"We can slow dance to rock music, kiss while we do it, talk till we both turn blue," the background sang, and the only time the gentle music was silenced was the small pause that came accompanied with the ending of the song. The mood had left the two of them longing to hold each other - and their bedroom that had turned into nothing but a small studio that would be painted on the empty canvas - but Elsa was patient enough to not lust after it.

All was completely well and wonderful when her girlfriend's freckled skin was baked with the afternoon glow of the sun, serving as light and, for now, serving as art.

Wearing only a black blouse over nothing but her underwear, Elsa had been sitting in her chair behind her enormous canvas with various tubes of paint and a glass of water set by the side. A small table serving a plate of fruits and a glass of wine settled beside her as well, and with each passing second ending the day, Elsa felt like she should be enjoying this a bit more.

After all, the summer air was the perfect season to do all the things that Elsa wanted to do with her girlfriend, and it was especially perfect to paint a beautiful seasonal summer art. But, of course, while she wanted this for herself, she also knew she should reward her girlfriend a little something - although, she wasn't sure how much Anna would enjoy having a complete painting of her own nude body.

As the music settled with a new sound, Elsa curiously rolled her seat to the side for a bit, a wine glass situating in her hand. In front of her, the silky red comforter on the bed was occupied by her bared girlfriend, laying on her side, perfectly auburn hair glowing over her shoulders. The sun did wonders on emphasizing her wonderful freckles doting over her sharp shoulders and face, and merely, Elsa took the chance to admire the beauty of it. As if she had just seen it for the first time, she whistled, eyebrows raised up.

"What a beauty," she stated, standing finally, the rim of the wine glass placed on her lips.

Anna mirrored her expression, curious, and maybe just a bit offended. "Are you going to paint or is this another way of doing foreplay? It's kinda odd if it is."

Elsa chuckled, coming closer with her knuckles running back Anna's hair behind her ear. "Would you prefer it that way?" She pressed her finger against Anna's lips to stop another smart response. "Sorry, sweetheart, I just need you to sit up."

It was always fun to play around with Anna like that - especially when the girl could give such brilliant reactions. While she didn't mind seeing the rose-colored cheeks more often on Anna, there were things that she still had to accomplish - and trying to prompt Anna to flush for her could be done any time. Though, considering how beautiful and sexy Anna looked in bed right now, she half-expected this to go a bit further than just 'foreplay'.

Stepped back just a foot, she watched her girl take her time sitting up. She stood where she was, hand to her chin in an observant gesture. "Hm… maybe…"

"What, are you going to make me pose again?" Anna questions, folding her arms. "This is like the third time, Elsa. Make up your mind."

Anna's intuition was always surprising. Smiling in silence, she tapped her knee against the inside of Anna's. "I'm making it up, yes. Just spread your legs a little."

The girl in question raised her eyebrows but did as she was told.

"A bit more."

A little bit more.

"More." Elsa forcefully pushed Anna's knees apart even further until, of course, Anna was completely exposed.

"Elsa." One stern word shifted Elsa's gaze from the exposed area to her girlfriend's exasperated expression with an eyebrow arched. Though, if Elsa had any shame in doing it, she would have been down on her knees to apologize, but there just wasn't a hint of that. Surely, Anna would understand. This was all in good times.

"Baby, you're looking good," Elsa complimented, hoping that it would, perhaps, distract Anna from getting more furious than she already was - as little as it seemed at the moment. A break of silence fell between them, and all Anna did was sigh in response. The way she worried her lower lip, the way those eyes glimmered brightly in acceptance quickly halted all of Elsa's concerns.

And as if the silence wanted her to continue, she watched her girlfriend lean back a little, elbows holding her weight, and those hands… those gentle hands traveled and grazed all over the freckles that spanned down to her chest. Those eyes that glistened so fondly at Elsa suddenly shifted in the darkness that was desire. Oh, the red colored on the bed went so well with it.

Elsa proceeded to guide Anna a bit more. "I want your hand right on your chest. Yes, right there." Unbeknownst to her, suddenly, her voice had lowered and hushed as well. "Your right hand… goes right between your legs."

Anna did exactly what she was told, her smirk suggestive and amused. "If you wanted to see me masturbate, you could have just asked."

Elsa's face softened, but it wasn't just out of love - it was just simply out of normality because even if it was something as strange as this, for the sake of art, Elsa had always dreamt of a normal relationship where they could say whatever they wanted, do whatever they wanted.

Still, though, if she could resist looking at the way Anna's fingers trailed down her soft navel to cup her precious flowers, she wouldn't have suggested painting a person - especially, painting Anna. She barely held down a swallow, almost had forgotten how to breathe, but she quickly remembered what they were supposed to do here.

