"Elsa, dearest," Hans calls gently, shortly after she revealed the big news. "My love."

Elsa lets out a sigh, trying to conceal and not feel. There will be a huge change in their lives, and she can't really tell if she is ready for that.

"Hey." This time, he takes her hands in his. He offers her a smile, his thumb rubbing circles over her skin. "It's going to be okay."

"Hans," Elsa murmurs, her eyes fluttering open. "What if I become a terrible mother?"

Hans shifts to pull her closer, engulfing her in an embrace, one that brings her comfort. He nuzzles her thick blonde hair, before pressing a loving kiss to her temple. His hand moves to rub her back, trying to soothe her raging nerves. With her snuggling deeper into his chest, he rests his cheek on top of her head.

"I doubt," he lets out. "You will be a wonderful mum."

Elsa slowly looks up, pulling away from his chest without letting go of him. Her blue eyes are cloudy with doubts, but there's a hint of hope and confusion.

"Elsa." He kisses her forehead, cupping her slightly rounder cheek with his hand. "You may feel like you're not ready, but the truth is, no one is ever ready for this." He pauses to tuck some loose blonde strands behind her ear. "Even Anna wasn't ready when she learned abouther first pregnancy."

"How do you know?" She raises an eyebrow. "Were you both discussing about children when I was back at the Enchanted Forest?"

The Admiral smiles in response. "Elsa, do you think I'm blind?"

Elsa only blinks, trying to understand what he wants to say.

"I've noticed some changes in you, actually. You have become a bit," he pauses to find the right word, feeling his wife's curious blue eyes at him, "sensitive. Yes, that's the word. Remember the 'stomach flu' from last week? I don't think it's actually a stomach flu.

"You have also been eating more, and your clothes are getting tighter. Not that I'm saying you're getting fuller, of course."

If the former queen is triggered by the last sentence, she masks it really well. But if she wants to be honest, she adores how attentive and observant her husband can be.

"So you were talking to Anna about it? Does this mean she already knows?"

"I had no choice." Hans half shrugs. "And yes, Anna probably knows. You haven't been exactly subtle with your meeting with the royal physician either." He smiles. "Kristoff saw you."

Rolling her eyes, Elsa then scoffs, "I wonder if Gerda knows about it too."

"I won't be surprised." He chuckles, pulling her by the waist and settling her in his lap, her back is pressing against his chest.

For a while, none of them says anything. The dancing fire captives their attention as they get lost in their thoughts. But it's not long until her sigh breaks the serenity, and Hans presses another kiss to her head.

"We're in this together, Kaere." His hand finds hers, lacing their fingers together. He brings their joined hands up and pecks the back of her hand. "I promise you, I'll be there with you on every step you take, fulfilling the vow I've made on our wedding day. I'll walk beside you, and when the time comes, I'll walk beside you and our child, or children."

It's enough to bring a smile on her face. Her gaze softens, and she nods. "Thank you."

"I love you," he says, leaning in to capture her lips with his, not giving her a chance to answer.

She kisses him back with passion, slowly melting into his gentle caress. They don't pull away, instead, their foreheads press against each other, as they try to catch their breath.

"I love you," she murmurs, feeling reassured by his presence.

It's not his words nor it is his promise that she wants to hear. It is his presence, his steady heartbeats, and his warm palms that she yearns the most. For as long as he is close, everything is certain (at least to the both of them, it is).

—

I believe this is just another episode of I wanna edit but I don't have the skill. Now that I think about it, I should've chosen a different pose for Elsa, but oh well 😅 I hope the drabble makes up for the edit's quality, lol. Have a great weekend, everyone! 💞

From where he was standing, Hans could make out her form: she was sitting by the window with her head rested on her propped hand. Her gaze softened, looking ahead with something like a longing for the sea. The salty breeze blowing through the window didn’t make her flinch, instead, she closed her eyes as if she was embracing an old friend.

“What are you looking at, Hans?”

The question took him by surprise, and Hans decided to make his presence known. He leaned against the windowsill, green eyes never leaving her face. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing those piercing blue eyes that once looked at him with fear. Only now, it bore something like admiration, for he was her saviour.

He was enchanted, Hans was sure of that. The smile on her face had a certain effect on him—one that could bring him down to his knees, and he found himself smiling back.

“You.” Came his gentle reply.

Hans had no reason to be dishonest, well, except for one thing: the knowledge of her origin. Elsa can’t know about the coat, he thought, not this soon.

—