Did I say Anna could move in with me? Elsa sat bolt upright in bed, causing the room to spin and a dull pain to split her head open. Damn, I really thought it'd sound more unreasonable sober. It's way too early, I still don't understand what's happening between us but it seems like it's real and I really don't want to rush things. However, it's practical, it makes sense, it'd be a lot better for her financially. I own this place outright, no mortgage beats a mortgage you can barely afford. She noticed a glass of water and some aspirin beside her bed. It hadn't been there the night before.

Appreciating Anna more by the second, Elsa popped a couple pills into her mouth and chugged the water. She felt worlds better from curing the dehydration alone. So she's already up?

Elsa crept downstairs to avoid waking Olaf and found Anna in the kitchen. A banana flew through the air at her, and Elsa barely caught it. "Eat," Anna commanded, "you had a lot more than I did last night." Did I?

She did as she was told. The food stayed down with only minimal fighting. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. If I'm going to be moving in with you, I ought to show that I'm worth having around."

"You always were." Elsa sat down at the counter. She wanted to join her at the stove, maybe kiss her neck, show her appreciation, but it was still a bit much to get used to. The alcohol had helped a lot, she just needed to stop thinking of Anna as her baby sister. She's a grownup now, and maybe kind of my girlfriend. Fuck that sounds so weird. Though not as weird as I thought it would. Anna – my girlfriend. My girlfriend, Anna. She shook her head. It was doable and nowhere near as terrifying as it should be, but she still wasn't ready to use that label just yet. Hopefully by the time she moves in.

"Are Belle and Anya still coming over today?" she asked, setting a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Elsa. "She'd mentioned it when I dropped Olaf off and it kind of slipped my mind, but I hadn't realized we had plans."

Elsa did her best to blink the sleep out of her eyes and brain as she stared at the eggs. Tossing pepper on them, she replied, "Yeah, we'd made the plan a month ago, back when we were first planning your trip, I said I wanted you to meet some of my friends, I think, might not have even mentioned them by name. Sorry, I'd completely forgotten about it."

"It's okay." Anna sat beside her, sliding the stool over until her shoulder brushed Elsa's. "I don't mind seeing them. It's just –" she trailed off, staring at her food.

Us? "Is it okay if we just act like we're only siblings? Anya has been really weird – well, always, and especially considering how much you look like her seemed to weird her out."

"Yeah, that's totally fine." Anna looked up at her, those perfect teal eyes showing only the slightest apprehension. "I mean, that'd be weird. And besides, we're not like official yet, it's not like you need to show me off to your friends or anything. Though Albert was cool with it. You know them better than I do, I trust your judgment, though I don't think Belle would mind."

Elsa's fork clattered against her plate. She didn't. There's no way she would. "Did you say something to her?"

Anna's eyes widened, and she wiped a speck of food from the corner of her mouth. "No. Of course not. I don't think so. Not really."

"Anna –"

She shook her head. "I didn't. I just said that you and I wanted some time to ourselves, that was it. Belle just told me that she hoped we had fun and to not let you drink me under the table."

"I feel like you drank me under the table."

"I just know my limits." Anna smiled, her lips brushing Elsa's cheek. "I'm not insane. She just sort of seemed like she thought it might have been a date, but I was probably just reading into it. She is sort of in love with you herself though, so I think she'd get it."

"She is not."

"Yeah she is."

Grinding her teeth, Elsa tilted her head in acknowledgment. "Okay, she kind of is. She's with Anya though, who is both very much not in love with me and loves judging me for everything I do, so let's try to behave tonight."

"I am always a perfect angel."

"Again, I raised you, you can't lie to me like that, I know better."

Huffing, Anna spat back, "Fine, mom."

Elsa coughed so hard she thought she might die. She had to smack her chest to make the fit stop. She made it weird again. What the hell am I doing? I practically raised her from the time I was eight, I gained custody of her when I was eighteen. How can I be dating her? Even more so, how can I be falling for her? What's wrong with me. She grit her teeth, managing not to throw her head back in an abject display of despair and self-loathing, it just wouldn't look good in front of Anna. How am I still okay with this? Why don't I want to call things off? "Please don't call me that."

