She was unbelievably adorable. Her tongue was pinched between her lips, the tip of it sticking out, brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to master this new skill that Gerda made look so easy. Her tiny, pale fingers maneuvered the long needles the way she had been shown but they looked top heavy within her grip.
"You know," an amused voice said from the doorway. "I think I'll be ok with what I have."
Anna's head snapped up with surprise. The reason of her struggles was casually leaning against the door frame, still dressed in ice harvesting attire. She grinned reflexively and pushed off her window seat to run to him, her handy work falling forgotten on the floor. Kristoff stood straight and opened his arms to welcome her embrace. It was always came with more force than a girl of her size should be able to muster and would cause him to stumble slightly if he wasn't ready.
She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her feet dangle. "You're home early," she observed, pressing a small kiss to his cheek before releasing him and sliding down. Kristoff's skin tingled slightly where her lips had touched. "I wasn't expecting you home until late today."
"I filled my sleigh early," he answered with a small shrug. "I thought maybe you would like to have another picnic."
Her eyes grew slightly wider. "Can we get some chocolate cake?" she asked.
He gave her one of her favorite lopsided smiles. "Yeah, we'll get whatever you want," he answered. "Just let me get something else on. All this heavy stuff gets hot really quick when you're not in the mountain."
"Ok!" Anna said a little louder than needed. "I'll get the stuff together. Meet me in the kitchen, k?" her words trailed off as she ran down the hall leaving her bedroom wide open.
Kristoff shook his head as he watched her, though he knew that a smile was still plastered to his face. Once again he found himself caught up in how sweet she could be. He moved to close her door when something caught his eye: the disheveled pile of yarn on the floor with two long needles sticking out of it. He glanced back at the hallway that Anna had disappeared in before cautiously entering her room. He had never actually walked into it.
Of course he had seen it, standing in the entrance way to either greet her when he returned from a harvesting trip or drop her off and say goodnight before he retreated to his own quarters that the queen had graciously gave him.
Well, there was that night three weeks ago after Elsa had thawed everything and the world had gone back to semi-normal. There had been a lively celebration and Kristoff had carried Anna all the way from the courtyard to her room and tucked her into bed. But then it was different. In the weeks that passed, their kisses had become frequent, their touches more intimate. He knew better than to rush her into anything, not after what happened with Hans, but he also knew that she certainly returned his feelings.
He stooped down to hold up Anna's knitting attempt. The bottom was too loose and falling apart and gradually shrunk with each row. There were various knots in the yarn and Kristoff was almost certain that the hole in the center was caused by her getting her fingers caught in it. He gently set it on the window seat before exiting the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Anna quickly rummaged through the kitchen to find the perfect ingredients for sandwiches. She pulled out a ripe tomato, a green bell pepper, smoked pork loaf, sharp cheese, a spread made out of crushed mustard seeds, and these round things from the Italian delegates they called olives. She opened the glass jar to be hit with the scent of vinegar.
Anna coughed and quickly brought a hand to her nose. "Alright only a few of these," she said to herself, pulling out two of them and cutting them onto thin slices. She chopped the rest of the ingredients as needed and layered them onto crusty rolls. The hoagies came out much larger than she originally anticipated but that was ok; Kristoff was probably really hungry from working after all.
She also filled a flask with some Riesling and put everything into a large bread basket with a handle. A thin, folded blanket and a candle also went in it, completing the check list for a picnic… a romantic picnic.
A blush rose to Anna's cheeks as she thought of their last picnic; the way Kristoff's lips had caressed her own had left her in a blissful state and caused her to shiver. He had wrapped what he called a blanket around her, though it was more like a rag. It barely covered her; she couldn't imagine it keeping his large body warm! And that wasn't even mentioning the various holes sprinkled throughout it.
The following day she had marched right up to Gerda and asked for a knitting lesson. The processing of stitching yarn into scarves, blankets, and sweaters had always seemed too tedious for Anna. But, she wanted to do something special for Kristoff and was very determined to make him a warm blanket that he could take with on ice harvesting trips.
"Ready?" his familiar tenor voice said from behind her. Anna turned to smile at him. He was now out of his ice harvesting attire and dressed in a simple blue shirt, navy vest, brown pants, and leather boots. His hair was damp making it obvious he had attempted to wash off the smell of reindeer before their date.
