Cynical!Anna AU

Setting the scene
They meet at a party.
 * —Elsa has failed a class and her family—well, her father, really—has threatened to cut her off. She can't afford to not receive money from them. They pay for school for her, forcing her down a career that she has to follow because there's nothing else for her to do. She's at the party because she's pretty intent on making some Bad Life Decisions because why not?
 * —Anna has given up on love. She just met her father's girlfriend (new girlfriend. the sixth one), Mom is in rehab for the umpteenth time and both are ignoring her, basically. Not ignoring ignoring, but they just don't care so much about what she spends her time doing. She was engaged to be married, but her fiancé cheated on her and so her True Love became a lying love and just proves how fake and not real "love" is. So. she refuses to believe in it. The one person she said "I Love You" too—and responded in kind—cheated on her. So, she's at the party to have fun and probably get drunk and hook up with someone because she's still human and sex is fun.

First meetings

 * Anonymous whispered:

''Lonely!Elsa and Cynic!Anna!!!! What would their first meeting be like?! (ʘ‿ʘ✿)''

probably something school related like a party or something and they hit it off right away bc anna’s friendly as hell and saw how uncomfortable elsa was in a big crowd so she swooped in to save the day and boom friendship ((that turned into something more that both never anticipated would happen when they slipped from the party and walked through the empty campus until the odd hours of the morning getting to know one another while doing drunk antics))

So. Party.
They meet again at Kristoff's stoplight party; both are holding green cups and are basically just "letting go", as it were. Anna is bouncing around between groups, smiling, laughing, and being her general up-beat self. She refuses to let Hans' betrayal bring her down. Of course, it still hurts, but she can pretend that it doesn't and get through like that. She looks at everything good she has: her friends, her attitude, and she's still a very beautiful and fun person. She's just looking for a good time.

Alternatively, there is Elsa. Her definition of "letting it go" is to get appropriately smashed and regret it the next day, because if that isn't living, she doesn't know what is.

Anna approached Elsa for a second time, having talked to the blonde earlier that night. Anna had deemed Elsa too uptight for conversation and left, but eventually circled back around. It was actually easy to drink with Elsa, and they talk for a bit. Anna leaves to go to the bathroom, and when she comes back, one of Hans' dick friends (Gaston) (and Anna was very glad that Hans wasn't at this party) is hitting on Elsa, the blonde too drunk and too awkward to get away. It suddenly becomes glaringly obvious that Elsa has never attended a party like this before, and she obviously can't hold her liquor. Anna approaches them, intent on pulling Elsa away, and the girl does the surprising thing and pulls Anna down for a kiss. They make out in the middle of the room in front of Gaston for what seems like hours.

Despite being drunk, Anna notes that Elsa is actually pretty good at kissing. They break for air and Elsa realises what she's done and promptly bursts into tears (for reasons that are completely unclear to Anna, who just stands bewildered). And then she leans forward and kisses Elsa to stop her crying and because she wants to and they make out against a wall for a bit. They start getting a little too handsy and Kristoff notices. Anna, being the more experienced, less drunk of the two, is asked (politely. it's more of a suggestion) if they want to maybe go back to Anna's, and Elsa agree's whole-heartedly.

They don't kiss in the taxi, and to Anna, it seems as though the a/c has sobered Elsa up a little, and she's a little subdued when they get back to Anna's.

Anna isn't used to bringing people over her house for one-night-stands, and she can sense Elsa's hesitation. She leaves little room to doubt that getting into bed with Elsa is something that she wants to do, and that it's only for the blonde's sake that she herself is hesitating. She asks if Elsa wants the couch and the girl states that will be fine. They get ready for bed.

The lights are out and everything is dark, and Anna is obviously a little disappointed (and why wouldn't she be? She thought she was going to get laid by a rather gorgeous blonde woman and instead she's playing babysitter), so she can't hold back her surprise when barely two minutes later, Elsa sneaks into her room and slides into the bed. It's a strange gesture, and Anna doesn't know what to make of it, really, until she feels Elsa's lips on her jowl and her fingers tickling just beneath her breasts. Elsa murmurs something about "not being the perfect girl" but Anna doesn't fully catch it as she begins to reciprocate the touches.

