It was New Year's Eve. Elsa woke up that morning already in a bad mood, and it had continued through the evening. It was almost 11pm, and she felt almost physically sick, knowing from her elf training that it must be due to the strain of her soulmate bond with Sam. He wasn't as close to her as usual, and it took a toll on her body waking up without him next to her for the past few days. Playing with a miniature snow globe and other trinkets, she pondered the events that got her here.

Five days ago, Sam and Elsa had come home exhausted from running all over the world helping the humans adapt to the new winter millennium. The humans were beginning to get used to the cold, and all sorts of winter activities continued, especially here in Switzerland where snow was the winter norm. They hadn't had much time to relax as a year and a half had passed them by since the onset of the ominous June frost. While the Scholar Elves and Earth Preservation Elves were hard at work on a solution, one had not happened yet.

Sam and Elsa had come home and gotten something to eat before doing their best to relax and unwind before going to bed. Used to discussing things before sleeping, they were chatting lightly before bed when the conversation seemed to get heavier.

-Flashback-

"You keep doing that but I told you it's not efficient," Sam replied to Elsa's comment.

"But I really do think that's the best way. You just never allow me to explain why," Elsa said, miffed.

Sam frowned. "There isn't a single simulation where that's a good idea and you know it."

Elsa furrowed her brows. "The simulation isn't always right, you know."

"The simulation is state-of-the-art, it's almost never wrong. And don't say you think this is one of those times it's wrong. I can already see it on your face." Sam said, glancing at Elsa in annoyance.

Elsa bit her lip, caught between her predisposition toward Sam and her annoyance at his unwillingness to consider her anytime she disagreed with how he worked. Unfortunately, she couldn't let it go because how he worked also affected her since they were Soulmate Elves. Soulmate Elves always had to work with their soulmates because they boosted each other's magic to do tasks single elves and elves with normal romantic bonds could not do as easily.

"I just wish you'd hear me out," Elsa began, trying to keep her voice even.

"You don't get it, do you?" Sam said, exasperated. "The simulation said-"

"Not everything is about the simulation, Sam!" Elsa cut in, finally fed up. "What about our own synergy? Our magical compatibility? The simulation is merely to give us an idea of what we could do, not what we should! It might help you, but it doesn't help me!"

"Then you're doing it wrong!" Sam shot back. "I don't know any other Soulmate Elves who have had a problem with their simulations, Elsa. But you've been complaining about it for weeks, it's getting old!"

Elsa took in a sharp breath. "You know I don't want to disagree with the simulation. I just thought we could tweak the parameters because-"

"Oh now you want to tweak it, huh? You're going to change everything!" Sam said, raising his hands up in annoyance.

"It's not like I want to! The current way is taking a toll on my magic! You won't listen!" Elsa yelled, standing up.

"It's got nothing to do with your magic! If you speak up more when we're running scenarios, you'd realize that! You never say anything, and then when it doesn't work for you, you complain about it. I'm sick of it!" Sam said, also getting up.

The couple stared at each other, wide eyed and chests heaving in anger. They had never argued before, not since becoming soulmates 2 years ago. In their anger, they turned away from each other.

"I'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom," Elsa said before turning on her heel and walking away, a glow covering her body as her clothes changed into her sleepwear.

Sam huffed, turning in the direction of the bedroom they shared as he also changed into sleepwear with a golden glow. "Whatever. Be ready for work at 5am."

Elsa rolled her eyes and didn't respond, choosing to slam the door closed instead of closing it with a gentle magical breeze like she usually did.

-End of Flashback-

Elsa sighed. They hadn't said anything to each other since then besides what needed to be said as they worked on their shared tasks. When they came home, they ate, rested, and slept separately. Elsa hated this feeling. She had never been more than a few feet away from Sam for the past couple years, and yet they'd avoided each other like the plague for the past week. Unfortunately, they couldn't avoid each other outside of work tonight. It was a day off for all elves, and they had made plans with many of the couples they knew back in early December to mingle among the humans in the beautiful town of Interlaken. The North Pole was in Switzerland this year, so they decided to stay and celebrate the new year with the Swiss before moving to their next North Pole HQ, which was to be in Australia.

She got up off the couch in the guest bedroom, a headache furrowing her perfect brows. She felt slightly warmer than usual too, like the beginnings of a cold. That would have been fine, had she not become an elf. Elves never got sick, and the weather never affected them. She knew it had to do with her lack of romantic contact with her soulmate. Even just a little touch was more than enough for a few days, but Elsa and Sam hardly even looked at each other, much less held hands. She knew they had to resolve things but didn't know how, considering how stubborn they both were.

