#kristannachristmasinjuly

[awesomemaple]

i’m your secret santa, @kristoffxannafanatic you said you liked modern AUs, college sweethearts, married cuties, and KA babies… as you can see here, i couldn’t choose just one lmao hope you like it!!! this was SUPER fun

[lukin08]

The Name Game

Happy Kristanna Christmas in July @jill-knits-lace  I’m your secret Santa.  You said you liked friends to lovers, so I hope you enjoy this!

Modern AU

Rating: T (for minor swearing)

Words: 3400

“Jon.”

“No.”

“How about Erik?”

“Uh uh.”

“Oooh is it Thor?” Anna jumped in front of Kristoff with her hands excitedly balled up in front of her.  “Please tell me that’s what it is!”

“No!  Thank god.”  Kristoff laughed at Anna’s antics.  He watched her fall back walking next to him and scroll through her phone at the list of names she had.  After rattling off some more, each with the same response, Anna finally gave in. “Okay, one hint.  Please!”  She lifted her index finger as emphasis.  “That’s all. I’ll never ask for anything else.”

Kristoff shook his head. “Nope.  No way.”

“But why?” she whined.

“You’ll figure it out.”

“Exactly my point!” Anna threw her arms up in exasperation. “Kris,” she said using the nickname that only she was allowed to use, “how long have we known each other?”

“Ever since you showed up at my dad’s garage with that beater of a car.”

“Hey,” Anna stopped to jab her finger at Kristoff’s arm.  “Not a word about Steve, do you hear me?  That car got me through my first job out of college.”

“Yeah, because of all the work I did on it for you the last two years.   That poor thing limped its way to the junkyard.”

“Shhhh, the wound is fresh. I’m still not over giving that car up.” Anna wrapped her arms around Kristoff’s much larger one.  “I will be forever grateful for all that you did for me.  And to think.  We never would have been friends if it wasn’t for that car!  Yay for Steve!”

She leaned her head against him and the contact made every muscle in Kristoff’s body tense up at once. Anna looked up at him with a curious expression.   “Everything okay?”

He quickly snapped out of it, clearing his throat, but purposely looking only at the intersection ahead of them. “…yeah.  I’m fine.”

Thankfully Anna seemed more focused on this whole name nonsense to question him anymore.  Not losing a beat, she picked right back up. “So about that hint?”

“What about it?”

“Like I was saying, we’ve known each other for two years now and you’ve never told me your middle name.”

“So why the curiosity now?”

“Because!  I want to know!  Why does there have to be a reason?”

“Well technically…” Kristoff stopped himself, knowing that conversation would get him nowhere.  “Look, no one knows my middle name.  So can we drop it?”

Anna stomped ahead. “Ugh, what is the big deal?  Come on, one hint!  You only have to tell me if I guess it.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“I said no.”

Anna jumped in front of Kristoff and faced him, causing him to almost trip in his haste not to bowl over her.  She laid her hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks instantly.  Kristoff’s head shot down fixated on her hand as his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.  When he finally tore his gaze away, only to be met with her pleading eyes, his mouth damned near betrayed him on the spot.  

“Please,” Anna said softly.

He threw his head back, accepting the partial defeat.  “Fine. What’ll it be?”

Anna thought for a second before coming up with her answer. “First letter.”

“Yeah, no.”

“Alright.  One letter- any part of the name.”

“Fair enough.   A.”

Anna reached up both her hands to his face and studied him. Kristoff watched her head tilt to the side, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.  He was fighting back all his urges to tug it free and bend down to kiss her right there on the sidewalk in front of everyone.

“Do I want to know what you’re doing?” He asked.

“Just sizing you up with this new bit of information.  Gotta see what fits you.”

“You aren’t going to guess it.”

The blue of Anna’s eyes sparkled as she gave him a sly smile.  “Wanna bet?”

He offered her a smirk in return.  “What’s the stakes?”

Anna let go of his face and went back to walking.  “Let’s see. Alright.  Ten tries and when I get it, then you have to take me to that play I’ve been talking about.”

“I’m already going with you.”

“Yes, but you have to wear a suit and smile the whole time and I’ll wear my dress that’s extra twirly and we will take pictures and look so very fancy.”

“Says the woman wearing my sweatshirt that’s three times to big on her,” Kristoff snorted.

“We are just going to see a movie and I am dressed for the occasion.  So what do you want if I don’t guess it?”

“All my sweatshirts back”

“Kris!”

“Okay.  You can keep that one.  But I want the other ones back.”

“Fine.  This is my favorite anyway.”  Anna went up and kissed Kristoff’s cheek.  He would have stayed frozen on that spot in the middle of the sidewalk if she hadn’t tugged on his hand pulling him along and out of his thoughts.

---

“So, how did it go?” Sven was sitting on the edge of the couch, leaning forward with his hands clasped together.  

“The play?  It was fine.”  Kristoff crossed the room and laid his jacket over the chair.

“No, you idiot.  How did she react when you told her?  What did she say?  Its late, so I take it went well?”

Kristoff flopped down in the chair. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “She didn’t say anything.”

“What do you mean she didn’t… good god man, you didn’t tell her?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.  “It didn’t…

“Seem like the right time… yeah, yeah.  Like I haven’t heard that before.  Tonight was the perfect time!  You even got dressed up in that suit.  I didn’t know you even had one.”

“Shocking isn’t it that I am capable of owning one suit?”

Sven shook off Kristoff’s comment.  “All I’m saying is you better do it soon or its really going to be too late.  I’ve known you’ve liked her for at least six months now, which means you’ve liked her a lot longer than that.  Probably since you first met her seeing that you actually talked to her outside of work.”

“Yeah, well, you know.”

“No I don’t.  Just go for it bud, before it’s late.  What’s the worst that can happen?  No wait.  Don’t answer that.”  Sven sat back on the couch.   “All I’m saying is life is too short.  Ask her out for god’s sake.  So what if she says no?  At least you know then.  And it doesn’t matter because she is going to say yes because it’s obvious she likes you anyway.”

“No, it’s not.”

“My friend.  You are great at a lot of things, but the one thing you cannot do is read women.”

“Oh, like you’re some kind of expert?” Kristoff scoffed.

Sven held out his finger. “One, she actually seems to like being around you.  Two, she asks you to do things with her all the time.”

“As a friend.”

“Shut it.  I’m not done.  Three, when we’ve all been out, she’s always talking about you or asking me things about you when you are out of earshot.  Four- pay attention because this is the most important one.  She has a look on her face when she watches you leave a room.  And you should see her when you come back.  It’s the same dopey look you have when you see her.”

Kristoff threw his hands up. “Well there you go.  Absolute proof.”

“You know I’m right. Deny it all you want, but it’s true. What’s the problem anyway?  For real?”

