#my partner is pulling a clopening shift

[harmonizewithechoes]

.

[swimmingnewsie]

Of Coffee and Cookies (Chapter 10)

Hi guys! 

First off, I’m glad to back from my mini hiatus! I missed you all. Second of all, I would like to mention that wi a few small details were changed in earlier scenes to represent a more accurate picture of domestic violence in the legal sense. I had help from my partner in crime and local law student @writetheniteaway to make a more accurate fic. All changes were made to produce a more streamlined story.

Thank you all! Please enjoy!

Link to AO3

---

“You’re being stubborn.”

“It runs in our family.”

“Yeah, but Elsa and I made up. You’re still dragging your feet.”

Ryder shrunk down in his seat. His sister was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. He was still mad, how could he not be? He told his boyfriend something so close to his heart, and Kristoff just ran. He wasn’t ready to accept the man’s pleas of apology.

“He’s trying, Ry. I’m not happy he ran either, but I think it’s worth acknowledging. You two need to talk.”

Ryder stayed silent, and he heard Maren sigh as she drove onward. He didn’t exactly remember where they were going, but he had a vague feeling that there was no destination. She was pulling the same thing he had pulled on her when she had fought with Elsa.

“It’s been two weeks. How long do you plan on stringing him along like this?”

Ryder pouted. Why was his sister so persistent about this. “What does it matter?” he huffed.

“It matters because you’re both clearly miserable,” she pointed out, turning into an open field. Maren put the truck in park, moving to get out. “Come on. You need a little batting practice.”

“Batting practice? What-”

Before he could finish his question, she was out of the car, reaching into the truck bed. Maren walked to his door, carrying an old baseball bat and a ball of softballs. “You are hitting out some frustration and getting your shit together.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t been to the gym since all this happened. And I know it helps clear your head. So get your ass out there, I’ll pitch. You hit.” She shoved the bat into his hand. “I’m gonna grab my mitt while you warm up.”

Ryder sighed and gave into his sister’s wishes. “This isn’t going to work!” he shouted, running back far enough for her to give a good pitch. “Wouldn’t a boxing ring worked a lot better?”

“Shut up. We both know you hate boxing.” He laughed at his sister’s frustrations. It was nice to laugh again, he noticed. Maren wound up a pitch, throwing it hard and fast at her brother. She couldn’t help but smile herself at her brother as he missed. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, baby brother.”

“Baby brother, my ass!” He swung at the next ball, making contact that time: a pop up Maren easily caught. “How’s that, little sister?”

“Nice! Now, focus that energy!” she called, throwing the ball again. Another miss. “What are you feeling?”

“Anger!” he said swinging the bat at the open air. “Why can’t he love me as I am?”

“Who said he didn’t?” Maren tossed the ball, another strike.

“Well running away when I told him seems like a pretty good sign to me!” he shouted, hitting the ball full of anger. Good, Maren would have to run for that one.

“What would you do if it were reversed? Kristoff was aromantic and you were madly romantically in love with him? Would you be able to face it right away?”

Ryder hit another ball. “I would love him no matter what. Because that’s what people do!”

“Maybe in romance novels! But this is real life, Ry,” she said pointedly before running to collect the balls around her. “Real people take time.” Ryder grunted, gathering the balls he had missed. She was right. Again. “And you’ve both had time. What’s stopping you from talking?”

Ryder sighed, dropping the bat and softballs. He knew the reason deep down inside, but he wasn’t ready to say it. He hadn’t even noticed he had curled himself inward until Maren reached around to give him a hug. “It’s okay to be afraid. But you can’t keep doing this to yourself or him. It isn’t fair to either of you.”

He dropped to the ground, his legs unable to bear the weight anymore. “I’m sorry.”

Maren came down to his level, keeping him close. “You don’t have to be sorry. Not to me. You’re my brother. I’m here no matter what.” She ran an easy hand through his hair,soothing him like she used to when they were kids. “But you need to talk to him, for both of your sakes.”

Ryder nodded, breathing deeply. It was time to face this.

“Thank you.”

---

Kristoff had responded to his request to meet a bit too quickly. It made Ryder’s heart hurt; but he knew he was doing the right thing, even if it didn’t feel like it. They were meeting for lunch. Nothing fancy, a franchise sandwich shop, but it made a nice place for a hard conversation.

Ryder’s leg bounced nervously as he waited. Kristoff was always early, but Ryder was even earlier. He wanted to be their first, be there to greet him. Kristoff deserved that much.

“Hey there.”

A gruff voice pulled him from his thoughts. Kristoff was there in front of him. There was something inherently different, though his clothes and face looked the same.He looked tired, the way he did after working a dreaded clopen shift. Ryder sighed, feeling the guilt of putting them both through the ringer

“Hi,” was all he could manage. Before he knew it, the two of them were engulfed in a hug. Ryder inhaled the scent of coffee and immediately felt at ease. They were going to do this. And they were going to do this together.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured holding tight to Kristoff. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away when you were trying to apologize.” Stray tears fell from his eyes, guilt panging in his heart.

“I’m sorry for running away in the first place,” he said back. Kristoff lead them over to a booth, settling themselves down. “I got scared.”

Ryder nodded, taking his head off Kristoff’s chest. “I know. I- I was too.”

Kristoff grabbed on to Ryder’s hand. “Then how about we start this over?”

Ryder squeezed his hand tight. “I’d like that.” He breathed deeply before looking into his eyes. “I’ve known something was off for a while. At first I thought it was just having too high of expectations, that kisses weren’t as magical as everyone said they were.”

