Chapter 4
"Usually we have to drag you to the girls' games. What's up with you?" Naveen asked Kristoff as the men walked into The Stables.
"I'm just trying to be a good supporter of our women's programs." The short stop said defensively.
"He's trying to hook up with one of them isn't he?" Naveen turned to ask Flynn, ignoring Kristoff completely.
"I just haven't figured out who it is yet!" Flynn replies, knocking the side of his head in frustration.
"Ah crap." Rapunzel said, looking at her phone.
"What?"
"Flynn just texted that Kristoff is coming with them."
"Damn it, already?" Tiana said with a sigh, checking her own phone.
Confused, Anna asked, "What's the problem?"
"Unless the teams are on a road trip together, Kristoff doesn't come to our games. Which means he's trying to bag someone on the team."
Anna's stomach dropped. Kristoff had been openly flirty with her since he got her number last week, which was fine. She enjoyed talking to him about nonsense and even flirted back a little. Was she sending the wrong message?
Stupid.
Annoying.
Slutty.
"Don't get me wrong, I love Kris, he's in our wedding! But he's just never been...serious about anyone. And if he's trying to distract one of our girls this season, I'll kill him!" The threat seemed pretty empty coming from sweet, little Rapunzel.
"I'm sure the team will be fine." Anna said in finality as she stood from the bench in her equipment closet and started towards the exit. She could leave Rapunzel and Tiana to gossip about that stuff, she had a game to get ready for. Anna wasn't even positive that she was the one Kristoff was potentially trying to "bag". Anna didn't know him, pretty much, at all so she shouldn't flatter herself.
The women's softball stadium was not nearly as big at the men's, but it was still impressive. It was uncharacteristically warm for early October so Flynn, Naveen and Kristoff were all dress similarly in jeans and some type of Arendelle gear. Kristoff adjusted his navy team hat as they walked through the columns of the stadium, leading to the stands. The game had already started so they quickly found their way to the very top of the stands directly behind home plate. Looking around the stadium, a decent crowd had turned out. Some players' families, groups of students sun bathing and even a little league softball teams with their coaches. Cheering from the visiting team dugout focused the guys' attention back to the field. Arendelle was in the field and the player up to bat had hit a blooper in the air towards center field. Rapunzel was fast but there was no way she would make it there before the ball hit the ground.
But Anna didn't give up. She tucked her glove and sprinted back, leaping at the last second, her white jersey sliding across the grass.
Out.
It was an impressive play. Kristoff was stunned by it before Flynn and Naveen started cheering loudly for the girl.
"Nice play Red!"
"Woo! Great catch!"
The players in the Arendelle dugout were going wild and cheered the Sports Center theme, "Duh nuh nuh! Duh nuh nuh!" The short stop quickly righted herself and threw the ball back to Merida in the pitcher's circle. Before returning to her position, Kristoff watched as Rapunzel and Anna exchanges some words. They slapped gloves, then throwing hands and Anna jogged back to the dirt. The pretty smile on her face was quickly replaced by a seriously look as Merida prepared to face another batter. She was fluid, he had to say. The rhythm of her steps were perfectly in tune with Merida's pitching and the batter's swing.
The next batter hit one in the gap past Tiana to put a runner on first base. Kristoff noticed Anna move closer to second base to exchange words with her teammate before returning to her spot for the next hitter. A few pitches later and the ball was soaring in Anna's direction again. It was a tough ball. Hard hit, on the ground and pretty close to third base. For the second time that inning, Anna was on the ground. Diving to stop the ball from rolling to the outfield, Anna popped up to her knees to throw to Tiana who met the catch at second base. Tiana then shot back off the bag and fired the ball to Aurora at first. Bang bang. All in less than 4 seconds. Still on her knees, Anna yelled out in excitement, pumping her arms in the air. With that being three outs, she sprung up and ran to meet her teammates grouping together outside of their dugout. High fives were shared all around and the victorious smile returned to Anna's face, lighting it up beautifully.
"Shit, Anna is good! She was a solid pick up this year." Flynn commented while clapping for the team.
"I'm gonna marry that girl." The words mumbled out of Kristoff's mouth before he could sensor them. His gaze was transfixed on Anna laughing with Tiana before they disappeared down the stairs into their dugout.
Flynn's and Naveen's head whipped to their friend. "I'm sorry, what?" Naveen practically yelled.
The spell seemed to have been broken as Kristoff turned back to his seatmates, confused. "What?"
"What the fuck did you say man?" Flynn gave him a look of pure shock.
"Huh? What? What did I say? The blonde man seemed genuinely baffled.
