We're here! The last and final chapter of Rule Number Five! I don't want to add a message at the end because I want you to feel and mull over the story ending, not my note. I'm going to put all my thoughts here, and I'll appreciate it so much if you read through, especially if you reached this point in the story. I feel like you deserve it.
I honestly have no plans on writing an epilogue because I think this is already fine on its own. There's not much to add. This mainly focuses on the love story, after all. I may or may not write a series of one-shots as a continuation of this, but there won't be any promises. It depends on my mood, time, and ideas. Not to mention, I have another story to tend to.
I'd like to thank each and every single one of you who read and supported this until the end! You have no idea how much your follows, favorites and reviews mean to me! I'd also like to give special thanks to the people who pointed out some mistakes, gave constructive criticisms, and encouraged me to write the story at my own pace. It's saddening that some of you left and some stayed for the sake of flaming, but I can't please everybody.
I get that some have gotten discouraged with the 'teasing', but the thing is I wanted to make this partly realistic. In real life, you can't just confess to your best friend without thinking about the possible consequences. 'Things will work out' isn't exactly the first thing that enters your mind when you're the one in their situation. It's always the fear that things will change for the worst. Outsiders might see that there's no problem, but fear is a powerful enemy. I should know.
I only write for fun so I know this story isn't that great, but I did enjoy writing it. Rest assured, I've taken the constructive criticisms (and wouldn't mind receiving more!) to heart and hope it will make me write better in the future. So, once again, thank you very much! I hope this chapter will satisfy you as it did me!
Enjoy!
The day didn't start out the way Elsa wanted it to. She woke up extremely excited but also sad because today was the day she and Anna would be going back to the big city. They needed to go back to fix some requirements in their respective universities. Elsa was sad to leave home, but she was also excited because she would have Anna all to herself, free from the teasing and knowing glances of their mothers.
Unfortunately, even when she had taken careful measures to warn and remind Anna how they would be leaving that day, the girl had yet to pack her bags. Elsa tried to help but was forcefully shove out of the girl's room without so much as an apology. The moment Anna slammed the door, she knew they would be taking quite some time before leaving. She didn't know if Anna was also trying to brush up on her packing skills, but judging by the way she frowned and mumbled incoherent words for being so rudely woken up early in the morning, Elsa knew she would take long.
Then, just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she had to sit on the sofa in the living room while trying her best to woman up under the scrutinizing gazes of their parents. She tried not to shrink and fuse with the sofa because that would be weird. Even when she felt terribly anxious, nervous and felt like throwing up due to uneasiness, she sat still and focused on Olaf who was playing with the toy robots that Anna and she (based on Olaf's knowledge) bought for him.
"Elsie, look!" Olaf showed her a small robot origami.
"Oh wow." Elsa's eyebrows shot up to her hairline at the sight of the cute paper robot. She had seen the boy create some simple origami before, but this was the first time he made a robot or something that looked like it. "When did you learn this?" she asked, taking the paper from him.
"I learned a lot while you were gone! My art teacher knew how to make some and she taught us simple models!"
"Really?" Elsa briefly wondered if he was still talking about the same teacher that she and Anna had all those years ago, half wondering if the said teacher was still alive. The thought was quickly pushed to the deepest recesses of her mind, mentally berating herself for being rude. "Can you make something bigger?"
"I can, but I want it to be small," Olaf shrugged and picked up the two robots.
"Why?"
"Because I already have big robots." Olaf showed the robots to her again. "That one is the baby robot, and these are his or her parents!"
Elsa resisted the urge to ask and comment on how all robots look like a male to her. Do robots even have genders? They're machines. Why was she taking a child seriously? Oh right. Because their parents were blatantly staring at her. She needed all the distraction she could have.
"Elsie, can I have a word with you?" Cliff finally asked.
The ominous approach had Elsa forgetting how to breathe. She was almost sure that all colors were drained from her cheeks. Strange. She had known these people all her life, but maybe that was also the reason why she was uneasy? Elsa hoped that Anna would come down and help her deal with this situation.