Kristoff sighed. “I know I’m not the best kisser, but-”

“Please, let me finish,” Ryder pleaded. Kristoff nodded understandingly. Cutting him off early was what got them in this mess in the first place. “I loved being around you. I loved being with you and holding your hand and bothering you at work. I still love doing all those things. But, there was always something in the back of my head.

“I wanted to love the kissing and cuddling as much as you did. It made you so happy, but I didn’t like it the way you did. It felt weird and wrong in a way, even though I knew it was a good thing. I knew you loved me. But I always thought there was something wrong with me. I did some research. And there were all these blogs about being aromantic. Something clicked for me, and that scared me a lot. Because I do love you, Krissy. But I don’t think it’s in the same way you love me. You’re my best friend, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Ryder sighed, giving a light squeeze to Kristoff’s hand. It was now or never. “But, I don’t think I want to date, not while I’m figuring this out. I want to take my time with this, and it’s not fair to ask you to settle for someone who can’t love you back the same way. Not when there’s someone we both know can do a lot better job than me.”

There was a long pause. A fleeting fear of Kris running again passed through his mind, but those fears were quelled as Kristoff gulped. “I want to respect- I do respect your wishes. But I want you to know I love you, and if our relationship has to change to one of those queerplatonic things then I’m willing to. Don’t give up on us just yet. Please.”

Ryder shook his head. “I don’t want to do that, Kris. Not now. Maybe in the future some day. But I really want to focus on being comfortable with myself for now.”

Guilt panged in his chest as he watched Kristoff bite his lip. “Okay.”

Ryder squeezed his hand. “I know it isn’t what you wanted to hear. But it’s something that I need to do.”

Kristoff nodded, squeezing back. “I understand. I know- I know you said you don’t want to be together. But is there any way we could stay friends?”

Ryder smiled, wiping a stray tear from Kristoff’s eye.

“I’d really like that.”

Kristoff kissed his hand gently. He held it close to his face for a second, getting one last comfort from his lover. Ryder felt peace wash over himself. They would be okay. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day they would.

---

“How is Kristoff taking it?” Maren asked as sipped on her hot tea.

She, Elsa, and Anna were spending the afternoon together, letting the boys have their space while they had a small Galentine’s Day together. It was Elsa’s idea, a way of keeping Anna distracted from the inevitable holiday and the email she would be getting tomorrow. Maren was happy to join in and spend the day drinking tea and watching Star Wars with them.

“He’s okay. Not great, but I think that’s to be expected in the situation,” Anna said, stroking Olaf as he laid in her lap. “He’s still going to work.”

“Well, that’s better than his last breakup,” Elsa commented, refilling her coffee cup.

“He didn’t go to work?” Maren asked, eyebrows raised.

Elsa shook her head, taking a small sip. “It was that girl he had been with for years. The one he bought a ring for.” It made Elsa sigh. She truly had broken him. He almost lost everything because of that woman’s malicious actions.

But this time was different. Ryder didn’t mean harm. The two could still be seen getting coffee together or playing basketball with their friends. Ryder didn’t leave him cold. And while Kristoff was hurt, he had a support network this time. Anna had been with him almost everyday since the breakup. Whether she was checking on him on his day off or working even more diligently in the cafe, she didn’t let him slip through the cracks. Anna hadn’t said much about what she was doing, but Elsa was glad she was doing it.

“Then he’s doing pretty good, I’d say,” Maren said. “Do you guys want to start this marathon? It’s getting near two. We could easily watch all three of the original trilogy by nine if we start now.”

Elsa smiled. “I still think we should start with the prequels, but as you wish, my love.” She stood and pressed a kiss into her girlfriend’s forehead.

Maren laughed. “Galentine’s Day is about loving yourself and friends, snowflake. Not putting yourself through hell.”

“They aren’t that bad,” Elsa pouted, looking towards her sister. “Right, Anna?”

But Anna didn’t respond. Her eyes were spaced out, her face pale as she looked at her phone. “Anna? Love? Are you okay?” Her breathing sped up as tears fell down her face. Elsa grabbed her hand, trying to ground her trembling sister.

“They set a date,” she breathed out. “For the hearing.”

Elsa’s eyes widened, and she reached to hold her sister tight. They weren’t supposed to tell her until tomorrow. They were supposed to be able to prepare. They were supposed to have their good day today and face tomorrow, well tomorrow.

But apparently that wasn’t what the world had in store for them today.

“When?” Elsa asked, softly.

“March 28th.”

Six weeks. They had six weeks to prepare. Six weeks to endure. Six weeks to survive.

Elsa held back her own tears and focused on her little sister. “It’s gonna be okay. I promise,” she said, her voice watery.

Maren put a soft hand on Anna’s back. “We aren’t gonna let anything happen to you. Not if me or Ryder or Kris or Elsa have anything to say about it.”

Anna gulped, holding tight to her sister and squeezing Maren’s hand. “Will you go with me? Both of you?”

Elsa ran a hand through her sister’s hair. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Maren squeezed her hand back. “I think I can work something out for that.” She brushed a stray hair out of Anna’s face. “But in the meantime, why don’t we escape for a bit? Watch Luke Skywalker kick some butt, and feel a little bit better about the world?”

Anna nodded, untangling herself from Elsa and Maren.

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

She was so grateful not to be alone, not today. Her family was there, and they wouldn’t let her slip through the cracks. Worrying over plane tickets and hearings and vacation time could wait. She was going to spend time with her sister and friend, give into their comforts. And as the opening fanfare played, Anna could feel the semblance of peace.