Love Thaws: Melting

Longing

With a herculean effort, Elsa pried her eyelids open. The room was bright and still, slightly cold. Elsa sat up, feeling her bones creak. She suddenly felt older. She buried the pain deeper as the memories from last night flooded her mind. The place next to her was empty. Elsa felt strangely hollow at the sight. She touched the spot next to her. It wasn't even warm. How long had he been gone? 

She rubbed her upper arms as she stood, letting the blanket slip off of her. She felt the tug of temptation leading her back to the thick cushions on the bed. Elsa took determined steps towards the closet. She had a feeling that if she got back into bed in her depressed state, she'd stay there all day. Elsa quickly changed into a black, form-fitting sweater and jeans. She made her way to the kitchen, carefully silencing the slap of her bare feet so as not to wake Anna, though she was fairly certain even an air horn wouldn't wake her. 

There wasn't any hot breakfast available. Elsa dumped a flaky cereal into her bowl before filling it with milk. She finished her cereal in complete silence and washed her bowl. As she passed the living room, she spotted Kristoff lounging on the couch, reading a magazine about motorcycles.

Elsa intended to say 'good morning,' but the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "Where's Jack?"

Kristoff peered over the top of the magazine. "The woods. Possibly on a walk."

Elsa nodded and made her way back to their bedroom, unsure of where else to go. She seated herself on the bed and briefly contemplated going after him. Eventually, she decided against it. He'd came back sooner or later. She hoped. Elsa meshed her fingers together and stared at her lap. She needed to do something. Elsa walked outside to the porch, allowing the crisp, cool air to wash over her. She seated herself on the porch swing and used one foot to idly push herself back and forth. She blankly stared into the distance as she was captivated by her thoughts. The wind increased, gently tousling her hair. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when the door swung open, its hinges creaking softly.

"Elsa?"

Elsa turned towards Anna and offered her a weak smile. "Good morning, Anna. Sleep well?"

Anna fully stepped outside. "Brrr. It's cold out here. I'll never understand how you stand this. Yeah, I slept pretty well. What about you?"

Elsa briefly considered lying, but she'd lied to Anna enough already. "Not so well."

"Oh?" Anna seated herself beside Elsa. Elsa glanced at her hopelessly wild hair. Anna had a cup cradled in her hands.

Elsa inhaled deeply. Hot chocolate. Of course. "No, not really."

Anna frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that." She took a thoughtful sip from the mug. "You look a little pale, Elsa."

Elsa chuckled. "Aren't I always pale?"

Anna smiled slightly. "Paler." She took a deeper sip, staring off into the distance. "Are you feeling alright?" This time, she directed her bright turquoise eyes directly at Elsa.

Elsa promptly decided that lying was unavoidable. "Fine. I'll just get more sleep tonight."

"But you got to bed early last night."

Had Anna always been that observant? Elsa sighed before leaning back, staring off into the distance once more. "I'm not sure what to tell you," she murmured.

"Try the truth," she said softly, turning away to stare at the pale gray clouds.

Elsa flinched. "Knowing the truth isn't always... a good thing."