DISCLAIMER: All of the places and characters in this story belong to Disney and are inspired by the work of Hans Christian Andersen. No profit is being made from this story. It only serves to (hopefully) entertain.

Rated K+ for a fluff overdose. Written for Karis.

Bedtime Slippers

Kristoff stood outside Anna's dressing quarters, already in his formal wear and gently rapping on the door. He knew she didn't like being rushed, but they were already late for the party downstairs; they'd been expected in the ballroom ten minutes ago. It would forever remain a mystery to him why his wife took so long to get ready.

"Anna?" he asked politely. No answer. He knocked again. "Anna?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Is everything alright in there?"

"Mhm. Fine."

"We... er, we kind of need to get downstairs soon. Everyone's waiting."

"O-okay. Just give... give me a minute. Just a minute."

Kristoff narrowed his eyes at the closed door. Anna didn't sound right. Her voice was unusually shaky, and not in the I'm-so-excited-I'm-stumbling-over-my-own-words type of shaky. Something was wrong.

"Anna, are you alright? Can I come in?"

"As long as no one else is w-with you."

"Why would anyone else would be with me?" Kristoff asked nonchalantly as he opened the door. "Elsa's the only one who would be, but she's al- whoa!"

His jaw dropped at the sight of Anna in her new gown that had been tailored specifically for tonight and fitted just right for her condition. The dress was a rich, velvety plum that was beautifully flattering, even with her heavily rounded belly. Her hair was prettily done up in an elegant twist that must have taken at least an hour and was complimented with a violet ribbon. She hadn't put on her shoes yet, but they were on the floor beside her feet and were an impeccable match for the gown.

She looked gorgeous.

"Anna, you... you're beautiful!" he gasped breathlessly.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm huge."

When she finally shifted her gaze from the floor to him, Kristoff saw the sadness lurking in his wife's eyes. She wasn't crying, but the way her lower lip was wobbling slightly signaled that she might begin to shortly if he didn't say something.

"Anna, no," he countered, closing the door behind him and sitting beside her. He tenderly took one of her hands in his. "You look stunning. Why are you upset?"

"It's just... it's my shoes."

"Your shoes?"

"They don't fit."

"What do you mean, they don't fit?" Kristoff asked. "Weren't they crafted just for you?"

"Yes, but... Kristoff, look at my feet! They're so swollen!"

Kristoff looked down to see that she most definitely was not joking. Anna's feet were red and puffy, and her ankles appeared to be in equal distress.

"I tried to get the shoes on," Anna sniffled, "but the straps are too tight. I can't get them in all the way. They fit fine when I tried them on a month ago, but now..."

"Do you have any others you could wear?"

"Kristoff, they're all too small!" she cried. "The only ones I can get on are my bedtime slippers. I can't wear those to the party!"

Anna tried with all her might to withhold her tears, but a few managed to slip out. Kristoff felt awful. He knew she hadn't been feeling well, but she was too proud, too stubborn to tell Elsa she just wasn't up to attending this time, even though the party was for her. All of the guests were already downstairs awaiting her arrival; she couldn't back out now. Kristoff slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her comfortingly against him.

"I'm just so tired, Kristoff," she continued, head falling against his chest. "I'm tired of feeling miserable and fat. I'm sick of my back and feet aching every time I try to stand, and I'm sick of being exhausted all the time. I just want to stay up here until this baby is born so no one can see how gross I've become."

"You're not gross," Kristoff soothed. "I know you're not feeling your best, but you're absolutely glowing. Anna, you look so pretty."

Anna tilted her head up.

"Really?"

"Really," he affirmed. "You're so lovely."

"Thanks," she whispered.

Anna tenderly rubbed her belly, smoothing over the violet fabric of her dress. Kristoff placed his own hand over hers as he so often did, moving right along with her. He still couldn't help but marvel at the fact that their child was in there, growing bigger and stronger each day; even with only a month or so to go, it continued to feel surreal.

"I'm sorry I did this to you," Kristoff murmured playfully, a whimsical look on his face.