"You said-" Naveen started but was quickly cut off by Flynn's elbow in his side.
"Nothing! You didn't say anything. It must have been that guy to your left. Never mind!" Flynn elbowed Naveen in the side again and gave him a look that Kristoff missed as he had already turned back to the game.
"Whatever asshats. Who's up?"
The rest of the game was pretty entertaining. It was a close contest between the two teams but Arendelle squeaked by with a W in the end. And just like after every game, Naveen and Flynn waited near the girls' teamroom for their significant others. But unlike after each game, Kristoff was now joining them. Before Naveen and Flynn could comment (although they did share another significant look between them), Rapunzel, Tiana and Anna emerged from the exit door of their teamroom. Tiana was talking in a hushed voice when all of the sudden the other two burst out laughing as some unknown joke.
"Ladies," Flynn started, "Stupendous game." He high-fived both Tiana and Anna before wrapping his arm around Rapunzel's neck and pulling her into his body.
"Tiana will always have my heart, but Anna you were the player of the game today." Tiana elbowed her boyfriend before laughing. Naveen hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek, "My love, you are still my favorite player do not fret."
"Thanks, I'll see you girls at home!" Anna started walking away from the group.
"Hey..." Kristoff called as he walked after her.
"Hey." Anna replied, looking back but not stopping.
"That was a great game."
"Yeah Merida pitched us out of a few jams there, huh?" Anna hiked her backpack up a little higher, fidgeting with the pull straps.
"Yeah sure, but I was talking about you."
"Oh." She pulled on one of her auburn braids; she wasn't great at taking compliments.
"You're a solid shortstop."
"Oh, well thanks." All the words coming from her mouth sounded so stupid. She could feel her diaphragm tighten in embarrassment.
"Sorry I don't have any more specific notes for you." Kristoff joked. Relaxing only slightly, Anna laughed.
"Oh shut up." Rolling her eyes, she looked up at him from her left side.
"You had the girls worried today." Anna nodded her head back in the direction of Rapunzel and Tiana.
Genuinely confused, Kristoff tilted his head, "What do you mean?"
"Apparently," Anna drawled, "you don't come to games often, but when you do you can be a...distraction to some of our players." Light danced in her bright blue eyes, she was teasing him.
Seriousness clouding his features, "Were you distracted?"
"Did I look distracted?" She quirked her brows, a smirk playing on her lips.
"No, you looked good." His hazel eyes darkened and fire shot down the nerves at the back of her legs. She was glad he spoke again because her tongue stopped working, "Can I take you out?"
"I-" thinking back to what Rapunzel said before the game, "I don't think that would be a good idea." Anna looked down at her navy and gray trainers. She didn't know when they had stopped walking.
"Can I ask why not?"
I'm damaged goods.
You're too good looking for me to think rationally.
You'll just get annoyed with me anyways.
All the potential responses swirled around her head before she settled on, "I'm not sure I'm what you're looking for."
"And what do you think I'm looking for?"
"I- Look, I don't know you but people talk and..." she left the words hanging, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"And the girls told you I'm just trying to get laid." Anna physically cringed at his words. This was not the talk she planned on having tonight, or ever for that matter. "Listen, I know what people say about me and it's never bothered me, well, until now. I don't want to sit here and defend myself but just know that there are two sides to every story."
"And why is it bothering you now?"
"Because I don't want you to think that's the type of guy I am."
"Then what should I think Bjorgman?"
"That I like you. And I want to get to know you, properly. No funny business. Well I mean unless you want a little funny bus- right, right no funny business." He quickly sidestepped his words at the look he gave her. Anna gave him a snort. When she looked up at him, he was mesmerized by her in the late afternoon light. Freckles peppered her nose and cheeks from the countless hours in the sun and her large blue eyes popped from the contrast of her auburn hair.
"Like what you see?" Hearing Anna use his own phrase from the first time he saw her was ironic. He had thought she was beautiful then too.
Courageously taking a step closer to her, Kristoff said, "Absolutely."
The air between them was thick with tension. He was doing something wild to her. Being around him made her float between insecure schoolgirl and feisty she-wolf. It was exhilarating but she could do without all the stomach flops. A slight movement had Anna looking down to Kristoff's lips. He had subconsciously wet his bottom lip with his tongue. Except, by the smirk that now sat there, she was wondering if he had done it on purpose.
"I'm not going to kiss you, you fool."
"You were thinking about it though."
"You'll have to work a little harder than that."
"I'm no stranger to hard work."
The innuendo in his words made her face heat, "Just shut up and buy me dinner." She turned to continue walking towards the parking lot.
"It's a date." The smile clear in his voice.