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There was already someone on the ice when Honeymaren arrived. That was rare this time of night; usually it was just her or her brother practicing, and occasionally a small herd of children with exhausted parents desperately wanting to go home already.
But this person was new, and Maren shouldered her hockey stick as she came down the stairs and leaned on the railing.
The woman was tall, her platinum blonde hair in a french braid. Long, shapely legs were clad in tight navy leggings, and she wore a sweater of the same color. On the front was a stylized coffee cup in reflective metallic rainbow colors.
She glided across the ice like she’d been born on it, stretching her legs and arms out and making lazy circles and spins before picking up speed. Honeymaren had never seen anyone so graceful before, and she watched, mouth hanging open just a little, as the woman leapt into the air, spinning twice before she landed on one foot, sweeping the other out as she held her arms out like wings.
God, she was beautiful. If Maren hadn’t been leaning on the railing she probably would have fallen over from how weak her knees were feeling.
“Maren.”
She blinked her eyes and looked at her brother. “What?”
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She looked back at the figure skater, just as she drifted past them. They locked eyes. Maren smiled at her, the skater smiling back just before she lost her balance. Arms flailing, she went down, landing on her butt and slid slowly into the wall where Maren was standing.
“Are you all right?” Maren called out, leaning over to try to get a better look at her. She felt a hand at her back a split second before she tumbled over the railing and landed on the ice next to the skater.
Dazed, head spinning, back protesting, Maren groaned.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Maren opened her eyes, and stared into the woman’s. They were a pale, icy blue, and dazzlingly bright. Her mouth worked of its own accord. “Hi. I’ll bet I’m not the first person to fall for you.”
Oh, this was going great.
⛸️
“Hi. I’ll bet I’m not the first person to fall for you.”
Elsa stared at the woman for several heartbeats, caught completely flatfooted by the line. It was so unexpected and yet it was really funny. She laughed, then covered her mouth when it turned into a snort. “Technically I fell first.”
The woman grinned sheepishly as Elsa carefully got to her feet and brushed off her legs and aching backside. She grabbed the railing and held her hand out to the woman in a reindeer sweater and jeans.
“Thanks.”
Once they were both on their feet, Elsa tucked a non-existent strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m Elsa.”
“Honeymaren.” Honeymaren held out her hand, and Elsa looked at it for a moment before remembering polite society had that whole handshake thing going on.
Her grip was firm, and her hand warm even through Elsa’s glove. “That’s a really pretty name.”
Honeymaren’s face grew flushed. “Thanks. You can call me Maren. That’s, uh, less awkward.”
“Okay, I’m awkward enough as it is so the less extra awkward we have the better.” Elsa smiled, and let go of Maren’s hand. She couldn’t look away from those eyes. They were a beautiful, rich amber, a little more brown than gold and yet still reminding Elsa of honey. She wondered if that was one of the inspirations for her name.
“I wouldn’t call you awkward.” Maren gestured out to the ice. “You were amazing out there. Were you having fun, or training for something?”
“Both,” Elsa said, feeling a little exposed. Which was silly, it was a public rink and she was used to making a public spectacle of herself. It was kind of the point and she had a few medals to prove it. But practice was a little different.
Maren grinned, her smile something that Elsa suddenly needed to see more often. “I get that. My brother and I train together, and we have fun doing it. It’s just a local hockey club, but we still kick ass.”
“Having fun is the point. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. It’s really easy to overwork myself and if I do that I could get hurt. Then I’d really be in trouble.”
“You don’t have anyone looking out for you?”
Elsa frowned, then shrugged one shoulder. “My sister, usually. And my coach. But Anna had some other commitments this weekend and my coach has a cold.”
She didn’t particularly like her coach, but if he got her to the Olympics she was willing to put up with it.
“Hmmm.” Maren looked thoughtful. “Do you want to join us?”
“I’m sorry?”
“She’s asking if you wanna play some hockey with us,” a man’s voice said. Elsa turned to see a man with the same brown skin and eyes as Honeymaren leaning on the railing and looking at them with fond amusement.
“That’s my brother, Ryder,” Maren said, sighing. “He can goalie and the two of us can try to see who can score the most?”
“Is there anything I need to know besides get the pancake in the net?”
🏒
Elsa was fast, zipping across the ice with the same grace she used doing figure eights and triple axles. After the second time she scored past both Ryder and Maren, Maren thought there was something funny going on.
One point behind and deciding it was time to stop playing nice, Honeymaren slid in ahead of Elsa, hipchecking her and stealing the puck. Elsa let out a squeak of protest and chased after her. They battled for the puck as they raced towards Ryder and the net, and at the last second Honeymaren managed to wrestle it away and score.
