Frozen This Winter Night

**a/n: **Sort of for Elsanna week, I missed both "First Kiss" and "Cuddle" so here's both at the same time. Modern!AU.

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><p><strong>This Winter Night<strong>

Anna ties the white laces of her ice-skates, and then on second thought double-knots them for good measure. She wriggles her foot and pouts. Still a bit too loose by her standards. But then again, Anna thinks with a forlorn glance at the frozen pond not far away, maybe she's just looking for any excuse. The others look like they're having the time of their lives, spinning about as though they had been born on ice, but Anna has never skated before and never really wanted to either.

It's Christmas and Anna had left the dorm in the dead of night with the rest of her floormates, making their way over to a nearby park shaded by trees and spacious enough for no one to run into them. When asked, Kristoff had said something about an actual rink being too mainstream. Lampposts illuminate the iced-over pond, but on the bench where Anna sits now observing, where the others had quickly swapped shoes and then sprinted, there's little more than darkness.

And that's perfectly fine, because when Anna looks over and sees the others having fun, she's content enough just watching. Kristoff's challenged Hans to a race, which the latter seems to be winning as he continues sneering and making rude gestures while effortlessly zipping in and out of everyone else…backwards. Weird. Anna would have thought Kristoff a better skater, but maybe being taunted so much is affecting him.

Still, they all make it look so easy. But every time Anna tries to stand up on the thin blades, her knees wobble, and she knows if she takes one step on the ice, she'll end up sprawled out on all fours. No thank you, so Anna stays on the bench and burrows her face into her scarf, curls her hands into her jacket pockets.

"Anna! Why are you moping around over here?" Rapunzel asks, and Anna nearly jumps. When she doesn't respond, Rapunzel grins and drags her up, ignoring Anna's squeaks of protest. "We're going to the ice! Honestly, it's not like you to be so _Elsa-_ish…"

"How is that even a thing?"

Rapunzel shrugs, but everyone knows how introverted the senior living on their floor is. Elsa keeps to herself, cooks her own meals, and almost never goes to parties (and by almost, she went to _one _and then left after less than ten minutes). Anna had wondered if the world was ending when Elsa agreed to go ice-skating.

Thinking about Elsa means that Anna is dragged to the ice without much resistance. "Rapunzel!" Anna nearly screams when Rapunzel drops her, and she clutches desperately at Rapunzel's coat when her feet touch the ice and immediately she starts slipping.

"You're fine," Rapunzel says, laughing. "Legs firm and ankles straight."

Anna frowns in concentration, but after a few wobbly moments she just barely manages to stay on her feet. Still using Rapunzel as a crutch, of course, but she thinks of it as an accomplishment already and can she go home back to her warm bed now?

Rapunzel grins wider when Anna grimaces. "All right, watch out!"

Forgetting being angry at Rapunzel for the moment in view of the bigger picture, Anna grasps frantically at Rapunzel's hands when she slides back. Never mind dignity. Survival is more important.

"Easy there, feisty-pants," Rapunzel laughs.

"You were going to ditch me," Anna growls.

"Not _quite _yet," Rapunzel says, and Anna only has time to give her abandoned bench a single look of longing before Rapunzel pulls her along.

Anna feels her feet glide over the ice. It's the strangest feeling, weightless like she's on a rollercoaster or something. She _likes _fast, Kristoff can attest to that with the number of times she's egged him on in his monstrous truck, but she's too preoccupied to enjoy it when she's clutching onto Rapunzel for dear life. The only thought in her head is when the torture is going to be over.

"All right, you got the hang of it," Rapunzel says, and before Anna can protest, probably _extremely loudly_, she lets go. Anna yelps but manages to stay on her feet (hooray for performing under pressure), and Rapunzel adds, "Now you push from side to side, like this…"

Anna carefully watches the way she moves her feet, and if _Rapunzel _can do it, there's no way she can't at least manage to not look like a complete idiot. (Like, come on, the girl has a pet chameleon and regularly hits herself on the head with a frying pan.) She tentatively pushes herself forward, wobbling and spreading her arms to keep her balance. Rapunzel stays beside her while she takes her first few shaky steps, which slowly become smoother if not yet graceful. At least she won't die or anything.

"See, not bad!" Rapunzel says, and this time Anna smiles. Or, at least, until Rapunzel spins around, sees Eugene skating with some random girl, curses wildly about being sniped, and then glides away like the wind. "Gotta run!"

And in a flash, Anna finds herself alone in the middle of the others weaving around her with startling speed and grace. All of them must have learned from the same place. Some sort of conspiracy against her to make her look like an idiot.

