rediscover | IC INBOX | VICTORY ROAD

[Slowly, the uncertainty fades from her face, and Anna giggles, looking bashful.]

Really? You think I'm cool? [She tucks a stray bit of hair behind her ear.] I never expected to hear that from you of all people.

[Holy shit Anna needs to stop. Chloe wants to play it cool and pretend everything is No Big Deal but she's still got some weird hang ups. So it's like on one hand she wants to kiss the girl. On the other, what if she does and suddenly the other shoe drops and Anna gets sucked up by a giant tornado??

These are real issues Chloe needs to deal with in therapy.]

Yeah- wait, me of all people?

[Still drifting closer, Chloe stops a foot or so away from Anna, giving her raised eyebrows.]

Well, yeah! [Anna gives Chloe an incredulous look. How could she not understand this when it's so incredibly obvious.]

Because you're, like...the coolest person I've ever met. You're really funny, and...you're way more gutsy than I could ever be, actually.

[Wow. Be still her heart.

No one's ever... said that to her before?? At least not really since she met Rachel, but even then it was... her being the one to say those things. This is kind of new territory.

But thank fuck Anna made it easy to turn it right back around on her so she isn't the one being overly vulnerable.]

Wow. You sound so gay for me right now, I'm not sure how to feel about that.

[WINK WINK]

Edited 2018-01-27 20:24 (UTC)

[Anna half-laughs, but it's obvious when something bothers her, and now's the time to blurt it all out, she guesses.]

Y'know, every time you say that...I can't help but feel like you and I mean very different things by 'gay'.

[Wait.]

Hooow so?

Edited 2018-01-27 20:35 (UTC)

Um, well. The way I use it, it means 'happy'. Like, 'I'm feeling so gay today because it's my birthday!' Like that. But the way you mean it...

[She cocks her head. Whenever Chloe says that word to her, it's almost...teasing. Flirty, even.]

Oh. Right.

[Suddenly it. Makes sense.

She is from like, whenever the fuck ye olden times. So. Of course she would mean it that way and not. Y'know.

It's hard when you're really into someone and suddenly it feels like they've aggressively friendzoned you. That's very Chloe right now.]

Well duh. What other dumbass meaning would it have? That's. What I meant too.

[She's gonnaaa. swim over to the edge of the pool and pull herself up and into a sitting position, feet still in the water.]

I think I'm a little pooled out.

[Anna's brows draw together, and she looks at Chloe's retreating back with a hurt expression. Watching the other girl pull herself up to sit at the edge of the pool, she huffs.]

Wait! Please...

[She swallows down her trepidation.]

Don't shut me out like that. If...if you have something to say, please just say it. I've had a whole lifetime of not being told things I should have been told.

[Chloe is fully prepared to shut her out. To pretend that none of this ever happened, to make some excuse. To say she brought the wrong present and go set the stupid gay sweater on fire.

But then Anna says that and there's something about the way she says it that pushes through the wall Chloe is quickly building. She can tell Anna isn't lying when she says that.

Fuck.]

I-

[Fuck. Again.]

Okay. Fine. Whatever. I like you. Is that what you want to hear? Is that the truth you really wanted? So now you can- you can go grab your stupid old time-y pitchforks and your torches and burn me alive or whatever it is you do. Fuck.

[It really should've been so obvious this entire time, but she'd gotten so. Caught up in it. She feels like such an idiot.]

[Waiting for an answer feels like it take a month, at least. Anna's still treading water while she waits; suddenly, the whole room feels even more still and quiet than it already was, and her gently churning arms sound way too loud.

I like you. Anna's surprised, but then again, she really isn't. Maybe she's known for awhile, yet, and her brain just hadn't quite caught up with her heart. She can feel her face flushing, and she swims closer, so she's level with Chloe's knees, looking up at her face.]

Wh-what? Why would I burn you alive for liking me? I...that's the nicest thing I've heard in a long time, actually.

[Chloe almost lets out a groan at that reply- not because she isn't relieved to hear that Anna isn't homophobic or whatever, but no one wants to hear 'that's nice' when you confess your feelings.]