"Elsa –"

Holding up her hand, Elsa cut her off, "I like you, apparently in the same way you like me, but I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with it, and just please don't make me face up to everything that makes it so weird. I know we're going to have to pretend otherwise tonight, but can we just be two people who are dating and nothing else? At least in private." She sighed, staring down at her eggs. Her appetite seemed to have vanished.

"Okay." Anna looked at her feet, and Elsa was convinced that she was holding back tears.

"I'm not saying I don't want this." Clearing her throat, she grasped Anna's hands. She held them close, resting on her knees. "I do. God help me, but I do want this, I want you." There must be something wrong with me. "You're wonderful, you make me feel so much better about myself, and you're a fantastic , I keep being surprised by just how beautiful you are, but it's just all so new to me. You've had time to get used to the idea, I've had about a week. I'm getting there, just go easy on me."

Anna nodded, pulling Elsa's hands to her lips and kissing each finger individually. "Okay. You're right. I know it's weird. Thank you for being willing to give us a chance, I can certainly do what I can to make things easier for you."

"That's all I ask. Thank you, Anna." Leaning in, she swept her arm behind Anna's back, pulling her into a brief kiss. For the instant that their lips met, all of Elsa's fears and doubts vanished. This was really doable, it was what she wanted. When she pulled away, they came back, but muted, less assertive, everything could be overcome. She turned back to her breakfast and took another bite. Her appetite seemed to have returned. Plus, it was helping with her hangover.

Olaf ran past, toward the stairs, as Anya and Belle entered behind them. "He forgot his charger," Belle explained.

"That poor thing," Anna teased. "It's good to see you."

"We had to keep him entertained this whole time. I even got him to read a book."

"He likes books. Well, I normally read them to him."

"I had a few of my old kid books, so we went through a couple. It was fun. I'm happy to babysit him anytime you two need some time to yourselves." Belle beamed at her. "Did you have fun?"

Anna glanced back to Elsa. "Yeah, it was pretty great."

"Anya," Elsa greeted her. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all." She produced a bag that smelled of barbecue sauce and chicken. "I heard about you and Tiana, figured I ought to bring something. Didn't want to doom you to figuring out the kitchen."

"I can cook," Elsa insisted.

"Sure. Her leftovers."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "I literally cooked for you dozens of times when we lived together. I appreciate the food, is that wings? I haven't had any in ages and they smell amazing, but you don't need to be an ass about it."

Anna glanced behind them, presumably to make sure Olaf wasn't back yet to hear such language.

"Of course I do. Kitchen, I assume? Don't want to make a mess of your nice furniture."

Elsa had figured they'd just order delivery in a couple hours, but she wasn't going to turn down wings. Everyone gathered around the table, Olaf running back downstairs. "Sorry. I had to plug it in."

"It's okay, Olaf," Anna replied. "Belle said you two had fun."

"We did. She has so many books. We hadn't read most of them before, it was nice hearing something new."

Anna ruffled his hair. "You okay with wings?" She didn't think he'd ever had them before.

"We got him some plain boneless wings with some sauce on the side," Anya explained.

"I tried one there," Olaf confirmed. "It was really good."

I'm glad Tiana got him to try some new things. I haven't seen him that much, because I am the worst aunt, but it seems like he's a lot more willing to try things now. The wings were divvied up between the five of them, with Olaf having his tiny container all to himself. Anya always preferred spicier than she did. So, of course, they went out for them a lot and Elsa matched her because she refused to back down. She snatched one from a milder box, that was presumably for Anna and Belle. She didn't have anything to prove to Anya anymore.

Anya stared at her. "Can't handle our old wings?"

With a shrug, Elsa took a bite. "I'll have a few, but these are good, there's actually something to taste other than just pepper. It's almost like there's actually chicken under the sauce."

Sneering, Anastasia bit into the excessively spicy wing. "It tastes fine to me," she said, ignoring the glass of water Belle had just brought her.

"Thanks, Belle," Elsa said, taking her own. "I've got some decent beer in the fridge, if you'd like."

"That sounds great," Belle agreed. "I'll grab one for everyone?"

Rising from her seat, Elsa gestured toward Belle's chair, "It's my place. You don't need to always take care of everyone. Let me grab 'em." The craft brew, with its stylized dragon label, was still in the fridge, and there was just enough to for everyone to have a bottle. She set them at the table and took her seat, finishing off the honey barbecue wing.