"Definitely," she answered, spinning around on her heals and striding towards him.
He held out his hand to relieve her of the basket, surprised by the weight of it. "What did you pack us to eat?" he asked, casting her a sideways glance as they walked to the stables.
"Just some sandwiches," she answered nonchalantly.
"They feel like bricks. I don't think we'll have room for chocolate cake," he teased, raising an eyebrow.
Anna glared at him from beneath her bangs. "There is always room for chocolate cake," she countered fiercely. Her tone and face combined by their topic of conversation caused him to erupt with laughter.
"Calm down, Feistypants," he said gently, sliding a timid arm around her shoulders. "We'll make sure to get you your cake."
A satisfied grin spread across Anna's face. She leaned against him slightly, and, despite the warm summer air, enjoyed the heat he gave off.
"Are we gonna go to the same spot as last time?" she asked.
"Would you like to?" Kristoff asked, smiling at the way the weight of her head felt against his shoulder.
"Do you know of any other places we could try?"
"I can think of a place," the mountain man answered. "I went there to eat by myself a lot, but it will be nice to have you there."
Anna grinned wildly at him as they entered the stables. She always became quiet ecstatic when he would show her places and things that had previously just been for him and Sven.
The Princess and the Mountain Man each hopped on their mounts, his a charming reindeer and hers a beautiful mare. The animals had steadily begun to grow accustomed to each other. Though Eira, the horse, was still jumpy in Sven's presence.
Anna was an elegant rider. Finding comfort from Eira when she was lonely had given her quiet a lot of time on the saddle. It even surprised Kristoff how natural she looked on the saddle the first time they had ridden together.
"I wonder what other kinds of chocolate Edvin has today," Anna pondered aloud, talking about her favorite baker in Arendelle. "Remember those little square ones? The brownies?"
Kristoff scowled. "They would've been great without the walnuts," he said.
The princess giggled. "What's so wrong with walnuts?"
"I told you, they're the most bitter thing I've ever tasted!" Kristoff answered, glancing sideways at her.
Anna's face scrunched up slightly as if she were in deep thought. "There is this drink that Elsa likes that's super bitter. It's made with beans and served hot."
"Coffee?" Kristoff offered.
"That sounds right," Anna said, turning Eira down the street the Edvin's Bakery was on. "Do you drink it even though it's bitter?"
Kristoff smiled as she turned her nose towards the smell of fresh pastries, quickening Eira's pace reflexively. "I don't drink it, no, but some of the ice harvesters like it. I find it as gross as walnuts."
They dropped their mounts off outside the small shop and entered the confectionery-filled building.
"Your Highness, Ice Master, it's good to see you!" Edvin greeted them cheerfully. He was a fat, old man who resembled Kris Kringle to such a degree that little children would often proudly declare to him that they've been good all year. His rounded cheeks were bright and rosy and disappeared into a thick gray beard. He was always covered in flour and cocoa smudges but that only seemed to add to his charm.
Anna dipped a tiny curtsy and greeted Edvin, though her eyes were already glued to the various pastries. "What are these?" she asked hurrying over to a glass case with bite sized morsels on sticks.
"Chocolate cake pops," the baker said walking over to them. "The kids like them so I usually don't have very many left by this time."
Anna's eyes got bigger at the thought of a new pastry she hadn't yet tried. "Alright, we'll take four cake pops, and, oh! Do you have any brownies without walnuts?"
Edvin let out a jolly laugh while Kristoff rolled his eyes, though an affectionate smile lingered on his lips.
"Aye, princess. They just came out the oven. I'll get everything wrapped for you," the baker called over his shoulder as he walked back into his kitchen.
Anna walked back next to Kristoff and shyly reached for his hand. "Brownies with no nuts!" she said with a silly grin. The mountain man let out a small chuckle, grasping her hand firmly within his own.
The pair paid for their baked goods and began the ride to Kristoff's secret place. Anna was surprised at how far it was from the actual city.
"How do you find places way out here like this?" she asked.
"Sven and I didn't always have enough to afford inns on the days we were in town. Sometimes, we just didn't want to. So, on those days, I would go find a place to sleep out here," Kristoff answered with a shrug.
"What about in winter?" Anna was not fond of the idea of her mountain man sleeping outside in the frigid air.