So when is the 'but' coming?

[She. Really doesn't mean to sound like such a dick right now, but she's going through a lot all of a sudden. She draws her legs up to sit cross-legged and scoots back a little bit, because if Anna reaches out to touch her she doesn't think she'd be able to deal.]

'That's nice but I'm straight'. Been there, done that. I'm not looking for the sequel, so we can just pretend none of this ever happened.

[Anna shakes her head, her wet braids flipping water at Chloe's shins, and when she draws up her legs, Anna just comes right up to the side of the pool and rests her arms on it, to give herself a break from treading water.]

Chloe...I'm not. I don't...I've never done this before. Where I come from...people don't really talk about this kind of stuff, y'know? But that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. And.

[She chews her lip, looking down at her own hands. Nervously, her fingers scratch at the wet tile of the pool's edge.]

I like you, too. It's weird, I sort of didn't see it coming. But spending time with you...It makes me really happy.

[Finally, Anna hazards a glance upward, almost afraid to see what Chloe's expression will be.]

I've never liked another girl before. But I guess there's a first time for everything, huh?

[Chloe has a very strong fight or flight instinct. Always has, always will. This is very much triggering that- and usually she's a fighter. But right now she really just wants to get up and leave. Go back to the hotel room and just. Not for a while.

She half listens to what Anna is saying, fidgeting where she sits, waiting for an opportunity to go. But then she registers 'I like you, too' and suddenly she's actually listening again, looking at Anna incredulously.

Chloe wants to believe that. To let it wash away all the weird and awkward embarrassment she's feeling over this. But she's not that naive. She doesn't believe fairy tales happen just like that.]

Mm. But are you just saying that though? Don't get caught up in the moment, Anna. If you say that, I want you to fucking mean it. Otherwise... don't bother.

[It's not said in a mean tone, just... a warning. The implication that this has happened before and that she isn't going to let it happen again- or, that she's trying not to.]

[Anna's not sure what she was expecting, but skepticism? That wasn't it. She blinks again, her brows knitting together. She can't help but feel a little hurt by all that doubt. She just admitted something that was incredibly scary for someone like her to admit, and Chloe doesn't believe it.]

Chloe...

[How does she say this? How does she say it the right way, so Chloe will know she's being sincere? Slowly, she shakes her head.]

I'm not caught up in the moment. Because I've been feeling like this for weeks, and I had no idea what to do about it, because it's so new, and...and scary. But, Chloe, I mean it. I know what infatuation feels like, I know what it's like to get way too caught up in the moment. And this?

[Slowly, she reaches one hand out toward Chloe's, just halfway.]

This isn't that.

[It's not anything personal, Chloe just. Has a hard time believing people's sincerity after the shit she's experienced in life. This is Chloe's pessimism hard at work trying to sabotage the moment.

She wants to believe Anna. She really does. And when Anna says all that, it gets... a little easier.

Chloe looks at Anna's hand for a long moment. Every part of her body feels like it's on fire with how much she wants to reach out and take it.

After what feels like an eternity (but actually only like five seconds), Chloe reaches out to take Anna's hand. Boy that's really gay.

This is for real happening. Holy shit.]

Then get up here and kiss me, damn.

[She lets Anna's hand slip out of hers and leans back a little, giving Anna an almost challenging, flirty look. If this is happening, she's at least going to make Anna work for it. She won't be the one pining.]

[It really does feel like it takes a thousand years for Chloe to finally answer. But when she takes Anna's hand, some of the tension bleeds out of her shoulders and she looks hopeful for the first time that things might turn out okay.

And actually, they're turning out better than okay. Anna lets out a laugh that bubbles up like water from a fountain out of her throat, watching Chloe lean back. A challenge has been issued, and really, Anna has no choice but to rise to the occasion. Eagerly, like a puppy scrambling up onto the couch for pets, Anna pulls herself out of the pool, her knees sliding across the tile a little, and then she's leaning in with only a tiny bit of hesitation to press her lips flush against Chloe's.]

