Notes: I really don't know when I'm going to have the next scene for this, as I'm trying to get Mrs. Claus punched out during the holidays. I'm also going to be involved in The 12 Days of Kristanna event on tumblr... so yeah, busy. I'll try to get back to this asap!
The first thing she noticed the next morning was that she was alone in the bedroom. She remembered Kristoff holding her close to him last night, his voice soft and comforting as he sung her to sleep. She remembered his warmth surrounding her, making her feel like nothing could touch harm her again. He couldn't have been gone for long, though. His side of the bed was still warm.
She decided to get up and look for him, so she leaned over to where her robe was hanging off the back of a chair. She was about to roll out of bed and slip it on, when Kristoff came into the room, a tray of food in his arms and a smile for her on his lips.
"I didn't know if you were awake yet," he said as he placed the tray in her lap and kissed her temple, "but I hope you're hungry."
Anna looked at the food spread out before her and was instantly famished. There was toast liberally laden with strawberry jam, perfectly cooked bacon, scrambled eggs and a glass of apple juice, her favorite. It all looked delicious. "Kristoff, you didn't have to do this," she told him, reaching for his hand and squeezing before he moved around to his side of the bed and sat down next to her.
"I know I didn't, but I wanted to do something for you after last night," he admitted and she noticed the sadness in his eyes. She felt awful for the way she had sobbed into his chest after she had curled up against him. It was embarrassing and yet somehow cleansing. She had been holding all this pain in for the past few weeks and she hadn't been able to hold it in any longer. How could she not be thankful for his quiet strength? Who knows what she could have done without it.
"About last night…" she began, her flush deepening as she realized what he must think of her.
He filled a fork full of eggs and popped it in her mouth. "You don't have to explain to me," he said as his eyes grew soft, "I shouldn't have brought up the subject in the first place. You had every right to be upset. It wasn't something I should have been asking you in the first place."
"I thought I was over it," she admitted after swallowing the bite of eggs he had fed her. "But I'm not sure it's something you can really recover from in a few weeks, even if you spend that time with a gorgeous stranger."
"Look," he said nervously, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck the way he tended to do when he got anxious, "I don't know what happened between you and your ex, but I know you well enough to know that he was a complete fool for not doing everything he could to keep you."
A warmth rushed through her at his words and Anna set her tray to the side so she could lean over to wrap her hand around Kristoff neck. She pulled him down to her, letting her lips move over his in a soft, undemanding kiss. "Thank you," she said simply as she pulled away.
"You don't have to thank me," he argued, "you deserve someone who will treat you like a princess."
She shrugged, but her cheeks warmed in a flush again. "You don't really know me, so how can you know what I deserve?"
He cupped her cheek in his hand and stared into her eyes. "Anna," he whispered, "I know you."
Somehow, even though it seemed impossible, she believed him. He saw parts of her that no one had ever seen before, that no one had been interested in seeing and yet he still wanted to see more. He was exactly the kind of man she would have chosen for herself if she was free to make that choice. If only they had met under different circumstances… She sighed and curled into him. She still had a few more days to enjoy her time with him. She just had to make the most of it.