"I spend a lot of winter in my cabin. People don't need as much ice when it's so cold out naturally. If I do make a harvest trip and go into town, I sleep wherever I can," he explained. Anna remembered the first time they had meant he and Sven were planning on spending the night in the Oaken Trading Post's barn.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Kristoff asked gently, noticing the way her brow was furrowed.
"You know you can stay at the palace whenever you want," Anna said quietly. "Especially if it's cold out. Elsa gave you those quarters for a reason."
His mouth slightly turned into the lopsided smile that made her heart jump. "Don't worry about me."
She opened her mouth to say that she was worried about him because she cared about him, but Sven stopped his movements, cuing Eira to do the same. "This is it!" Kristoff said, sliding down. He walked over to offer Anna his hand as she dismounted.
"Whoa…" the princess breathed, looking around. "I feel like I'm in a fairytale." Before her was a small set of waterfalls surrounded by brightly colored flowers of orange and purple. A group of rocks almost seemed to create a natural set of stairs to them. The air was cooler here and felt good against the heat of summer. The grass beneath her feet looked so soft that all she wanted to do was remove her shoes and feel it on her bare feet. "Kristoff, this is so beautiful."
The mountain man folded his arms across his chest and watched the princess absorb the scenery with a look of awe, his heat swelling at the sight.
Anna took a step up the natural stairs only to have her clumsiness come back to her and her feet slide. In a rather un-princess like manner, her arms began to fail around to catch anything to hold her up and a startled cry pushed past her lips. Closing her eyes, she got ready for the impact of hard ground and hoped that her head would hit grass and not rock.
But she didn't hit either of them, instead falling against something firm and warm. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Kristoff's concerned face looming over hers, his arms around her, keeping her from bruising herself. She felt her cheeks burn in a blush as he steadied her back into a standing position.
"You alright?" he asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm ok," Anna huffed out, her breathing a little heavy and her face still bright red. "Thanks."
Kristoff kept one of his hands on the small of her back. "The rocks are slippery from the waterfalls," he explained, unconsciously beginning to rub little circles on her with his hand. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
Anna grinned, her color finally returning to normal. "Yeah, let's bust out the brownies!"
Kristoff laughed. "Can't we start with the sandwiches?" he asked.
Anna giggled as she spread the blanket out while Kristoff found some rocks to put on the corners to keep it in place. "You can start with the sandwich. I want to try at least one cake pop."
"Fair enough," Kristoff said, plopping down and reaching into the basket. Anna sat down more gracefully, tucking her legs beneath her. She poured the Riesling into cups while he unwrapped their sandwiches for them and began to wolf his down before she finished. He always ate like this when he came back from his harvesting trips. Apparently, spending three or four days harvesting, hauling, and selling ice worked up a mighty appetite.
Anna took a slow sip of her wine before she stuck one of the cake pops in her mouth. Her eyes lit up in delight at the moist chocolate flavor that was surrounded by even more chocolate. "This is so good," she said, her mouth still full of the confectionery.
Krisotff was already half way through his giant sandwich. "What're the salty things that are in here?" he asked.
"They're called olives," his companion answered. "The Italian delegates brought them. I thought they smelled kinda strong so I sliced them thin."
"They're good," he said, taking another bite.
She smiled and began to dig into her own sandwich. "So how was your harvesting trip?"
"It went well. I was done early and made a lot of money," and answered, licking mustard off his fingers.
"Can I go with on the next one?" she asked hopefully.
Kristoff almost choked on his sandwich. Anna began to forcefully hit him on his back until his coughing ceased.
"You want to what now?" he snapped, his voice louder than he meant it to be.
"Go on a harvesting trip with you," she answered, tilting her head to the side. "You ok?"
"I'm fine," he mumbled, casting his eyes down.
"You… you don't want me to go," Anna said softly, recoiling from him a little.
"Anna, it's not like that. Ice harvesting is dangerous. I would never be able to forgive myself if you got hurt. That and my cabin is only one room. You wouldn't…"
"How is that a problem?" she interjected.
Kristoff felt his face flush. "I… you… it wouldn't be proper!" he exclaimed, shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and looking anywhere but her.
A sly grin spread across Anna's face, her own cheeks tinting pink. "Neither is taking the princess to a secluded waterfall in the woods."
