Fugitives

by darksidechick

In the blink of an eye, a festive event held in a neighboring kingdom turns disastrous, and Princess Anna is taken prisoner. Trapped deep behind enemy lines, her only hope of surviving is to find a way back to Arendelle. There's support in an unlikely ally, but their shared history only makes a tense situation all the more challenging….

23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Sun and the Moon

Dear Diary,

I guess this thing is a diary now. I'm not really sure what to do with this sketchbook. This is really only the second time that I've managed to use it. I really have to get into the habit of pulling this out of my bag more often. It was such a fun relaxer that evening when I drew Olaf. I want to have that kind of fun again. I miss it. I miss a lot of things….

I've never really kept a diary before, so I'm not entirely sure what to write about. Maybe I'll just vent a little. I can't really do that a whole lot with Hans. I get worried that he'll get tired of listening to me complain and we'll end up reverting back to arguing and throwing petty insults at each other. We've come such a long way since the beginning of this maddening adventure. As hard as it is to believe, I actually don't want that for us anymore.

Right. Venting. Okay.

So… I'm tired. I mean obviously, we've been traveling for a while. Hans is tired too. But really. I'm tired. The last two weeks have been insane. And stressful! Hans and I have been chased all over this country, and we haven't even reached the proper border yet. Alvania is definitely bigger than I imagined. It is so exhausting, constantly being on the run with little to show for it after so long. Well, actually, I suppose that's not true. Hans has plenty to show for it. A soldier decided to pick a fight with him at one inn we stayed at, and Hans won pretty easily- and stole his pistol. And his money.

I really hope that one of Hans' secret dreams is to play some weird version of Robin Hood, because he'd be living his best life right now with all the men he's pick-pocketed. Yeesh!

Hans and I are trying to avoid the villages as much as possible, now. The last three that we passed through all had those stupid fliers up. Thankfully, no one noticed who I was, but I could just feel my heart ready to burst through my chest at any moment if someone stared too long. To make matters worse, we were forced to spend the night in Fer... Ferhit…Hermit- oh whatever-its-called-town because it decided to rain right as we met with our contact. It was terrifying! There were actually soldiers taking up most of the rooms in the place. We were lucky they left some for actual paying customers, not that it mattered, much. That was the most stressful sleep of my life. Hans kept his pistol under his pillow just in case one of those brutes decided to pick locks. Ugh. I don't even think Hans fell asleep at all.

The only redeeming part of this whole escapade was that we actually got to meet people from the Underground. Real people! No more secret messages hidden inside dolls. Thank goodness! There's been three rendezvous so far. I think my favorite of them all was Cronos, a clockmaker, and the irony of him almost breaking Hans' pocket watch because he didn't recognize his own secret code!

Though in his defense, he was kind of old….

Huh. This is turning into more of a chronicle than a rant fest. That's okay. Whenever we get home, it'll give me plenty of stories to tell Elsa!

Our latest exchange was with a woman named Demeter. She owns the farm that Hans and I are currently stuck at until tomorrow, when the next link in the chain reaches out to us. We arrived here this morning. There's a small cottage on the other side of the wheat field where we get to stay. Demeter says it's supposed to be used for tenant farmers, but that's just the official story so no one asks questions. Meanwhile, Hans and I get a clean, furnished place to recuperate for the day. Demeter even stocked it with some bread and vegetables from the farm!

I'm gonna admit it. I'm actually looking forward to the stay here. It's just going to be me and Hans. I mean… without other people around. There's no innkeeper, no farmer and his wife to share the house with. This is the first time we actually get to play house. I really think this could work out well! The downtime could give me the chance to learn from Hans a bit more. Who knows! Maybe I can get him to draw something for me.

Speaking of Hans…

OH. MY. GOD.

I made the mistake of letting myself wake up earlier than normal that last morning in the inn. What was the first thing my stupid eyes landed on? Hans. But not just Hans… a NAKED Hans getting out of the bathtub! Aside from a thankfully well-placed towel in hand, I saw everything! And I can't unsee it! I couldn't even bring myself to look away. I just stared like some creep!

Because I liked what I saw.

I have never seen a man like this before, but wow! I always knew Hans was strong, but I had absolutely no idea just how toned he was. With all our talks about gods and mythos and the like, I swear Hans looks like he was carved like one. So, bulging and firm in just the right places! Do all men look like this? Or is he just special? Well, who cares! I think now it's safe to say that I know what I find attractive in a man's body. Yeesh! It's no wonder I wake up all over him every morning! To think of all that delightfully tight, firm muscle that I've been laying on top of every night… Mmmmm.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. Hans is GORGEOUS!

...Maybe I should burn these pages before he sees them. How embarrassing would it be if he read this! I don't think I'll ever live it down.

Actually… never mind. What's the worst that could happen? He'd probably get a kick outta this. Hans may be a jerk at times, but he's handsome, and he knows that he's handsome. He would just find this flattering and move on… and if I'm lucky, flaunt himself a liiiiiitle bit more. On purpose.

I could only hope. Gosh, I feel hot just thinking about this! I mean, I can still picture him plain and bare as day. Thank goodness he isn't around to see how red my face probably is right now.

Deep breaths, Anna. Just keep calm and don't carry on as if you could see right through his clothes. Clothes that hid all of that so incredibly well.

I am so screwed.

**Note to self. NEVER let Elsa find this book-

"I'm back!"

Hans' sudden voice startled her, and she quickly slammed the book shut and clutched it to her chest. Just how much time had gone by? Either he was back earlier than expected, or she wasted a lot more time than she thought. Her heart was starting to race. No doubt her face was still red after spilling her deepest secrets. What terrible timing to have to face him.

"Anna?" His voice called again, "Where are you?"

"I-I'll be down in a minute!" She called out to him and slid off the bed she was laying on. Her satchel was hanging beside his on the wall, and she quickly slipped the book back into her bag where it belonged. Maybe she was comfortable with him learning her secrets, but certainly not in this exact moment.

After a period of smoothening out her skirts and staring at her face- which was still red- she moved to the stairs and headed down to meet her companion. Halfway down the steps, she could see him squatting by the fireplace stacking up additional piles of logs to use later on. She made sure to keep her eyes above his waist.

"Here I am!" She greeted him and stopped a few feet back with her hands clasped behind her back. "How was the trip into town?"

"Not nearly as exciting as I hoped. But… I did manage to get us some meat scraps to make with our supper tonight."

Anna blinked in surprise. "Our supper?"

"Oh yes." Hans stood back up and brushed some debris from his hands. "For once, we're actually going to eat well."

Anna turned to glance warily at the old stove looming in the kitchen area. "Uh, are you going to make it? 'Cuz I don't know if I trust myself with that thing."

"Ah, it's not as terrifying as it looks," he said and casually draped his arm around her shoulders, "Light it, throw food on top and somehow it gets cooked." He slowly guided her across the home to the kitchen, "between the two of us, we can manage just fine."

Anna quickly turned her head away to hide the blush reddening her face all over again. If he noticed her flustered state at all, he didn't comment. And thank goodness for that. Surely something dumb would've escaped her otherwise. While she was gazing elsewhere, she noticed a white box sitting in the middle of the small dining table.

Was that there earlier? She wondered. While Hans was out, she spent some time exploring their lodgings. She didn't recall seeing that before.

"What's this?" She asked and brushed his arm away so she could approach and pick up the box. It wasn't very heavy, but she could feel the contents sliding about when she angled the box back and forth. Hans came up to stand beside her as she pried the box open and then her jaw immediately dropped. It was filled to the brim with chocolate danish, pastries, and other baked goods. The sweet smells delighted her senses as soon as the desserts were exposed. She soon had to turn her attention away before her mouth would start watering. "H-Hans! You didn't…"

He merely shrugged and leaned against the table. "I suppose these count for apology chocolates… y'know, since I ate the rest of your last stash."

"Hmph! You should have known better than that!"

"Well, this is me making it up to you. I hope it's alright. This village didn't have any Chocolatiers."

"Oh, I think all is forgiven, now." Anna said, smiling wide at the box before her. "Are all of these for me?"

"Well, everything but the lemon bars." When she shot him a look, he raised up his palms. "What? I spent all of that money, it only seemed right that I got one little thing for myself."

Anna closed the box gently and beamed at him. "Well, that was very thoughtful, thank you. I didn't peg you to be such a frivolous spender. There's a lot in here. What happened to all your talks about saving our money?"

"Tonight, it just seemed like a special occasion. And besides, if you want to get specific, those last two men I knocked out paid for these. I don't know what bank they robbed, but they were loaded. We still have plenty left over."

"I think you're exaggerating."

He shrugged lightly, "I might be, but the deed is done. Unless you'd rather I take these back-"

"-No!" Anna quickly snatched the box out of his reach and giggled as he tried to make a grab for it. "I mean, you went through all the trouble of picking these out. It would be a terrible shame not to enjoy them."

He chuckled and stepped away from her. "I figured you would say that." he moved more into the kitchen and started opening up the various cabinets.

