A one-shot written for Ann Week, in memory of @thearendork, today marking one month since she had passed away. This takes place in Exolvo verse, also including the Frozen cast as well as Tadashi himself.
Tagging @forthearendork, @blunaowl
The Great Hall rang with silence and an unspoken grief; even the Slytherin table remained quiet in the atmosphere of sorrow. The Hogwarts ghosts sat or stood still, heads bowed or just staring straight ahead at some spot in front of them. The Ravenclaw ghost had her head in her hands, as though weeping into them, her hair falling forward to veil her quiet grief.
The house that took it hardest was Ravenclaw. A few of the girls had their arms wrapped around each other, sitting huddled close in their grief, crying on each other’s shoulders. Farther along the table, Elsa’s shoulders shook with wrenching sobs, her eyes clamped shut as she cried into Tadashi’s neck. Tadashi himself held her in a protective and secure embrace, arms wrapped tight around her, stroking her hair and rubbing circles into her back.
At the Gryffindor table, Anna sat with a tired sort of slouch, staring into her lap at her limp hands, wishing Elsa was next to her, but understanding she needed her time to grieve with Tadashi. Her sister had already grieved with her last night--all night, really. Neither could get any sleep, or if they had, it was just for a few hours all up.
We should’ve known, Anna thought, wondering if she could feel any more miserable than she already did, We should’ve seen it. She wasn’t happy. Why didn’t we see it? Why? If only we’d seen it sooner. If only...
If only, if only, if only. Anna was starting to hate those two words, and yet they kept circling her thoughts, eating at her soul like dementors feeding on her stricken conscience.
If we’d seen it, we could’ve shown her she was loved.
Anna was sure she’d run out of tears--her eyes were dry this morning. Perhaps she had wrung the last drop out last night, and there was just physically no more tears left inside her to cry.
We loved you so much. Why? Why? Why did you do this to us? Why didn’t you tell us anything? Why didn’t you talk to us?
Anna realised she’d begun to ground her jaw, muscles tight, teeth clenched. Her limp hands had contracted into fists, as her thoughts grew with new emotion.
I hate you. I hate you but I love you. Hate you for what you did to me--to us--because we’ll never be the same again.
Anna forced her hands to relax, raising them to set them on the table, distracting her attention by looking over at the table where the teachers sat, looking just as sombre and pale as the other students in the Great Hall. Professor Trelawney dabbed at her eyes with a large handkerchief, Hagrid was sniffing and blowing his nose, and Professor McGonagall’s face remained stern as always, but with a certain edge to her eyes and the corners of her mouth. One of the other teachers Anna didn’t know had a little owl perched on her shoulder.
Anna wondered suddenly who was going to take care of her friend’s owl now. The Snowy Owl she’d loved so much, who was like another friend to her. Would the owl simply fly away to live outside the castle in the natural habitat of owls? Or would the owl find another owner? Anna knew how loyal owls could be to their owners--Hedwig obviously had great loyalty to Harry, for example.
Will her owl miss her? Will she find someone else?
She didn’t like to think of the owl simply forgetting her friend, but nor did she like the idea of the owl pining away in the owlery without a friend to keep her company. Anna made herself a mental note to go up to the owlery later, after the assembly was over.
Everyone’s attention turned to the teachers as Dumbledore finally stood up to give his speech, giving a significant look at the stricken Ravenclaw table.
“This is a tremendous loss,” he began. “And one that is felt by all here, whether or not you knew her. She may not have been a student here, but nonetheless, loved by all.” Dumbledore paused, letting a breath’s moment pass before continuing. “She loved the owls here, and took the utmost care of our owls in the owlery. But out of all the owls, I believe, it was her Snowy Owl who loved her most. Owls have a great loyalty to their owners, and grieve when they are lost--some have been known to pine away.”
Oh god... Anna bit her lip, feeling her throat closing as tears came back to her eyes, her poor owl.
“When she was a student here, she was in Ravenclaw, as I am sure the Grey Lady can confirm.”
Anna stole a quick glance at the Grey Lady who had lowered her hands to nod very slowly at Dumbledore.