Meeting the Family Pt 1: Elsa
Anna knows by now that Elsa is starting to develop feelings (or, what Elsa believes to be feelings) for her, and she's not having any of it because she doesn't believe in it. Elsa is fine to feel those things, but she can't really expect them to go anywhere. However, Elsa doesn't say anything and Anna is content to ignore it.

However, when Elsa's father sends an embossed, rather expensive-looking invitation to a gala of some sort, she naturally asks Anna to accompany her. She uses excuses such as "he's expecting me to bring someone" and "don't make me suffer on my own". Of course, both girls know that Elsa actually wants her there, but both also ignore that fact. Anna reluctantly agrees and Elsa "owes [her] one awkward family encounter".

Anna is... less than impressed by the gala. They have to spend two days there because Elsa's father "insists" on it, and though Anna doesn't like him much, Elsa's mother is quite nice, if a little quiet. It's all too rich, too fake for her liking, but she has fun anyway because she's Anna.

The gala itself is fairly uneventful. They don't really do anything but sit and talk. Anna is perfectly content to ignore the awkwardness by being her usual, bubbly self (without alcohol). She chats with Elsa's "friends" from school, the blonde being more quiet than usual. When Elsa is called away, she does so reluctantly, leaving Anna at the mercy of friends Elle and Ariel, both of whom are also immeasurably rich. They aren't mean about Elsa, but it's obvious that they don't really care about her much. She's too quiet and shy and awkward and a lesbian! Anna tells her story (well, snippets of it. Fiancé cheated, so she left him, now she just wants to have a bit of fun) and the girls realise that Anna doesn't care about Elsa in that way. Which they automatically take it for pity-dating and assure Anna that they won't say anything to Elsa about it (even though Anna didn't ask for assurance). They ask if Elsa still has "that stuffed snowman" and tells the story of how she used to carry it with her everywhere. Anna says that she's never seen it, and the conversation moves onto other things (really subtle Olaf mention foreshadowing future chapters).

They're sharing a room, despite Elsa's father's stink eye (and he has barely said a word to Anna since she arrived). Elsa's mother is actually really nice and cares deeply for Elsa, but she wants to see her daughter successful, hence the pushing. She makes an offhand comment about Anna making Elsa really happy, and thanking her. They both look up at Elsa, who is carrying three pieces of chocolate cake for them but is being held up by a short weasel-y man. She looks absolutely mortified by whatever he's saying, but her face relaxes when she notices Anna looking at her. It doesn't take long for her to reach them after that, still smiling. She hands Anna the biggest piece of chocolate cake, and all three dig in.

Eventually, Elsa gets into the alcohol, and gets really... touchy. But only with Anna. The reason is less obvious than it seems; she just wants to get back at her father.

It's late by this point, and Anna suddenly announces that she's tired and wants to go to bed. She doesn't really want Elsa to follow her, but of course, the blonde does anyway

and Elsa doesn't really leave her side either and it's sort of uncomfortable and Elsa just says that "I don't like them much either" but they both know that she really means "I like you more" and Anna hates that because she was very explicit at first that she's not looking for a relationship she just wants to have fun

Invitations
Girl asks Elsa on a date, and actually seems genuinely interested. Unfortunately, Anna overhears and can't help but laugh at the idea that someone seems interested in her (mostly because she's trying to ignore her own feelings). Elsa is hurt, and the girl fumbles her way through asking her out. It gets even worse when Anna approaches just close enough to be heard, and the girl sinks into herself, embarrassed. She tries to slink away, mumbling apologies for wasting Elsa's time, and wonders, almost to herself, what she was thinking. She makes it past Anna, who has 'tried' to school her features, but is failing horribly. Elsa sends Anna a hard glare and manages to grab the girl and say that she would love to go out on a date with her. There is utter sincerity in her eyes, and the girl beams, and accepts Elsa's number. Anna has stopped laughing, looking at Elsa and the girl in utter bewilderment.

She's introspecting, and is surprised when Elsa and the girl walk off together, not sparing her a glance. She manages to shoot a quick text, confused and all sort of numb. The reply Elsa responds with is a 'I'm going on a date'.