"Olaf, go up and help your sister pack her things," Bulda offered and when Olaf opened his mouth to say something, she gave him a warning glance. Like a defeated puppy, he bolted towards his sister's room. I doubt he's going to help, Elsa thought grimly.
The moment they heard a loud crashing noise and a door slamming, they knew that the siblings had some sort of playful argument again with Anna probably dissolving into a spiel about Olaf not just barging into her room. Afterward, a heavy silence fell upon them. Elsa forgot how many times she tried to swallow the lump at the back of her throat and lost count of how many times she licked her dry lips.
"Bulda and Gerda here told us that... you and Anna were kissing?" Cliff prodded gently.
Elsa cleared her throat to shake the nerves off. "Yes. Yes, we were."
"Why?" Cliff asked with an unreadable expression.
"I..." Elsa looked at her mother and father for help, only to find them smiling gently at her. Don't just smile there! Help me out, she huffed inwardly. "Anna, she... I asked her if... if she can be my girlfriend, a-and she said yes."
"NO!" Cliff said with a surprising sound of authority, making Elsa wince and hunch her shoulders up to her ears. "—is what I won't really say." Elsa opened one eye to look at him. "Honestly, I just wanted to try that out sometime," he snorted, receiving a playful swat on the shoulder from Bulda.
Elsa could only blink and look at them in mild disbelief. She probably looked funny because, soon, the four adults started laughing. She fought back the urge to scowl and complain how much he almost gave her a heart attack, knowing full well that this wasn't just the best friend of her father now, but also the father of Anna, her girlfriend.
"Why are you tensed, Elsie? It's just me," Cliff chuckled, smiling apologetically.
"W-Well, you're still her father, and... you can always disagree."
"Why on earth will I disagree? Elsie, I've never seen anyone look at Anna the way you do. I can't imagine the pain you went through ever since she started going out with Kristoff or any other guy, but I'm glad you didn't give up," Cliff assured, leaving Elsa's heart melting.
The truth was that everyone knew about her feelings for Anna. For a long time. The first to notice was, of course, her own parents. When Anna found out about her plans to go to a university in the big city, she started convincing her own parents about living alone with her. Elsa panicked nonstop and when her parents noticed, they started asking about it until she gave in. To her horror, Bulda and Cliff decided to visit their house just when they were talking about it - courtesy of being so close, they didn't even have to knock.
At the time, Elsa could only be thankful that Anna wasn't there.
The words and faces of Anna's parents back then were still fresh inside her mind. She was forever thankful that they trusted her enough to leave the girl in her hands, never once judging her for loving their daughter in more than just a friendly way. Back then, she didn't know that it would be possible for Anna to love her too. Now that she looked back, she had to wonder if Cliff and Bulda knew something more about the situation then.
After all, they did tell her not to give up on their daughter.
"But, Elsie, my only request is that you don't bottle up your feelings," Bulda insisted, voice laced with worry. "If Anna hurt you in any way, don't keep it all inside. Tell her and talk it over. Anna isn't the only one we care about, but you as well. Even before all this, we already treat you like a daughter of our own. What more now?"
"Oh, she doesn't bottle it up because I don't let her," Gerda snorted and rolled her eyes. "Though I also agree. There will come a time you won't be able to share a problem with me or your father, but you shouldn't hide anything from Anna. The last time you did it, she assumed a lot of things."
"W-Why are you talking like... like we're going to get married?" Elsa asked, feeling awkward for the sudden pieces of advice and attention.
"Because you will be!" They said in unison, leaving Elsa stunned and feel a little pride swell within her. She was unable to respond, and she could only blush and be humiliated by four adults.
Despite the rather awkward situation, Elsa was happy about the turn of events. Hearing their parents talk like this made everything more real and true. The events that had transpired ever since she came home and talked to Anna were fully sinking in. The confessions, the tears, the hugs, and the... kisses.
This is real, right?
