#kristanna modern au

[kristannafever]

Second Chances

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit (See tags) WC: 3163

Summary: It's been eight months since Anna's ex broke up with her in a brutal way. Her concerned sister sets her up on a date, and when she meets Kristoff, it does not go well. Afterward, upon getting an earful from Elsa, Anna realizes her mistake and goes about making things right. What happens between them afterward gives them each a second chance at love and the life they both want to have.

------------

“Anna, I am breaking up with you.”

Anna nearly choked on the sip of coffee she had just taken.  She stared at her boyfriend with wide eyes, not sure what she had just heard.  “What?”

“It’s over.”

Panic began to well in the pit of her stomach.  Her hands started to shake as she set the coffee mug back down on the table.  “What do you mean?”

He heaved a dramatic sigh.  “You heard me.  We’re done.”

“Where is this coming from,” she pleaded, getting up and walking over to where he was standing in the kitchen.   He’d just gotten back from his run.  When he left the house, it was as if nothing was any different.  And now he was telling her that they were done?

He rolled his eyes.  “Oh come on, Anna.  We haven’t had sex in weeks.  And when we do, you’re so…” he moved his hands around like he was fishing for the word, “…uninspired.   I mean, you don’t even give good blow jobs.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.   She had thought the problems they were facing were just a bit of a slump.  Just the day before she’d gone out and bought some sexy lingerie to surprise him with after the romantic dinner they had planned for that weekend.   Was that not happening now?

“Oh, and just so you know,” he said casually as he turned away, “I’ve started seeing other women.  So I can get… you know… taken care of.   You don’t even know how to kiss properly.”

Anna felt sick to her stomach, watching helplessly after him as he walked towards their bedroom to take a shower.  Despite having said some mean things to her from time to time, what he had just said was downright cruel, and she felt ashamed of herself.  She felt stupid and pathetic. 

Wiping her eyes, she went back to the table and sat down slowly, staring into her morning coffee that she’d actually been enjoying only a moment ago, trying to figure out in her mind what had just happened.  The long and short of it?  She didn’t please him and he’d been seeing other women. 

How had she not known this?  She had thought everything was just… normal.   He had never been a very enthusiastic lover, and he always met his end while Anna had to often take care of herself, and now she had to wonder if it was because she was just that bad at pleasing a man?

He'd been her first serious boyfriend.  Her first real love.  The first guy she’d ever moved out with.  And now all that was coming crashing down around her.   Three years of her life, gone, just like that.

Anna buried her head into her hands and sobbed.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

“This is a nice place, Anna.”

Anna didn’t respond, she just let her sister in without a word.  The apartment had been his, of course she had to move out when he dumped her. 

Her sister turned around at Anna’s silence.  “You know I hate that man for what he did to you.”

“I know,” Anna said through a sigh.  “I hate him too.”  She told Elsa that he had cheated on her but she did not tell her sister the awful things that her ex had said to her.  And they hadn’t ended in the kitchen that day.  She had begged and pleaded with him for hours afterwards and was met with yet more harsh comments on what an awful woman she was.

Anna led them into the living room and poured them each a glass of red wine from the bottle that was sitting on the coffee table.   She watched her sister as her eyes went around, taking in the small apartment before settling onto her gaze.      

“So, have you been on any dates?”

“Elsa…” Anna sighed with frustration.  “Why won’t you drop it?”

“Anna, it’s been what?  Eight months?  You need to move on.”

Anna was silent and looked down into her wine.  She knew she needed to move on, but how could she do that?  Apparently, she had nothing to offer a man.  What possible hope did she have of making something work.

Elsa set her wine glass down on the table and turned towards her on the couch.  “I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to get out here sooner.  Work has been incredibly demanding, only now that I see you, I feel like that is a pathetic excuse.”

She frowned.  Did she really look that bad?  “It’s okay, Elsa.  I know how important your job is.  And you still call me almost every night.”

“I do, which is probably why you’re tired of telling me you need to get back out there.  You have to see that it’s time to live your life again, don’t you?”

Anna did know that.  And she wanted to, desperately.  But what man would want her?  She’d been hit on a few times only to brush the guy off knowing that she would end up disappointing him in the end.   If she was honest with herself, she didn’t think she’d be able to stomach going through that again.

“Listen, Anna.  I have a friend who’s fairly new to our firm who happens to have moved from here.  She has a brother, and she says-”

Anna’s eyes went wide.  “No way, Elsa.  I am absolutely not about to be set up right now.”

“Please, Anna.”  Elsa reached out and grabbed her free hand.  “For me?   Please?  You can’t be afraid to start dating again.”

She pulled her hand away from her sisters and set the wine down on the coffee table as she got up.  “No.  Absolutely not.”

Elsa followed her as she walked into the kitchen.  “Give me one good reason why you won’t?” her sister demanded. 

Anna pursed her lips.  She would never breathe a word of what her ex had said to her to another living soul, and that was giving her little option for an excuse.   “I… don’t want to.”

Her sister put her hands on her hips.  “It’s just one date.  Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky.  Maybe what you need is a night of hot sex to get back on the horse.”

Her face lit up with heat.  “What the fuck, Elsa?  I do not need to hear that coming from my sister.”  Not only that, she did not need a reminder of how awful she was in bed.  It was a constant source of shame that hung over her head.

Elsa gave her a gentle smile.  “Sorry.  I was just trying to make a point.  You have to stop keeping yourself from things that make you happy.  You haven’t even gone to the gym or hung out with your friends since you left your ex.”

“He dumped me, but yeah, I know I haven’t.”

“You need to start living again.”

Anna heaved a deep sigh.  Perhaps it was time.  She’d certainly seen plenty of men who she thought were attractive.  Enough that she’d pleasured herself to the thoughts of being with a man again.  That at least she knew she wasn’t bad at.  In fact, she was practically an expert at getting herself off now. 

“Can I tell my friend yes?”

Anna looked to her sister’s pleading eyes.  “Fine.  One date.”

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

The bar was packed, making it hard for Anna to pick out the man that she was supposed to meet.  She’d been given a general description.  Tall guy, big build, blond…  Anna had formed many mental pictures in her mind of what he might actually look like.

She was told that he’d be somewhere in the bar waiting for her, and every blond Anna looked at seemed to already be on a date or clearly out with a group of friends.  The guy Anna was looking for was supposed to be alone.

She muscled her way to the bar where groups of people were gathered around the stools and talking, waiting on drinks.  Then she spotted a blond man sitting at the end, surrounded by women.  The guy was absolutely huge; his t-shirt stretched tight over his biceps and chest.  And he was gorgeous.  His rugged handsomeness was undeniable.  That was why there were women all over him.

Thinking that couldn’t be her date, Anna went to turn away, when his eyes caught hers and widened with something like recognition.

“Hey, are you Anna?” he called to her over the music and loud conversations

She nodded, not wanting to shout back to him, and he got up from his stool and approached her.  Every single woman he was surrounded by watched all of his movements with lusty interest.

His imposing height loomed over her. “I’m Kristoff,” he said, sticking out his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Anna responded, shaking it and thinking it wasn’t nice at all.  Not after he’d been hanging out with all those stunning women while waiting for her to show up for their date.  What the hell?  Who does that?

“They’re super busy and wouldn’t let me grab a table until you showed up,” he said.

He already sounded bored.  What the hell had Anna gotten herself into.  “Okay.”

Kristoff shrugged and took off to find a table.  Anna followed, kind of hoping they wouldn’t find one.  The guy was clearly someone who could get whoever he wanted and probably often did. 

Towards the back of the bar near the bathrooms, he spied an open table and made a b-line to it.  Anna sat on the stool across from him and put her purse on the edge of the high table.

He smiled.  “It’s quieter over here too.”

There was nothing but cool confidence behind that smile and Anna squirmed again thinking of how many gorgeous women had been salivating over him moments before.  “You sure didn’t waste your time talking to the other ladies, I see.”

He frowned.  “They were talking to me.  I wasn’t talking to them.”

Anna rolled her eyes.  “Sure.  A guy like you must just hate it when women hang all over him.”

His unhappy face turned into a scowl.  “What are you saying?”

“Look, I agreed to go on this date, but not with a player, okay?”

Kristoff became emotionless.  “Have me pegged, do you?” he asked evenly.

Anna could only shrug.  “It’s not that hard to figure out.  The reason a guy who looks like you is single, is that he wants to stay single.”

He stared at her, expression impossible to read.

“Lets just save us both time.  I refuse to be a conquest, so you can just go back to all those ladies at the bar who can barely keep it in their pants.”  Anna got up, keeping her eyes off his unreadable face, feeling relieved.  She didn’t even want to go on this date in the first place.  She was almost glad that this guy, as hot as he was, wasn’t going to work out.

Anna spared him a glance as she turned away and was a little shocked to see profound sadness in his eyes.  It was almost enough for her to turn back around and say something. 

Almost. 

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Anna looked at her ringing phone.  It was Elsa.  She let out a long sigh and answered.  “Hello?”

“What the fuck, Anna?  Why the hell did you brush off that date last night?”

She groaned inwardly.  This was not a conversation she wanted to have.  “He wasn’t my type.”

“Bullshit!  My friend talked to her brother and he told her what you said to him.  That was pretty awful, Anna.”

She frowned.  Had it been?  She was only speaking the truth.  “Well… you didn’t tell me the guy was a total player.”

Elsa huffed with frustration.  “He’s not!  He hasn’t been on a date in a year!”

“Elsa, he had women, and I mean gorgeous women, all over him when I arrived at the bar.”

“And he was what?  Flirting with them?”

Anna thought back to the scene at the bar.  One of the women had her hand on his arm and was talking his ear off, another one giving him fuck me eyes from his other side, two behind him waiting for their turn, and he was… sitting there.  He was staring at something.  Or was it nothing.  Then he’d looked over and his eyes had widened… they kind of looked a little… well at the time it looked like recognition but thinking back, they seemed a little more… relieved?

Anna gasped.  “Oh no, what have I done?”

Her sister sighed.  “Anna, you might need to talk to someone.  I don’t know what Hans did to you, but it was something.   I have doubts that he was never abusive to you even though you assured me that he never was.”

“He said some mean things, Elsa.  That’s all.”  Anna would give her that much, no more.  Not ever.  No one would ever know of her humiliation.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a beat.  “So maybe you said some things you didn’t mean to a nice guy because you are still so scared of putting yourself out there?”

Anna’s stomach rolled with unease to think about the hurtful way she’d brushed Kristoff off.  “Yeah.  I guess I am.”

“Well, at least you can recognise that.”

“Elsa, I feel terrible.  Is there any way I can get his number?  To apologise?”

“Well…I can ask my friend, although I have to warn you, she was pretty pissed that you treated her brother that way.”

“Please try, Elsa.  I feel awful and I need to tell him that I am sorry.”

“Alright.  I’ll call you back in five, okay?”