She let out a woop and coasted around behind the net while Ryder took the puck back to the center. Elsa leaned her hands on her knees, catching her breath, and Maren’s eyes fell to her ass. She immediately ran into the net and flailed about until she recovered.
Focus Maren!
“Come on, Mare!” Ryder called out, “Tie breaker!”
She ground to a halt in front of the puck and grinned at Elsa. “Want to make a bet?”
Elsa’s hair had come out of the braid, and Maren’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the tangled way it hung around her shoulders. Somehow Elsa looked even more beautiful as she rearranged her hair into a ponytail. “What kind of bet?”
“Dinner, the two of us. Winner buys.” There was no losing with that one, as far as Honeymaren was concerned. If she won, she’d happily buy Elsa dinner. If she lost, she’d still get to have dinner with Elsa.
Win/Win!
Blinking, Elsa brought the stick down, positioning it so she was ready for when Ryder called for them to go. She took so long to answer that Maren wondered if she’d messed up. But just before her brother shouted ‘go’, Elsa said, “You have a bet!”
Needless to say, Honeymaren never stood a chance.
After Elsa scored, she skated around the net, a huge grin on her face. It was impossible for Honeymaren to feel annoyed with her, not when she looked so happy and beautiful. She slung her stick over her shoulder and shook her head. “Why do I think that you’ve played hockey before?”
“My brother-in-law is a hockey instructor and my sister plays in a league,” Elsa said, feigning innocence. “Did I forget to mention that?”
“We just got hustled,” Ryder breathed, eyes wide and looking suitable impressed. “Wait, wait, your sister is a player and your brother a coach?”
“Yeah, the Connecticut Whale.”
“Shit.” Maren threw her head back and laughed. “That’s a professional team!” She blinked, and looked at Elsa again. “If Anna Bjorgman is your sister, then you’re…”
Oh, she just got hustled all right, hustled by a World Champion figure skater. A World Champion skating at her little rink. Maren needed to sit down.
Elsa flushed, folding her arms across her stomach and rubbing at her arms. “I prefer to practice in places like this. Less people, and more intimate.”
“You’re welcome any time,” as if this was her personal skating rink or something. “I think that’s really cool, actually.”
Smiling, Elsa nodded. “So, you owe me dinner?”
“Yeah, I do.” Maren found herself very relieved that Elsa was still up for that. “Are you free tomorrow night?”
“I am,” Elsa said.
“Then it’s a date.”
⛸️
Elsa very nearly chickened out. She didn’t date, really. There’d been one or two with her coach before she realized she was gay, and sometimes she wondered if that was why he worked her so hard, but she decided she didn’t want to think about any of that right now. Instead, she allowed herself pleasant thoughts about Honeymaren’s smile.
Honestly, even without the bet Elsa might have asked her out anyway.
“Wear this one,” Anna said, holding up a dress.
“It’s just a date. That’s a little…” Elsa eyed it dubiously. Anna had bought it for her, saying that slinky suited her.
“Trust me, Elsa. If she was taking you to like, Outback, you could get away with what you’re wearing right now, but she’s not. Wear this.”
Heaving a sigh, Elsa took the dress from her sister. “I don’t want to make the wrong impression. I already fell on my ass in front of her when she smiled at me.”
“And then you kicked her butt at hockey.” Anna grinned and turned back to Elsa’s closet to find the right shoes.
“Those,” Elsa pointed, deciding to go all in. Besides, she was better at coordinating outfits than Anna was. “But what if I’m sending the wrong message?”
Holding up the heels in triumph, Anna looked at the dress, than at Elsa. “Well that dress does kind of say ‘I’m down to pound but also I’m totally a queen.’”
“Anna!” She snatched the shoes from her sister, then pushed her out of her room. “Let me get dressed and deal with my make-up situation.”
“Remember,” Anna called out, as the door closed behind her, “go for down to pound!”
“I am not down to pound,” Elsa muttered, blatantly ignoring the direction her dreams had gone the previous night.
The dress was knee length, light blue in color with sparkling sequins along the hem and neckline, which exposed her shoulders and also plunged deeper than her usual. The shoes were just as sparkly and added another three inches to her five-seven frame. On or off the ice, Elsa had an aesthetic to maintain.
Her phone rang as she got into the car, and she sent it to the speakers. “Hello?”
The voice of her coach came through the speakers, and she suppressed a sigh. “How’d practice go yesterday?”
