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Elsa Winters was generally cool about the these kinds of situations, finding she could control her emotions quite well even under duress. Her patience most of all was renown with her friends and family, many telling of the iron duress she could withstand no matter the problem.
Well, that was not entirely true. Feeling less like a college student on her way to school and more like a sausage in a microwave, Elsa was slowly dying on the inside. Twice had she been on the brink of smacking her head against the steering wheel when her car was cut off by some mindless jerks these past couple of minutes. Not to mention she was close to letting out some very adult words that her mother would scold her for.
By now, even from a couple of brief glances Elsa could visibly tell that Anna, her longtime childhood friend, was faring little better than she was to cope with this boiling temperature. It was adorable at times seeing Anna break her usual of cheerful nature, grimacing whenever the traffic suddenly halted. At one point Elsa felt a shiver of fear when she heard Anna give the smallest but most terrifying growl when a car nearly swerved right into their own. Under normal circumstances Anna would likely enjoy this sort of weather at the pool, diving head first with her friends, maybe go camping, perhaps eating ice cream. It was the perfect Anna-have-fun weather.
But no, there they were, stuffed into a small, near run down rusty old blue Volkswagen beetle with her childhood friend in traffic trying to get to back to their university before classes started. Oh, there were so many issues with that sentence alone. To begin with Anna hated small spaces, not because she was claustrophobic or the like but because Anna loved open areas where she could behave freely without restrain. Next was the car which thus far was not doing its proper job other than multiplying the sensation of weather feel a hundred times worse. Were the car moving maybe they might love the running wind in their hair but as of now there was little of that action going on.
What was going on was in fact a tremendous heat wave beating against the outside of the car, a weak refraction of heat bounding off the tops of all the vehicles nearby. Despite being inside the vehicle Elsa and Anna could barely enjoy the shadow granted by the ceiling above them, that same heat pushing past the rusty roof inside. Like a pot, the temperature inside churned, seemingly growing hotter.
This was unfortunately no the crux of the issue, though it was certainly part of it. No, instead it was the traffic.
It was grating to know that for every dozen feet they traveled there was the inevitable braking just as fast, a jerking motion which both of them by now had grown not only bored of but infuriated by. Anna more so than Elsa but the point remained.
About five more times did the blue beetle lurched to a halt, this time by a semi veering into their lane to avoid another car swerving into his own. Needless to say the experience was reaching a tipping point once more, this time Anna letting a loud groan before banging her head lightly (but still painfully) against the half-lowered side window.
“Plu-ease, make it go.” She groaned, letting out a moan thereafter when the car returned back to its own lane. In front of them, stretching out for what seemed like four more miles were countless of visible cars all milling down highway, clustered into their lanes like sardines. “I can’t take this anymore.”
Elsa, more than willing to be distracted from their present situation, indulged in watching the little childish act.
“Elsaaa!” Anna whined, this time letting out a low groan as she dragged her nails over the window. “Just make it go,”
Elsa let out a snort as she laughed behind her hand.
“I’m sorry Anna, but I can’t.”
Two great big glossy eyes looked at her, nearly seizing her heart in a moment.
“But, why not?”
“Because,” she sighed, “that’s not how traffic works.”
“That’s stupid,” huffed Anna with crossed arms, pouting.
Cute. Elsa thought with a flutter of her heart. “Unfortunately that’s traffic. It’s one of the side effects of letting incompetent people drive.”
Anna looked at her, a frown dotting over her lovely freckled face which was already lovely thanks to that pout. “Well, it’s stupid.” She repeated. “Plus, it’s like five hundred degrees hot.”
“That’s a bit exaggerated but yes, I get your point. It’s getting hotter by the looks of it. If we were on the move I could lower the windows down and feel the breeze but unfortunately - ” Elsa gestured to the great massive white van cutting her off before she even had a chance to move up the lane. “- yeah.”