Anna set the pastry box down and slowly approached and watched what he was doing. "What are you looking for?"

"Things for us to use." he replied and let out an 'aha!' when he found a small group of spice jars and a cutting slab tucked away in one upper cubby.

Anna kept to the one side of the work surface and twisted a fistful of her skirt fabric in her hands as she nervously watched the plethora of cooking items and utensils pile on the counter. "Do we really need all of this?"

"...probably not," Hans admitted and walked across the kitchen to grab the basket of vegetables that Demeter left for them. "But we don't exactly know what we're doing. I figured the more options, the better."

"Right…" Anna muttered, "...so, what are we going to make? I'm not exactly oozing with culinary expertise… unless you're hiding away more skills in that clever brain of yours."

"Well, no." He said and sorted through the vegetables and pulled out a potato and a few peppers. "But we can just experiment." He placed the cutting slab and peppers near her along with a decent sized knife, then glanced around the kitchen. There was a white apron hanging on a wall peg near the stove. He plucked it off and handed it to her to wear.

Anna made a face as she looped her arms through and reached around to tie it around her back. "You just know I'm going to make a mess, don't you?"

"I've heard that making messes is half the fun." Hans teased, then tilted his head to the one side as he stared at her.

Anna didn't notice his gaze until she finished tying her apron knot and happened to glance up in his direction. He almost seemed frozen in place. His stare wasn't intense, but it did make her cheeks flush. "Uh… are you okay?"

Hans suddenly blinked and snapped himself out of his trance. "Sorry. It's just… this is the first time that you looked… well… never mind-"

"-no, say it!" Anna pressed and put her hands on her hips. "Look like what?"

"Marit."

Anna blinked in confusion. "But… we're the same person. It's just a name."

"I-I know," he sighed and scratched his cheek, "I guess what I mean to say is that this is the first time that you really looked like my wife."

"But…" Anna felt her face redden deeper at the comment and she glanced down to look at her attire. "All I did was put this apron on. Is it my dress? It's much homier than the one I wore yesterday-"

"I'm not sure what it is," he shrugged lightly, "But suddenly you look exactly how I envisioned Marit Wagner would be… instead of Princess Anna dressed down and pretending to be a common housewife."

"R-really?" She asked, suddenly placing her palms to her cheeks to hide just how red they've become. "Is that a good thing?"

He nodded slowly. "I like what I see, if it means anything." He gazed for a few more seconds before awkwardly clearing his throat. "Right. Uh, why don't you get started cutting those things up?" He said before lifting his arm and pointing with his thumb behind him, "while I attempt to get this stove up and running."

"O-okay…" Anna whispered and stepped over to the cutting slab. She pulled over a red pepper and turned it around in her hands before glancing over to Hans at the stove. He was peering at it curiously while rolling up his shirtsleeves to just above the elbow. Watching him attempt to light the contraption became far more exciting than picking up the large chef's knife to cut vegetables. The light coming from the nearby window was just enough to accentuate the silhouette of his arms underneath the sleeves and she ended up staring far longer than she intended. It wasn't until she heard him cheer himself at discovering where to insert firewood that she quickly turned to face front again. She immediately grabbed the knife and started slicing the pepper. Her cuts were extremely slow and careful, and she made sure to stare intently at her task so it would be less obvious to him that she had accomplished nothing this entire time.

"It sounds like you've figured it out…" she said to him as he moved past her. "Good for you!"

"I should've made you do it," he teased, "isn't the kitchen supposed to be your domain?"

Anna snorted, any interested-tingly feelings she may have had minutes ago immediately gone with his comment. "Not in our home- not if you actually want to eat." At the sound of him chuckling, she glanced over her shoulder and made a face at him, "laugh it up, you scruffy looking…" she struggled to come up with a decent insult, "...jerk."

"Hey, that wasn't nice! I was only pushing your buttons." Hans came up next to her and would have come up with another comeback except he got at her progress with the pepper. "... is dinner supposed to be ready in time for breakfast tomorrow?"

"NO." She huffed and set the knife down, "I'm just being careful! This knife is huge. I'm almost afraid of it slipping from my hands."

Hans leaned against the edge of the workspace and gently took hold of her left hand, "that's because they're so delicate and dainty."

"Well, yeah. Compared to your monster ones…" she shot him a look before yanking her hand free and picking the knife back up.

Hans watched her grab another pepper and start to awkwardly slice it. "How is it that you were so keen on wielding a sword or wearing a dagger around your waist, and yet you seem so hesitant to use that?" He asked and jerked his head towards the knife in her hands.

"I dunno…" she replied, "maybe I just don't want to slice my fingers off!"

"May I make a suggestion?"

"...will it get you to stop picking on me?"

"Trust me, Sweetheart, if I were picking on you, you would know." He moved to stand behind her and reached around her body to place his hands over hers. "Try holding the knife just like this…" he demonstrated and then guided her hands through slicing the vegetable. "It's a much cleaner, easier cut this way."

Anna swallowed and pressed her lips into a thin line as she let his hands move hers. His grip was firm but not overbearing, and under his control, the knife went through the pepper as if it were warm butter. About halfway through, he stopped and let the weight of his arms merely sit over hers. She turned her head to the side to say something to him and then immediately froze. His face was so close to hers that it made her cheeks redden all over again. Thankfully, he was more focused on what he was doing instead of looking at her. She quickly turned to face forward again and cleared her throat to break the silence.

"Well…" she finally said after he released her and took a step to the side to resume his previous position against the worktable, "you're naturally stronger than me. Of course, you would make it look so easy!"

Hans chuckled, "it's a pepper, not a rock. Besides, you're much stronger than you give yourself credit for." He said and gave her one bicep a gentle squeeze. "If you can knock me in the face, you can easily win a fight against a few vegetables."

"Well, I appreciate your confidence in me," she said with a sly smile on her face, "since I now know what I'm doing, you should probably get that stove heated up or we'll never eat tonight." Hans briefly returned the smile before pushing away from the table towards the pile of logs near the fire. She kept her eyes on him for a few moments longer before returning to her task. Hans did have a point, the way he showed her was far more effective. It didn't take her too much longer to finish her cutting. Satisfied with her work, she set the knife down and turned to watch Hans again. He managed to get the stove lit and was plucking some spices from the mess on the table and setting them aside. There was already a copper pan positioned on the stovetop ready to go.

"Please tell me you're going to operate that thing." Anna said as she brought over her cuttings.

Hans blinked as he took the slab from her and scraped the pieces into the pan. "What are you afraid of? You used the stove at the Kranzes with no issues."

"Yeah, but Gertrude was there telling me what to do! I don't have her guidance anymore! All I've got now is...well...you!"

Hans shrugged, "would it make you feel better if I just stood here and told you what to do?"

"Um, no? 'Cuz you don't know what you're doing either."

"Details, details." he handed her a wooden spoon and a bottle of oil. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"...we burn everything. Or blow up the stove?" She didn't sound confident as she poured some oil in the pan and started to stir.

"I doubt it would come to that."

"Easy for you to say. The fate of our dinner doesn't rest in your hands." She quickly glanced over her shoulder to him. He was opening up the package of meat that he brought back. "What if this really turns into a disaster? What then?"

"Then we have a whole box of pastries to feast on."

Her jaw dropped as she whirled around to face him and put her hands on her hips. "You said those were mine!"

"Hey, if the going gets rough, you'll just have to learn to share."

Like hell I am! Anna narrowed her eyes at him before refocusing on the stove. We're going to feast on this mess even if it kills us. I am not sharing my sweets again!

---

"I don't know about you, but that was probably the most we've eaten since staying with the Kranzes." Hans stretched his arms out as he moved to collapse on the small sofa near the fireplace. "I don't think I could eat another bite."

"Me neither," Anna smiled at him from her spot in the kitchen. She had a drying rag in her hands and was finishing cleaning up from the messes they made. "I wish I knew what I did. That… whatever it was… turned out really good!"

"See? I told you it would."

Her head tilted to one side as she set a dry plate aside and grabbed the fry pan. "The meat was kinda tough, though. But at least there wasn't as much of that."

"Yeah, well, I did ask for whatever bits the butcher was going to throw away. You won't get a tender steak for practically free, you know." Hans leaned back and draped his arms along the back of the sofa as he watched her finish the dishes. "It was still edible. That's what mattered."

Anna nodded as she finished her task. She really did surprise herself. She didn't realize how much she relied on Gertrude Kranz during those days on the farm until today when faced with the horrifying prospect of having to cook alone. Hans tried to contribute, but in the end, she didn't let him do more than set the table and deep scrub the pan for her afterwards to get the stuck-on burnt pieces off. She wanted this meal to be her victory. There haven't been many chances for her to truly shine between them. And something he said earlier before their prepping really hit her hard.

