His eyes flitted around the room; a bunk, a chest, a window. But they always came back to rest upon the gentle figure lying on his bunk.

She was lying on her side, her chest making gentle rises and falls. A single, perfect curl had fallen across her face. In deep sleep her face revealed laugh lines from what must have been a happy childhood and worry lines from times after. And while his gaze gently studied the curve of her check and the stirring of her breath, his mind worked furiously.

What am I going to do when she wakes up? He thought frantically. He had brought her here, knowing that bringing her back to the castle would cause suspicion at best. After some examination he found only light scuffs to her elbows from when she fell. Judging by her scent, she must have passed out from drink.

Drunk and outside of the castle. What was she thinking? He was momentarily taken from his worrying by the telltale creak of the door.

Hans froze like a startled deer, eyes fearfully flitting to the entrance. When Mikkel entered still in uniform he relaxed only slightly. Great, he thought wearily, how the hell am I supposed to explain this?

Mikkel walked to his bunk opposite to Hans, all but oblivious to their unconscious guest. "Awfully boring, that," he said with a sigh, "I almost wish there was more crime-" He froze with his coat halfway off his torso, and for a brief moment Hans could appreciate the irony. Both of us frozen. How fitting.

Mikkel said nothing. He stared silently at Elsa's sleeping form, eyes wide in surprise. After a moment he turned an expressionless gaze to his bunkmate, clearly awaiting explanation.

Hans' mouth opened and closed several times. Finally he said simply, "I found her."

His friend arched a brow. "You found her."

Hans nodded slowly. "On the ground."

Mikkel took a moment to digest this. "Is there a reason she's here and not back at the castle?"

Finally something he could answer. He'd only been thinking about it nonstop for the last hour. "I can't, they'll think I did it."

"Ah." He frowned slightly. "Then why don't I take her?"

Of course! Why didn't I think of that? He gave a relieved smile. "Mikkel," he breathed, "that sounds perfect-"

Something instinctual made him stop. He frowned slightly, then turned to look at the sleeping Queen on his bunk. Except she wasn't sleeping anymore; his eyes met wide orbs of cerulean blue.

For a long moment their eyes lay glued to each other. It seemed that a silence blanketed the room as heavy as the snows that lay upon Arendelle during its long winters. After a lifetime her gaze began to flit around, quickly taking in Mikkel, the two bunks, the golden glow of the fireplace. Her stare addressed Hans once more.

"What am I doing in your room?" Her words fluttered through the tense silence and yet it seemed unbroken still.

"You had fallen, Your Majesty," Hans said softly. He was half-afraid of being the one to break the stillness. The other half was reserved for her. "You blacked out. I brought you here."

Behind him he could sense Mikkel quietly making his exit.

Another pause. Yet in this one lay a difference Hans could sense, as if the air itself held its breath. Expectant.

He wondered idly if she could hear his heart beating as loud as he could.

"Thank you," she sighed finally.

He quickly broke his gaze, averted towards the space between them. A long breath made its way out his lips. Relief filled his chest, a gentle smile briefly gracing his face. But it slowly disappeared as he reminded himself that there was the Queen of Arendelle laying on his bunk.

"Y-you must be thirsty." He stammered, remembering his place. He rushed to get his water skin, kneeling beside the Queen.

She smiled gently in gratitude, so perfect in its sincerity it left him momentarily breathless. He could see she was still weak despite having recovered much of her strength, so he placed the skin in her palm as he let his other hand gently support her own as she brought the skin to her lips.

Warm… he thought wonderingly. She must have much more control over her powers that he initially thought. When she finished he slowly removed his fingers from hers, wondering at their hesitance. Her fingers briefly followed his as if they wanted them to linger, which he knew was equal parts ridiculous as it was impossible. He had placed the skin back by his bunk by the time he realized how very close they were.

"Hans..," not even a whisper. A breath left to float the air like a feather, a door full of possibilities. It made him shiver for her to speak his name.

He could feel her breathing, sense her in front of him. It was thrilling and yet… comforting. He heard her breath slow until he couldn't hear it at all. All he could think of was how easy it would be to reach out to brush the perfect lock falling across her face, how much he longed to bring his forehead just a little closer. Close enough to touch, enough to…

Too close, he thought. Remember you place, Hans. With that he quickly made to his feet. His breath steadied and he noticed her eyes open and blink rapidly as if she had woken from a particularly vivid dream. Somehow he knew the moment was broken, that he had been the one to break it. He knew its sharp shards could lay across an ill-chosen word so with his back to hers he silently considered what he would say next. He needed to put some distance between them before things became dangerous.

"You'll probably want to return to the castle as soon as possible. I'll make sure Mikkel escorts you safely back, Your Majesty." He tried to maintain a calm, reasonable tone. Yet he knew it held a faint hint of breathlessness, something that lay on the brink of passion expected yet unsatisfied.

"Of course," she breathed, and in her tone there was a weakness not altogether from her fall.

"Of course," she said louder as if remembering who she was, what she was. "I would gladly appreciate that."

"I'll go get Mikkel," he said quickly before making his way out.

He closed the door behind him and leaned his back heavily on it, breathing out a huge sigh. He needed time to catch his breath after it was so thoroughly stolen a few moments earlier.

Somehow, with that special presence still in his room, he really didn't want to find Mikkel right about now.