The party that night had been crazy. She could barely remember anything from the past six minutes. Who had she talked to? How was she getting home?

Her own name was…Anna. Right? Wasn't it?

The only thing she'd never forget, drunk or not, was the blonde girl who was holding her upright so that she could walk to the car without collapsing—Elsa, her best friend, and a college senior whose slightly taller shoulder made for a perfect steadying agent.

Unlike Anna's oddly ceaseless thoughts, she hadn't said much that evening, and as far as her non sober state went, it was a rarity.

But leave it to Elsa to notice it immediately.

"Guess you drank so much that you wore yourself out," Elsa chided, "Three drinks and you're bouncing off the walls; God knows how many and you're lucky that there's a certain sober person to tell you when enough is enough. A certain person to whom I believe you owe a thank you."

Anna narrowed her eyes. Yes, it may be fun for Elsa to tease her when she could barely understand what the senior was saying, but it was not fun for Anna who had so many thoughts flying through her mind, yet couldn't make a single one cohesive.

"Your fault for brining me instead of your girlfriend," Anna's words were slurred, "But thanks."

Elsa rolled her eyes, "Just get in the car. I don't trust you to get back to your dorm room. We're going to my apartment."

"Won't Belle mind? She goes to your place on Fridays."

"Seriously, how much did you drink?" Elsa said as she started her car, "She's in Australia. Study abroad. She's not coming back until next week. Which is why I couldn't bring my girlfriend to the party. And besides, it was you who dragged me to this party, so your argument from before is invalid anyway."

"What argument?" Anna countered ineffectively.

Elsa smirked, her blue eyes crinkling.

Elsa was cute when she smirked—

Wait, what!?

Even for being drunk, where had that come from?

Elsa, unaware of Anna's sudden internal craze, only cocked a brow and said, "But of course, it was only a minute ago—you wouldn't remember."

And then she laughed.

The most amazing adorable enthusiastic laugh that—

No!

Where was this coming from?

Anna stared, from the passenger seat, and looked at her friend with her eyes now serious and focused on the vacant road, yet still ever so teasing, her mouth still curled into that smirk and her dark blue dress that accentuated every part of—

The darkness, duh!

And the car. And the steering wheel. And the radio. And Elsa, every single part of….

Elsa?!

Anna blinked. Hard. Hoping that it would just all disappear.

But it didn't.

All those drinks should have made her hazy. But were they just beginning to make her see?

There was no way that she felt any attraction to her friend. Her friend who was just that—her best friend—who she studied with and hung out with all the time and asked for advice and begged for help with her lowly freshman math work for which Elsa could talk in circles about, which blew her mind; Elsa blew her mind; this blew her mind; what was her mind anyway, trying to make her think things that weren't true and besides…

Elsa had a girlfriend. She was happy. Wasn't she?

Although it had seemed odd to Anna that over the past few months with Belle being—where again?

Oh, right. In Antarctica!

…

Nope, in Australia.

With Belle being in Australia, Elsa seemed different. Although Anna couldn't quite place her finger on it—

"Anna, really, you're being inanely quiet. I know you well enough to know that you're not even this quiet sober."

I know you well enough.

How was it that at that moment, Elsa seemed to know Anna better than Anna seemed to know herself?

"Well, that was deep. For a drunk person."

WHAT!?

Anna slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I won't question it. You've said stranger things," Elsa said, in a voice that was serious, yet borderline amused.

Curse the mouth that doesn't work when asked, but blabbers away without permission.

Anna scowled.

"Come on, we're here," Elsa said as she parked the car.

"I can see," Anna grumbled, fumbling to undo the seatbelt.

"If you could see straight then you wouldn't need me to open the door for you," Elsa was trying hard not to laugh, biting her lower lip that Anna stared at for a brief second longer than necessary.

I'm not sure if I ever will again, Anna thought.

"Can you make it up a flight of stairs?" Elsa asked, when Anna nearly walked into the building's door.

"Elevator," was all Anna could manage. She was too exhausted. From the party. From the walk. From her thoughts. From resisting the urge of giving into her thoughts.

"It's been broken for a week," Elsa said, "And I seriously don't think I'm strong enough to carry you upstairs."

That got Anna's attention. As wonderful—and inappropriate! (Hello, brain, still inappropriate to be thinking like this because she has a girlfriend!)—as the thought was, Anna didn't think she could trust herself in that scenario whether she gained control of her thoughts or not.

"Uh…I think I can manage."

Clinging to the railing for dear life she was able to drag herself upstairs without assistance, following Elsa to the tiny apartment that had become Anna's second home. And within seconds, Anna had flung herself onto the couch.

"Anna don't you think you should change?" Elsa turned on the light in the kitchen.

The light flooded into the small living room, and Anna lifted her head and squinted. It looked like an entire halo of light was surrounding Elsa.

It was beautiful.

"What's beautiful? The light?"

Anna flopped back onto the sofa face first. Why did she have no filter?

