Chapter 26: Down the Cape

-Kristoff-

Unlike most people he knew and much to the surprise of Anna, Kristoff had never been to Cape Cod. Beaches weren't really his thing, and neither were crowds; he'd heard the tales of horrendous traffic and endless tourists in the area from spring to early fall. As such, he'd never thought to visit on his own, and it was only because of Anna he found himself driving over the Sagamore Bridge on a Saturday morning. Contrary to the stories he'd heard, there was no traffic at all. It was one of those years when Easter weekend oddly fell in March rather than April, so he assumed that had something to do with it.

"I can't believe you've never been here," Anna hummed. She was sitting in the passenger seat, slightly reclined and with her feet resting on the edge of the dash despite Kristoff reminding her twice that it was dangerous. In the back, Sven let out a muffed huff, seemingly in agreement.

"And I can't believe you've never been to Katahdin," Kristoff countered. "It's majestic!"

"Yeah, and it's also, like, five hours away."

"Worth every second, though. We'll have to go sometime."

"As long as I can sleep on the way."

Kristoff laughed. "You slept on the way here! And we've only been on the road for… what, an hour?"

"Shush," Anna chuckled. "At least I didn't sleep the whole way."

"How much longer do we have, anyway?"

"Um… half an hour, give or take."

"Alright."

"You okay?"

Kristoff glanced to his side for a moment and raised his eyebrow before turning his attention back to the road.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Anna answered with a shrug. "I was nervous the first time I met your family."

"I've already met your family, though," Kristoff said.

"Yeah, but this is different. This isn't a team function. Not to mention, we're staying a couple of nights. We didn't do that when I met your family. We didn't even stay in the same house."

She had a point there. In New Hampshire, they'd only spent a few hours with Brenda and Cliff, then returned to Kristoff's house for the night. This time, however, they'd be spending the entire weekend with her family – at their beach house, to be exact – and on top of that, it was for a major holiday.

"You don't have anything to be nervous about, obviously," Anna added. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay, that's all."

"And I promise, I am. Really. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good."

"There, uh… there is something I'm wondering about, though."

"Yeah?"

"Well… sleeping arrangements," Kristoff said. "What's the plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, are we sharing a room, or…?"

"Oh," Anna chuckled. "It doesn't matter. My parents will probably give you the guest room, but you can just come into my room once they go to bed. Or I can go to yours. Whatever."

"Maybe we shouldn't do that," Kristoff murmured.

"Don't worry. They go to bed early, so it's not like we'll have to wait up a long time to switch."

"That's not what I mean. If your parents want me to sleep in a different room… well, we should adhere to that."

Anna chuckled. "Really, it's fine. It's the 21st century. They're not dumb. I'm sure they probably already know we've-"

"Anna!" Kristoff exclaimed. "How are you so nonchalant? And anyway, regardless of what they may or may not assume, we should still be respectful of their wishes. It's their house, after all."

Anna smiled. "Okay. But that might not stop me from sneaking into your room for a few minutes to give you a quick blowjob."

"Anna!" he exclaimed again, though this time he was blushing. He didn't argue. Anna gave amazing blowjobs, and he'd have been a fool to refuse.

The Arendelles' beach home was exquisite. It was right on the shore with a back porch overlooking the water, which Kristoff found himself on about an hour after he and Anna arrived. After they'd brought their bags to their rooms (separate, as Kristoff expected), Anna went off for a walk along the water with her mother and sister. It was tradition, apparently, that the three women go searching for sand dollars and pretty shells whenever they arrived at the beach.

As such, Kristoff was left alone to relax, and although he'd never much cared for the ocean, he had to admit it was a beautiful view. Sven lay contently at his feet, undoubtedly exhausted from being showered with attention upon their arrival. Anna's mom especially had fawned over him, giving him a ten-minute belly rub while fussing about how adorable he was.

The door to the house opened, and out stepped Adgar. He offered one of the two beers in his hand to Kristoff.

"Mind some company?" he asked.

"Not at all," Kristoff declared. "And thanks."

Kristoff twisted the top off his beer, but didn't drink it yet. He'd drank in Adgar's presence plenty of times (he lost count of how many times the team had gone to bars together), but it felt weird to do so in such an intimate setting. Adgar was more than the team owner this time; he was Anna's father. Despite knowing him for a couple of years, Kristoff felt like he was meeting the man all over again. He waited until Adgar began drinking before taking a sip of his, too.

"You know, I love the arena," Adgar said after a couple of minutes, "and I love my work, but goodness, it's hard to beat this." He was staring out at the water, a soft smile gracing his face when Anna, Elsa, and Idun laughed loudly in the distance.