Taking a sip of her wine, her observant eyes went straight to look at Anna. That sultry expression of Anna's was to die for, and Elsa almost hated the fact she would ruin it in seconds. And, of course, in mere seconds, Elsa slowly tilted her wine glass over above Anna's body… letting the crimson-colored drink dribble down her midriff.

Naturally, Anna gasped in shock. "ELSA -"

Said woman leaned forward, taking Anna's chin in her fingers and forced their eyes to meet close up. "Sorry, sweetheart. It's for the art."

"You're gonna regret doing that," she snarled.

The blonde smirked, gifting Anna a rewarding peck on her lips. "I hope I do."

"And I hope you know you're cleaning this mess up."

"I know. Don't act like you wouldn't enjoy it though. Look at you pouting. Adorable."

Anna rolled her eyes out of playfulness. Meanwhile, after another rewarding kiss placed on Anna's neck, Elsa slowly went back to her designated place behind the canvas. With Anna already in her position, it was much easier to sketch out her outlines and the details that made that woman so incredibly beautiful.

Not to mention, this was Elsa's first time painting a woman - especially, a woman in nude. And if the summer wasn't the perfect opportunity to try new things, then she wouldn't know what to do. And what perfect opportunity it was, knowing that Anna had never been painted nude before - though, the idea was icky at first. The fact that they had been dating for a year had opened them to so many things… and the least they could do was try each and every one of them once.

For a while, listening to the radio, Elsa had been painting the shade of Anna's smooth skin on the canvas. Even something as this was a bit intimate… but all was just as lovely as the next best thing. And Elsa was absolutely satisfied.

"You're going to love this, Anna."

She'd really only be lying to herself if she thought this was going to be easy. She didn't want Elsa to feel uncomfortable living in her own home, but even Anna felt uneasy because she just didn't know how she should even act towards Elsa. She really had to watch herself. Being too close meant Elsa would find out their relations. Being too distant would make Elsa question what she was hiding. Neither one sounded great, and the middle ground was also especially hard to find.

Standing beside Elsa felt like she was standing beside a stranger - a stranger that she needed to care for… a stranger that she needed to love. And one thing that was for sure… was the fact that trying to love Elsa the way she was was harder than she thought.

In the space that was in the bathroom, Anna leaned against the doorframe as she watched Elsa admire every little speck of details. Although it was just as bland as any other common bathrooms, Elsa was in awe. She twirled around in her space, fingers grasping her crutches. The marbling of every inch of the room shined. Maybe Elsa had never seen something like this… or, perhaps, she was still stunned by what she could do.

Anna, while she enjoyed the fact that her girlfriend had built such a beautiful space for them, almost wanted to vomit. She knew a part of her hated how naive Elsa was, as much as she had pushed her feelings down. Seeing it close up, seeing the innocence in those eyes shine like diamonds, was making Anna's chest hurt.

"Anna?"

The girl in question blinked, loosening her crossed arms to her sides. "Yeah?"

"You've been… blanking out on me quite a bit today." Her smiled drowned in concern, but the two continued to stay a foot apart from each other. "Is something wrong?"

Oh, how she wished she could just simply tell Elsa. Shaking her head in response, Anna tightened her smile. "You wanted a bath right?"

Elsa's cheeks began to form a shade of pink, going well with those blue eyes that were avoiding her. "Yes."

"What's wrong?" The silence prolonged, but after a while, Anna finally understood what that blush meant. She should have felt the same. She should have been awkwardly embarrassed as well, knowing that Elsa would need help taking her clothes off, but she wasn't. Anna knew what Elsa looked like, but that wasn't the issue here. It was Elsa that didn't know that Anna knew… which, of course, made things awkward for Anna, herself.

Scratching the back of her neck, unsure of what to say, Anna cleared her throat. "Uh… it's… it's okay. We're both girls here. But if you're certain that you don't need help -"

"I do," was Elsa's response, as softly spoken as it was. "I-I… It was always Mother… I didn't mind that it was her. I think… it's just awkward now because it's not her."

Tell me about it. Anna sighed, thinking in contemplation. "Do you want me to close my eyes?"

"N-No!" Elsa sighed. "That's not… I'll get over it," she seated herself on the edge of the bathtub carefully, one hand clutching on the surface, and another holding the two crutches, "I'm ready."

Still a bit uncertain to know that she really was ready, Anna took the few steps up front to Elsa, getting on her knees. Her fingers slowly - though, not necessarily shaking in nervousness as much as she thought she would - began picking at the buttons to peel her shirt apart.

