Tandem
"I can't wait to show you my birthday present from Elsa!" Anna declared as she dragged Kristoff by the hand through the court yard. Though she had to take two strides for every one of his, he still found it hard to keep up with her when she was feeling particularly sprite. Today was one of those days.
Kristoff bumped into Anna as she made an abrupt stop in front of the stables. The couple blushed awkwardly at the contact before Anna turned her gaze upon the three wheeled, two seated, contraption of iron and wood that stood near the stable entrance.
"Ta-da! EEEEKKK! Isn't it great!" Anna was bouncing.
"What is it?" Kristoff asked.
"It's a velocipede," Anna sounded out slowing and waved her hand in the air for dramatic effect.
"A what? "
"It's like a walking machine. They have them in the courts of Germany. You ride it. I mean, we, can ride it. I thought about getting just a regular one for one but then I thought what fun would it be to just ride around by myself all day, it would be way more fun if Kristoff or Elsa could join me!"
"Humph. I already have a walking machine. Two of them in fact, I call them my legs."
Anna playfully smacked him across his forearm, "Come on. Let's try it out."
"I am not getting on that," Kristoff braced himself.
"But it is my birthday!" Anna whined.
"Ah-ah, nope, no way. Did Elsa really pick this out for you? Does she not know anything about you at all?" Kristoff was skeptical of Anna's story and the contraption in front of him.
"Not exactly. She said I could have anything I wanted. I read about velocipedes in the Courtly News. Apparently, there are places where people race them. You know how I like to go fast! Come on, ride with me!" Anna pulled on his arm and bounced up and down like a toddler in a candy store.
"If I want to ride something, I'll ride Sven." Kristoff grimaced worried that didn't come out the way he intended.
"Argh! What are you, some sort of scared-y cat?" Anna taunted.
"No. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't get hurt." Anna retorted.
"You might."
"I won't."
"No, you're right. You probably won't get hurt. You can perform the most klutzy and daring acts of physics and you know who gets hurt? Me!" Kristoff affirmed.
"Oh, you said yourself you have a thick skull."
"Ok fine. We will try this thing. But I'm driving," Kristoff caved to the determined red head.
It took a couple of tries and a couple of tumbles but eventually they got the hang of the tandem trike. Kristoff tried hard to pretend he wasn't having fun, but it wasn't long before they were zooming through the garden laughing and terrorizing the staff.
Like being on the trike, being with Anna was a rush and Kristoff could not help but smile as he returned her bike to the stable before rejoining her for a birthday dinner that was sure to include chocolate cake.
After dinner, Kristoff remembered he still had to give Anna her present. He wasn't sure he could top a velocipede. He waited until everyone returned to their duties so it was just him, Anna and Elsa in the drawing room. He would have preferred if Elsa wasn't there but Elsa insisted they be chaperoned after a certain public dock yard kiss was brought to her attention.
"You're lucky I didn't get hurt today or I wouldn't be able to play this for you," Kristoff looked at Anna shyly while he tuned his lute. He pulled a crumbled piece of paper out of his pocket and laid it in the floor in front of him.
He gave Elsa a raised eyebrow glare, "All righty, Anna. As per requested. You get to hear me sing. But don't ask me ever again."
"EEEE!" Anna flashed him a huge smile.
Who was he kidding? He'd do anything she asked.
"I've never met a girl like you,
So strong but sweet, a light so true,
You brighten everything, you do,
I'd walk a million steps with you
Kristoff stopped singing to laugh, "But now I don't have to because you got us a damn bike."
Anna threw a pillow from chaise she was sitting on at him before getting up to steal a kiss.