"Yeah," Kristoff agreed. "Thank you again for having me."

"Oh, of course!" Adgar said happily. "I'm just sorry we haven't had you 'round sooner. We would have loved to have you over for dinner or something like that, but Anna tried to keep you hidden for too long!"

Kristoff didn't know what to say to this, so he chuckled slightly and took another sip of his beer.

"I don't mean to make you uneasy," he continued, seemingly sensing Kristoff's tension. "I remember the first time I spent time with Idun's family. I was terrified! And this situation we have here is, well… unique, shall we say. But, despite everything, we're really just a regular family."

Kristoff nodded. "I know. Anna told me you guys tend to spend a lot of this weekend playing board games?"

Adgar laughed at this. "Oh, yes! And believe me, it can get very competitive. Especially Parcheesi."

"Parcheesi? I haven't played that in ages!"

"Oh, I'm sure it will be taken out of the closet sometime this weekend. It's Idun's favorite!"

Their conversation tapered off again, and Kristoff started to feel a bit awkward in Adgar's presence. It took him a while to figure out why. Here was Adgar, making pleasant conversation with Kristoff after welcoming him into his home for the holiday weekend, while until just a week ago, Kristoff had been sneaking around with Adgar's daughter. For the first time, Kristoff felt truly guilty about not making his relationship with Anna known sooner.

"Mr. Aren- I mean, Adgar," he clarified. "I… I'm sorry Anna and I didn't tell you sooner. You know, about us. We should have said something a while ago."

Adgar shook his head. "Truly, Kristoff, don't worry about it. I understand why you both kept it a secret. Though, if you don't mind me saying so, you weren't very good at it." When Kristoff raised an eyebrow, Adgar grinned. "It was quite obvious."

"Right," Kristoff said slowly. "Anyway, I just hope you aren't angry."

"Goodness, no!" Adgar exclaimed. "I was thrilled to find out the two of you were together!"

"Wait, what?"

"Kristoff, I know you both on the ice and off. You've always been respectful and kind. Why wouldn't I be happy my daughter chose you?"

Kristoff was flustered. "I… er… thanks," he said lamely.

"I pride myself on being a good judge of character," Adgar continued. "Now, between you and me, I didn't really like Anna's old boyfriend. Something about him just rubbed me the wrong way, you know? But, I never said anything out of respect for Anna, not to mention he was the son of a colleague I greatly respect. Anna's told you about him, I'm sure?"

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, a little."

"Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is you needn't worry. I'm not going to go shipping you off to another team or anything out of spite. I like you, Kristoff, and if you make Anna happy, then I'm happy, too. And it's wonderful to see her happy again. Not to mention," he added with a chuckle, "it's nice having another guy around for a change."

Kristoff laughed along with him. "I can imagine you feel cramped sometimes."

"Don't get me wrong, I love my girls, but there are times when I can really feel the fact that I'm outnumbered! I was thrilled to find out you'd be coming this weekend. Balances the scale a bit."

"How about Elsa?" Kristoff asked. "Does she ever date?"

Now seemed as good a time as any to ask; Troy had pestered him nonstop about finding out what Elsa's status was if he could. Whether it was because he was interested in her or merely curious, Kristoff didn't know.

"Elsa? She has," Adgar said. "There was only one very serious one, though. Jocelyn. They were together in college, but Jocelyn got a job offer out in Seattle that she'd have been a fool to refuse. Aside from that, she's dated a few people from time to time, but I don't think Elsa's the type to settle down. She prefers being alone, I think."

"I get that," Kristoff said. "I used to be that way, too."

But I'm never going back, he thought silently.

At that moment, the women could be heard laughing heartily about something as they climbed the stairs, each with a hand cupped against their abdomen to carry the shells they found. Anna, beaming, went straight to Kristoff.

"Look what I found you!" she chirped proudly, offering him her free hand.

Kristoff took the small shell. It was a smooth black one – hardly anything special at first glance – but upon closer inspection he could spot a few tiny, yellowish specks along the edge.

"Huh," he said, "imagine that! Thanks!"

It was nearly two in the morning when Sven started to whine. Kristoff wasn't entirely convinced his furry friend actually needed to relieve himself, as he rarely woke in the middle of the night, so he assumed Sven merely wanted to go exploring the new, unfamiliar territory outside. Kristoff tried to ignore it, but Sven wouldn't quit.