"Maybe I'll try to talk to him after the party," Elsa thought as she changed her clothes and hair into what she and Sam had long decided on. She wore a white turtleneck with black slacks, her feet tucked into black heeled ankle boots, and a mocha colored double breasted coat with black buttons that reached her knees and hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair flowed long and curly down her back, held back above one ear with a diamond encrusted hair clip. A white faced watch with forest green accents and a dark burgundy strap was on her left wrist, discreetly showing her status as an elf.

Stepping out of the guest bedroom, she saw Sam also leaving the bedroom they usually shared. Since they had decided on a couples outfit, Sam also wore the same combo, the only difference being that his ankle boots only had a slight heel, and his coat was tailored to accentuate his broad shoulders and hung down in a straight line to the top of his knees. Her heart accelerated a bit. It had been 2 years, but she couldn't deny the attraction she felt to her soulmate. Judging from his hungry eyes that roamed her body and skimmed her curves in appreciation, Sam was feeling it too. He blinked as if to clear the fog and looked at his watch that was identical to hers.

"If you're ready, let's go," he said.

They always used to teleport with their hands clasped, but since their petty argument, they teleported separately. Elsa nodded and closed her eyes at the same time Sam did, 2 soft golden clouds of glitter enveloping them as they teleported to Interlaken's Höhematte Park. Opening their eyes, they found that they had been separated.

"Of course we'd end up in different places," Elsa grumbled, not feeling very festive as she began to make her way through the crowd, trying to find Sam.

"Hey sexy, wanna be my midnight kiss?" A guy asked her loudly in Bernese German.

Rolling her eyes, she turned around, plastering a sweet smile on her face. The group of people she faced all took in sharp breaths, stunned by her beauty.

"No, I'm married," she said in the same dialect, holding up her left hand that glittered with her soulmate rings, the top of her watch peeking through her sleeve. The man who spoke to her looked disappointed as she walked by. Using her heightened hearing, she could hear him and the other guys complaining.

"Damn, that's the 4th one already! Why are all the freakishly hot ones married?" he was saying in a sullen tone.

A woman chimed in. "Right, I noticed the guys were married too. And they're all wearing the same watch. You think they're models or something?"

Elsa allowed a tiny amused grin to grace her face as she walked out of earshot. It was kind of amusing that the humans all thought they were models whenever they showed their true appearances. Elsa remembered what she looked like when she was a human. It wasn't much different than her current appearance, besides better clothes, diet, and flawless skin. Her mind turned to Sam, trying to sense him in the crowd. She couldn't detect him, so she looked around, wondering if she could ask one of the other elves in disguise. She found a handsome man, looking like a 40 year old, in the crowd and looked at his wrists. Sure enough, he wore a watch identical to hers. She walked up to him, her suspicions confirmed when she noticed his heartbeat was too low and he had a feeling about him that was exclusive only to elves.

"Hi, I'm Elsa, 28 years old. I'm looking for Sam, 36 years old." she said after tapping the man on the shoulder.

He turned around and scanned her briefly before smiling. "Hi Elsa, nice to meet you. I'm Brian, 694 years old. Sam is your soulmate, I presume?" When Elsa nodded, he turned to the stunning woman next to him. "Amethyst, have you seen Sam? I don't know what he looks like."

The woman turned to Elsa with a smile. "I'm Amethyst, 683 years old. Do you have a picture?"

Elsa nodded before looking around. Knowing what she was probably about to do, the couple crowded in close to make sure nobody saw. She put her palm out and thought of Sam, an image forming in her mind. Immediately, her hand glowed a gentle blue and a Polaroid of Sam was pieced together in her hand. Amethyst picked up the picture and she peered closely at it with Brian. After what looked like a telepathic conversation, Amethyst spoke.

"Brian and I think we saw him earlier, close to where they're setting up for the "Touch the Mountain" festival. But we don't know if he's still there, since he could also be looking for you," she said. "Did you two not arrive together?" she asked, puzzled.

Elsa frowned. "We did, but we didn't hold hands so we ended up separated."

Brian and Amethyst shared an understanding look and a smile.

"You two had a disagreement, didn't you? And I'm assuming it's your first one?" Brian asked.

Elsa raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"It's not hard to figure out. Soulmates don't ever arrive separately, especially the ones under 100 unless they had a fight," he replied. "I'll give you a tip: you two are going to be stuck together for a millennium. I suggest you two stop being stubborn and be open. Amethyst and I had our first of only 3 arguments when we were 42 and 31 years old. We learned to stop being stubborn. One of you has to be the bigger person. You can see the same thing in human relationships, it works the same way."

Amethyst nodded along. "He's right. And whoever ends up being the bigger person, the other one also has to be willing to talk, or else you'll just keep suffering from lack of contact. And trust me, you don't want that."