"We're just having a picnic!" he exclaimed.
"A perfect picnic," she agreed, scooting closer to him. Her lips parted slightly once she was next to him and her head tilted up. He accepted her invitation and turned to bring one of his hands to the back of her neck and touch his lips to hers. She leaned forward more to deepen the kiss and savored the gentle sweetness that was Kristoff.
He very slowly broke the kiss, sliding his hand from her neck to cup her cheek and opening his eyes to meet her starry gaze. She let out a soft sigh before shifting so she could pull off her shoes as she had been tempted to since they get here.
"What are you doing?" Kristoff asked, his eyes growing wide as he watched her begin to tug at her stockings.
"Taking off my shoes," she answered.
"I can see that. Why?" he said with raised eyebrows.
"Because I want to," was the simple response.
Kristoff watched her rise to her feet, now bare-legged. She very carefully pressed her toe off the blanket as a test feel before smiling and walking off of it completely, making her way to the stone stairs. His legs reflexively pulled him up to follow her.
The stone was slightly damp and cool, especially in the patches of moss growing on them. She smiled at the way it squished under her feet. Mist from the waterfall gently sprayed her face and arms leaving tiny droplets of water. Sunlight peaked through the trees, illuminating the water in the pool so you could see your reflection.
"Kristoff, let's go swimming," the princess's voice cut through the mesmerized hold she had on him.
"The water will be cold. It runs down from the North Mountain," he said gently, finally walking up to her. She grabbed onto his arm once he was next to her and pulled him forward.
"That's ok. The air is so hot anyway!" Anna exclaimed, her fingers already reaching for the lacings on the back of her brown dress. "I've always wanted to go swimming!"
"You've never been swimming?" the surprise in Kristoff's voice was evident.
Anna grinned up at him, "No… well once I tried to. When I was ten, my tutor was teaching me about this fishing island off the coast of Portugal. They're one of our biggest trading partners because the ice we trade them keeps they're fish fresher longer. He told me that the water was so clear that there's a legend that the fishermen just jump into the water and can catch fish with their bare hands."
"So, you wanted to try," Kristoff offered, knowing where this story was going.
Anna nodded. "Yes, when my lessons were finished I decided I was going to try to catch a fish. I asked Elsa to join me but she didn't want to so I went by myself. I ran out of the castle, up the dock, and jumped right into the Fjord!" She laughed at the memory. "But, I didn't know how to swim. I thought it would just come to me, no one said that there was actual skill involved. Luckily, one of the merchants saw me flailing around and saved me."
Kristoff was frowning by the end of her story. He instinctively pulled his arm out of her grip and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking her safely to his side. "I was fine," she said with a smile, noticing his change in demeanor.
His lips softly pressed to her forehead. "So, you were always a fiestypants."
Anna couldn't help but laugh at his words. "I guess so. Now, let's go swimming!"
Kristoff's arm tightened. "You still don't know how to swim?"
Anna bit her lip. "It can't be that deep. I'll be…"
Kristoff cut her off with a kiss. Her hand reflexively gripping the front of his vest, wrinkling the fabric in her fist. "I promise I'll take you somewhere and teach you to swim. Someplace mush less cold without waterfalls."
"When?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"After my next harvesting trip," he said, going in for another kiss, but she pulled back slightly.
"That means you're leaving soon. You just got back!" her bottom lip stuck out without her meaning it to.
"It's summer. It's hot. People want their ice," he explained quietly, hand on her cheek. He used to love when it came time to go back to the mountains again and leave the cruelty of civilization. Now, it meant leaving Anna. "I leave tomorrow morning, early. But I should be back in only two days this time."
"Can I come with?" her voice was so hopeful it pained him to answer.
"We just talked about this," he groaned exaggeratedly.
"No, you just said that you didn't want me coming because it isn't proper for me to stay in your cabin," she stepped out of his touch as she spoke.
"It's too dangerous," he snapped, his voice growing louder.
"If it's really that dangerous, then YOU shouldn't be going either," she barked. Her legs began to walk backwards to their picnic blanket so she could get shoes and stockings back on.
"I've been doing this my whole life. I know what I'm doing!" he followed her, his hands curling into fists.