Anna groaned, moaned, whine and then growled, in that order. She pawed at the window, a petty display of drama that Elsa could not help but laugh at. It certainly did not help when Anna shot her a betrayed glare that made Elsa nearly double. Anna huffed at her supposed best friend and quickly pulled her feet up on the seat. Turning from Elsa she puffed her cheeks.
“Meanie,” she muttered.
Elsa shook her head, a warm smile dimpling her cheeks. For a brief time she forgot the current situation that had led to this.
“Come on Anna, just hold on for a few more minutes.”
Anna rolled her eyes, still not looking at Elsa.
“Please, for me?”
Even without truly seeing Anna’s facial expressions she could sense the girl briefly loosen from her supposed ‘angry’ mode for a fraction of a second. Then, just as quickly, she tightened up, a small “Hmmph,” to accompany it.
Regardless of how Anna might seem to her, Elsa knew this was but a fluke. Ever since they had met when they were but toddlers Anna had been a bit upfront about her emotions, dramatically so. And this was simply over-dramatization, one of the clearest signs that Anna was in fact not even angry at all. For her part, Elsa loved it, being able to see this adorable if albeit strange side of her. It was unusual for Anna to lack her usual contagious cheerfulness but Elsa could guess as to why.
Taking the bait, Elsa more than willingly allowed herself to play along even if she knew how this would ultimately end.
“Anna, are you listening?”
“No.” she weakly mumbled.
Elsa giggled at the contradiction between the question and the answer. She looked up and found the path still blocked, all the cars now sitting at a full idle while up ahead a police car was working its way forward. She looked back down to Anna, finding her stealing a glance before returning to her pouting. “If you say so.”
Both remained quiet for a moment, a silence settling in for the moment which was immediately filled with groans and whines thanks to the extreme weather.
“Why can’t we just take the side road and leave?” Anna complained.
“Because it’s illegal to take the shoulder without reason.”
Anna scoffed. “We’re dying in this oven. Isn’t that reason enough?”
Elsa gave a noncommittal hum before deciding to apply the brakes on the vehicle, gluing them to the spot they had been waiting for the past four minutes. By the looks of the incoming police cars pulling over on the feeder road meant something big was going on and they would likely remain on the spot for some unknown amount of time.
“Just, make yourself comfortable,” Elsa offered lightly though if the hesitation in her voice was anything to go by it did not supply any confidence to either of them.
Anna huffed but did as told by pulling forward from her seat to shuffle her way out of her plaid long sleeve shirt. Elsa did her best to look away but found her eyes lingering back over to Anna’s petite form, in particular the way that thin white fabric of her tee shirt clung to her body. As the green layer of clothing was rid of Elsa felt far too conscious as she continued to stare.
Having become so close from such a young age Anna had quickly gained a permanent place in Elsa’s heart. Several times had Elsa seen Anna with much less clothing than what she wore now, though under more innocent occasions. Of these there were several sleepovers, pool parties and a couple of shared bathrooms. Most were back in their teenage years when Anna had been far more energetic than ever before, always found clinging to Elsa, eating from the same ice cream cones or sharing goodbye kisses.
It was perhaps the reason why she could not say ‘no’ to Anna when she asked for a ride back to their university. Inseparable they were. Even now Elsa could not help but hold her gaze still on Anna who also opted to roll up her sleeves, pulling back the fabric up to her shoulders where a sprinkle of freckles tempted Elsa with the sight.
Anna let out a sigh, feeling a low breeze from outside slip into the car through a gap in the window. It had been a relief but like her hopes and dreams that day it did not last. With most her skin now showing it took less time than before for her to break into another sweat, this time her lightly tan skin showing even more freckles in the hint of red.
“Gah! I’m going to be burned alive.” Anna howled as she pulled her previous shirt over her legs.
Elsa immediately looked away when she saw Anna turn to her, aware that the red on her cheeks was just as bright as those long and toned legs Anna had.
“Aren’t you hot too?”
Elsa let out something akin to a cough and a gasp of which it led to her gripping the steering wheel with her nails.