"This is the first time that you really looked like my wife…"

In the beginning, becoming Marit when she truly needed to be was constantly a challenge. Every time she would gaze upon Hans, all she could see was an opportunistic prince and scoundrel; someone who she would have to keep an eye on while at the same time keep a certain physical and emotional distance from him. That first test of her endurance-that night at Greja's inn was brutal. Barb after barb, it was almost too tense of a situation for her even to fall asleep on her own. Granted, her actual slumber in Hans' arms was rather nice, but only as a means to an end. Was she comfortable? Yes. Did she want to make a habit of it? Certainly not.

Everything changed at Kranz farm. Gertrude really did make her realize that she and Hans could never truly continue on the way they were if the subtle hostilities remained. Marit and Nikki may just have been their cover identities, but who and what they represented were important. Companionship. Partnership. Trust. Just because the marriage was fake didn't mean they couldn't encompass the values of a real one. Anna couldn't help but admit that things started to get easier the last few days on the farm. She actually started to enjoy some of the time spent with Hans. they shared jokes, he taught her how to defend herself in a rather… interesting sparring session, and it even got to the point where she didn't even mind the moments right before bedtime. Quiet pillow talk became one of their new little rituals, even after leaving the farm. It didn't matter where they slept, whether it was an inn or in the middle of the woods. They always found something interesting to talk about. She didn't realize it until more recently how much those soft little moments really started to bond them. She learned a few things about him that he never really told anyone before, and she would sometimes regale him with stories about Arendelle and the wonders of her sister's magic. Those moments, long or short, kept them grounded, especially the hectic last two weeks.

"... suddenly you look exactly how I envisioned Marit Wagner would be… instead of Princess Anna dressed down and pretending to be a common housewife."

Anna sighed softly as she stacked another dry dish in its proper place. It was no wonder he gave her such a compliment before. She seemed most like Marit now because she was no longer really trying. She was just being herself and doing what she thought was right or best instead of hyper focusing on their little charade. And Hans… she was starting to realize why his cover always seemed so natural for him. Scrape away the ugly past and royal titles, perhaps this version of him was all that was left. It was a side of Hans that she had grown to like. Sure, he could-and would- still be a jerk at times with his little comments here and there, but they were a tease, not an insult. She could tell the difference now. And even if she didn't outwardly show it, some of his little jabs even made her laugh.

She snuck a quick glance over towards him. His position on the couch hadn't changed, though she could have sworn his head quickly turned away from her when she laid eyes on him. Now they were staring off watching the flames dance and flicker in the hearth.

"Comfortable?" She called out to him, eager to break the silence between them.

"Mmhm." He nodded and angled his head to one side, "though it would be a lot more if you came over to join me."

"I'm still doing the dishes," she replied, "because someone decided to take a seat instead of staying to help."

"There's only so much space over there. And you seemed to have everything under control."

Anna smirked to herself, "I think you just didn't want to do any hard work. You're taking after Heinrich Kranz quite well."

"Oh yes." Hans chuckled, "I could sit back and read the newspaper by candlelight while you toiled away… well, if I actually had one."

"I doubt you would actually want to read Alvanian news, anyway. It would probably set you on edge."

"Perhaps."

With the last of the dishes finally put away, Anna dried off her hands and walked across the room to sit beside him.

"Wait, take that wet apron off. You won't need that anymore tonight."

Anna reached behind her to undo the knot but couldn't get a solid grip on it. Some of her fingertips were still slightly damp, and the cloth slipped out of her hands. She made a face as she struggled. She had no idea how she knotted it so tight in the first place. "Um… a little help?" She asked a bit sheepishly. Hans twirled one of his fingers about to motion for her to turn around, and when she did and took a step closer to him, she felt her cheeks redden slightly upon feeling his hands against her back.

"Good grief, Anna, what kind of knot is this?"

"Um… a tight one?"

"I'll say. Christ, this is a mess."

Anna bit her lip when she felt a distinct rough tug a few moments later, and the ties suddenly became significantly looser. "Oh, thank yo-hey!" She didn't anticipate him to yank the cloth away and toss it carelessly aside, then in one swoop wrap his arms around her waist to pull her down onto the sofa beside him. "Impatient, much?" She nudged into his side as she readjusted herself on the seat beside him.

"I prefer the term 'eager'." He said and casually draped his arm up and around her shoulder. "So… it's still a bit early yet."

"Mmhm." She nodded, not quite sure where he was intending to lead the conversation.

"How shall we pass the time?"

Anna blinked and shifted to turn slightly towards him, "O-oh! Well…" she wasn't entirely sure. This was the first in a while where they had a decent amount of time to themselves. And while this safehouse was at the very least furnished and freshly stocked with food to get by, it didn't offer much in the ways of entertainment. Plus, she wasn't even sure how regular people spent their evenings. At the Kranzes, Heinrich often read newspapers or just fell asleep in his designated chair. Gertrude usually still had some chore left to do, or she worked on her knitting. Nothing done together. Anna frowned. There were no newspapers, or even a book laying around, and certainly no knitting needles and yarn. "...I'm not sure."

"It's too bad I didn't think to acquire a deck of cards," Hans sighed, "we could've taken turns gambling for all those chocolates that you couldn't resist buying."

"Hey now…" She prodded his chest with her index finger, "my sweets are not poker chips!" She bristled and crossed her arms over her chest, "still… you do have a point. It's something small that's easy to carry around, and there's plenty of different games we could play- especially ones that don't involve bartering for my candy."

He chuckled, "but the risk and reward is half the fun."

"HA! For you, maybe. Certainly not for me if you win and end up eating my snacks-"

"Alright, alright. I suppose we could just use our actual money. After all, it's not as if we're actually going to lose it."

"True…" Anna nodded thoughtfully, "but then what's the point?"

Hans shrugged. "Bragging rights for the winner? We both know neither of us enjoy losing."

"Also, true." She slumped back against the sofa. Now she was really craving a good game. Not only would it be something different to do, but it would give them a chance to tease and taunt each other without the harm of hurt feelings. With that idea also squashed, her mind started to race to come up with something else. Anything else. The last thing she wanted was to spend hours staring off at the wall or the fireplace while sitting in complete silence. If she wanted the night to be that dull, she could just retreat upstairs to bed and waste time in a more comfortable setting.

"Hey…" she nudged his arm gently after an idea finally came to her, "I think I know something we can do…" she wiggled her way off the sofa and scampered up the narrow staircase to the bedroom where both her and Hans' satchels were hanging. There was no hesitation in pulling out her sketchbook, but her hands stalled over the flap to Hans' bag. Merely reaching inside for his book seemed so nerve wracking. This would be one huge gamble. Hans seemed to be in a pleasant enough mood now, but there was no telling how he would react to her prompts. Her heart immediately started to thump harder as soon as she held his book in her hands. How easy it would be to just flip open the cover and get a quick peek at the first few pages. Hans was downstairs and would most likely still be in the same spot waiting for her. He would be none the wiser.

Anna stood there, staring hard at the leather cover. It was clearly worn down in spots. She could remember Hans telling her that it was almost full. Now she wondered just how much room was actually left. She turned it over in her hands to get a glimpse of the back. It was just as plain as the front, unlike hers which had a little bit of decoration to it. Scratched into the leather in the lower corner was his name. She could almost feel the rush of adrenaline as she tucked her book under her arm and turned his around in her hands, spine down, never more eager to lay eyes on such secretive contents inside.

"Anna?" His voice called from down below, "Are you coming back? What's going on up there?"

Her eyes went wide as his voice pulled her back to her proper senses, and at the most impeccable timing. Shame and guilt immediately came over her for even contemplating breaking Hans' privacy. He would never have considered doing something like that towards her. The very least she could do was give him the same respect.

If I'm going to do this, it has to be the right way, she told herself as she gripped the book tighter. I don't think I could take it if the two of us regressed so far back to our first days on the run.

"Anna?"

"I-I'm coming!" She finally answered him. In a rush, she dug through the bottom of his bag for a decently sharp pencil, and with the supplies in hand, she hurried back to the stairs, nearly tumbling down the last few. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed as he turned to look at her over his shoulder from her clumsy entrance. "I was searching for some...pencils!" She said quickly to satisfy any of his curiosities, then moved towards the couch to stand before him. The books were held behind her back.

His head tilted curiously to the side as he raised his brow. "Pencils? Are we going to battle it out with 'x and o's'?"

She bit her lip, "not exactly, but I suppose we could if you really wanted." After a deep breath, she pulled both books around from behind and held his out towards him. "I thought maybe you'd like to draw something."

His eyes darted from her face to the book in hands, "oh."

Judging by the expression on his face, her little bit of hope was starting to drain away. Maybe this is like karma punishing me… she wondered, because I tried to sneak a few peeks. When he didn't make any moves to take it, she pulled it back and held it close to her chest along with hers. "I guess I just wanted to see the master at work…" she replied softly, "we could draw something together? Or something for each other?"

Her explanation at least got a small reaction out of him as he sat up straighter. "I'd hardly call myself a master, Anna-"

"-You're better at it than me," she countered, "but if you don't want to, it's okay. I just thought it would be something fun for us to do together...and something you'd enjoy."