“She was as beloved a young woman then, as she was--is--now. She had a great loyalty and love for Ravenclaw, and she did not judge or discriminate.”
The best friend anyone could have.
“She displayed some of the best qualities Ravenclaw can have to offer, but, as I’m sure Professor McGonagall can recall, the Sorting Hat had thought Hufflepuff a strong contender as her House too.”
Honesty and loyalty, that was her.
“A hardworking student and staff member, diligent, and with a fine sense of humour in her that will be missed. In her silence, we will remember her love, her laughter, and her heart.” Dumbledore paused again, a long pause as he let his words sink in, before looking up at the House flags, still displaying the House colours. “I believe a change of decoration is in order.”
Anna watched as the House flags changed to a darker, but not quite black, background, and her jaw dropped a little when the silent, patronus-like silhouette of an owl--a Snowy Owl--flew” in and took shape on the fabric. Smaller silhouettes of owls glided in to perch in the pictures taking form on the flags. While some heads turned back to the table as Dumbledore prepared to speak again, many still had eyes trained on the flags, where the painted owls perched on invisible perches.
“Grief will heal, but her memory will remain here in the walls of Hogwarts, her home, as it was and always will be. She will never be forgotten, and I remind all students to go to someone they trust when they feel alone. I assure you, someone out there loves you. Love is the greatest gift anyone can have, and we all need it. And she had much love to give in return for all the love you gave to her. She may not be with us anymore, but we will always love her. Always.”
This is a quick little thing I wrote for Ann Week over at @forthearendork, and so I write this piece in memory of our beloved Ann, who will we miss for a long time.
Elsa and Tadashi relaxed on their backs in the grass, staring up at the night sky with its crystal clear spangle of stars. One of her hands intertwined with her beloved’s, fingers snuggled next to each other, palm to palm in a tender hold. Tadashi’s thumb stroked the back of her hand, back and forth, the sensation lulling Elsa into a contented state. Her other hand cradled the back of her head as she gazed up at the snowflakes of night. If she turned her head to the right, the bright eye of Jupiter stared back at her. It always amazed Elsa how bright the planet glowed, even so many million miles from Earth.
“Jupiter is so bright,” Elsa marveled now, smiling at the unblinking planet, “so beautiful.”
Tadashi squeezed her hand, “It’s showing off, that’s all, because it knows you’re looking.”
Elsa tore her eyes from Jupiter’s direction, swiveling her head to gaze at her sweetheart.
“It’s a planet, it couldn’t care less if I was looking at it all night.”
Tadashi’s teeth gleamed white in the dark as he reached to brush his fingers over the side of Elsa’s cheek, up to her temple, into her her sinfully soft blonde hair. Her eyes drooped closed, a small “mm” of happiness humming in her throat. His fingers continued to trail butterfly light over her face and in her hair as she spoke again.
“And besides,” she added, “Jupiter is only the biggest planet in the solar system. It has every right to show off.”
Tadashi gave a hearty chuckle in response, pinching her cheek ever so slightly.
“You’re right, babe,” Tadashi concurred, “Still needs to tone it down--the showing off--any brighter, and it will rival the moon.”
Elsa smirked, teasing in good nature. “Says the boy who keeps showing off about his toy.”
“Hey,” Tadashi protested defensively, “Baymax is going to help loads of people.”
“As you’ve said a hundred times before.” Elsa reminded, now re-positioning herself, opening her eyes as she did so, so now she lay on her side, legs curling up a little under her. Her lips tingled as Tadashi ran a thumb over them, tracing over the corners of her mouth.
“Think we might see a shooting star tonight?” Elsa murmured.
Tadashi leaned over to kiss her cheek, trailing towards her ear, lips hovering a bare millimeter from her earlobe.
“For every shooting star, kiss me once.”
“Deal,” Elsa murmured, gasping a little when he surprised her with a quick nibble on her earlobe. “Oh, Tadashi!”
“You like that don’t you?” he flirted, “Just imagine if we had a meteor shower tonight.”
