A/N: Welp... I haven't updated in nearly a year, but 'tis the season again and I'm back at it. Hope you enjoy this silly update :D
Elsa had only been in the Arendelle mall for five minutes when she wanted to turn tail and leave.
Anna had warned her ahead of time that it would be crazy the day after Thanksgiving, but Elsa had brushed her off. Honestly, how much worse could it be than any other day during the Christmas shopping season? She should have listened to her sister.
She struggled through the crowds, trying to avoid being hit with bags or plowed down by crazed shoppers looking for a good deal. While trying to maneuver through these obstacles she attempted to remember the directions Anna had given her the night before. She wanted to see this "Santa Land" that Anna had gushed about before heading back home on her evening flight. Plus, she had never seen a real live reindeer and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't excited to see if he was adorable as Anna had told her he was.
When she turned the corner around a large GAP store and came to face Santa Land in all its glory, Elsa's eyes widened in wonder. If anything, Anna had undersold her new work environment. A childlike wonder filled her as she took in the snow covered gingerbread house, the giant candy cane fences, all of the jolly snowmen doing various winter things… and the small enclosure where children held their hands out to a reindeer. He was just as adorable as she had hoped.
She slowly made her way to the enclosure, squeezing through gaps between shoppers, and winding her way around excited children. By the time she finally made it to the fence, the children who had been trying to get Sven's attention had moved on down the line and she was alone with him.
"Hello there, Sven. You sure are a handsome guy, aren't you?" Elsa asked, holding out her hand to him. He immediately nuzzled it, seeming to crave the attention of a more mature guest. "Are you taking care of my sister? She likes to rush headlong into things without thinking them through."
Like Hans, she thought bitterly. Her sister hadn't had a single positive thing to say about her new boyfriend. She had barely wanted to talk about him at all, which wasn't like her. Elsa wasn't sure what was going on between Anna and the Manager, but she had a feeling it wasn't a happy relationship. If it was, Anna wouldn't be so pensive about it. And come to think of it, where was her sister?
Elsa looked around the snow covered wonderland, searching for the familiar head of strawberry blonde hair. When her gaze traveled over the small building in the middle of the area, her eyes widened in surprised. Anna looked… different. She wasn't the flighty, excitable twenty-three year old that she had known all of her life. This Anna was calm, poised, almost regal looking in her snug, red velvet dress and white lace cap. She watched in awe as Anna bent down to speak to the little girl on Santa's lap, and then grin brightly as whatever she had said brought a fierce blush to Santa's cheeks. Anna then reached out to put a hand to the side of Santa's face and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. In response, Santa placed one gloved hand over Anna's and turned his lips into her palm.
The whole scene was so natural, so tender and loving, that Elsa felt the need to look away so she didn't intrude on their private moment. The warmth between Anna and whoever was playing Santa was genuine in a way that Elsa had never seen before between two actors. Whoever was hidden inside that red suit was obviously dearer to her than her own boyfriend. It left her with dozens of questions, none of which she could find an answer for.
Anna must have spied her at the fence talking with Sven, because the next thing Elsa knew her sister was in front of her, a wide smile on her face. "Elsa! You came! I wasn't sure you would."
"I told you that I would, didn't I?" Elsa reminded her, her voice a bit brisk. She was still shaken by the intimate scene she had just watched take place between her sister and the man playing Santa.
Anna laughed and opened the gate. "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone."
"I already met Sven," Elsa pointed out, giving the reindeer one last pat as she was pulled toward the little building where Santa held his court.
"But you haven't met Santa yet, have you?" Anna pressed. "Come on! You are going to be so surprised!"
Elsa rolled her eyes but let Anna pull her along. She was obviously excited to introduce Elsa to this man in her life, but not to Hans. It was another clear indication that her sister's feelings for her boyfriend meant very little to her. She tucked that away for later and tried to turn her attention to what was going on now.
A little boy sat on Santa's lap now, his grin tugged at her heartstrings because he was missing three teeth. It was the cutest little face she could imagine.
"I really want a big stuffed reindeer that looks just like Sven!" he said. Elsa had to stiffle a giggle when his 's' sounds made a whistling noise.
"Well now, I think the north pole can handle a gift request like that," Santa said brightly, bobbing the child's nose with his index finger. "I also think a child who loves reindeer so much should get to have a picture with one. Would you like that?"
The little boy bounced up and down on Santa's lap, his grin growing wider and his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Really, Santa? I can take a picture with Sven?"
"Of course you can, Jimmy," Santa said. "Just walk over to the elf by the reindeer enclosure and let her know that I said it was okay."
"Oh, thank you Santa!" Jimmy cried, throwing his arms around Santa's neck and hugging him tight. "That's the best gift in the whole world!"
