a/n: i wrote this for Kristanna Week 2016 over on Tumblr, and i don't know how to insert it into the existing work, so i'm putting it here. Chronologically it's supposed to go between the Prologue and Chapter 1, and it's vaguely in response to a prompt by KP. i'll post the next full chapter tomorrow.
About year after their handfasting, give or take a few days…
The cloudless night sky was awash in vibrant ribbons of white streaked with blue and green. The air had a crisp bite to it, but the cold didn't bother Kristoff. Between the nest of blankets and furs and his copper-haired wife asleep in his arms, he felt nothing but warmth.
His wife…
It had been nearly thirteen moons since she came back into his life. Almost a full year, give or take a few days. He didn't keep careful track of things like that. (Sven and Olaf did, but that had something to do with a bet.) A night like this, clear and bright without a breath of wind, would be perfect for hunting snow foxes. But he was beyond content to cuddle with his Aeris and enjoy the stillness.
He loved watching the lights with her. Before she came he was indifferent to them at best. But she told him what they meant to her, and why. So he made it a point of sharing them with her as often as possible. She would watch the sky light up, and he'd watch her. The way her eyes would widen, her open-mouthed smile, and her whole face would soften with an almost childlike wonder… it was breathtaking. And when she turned that beautiful face of hers to gaze at him…
Well, he chuckled ruefully, that's probably how we ended up where we are right now.
His palms rested on the dress of soft homespun wool she wore. As big as his hands were, they still couldn't quite reach around the curve of her belly. She was due to deliver their child any day now, and he refused to leave her side. It wasn't just because of tradition, either. He wanted to be with her for this, no matter how anxious he was about the whole thing.
He held her gently, her back against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. He pressed his lips to her temple, lost in a swirl of memory and emotion.
Their past year wasn't always smooth. Anna picked up their language relatively quickly, though she struggled with the colder climate. Not that the cold bothered her, far from it. She just couldn't grasp how quickly it could overwhelm her. He lost count of how many times they huddled together in front of their roaring fireplace after one of her misadventures, shivering and struggling to warm back up. Considering how often his fear-induced adrenaline and her trembling nearness ended up with them utilizing more creative and… intimate ways to warm up, he secretly suspected she did it on purpose.
They were both stubborn, and quarreled from time to time. He still had trouble believing she was here with him. That she would choose to leave her sister and her home to be with him. It actually led to one of their first real fights. They shouted at each other about the other's apparent lack of trust until he broke down and told her his fear of losing her like he'd lost everything else he'd ever loved. She clung to him fiercely and confessed how the year without him turned her home in Rome into a waking nightmare of sadness and paranoia. They learned to trust each other more with their fears, and their hopes.
They also learned that while they weren't really fond of fighting with each other, they were really really fond of making up.
His hands rubbed over her belly, and he let go of the worries of his impending fatherhood and focused instead on the excitement. The anticipation. The fierce pride he felt for the woman he held in his arms. The woman who was strength and fire, awkward grace and bubbly determination. The woman who was his everything. He felt the baby move under his palms, more of a restless shift than an indignant kick. He grinned and soothed his fingers along her belly. Someone was obviously eager as well.
Gods, he couldn't wait to hold their little one in his arms. To proudly show his people the full expression of their love. To raise it up, to give their child a name and claim it as his own before both men and gods, a custom practiced by both their peoples. To see the pride and love in Anna's eyes as they held their firstborn together.
Anna turned her head and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. He felt her sigh and relax deeper into his embrace. She'd had so much trouble sleeping these last few days, he was glad he could give her this comfort. The gods knew such peace would be in short supply in the near future.
So he tucked the furs more tightly around them, cradled her head with one hand while the other rested protectively over their child, and guarded their dreams.
