#kacij2017

“I can’t believe you actually let him plan this.” Kristoff said with a small chuckle, gripping his wife close to him.

“I can’t believe he actually did it.” Anna said. “I mean, I didn’t expect him to forget but I didn’t think he would actually go through with it all.”

“It’s Sven. When he says he is going to do something, he does it.”

Anna sighed, “Yeah, at least it’s not cheesy.”

Kristoff looked down at her, “It’s football themed.” He deadpanned.

“Ok, maybe it’s a little cheesy.” Anna winced, eyeing the football decorated cupcakes that sat on a platter painted as a football field. “But it’s really not as bad as I thought.”

“We never should have agreed to this.” Kristoff sighed.

“Hey, you’re the one who suggested it!”

“Ok, in my defense, I was a bit tipsy.” Kristoff said with a smirk, “You on the other hand have no excuse to actually agreeing. You could have said no!”

“But you didn’t see his face! He was so happy when you told him he could, I couldn’t say no!” Anna said, snatching a pink football helmet cookie from the table, “Anph phearlly, it’ph not phat baph.”

“Yeah, I guess it could be worse...I do like the jerseys though.”

“They’re adorable!” Anna said, tugging down on her purple and yellow jersey, “How he managed to find them in Aubrey and Marie’s sizes I have no clue.”

“I don’t know either but I do like them.” He murmured in her ear, wrapping his arms around her. “Especially yours.”

“Oh really?” Anna said with a grin.

“Mhmmm,” Kristoff said, rubbing Anna’s swollen belly, “I like seeing you in my jersey.”

Anna hummed, “I probably don’t look the greatest in it right now.”

“I beg to differ.” Kristoff said with a kiss to her temple. “You look beautiful as ever.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Anna said with a giggle.

“I think our kids prove otherwise.”

Anna laughed, leaning her head back against her husband’s chest.

“Alright everyone!” Sven called as he walked into the living room, “Place your final bets on the gender and choose your team! And don’t think I’m gonna forget your bet Walsh!”

“You and Walsh made a bet?” Kristoff asked.

“Yep!” Sven said, approaching the couple with a smirk, “$100 to be exact, and I am holding him to it.”

“Who did he choose?”

“He bets it’s a boy.” Sven shook his head.

“And you think it’s a girl?” Anna asked.

“Oh yes.” Sven said, patting Kristoff’s shoulder sympathetically, “Sorry mate, I hate to break it to you, but you’re going to have a house full of girls. I can feel it.”

“That’s fine by me.” Kristoff said, kissing the top of Anna’s head.

“Yeah you say that now, but just wait till the teenage years.” Sven said with a smirk, “I know you want it to be a boy.”

“A boy or a girl, I’ll be happy.”

Anna rolled her eyes, “You were just suggesting boy names last week.”

“...Ok, maybe I kind of want a boy.” Kristoff said with a chuckle as Anna elbowed him, “But really, either way I’ll be happy.”

“Well friend, prepare to be disappointed.” Sven said and turned back to the room, “Alright you lot, to the backyard! Time to find out who is paying up!”

“Were you telling the truth?” Anna said, grabbing hold of Kristoff’s hand as they followed the crowd outside.

“About?”

“About the baby?”

“Of course.”

“Are you sure?” Anna said nervously, biting her lip, “I mean, it is already a house full of girls and I feel like I kind of do want a boy. Every Dad wants a little boy and really I wouldn’t mind a boy either as long as it looks like you but I don’t want to get my hopes up or to disappoint you with another girl but--”

“Hey,” Kristoff stopped then, turning Anna to face him, “Boy or girl, it’s our baby, our baby. All I’ve ever wanted is a family and you’ve given that to me. I’ll be happy with whatever we have.”

Anna smiled and stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. Kristoff wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest as Anna hummed as she nuzzled into him.

She smiled.

“But you are hoping for a boy aren’t you?”

“....maybe.”

“I knew it.”

Kristoff chuckled, “Oh hush you.”

“Come on you lovebirds!” Sven called, “We don’t have all day!”

The couple made their way out to the backyard, Anna bouncing as she walked in excitement.

“Ok so,” Sven said, his hands behind his back, “I was going to have the reveal be in this football right? And then we would have to lay witness to one of Kristoff’s touchdown dances so it can be smashed open.”

There was a few chuckles in the crowd, Anna couldn’t help but giggle at the glare Kristoff gave Sven.

“But, I knew Mr. No-Fun wouldn’t be up for it.” Sven said with a smirk, “So, I went for something that was not near as embarrassing but still just as exciting.” He brought two sticks behind his back and presented them to Anna and Kristoff. “They’re confetti guns!”

Anna squealed in excitement, and Kristoff smiled as he examined the gun in his hand.

“All you have to do is on the count of three, pull the string on the bottom of the gun and BOOM! Pink confetti will fill the air!”

“Or blue.”

“Can it Walsh, just get your wallet ready!”

Sven took a few steps back and let the couple have plenty of room.

Kristoff felt butterflies in his stomach and he squeezed Anna’s hand. “This is it.” He said, looking over to her. “Are you ready?”

Anna looked at him, a sparkle in her eye, “I was born ready!” She said with an excited giggle.

The pair gripped the strings at the end of the cannon and looked towards the crowd.

“On the count of three!” Sven cried,

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

There was a loud pop, a few cries of surprise and then a pause.

The crowd then broke into cheers and applause, Kristoff’s teammates seemingly the loudest in the bunch.

Except for Sven.

Sven sighed as he watched the blue confetti rain down on him, watching as his teammates swarmed the happy couple. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched his best friends laugh and smile so large as everyone came to congratulate them.

He was almost happy.

Almost.

“Are you absolutely sure we have to go?” Kristoff asked with exasperation as Anna adjusted his sash only to step away and look at him with a malcontented grimace that they both knew was not meant for him.

“Yes, there’s no way out of this one. Trust me I tried just about everything short of sending archers with flaming arrows out to the city walls to bombard the ship. Actually, I was really giving it genuine thought, but Elsa vetoed it. You’ll be happy to know that it was a begrudging refusal. I’m pretty sure if the odds were better than 70% that his family wouldn’t start a war over it she would have come over to our side.”

Kristoff sighed and closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting gently on her hips as he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“You know I don’t care about what he has to say. I’m not coming for him and whatever apology he has, I’m coming for you.”

Anna smiled and stood on her tip toes to return the kiss, quick and chaste on his jaw. They had fallen into an easy rhythm of domesticity and made things work around both of their duties. It had been two years since they met, and rumor had it that he was looking for the perfect moment to propose.

Anna thought that, had she gotten her way, watching the flaming remains of Hans’s ship as the sun set over the Fjord would have been the perfect occasion. The light of the fire as it sunk into the watery depths mingled with the light of the evening sun as it faded along the horizon line would have made a striking scene for their much-awaited engagement. She had no doubt that he and Elsa would have both agreed. In fact, the people of Arendelle might have even asked for the day to become a national holiday.

It wasn’t just royals who were less than pleased about the return of Hans Westergaard to Arendelle’s shores. Many had protested the decision, but at the end of the day no one wanted to go to war over the bruised ego of a Prince, and so he had been allowed to sail for the Kingdom to express his penitence.

Somewhat soothed by Anna’s gesture of affection Kristoff smiled and released her from his grip. His hands slid from her skirts slowly and reluctantly. His eyes showed his want of just a few more moments with her alone before they were forced to depart the relative calm of her bedroom and make their way to the great hall.

“If he says anything out of line. Anything at all. They’re not going to be able to hold me back,” he said under his breath as Anna took his arm and they walked for the door.

“You’ll have to beat me to him,” Anna replied, tone serious, but eyes unable to help but to give him a playful wink.

This was going to be a hell of a lot easier with him at her side.

                                                                ***

“Oh my God Kris! I can’t believe you knocked out his tooth!” Anna said, one hand gripped on his arm as they rushed away from the hectic scene unfolding behind them in the throne room.

“You heard what he said! What was I supposed to do?”