Just stay calm, Anna tells herself, and she shakily starts to skate. Having some instruction would be nice, but after some experimenting – and more than a few bumps and apologies – Anna figures it out. Her first turns are wide and awkward, but she learns how to push herself around curves without decapitating anyone with wild flails and she's satisfied.

Just when Anna thinks she's gotten it, one of the Stabbington Brothers cuts her off and she jerks back with a tiny shriek. Her skates slip out from under her and she squeezes her eyes shut in preparation for a painful impact. By the time she actually hits, she's seen flashbacks of her life (God, her life was pretty pathetic) and said goodbye to her mother.

Except Anna slams into something soft. She cracks her eyes open and looks back, and she finds herself staring into an endless ocean…and it's staring back at her.

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><p>Elsa should probably pay more attention, because she has no idea how Anna fell into her arms. All she knows is that suddenly she's staring down at red tresses speckled with snowflakes, freckled cheeks flushed pink, and Elsa cannot <em>stop<em> staring.

And she stares quite unabashedly, not even bothering to hide it.

Anna's widened eyes blink in shock and flit away and then back, and when she notices Elsa _still _staring, the flush of her cheek brightens even more. She squeaks, "S-Sorry."

Anna's never spoken much to Elsa one-on-one. Elsa is one of those people who will always be popular from their sheer good looks, but she's just so unapproachable. Only a few years older, but Elsa is one of the students about to graduate with summa cum laude and Anna still can't choose a major. Elsa can speak about sixteen languages, but even if she spoke two that would be more than Anna and all of her friends combined. And Elsa is _gorgeous_. Anna knows that very, very well.

Maybe she feels a little insecure, because Anna hardly remembers how to speak around her. They have a lot in common, Anna knows. They're from the same town, the same high school, and they've known of each other's existence for ages now, but Anna just doesn't know how to start conversation. When Elsa nods at her the times they run into each other around campus, Anna bows her head and just _dies_.

It's so _embarrassing_. Elsa probably thinks she's some sort of freak.

When Elsa lifts her back onto her feet, Anna stands for maybe a second before slipping again, skates giving out on the ice like water sliding down a leaf. Elsa's arms are around her immediately, strong and steady.

"First time?" Elsa asks, obviously amused.

"Y-Yes, sorry," Anna says, but Elsa only nods.

"Hey!" Hans flies over, skates throwing up a hail of ice shavings as he skids to a stop. "You all right?"

"E-Err…"

Hans immediately rounds on Elsa, face set into a scowl. "What did you do?"

"What?" Elsa asks, obviously bewildered, but Anna knows why Hans asks that. It's a well-known secret that Elsa is _flighty _with her…partners…and that they're always female. Still, hurt flashes through her eyes before Elsa mutters a curt, "Whatever," and she speeds off.

Anna looks from Elsa's retreating form to Hans in shock and confusion.

"She didn't do anything, right?" Hans asks again, sounding immensely proud of himself.

And then Anna finally finds her voice again, partly because Elsa is gone, partly because the indignation she feels makes it impossible to stay silent. But being able to speak doesn't mean being able to articulate, and the hurt and anger in Elsa's eyes had made Anna too startled to even speak up. Even now, the words tangle uselessly on her tongue and Anna settles for a quick, "You idiot!"

Anna pushes past Hans and ignores his call, not thinking twice about the ice or slipping or dying from a cracked head or any of those things plaguing her thoughts earlier. She doesn't even think twice about the confused people she passes, because Anna _never _does anything that with much focus. Anna vision zeroes in in on Elsa's back as she skates away.

She pushes herself to move faster until she all but blitzes across the ice, closing the distance.

"Elsa," Anna calls. No response, most likely because the other chatter is too loud and Anna too quiet. "_Elsa_!"

This time, Elsa turns back. Only when Anna notices the widening of Elsa's eyes does she realize she has no idea how to stop.

_I'm guessing ice-skates don't come with brakes._

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><p>It's a lie to say she isn't bothered, but Elsa knows what it must look like coming back at odd hours smelling of foreign perfume and skin marked with lipstick and bruises. She has no qualms about taking what she wants, especially when the other person is just as willing; but Elsa wouldn't do that to <em>Anna. <em>Whatever, Elsa thinks while sticking her hands in her pockets. It had been Kristoff's idea for everyone to have some fun, and it _had _been nice, but she's starting to think enough is enough.

Then Elsa notices someone calling her name.

She glances back and sees Anna zipping after her, eyes wide and panicked, and Elsa instinctively looks around for what might have scared her. Confused when she finds nothing, Elsa turns fully just in time for Anna to slam into her chest.

Elsa feels the air knocked out of her and then she's thrown to the ground, head smacking against the ice with a sharp thud and ending up a sprawl of limbs. Stars dance in her eyes and she barely registers a light weight dropping onto her. Just another Wednesday night, hmm.