“I…I guess it’s not as much as her telling me she’s not interested as it is the possibility of her not wanting to see me again after I told her.  I’d rather have her in my life the way it is now and deal with it than not at all.”

Sven offered Kristoff a sympathetic smile.  “I get it.” He stood up and went to walk out of the room.  “But don’t forget that’s not the only possible outcome.  It could end up so much better.”

“Thanks.”

Kristoff’s phone dinged after Sven walked out.  He pulled it out and saw a picture from earlier in the night of him and Anna.  A huge grin came over his face.

‘Thought you might want this’

‘Yes, thanks’

‘You need to wear a suit more often.  It looks good on you’

‘Nah, you can’t beat jeans, but I’ll consider it for you. BTW, you looked beautiful’

Kristoff stared at his phone watching the bubble of dots.  It was taking too long for her to respond.  Why did he have to be so awkward around her about this all the time; never having the guts to say anything in front of her and putting his foot in his mouth on a stupid text.  

Finally, her response came up.

‘Thank you.  That means a lot coming from you’

Kristoff put his phone down, but heard it ding again.

‘Oh, since the play is done, I decided I get to guess again. What about these…  ‘Markus? Johan?, Andreas?’

‘Not even close.  Good night, Anna.  Go to bed’

“Good night!’

----

“Hey red, how’s it going?” Sven slid into the chair next to Anna at the table Anna was sitting at.

Anna lit up. “Great!  Thanks for inviting me.”

“Sure.  It’s a Friday afternoon, the weather’s great.  Perfect to sit outside at a beer garden and have a few.  We all cut out early at work.  Glad to see you and Kristoff could do the same.  Speaking of, where’s your partner in crime?”

Anna pointed across the courtyard.  “Cornered over there having to talk to someone.  I think it’s one of his clients from the shop.”

Sven followed her gaze and chuckled at how uncomfortable Kristoff looked.  He looked back at Anna.  She was still fixated on Kristoff.

He cleared his throat. “So, you two have been hanging out a lot lately.”

“What?   …Oh, yes!” she said when she registered what Sven said.  “It’s been fun.”

“Figure out his middle name yet?”

Anna groaned. “Noooo.  He won’t tell me and its driving me crazy.  You don’t know it do you?”

“No.  Have you tried his parents?  They may be the only ones that know.”

“I did actually!’

“You did?”

“Yes.  I stopped by the shop the other day and his mother was there.  I asked her and you know what she said?  That she didn’t name him so she wasn’t going to be the one to tell.”  Anna’s face morphed into concern.  “Do you think it bothers him that I ask?  He’s been so open about being adopted, but he never talks about his birth parents.”

“Don’t worry about it. If it bothered him, he’d tell you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sven didn’t hesitate as he watched Kristoff sit down.  “Oh, I just found out Anna met your parents.  Sounds like things are getting serious.”

Kristoff’s entire face burned.  He prayed the ruddiness in his cheeks from his beer hid the flush that he was certain had spread down to his neck.  He scrambled to pick up his beer bottle to only to find it empty.  He had to resorted to feigning disinterest by looking out to the street and shrugging.  “You know Ma’s there all the time.”

Sven just grinned at him, out of Anna’s vision.

“Looks like we could use another round,” Anna said.  “It’s taking forever with the crowd to get a server at the tables.  I’ll go up to the bar and grab the next round.”

Kristoff went to stand to say he’d go, but Anna insisted.  He watched her shimmy past the crowded tables over to the outside bar.

“You are saying something tonight.”  Sven was leaning over the table, his arms outstretched with his finger tapping the table for emphasis.  “It’s perfect.  Great night. Everyone’s having a good time. She’s already met your parents…”

“Sven…”

“Tonight.”

“I don’t think...”

“Stop thinking and just do it.  Before something happens and you regret waiting for so long.”

Two bottles slammed down on the table.  Kristoff sneered at the server.  “We didn’t order these.”

“You may not have, but your friend over there did.” He nodded his head to the direction of the bar. “She asked if I could bring them over to you.  Looks like she got a little busy.”

Sven and Kristoff looked over towards the bar.  Anna was still over there but there was a guy next to her, talking with her and leaning entirely too close to her as far as Kristoff was concerned.  Anna must have caught him staring because she waved at him with a big smile on her face.  All he could do was offer a quick wave back then turn away and sink into his chair.

Kristoff spent the next twenty minutes sulking, trying to ignore Sven and his lecture about it not being too late.  He kept stealing glances over at Anna, only for her to catch him and he’d quickly look away.  He wondered if he could make a quick exit without her noticing.

“Here,” Anna said when she came back to the table, placing three beers down.  “Sorry I was gone so long.  I thought another round was in order.”

“Good talk?” Sven asked.

Anna shrugged, reached for her beer and looked at Kristoff.  “I was thinking that since I lost the first bet about your middle name, that I should have a chance to redeem myself.  How about another wager?   I even have a few new ideas for names that fit you.  Let me tell you!  Wait, where did I put my phone?  I left it at the table when I went to get our drinks.”  

She looked around, finally rummaging in her purse for it.  That’s when Kristoff noticed the phone number scribbled on the napkin by Anna. Kristoff’s head started to spin. Of course she had gotten that guys number.  Why else would she have been talking to him that long?  Sven had been right all along.  He had screwed up waiting so long and now it didn’t matter what he felt about her.

“Aha!”  Anna pulled her phone out of her person triumphantly. “Just a second.  Here.  Ok, what about Arn? Or Markas? Or Aksel?  You look like a Aksel.  I think I deserve another clue this…”

“I don’t want to play.”

Anna stopped, looking over at Kristoff.  “Why?”

“Because I don’t. It’s a dumb game and I’m done playing along anymore.”  Kristoff took a long swig of his beer and slammed it down on the table.  

“Oh,” Anna said.  

There was a heavy silence between the three of them.  Anna shrunk in her seat, picking at the label of her beer bottle.  “Did I do something?”

“What? No.”

“Then why are you so upset with me.”

“I’m not…”  Kristoff took a long breath.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.   It’s all me.”  He stood up from his seat.  “I’m going to go home.”

“What?” Sven exclaimed. “No way!  Sit your ass back down.”

“No I’m good.  I’ll see you later.”

Sven didn’t stop. “You’re leaving over that?”

“Over what?” Anna asked.

“Nothing,” Kristoff said before Sven could get a word out.  “And no it’s not because of that.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s not.”

“Then tell her,” Sven challenged.  

“No.”  Kristoff looked at Anna.  “Have a good night, Anna.  I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Tell Anna,” Sven said again.  “Or I will.”

“Ok, this is getting ridiculous.  Tell me what?” Anna demanded.