Anna, as proud as she was of him secretly, couldn’t help the exasperation in her tone as she chided him.

“For the love of God, he only called me beautiful!”

“No!” he said, defending himself, his cheeks practically scarlet from her reproach, “He said you were so beautiful he hardly recognized you.”

“And?” she asked, dragging him towards her room once more, assuming getting more distance between them would be her best bet. After all, she had had a hell of a time trying to pull him back after he had taken a swing at the Prince. She hated to make him leave before he could get a second swing in, but watching Hans spit out his own tooth on their way out had brought something like pride swell in her chest. She wished she would have been the one to do it herself. It had felt so satisfying the first time.

“It was a backhanded compliment! He made it sound like you looked awful the last time he saw you. You’re always beautiful! You’ve always been beautiful.”

Anna pulled her door open, and slammed it closed when he slipped through the entrance behind her. In the still, comfortable air of her room, their tension was the only indication anything had occurred at all.

“Did you really have to punch him over it though? I mean I won’t pretend I didn’t enjoy it, but this is going to be hell on Elsa for the next couple weeks trying to mend that relationship. I mean, the King and Queen and their other sons are no fan of Hans, but it really does look like a slight to beat the crap out of him within the first ten minutes of a peaceful talk.”

“Look, I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh. His eyes were on hers and they were barely in the room, both squeezed close in the entryway as they discussed his lapse in diplomatic thought. “But I warned you that I wouldn’t be able to stop myself if he said anything. Tell his parents it’s not my fault their rag doll crumpled after one punch. Maybe they should raise men instead of weasels.”

Anna shook her head, but couldn’t hide the smile forming on her lips. She couldn’t be mad at him over this. She would admit to being slightly annoyed over how much she regretted pulling him away before he got a second punch in.

“Somehow I doubt their Royal Majesties would take your apology to be very sincere.”

Kristoff cracked a smile in return, “Well that’s good, because it isn’t. I’m glad I got to punch the bastard!”

Anna couldn’t help but laugh, “So defending my honor was just an excuse to get in a good hit?”

“Defending your honor is never an excuse,” he replied, his tone somewhat serious, though his grin was growing by the moment, “But last time you took care of it yourself and I felt left out.”

His arms were snaking around her waist again, tentatively as he always was, he let them hover for a moment before pulling her close.

“I expect you’ll want a reward for your good deed?” she teased, trying to relax and let the adrenaline she had had while tugging him out of the throne room drain from her veins.

He was blushing again, his eyes on hers, and their bodies pressed together. “I don’t expect anything, whether I’ve earned it or not.”

She chuckled and stood up on her tip toes to kiss him. She knew she shouldn’t reward unruly behavior, but it wasn’t her fault that even when he was bad he was good. She still counted her blessings each day he held her in his arms, even if he was messy and shy and not how she had imagined her Prince Charming, he was perfect for her. She supposed, as their lips met, that she should apologize to Hans, and even thank him. If he hadn’t been quite so stupid, she may have never been as happy as she was kissing Kristoff in the quiet of her bedroom.

His lips and hers worked together at a pace somewhere between urgent and languid. They were kissing to say a variety of things, all tangled up in several emotions that boiled down to the most basic mess that they had crafted together. Love.

The door nearly smacked them both as it swung open, and they scarcely had time to break their kiss as they realized that they had company.

“For the love of God!” Elsa complained, “I’m out there in chaos and the two of you are in here snogging.”

Her hair, neatly up when they had left, was down, and her expression was wild.

“Are you alright?” Anna asked, Kristoff’s hands still gripping her waist as they both looked into her sister’s anxiety ridden eyes. “What happened?”

“What happened is your boyfriend did what we were all thinking, scared the crap out of me in the process, and I accidently froze Hans to the floor!”

“Oh my God!” Anna said, covering her mouth in shock, but also in an attempt to keep the laugh in the back of her throat from making good on its promise to escape her lips, “Did you unfreeze him?”

“No! I panicked and ran off looking for you two.”

“I’m sure he’s fine!” Anna said, though she wasn’t certain she believed it, “Someone will probably thaw him out soon.”

Elsa’s hands came up to her face as she let out a long sigh, “Oh we really messed this one up didn’t we?”

Anna laughed and managed her way out of Kristoff’s grip to throw an arm around each of them. She wasn’t sure how she had expected the day to go, but it hadn’t been quite like this. In fact, she thought, apart from a burning ship, Anna was pretty sure the day couldn’t have gone better.

“He had it coming,” she reminded her two troublemakers with a squeeze.

“What’s it to you?”  Anna said, pulling her knees up until she rested her chin on them. “You didn’t seem so concerned I was upset before.”

Kristoff scooted closer, careful to still give Anna her space.  “This whole thing is a bit ridiculous don’t you think?  I mean what were we even arguing about?”

“You know exactly what it was about.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I need reminding.”  He looked at her and a smirk came over his face.  

Anna watched him inch towards her.  “What are you doing?” She asked, trying to pull her legs in farther to make herself as small as possible.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His hand slid from next to his legs, across the cushion of the couch until his fingers were dangerously close to her bare feet.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned.

“What?”  Kristoff flashed his most innocent smile that Anna knew always held a hint of mischief behind it.

Anna went to pull her feet off the couch, but it was too late.  Kristoff grabbed her foot a started tickling.

“Kristoff!”

It wasn’t fair.  He knew that was one of her sensitive spots that made her involuntarily laugh and squeal so much that tears could form in the corner of her eyes.

“Stop!”  She was laughing now as she struggled to pull her foot free. “Kristoff, Please!” she called out between fits of laughter.

He finally released her foot and she quickly pulled it back, tucking it under herself.

“There’s the laugh I love so much.” He looked back over to Anna.  “And the smile.  I needed to see that smile again.”

She hadn’t realized the grin was still flashed across her face.  Anna shook off the temporary giddiness, locking her mouth in a stern line and making sure Kristoff saw the change.  It only seemed to challenge Kristoff more, his hand moving back to her again.

She batted it away the first time, but he came back again trying to grab at her foot.  Anna dodged each attempt, her laughter involuntarily escaping as she backed farther into the corner of the couch.  A loud squeal came out of her when he found her foot again.

“Stop, I’m still mad at you!” Anna called out.  

Kristoff let go of her and held up his hands, chuckling. “Okay, okay.  Whatever you say.”

Anna eyed him, resting her head on the arm of the couch as he retreated back to the other end.  His arms splayed along the back and he turned to watch the TV.

She could see him out of the corner of her eye as well as the slight upturn of his mouth he was fighting to hide.  She tried to ignore him and keep her own smile in check. Anna tried to focus on whatever show was on, but she knew this wasn’t over.  He was waiting for the perfect time to attack again.  Except Kristoff had made a mistake; leaving himself vulnerable with his arm up, not protecting his side.  And Anna happened to know the one spot that would have him begging for mercy.

The darkness from earlier began to lift from Anna and a smile was now set on her face.  They both sat, pretending to watch the TV, waiting for the right moment.  When Kristoff’s arm flinched, giving away he was about to make his move, Anna took advantage of his error.    

Moving before he could, Anna sprang at him, throw pillow in hand and attacked.  He threw his hands up to protect his face, but Anna still managed to get a few good blows in before he pulled the pillow from her hands.  Her face twisted into a devilish grin as she drove her fingers his side. He instantly hunched over, trying to get away, but now he was pinned against the couch and Anna was relentless.  She was amazed at the high pitched yelps that came out of him, jumping each time Anna’s finger dug into his shirt.

But Anna missed Kristoff’s arm come down and grab her by the waist in retaliation.  In an instant they were both tickling each other merciless on the couch in uncontrollable laughter.

Somehow she ended up on her back with Kristoff hovering over her.  They’re giggles subsided.  They lay there, catching their breath and the intensity of Kristoff’s gaze caused Anna’s stomach to do flips.  

“I’m sorry,” Kristoff said.  His voice was soft and caring.  “I didn’t realize it was going to upset you so much.”