"N-no, it's okay. If you want to, we can." He replied softly, "I don't quite know what to make, though."

Anna shrugged. "I dunno, either. But maybe we can inspire each other!" With a warm smile on her face, she sat down beside him and handed over his sketchbook.

He set it on his lap with his hands positioned to open it towards the back end, but instead of flipping through it to find an empty page, he merely sat there staring at it. His expression suddenly seemed quite pensive.

"Are you okay?"

Hans hesitated before slowly nodding. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking…" he cleared his throat before opening the book barely enough to pull out a folded, loose, blank paper from being sandwiched between pages. Book now closed, he used the cover as his flat surface and unfolded and smoothened the loose parchment. "Okay," he said and turned to look at her. "What are we doing?"

"O-oh! Well…" she tried not to let her face show how crestfallen it became when it was suddenly clear that she wouldn't be getting ahead in her plans. "Uh...I guess I thought we could draw something special for each other."

"So… in each other's books?"

She shrugged lightly. "Sure, I guess? I didn't exactly think this through one hundred percent. We're kinda winging things."

He nodded slowly in understanding. "Well, mine is almost full. I don't exactly have a lot of open room for you to create, but you can use this," his hand briefly lifted up the page, "and I can keep it inside my cover."

"I suppose that would work," Anna nodded and carefully took the book and page from him. She wouldn't let this one minor setback get to her. There was still plenty of evening left. There was always the chance that he might go rogue and open the book after all. "So… should we take turns? I can doodle something, then watch you?"

"If that's what you'd like."

After getting into a more comfortable position next to him, she ran her hand over the single paper once more and picked up her pencil. "Give me a suggestion. What should I make?"

"I don't know. What do you feel comfortable with?"

"Anything really," Anna replied, "I mean, nothing too complicated… that last thing I ever drew was a snowman, after all. I dunno, what's something meaningful to you?"

"Well…" Hans furrowed his brow as he thought it over. "I do like horses-"

"-oh perfect!" Anna giggled, "I can work with that!"

Hans eyed her carefully, "I don't know if I should feel intrigued or nervous with the way you're snickering."

"Oh relax," she teased, "what could I possibly draw that would make you scared?"

"I dunno…" Hans sighed and sent her a pleading glance, "just don't depict anything to do with me shoveling horse manure."

Anna blinked in confusion, "why would I draw that?"

He shook his head shamefully, "You're better off not knowing."

"O-okay." With a nonchalant shrug, she turned her attention to the blank page and pencil in her lap. Her head tilted sideways as she planned out what her sketch would be. As she tapped the back of the pencil against her chin, she noticed Hans shift beside her. His body angled more towards her, his one leg crossed over the other, and his arm draped over her to rest along the back of the sofa just behind her shoulders. When she shot him a look, he merely shrugged and offered a pleasant little grin in return.

"Don't mind me," he said, "I'm just getting comfortable."

Anna chuckled once and then turned the page to a landscape position. "Let's see…" she said more to herself as the pencil hit the paper. "I think I'll start with a sun up here…" she made a curved line in the top left corner and complimented it with different sized rays coming off it.

"Do you always put suns in your drawings?"

"I like the sun!" Anna smiled as she continued to draw, "...and sunshine. It's warmth.. It's happiness. When it shines bright in the sky, it just makes everything so lively and beautiful."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were describing yourself." Hans said softly. "Maybe I should start calling you 'sunshine'."

Anna blushed at the compliment and tried her hardest to resist looking at him. It was bad enough that her cheeks gave her away. She didn't need another reason to get all flustered, or to really let him know just how much she was touched by his words. Sitting next to her, it would be pretty easy for him to notice. Too easy. Hans noticed everything.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." She said and nudged his side with her elbow.

The hand resting behind her came forward a bit to gently rub her shoulder. "It's not flattery if it's true, you know."

Anna bit her lip and slowly turned her head to glance up at him. He had such a sincere expression on his face. His eyes were soft, and the one corner of his mouth was pulled up just enough to form the most adorable little smile. It reminded her of that day on the docks when he had that daydream look on his face when she was all disheveled in a boat with seaweed stuck in her hair.

"...do you really mean that?"

"Of course, I do."

She couldn't tear her gaze away from him. Her lips soon curved upwards into a shy smile of her own as her eyes traveled all along his face, taking in every little feature. She became lost in his green orbs and a delightful tingle went down her spine when she felt his fingers gently trace along her shoulder.

"Anna…"

"...yes?"

"The drawing?"

Suddenly she snapped out of her trance and quickly pulled her head back. When did her face suddenly get so close to his? Just how strong was she fixated on him, anyway?

"R-right…" she cleared her throat and reluctantly dragged her eyes back to her project. She still had the horse to finish sketching. This time, she made sure to keep her eyes on her work. She could almost feel his eyes still lingering on her as she kept drawing. Time to steer away the conversation. "How do you like it so far?"

"Like what?" He asked, then suddenly cleared his own throat, and finally looked down towards her lap. "Oh-the picture. It's quite charming." His free hand reached over to point to the figure beside the horse. "Who's this?"

Anna giggled, "You, silly!"

"What?" He chuckled and leaned in a bit closer to get a better look, "that can't be me. Where are the sideburns?"

Anna's mouth twisted into a teasing smile. "I don't remember what they looked like. It's been a while since I've seen them-"

"-just draw two lines along the sides of my-I mean his face."

"Like this?" Anna purposefully scribbled in extra dark marks.

"...I said sideburns, not fur."

She laughed louder. "Says you with the scruffiest, fullest beard I've ever seen. You're practically furry now!" When he pretended to be offended at the comment, she flashed him a grin and went back to finishing her sketch. The rest was easier now that Hans stopped asking questions. After a few last-minute details here and there, she put the pencil down and let out a triumphant little cheer. "There, all finished!" She announced and carefully passed back his book and paper.

Hans cleared his throat and held the paper up to get a better look at her work. "So… it's me and a horse… on a boat?" He pointed to the curved object beneath his caricature. "That's what this is, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yes. You and your steed are off traveling the realm. That's supposed to be Sitron, but I kinda forgot what he looked like. My memory isn't as great as yours."

"Ah…" Hans nodded and continued to admire the picture. "It's alright. I'll use my imagination."

"I bet you've probably got a sketch or two of Sitron in there." Anna said and gently tapped his book cover.

"I do."

"...may I see?" She asked softly. I suppose there's always the direct approach.

"Hmm-no." He chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger, "don't think that I don't know what you're up to."

Drat.

"Well, I suppose it's my turn now, isn't it?" He said and glanced around. "Where's yours?"

"Oh. Right here." Anna reached beside her to retrieve her sketchbook from the seat and was about to hand it over when she suddenly froze midway.

My god… I really didn't think this through! I can't give Hans my book! Not after I wrote all those things in there! What if he opened it to the wrong page? Yeesh! If he caught wind to the fact that I wrote about what I saw… or about how stupidly attractive he was, I would never live it down.

"...is something wrong?"

His voice snapped her out of her racing thoughts. "N-no… I mean, I just remembered that I was writing in there earlier, while you were out."

"So?"

She bit her lip nervously. "They were private things."

"Ah, I see." He stretched his arms out up behind the back of the sofa, "You don't want me to read all about your secret undying love towards me."

Anna immediately paled. He was teasing, of course, but the comment hit way too close to home. The important thing to do would be to not give herself away. "D-don't flatter yourself! I would never-"

He shrugged with a strangely satisfied look on his face. "I dunno… you're suddenly nervous. I've got to be in there somewhere."

She huffed, "If- if- I bothered to write about you at all, it'd only be about how much you get on my nerves."

His head tilted curiously to the side, "but we've been getting along so well as of late."

"Yeah. So don't ruin it by reading my diary." She sighed and slowly handed over her book. "My private thoughts are not for your eyes."

Hans took the book and set it in his lap. "I know. You can trust me, Anna. I promised that I would never snoop."

Anna felt another wave of shame come over her when he said that. Hans was right. What little personal privacy they each had deserved to be respected. There was a big difference between them. While he had no problems speculating on what she may or may not have written down, he would never go behind her back to pry. Meanwhile, everything she had tried to do over the last few weeks was get a peek through his pages, his diary of images. There were other ways she could figure him out without betrayal.

...if many of our future quiet moments end up like tonight, then he might just open up to me on his own. I can't even remember the last time we had a real fight. I want to keep it that way. From now on, I'm going to be good and let nature run its course. I just have to be patient.

"Maybe… maybe you can draw something towards the back end?" She suggested softly and handed over the pencil. "Y'know… just to be on the safe side."

He twirled the pencil between his fingers. "What would you like me to draw?"

She shrugged. "You always seem to know me so well. Why don't you pick something?" Before he could get started, she changed her position on the sofa. Instead of sitting up properly beside him, she shifted to lay more sideways, letting her legs and feet take up the remaining open space, and then leaning into his side. When he glanced down at her, she offered a weak smile in return. "Don't mind me. I'm just getting comfortable."

