two of them were together none of that really mattered. All of their interactions, though they could be clumsy and sometimes (from an outside perspective) one-sided, always left her with warmth in her chest.

Anna cocked her head and crossed the bathroom floor, pausing only for a moment before cracking Elsa's bedroom door open. She put her eye to the slit, peeking in to see what Elsa was doing.

The blonde had her back to Anna, and the off-the-shoulder violet blouse she was wearing gave Anna a lovely view of the curve of Elsa's neck. Her pale skin was practically luminescent in the light of the room, and Anna squinted to see if there were any pale freckles dotting the skin. She was slightly disappointed when she realized she'd have to get closer… but then she did. And the disappointment disappeared.

She crossed the room slowly, and as she approached she realized that Elsa was bent over a drawing, her hand flying back and forth as she worked. Anna cocked her head, curious as to what Elsa was sketching.

Anna hesitated before attempting to climb onto the bed, afraid that she would startle the other girl, but when she rested a knee on the bed with no reaction from Elsa she shuffled forward. Slowly, so as not to jostle Elsa as she worked, she crawled her way up behind the blonde to peek over her shoulder.

When she saw what Elsa was drawing, she fought back the 'Awwwww,' that immediately rose up in her throat.

A fox, Anna's absolute favorite animal, stared out at her from the sketchbook. The black ears tipped forward, alert and focused on the viewer. Its head was tilted ever so slightly to the side, and its snake-like eyes were bright. Somehow Elsa had manage to create a creature that radiated calm, whether it was in the way she shaded the fur or the way the eyes seemed to smile up at her, Anna couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

It's so cute… but why a fox?

Anna turned her eyes to Elsa, who was so engrossed in her work that she had yet to notice Anna beside her. Anna took advantage of that to admire Elsa from up close.

She followed the curve of Elsa's petite nose, counted each pale freckle dusted across her cheeks. She found herself awed over the sheer length of Elsa's lashes; they practically fluttered when Elsa blinked. Anna zoomed out to wonder over the marvels of Elsa's hair, wondering how in God's name she managed to keep her bangs slicked back like that. The obvious answer would be hair gel, but Anna had done Elsa's hair herself that morning, and knew for a fact that Elsa had used not a single product to style it. She mused silently for a few moments, tossing ideas around in her head, before letting the matter rest and zeroing back in on Elsa's face.

I really forget how gorgeous she is sometimes… it's unreal. And she's such a sweetheart too.

The smile on Anna's face began to border on dorky as she continued to stare, unaware that the beating of her heart was beginning to quicken.

When Elsa's tongue darted out to wet her lips, Anna found herself staring. Unabashedly. Elsa's lips looked soft, even from here. Anna's eyelids fluttered as she recalled last night, when they'd been painted a stunning cherry red to match her dress. Now, without makeup, they were pink like flower petals and, oddly enough, hypnotizing.

Anna didn't realize that she was leaning in, not even when Elsa's hand paused.

Still unaware of Anna's warmth beside her, Elsa scrutinized the drawing before her, blue irises darting over every detail. While the image in her head was clear, the drawing was still lacking… something. Elsa sighed and dropped her pencil, reaching up a hand to rub at her forehead.

When she felt warmth breath ghosting over her ear, a shiver wracked her spine and she whipped her head to the side. Hazy turquoise eyes stared back at her, very close, half lidded, filling her vision. Elsa froze, heart stopping. Her eyes were wide, confused, and all together shell-shocked.

Anna, for her part, didn't flinch away. Her eyes remained fixed on Elsa's lips, her pupils dilating. When Elsa had whipped her head to the side the two girls were so close that there had been the slightest brush, the briefest moment of contact…

Instinctively, Anna let her eyes fall shut as she pressed forward, fighting the urge to shudder when their lips met. Elsa's lips were just as soft as they looked, warm and pliant beneath her own. It lasted only for a moment, but for that moment there was not a single thought in Anna's head. There were only notions, feelings like yes and warm and soft and right.

But the moment passed when some part of Anna's brain registered the sharp intake of breath she heard from somewhere in front of her, felt the slightest tremor run through Elsa's body. In an instant her head was roaring with cries of 'What are you doing?! Why did you do that?! Get away from her!' and her eyes flew open. She pulled away sharply, almost falling back onto the mattress.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…

Elsa's eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly as her jaw had fallen slack once Anna had pulled away. Anna watched, terrified, as Elsa's eyes slowly opened, unfocused as they stared down at the bed. Anna's heart was pounding in her chest, and when Elsa's eyes met hers she clutched at the sheets beneath her.

There was a look in Elsa's eyes… such an honest expression of child-like wonder that Anna felt unworthy of looking upon. She felt like she was missing something, like some important thing had just flown right over her head without her even knowing. The two stared at each other in silence, and just when Anna thought she was getting her breathing under control Elsa raised a hand to her mouth, fingertips pressing gently against the pink flesh of her bottom lip as her eyes fell half-shut. A dreamy smile stretched across the blonde's face, a rosy glow rising in her cheeks. Anna gulped, eyes unable to focus on anything but the look of stunned bliss on Elsa's face and in that moment she realized that her own lips were tingling like mad.

She had enjoyed that. She had thoroughly enjoyed that.

Not cool, Anna! Absolutely not cool! You came completely out of nowhere, you shouldn't have done that! Who cares if she liked it, she- wait, what? No, no you will not take advantage of the way Elsa feels to justify your absolute creeper status! This is why we knock, Anna! This is why we announce our presence, so we don't end up totally catching people off guard and kissing them out of nowhere! Not cool!