“It’s okay,” Anna said blushing now at the realization of how much she had over reacted.  “I shouldn’t have gotten angry just because you wouldn’t dance.”

Anna winced at the thought of what happened earlier in the evening.  She had dragged Kristoff to a charity event that involved dressing up and interacting in a social circle she no longer was part of.  It was the same one that her parents used host and was now held in their honor.

The evening had started so promising. Kristoff looked handsome as could be in his suit and it made her want to find excuses for them to have to get dressed up more often.  This was the first time Kristoff attended the event, missing it the previous year due to work.  She thought he would grumble about going, but he never complained once and seemed to be enjoying the whole thing until she managed to screw it up.

She should have warned him there would be dancing and there would be some expectation for them to actually participate. Better yet, she should never have forced the issue on him when she knew he didn’t like to, let alone have any spotlight on him.  So she should have known better to ask him in front of all those people to take her on the dance floor.  She should have caught his blush when he tried to change the subject and divert them over to the bar.  But she pushed him instead.  Then everyone around them started to stare and as much as Kristoff kept his cool, she didn’t.

Anna looked up to Kristoff.  “I should be the one apologizing to you. You have every right to be angry right at me.”

Kristoff kept his gaze on her, shrugging at her like it was no big deal.  He helped her sit up, smoothing down her hair and tucking a loose piece behind her ear. “It’s because they were watching, isn’t it.   …his parents.”

He didn’t have to say anymore.  Anna knew exactly what he was referring to.  Her ex’s parents were always at any of the social events in the area.  His mother had been staring at her all evening, watching them.  All Anna wanted to do was show her how much happier she was now, how perfect Kristoff was for her, how perfect he was.   Everything had gone along so well until he refused to dance right in front of them.

Anna nodded.  She looked away, embarrassed at her actions from earlier.  “I’m sorry.  That wasn’t fair to you.  I just wanted everyone to see how wonderful you are. ”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Kristoff’s hand guided her back to look at him.  “It’s okay. “And to be honest, it’s a little flattering that you were trying to show me off.”

“It was such a nice night and I messed it up. Just like I mess everything up.”

“No you don’t.”

“I do!  All the time.  I put my foot in my mouth all the time in at work.  I can’t seem to take two steps without tripping over my own feet.  And I messed up tonight with you.”

Kristoff chuckled.  “It wasn’t that bad.  You aren’t that bad.”

“Yes I am!  I set off the fire alarm the other night making mac and cheese!  How can you even stand to be with me?”

Kristoff stood up and faced her.  He held out his hand to her.

“What are you doing?”  Anna asked.

“I owe you a dance.”

She shook her head.  “Kristoff, you don’t need to-“

“Just humor me.”  He kept his hand out to her.

With a large sigh and roll of the eye, she stood and wrapped her arms around Kristoff.  He grabbed her phone, finding a song to play.  When his arms wrapped around her in return, she smiled into his chest.

“I’ll learn to dance,” he said.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.  Just think about next year.  We’ll really give everyone a show then.”

They swayed together, listening to the music and enjoying just being held by each other.

“I love all those things about you that you mentioned, by the way.” Kristoff said, breaking the silence. “And you know what else I love?”  

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“I love that you eat your sour gummy worms by color.”

“You can’t mix flavors.  It would be chaos.”  Anna protested.

“I love that I found a receipt in the truck last week that had an order for 60 McNuggets.”

“I told you those weren’t all for me!”

“I love how competitive you get with things.”

“I do not!”

Kristoff looked down at her.  “Anna, you made me sleep on the couch last time I beat you in Monopoly.”

“That was completely justified.”

Kristoff rested his chin on the top of Anna’s head absentmindedly.  “I love that you call my mom, mom.”

“It’s nice to have someone I can call mom again.”

They had stopped swaying for time now. Kristoff pulled Anna a little closer to him.  His arms felt so warm and safe around her and she felt as if they could stay in this moment forever.  She tilted her head to get a good look at him.

“I love…”

“You love what?”

“Nothing… you…   Just you.  I just love you.  That’s all. I love you.”

Anna laughed. “Are you kidding?  I live for our slo-pitch team!”  

Gerda smiled at her. “And you make it so fun too, even for someone older like me.”

“Well it’s meant to be fun! I was actually going to post the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board this afternoon.  Hope we can get some of the newer employees interested since I know a few who are dropping out this season.”

Gerda laughed.  “I know you will have no trouble encouraging people to sign up.”

Anna smiled at her as Gerda headed back to work, but the truth of the matter was, she didn’t know if there would be enough to make a team. A lot of people were telling her they were unable to commit to that many weekends over the spring.

Anna made her way back to her desk, distracted with reading an email on her phone when she bumped into something.

“Hey, watch it!” said a gruff voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry!  So sorry!” she said, looking up to see a scowl.

He rolled his eyes and started to walk away.

Anna didn’t recognize him and saw this as an opportunity. “Hey, are you new here?”

He stopped.  Instead of turning all the way around, he looked over his shoulder at her.  “Yes.”

“Well then, welcome. I’m Anna.”

“Hi.”

“I’m putting up a slo-pitch sign up this afternoon.  You should sign up!”

“No thank you,”

“Come on, it will be fun. You can make some friends!”

“I’m here to work, not make friends,” he mumbled quietly, and walked away before she could utter another word.

Anna watched him leave, taken aback.  

“What a jerk,” she muttered under her breath.

-----

Truth was, he loved sports, and playing softball sounded like a lot of fun.  Not if he had to deal with her, however.   He had only been there for a day and a half and already she had been very, very hard to ignore.  She was loud and she talked all the time.  It was a wonder she got any work done.  He was having a hard time getting his own work done being in close enough proximity to her desk to hear almost everything she said.  She was also on the phone a lot.

He had hoped to avoid her as long as possible, then she went ahead and bumped into him.  He knew it was inevitable.  Someone like her would be just the type to eventually seek him out and introduce herself despite his best efforts to go unnoticed and keep his head down.  He had hoped to go a little longer without drawing any attention to himself.

-----

For a week Anna watched the sign-up sheet fill as slow as she had ever seen it.  When she asked around, even more people had admitted that they had too much going on and had to drop out, and she was getting worried that they would not have enough people to even enter a team in the league.

All day she bugged people who were indecisive before to let her know if they were interested.  Out of ten people she only managed to convince two to join.

She kept watching the clock. She had until five to put their team in, otherwise the league would be closed and they would have to wait until the next year.  Anna hated the thought that they would miss out on the Spring season for the first time in five years.

If she begged her sister enough, she could get Elsa to play, even though she hated sports.  So, if she could find one more person to sign up….

Before Anna even realized, it was past her lunch time.  She had been so caught up with work and finding people for the team that she didn’t even realize she had missed it, until her stomach started to growl.  She headed to the break room to scarf down her food and get back to it.

She walked into the room absentmindedly humming to herself, expecting to be alone since most people had eaten two hours prior, and was surprised to see the new guy sitting at a table by himself.  He looked up at her entrance, and Anna thought that the corner of his nose pulled up ever so slightly into a sneer, before he turned his gaze back down.

Anna grabbed her lunch bag from the fridge and went to a table on the opposite side of the room and took a seat.  She pulled out her sandwich and realized she forgot her phone at her desk.  She would have nothing to do while she was eating. She glanced sideways at the rude, new guy.  He was idly reading a magazine, and Anna resisted the urge to ask. He would say no again. He would probably say no again, wouldn’t he?

She tapped her fingers on the table as she inhaled her sandwich, deep in thought.  She only had just over 2 hours to find at the very least, one more person to sign up.  She glanced sideways again, just as he was packing up his things. What’s the harm in asking one more time?

She shoved the last bite of food in her mouth and hastily swallowed, getting up as he did, and walking apprehensively towards him.  

“Um, hi, me again… about the company slo-pitch team…” she started.

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her as if she must be kidding.  He opened his mouth, but Anna blurted her feelings.