“That he’s wanted to ask you out for the last six months.  At least.  But he’s been too chicken shit to do anything about it.  Then he sees you talk to one guy and freaks out about it.  That’s what!”

Anna’s eyes went wide. “Kris-“

Kristoff didn’t give her a chance to try to let him down easy.  He didn’t want to hear any kind words on how good of a friend he was to her. He glared at Sven.  “Thanks a lot.”

“Kristoff, wait!” Anna reached for Kristoff, but he was already heading for the exit.

---

Kristoff looked glanced back at her then back out to the pond.  He hadn’t gotten that far; too wound up to drive, Kristoff had settled for walking several blocks before stopping at the nearby park.  He just needed a little time to get his head on straight.  He hadn’t expected to be followed.

Anna approached slowly, coming up next to him and sitting down on the bench.  “Kristoff, I’m-“

He held up his hand and waived her off.  “Forget about it.  Forget about all of it.”

“But-“

“Please.”

Anna nodded and didn’t push for the moment.  They sat there in silence for a long time.  Anna picked at the laces of her shoes, trying to come up with something to say.

“Andrew.”

Kristoff’s voice cut through the silence, startling Anna.  “What?”

“My middle name… it’s Andrew.  My parents…well my mother told me when I was a boy that they had a hard time deciding what to name me.   I told you they were from Norway and they were worried about me fitting in.  Kristoff is a family name, so that’s where that comes from.  My father said to call me Kris if there was a problem, but my mother was still concerned.  Andrew was her idea.  She told me if I ever wanted to I could go by Andrew because it was my name.”

“But you never did.”

“No.  I was always proud of my name.  Then, when they died, it mattered even more to me.  I wouldn’t even let anyone call me Kris.  I know my parents loved me a lot to want to try to protect me.  It’s been that one thing that I still can just have with them.  That’s why I never told anyone.”

“You told me.”

“You’re really persistent.”

Anna slid her hand on top of Kristoff’s.  When he didn’t flinch away, she spoke.

“That number didn’t mean anything.”

“Anna, it’s okay.  I shouldn’t have acted like that.  You can see whoever you want.”

“No, listen.  You know when you waived back at me when I was at the bar.”

“Yes.”

“Well, you need to pay attention more.  I was trying to waive you over to come and save me.  But you just gave your little jealous wave back.  Then every time I’d catch your eye, you’d look away too quickly. You have no idea how pissed off I was at you.  I didn’t have my phone to tell you to come over.  I wanted you to save me from that jerk.”

Kristoff’s shoulders shook as he chuckled.  “Sorry.”

“But do you know what I really wanted?  To be able to look at that guy and point to you and tell him my boyfriend was sitting right over there.  Or even better, for you to come over and put your arm around me and scare guys like him away.”

“I guess I could… wait. Boyfriend?”

“Was what Sven said true?”

“What happens if I say yes?”

Anna squeezed Kristoff’s hand.  “I’ve never been good with the whole flirting thing.  I’ve been told I’m a disaster.  I’ve been burned with past relationships, but I liked you…almost from the beginning.  I just didn’t know what to do to let you know I felt that way.  I thought the more you got to know me, maybe you’d start to like me.  At least that’s what I hoped.”

“I think it worked.  I mean, you got me to get dressed up to go to the play.  My mom would never believe you if you told her.  You know, Sven called me an idiot for being afraid to talk to you.  He’s going to be so smug over this for a long time.”

“So it is true?”  Anna looked up at Kristoff with hopeful eyes.

“It is.  Has been for a long time.  You didn’t have to convince me of anything.  I would have done anything for you.”

Anna smiled as Kristoff turned his hand to lace his fingers with hers.  “So what do we do now?”  

When she bit at her bottom lip waiting for his response, he didn’t fight it this time.  “How about this?”  Kristoff tugged it free, seeing her smile before leaning down to kiss her in front of whoever could see.

[kristoffxannafanatic]

Second Chances

Happy Kristanna Christmas in July @epbaker. I am your Secret Santa. I hope you like this little modern au. Thank you to @lukin08 for proofing and helping to make it gift worthy.

 Kristoff hated bartending but, it was a job and he had to earn a living somehow.   Thank goodness his family always had jobs for him when he was in need. He was scheduled to take the civil service exam in a month. He already had points in his favor for his military service. Hopefully he would get onto a police force or fire department in the area. “Have faith, baby.” That’s what his mom always said. He tried to stay hopeful, but it was getting harder and harder.

During the day he did handy work for Dad’s contracting business and tended bar at Pabbie’s at night. He liked that it kept him busy. It’s not like he had any kind of social life since Rebecca left him while he was deployed. That had been a huge mistake and he regretted dating her. She was nothing like the one that got away from him 10 years ago.

 Anna couldn’t believe she was back in her childhood hometown. She thought she would never come back after her parent’s unfortunate accident. But life hadn’t turned out the way she dreamed when she was 15 years old.

Getting back in touch with her old high school friends seemed like a good idea when she first got to town.  She found out right away they were all too eager to catch up. But going to meet up with them, she wondered if they had changed at all.  Back in school, she had “ran in the right circles”.  It was what was expected of her, even if she never had much in common with her friends.  But she had changed more than she ever could have expected, and she could hope they had as well.

 “Anna, I can’t believe you are back here after 10 years in Europe!”

 “OMG! I know! What happened with that Danish prince?”

 “I read that you guys were engaged.”

 “Oh…yeah we were but only for a hot minute.”

 “Eeekkk!! Tell us about it!”

 “Sorry Christine, I had to sign a nondisclosure…can’t talk about it.”

 “Are you kidding?”

 “Brittany, these aren’t just rich people, they are royalty. Look at everything with Harry and Meghan!”

 Anna remembered quickly why she hated hanging out with these girls. They were vapid…. still! She was hoping they had matured since she left but…NOPE!”

 “Anna why are we going to Pabbie’s for drinks?”

 “Pabbie was close to my Dad. Plus, they charge a fraction of the price for the same top shelf cocktails and wine.”

 “Like money is a problem for us.”

 “Stop Christine, you’re such a snobby bitch.”

 Anna tuned out the two girls plus she couldn’t tell them one of the reasons she was moving home was because her trust fund was running low due to that damn Prince. She had to move back into her family’s home and was going to work with Elsa at their parents’ business, Arendelle Investments.

Christine and Brittany walked into the bar all loud and rude. Kristoff looked up at the unusual disturbance and saw the girls walk in. Bad tippers, he thought to himself and went to go back to work. But who came in after the girls is what nearly makes him drop the drink he is making.

 Anna Arendelle  

 She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

 Anna looked around the bar and saw an open table. “Come on ladies, I found a table.”

 “Anna seriously?! Let’s go clubbing in the city?”