"Alright!" Kristoff grumbled into his pillow. "Alright… lemme get dressed…"

He threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. After putting his leash on, he navigated the house as quietly as possible before slipping out through the kitchen. The door led directly to the back deck, and that was where Kristoff let Sven off the leash.

"Now, don't wander too far, buddy. Stay where I can see you, okay?"

Sven huffed appreciatively and trotted down the stairs. Kristoff had no intention of going down to the beach, figuring he'd just sit in the same chair from that afternoon. That was his plan, anyway, until he spotted a small figure sitting down by the water's edge.

It was Anna, of course.

Having not bothered to put on any shoes, Kristoff drew in a sharp breath when he stepped off the wooden stairs. Being only late March, the sand was quite cold against his bare skin. There was a distinct chill in the air, too, and it felt strange to be at the beach when he could still see his own breath. Anna, at least, had prepared for her outing. She was sitting on top of a thick blanket and had a second one wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She, too, had opted to wear a sweatshirt and jeans, so she wasn't even shivering once he reached her.

"Hey," he said quietly to avoid alarming her. "What are you doing out here so late?"

Anna looked up at him.

"Couldn't sleep," she said. She opened her arm and, in turn, the blanket. "Care to join me?"

He snuggled in next to her, slipping his arm around her shoulders. They sat in silence for a while, save for the sound of the gently rolling low tide. Every once in a while, Sven's collar could be heard jingling in the distance as he jerked in the direction of a newly discovered scent.

"What're you thinking about?" Kristoff asked after several minutes. He lazily dragged his fingertips up and down her arm. He felt her shrug.

"Nothing, really," Anna said. "I just love being here. The breeze, the smell… everything. It's so relaxing. I know you aren't a beach person, but-"

"No, I agree with you," Kristoff interjected. "I don't like beaches in the summer, when they're crowded and loud. But this has its merits. I'm glad you brought me."

"Me, too. And honestly, now I'm not sure why we waited so long."

"What do you mean?"

"Telling people about us. I thought people would act weird, given our situation, but… everyone's really cool about it."

"Yeah. So… why the long face, then?"

"What do you mean?" she queried.

"You say you love being here-"

"I do."

"-and that it's great everyone seems okay with us-"

"Yes."

"-so why do you seem down? And don't tell me you're not. I can tell when you're bummed about something."

Anna sighed. "I'm not bummed, per se. Do you ever just feel… I don't know. Small?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's silly," Anna said, looking to the sea again. "I love the ocean. It's soothing and makes me happy. But it's just so big, and it reminds me that the whole world is big, covered with millions – no, billions – of people, and I just feel really… well, small."

"But you're not," Kristoff argued. "I mean, I guess everyone's small in the grander scheme of things, but that doesn't make you insignificant."

"I know," Anna murmured. "I told you it was silly. It's just a feeling I get sometimes. But, I think that's a big part of why I love being with you so much," she continued. "I… well, I don't feel that way when I'm with you."

Kristoff smiled against her hair.

"I'm glad," Kristoff said. "Anna, you're one of the most important people in my life. To me, you're far from small."

"It's the same for me," she uttered. "I can't even imagine life without you anymore."

Good, because I love you.

It was right at the tip of Kristoff's tongue, and it yearned to be spoken, ached to reach her ears and her heart. Yet, he still could not bring himself to say it. He'd wanted to wait for the right time, and he didn't feel like the first weekend he spent with her family was it.

However, he thought, the beach is a very romantic place, and we're all wrapped together beneath the stars…

"Hey," Anna whispered, "wanna make out for a while?"

"What?" Kristoff chuckled.

"I miss you," she sighed. "I hate trying to sleep when I know you're only right down the hall from me."

"Me, too."

"So let's make up for it." Anna smirked when he kept his eyebrow raised. "C'mon, when's the last time we made out? Like, just made out?"

She had a point there.

Smiling, he leaned into her and captured her lips with his own. The kiss didn't take very long to escalate, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, of course, because kissing Anna was always something worthy of reverence. It was a curse, however, thanks to the heat produced by the friction of their bodies beneath the thick quilt: Kristoff couldn't help his arousal.

"Sorry," he murmured, trying to adjust himself so it wasn't so apparent.

"Mm, 's okay," she mumbled. She didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that she wanted him closer. Perhaps, he decided, that was her plan all along. Their earlier conversation in the car flashed through his mind.

"Anna… we can't… not here…"

"I know," she groaned. "But you can't blame me for trying."