When he climbed down from Santa's lap, his gaze turned to Elsa. His eyebrows pulled together in concentration and his lips puckered in a frown.
"Can I help you?" Elsa asked him as politely as she could manage. His gaze was so intense it was unnerving.
"Who are you?" Jimmy demanded, looking from Anna to Elsa and noticing that they were still holding hands. "How do you know Mrs. Claus?"
Elsa was taken aback by his frank demeanor, but Anna just grinned and knelt down to his level. "This is Elsa, she's my sister. Santa and I didn't have time to go and visit our families for Thanksgiving, so our families came to visit us," she said seriously. Then, as though imparting a big secret, she leaned in closer and whispered her next words. "Elsa's actually one of Santa's best helpers, she's a powerful Snow Queen. She makes sure that we always get snow for Christmas."
Jimmy's eyes widened in wonder and appreciation as he looked back at Elsa. Then his eyes narrowed and he gestured for her to come closer. She bit back and smile and leaned down until they were at eye level. "Can I help you, Jimmy?" she asked again. This time she was rewarded with a smile instead of a frown.
"I have math homework due on Monday," he said conspiratorially. "Do you think you could make sure I have a snow day?"
It took all the willpower she possessed not to laugh, but she managed to keep a straight face. "Sorry, Jimmy. I have to head back home tomorrow and my powers only work when I'm near Santa Claus."
The little boy sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Ah well, it was worth a shot," he said and let his frazzled mother lead him over to the reindeer enclosure.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Elsa let out a bark of a laugh. She wasn't sure where Anna had pulled the 'Snow Queen' bit from, but that had been the most entertaining conversation she had had in years. It was almost worth having braved the crowds today. Well, that and meeting the mystery man inside Santa's suit.
Her attention was pulled back to said mystery man as he stood up from his chair and covered the few feet between them. With a wide grin, he held out his hand to her. "Well, if it isn't Elsa Frederickson," he said, the hint of a smile in his voice.
Something about that voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "I see Anna has told you about me," she said by way of greeting. She gave his hand a quick shake.
Anna seemed to be bursting at the seams with amusement. She was also biting her lower lip, the way she only did when she was keeping a bit secret. "It's always nice to see two old friends reunited," she said gleefully, clasping her hands in front of her.
Old friends? Elsa didn't know what Anna was talking about. Did she know the man playing Santa? Encouraged by her sister's words, Elsa took a closer look at what she could see of his face. His hair was completely covered by the white wig, so that wasn't a clue, but she did notice that behind the wire rimmed glasses, his eyes were a warm brown. It only took her a moment to place him.
"Kristoff?" she whispered. She only remembered at the last moment to keep her voice down so she didn't give his identity away to the children still waiting in line. It hadn't been easy though. When she realized who he was everything seemed to fall into place: Anna's disinterest in her boyfriend, the natural way the two of them acted around each other, the clear affection they had for one another. Anna had only ever really glowed this way when she had been around their old neighbor and friend.
"I bet you never thought you would see me here," he teased and pulled her in for a hug.
She didn't know what to say. She really hadn't imagined that she would see him again after they moved away, but fate had had other ideas. "It's good to see you again," she finally said, though it sounded lame even to her ears.
"I have to get back to the children, but Anna was insistent that we get to say hello," he squeezed her hands and gave her another quick hug. "It was really nice to see you. Next time you are in town we should all get together."
Elsa gave him her promise and then let Anna pull her back toward the fence so Kristoff could continue working. She didn't speak as they walked together, too shocked to do more than let the events of the past few minutes run through her mind. Kristoff was here, he was working side by side with Anna for twelve hours a day. Anna was dating the Manager, but didn't seem to like him… she still had feelings for Kristoff. It was obvious. So why hadn't she dumped Hans yet? So many questions and not nearly enough time for answers.
"I know you need to leave so you can catch your flight, but I wanted to tell you how much it means that you came out to celebrate Thanksgiving with me," Anna said seriously, grabbing Elsa's hands and squeezing them tight. "I've really missed you since I moved back."
Elsa pulled her sister into her arms and gave her a tight hug. "I've missed you too," she admitted. "But I really do have to go. Call me tonight when you get off work, all right? I need to talk to you about something and we don't have time for it now."
Anna hesitated. She wrapped her arms around her own waist and bit her lip. "Can you tell me what it's about?"
"Kristoff and Hans." She didn't mince words, she didn't have to.
Anna's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I was afraid of that," she sighed.
She really was running out of time, but she had just enough to say one last thing to her sister. "Anna, I know it isn't my business, but I think you should consider what you really want… who you really want. You and Kristoff were always good together, and from what little I saw today, you still could be. Think about it, okay?"
"I will," Anna promised.
As Elsa walked away she wondered if she had only made things more complicated.