Flopping back on the grass beside his sweetheart, Tadashi let go of Elsa’s hand, so he could wrap both arms around her, holding her warmth against him. Her cool hands eased under his top, fingers and palms flush against his chest.
They lay this way, quiet but happy, just watching the bright constellations for shooting stars. Elsa’s eyes never wavered from the glorious light show of space, ready to be the first to see a meteor streaking through Earth’s atmosphere, dimming as it burned to nothing.
Then--
Elsa’s arm shot up with a cry of delight, pointing right up at a star.
“Look, I see one!” Her eyes tracked the moving “star”, tracing a path past the constellation, calm and steady, burning bright in the night.
“Kiss?” Tadashi hinted.
“Wait--what until Earth’s taken care of it.”
Never letting her eyes wander from the meteor, Elsa snuggled even closer into Tadashi, her body meshing naturally with his. She watched as the lone meteor, a brave--but doomed--celestial aviator dived against the background of stars, dimming as it began to burn. Soon, with a last gasp, it was gone, burned to nothing in the merciless atmosphere.
“Now kiss me,” she allowed, hands moving down his chest, closing her eyes as his lips met hers. Her lips parted, allowing the kiss to deepen, passion rising in her as he took her in his arms, one hand tucking under her blouse, against the bare skin of her back.
A kiss for a shooting star, Elsa thought, brief but beautiful.
I started this as a funny, what-if scenario, and although Ann wasn’t really familiar with the DA!Verse, she did like this concept. I figured I’d finish it up.
Parts One and Two are a little more lighthearted, mainly because this one deals with more serious stuff. Basically, as the title implies, Tadashi (who is a police officer) learns that the woman he’s dating may not actually be a nurse like she had told him, and might be something far worse instead.
Anna described it as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, much to Elsa’s annoyance. The fact that he was a cop and she was an assassin didn’t mean they were automatically representative of the two famous lovers. And, in reality, their jobs were the only things about the two of them that didn’t really mix together.
Tadashi was smart. Like, really smart. He was a genius when it came to anything with a motherboard, and was an avid fan of anything having to do with science. Elsa, while she seemed a bit spacey at times, was also quite well-read regarding the subject. The discussions they would get into some nights were, to Anna, the equivalent of someone reading a physicist’s two-hundred-page doctoral thesis to her. Elsa and Tadashi could easily talk for hours, sometimes even all night about science and technology.
Tadashi was also funny. He shared the same dry wit humour Elsa possessed, and with the added help of a little alcohol, had a tendency toward morbid humour. He would often share stories of some of the silliest crimes he had to investigate, and Elsa in turn would share her wild experiences on the job while shifting the truth just a little to the cases being arrivals in the hospital’s morgue. Again, Anna found herself stuck listening to some of these conversations, and questioned whether or not both of them were secretly psychopaths. But it was really all for fun, and while Anna didn’t quite understand it, she did see that her sister was laughing more often than she ever had before. That counted for something.
Tadashi also proved himself to be rather competitive, which, seeing as her sister had a stubborn/competitive streak a mile long, should have been a problem. One would think that they would have been constantly butting heads, but the exact opposite happened instead. In video games, it was nothing but witty quips and constant playful taunting, until they went onto multi-player and were on the same team. Anna felt bad for anyone who ended up fighting against them. They would sometimes jog together, an activity that ended up with the two of them racing as far and as fast as they could until one of them collapsed from exhaustion - the victor would always stop and return, only to be pulled to the ground and kissed lovingly. They also did this thing for a while where they would try to one-up each other on who could find and eat the weirdest food. So far, Elsa was winning with some Hákarl she managed to pick up on a trip to Iceland, although Tadashi had already called some family members in Japan and asked if there was any way they could send some Eel Soda his way.