“Okay.”  Anna hung up the phone and rung it in her hands.  She could not believe she’d been so mean to someone and tears sprung in her eyes.  It made her feel terrible to think she’d said something hurtful to someone.  It reminded her of what her ex had said to her, and that Kristoff guy did not deserve that, even if he was a player.

Her phone rang in her hands and startled her to the point she almost threw it across the room.  “Hello?”

“Okay, I got the number.”

“Oh, thank you, Elsa.  Thank you so much.”  She sniffed.  “And tell your friend-”

“Anna, are you crying?”

She nodded and started to sob.  “I feel so bad, Elsa.  I was so mean to that poor man.  Please tell your friend to tell her brother that I am so sorry and that he can expect me to contact him to say so that I can apologize and-”

“Anna… Anna!”

She sniffed and reigned in her emotions.  This was insane.  She needed to get a grip on herself.  For all those months she carried all that hurt when her ex broke up with her and it was all starting to come out after treating someone else poorly.  It was becoming a little clearer to her that there were some issues she was going to have to deal with, and soon.

“Anna?”

Sniff.  “Yeah?”

“You need to stop beating yourself up about this, okay?”

“What if he doesn’t accept my apology?” Anna asked, wiping her damp cheeks. 

“Well, then I guess you just have to live with it.”

She shoulders slumped, suddenly exhausted.  “Yeah.  I guess I made the bed I have to lie in it.”

Her sister was silent on the other end for a moment.  “Whatever happens, Anna… it’ll be okay.  Everything will be okay.  You’ll have plenty of other chances.”

Anna nodded to herself, steeling her emotions for the text she was about to send.  “I know.  Thank you, Elsa.”

*****

Kristoff looked at the text from the number that he did not know, and set the phone down in contemplation.

He knew it was coming.  His sister had called him and given him the heads up she’d passed his number along to the woman who was so rude to him last night.  To say he was conflicted was an understatement. 

He hadn’t been hurt like that in a while.  Which was weird because he didn’t know this woman.  It was just that she passed him off so easily that it made him second guess himself a bit.  In retrospect, he should have been ruder to the women vying for his attention at the bar.  Why couldn’t this Anna understand that he had absolutely zero interest in them.  Instead, she’d taken one look at him and decided he was one of those pigs that used women as conquests.  And that fucking hurt.

That was why he’d agreed to be set up.  Trying to meet someone on line or even in a club brought out all the wrong kinds of women for him.  He had yet to meet someone that was looking for something serious, not just some fun fling or one night stand. 

He sighed, and read the message again.

Hi Kristoff, this is Anna, the woman who was rude to you last night and who you wish you probably never met.  I need to say that I am sorry for how I acted and what I said to you.  Clearly! I have issues to deal with.  I would hope you have it in your heart to meet me quickly so that I may apologize in person.  If you wish to never talk to me again though, I completely understand.  If I don’t hear back from you in a couple of days, I will assume I have my answer and delete your number.   I am sorry.

It read like an email, and quite frankly a little bit of a cry for help.  He certainly had his own issues, and he could not deny that her acknowledging her own had softened his attitude towards how she had treated him.  It wasn’t like he was exactly innocent of never behaving poorly when he was dealing with things.  When his sister had let him know to expect her to contact him, he just shrugged and assumed he’d delete the message and move on.  Only having read it and its sincerity…

He started typing.

Hi Anna.  Thank you for reaching out.  Please don’t be too hard on yourself.  If you would like to talk, we could meet for a coffee?

He read it three times and hit send before he changed his mind.  He’d just set his phone down when it dinged.

He chuckled.  “That was fast.”

Thank you so much Kristoff!  Would tomorrow work?  I could meet you at 11 at that coffee shop that’s just on the corner of 10th and Elm?

He typed back;

Sure.  See you then

Anna immediately hearted his message and he set his phone down.  He’d been watching the game on TV and he turned his attention back to it, only in the back of his mind he had other thoughts about how seeing this woman again was going to go.

---

Next Chapter

[annaofthenorthernlights]

Arendelle mansion

Kristanna Halloween days 2022

This fic is a rather spontaneous contribution to the Kristanna Halloween days 2022. The work is split into chapters, which will be added, according to the given weekly prompts (more or less... lol).

Rated M

Chapter 1 - the pumpkin porch on AO3

Anna has inherited Arendelle mansion, the former home of her Aunt. She loves the place, it´s mysterious and gloomy. Despite her sister´s doubts, Anna falls in love with every cornre of the house, and she can´t restrain the tingling and mysteriously cosy feeling that she´s not alone...

[pansy-picnics]

some freckled sibling pairs thrifting together for rapunzel’s birthday <3 they’re gushing about their partners lol

[punkpoemprose]

Double Stuffed Thanksgiving- A Kristanna Oneshot

Universe: Modern AU Rating: M (Mature) Length: 593 Words Summary: Anna promises Kristoff that she won't make any inappropriate jokes at their family's Thanksgiving dinner, and inadvertently does just that. TW: Pregnancy, sexual content & humor A/N: I wrote this specifically because of that one video about Thanksgiving Pregnancy Announcements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzyCgNSy0RI It is NSFW, FYI

Kristoff leaned into the backseat of the car and pulled out the casserole carrier as Anna collected both of their coats from the passenger seat. It was warm enough at the moment that they didn’t need them for the short walk from the driveway to the door of his parent’s house, but on their way back out in the evening they would certainly need them. Snow was imminent any day now that November was almost over, and they were frankly lucky that they hadn’t needed to go dashing through the snow already.

Anna was downright giddy as she started up the driveway at his side. 

“Remember Anna, we have a plan.”

Anna groaned, it was a discussion that had spanned the whole ride up from their home to his parent’s place. 

“I know, I know, we have a plan. We wait until dessert and hand them the boxes, just like I said I wanted to begin with, but…”

“But you’re very excited and it’s hard to keep a secret, and you’ve come up with several jokes that range in appropriateness but ultimately spoil the whole surprise.”

Kristoff sighed, shaking his head at her pout. 

“Fine, fine, fine,” Anna replied, dropping the faux pout in exchange for a look that was entirely too mischievous for Kristoff’s taste.

“I promise I won’t walk in and say ‘Oh Mom, did you make homemade bread this year? Smells like a bun in the oven.”

“Of course you promise, that’s such an overdone joke, you would never.”

The mischief in her eyes doubled and Kristoff only realized his mistake when she squinted her eyes, put her hands on her hips, turned to face him, blocking his path to the porch, and took his teasing as a challenge that he didn’t mean to offer. 

“Oh, my jokes are overdone then. I see. Overdone kind of like if someone didn’t take their meat out of the oven?”

His face went bright red. 

“Anna.”

“I shouldn’t make any jokes about how you like your turkey stuffed, bone in?”

He thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. 

“Anna.”

“And of course no pilgrim jokes either, they’re not even historically accurate. Definitely promise not to talk about how I spent a good chunk of summer enjoying ‘the motion of the ocean’ on a finely crafted piece of European wood.”

“Anna!”

“What?” she said, dissolving into giggles, clearly proud of herself, “I promised not to…”

Anna seemed, in the moment, to realize that Kristoff’s lack of laughter had little to do with his bemusement with her teasing and everything to do with the direction of his eyes. She turned on her heel and realized, in the same horror she’d observed on Kristoff’s face, that they were not alone. 

“Oh, hi Elsa, you got here early.”

Her sister was standing on the porch, facing them, looking somewhere between surprised and traumatized. 

Elsa, to her credit, didn’t run for her car and drive off, die on the spot, or start screaming.

“I feel like I’m going to be sick… I’m not sure if it was the content of the statements, or what they mean, but either way… congratulations, please never make sex jokes in my vicinity ever again.”

Anna and Kristoff looked at one another, nodded slowly, and erupted into laughter. 

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Kristoff added as he got his laughter under control.

Elsa shook her head, the color returning to her cheeks and immediately causing her to go red.

“And have to explain how I know? I’d rather die.”

[avitha]

Trying Something New ✨

[lelitachay]

Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North Mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna's care. During that time, Anna realises there is more to Elsa than meets the eye. The truth about Elsa’s past comes to light after an unexpected family reunion, and both girls’ lives begin to fall apart when they realise Elsa wasn’t the only one with a big secret and a turbulent past.

Anna/Kristoff - Elsa - Family - Family drama - hurt/comfort - Modern AU - Elsa & Kristoff are adoptive brother and sister - Ice bros - Found family - Serious injuries - Mental health issues - Health issues - Frohana

Links:

Fanfiction.net - HERE

AO3 - HERE

Tumblr - Chapters 1 to 10 - Here   Chapters 11 to 20 - Here Chapters 21 to 30 - Here Chapters 31 to 40 - Here Chapter 41 - Here Chapter 42 - Here Chapter 43 - Here Chapter 44 - Here Chapter 45 - Here Chapter 46 - Here

--

With the dawn, what comes then?

The moment Kristoff had told her Elsa was in the ICU, she knew things were most certainly serious, but not once had she imagined her sister’s health would be so seriously compromised.

As soon as Anna had walked into the director's office, where Kai and Gerda had already been waiting for them, she knew they were bound to get bad news. She wasn’t naive and knew exactly what the downcast looks meant. The atmosphere was gloomy and the way Gerda averted her eyes when they entered told Anna everything she needed to know.

To make matters worse, Nielsen had taken upon himself to explain the situation the very moment they sat down. Asking for them to listen, not even giving Kristoff a second to address his parents or gather himself. The doctor, being a lot more serious than he had been in the evening, when Anna had met him, explained to them everything that was going on. And with every new piece of information given, Anna had felt her stomach tightening and her heart thumping more and more loudly.

Elsa’s health was steadily deteriorating. She was struggling to overcome what her own body was causing. Within a matter of hours, her body had begun developing an immune reaction that was now turning against herself. The fever had not only spiked to dangerous levels, she had also had trouble breathing and her blood pressure had dropped so low they feared she could go into shock at any given minute. And in order to prevent it, the doctors had been forced to start an IV treatment on her, sedating and intubating her to make sure her oxygen levels remained stable — Anna hadn’t been entirely sure what it all meant, but the look Gerda sent their way did nothing to appease her.

Throughout the explanation, Anna had been able to keep herself in check. She had focused on the hard data, trying to detach the person from the information given, forcing herself to forget for a moment the patient they were talking about was her sister. But as soon as Nielsen was over and Kai and Kristoff began asking questions, she found herself powerless in holding back the tears. No matter the words Nielsen tried to use, she knew deep down that everything they were discussing meant there could be dire consequences for Elsa in the future if things didn't improve. And while Kai had tried to remain more optimistic, asking about the recovery process and what to expect from it — a process that seemed arduous even for someone who didn’t have deep revulsion for hospitals like Elsa did — Kristoff had been more blunt, asking exactly what they were all thinking:

Will she be okay?