Elsa was wearing a dopey smile, unaware that the adults were now looking at her with their own knowing smiles. She was blushing, she knew, but she couldn't wipe the elation off her face. To finally have Anna in her arms for real? It was the best feeling in the world. Anna loved her the same way she did. Anna was hers, and she was Anna's.
"Olaf, give that back!"
All heads turned to the staircase to see Anna carrying a huge travel bag, a backpack, and the snowman stuffed toy in place. Elsa frowned, trying to search her mind on where to begin. Anna seemed to have noticed since she also frowned.
"Don't ask."
"I didn't even say anything yet," Elsa pointed out a little dryly before standing up from the couch and sauntering towards Anna, making sure not to remove the stern look on her face. "You're bringing all those..."
"Don't ask!" Anna whined.
"If I remember correctly, you didn't have anything with you when you left." Elsa let her eyes roam around Anna's things. "What are these?"
Anna opened her mouth to say something, but Olaf beat her to it. "Elsie, Anna has a lot of these!" Olaf showed her a huge chocolate bar that had Elsa's eyebrows twitching.
"An—"
"It's a five-hour drive! I'm going to need those!" Anna pouted, almost succeeding in shaking Elsa's resolve. Elsa deepened her frown and, to her horror, those sinful lips jutted further. It was inviting and enticing and really pink and wet and their parents were right there so Elsa had to get herself together.
Elsa darted her eyes between the huge travel bag and the backpack for a few seconds, trying to figure out which had the clothes and which had the chocolates. Her eyes settled on the travel bag, and then she smirked. "Leave this and just bring that backpack."
"Elsa, come on! I need my daily dose of chocolate!"
"You don't need a bag full of sweets, Anna." When Anna batted her eyelashes, Elsa could only swallow, knowing she lost. "Bring only four to five bars. You can't finish everything. They'll just melt. Leave the others to Olaf."
"You underestimate my love for chocolate!" Anna gasped and placed a hand on her chest in mock hurt.
"No, I'm trying to help you live healthily," Elsa corrected. "You trying to eat those in a span of five hours mean trouble. Leave them, Anna," she warned, face softening when Anna's shoulders dropped. Elsa smiled and leaned close to the girl's ear so their parents couldn't hear. "You can have all the chocolate you want on that theme park anniversary."
When she pulled back, a sight of Anna's blushing face welcomed Elsa. A part of her knew that it wasn't only because she offered to take Anna to the same theme park with discounted chocolates for couples, but because of her intruding in Anna's personal space. When the redhead grunted and half-heartedly let go of the travel bag, Elsa couldn't stop herself from grinning.
"Well, that's definitely a plus." They looked at the source of the voice to see their parents not trying to hide their laughter. "I'm glad Anna listens to someone when it comes to letting go of chocolates."
"Mom!" Anna whined.
"What? I'm not complaining," Bulda giggled and marveled at the way Anna covered her face with both hands, every flesh visible a bright shade of red. And I had to deal with all four of them at once, Elsa sighed inwardly.
"I think I don't have to say it anymore, but I'll say it anyway. Don't drive too fast and wear your seatbelts," Gerda said casually and Elsa fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Don't do anything reckless. I know you can't get each other pregnant, bu—"
"Ma!" Elsa's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and her face blew up in a furious blush, along with the girl standing beside her. "We're still starting out. Don't... Oh my god."
"I was only teasing, darling," Gerda promised and Elsa suppressed a cringe at the term of endearment. "I trust you both and, frankly enough, I'm not worried. I know you'll both be fine," she said as she directed a wink at Anna. The action made Elsa look at the redhead to see her blush profusely again.
"What's going on?"
All heads turned to look at Olaf, mild shocks written on their faces. He had been quiet, they barely noticed him even when he was just running a few minutes ago. All too suddenly, Elsa felt anxious for a different reason. It was a feeling similar to the one she felt when Cliff started grilling her in a way. This boy was Anna's little brother and he also had a say in this. What would he think when his older sister by blood and older sister by bond were now a couple?