“Look, I organize and do this thing every year.  There is people that really enjoy this, and a lot them don’t get to do much socializing, so it’s good for everyone, you know?  And I am two people short, or rather, if I can at least find one more person before five, then I can sign us up, and if not, we won’t be able to enter the league this year, and so many people enjoy it, myself included and I don’t want to let anyone down because-”

He interrupted her, putting his hands up, “Fine.  If you stop talking right now, I’ll sign up.”

“Really?”

He gave her a look that said she better not make a fuss, so she didn’t.  

“Thank you,” she muttered, as he walked around her and out of the break room.  As soon as she was sure he was gone, she let out an excited squeak.

*****

Kristoff heard the enthusiastic little noise as he walked slowly away from the break room and rolled his eyes.  He surprised himself a little that he was excited by the thought about getting out for the spring and playing every weekend.  It had been a long time since he had done so.  But he was still apprehensive about being in such close proximity to the overly smiley, and very talkative red-head.  

As soon as she told him they couldn’t have a team without one more player, he had decided right away to say yes, despite the fact that it was her who was asking.  He didn’t like being around people, at all, and he didn’t remember a lot about his parents, but one thing he did remember, was how they taught him from a young age to always lend a helping hand when needed and to try his best to always do the right thing, no matter what.  And a team that might miss out because they needed one more player, was something that he could easily help with.  How bad could it be anyway?  He would have to hang around with a crowd, and her, but at least he could play a game that he loved.

He went to the sign-up sheet and put his information on it, thinking in that moment about his love for the game and nothing else.

*****

Anna had no other luck in getting anyone else to sign up with her last feeble attempts, so she grabbed the sheet an hour later, letting out a sigh of relief that the new guy was true to his word and had put his info down.  She hadn’t really expected that he wouldn’t, and yet…

She hurried to her computer and pulled up the website for the rec league and signed them up as quick as she could.  She just had to glance at most of the names on the sheet before she entered their info from memory, and then she got to the last name and entered his information.

Huh, his name is Kristoff.  I didn’t peg him for a name like that.  Christopher maybe....  And his last name is Bjorgman…  Wait, what? How do I pronounce that?  Eh, either way.  Oh wow, he’s almost three years older than me.  I kind of thought we were the same age.  I mean I guess that is still pretty close.  What the…?  That can’t be his personal email address!  [email protected]? Seriously?  There has to be a story behind that, unless he’s a total weirdo. He might be a weirdo.  He kind of looks like a weirdo.  But he act’s like a jerk… ah whatever.

She shrugged and finished up the last of the registration and sent it in.  Then she printed all the waiver forms and got up to hand them out.

-----

Kristoff wasn’t surprised he was the first one there.  He prided himself on never being late for anything, and recreation was no exception. He was just unpacking his gear when he heard her.  She was talking, surprise, surprise, and when he turned to look, she was walking up with a platinum blonde woman who could only be her sister; they looked so alike.  

“Kristoff!  You’re here,” she said as she approached him.

He frowned.  To his ears, they way she said it suggested that she thought he wouldn’t bother coming.  Did he really act like that much of a jerk, that she thought he would actually do something like that?  Did she think that he had absolutely no integrity?  

Ah, what did it matter anyway.  He was there to play the game and nothing else.

He watched silently as people started to arrive.  She greeted everyone with equal enthusiasm and bounded all over making sure that everyone knew the batting order and where their positions were.  She went over to the bench the other team was, almost skipping. He knew she was probably introducing herself and seeing if they were ready before they tossed the coin to see who would take the field and who would be at bat.

He noticed her modest celebration that she won the toss, and she jogged back over to their bench to announce that they would be batting first.

It was something else to observe her outside of the work environment.  He hadn’t thought that she could be even more bubbly, but he was swiftly proven wrong.  She encouraged everyone, and that smile was just plastered on her face.  How could anyone smile so much?  It was rather annoying.  When it was his turn to bat, she even gave him a smile, despite how little she obviously thought of him.

He stepped up to the plate and without warning, all of his childhood memories of playing baseball came flooding back.  Memories of his parents came flooding back in a way he did not expect.   It took him back to that impossibly happy time.  It was all smiles and the feel of the stitches under his fingers as he held the ball in his hand before he threw it, and the satisfying thwack against his glove as he caught the return throw.  

Why then?  Why then of all times, was he suddenly thinking about his past?  

*****

Anna watched him stand still for two perfect pitches and her heart sunk.  She hadn’t expected him to sign up just to have him come out and do nothing but fill a required body for the team.  How could he do that?  He worked with them all.  How could he just act like that?  How could he just not care?  The fury that rolled within her was enough.

She whistled loudly to signal she was walking into the diamond and the pitcher nodded an acknowledgement.

She stepped up behind him. “What do you think you are doing?” she asked through barely gritted teeth.  

He turned around slowly and she was not expecting the look she saw on his face.  She was expecting apathy, indifference, hell, she even expected he might look angry, but he looked… sad, and it hit her in a way she did not expect.

“I… wow, I zoned out there,” he said slowly, and his eyes seemed to suddenly come into focus and he shook his head.  “Sorry. I’m good now.  I can do this.”

She nodded and backed away apprehensively, watching as he turned around and took his stance again. This time, he shifted his shoulders as he adjusted his grip around the bat and ground his left foot into the shale. As soon as she was back at their bench, she saw the pitch.  It was almost too fast.  She watched his body transfer his weight in his backswing as his forward leg came up, and the motion of his body as he swung the bat, was a thing of beauty. The result, was one of the most satisfying sounds in the world, in Anna’s opinion.  

She watched, mouth gaping, as the ball sailed well over the fence.  It was the furthest she had ever seen anyone hit a softball.  Her eyes went back to him as he jogged around the bases, and she was amazed to see that he was smiling. Well that certainly looks better on him than his usual scowl.

Anna enjoyed ever single minute of that game.  She loved seeing everyone have fun, and she loved that they won, but her heart fell that their shining star of a player decided not to go out for a drink and a bite with the team afterwards.   Instead he packed up his stuff quickly and left without saying goodbye.  She kind of hated that someone on their team didn’t really want to socialize, since that was the whole point of putting the team together all those years ago, but what was she to do?  

She had to remind herself that some people were just like that, so she pushed his rudeness from her mind and enjoyed the company of her co-workers and friends.

-----

Kristoff was the first to arrive again, leaving a little earlier so he could relish the quiet, sitting in the sun, before everyone else got there.   He was a little surprised to see her so early as well, walking up to the bench, alone with a frown.

“Hi Kristoff.”

She said it so half-heartedly that he was shocked into asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Well, I think we might have to forfeit the game.”  She sat on the other end of the bench and folded her hands into her lap.  “My sister couldn’t come tonight, Frank is sick, and Gerda had leave town for a funeral.  We don’t meet the minimum roster requirement for the game, especially because we’re down two ladies.”

Kristoff frowned, not understanding.  He had never played in a rec league before.  “What do you mean?”

“Well since it’s co-ed, the minimum number of female players is three, and since it’s only myself and Heather, we are one lady short. Then there’s the batting order. We can’t have more than three males bat in a row, not to mention I don’t even think we’ll have enough to get 9 players out there.  My last count was 7.”

“I see,” Kristoff said slowly.  He shouldn’t be thinking what he was thinking.  The last thing he wanted to do was get personal with anyone he worked with, except there was something about seeing Anna without a smile that was… unsettling.

“I could make a call. Might be able to get a couple extra players for us.”  

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  

She was looking at him like she didn’t believe that he actually had friends, which frustrated him and made him realize even more how much he didn’t want to get too chummy with his co-workers, but he was already pulling his phone from his pocket, despite his better judgement.  He had already opened his big mouth anyway.

*****

“Okay, my buddy Sven and his girlfriend August are headed right over.”

Anna resisted the urge to hug him, so she gave him a big smile instead.  “Thank you, so much!”

“Don’t mention it, please,” he mumbled.

Anna could not figure him out.  One minute he was kind and the next he was stand-offish.   She watched him as they waited.  He was wearing the same baseball tee he wore the last game.   It was well worn, and showed the definition of his muscles that were otherwise hidden at work by his button-down shirt.  He was also in jeans and had a baseball cap that he kept taking on and off, as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to wear it or not.   A nervous tick perhaps?