It seemed like a logical thing to ask, the most important, even; but Anna knew Kai had refrained from asking it himself in fear of what Nielsen could say.

She’s receiving the care she needs; but sadly, the mortality rate is up to 40%.

Nothing had helped lessen the blow then. A moment after hearing his answer, Kristoff had excused himself, leaving the office before Anna or Kai could stop him. Anna had tried to follow him, but Gerda had put a hand on her arm stopping her. The old woman murmured something about giving him a minute or two on his own, and she also requested Anna to stay so one of them knew what they had agreed to do about Elsa's powers. Not wanting to go against her mother-in-law’s suggestion, and unsure of what else to do, Anna had stayed. Frozen in her seat, she had listened to the rest of the conversation in silence. 

Deep down, Anna felt it was a bit cruel on Nielsen and the director’s part to force the old couple to discuss the details on how to tell the staff about Elsa’s powers at that moment. It was clear Kai and Gerda were trying to stay focused on the conversation, even though their sad looks told a different story. However, she refrained from arguing or stopping the conversation, thinking that perhaps focusing on their next tasks helped them cope with the situation a lot better.

The discussion dragged well into the night, as names and names of medical staff available to look after Elsa had been mentioned and considered. Finally, after what seemed to be the longest meeting Anna had ever been part of, the parts reached an agreement when the clock on the wall had struck the witching hour. And before Anna had time to see what was going on, she found herself standing in a cold and empty hall with Gerda standing by her side.

Her parents-in-law then discussed a few more details with each other, away from the director’s earshot; and when they both reached an agreement of their own, Kai disappeared into the office once again. She knew the situation was delicate and it was important to be sure the people they selected were to trust, but still there was a part of Anna that couldn’t comprehend the amount of tiny things to consider.

A moment after Kai had left them on their own, Gerda put a comforting hand around Anna’s arm and she had led her down the hall into a small room not far from the ICU. Kristoff had been waiting there, sitting in one of the small chairs all by himself, arms resting on his knees and his head hanging low.

Anna had tried talking to him, giving him a dose of that overoptimistic side of hers, when she noticed his red eyes, but she hadn’t found anything worth saying. After trying — and failing — to find the right words, she had sat down by his side in complete silence. Gerda had stayed as well, sitting next to her son, keeping a comforting hand on his back, trying to offer them some comfort, even when she couldn’t find solace herself.

---

Numb. That was the only way Anna could describe the way she felt. The news about Elsa’s condition had felt like a blow. It had come unexpectedly and with such a strong force that left her feeling dazed and disoriented. Sitting in the cold room with Kristoff and Gerda felt wrong and useless. And no matter how much she wanted to help, she couldn’t come up with anything. Making her head feel even more muddled.

After what seemed to be hours, the glass door that led into the room opened and Nielsen came in, followed by Kai. They were still talking to one another and the doctor was carrying a binder under his arm.

“Gerda,” Nielsen said, calling the woman’s attention as soon as the door closed behind Kai. “Given your experience and knowledge, the clinic has granted you the possibility to stay by Elsa’s side. You have no say in the treatment or the medical practices since you’re too attached to her, but you can help whenever you’re needed. Once inside, you answer to the staff’s orders. Is that clear?”

She seemed to listen to him, but it was obvious she couldn’t find the strength to raise her eyes and meet his. Anna’s heart broke for her mother-in-law at that moment. No matter what blood said, Elsa was her daughter. Despite the heartbreaking news, she was Elsa’s most trusted carer, forcing her to be up to anything at any given time, even when she couldn’t hold her head up.

Nielsen, used to dealing with similar situations and ignoring the obvious sorrow in her eyes, handed the old woman some files for her to sign. Gerda took a moment to read them before she signed them and handed them back as she stood up, ready to go to her daughter’s side. 

When Nielsen and Gerda were about to leave the room, Kristoff rose from his seat and asked, “Can I see her?” It was the first time he spoke since he had left the director’s office and Anna noticed he still had a lump in his throat.

Gerda offered him a sad smile and caressed his cheek before she answered. “Not now, dear. They’re about to move her to a private room. Once she’s stable we may talk about it.”

“And even then,” Nielsen interrupted. “We can’t promise frequent visits. It’ll all depend on her recovery. You’ll have to wait.”

“What if she doesn’t recover?” Kristoff asked, surprising everyone in the room.

“Kristoff, please,” Gerda murmured, finding the thought unsettling.

“I need to know.” Kristoff said, looking at Gerda with pleading eyes before he turned to Nielsen. “I’d like to see her at least once.”

“You’ll see your sister again,” Nielsen said, holding Kristoff’s gaze. “That I promise.” The doctor then looked at Gerda again and insisted it was best for them to go into the ICU.

She nodded, but before she followed Nielsen out of the room, she turned to Kristoff and whispered something Anna couldn’t hear.

When they were out of the room, Kai took Gerda’s place standing in front of his son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Things will be okay, son. Now come on,” he said “We’ve got to go.”

“Go?”

“I need you to take me home.”

“You’re leaving?” Kristoff said, baffled.

“I haven’t got my car here,” he explained. “I’d like to go get it and then go to the police station.”

Anna noticed the way Kristoff’s fists tightened, hands slightly shaking. He was quick to force them to stop, pretending nothing was wrong, but Anna knew he was feeling incredibly powerless under so much stress. She wished he’d allow himself to cry or curse or yell for a moment, finally letting go of all the pent up sadness and tension. She didn't think it could be healthy to keep everything inside. Though, to her disappointment, he only straightened his back and paid attention to his father.

“Take me home,” Kai requested. “Then go home and get some sleep. At least a short nap in a proper bed.”

A faint smile drew in Anna’s face at the small, protective squeeze Kai gave Kristoff’s shoulder as he spoke. No matter how serious and unaffected Kai seemed to be, Anna knew that deep down he was only pretending to stay strong for his family.

“What about Elsa?” Kristoff asked, looking over his father's shoulder at the door where Gerda and Nielsen had disappeared.

“Your mother will stay with her, of course.” Kai smiled sadly as he looked in the same direction. “No one’s moving Gerda from her side.”

Anna understood perfectly what he meant. After having heard the stories Elsa shared with her, after long hours studying together, she knew how much love the old woman had for her adoptive daughter. She couldn’t phantom the idea of Gerda leaving Elsa on her own now that she’d been allowed to stay by her side.

“And don't worry about your mother,” Kai continued, knowing well Kristoff would continue disagreeing. “I'll go talk to the chief, fill out some forms, and ask for a few days off. I'll be back in an hour or two.”

“That's too long.” Kristoff insisted, unsure about leaving. “Take a cab. I'll stay.” 

“There's nothing you can do here,” Kai said with a sigh, as if he knew this was going to happen from the very beginning. “Only Gerda is allowed in Elsa's room. And your mother has Nielsen. He might seem too harsh at times, but they’ve been friends for years. He will help her and Elsa with anything they need.”

Kristoff looked at the glass door once again and then he turned to Anna, hoping she’d have something to say in the matter. But once again, Anna had no idea what to say. She couldn’t help but feeling whatever she said would be the wrong thing at that moment.

“I don't know… I feel awful leaving,” He finally said, when he realised Anna wouldn’t pick sides.

Tightening his hold on his son’s shoulder, Kai insisted, “You need to take a shower and rest…” He pointed to his son’s work clothes, as if it was all the proof he needed. “Not to mention go to work in only a couple of hours.”

Looking down, Kristoff sighed and admitted, "I don't think I can go to work anytime soon.”

Surprising both Kristoff and Anna, Kai smiled and pulled Kristoff into his arms into a tight embrace. "I can't blame you," the old man whispered. "But we might need your help in the near future. Someone to help us take care of Elsa. I don't want you to have problems at work when the time comes.”

Anna's eyes brimmed with tears at the peculiar love display from her father-in-law. It only served to prove how serious the situation was, and how much the stoic man needed some comfort as well.

"But—"

"Let's go, Kristoff, please." Kai begged, finally letting go of his son, but keeping both hands on his shoulders so he’d look at him. "We can argue all you want on the way home, but I need to stop at the police station before meeting some nurses in a couple of hours."

Sighing deeply, Kristoff combed back his hair with his hands, trying to release some stress. “I guess there is no reason to stay in these awful plastic chairs,” he finally accepted. Turning to Anna, he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. “Come on. Let's go.”

She stood up, unsure of what else to do but follow them. Facing Kai, she dared speak for the first time. Hoping it wasn’t too late to show Kristoff she had his back. “Are you sure Gerda will be okay on her own?”

Kai nodded with a small smile. “I'll be before she knows I’m gone. Don't worry.” He then watched them for a moment, before calling their attention one last time.

---

As they left the hospital, Anna took some distance from the men in front of her, walking a few steps behind Kai and Kristoff, absorbed in her own thoughts. Her mind kept going back to Elsa and how sick she had seemed to be in the early evening when she left the Bjorgman’s house. She felt like an idiot for wasting minutes, sitting by Elsa’s side before she went to look for Gerda. She felt useless for it, though deep down she knew she couldn’t place the blame on herself. No one could. They all had tried to help Elsa the best way they could, trying in the process to keep Elsa’s wishes in mind.

When they left the wards, Anna suddenly remembered about Marshall and his worried look as he was left in the waiting room on his own. Looking around, she hoped she could see him, let him know what was going on, even if she was certain the news was going to crush him.

To her disappointment, the mountaineer wasn’t there. And she couldn’t blame him for leaving; after all, he had been forced to stay outside for hours. Being kept in the dark of what was going on, and unsure of when he’d get some news. When she peeked at the clock, she was surprised to see it was already half past five, proving his decision was only logical. Anyone would have gotten sick of the uncertainty and the waiting at some point.

She exited the building and began walking towards the car park, still lost in her own thoughts, when she heard Kai call the mountaineer’s name.

“Hålkesen, you’re still here,” he exclaimed, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. “I was certain you had left hours ago.”

Looking up, Anna hurried to Kristoff’s side who was only a few steps behind his father. That’s when she saw Marshall. He was sitting in the hood of his old truck, arms resting on his knees, and his head hanging low. He barely raised his head at the mention of his name, but he made sure to look at Kai as he spoke. Anna also noticed he tried, and failed, to hide a brown bottle in between his knees.

“Thank you for your help tonight,” Kai said, barely stopping in front of him. “My son will take me home now.”

“Yes, sir,” Marshall murmured with a nod of his head.

He was trying to be as respectful as ever, but Anna knew there was some resentment behind his words.

“You should go home and rest.” Kai finally said, not giving him a second glance, as he began walking towards Kristoff’s truck on the other side of the car park.

Anna stopped in front of Marshall, offering him a small smile. She looked at Kristoff, hoping he’d be the one to deliver the news to him; but, to her displeasure, Kristoff only followed his father in silence, too lost in his own thoughts to even address the man who had been helping his family all evening. Feeling bad for Marshall, Anna stayed, wondering how exactly she could tell him what they had been told. She could understand the annoyed glance Marshall sent Kristoff and Kai, but she wished he wouldn’t let his anger on her. After all, she agreed with him. It was unfair to leave him off after everything he had done. For some reason, it didn’t seem to be enough for Kai to stop and talk to him for at least two minutes.