But above everything, Tadashi was sweet and warm and kind. He was thoughtful and caring, often fretting whenever he saw his girlfriend with a new battle injury. (It got to the point where Elsa felt bad lying to him all the time, considering how hard he tried to make things heal better despite her being the “nurse”.) He would do little things, like send her gifts surrounding an inside joke they shared, or trying his best to be ironically romantic just to make her laugh. For Valentine’s Day he gave her a bouquet of twelve roses, with a little note attached to them stating that he would love and care for her until the last rose wilted. She thought he was just being jokingly sweet as he always was, until a few days later, and she discovered that one of the roses was fake. Anna found her giggling like an idiot with happy tears in her eyes as she held the bright, immortal rose in her hands.
Things were going amazingly with him. Elsa had never known a guy who made her feel as good as Tadashi made her feel. She had dated a few times in the past, but they never lasted long. She had almost given up entirely, and planned to devote herself to work, until she met him. She never had someone she connected with like she did with him, and it warmed her heart to think that it was because he loved her.
...Except...he didn’t love all of her. How could he, when she hadn’t told him? And she was deathly afraid to. No matter what they did together, it still didn’t change the fact that he was a police officer - one specifically investigating her case file. If he manages to figure out that she’s the one he’s been looking for this whole time...
Well, she honestly didn’t know. It would be bad for her, that much she did know. But for him? It would mean a promotion. He could get a higher salary, and more control over his schedule. But it could also hurt him. He cared about her, and trusted her. Whether or not he would have the same feelings for her was up in the air, and she wondered that if she explained everything it would make a difference.
She hated lying to him. It felt worse than lying to her sister. But she had no choice.
But then everything changed one date night.
The pair was returning home from a movie, discussing the plot, making jokes, and quoting their favourite parts. Then Tadashi’s phone rang.
He excused himself, and answered: “Hello? ... Oh, hey, Aunt Cass. I... What? What do you mean by ‘never came home from school’? ... That was, like, five hours ago! ... Is his bot still there? ... No... Ok, thanks Aunt Cass. I...I’ll find him, I swear.”
Elsa shot him a concerned look when he hung up. Tadashi sighed heavily and muttered, “I’m gonna kill him, if someone else hasn’t done it already.”
“Bot fighting again, huh?” Elsa asked simply.
Tadashi nodded. He massaged his eyes in frustration, and said apologetically, “Look... Y...you should head home. Where I’m going isn’t exactly a safe place and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
‘Funny. I’d say the same thing to you if I could,’ Elsa thought. She gently laid a hand on Tadashi’s tense shoulder, and told him, “I’m not going anywhere. We stand a better chance at finding him and dragging him away if there’s two of us. Besides, you might need back-up.”
Tadashi smiled, but it faded a little when he said worriedly, “It’ll be dangerous, Elsa...”
“Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger!” she said with a laugh. Her tone sobered, and she added, “But seriously, Tadashi: I want to help. You might need my... nursing skills.”
Tadashi sighed, before nodding. “Alright. Let’s go,” he relented. They took off toward Elsa’s car, and he explained quickly, “He’s likely in the warehouse district. That’s where a lot of underground bot fighting takes place. You need a navigator?”
Elsa really had to think twice before she responded with: “No, I’m there nearly five days of the week for jobs.” Instead, she merely nodded, signalling Tadashi to start giving her directions she didn’t need.
They parked several blocks away from where Tadashi thought it might be, just to give them plenty of time to lead any potential threats away from the car before they could escape. Tadashi hurried down the street, Elsa on his heels, and ducked into a long, narrow alleyway.
“We really have to be careful,” he whispered, “Gang activity’s really prominent around here.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Elsa mumbled to herself.
They crept forward, trying their hardest to make as little noise as possible. It was not an easy task, considering how much garbage was clogging up the alley.
Suddenly, someone in the distance shouted loudly, “Get that kid!”
Elsa and Tadashi turned to look at each other in alarm, before racing toward the source of that voice. The alleys were like a giant maze, and the rain-soaked ground and piles of litter did not make for easy high-speed navigation. But they still tore through the passages, stopping only when they met the sight of a large group of rather intimidating guys cornering a small figure in a dead end.
The figure was talking, very hastily and nervously stating, “Fellas. Come on! Y...you wouldn’t really hurt a kid, would you?”
“Hiro,” Tadashi breathed.