And while the silence was becoming tenser than ever, without even glancing at Elsa's face, she could see those eyes staring right at the redhead. She hoped Elsa would stop staring at her the way she was, almost like there was an expectation put upon them - only, Anna hoped that that expectation wasn't that Elsa wanted to kiss her. Because that's exactly how Elsa was looking at her right now.

Gulping, keeping her eyes right on Elsa's almost exposed body, she continued to open the shirt to reveal her girlfriend's bra secured on her chest. Having been laid in bed for a month, Anna also noticed the muscles on Elsa's belly were near gone.

"You can take that off right?"

Elsa nodded, their eyes meeting. Especially now, the look of embarrassment was more prominent. The silence was almost deafening as Anna guided her girlfriend to sit up a bit so she could pull those jeans off as well. Though, a little shaky, Elsa managed to bare herself naked after a long while, immediately using her arms to cover up her chest.

Anna knew how she felt, but what could she do? She stood a safe distance from Elsa once she had gotten the bath running the tub. She tried her best not to look at her girlfriend, but it was hard not to when Elsa was just as beautiful as Anna once remembered.

"Please don't laugh at me," Elsa began, meek and ashamed.

Oh, but how could Anna ever laugh? Seeing that there were tears rested on the corner of Elsa's gentle eyes, she realized how serious the woman really was. Wide-eyed, and completely unexpecting Elsa to be this embarrassed, Anna chuckled nervously. "Why would I laugh? It's… it's okay. Look, if you're uncomfortable with me seeing you naked -" She placed her palm over her eyes as a presentation. "I won't look."

Hearing a sigh, Anna spread her fingers to peek through them. Already, Elsa had already managed to stop hugging herself almost as if through the short silence she had convinced herself that it was okay. Anna didn't blame her. Of course a teenager would be embarrassed. Of course Elsa hadn't gotten used to how beautiful her body had grown up to be, and only Anna would notice.

"Sorry… I'm just a bit insecure," was her girlfriend's response. In all the years that Anna had known her, not even once had she thought Elsa would say those words. After all, Elsa's confidence always shined into the spotlight.

"It's okay. I know how it's like." With a gulp, Anna offered Elsa a hand. "Here, let's get you in the tub. Just sit down, alright? You don't have to stand." She didn't care if she got herself wet as she decidedly wrapped her arms under Elsa's armpits and gently pulled her up to place her down over the edge of the tub. Almost immediately, water began to sprinkle over the blonde's head.

"I can wash by myself." Elsa smiled ever so tightly. There was almost a sense of relief, knowing that Elsa was able to do most tasks… but a part of her was oddly disappointed by the fact that she wouldn't be able to help Elsa wash up. Still, Anna made sure all the body wash and shampoos were near Elsa so she could reach them easily.

"Alright," Anna responded. "I'll just leave the door slightly open in case you need anything, okay?"

This should have been so easy. What was so hard about taking off her girlfriend's clothes, making sure that she was able to bathe correctly? No, that part was entirely easy, and the only hard part about this was trying to pretend that this was a common occurrence. Ah, in truth, it just wasn't a common occurrence. She just wasn't sure if she should act like she hadn't seen it all or if she should act like she had seen it all.

But now that it was over, pressing her forehead against the door as she got out, listening to the splashing of water from the other side, Anna found herself in complete relief. It never occurred to her that she would feel getting away from someone she loved would feel so refreshing. She almost hated the thought, but self-care was just as important. She simply needed a break.

Coming to the kitchen, she decided to grab herself a glass of wine. For the moment, she leaned herself against the kitchen counter, sipping on her drink with her phone in her hand. From afar, she could still hear the shower going on, but a small beep sounded through her phone.

She nearly choked, dropped her wine glass, and her phone when she noticed a familiar name calling out to her. Her heart dropped, her face turned pale, but her eyes were unmoved from the name that she hadn't seen for months: Meg.

What…? What does she want? Unbeknownst to Anna, she began to tremble like an earthquake as she clicked on the messages. She was at least brave enough to look at her messages - but, sometimes, there were things she couldn't bear seeing. How had she not blocked the number was beyond her, but Anna knew… there was a part of her that would always, always be attracted to those kinds of people. The wrong kinds of crowds.

"I want to see you," the message showed. Her eyes were completely glued to those words, her eyes brimmed with tears, but out of what emotion? Fear? Anger? Or was it regret? Deciding to answer it right away would hurt Anna even more, and the girl knew that better than anyone else. Especially with nobody to support her now… no one to comfort her, Anna needed to grow her spine just a little more. With the courage that she had left, she struggled to shut the screen off, and she did -

Which… had followed by an immediate crash and a yelp in the bathroom.