“Anna, you coming?”

She heard Kristoff call her name in the distance, and for a short moment she almost followed him. But then she remembered her mother’s car was parked only a few metres away from where she was standing. “Mum’s car is over here. I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay? Try to get some sleep, honey.”

Kristoff smiled at her in the distance and promised to do so, before he finally got in the driver seat of his truck. Anna watched them leave and only then she turned to Marshall once again.

“I didn’t know you were out here,” she said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Marshall raised his head, finally looking back at her. His grey eyes looked a lot darker in the dim light of dawn; yet, she could still see that what she thought to be anger and resentment was mostly sadness.

“I couldn’t stand the ticking of the clock,” he said in a low voice. “It was driving me insane.”

Anna nodded, even though she wasn’t sure which clock he was talking about. “May I?” she said, pointing to the empty space on the hood by his side.

Marshall nodded and moved slightly to the left, to make sure they both could sit. Not caring about her presence, he then raised the bottle to his lips and took a long sip from whatever it was he was drinking.

“Did you get to see her?” he asked when she made herself as comfortable as possible in the cold metal hood next to him. The smell of his breath confirmed what she already suspected: it wasn’t the first bottle of the night.

“No,” she answered, trying to ignore the unhealthy coping mechanism. “Only Gerda is allowed in her room.”

“Is there a diagnosis?” He wasn’t slurring in his speech and he was asking coherent things, to which Anna was thankful, at least he was not drunk.

“No test results yet,” she made sure to clarify. “But Nielsen said it's most certainly sepsis. I suppose you know what it is…” She hoped he did since she had no idea how to explain the things Nielsen had told them in a matter of minutes.

His deep long sigh told Anna he knew exactly what she was talking about, and his discouraged reaction did nothing to help Anna stay any positive.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, he turned to look at her with sad eyes. “How is she?”

For a moment Anna thought about lying, making him believe things were not as bad as Nielsen had said. But there was no reason to. With his experience, he’d be a lot more ready to face the truth than they were, even when he looked as if he was about to crumble. She looked down, wishing he didn't, and said the only thing that came to mind. “Not good.” Not good didn’t even begin to explain what was going on, but she had no idea what else to say.

“Her vitals aren’t stable yet…” It wasn't a question. He already knew. But Anna understood he was looking for confirmation of some kind.

“No,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “They're quite concerned about her oxygen levels.”

“Fuck.” he muttered as he ran his hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck, as he hand his head low once again.

She could hear the worry in his voice even though he had muttered the word so low she almost didn't hear him. Anna looked up at the changing colours of the sky as she tried to give themselves a moment to gather their thoughts.

After a couple of minutes, in which none said a word, Anna turned to him, wanting to ask him about something Nielsen had said and she hadn’t truly understood. “Nielsen said something about people going into septic shock when they can’t help patients soon enough…”

Alarmed at what she had just said, Marshall left the bottle behind them and grabbed Anna’s shoulder so she’d look at him. “She hasn’t gone into septic shock, has she?”

Taken aback by his sudden reaction, Anna took a few deep breaths to calm her own racing heart. “No. Not yet, at least. He said they’re doing everything in their powers to avoid it. I know it’s stupid to ask but… It isn't good, is it?”

Sighing in relief, he let go of her shoulder and leaned forwards, resting his arms on his knees once again. “No. Even if she pulls through, it can cause some serious permanent damage.”

Anna felt her chest tightening once again. The idea of Elsa not making it was enough to make her want to crawl in bed and cry her heart out. But now that Marshall was confirming she could end up living the rest of her life with serious physical or mental damage, she couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t selfish to wish she made it out at all costs. The mere thought of her sister having to endure any of those things, made it impossible for Anna to hold back the tears at that moment. And before she knew it, the dam broke.

Hiding her face in her hands, she allowed herself to cry out all the sadness and worry of the last few hours. She was relieved to know she didn't need to be strong in front of Marshall as she needed to be in front of Kristoff. She didn't care if she made the mountaineer uncomfortable, or her cries made him worry even more. What was going on felt like too much to even pretend she could bear it.

“She was okay a few hours ago,” she tried to say I'm between sobs. “I mean, she clearly wasn't okay but—” Taking in a deep breath, she tried to order her words. “It was just a fever. I never thought… Life's not fair.”

Moving closer, Marshall put his arm around Anna's shoulder, giving her an awkward side hug. “I'm so sorry, Anna.” She felt him tightening his grip in an attempt to soothe her pain. “I should've done something sooner.”

“This isn't your fault,” Anna managed to say.

“Not my fault?” Marshall exclaimed, as if he was offended she didn’t think so. “I knew she needed proper medical care when she first got injured and I didn’t help her. I let her powers distract me from what was truly important.”

The scowl on his face was enough to tell Anna he truly believed he was the one to blame, and she couldn't accept it. No matter what had happened, Anna knew Marshall was not guilty. He was incapable of hurting Elsa; just a glance told her he'd change places with her at that very moment if he only could. But she also knew he was a stubborn man who wouldn't accept otherwise unless he was proven wrong.

“Those bandages are from that night, aren't they?” Anna pointed out when she calmed her breathing. “Elsa told me she hurt you.”

“Huh?” Looking down, he paid attention to his bandages for the first time that day. “Yes, her ice burnt my skin. But she didn't hurt me. Not on purpose.”

“You had more than one reason to lose focus, Marshall.” After drying a couple more tears, Anna cleared her throat. She wanted him to listen to her and trust what she was saying. “You can't blame yourself.”

“What about the other day?” He asked, now looking back at her. “I knew she had a high fever yet I didn't help her until it was too late.”

“Too late?”

“I gave the infection a head start,” he admitted. “I should’ve checked her hand in the morning, as soon as she woke up. It was obvious she was feeling sick and I just suggested she sleep it off.”

“Marshall—”

“I was selfish…” he said, letting go of her. “I wanted her to stay with me a bit longer.”

Even if it was the closest he had ever come to admitting loving Elsa, Anna couldn't rejoice at it. It was bittersweet at most. Anna felt it was incredibly unfair for him to be blaming himself just because he had wanted to spend some more time with her. Anna wasn’t sure if Elsa and Marshall had spent the night together or not, but something had clearly changed between them that night, and now Marshall couldn't look back at that moment without feeling extremely guilty. And Anna hated it.

“Elsa made her own choices, Marshall.” She knew it was useless to argue, but she had to try. “Running away from you, lying to Kai and Gerda about what really happened, even hiding her pain… Those were her choices.”

“Two nights ago, when we talked,” he clarified. “She looked exhausted.” He was angry now, and Anna understood there weren't many things she could say to change his mind. “I should've known something wasn't right.”

“You had no way of knowing. You can't blame yourself.”

He didn't answer and he didn't look at her either. He simply stayed silent, head hanging low. Anna didn't know him as well as Elsa did, and half the things she believed to be true about the man were her own conjectures, but she knew she couldn't let him believe he was to blame for the way things had turned. If something were to happen to her sister, it'd be too much for him to bear.

“Elsa loves you.” Perhaps she was crossing a line. And perhaps she was getting his hopes up. But as long as it helped him find some peace of mind, then she'd rather do it. “She may not show it. She may not know it, actually… but I know she does.” Anna had his attention, even when he wasn't looking at her. “And I know she wouldn't let anyone blame you for what happened. What makes you think she'd let you blame yourself?”

To Anna’s surprise, Marshall didn’t answer. He only hid his face in his hands and drew in a shaky breath. She knew he was trying to process everything that was going on in just a few minutes and she felt it was best to give him a moment. No matter how close they had strangely become lately, Anna knew he was still a reserved man, who probably needed time to think before he did. 

Putting her hands behind her, Anna rested her weight on her arms in an attempt to look at the sky while she gave him some time to get himself together. And in doing so, she knocked down the bottle he had placed behind them. The drink spilled and she was quick to pick it up, avoiding a bigger mess.

She looked at the label and then at Marshall. The drink wasn’t strong. Just a light beer. But still, the fact he had chosen to drink his worry away didn’t set well with Anna. If not for the mountaineer’s health, for her own sister’s happiness. Deep down Anna wanted to believe they were a perfect match for each other, but she wouldn’t root for a person who could end up hurting her sister in the long run.

Not holding herself back, she leaned forward to meet his eyes. “And she wouldn't like to see you drinking over this.”

Marshall sighed once more, and finally let go of his face. Looking at Anna, he took the bottle from her hand. “I know.” He looked at the liquid inside for a short moment and then decided to pour it on the ground. “She's the only person who has ever kept count of how many beers I drink whenever we hang out.” Leaning back, he rested his weight on his elbows and looked up at the sky. “I don't know why she does it, but she always gives me a warning when I drink more than two.”

“Because she cares,” Anna said matter-of-factly. Looking around, she tried to see if there were any other bottles lying at the side of the truck. “How many have you drunk?” 

“This was the third one.”

“So… you've had more than two.”

Marshall smiled, thankful for what she was doing and Anna felt relieved he didn’t mind she was taking up her sister’s role at that moment. Anna smiled back before she said, “Do you have a place to stay? I don't think you should go back to the mountain after—”

“I'm not drunk, Anna.” Marshall stopped her, dropping his smile. “I just had a long night.”

“We all did.”

The two of them looked at each other, daring the other to contradict them. And to Anna’s surprise, he was the first to relent.

“I was planning on staying at my mother’s for a day or two,” he said with a tired sigh. “She lives close by.”

“Okay, that’s good.” She wouldn’t admit how thankful she was at not having to convince him. Jumping off the hood, she began walking towards her mother's car before she turned around and said, “Let's go.”

“What?”

“I'm taking you home. Come on.”

Sitting up straighter, he exclaimed, “I’m sitting on my truck. There's no need to drive me anywhere.”

“I won't let you drive like this. Besides, I'll feel more useful taking you home than sitting here until you sober up.”

He smiled again when he had finally understood she was only trying to return the favour of the night before.

---

After dropping Marshall off, and promising to call him as soon as she got some news, Anna drove back home. The city was already awake by the time she finally arrived, so she wasn’t surprised to find both her parents awake. What did shock her was to find them arguing so early in the day.

Even if fights between her parents had been rare when she was growing up, she now was becoming accustomed to them. The truth about Elsa coming to light had broken something in her family, and no matter how hard Idunn and Agdar had tried to pretend they could overcome any storm together, Anna knew they were drifting apart as the months went by.

There were days she wished things would’ve stayed the same, at least to find some comfort whenever she came home. But deep down, she felt it was only fair they had to endure some consequences for their actions all those years ago.