"Thanks, h – Elsa," Anna said with a quick apologetic smile.

"So, you talked to Tiana?" Elsa asked. She didn't feel like beating around the bush. Anya had already brought up the breakup and she wanted to get it out of the way.

Nodding, Anastasia set the bone down on her plate. "We are friends, you know." She bared her teeth in something between a smirk and a snarl. She's seriously choosing sides here? She's known me for a decade. "We talked just after you split up. We met up for drinks, she was having a pretty rough time of it, Elsa."

Elsa grabbed a hot wing. Maybe I should torture myself a little. "I wasn't trying to break up with her," she said, her voice quiet, solemn, and full of guilt. "She's the one that did it."

"You said you didn't want to marry her."

"I didn't exactly say that." Elsa sighed. "It was complicated, Anya."

"I'm sure it was."

Belle glared at her and snatched her own wing from Anya and Elsa's styrofoam box. "Elsa just went through a breakup too. You don't need to treat her like that. You know her, it's not like she was trying to hurt Tiana. Even Tiana said that they still loved each other. She didn't even really seem to blame Elsa that much at all. Stop trying to make her sound like the villain." She bit into the wing, keeping eye contact with her partner the entire time. She didn't shed a single tear.

Anna was already on her third honey barbecue wing. She had wisely chosen to stay out of it.

"Aunt Elsa was really sad," Olaf said, drawing everyone's attention. "I saw her after. She loved Aunt Tiana, she didn't want that to happen. I still don't really understand it, but I know my sensei didn't do anything wrong."

Anya's mouth opened and closed. She seemed at a loss for words. I should give that kid an allowance or something. Unfortunately, such blessings can never last. "We'd all love to understand it better. So, Elsa, what happened? There someone else?"

"It was nothing like that." Not even a lie. "We just finally accepted that we didn't want the same thing. It was hard, and I hate how it happened, but it needed to." I hope that's true. Even with all of our issues, thinking that it had to be this way is the only reason I'm doing as well as I am. Anna squeezed her hand gently under the table, for only a brief moment. Well, one of the only reasons.

"Of course," Anya said, "Makes perfect sense."

"I'm sorry," Belle said. For Anya or for the breakup? "I know how important she was to you." She turned to Anna. She doesn't know, right? "Olaf said you just broke up with your partner too. I'm so sorry, what happened?"

Yeah, that doesn't sound at all suspicious. We both broke up with our significant others in the same week. Elsa took a long sip of her beer. Of course it doesn't sound suspicious, I'm being crazy. Why would they possibly think anything was going on between us?

"Yeah," Anna answered, guilt clear on her face. She swallowed, searching for words. Her gaze fell on Olaf and the guilt only intensified. "We just weren't working out. She was amazing, but it just couldn't be, I didn't feel the same way about her as she did about me."

"Aww, I'm sorry." Belle clasped Anna's hand in both of hers, smearing sauce on Anna's knuckles. "I'm glad you two are there for each other."

Biting into her wing, Anya coughed and grabbed her beer. "Too hot?" Elsa asked.

Rolling her eyes, she set the glass bottle back down on the table with a loud thunk and bit into the wing again. "I'm fine."

Elsa's phone rang in the other room. "Give me a minute," she said, excusing herself from the table. She made her way to the living room, and after a few moments of searching, found her phone between the armrest and a couch cushion. "Tiana?" she asked, answering the call. Why is she calling? Why now?

"Hey, Elsa." She sounded faint, distant, it seemed appropriate. "I'm sorry, I know this must be weird."

"Just a little." Elsa sat down, the call had sent her spinning and she wasn't sure that standing was the best option. "How've you been?"

"I'm okay. Well, I'm getting there. That's not why I'm calling." She took in a shaky breath, and Elsa could finally hear the pain in her voice. It wasn't just the connection. "I fucked up."

"What, are you trying to get back together with me?" Would I want that? Fuck, I really don't know. I really do think that we can't work out. But then again, I seem weirdly okay with taking in Olaf, even if it's not as his mom.

"No, that's not what I mean. I fucked up after. I thought I'd managed to fix it, but I just saw a text from this morning that really suggests otherwise. Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Elsa couldn't make any sense of this. "What did you mess up?"