The biggest guy in the gang then growled, “No one cheats Little Yama! Especially little punks like you!”
“Yama...” Elsa muttered. Suddenly her breath caught and she felt her heart stop for a moment. “Oh God, no...”
Yama was one of the city’s biggest crime bosses. He was mean, and nasty, and if you were unfortunate enough to cross him, you could expect a very unwelcome present from him in the near future.
She quickly turned to her companion, and uttered, “Tadashi. We have to-” She was cut short when she realized Tadashi was no longer beside her, but running toward the gang of men who would have no problem beating the crap out of him. “Son of a- You moron!” she hissed under her breath before following him.
Yama was just about to punch Hiro in the face when a loud shout from behind stopped him: “Hey! Let him go!”
Yama turned. So did the whole gang. Everyone’s eyes were on Tadashi. “And who are you?” Yama growled in annoyance.
Tadashi pulled out his badge. “Police. And you’re under arrest,” he said boldly.
Yama stared at him for a moment before roaring with laughter. “Is that so? And where’s your back-up, mister Policeman?” he taunted.
“I...I can call them. They’ll be here in-”
Tadashi suddenly was forcefully grabbed by the shirt collar and pressed against the wall by one of the larger thugs. “You know what I hate more than being cheated?” Yama said, his voice cold and threatening, “Nosy cops.”
Tadashi struggled, but quickly glanced over at Hiro. The attention had been drawn completely off of the teenager, so Tadashi got his attention before nodding toward Elsa. He mouthed, “Go with her.”
Hiro nodded and made his way carefully toward Elsa, who was standing just far enough back that no one had noticed her yet. Tadashi had, at that point, been socked in the face, but he still managed to shout, “Go! Get him somewhere safe!”
“But...” Elsa began to protest.
“Please, just get him home, Elsa!”
Elsa took a nervous step backward. Every instinct she had in her was making her body twitch in protest to running away. Her icy magic was stirring uncomfortably inside of her, begging her to use it on the thugs currently beating her boyfriend into a pulp. All of her experience and training was building up in her head, reminding her that she would have no problem with these guys if she would just let it out.
But then he would know.
She grabbed Hiro roughly by the hand and pulled him away. It felt like her heart was pounding in her ears, and she was viewing everything through a dark tunnel, but she had to run. He couldn’t know.
Eventually, she managed to hear Hiro’s screaming: “Wait! What are you doing! We can’t just leave him! We...we have to help! Somehow, we have to-” He paused when Elsa came to an abrupt stop and released his hand to comb hers through her hair. “We have to help him,” Hiro said quietly.
Elsa tightened her hands into fists. She reached into her purse and from a hidden pocket pulled out a small handgun. Hiro’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could say anything, she handed him her car keys and ordered sternly, “We’re parked at First and East Vellex Road. It’s a black sedan, can’t miss it. You are to go there, get in the car, and lock all the doors.”
“But...what if they-”
“The locks are military-grade, it’s armoured, and the glass is bullet proof. It’s the equivalent of hiding in a bank vault.”
“Wait... What?”
“I’m going back for Tadashi, but he wants me to keep you safe. So go to the car,” Elsa ordered. For anyone else, it would have been scary enough to get them to obey without question.
Too bad Hiro actually knew her. “Are you a spy or something?” he questioned slowly.
“I... Yeah, sure,” Elsa sighed, “Look, we don’t have time-”
“That actually makes a lot of sense. I never understood why someone who’s supposedly a nurse kept getting injured all the time...”
“Hiro, we really don’t... Just go to the car!”
Hiro shot her a deadpanned stare. “Elsa, you know me. Do you honestly think I’m going to go sit in a car when I can watch a spy duke it out with a crime boss and his goons?” he asked dryly, “It’s either you let me come with you, or I sneak back to the fight on my own.”
Elsa glared at him in annoyance. He was absolutely not bluffing, too, and it made her equally furious and impressed. “You’re hiding behind a dumpster,” she stated firmly.
