Sleepless - Epilogue
Kristanna Modern AU
Rated: MA
WC: 1699
Chapter Index
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2:02 am
Kristoff yawned and sat up. He felt the weight of exhaustion like a heavy blanket draped over his shoulders.
He was awake at around eleven at night and two in the morning, without fail. More often than not, he was awake at four as well, and other times he was able to remain asleep until five. He had had so many sleepless nights in the past month that he felt like a zombie again.
A very happy zombie, but a zombie nonetheless.
“I’ll get him,” Anna mumbled beside him, although she didn’t move.
“Go back so sleep, Anna, I’ve got him this time. You’ve been up with him twice already.”
“Hmmm, thanks Kristoff.”
Kristoff leaned over and kissed her cheek, then got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt. He retrieved a bottle of milk that Anna had pumped during the day and set it to warm up in hot water before he went back down the hall to the baby’s room.
“Hi little man,” Kristoff whispered as he leaned over the crib and gently lifted his infant son from it. He went about changing his diaper and grabbing a few burp clothes before getting the milk and settling himself in a chair that he used to lament sitting in at two in the morning. Now he smiled to himself, still in awe of how wonderful life could truly be.
Even though him and Anna were tired beyond anything they had ever experienced – well Anna was for sure – they would not trade a minute of sleep for the beautiful little boy they had created. It had only been a month, but Anna was already talking about when the timing would be right to have baby number two. If missing out on sleep scared Kristoff, he might suggest waiting a good amount of time, but as it was, these were the happiest sleepless nights in his entire life.
Him and Anna both stole away and napped as often as they could. Mostly on weekends when the baby went down for a nap. Anna did the same during the day, so when Kristoff came home, he would grab a quick nap, help Anna make a quick dinner, then they would enjoy their new family life until bedtime. They were making it work even if there were always dirty dishes in the sink and the house hadn’t been dusted or vacuumed in weeks. In fact, that had been one of the best pieces of advice they had received – ‘enjoy your little one, the housework can wait.’
Kristoff knew as soon as Milo started sleeping through the night that their normal lives would resume. He did not wish that time to come sooner than it needed, however. He was absolutely loving living in the moment and would enjoy it as long as he possibly could.
It was hardly any time before Milo was asleep again. Kristoff gently laid him back in his crib and snuggled back in his own bed beside Anna. She shifted in her sleep and curled herself next to him. Despite being tired, Kristoff could not get back to sleep. He hadn’t thought about the troubles he used to have in so many years, but tonight they were very much in the forefront of his mind.
He let the thoughts come. It was Saturday and he could nap later if he needed to. It was probably a good thing to finally sort through all the emotions he had been brushing off. The last two years had certainly been a whirlwind.
Anna had moved into his house a couple days after they confessed that they loved each other. It was a spur of the moment thing. Anna mentioned to Kristoff that she was going to spend a little time after her first couple day shifts, unpacking a few more boxes that she’d been neglecting. Kristoff had looked at her and without hesitation, suggested leaving them packed for when they moved in together. Anna’s eyes lit up before he even realized what he said, saving him from worrying about making a mistake or her thinking it was moving too fast. No, there was no mistake. Anna was delighted to live with him and he was delighted to live with her. Five minutes later they had both decided to move into Kristoff’s place since the house had one extra bedroom and a slightly more private back yard, instead of finding a new house. They could always move later if they wanted or needed something bigger.
Two weeks later and Kristoff was sleeping eight hours a night, every night, with Anna at his side. Even when she went to visit her sister for a week – something she had planned well before meeting Kristoff – he still slept just as well. It certainly affirmed what he believed, that Anna had been the key to breaking his curse no matter what the future held back then. Even if they had remained only friends, or simply parted ways, she had given him his life back.
The night Anna got home after her visit with her sister, Kristoff listened to her talk about what a wonderful time she had over dinner as her eyes sparkled at him, and he came to a very abrupt realization. As soon as she was finished her story, he slid from his chair, got down on one knee beside her, and asked her to marry him. He felt a little silly that he didn’t have a ring, but Anna squashed that doubt very quickly by throwing herself into his arms and giggling ‘yes’ over and over as she planted kisses all over his face.
The next day they went down a jewelry store and Anna picked out a ring. It was a hell of a lot more fun and less stressful than Kristoff trying to figure out what Anna would like on his own. As it turned out, the ring she picked is exactly what he would have if it were him trying to choose it anyway.
They planned a very quick backyard wedding as there was only one window of opportunity for Anna’s sister to be able to fly in and attend. Neither of them had wanted anything grander anyway. Kristoff had his new best buddy Sven be his best man and Anna had her sister as the maid of honor. There was no one else but the four of them standing up at the alter with the Justice of the Peace. It was simple and quick, the way Kristoff and Anna had both wanted it.
The reception that followed was incredibly joyous. The party went rather late but none of the neighbours seemed to be bothered by their respectful level of noise. Perhaps it was because Kristoff had been as quiet as a mouse for so many years. Maybe his life was being watched from a darkened living room sometimes. If it was him, he had to admit that he would certainly feel happy that someone so broken could be fixed and finally find some peace.
A month later they were finally able to book some corresponding time off work and they took their honeymoon. It was two wonderful weeks spent exploring Scotland. Neither of them had wanted a beach detitanation where there was noting to do but lounge by a pool. They had the time of their lives exploring the country and vowed they would return with their kids someday.
It wasn’t until the last night of their honeymoon that Anna asked Kristoff during dinner if he ever wanted to open up an auto shop again. Kristoff looked into his wine as he swirled it around the glass and thought about it. He had been so content with everything in his life it hadn’t crossed his mind to entertain the option of going back to his dream job. In that moment though it did strike a but of a chord with him. He told Anna he would absolutely peruse it, but in time. For the moment, he was more than happy to live his current life. His newfound vigor gave him a huge boost of work ethic for his maintenance job that did not go unnoticed. He was soon given a supervisory roll and a raise to go along with it. Kristoff loved working on cars, but the hours were sometimes very long when things didn’t go as planned on a build, which was more often than not. For now, he was happy with his nine to five. It was consistent and it allowed him to spend time with his beautiful little family as much as possible. No, there was nothing he was actually willing to change at the moment. His life had truly never been so perfect.
Someday he would rebuild to be able to do the work he adored doing, but it was no longer his driving dream. His new passion in life was his family and the future that he was going to build with Anna, no matter what he did for a living.
The baby monitor suddenly filled with the sounds of shrill crying.
“Again?” Anna moaned. “Why is he so restless tonight?”
Kristoff looked at the clock. It was ten minutes to four. “Maybe he’s going through a bit of a growth spurt,” he said, and leaned over to kiss Anna on the cheek. “I’m still awake, I got this.”
“You okay?” Anna asked quietly.
Kristoff smiled in the dark. “I’m absolutely perfect, Anna. You rest. I’ll get him back down and then we’ll see how late he’ll let us sleep in.”
“I love you, Kristoff,” Anna mumbled, already drifting off.
“I love you too, Anna,” Kristoff whispered, and slipped his t-shirt back over his head.
He repeated the routine and was soon settled in his chair with his son, watching the street.
Mr. Douglas walked by with his little dog.
The first bus rumbled down the street.
The young couple jogged past, still smiling after two years.
Kristoff smiled at them all, sitting in his darkened living room. He thought that everything in his life had changed, but it seemed that some things were still the same.
For the time being, anyway.
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