"You had to start sometime," Anna pointed out, rolling her eyes. Her stockings were loose but on her legs. She stood up to stomp into her shoes. "You told me you started when you were a little kid."
"You were raised in a castle. You don't even know how to swim and yet you expect to go ice harvesting! What if you fall in? But no, you didn't think that through. You never think ANYTHING through," his voice was loud enough now that it echoed against the stones of the oasis.
The mountain man's face was red with anger. His fists were in tight balls and shaking. He was overwhelming large to begin with; combing that with the ire and yelling was absolutely terrifying. Anna winced and shrunk back, letting out a tiny whimper. The sound felt like a stab in Kristoff's chest… his princess was scared of him.
"Hey," his soft voice sounded like a whisper compared to what it had just been.
That's when he saw the tears squeeze out her blue eyes. His calloused hand reached out to wipe them away but she recoiled again.
"I'm going home," the words sounded crueler than anything else she had ever said to him. Anna quickly mounted Eira. "Just keep whatever's left."
"Wait, can I ride with you?" he cried hurriedly.
Anna's face wrinkled into a scowl. "Why? Do you think I'm too stupid to figure out how to get back? Because I'm just a ditsy princess who can't think."
Kristoff winced. "I never…"
"Whatever," she snapped, cutting him off.
Her knees urged Eira forward at a fast pace before Kristoff could say anything else.
The mountain man stood for a moment, the only sound was that of the waterfall and birds. Sven walked to him and gently nudged his shoulders.
"Yeah, I messed up, didn't I buddy?" he huffed out.
"You should tell her you're sorry," he responded to himself in the goofy voice he used for Sven.
With a heavy sigh, he began to collect the remains of their once perfect picnic, trying to come up with a way to make it up to Anna before he left.
Anna stared angrily at the hearth in the library. Despite that it was empty for summer, she still liked to look at the fireback. It was a stallion, the symbol of the house of Arendelle, standing against the rising sun with a long flowing mane and tail. Each room had a different stallion fireback, but this one was Anna's favorite. She shoved greedy spoonfuls of chocolate pudding her mouth, not caring that she looked like a total slob.
"Anna?"
The red-headed princess almost choked in surprise. She quickly wiped at her mouth to remove excess pudding from her lips. Ok, maybe she did care that she looked like a slob… just a little.
"Hi Elsa," she said with a sigh.
"I thought Kristoff was coming home today," the queen said gently, walking over the sit with her sister.
"He did. He got back early," Anna grumbled.
"Oh," Elsa quipped, raising her eyebrows. "I thought you would be with him. You two are usually impossible to separate when he's home."
"We had a fight," the younger woman explained quietly, setting her pudding aside and bringing her knees to her chest.
Elsa timidly, and somewhat awkwardly, reached forward to stroke Anna's hair in a comforting motion. "Want to talk about it?"
"He thinks I'm stupid," Anna blurted out, her tears once again spilling over.
Elsa's brow furrowed in confusion. In the few weeks that she had gotten to know Kristoff, he gave no impression that he thought her sister was stupid. In fact, he often asked her opinion on many things and listened closely to take her answers into consideration. He had once even told the queen how he was impressed that anyone could remember as many delegates' names as Anna. But, if he did say or think that of the princess, he would have Elsa to answer to.
"What did he say?" Elsa asked, scooting closer so she could dab Anna's face with a handkerchief.
The redhead grabbed it and loudly blew her nose into it. Elsa winced at the sound and tried not to look disgusted when Anna held it back to her, pinching it with two fingers to keep from touching it too much.
"He has to go back out tomorrow so I asked to go with him," Anna began to explain. Elsa felt her stomach drop a little at the suggestion of her baby sister going ice harvesting. "He said that it was too dangerous and that he only has one room in his cabin…"
"Anna, those are fair points. Besides that, the delegates from Ireland are coming tomorrow. I can't tell them that the princess is on a trip alone with her boyfriend," Elsa tried to keep her reasonable tone soft. "Just because Kristoff wants to keep you safe doesn't mean that he thinks you're stupid."
"He said that I don't think things through. He screamed it at me!" Anna was getting a little annoyed; her sister seemed to be taking Kristoff's side.
Elsa sighed. "It's not right for him to yell at you, but Anna, you are spontaneous. A lot of times that can be wonderful! But sometimes you do need someone, like Kristoff, to… to watch your back."
