Take Me or Leave Me

It was a strange relationship that Pitch and Elsa shared, but it was a wonderful balance of thrilling and comfortable. They lived for the dances between each other and when someone or something threw a new step into the rhythm they were quick enough to react and shift the dance. Sometimes it was Elsa's fault, with her long legs and foreign accent, others it was Pitch who threw the balance, his charm and charisma contagious when he wanted it to be.

The agreement had been stated outright by Elsa at the being of the relationship.

"Take me as I am, or leave me." There had been no fear of rejection in that voice. No hesitation at all and Pitch had been thrilled by the woman. That had been nearly a year ago.

Pitch could honestly say that he wasn't used to Elsa when she'd had a couple of drinks. Usually they were an impressive and intimidating pair, able to walk into a room and demand respect with nothing more than a careful look or nod of the head. Pitch was proud of how confident Elsa had become over the past months with him. If she had been beautiful when he met her now she was nothing short of radiant, with a razor sharp mind and a heart far warmer than his. How he had manage to capture a heart that kind, Pitch hadn't yet worked out and he was in no rush to ruin the illusion that someone like her could love him.

Yes, normally Elsa was the perfect companion in Pitch's eyes. Poised, eloquent and-

"Oh my god, you're the funniest guy ever Jack!"

-most decidedly not laughing with the one guy Pitch hated most in this world. He rubbed his temple as he watched Elsa bent nearly double giggling hard with one arm around Jack Frosts' shoulders. When Pitch had invited Elsa to his company's Christmas party, he had expected maybe a glass of champagne or wine to pass Elsa's lips. He was quite surprised when, after taking the CEO to one side for a little chat about his upcoming promotion (Mr Mann was very encouraging and allowed anyone at Moon & Co to approach him with concerns or comments), he had re-entered the room and seen Elsa doing shots at the bar with Jack Frost of all people.

Pitch watched more a moment longer before deciding that he needed to intervene in some way. It took only a few strides to reach to two and single arm around Elsa's shoulder to effectively halt the conversation. The taller man was pleased to see Jacks face flood with confusion and panic.

"Whoa, wait. Don't tell me you were telling the truth? You're actually going out with Pitch Black?"

"Why, are you surprised?" Elsa slurred her words very slightly but Pitch could tell she was trying to act more sober than she was in front of him.

"Well yeah, actually." Jack was more inebriated than Pitch had first thought, he would never speak this openly in Pitch's presence usually. Or maybe he was trying to make an impression of Elsa…?

"Go ahead, Mr Frost. Do explain why you think Elsa and I are mismatched." Pitch spoke softly, so much so that Elsa wasn't able to hear over the music but Jack caught each word clearly, along with all of its dripping threat. Pitch saw Jack steel himself and a flash of excitement raced through him. All year the young executive had been nipping at his heels and after his unofficial confirmation of his promotion, Pitch was ready for a fight.

"Sorry Pitchiner, I guess I was just wondering how a guy like you ended up with a girl like Elsa." The words hid a silent answer to Pitch's threat; Bring it on.

Jack got up from his seat at the bar and the two men stood practically nose to nose. Pitch had a fair few inches or so on Jack and revelled in the height difference. Elsa noticed the tension spike and anger flashed across her face.

"What are you two doing?!"

"I'm about to show Frost just how I managed to get a girl like you."

"No you are not, Pitch. Don't you dare ruin this party!" Elsa jumped up and placed a hand on her boyfriends chest. "Pitch, you're flying off the handle again!"

"Excuse me?" Pitch asked incredulously, "I'm flying off the handle? Maybe you should try not flirting with the one person in the office I can't stand!"

"How on earth am I meant to know who you mean when I've never met anyone from your office?!" Elsa yelled at him, an intimidating figure despite her lack of height. Pitch took a single step back, trying to avoid her accusing finger. "And I'll have you know I was not flirting with anyone! I was being sociable and pleasant, something I think you need work on!"

"Don't give me that Elsa, you flirt with anyone when you're this drunk."

As soon as the word left his mouth, Pitch knew this was the wrong thing to say. It was as though a storm crossed over her face and Pitch wouldn't deny he felt a flicker of something akin to nerves when he saw the poison in her look. Pitch was very aware that all of his co-workers were watching the scene.

"Oh really?" Elsa's voice was as cold as ice and if Pitch had been a lesser man he would've flinched. It was with great satisfaction that he caught the slight wince of Jack in the corner of his eye. But it was a short lived victory, as Pitch was brought back to reality by Elsa rather swiftly.

"Would you rather I stayed at home like some meek little wife? Hmm, Pitch? Would you rather I dressed myself in a plastic bag? Back combed my hair into a birds nest so no one would look at me?"

Pitch was starting to reel. He had never seen Elsa so angry. Jack stepped forward, evidently trying to dispel the argument but didn't even manage to get a word out before Elsa shot him a look of contempt.

"You're a funny guy Jack, but if you want to keep those boyish good looks then I suggest you back the fuck off."

Jack scarpered and Pitch had to remember to congratulate Elsa on that little speech in the morning, when she'd sobered up.

'And if you're still in a relationship with her.' A voice in the back of his head reminded him. Itch didn't like to think that way. Allowing your enemy to get inside your head allowed them to win the rest of the battle. No, he would remain cool and collected.

