Kristoff cringed as the door slammed behind him, and he tiptoed up the stairs with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. It was past one in the morning and he didn't want to wake his mom so late. Or was it early? It was morning, after all.
He sat down on a stair and yawned. Tonight had been rough; he would no doubt feel plenty of bruises tomorrow. He laid his head back on a step above him, too exhausted to go up any farther.
I guess I'll just sleep here...
The light turned on and Kristoff groaned, covering his eyes with his arm. "You didn't have to wait up for me, Mom."
He didn't open his eyes, but he knew she had her hands on her hips. "I watched the local news."
"Mom, I'm tired. Couldn't we go over this in the morning?"
" Kristoff..."
"Mom..."
He heard her footsteps as she came down the stairs and he opened his eyes to see an upside-down view of her face, full of concern.
"Let me see the suit."
"It's in the bag."
She unzipped the bag and pulled out the suit, gasping at the stains and rips. "Oh, Kristoff!"
"Mom, I'm fine! It's only a couple scrapes and bruises. I was careful."
Bulda huffed. "Apparently not careful enough! What were you thinking? Just because you're a superhero doesn't mean you're invincible!"
"But she needed help! She could have died in that fire." Kristoff covered his eyes with a hand and sighed. "Could we continue this tomorrow? I really need some sleep."
Her eyes widened as his words registered.
"It was a girl?" She asked, sounding hopeful.
Kristoff hesitated. "Yeah. She was actually the mayor's younger daughter."
"You're kidding!"
"Nope."
"Did she...say anything after you rescued her?"
He thought for a moment, trying to remember. "She just thanked me for saving her life." He looked up and saw that look on her face.
He knew that gleam in her eye. It only meant trouble.
"Do you like her?"
"Mom!"