"Uhuh." He opened the book to a proper page on the back. The pencil ghosted over the paper while he planned out what to do.

Just like hers, he started off by rounding out one of the top corners. "Ooh, you're drawing a sun, too?" She asked.

"Not quite," he replied quietly, "that's the moon."

"Oh?"

He nodded and kept his attention on his work. "The sun isn't the only light source in the sky. Moonlight can be just as bright and mesmerizing. To be honest, I think I prefer it. There's just something… I dunno, magical about it."

"Magical?"

"Sure! Think of all those fairytales you enjoy so much. The most romantic or mystic moments don't happen in broad daylight, but in the brightest light of the full moon. There's just a great presence to it. I really like it, I guess."

Anna smiled up at him briefly and continued to watch. He had just finished putting some details on the moon and had shifted to the other side of the page. The tip of the pencil hovered over the paper for quite a while.

"I think I gravely miscalculated my space." He murmured, "do you mind if I use the other page, too?"

"No, go ahead. Now you've got me curious what you could possibly be doing."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Anna shifted her head against his bicep and let her eyes continue to follow the pencil around, crossing over the center binding to work on something on the extreme left side. It became incredibly calming for her to watch how his light strokes really started to take form on the page. Opposite the moon appeared some sort of cliffside and he was currently adding some detail to the rockface. He made it to the bottom half of the paper, and now a different aspect began to come to life. His lines became really light as he mapped out new shapes that would get filled in later.

"Have you any idea how enchanting this is?" She finally broke the silence between them.

The pencil frozen in place just above the paper as he turned to look down at her. "But I'm nowhere near finished."

"It doesn't matter." She replied, "even for such a silly activity like this, you're giving it so much effort and detail. Do you always draw this way?"

"Usually. Unless I'm lazy or in a rush." He said and went back to his work.

"Well, this is beautiful! I have no idea what you are making, but I know the finished product will be stunning." She paused to give herself the chance to choose her words carefully. "Hans, you are so incredibly talented. It's a shame that your work never gets to see the light of day."

"You're getting to see it right now."

"Yeah, but as a whole, everything just stays locked away inside your book. I mean, I get why it has to be that way, with your brothers and all… but I bet if you really wanted to, you could do this professionally."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely," she beamed, "just look at that moon! The craters, the shadowing, it looks so realistic! I can only imagine how this drawing would look if you were given paint and canvas instead."

"It would look a lot better than just this pencil."

"Just think! In another world, you could paint and sketch and sell your work in festivals and fairs- just like those other artists in Rheland!" She said confidently. "I would definitely be your first customer. Or biggest supporter. You could be 'Nikolai Wagner, esteemed artist', instead of… whatever I said you were."

He chuckled softly. "Well, should Nikolai and Marit be forced to settle out in the countryside, perhaps he'll take up the profession."

"Really?"

"Sure. They would have to make money somehow. Nikki would need to support a comfortable lifestyle for his beloved bride and her addiction to fancy chocolates."

"Hey…" she playfully nudged his arm. The room went silent again as they both returned their focus to the drawing. There was now a footbridge near the bottom right, and over near the cliffside, Hans had drawn two tiny figures close together- a man and a woman judging by their shapes. They almost looked like they were dancing.

The new quiet between them started to make Anna tired. While watching his strokes, she found herself nodding off here and there. She had to stay awake. She had to see the finished product.

A yawn happened to escape her, and it got his attention. "Are you sleepy?" He asked, "you can go up to bed if you'd like."

"I know…" she sighed, "but I want to watch you finish."

"I can stop and work on it again tomorrow…."

She felt herself struggling with another yawn. "No, it's okay. You can keep going. I think I can stay awake long enough." She gently nuzzled her head against his arm and tried to blink away the sudden onset of exhaustion. It worked for a while longer until she could feel her eyelids getting heavy all over again.

It looks like he still has plenty left to do. I might have time to close my eyes for just a few minutes.

The position of Hans' arm didn't make for the most comfortable pillow, but she did her best to make it work. Little power naps weren't about comfort, anyway. And she was certain that any movement from Hans would snap her awake anyway. Time was against her, though. One or two minutes soon turned into five, and then that ended up extending into over ten.

"Hey. Anna." Hans nudged her gently.

Her eyes slowly opened back up and looked at him. "Oh! I'm sorry! I just needed a quick energy boost. You can keep going! I'll watch, I promise!"

"Anna…" he said softly, "I've already finished.

Her eyes widened as they lowered towards his lap. Her sketchbook was closed. "Oh…" she sighed, "I missed the end! You did that fast." She yawned and forced herself to sit up properly again. "How long was I asleep?"

"A while," he replied and passed her book back to her. "It's alright, though. You're tired. Go on up to bed."

She frowned and hugged her book to her chest. "Maybe I should…"

"I'd offer to carry you up," he said with a teasing little smirk, "but the stairwell is too narrow. Unless of course, you'd rather I toss you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

" ." She shook her head and slowly got to her feet. "I think I can manage just fine on my own." Anna glanced briefly towards the stairs, then back at him. "Are you gonna come up, too?"

"No, I'm not tired, yet. I might stay up a while longer…" he raised his own book briefly, "...maybe doodle a little something for myself."

"O-oh. okay." When she turned to go, Hans suddenly reached out to grasp one of her hands. She glanced down to their joined hands for a few seconds before looking at his face. "...yes?"

"This was really nice," Hans said after a brief pause, "I really enjoyed this."

A small smile started to form across her face, "Really?"

He nodded. "I did. Perhaps we'll do this again."

"I'd like that." Anna replied, "I had a lot of fun, too."

"Well…" he paused again as if trying to come up with the right words to say. "...I suppose I'll let you get some rest." He sat forward and brought their joined hands to his lips. A soft kiss was laid on the back of her hand, and once he lifted his head up, he let his thumb stroke over her skin as his eyes briefly locked on hers. "Goodnight, Sunshine."

---

The blush remained on Anna's cheeks even after she had stripped down to her shift nightdress and drawers. Hans was really having an effect on her. That simple little hand kiss sent a tingle down her spine. That never really happened before. Granted, this wasn't the first hand kiss he's given her, but it was definitely the first one where he didn't do it for show or to get on her nerves. It was… genuine.

The thought of getting a real kiss from Hans thrilled her way more than it should have- way more than it would have two weeks ago. In spite of the overall stressful situation that she and Hans had to deal with, today was one of the few days that she really felt alive, even more now than when they were on Kranz farm.

It excited her when Hans would smile at her, laugh with her...did anything that involved some form of physical contact. It wasn't always her constant blushing that made her realize how much she actually started to enjoy his companionship. Without much effort on his part, he was really giving her a good round of tingles and delightful shivers. It's been so long since she really felt those with anyone. The last year dating Kristoff didn't make her feel much of anything, and while Prince Oscar certainly knew how to make her swoon, there was just something about him that kept making her say no.

But not Hans. His gaze alone could make her heart flutter. She could stare into those bright green eyes all day long if given the chance. Not only that, but he was far more sensitive than she would ever have given him credit for, even if getting him to open up and talk were a challenge. It was a side of him that she couldn't get enough of.

Was she giggling and admiring him the way she did three years ago when they first met? Absolutely. It surprised her just how much it should be bothering her...yet it wasn't.

Anna hugged the sketchbook to her chest as she twirled around and flopped down on her side of the bed. If there was any consolation to falling asleep earlier, it was that his sketch for her was now a complete surprise. After tucking her legs underneath the blankets and getting comfortable, she ran her fingers along the back cover of the book before opening it up and turning to the proper page. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the two-page drawing before her. The cliffside that she remembered him starting earlier was actually a waterfall with the current shimmering in the moonlight.

God, she envied him and his talent. Not only did he seem to have a natural gift with the pencil, but he created this whole thing in a relatively quick period of time. She couldn't stop admiring it. She felt the same levels of adoration for this sketch as she did for her image on that wanted poster. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it really made her drawing for him look like it was done by a five-year-old. She wasn't ashamed of her piece… she just didn't predict he would put this much effort into an art exchange.

Since when does Hans ever do anything halfway? She asked herself. In everything he does, it's go big or go home.

Her head tilted slightly to the side as she continued to eye the drawing. Her sight settled on the two dancing figures. With their smaller size, they weren't as detailed as the rest of the sketch, but there were two distinct features that seemed to stick out. The woman had what looked like ribbons coming off her hair, and the man had… sideburns?

Did he draw… us?

Her eyes squinted as she pulled the book closer to her face. Those were definitely sideburns- real ones, not the super bold, furry kind she gave her Hans caricature. The clothing was different, too. The woman's dress didn't have rosemaling pleats or lacy sleeves. And the man's suit was dark in color and devoid of everything that would make him appear a prince.

Maybe it's us without really being us… so not to stir up old feelings? Or hard feelings? She blinked and thought it over again. Yeah, I doubt it. But there's nothing really to hide. Regardless of what happened afterwards, that night was the best of my life. It was the first time in years that I really felt alive and free… kinda… kinda like the way I feel now.