Anna chuckled. "I'm not."

"I'm not either, really," he said seriously, "but I am sorry it's making you feel so lousy."

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it in the end, right? Not much longer now."

"I can't wait."

"Neither can I."

Kristoff cupped her chin, tilting her head up so he could capture her lips with his own. The kiss was modest but sweet. He pressed his forehead against Anna's after giving her nose a quick peck.

"Now," he began, "we have to figure out this shoe situation, don't we?"

Anna sighed. "I told you, the only pair that fits is my-"

"Your slippers. I guess you're going to have to wear those."

"No. Absolutely not. I can't wear slippers to a royal gathering!"

"Well, you have to wear something. What do you suggest?"

"Try to get them on for me," Anna said. "My real shoes, I mean. You're stronger than I am. Maybe you can push them on."

"No," he denied. "Anna, I'm not going to let you hurt your feet to impress people at a party. You don't need to prove anything to them."

"Kristoff-"

"Wear your slippers."

"Kristoff!"

"Anna, you're with child, and you deserve to be comfortable."

"But I'll look ridiculous!"

"Is that really all you're worried about? Looking ridiculous?"

"Well, yes," she said with a shrug. "Slippers with a ballgown, Kristoff? Don't be absurd."

"Oh, I will be absurd," he said cheekily. "I'll be right back."

Kristoff quickly departed the room and headed for his own dressing quarters, intent on being just as stubborn as his princess. She may have scoffed at the idea of forfeiting elegance for comfort in her condition, but he was adamant about showing her such a thing was perfectly alright.

When he returned to Anna, Kristoff was wearing his own bedtime slippers in place of the fancy black dress shoes he'd had on a minute before. She grinned, turned the faintest shade of pink, and giggled.

"What? Now we're even," he said, sitting beside her once more. "So, here's what I'm thinking. You're going to put on your own bedtime slippers so I don't feel like a fool."

"Kristoff..."

"And then, we're going to head down to the ballroom so we can assure everyone we're still alive and well, because I'm sure they're a bit concerned about us at this point."

"You're probably right."

"We're going to stay for an hour, maybe two, but no more than that. We'll be sure to greet everyone and thank them for attending, but you know as well as I do that the moment the wine starts flowing, no one cares what the original purpose of the party was. If anyone does happen to ask, we're going to politely tell them to back off because you're pregnant and need your rest."

"Always the charmer, aren't you?" she chuckled.

"And then," he continued, "we're going to retreat to our bedchamber and change into our comfy nightclothes. After that, I'm going to give you a nice massage. Neck, shoulders, back... the works."

Anna's eyebrows perked up.

"Even my feet?" she asked.

"Especially your feet."

"Hmm," she hummed contently, closing her eyes and smiling. "That sounds delightful."

"So get those slippers on, Princess. The sooner we make our pleasantries, the sooner we can come back upstairs."

"And cake," she added quickly as she slid her swollen feet into her slippers. "Pleasantries and cake. I'm not leaving without dessert."

"You and your sweets," he muttered, shaking his head. "Yes, we'll get you some cake."

"Oh, it's not for me. It's for the baby."

"I'm sure it is."

Anna giggled as Kristoff scooped her up into his arms. She'd be on her feet enough at the party; he wasn't about to make her walk down three flights of stairs on top of that. As he carried her to the ballroom, Anna nestled her head against the curve of his neck and blissfully sighed.

"You're the sweetest," she remarked as he put her back down just outside the entrance to the ballroom. The chatter amongst the party guests could be heard out in the corridor.

"Remember what I said earlier, love," he said, gently brushing a hand against her cheek. "You look absolutely beautiful. Happy birthday, Anna."

"Thank you."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

She took a deep breath and looped her arm through his for support. Kristoff opened the doors, and he and Anna were met with applause and cheer as their slipper-clad feet walked across the threshold.

Author's Note: I was in a fluffy mood. It doesn't happen often. :p Anyway, this story takes place roughly a month before the events of my other story, In a Heartbeat.

Thanks for reading!