Day 488
There it was.
The bench- his bench.
Their bench.
He sat down and looked over the city. He thought about how stupid love really was, and how unrealistic it was. If there was so much as a thing, why had it attacked him so much? All he wanted was her. All she wanted was anything but him.
Kristoff was finally pursuing his dream, too- ice. He was applying for a job in the Polar ice caps to explore life there. He had to get away from Anna Summers, from any thoughts of Anna Summers, any memories of Anna Summers, Anna Summers, Anna Summers, Anna, Anna...
He realized he was going crazy. But he let his mind wander off to Anna, her thick orange braids, her big blue eyes, her laugh, her smile... he hated all of it. She broke his heart.
Kristoff liked to people watch. He watched an elderly couple slowly make their way across the sidewalk, laughing and enjoying each other's presence.
He smiled, and for that split second, he believed in love and everything about it.
But then his thoughts came falling back into reality when he heard it. Her voice. His name.
"Hey, Kristoff." She smiled down from her bench, about 10 feet away. Kristoff gave her an emotionless look and watched as she stood up and moved herself towards him. "Thought I might see you here."
He looked at his shoes, which were shined for his interview. Close your eyes. Don't look at her.
Anna paused at the large tree next to the bench and looked out over the city, not letting her eyes wander to Kristoff. She leaned against the tree and let a sigh fall out of her mouth.
"You know, I've always loved this place. Ever since you brought me here." The two waited for someone to say something, to do something, anything. Kristoff wanted Anna to apologize, to kiss him, to love him, and all Anna wanted was forgiveness.
It was Kristoff who said something first.
"I guess I should congratulate you, then." Anna laughed and looked down at her finger. The finger that held the ring. The ring that held the promise. The promise that broke Kristoff's heart.
"Only if you mean it."
Kristoff found this funny, and he used this chance to show Anna how she'd hurt him.
"Well, in that case-" he stared at her, without completing the sentence.
She laughed, but it was a fake laugh. The words stung her and burned in her ears. She knew what she'd done was wrong, but it was for the best. Kristoff didn't feel bad at all for what he had said- she deserved it.
"So are you okay?" She started walking over to his bench. No. Kristoff thought. This isn't our bench anymore- it's mine. She had broken that bond, and for her to sit at his bench was just plain wrong.
"I will be. Eventually." He remembered what Olaf had told him. Remember the bad stuff. Anna had never been thankful for what he had done for her. She was always overly-clumsy and pretty dumb at times. But that's why he loved her...
She sat. On *their* bench.
"I like your suit!"
"Thanks."
"You look sharp."
"So do you."
"Thanks." The petty talk between the two of them only made things even more awkward and Anna hoped with all her heart that he would say something, anything. Just so the two of them could talk like they used to.
"I quit the office."
This surprised Anna- she knew Kristoff had always been passionate about ice and winter, but she also knew he was constantly making excuses to not quit his job and continue his dream.
"You did?" she asked excitedly. He nodded, proud of his accomplishments. "I didn't know! That's great." He continued to nod, cautious of what he said next.
"And you-" he hesitated. "You're married." It pained him to say it, but he knew that eventually he would have to wake up and smell the coffee. The lukewarm, low price, expired, coffee.
"Yeah." Anna said, sounding happy, but in a fake way. "Crazy, huh." It was not a question, but instead, an answer. An answer to her question which was never asked, but nevertheless, an answer. As if Kristoff was the crazy one who believed in true love. Well, now the tides had turned and Anna was the one. Stupid, stupid love.
Kristoff stared at her. She was beautiful. She was perfect, in the complete wrong ways. He felt a burning passion of hate towards her, but he couldn't drop the feeling of love.
Once again, the two sat in awkward silence.
"You should have told me."
A breath escaped from Anna's lips. This is what she had been waiting for- the painful remorse of their once love affair.
"When we were at the wedding." She nodded in agreement. He was right. "And we were dancing."
"Well, he hadn't asked me yet." What a stupid excuse that was, and the both of knew it.
"Yeah, but you were seeing each other." Anna knew there was no way around this, so she simply nodded. "Why did you dance with me?"
Anna thought this was a simple answer, but apparently Kristoff didn't. He looked at her, perplexed.
She shrugged. "Because I wanted to."
This angered Kristoff. Because she wanted to. Because she wanted to? Well, Kristoff wanted to kiss her. Kristoff also wanted to slap her, but her held himself back because he was better than she was.
"You just do what you want, don't you," he said, under his breath. He raised his voice and smiled sarcastically. "You never wanted to be somebody's girlfriend but now you're somebody's wife."
Both of them looked over the city.
"It surprised me too."
"I don't think I'll ever understand that." He shook his head. Why me? He wanted to plead to her. "I mean, it just doesn't make sense."
It didn't make sense to Anna either. She liked Kristoff better, and he had taught her what true love really was. In return, she had taught him what true love really wasn't. To her, she was teaching him a lesson. That love, in it's pure essence, is unpredictable. Love is never true.
"It just happened." She lied.
"That's what I don't understand- what just happened?" Anna knew that now was the time to tell him. Her love for Hans wasn't real- it was just to show Kristoff what he thought of and dreamed of as true love was completely false.
"I just woke up one day, and I knew."
"Knew what?"
She paused.
And she was completely truthful in her next words.
"What I was never sure of with you."
Kristoff didn't know what to say to this- at this point he was done with Anna. Anna Summers was just a speck of white in his black life.
"You know what sucks? Realizing that everything you believe in is complete and utter bullshit."
There- she had done it. Anna made him realize what love really...wasn't. And she felt surprisingly horrible. Kristoff looked like he might be crying.
"Like what?"
"You know, fate, destiny, true love. You were right, about it all."
She shook her head. "No." She laughed.
He looked at her, confused. "What?"
"Just no."
"I-I don't get it."
"I was walking down the pier and this guy bumps into me, and he catches me, and soon enough we're talking and he asks me out on a date. And that guy, he's now my husband."
Kristoff was thoroughly confused now. "So?"
"So what if I had gone to the movies, or the bookstore, or just stayed home?" Anna thought she might be believing in true love, now that she thought about it. "It was meant to be."
Kristoff laughed at her. She laughed with him, but the two of them were clearly faking it.
"I just kept thinking- Kristoff was right, y'know?" Kristoff shook his head.
"No."
"It just wasn't me that you were right about."
The two of them looked off into the city again, and ever so slowly, Anna placed her hand atop Kristoff's.
Kristoff looked at her hand, her bejeweled wedding ring, and back at her. He stared at her, smiling.
She slowly grabbed his hand.
Kristoff swore that in that moment, he was once happy again.
Day 500
Kristoff sat down across from a girl. Just a girl.
"So, I guess you're my competition."
She laughed.
"Yup." Kristoff knew that this wasn't anything close to his love for Anna. This was just a side conversation.
A man called his name.
"Good luck," she told him. He nodded to her.
He started walking off when he thought about it. True love...was false. Maybe he should give this girl a chance.
Maybe he should give himself a chance.
He ran back into the waiting room.
"Hey, when we're done, want to go get some coffee or something?" The girl smiled and nodded.
He held out his hand.
"Kristoff Bjorgman."
"Elsa," she said. "Elsa Winters."
AN: So... What do you think? I like it, personally. It's cute as a one shot but I could do the entire 500 Days of Summer if you think I should. Review and tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: (500) Days of Summer and Frozen aren't mine.