Right, she meant something else. Elsa chuckled nervously, eyeing with interest the mileage counter on the dashboard. “Of course I am. Not as much as you,”
Elsa could feel Anna’s gaze linger on her for a few moments longer than needed be, herself too frozen on the spot to dare look over. Eventually Anna’s thinning patience gave out, the girl shifting over to lean against the door handle, one hand holding her cheek while the other thumbed the lapel of her green long sleeve.
Elsa let out a quiet exhale, her muscles going slack. No sooner than she did Anna’s voice rang inside the car, startling Elsa.
“You could take off your shirt you know.”
Elsa felt her cheeks explode into another furious blush that threatened to cut off her blood supply to her heart.
“Anna!” Elsa cried aghast, eyes wildly dancing around her as if to find anyone who might be listening. Of course there were no other occupants inside the vehicle other than the two girls, the rest of the world was outside and by the increasing honks very much angry. Elsa would be too, having stood long enough in the same traffic as they had, were it not for the redhead trying to undress her mid-road.
“What? You have a shirt underneath just as me, I’ve seen it. Besides you get the shadow more than I do. It’s not like you’re going to burn your skin, unlike me. I’m already ashes at this point,”
Part of that statement was true. With the sun overhead at a slight angle, Elsa did enjoy the benefit of having more cover thanks to the car’s roof, her hands and a portion of her lower abdomen bearing the little strip of sunlight spilling through. Anna on the other hand, facing towards the sun was having to cope with a large area to worry about. Even so, despite how much sun Anna was dealing with Elsa could not help but feel as though this was her friend was looking at her most beautiful.
Perhaps it was a small illusion due to the sun reflecting through the window or perhaps it was Elsa’s bias but regardless of which, Anna looked like a porcelain statue. Granted, said statue was whining, twisting about in her chair and with a thick sheen of sweat but Elsa could not help continue staring. No matter where they might be Anna always wore this bright attitude that made nearly every sour moment a thing of the past. Sitting in front of the spilling sunlight casting off the glass created a halo surrounding Anna, one which fitted her very presence and denoted how bright she truly made Elsa’s day.
To some extent at least, the asphyxiating heat was enough to snap any person’s thoughts back to their misfortune, not to mention one very disgruntled Anna.
“Elsa?”
“Hmm, yeah Anna?”
“You haven’t taken your shirt off.” Anna said though after a second of saying so her eyes grew wide and mouth thinned into a line, her Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “I mean- you can take off your shirt off if you’d like, not that I wouldn’t mind but – I mean you can keep it on but I think you’d look better if you took it off. Not that you don’t look good, I mean you do, I-”
Both girls immediately turned from each other, both sporting that crimson blush once more for nth time this day. Elsa felt what few words she conjure be caught in the back of her mouth so much so she gulped loudly while she thought of what to say. Or do if she were to follow Anna’s advice.
Considering the increasing rate at which Elsa was blushing from almost every little detail Anna did the best course of action would perhaps be to take off her light blue blouse. On the other hand, if she did so then not only would Anna be seeing her with one layer less but likely she would also see what Elsa was wearing beneath the second layer as well. The inability to foretell the future was something common in humans but right this moment Elsa wished she had been born with said gift that morning. When she had slipped on her chosen clothes she never did imagine she would be later be shedding it in front of Anna, in traffic too.
As usual Elsa was a bit mindful of what she wore preferring not to dress too skimpy like some other teenagers she was forced to attend classes with but not so overly covered to make others think she was prude. Having picked the blouse because it had been a mix of adequate casual and formal wear she had also opted for something more comfortable underneath. As Anna had pointed out, Elsa did wear something underneath but it was not a shirt like Anna’s. Instead she wore a very thin tank top which allowed her to feel the little breeze passing through. If her hunch was correct, not only was she wearing something so audacious that Anna had rarely seen but it would no doubt be wet from the exuberant sweating that her sports bra would likely show through.
This was the dilemma that Elsa found herself in, trapped inside a car with her childhood friend contemplating whether she ought to take her shirt off in the middle of traffic with no air conditioner in a major heat wave. Not exactly what she had planned when she had left home that morning. Not to mention Anna was also taking off her shirt too, revealing a bright red bikini-
“Ahh!”