 “I like it here plus the club scene is so played out.”

 “This place is so lame! The only one in our age bracket is Kristoff Bjorgman.”

 Anna’s head spun around. “Wait…what? Kristoff Bjorgman is here?”

 “He’s the bartender. I guess the Army didn’t find any use for him just like that skank that he dated. Anna, please don’t tell me you still have a silly crush on that loser.”

 “You know what, you guys are the losers! He was kinder to me than either of you ever were. You only looked me up because you wanted to find out about Hans and why I let it fall apart.”

 Kristoff watched the exchange go down. He was proud of Anna for telling off those idiots.

 “How dare you Anna? Everyone knows he cheated on you and your trust fund is nearly gone.”

 “Yeah! And you had to crawl back to your big sister. Go ahead and go lay in the gutter with your maid’s son!”

 “You know what…you’re not worth our time. You are a charity case. A broke has been hiding behind a good name.”

 Pabbie walked over and interrupted the tirade. “Young ladies, I can’t have this in my place.  You are going to need to leave.”

 “No problem old man!”

 Anna scampered off in the opposite direction to the ladies’ room. She was so stupid to reach out to her so called friends.  What made her think anyone in this town could have changed for the better? Pabbie walked over to Kristoff and gave him that an all-knowing smile.

 “Son, I’ve got the bar. Go check on your friend.”

 “Grand Pabbie, we were childhood acquaintance not friends.  I haven’t talked to her in ten years.”

 Grand Pabbie rolled his eyes and laughed at Kristoff. He pointed to the ladies’ room. Kristoff knew there was no point in arguing.  He gave up and headed in that direction.  Kristoff heard Grand Pabbie mumble,” acquaintance my ass.”

 Kristoff didn’t have a clue what to do.  He didn’t know what to say. He never knew what to say to Anna when they were younger, always stumbling over his words. He wasn’t good talking to girls but with Anna he was a complete idiot. Just being in her presence made him tongue tied.

 Anna sat there sobbing and feeling sorry for herself. She didn’t want to call Elsa because she would give her that I told you so speech. She had warned her that those girls had not changed one bit since she left. She didn’t know how she was going to get out of Pabbie’s without looking like a fool especially in front of Kristoff. Just then there was a tentative knock at the door.

 “Anna? Are you okay?”

 Anna covered an audible gasp when she heard Kristoff’s voice on the other side of the door.

 “Do you need me to call you an Uber or…”

 Kristoff wanted to be the one to take her home, but he didn’t want to sound like a creep.

 “Or what?”  Anna’s voice was soft, but she couldn’t hide her curiosity.

 Kristoff took in a deep breath.  “Uh…maybe…maybe I could drive you home?  That is…if you are comfortable with that.”

 Anna’s heart soared. She loved how he was always so shy for such a tough looking guy. She has had a crush on him since she was 10 and he was 13. The last ten years had been extremely good to him. He had grown at least 6 more inches and filled in nicely. While she still felt like that plain, freckly 15-year-old.

 She remembered the day they met. He had come with his mother, Bulda, to their house to give homework to Elsa when she had missed school for a prolonged illness. Bulda was their maid and cook, his Dad, Cliff was their handyman.  She thought back to how kind both of them always were to her. Pabbie even was a good friend of her Dad’s.

 “I would love for you to take me home, Kristoff.”

 Kristoff’s elation quickly changed as his heart dropped. Now he had to figure out what the hell he was going to talk to her about.

 “O…ok. Let me tell Grand Pabbie and we can go. My truck is parked out back, so you don’t need to walk thru the bar. I’ll meet you right here when you’re ready.”

 “Thanks, Kris.”

 His knees went weak when she called him Kris. She was the only one he ever let call him that. He rushed back to the bar to tell Grand Pabbie he was taking her home.

 “Good luck, son.” Grand Pabbie winked at him as he went back to the bathrooms.

 Anna washed her face and cleaned herself up before waiting for Kristoff outside the bathrooms. She fidgeted with her jacket while she waited. She had no idea how to talk to him.

 “Are you all set?”

 Anna looked up into those kind, brown eyes and nodded her head and he guided her out the back. They walked up to his black truck…. used but clearly well cared for and loved. He surprised her by opening her door for her and lending her a hand for her to climb up into the cab.

 “Thanks.”

 Kristoff shrugged like it was nothing. “It’s no biggie.”

 She looked at him with those big blue eyes and with all sincerity said, “No it is a big deal and you will never understand what your acts of kindness have done for me over the years.”

Kristoff was confused. He didn’t think a simple act of driving someone home and helping them into his truck was anything but basic human decency. It got him thinking that nobody ever treated her with manners and kindness. He jumped into the driver’s side and they headed towards uptown where Anna lived.

It was quiet the first 5 minutes. Neither of them knew how to start a conversation. Anna decided to jump right into the deep end.

 “So, I heard you were in the Army? Did you get sent overseas?”

 “Oh, yeah…yeah, I joined shortly after you left for Europe. I figured it was a good way to get money for college. I spent some time in the Middle East, but I was lucky. I got to help people and didn’t get involved in any squirmishes.”

 “Have you gone back to school?”

 “No, I haven’t had enough money to cover the balance but I’m taking the civil service test soon.  If I do well on that, I can get a job as a cop or firefighter.  I did a little bit of both in the Army. Then I will be earning enough to go to school. What about you? Did you go to college in Europe?”

 Anna was embarrassed to answer him because while he was keeping our country safe, she was partying around Europe with that Euro trash loser.

 “No…not yet. I was a little lost, but I think I am finding my way back into the light. I am going to work with Elsa until I figure out what I want to do.”

 “Good for you. Most people can’t admit when they have gotten lost. How is Elsa?”

 “Elsa is great…she is so happy that I am back. We have been having a lot of fun bonding again. So, I heard you have a girlfriend?”

 “Who, me?” Kristoff let out a sarcastic laugh. “UH...no. Rebecca dumped me while I was deployed. She said she needed someone that was going to be there to service her wants and needs. She also wasn’t a fan of the fact that I hated the club scene.  I got a nice letter all about it when I was in overseas.”

 “I thought the club scene was for me, but it got old really quick. I guess I am a home body, just needed to find my way back home. I can’t believe she Dear Johned you! How could anyone break up with you, you are the complete package!”

 Kristoff pulled up to Anna’s house, slammed the truck into park and looked at her. “wait…. what? I’m the complete package? Are you kidding me? You have it all…the sunny personality, radiant smile, great people skills, beautiful, intelligent, world traveled and the most amazing blue eyes I have ever seen.”

 “You think I am beautiful?”

 Kristoff couldn’t hold back anymore. He leaned in and captured her lips with his. Anna melted into his embraced. They slowly separated after a few minutes. Kristoff touched his forehead to her’s.