"I told Anya."

"Yeah, I know, she knows we broke up. It's a little awkward, but isn't it always with her."

"She's already there, isn't she?"

Elsa glanced toward the kitchen. She couldn't see her through the wall, but she was pretty certain that Anastasia was still there. "Yeah, why?"

"Elsa, I told her about you and Anna!" No. "I didn't mean to. I just said that I hoped you two were happy together. I thought I'd managed to explain my way out of it, otherwise I would've told you when it first happened. But she sent me a message saying that if I wasn't going to tell her the truth, then she'd find out from the source."

Elsa's mouth went dry. "Meaning me."

"Or Anna. Or hell, maybe Olaf."

He doesn't know. Was she asking him about this all day yesterday? He didn't seem too uncomfortable, but he did run off right when he got home. "Olaf doesn't know. Anna's a smart girl, she won't say anything that could out us."

"I hope you're right. God, I'm so sorry, Elsa. I never meant for this to happen."

"It's not your fault."

With a dry chuckle, Tiana said, "Yeah, it is. I'm the one that did it and now you're stuck cleaning up my mess. I'm so sorry. I hope she doesn't go too far with this. If there's anything I can do, just let me know. I love you, Elsa, even if we're not together, I really do want you two to be happy, and I think Anna could be really good for you." She sniffed. "Probably better than I ever was."

"Tiana –"

"Go make sure Anya isn't torturing your sister for information. Please. Just get going."

Why did she have to call her that? "Okay. Thanks." Elsa hung up and made her way back to the kitchen, listening for whatever the four of them may be talking about. How do I handle this? Should I just try to ignore it unless Anya brings it up, or should I confront her? Will confronting her just make me look more guilty? Yes, of course it will. Okay, let's bide our time.

She sat down, managing not to return Anna's smile. "I miss anything?" she asked, looking to Anna. What was she saying while I was gone?

Anna shook her head. "No. Anya was just asking about Moana."

"Sorry."

"What's wrong with a few questions?" Anya asked.

Belle rolled her eyes. "She clearly doesn't want to talk about it. It's still fresh, you don't need to pick at her wounds. God, what is with you today?" Well, if Tiana hadn't already relieved my fear that I was only being paranoid, that sure would've.

"I'm just curious," Anasasia insisted.

"It's okay," Anna said.

"Let's just relax and enjoy our wings, all right? Look at Olaf, he's barely even touching his food."

"I really liked Aunt Moana," he muttered. Okay, that's it.

"Olaf, buddy," Elsa said, "Why don't you go finish up in your room. The adults need to talk."

"Aunt Elsa?" He looked up at her, tears visible in his eyes.

"Go on. It's fine, just try not to get any crumbs in the bed."

He nodded and grabbed his box of boneless wings, as well as his juice box, that someone must've gotten him while Elsa was in the other room, and headed up to his room.

Anya offered a playful smile. "What's wrong? I'm just trying to make conversation."

"You're really not," Belle said. "Seriously, what is up with you today?"

"I don't know." She looked between Elsa and Anna. "Why don't you ask them. Is there anything I should be worried about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anna said.

"Of course not," Anya agreed. "I'm just being crazy. There's certainly nothing going on here that might be bad for that kid. Nothing that could scar him for life. No reason I shouldn't trust both of you."

Belle rose, taking a few steps away from Anastasia, like she couldn't even handle being near her, before she spun on her. "What the hell are you talking about? If anyone is traumatizing Olaf, it's you. You just pestered his mother until he cried. What's wrong with you? I mean, I knew you could be a bitch, but what the fuck happened?"

She smiled at Elsa and Anna, that same knowing, shit-eating grin. "Did you want to tell her, or should I?"

Anna met Elsa's eyes, she looked terrified. She knew something bad could happen, but not this quickly. We haven't even – it's still weird even thinking of that. We haven't done anything wrong, and I will not let her suffer. "I don't know what you're talking about," Elsa said. "In fact, get the fuck out of my house."

"I will," she said, standing up. "As soon as you tell me the truth. God, I always knew there was something wrong with you, you just love hurting everyone around you. Well, now there's a kid in your life, and you'll be corrupting him too. Do you have no fucking shame?"

"Get out."

"Elsa –" Anna said.