Curious, Elsa asked, "Why? What happens?"

Brian and Amethyst shared another look, this one serious and slightly scared.

"Couples who suffer the effects for too long, usually about a month, will die early. Both of them. You are hardwired to be mutually dependent on your soulmate, and there needs to be at least one touch per week. If not, the countdown starts. Judging from your lethargic eyes, I'd say it's been about 5 days, right?" Amethyst asked.

Elsa nodded.

"You may be fine now, but there's a reason Sam is your soulmate. Don't forget that. Anything you disagree on, you must talk it out and learn from each other. We may be magical beings, but mistakes happen, albeit infrequently," Brian said.

"Thank you, I'll go look for him now," Elsa said with gratitude. She was more determined than ever to iron things out with Sam as soon as she found him.

She stepped away from the couple and continued her search. Going along with the crowd through the park, she passed by the mouthwatering cheesy scents of Chasebroteli and other local Swiss specialties. Passing through, she finally made it to the edge where a platform was raised to hold the festival's invited artists on the first day of the year. A group of people were discussing quietly, pointing at some masks that Elsa recognized as part of the Hardermannli parade that was scheduled for the 2nd day of the year, part of the closing festivities of Interlaken's well known 3-day New Year's celebrations.

Elsa looked around and tried to feel for Sam again. She could tell that he was here at some point, but he wasn't here now. Frustrated, she turned around and around, suddenly feeling the despair she had tried to keep at bay all night, even all week. She frowned, feeling a tell-tale tickle in her nose as she glanced at her watch. It was almost midnight, meaning she had spent almost an hour looking for Sam. The crowd pushed against her, the mass of jubilant bodies pressing ever closer together as they began the countdown to the new year.

10…

She felt weak, physically and emotionally, as she tried to keep her emotions stable.

9…

Images of their best memories floated through her mind as she tried to push against the crowd, a lump in her throat. She missed Sam, now more than ever.

8…

Her eyes pricked. She didn't want to ring in the new year without her soulmate.

7…

"I miss you, Sam," she whispered in her mind, wondering if he'd even be close enough to hear.

6…

Her head throbbed and her heart hurt. She wished they'd patched things up before they left.

5…

It was almost midnight and she was all alone despite the crowd, the one person she wanted to be with not by her side.

4…

Suddenly, Elsa felt a familiar presence, and a familiar deep voice whispered, the person's breath gently tickling her ear. "I really think we can do so much better, so how about we try again?"

3…

She turned around immediately, finally seeing her heart's desire standing in front of her, his eyes full of remorse, apprehension, and love. "I miss you too, Elsa," he said. "I'm so sorry."

2…

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she embraced Sam, sighing in relief as her headache disappeared, her heart stopped hurting, and her exhaustion melted away. "I'm sorry too, Sam."

He hugged her back tightly, as if she would disappear.

1…

Elsa and Sam pulled away slightly to gaze into each other's eyes. They wore matching grins, eyes bright as they leaned in again, inching closer.

As the crowd joyfully yelled "Happy New Year" when the clock struck midnight, deafening fireworks burst all around them. An LED billboard reflected the date of the new year: January 1st, 2020.

There was joy and laughter all around them, but the couple were oblivious. Sam's hands tightly held Elsa's waist, while Elsa's hands were wrapped around Sam's neck, playing with the silky black strands of his hair. Their eyes were closed, and their lips were locked in a sweet kiss. Pouring their emotions into it, Elsa and Sam melted against each other, a stray tear in the corner of Elsa's tightly closed eyes.

When they pulled away reluctantly, Sam noticed and brushed away the tear, frowning as he turned his hand to caress Elsa's cheek.

"I did this to you, I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you," he said, remorse and guilt clouding his beautiful hazel eyes.

Elsa nodded, accepting his apology. "I'm sorry too. I have a hard time speaking up sometimes, but I'll try harder."

Sam kissed her again, briefly and gently. "If you don't want to speak up during the simulations, that's fine. Tell me when we're alone and we'll figure it out together, like we always do. And if I'm being a jerk, feel free to remind me."

Elsa chuckled, euphoria bubbling up in her as she enjoyed her first carefree moment in almost a week. She hugged him, unable to form any words at the moment. Inhaling his unique scent as she burrowed into his chest, she felt the vibration in his chest as he laughed in delight, arms tightening around her.

"Sam?" Elsa looked up, holding his gaze. "I love you."

Sam gazed down at her, his eyes full of love and admiration. "I love you too, Elsa. Forever and always."

They shared a smile, an island of peace and tranquility in a sea of raucous jubilation.

・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・