Anna winces when she realizes she's accidentally used Elsa's body as a pillow to break her fall for a second time. Scrambling upright, she pulls Elsa up by the arm and stammers, "I-I'm so sorry! Are you all right? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't know how to stop–" She stops and flushes scarlet when she notices Elsa blankly staring up at her from disheveled bangs.

"You're really clumsy," Elsa mutters.

Anna can just about combust from embarrassment right then. She doesn't even know why she chased after Elsa, just some strange emotion she can't name and some strange thought that she doesn't want Elsa to be sad about being misunderstood. God, what is she even going to say?

Then Anna notices Elsa clutching the back of her head, and she drives all other thoughts away. "Let me see." Anna runs her hand through Elsa's soft locks, searching for the bruise, and she knows she's found it when Elsa winces. Wait, what's the rest it? She never did pay attention in Health. Anna raises her hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?

Anna seems to have conveniently forgotten that Elsa is pre-med, so seeing the incredibly inaccurate procedure makes her laugh. She answers two, and Anna sits back with a relieved sigh. Elsa thinks the whole concussion thing is stupid, but seeing concern in Anna's eyes is surprisingly endearing.

"I'm going to live?" Elsa smiles when Anna blushes again. "I can't believe no one bothered to check on us…"

"Oh yeah," Anna says, finally noticing how the others haven't even noticed the two of them tumbling into a pile. "That's weird."

"They're all idiots," Elsa sighs. She brushes herself off and stands, then to Anna's surprise offers her a hand. "Come on."

Anna takes her hand but once again wobbles, and then for some reason she has the bright idea of putting pressure on one foot so it ends up flying back, and suddenly she's spinning on one leg like a demented flamingo. Elsa snorts and catches her. Anna smiles weakly when she feels her back press into Elsa's front again, their bodies flush together. But when she tries to stand up…

Her ice-skates keep skidding and they just won't stick, and Anna growls angrily while alternating her feet so she ends up sliding up and down. Against Elsa.

"Stop that," Elsa says, and when Anna realizes she's basically grinding her butt against the older girl she almost forgets how to breathe. When Elsa notices her mortification, she grins. "I don't know what you've heard about me, but I usually prefer to be bought a drink first."

"I am so sorry," Anna says, voice breathy with humiliation. Why on earth did she have to start grinding against Elsa, and be making those god-awful sounds too? It won't ever happen again, Anna promises herself, never again, dear god, why does she do this to herself? "Wait, I can't buy drinks, I'm not old enough–"

"So you _are _interested?" Elsa continues, feeling impish delight in seeing Anna blush. "Leave that sort of thing for later tonight, maybe?" When Anna hides her face, Elsa laughs.

"Please stop," Anna groans. She tries to stand again and fails once more, but Elsa doesn't make any remark about their continued contact.

"Just be natural. Keep your knees bent," Elsa offers, surprisingly serious, and when she lets go Anna does just that. To her surprise, she manages to stand. Elsa smiles again at the elation on Anna's face. "Don't look at your feet. Drag a skate behind you to stop." She doesn't very much like the thought of Anna falling onto someone else.

"G-Got it," Anna says.

Elsa's lip twitches in amusement. "Prove it." And before Anna knows what's happening, Elsa glides up, takes her hand, and then they're flying over the ice.

Anna laughs when Elsa pulls them both into a wild spin and then lets go right in the middle of an arc, sending them both spiraling away like spinning tops. Just like how Elsa had taught her, Anna drags a skate behind her and spins to a stop. A few feet away, Elsa has done the same and shares her grin at the success.

"Not bad!" Rapunzel skates towards them. "But, err, you doing all right, Anna?"

"Yeah," Anna says, still smiling happily. She's not actually looking at Rapunzel while she speaks, too busy staring over at another person. "Elsa's been really helpful."

"She has?" Rapunzel asks. She looks over at Elsa too, and though Elsa tries to hide her smile, Rapunzel's already noticed and a knowing grin grows on her lips. "You're getting soft, Elsa."

"Beat it," Elsa snorts. Anna is too startled to resist when, without waiting for a response, Elsa takes her hand and skates past Rapunzel.

"Err, where–?"

"You're cold," Elsa says. Now that she mentions it, Anna realizes the only hand she can feel is the one in Elsa's hold. Her nose is tingly and the tips of her ears hurt a little, and if she could see herself she would see how red they were against her pale skin.

Elsa releases her hand at the edge of the pond before skating away, and Anna awkwardly wobbles her way over to the bench. Of course, she couldn't have expected Elsa to take care of her forever. It had been nice. They barely talked or anything, but Anna doesn't feel like she has to with her. And to be perfectly honest, she hadn't been expecting Elsa to be so nice to her. It's not like they've ever interacted before, and besides, Elsa probably has better things to do than take care of some kid.