Is this why he decided to draw this? Does he feel the same way?

Anna slouched back against her pillow and slowly closed the book and set it aside. The notion gave her plenty to think about. It never really dawned on her to wonder how Hans was feeling about this whole thing. Would it even be wise to ask? He was generally very tight lipped about anything personal or emotional.

Maybe it's better that I don't know… she frowned, asking questions might be opening myself up to a discussion that I may not be ready for. Things have been so easy lately, let's not ruin it. Elsa's coronation is the biggest taboo subject out there!

Her gaze was redirected towards the open doorway when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and a few moments later, Hans emerged from the hall with his book tucked under his arm. The door was closed as quiet as possible behind him, and he almost looked like he was trying to tip-toe about. Not once did he glance towards the bed.

The corner of her mouth twisted up slightly as she decided to break the silence. "It's okay, y'know," she said to him, "I'm still awake."

His head immediately turned to her as he froze in place at the sound of her voice. "Oh," he exhaled loudly, "I figured you would have dozed off some time ago."

Anna shrugged, "I was going to... but I guess deep down I just wanted to wait for you." She sank a little lower under the blanket. "I saw your finished drawing. I really like it."

Hans flashed her a quick smile before slipping his book safely into his satchel. "I thought you might."

"Did you draw a lot more after I came up here?"

"No, actually," he replied, "I just watched the fire for a while… thought about some things."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Need to know."

"...of course, it is." She feigned a huff and drew some of her long hair over her shoulder to play with. "Well, I suppose I'm glad you finally decided to come to bed. It's kinda cold."

"Yeah… the sofa got a bit colder once you left, too." He brought his hands up to his neck to start undoing his cravat.

Anna's eyes widened a bit once the neckwear was completely tugged away and set aside. She could feel her cheeks reddening and she watched with interest as his hands moved to the buttons on his waistcoat. Her view of him wasn't a perfect heads-on, but it was enough to stir up those delightful mental images of him from the other morning. The mere thought of seeing another glimpse of him was exciting. Even if she would never admit it to his face, she could still acknowledge and appreciate his handsomeness.

All the better for Marit, anyway! She told herself. It's all the more convincing when she's truly attracted to her husband.

Yes. That's the excuse I'll use.

A chuckle from him snapped her back to reality and her eyes were forced from his torso up to his face. He was suddenly looking at her with an amused expression. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no!" Anna shook her head and started to run her fingers through her hair. "You've just never undressed in front of me before-"

"-I can go out into the hallway if you'd prefer-"

"NO! It's okay- I mean… you're still going to leave your trousers on, right?"

"Yes."

"...and your shirt?"

His eyebrow raised curiously. "Of course."

His answer disappointed her a lot more than she thought it would. How silly of her to expect anything else from him. Of all the times they slept in close quarters, he always maintained a proper sense of gentlemanly modesty around her. Increased time together never changed that.

"Then go ahead," she waved a hand briefly before it went back to fiddling with the ends of her tendrils. She still didn't try to conceal the way she watched him, though. If he cared, he didn't show it. His own gaze was on his hands as they undid the small buttons of his clothing. Soon, the waistcoat was discarded alongside the cravat and he started on the collar of his shirt. She could almost feel her heart thumping harder in her chest. The sight of Hans in his shirt, suspenders, and trousers alone was enough to get her giddy

It's no wonder Nikki and Marit are madly in love. She's having a hard time keeping her hands-and eyes- off him, and they're not even real!

"The next time you want to watch me undress, I'll be sure to put on a more entertaining show." He teased and sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. "I think if you stared any harder, you would have burned a hole right through me."

"I would not…"

"I'm not quite sure I believe you…" he smirked as he pulled the blankets on his side, "but that's okay. I suppose if you're that desperate to ogle, I'd much rather it be me than some other man."

She couldn't resist snickering. "Don't worry. Your wife wouldn't think of letting her eyes stray."

Hans flopped down beside her and pulled the bedding up to his waist. "That's good. I'd hate to go through a jealous streak."

Anna waited until he was done adjusting his pillow and getting settled before deciding to scoot right up next to him and lay her head upon his chest. Her arm extended out to rest over him as well with her fingers staying along one of his suspender straps. Almost immediately, he tensed up beneath her, but it only lasted a few seconds before he relaxed again. Her boldness definitely took him by surprise.

"My my…" he murmured softly and shifted slightly beneath her. "This is certainly new. I didn't peg you to be such a cuddle bug."

She allowed her fingers to trace along the opening of his shirt, and in certain places, she could feel the contours of his muscle underneath the fabric. "Well… this was bound to happen at some point during the night. I'm just saving time."

"You're not wrong there." he replied and wrapped his arm loosely around her back.

"You're also warm."

"So are you." His arm tightened around her as he let out a sigh, "This is nice. I could get used to this."

"What, me smothering you?"

He chuckled, "being wanted for something- even if it's just for warmth."

She smiled and nuzzled her head into him. "You're… you're comfortable, too." she admitted shyly, "it's nice to fall asleep feeling safe. Lately, that seems like a luxury."

"I know."

She exhaled loudly and rubbed her head into him again. She even shifted to lay a little further up his side. That didn't quite feel right, so she tried moving a little lower again. Wherever she tried, she couldn't find a decent place to lay.

"What are you doing?" Hans finally asked.

"I'm trying to get comfortable!" She groaned, "In spite of what I just said, for whatever reason you feel different tonight."

"It's the same chest that you always lay on."

"I know…" she frowned and ran her fingers along his other side. Her tips traced the edge of his suspender strap as she thought it over. It took about a minute of staring at the leather strap before it finally dawned on her. She immediately sat up and gave one of them a gentle tug. "It's these!"

"...excuse me?"

"You need to take off your suspenders!" She exclaimed, never feeling more satisfied in solving that little mystery. "They were digging into me."

"I never thought I'd see the day where you of all people would demand that I remove my clothes." he teased and sat up slightly so he could maneuver the suspenders down and away from his arms. Once they were free, he slumped back against the pillow and drew her closer to him again.

Instead of laying down, she braced her arm over him so she could prop herself up and gaze down at his face. He was staring up at her almost the way he did earlier on the sofa, only this time, there was a bit of lazy exhaustion mixed in. He seemed calm- almost too much. It was as if the outside world and its troubles didn't exist for him- for them. She was feeling that way too, and she liked it. A man and his wife enjoying a quiet night and getting cozy before sleep would claim them until the morning sun; how incredibly satisfying to finally feel like an average person; for them to finally feel like the couple that they were pretending to be.

Her hand came up to lightly caress his cheek. The compliment he gave her earlier really struck a chord. After weeks of having to really play pretend, it did feel nice to know that her hard work did pay off; that she really did feel like a wife. His wife. Because now, especially today, he really felt like a husband to her. The constant closeness, the innocent touches, the teasing….

And thanks to one unfortunate morning… the attraction.

Did she ever anticipate those husbandry qualities coming from Hans of all people? Absolutely not. Perhaps it was the constant use of their cover getting to her. But she really liked those qualities. In the rare, quiet moments like this where they both could take a step back from the fear and stress of the outside, she found herself starting to like Hans in a way that she didn't quite think possible. Of course, a lot of the appeal lately was physical. Even at his worst, he was always maddingly attractive. That never changed. She allowed her eyes to travel all over his face, from his slightly tousled auburn hair to his vibrant green eyes, the tasteful sprinkle of freckles peppering his cheeks and even to his well-groomed side-

...well… they used to be sideburns….

She drew her eyes back to lock on his, and she batted her eyelashes sweetly to catch his attention. "Would you do something for me?"

Hans' head tilted slightly to the side, almost leaning right into her hand. The way he stared back at her made her wonder if he was going to tease her with his answer.

"Yes?"

"Get rid of your beard," she pleaded, "please. I really miss the sideburns."

He chuckled lightly and brought one of his hands up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Trust me, no one misses them more than me."

Anna bit her lip. "You know… when you were gone earlier, I guess I hoped you were at the barber. Wishful thinking, huh?"

"Well, you know how it is," he teased, "the line to get in was so long. I couldn't just leave you all alone to fend for yourself just so I could get a haircut."

"Yeah, right."

"Besides," he continued, "As much as I hate the look, I think the scruff needs to stay for a while. It's my last line of defense."

"Defense? From what?"

"From you."

"...me?"

"Mmhm." He nodded and kept his eyes locked on hers. "Because I had the distinct feeling that you wanted to kiss me just now."

"I-I…" her cheeks immediately flushed, "I was not! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The snuggles, the caresses, not to mention this is the second time you've given me love-eyes tonight. To be honest, I kinda thought you were going to try that move earlier, too."

Her fingers immediately stopped caressing his cheek, though they made no effort to move away from his head. "You're… you're letting your own fantasies cloud reality. And besides…" she swallowed nervously, "we promised not to kiss each other. You know that!"

