A/N: I really like them together, okay?

The stillness of the night did nothing to remedy the guilt and anxiety building up from within her as she walked through the empty hallway of the third floor of her campus building. It was already past school hours, and students had left for the day, eager to spend their Friday evening with friends or with Netflix. There were the occasional overachievers who had stayed behind in the library studying for next week's finals, which Elsa planned on doing after she finishes her task of—whatever it is that she was about to do.

The sound of her footsteps echoed through the walls but were overshadowed and drowned by the tumultuous somersaults her heart was currently performing. She was a reluctant audience of one. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. Heavy and defeated feet finally made their way to their destination.

The sooner the better.

Step.

Elsa's heart skipped a beat, finally pausing for a second. Standing over her was a dark wooden door separating her from what she wanted most in the world.

Step.

Room A113. Tadashi Hamada's lab.

This is the right thing to do…

Tired blue eyes surveyed the offensive door and her mind wandered back to the one person who consumed 99.9% of her thoughts—her sister Anna. Ever since the accident, all she has ever done was lock herself in her room and ignore the stubborn and unerelenting sound of Anna's knocks. All she ever did was shut the door and pretend not to hear her sister's soft whimpers in the middle of the night as she leaned against the doorframe, praying for Elsa to come out. No, she cannot hurt her. Not again. Not ever. It was better that way. Moving from Norway to San Fransokyo was the hardest thing she has ever done, but she was set on doing anything and everything just to keep her sister safe.

I am not good for her. I will end up harming her again. She is better off without me.

She had to tell herself that every minute of everyday to refrain from opening that damned door. Her eyes darkened with regret as she remembered enduring those painful nights of ignoring Anna's cries.

Not now. She shook her head in attempt to clear her mind of her sins.

Focus. You have all the time in the world to torture yourself over that. Focus on what's going on right now.

Here she was, with a delicate hand balled up into a fist, hovering over the unforgiving door right in front of her. Elsa took in a shaky breath, ignoring the stinging sensation blinding her eyes.

Knock. Damn it, do you know how to knock?

3….2….1—

Before she can register what was happening, the door flung wide open.

Elsa staggered to her feet, startled and caught off guard by the unexpected occurrence. Tadashi Hamada stood inches away from her, a quizzical look etched on his face. He was holding a bouquet of fresh daffodils with a blue ribbon neatly wrapped around it.

"Elsa, I was just—"

"Tadashi, we have to—"

"Okay, you go first."

The blonde bit her lip, careful not to shed a tear at the sight of Tadashi's hopeful and expectant face. Her eyes flitted back and forth to Tadashi's lips—his kind, brown eyes—and his lips again. She had practiced what she had wanted to say for hours while underestimating the effect and the hold Tadashi had on her.

Elsa was speechless. Mute. Undone. Held captive.

Captivated.

"Uhm—flowers. I got them for you," Tadashi smiled sheepishly as he extended his gift to Elsa, unaware of the blonde's inner turmoil. Elsa can only stare at him; slowly trying to regain her composure while mustering up whatever courage she had left as Tadashi continued to ramble on.

"I got you daffodils because this flower represents new beginnings and—"

"I can't do this anymore," Elsa suddenly blurted, her voice hoarse and broken by the words that escaped her lips; each letter and each syllable tearing her apart without mercy and without warning.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Tadashi, that kiss last night…was a mistake. This is a mistake," she said in an almost whisper as she dipped her head to the ground, unable to face the one thing–the one person that she had fallen in love with. She was unable to face the reality that she was breaking another person's heart—again. Her sister, and now, him. The words tasted bitter and venomous as they left her mouth, but it cannot be undone.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. I AM A MONSTER.

"I can't be with you, Tadashi. I will end up hurting you like I did with Anna. I told you time and again, but you won't listen! I don't deserve this," she exclaimed weakly while pointing at the flowers in Tadashi's hand. He got me flowers. A surge of emotion crashed into her and melted the armor she had tried to build to keep herself from being vulnerable. "I don't deserve you."

"Elsa—" Tadashi took a step forward, but Elsa recoiled and wobbled away from him, her arms wrapping around herself protectively. Blue eyes started to brim with tears while she shook her head vigorously, walking backwards until her back collided with the wall.

"Just stay away from me," she pleaded with arms raised high defensively as if they can hold back the stubborn and hardheaded inventor who sees nothing but beauty and splendor in spite of the fact that Elsa was cowering and falling apart in front of him.

To Tadashi, Elsa epitomized perfection. Elsa was beautiful and divine. Elsa was everything that he will ever want and need in this life and beyond. Ignoring her pleas and her demands to make him stay away, he gently bended his knees to place the flowers neatly on the floor.

He then stood up, tall and undeterred, and took a few steps to the sobbing wreck that is Elsa Arendelle. The blonde was now sitting on the ground, her head low and her arms wrapped around her knees like she was trying to shield herself from what might come next: Tadashi's angry words—or—the sound of his footsteps walking away from her. The thought of the latter made her succumb to a deeper level of sorrow and made her cry even more.

But that's what I want…right?

But Tadashi did none of those.

He kneeled in front of Elsa and gently placed his hands on both sides of her head, carefully lifting her face so she can look at him. Elsa was surprised by Tadashi's touch, surprised by the fact that he was still there. She blinked once. Twice.

She was at a loss for words once again.

She was lost in his eyes once again.

Big brown eyes zeroed in on her face. Big brown eyes lacking remorse and hatred. There was only light. Understanding. Acceptance.

"Elsa, I'm not giving up on you," Tadashi said in a firm yet gentle voice. "I keep telling you this. I will never give up on you," he slid his hands to her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "You're all I want."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Elsa hissed, wishing Tadashi wasn't that close—close enough to touch. Close enough to kiss. Close enough to embrace and never let go of.