"I'm not a child," Anna said pointedly. "I am eighteen years old and I can decide for myself if something is too dangerous for me or not."
"That still doesn't change the fact that you have duties as Princess of Arendelle tomorrow," Elsa's voice was still gentle, but also stern. With a sigh, she stood up, pulling Anna with her by the arms. "You have a right to be angry at Kristoff for yelling at you, but just remember that he does care… and I really doubt he thinks you're stupid. Why don't you have a nice cup of tea and go to bed. It'll clear your head."
Anna nodded numbly. "Yeah, alright."
Elsa gave her little sister a tight hug. "Goodnight Anna."
"Goodnight Elsa."
"Princess Anna," a voice was calling her out of her happy sleep. "Princess Anna!"
"Mmph," the protesting groan left Anna's lips as she pulled the sheets over her head.
"Princess Anna, the Irish delegates have docked. Queen Elsa requested that you get ready and go with her to greet them," Kai continued.
Anna forced herself to pull the sheets back down and reply to him. "I'll be right there," her voice trailed off into a yawn.
That's when she smelled it. The most amazing, wonderful, delicious scent in the whole wide world: chocolate. She bolted upright and her blue eyes snapped open in search of the smooth, brown treats she knew were near.
Sitting in what seemed like heavenly bliss on her dresser, was a tray of brownies. Anna squeaked and jumped up, running over to them. She shoved one into her mouth without question, savoring the chocolaty gooiness.
So caught up in her dessert, she almost missed the note tucked under the corner of the tray. Raising an eyebrow, she pulled it out with a delicate hand. It was written in sloppy, mountain man handwriting and had some chocolate smudged on it, but it was still legible.
Anna,
I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you and I never should have said what I said. You are one of the smartest people I know, so please, don't ever call yourself stupid. When we get back, we can talk about maybe you coming with me on a harvesting trip someday.
I hope you can forgive me. Enjoy your brownies. They're from Edvin's. I can't wait to get home to see you again.
Kristoff
Truth be told, Anna had almost forgotten about yesterday's events. Elsa was right when she said that a long sleep would clear her head. A large smile spread across the princess's face. He said they could talk about – which meant that there was a chance she could get to go ice harvesting with him! And, the most important of all, he didn't think she was stupid or couldn't take care of herself.
But now, she needed to figure out a way to make it up to him. Kristoff had given her brownies. He had apologized for yelling and being mean. She needed to apologize for being stubborn and ditching him on his only night home this week.
A knock on her door startled her. "Princess Anna, Queen Elsa is ready to leave. She requests you hurry," Kai said through the door.
"I'll be right down."
"My dear, perhaps you should just start with a small square for practice," Gerda said gently, looking at Anna's mass of knots that she had her long needles wrapped around.
The princess looked at the older woman's perfectly straight and beautiful pair of mittens that were now almost complete and let out another sigh. "I really want to have a blanket ready for Kristoff when he gets back," she explained quietly.
Gerda clicked her tongue. "I know you said you wanted to learn to knit, but maybe that's not really what you're looking for."
"Well, how else am I supposed to make a blanket?" Anna said, her face scrunched in a scowl.
"I can teach you to crochet," Gerda answered with a smile.
Anna set her knitting on her lap and gave the maid her full attention. "Crochet?"
"Yes, you use a single hook instead of a needle. It's a bit easier and faster. I can teach you how to make a granny square. Each one only takes a few minutes to make and then you can sew them together to make a blanket."
Anna's eyes lit up from Gerda's explanation. "Yes, I would love to learn to crochet. Can you please show me, Gerda?"
The older woman let out a soft chuckle. "Of course, my dear. Let me get the hooks and we'll begin."
Kristoff stifled a groan as he stood up from kneeling to clean Sven's hooves. It was late. The only people awake in the castle at this time were the late night guards and the mice looking for crumbs. He was exhausted, sore, and hungry. This trip was only supposed to last two days; he had planned on returning in the early afternoon of the day before. But a freak storm had delayed him. He had spent a large amount of time digging out his cabin and sleigh.
His muscles screamed in protest as he turned to grab some carrots to feed to his reindeer friend before he retired to his room.
"Kristoff?" a gentle voice called to him.
He whirled around. "Anna?"
