A Series of One-Shots 🔷️

{6} "Cruel Summer" (Elsaphina)

The blinding light from the sun caused Elsa Arens to step back into the cool shade of her family's private jet momentarily. Her father, Agnarr Arens, gazed at his eldest daughter, perplexed for a few moments. Iduna Arens (Elsa's mother) had been tending to the purple crocuses living in the aircraft, adding fresh soil in the ceramic pot. They had returned from a three-month long trip from Arendelle, Norway, and Elsa had been eager to share the details of the trip with her girlfriend, Seraphina Bjorgman. Sure, Elsa could admit that she hadn't contacted her girlfriend once the entire time, but she'd get over it. She had a bit of an easy-going nature with the people she cared for deeply. Elsa inhaled and exhaled, stepping down from the inside of the jet, taking in the sights of San Fransokyo, California. God, how she missed this place! Arendelle had been great fun, but there's truly no place like home.

"Are you ecstatic to see Seraphina again, my little snow?" Iduna inquired of Elsa, following her down the stairs of the jet.

"Yes, I am. I cannot wait to kiss her and tell her how much I longed to see her every single day," answered Elsa, twirling around the runway. She had chosen to wear a cotton, pale blue shirt; faux leather Mary Jane shoes with a 4.5-inch heel; and a dark blue, plaid check belted midi tartan skirt that fell a little ways past her knees and fit snugly around her waist. The skirt had been purchased in Arendelle, and Elsa had fallen in love with the material.

Agnarr exited the jet last, choosing to not mention how Elsa failed to send Seraphina occasional updates, knowing exactly where that conversation will lead. Instead, he stated, "Well, what are we standing around here for? Shall we get a move on?"

Elsa and Iduna nodded, and the family left the airport, entering a common taxi after they picked up their suitcases. As Elsa settled into the back right passenger seat, she stared at the towering buildings, wondering how she could've been used to not seeing those structures on a daily basis. Suddenly feeling exhausted from the flight, she leaned her head on Iduna's shoulder, quickly dozing off into a much-needed nap.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Seraphina Bjorgman had no more tears to shed after she'd ceased her silent sobs for the fifth time in just three months. Her phone, sitting on her desk, had been quiet; no SMS messages from Elsa, not even one fucking phone call. Had Elsa's trip to Arendelle been so time-consuming that she couldn't be a decent human being and give Seraphina a heads-up: "Hey, we're coming back to San Fransokyo now. See you in a few hours." Apparently, no, Elsa cannot do the right thing or even the responsible thing if she does not put her mind to the task. Seraphina had felt incredibly lonely that summer. She admitted that she had her dad and two brothers in her life, but her emotional connection with Elsa is what prompted Seraphina to even make a move in the first place.

Seraphina and Elsa dated when everything felt right, when it was perfect. Just a few months into the relationship, it was already going to shit. This lack of contact between them just proved what the alchemist had been researching for three months: Elsa did not feel connected to her. This had been a perfectly valid reason for couples breaking up, and Seraphina would simply be another person who used this rationale in order to justify the outcome. No matter how Elsa reacted, Seraphina had to do this. She needed to do this.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Elsa rapped her knuckles on the Bjorgmans' front door, bouncing on the balls of her heels, giddy with excitement. Varian Bjorgman answered, glaring at the blonde as soon as he saw her.

"Go away," he growled.

"Varian, it's me. You know me," chuckled Elsa, concealing her confusion.

"I thought I did. I thought we all did. Now I'm not so sure." Varian clutched the doorknob, his entire body trembling with anger. "Sera's in the shed, if you're wondering where she is."

"Alright. I'll just go through the backyard." Elsa walked away from Varian, entering the backyard through the back gate.

She went through the freshly-cut grass, opening the door to the shed. The structure appeared small, but the inside was cavernous. A large, wooden table had been positioned by the stained glass window, and many beakers full of colorful substances sat on top of Bunsen burners or were being mixed with something else. Seraphina stood there, her purple-and-gold goggles over her eyes, pouring a purple liquid into a small glass ball.

"Hey, honey," called Elsa happily.

Seraphina ignored Elsa, clutching the ball to control the urge to throw it at the wall.

"Hello? Sera?" Elsa approached Seraphina, reaching out to hug her girlfriend.

"Don't touch me, Arens," spat Seraphina.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked Seraphina.

"Three months. Three fucking months. That's how long you were gone. And you never gave me a heads-up, not once. I was worried you were injured somewhere or dead!" Seraphina actually threw the ball at the wall, and Elsa had to step aside as the purple substance slid down the barrier. "I had to catch up on your social media to find out where you were! Do you understand how betrayed I feel right now?! How frustrated I am by your lack of common sense?! Do you?!"

Elsa fell silent.

"I had been so afraid that you left because of something I'd done! But then I did my research." Seraphina brought out a folder full of articles about valid reasons for break-ups. "You don't feel connected with me anymore, that's why you never contacted me during your trip. You don't care about me anymore, you only take an interest in me when I fit into your narrative of a happy ending. If you don't love me, just say so. And don't bother lying to me anymore."

"I do love you."

"Then why did you give me no updates?!"

"Because I was ... "

"Busy? That's the fucking excuse you're going with right now? God, I really hope you were because all you did was shop in Arendelle. That explains the skirt. I saw the photo on your Instagram."

"I-I-I-"

"You know what? It doesn't matter anymore because we're done, we're over. I'm breaking up with you. And until you learn some common sense and human decency, we're never getting back together."

"Honey, please think about this. You're not thinking rationally. Can't we talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about?! You-you had plenty of time to tell me about your trip! Three months, Elsa!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I really am."

"No, you're not. If you could, you'd do it all over again." Seraphina turned away from Elsa, her cheeks flushed red in her anger.

Elsa left the shed, carrying the folder still. Tears slipped down her face, and she was barely holding herself together. How could she have been so stupid?

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Hey, guys, gals, non-binary pals. I hope you enjoyed the one-shot, and please comment if you did. I'm going to provide a brief analysis for the fight, Elsa's half-assed apology, and Seraphina's understandable anger.

You'll notice I only had Seraphina yell and not Elsa. Keep in mind that Elsa has nothing to be angry about. She had abandoned Seraphina for three months, which shows that she was not responsible enough for a mature, healthy relationship. Elsa's utterance of "I'm sorry" is half-assed because there are six parts to an apology. Those are: 1. Expression of regret; 2. Explanation of what went wrong; 3. Acknowledgement of responsibility; 4. Declaration of repentance; 5. Offer of repair; and 6. Request for forgiveness. Elsa only got the first part of the apology (1. Expression of regret) and didn't bother with accepting responsibility. Abandoning someone for three months causes someone to lose respect for you, and Seraphina understandably was angry. She had thought Elsa was mature and responsible, but Elsa was not. That's why Seraphina broke up with Elsa.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the one-shot and let me know what you think in the comments.