Walking into the dining room, she threw her keys onto the table and sat down with a heavy sigh. Idunn and Agdar, still unaware of her presence, kept arguing in the kitchen, and she tried to listen to the things they were saying. Wondering if intervening was worth it, Anna pushed the idea aside after a minute. She couldn’t focus on them at that moment. Her head was pounding and the only thing she could think about was her sister. Her conversation with Marshall on the way to his mother’s house had helped them find some much distraction; but now that she was alone, she felt the worry and fear for her sister’s health returning.

Even if things began to improve in the next few hours, there were no guarantees Elsa wouldn't end up with severe health problems. And the more she thought about it, the more Anna felt like crying. Her sister had gone through so much in her life at a young age, and apparently it hadn't been enough. Making Anna think that whatever Elsa had done in a previous life had to be terrible enough to justify even half of the things she had to go through in this one.

She wasn’t sure how much time went by until she heard the argument in the other room come to a stop, and a few seconds later she saw her mother walking into the dining room where she was still sitting.

“Anna!” Idunn exclaimed, when she finally noticed she had returned. “Dear, when did you come back? How’s your sister?”

“Could you two stop arguing for a moment?” Anna said, trying not to show how incredibly close she was from breaking down.

Clearly uncomfortable at having been heard, Idunn turned her face to the kitchen and then to her once again, unsure of what to say.

“The day hasn't started,” Anna continued. “Yet you're doing your absolute best to irritate each other.”

“Anna…”

“We were not fighting,” Agdar, who had just entered the room, said suddenly, interrupting Idunn before she got the chance to speak.

“Sure.” Anna wasn’t often sarcastic around Agdar, but she couldn’t stand it when he tried to downplay the things going on around them. “And things haven't been uncomfortably tense between you two for days either.”

“Dear, there are some things that—”

“I don't want to know what happened.” Anna stopped her before she said too much. She had to deal with too much crap and bad news already, the last thing she needed was to get involved in their problems. “I just want to have one less thing to worry about. Stop arguing.”

“Well, this is our house. And we've got the right to—” Agdar tried to say, clearly bothered by Anna’s tone, but before he could say anything else, Anna interrupted.

“Yes, you do.” She said, her eyes filling up with tears. “All I'm saying is your problems are not the only ones that matter. So, excuse me for feeling like shit already and not wanting to hear you two going  at each other as soon as I come back home from the hospital!”

“Hospital?” Dropping his defensive mood, Agdar lowered his voice and asked, “What do you mean hospital? What happened?”

“How's Elsa?” Idunn asked in a low voice, her concern for her eldest daughter returning. 

“Elsa?” Agdar looked at his wife and then at Anna once again. “What happened to her?”

“An infection got out of control. She's unconscious and they don't know if she'll make it.” Anna answered, avoiding her parents' eyes. She tried to talk fast and give all the information to her parents before she broke down, but she couldn’t really keep the tears at bay.

Anna felt terrible, not only for Elsa but for her mother as well. No matter how mad she was at her parents for all the things they had done and continue doing, Anna was certain the love Idunn had for Elsa was real, and she wasn’t strong enough to watch her heart break over the news.

No one said anything for over a minute and Anna felt it was necessary to raise her head and make sure they understood what she had just said. And when she did, she noticed Idunn was frozen in place, her tear-filled eyes looking straight back at her.

“Not make it?” Agdar asked when Anna turned to look at him. “Anna, do you mean…” He didn’t find the courage to ask what he wanted and Anna couldn’t blame him.

---

For the next hour, Anna tried her best to fill her parents in on what had happened. It had proven to be a difficult task, since she had to go back several days to let them make sense of everything that was going on. More than once she noticed they had been about to ask questions about Elsa and how she was feeling, but Anna had kept on talking, knowing the most important thing at that moment was Elsa’s health.

When she finished speaking, the only thing that could be heard in the house were Idunn’s failed attempts to stop herself from crying. As soon as Anna had explained in detail Elsa’s diagnosis — and the things Nielsen had said — her mother had broken down in tears, and there seemed to be nothing that could make her stop.

“How didn't she notice?” Agdar was the first to talk, when after some minutes of Anna trying to calm her mother down had seemed to work. “Her hand must have been hurting a lot…”

Anna caressed her mother’s hand with her thumb once more before she looked at her father. “She hasn't been in a good place lately.” She felt strange finally sharing the things that had been worrying her about Elsa, but she couldn’t find a good way to explain the situation without sharing more of Elsa’s life with them. “The night she cut her hand open, she lost control of her powers and hurt someone she loves by mistake. She came to town to get away from him and hide, but there are things she could not escape. She ignored her wound until it was already infected, too concerned about other things at the time. To make matters worse, the infection developed fast.” She remembered Nielsen admitting he was disconcerted about how fast it all had happened. “It’s not uncommon, but they'll still try to find a reason. See if her immune system is impaired in some way.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Agdar asked in a low voice, lost at how to help in such a delicate situation.

“There isn't much to do but wait…” Anna sighed, as she looked at her mother once again. It broke her heart to see her inconsolable. But no matter what Anna said, she knew it was going to be a lie. The truth was there wasn’t much to do but wait and hope things turned up for the best. She could only expect the new day would bring something to look forward to.

---

First of all, I want to apologise for the long wait. I truly wanted to publish this during October but life has been hectic lately. I haven’t had a weekend for myself in over a month, except for a few hours here or there. Work, friends’ visits, helping other friends move house, being a presiding officer twice in the last month (general elections and the subsequent ballotage)... I’m exhausted, really. And I still need to face the end of the year and the piles and piles of exams to correct. These things have consumed too much time leaving little to no time to sit and write. I kept writing here or there whenever I could, but when I sat down to check what I had written I felt like it was garbish and I started again. So, that’s that. The good thing is I’m doing good and it’s just lack of time and not lack of inspiration that's stopping me. I’m all the time plotting and writing down ideas, and that’s good for the story.

Now, about the chapter, I know some of you may feel like time stood still in this chapter but I wanted to take the time and see what went through Anna’s head during the night. Even though Elsa is the person who connects everybody in this story, I think Anna is the bridge between the two sides (or three if you consider Marshall to be on an entirely different side of things.) And well, I wanted to see how she dealt with everything that’s going on.

I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, regardless of what you expected to read in it. But rest assured that I’ll tackle all — or at least most — of the details I’ve left open in the story so far, and that you’ve been mentioning in the comments. As always, thank you for commenting about those things and leaving such amazing messages and analyses. I’m surprised at how many of you are health professionals, and even more surprised to see that you have taken the time to leave a diagnosis or shown concern about Elsa’s health! It warms my heart the attention to detail you guys show me, truly. I hope my story keeps you company during long shifts at work or when you come home tired. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to help people! Thank you as well to all the other readers who haven’t commented but always show their love through kudos or shares. When I first started this story, I made it clear that I was going to finish it because I was writing it for myself, and it was a personal challenge, but now I feel like this story wouldn’t have come this far without you. So, thank you!

Feel free to leave a comment sharing what you think of the chapter or pointing out anything that seems amiss. Everything helps me in the process.

PS - I owe many many answers and reviews to you guys. I promise I’ll do it as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy!

Read you soon!

--- Do you guys still want to be tagged? Let me know, please. I don't want to bother people who are no longer following the story. Also, do tags even work?

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[true--north]

POLAR STATION AU.

Anna, Kristoff and the station's supervisor Mattias are stuck at the Arendelle polar station in the Arctic. Anna is a student studying fossil gas, Kristoff is a PhD student and a biologist. They argue constantly and can't stand each other, but they have to spend a lot of time together in the station's proximity. Mattias just can't with their stubbornness and sparks.

One evening on the Winter Solstice, Anna and Kristoff are exploring the inside of a glacier. And there they find an ice maiden sleeping in the ice, dressed in a strange ancient-looking white dress. She is very similar to the spirit from the indigenious legend that Mattias told them recently. Their voices about what to do with this sensational find awaken the Maiden. She calls herself Elsa and says that centuries ago she was a Northern tribal sorceress, but when her tribe migrated or died out she became a spirit doomed to sleep in Ahtohallan – that's how she called the glacier. She behaves weirdly and does not realise what time and place she is in.

Elsa's awakening brings a new ice age to all of Europe. All the news headlines are screaming about a climatic catastrophe, even Italy and Spain are engulfed in a unprecedented snow collapse; but only the Arendelle Polar Station, or rather its two hapless students and their tired head know what caused it.

And now they must must survive and work together to remind Elsa about the warmth of human love and friendship she had forgotten if they want the glacial magic, their hearts and the entire continent to melt.

[nemmaemma]

Heeeeeeyyyy, how ya’ll doin? Trying out a color technique that I always thought other artists were wizards to pull off🧙 Turns out, I just make things more difficult than they actually are

[spica-spica]

Summer!🌞

[cassidyjaneart]

A little modern Anna and Elsa for funzies

[bad-at-names-and-faces]

Reblog if you answer...

[kristannafever]

Second Chances - 4

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit WC: 1840

Chapter Index

-----------------

Kristoff’s mind was clouded by lust.  Three days after he’d had the absolute pleasure of making Anna come undone in his arms, their date – while fun as hell – was nothing compared to her lips on his.  He didn’t even have his front door shut and she was on him, kissing him with incredible passion and making him crazy with desire.

It still pissed him off to think of what she went through with her ex.  The guy had to be fucked in head to say those things about her.  Anna was the most sensual thing he’d ever had the pleasure of being with.  And they hadn’t even had sex yet!  He was sure that would be one for the record books.

“I… need to… touch you,” she said between kisses, pushing him down his hallway towards his bedroom.

He chuckled against her mouth.  “Only if I get to touch you first.”

She yanked her head back and looked at him.  “That wasn’t the deal.”

“What deal?” he shrugged playfully.  “To tell you the honest truth, Anna, I have to admit I am a little too selfish to let you touch me without allowing me that pleasure first.”  He leaned in, his mouth close to her ear.  “And I plan on using my tongue this time.”

He pulled his head back to look at her face and chuckled again with how her eyes were wide with anticipation.  He could tell that she wanted it and shit did that ever make him hot.  Anna pinched her bottom lip in her teeth and nodded, then turned and dragged him to the bedroom. 

They shooed Sven out and shut the door, then Kristoff wasted no time in putting his lips back on hers and reached between them to free her of her jeans.  He had them undone and was sliding his palms down her bare thighs, taking the underwear with them when she pulled away from his lips.

“I actually don’t know if I am ready for this,” she said quietly, brow furrowed slightly. 

“Can I ask why?” he prodded gently. 

“Because… no one has ever… I mean, I’ve never had anyone’s mouth…”

His eyebrows rose in disbelief.  “You haven’t?” 

She shook her head.  “No.  And I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do and-”

Kristoff let out a breathy chuckle.  “You don’t need to do anything, Anna.  You lay down and relax.  And before you tell me you’re apprehensive because I can see that you are, I need you to know that I want to do this so badly I am practically salivating.”