“It went pretty well. I landed every jump and spin and I worked on my speed and agility.” He’d kill her if he’d known she’d played hockey, but it had helped her work on her speed and agility, after all.
“Good, good. Say, would you like to meet for dinner?”
“Uhm. I’m actually meeting someone right now,” she replied, wincing. “It’s kind of a date.”
The silence stretched on for almost too long before he replied. “Oh. That’s good. Hope it goes well.”
“Thank you, Hans. Will I see you tomorrow afternoon?” Or would she be on her own again. Not that she really minded. He was a taskmaster and sometimes she wondered if he really was all that good for her career, but didn’t think switching coaches this close to a championship was a good idea. It was her second World Championship, and if she did well she’d make the US Olympic Team for next year.
“I have an appointment. I promised I’d help a friend with her form.”
Elsa frowned. Hans had another client? “Okay. You’ll be there for the Championship though, right?”
“Of course!”
“Great. I’ll … talk to you later.” She ended the call, jabbing the disconnect button on the dash a little harder than necessary, and tried to not let her bad feelings about her coach sour her mood.
The restaurant was definitely more upscale than Elsa expected for a first date. If Honeymaren was trying to impress her, then count her as suitably impressed. She parked, and sat there for a moment, staring at the clock that told her she was a little early. She nearly jumped when someone set off a firework up the street.
Really? Oh, well, she could at least compose herself. And call Anna.
Anna picked up on the first ring. “It’s not even seven yet. And I’m supposed to call you at seven-thirty.”
“I appreciate that, by the way. But no, I just need you to convince me to go through with this.”
“Hot girl hockey muscles,” Anna replied.
Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. “While those are all good points, you know what I meant.”
“Elsa, if you don’t want to actually do this, you can cancel, you know that right?”
“I want to!”
Anna laughed. “Then why do you need me to tell you that?”
“I guess I wanted some extra reassurance because there’s a blizzard in my stomach right now.” Elsa rested her hand on her chest, then grabbed her purse and phone. “Okay. I should go in. Thanks for suggesting this dress, you weren’t kidding about this restaurant. I might need to tell her that she didn’t need to go this far to try to impress me.”
“Good luck, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Elsa rolled her eyes. “I love you.”
“Love you too!”
She slipped her phone into her purse and got out of the car. The restaurant was almost intimidating, but she felt more and more excited the closer she got. They’d gotten along pretty well, hadn’t they? Elsa hadn’t felt that relaxed around a new person since she’d met Kristoff.
When she stepped inside, she saw that Honeymaren was waiting for her. She was wearing a gold dress that went down to her ankles and looped around the back of her neck, leaving her arms and shoulders exposed. While Elsa had left her hair down tonight, Maren’s was up in a series of looping braids that gave the impression of some kind of impish forest spirit.
She was the most beautiful woman Elsa had ever seen and then she promptly ran into a pole.
🏒
“Oh … wow.” Honeymaren stared as Elsa entered the restaurant. Her hair was down in loose, golden waves and her dress clung to her figure like one of those slinky superstars from old Hollywood. Her make-up made her face sparkle just a little bit in the light, matching the sequins in her dress.
And then Elsa looked at her and there was something like awe in her face, which made Maren both heat up and feel very, very good about herself. Right until Elsa ran into one of the decorative columns.
She rushed over, steadying Elsa with a hand at her elbow and another on her hip. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” Elsa leaned her hand against the column before straightening. “No black eyes?”
Maren made a show of inspecting Elsa’s face. She wasn’t hurt, but she took her time anyway, wanting to really appreciate the woman in front of her. Elsa’s eyes darted across Maren’s face, too. That was a good thing, right? “No bruising or anything. You look good. I mean, you’re not hurt. I mean you look really amazing actually. Uh, we should see about our table…”
Elsa put a hand over her mouth and giggled, before taking the arm Maren offered. “That’s good to know.” She leaned in and whispered as they walked, “You look beautiful.”
Oh good here was their table. Maren hesitated, unsure if she should pull out Elsa’s chair or something, but then Elsa surprised her and pulled out a chair for her. That was unexpected and kind of thrilling, so she took the seat and watched as Elsa sat down in front of her.
She’d been terrified that this might have been too much for what was probably just a casual date, but sometimes, when you had connections, you really needed to use them. And Honeymaren wanted to make a good impression off the ice. “I hope this is okay?”
“It’s perfect,” Elsa said. “How’d you manage to get reservations on such short notice?”
“Family,” Maren admitted. “My mother’s aunt owns the place.”
“Nepotism, then?” Elsa said, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.
“I refuse to let her comp me or anything but I’m not above getting a table,” Maren replied, grinning.
