Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Frozen universe including, but not limited to, characters, names of places, lyrics, dialogue, or any other piece of product. Disney retains all the rights to this universe. I am making no money or receiving any kind of compensation, material or non-material, for this fiction. It's all for fun. Please don't sue me. I do claim the writing, the idea behind this particular narrative, and any peripheral characters or locations created to augment Disney's work.

The Five Times Kristoff Wanted to Kiss Anna – and The One Time He Did

The Fifth Time : Because He Wanted to Save Her Life

Anger as bright and real as his blood boiled inside of him. He'd been upset before, but never like this, never with this much depth. She was gone. Just like she had been swept into his life, she had been swept out. His life should not have felt any different. He should have been relieved to have her gone so he could go back to his routine with Sven, but he wasn't. He was used to being alone, but for the first time in a long time he felt lonely. She'd left behind a strange Anna shaped hole in his chest and it made him so angry he could scream, or cry, or punch something.

That was why he was having none of Sven's attempts at intercession. Every five minutes that damn reindeer moaned and looked back towards Arendelle like it was going to change something. Like just because Sven felt bad about how it ended, Kristoff could go back and make it better. Those people took her out of his arms without a second glance at him. Never mind that he had returned their precious princess. That didn't matter. People like him were invisible to people like them, invisible to people like Anna. One off day wasn't going to change that. He'd been an idiot to think it would ever be any different.

They'd almost crested the ridge that would take Arendelle out of sight and out of mind when Sven had had enough. Kristoff was in no mood for his friend's interference. Anna was gone. She'd picked Hans and her old life over them and that wasn't something that was up for discussion. Anna made her choice. He was powerless in every sense of the word, and he felt it and saw it reflected back at him in his friend's sad eyes. He wished things could be different, but they couldn't, and that was just the way things were.

A gust shoved his back with unexpected strength and chill. He turned into it, perplexed at its origin, and looked down at Arendelle. His heart jumped into his throat. The entire city was engulfed in cloud that grew like it had a life of its own. He should have turned and kept going. He should have worried about his own neck. He should have left this gods forsaken land and forgotten about the insanity that had replaced reason. He didn't, not even for one second.

The snow beneath his feet was deep, but it barely slowed him. He charged towards the thickening storm with singular purpose: Anna. If this war against winter wasn't over, he sure as hell wasn't done fighting for her. Sven couldn't have agreed more. Kristoff hoisted himself up on the reindeer's back and together they flew into the raging storm.

The fastest way to the palace gates was across the frozen fjord and Sven didn't hesitate when Kristoff steered him onto the creaking ice.

Kristoff had experienced blizzards. He'd been in storms so fierce that drifts as high as his head formed in minutes, but surpassed anything he'd seen. Snow as thick as a blanket, ice swirling through the air and pricking his face like thousands of needles, and he couldn't see anything until they were right on top of it. Sven's hooves thundered in time with Kristoff's heart as the wind picked up to unimaginable levels. The world seemed to tilt when a ship, sprouting out of ice like a mighty oak, toppled over them. Ice, thick as Kristoff had ever seen, cracked like glass beneath them. Then he was flying through the air and oh gods – SVEN!

Breathless moments caught between worlds, his past – Sven, his future – Anna, and it was years before the reindeer resurfaced and urged him on.

Go! Sven seemed to say. I'll be fine.

Kristoff didn't need any more encouragement than that. He pressed into the swirling white, trusting his innate sense of direction because there were no markers in this angry winter. He'd find her. He had to. Like the only way to save his life was to save hers. Like his life didn't mean anything without her in it.

The wind cut to an abrupt halt. Particles of snow and ice hung suspended in the air as if on invisible strings. He had no time to wonder at this because there was Anna. He'd know her at any distance, white hair or not, and he'd never run so hard. Slipping and sliding over the slick surface, but never slowing down, Kristoff charged towards the staggering girl. There was no room for questions. He didn't have time to consider why she was on the ice with him, or why she was still freezing to death, or what that meant. Every fiber of his being was focused on just getting to her because no answers in the world mattered if she wasn't there with him.

He had to kiss her. It was like his need to breathe, to eat, to sleep – it was something he had to do in order to survive. He needed to take her in his arms, to shelter her, to fix her and forget that he hadn't been able to keep her safe in the first place. Grand Paddie said it would take an act of true love to save her. Bulda, his mother, had gasped about a kiss, and he'd thought that there was no way he could be the one Anna needed. Now he couldn't imagine a world where he wasn't the one she needed. Forget Hans. Forget status. Forget everything that didn't have to do with Anna being wrapped up in his embrace.

She was close enough that he could make out her expression. He could see the blue tint of her lips and the pallor of her skin. It was only moments before he let her know exactly how he felt, only a few moments before he saved her, and her eyes met his for just one second before flickering over to a scene he hadn't noticed before.

It was Hans and Elsa and a sword and before Kristoff could reach Anna, before he could stop her and save her, she was on a new path.

It unfolded in an instant, a flash of metal and magic, and then she was gone.

Anna, along with Kristoff's heart, froze to solid ice.

A/N: As always, A MILLION BILLION thank yous to all those who are reading and reviewing. I always try to get back to you all individually, but sometimes I suck and I don't. I am keeps me going and makes me all the happier to keep writing for you all. Seriously. I know we authors say this ad nauseam, but you all really do fuel our muses with your feedback. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Only one chapter left. The one you have all been waiting for. The one time Kristoff actually DOES kiss Anna. Want to know what it is coming before it actually gets here? Follow my fanfiction twitter: ravenswrite