"Olaf, what do you think about Elsie being your older sister too?" Gerda asked, a gentle motherly grin on her face.
"Huh?" Olaf tilted his head to the side. "Isn't Elsie already my sister? She and Anna always play with me and they're always together!"
"Well, Elsie is Anna's best friend." Bulda hummed before smiling. "Olaf, hon, what do you think if they got married in the future? To each other?"
"Mo—"
"Well?" Bulda said to cut Anna off. Her eyes were fixated on the little boy who was now looking up, seemingly deep in thought.
"Elsie and Anna marry? Like you and daddy? Mama and Papa?" Olaf asked and waited until Bulda nodded. The silence that followed made the two girls in question uneasy. They were glad that it wasn't them who ended up asking or explaining it to him, but his response was still just as important. "I like that!"
"You do?!" Anna spluttered, and though there was almost complete and utter disbelief in her voice, Elsa could understand why. Even she was shocked at how Olaf answered; he sounded so sure.
"Ahuh. If you two get married, that means Elsie will be with us forever!" Olaf exclaimed. "If Elsie marries someone else, she's gonna go away, and I don't want that! So hurry up and marry her, Anna, or I will!"
Anna could only gaze at him with the heat accumulating on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed but also relieved that her little brother didn't mind. In fact, she was more than just glad because their families weren't bothered with it. It was heartwarming—save for the times when their parents would tease, of course. They do seem to be having a kick out of seeing her and Elsa embarrassed.
"See? Everyone's ready except you two!" Bulda snorted.
"Mom, isn't this the part where you should say 'studies first'?"
"I'm not worried. I'm sure Elsie will make sure you're studying well." The other adults laughed at Bulda's statement. "I do hope you'll take care of her, Anna. Elsie is—"
"I know, I know!" Anna whined. "Okay, this is starting to get awkward. Like, a whole lot of awkward. I'm out!" Anna stumbled her way to the door, stopping for a second before turning around. "I-I'll see you all on my next break!" she spluttered before finally stepping out of the house.
"That was refreshing." Gerda giggled and Elsa could only shake her head with a fond smile. Though she was left alone with everyone again, she still found herself incredibly amused about the tiniest reactions she could elicit from the redhead.
"Thank you," Elsa said, catching the adults' attention, "for everything."
They smiled gently at her, and even when they didn't say anything, Elsa knew they were just as thankful. She was only proven right the moment they started giving her hugs of their own, whispering sweet nothings to her ear. No, she wasn't crying. She was overwhelmed with love that all she could do was smile and grin stupidly.
Elsa blinked when her phone rang, signaling a message. The sound alone told her who it was from solely because it was personalized. Though she already knew what the contents probably were, she still opened it to make sure.
From: Anna
To: Elsa
I'm toasted out here! Hurry up! :(
"Well," Elsa sighed and put her phone back inside her bag. "I think we have to go. I get the feeling there's going to be long traffic waiting for us by the city."
"Alright. You two take care. No funny businesses," Kai warned.
"Elsie, bring me another robot, okay?" Olaf waved his robots around for emphasis. "You chose the cooler one than Anna's! I can't wait for your next gift!"
Elsa tilted her head, surprised. She didn't choose any of those robots, but Olaf said she chose the cooler one. Must be something Anna said, she thought.
"Olaf, you do not ask for a gift. It's something they give of their own free will," Cliff admonished lightly.
"But..." Olaf tried, but when Cliff looked at him with a stern gaze, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
When Cliff nodded, satisfied with his answer, he quickly stepped out of the house to bid his farewells to his daughter. The three adults followed along and once Elsa was sure that they weren't looking, she lightly ruffled Olaf's hair.
"Robots on my next visit. I promise." Elsa winked and giggled when Olaf's face lit up and hugged her.