He greeted his friends when they arrived with a smile that he hadn’t yet shown her, or anyone else in the office.  His friend Sven was certainly the opposite.  Him and his girlfriend were getting along and talking with everyone else with ease, and yet Kristoff spoke exclusively to them and no one else.

She wasn’t all that surprised that he declined to go out with the team afterwards again to celebrate their second win.

-----

“Why don’t you ask that red-head out?”

“What?”

“At the game the other night, you kept looking at her.”

“I was not looking.”

“Oh yes you were.”

“She’s annoying as hell. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“She’s pretty,” Sven mused.

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Pffft, I know for a fact you are a red-blooded male, and I know for a fact that you noticed.”

“Just drop it.  I don’t want to get involved with any of those people.”

“That’s your problem, Kristoff.  That’s why I’m your only friend.”

“So?  I like that you’re my only friend.”

Sven shook his head. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how moody you’ve been lately because I am hanging out more with August.  I love her, man.  I’m going to marry her someday, and I won’t be able to keep you company all the time.”

“What are you saying?”

“You know what I’m saying! You’re lonely.  I know you’re lonely.  Hell, you know you’re lonely, but you have such a thick skull, that you won’t admit it to yourself.”

Kristoff hated it when Sven was right.  He hated how Sven could see right through him.  “I’m not good at making friends.”  

“You know what?  Just go out with your team this weekend.  Go hang out with everyone and I am sure you will be surprised that people are willing to talk to you.  Even more if you lose that scowl.”

“I don’t have a scowl.”

“Yeah okay, keep telling yourself that.”

-----

In the bottom of the 7th inning, they were last in the field, and Anna enjoyed watching Kristoff as catcher.  He had such a keen eye for it, even though he admitted that all his years of playing baseball, he had never played that position.  With Frank at the mound, there was no way to tell exactly where the pitch was going to go, but she had not yet seen him miss putting the ball in his glove, even the ones that were ‘juuuust a bit outside.’

When the last out was made, and they had won, she noticed Kristoff smiling at them from the distance as they all high-fived each other and celebrated before they went back to the bench in a group.

She didn’t even ask him. She knew he would say no.  That was why she took interest in watching him pack up his things slowly and linger with the team.  Curious, she manoeuvred herself a little closer to him, pretending to make sure she had all her things when he met her eyes.  

“Mind if I tag along this time?” he asked.

She was a little surprised that he seemed almost… timid.  “Of course not.  The more the merrier,” she said, giving him a smile.

He gave her a weak smile in return and said nothing else as they all dropped their stuff of in their cars and walked over to the Pub across the street.  

Anna could not take her eyes off him.  She stole as many glances as she could without it seeming like she was outwardly staring.   He sat there, tense and unsmiling when they first arrived, looking very nervous.  Then soon he was talking idly with Gerda and his eyes were calm.  He looked much better when he was at ease.   He was actually quite… handsome.   He’s more than handsome.  He’s something else.   He’s… gorgeous.

As the crowd started to dwindle, she was a little amazed that he was still there, given his previous attitude, so she took the opportunity and moved to the empty chair beside him.  

“So, you having fun?”

He nodded slowly, “Yeah. I am.”

“Good.  So, you’ll start making this a regular thing then huh? Coming out afterwards?”  

He bobbed his head to the side and the corner of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly, “I think maybe I will.”

“And maybe you’re up for a bit of chit chat at work too?”

He broke out in a sly smile, his eyes twinkling with humor.  “Well, that’s pushing it.”  

Anna laughed, and he joined her.  It was the first time she had ever heard him do so, and she was shocked by the loveliness of the sound.

-----

He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind.  He could not believe all the things they discovered that they had in common when they talked after the game on the weekend.  That and the fact that, as he was falling asleep, he had been thinking about the cute braids she twisted her hair into for each game.  He was thinking about her freckles and her smile, and her incredibly blue eyes. And how soft her lips looked.

He had indeed noticed she was pretty, even from the very beginning.  She’s more than pretty.  She’s stunning in her beauty.  He just hated it when Sven was right.

She suddenly appeared at his side, startling him.

“Hey Kristoff, Heather and I are heading across the street to Kevin’s Deli for lunch.  Want to come with?”

No.  “Sure.” Dammit!  

She was getting through to him, and he knew it.  She was breaking down all his defenses, slowly and surely.  She was changing him, and he realized that he was helpless to stop it.

-----

The change in him was so gradual, that Anna had suddenly realized the difference one day while her and Frank and Gerda were sitting at a table with him eating lunch, something that he had been doing for about a week and a half.

He was listening and smiling and offering a little conversation with them.  He was still very quiet, but a far cry from taking his lunch two hours after everyone else so he could sit alone.   Anna never did write him off, despite his initial rudeness.  It took a lot for her to straight up dislike someone, and although her instinct was to just ignore him, his recent effort seemed to say a lot more about his character than what his words had thus far managed.

She knew there was a lot more to him.  No one was as they appeared on the surface – except for a very few perhaps – and she had a feeling there was a reason he had acted the way he did. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get to the bottom of it, but it meant a lot to her that he seemed to be happier and was making some friends in the office.

Frank and Gerda ate a little faster than normal and excused themselves to ‘get back to their busy work day’, but Anna did not miss the glance that they shot each other.  Anna was almost done her sandwich and Kristoff was just finishing some yogurt, so of course, they were left at the table alone with each other to talk.

She didn’t actually think he would start any conversation, so she was about to say something when he surprised her by speaking first.  

“So, uh, I have a question.”

“Sure,” Anna said, wondering what he was going to ask.

“Sox or Cubs?”

“Oh, Cubs all the way.”

He nodded with a smile and gave a tiny laugh, which Anna thought was out of relief.  She understood in that instant that he was asking as a Cubs fan himself.

“Now I get to ask you something,” she countered.

He looked a little apprehensive, but he nodded and said, “Okay.”

“Your email.  What the hell does Reindeer King mean?”

He surprised her by tilting his head back and laughing.  “Oh, Anna. That is so much of an inside joke between me and Sven, that it would probably take a whole evening to explain it.”

Then ask me out, she thought impulsively, then laughed with him instead.  

“Fair enough,” she conceded.

He smiled at her and mentioned getting back to work as he took to his feet, and her heart fell. She hadn’t realized until that instant, just how much she had come to like him.

****

You should have asked her out you dummy! Ah she’s not interested. How do you know unless you ask? Oh just shut up! Come on man!  Grow a pair! I don’t want to lose her friendship though! It’s so hard to make friends! You are an idiot!

He shook his head all the way back to his desk, cursing himself for not just having any guts.

-----

He loved to watch her play.  His position as catcher gave him an excellent vantage point of first base, and he was able to simply observe her in her element.  She caught everything that was thrown at her, and she was nimble and fast.   The way she watched every play, every movement on the field, was amazing.  Her focus was incredible.  She had an intensity about the game that got to him in a way he never imagined possible.

Every stretch she made for an off throw, every time she ducked low to get the ball, was so graceful it was like watching a ballet dancer with a baseball glove.

He liked her.  He liked her a lot.  For the past two weeks, he had been making his attempt at an effort to talk to her more and try his hand at flirting, although he could not read her feelings on him. He watched as other guys flirted with her as well, a lot better than he was able to, and they way she acted in return to them was the same was she acted around him leaving him with no idea her level of interest.   Either that or he was missing something.  

He chided himself for his initial rudeness to her, knowing it was probably the reason she had shown no interest.  It had probably left a bad taste in her mouth.  Well, there was no probably about it.  

He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t able to just like people.  Why did people make him nervous and edgy?  He had been that way as long as he could remember.   Sven often speculated that, after he lost his parents, it was the horrible experiences in foster homes as a young boy that did it.  But Kristoff really couldn’t pinpoint it himself.  He could barely remember a time when he hadn’t been that way.  Had Sven not befriended him when they wound up in the same foster home when they were teenagers, he was sure that he would have no one.

