Hans held Elsa's icy hand tight as they walked to the Serene Shore. The sun was just beginning to set, illuminating a small island in the distance that caught Elsa's eye. "What is that place?"

Hans turned and recognized the alcove. "The Mysterious Lagoon. Part of no kingdom, inhabited by mermaids. Not the kindly western mermaids. There ones are a little more...feral. Most people avoid it when they can. The last time anyone went there, it was to get tears to heal Jakob. For vicious creatures, their tears hold magical properties."

Elsa looked thoughtful. "Have you ever thought of trying it on yourself?"

Hans stared at her, horrified. "You don't know what it takes to make one cry."

That both scared and intrigued her.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her arm. "You never know if they're watching." He pulled Elsa further alone the beach.

When they reached Serene Shore, Hans climbed the surrounding dunes to check if anyone from the inland town was taking a sunset stroll. Not a soul to be seen.

He slid back down to the beach, where Elsa was staring. "Like something you see?" he teased.

"Yes," she replied. She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "The way the sun hits your hair... It looks like it's setting it on fire."

"I hope not. I'm too young to be bald," he joked.

Elsa laughed. "No, it's beautiful."

"No, you are," he said, stepping closer. He pulled her braid forward to lay over her shoulder. "May I?"

Elsa unclasped her braid and tousled her hair. Hans helped by running his hands through it. He was captivated by her long hair the color of moonlight. The setting sun reflected off of it, giving it an ethereal shimmer. It cascaded all the way down her back.

"You should wear it like this more often," he said, grabbing a lock of hair and admiring the silkiness of it between his fingers.

"Perhaps I will," she said, smirking.

He kissed her gently, placing a hand behind her head to pull her closer. She loosely locked her arms around his hips, deepening the kiss. Hans fingers snaked through her long white-blonde hair, feeling the fire start up again. He trailed his tongue along her bottom lip, and she opened up to him. He dove in, his fingers tangling in her hair.

He felt her cold hands as they slipped under his shirt to feel what she had seen earlier. They crawled their way up, like spiders, his stomach, his chest, his shoulders. The delicious shudders had him biting her plump lower lip, which earned him a moan. Her nails lightly clawed his shoulders, then she pushed him away with the heels of her hands. Hans reluctantly backed off.

"We're supposed to be training," she said playfully.

"Fine." Hans took his shirt off and handed it to her. Elsa admired the muscles in his back as he walked away.

Once he was a safe distance away, Elsa instructed, "Dig deep for that anger. I know you can do this."

Hans took a deep breath and thought. He was still furious at Nikolai for his outburst at dinner. He shot a fireball out of his hand, and it was instantly blue.

"Wonderful! Keep going!"

He thought of Freyja again, but even his cold-hearted mother wasn't enough to take his power to the next level. He though of what Elsa said, how the power of love was greater.

So he thought of her. Orange fire bloomed in his palm, but he couldn't do much else. Of course Elsa was the only one who could calm him down. He couldn't possibly be angry with her.

But he had been angry when he hurt her. He remembered the pain in her eyes and the red mark on her arm. He remembered their earlier argument, how cold he had tried to be in order to protect her from him.

That's when Hans realized...the person he hated the most was himself. Tears sizzled on his cheeks as he seemed to explode in white-hot fire.

Elsa leaned away from him, raising an ice barrier to shield herself from the flames. When she dared to look, the man in front of her was something she had never seen before. He had gone white-hot before when he destroyed Grand Pabbie, but not to this degree.

Hans seemed to glow from the inside out. His once green eyes were now a blank and blinding white light. His dark red hair whipped about him in an invisible whirlwind. The radiant, otherworldly being turned to the sea, opening his mouth in a scream.

The roar of the white flames as they shot from his hands and mouth drowned out his anguished cry, tears evaporating before they could even be shed. The salt water evaporated on contact, leaving for a moment a dry path of sand cutting through the middle of the sea.

Elsa gaped at the water of either side of the path, which stood tall for a long moment after the flames disappeared. They finally caved in with a hiss as the water made contact with the scorched sand, creating a giant cloud of steam.

She looked back at Hans, who was panting and weak. His eyes were back to green, and the glow was fading. He collapsed to his knees, and Elsa rushed to him. "Are you alright?"

Hans panted on all fours, exhausted. Elsa recognized the look of self-loathing on his face, and placed a hand on his cheek. He leaned into it, securing her hand with one of his own. His breathing finally slowed as he allowed her cool touch to calm him.

"If you could've seen what you did just now..."

"I was terrifying," he said, lowering his head.

"No... You were stunning." She met his green eyes with her icy blue ones, and he held her gaze as if it was a lifeline. She kissed him, creating mist from his hot lips. "You are the most amazing man I have ever met."

Hans stroked her cheek with his thumb, his warmth seeping into her, turning her cheek pink. She smiled, and his heart felt like molten lava.

He couldn't believe that she still saw him as a good person even after he had let everything out and gotten to the deep, dark, ugly truth. No matter how much everyone else hated him, or how much he hated himself, she was still there to build him back up.

He placed his free hand on her other cheek, his fingertips dipping into her silvery tresses. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, kissing him again.

He pulled her tight against his chest, and steam did not form. He finally owned up to his powers. Exploring his maximum potential and being accepted by her was enough for him to accept himself, which snuffed out the inferno completely. He grabbed at Elsa, devouring her without reservation, knowing he could never hurt her.

Elsa tangled her pale hands in his dark red hair, moaning against his lips. He kissed down her jaw and bit her neck, and she arched into him further. He growled, clawing at her sides. Elsa nestled her head in his neck, her breath cool beneath his ear, causing goosebumps. She caressed the rippled skin, smirking at the physical response. He kissed and nipped along her collar bone. When he reached the hollow at the base of her neck, her head rolled back. He teased her with his tongue, then pulled away.

"How'd I do?" Hans asked.

The kissing or the training? Elsa's head was still spinning, so she answered for both. "Wonderful!"

"We should head back."

Elsa was still breathless, so she simply nodded and took his hand. They walked back to the castle by the light of the waning crescent moon. They kissed goodnight outside her room, and they both fell into a deep, restful sleep.

A/N: Hello everybody! Very sorry about the delay. Work has been having internet problems on and off for the past week, as well as I've been having issues with my laptop. Finally fixed, I think lol Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! In case anyone is wondering (now that I've mentioned it like three times), yes we will see more of the Mysterious Lagoon and its inhabitants. I can't talk about it and not deliver! It will come in due time :)