A/N: Here it is finally, the second part of my Kristanna short fic. Lack of energy and motivation, and a heap full of distraction, were the main causes of the nearly 4 month delay. Fortunately, I had the fic outlined already, so finding my muse wasn't too difficult once I got started again.

"A Warm Place" (Part 2)

It wasn't long before the steady stream of flurries began to make visibility very difficult. Despite this, Kristoff managed to find the cave system he had mentioned, and not a moment too soon. He glanced at Anna, who by now was visibly cold, shivering despite her warm cloak, hat, and mittens.

"We're almost there, okay?" he assured her. "I have some blankets in the back, and with a fire you'll be warm in no time."

"Mmm-hm," she murmured, sounding not too sure.

Kristoff worried when Anna was like this. Honestly, it frightened him, reminding him all too much of galloping to Arendelle with a quickly-freezing princess on his lap. He knew that she'd lived a sheltered life, and wasn't as used to being out in the cold as he was, but during the Great Freeze she'd done remarkably well. Having her heart and body completely frozen, if only for a moment, might have taken their toll on her endurance, but Anna had the determination and stamina of a wolf . . . most of the time.

Grand Pabbie did warn her that this might happen, he thought. It was one of the reasons why he'd been reluctant to let Anna go along on these trips. But when she looked up at him with those big sad eyes, he just couldn't say no to her.

Kristoff had briefly considered that she might just be tired from their long day, but weakness from the cold was more likely, and that meant that he needed to get her warm as soon as he could. He was rather tired himself, but he wasn't about to let that slow him down, not when Anna was in trouble.

They finally reached the mouth of the nearest cave, and he brought Sven to a halt. Jumping to the ground, he went around to help Anna. The princess was still shivering, but she managed to climb down without much help.

"I don't see this storm breaking before dark, so we'll have to stay here for the night," he said. "Go on inside, and I'll get the supplies." Anna nodded, and shuffled into the cave. Kristoff unhitched Sven, then went and lifted the large sack of supplies out of the back of the sled. In it were several wool blankets, enough food for a night or two, and some firewood.

"C'mon, buddy." Throwing the pack over one shoulder, he went inside, Sven following close behind. He walked to the middle of the cave, where Anna sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, futilely trying to warm herself.

"I can get a fire started," he told her, setting the pack down, "but you'll warm up faster if you get out of your wet clothes."

Anna looked up, eyeing him with a half-amused, half-insulted expression. "Are you s-suggesting that I undress in f-front of you, Kristoff Bjorgman?" she said, teeth chattering.

"I . . . of course not!" he said quickly, face burning at the thought of her . . . undressed. "I'll have my back turned."

Anna smirked, clearly noticing his discomfort. "Whatever you s-say, Mountain Man."

He pulled a blanket out and handed it to her. "I'll . . . just be over here," he muttered. He grabbed the bag and turned away, face still red.

Trying hard to ignore the rustling behind him, he laid the firewood he brought in a neat pile, then found the tinderbox and checked its contents. Unfortunately, the few matches he kept in it appeared to have gotten damp, and he doubted they would do much good. The tinder was also a little damp, but he thought it would do.

He had just spread some tinder and pulled out the flint and steel when he heard Anna speak up behind him. "You can t-turn around now, Kristoff."

Kristoff went around to the other side of the unlit fire so he could face her and still work. She was sitting and shivering much as she had before, with her wet clothes piled next to her, and the wool blanket pulled around herself tightly.

"Th-those don't look like matches," Anna observed.

"They're not. This is flint, a special kind of stone. When you strike it on this," he said, holding up the steel ring, "it makes a spark." He then did just that, making sparks rain down and the tinder smolder. Bending over it, he blew gently, and soon had a good fire started.

He got the other blanket out, stood, and proceeded to take off his own soaked outer clothing. He could feel Anna's eyes watching him, probably wondering whether he would strip down like she had. She was going to be disappointed if that was the case. He stopped at his loose shirt and undergarments—he was already toeing the line of propriety as it was.

Wrapping the blanket around himself, he looked around the cave. "I can't exactly hang these up . . ." he muttered.

"J-just drape them on a rock or s-something. As long as th-they get dry, it's f-fine."

"Anna, are you okay? You're starting to make me worried." He patted his chest near the heart, hoping she got the message.

She nodded. "I'll b-be all right, I think. M-maybe. Well . . . you remember what Grand Pabbie s-said."

"Yeah, I do." He stood halfway, his own clothes in one hand, and bent to pick up hers with the other.

After finding some rocks to drape their things on (perhaps they were stalagmites; it was difficult to tell in the dim cave), he returned to the fire, which Anna was inching closer to. "Anna, you're getting too close."

"I'm s-still kind of c-cold."

Kristoff knew what he needed to do, and if he had to explain himself to the Queen afterwards, so be it. "Well, you can't get any closer, unless you want to be on fire. I can help warm you, though."

"How?" She must have read more into his words, though, because she flushed scarlet. "You're n-not suggesting . . .?"

"N-no!" he stammered. "I don't want to get you in trouble with your sister—"

"You would b-be in way more t-trouble than me, Kristoffer."

Ignoring the jab, but at the same time amused by the mischievous grin on her face, he went on. "I didn't mean we should do . . . do that . . . but if I hold you, it'll still help." He scratched his head nervously. "That's what my mother told me, anyway."

"Kris-toooff, your m-mother is a rock," she said, rolling her eyes. She frowned. "W-what is it?"

"Your sister didn't say anything about, uh . . . snuggling . . . did she?"

"N-no, Kristoff, I'm s-sure Elsa won't m-mind. Besides, we're not in p-public." Anna patted the spot on the ground next to her.

"All right . . . as long as she understands." He stood, and walked over to the other side to sit with her.

With the blanket still pulled around his shoulders, he spread his knees apart so Anna could nestle up against him, like a little spoon nested in a bigger one. Not for the first time, he realized just how small she was . . . how much he loved her, and wanted to protect her.

They sat like this, her snugged against him in her blanket and his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on her head, for what felt like hours. The only things he could hear during this period were the crackle of the fire, the sound of their breathing, and the occasional grunt from Sven. It was at this point that he realized the storm had calmed outside.

When Anna began to feel warm again, he broke the silence. "How are you feeling, feisty pants?"

"Warmer," she replied, turning around to look up at him with those big blue-green eyes of hers. Before he could say anything, she leaned up and kissed him, taking his breath away. "Thank you," she said when they parted.

"No . . . no problem, princess," he managed to get out.

She lay back against his chest again, sighing in contentment, and was soon snoring softly. Kristoff followed soon after, thinking as he drifted off to sleep that there was nowhere he would rather be than here.

In the morning, they dressed and ate some food from the bag of supplies. It wasn't much of a meal, but it would do for now (though Anna privately wished for some chocolate). Despite the weather still being cool, she felt much warmer than she had the previous day. Maybe there's something to the trolls' reputation as "love experts", after all, she thought.

Kristoff kept his word, and took her to visit said trolls in the Valley of the Living Rock. After recounting the previous day's ordeal (and Kristoff's solution), Grand Pabbie merely smiled and wished them well, and Bulda hugged them both, whispering "That's my boy!" to Kristoff.

When they returned to Arendelle, a day later than planned, Queen Elsa was understandably relieved to see them both safe and well. When she inquired about the circumstances of the delay, Kristoff told her about the storm. However, Anna couldn't help but have a bit of fun at his expense.

"Kristoff and I slept together in a cave!" she told Elsa, trying not to laugh out loud at the Ice Master's mortified reaction.

"You did WHAT?"