Elsa practically dragged her to her feet, ignoring the redhead's second odd statement of the night and diving into the more important matter, "You can borrow whatever you want. Just go change. You won't want to ruin that dress when you realize you're waking up hungover."

"But I don't care about the dress I want to sleep," Anna whined.

"You won't even be able to move in the morning. And besides, I think it looks rather nice."

Anna froze. Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

But if Elsa noticed anything that may have slipped out of her mouth, she didn't hesitate, "Hurry up. I'm tired too."

As Anna found her way to the bedroom, she wondered if it would be possible to just disappear. She changed into shorts and pulled an oversized t-shirt over her head.

Elsa's shorts and oversized t-shirt…

But instead of letting her mind wander there, she let her thoughts return to what Elsa had said before. About her dress.

That's what friends do, right? Compliment each other. It's nothing more than that.

But then what Anna couldn't put her finger on before…

Elsa seemed more independent without Belle. More…free.

Spirited, almost.

But it was only when Elsa spent time with…

Anna.

And if Anna dared, could she believe that in some way Elsa maybe felt the same way as she did?

Did Anna really feel this way, though? Who was talking—herself, or the drinks she'd downed one after another? Was there a rational part of her that still saw Elsa as a friend?

Guess we'll find out in the morning, Anna sighed. She was too tired to figure out the mess of her mind and thoughts.

Slowly, she made her way through the tiny hallway and sunk back own on the sofa that Elsa was now perched on the edge of, leaving Anna's face inches away from the blonde senior's lap.

Anna shut her eyes.

But all she saw was Elsa's face.

I think I like you. Maybe. A lot.

She was lost in her thoughts again for five minutes—or was it fifteen?—before she felt herself drifting to sleep. But vaguely, before the darkness enveloped her, she heard a faint voice, a quiet whisper, after the sofa beside her creaked. And perfectly poised, confident Elsa faltered; not in the way she spoke, but in the words she said—in the words she admitted:

"That's why I'd never trust myself to drink around you. I don't even want to know what I would say without thinking."

Something cold touched her shoulder the next morning. Ice cold.

"Ugh," Anna rolled over.

A shiver went all the way down her spine, which was almost as disturbing as the horrible feeling in her stomach.

"It's eleven. You need to get up and eat something."

Anna cracked one eye open at the sound of Elsa's voice, but she almost shut it again. When had Elsa changed into the shortest pair of shorts that Anna had ever seen?

Instead she opened her other eye and vowed only to look at the blonde's face that loomed over her own, which wasn't any better, because those eyes brought back all of the thoughts from last night…

That were most certainly alive, ignited, and…true.

"So are you feeling better?" Elsa asked.

It was only then that Anna realized that she had been staring. She blinked, "Um. Give me a minute."

She shot up from the sofa, fully aware that her copper hair stuck out from every end.

"And the hair never fails to amuse," Elsa laughed.

"What are you trying to say?" Anna challenged, fully able to make coherent comebacks now—as lame as they may be.

"Nothing…at all. It's adorable in its own way."

Anna resented how Elsa could say things that Anna had so much trouble even thinking about without even showing any emotion. And instead of saying anything back, she instead found herself blushing. Knowing there was no way to explain herself, she ran into the bathroom without saying another word.

Breakfast was…Anna didn't really know what breakfast was.

She toyed with the tips of her usual auburn twin braids, fighting the emotions that plagued her mind, while simultaneously wondering how in the world to bring up conversations that avoided last night.

But apparently, Elsa had other ideas.

"Anna, how much of last night do you remember?"

Dare she say it?

"All of it."

Cursed mouth.

Elsa was quiet.

"I'm sorry," Anna's mouth went off on its own again, which this time she was grateful for, because her mind didn't have the slightest idea of where to being, "I thought I just wasn't thinking right, cause, you know, I couldn't even stand up right, but then…then I just…I don't understand. How one moment I can see you as a friend and then…but you have a girlfriend…" Her mouth stopped working. And all it could come up with next was, "You know what, these pancakes need syrup."

Bailing. Yes. This was the way to go.

"This is why I'm studying to be an architect," Elsa tried to keep the mood light, "And didn't go to culinary school."

Anna got up. With her head in the pantry and her back to the blonde, it was easier for her to talk. She let a few seconds pass before she admitted, "And I…also remember what you said," Anna couldn't bring herself to look at Elsa. She didn't want to know what the soundless reaction from the senior was, but she kept talking, "And I wanted to say something right then and there but it was so late and I was tired and I was confused and clearly disoriented and not really sure if I'd heard right, or imagined everything, and I didn't know why you'd feel that way about me and wow I'm rambling. But…" Time to bail! "…I can't find the syrup."

Elsa said nothing, but Anna heard a chair scrape across the floor, and she turned. Elsa simply got up and walked to the pantry, but with every step she took, Anna's heart beat faster.

The blonde, her friend, Elsa, whatever she was, reached over the redhead to the top shelf, the bottom of her tank top moving upwards in the process, revealing—what, when did she get those abs! And more importantly, why in the world did Anna care?

Because, really, what did Anna want?

What did Elsa want?

And what about Belle?