A wide grin spread across Hiro’s face as he nodded eagerly. Elsa gestured for him to follow her, and he did so without question. When they were back at the alley where they left Tadashi, she pointed to the nearest dumpster, and commanded, “Stay behind there.”
Hiro nodded again. “Got it.”
Elsa pulled out a hunting knife from her bag before handing it to Hiro. “And hold my purse.”
Hiro looked down at the purse before giving a fake, excited salute. “Yes, Ma’am!”
Elsa gave him one more confirming glance, before forming a chunk of ice under her feet, launching her up to the roof above the commotion. Before she was out of ear shot, she could hear Hiro uttering in amazement: “And superpowers? Are you kidding me?”
Elsa smiled a little before focusing on the task at hand. The thug holding Tadashi had done some damage, but she wasn’t going to let another hit happen.
Tadashi spit out a mouthful of blood. He watched as the guy holding him reared his fist back, ready to deliver another devastating blow. As the hand sped closer, he closed his eyes and braced for impact. But it never came. Instead, he heard the guy scream before dropping him to the ground.
He fell hard. Another body joined him, and he recognized it was the guy who had been holding him. The guy wasn’t moving, a knife embedded in his back making sure of that. He gaped at the weapon in alarm, wondering where it could have come from.
His question was answered when a figure dropped out of the sky, slamming another thug to the ground as she did. He felt his mouth drop open even more, and prayed that his potential concussion was making him see things.
“Elsa?”
Elsa was in the middle the circle of thugs, sheltering him from any more attacks. Yama glared at her furiously, before demanding, “You? What are you doing helping this pig?”
“What can I say, Yama? I help whoever I wanna help,” Elsa told him smugly.
“That’s not exactly a sound business strategy...”
“Yeah, well hurting the people I care about isn’t the wisest thing to do, either.”
Yama turned to his men. “Don’t just stand there! Take her out!”
“Elsa, what’s going on?” Tadashi asked weakly, “Y...you have to get out of here! You don’t stand a chance against these guys!”
Elsa let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Tadashi,” she told him, “But I’m afraid you don’t know me very well.”
Tadashi watched in shock as blue energy charged around her hands. As the thugs ran at her, she lowered into a defensive pose, clenching her hands into fists and tensing every muscle. The first guy to swing at her was punched clean across the alley. The second tried coming at her with a lead pipe, which came to a dead stop in a chunk of ice. The guy had half a second to struggle against the ice before he, too, was literally thrown out of the fight.
No matter what they tried, how many swarmed her, what weapons they used, she was ready. Knife? No problem - with a skillful grab followed by a flick of her wrist, she was using the same blade against its wielder. Gun? Ice shield, followed by spikes pinning the attacker to a wall. Pipe? Staff of ice to counter the blow, followed by a well-placed punch to send the guy to the ground. Fists? Come on, that was too easy.
Even she had to admit that she was doing way better than she ever had before. Normally by now, she’d at least been hit by something. But she was more in tune with her powers and training than ever, each blow making it’s mark and every molecule of ice was under her control.
Yama could tell he was losing, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a controller. With the flick of a switch, a large drone fitted with rotary saws and extra-sharp blades flew around a corner and directly at Elsa. She caught sight of it in the corner of her eye, and leapt into the air just before it could touch her. She twisted in mid air, while creating a spear of ice. She waited until it was directly under her, lined the spear up - tip on the robot and her feet on the other end, and pushed off. The spear drove straight through the drone, destroying it and embedding it in the ground. Elsa continued upward, charging her magic inside of her so that when her feet forcefully met the ground again, ice blasted outward along the pavement, taking out any remaining thugs.
She then reined it it, directing any residual energy toward her core before firing it all at Yama.
When the crime boss opened his eyes, he found himself encased in ice and staring down the barrel of a handgun. “Alright, Ice Queen,” he said, attempting to be threatening but sounding much more like he had just wet himself, “Y...you win. But really? You’re gonna kill me? Over this...this cop?”
Elsa merely glared at him. Her finger twitched on the trigger.
“You know he’s not going to do you any favours,” Yama told her, “He knows. And you know what that means.”
