Jump Into the Fog

Someone Protect Me From the One I Love

Jump Into the Fog

Chapter 12

"Someone protect me from the one I love."

-

The last thing Anna ever wanted was to keep secrets from the people she loved.

This one in particular practically destroyed her, especially when her father told her not even her mother or Elsa could know. In a way it could be sort of fun—after all, she'd never really had anything in common with her father, aside from appearance. And when he'd wink at her during family dinners when her mother asked how she spent the day. She couldn't help but feel a bit warm inside.

When her parents died the secret hung in the air, and she wished she could talk to someone—someone like Elsa—but until now her sister had been a shut in. It wasn't a secret particularly like the one Elsa kept; the only reason Anna felt any shame about it was due to gender ethics, really.

So telling Kristoff, who was physically stronger than her in pretty much every way, was definitely going to be a challenge.

Over the next few weeks Anna started to get a bit of her strength back—she could walk normally again, bathe again, go outside after being cooped up inside for so long… The first thing she did when she finally walked out of Kristoff's little hut was give Olaf a warm hug and feed Sven a few carrots.

Pabbie checked up on her every day, asking her how she was faring and what she was doing. Kristoff's family pestered her with questions—particularly about any romantic romps—to which Anna neither confirmed nor denied, and same went with Kristoff's responses.

She loved Kristoff, of that she was certain. It didn't feel like being with Hans—with him it seemed perfect, almost too perfect—and with Kristoff there were ups and downs, butterflies and gentility, bear hugs that were too tight and kisses that didn't yet exist.

Anna wanted Kristoff to kiss her, but every time she trued to make a move he'd blush and mumble something while putting his attention on something else entirely. It wasn't really his fault; he had no idea how to act romantically. And Anna wanted to take things slowly this time, so she could wait if she needed to.

After all, one other person was taking up most of her thoughts: Elsa. Anna tried to plot and outsmart Hans, but everything she'd thought up was either too brash or too obvious.

No, in order to outsmart someone as slick and conniving as Hans, she had to think like him.

A few nights before Kristoff had been captured within the palace, Anna finally decided what she wanted to do.

Unfortunately, it involved telling Kristoff this secret. But, she told herself, if she really loved Kristoff, then she wouldn't keep anything from him. If she wanted to save Elsa and stop Hans, she would have to do it.

She decided to tell him over dinner. As usual, Kristoff made soup (as it was easy and didn't require too much), and Anna ate it on her makeshift hay mattress (which was way more comfortable than she originally imagined), Kristoff beside her. They usually ate in either silence or over mundane conversation, but this time Anna had so much to tell him.

"I came up with a plan," she suddenly announced, and Kristoff looked up, intrigued. He'd asked about that a few times…

"What is it?" he asked, and looking into his warm eyes Anna could tell he'd do as she asked.

"I'm not strong enough as of now, so I'm going to ask a favor of you."

"Anything, Anna," he promised with a stern nod.