Since the break-up of her engagement, she had all but moved-in with him at his cabin, initially coming to escape and indulge in the comforts of a friend at first. Slowly and surely enough though, more of Anna’s belongings had been appearing in his place, and there was no talk of her temporary visit ending any time soon: he definitely wouldn’t try to push her out the door. “You go ahead and dance. I’ll, uh...be right over here,” he said, waving Anna on toward the dance floor she seemed eager to get onto.

     Hearing the knock on the door that told him Anna had arrived, Kristoff nearly fumbled the lighter he was using to light the candles on the dining table and narrowly avoided setting the flowers resting nearby on fire. Picking up the bouquet and ditching the fire hazard, he hurried to answer the door, only pausing to fix his collar and take a deep breath before opening it...and promptly forgot everything he’d meant to say. There she was, looking effortlessly beautiful and impossibly sweet—and how did he think he could do this? “Hi,” he managed, and then with an awkward laugh remembered the sunflowers in his hand and held them out for her. “Oh, uh, these are for you. Thanks for coming.”

     “I don’t hate you,” he started decisively, because that was the easy part. The rest was difficult; they were words he’d never said. And he might have planned them out a hundred times in his head, but when it finally came time to tell the woman he loved how he felt, no amount of practice could ensure that he said it all the way he meant to. “O-of course I love you. I mean, you’re the most incredible...Anna, you’re the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known. You have...no idea. Talk about want? I’ve never...I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you! I didn’t know if...I didn’t know that you...wanted me to want you?”

     It was almost impossible to get anything past Anna. She was just so attentive to everything that went on around her, like she wanted to absorb as much of the world as possible. And she did—she was bursting with life. But that meant Kristoff had to find more elaborate ways to distract her any time it was necessary; she had stopped falling for “Hey, what’s that over there?” a long time ago. Besides, this time, it felt crucially important that she did not look around and see who he had just glimpsed out of the corner of his eye...As she started to turn he panicked and caught her arm, pulling her gently but firmly toward him, his other hand coming to direct her face towards his. And then, God save him, he kissed her. 

     It would be a lie to say that half the reason Kristoff had come to the carnival in the first place was because he knew Anna was going to be there. Unlike other events, where he’d have to get dressed up and fit in, all he had to do here was show up. And find the “Tunnel of Love” attraction so he could talk to his friend. When he did manage to make his way there, he hopped the short fence separating the queue from the operator’s booth and knocked on the door frame to get her attention.