 “Sorry for being so forward but I have wanted to do that for ten years. Ever since you left, I have regretted the fact that I never told you how I felt about you.”

 Anna just looked at him in complete shock. She grabbed onto him and started to cry.

 Kristoff started to panic.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have expected that a girl as amazing as you could ever like a bum like me.”

 She pulled away from him and cradled his face.  “Oh Kris, these are tears of joy…I have loved you since I was 10 years old. I thought you only saw me as a dumb kid.”

 “Anna, may we, may I, could we…maybe go out on a date.”

 Anna leans in and kisses him again. “We may!”

 Kristoff gave her the biggest smile Anna had ever seen. “So, are you glad you came back?”

 She returned his grin.  “Best decision ever!”

[whitefeather79]

Special thanks to the ladies of @kristannachristmasinjuly for organizing another successful Kristanna Christmas in July Secret Santa exchange. Everyone's art, stories, headcanons and such have been a joy to read and see. Looking forward to our fandom's next annual event and the new movie, too. Once again, thanks.

[punkpoemprose]

Siege of Arendelle- Chapter Thirteen

Thirteen chapters in and we’re finally starting the main plot. I’m a disaster and a half. Just a quick reminder that this Friday 6/22/18 marks the last day for Kristanna Christmas in July sign ups! I’m signed up to be part of it and I’d love to see y’all do it as well. Send a PM or ask to @kristannachristmasinjuly or @michaela-armstrong-paul if you’d like to participate or have more questions! Can’t see what y’all write!

Universe: Canon- Post Film Rating: T (Teen and Up) Length: 2362 Words

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

Kristoff hadn’t truly dreamt since he was very young. He’d explained it away to himself by believing that he worked too hard in the day to waste energy dreaming at night, and when that wasn’t enough, he just did his best to avoid hearing anyone else talk about their own dreams. It was easier for him to call their absence normal when he pretended that everyone else slept soundly through the night with nothing on their minds. It might have concerned him at some point that he hadn’t dreamt of Anna in the way all the romantic songs and poems said, but it was hardly surprising with how long it had been since his last nighttime imagining and he tried his best not to think about it.

Despite the long passage of time, he could still remember waking up as a child frightened by the vivid images his mind conjured up. Before he’d run away from “home” he’d been terrified by his dreams. The only thing scarier than waking up with his heart pounding in his chest was the thought of awakening the house with his nightmares. They, his “parents”, had never taken kindly to it, just as they’d never taken kindly to questions, requests for affection, or anything else Kristoff had needed as a child. So, he’d choked it all down until the time came that he no longer needed to. Even then he suffered through most of it quietly. He’d already programmed himself to do so.

The nightmares had been less frightening when he was with the trolls, and they’d slowly become more like vivid dreams than terrors, and eventually they’d faded away completely. He’d always had the sneaking suspicion that Pabbie had something to do with it, but he had never cared to ask. The old troll had more knowledge than Kristoff imagined he’d ever have the years to learn, and then of course, there were some things that he was happy never knowing about.

Kristoff had felt himself drifting, as he always did with Anna at his side. He was strangely unsurprised when, unlike any night of his adult life, he was struck with the paralyzing sensation of being in a dream. The warm comforting feeling of sleep had been interrupted by the dislocating pull he remembered feeling in his gut as a child combined with a sense of state change from sleep to somewhere between it and wakefulness. For the first time in what felt like an eternity Kristoff was made uncomfortably cognizant that he was not in his body, but instead somewhere far away, floating above a mass of shifting dark shapes and below the northern lights.

He’d been there before. He knew that much. A man now, he didn’t scream out when the dark mass grasped at his ankles, he knew that calling for help would do him no good. It had never helped before. As he was pulled under, the darkness pulsed with light and he felt as if he were on the edge of recalling something while simultaneously being on the edge of drowning in something larger than himself.

A pale hand emerged from the mass and reached out for him, and his hand reached out in return. Something was calling to him, someone that he’d long forgotten. He was sure of it, that the hand belonged to someone who knew him, someone who was him.

“Móðir.”

                                                             ***

Anna brushed his hair from his eyes as he awoke slowly but surely in the warmth of their bed. He was aware of her comforting presence, the closeness of her body to his as she softly shushed him and combed her fingers through his hair. She brought him back to Earth, she reminded him of where he truly was.

“You’ve been restless all night,” she said with a kindly exasperation. She hadn’t been able to sleep at all, and it was hardly his fault. There was something about their journey that had her on edge. It wasn’t the danger they would face, and it wasn’t that the fate of the entire kingdom had fallen squarely onto their shoulders. It should have been those things weighing on her, all that she could lose if their trip failed, and yet she knew that it was the leaving home that had her most upset.

She’d never truly had a home since her parent’s death. She hadn’t been able to feel truly loved and safe with a sense of belonging in so long that she was unwilling to let it go again. She’d thought more and more lately about just what it might have been like if they didn’t have a battle ahead. Nights before this one, when she had fallen asleep easier and had dreams, they were always pleasantly “normal”.

She’d never been blessed with a normal life, but in Kristoff’s home she’d found one. It had been easy to dream about wedding him, about gardening at his side, practicing archery, and tending to the animals with him for the rest of her days.

Her favorite dreams were always the ones she’d be too embarrassed to speak of, the most intimate ones. The dreams of him bedding her again, the dreams of being Mrs. Bjorgman, and the dreams of having a little life growing within her. Leaving felt like abandoning all those dreams, and what she hated most of all was that it was her idea to leave in the first place, that her dreams were impossible.

“Sorry,” he finally mumbled, breathy, as if his lack of rest was as exhausting as running a mile at a sprint.

Anna hushed him gently, savoring the moment of simply being beside him in the coziness of their small shared bed. As the weather had cooled off they’d managed to find a comfortable number of blankets for the both of them. It had been a battle, but a wonderfully intimate one. Kristoff, always warm, preferred only a single thin blanket, and Anna, who always was the first in a room to feel a chill, preferred to be nested among many layers. Kristoff never minimized the importance of warmth for her as he understood why even a slight chill often affected her. She, in return, understood that she was sweating him out of bed at night. After a few days of trial and error, they’d settled on a quilt that Anna had recently mended and Anna’s being able to “steal” Kristoff’s warmth skin to skin. It was pleasant most nights, but now when she wanted to savor it most, his sleep was troubled.

“Don’t be,” she murmured, shifting so that her back was pressed into his front, giving them both the maximum possible level of contact. “I have bad dreams too sometimes. You know that.”

