"Luckily, you are talking to the new profound love expert." Kristoff sighed out, casually leaning against Sven. Sven rolled his eyes and looked in Keahi's direction.
Keahi arched a brow, looking over the two. Keahi liked Kristoff — they were both similar because living in luxury is something of a new commodity.
"What makes you a love expert, then?" Keahi sat on the edge of the railing. They had ventured into the town square to get out of the castle. People passed happily in the market, bundled up nice and warm from the gradual snowfall that started overhead.
Kristoff laughed casually, shrugging. "Well, I grew up with love experts. And as you can see, with Anna, I've passed into love master territory."
"From where I'm standing, Anna wears the pants in that relationship." Keahi grinned.
Kristoff watched her with a blank look before letting out a pft of air and waving his hand dismissively but didn't correct her.
Keahi smirked, lacing her fingers and leaning forward. She could tell he was trying to be suave, but he was just fumbling along like a bumpy old road cart. She liked that he was a big burly guy but seemed acutely clueless.
But he was sweet, and she understood why Anna loved him. He was endearing in an awkward way. "All right love master. What should I get Elsa for her birthday?"
Kristoff leapt up from his leaning position on Sven. "Great! I'm glad you asked. You have to do something big, flashy — you know, all out!" He opened his arms wide to stress his point.
Keahi wrinkled her nose. "I don't think Elsa would like that. You know how shy she is I don't think something like that would make her comfortable." She tried to think, swinging her legs over the railing ledge as she thought. "She's not like Anna who loves big public events."
"Maybe not. But it has to be something nice. Something she won't forget!"
Keahi had never been nervous about this sort of thing before. But the enthusiastic reindeer king was starting to make her second guess herself and get concerned about it. Her stomach swam in a bundle of nerves. She leapt casually from the railing and rubbed the back of her neck, now troubled about the entire situation.
Kristoff snapped his fingers. "Oh, oh get her a ring!"
Keahi choked, between Olaf and Kristoff these hints were getting harder to ignore. "You guys are venturing from subtle hints to loud suggestions on this." She sputtered, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.
He pursed his lips and leaned back against Sven. "Probably a little too soon for that. But it's so nice to see her happy. It's like you're one of the guys now." He paused and sat up, holding his hand in front of him. "I mean, I know you're a girl — woman, a woman. But your Elsa's boy... girlfriend, spouse, partner?..."
Keahi just soaked in the awkward train wreck and was grinning from ear to ear. After a minute of letting him fumble, she decided to save him any further agony. "You done?"
"Yes." He hung his head in conceded defeat.
"Well, I don't have any money if we're being honest. Everything I had was on our ships and after everything that happened everyone fled." Keahi scratched the back of her head, uncertain of how she was going about all of this.
"I can give you some money. You uh, remember I am married to the queen?"
"Yeah, but that wouldn't feel right to me." Keahi rapped her foot against the ground and tried to wrack her brain. She snapped her fingers when an idea crossed her mind. "I think I got it! Thanks Kristoff!" She hurried off, waving to him before vanishing into the crowds.
Kristoff waved after her. Confusion marred his face. "Uh, you're welcome, I think? Glad I could help!" He called after her.
Keahi spent most of the day zipping around town.
Now she stood in their room pacing back and forth. Surely Elsa had everything she wanted. And if she didn't, she could get something way more extravagant than anything she could give her.
And Elsa really deserved the best.
Now Keahi was making herself worry so much her stomach was in tight knots and she second-guessed herself as she paced the room and played with the trinket in her pocket.
The door to their bedroom opened, and she jumped like a scared cat.
"Keahi?" Elsa's voice filled the bedroom.
Keahi laughed awkwardly and stood straight, wiping her clammy palms on her pants.
Geeze, whenever those big blue eyes rested on her she felt like she'd implode.
"What are you doing?" Elsa laughed gently, coming up to fix Keahi's vest. One of the buttons was undone and her shirt tail was half untucked. "Anna wants to have dinner and play a few games."
"Oh yes, ah, I." Keahi fumbled, feeling Elsa's hands on her as she continued to fix her attire. She swallowed hard. "I um, want to give you something." She finally got out.
"Oh?" Elsa's hands paused as she glanced up at Keahi, clearly surprised.
Keahi weaseled out of Elsa's touch, if Elsa kept touching her, albeit as innocent as it was, she wouldn't be able to think straight. She took a step back and fumbled with the present in her pocket. Keahi chuckled, embarrassed. "Usually I'm fantastic at this sort of thing."
Elsas gaze shot up hotly, her brows creasing forward.
Keahi realized what she said and tugged at the collar of her fancy button-up shirt, feeling her neck heat. Damn this shirt, she missed her thin pirate's clothes. "Oh, I didn't mean that. I mean — I'm not usually this clumsy. I've been with women before. Oh, I mean, — not a lot. Actually, hardly any. Just forget I said that." Oh, boy. She put a foot in her mouth for sure and if she got ice blasted out of this room, she wouldn't blame Elsa one bit. This didn't go the way she had planned. At all.
Elsa folded her hands in front of her and watched Keahi, not amused but she said nothing.
That was scary. Keahi pulled the present from her pocket and held out her hand's palms up with the item resting there. Her head dropped in defeat. "Okay, let me start over. That reindeer king got in my head."
"Kristoff?" Elsa asked, tilting her head to try to understand what was going on.
Keahi would have to fill her in later. She let out a poignant breath, her heart finally steadying so she could get out what she wanted to say. "I know you can have your choice of anything. And I only want the best for you, because I believe you deserve all that and more. But I wanted to get something for you, you know, for your birthday. I'm starting to second guess myself now though, so if you don't like it, I understand."
She was usually so full of confidence that feeling unsure was something so foreign to her.
The item she held in her hand was a woven bracelet. The thread was a baby blue, dark blue, crimson, white, and green. One for each of the elements and Elsa who bound all the elements together. A piece came from the main portion of the bracelet, a charm whittled from wood in the shape of a snowflake and another shaped like a flame. It nearly took her all day to whittle it because of all the small details on them both.
Elsa calmly took it into her own hand, running her thumb over the bracelet.
She didn't say anything.
Keahi gulped and shifted uncomfortably. "It's a traditional woven bracelet that the people on my island used to give those they wanted to be bound to forever. I uh, didn't have some material so I —" Keahi paused and stiffened when Elsa looked up at her with tears in her eyes.
Keahi panicked. "Oh, it's not that bad is it?! I know you deserve something way better I just don't have any money —"
"Keahi?"
"Yes?"
"Stop." She laughed.
"Oh, thank gods." Keahi wheezed out, putting a hand on her chest to calm her burning lungs.
"Can you help me put it on?"
Keahi thought she heard Elsa's voice waver with emotion even though the princess looked calm and placid on the surface as always.
Keahi nodded her head rapidly and unclamped the ends and put it around Elsa's wrist.
Elsa reached up to cup Keahi's face. Her fingers cool to the touch and they felt soothing against her warm skin. Keahi closed her eyes and leaned into the exquisite touch that Elsa offered.
Elsa's lips brushed hers, Keahi instinctively wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist to pull her in close.
They stood there for a moment until Elsa pulled back, smiling coyly. "It's nice to see you the one flustered."
"Yeah, don't get used to it." Keahi scowled.
Authors note: Just two more short stories will be posted for tomorrow and Friday. Then arc 2 starts on Monday! Woohoo! =)