“You are?” she asked, tilting her head down and looking up at him rather seductively. 

He let out a slow breath.  “Yes.  And now that I know I have the honor of being your first, I have to say I want to do it even more.”

Anna swallowed visibly and then nodded.  He smirked at her and pulled her in for another passionate and lengthily kiss, then he finished what he had started and get her the rest of the way our of her jeans and laid her down on the bed. 

He looked down at her, how she was eyeing him with pure seduction.  “You are so fucking beautiful,” he whispered, and leaned over to slid her panties down her gorgeous legs.  Once free, he tossed them over his shoulder and ran his palms up her thighs, twisting them inward and gently pushing her legs apart. 

Kristoff took in the sight of her and it drove him wild.  He had to take a moment and pull back off the bed to free himself of his own jeans for how much his cock was straining painfully against them.  Leaving his boxers on until later, he leaned back down over Anna and took his time, gently kissing and caressing her until she was whimpering for him to begin, so he dragged his tongue up her opening and was rewarded with a gasp of pleasure. 

He did it twice more before he put his lips around her clit and sucked gently.  This time he got a long moan and she said, “Fuck.”  He smiled and stuck out his tongue, letting it dance around her clit before flicking the end of it against her.

Her hands wound up into his hair and tugged gently as he worked his mouth on her.  This was making him harder than he thought possible and he was a little relieved that it didn’t take too long before she was panting and telling him that she was getting close. 

Kristoff shifted and brought his hand up, pushing one and then two of his fingers into her while his tongue worked on her clit.  She swore again and moaned his name, and a moment later she was curled up, caught in an intense orgasm. 

When it was over her whole body fell slack onto the bed.  Kristoff straightened and watched her chest heaving up and down, wishing that she was completely bare so that he could see her breasts.  He had great anticipation for when he might see her fully naked but he was not going to rush anything.  He would be happy even if she wanted to stop the intimacy right now, except the way she was looking up at him made him shudder with desire. 

“Now I get to have fun,” she said as she sat up and shimmied off the bed and pointed at it.  “You, down, now.”

Kristoff chuckled and sat on the edge of the mattress.  “We can stop if you want, Anna.”  It was futile but he still had to say something.

She put her hands on her hips.  “No way, mister.  It’s my turn now.”

A thought occurred to him.  “You’re just going to stick with touching right, Anna?  I don’t want to feel you have to rush into anything.”

Her face turned into a bit of a frown.  “I wasn’t sure… I thought maybe that I would do the same to you.  I… I want to.”

He eyed her and chose his words carefully.  “I want you to do what you feel comfortable with, Anna.  Please, just promise me that you will?”

She smiled at him in a heartbreakingly sweet way and nodded.  Then she leaned over and helped him wiggle out of his boxers.

Anna let out a quick breath.  “Um, can I just say that you are bigger than I thought you were.”

He chuckled.  “Am I now?”

She licked her lips and her eyes went to him.  “Yes.  And you’re gorgeous too.  I, um, haven’t really seen one that’s… um…”

“Uncircumcised?” he asked. 

“Yeah.  If I’m not doing something right, can you-”

“Anna,” Kristoff said, feeling his face heat with anger for thinking about what that piece of shit ex had said to her.  “Promise me you will forget all that shit and just do what you feel comfortable with, okay?”

“Okay,” she said quietly.

“I mean it, Anna.  You turn me on in ways that would make it impossible for me not to enjoy myself.  Fuck, if you just keep looking at me, I’ll probably pop I am so horny right now.”

Anna gave him a big smile shining with humor and he was relieved to see it.  “Alright,” she said, pushing him back onto the bed and crawling over him as he shifted backwards to make room for her.  She sat criss-cross between his spread legs and started dragging her fingertips up and down his cock with a feather light touch.

He moaned softly, and then she wrapped her hand around him and he uttered a strangled “fuck.”

He’d been watching her, making sure she was comfortable, then she started stoking him and his eyes shut on their own as he laid his head back on the bed.  He felt his body melt into the mattress for how good it gelt to have her hands on him.

“Anna… that feels so-”

He felt her tongue dance on the tip of his cock and his eyes opened and his head shot up to look at her.  She grinned at him, and then keeping eye contact, she opened her mouth and took the tip of him in slowly.

It turned his mind to mush.  He watched, feeling helplessly lost in desire as she stopped for a moment and shifted onto her knees between his legs, then went right back to where she left off.  His entire body twitched as she worked her mouth agonizingly slowly down his cock. 

She’d taken half of him in when she started to pull her mouth back, sucking in her cheeks and putting the pressure he desperately wanted on his sensitive and highly aroused appendage.  His head fell back to the bed and he let out a shuddering moan. 

“Fuck… Anna.  Holy shit…”

She started moving the grip she had on the base of his cock up and down to meet her mouth.  Before he knew what was happening, he was a whisper away from coming.

He looked up at her.  “Anna, I’m really close.”

Her eyes flicked up to his through her eyelashes and she smiled around his cock, then resumed what she’d been doing.  Kristoff was helpless to look away as his abdomen tightened and he was about to explode.  A second later he did, and his head fell back to the pillow, letting out a soft cry, drowning in pleasure with the sheets at his side gripped tightly into his fists. 

When his thoughts finally returned to him, he could not believe how good that was.  Any man would be a demented fuck to not find that the most pleasurable experience outside of actual sex.  He sat up slowly, his head swimming as he did so.

He looked at her.  She was smiling at him softly, and he realized that he was in love with her. 

“So, I take it that was good?” she asked quietly. 

Kristoff laughed.  “Anna, that was so good, I’m dizzy.  No joke.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded.  “I have never, and I promise you I mean this, I have never been given a blow job that good. Ever.”

Her smile widened.  “I just did what felt right.”

“Good.  I am glad you did that, Anna.  I always want you to do that, okay?  And please promise me you will tell me if something doesn’t feel right.”

“I will.  And I want you to know that I did what felt right because you make me feel comfortable.  I trust you, Kristoff.  I trust you completely.”

That hit him in a way he was not expecting.  He moved himself so that he was sitting beside her and pulled her into a hug with emotion pressing on his throat.  “I am glad, Anna.  I trust you too.”

She nodded and hugged him tighter.  He pulled her closer as well and thought again about how he was most definitely in love with her. 

---

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[annaofthenorthernlights]

Here´s to our pets

A little spontaneous kristanna modern AU, pet holder AU

for @hiptoff because Sven and Olaf deserve to play together...

Frozen/Encanto crossover (only little bit....)

Find this little something also on AO3

Words: 3193

_____

Going to see the Vet was terrible.

But then, Sven´s paw looked infected and I didn´t like it either. We have moved to Arendelle only recently, and the address of Dr. vet. A. Heart had been the first I had found in the phone book.

So then, we waited, surrounded by other people with their patients.

Across from me sat an old lady with her cat which kept meowing in the most dramatic way in high pitched tones. My ears started hurting, and I wondered why those places would not have separated waiting rooms for the silent animals and the whining ones.

Next to me there sat a little boy with his little Guinea pig. Apparently, the animal had eaten too much, was too fat and the boy cradled the soft fer with his fingers, sweetly whispering to the little Bruno that all would be fine. He explained to me that the other Guinea pig was called Felix and that they loved eating and playing together. Cute. Only then I learned that there were also two hamsters, five rats, a pair of parrots, and a pair of turtles leaving in his room, too. Who was that boy and how big of a room did he live in? But then, with the tender way he cared for his pet, I couldn´t refrain from a smile. Those creatures surely had a good home with that boy.  

The young woman on my other side held a cat on her lap, which consistently glared at Sven who laid relaxed to my feet, and totally unimpressed by the hard stare he received from those green slit eyes. The woman was called by the friendly assistant with big glasses who peered through the door. A short while later, the old lady was called in. Maybe it was a sort of cat first-thing. I didn´t know, but it was okay. Since it was all silent now and the boy to my side had started to hum a sweet lullaby to Bruno. The Guinea pig curled its nose and squeaked contentedly to the tune.

Sven stirred a little, sitting up and resting his head on my knees. I cradled his ears fondly and rubbed his back supportively.

“I know buddy. The Vet will soon check your paw, and all will be fine.”

“What´s wrong with your dog, Sir?” The boy had stopped singing and looked up to me with those big dark eyes, and his black mob of hair on his head.

“Sven´s paw got hurt by glass because some dumb jerks had crashed beer bottles in the park grass.”

I hated those people. Seriously, all of them should get arrested and tightened onto nail beds to experience the pain themselves.

“Oh, that´s awful and I am sorry. Why do people do that at all? That´s such a shame. Get well, Sven, and always watch where you´re going.” The boy grimaced sadly and nodded supportively towards my dog.

“Thanks. We will keep that in mind.”

The door opened and the kind lady from before peeped in again. To her feet, a little white Jack Russel pranced excitingly and then hopped back to his cushion across the hallway, apparently waiting decently whenever another animal left the waiting room.

“Hey Antonio. You´re next. Who have you brought this time?”

“Hi Mirabel. This is Bruno. I think he ate too much. I hope that Miss Anna can help him.”

“Oh, I am sure, she will. Let´s have a look at Bruno then, okay?”

So, his name was Antonio. Cute. And wait, Miss Anna? Who was Miss Anna? The Vet?

Dr. A. Heart is Anna, then? Oh… okay. That Antonio seemed to be sort of daily customer, then? No wonder with the zoo he held at home. 

So, Sven and I waited another little while when Miss Mirabel called us to follow her. Sven slightly limped by my feet, and I desperately hoped that Dr. Heart could help his injury. When we left the waiting room, I spotted Antonio in the hallway, next to him a young woman reddish curled hair combed to a wild bun at the back of her head, she had a freckled nose, and blue eyes. Gosh, was this a Vet surgery or a beauty studio?

She had laid a hand on Antonio´s shoulder and smiled warmly, bending down to cradle Bruno´s head.

“Don´t worry, Antonio, you could not know. Those mix-ups sometimes happen in the pet shops. Only, that you will have to give Bruno some other name now, I suppose.”

“Oh, that´s easy, she´s Bruna now. And how long will it take for the babies to come out?”

“Not that long. I figure by the end of next month. You just bring her in if you think she´s not feeling well, okay? But she makes a sound and healthy appearance to me.”

“Thanks, Miss Anna. Wow! Felix will be happy, too, I am sure.”

“I bet, he will.” The Vet lady smiled and bit her lips, squeezing the boy´s shoulder.

I should not stare at them. That was simply impolite. But the tender scene had caught me off guard. How sweet was that. And the little Jack Russel crouched to the Vet´s feet, wagging his tail eagerly at her words.

Oh, so the Guinea pig was not Bruno… maybe I should not talk about Bruno… since it was Bruna…. Oh dear…

***

“Good day, Mr. Bjorgman, I am Anna Heart. And who is that lovely patient?”