Kristoff sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He did know. He’d held her through many of them now. It seemed that the closer they came to departure, the more restless both their minds became. It was unnerving at best, but he took comfort in her willingness to curl back into his side despite his night terrors. When he felt her snuggle a little closer he returned the favor by pulling her in tighter and after a few moments of doing his best to match his breathing to hers, he felt centered again.

“Please get some sleep,” she whispered to him, “I know you’re worried, but I’m ready, we’re ready, and no matter what we’ll be together.”

He was already losing the ability to recall what it was he had dreamt, but for some reason hearing that she would be beside him through whatever darkness was coming was more disconcerting than it was comforting. He was ill at ease, and the idea of leading her into the dark was something that he almost couldn’t bear. He was completely comfortable with her being the death of him, so long as she was safe herself.

Anna felt him squeeze her a little tighter and she gave a sad smile she was glad he couldn’t see. He was kissing the crown of her head, and she could feel the soft warmth of his lips long after they had moved away. When she drifted off again, all she could think of was his warmth.

                                                            ***

Kristoff watched Anna pack the last of their provisions and tools into the wagon as he hitched Sven. The lamplight that lit her path flickered and made her hair look as if it too were a part of the flame. He was grateful that she’d passed on his offer to dye it again for their journey into the hinterlands. It was unlikely that they would meet anyone up North that recognized her anyway, but for her safety he had at least felt the need to ask.

It was selfish, and he knew it, but he was pleased to have his redhead back.

“It would probably be silly to bring strawberry preserves wouldn’t it?”

It was the first thing she’d said in a long while, the pair having said little at all over their breakfast of oatmeal. Kristoff was almost startled to hear her voice in the stillness of the morning. Of course, he quickly noticed the note of concern in her voice, a sound he’d come to align with Anna’s feelings of trepidation towards a task or decision at hand. He wondered if he would have ever heard it if their lives together had only taken place within the castle walls where she always seemed so self-assured. He didn’t relish her nervousness, and in fact in made him anxious to hear the note of unsureness in her speech. She’d set them on this long and dangerous road and he hated to think that she was already second guessing herself.

“Not if it would make you happy,” he said, wondering as he often did, whether he was saying the right things. “Just make sure you leave some home, so we can have it to celebrate when we make it back.”

Anna smiled and set the small jar she was holding into the wooden crate Kristoff had constructed to hold them in. The lids glittered prettily in the light and she felt a swell of pride in her chest as she slid the wooden slat closed on the box’s top. Most of the food they had put away was a team effort, and though he’d never admit it, Anna knew that Kristoff had been the one carrying most of the weight. It did bring her great joy to think of how she’d made the preserves herself, even though they were the most frivolous food they had.

Silly or not, packing them made her smile, and she imagined every last drop of the sugary fruity substance would remind her of happier times. After all the plants that had grown the berries had been Kristoff’s gift to her, and his hands had been so gentle on her sides as he stood behind her, instructing her on the way she should add sugar and water to the pot she made it in. More than anything she wanted to bring that sweetness with her, no matter what was to come.

“Alright then, I think we have everything.”

Kristoff nodded, tugging on Sven’s tack to ensure it was secure before moving up and into the seat of the wagon. Anna followed him to the space and slid carefully beside him, which would have been comfortable were it not for the way he could hear the clinking of arrows in the quiver she wore against her back. Neither of them was allowed the illusion of their trip being anything more or less than what it was, a danger.

Anna did her best to quiet the nagging sensation of dread that gnawed at her stomach as she pulled away from his home, her home, their home. She told herself silently that the locked doors and shuttered windows would be opened again soon, and in more peaceful times, but her head, unwilling to comply with her heart reminded that even if they made it out alive nothing would ever be as it was again. If they succeeded, she’d return to the castle and once again be the watched over spare princess of Arendelle. If they failed, she shuttered to think of how much worse they both might fare.

She thought of the Alves, everything she’d ever heard about them as a child. They stole children, wore no clothes, laid with men just to slit their throats in their sleep, made deals and reaped souls. There was nothing evil that they were incapable of, and that was why they were tales for children. No adult could ever believe that the embodiment of evil truly lived in the hills.

But Kristoff did believe. In fact, he feared them as if they were as real and solid as the reindeer before him, the woman at his side and the wagon below them. It would be easy to chalk up to superstition if it weren’t for the trolls and the fact that Kristoff was the man she trusted most in all of creation. He, in her eyes, was more knowledgeable than any castle tutor and more versed in the truth of their lands than any royal advisor.

If he were scared of the hinterlands and their inhabitants, she had every right to be terrified.

As the darkness behind them swallowed the house, the stables, and the clearing that surrounded them, Anna gripped her bow tightly and leaned into Kristoff’s side. He was steady, and Anna couldn’t help but to silently thank him and the Gods that made him when he snaked his arm around her waist and regripped the reins.

He tried to tell himself he was holding on for her sake, as if he could calm her anxiousness while ignoring his own. He fought desperately not to think of his nightmare as the wood swallowed them whole.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered gently, understanding her ill ease more than she could ever know. “I’ve got you.”

She held the curved wood tightly, her knuckles going white as she thought to herself, And I have you, and I have you.

[frozen-illusion]

Summer Time!

Here’s a drawing I did for @kristannachristmasinjuly. I had the joy of drawing Kristoff and Anna at the beach. I used as reference for the clothes a scene from the movie “The Notebook”

[thesvenqueen]

Picture Trail

HAPPY SECRET SANTA @kristannacenterstage! I AM THE ABSOLUTE WORST AND I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. Anyways, I really hope you enjoy it lovely! Again, I am so so so so so so so sorry for being so late! (also sorry if it horrible cause I legit feel like this is the worst lol also what in the hell are titles)

Pairing: Kristanna (DUH) Words: 1568 Summary: Everyone is acting super weird and Anna is not a fan.

This was weird.

On a scale of 1 to 10, it would be on a 7, maybe being an 8 on Anna’s weird meter since Elsa was completely beaming as she drove down the road.

Which, seeing as they were just driving and they were just going to the park to enjoy the snow and ok, yeah they hadn’t played in the snow in a long while because of finals and school and it brought back the good memories from their childhood and definitely pushed away those bad memories because WHO would want to remember those, but still Elsa never really beamed. Obviously she would get happy and somewhat giddy…

Did Elsa get giddy? It was more of a, happy twitch maybe? But she didn’t twitch she just sort of…smiled more than usual? 

Like now. She was definitely smiling a lot more than usual now.

While driving down a snowy road, to a park, like she was five.

If it was Anna, she would be basically bouncing in her seat but Elsa just…beamed?…happy twitched?…ugh, just looked happier than usual.

“Hello? Earth to Anna.”

Anna blinked from her thoughts, looking to her sister, “What?”

“I was asking if you were ok. You’ve been staring out the window for a good 10 minutes.”