Hans raised a brow. "Actually, I'm the one who promised not to kiss you. There was no agreement made about you bestowing affection onto me." he said with a satisfied little smile.

"Well, don't get your hopes up!" She huffed in an effort to downplay her flustered state. "I'm not in the game to kiss you regardless of what is or isn't on your face."

His thumb gently flicked a stray eyelash from her cheek. "Relax, Sunshine. I'm just teasing."

The corner of her mouth twisted upwards at the pet name. It sounded far more natural than the times he's called her darling or dear or any of the other ones that had slipped out over the last few weeks. "You know… I've been thinking. If I'm like the sun, that must make you more like the moon-"

"-the moon?"

"Yeah!" She nodded, "Charismatic, energetic, strong…" she let her voice trail off as she resettled down against his chest. "And while you always keep up the appearance of being so composed and… and gentlemanly- which you are… most of the time- there's also this hidden, rather vulnerable side of you that not many people get to see. You're not perfect. A-after all, not even the sun can shine on every side of the moon… but what she does get to see are some of the best parts. And surely, what's hidden away deep beneath the surface is something worth discovering, too."

His hand slowly rubbed up and down her back. "You know, that might be the most insightful thing anyone's ever said to me." He said softly. "I like it- so long as you promise not to start calling me moonshine or some other nonsense like that."

"No…" she giggled against him. "I know you're not into nicknames. Getting you to answer to Nikki was a miracle in itself."

"Hmm. That's the one exception. And only coming from you."

Anna smiled as she nuzzled into him to get more comfortable. His free hand came up to lightly grasp hers, though she wasn't sure if it was meant to be affectionate or to stop her from rubbing through his shirt. They laid in silence for a few minutes, and the quiet time got her mind to start racing about what was said earlier.

"Hans?"

"Hmm?" There was a little hint of drowsiness in his voice. She winced and hoped she didn't accidently wake him up.

"Did you mean what you said before?"

"I suppose it depends. What did I say?"

"I mean about us… if we never make it home. Would you really promise to take care of me?"

The arm around her back tightened. "Of course, I would. You're my wife. I suppose if the alternate identities became the real ones, we'd do whatever we could to make the best of the situation and live as normal a life as possible. Our day today could-would- be every day. Who knows… maybe we could become real tenant farmers, or I could find a job in a nearby village?"

Anna frowned, "I'd have to learn how to cook."

"Well… no one's perfect."

"Don't you think life would get… I dunno… boring?"

He chuckled, "with you? Hardly. And besides, in a home of our own, we could fill it with whatever we liked. I'm sure we could find plenty to do during our downtime. We could collect books, a couple of games… maybe even have a pet or two."

"Pets?"

"Would you not like pets?"

"Well… I dunno. I never really thought about it before." Anna furrowed her brow as she thought it over. His voice didn't portray him talking as if it were a last resort scenario. In fact, he seemed almost excited. It didn't quite rub her the right way. "Y'know, you don't sound too upset about the idea. Don't you want to make it back?"

"Of course, I do." he sighed, "But there's something about a quiet country life that just speaks to me. Don't get me wrong, Anna, I do think that being forced to settle out in Alvania of all places is probably the worst thing that could ever happen to us, but after living among my rowdy, obnoxious, toxic brothers all my life, I've really longed to get away from there. And now, after having to rely on wits and basic survival skills, I honestly think I would be happy just becoming a regular person and living the simpler life. I'd gladly work a farm or in a shop, even paint landscapes for a living if it meant I could just be myself… or Nikki… and just start over."

"I've been searching my whole life to find my own place…"

His whimsical words from that fateful night suddenly echoed in her mind. For the last three years, she had simply assumed he meant a kingdom to rule; a place where he could be Number One and be better than all of his brothers. That was, after all, how he portrayed himself when she came for him for help. But this… this gave that phrase an entirely different meaning. It left her unsure. It didn't sound like the Hans she knew at all.

She bit her lip slightly and lifted her head up to glance at him. To her surprise, he wasn't looking down at her, but rather empty gazing off at the bedroom wall. "I uh… never knew you felt that way."

"I've been like this for quite a while- long before this whole mess started." He replied quietly without looking at her. "And probably long after it's all over… assuming we survive, and everything turns out alright."

"But… if we had to settle, you'd be tied down to me…" She was almost afraid to ask. "I-I mean… it's not exactly a real marriage, no matter how much we play it up in town."

Hans nodded and let out a sigh, "But I would do everything in my power to make it work. You're all I have left."

He seemed to take a deep breath and close his eyes afterwards, so she resigned to laying her head back down. "You do want to get home though… right?" She felt the need to reassure herself of his desires.

The arms around her tightened again. "I want you to get home. I want us to succeed and save Charlotte. But if I had my way, I'd stay home long enough to retrieve my horse and move on."

Her head nuzzled into his shirt, "but where would you go?"

"Anywhere, so long as my brothers were a long distance away."

Anna was getting the impression that he didn't have much else to say on the subject. As she laid there, she could feel him drifting off to sleep. It would be a while longer before she would doze off, though. His confessions certainly gave her a lot to think about.

---

"H-hey!" She managed to choke out in between fits of laughter as the two of them tumbled down onto the bed. Her hands kept splaying out to block his arms, but he was simply too fast and too strong for her. Every time she seemed to get a decent grip on him, his fingers always found their way to her most sensitive spots and she ended up squirming away from him, "O-okay stop! I m-mean it!"

It took a few extra seconds for him to slow his attacks down, but when he did, he collapsed onto the bed beside her and gathered her up in his arms. "Mmm, that was fun."

Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she took while trying to calm herself down., "For you maybe! It's not fair! How can I be so ticklish and you so… not?"

"I don't know, but I will thank God each and every day for giving me the natural advantage."

She pouted and pushed up on him a little. "What about me? I want an advantage, too!"

"You, my darling," he purred and leaned his head in closer to hers, "...have the delightful power of enchanting poor unsuspecting painters with your beauty and charm, and wrapping them around your dainty, slender fingers."

"Oh Nikki…" she blushed as he claimed one of her hands and started placing light kisses along her fingertips, and she felt a delightful little tingle when his eyes locked on hers as his lips moved onto her knuckles. "Don't stop there…" she whispered to him when he finished with her hand, "the other one wants some love, too."

"Mmm…" Nikolai hummed and reached for her other one. Instead of covering this one in featherlight kisses, he merely gazed adoringly at the plain narrow silver band on her ring finger. "Oh Marit…" he sighed, "you make me the luckiest man alive." He laid a tender kiss along the ring. "I just wish we thought to elope weeks ago. It would have saved us such precious time."

Marit smiled at him as her free hand came up to caress his cheek. Her fingers traced delicately along the edges of his sideburn. "True… but now we have a home of our very own and I couldn't be happier. Things are simply perfect just the way they are."

Nikolai released her hands and slid his around her back to guide her closer to him. "The wedding night does seem much sweeter after being apart for so long."

Marit giggled and slowly rubbed her hands along his loose shirt. "Is that why you pounced on me? Someone's eager for some tender affections?"

"Of course," he replied in a husky voice and immediately lowered his head to capture his lips with her own. The kiss started off slow and tender, and after a few minutes of going back and forth nipping and pulling at each other's lips, he slowly rolled her more onto her back. Marit moaned softly into the kiss as he pressed a little of his weight into her, and she responded by sliding her hands up his check to loop around his neck. "Mmm," he sighed, "have I told you how much I love you?"

"No? I mean, not in the last ten minutes, anyway." She teased.

Nikolai gave a lopsided grin, "You, my Sunshine, are a gift from the heavens themselves; the very image of sophisticated grace and beauty; a shining beacon of light in an otherwise dull and mundane world. And most of all, you are my perfect muse, always there to encourage this struggling artist to keep going. You, my Love," he tapped her nose with his, "complete me."

She smiled fondly, "You know, many of those things are not true. I am neither poised nor graceful-"

"-You are to me, and that's what really matters." he said softly and gently rolled them onto their sides. "For the first time in my life, I am truly happy."

"I'm happy too." She replied and rubbed her nose into his. "We're finally free, and away from your frightening family and my overbearing sister."

"One could say…" he began with a devious little glint in his eye, "that it's an occasion worth celebrating." Before giving her a chance to react, he lowered his head and pressed a single kiss into her neck.

"Nikki…" she giggled and shifted her hands to his front to push on him, "it seems we have plenty to celebrate tonight….and not a whole lot of time to do it."

"Then we'd better not waste a single minute…" he purred and closed the gap between them with another kiss. His hands rubbed up and down her back and one of them eventually slid up to bury in her lock copper locks. As he groaned and deepened the kiss, he slowly rolled on top of her. Her hands rubbed along his shirtfront before fisting into the cotton fabric as her mouth battled for dominance against his. "Hey now…" he reluctantly pulled his head back to glance down at her hands, "don't stop… what you were doing felt pretty good…"

Marit blushed and bit at her lip. "What was I doing? You're the one who stopped kissing me."

"No…" he pulled one of his hands around to grasp over one of hers, flatten it, and move it around his chest. "This."