“Good day, to you, too. This is Sven.” I introduced my dog after lifting him onto the exam table.

“Hi, Sven.” The Vet stroked his head with a smile and the Labrador practically threw himself into her arms. What had come over him now? I had never seen him do that before, except… with me. I stared a bit dumbfounded, but the young lady did not seem to mind but hugged him affectionately with a hearty giggle.

“My, you are a stormy fellow. You would get along fine with my Olaf.”

“Olaf?”

“My little dog, a Jack Russel. You might have seen him in the hallway? He loves warm hugs like this.”

I nodded, glancing over my shoulder at the little imaginary dog behind the door. Dr. Heart grinned so cutely and then tilted her head and took a closer look at Sven.

“So, what´s the matter with Sven. Why have you brought him here?”

And I told her about the glass splitter I had detected and pulled out last night.

Anna Heart frowned, shook her head and sighed in annoyance.

“Seriously! I always get so infuriated when I see broken glass on the road or worse, in the grass where nobody can see it in time. If you ask me, those people should get condemned to dance on glass splitters bare feet, so that they know what it feels like.” She huffed angrily and shook her head again.

I could not tell what I must have looked like, but certainly I stared at the woman mouth agape.

Just my words!

“I so agree…” I stammered still and flabbergasted by her impressively enthusiastic outburst, and she then shrugged apologetically, tugging an escaped hairstrand behind her hear.

“Well, I suppose that does not help Sven now. Let´s have a look at that paw.”

She carefully checked on his leg downward and examined his injured paw, while the dog eagerly licked her hand. It was fascinating to see her taking care of my buddy in such a concentrating way. She must take her job very serious and after a moment, she nodded with a sigh. She carefully put his paw down and then looked at me with a sincere glance.

“I am afraid it does not look so good. That happened yesterday, you said?”

I nodded, rather worried now. Just then, Mirabel entered the room and stood close by, ready to assist. Anna mentioned some medicine and something about a neck ruff, only to turn back to me.

“It´s good you came here. The wound is already infected, and his leg is warm. Look.” She reached for my hand and placed it on Sven´s leg, and now he licked both our hands in turns. He must have enjoyed himself greatly, despite the pain. Such a good boy. And yes, that leg felt warmer than the other. Did the infection reach up that high?

“Beginning of a sepsis. But I can handle that by injecting some antibiotic right now. And you will have to apply a tablet each to his meal twice a day till the end of week. For now, I will tend to the wound with disinfection and small curettage to prevent it from further infection.”

Mirabel had returned with some medical material, syringes, bandage, and that dreadful neck ruff to prevent the dog from licking his paw.

Sven was lying on the surgery table, and I held him for comfort, while Dr. Heart tended to her task of cleansing and operating on his wound, with the assistance of Mirabel, who eventually addressed me with a quiet voice.

“Mr. Bjorgam, are you here by car?”

“Yes.”

“Can you carry Sven to your car, or shall I call for help? My sister Luisa could bring the dog over for you.”

“No, I can do that myself, thanks.”

“I thought so.” Anna said affirmingly with a sideway wink, fixing the bandage around Sven´s leg. Why would that nonchalant comment make me blush?

“Well then, good boy!”

Oh, she was talking to Sven… obviously when she checked the bandage and his vitality symptoms one last time before Mirabel helped her to fix that nasty collar around his neck.

“Well, Mr. Bjorgman. You must not worry. Sven will be fine, I am sure. Still, if you think there is something wrong, don´t hesitate to call me, alright?” Dr. Heart placed a comforting hand on Sven´s head and gave me a reassuring smile before I picked him up and nestled the now sleepy dog against my chest.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help. Uhm, so, I come back in tomorrow so you can check on the wound again, right?”

“That´s right.”

That kind smile… shut it, she´s simply friendly.

I was not the only one with an injured dog. When I left the exam room with Sven in my arms I spotted a tall lady in the hallway, carrying literally a Saint Bernard like he weighted practically nothing. The owner followed her with that worried face. So, that must be the big sister… Luisa?

Wow, that was by far the most interesting Veterinary surgery I had ever seen...

I carefully placed Sven on the backseat of the car and drove home with him.

She had said that she wanted to see him again tomorrow, and if everything was looking better or at least not worse than today, I should come back by the end of the week and then again in a week´s time.

I swear, I don´t like Vets… But why was I feeling disappointed of not being ordered in more often now…? Not that I wanted Sven to be in pain or sick… of course not! I felt so sorry for him… But… Dr. Heart seemed nice and maybe it would do Sven good if she could check on him more than what she had recommended….?

You´re such a moron…

***

2 weeks later…

“I think we can take this off, now.” Anna Heart offered Sven the long-craved freedom for his tongue finding his paw again. He yelped in excitement and wagged his tail fervently, just to prance on the table like a happy puppy.

“Thank you so much. So, when do you need to check on Sven again?”

“Oh, that´s it. He´s fine and we´re done. Unless you detect some irregularities of any kind. You´re always welcome to come in… with your dog I mean.”

Luckily, Mirabel had not been in the room. Was I imagining it or was Anna slightly blushing? She bit her lips and then hastily turned to wash her hands while I lifted Sven from the exam table. There was this odd moment of silence, where none of us said a word. Only the elephant of the unspoken question lurked in the corner, glaring at me.

Could I ask her out?

I was about to open my mouth, when the door opened, and Mirabel walked in with the old woman and her whining cat in tow. So, the magical second had puffed off and I nodded my goodbye and tugged at Sven´s leach for us to leave the room.

When Mirabel closed the door, I unobtrusively glanced over my shoulder, and I might have been mistaken but had Anna looked up quickly to smile at me?

You´re still a moron…

I then sat in the car somewhat dumbly… I knew it was silly. We had been to the Vet, not to a date… She had tended to him as a Vet, not like his mom… Even though Anna had inquired after my job and then on some other appointment if I had settled well in Arendelle by now, it had most certainly only been out of sheer politeness. Because she was simply a nice person, a very nice person indeed. Her smiles had appeared so sincere, and here sparkling blue eyes a glimpse of heavenly light. But of course, all that belonged to her completely naturally, not that she would smile at me by purpose, so I assumed. And her hand sometimes reassuringly brushing my wrist while explaining Sven´s state, it must be professional habit. Surely, she was as kind to everybody.

She seemed the kindest soul I had ever met, well, besides my parents and of course, Sven.

Anyway, it was silly of me to think of her in such tender way… yes it was.

So, I started the engine and we drove off towards home, the two of us. Sven seemed to be happy to look around freed of the terrible view blocker. But he was also a sensitive buddy, placing an understanding paw onto my arm.

“Hey buddy. Let´s go home and then to the park, alright?! Just make sure not to trample into some glass, again, will you! Albeit it might be nice to see the Vet, right?!” I laughed meekly, more ashamed of my abusive idea towards my dog, than the stupid notion itself.

It was late afternoon when we headed for the great green gardens at the city´s brim, where one could have a most wonderful view onto the harbour and the great Fjord meandering it´s way beyond the cliffs and towards the northern mountain lands.

Sven clearly enjoyed his liberty and skipped and hopped around like a bouncing ball. Speaking of his favourite toy, I threw his plush carrot for him to catch and apport back to me. We repeated that game several times, only that at one point, the carrot landed behind some big bush and Sven could not find it right away. Just then, a little white dog rushed past the Labrador, with something orange in his mouth. Sven ran after him and when he caught the little rascal, they trolled around as if they knew each other since long. The carrot was the focused topic of their play, and they tossed the toy and pulled at it with eagerly displayed joy. It was funny to watch and for some reason heart-warming.

Who was that little fellow? Oh, was that not….?

And then I heard her voice, would recognise that bell-like sound from miles away.

“Olaf!”

Anna appeared from where the little dog had emerged from a moment ago. When she noticed the Labrador and Jack Russell rolling over the grass with the plushie´s ends each in their mouths, she stopped short and laughed whole heartedly.

I stood a few feet away from her, still not sure what to do, nor what to say in the first place. The dogs were having their fun, and who could deny them their excitement. Only that their master and mistress could hardly act the same way, could they? Goodness!  

Oh shit! How could I even think of such nonsense…?

“Oh, now I know why the Labrador looks familiar to me!” Anna had turned around and was looking at me with the cutest grin.

“Yeah… well, looks like you were right. Your Olaf seems to like my Sven.”

“No wonder!” She bit her lips and then nodded towards the yiping dogs, “your Sven appears the perfect play buddy.”

“Oh, he is.”

“What about his master?” Her eyes a sparkling firework.

“What?!”

Now she giggled.

“Sorry. That came out a bit straight I am afraid. What I mean… well… not that you need to roll across the park like that… but… well, maybe…”

“But I can roll with it. That´s what I can do.”

“What´s that supposed to mean?”

She now googled me with big eyes, and it was my turn to grin. Well, if she was not sure what to say and still asking me after all if I was a play buddy…, well, at least I could try to help her out. Oh, I wanted to help her out, but not screw it up myself. So, I shrugged and grimaced somewhat helplessly.

“I can roll with it and invite you for diner? But maybe that comes out a bit lame then, doesn´t it?”

“Oh, no! Not at all. I´d love to go out with you.”

If that was so… well, was I not a lucky guy… but wait…

“And there is nobody waiting for you, asking why you get home… late?”

“No. Well, my sister Elsa. But she won´t ask.”

“Why not?”

“She knows me well. And if she sees me smiling because I spent a nice evening, she will smile back at me. That´s about it.”

… because I spent a nice evening… Wow….

“How would you know that it will be a nice evening?” I felt my stomach clench nervously.

“Because it´s you who invited me, and…” she shrugged with a shy smile, “I really like the prospect of it.”

Time stood still for a tad of a second and we had not been aware that the dogs had come around, sitting side by side, patiently waiting for us with wagging tails, and expectantly tilting their heads.

I knew that look on Sven´s face. And apparently, Olaf seemed to share my buddy´s opinion. Namely, that this was a great idea of mine, and I should pursue my instincts.

“Looks like the dogs are ready.” Anna chuckled and attached the leach to Olaf´s neckband, and I did the same with Sven´s.

I could not help but feel a warm sensation when I straightened and noticed her red hair glowing in the light of sunset, and her smile complementing the delightful moment.

I reached out my free arm for her, and she looped her hand in the crook of my elbow. It must have been the golden light of the sun sinking beyond the Fjord´s horizon, but she seemed to beam like a radiating star. I tried to control my elation and nodded towards the harbour.

“Shall we?”

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Y'all, I swear to gods, if a fucking FROZEN SMUT FIC is what will get me back into writing InuKag smut, I'm gonna riot

[punkpoemprose]

Anna Arendelle and the Extraordinary Coat Room Meet Cute- A Kristanna Oneshot

Universe: Modern AU/ Socialite AU Rating: T Length: 2418 Words A/N: A classic meet cute because I haven't written one in a HOT second. Loosely based on the song Drinking Song for the Socially Anxious by the Amazing Devil.