"Elsa?!" Anna quickly ran with urgency and swung the door open. "Elsa, what -" Her tearful eyes shot wide open, seeing the blonde had sat on the floor, wet, her arm over the bathtub, her head dropped down low. Anna knew immediately what had happened… and from the looks of it, Elsa was absolutely ashamed.

"Sorry… I was just trying to get dressed," Elsa began.

"Oh, Elsa… why didn't you call for me, I could've helped you -"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Her eyes flared with frustration. "I don't need... erg…" Elsa tried again once more, having a firm grip on the sink and the side of the tub. Anna merely froze on her spot, those words replaying in her head again and again, and each time, it just hurt more than the next. But she watched… all she did was watch with eyebrows squeezed together in heartbreak.

The fact that Elsa had raised her voice like that in frustration showed the seventeen-year-old in her, but Anna couldn't see that. All she saw was a complete stranger. But she stood where she was, observing the blonde trying to get up, naked and all. There were so many things that Anna could endure, but seeing the shame in the flush of Elsa's cheeks had completely broken her heart.

Oh, she knew Elsa was always a determined woman, but never would she have thought she would see this side of her determination… so desperate… so aggravating.

But, after a while, Elsa had given up, plopping herself back down on the ground, her head dropped low, and Anna could barely see her expression with thick dripping hair hanging below Elsa's eyes.

"Elsa…" Just as Anna was about to reach for shoulder, Elsa slapped her hand away. That only made Anna widen her eyes even more, her chest feeling as if a dozen ton stone had been laid there for years.

"You don't think this is embarrassing for me…?" Elsa began, her voice soft, but cracking. "I tried being optimistic. Look at me… butt naked in front of someone who is completely capable of doing anything, unable to even stand without help… unable to undress myself without help. How stupid was I to get in a car crash?"

That's it. That was the end of the line. It didn't matter if this was Elsa now, but the fact that Anna was hearing those words coming out of her mouth infuriated her more than ever. She tried. She had tried her best to be the bigger person - to love Elsa the way she was, and she knew she would have to continue loving her, but Elsa had never been this aggressive nor self-destructive. If anyone had asked Anna what kind of girlfriend Elsa was, she wouldn't be able to answer it with her usual 'she's sarcastic, charismatic, and a little bit infuriating sometimes just to tease me'.

Clenching her fingers into small rounds, Anna felt her eyes blurred with tears. I miss her… I miss her so much.

"You're not stupid," Anna mumbled, her words coming out almost angry and short.

She didn't like that Elsa talked about herself that way. As much as she loved to pamper Elsa… to care for her as any girlfriend would, there were some things that should have been said. She understood Elsa was frustrated - anyone would be. But how dare she talk badly about someone - herself - that was the kindest and the smartest person here?

Still, as if Elsa had not acknowledged those words, her face was still soured. "Go ahead… stare all you want. I'm just… a crippled woman who remembered nothing about who I am and what I do."

"I don't want to stand here and stare."

And, though, those words were completely meaningless to Elsa, the blonde looked at her once more before trying again to get up. This time, Anna didn't offer to help - didn't even have the guts to when she had been yelled at like that. Still, as if this was the first of many tries, Elsa managed to stand, holding the wall and her crutches. With her other hand, she grabbed a robe from one of the hangers by the door and wore it around her shoulders.

Those bitter blue eyes didn't even take a single good look at Anna. Rather, Anna was looking at her with nothing but disappointment and hopelessness. She stayed where she was as if wanting to stay out of Elsa's way, watching as the woman opened the door. Even then, their eyes were completely disconnected from each other, and most of all, the hurt shown on Elsa's expression never faded.

"I'm… going to rest a bit. May I use the bedroom?"

Blinking, Anna responded, "y-yeah."

"Anna… I just want to be who I am without feeling like I'm weak. I am weak, and that's why I didn't want to ask for your help. Jokes aside, I hate being like this… and if only I hadn't been stupid enough to crash, you wouldn't be looking at me like that as well."

Watching Elsa leave the bathroom, her eyes ice cold, even, Anna felt as if she had lost everything. If Elsa would have said that to her back then... they would have easily broken up. But how could they? The fact that Elsa could say these things now - no matter if it was because she was hurt or not - brought Anna so much pain. Pain that she wished she could just reveal... but she couldn't. When she heard Elsa's bedroom door closing, that was the moment of freedom and peace for Anna. The moment where she could let go of this persona she was showing Elsa.

Pressing her fingers against her mouth, her eyes blurred with tears, Anna, almost as if she was just as weak as Elsa had slid down against the bathroom wall, her body curled up in a ball. In the moment of peace, everything that she had endured and thought about was let out in a single session of weeping. Weeping out of hurt. Weeping out of regret. Pain. Torture. "I miss you... God, I miss you so fucking bad..."