“Oh, uh, yeah I’m fine.” Elsa side-eyed her, raising one eyebrow at her. “Seriously, Elsa I’m fine. Completely and 100% fine. Yep, totally fine. Not at all thinking about how weird this is….wait, I mean—“

“Weird? What’s weird?”

“Not like, a bad weird or anything just a everyone-is-acting-strangely-for-some-reason-weird.”

“Who is acting strangely?”

“Uh, you?” 

“I’m not acting weird?”

“Elsa, you’ve been smiling for the entire drive.”

Elsa smirked, “Can I not be excited to play in the snow with my sister?”

“No, I mean yes, of course but—you’re being all super duper happy, which is not abnormal cause you are a happy person, obviously, but you don’t really smile like a goof like I do when I think of chocolate…unless you’re thinking of chocolate then I totally understand but you’re over here smiling like that, and then there is Kristoff being all weird too with his—“

“Kristoff?”

“Yeah,” Anna said, getting a bit excited, “He has been a bit jumpy lately. He nearly screamed when I came in the other day early from work, which I get because I was early, but still. He’s been like that for a while now, for like, weeks. It’s so…weird. Then he got upset cause I was looking through his draw for a t-shirt cause I wanted to wear one of his t-shirts cause they are super comfy and long and they’re so much better than mine cause for some reason people think girls like tight t-shirts which is so dumb because being confined in a tight fitted shirt is not at all comfortable by any standard—“

“Anna.” 

“Right, and I was going through it and he came in and freaked out. Not like, major freak out, but still kind of freaked out and told me I could have just asked. It’s like…it’s like he is hiding something from me…” 

Anna looked at her lap, brows knitted together, confused and honestly, a bit worried.

“Anna, it’s fine. He probably just didn’t want you messing up his organization. You know how OCD he gets.”

Anna snorted, “Yeah true.” 

“Did you even tell him you got off early?” 

Anna looked up, thinking for a minute, “No, actually, I didn’t. I wanted to surprise him so I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, that explains why he was jumpy. You showed up when he wasn’t expecting you is all. You just scared him.”

“…I didn’t think about that.” Anna smiled, then giggled. “I scared him, HA, and he says I am a scaredy cat.”

“You are.”

“Shut up.”

Elsa chuckled, and Anna stuck her tongue at her before looking back to the window.

The rest of the drive brought the weirdness scale back to a 4 (it would have been a 1 but Elsa still beamed the rest of the drive). 

The scale was all but forgotten once they pulled into the actual park…until Anna nearly broke her neck looking back at what looked like a familiar red pickup that had the exact same dent on the back of the tailgate as Kristoff’s. The scale jumped to an 7 real quick.

“Anna, he is at work remember? There are a lot of red trucks.” Elsa said as she parked the car.

“There are, but there are not a lot of red trucks with a dent in the tailgate.”

“You would be surprised.”

Anna sighed, rolling her eyes as she got out the car “I am telling you Elsa, that was his truck.” She turned back around to see if she could spot the truck, standing on tip toe to try and catch a glance of it. 

“And I am telling you Anna that you are paranoid and if you’re going to be like this while we are here they I’ll just go back home.”

“No!” Anna exclaimed, “No, I’ll stop. No more paranoia ok? See?” She looked towards the park, looking away from the parking lot, “Not even looking for it anymore.”

For a few fleeting minutes, Anna kept her word, enjoying the view of the beautiful white snow covering everything in sight.

She had nearly forgotten how pretty it was.

“Elsaaaaaaa, come on, I want to build a snowman.”

“Alright, alright,” Elsa giggled, “Go on ahead down the trail to our spot and I’ll meet you there.” 

Anna turned to her sister, “You’re not coming?”

“I am, once I grab a blanket or two for later.” 

“Don’t forget the camera too!” Anna called, skipping towards the familiar trail. When they were children, the two sisters had found a valley at the end of a forgotten trail. Except for one large Oak tree, the valley was completely empty and covered in deep snow. Perfect for building snowmen and the occasional snow ball fights that would ensue. 

Anna kicked the snow, smiling as she watched it fall, ducked under the always too low branch that hid the trail, then stood and felt something tap her beanie.

She looked up, expecting to find an icicle or another low branch. 

Instead, she found what seemed to be a picture.

Anna blinked, watching as the picture slowly rotated on a small piece of string. The image came into view and it was one that seemed oddly familiar.

Alright, we are definitely at a 9 on the weird scale. 

Grabbing hold of the picture, she squinted as she pulled the picture closer to look at.

It was of her and Kristoff, sitting in the red corner booth of Oaken’s diner, smiling as they shared a milkshake.

Their first date. 

Confused, Anna looked past the picture and saw that there was another, and several more following it. Some hung from low branches, others from much high ones that needed a bit more string. Still, it seemed the entire path was decorated with pictures.

Slowly and curiously, Anna walked down the trail, looking at each moment as she passed.

The day she finally met Sven, greeted with tongue and all as he tackled her to the floor. The day the two spent at the beach (after which Anna nearly had to bathe in aloe because she just had to be stubborn and not put on sunscreen…but that hadn’t turned out too bad since someone, Kristoff, had to get it on her back since she couldn’t reach and the burn was all but forgotten a few minutes later). Kristoff smiling nervously, Anna giggling with his arm wrapped around her as they sat the top of the Farris wheel. 

The night Kristoff took her stargazing in his special spot, smirking at her sleeping form on his chest. Their first Christmas as a couple, Halloween dressed as Leia and Han Solo, New Year’s kiss, the Bjorgman family reunion, Anna’s birthday, Kristoff’s birthday, their trip to Disney, their now annual summer camping trip.

Memory after memory led Anna down the trail, her smile only growing as she kept going. She came to end of the trail, the clearing in site and one final photo hung on the path.

This one, however, Anna did not recognize but gasped when she saw exactly what it was. 

It was a ring. A picture of a beautifully placed, silver ring resting in a black velvet box. She grabbed the picture, yanking it from the string. She gapped at the picture, realizing what it meant and nearly ran out into the clearing. 

He was standing at the oak tree, and even from where she was she knew he was smiling at her. Tears began to form as she took off towards him, smiling and laughing as she went. She flung herself into his arms, feeling them fall back into the snow, his arms tight around her and his head buried in her neck.

For a moment, they both lay there in the snow. Her laughing and crying on his shoulder as he just held her tight, kissing her wherever he could reach.

“Yes.” She whispered, sitting up for a moment and looking down at him. “Yes.”

Kristoff chuckled, smiling at her as he cupped her cheek. “I didn’t even get to ask. “

“You didn’t have to.” Anna said leaning down and kissing him gently. “I’m yours, always.”