“Ahh! What? What happened?”
“Anna, what the heck?” Elsa quickly tried to cover behind her hands, her heart beating so fast it would possibly burst any moment now.
Anna looked down at herself then back at Elsa, the sudden thought of what was occurring striking too late to take the image back. Pulling the second shirt over her chest Anna whirled around to glance out the other windows to see if anyone else had caught an unwanted glimpse. Thankfully there were none.
“Anna, what are you doing?” hissed Elsa as if anyone could hear her.
“I was just trying to make myself comfortable just like you said,” Anna explained in a hurried voice as she ducked down.
Elsa felt the whole of her face burn which was no easy feat since the horrible temperature inside her beetle was already high to begin with. More in particular after she saw the lace of Anna’s swimwear falling over her shoulder.
“Anna’ your bra,” Elsa pointed.
Anna followed the lone digit back to her skin, finding the string loose, having being pulled when she took of her shirt. Biting her lower lip, Anna coyly leaned closer to softly whisper, “Elsie, could you - er- you know, help me?”
Were it not for the car currently set to park would Elsa had floored on the pedal in disbelief, eyes so wide that it looked at they might fall off any minute now. Feeling her hands go clammier than they once were, Elsa continued gripping at the steering wheel, her brain failing her. A hand came over her own, thumb running over her knuckles.
“For me?” Anna pulled closer to the platinum haired girl.
Gulping down her shock, Elsa gave a curt nod as she allowed her companion to guide her hand over to her shoulder.
Calm down Elsa, you can do it. This is nothing you haven’t done before. She reassured herself as best she could. It’s just Anna and you’ve seen her naked before, what could go wrong?
Elsa felt her nerves slowly calm down to a manageable level only for a little voice whisper to her something she definitely did not want to hear. But that was years ago. She’s grown. Look at how much she’s matured.
Glancing down Anna’s mostly exposed body caused Elsa’s chest to flare with a warmth that she had never believed possible. For so long had both of them last shared a bath dating back to when she had been a preteen. Since then Elsa had not paid much attention, only keeping tabs on the girl’s looks during their sleepovers or when going on shopping sprees. Even during camps Elsa always made mention of Anna’s eccentric nature, the girl always going for a swim, playing tennis or anything which she could join. This leant to the freckled girl having some quite lean legs, some strong arms and a well defined petite body. It was everything any boy or girl would want, a hot ginger eager to live life.
…
Oh my god I’m crushing on Anna!
Elsa winced at the mere thought, realizing she had just thought of Anna as a hot girlfriend. Not that she didn’t think Anna was a potentially good mate for anyone just not for herself. Ever since they had met during their childhood Elsa had always thought of Anna as a friend. Hugging was practically required when she became friends with the peppy ginger. There were other things like hand holding, cuddling on the couch while watching cheesy romance novels and going on dates, everything that a proper childhood friend would do.
And everything a proper romantic girlfriend would do.
The sudden reality crashed against Elsa, the girl stiffening once more into a rigid statue. Her hand, still planted over Anna’s shoulder, twitched in hesitation as to whether she should even be touching Anna. If indeed the realization that Elsa was undergoing was true then this should be the last thing she should be doing. Even as she was thinking that second voice that had led her down the path of damnation made another note that scared Elsa further.
Her skin is so soft. She is soft, warm and so loving.
Trembling from fear, Elsa made to withdraw her arm, disgusted with herself for being so unknowingly intimate. Midway pulling away from the only person she cared for in this world, bar her parents, it was caught.
“Anna, what-”
The words died in her mouth, swallowed back in a sudden gasp for air a pair of lips crashed into hers, forcibly pushing Elsa with such ardor that it made her head feel dizzy. Her shock remained for what seemed like an eternity but she knew better than that. She also knew her senses were correct, the those lips softly tugging at hers, coaxing her mouth open was delectable.