Once Olaf gathered his wits, he ran towards his sister who was outside of their house with Elsa following closely from behind. As soon as she stepped out of the house, Elsa saw their parents' tormenting Anna again. Even if she would like to save the girl from further embarrassment, there was a twisted side of her that chose not to. She took her time watching, wanting to embed the scene in her memories for safekeeping.
"Okay, fine. I had enough teasing for the day," Bulda snorted.
"Ugh," Anna rubbed her temples, clearly agitated about something and leaving Elsa with no other choice but to jump in.
"We'll visit on our next break," Elsa said, noticing how much Anna relaxed when she spoke.
"Or we can visit you. I think I actually miss the big city," Kai suggested. "It might be fun if you two could tour us again someday. We're already familiar with this place. A change of pace might do us some good."
"I want to visit the theme park again!" Olaf quipped. "The one where there's a castle that looked like ice! The last time we went there, I got many toys!"
"Yeah, I think you all should go," Anna agreed. "It would save me and Elsa the travel time."
"Way to be frank." Bulda flicked Anna's forehead, earning her a groan. "But yes, I guess you're right. I do miss that place too and I'd like to make sure everything's going well in the apartment."
"You're always welcome." Elsa smiled, receiving a look of approval from everyone. "While I hate to break it apart, Anna and I really have to go."
The adults gave them each a hug which Elsa happily returned. It was slightly half-hearted on Anna's part though, and Elsa could tell. It was mainly the reason why she was in a rush. She knew that something was up, and she wanted to talk about it fast.
After another series of warnings and reminders from their parents, they finally let them go. Without saying anything more, Anna entered the car and Elsa followed along. She wanted to ask right then and there but decided against it knowing that their parents wouldn't get inside the house until they go. With the last wave of a hand, Elsa drove off and caught glimpses of Anna who was staring out the window.
"Eyes on the road, Elsa," Anna said lazily and, for a moment, Elsa had to wonder how she knew. She quickly dismissed the thought and parked on the side while fully aware of how the redhead looked around in confusion. "Why did you stop?"
"You're bothered," Elsa stated as a fact. "Did they tell you something?"
Anna's eyes snapped to her own fingers on top of her lap, looking uneasy. "The usual," she said. "Why does everyone think I'm the one who's going to mess this up? I'm not saying that it will be you, but... it really does wonders to me, you know? When my own mother and father would keep telling me how I'm not supposed to be a burden to you," she admitted with a soft voice. "I know they're right, but it was as if they were already expecting it from me."
Elsa didn't say anything, simply gazing at Anna whose face looked forlorn and still refused to look at her. Her heart ached, and she felt herself desperately searching for something to say. Something that would make Anna stop worrying about it entirely. She felt happy because Anna valued their relationship so much that she wanted it to be perfect, but seeing her like this?
"I love you," Elsa confessed.
Anna blushed at the random confession. There was no doubt about it; Elsa's feelings were real. She could tell with the way those three words were spoken and with the way the blonde looked at her. Three simple words, but they held such a deep meaning when Elsa would say it to her. No matter how many times she heard it, it never failed to deliver this sweet, sweet shock down her spine.
"W-What's that for?" Anna spluttered, trying not to wiggle under Elsa's intense gaze.
"Do you?" Elsa asked instead of answering. Anna blinked, resisting the urge to ask if Elsa was being serious. She thought she had made her feelings perfectly clear. Why was Elsa asking? She didn't know, but the look in her eyes told her that she has to give an answer.
"I do," Anna promised, refusing to make Elsa think otherwise. "Elsa, I love you so much that it scares me. I don't want to mess this up. I believe every word you said, but it's hard to just let my insecurities go like that. Especially when my own parents kept telling me those things."
"You're the one I'm in love with, Anna, not your parents," Elsa gently pointed out. "Maybe they do know a part of you that I don't know about, but I also know a part of you that they don't. Sleepovers are different from living under the same roof."
"What do you mean?"
