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Cosy is the word that pops into Elsa's head as she takes one last sip of her hot chocolate before placing the mug down on the table behind her, making sure not to ruin the pretty tablecloth that Maren's parents had put out.
“So” the warm voice of Honeymaren walking towards her drifts over the gentle hum of people's conversations and Elsa's attention is brought to a familiar dark haired girl, she can't help but blush as she admires how beautiful she looks in her cream jumper, hair braided and a cream beanie that matches sitting on top of her head.
“having fun?” is what Honeymaren asks as she gets close enough to Elsa, the gleam in her girlfriend's eyes bringing a smile to Elsa's face.
Glancing around the room over Maren's shoulder the blonde's eyes land on Honeymaren's parents, where Maren had just been laughing and chatting away with her extended family with various glasses of alcohol in their hands.
“yes, your family seems lovely” Elsa responds with a shy smile, she hadn't yet actually met her girlfriends family, her anxiety had been playing up all night so Maren had kindly distracted them for a little while, Honeymaren's lips quirk up into a playful grin at the sight of her shy smile, the brunette shuffles closer so that she is shoulder to shoulder with the slightly taller girl next to her and they are both leaning against the table behind them.
The two stand in a comfortable silence as their eyes drift over the small gathering that is currently taking place at her girlfriends childhood home.
Maren's parents and brother are stood by the fireplace along with Maren's grandparents. A few other family members are dotted around the living room, Elsa spots who she thinks are Maren's cousins sat on one of the dark green sofa's. The house seems to just radiate happiness, the warm lights and cosy sofa's feel so homely and Elsa can't help but notice how much of a stark contrast it is to her own childhood home.
“you okay?” the voice startles her out of her thoughts and she becomes aware of her girlfriends hand on her arm.
“sorry, I spaced out” she responds forcing a smile, Maren sees right through it and shuffles her feet so that she is in front of her, she brings her hands down to her girlfriends cupping them in her own comfortingly.
“what are you thinking about?” The dark haired girl pushes in a soft voice trying to make eye contact with her anxious girlfriend.
Elsa looks down at the floor in an attempt to keep her smile, her shoulders rise in a slow shrug.
She feels Maren pull a hand away and soon after feels said hand under her chin gently lift her head up to meet honey brown eyes.
“your parents?” the brunette prompts making eye contact and this time Elsa tries to keep it, she nods sadly, her smile finally falling. Maren nods in response showing her understanding.
Elsa's parents had made it very clear at dinner earlier in the week that Elsa would never be accepted as long as she was dating a woman, it had hurt but didn't come as a shock to her. Elsa had hoped that maybe they would be okay with it but was prepared for the worst, and that is exactly what happened, her father had yelled at her while her mother just looked at her with a disappointed expression on her face. The only positive thing that came from it was her sisters reaction, she hadn't said anything in the moment, too shocked by the confession, after all they did grown up in a very heteronormative household. Anna had rang her much later once she was back in her own flat with her fiance Kristoff, they had talked and her sister had apologised for their parents reaction, the conversation lasted almost four hours in which many tears were shed and Anna had reassured her older sister of her support, she had even accepted Elsa's invitation for her and Kristoff to join her for new years eve at Maren's house and was looking forward to meeting her sisters girlfriend, even with the short notice.
“what are you thinking?” Maren's voice once again snaps her out of her thoughts and she jumps a little, the slightly shorter girl's hand moves from her chin to cup her cheek gently stroking the skin. Elsa leans into the touch automatically, she gives out a sad sigh.
“just... your house is so warm and welcoming and homely, it just made me think about my family house and how different it was” the blonde gives her girlfriend a sad smile. Maren's eyebrows furrow in sympathy.
“tell me what it was like” she prompts, this is what Elsa loved about the other girl, Maren knew exactly when to push and when to leave something alone, Maren pushed her to speak about the things that bothered her instead of just bottling them up, it didn't matter where they were or what they were doing, if she sensed Elsa worrying about something she asked about it.
Elsa takes a deep breath before speaking.
“it was perfect, but not in a good way, the whole house was immaculate all the time. I wasn't even allowed to sit on half of the furniture because it would have crumpled the cushions. My parents have always been very strict, mainly my Father” she pauses to take a shaky breath “The only time he really acknowledged me was when he was correcting me on something, I wasn't standing straight enough or I left the office door open a crack.” her brow furrows in confusion as she continues, “he was never like this with Anna, I thought I was imagining it at first but she was clumsy so she spilled things a lot and my mother would help her to clean it up, but if it had been me my father would have lectured me for hours on being careful and respectful. Looking back I don't think I was ever really welcome there, I just don't understand what I did to make them treat me so differently.” The blondes voice cracks with her last sentence and Maren is quick to kiss away the tears as they fall onto her cheek.
“you've never told me about that before” she mentions wiping away the remainder of her girlfriends tears with her thumb who nods in response.
“it makes me feel stupid” Elsa admits “for not knowing why”
“nothing you ever did could ever make you deserve that Elsa, it isn't your fault darling” Honeymaren pulls on the back of her neck gently to bring her in for a hesitant kiss giving her the freedom to back away, she doesn't, instead leaning into Maren's kiss.
“you. deserve. to. be. loved” Her girlfriend says in between kisses, she pulls away but keeps their foreheads close together maintaining eye contact.
“they don't deserve you, I love you so much, my family are going to love you, you belong here.” Elsa wipes the remaining tears that Maren missed from her face and a small smile tugs on her lips as she stares lovingly at the girl in front of her.
“so” Maren smiles encouragingly before pulling away and looking back at her family before returning her gaze to her girlfriend.
“wanna meet your new family?” Maren offers her hand out for the blonde to take her signature playful smirk breaking free on her face.
“yes of course” Elsa sniffs gently and chokes out a small laugh as Maren guides her towards the small group of people on the other side of the room.
“and when your sister arrives we will be a whole family, the family that you deserve” Maren squeezes her hand reassuringly bringing a wider smile to Elsa's face as they walk.
The rest of the night is spent meeting Honeymaren's family with a mix of hugs and hand shakes and when her sister shows up half an hour later with Kristoff and Elsa introduces them to her girlfriend, the redhead immediately greets Maren with a hug and so much excitement that Elsa thinks she might explode if she doesn't calm down. Anna becomes fast friends with Maren, Kristoff seems to click with Maren's brother Ryder and soon enough it's as if they've known each other forever. The night ends on that note with Elsa and her family chatting and laughing, it is marked in her mind as the happiest evening of her life and when Maren pulls her in for a kiss as the countdown ends and the room around her erupts in cheers for the new year she feels like she has truly found her place.