#iceburns

It’s Complicated - Modern College AU. For previous chapters, please look back to “Cinderella”, “War”, “Fire and Ice”, and “Monster”, from the Iceburns week. Under the label “Monster” on my account!

“Come on, Elsa. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile!”

Right now, every muscle in her face was strained. Lips pursed, bitter tongue caught between straight white teeth, brow not quite furrowed but definitely taunt. Her eyes narrowed and she sank as far as she could into the stuffy yellow armchair.

“Dr. Finch, I have taken human anatomy and physiology enough times to know that, in fact, it takes ten muscles to smile, and only six to frown.” It took conscious effort not to grimace. “I prefer not to expend unnecessary energy, and honestly, why do I owe anyone a smile? Why do I exist to make others feel better about themselves? Why is it considered a bad thing, improper, sign of poor upbringing even, to be truthful with how one feels? I sincerely,” she hissed with emphasis, “detest being instructed on how to feel, happy or otherwise.”

The pudgy, salt and pepper haired man set down a notepad and pen, then folded his hands across his middle and sighed. “Elsa, is everything alright? You’ve been tense as of late, well, more tense than usual.” A thick hand plucked a metal puzzle from his desk, a large set of rings that would fit together if only one could turn them the right way. He passed the toy to Elsa and waited patiently for her response.

The rings were heavy, and her nimble fingers felt clumsy as she measured each in her hand, searching for a clue. “There’s…I’ve made a friend.” She paused for a second, glanced up through dark lashes to make sure Dr. Finch wasn’t too taken aback, then continued. “My …friend. He loves to smile, and he’s always insincere.” She snickered. “He’s arrogant, and a know it all, and likes to scheme and through surprises.” The rings knotted again, and she looked up to Dr. Finch. “I hate surprises. Anyways, he’s better at math than me, and everything else really, and he likes to remind me sometimes. He’s a huge flirt too, always chatting and socializing and he has too many friends that are more like stepping stones than people to him.”

“What makes him your friend, Elsa?” A minute passed, then another. “You speak of him from an outsider’s perspective, like someone who’s never really spent time with him.” The older man gestured towards the rings. “Try thinking of it from a different perspective.”

She flipped the rings over and tried a different approach. “He knows. About me. About my panic attacks, I mean. And how antisocial I am. And he doesn’t mind.” Her cheeks warmed, and the edges of her mouth lifted. “He helps me with math, and is very patient. He acts like I’m the only person in the room, like I’m important and what I have to say matters. He likes that I’m smart, and that I don’t like to smile.”

“Have the two of you spoken of this?” His head quirked to the side a bit as he watched her fight with the rings.

The young woman sighed, a sigh so full of despair and frustration that the old counselor would have sworn that the room dropped in temperature. “That’s the thing, Dr. Finch. It’s just so, just,” she tossed the puzzle onto the floor and pushed her hair aside to massage her temples. “It’s complicated.”

“Sooooooo, how’s it going?” Anna was perched in windowsill of Elsa’s dorm, unwittingly threatening a pot of ivy and a stack of textbooks. The blonde rescued her plant and gently settled it on a clear corner of her desk, somehow managing to avoid her sister’s eyes the entire time.

“Things are going well, thank you. Dr. Corcarova mentioned that you’re doing great, she seems to like you.” She sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed her skirt, hoping that the conversation would remain lighthearted.

Anna scoffed and twirled a braid. “Only because she liked you first. Please, Els, it’s Freshman Lit. How could I screw that up?” She looked over towards Elsa, but her attempt at subtlety failed. The cold blonde refused to meet her gaze. “Haven’t been about to study with you recently. I think Ida mentioned that you’ve been visiting the library a lot?”

Ice trickled down the older girl’s spine and she stiffened considerably. “It’s possible. I have a lot of homework.”

The word came forth like an explosion. “Bullshit!”

“Anna!” Finally Elsa met Anna’s eyes, albeit with a harsh glare. “Profanity is entirely uncalled for.”

“You were in the library with manwhore! Tell the truth!” Anna hopped down from the window and hovered over the blonde like a caffeinated squirrel. “Tell me, tell me pleeeeeease. I’m your sister! I want to know these kinds of things! I deserve to know! Come oooooooooon.” The strawberry blonde settled with her head in Elsa’s lap, pouting and puppy eyes in full effect.

Elsa sighed and ran her fingers through her baby sister’s hair. When on earth had she become so aware? Maybe it had started when she had found Kristoff, and then Rapunzel and Merida. She was slowly branching out in the world in a way that had always been inaccessible to Elsa. “Hans, dear. His name is Hans. And he’s really not as whorish as you make him out to be.” Probably best to leave out why Anna was led to think he was promiscuous. “We’ve connected, you could say.”

The teen’s gasp was sharp enough that even the sound hurt Elsa’s chest. “Reeeally? That’s so awesome! Oh, I’m so excited! Have you kissed him yet? Has he bought you any presents? Are you going to date? He’s a senior, he’ll be gone next year and you might be separated oh no! Are you dating or what?”

Elsa chewed her lip, pale fingers still weaving through Anna’s hair. Were they dating? And she hadn’t thought about him going to grad school, he hadn’t mentioned it. She sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Westergard, I-”

“Have I ever told you how much I love hearing you say my name?” She flicked her eyes around, hoping to god that no one heard his remarks, but they were alone on the campus lawn. “It’s so cute, like for a scant second, you’re the superior,” he murmured.

She could tell that he wanted to go on, but she cut him off with a cold look. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Westergard, I was thinking.” The ever chivalrous Hans had volunteered to walk her to Dr. Finch’s office after class, and he had chosen the scenic route.

“Of what, dare I ask?” His smug attitude was only tempered by the light of his smile, the fury of his fiery hair. Hans was too attractive for his own good, and he knew it. Her pause had been too long, now she could feel his eyes on her and her cheeks warmed. Damn. Elsa kept her eyes forward as they walked.

“Graduate school. Have you given it any thought?” The words felt like spitting out ice chips, carved from a hunk of sharp, frozen fear caught in her throat.

Hans stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Well, of course. Who hasn’t? I’m supposed to be graduating in a few months, I’m sure I’ll figure something out. My older brother Ian traveled South America for six months after graduation, then decided to move there permanently. That’s always an option I guess.”

“South America?” Panic bubbled up inside her chest and tickled the knot in her throat, making her nauseous. Would he really move so far away? Didn’t he hate his brothers? Should they even consider dating if he was just going to break her heart in a few short months? Shit, what was even the point of reaching out to anyone, they all just could leave her at any moment!

“Elsa?” Warm hands settled on her shoulders and she looked up. “Look, as much as I love teasing and manipulating you,” he managed to say with a grain of humility, “I would not lie to you about this. I’ve put in my application for the electrical engineering school on campus, and that’s my plan after graduation. No tricks. No complications.”

Heat seeped down from where his hands rested and thawed all the way from her ears to her toes. “No complications?” An unused muscle twitched in her jaw.

“None. Simplicity itself! And don’t worry about six months from now.” His hands slid down her arms and grasped her slender fingers, bringing them to his lips. “Worry more about what you’re going to wear when you come home with me on fall break.” When she broke out into a grin that rivaled the brightness of dawn against the snow, he kissed her, deep and full.

Dr. Finch was waiting patiently in his office. “Elsa, you’re smiling. Is this your friend?”

She nodded demurely. “He is, a very dear friend of mine.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about him. If you’ll excuse us, Mr. erhm..”

“Hans. His name is Hans.” Elsa gave him a slight wave goodbye and then settled in to an armchair. “By the way, do you think I could see that puzzle again? I think I’ve gained some perspective.”