He stretched at one of Frank’s wild pitches and caught the ball in his glove.  He leaned forward on one knee as he tossed it back, letting his gaze wander back to first base where Anna stood looking back at him with a smile on her face.  

That smile!  That smile that had seemed so annoying when he first met her, was now one of the things that gave him life.  He realized just what that meant had happened to his heart when he saw it.  He was falling in love with her, hard and fast.

-----

Anna arrived extra early with a surprise for everyone.  She was so proud of her team and a little disheartened that it was their last game.  She loved being out on the ball diamond, and she loved spending time outside of work with everyone, and she loved the game.  There was nothing much else that made her so happy and relaxed.

She was getting everything ready when she heard the wonderful tone of his voice behind her, knowing that he would be early as well and excited that he did not disappoint.

“Hi, Anna.  Need a hand?”

She turned around as he was walking up to her in the familiar baseball tee of his with a gentle smile on his face.  In the two months that she had known him, she had grown very fond of him.  Fond of him in a way that had her thinking about him constantly.  Fond of him in a way that she desperately wished they were more than just friends.

He had come out of his shell, so to speak, and she had hoped that he would maybe have started to show a little interest in her.  She had given him a few subtle hints, not wanting to be too forthcoming so as not to scare him off.  So far, however, he had kept the mood friendly.   She had quietly turned down offers for dates from a few other guys in the office in the hopes that Kristoff would ask her out sometime, but he seemed content to just keep the interaction at a friends and co-workers level, so she had stopped trying to let him know how much she had come to care about him.

“Sure, Kristoff.  Maybe help me sort those by size?”  

He picked up one of the brand-new baseball t shirts with their team logo on it and the slogan We’re Number 1.  Even if they lost their last game, they were still so ahead in points, that it was inevitable to end up in first place.  

“These are nice!” he said.

She smiled at his smile, mumbling a nervous ‘thanks’, and finished arranging all the food she bought for everyone to snack on.  She felt his presence come up behind her, and a sudden chill of desire went down her spine. She wanted him to slide his hands around her.  She wanted him to kiss her.   Forget it Anna, he just isn’t interested.

“Need help with anything else?”

My burning desire, please.  “No, I think we’re good.”

Everyone else started to arrive and the mood was fun and laid back.  The game went by so much faster than Anna expected.  She talked with people, unless Kristoff was at the plate, so she could give him her full attention.  She would never get tired of watching him swing a bat.  And before she knew it they had gone through almost all 7 innings.

They were last at bat, down by one point, and her wonderful team got in one more run to tie it up before they were facing two outs.  Kristoff was standing beside her, and she was trying very hard to concentrate on the game and not her proximity to him.

Frank was up next, and he was not their best hitter.  In fact, he was their worst, but it didn’t matter anyway.  She watched him swing blindly at the first two perfect pitches, knowing he was about to do the very same to the third, when that glorious sound filled her ears.

She was shocked to see the ball sail way into right field, past the outfielders who had gathered at the edge of the respect line, knowing that Frank could only hit weak grounders, when and if he was able to connect with the ball.  It bounced and rolled and she witnessed Frank run faster than she had ever seen in her life. 

By the time Frank was on second, the outfield finally got to the ball and threw it in.  The throw was short, and the ball came to a stop about 20 feet from second base.  The other team scrambled for it, as Frank rounded third, and Heather was standing there, screaming at him to take home.   When the ball was finally thrown, it was way too late, and Frank sailed easily across home base with a giant grin on his face.  

The team rushed out to hug Frank, but Anna turned and threw herself into Kristoff’s arms.   She hadn’t thought about it, she hadn’t planned it, but in that split second of happiness, she knew it was where she wanted to be.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands slid around her waist and pulled her close as if he had already done it a million times.  Her heart sang, even if it was still only a friendly gesture.  She was about to pull away when she realized she couldn’t.  He was still holding her tight and her mind started to scream at her what that meant.  Before she could suss it out, his arms loosened and he let her go.

She slid slowly down to her feet and looked up into his beautiful brown eyes.  His expression was hard to gauge.  He looked, shocked a little, like she had maybe overstepped a boundary?  But at the same time there was a sadness about him that she couldn’t quite read into. She wanted to ask what it meant, but before she could, the team came barreling back to the benches and swept them up in their celebrations.

*****

He needed to talk to her. The hug.  That look she gave him, after the hug… he needed to know what it all meant.  But they were all celebrating and everyone was always talking with Anna, because she was so easy to talk to, and she was, well… Anna.

He caught eyes with her many times.  It was only fleeting, and he couldn’t glean anything.  He would just have to wait.  

And wait he did.  It seemed as though everyone, himself included, had elected to take cabs home since drinks were flowing with wanton abandon as they all celebrated their win.  He found it easier to talk, when he had a drink or two in him, like a lot of people did he supposed.  And yet, at the same time he just wanted to be anywhere else in the world, alone with Anna.

He started chatting with people and got trapped in several conversations.  He lost sight of her many times since they were all spread out over the Pub, but she had never left his mind for a second.

The beer was making him sleepy, and he found himself a quiet place at the bar to wait, watching her idly. She finally said goodbye to the last member of the team besides to two of them, and she walked over slowly to where he had chosen to perch himself.

“Hey, Kristoff,” she said, taking the stool beside him.

“Hey, Anna,” he said with an involuntary dip of his head and a wide grin.  He was happy that she was beside him.

“You’re drunk.”

He giggled involuntarily and nodded slowly, “You are correct.”  

“Well, we sure had a fun day, didn’t we?”

“Anna, listen, I need to tell you, or I mean ask you…”

He thought her face fell, ever so slightly.  “Not now, Kristoff.  We can talk about that later.  Just let me drive you home.”

“Haven’t you been drinking too?”

“Not since my first beer. I wanted to make sure everyone was behaving themselves.  I’ve been drinking water for three hours.  I’m perfectly fine to drive.”

“M’kay,” he said as he slid from the stool.  He threw some bills on the table (way too much, he knew, but he didn’t care) and followed her outside.  He had to bend down low, almost falling, to get into the passenger seat of her car, before he finally settled in.  Anna got in the driver’s seat and started out.  

“Where do you live?”

“On North Oakley Ave.”

“Wow, I live pretty close to you.  On West Summerdale.”

“Really?  All this time, and I had no idea you lived so close.”

“Yeah, I had no idea either,” she smiled.

Kristoff didn’t really want to make small talk.  He wanted to… talk, talk.  Her eyes looked unhappy and he needed to know why.  Among other things.

“Anna, about that hug.”

She was silent for a moment, staring straight ahead at the road.  “Yeah?  What about it?”

He didn’t really know how to take that.  Maybe his drunk mind was a little slow, but he perceived it to be that she was brushing it off.  “Never mind,” he muttered.

“No really, what?” she said in a tired voice, glancing over at him.

He had a half a mind to just shut his mouth, but before he could stop himself he was confessing his feelings to her.  “Anna, I… ugh, you are just so beautiful, and awesome.  And you are an amazing ball player, and you encourage everyone and you are so nice and kind, and thoughtful, and your smile is like, the light of my life, and you are so beautiful you take my breath away…”  He sighed heavily, “I love you.”

She was quiet for a second before she spoke, “Kristoff, you’re drunk.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not.  I mean, I am, yes.  But I meant what I said.  I’m drunk, but I’m right.”

She gave a sigh, “Sure, Kristoff.  Whatever you say.”

*****

He was quiet until she pulled up to his house and walked around the car to help him get out.  He needed her help too, fumbling his hand on the arm rest and wobbling himself to standing.  She threw herself under his shoulder and helped him to his front door, watching with a distracted amusement as he fumbled with his key, until he finally got his door open.

She didn’t ask, but she helped him take his shoes off, and followed him to his bedroom to make sure he would be okay.  She helped him take off his hoodie, before he flopped face first one his bed.  She turned to walk away when he mumbled something against the bedding, so she stopped, and turned around slowly to look at the eye that wasn’t mushed against the covers, looking at her.  

“Pardon?”