She smiled softly at him. Her eyes looked drowsy and glossed over. She was wearing a thin, pink nightgown with a silky white robe over it, tied in the front with a pink ribbon. Her hair had started to gain some of its nightly unruliness with a few tangles. Without missing a beat, she ran forward and threw her arms around his middle, hiding her face against his chest. Kristoff's arms came around her. It was easy to ignore the ache in his shoulders with Anna so close to him. He dipped his head down to breathe in her scent and felt hot tear begin to soak into his coat.
"What's wrong Anna? Why are you up?" he asked gently.
"I… I was so worried. Elsa told me that you'd probably come home last night and you didn't, so when she said that you'd probably come home tonight I… I couldn't sleep. I kept staring out the window. I… was so scared that something had happened." Her arms squeezed tighter and tighter the more she spoke.
Kristoff gently began to stroke her hair with his calloused fingers. "Oh Anna, I'm so sorry. There was a fre…"
The princess shook her head. "No, don't be sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm so stubborn and crazy. I'm sorry I left you in the forest. I'm sorry I…"
Kristoff took a small step back and put his hands on either side of her face. "Hey, it's ok," he promised.
The he brought his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, tired almost, put still filled with passion and love. He wanted the comfort and sweetness that was Anna. She relished in the feeling of knowing that her mountain man was here and safe.
Kristoff pulled apart from her slowly, coming back a few times for briefer kisses before fully pulling away. "So am I forgiven?" he asked gently.
Anna smiled gently at him. "Yes… Am I?"
He kissed her again. "Yes," his voice was gruff when he answered her.
"I have something for you," Anna said, her voice regaining its usual playfulness. He raised his eyebrows. "It's in my room. Come on."
Kristoff didn't protest as Anna grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him out of the stables and into the room, bouncing a bit as she walked. At least he wasn't blindfolded this time. The couple made their way to Anna's room, Kristoff trying to hush her excited giggles as not to wake up the rest of the castle.
"Sit on the bed and close your eyes!" the princess instructed. "I have it in my closet."
Kristoff did as she asked, silently wanting to take off his ice harvesting gear now that he was in the heat of the city. He saw the room illuminate slightly, probably from her lighting a candle.
"Alright, open them!"
Blinking his heavy eyelids back up and saw his beautiful princess holding up a perfectly crocheted blanket that, judging by her expression, she had made herself. It was huge and thick – perfect for the ice harvester to use on the North Mountain.
"Anna, you made this?" he asked, his voice in awe despite his drowsiness.
She nodded eagerly. "Gerda showed me how to do it. I stayed up for two nights but I got it finished. You can take it with you next time you go. There's even room enough for two," she finished, giving him a sly smile.
He was too tired to be embarrassed by her suggestion. Instead he stood up and pulled her into another hug. "Sounds like you haven't gotten much sleep at all these past few days," he mumbled quietly.
She nuzzled his neck, planting a gentle kiss there. "It's alright," she promised. "It was worth it." Kristoff shuddered slightly at the feeling of her soft lips against his sensitive skin. She brought one of her hands up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Hey Kristoff?"
"Hm?" he mumbled, not wanting to release her.
"Thank you for the brownies."
He chuckled softly. "Thanks for the blanket."
She grinned and kissed his neck again. "Kristoff?"
"Hm?"
"It's probably not 'proper' for you to be in my room at two in the morning," her voice was teasing.
Kristoff responded by picking her up and tossing her on the huge bed. The sound she let out was the mix between a shriek and laughter. He moved to crawl on top of her, silencing her with a kiss.
Hey everyone, Annie here.
My first Frozen story and I hope you enjoyed it. Write a comment below & let me know! The knitting/crochet thing is a real life problem of mine. I've known how to crochet for years, but I cannot for the life of my knit correctly.
Avatar the Last Airbender fans, check out my story Something Worth Fighting For – It's an adventure/romance shipping my OC Yumi with Zuko.
s/9494557/1/Something-Worth-Fighting-For
Yumi is a sixteen year old girl living in the Southern Water Tribe. She dreams of becoming a great warrior like her mother, but how can she when she is a coward with no one to teach her? When she finds herself on the ship of a certain banished Prince, her life changes completely - again. Will she find her courage? Will he give her something worth fighting for?