Elsa sneered before pulling the trigger.
A loud bang rang out through the alley. Tadashi gasped. Hiro slapped a hand over his mouth in shock. Elsa remained unfazed.
Yama cowered in his bindings.
Elsa leaned forward and growled, “You hurt anyone I care about again, and I promise you it won’t be a blank the next time I see you.”
Yama nodded nervously in response, whimpering like a frightened puppy.
There was a pregnant pause in the alley when the air hung heavy with tension and worry for the future. Then, from the other end, Hiro sprung out from behind the dumpster and loudly exclaimed, “That...was...awesome!”
They were back at Anna and Elsa’s apartment. Tadashi refused to speak and Elsa refused to leave him at a hospital, so she brought him back for her sister to patch him up. The stunning silence in the car on the way home was so bad she found herself almost wishing for him to make some sort of snide comment about whether or not Anna was a real nurse, since Elsa clearly wasn’t.
Elsa sat on the fire escape, her knees held close to her chest and her eyes staring vacantly out into the night sky. She felt so many things, but fear was the thing that was troubling her the most. She was afraid she was going to lose him. She was afraid he hated her. She was afraid she’ll have to “take care” of him. She was so afraid.
It hadn’t been like this when Anna found out. Anna found out because Elsa wanted her to find out. She was sick of constantly having to lie and sneak around her little sister, so one day she sat her down and told her everything. It wasn’t a surprise, she hadn’t been forced to reveal anything. Anna might have been mad at her at first, but... They were able to talk. They were able to resolve things.
Tadashi had refused to look at her for the whole car ride.
She heard the window open behind her, and assumed it was Anna. She sighed heavily, and muttered grumpily, “I’m not in the mood to talk right now, Anna.”
“Too bad. That’s all I want you do do right now.”
She flinched away from the window, instinctively going on the defensive as she whipped around to face Tadashi. “I...I thought you left,” she stammered.
“And leave my prime suspect to pack up and leave town? Not a chance,” he said darkly.
“Tadashi, I...”
“I don’t want to hear it!” he snapped, “I don’t want to hear any more fake words coming from your mouth!”
“F...fake?” Elsa asked in confusion, “N...nothing I’ve ever said to you has been fake.”
“So you really are a nurse, huh?”
“...Ok, that part was fake.”
Tadashi glared at her, making her silently beg for him to start giving her the cold shoulder again. “You’re really the Ice Queen, aren’t you? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” he asked quietly.
“I... The name wasn’t my idea, just for the record,” she said weakly.
“Elsa, my entire career is hinged on me putting you in jail!”
Elsa swallowed hard and refused to look anywhere but the ground.
Tadashi let out a ragged sigh. When she found the courage to look up at him, she saw that some of the anger had disappeared from his face. “I just...” he began, choking a little, “I just want to know one thing: was any of it true?”
“I...I don’t understand,” she said slowly, “Any of what?”
“Us,” he nearly yelled, “Us! This! Our whole relationship! Was any of it real, or was it all just a ploy?”
“Y...you think everything was a ruse?” she questioned in a hurt voice.
“Well, clearly you’re a master of deception!” he hissed, “Because how could anyone as ditzy and clumsy as you possibly be the city’s most wanted criminal?”
“What did you say?” Elsa demanded indignantly, taking a step forward as anger flared in her chest.
“I finally understand how you’ve been able to hide under the radar for so long,” Tadashi returned, “Because you’ve got the innocent blonde routine down pat.”
“Excuse me? You know me, Tadashi! You know I’m not-”
“Do I? Because just tonight you told me that I don’t.”
Elsa could see his breath now, and noticed frost forming on the metal railing. She took a moment to calm down, before stating softly, “All of it was true.”
“What?”
“It was all true. None of it, with the exception of not disclosing what I actually did for a living, was a lie.”
Tadashi’s glare slowly faded away. “R...really? But... You knew I was a cop...” he uttered, “Why would you not break it off?”
Elsa smiled sadly and met his eyes. “For the same reason I couldn’t leave you tonight: I love you.”
“Y...you... What?”