She giggled. "You want me to keep rubbing you?"

"God yes." He grinned and slowly shifted away to lay on his back. "I'd like nothing more than to feel your hands roam all over me."

A shy little smile formed on her face as she lifted her nightdress just enough to climb atop and straddle him at the waist. As she leaned forward, her head tilted slightly to one side as her hands pressed down just below his open collar. "Maybe I should take this off…" she teased and gave the fabric a playful tug.

"...please…"

She leaned down more to capture his mouth again, and while her lips worked against his, her fingers fumbled with each of the buttons. She worked slowly, making sure to savor every minute of the kiss and press her hands into his torso with each button that she managed to undo so he knew exactly how many she had left to go. The kiss wasn't broken until her hands found his waist and the fabric of his trousers. Her fingers snatched at his open shirt and yanked it up and out of his trousers, and Nikolai helped her further by sitting up just enough to finagle his arms out of the sleeves as fast as possible. Once she tossed the garment onto the floor, she pushed him back down onto the bed and let her eyes wander all over him, taking in every contour of his muscular form.

"Like what you see, Sunshine?"

She could feel the heat rising on her cheeks, "very much," she whispered as her hands rubbed along his shoulders and down his arms. "I had no idea you were so strong…" her fingers gently gave his biceps a squeeze, and she let out a surprised squeal when she felt him flex beneath her touch. "Show off..."

"Oh, you enjoyed it." He snickered, then let out a soft groan as her hands retreated back to start rubbing their way down his chest. Her fingers moved in a circular motion along his pectorals, giving a little extra attention to his nipples. His head leaned back further into the pillow as the rest of his body trembled beneath her touch.

"I found your sweet spot…" she purred and shifted her hands back to one particular area to see him wiggle beneath her again.

"You have-ah- no idea how stimulating your mere touch can be…"

Marit tilted her head and a coy smile formed on her face as she took her index finger and traced it between his pecs straight down to his midsection and onto his stomach. "You mean like this?" She giggled as a pleasured groan escaped his lips. Once her fingers made it all the way down to the top of his trousers, she let out a surprised gasp of her own upon feeling something prod at her inner thighs. "Nikki!"

He didn't respond. He was too busy trying to control himself. Just the view of her straddling him the way she was had sent him into a bit of a frenzy, and her stroking fingers were quickly transitioning from teasing to torturing. What little power he had left crumbled when he could have sworn he felt her fingers slide beneath her to graze over the stiffening, straining bulge of his trousers. In one swift movement, his hands latched onto her sides and roughly dragged her off of him. She let out an 'oh!' at landing on her back, and he immediately rolled over on top of her, making the effort to grind into her as his body pinned her in place. Before she could even get a word in, his mouth clamped over hers in a desperate, devouring kiss.

"You had your fun torturing me…" he murmured with a strained voice as he broke away briefly for some air. "...now it's my turn."

Marit had never felt so many sensations from mere contact before. He had claimed her lips in another passionate embrace, only this time, his mouth soon migrated to kiss and nip along her neck. She could feel her spine tingling when he managed to locate a sweet, sensitive spot of hers and decide to focus some extra attention there. As she gasped and trembled under his ministrations, she slid her hands back up his chest to loop around his neck and pull him closer. His hands were also at work, rubbing up and down her sides until they eventually traveled further down. One of them slowly worked on hiking up her nightdress while the other's fingers traced its way up her inner thigh.

"Oh Nikki…" she moaned. Her heart was starting to thump harder as a rush of heat pooled between her legs. His fingers were so close to stroking her folds that when they pulled back, she let out a whimper.

"Don't worry, my love, they'll be back. I just need to rid you of this, first." He whispered hotly in her ear as his hands made rough tugs on the button closures of her nightdress. The garment ripped open with ease, and once it was out of his way and her full body now in full view, he let out a low growl and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Marit giggled and squirmed beneath him, once again feeling that distinct growing bulge pressing into her throbbing groin. His hands were the first to trail down her sides, then his mouth made a similar downward path from her shoulder to her chest, traveling through the valley between her breasts. She could only close her eyes tight and purr as she felt both his tongue move across her stomach, and also one of his hands as it slid back between her legs and-

With a startled gasp, Anna snapped herself awake and immediately sat up. Her hands clenched to her chest and legs and she immediately let out a sigh of relief upon feeling the fabrics of both her nightdress and her drawers beneath her fingertips. She wasn't naked after all. Thank goodness. The solace didn't last too long, though. With her fingers near her thighs, she was all too aware of the remnants of heat between her legs that she desperately wished would go away. Not only that, but now she could feel movement beneath her, and when she glanced downward, suddenly it came back that she had been laying on Hans all night, and thanks to her rather stimulating dream, her sleeping self just decided to get a bit more intimate in her snuggling. Her legs were draped over his, and her flustered body was now laying way too close to his groin for her to ever be comfortable with. Anna kept her horrified gasp to herself as she quickly detached from him and retreated as far back as she could to her side of the bed.

It was just a dream. Just a dream…. Just a….

Oh God…

Anna clutched the blanket tightly to her chest and took a few deep breaths. She was no stranger to odd or crazy dreams, but this was definitely the first time she became fully aroused from one.

Her head slowly turned to glance back at Hans. He was still sound asleep. Her scrambling off him did little to rouse him. His face was turned away from her, but in his profile she could make out the beard covering the lower half of it. She was never more relieved to see that unflattering mass of facial hair than in this moment. It was a minor detail, but any little thing to help remind her that the clean-shaven, sideburn-sporting Nikki-no, Hans- in her dream was just that- a dream. But was all of it in her imagination? If she woke up this heated, did any of that affect him? In the position she was laying, she was dangerously close to grinding him. What if she actually did? He had to have felt something. What if her actions manipulated him in his sleep without his knowing? Would he also be dreaming about making lo-

NO. Nope. I don't even want to think about it. She shuddered. Still… it didn't stop her from reaching a trembling hand over to gently pull up the blanket covering his lower half just enough that she could take a peek underneath. The moonlight in the room didn't extend beneath the bedding too well, but from what she could tell, his trousers were flat. No unsightly bulge to be found anywhere. It was only a small comfort, though. There was plenty more from that disaster of a dream to worry about. If the Nikolai in her dream was a true representation of Hans, then she did far more damage to him while they were awake. She dropped the blanket back down and tore her sights away to stare down at her hands. She spent a good portion of their pillow talk nuzzling his chest. Rubbing his chest.

If dream-Hans was incredibly turned on by it, the real Hans must be, too. That seems logical… right? She shuddered and cautiously glanced back at her companion. Is that why he never would protest whenever I laid on him? What if him telling me that I keep him warm was really meaning I actually-?

OH GROSS!

Stupid Hans and his stupid keeping-his-thoughts-and-emotional-level-to-himself self!

I really hope I only dreamed that whole thing because I saw him naked the other day. It has to be. I've been letting mere physical attraction take over every bit of rationale that I have left! Why else would I dream about sex with Hans of all people?!

Her brow furrowed. It would certainly explain her entire behavior towards him the last two days. She liked him, genuinely liked him, and her words and body language lately made it clear as day to him. It was no wonder he genuinely thought she wanted to kiss him earlier. The blushing, the nuzzling, the ogling, even the insane hoping that him undressing actually meant removing all of his clothes. Mix all of that in with the level of comfort and ease they had around each other for playing house, it's no wonder her brain concocted such a vision of domestic bliss.

That was nothing more than a terrifying combination of my physical attraction towards him and his inner desires for a better home life. That was a version of Nikki and Marit that I hope never comes to fruition. If we have to settle out here, fine. I guess I'd have to accept that. But the real Nikki and Marit would be a simple marriage of convenience. No tickling, no kissing, and definitely no sex!

I'm letting this cover of ours get too far out of control. It's supposed to be a facade for the masses, not an excuse for me to have real affections for Hans. Marit and Nikolai don't really exist, and neither do their immense feelings for one another. Hans and I have a history. I can't just decide to forget all of that because he happens to be a handsome man and we're being civil to each other. We are each other's means to an end. He's getting me home, and in return, Elsa will hopefully help him and the Southern Isles in their efforts to rescue Queen Charlotte and stop Beker. I just have to remember that.

After a deep breath, she snatched up her long-abandoned pillow and shoved it beneath her head, then grabbed the blankets and tried to cocoon herself in them the best she could. They were her barrier. Her last line of protection.

It won't be easy, but from here on out, I need to have better control. We can still work together and be friendly and respectful, but I need to keep an emotional distance from Hans. No more cuddling. No more ogling. No more sleeping in his arms. No more thinking about the Hans I used to admire and comparing that man to the one I'm currently stuck with. I'm not entirely sure what my real relationship is with Hans right now, but it needs to slow down. I can't afford to fall in love with him- not again. Otherwise, our 'road not taken' will be our only road left.

As she laid there, she realized that would be a matter easier said than done. Because no amounts of blankets or distance could protect her from herself.