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Moonlight glittered between the leaves of the trees, casting Honeymaren’s face in serene light. Elsa wanted to hold her breath, as if a sound as gentle as breathing sound could break the peace of the moment. They lay on a bed of grass, far away from anyone and anything, secure in in the presence of each other. She watched the woman’s chest slowly rise and fall and smiled to herself when a leaf fell and landed on Maren’s stomach.
“Isn’t staring rude?” Maren asked, eyes still closed.
Elsa laughed, a soft sound like music on the wind, and reached over to stroke Maren’s cheek, “Just enjoying the view.”
Maren’s eyes fluttered open, the moonlight glinting in the dark amber as she turned her head and gazed back at Elsa, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you liked me, Elsa.”
“I’m using you to get to Ryder,” Elsa replied, her finger trailing along Honeymaren’s jaw. Her life was so different now, that she wondered how she’d ever survived those years of isolation.
Giggling, Maren took her hand and kissed her fingers, “Even if I actually didn’t know any better I wouldn’t believe it.”
“Excuse me, I could be into Ryder.”
“Elsa, anyone who looks at you could see you’d never be with a man in a million years.”
Elsa chewed on her lip, a little taken aback and unsure, “Is it that obvious?”
Honeymaren pushed herself up and scooted close, not objecting when Elsa pulled her into her lap, “Lets just say my mother kept pointing at you and telling me to go for it.”
“Good … to know that we have your mother’s backing,” Elsa said, embarrassed but also pleased at the thought. “But from meeting her she’s really perceptive, I don’t think she helps your case that I’m so obvious in my leanings.”
“Just believe me, you’re obvious.”
“If you can’t prove it,” Elsa replied, tapping her finger on Honeymaren’s nose. “Then your theory is suspect.”
Maren looped her arms around Elsa’s shoulders, “I’m teasing you, but I really am very glad that my admiration of you went both ways.”
Elsa wondered how long it could have gone on if Kristoff and Anna hadn’t pushed her to admit how she felt. She’d get snow flurries in her stomach every time Honeymaren smiled at her. Of course, she still got snow flurries every time Honeymaren smiled at her and that was likely not ever going to change, “Can I ask you something, Maren?”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
Oh, that made her flutter. She cleared her throat, “Every fall, there’s a festival in Arendelle. Everyone gets together, there’s singing and dancing and eating. And … I’d really like to take you this year. “
There was no need to worry about courting or anything of the sort, but Elsa still wanted to show off Honeymaren. How beautiful and smart and kind she was, how utterly amazing. To show her off and also say ‘this woman is mine and I am hers’ made Elsa both incredibly nervous and yet also incredibly excited. Elsa was free to be herself, and part of that freedom was loving whoever it was she chose to love.
Another smile blossomed on Maren’s face, and she cupped Elsa’s cheek, kissing her for several long moments before she responded, “I’d love to. And I would like you to come to our own fall festivities. I think the dates don’t coincide, so it works out..”
Elsa nodded, more than happy with the arrangement. The Northuldra had been introducing her to just about everything during her time in the forest and while she sometimes still felt a bit like an interloper and someone who was straddling two worlds, she loved that she was welcome among her mother’s people. And also still welcome among her father’s.
And if two peoples could be joined by her parents’ love, maybe, someday they could be joined by hers.
But that was a thought for another time, “This is the first year for them without the mist, I’m sure you’re excited.”
“I’m so excited,” Maren assured her. “I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since the fog lifted. I’ve seen so many sunrises, so many starry nights.” Her eyes were wide, her smile broad, “And every time, every time I look up it feels like the first time.”
Elsa leaned in, kissing her jaw and then her cheek, before nuzzling at her ear, “Your excitement is making me excited.”
Maren tilted her head back, voice light and airy, “Can I ask you something?”
“Mm, anything.” She kissed Maren’s ear, then trailed her lips down to her neck, “Anything for you.”
“Is there a reason you never got your own goahti?”
Blinking, Elsa lifted her head, “I … didn’t know I could get one?” She stayed with Honeymaren when she wasn’t away from the village which had been a fine arrangement for her, especially once they’d crossed the bridge between friendship and more. Did Honeymaren not like that arrangement? Her mind quickly started to go through increasingly bad reasons for this line of questioning, but then took a breath. She tried to make light of it, “Tired of me taking up space?”
“Of course not.” Maren shifted until she was straddling her, “I love that you’re in my home. It makes me think of it as our home.”
Maren was clearly going somewhere with this, and Elsa forced her anxiety to quiet down, trusting her love to not break her heart, “And?”
A blush crept over Honeymaren’s face, “Well, considering how often lately I’ve woken up to you wrapped around me, could we maybe dispense with any pretense about you sleeping in your own bed?”
“So you like that,” Elsa teased, relief and embarrassment both flooding her simultaneously.
“I love you, of course I like it.” Maren grinned at her, “I like waking up and you’re there. I like your arms around me, I like mine around you. I’d like to fall asleep that way more often too. Plus, one less bed makes it way easier to pack everything up when the village moves, and we’ll probably move after the festival.”
“So now we get to the real reason,” Elsa said. “Practicality.” She winked, pulling Maren even closer in her lap. Elsa had found herself slipping into Maren’s bed at night, more and more. Maren had never seemed to mind and it was nice that it was confirmed. Besides the comfort reasons, Honeymaren also helped chase away nightmares.
Still, the very thought that she might have made Maren uncomfortable was distressing so she clung to her a little more tightly. “Please tell me if I ever do anything you don’t like. This is all so new to me.”
“I promise, if you promise the same thing, sweetheart.” Maren stroked her fingers through Elsa’s hair.
Elsa’s eyes closed and she leaned into the touch. “ Well. I like this…”
“Mm, what else do you like?” Maren traced her other hand down Elsa’s back, and Elsa gasped softly.
“...That.”
“Tell me if I do something you don’t like.”
Elsa bit her lip as Maren’s hands started to wander further, suddenly understanding there was a bit more to this conversation than she’d thought at first. She kissed her, deeply and full of love, her own hands starting to wander. And she liked it, so she didn’t tell Maren to stop.
Then, a little while later, she was begging Maren not to stop.