Elsa held out a hand. A single, icy snowflake bloomed in the air and hovered in place above her palm. With a sigh, she said carefully, “Ignore, if you can, what I use them for and just focus on my powers. They...are something that make me me. I’ve had them since I was born, and I’ve used them both for fun and for work. I’ve...I’ve noticed some things about them. Sometimes, they don’t work very well, especially if I’m conflicted about taking someone out. Sometimes, they’re difficult to control, like if I’m scared or angry. But, sometimes, they work so well with me that it’s like I’m completely one with the world and universe. I know that sounds super corny, but... That’s the only way I can describe it.”
“Why are you telling me this?” he asked quietly.
“Because I only ever feel like that if I’m using my powers for someone I love. The first time I ever felt it, I was beating the snot out of a little punk who had been bullying Anna for most of the Sixth Grade. The most recent time...was tonight.”
Tadashi stared at her with a mixture of emotions she couldn’t place.
“Tadashi, you...you make me happy,” Elsa said softly, “My whole day brightens just knowing that I’ll be able to see you. You...you make me laugh, and you laugh for me, not at me like most other people do. You’re understanding, and thoughtful, and patient. I...I’ve never met I guy before who actually cares about my well-being as much as you do, right down to how you always text me late at night to see if I’m heading to bed yet.
“I never want anything to hurt you. The protocol for a police officer discovering me is instant elimination, but I swear I’m not going to do that to you. If...if you want to arrest me, I’ll go willingly. I just... I don’t want to hurt you.”
Tadashi said nothing. He merely walked forward and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not going to arrest you,” he assured her, “I really didn’t want to. I just... My boss... He never shuts up about how dangerous the ‘Ice Queen’ is and I guess some of his nonsense got stuck in my head.”
“You were just being cautious,” Elsa agreed, “Trust me, I get that.”
“I really didn’t believe it,” he sighed, “I mean, why else would you risk your neck to save my ass?”
Elsa laughed softly. “I still don’t know what you were thinking to run into a group of some of the city’s worst gangsters without a plan,” she commented lightly.
“Imagine Anna in Hiro’s place.”
“...Point taken.”
“And you still sort of did it anyway...”
“Hey! I had a plan.”
“And that was?”
“Kick their butts?”
Tadashi chuckled. “That’s your plan for Call of Duty. And Grand Theft Auto. And Halo...”
“Ok, ok, I get it. But hey! It works,” Elsa said with a grin.
Tadashi pulled away so he could look at her apologetically. “Elsa... I’m sorry. I...I was just... I was so scared I’d lose you - that none of all those great times meant anything and you weren’t really you, and... I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok,” Elsa told him warmly. She carefully reached up and lightly brushed a thumb over his bruise cheek. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but, if it helps, it’s sort of a lie I have to tell everybody. I never meant to hurt you. I was scared, too. I thought you would learn what I was, and...well, freak out and leave.”
“I guess I did freak out a little,” he admitted. He took her hand on his face in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “But I’m not leaving.”
Elsa smiled before hugging him again. They remained together for a minute or so, relishing in each other’s warmth and love. The Tadashi let out a shaky breath. “So... Now what? What exactly am I supposed to do with the information I’ve learned tonight?”
“You could probably talk to Kristoff,” Elsa suggested, “He might have some pointers about keeping it a secret.”
“Wait, Bjorgman knows?” Tadashi demanded in shock.
Elsa nodded. “And, if it helps, I have the resources to fake my own death. That way you can find a new case,” she added hopefully.
“You can do that? What kind of resources do you have?” he wondered in awe.
Elsa pulled away. She moved back to her spot on the fire escape and sat down, and patted the floor beside her. Once Tadashi sat down, she said half-jokingly, half-seriously, “Ok, so if you tell anyone else this, I will have to kill you. You sure you want to proceed?”
Tadashi nodded. “If it makes us even, I can tell you my darkest secrets after all of this,” he offered with a smile.
Elsa held out a hand, and when he shook her hand, she stated, “It’s a deal. So... Let me tell you about the Org.”