“I’m not above using my sister to get good seats at her games.” Elsa grinned back, “So I understand.”
Maren didn’t know where to look at Elsa. Too low, and she’d be lost in her cleavage, but it was also really easy to trace the contours of her face with her eyes, or get lost in Elsa’s. Even with expertly applied make-up, Maren could make out a smattering of freckles on Elsa’s face, and some matching patterns on her shoulders and throat. She coughed lightly, “I’ve seen a few games. She’s really good.”
“You’re really good too,” Elsa said. She leaned forward a little, folding her arms on the table, “The Whale have tryouts coming up in a few days. You should attend.”
Taken aback, Maren stared at Elsa, trying to figure out if she was being messed with. “Me? Play professional hockey?” She’d followed the professional women’s teams for years. It wasn’t like how popular women’s soccer was becoming, but Maren had never been good at soccer.
And she loved hockey.
“Yes, you! I’m not an expert or anything…” Elsa picked up a fork, and spun it around in her fingers, “but I think it might be worth a shot.”
Frowning, Maren glanced down at her menu, not really seeing it or anything on it. She couldn’t say what her hesitation was; the thought was actually exciting and it was something she’d thought about. Being a professional.
But what if she failed?
“Maren?”
“Huh?” Maren looked up, and then smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Elsa. I never thought about that before. But now that you bring it up, I’m not sure I can forget the idea.”
“You’re afraid of failure,” Elsa said. “I understand, I really, really do. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.”
“Okay but on one … no, two conditions.”
Elsa quirked her right eyebrow and Honeymaren felt something inside her literally throb. Taking a second to catch her breath, Maren replied, “Uh. Oh right. First, you can’t do anything to tip the scales. If I’m going to try out, I’m going to get in with my own ability.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!” Smiling, Elsa settled back in her chair, and waited for Honeymaren’s second condition.
This one was a bit of a gamble. Flushed, Maren fidgeted with the menu. “Would you could you be there? Cheer me on?”
“Hmm.” Elsa pulled out her phone and swiped the screen to open it, as if she was checking her schedule.
Maren wet her lips, praying to whatever god might be listening that Elsa could make it.
Elsa smiled, and put her phone away. “Unless there’s an emergency or something, I’ll be able to make it. I don’t fly out until the end of the week for the Championship.”
“Okay!” Maren breathed again. “Then I’ll do it. And I’ll be watching, though I’m sure you’ll medal.”
“Maybe.” Elsa shook her head, though Maren could sense an undercurrent of anxiety in her voice. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, and I have to just do my best. Either I’ll medal or I won’t.”
Gently, Maren reached out and put her hand over Elsa’s. “That’s a good way to look at it. But don’t you have confidence in yourself?”
“Right now? No.” Elsa laughed, and looked down at their hands, though she didn’t pull hers away. “But when I’m on the ice? It’s just me and the music.”
“You really love it, don’t you?” Maren said, gazing into beautiful blue eyes.
“It’s one of the few places I can really be myself.”
“I uhm… Went back and watched the one where you won the gold last year.” Maren felt a little stalkery, but while Elsa looked maybe a little embarrassed, she also looked interested.
“What did you think?” Elsa asked, as if Maren’s opinion meant more to her than the judges who’d awarded her a gold.
“You looked -- you looked so free out there. You glided across the ice like some kind of spirit and moved through the air like you longed to fly.” Her face heated up as she spoke, but with Elsa looking at her like that it, it was motivation to keep going. “It was beautiful, like a dance. I don’t think I’ve seen someone on the ice like that that made me feel before.”
Cheeks red, Elsa picked up her menu, hiding half her face behind it. “Thank you.” For a few moments, Maren thought that that was all Elsa had to say, but as she looked down at her own menu, she heard Elsa’s voice, quiet and almost inaudible, “I really do long to fly.”
⛸️
Elsa’s phone rang right at eight-thirty, and she excused herself from the table so she could take the call. She would have hinted to Anna all was well right at the table, but she desperately needed a little bit of advice.
“So do you need a rescue?”
Elsa stepped outside, smiling at her sister’s voice, “No. She’s wonderful Anna.”
“Ooooh!” Elsa pictured Anna getting comfortable on the couch. “Do tell!”
“I’m not going to relay my entire date while I’m still on the date,” Elsa protested. But she couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice. “But she’s wonderful, Anna…”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“You just told me, silly.”
“Oops.” Elsa fidgeted with the fabric of her dress. “What do I do now?”
“Finish dinner with her, for starters. Get her number … try to extend the night, like go walking somewhere.” Anna hummed.
