#eotswotm

 # 36- Security  #37- Hold 

                 Anna begins to wake because she notices she is cold. Not uncomfortably cold, but chilly.

               ‘That’s odd. Kristoff had his arms around me when I went to sleep, and he is so warm.’

               It’s that thought that pulls her from her slumber. She automatically reaches out towards the other side of the bed for Kristoff. He fingers meet cool sheets.

               Panic floods her and she leaps up.

               Did she dream it all? Was the fact that she’d brought him back from Ahtohallan and every wonderful moment they’d shared afterwards just a trick of her imagination? Some cruel bit of magic to break her heart when she wakes only to find that he is still gone, and the year isn’t up quite yet.

               She’s about to call out for him, a strangling feeling closing in on her throat, when she hears soft humming.

               Then little giggles.

               She peers over the railing of the cabin loft into the living room where she sees Kristoff leaned over Bjorn’s cradle. 

               The panic begins to subside.

               Kristoff is humming a simple melody then popping his head over the edge of the cradle after a pause. And Bjorn is laughing! Laughing!

               Anna gasps and clambers down the ladder, drawing Kristoff’s eyes to her.

               “Good morning, beautiful.”

               “Morning! You got him to laugh?” She asks, scrambling for her phone to try and get a video.

               “Mhmm.” Kristoff looks remarkably proud. “Will you laugh for Mama, little bear?”

               When Bjorn spots Anna he is no longer in the mood for precious giggles, though. He wants to be held, and no doubt is ready for breakfast, so he lets out a pitiful wail and his big brown eyes fill with tears.

               “No, you won’t laugh for me? Only for Papa?” Anna puts on a pout, setting her phone down in disappointment as she comes to join Kristoff at the edge of the crib.

               Kristoff scoops Bjorn up carefully and hands him off to her, but Bjorn catches hold of his father’s finger so he can’t move away.

               “Sorry if we woke you.” He whispers, wrapping his arms around Anna as she cradles their little bear close, his finger still held captive. 

              Kristoff presses his lips to her temple gently and doesn’t pull away.

              “No, you didn’t wake me, it’s fine.” Anna says, leaning into his lingering kiss.

              She doesn’t bring up the fear that had nearly crushed her soul a few moments prior. She doesn’t feel it anymore. He is there, real and solid, holding her tight, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.

              Instead of fear, she feels a swooping peace at being so secure in his arms.

              It’s such an overwhelming sensation that happy tears start to fill her eyes.

             “Want me to make you breakfast and then we can watch the sunrise together?”  He asks and she blinks her tears away quickly to look up at him.

              “Yes, please.” She grins, knowing that watching the sun come up over the horizon from the kitchen window is one of his favorite things now that he doesn’t have to change back into a bear.

               Just the thought ‘He gets to stay right here with me’ makes Anna giddy all over again.

               She tips up on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek, his beard gently scratching her chin as she does so.

                 Sometimes he still has dreams that he’s a bear.

               They are very disorienting dreams… nightmares, really.

               Because they feel so real.

               He’ll be snuffling about in the snow, and then realize that he has a muzzle. He’ll try to call for Anna, but his mouth is unable to make words form. He’ll be grunting like an animal again and trying desperately to scratch the fur away with his unbelievably sharp claws. Yet, he can’t break free.

               Then a steady hand on his arm will bring him from his slumber.

               He’ll slowly realize that he can feel a slim palm against his skin. Then he’ll realize that he has skin. Not fur.

               Then he’ll slowly wake to see big blue eyes staring at him carefully.

               “Anna!” He gasps on one particular occasion.

               “Another one?” She whispers, her brow crimping in worry.

               He merely nods.

               She slides closer to him and wraps her arms around him tightly, nestling her head into his chest, and twining her legs with his.

               He sighs breathing in that wonderful cinnamon smell that is completely ‘Anna’, pulling her as close as he can.

               “I’m sorry.” She whispers, her breath ghosting against his skin, making gooseflesh rise. “I wish I could help you somehow.”

               “You already have.” He exhales. “You already do.”

               She looks up at him then, her eyes searching his face closely.

               “It’s just a bad dream.” He assures her. “It’s no longer my reality.”

               He slides his fingers gently through her hair, reveling in the feel of her. Then he feels her lips press against his chest, just above his heart, warm and wonderful.

               “Why don’t-“ She says softly, kissing his collarbone, then his neck, then his earlobe, “I help remind your body what a man you are?”

               He shivers at the quality in her voice. It’s whispered in such a way that heat forms low in his belly.

               “I mean, I can hardly say no to that, can I?” He smirks faintly.

               She grins at him then sits up, untangling their legs, and peels off the old sweater that she had worn to bed.

               He groans appreciatively at the sight of her almost completely naked before him.

               “We just can’t be too loud.” She warns. “Bjorn’s just worked through his sleep regression.”

               “I’m not usually the loud one.” He chuckles faintly.

               “Mmm.” Anna gives a light growl and he knows he has somehow issued a challenge to her.

               She leans over and kisses his chest again, then she makes her way down his abdomen, her tongue darting out and causing him to huff little breaths.

               When she reaches his hipbones, she nips him in such a way that he’s sure will leave a mark.

               “Anna.” He groans, fisting his hands into her lovely red hair.

               He sees her eyes flick up to his face, alight with both lust and mischief, then suddenly her thumbs are in the waistband of his boxers, yanking them off.

               Kristoff almost makes a joke about her being eager, but she licks devilishly up his shaft and he can only hiss out a breath and tighten his grip on her tresses.