“I love you, Anna,” he slurred slightly, and gave a goofy grin that illustrated perfectly the state his mind must be in.

Anna felt the prick of tears in her eyes.  She wanted to believe him.  She desperately wanted to believe him, but how could she believe such a confession from someone whom she had only talked to at work and company softball games. He hadn’t even asked her out on a date, let alone given her any clear signs that he was that interested, and he was telling her that he loved her all of the sudden?  There was no way it was real.  As much as she wanted it to be.

After all, he was not the first guy to admit affections to her while drunk, to just to ignore and avoid her the next day because the sentiment was not genuine.   She herself was guilty of saying things she didn’t quite mean when she was happily buzzed.  

She said goodnight and left the room without another word.   She twisted the lock on the doorknob before pulling it closed, wondering what was going to become of everything.

-----

All Sunday she stayed in a vegged out on the couch with movies and food.  She was too distracted to do much of anything else.  She wondered if he would call her.  Or text her.  Or something.  She knew he had her number, and she waited, thinking that he might get in touch with her, if he had been genuine.  

But she went to bed without a word and a sadness in the truth that he was that; simply drunk. There was no way he could love her, as she had come to love him.

-----

He wasn’t at work on Monday, and everything that Anna feared had been proved true.  Why else would he not be there?  She had even gone over to Heather in HR and asked her.  Heather knew she wasn’t supposed to divulge any personal information, but she motioned for Anna to lean in close to her desk and whispered that he had phoned in to take a personal day.

There it was.  The guilty avoidance.  He might even take the next day off too, and then he would show up to work and be distant and quiet, and he would sit with other people at lunch, or start taking it by himself again.

She was too distracted to concentrate on work and it made her frustrated.  She wanted to chat with everyone again about their win over the weekend, yet every time someone came to talk, her heart wasn’t in it.

She went to eat her lunch with everyone else, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do.  It seemed as though most of her co-workers could gauge her mood, probably because she wasn’t smiling, so they kept their focus off of her.

She was staring at her untouched sandwich on the table when she realized that everyone else in the room had grown quiet.  She looked up to see what was going on, and her eyes settled onto his.  He was standing in the open doorway of the break room, with a heartbreaking expression of torment on his features.  

Anna got slowly to her feet as he took a few tentative steps into the room.  

“I have to know.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Anna, I know I shouldn’t have confessed my love for you when I was drunk, but… I do love you.  I fell in love with you, but I was too stupid to ask you out first.  I spent all last night awake, and I spent all morning writing my resignation letter, knowing that I can’t keep working with someone I am in love with, who… who…” He pulled in a deep, shaky breath.  “Anna, I have no idea what you think of me, and I began to assume you didn’t feel the same way, and I know I should have called you, but I was too scared about what you were going to say.  Then I realized how stupid that was, and I got all caught up in my own mind like I always do and… and I just need to hear you say it.  I need to know that there is no chance between us, before I turn in that letter.”

Anna felt the pain in her throat and the pinch at her eyes.  She hadn’t even thought to call him.  She was so focused on the fact that she was sure he was just drunk and didn’t mean it, that she couldn’t see that he was in agony, because he had confessed his feeling and all she had said in return was goodnight.  Not, we’ll talk about this later, or let’s see how you feel in the morning.  Simply goodnight, and she had left.  She chided herself, realizing that they had both been sitting in misery, thinking that their affection for each other wasn’t there.

She didn’t know what to say. She gaped at him, trying to find the words to express herself when he spoke again, taking another small step forward.

“Anna, you changed my heart. You changed me.  Even if you don’t feel the same way, I can’t ever thank you enough for that.  I will be forever grateful that you came into my life, because you made me want to be a better person.  But… God Anna, I am so in love with you, it hurts.  I just have to know exactly how you feel about me, before I can move on.”

His gaze was pleading and he was on the verge of becoming heartbroken right in front of her if she didn’t speak.  Still words escaped her.   So she ran to him.  She ran to his arms, as he looked at her with happy shock across his face.   When she jumped, he caught her, and Anna wrapped her legs around his waist and she kissed him with everything she had.

Never in her life had she had such a kiss.  It was full of passion and relief and an almost crushing euphoria.  It was magic.  Her legs weakened under the weight of the feeling, and she felt herself slip ever so slightly before his grip tightened around her and he pulled her tighter against his chest, one hand moving down her back to her bottom to hold her up against him.  She melted into him and she could feel him melt into her as their lips parted and they completely lost themselves in each other.

She pulled back long enough to breath ‘I love you, too’ before she met his mouth again.  She was vaguely aware that everyone in the breakroom was hooting and clapping, but she ignored them all.  Kristoff was her world at the moment.  He was everything she needed and more.

When they finally gained some sense and stopped kissing in front of their co-workers, he had set her down slow and gentle.  But it only took one look at her lips before he swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the office. They never went back to work that day. And no one cared.

-----

Kristoff came up behind her and slid his hands around her waist and kissed her neck.

She giggled and turned around in his embrace, pushing up onto her tiptoes to meet his lips.  He knew he would never, ever get tired of kissing her.

“You excited for the first game of the year tomorrow night?” she said when she pulled out of his arms to stir whatever she was making on the stove.

“Of course,” he said, taking a seat at their kitchen table.

He watched her and his heart ached for the millionth time at the thought that she was his.  He thought back to a year ago, when he had fallen in love with her, and to where they were then, in that moment.   She had been living with him for five months and he had every intention in the world of buying her a ring, and soon.

He had no idea what his life would have been like, had Anna had not come into it.  He shuddered to think where he would be.  Sven and August were getting married in a month and he knew they wanted to start a family right away.  Where would that have left him?  Sitting alone most nights, drowning in his own loneliness, is where.

Now he had Anna.  He had his life, right there, smiling that heartbreaking smile at him every day. She had been promoted to management, so he didn’t get to see her as often during the day anymore, but they spent every waking hour outside of work with each other.  They went on double dates with Sven and August, and they often had meals out with co-workers and their other friends.  But for the most part, they liked to be at home. Alone.  Together.  

They would drive home from work and make dinner, sometimes eating in-front of the TV if there was a baseball game on.  Some nights they went for a walk, and other nights they cuddled up to each other and watched a movie.  When they were tired they went to bed, and when they were frisky they sometimes went to bed.  But one thing was a constant in all the evenings they had spent together since that first wonderful night.  They went to the same bed, and they would wrap their bodies together and confess their love before falling into a deep, satisfying sleep, knowing that they had finally found the happiness and love that they had both been aching for.

Back to the man with the bouquet of flowers. Anna held a soft grip on her pencil and began to sketch what she saw. As she sketched she tried to think of why the man would be so nervous, and why he was carrying a bouquet of flowers.

Was he trying to get the attention of an old flame? Was he seeking one last shot? Had he had a quarrel with the love of his life and he was trying to make it up to her?

Anna’s heart pounded with anticipation as she thought up stories for this man.

A woman came along in a dress. She appeared to only kind of recognize the man. They stopped for a chat, and he held the bouquet out to her.

Anna’s shoulders slumped. It looked like a first date. Cute, sure, but not as dramatic as she had hoped. Nonetheless she sketched the woman onto the page.

Her art had been sketchy lately. Lines were blurred and not well defined, and she was certain it was from a lack of focus. Yes, she loved the city, but it also felt lonely at times.

She was thinking too hard again, and she couldn’t focus on her sketch anymore. It was okay; she should probably be heading home anyway.

After a short subway ride back to her apartment, she returned for the evening. The space seemed much closer than it used to, but it also felt emptier. She had tried as best she could to decorate it and make it feel like home. She had hung a cute tapestry she had bought from an art market on the wall, and strung fairy lights from the ceiling to warm up the room.

She supposed that it was hard when the toilet was three feet away from her wardrobe, and the kitchen sink five feet away from her bed.

Anna missed the small town where everything was open and spacious, and people held doors for each other, and said things like “how are you?” and “thank you.”