Elsa was still seething by the time she left the bar. The couple had spent the rest of their short evening shooting bitter looks across the bar and Pitch had managed to slink off during an impromptu karaoke session. Elsa was thankful she had her house keys. The last thing she wanted was to be knocking on the door, begging to be let back in.

The taxi ride home was uneventful. Elsa tried to talk to the driver but she soon realised she was far too tired to keep up a comprehensible train of thought, so instead just hummed her answers to the very pleasant driver.

Elsa stumbled to the door of the London terrace flat she rented with Pitch and knocked over the holly wreath she'd hung up the other day. As she bent over to pick it up, she kicked the wreath down the steps.

"Shit…"

She'd bought the wreath at the Christmas markets she visited with Pitch the other day. It was her first Christmas away from Norway and Anna, and though Pitch had at first been very resistant to the idea of beautifying the flat he realised that it was helping Elsa keep her spirits up. Back home, Elsa and her family had always made a big deal of the Christmas period and being surrounded by Christmas music, sights and smells was enough to be uplifting and a little sad. She had eventually convinced Pitch that a holly wreath would be a lovely addition to the flat.

It must've taken her longer than she'd realised to pick the ring up and replace it on the door as when she was almost done, the door swung open to reveal a tired looking Pitch. Elsa straightened and pushed her hair out of her face. She saw Pitch raise an eyebrow at the wreath she was holding and simple answered "I knocked it off the door."

Pitch hummed his understanding. She tried to slip the ribbon over the hook again, missed and hissed another 'shit' at the door. Suddenly she felt the wreath being pulled out of her hands and saw Pitch replacing it. Elsa saw the move for what it was.

'I'm sorry, I was a dick.'

Elsa nodded and centralised it slightly.

'Yeah, but so was I.'

Elsa pushed past him towards the kitchen, kicking off her shoes and dropping her clutch on the hallway floor. She heard the door close and his steps following her. A sly smile made its way across her face and she made her walk just a touch more slinky than it needed to be. That was the power she had over Pitch. He was taller, stronger and sneakier than her but he always followed her, no matter what. It wasn't the first time they'd had an argument (though it was their first public one). She was beautiful and powerful, she was well aware that they each had a hold over each other. It was thrilling, a sort of mutually assured destruction. There was love, of course there was, but even more than that there was respect.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Elsa didn't look at Pitch when she talked but she could see his reflection in the mirror. She was pleased to see him leaning against the door frame, watching her intently.

"I'll have a decaff."

This was the dance they had created, and Elsa knew the steps by heart. They were kissing by the time the kettle had boiled, mugs sitting forgotten on the counter. Soon Elsa's dress joined her shoes and bag on the floor, along with Pitch's shirt. Not for the first time Elsa thanked God that they lived in a flat and didn't have to manoeuvre up the stairs. The dance wasn't finished until they woke the next morning. Pitch had lipstick smears across his body and Elsa bemoaned the holes in her stockings, throwing them in Pitch's face and jokingly demanded a fruit tea as compensation for her ruined lingerie. She heard the rumble of a laugh leave him as he walked to the kitchen. The slight blonde fell back into the rumpled sheets and sighed. The dance was nearly complete.

Pitch returned with a mug and passed it to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. She sipped tentatively, gauging the temperature before drinking more heartily. She watched Pitch sleepily, expecting him to come and lie with her, maybe read a book out loud while she drank her tea. Instead he left the room and brought back in his jacket from the night before. Sitting back down, he looked at Elsa. She was a little thrown by his behaviour but it was a new step and she would adapt to fit it in the dance. They were near the finale anyway.

"Elsa," Pitch started but seemingly lost his words. He didn't know how to continue. Last night was a massive screw up. "Elsa, you are an intelligent, stunning individual. He saw the confusion flicker across her face. This wasn't what they did after an argument and he was going quite solidly off script. He wondered what she was thinking right now.

"Pitch, what's the matter?" She placed a hand on his arm and he felt the bottom of his stomach drop. There was the kind heart that he had fallen so completely in love with. There was worry mixed in with the confusion in her eyes now and he realised he needed to hurry up. He didn't want anything more to go wrong.

"Nothing's the matter." He steeled himself. "Elsa Telvi, you are an amazing woman. Will you marry me?"

There was silence. Pitch knew she wouldn't be expecting his words and the look of shock on Elsa's face confirmed all of my suspicions. He had been planning this for weeks but last night had been a total bust. However, he had forced himself to take the plunge this morning. If he hadn't, he might've left the little box with the ring in his jacket forever.

'Damn, the ring!'

He fumbled for a moment with his pocket before pulling out a box. He opened it and awkwardly held it out to Elsa. He didn't know if this was a sort of offering to make up for the simple proposal or whether he was asking to be judged. Elsa looked at the modern silver band with a dark sapphire, mouth slightly agape. Pitch could tell that she was having trouble processing the situation but the time passed slowly and after a few seconds he had received no answer. He coughed and began to retract his arm but Elsa caught it as looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Yes Pitch, yes I will."

Yes, they had a dance of sorts. Pitch would take one step and Elsa would lean right to keep her balance, but then Elsa would shift her weight and Pitch would support her in a dip. They were flawless together. Intimidating and powerful, a couple of people who were strong both together and apart. Take took each other as they were and never tried to change the other person, they only changed the dance.