[There's still the pessimist in her waiting for someone to jump out and shout GOTCHA!! or for something even worse to happen. But when Anna pulls herself out of the pool and slides her way, she's suddenly struck with the realization that this is, in fact, happening.

Soaking wet. In their underwear in a pool they broke into.

This has turned out 1000x better than the last time she found herself in a similar situation. Who would've thought that was actually possible?

Chloe leans into the kiss a little roughly, as if everything that had been holding her back up to that moment is suddenly pushing her forward.

Once they both pull back, Chloe suddenly lets the breath she's been holding out.]

Okay. You have me... mostly convinced. It's gonna take a few more of those just to be sure, though.

[When Anna pulls back, she looks a little stunned, as if she can't believe she actually did that. But it happened, that much is evidenced by the fact that her face is right by Chloe's and she can practically feel the other girl's lips on hers still. Her face is burning by now, but she doesn't notice or care how warm her cheeks have gotten.

She gasps out a laugh, nodding eagerly.]

Yeah? I...I think I can do that.

[She absolutely can, which she proves by moving right back in for another kiss, letting out a tiny squeal of joy as she does.]

[Chloe can't help but laugh into the kiss as Anna goes for the second one. Chloe moves up a hand to cup Anna's cheek for a moment, closing her eyes and just letting herself enjoy the moment.

This is great. This is better than she dreamed. Is this the universe apologizing? Because it feels like the universe apologizing. Something working out for her for once?? Not that's fucking strange.

When Chloe pulls away again, she's laughing again because she had a thought.]

Oh man, your present was not gonna make sense if this didn't happen. Talk about awkward.

[This is so nice. Anna can't help but flash back to her first kiss with Kristoff, and while that had seemed so big and all-consuming at the time, kissing Chloe makes her realize that something had been missing.

Chemistry? Is this what chemistry is?

When she pulls back and hears Chloe laughing, Anna sits back on her heels and shakes her head.]

Wait, wait, what d'you mean?

[That is very much what chemistry is and Chloe is feeling it too. Now that all the tenseness is fading away, Chloe is realizing that for once there isn't a sense of danger attached to this.

Well, aside from the fact they did break into the pool room but that's minor danger.

There isn't an underlying fear that someone is going to get shot, there hasn't been a murder, there isn't a tornado about to sweep through the town. For once, she can just...

Enjoy something??

It feels weird. Good weird, but. Weird.

Chloe sits up properly and crawls over to grab the two presents that had been momentarily forgotten. She scoots back over and holds out the lumpy present.]

It's better you see for yourself. And like, keep in mind that I... got it at the height of our little misunderstanding. So.

[She's rambling a little. It's fine.]

[As much as she's excited to actually open gifts, it comes at the price of Chloe moving away from her, and Anna has to remind herself not to be clingy. Nobody likes that, right? But she takes the present, after attempting to wipe off her wet hands on her own thighs, and giggles as she starts to pull the paper off.]

Okay, okay, I'll keep that in mind—woah!

[It's the most beautiful sweater she's ever seen in her life, and the words on it are now a thousand times funnier now that she knows that it would have gone straight over her head ten minutes ago.]

Chloe, this is incredible!

[Listen, Chloe would never judge you for being clingy. It's how she is too.

She can't help feeling vaguely nervous as Anna opens the present, but honestly it becomes even funnier now that it came out Anna had no idea what she meant. So... really she has no reason to feel silly about it.

Though she isn't expecting Anna to say that about it. Chloe lets out a nervous laugh and shakes her head.]

It's not that great, but- I'm glad you like it. I just figured, y'know, it's colorful. It screamed "you" when I saw it.

[Anna's grinning brightly as she looks over the designs knit into the sweater, and even if she feels a little stupid for having misinterpreted so many cues for so long, honestly? It helps. The sweater helps.

Chloe helps.]

It's perfect. I'm gonna wear it out in public, you know! Like, where people can see!

[Anna gives #nofucks.

She sets the sweater gingerly aside, out of the way of any puddles of water, and then grabs the tin and eagerly shoves it at Chloe.]

Your turn!

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