They stayed sitting together on the beach for nearly twenty minutes – sometimes kissing, sometimes watching the tide, but nevertheless in comfortable silence. Eventually, they heaved themselves up and shook the sand off the blankets before heading back to the house hand-in-hand, only they never made it to the house. Instead, they ended up to the side of the stairs, one of the blankets spread out and covered in sand again.

Sven, likely seeing the two of them heading back to the porch, had returned, and gleefully tried to cuddle up to them.

"Ugh, buddy, go away…" Kristoff murmured as Anna straddled his lap. When Kristoff gently pushed at the curious dog's intruding snout, Sven got the hint and trotted off again, the sound of his jingling collar growing fainter and fainter.

They didn't bother completely removing their sweatshirts; it was far too chilly for that, even with the second blanket to cover them. Instead, they got rid of only their jeans and underthings, and that was enough to get the job done. Kristoff had already been ready to go, anyway, and he was pleased to discover Anna was, too. He shivered when his fingers grazed her center, and it had nothing to do with the cool breeze that had picked up.

Anna slowly rode him first, but it didn't last long; the blanket kept slipping off her and in spite of her heated flesh, she was shivering. Kristoff took the reins from there to keep her warm. As much as he loved having Anna on top, switching with her was for the best. The blanket stayed on him a little bit better, so in the unlikely chance they were to hear someone come outside, they could quickly adjust and pretend they were stargazing.

They were as quiet as possible, for obvious reasons, and while Kristoff loved the moans and cries of pleasure he often elicited from Anna, he found her shallow, erratic breathing just as sexy. When he brought her to her euphoric end, he watched her eyes squeeze shut and could feel her thighs tighten around him. It did him in and he let go, giving way to the waves of ecstasy bursting through every nerve.

Anna smiled up at him, eyes hooded and lazily brushing a strand of hair from his face.

"I love you," Kristoff whispered.

It was out before he could stop himself, but then he realized he didn't want to stop it. He'd kept telling himself he wanted to wait for the right time, that saying it on a weekend devoted to spending with her family wasn't it, but those were all excuses, excuses to delay facing his feelings.

And it was all worth it, because as his heart thundered against his ribcage while awaiting her response, Anna smiled her most beautiful smile.

"I love you, too," she said.

Four words. That's all it was. Four tiny little words that made it suddenly feel like the world was a better place, that sorrow was a thing of the past, that life was worth living now more than it ever was. Four words that told Kristoff Anna was his, that he was hers, and that together they could they could do anything.

The aftermath wasn't a spectacle. Kristoff and Anna kissed, put their jeans back on, gathered the blankets, and made for the stairs. When Kristoff called for Sven, they could hear him happily bounding over.

They didn't speak when Kristoff walked Anna to her bedroom. They didn't have to. Perhaps tomorrow they'd talk about it some more, but for now, those little words were enough. They shared a kiss and hug before Kristoff proceeded to his own room down the hall.

He flopped onto his bed when he got there, not even bothering to strip down to his boxers. It was strange to not be spending the night with Anna, knowing she was right there and especially after what they'd just shared, but it somewhat made it all the more special. There was something romantic about the longing.

Kristoff reached into his pocket when he felt his phone vibrate, signaling a text. He tapped the alert to reveal the message from Anna, which wasn't even words. Instead, it was a single, purple emoji heart.

Again, it was the simplest thing, but it brought a tear to his eye nonetheless. He knew that tiny image that many used so liberally meant far more in that moment. Anna Arendelle loved him. His beautiful Anna loved him back. The one thing he'd never wanted in his life again was actually what completed it.

He placed his phone on the nightstand next to the black and yellow shell Anna had given him earlier. The shell, he decided, would be going into his safe for special things once they returned to Boston. Anna had gotten him out of his shell, only to give him a new one, and he couldn't think of a better memento from the day she told him she loved him.

Author's Note: There's no excuse for me taking so long to update this. I could tell you that life's been busy and whatnot (which is true, as it is for us all, I imagine), but the truth is I lost my motivation to write this story. I hate to admit it, but I burnt myself out. Ever since starting this story, it's pretty much been all I've worked on, and I needed a break. I needed to write other stuff. I missed writing for my other fandoms and dabbling in other Kristanna ideas I have.

So, I'm sincerely sorry that it's taken me so long to update this. I can't promise that my next update will be as quick as they once were (though I doubt it will take as long as this one did), but I can promise that I will finish this story. It may take me a little longer than I planned, but it will get done. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, and I can't just quit now. So, if you're willing to bear with me, you'll get the ending to this. Mark my words.

That being said, thank you for sticking with this story for as long as many of you have. It means more to me than you'l ever know. And, as always, thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!