"They didn't know how we were when we started living away from them." Elsa removed her seat belt to face Anna completely. "They didn't know that I can only sleep well when I'm with you, that you're the only one who can make me try something artistic, and that you're the only one who can make me listen when I force myself too much when doing something. But more importantly, they know that I love you..." She cupped Anna's cheeks and gently pulled her closer to nudge their noses together. "...but they have no idea how much I do."
"Y-You..." Anna stammered, cheeks heating up noticeably under Elsa's palms. "You lied to me!" She accused with a frown. "You said you weren't romantic! H-How come you... you!" She pouted and Elsa couldn't suppress a grin.
"I'm not." Elsa giggled and let go of Anna's cheeks, basking in the adorable blushing redhead who was now hers. "I'm only being honest. If I come off as romantic, then I guess I owe it to you."
"Okay, fine! Clearly, we need to set some rules!" Anna huffed.
"Wha...?" Elsa blinked. "Anna, why do we need ru—"
"Rule number one!" Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but clearly, Anna wasn't going to have any of it. "If you're going to be romantic anyway, why not start calling me something other than 'Anna'? I'm yours and if I'm being honest, I want everyone to know that I am yours as you are mine!"
"Wha—"
"Rule number two!" Anna said to cut her off again. "You are not allowed to flirt with someone else! You're not allowed to lead other people on! These things you say and the way you treat me, you're only allowed to do it to me!"
Elsa's jaw dropped, but her heart started racing inside her chest. Anna wasn't letting up, and even if these rules were quite similar to the original ones, it was strange how Elsa found herself not minding at all.
"Rule number three!" Anna said as she raised another finger. "You will tell me if you're mad or hurt about something, as I will to you. If we have a problem, we're going to talk about it. No more running away or keeping it all bottled up inside. I don't want another repetition of what happened before we got together."
Elsa smiled at this. It was different from the original rule of not talking back to your partner. No doubt she preferred this one over that. With the way Anna gave a tiny smile of her own, Elsa knew she was thinking along the same lines.
"Rule number four." Anna raised her fourth finger and smirked. "Yes, Elsa, we're going to kiss often. A lot. You've deprived me of that for a long time that I had to give you a bittersweet first kiss. You didn't even let me kiss you on the lips before that! I mean... well, like, you know? Aside from that one time after the bar...?"
"I'm no—"
"Rule number five," Anna said, eyes closing and brows furrowing.
The sudden mention of that rule made Elsa's fingers twitch. Why was Anna talking about that? Surely, it wasn't the one Elsa made? It was already broken by both of them. There has to be something new. One that she was completely clueless about. But then, the first four rules were somewhat similar to the original.
Elsa swallowed.
With Anna's eyes closed, Elsa feared what was to come. I can't tell what she's thinking, she thought nervously. Not a moment after, she saw the side of Anna's lips curve into a smile. Tanned eyelids fluttered open, revealing a beautiful pair of turquoise blue eyes.
"Don't fall in love..." Anna cupped Elsa's cheeks and pulled her closer, placing a soft and gentle kiss on her lips. "...with someone else."
It took a few seconds for Elsa to completely process. Her heart raced like never before, and this time, she couldn't stop the heated blush on her cheeks. She knew, and it was already proven from years of trying to move on, that there was absolutely no way she could ever break that rule. Judging by the look in Anna's eyes, she was also promising as much.
"No problem..." Elsa pulled Anna in for another kiss. "...babe." She grinned widely and was rewarded with the most wonderful and magical velvety laugh on earth.
Sometimes, Elsa couldn't help but wonder what could have happened if she didn't agree with the fake relationship with Anna. If the redhead didn't ask her then, could she still have Anna in her arms like this? Would Anna continuously look for a guy who resembled her? Was there a chance that Anna could realize her own feelings even without their pseudo-relationship?
Those were questions that didn't have answers, but Elsa didn't care anymore. It no longer mattered. The most important thing was that it happened. Anna asked her, and they were together now because of it. Maybe there will be struggles in the future, but Elsa knew from the bottom of her heart that she and Anna won't ever give up on what they have.
With or without Rule Number Five.