"No, she can get the hell out of here," Elsa repeated.

"Anastasia, what the hell is wrong with you?" Belle asked again. "What do you even think they've done? Let alone that could be bad enough to even begin to justify this behavior."

"Whatever happened to you being her mom?" Anya asked. "Didn't you practically raise her? Of course, you must've already been this sick and depraved then. She runs off to college and you find someone with almost the same name and who you could just squint and pretend was her. How long have you been grooming her for this? Is it just her?"

Elsa clenched her teeth, taking a step toward Anastasia. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, she'd never fought anyone before. If she did it, she'd be breaking the law, Anya was a guest and even if New York's castle doctrine was good enough to get away with assaulting her, she would have to prove trespassing. She has already been told to leave, repeatedly. She's clearly not a welcome guest anymore.

"How'd you finally convince her? Or maybe you'd been doing it all along, and you've just started again. Is that why Tiana broke up with you? She was still trying to defend you even then. God, you make me sick. You fucking raised her!"

Apparently, Elsa wouldn't have to figure out how to punch someone. Belle slugged Anya in the jaw, hard enough that she fell down. "God fucking damn it, Anya." She shook her hand, blood was already showing on her knuckles. "Just leave them the fuck alone."

"Wow," Anna breathed. "Is she okay?"

Anya climbed to her feet, clutching her swelling jaw. "I'm fine. You're the one I'm worried about."

"We're leaving."

"Belle, she's fucking her little sister!"

Belle turned to them. "If that's true, good job, Anna. Little jealous, definitely winning out in terms of partners right now."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Anya screamed. "How do you not see what's wrong with this?"

"They're in their thirties and consenting adults. The only one with a problem here is you. Now come on, we're leaving."

"Belle!"

"Get out of here, right now, or we're over." I don't know how they're still together as it is. "You've known Elsa for years, you know full-well the kind of person she is."

"Yeah, a predatory monster who'd –"

"Not one more word. We're leaving. If you so much as say another negative thing about them for the rest of your life, I'm leaving you. It was shocking news, clearly, though you didn't even bother to share it with me, so I understand why you're freaking out. You haven't done anything irreparable yet. Let's keep it that way."

"But they –"

Belle silenced her with a glare. She turned back to Elsa and Anna. "Congrats again. If I'm still invited back, I'd love to talk more, and I promise I won't bring this idiot." Grabbing Anya's hand, she pulled her toward the door. "Out. Now." With a quick little wave to the Agnarrsen sisters, she closed the door behind them.

Elsa collapsed into the chair Anastasia had just vacated. "Holy fuck," she breathed, the world blurring before her as tears finally fell.

"I'm so sorry," Anna said, wiping her eyes as she sat next to her, reaching for Elsa's hand and pulling back twice before she finally grabbed it. "I understand if you don't want this anymore. This is all my fault. I just cost you your friend, and who knows what else. I dragged you into all of this. I'll tell her, I'll take responsibility. I'll go back home tomorrow if you want. I'm so sorry, Elsa." Sobbing, she folded in on herself, putting her feet on the chair and leaning her head against her knees.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Elsa managed, doing her best to stop herself from crying. "Anya was a shit friend, anyway."

"Elsa –"

She pulled Anna to her, their lips meeting in a brief but fierce kiss before she let Anna's head rest against her chest. "I've already made my decision. I want to be with you, Anna. This isn't your fault, it's Anastasia's, because she's awful."

Anna tried to pull back to protest, but Elsa held her in place.

"I'm not hearing it. You're not throwing this away just because my ex is a terrible person. We've both gone through enough breakups of late."

This time, Elsa didn't stop her as Anna sat back up, meeting her eyes. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure, Anna."

A faint smile began to take hold. "That mean you want to be my girlfriend?"

Of course she pulls this. Well, I was just about to knock out my best friend for her, that's certainly girlfriend behavior. "Yeah. It does."

The hug was so tight that Elsa could barely breathe. "I love you so fucking much. Thank you. I promise I'll never let anything else happen that could make you regret this."

"I love you too," she said, running her fingers through her girlfriend's tangled hair. So that's it. I guess we're doing this. Now we just need to sort out everything else. She planted a kiss on the top of Anna's head. We'll have time. After all, she's moving in.