“You’re… uh, on my coat.”

The final indignity. This will be the end of me, dead of embarrassment in the coatroom at a party I’ve tried to escape twice.

“Oh,” Anna replied with a shrug, trying to shake off both the thought and the awkwardness of the entire situation, “You know, sometimes it’s just nice being in someone else’s coat.”

The tall, unreasonably attractive blonde man before her quirked an eyebrow and she realized that if she wasn’t yet in cardiac arrest or in a state of spontaneous human combustion, it was, in fact, impossible to die of embarrassment.

If it were, I’d have been dead on arrival.

She didn’t know why she’d agreed to come to the party in the first place. It was a great opportunity for networking for her family’s charity and she normally loved socializing, but she had fully known, somewhere in the back of her mind, that Hans would be there. Of course, he would be, he was a fixture at major social events, high end restaurants, and sundry “hoity toity” settings in Arendelle city. No one knew, of course, that he wasn’t the wealthy eligible bachelor he passed himself off as, no, that was something that Anna alone seemed to have intimate knowledge of alone.

“Which is, of course, a very normal and reasonable thing to say and do,” she added after a moment of silence.

To her immense relief, the man before her didn’t seem to be backing away slowly or pulling a cell phone out of his pocket to call 9-1-1 on the clearly disturbed young woman withholding his coat from him. Rather, he actually appeared to be calm, maybe even entertained.

“Of course,” he nodded, his voice carrying with it a note of amusement, “I can’t say I’ve tried it myself, but anything has to be better than being out there.”

At just that moment, Anna noticed a well-tailored suit, purchased on her dime, and a smarmy smile approaching the side of the room where the coatroom door was. She could only see him through a small gap between the entryway and the large stranger’s side, but she would know that jerk anywhere.

“Close the door.”

The man gave her a curious glance, still not offended, but clearly taking his time in deciding whether it were in his best interest to be in an enclosed space with her.

“Quickly!”

She swore she could smell Hans’s overbearing, stupid floral cologne from where she sat on the small settee, but she knew that it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her.

“Please.”

That did the trick, and the man, with a glance over his shoulder, closed the door behind him and leaned back into it, providing extra security that it would not be pushed open again until he moved.

Anna breathed out a sigh of relief and felt, for a moment, that she was going to maybe make it through the night after all, even if she was going to spend it in the coat closet avoiding detection by her terrible ex-boyfriend.

“So,” the man said, making Anna realize that he, at her behest, had trapped them in a small space together, “I don’t know whether to ask about the coat thing or the hiding thing or if they’re both none of my business.”

If she would normally be afraid of being trapped with such an immense man, she wasn’t now. The blonde before her seemed to be doing everything he could to make himself seem less intimidating while still leaning his body weight into the door. She noticed his body language, leaning back to make himself appear shorter, his pose otherwise open, casual. He was speaking slowly, calmly, and it was very clear to Anna that the man before her had some practice in trying to minimize his physical presence in a space. She was getting better and better by the day at reading people, both for her own safety, and to better glean which people in a room would be most receptive to hearing about the Arendelle Angels, a no kill shelter she was currently on the board of trustees for.

“I suppose the coat, at least, is your business given it is evidently yours.”

With that admission, she did shift down the settee, removing her bottom from his jacket. He made no immediate move to retrieve it and she wondered if he was just that intent on guarding the door for her, or if he was worried that she’d bite.

“It’s sort of boring though, I just sat on it by mistake when I came in and I am really bad at answering questions on the fly so sometimes I say things that are strange or too much.”

That, in and of itself, was probably “too much” of an admission to a total stranger.

Every nonprofit should want you to oversee their fundraising, you’re crushing this normal and charming thing.

He nodded, like she’d said something sage, and then continued to stand in front of the door, not saying anything at all and continuing to stand in the least intimidating way a man of his stature could muster. He was acting as if he had every intention to stand there for the rest of the evening, party and world beyond the door be damned.

“The hiding thing is a little more fraught,” she added, just to fill the quiet. She’d never been great at quiet.

He nodded again, and she assumed that it was not a surprise to him.

Hiding in closets at parties is not normal behavior, something more complex going on only makes sense.

She sometimes wished that her thoughts would be a little less pragmatic.

“The long and short of it is that my ex is out there, and he’s an asshat, and I was trying to make it to the front door, coat be damned, but if I’d headed for the exit, he would have seen me.”

Kristoff nodded, as if her behavior made perfect sense.

“And you didn’t want him to see you looking so nice at a party after dumping him because you’re just kind like that.”

For the first time since she walked into the party, for the first time in a month maybe, her laughter was genuine.

“I mean,” she said through chuckles that dislodged the anxious tears she’d been so carefully holding in place, “you had the me dumping him part down, but I am not that charitable, at least not to him of all people. No, I just didn’t want to see him and hear whatever asinine comment he’d have already locked and loaded for me.”

She wasn’t certain whether he’d meant to actually compliment her, or whether he was just trying to make light of the situation, but she thought that his respectful twice over of her body from across the small room might tell her more than she was letting herself hear. If nothing else he had made her laugh and she could appreciate that.

“Good thing you dumped him then,” he replied, “and that does explain the coat closet. Have you been in here long?”

Anna shrugged, “Twenty minutes, maybe? I feel a little bad about it. I was in the middle of talking about a rescue lab-pit with a hedge fund manager that is our host’s cousin and I think he was interested in adopting and maybe also sponsoring some of the other animals.”

“You work for a rescue? Which one?”

She was grateful for the changing direction of the conversation. Something in his eye seemed to light up when she mentioned the rescue. Clearly he was an animal lover, those with an ambivalence or dislike for pets always seemed to regard her conversations about the rescue like those Sarah McLachlan ASPCA advertisements that gave everyone a close approximation to Catholic guilt regardless of religious background or lack thereof.

“Well work for is a little bit of a misnomer, I don’t get paid, but I’m in charge of fundraising for Arendelle Angels.”

“That’s amazing, do you have a dog?”

Dog guy, not surprising.

“No, I love them, but I’m only equipped for a cat at the moment.”

He smiled at that, “I work training service dogs, but cats can be really great emotional support animals. My dog thinks he’s a lap cat sometimes, I swear he even tries to purr.”

She laughed again and thought about filling this guy in on besting his record setting win at “most genuine laughter out of Anna Arendelle in a month”, but instead she made herself more comfortable in her sitting position and jumped into continuing the conversation.

“Lapdog?”

The man groaned in mock wistfulness, “120lb Irish Wolfhound.”

Anna snorted with laughter. Another new record.

***

Kristoff.

Her coat room companion was named Kristoff, and he had, rather than leaving as he’d originally intended, decided to spend the evening with her in a coat closet.

He'd even been brave enough to sneak out, not once, but twice, to sneak them both glasses of wine and snacks from the outside world. She'd spilled her guts about Hans after the first glass and he'd been respectful and kind in his responses, including in his offer to leave the room and knock him onto his ass.

She'd said no, mostly because it would mean that their time together would come to an end.

“What are you planning on doing after this,” he asked.

“Well I was going to go home and show my cat some memes. I think he likes the colors on the screen, but I like to think that he actually gets the humor because he's awesome like me.”

He laughed at that and her heart raced. Every time she'd managed to get a laugh out of him she'd felt like she won the lottery. She was frankly a little upset that his asking combined with the sheer amount of people who have come and gone from the cost room, giving them strange looks, meant that the night was almost over.

“I was hoping you'd want to maybe stay a while, meet Sven, finish your conversation with Stone, but I understand, Olaf sounds like an extremely entertaining cat.”

“Stay? Do you mean… head to your place?”

She did want that frankly but she wasn't sure whether it would be a great idea given she had to be up so early the next morning and she had no idea of where he lived. Hell, she knew that he was an introvert leaning ambivert with an emotional support dog weighing just a little less than she did, but she didn't even know his last name. It was funny what had and hadn't been addressed.

“Well I mean technically it's right here. Not this room, this is just my mom's overflow closet, but I do have a room here still, so while it’s not my house, it’s certainly a place I can invite you to stay at.”

Anna was confused.

“I thought this was Cliff and Bulda’s house?”

Cliff and Bulda were a somewhat well off couple whose families had been big in mining some generations back, but who were, themselves, important donors to a variety of animal rights and green charities in the community. They and their extended families seemed to be involved in just about every nonprofit and realm of business that one could think of. Kristoff, frankly, had their spirit but looked nothing like the dark haired older couple.

“It is, he’s my dad. I was adopted, if that explains anything. If you’re worried about it, I can go get my mom to confirm. Or we can both walk out of here now if you want. I had a cousin escort your ex off property the first time I ducked out for wine. I didn’t tell anyone anything you told me, but no one really was asking why I wanted him to go, apparently half the assemblage thinks that he’s an asshole who is no longer tolerable since his girlfriend left him.”

He looked a bit contrite after the admission, and took her shocked silence for judgment. 

“Sorry I didn’t say something sooner, I knew that I should have told you as soon as I got back, but I was feeling a little selfish and I wanted to keep talking with you.”

“You’re forgiven.”

She hadn’t needed to think about it. She knew that Cliff had a son, he often talked about his boy and how proud he was of him while they talked shop about donations and animal sponsoring for the rescue, that he was Kristoff made her already feel that her comfort and trust with the man was well placed. Frankly he hadn’t lied to her, he’d omitted, but given that he’d had Hans escorted out of the party and had continued to help her through her nervousness for the rest of the night had earned him her pardon for not mentioning that the object of her ire had been gone for an hour at most.

Kristoff’s expression went quickly from remorse, to surprise, to gratitude, and Anna liked watching the way the journey played out over his handsome features. She watched the crinkle in his brow give way to softness and his lips go from tight to smiling. 

“Just let me know straight away next time,” she added, “I’ll probably stay in the coat room with you anyway.”

He chuckled, and offered her his hand, which she took with a smile.

“I can and will promise you that.”

“Can you promise me a meeting with Sven, you speak very highly of him and I’m excited to meet such an excellent boy?”

Kristoff’s expression softened further at her request and she already knew that Kristoff was her new favorite person to see at any party.

“I can, his schedule is usually pretty packed but he happens to owe me  a favor so I will make sure he can pencil you in tonight. Maybe after you finish talking with Stone? He’s going to be heading for home in a bit and he’s already got some dogs on your website he’d like to sponsor after he adopts Axel.”

Anna grinned in response, appreciative that her night was not just a success for the rescue, but also for her meager social life. 

“That,” she said, letting Kristoff pull her off the couch and to his side with a freshly earned familiarity, “Sounds like an excellent deal.”

Kristoff’s smile said everything she needed to know. He felt exactly the same.   

[avitha]

Saw Frozen - The Musical (which was AMAZING) so I decided to do a pic of the Frozen fam like I did for Frozen 2's premiere!