[lt5justme]

HAPPY KRISTANNA CHRISTMAS IN JULY, dear bootyfulfrozen! 😁❤🎶🌻🌼🌞

It’s me, your Secret Santa one-amber-owl (again…! I was your Secret Santa at Christmas, too, remember?) and I hope you like my little gift for you!

I wanted to draw our lovely couple in traditional Norwegian clothes, dancing the Midsummer Dance (I know that Midsummer is over… but it’s still summer, isn’t it? 😉)

THIS IS TOO CUTE IT'S PERFET THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[snowfjord]

Merry Christmas in July, @karis-the-fangirl!!! For your present, I chose to pull inspiration from one of my all-time favorite fics, Soft and Fair. I hope you like it! :)

[nemmaemma]

Happy Kristanna Christmas in July @upthenorthmountain! I was inspired by your fic "Do You Recall" and tried to picture what they might have been wearing. Sorry for the delay! My laptop was not on my side the other day. I hope you like what I came up with for your gift!

[awesomemaple]

Last part of my secret santa gift for @ravenwritesstuff

Once you used hurly burly to describe him and my heart has not forgotten it since uwu

[lukin08]

Happy Kristanna Christmas in July @disneygeekwriter! From your not so secret Santa! I commissioned the lovely and talented @upthenorthmountain to create the scene under the willow tree in Unbreak You. I think it came out fantastic and I hope you love it!

[whitefeather79]

From me, Whitefeather79

I am not picky. Anything will be greatly appreciated. I will write a nice story in exchange... whatever the recipient has in mind.

[nemmaemma]

Happy Kristanna Christmas in July!

Happy Kristanna Christmas Emma! I’m so sorry this is late, I hope you like it!

The nurse regarded Anna with a blank stare as she recounted her story.

“…and bam! The snowball hit him square in the back of the head! I didn’t mean to hit him- well, no, that’s a lie, I did mean to hit him, because that hat is just ridiculous- I just didn’t mean to hit him so hard! I mean, who knew I had it in me!”

The nurse blinked twice, sighed once, then positioned the pen above the form in front of her. “Name?”

“My name? It’s Anna.”

“Not yours,” the nurse took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, “The person you brought in.”

“Oh! Well, would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?”

“At this point I’d believe anything.” The nurse muttered under her breath. “Well, you’ll have to fill out this form to the best of your ability then.” She shoved the form in Anna’s face and left to deal with the next patient.

Anna sighed heavily as she stared at the form. What started out as an afternoon of innocent fun turned into a harried trip to the ER, bringing in an innocent victim of her shenanigans. She was about to start filling out the form with fabricated information when the doctor came out of the swinging doors.

“Who brought in the John Doe?” He announced, looking around the room.

Anna ran up to him, her arm raised. “The blond guy? Gray jacket, red scarf? Weird hat?”

“Sounds about right. He’s waking up, you can go see him. First bed on the right.” He walked back through the swinging doors, Anna following. She pulled the curtain aside at the first bed on the right, and came face to face with the victim of her vicious volley.

“Uh, hi.” She looked up at him sheepishly.

The man in question was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, rubbing the back of his head. He grunted as a response to Anna’s greeting.

“So… I’m so so sorry for hitting you in the head with a snowball! I’d been inside all day studying for midterms and I was going crazy, so I decided to go outside for some air, and the snow was so beautiful and I can’t resist snow after a fresh snowfall, right? So I picked some up, and it was perfect packing snow, so I made some snowballs and just threw them at trees and stuff but that got boring, and that’s when I saw your head come around the corner and that silly hat just begged to be hit with a snowball…” Anna trailed off as she saw that the man was giving her an odd look.

“You think my hat is silly?” It was the first time she’d heard him speak, and she noticed his voice was deep, but not unpleasantly so. It had a rich resonance to it that settled pleasantly in the pit of her stomach.

“Uh, yeah? I mean, I’ve never seen anyone wear anything like that. Guys normally wear like baseball caps or beanies, it’s just different, you know?”

“Do you normally go around hitting people because they look different?” He said it with such a serious face, brows knitted together, that it gave Anna pause. She started to feel the sweat beading on her forehead.

“No no! Of course not! That’s not what I meant! I mean, yeah it’s different, but not a bad different, you know what I mean?” Anna backtracked wildly, and for once in her life she wasn’t sure she could talk her way out of this one. To her immense relief, however, he smiled. That is to say, one corner of his mouth turned up slightly. He held the hat in question in his hands, mindlessly turning it over in his lap.

“It was my grandfather’s. He came from a family of ice harvesters, back in the old country. He was actually the last one in my family.” His face brightened at the memory, and at the mention of the old country, Anna could detect a hint of an accent in his speech.

“What country would that be?” She asked, scooting onto the hospital bed beside him. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she completely missed the look he gave her as she invaded his space.

“Uh, Norway. That’s where my family is from. I came here as a kid.” He cleared his throat, suddenly very aware of Anna’s shoulder against his arm. He seemed frozen, unsure whether he should move over for propriety’s sake, or stay where he was so as not to offend her.

“Oh that’s cool! Haha, get it? Cool? It’s a cool country… Haha… ahem.” Anna laughed at her own joke, but immediately stopped when he didn’t laugh. She slid off the hospital bed, remembering her manners. “I’m Anna, by the way.” She held out her hand.

“Kristoff.” He took her proffered hand in his, shaking it firmly enough that Anna could feel his strength. At this point he had also stood up, and Anna almost pulled a muscle in her neck craning it to look up into his face.

“Well, Kristoff, I think the doctor is probably gonna release you soon, and I really need a break from studying, plus I owe you for hitting you in the head and making you go to the hospital. You, uh, wanna go for a coffee?” Anna wasn’t used to asking guys out, but something about his demeanor and history piqued her curiosity. Hesitantly she looked up at him through downturned lashes.

He seemed to be pondering, she couldn’t quite read the look on his face. His features betrayed no emotion, but unless it was a trick of the garish fluorescent lighting, there was a glint in his eye. “On one condition.” He finally answered.

“Of course!” Anna responded rather quickly. “What’s the condition?”

A grin finally spread across his face, and Anna found the crinkles at the corners of his eyes quite endearing indeed. “You have to stop making fun of my hat.”

“What? This one?” She grabbed his hat and playfully smooshed it on his head.

“Ow!”

“Oh! Oh my god I’m so sorry!”

“I thought of another condition.”

“What?”

“Stop touching my head.”

“But I can’t help it! You have this weird mop of blond hair.”

“Oh we’re making fun of my hair now?”

“I won’t even get started on your boots…”

First, you are well within the gifting days so this is definitely not late. Second, I absolutely LOVE this. All my favorite things crammed into one thing! Thank you so much, I'm now going to read this 3 times over until I memorize it!