Chapter Text
"Is this what the townsfolk do down here?" Elsa asked as she watched pairs move on the worn out cobblestone floor, holding each other by either their waists or hands or shoulders, holding on as though if they were to let go they would be forced to face the harsh reality that the world ever so generously provided.
She glanced at Anna, who sat beside her on the ledge of a fountain with her own cup of warm apple cider in hand. Anna was smiling a warm and kind smile, the kind that never failed to send butterflies in her stomach. It was stark contrast from the condescending smirks she would send Elsa's way. The street lights illuminated her face at the exact position that made her more beautiful than she already was. Her teal eyes were clear, bright even, as the faint sounds of the music from inside the café played in the background.
"Do what?" Anna finally asked after a few moments, meeting Elsa's gaze.
"Do... whatever that is..." Elsa scrunched her eyebrows gesturing towards the small crowd of people. "What are they doing?"
"They're dancing." Came a soft reply. The general looked back at the crowd and took a sip of her cider.
Elsa stared at the townsfolk once again, blinking in confusion. Dancing? They were dancing? What she was seeing right now hardly compared to sentences and sentences of description from the books she's read so long ago. Or the years of dance lessons she's been taking with Kai, as per her father's instructions. Never in a hundred years would she imagine that this was a type of dancing, and yet here she was.
"Have you ever danced, Elsa?" asked Anna. But there was no judgement in her words, just genuine curiosity. Though there was a hint of teasing behind her tone.
"I have," Elsa responded, cheeks reddening slightly and her hands holding her cup a little more tightly than what was needed when she felt the weight of those teal eyes on her, studying her. "Although, are you sure this is dancing? They're just swaying and holding on to each other.
Anna laughed, a bell-like sound that made Elsa heart flutter helplessly in her chest. "You don't have to be good at something to enjoy it, Miss Griffiths."
"I suppose," Elsa pursed her lips, shifting slightly as the soft winter breeze kissed her face.
"And besides," Anna continued, setting her cup aside and standing up in front of Elsa. She held her hand out. "I think it's time for me to teach you the proper ways of dancing, not whatever the flying fuck you guys do at Griffiths Manor."
"You've watched me dance?" Elsa asked, taking Anna's hand and standing up, letting the general lead her to the where the people were and stood next to a swaying couple. "I assumed you didn't know that I took lessons by the way you asked me if I've ever danced."
"Hush, smartass," Anna chuckled. "I was referring to the way the people are dancing here."
"You should have clarified," Elsa quipped.
"My apologies, your Majesty," Anna smiled broadly, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Here, I'll to teach you how true Arendellians dance. I'm going to start by taking your hand in mine, like so."
Anna wrapped her slender hand around Elsa's, they were warmer than expected, despite the cold weather. Not that she minded, she found herself comparing the warmth to Anna's personality.
"Then I'm going to wrap my arm around you, like so," Anna stated with a type of seriousness that could have rivaled the tone of voice she uses to explain specific instructions to her leutenants. Elsa nearly laughed at how the general's brows furrowed ever so slightly when her cloth covered arm snaked around Elsa and pulled her closer until their bodies were close enough that they could almost merge together. The scent of lavender and vanilla wrapped around Elsa like a comforting blanket of warmth, Anna's face only several inches apart from hers.
Elsa looked up at the redhead. "We're awfully close."
"Isn't that the point?" Anna mused, gently squeezing Elsa's hand in hers. "Then now, we're going to— what was that you said? Sway?" Anna grinned as she started to do just that.
"Right," Elsa rolled her eyes good-heartedly.
Anna hummed in response, but didn't speak any further. So they swayed, and swayed. Not that it was uncomfortable, it was different, a good different. Anna looked into her eyes, a soft smile playing at the corner of her lips. It was those eyes, those teal eyes that she now found comfort in. They stared right back at her and they were clear, with hints of uncertainty but most definitely playful and kind as opposed to the arrogant and pretentious ones she's seen when she first met the enigmatic general.
"Is this what people do when they have something to celebrate?" Elsa asked, speaking no louder than a whisper due to already being in close proximity to the other girl.
Anna nodded.
"What is it that they are celebrating?"
Anna studied her face for a moment, open and closing her lips but no sound came out. She raised the hand that was wrapped around Elsa's and tucked a loose strand of platinum blonde hair behind Elsa's ear. Elsa instinctively leaned into the touch and closed her eyes briefly before meeting Anna's gaze again.
"There is always something worth celebrating, Miss Griffiths," Anna murmured, the light winter breeze gently tousling her hair as she rocked back and forth.
"Do you have something to celebrate?" Elsa questioned softly. She stared up at the general with curiosity.
"...No. I don't."
"You hesitated."
Anna grinned sheepishly and slowly pulled away from (a slightly disappointed) Elsa when the music from inside the café had started to fade away. "That's something I'll save for later."
Elsa raised a brow but didn't protest. Ignoring the dejected feeling in her chest, she nodded and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. She missed the warmth of Anna's body already, the coldness of the winter air cut through the layers of her clothing. It took her several moments to realize that it had begun snowing. A sprinkling of white was left on Anna's hair and on her shoulders, she looked like an angel, Elsa concluded.
A familiar warm hand grabbed hers and she looked up at Anna, who was smiling crookedly at her.
Elsa was well aware of the rapid beating of her own heart. She eyed their connected hands as Anna led them away from the townsfolk and down the cobblestone pathway.
"C'mon, turn that frown upside down," Anna teased. "Now, let's go, I want to show you my favourite spot from when I was a kid before the night ends."
"Alright, alright," Elsa giggled when she saw Anna's booted foot slip ever so slightly on a small patch of ice. "Just don't slip or you'll end up dragging me with you."
"Oh please, I'm the General for Arendelle's army. I'm more graceful than I let on— Shit—! FUCK!" Anna yelped when this time her foot slid across a large patch of ice that was hidden beneath a thin layer of snow. And just as Elsa expected, Anna held onto her hand in a vice-like grip and tugged them both onto the ground with a muted thud.
"Right, oh graceful one," Elsa stifled a laugh after she collapsed bodily onto Anna, their legs tangled and their hands still together. "How do you propose we get out of this mess?"
Anna groaned, shifting slightly but not making a move to stand up. "Shut up, or I'm snitching on you to Kai for sneaking out. Now are you going to move or not?"
"Hm," Elsa pretended to think about her options, tapping her chin with her index finger with mock indecisiveness. "I don't know, Anna. I feel comfortable right now."
"Fine, I'll make an exception for you. But only because you're pretty."
"Thank you."
"Wait, wait, wait— Els, look— no, don't look at me! Look up at sky! This is one of my favourite parts of Arendelle."
Elsa shifted off of Anna and lay down beside her. She looked up, finding the night sky dotted with millions of stars stretching across the town and even further away. She gasped in amazement, and she found herself comparing them to Anna's freckles, a whole map of them very much like constellations and just as marvelous to look at.
"Is this worth celebrating?" asked Elsa when she turned to face Anna.
"Of course."