"E-Elsa, I'm sorry, I-I…" her voice was shaky, squeaky even. She swallowed again as fire filled her cheeks.

Sorry?! You think 'sorry' is going to fix this? Idiot, Anna! Idiot, idiot, idiot!

Anna's entire frame twitched when Elsa's eyes seemed to refocus, the haziness in them disappearing as she began to move. The blonde beamed at her as she shuffled forward but when she saw the panic in Anna's face, saw the redhead instinctively tense and prepare to back away, Elsa's eyes widened. One hand came down on top of Anna's, fingers weaving their way through the redhead's. The other cupped Anna's chin, effectively holding her in place.

Elsa's eyes were intense… but calm. They were serious, having lost their dazed quality from moments ago. Serious, but very gentle. Once she was sure Anna wouldn't run she remained still, maintaining eye contact even when Anna began to splutter out apologies.

"I really, really should've told you I was here but, but I just wanted to see what you were drawing and then I was looking at you and then you were just there and I, I… I'm sorry I didn't-"

Elsa's eyes narrowed, hurt filling her gaze as her confidence faltered. Anna saw the change and her face fell, the tension in her body lessening as she searched Elsa's face.

…I can't say I didn't mean it. I can't. That wouldn't be fair… and it wouldn't be true. But this isn't right! I-I feel like I'm taking advantage of her, I mean I know she has feelings for me… but what about me? Elsa's so sweet, she's been nothing but amazing to me. What if I hurt her? Elsa, what if I hurt you? You don't deserve that, Elsa. You deserve to be happy, happy with someone who wants nothing but the best for you… someone who doesn't have a million other things on her mind. Elsa, I…

"I-I don't want to hurt you."

Both girls' eyes widened at the confession, and Anna clapped her free hand over her mouth. Elsa stared at her in shock, mouth hanging open as her grip on Anna's chin loosened.

Just then there was a knock at the door, and both Elsa and Anna jumped. Anna pulled away, while Elsa remained where she was, quickly reaching out to shut the sketchbook.

"Girls?" It was Catrine, stepping into the room with a smile on her face. "Anna dear, would you mind if we left a bit early? I received a call and need to meet with someone in town at 3:30. If we leave now I should have you home by 3:15."

"Uh…" Anna cast a quick glance at Elsa, who was still staring at her with wide eyes, before nodding once. The Helland's were her hosts after all; it wasn't like she was in a place to argue when she went home.

Yeah right, you liar. There's another reason you want to leave. You're running away. Coward.

She ignored her conscience and stood. "Um, I'll just go get my bag then."

Catrine nodded. "Very well, I'll leave you two alone to say your goodbyes. I'll meet you in the foyer, Miss Christian. I assume you know the way?" The matron of the house smiled when Anna nodded in response and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

There was utter silence for a moment.

Anna ran a hand through her hair, scratching at her scalp as she felt Elsa's eyes burning into her back. "U-um… I'm gonna go, get my bag." She practically sprinted for the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush and running to her duffel. She tossed the brush into one of the side pockets and zipped it up, tossing it over her shoulder as she inhaled deeply. She held it in for a moment, trying to rein in her rapid heartbeat.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder she almost screamed, but when the hand's owner turned her around and she saw Elsa smiling down at her the urge disappeared. The blonde's face was calm, her eyes bright as she stared down into Anna's own shy ones.

"E-Elsa, I…"

All of a sudden Elsa's hands were cupping her jaw, and Anna saw the taller girl's eyes falling shut as Elsa pulled her forward. Their lips met once again and this time it was Anna who inhaled sharply, brain short-circuiting the moment Elsa's warm mouth pressed against hers, fierce but gentle, mindful of every ounce of delicious pressure applied.

It took only a moment for Anna's eyes to fall shut, body relaxing as her logic fizzed out and the sensation of right she felt before came back full force.

It was Elsa who pulled away first, fighting the urge to grin when she saw that Anna's eyes were still shut. When they opened back up it was slowly, the redhead's vision wavering as she tried to process what had just happened. When she looked up and saw Elsa smiling down at her she immediately looked away, eyes falling to the floor as a full-body blush took hold of her.

Without thinking she pulled away, muttering a shaky 'Thanks for this weekend,' as she headed for the door. She pulled it open and hesitated. Anna bit her lip and sent a quick glance over her shoulder. When she saw that Elsa was still staring with what was clearly nothing but pure, honest affection and a certain something else shining in her eyes Anna could offer only a meek wave before running downstairs.

((Back in Anna's room))

The entire drive back had been uncomfortable, at least for Anna. Catrine tried to engage her in conversation but her mind had still been in recovery for most of the ride. It wasn't until they were about ten minutes away from her apartment that she'd begun to feel normal again, and even that was mostly show.

And now that I'm alone… everything's coming back. Just like it always does.

Anna closed her eyes and curled up into a ball, turning onto her side and burying her head under a pillow. The way Elsa had looked at her stayed with Anna all day; the hope and the purity of the emotion in Elsa's eyes had been too much for her. It felt like a standard she knew she had no hopes of meeting. What would she do if Elsa ended up hurt because of her? What if after everything they'd been through, Anna managed to screw it all up? But she couldn't just quit, she couldn't just stop seeing Elsa. That would destroy the other girl almost as surely as anything Anna could do with their mutual attraction, or anything that would come of it.

She'd told Meg that she wasn't sure how she felt, but that wasn't true. Anna knew what she felt.

She was terrified.

…I'm in too deep.

Sorry about the wait guys, life had me terrified for a little while there. Hope this chapter makes up for it ;)