Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Promise

Elsa felt the cold empty spot beside her. She went from groggy and sleepy to wide awake.

She had become so accustomed to Keahi's warm body close to her she found it difficult to sleep without the feeling.

She guessed she had spent so much time alone all of her life, finally having someone to rest her head on at night had become somewhat of an addiction. She had never thought herself as someone who could get used to constantly touching someone, to sleep next to someone at night. Her younger self would have laughed sadly and just shook her head, thinking someone was telling her a cruel joke. Now, now it was very much a reality that she discovered she couldn't live without.

Patting the spot where Keahi slept, Elsa rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got up in her magenta nightgown and headed out of the teepee and into the brisk breeze of night.

The stars were crisp and clear overhead, the wind still cold from the remnants of winter but with it blew a warmth to foretell the coming of spring. On the wave of fresh spring air, the smell of lilac and tulips drifted with it. Bringing life to the sleepy forest to lull it out of winter.

She pulled her mother's shawl around her shoulders as she glanced around. The fire that burned in the center of camp was cold, only a few coals still hot underneath.

Skimming around the camp, she spotted Keahi gazing off over the forest, her head tilted back to peer up at the stars.

Concerned, Elsa walked up calmly to Keahi. Tenderly taking her hand into her own. "Are you okay?"

Keahi jumped but relaxed and squeezed her hand. "Yeah. I just..."

Elsa watched the pained look play over Keahi's face and she reached up to place a soft hand on her cheek. Keahi leaned into the touch, closing her eyes with a quiet sigh before those sea foam green eyes looked back at her. "I'm just sad, I guess." Keahi shrugged, she looked to be playing it off and Elsa doubted she was fully okay.

The events that passed a few months ago weren't something someone could just get over. "You lost your brother. No one blames you for being sad. You can talk to me, you know that, right?" She whispered, smiling when Keahi leaned into her touch and kissed her palm.

"I know. But it's more than that. I wish I could have saved him. And now..." Keahi placed her free hand over her heart. "I almost feel an edge of darkness. I started feeling it a while ago, but it's getting stronger. I don't know if I'm causing it, or..." she gazed off across the regrowing forest.

Elsa wrapped her arms around Keahi and rested her head in the nook of Keahi's shoulder. Familiar warm arms came around her and squeezed her securely. "I know you, Ki and you aren't dark. Maybe we should go to Ahtohallen in the morning. To help ease your worry?" Elsas brows furrowed in concern. She'd never seen Keahi so anxious.

"I feel like something is wrong, and it's terrifying." Keahi whispered into her hair, her hand smoothed over Elsa's braid before she rubbed Elsa's back tenderly. "I'm finally comfortable and I love this," she glanced out over the forest and the camp. "I want nothing to come between us."

Elsa hugged her more tightly, and she shyly rubbed her cheek against Keahi's neck where her breath mingled there. "Nothing will change that. We'll figure it out." She pulled back just enough to look at Keahi. "Let's get some sleep and we'll go off to Ahtohallen first thing in the morning?"

Keahi shifted uncomfortably as she absently stroked Elsa's hair.

Elsa didn't know how to comfort her. Keahi was always the one to comfort. So she wasn't sure how to ease her worries. Shouldn't she know how? They have been together for a few months now.