Tadashi just smiled that gorgeous smile Elsa loved, prompting her to add that stupid image of him pulling his cheeks apart to reveal a child-like and sunny grin to her mental list of things to hate about him so she can try to move on. Unfortunately for her, the list was long.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Why not? You're beautiful," he said as-a-matter-of-factly, his hands still glued on her face. Elsa tried to pry them away from her, but he simply wouldn't let go. There was no use of fighting against a six feet tall Japanese man, so she had given up and glared at him instead.

"I'm not letting you go. I want to catch your tears as they fall."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

Tadashi chuckled. "Do we really have to go over this again? I am not giving up on you. I never did. I never will."

Elsa sighed and closed her eyes; the warmth of Tadashi's hands on her cheeks sent a calming energy to her nerves and her restless heart, putting an abrupt halt to the chaos swirling in her core. The last thing she wanted was for him to let go, to go away…but she must do what was needed…what was safe.

Tadashi tilted his head, examining Elsa and memorizing every freckle and every feature drawn on her face. He smiled again in mild disbelief that this was the same girl he had kissed the night before. The only girl that he wants to kiss for the rest of his life. "I came here to tell you we can't be together," Elsa started, avoiding Tadashi's eyes. "Yeah, I heard you. And I'm pretty sure I disagreed."

She frowned and felt her nerves awaken from their temporary slumber. "You don't understand what you're dealing with. You don't know what I'm cap—"

"Aishiteru."

Elsa's knowledge of the Japanese language was limited since she had only started to learn it, but she knew fully well what Tadashi said. She knew what it meant that her heart responded by pounding and thrashing furiously against her ribcage.

"You…what?"

"Aishiteru. I-love-you," Tadashi replied slowly without blinking or hesitating. "Elsa, I love you."

Elsa shot him an incredulous look before immediately rising up from the floor as if it was suddenly set on fire. She had to leave. Run away. Right now. She had to leave now.

But once again and without fail, Tadashi caught her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in towards him, his arms tightening around her form and unwilling to let her move or even speak. Elsa tried to detach herself from him by tugging aggressively at the back of his shirt futilely while Tadashi disarmed her, burying his face on her shoulder.

"Let me go!" Elsa whimpered as a fresh batch of tears made their way to her cheeks and Tadashi's shirt.

"Never," Tadashi said in a muffled voice, his face still nuzzling Elsa's shoulder.

When he was certain that Elsa would no longer run, he grabbed her by the arms and pinned her against the wall, forcing her to face him. Tadashi was no longer smiling.

"Elsa, I'm not giving up on you. You don't understand this yet, but I need you. I want you. I love you. Nothing you say or do will push me away or scare me off. Elsa, I love you. I will keep repeating that over and over again until you understand it and believe it."

The depth and sincerity of Tadashi's words left Elsa stunned and immobile. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, a battle between fire and ice. Elsa was sure that the conflicted muscle locked behind her chest was about to burst as her ears roared.

Tadashi…loves me. He's not scared of me…?

Without letting go of her arms, Tadashi continued on, staring at Elsa intently without wavering. "In fact, let me start now. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I—"

Elsa's lips crushing against his interrupted his chant. But Tadashi had no problem with the rude interruption and his hands crept to her face without breaking contact while he closed the gap between them. Elsa knocked Tadashi's baseball hat off, her fingers tangling into his hair as an urgent need to pull him closer overwhelmed her. She parted her lips, allowing Tadashi to slip his tongue in her mouth, her own clashing and dancing along with his.

Her hands suddenly had a life of their own: travelling on the back of his neck, his broad shoulders, and his face again. Elsa was taking Tadashi's essence in; the scent of his cologne, the feel of his soft hands on her skin, the taste of lips. Elsa's knees were starting to weaken, but gladly Tadashi was holding her, almost out of breath yet hungrily devouring her lips with his own over and over again.

Is this really wrong? But it feels so…right.

It was Elsa who broke free first, much to Tadashi's annoyance. They were both panting like marathon runners who had just finished their final lap and yet willing to run another extra mile, perspiration building up and dotting both their flushed faces. Tadashi grabbed Elsa by the waist and rested his forehead against hers. They can only gaze at each other, wordless and unblinking.

"If this is your method of trying to push me away, I wouldn't mind you doing it every second," Tadashi said in a low and sultry voice that made Elsa shiver. They were still cradling each other, no longer able to deny the chemistry and the unfathomable force binding them together.

"Tadashi, we really need to talk about this. The repercussions—"

"We'll talk later. You can keep telling me to leave, but we both know I'm not going anywhere."

Elsa sighed but she coiled her arms tighter around Tadashi's neck. "Yes, that is a problem."

"That is the opposite of a problem, Elsa."

"We can't keep doing this. We really need to talk ab—"

"I love you."

Pause.

Elsa had lost this battle. She knew from the very beginning that she didn't stand a chance. She gazed up at him and felt her fears slowly vanish with each touch of his hand against her skin. He never flinched. He never showed any sign of disgust. Not then, not once, not ever. There was a brewing and bubbling phenomenon rising from the depths of her soul, something she had not felt in a very long time.

Hope.

A beat.

"Jeg elsker deg," Elsa whispered timidly as her cheeks started to redden against the fluorescent light hanging above them.

"What does that mean?"

"Look it up, nerd."

"I think I already know."

Tadashi looked at Elsa as if he were seeing the sun for the very first time. But the thing was, he always laid his eyes on her like she was an angel descending from heaven each and every time he was graced by her presence. A celestial being. A reason to keep on living. A reason to keep on hoping and creating beautiful things. He smiled at her before dissolving the unwanted space between their lips once more.