Eyes fluttering, Elsa felt herself being pulled into an endless well. Angling her head, Elsa moaned into Anna’s mouth, hand going slack while her fingers became threaded to Anna’s. The heat outside was forgotten, ignored for something far more alluring and more suffocating than they both ever experienced.
Honk!
The girls jumped back, yelping aloud when they bumped against each other’s noses with wide eyes and completely lost for breath.
Honk!
Elsa quickly swallowed whatever questions she had, the urgency of the honking behind her urging her to take action. She took in her surroundings as she attempted to find her bearing and the actual reason why the vehicle behind her was loudly making such a ruckus. She did not look much, the answer right before her.
During the lull of her interaction with Anna the traffic seemed to have been cleared or at the very least allowed some freedom to proceed. While the speed was still slow it was a far cry from what they had been experiencing, granting Elsa several yards to traverse. Taking the initiative she quickly changed car from ‘park’ to ‘drive’, letting go of the brake and applying the pedal softly to fill gap. The blue Volkswagen rumbled along, its poor frame shaking over every little pothole its wheels found.
Honk!
From the corner of her eye Elsa saw Anna deftly pull the shirt she had been holding the entire time over her head. After a couple of seconds a plop of read hair appeared, followed by a head and later the limbs.
Honk!
Elsa winced with every blare of the car’s horn, each one pressing her for more speed which was almost impossible with how old this car was. There was little she could do, no amount of honking would make it go faster.
Honk!
“Oh screw this.” Anna muttered aloud, throwing her seat belt off in a swift move.
“Anna, what are you-?”
The redhead quickly rolling down the remainder of the window before sticking half her body out. Elsa made for Anna, grabbing the hem of her white shirt while attempting to control the vehicle with one hand while stretched to a maximum. She opened her mouth, intending to shout at Anna to come back in. She only got so far as sucking up some air before a huge bellow rang in her ears.
“Do you mind! I'm trying to announce my love!”
Elsa spat out the air she was holding and firmly applied the brakes. The whole vehicle lurched to an immediate stop, traffic behind her quickly sounding to off with horns from other drivers besides the one which had started this whole ordeal.
"Jerk," Anna mumbled when she pulled back in, face twisted in a very angry (but admittedly cute) frown. She turned over to her friend, a flash of concern showing in her face when she noticed the car had stopped. “Elsa?”
Elsa looked back at her, bewildered.
“Y-your love?” Elsa stammered.
Anna went stiff, her cheeks becoming the same color as her hair while an expression of dismay came over her.
“I- I- I-”
Elsa looked at the side view mirror, finding the driver just as astonished as she was. But unlike the man, Elsa had more reasons to be happy than anything else.
"Look, can we just forget that I ever-"
Anna found herself this time the victim of a kiss, one that wiped away whatever anger she had against the nuisance a few yards behind them. So deep was the kiss that she did not notice when it ended, only that when it did she wished it would have lasted longer.
Honk!
"Let's get out of here." breathed Anna, chest heaving.
Even as the beetle began to move forwards under its own will there was a heat bubbling inside the car, no matter how low the windows may be rolled down or if the air conditioner were even working. This time, unlike a couple of minutes prior, there was no fault of the beating sun but rather of two girls blushing furiously, their hearts thumping fast while the expressions they bore slowly turned into weak but unmatched smiles.
***
“I wonder if Anna has told her true feelings to Elsa?” Kristoff said aloud to himself while he mulled over the situation.
A loud bark replied.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I should have checked the motor before entering the highway. Don’t be feisty Sven, I get enough of that from Anna.” Kristoff waved the massive dog who leaned over the window. “Man, this sucks.”
Honk!
“Sorry!” he shouted back. “Gotta fix this. Can’t believe my car would break down here of all places,” he muttered to himself while he dove back into the smoking hood of his car. “Well, at least it’s not as bad as Anna and Elsa’s love for one another, right Sven.”
Another bark.
Honk!
“I’m going, I’m going. Yeesh.” Grumbled the blonde.