“And like, what, hold hands?”
“Don’t sound so scandalized!”
“I want to do a lot more than hold her hand,” Elsa murmured.
“Now I’m scandalized.”
“Hush, Anna.” Still, she smiled when Anna laughed.
“Get back in there and just be yourself.” Anna stressed the word ‘be’ in a very Robin Williams fashion.
“Yes, mom. Talk to you later.” Shaking her head, she hung up and walked back into the restaurant. Her phone buzzed, and she looked down at a text from Anna.
It was a picture of a bee, along with a reminder to not forget to get Honeymaren’s phone number.
Elsa tried not to giggle as she returned to her chair and slipped her phone back into her purse.
“Everything okay?” Stunning brown eyes laced with concern regarded her, and Elsa felt herself melting a little.
“Yes. My sister is very eager for all the details about my first date in years.” Elsa grinned at Honeymaren. “I had to remind her it’s just started.”
The concern changed to a twinkling sort of amusement and a smile that left Elsa momentarily robbed of breath. “I was fielding texts from my brother while you were on the phone, so I totally get it.”
“They’re going to be talking about this forever,” Elsa mused.
“Then let’s give them something to talk about.” Maren touched Elsa’s hand again, and like the first time earlier, the spark set her skin ablaze.
She wasn’t sure what Honeymaren meant, but for the first time in a very long time, Elsa was going to just see what happened.
The meal itself was very good, though Elsa found the conversation to be much more interesting. She found herself willing to open up a little, in ways she hadn’t felt comfortable doing outside of Anna and Kristoff before.
Not entirely open, but just a little bit. Like she was letting Honeymaren just inside the door. It was so easy. They had a similar sense of humor and both liked to tease their siblings. They both liked ice and winter sports.
And Honeymaren was so kind that it made Elsa’s heart ache.
Before she knew it, they were walking out, arm in arm.
“Which one is yours?” Honeymaren asked, looking at the cars in the lot, then at Elsa.
Elsa looked past her, to a trail that led past a pond and into a park, and chewed on her lip. Try to extend the night, Anna had said. And Elsa didn’t want to go home yet. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Honeymaren’s snapped up to meet Elsa’s, and she flushed. “Sure.”
🏒
Honeymaren had a problem, and that problem was Elsa. She kept catching herself staring at her; at her eyes, at her lips, at the smattering of freckles on her shoulder. Maren had the craziest urge to lean in and kiss each one.
And now Elsa had her hand clasped in her own and was dragging her towards a park. How anyone could move so fast in heels Honeymaren didn’t know, and she was glad she was wearing flats.
There was a cement trail that led around the pond, and Elsa slowed down. Maren walked at her side, and refused to let go of her hand.
God, she wanted to do a lot more than just hold Elsa’s hand. Maren smiled up at Elsa and pushed away those thoughts. Here, they were obscured by the trees and plants, the city as blocked from them as they were from the city.
Honeymaren felt strangely disconnected from the world and yet she didn’t mind. She felt connected to Elsa, and right now that was the only thing that mattered. “Trying to get me alone?”
“Uhm.” Elsa’s fingers tightened around Maren, and Maren squeezed back reassuringly. “Would it be a problem if I said yes?”
“Not at all. It’s hard to be yourself when you’re out in public.”
“That’s the thing, I really feel like myself around you.” Elsa pushed back some hair with her free hand. “Which is a lot, we barely know each other.”
“I’d like to get to know you better.” Honeymaren stopped, then stood in front of Elsa and took her other hand. “Another date, maybe. Hang out. Spend time together.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Maren tilted her head.
“I’ll take you out next time,” Elsa said, smiling. “When you make the team, to celebrate.”
“Will you kiss it and make it better if I fail?” Maren snapped her mouth shut and mentally kicked herself.
Elsa looked surprised and flustered. “I, well. I, uhm. I’d rather kiss you because … because I want to kiss you.”
Honeymaren’s mouth went dry. “You want to kiss me?”
“Yes,” Elsa whispered. “Very much.”
Letting go of Elsa’s left hand, Maren brushed her fingers along Elsa’s cheek, then slid her hand around to the back of her head and pulled her down. Their lips brushed, and then Maren brushed Elsa’s soft lips with her own again, before applying a little more pressure.
Honeymaren knew three things in that moment, with Elsa’s body pressing into hers, her mouth opening invitingly.
She was going to make the team.
Elsa was going to win that gold and go to the Olympics.
And she really had fallen for this woman when she’d tumbled onto the ice.
Somewhere up the road, a firework went off.