The Rift

Chapter 9 Part 2

Another quiet, restful evening had rolled by in the Northuldra's camp. Marie stretched her arms above her as Elsa settled into her bed made of hides. The young queen propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Marie with striking blue eyes. "What's one thing that you miss from your world?" Elsa asked.

Marie settled under her blankets. "Ice cream."

""Ice cream?"" Elsa giggled. "We have ice cream in Arendelle!"

"Yeah, but I'm talking about DQ ice cream, or a gallon of ice cream!" Marie sighed happily, her heart racing slightly as Elsa moved a little closer to her. They had shared Elsa's tent the entire time they had stayed with the Northuldra, and it felt like a fever dream to Marie. Their first kiss frequently swam around in her mind, and she found herself staring at Elsa's lips quite often. Elsa did the same. Marie lay on her side and looked up at Elsa. "What about you? What from my world sounds interesting to you?"

"Hm..." Elsa played with the edge of Marie's blanket. "Electricity."

Marie snorted. "C'mon! That's too broad!"

"I like it when you tell me stories about the interactive stories you play. What are they called again?" Elsa asked. "Video games?"

"Really?" Marie uttered, completely surprised. "Yeah, my favorite series actually has Arendelle in it. It's called Kingdom Hearts." She rolled on her back. "Did a teenage boy named Sora come to your world with a dog and duck?"

Elsa laughed as she ran her fingers along the hem of Marie's nightgown on her arm. "Um, no."

"Dang," Marie replied. "That would have been cool." A strand of Elsa's blonde hair fell in front of her face, and Marie reached up and tucked it back behind her ear. Elsa's face turned red, inciting Marie's to do the same. Feeling an ounce of bravery, Marie gently ran her thumb over Elsa's lips. Elsa leaned down, closing the distance between them.

"Marie?"

The sound of Elsa's voice snapped Marie out of her daydream. She shook her head and looked at Elsa, who was standing in front of Marie's car. "Yeah?" she asked as she continued to pump gas into her car. They were on their way to the Twin Cities in Minnesota and had stopped to get gas. A light snowfall had begun, slowing their four-hour journey to five hours. Good thing we left early, Marie thought.

"Is there anything you want?" Elsa asked, readjusting her white hat on her head. Marie shook her head and Elsa departed for the store. Marie blushed and hid her face behind her pink scarf as the smell of gas surrounded her. It had taken five days to make plans and to wait for the show, but the day had finally come for the showing of Wicked at The Genivive. Excitement kept Marie's heart rate up the entire day, but she did not mind. The click! of the pump sounded off, and she removed it from her car and paid with her card outside.

It's happening, Marie thought. We're going on a date. Marie had warned Elsa that they would be staying in a hotel overnight, but Elsa did not seem to mind. There will be separate beds, but still... Marie swallowed a lump in her throat as the memories of them sleeping near each other all those nights filled her. She sat down in her driver's seat and waited for Elsa to finish up in the store. Her hands fiddled with a strand of wool on her gloves. Elsa bought a new dress for the occasion, but Marie had no idea what it looked like. The royal had only asked what color Marie's dress was, nothing more. She could wear a pillowcase and it would still look good, Marie thought. She blushed deeply at the thought of Elsa only wearing that and shook her head vehemently.