She flipped her day planner open, remembering she had promised to finish a commission this week, and so far the page lay untouched on her desk. A finished piece leaned against the wall, waiting to be wrapped and delivered to the buyer. She sighed; sometimes being an artist was a thankless job.

Her laptop chirped, and she turned to look at it. Kristoff wants to video chat.

She jumped over the mess on the floor to accept the call. “Kristoff can you hear me?”

His picture was grainy from poor lighting on the screen and he waved and pointed to his ear. “Can you hear me now?” Anna asked.

He shook his head again and pointed to his ear. Anna looked at her laptop configurations and tried to check if the mic was on. She grumbled and switched it on. “Can you hear me now?” She asked.

“Yes.” Kristoff smiled. “It’s so good to hear your voice again.”

Anna smiled. She knew she missed him, she just didn’t know she had missed him this much.

“How’s the city? How’s your art going?”

“Fine. And Fine.” Anna nodded.

“Is it still going as you expected?” Kristoff asked.

“Yeah, but the nights get a little lonely.” Anna confessed.

Kristoff offered a weak smile, “I know. They’re lonely here too if that makes you feel any better.”

“Just a little.” Anna replied.

“I miss you.” Kristoff said after a long pause.

“I miss you too.”

His screen froze and Anna checked the connection. The internet had timed out again. She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. Why did this always happen when she wanted to talk to her boyfriend?

Anna checked the router and her phone rang. “Oh goodness!” She cried and stretched to pick it up, “Hey.”

“Lose your connection?” Kristoff asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“No worries, at least I can still hear your voice.”

“It’s still comforting over the phone I suppose.” Anna replied.

“I know you’re bummed, Anna. You don’t have to pretend like everything is okay all the time.” Kristoff said softly.

“It’s supposed to be everything I wanted, and it is, I’m just missing you. I sketch so many couples in my sketchbook all the time, but sometimes I think I just really wish you were here.”

“I know.” Kristoff replied, “Hey I gotta go. I have to get up a little early tomorrow. Have to get to the airport for business.”

“Oh. Okay. I love you.” Anna felt her shoulders slump.

“I love you too. Keep your chin up, alright?”

“Okay, talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

She was tired, and figured she’d browse the Farmer’s Market tomorrow before dropping off the art she to her commissioner.

- She carefully packed her backpack with the pieces delicately wrapped in paper so they did not get ruined on travel. She slung the bag onto her back and headed out.

Anna loved the Farmer’s Market and often drew inspiration from the people she met while she was there. It also was a place she could pick up a couple items she loved but couldn’t find anywhere else. Fresh ground coffee from Mr. Galiant and his wife, Bread hand kneaded by her friend Amy, and some fresh fruits she couldn’t find at a lower price anywhere else in the city.

After collecting her items, she headed to the building of the commissioner to drop off the art. She had specifically requested it be brought to her office address, which Anna had not problem delivering to.

“Good Morning Ms. LeFleur, I brought the art you commissioned.” Anna spoke to the box on the outside of the building.

“Ah, yes! Perfect, I will let you in!” The woman responded.

Anna was always nervous about delivering commissions, afraid to see the recipient’s reaction when they saw the piece. She had had all positive reactions so far, but she was worried that any time now might be the time the recipient hates it.

As she handed the wrapped piece to Ms. LeFleur, she carefully removed the paper protecting it. Ms. LeFleur looked at the painting for a long time, and said nothing.

Anna bit her lip, not sure if she should just run from the room now.

“It’s so beautiful. Thank you so much Anna. It’s a gift for my husband, for our home. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“Thank you.” Anna blushed, “I’m glad you like it. I do have to get going.”

“Oh of course! Thank you for bringing it here.” Ms. LeFleur smiled.

Anna smiled and waved as she headed to the park.

She sat on the subway, trying to mind her own business. She couldn’t help but notice a couple holding hands and sitting close together, enjoying the ride. She glanced over the see a man with his hand around a woman as they held one of the handrails.

Anna got up at her stop and pushed through people to get out and above ground. She hurried to the corner to cross the street before the timer ran out. As she walked quickly, she walked along side a couple pushing a stroller with a baby in it. The baby squirmed in the stroller and reached up for its mother as the mother pushed the stroller along.

She took her usual bench in the park, across from a kiosk that sold coffee and in the winter, roasted chestnuts.

Anna pulled out her sketchbook, thinking about all the people she had seen at the Farmer’s Market, on the subway, and here in the park. Today, none of them interested her. She had something else on her mind.

Her hand began to move and sketch across the page, the curves and edges so familiar to her. She didn’t need to look right at it, because she knew.

Her pencil brought the page to life, his strong jawline, his nose, the messy curl and wave to his hair. She knew it all from memory. Anna leaned over her sketchpad to look closely at the details and the shading she was working on. She wanted it just right.

Her copper hair fell into her eyes, she had neglected to braid it this morning. She pushed it back, trying to keep its annoyance from distracting her.

She bit her lip in concentration, trying to get his nose just right, and to capture the love in his warm brown eyes.

“Excuse me, Miss?” a voice broke her concentration.

She was almost afraid to look up. Working in public spaces had its downsides, mothers looking at her like she had nothing better to do, perverted men asking her what she was drawing and making suggestions, people asking her to show them what she was working on.

Anna sighed and looked up.

She was greeted by warm brown eyes and a grin she would recognize anywhere. Her mouth gaped as she stared at him and then down at her sketchbook.

His hands were neatly tucked behind his back as he smiled at her.

“Kristoff?” Anna said in disbelief, “But what are you doing here?”

He laughed, “I had a meeting with a buyer in the city this morning, so I figured I’d spend the afternoon with my beautiful girlfriend.”

Anna placed her sketchbook on the bench and jumped up, throwing her arms around his neck. She had missed him, the way she had to stand on her tiptoes when she kissed him, how his skin carried a fresh scent, how he had a curl on the nape of his neck that no matter what he did it still misbehaved.

She kissed him, and kissed his cheeks, and his nose. He laughed as he held her and she buried her face in his chest. “I can’t believe you’re here, and you’re real.” She murmured.

“That I am.” He laughed.

She pulled away from him for just a moment, and he stepped back. “Remember when you told me the stories of all the couples you see in the park together?”

Anna nodded.

“I thought you might like these.” He smiled and pulled out a bouquet of sunflowers from behind his back.

Anna clasped her hands over her mouth and looked at him, and then down at the bouquet. “Kristoff these are my favorite!” She cried, reaching out to touch them.

“I know.” He laughed.

She took the bouquet and brought it up to her nose to smell the flowers. Anna smiled and then looked at Kristoff.

His head was cocked and he was trying to look at her sketchpad on the bench. “That’s really good, he’s a pretty handsome fellow.”

Anna blushed and picked up the sketchpad to show him the drawing the right way up.

Kristoff smiled at her, “Didn’t need a model for that one, did you?”

“I get to have this model every day of my life, so it’s not surprising I could draw it from memory.” Anna laughed nervously.

“It’s good, I like it.” He smiled.

“Are you hungry? You must be! Come, I’ll show you the best place to eat in the city. It has a patio and we can people watch, it’ll be so much fun!” Anna cried.

Kristoff laughed as she slung her bag over her shoulder and carried the bouquet in her free arm. She took his hand and led him out of the park and to the street corner.

He held her hand in a tight grip, not wanting to let her go. It had only struck him how hard being long distance had really been for them, especially for Anna. He had all their friends and his family back home, but she was completely on her own. It was no wonder she was so eager to show him the city and all her favorite places.

After a filling meal, Anna took him back to her studio apartment. He remembered this place from when he had helped Anna move. It was small and tight, but he could tell Anna had done her best to try to make it feel like home. Fairy lights twinkled above her bed, and he noticed many photos of them together around the room.

“I like what you’ve done with the place.” He said softly.

“It’s still not as I would like it, and it’s still cramped, but it works.” Anna gave him a weak smile. “When do you go back?”

“I booked a flight for tomorrow afternoon. Since I’m here I might as well spend all the time I can with you.” Kristoff shrugged.

Anna smiled, “Make yourself at home.”