Now Anna feels how numb her fingers are, and she's surprised by how tired she feels. Well, this whole thing _has _been more adventurous than expected. She drops onto the bench and tries untying her skates, but her obstinate fingers refuse to listen and the stupid double knot stays stubbornly tight. Great, she's trapped herself in her own shoes. Anna bites her lip and tries again.

Then Anna feels the bench creak under another weight, and her foot is lifted to rest on a jean-clad leg. Anna very almost squeals when she sees that Elsa hasn't abandoned her after all.

"I let the others know where we were," Elsa says quietly, and Anna knows she must have guessed her thoughts. Anna vows to throw out any preconceptions she's had about Elsa. God knows she's proven more than half of the wrong already.

Elsa pulls the laces free and sets Anna's ice-skates aside. She scoops up her boots, frowning at how cold they are, but she pulls them onto Anna's feet and laces them up anyway, making sure they're nice and tight like how Anna likes. Insecure little brat, Elsa thinks. She glances up and sees Anna looking at her with adorable bewilderment, and Elsa has to look down again to hide her grin.

"I noticed you always double-knot," Elsa says, and Anna's only response is a half-strangled noise at the back of her throat.

Tying the laces of Anna's skates together, Elsa slings them over her shoulder and grasps Anna's elbow to help her off the bench.

"Come on," Elsa says, and she leads her away from the pond. Anna lets Elsa guide her along, silently trusting her.

Before too long, Anna sees that Elsa's led her to a makeshift camp, where a few fire pits have been dug out for people hiking in the park to rest at. Anna sits at one of the logs placed in the snow around the pits, and Elsa kindles a fire. Gratefully, Anna leans forward and warms her hands.

"Stay here." Expecting her order to be followed and so not bothering to wait for a response, Elsa drops their skates and heads off.

Anna wonders where she could possibly be going, but she shrugs and stays by the fire. Anyone else and she might have bristled against being ordered around, but Elsa has an unmistakable air of authority. Maybe Anna just likes being taken care of.

The heat from the fire is heavenly, but the cold has seeped into her bones. Anna holds in a shiver and looks around, wondering what the others are doing. Still skating, probably. Another shudder wracks through her body, and Anna curls inwards. What she wouldn't do for some…

"Hot chocolate," Elsa says, sitting down as Anna takes the steaming coffee cup with wonder. When Anna doesn't drink from it, just holds the cup in her hand, Elsa shifts uncomfortably. "Do you…not like it? I thought you did, but I could be wrong–"

"I do!" Anna exclaims. Her voice cracks a little. Elsa looks at her strangely, and Anna clears her throat. "I-I mean, I do like it. Thank you. I was…just thinking I wanted some."

Elsa smiles.

Then she lifts one leg over the log to straddle it, wraps her arms around Anna's waist, and pulls her back against her chest. Ignoring her startled gasp, she enfolds her snuggly into the embrace.

"You're still shivering," Elsa says when Anna looks up with wide eyes.

Anna debates with herself for a moment, both afraid and elated. Elsa can be such a mystery, and Anna _knows _that, so her heart flutters in a panic; but at the same time, Elsa has given her no reason to shy away. She's been attentive, and kind, and patient, but Anna doesn't understand and so it frightens her all the same.

But she feels so very cold and Elsa's warmth is enveloping her from all sides, not stuffily hot like some of the guys but just right, like a perfect insulator. She's reclining in her arms now, head lying against her shoulder, and when Elsa takes her hands in her own...

Anna's never felt so protected before.

"I'm just going to sleep now," Anna mumbles, deciding to forget about decency and snuggle closer.

"You do that," Elsa says.

"Don't blame me if I drool on you. I do that."

"Would be worth it after being grinded against." Anna screws her eyes shut and tries to block out the light tinkling sound of Elsa's little laugh. "So when is that happening again?"

"How about never?" Anna grumbles. "I'm telling you, that was an accident..."

"Well, this isn't."

Elsa turns her head and places a soft kiss at the corner of Anna's lips, and maybe it's the chocolate but Anna just smiles at the feather-like touch. "That can happen again."

"Mm." Elsa tucks the top of Anna's head under her chin and presses her lips to her hair. "I thought you were going to sleep."

No response. Elsa smiles when she realizes Anna has dozed off in her arms. She's starting to find it a nice feeling, being depended on, and knowing that Anna trusts her enough to put down her guard like this, in the middle of the night and in the middle of a forest, makes Elsa smile even wider.

"I _am _growing soft," Elsa mutters, but to her surprise, she's okay with that.


End file.

Frozen, Humor, Romance