"I didn't know you heard that," Elsa said finally, the syrup bottle clutched in her left hand.

"Well, I did. And I…I want to know what you would say," Anna said firmly, bringing her blue eyes to meet Elsa's.

"Guess you'd need to give me a few drinks to find out," Elsa said. And then there was that smirk, that wonderful, lovely smirk; the crinkling of those beautiful blue eyes…

Elsa extended her hand, and Anna enclosed her own around the bottle, but didn't let go.

"I want to know," she repeated. Her gaze never faltered, "I told you."

"I…" Elsa started, looking down at her their hands that nearly touched, grasping the same glass bottle, "I…like you, Anna."

The words rung in the air that was now as think as the syrup in the bottle between their hands. Surely, it wasn't everything that Elsa would have said. But Anna still thought that they were the most beautiful words she had ever heard. Yet also the most perplexing…

"But Belle," Anna started.

"Enough about Belle," Elsa's face was suddenly so close that Anna could touch the tip of her nose, or…

"There's something I didn't tell you, Anna. Partly because I didn't know what was really happening, and partly because of all of this, but….within the last month I think I've finally accepted it. Belle and I…we've been together for a year. But I think she wants to move on. This study abroad thing was only the beginning of it. And we got into a pretty bad argument before she left. I felt…obligated, almost, to stay with her. But with you…With you I can be me…"

"Pretty deep thoughts for a drunk person," was all Anna could manage, echoing the words that the senior had said to her last night.

The corners of Elsa's mouth turned upwards slightly, but then suddenly it came closer and closer—

"Elsa, I don't…I mean, I've never—"

"Would you just be quiet already?" Elsa's tone was light, yet imploring. And Anna felt the words leave Elsa's mouth more than she heard them before the senior's lips were on her own.

Anna was shocked at first. But the kiss was light, gentle.

When Elsa pulled away, she looked down at the floor.

Anna's heart was pounding, "What I was trying to say was…I've never kissed anyone before…but just…wow."

Her eyes flicked from the senior's downcast eyes, to her lips, and then back again.

Elsa let go of the bottle between their hands, still not meeting Anna's eye, "I should have more control. God. You had way too much to drink last night. You're probably still disoriented," Elsa's words were rushed, "I'm sorry Anna. I just…"

"Hey," Anna said softly, "I know exactly what I want now. And I think you do too."

"How can I know? How I can I know if you're sure?"

"I think the question is are you sure," Anna said.

"I think that right now you're too good for me," Elsa whispered.

"You can't say that. You were the one who took care of me last night when I was a complete mess."

"And I'm therefore responsible for dragging you into this."

"You didn't drag me into anything, Elsa. You opened my eyes."

And suddenly in a whirl their lips were together again, but more forcefully this time.

"I have…no clue what I'm doing," Anna gasped, opening her eyes, "I told you…I've never..."

"Well then stop talking and let me handle it," Elsa's voice was unlike anything that Anna had ever heard before.

And then all she was aware of was Elsa—her lips, her hands that were on her hips and then in her hair and Anna still had absolutely no idea what she was doing, and so she just did as Elsa had said, let the senior handle it, just like she always did. And still holding that bottle of syrup, Anna found both of her hands pinned behind her back, grasping that bottle so hard she thought it would crack. If it weren't for the closed pantry door behind her she didn't think she'd still be standing.

And then she felt a tingling chill up her spine. Ice cold fingers on her back, and she nearly gasped, but didn't want to ruin the moment.

In the darkness that was her closed eyes and pounding heart she begged herself to stay still, to not move, to not do anything that would end this beautiful thing, whatever it was.

But it was all Anna could do to keep herself quiet, and suddenly that glass bottle was slipping from her fingers and she swore it would fall to the ground and shatter into a million little pieces, kind of like her heart that felt like it was going to explode. Or implode. Or both.

But as soon as the bottle slipped, the cold disappeared.

No shattering followed.

She opened her eyes, confused. The first thing she noticed was that a piece of hair had come loose from one of her braids, and that said piece of hair fell right in front of her eyes. But she didn't dare move it. She could barely breathe. Because there in front of her was Elsa, holding out the syrup bottle in her left hand, just as she had before all of this had transpired, and for a moment, Anna though she'd imagined it all.

But Elsa said, with a hint of that adorable smirk, "I think that's enough for now."

And when Anna took the bottle from the senior's hands, Elsa reached upwards and brushed aside that piece of hair that Anna still hadn't fixed. But before Elsa could move her hand away, Anna grabbed it with her own free one, and looked the senior in the eye.

And the words she spoke next were ones that she declared with complete confidence, "So I think I like you. Maybe. A lot."

Elsa's lips curved into a small smile, and her answer made Anna's heart soar, "I think I love you. Definitely. A lot."

A/n: So…first oneshot. Something that's been on my mind. I'm in the middle of chapter five of A State of Grace, so this has nothing to do with my main story at all. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to post it, but I figured I'd just go for it. Because basically what's happening is I have finals. Yuck. And what does every normal person do to evade studying? Write, of course :)