Hi! I see your requests are open and I was wondering if you’d be able to write something about V with a s/o who’s really into music?
Like, they know a LOT of history and compositional techniques and can sing in several different languages and are just absolutely enamored with the fact that he managed to snag a juke box and most likely has a museum-worthy collection of sheet music and original manuscripts?
you’re like the one of five people on tumblr who write for V and I am DYING of thirst and you write for him so, so well—
Tags: Platonic fluff, pre relationship, mid canon, mostly canon compliant, soft V, first meetings, office drone reader, themes of escapism, reader sorta takes Evie's place here, academia vibes, gender neutral reader, no use of y/n
A/N: WHEW I'm so sorry it took me a bajillion years to get arounfd to this- I kept trying to write for V and just wasn't able to channel his fancy aura. I ended up backtracking and doing more of a first meeting/first impressions of the Gallery standpoint. I Hope you enjoy this!!
For @true--north 🩵❄️ We made it! I really hope you enjoyed this story and the wait was worth it. Special thanks to @annaofthenorthernlights for your support along the way 🩵
Frozen (c) Disney. Fanfic and fanart created by @sunflowers-and-sandwiches, please do not use without permission.
“Are you sure you won’t eat something?” Elsa glanced at the untouched breakfast tray she and Olaf had brought up to Anna’s room after noticing her sister’s lack of usually ravenous appetite in the dining room earlier that morning, the day before Christmas.
Lost in her own thoughts, Anna couldn't hear her. Instead she rustled restlessly through her dressing table looking for her red and green Yuletide accessory to pin up her hair.
“I just want to be ready. Kristoff promised he’d be home by Christmas Eve.”
Anna stayed focused on her task, trying to keep a brave face, masking the lines of doubt that had intruded her mind during a restless night's sleep. Unable to find the accessory in the vanity, Anna redirected her search towards her bedside table. Pushing aside the torn strap of her bag, Anna's personal flurry came to a sudden halt when her finger tips touched something metallic. The compass. She picked it up gently and opened the case to see the needle pointing north, steadfast and unwavering. She traced the familiar engraving ‘Follow Your Heart’. Her chest grew tight. She knew she was doing the right thing by staying, even though her feet wanted to run. As the pad of her finger lingered and her focus returned, she felt another indent below the elegant script, dulled by years of tarnish, that she hadn’t noticed before. She cleaned it with the tip of her sleeve and peered intently as the hidden inscription appeared. ‘~A’
“A?” Anna murmured to herself, holding her mothers compass. “Agnarr? Father? Father gave this to mother? Follow Your Heart.” She thought about the woven bands hanging in Elsa’s wardrobe. And something about those books and documents in Iduna’s trunk made her senses tingle. “Mother never gave up on Elsa—and I’ll never give up on Kristoff!”
“Or my buddy Sven!” Olaf added. “I bet he can’t wait to rest his hooves in a dry warm stable. When they get back I’m sure that’s the first thing he’ll do.”
“That’s right! Kristoff would always settle Sven first before coming to the castle. I can’t just wait here doing nothing!” With that Anna snapped the compass closed and draped the chain around her neck, tucking it under her dress. Forgetting about her hair, Anna blew past Elsa and Olaf on her way to the stables, the wooden door hung open, shuddering in her wake. Olaf caught his carrot and readjusted his nose.
“Wow! Sudden departures are really her thing!”
Elsa shrugged.
“Here we go again,” she sighed.
~~~
After pelting through the castle courtyard, Anna reached the royal stable, that usually housed their reindeer friend, in no time. Noticing the door was closed she slowed hesitantly and realised that the snow before it remained undisturbed. Still hopeful, she let herself in, the soft morning sun rays following her into the stagnant gloom. Gathering her bearings, she placed her hand on the cold stone wall and followed it, peering into the dark recess of the stable where the light couldn’t reach. Searching. Hoping. Wishing.
“He’s not here,” Anna finally admitted, sinking onto the closest bale of hay. “But he’ll come home—and when he does, I’ll be here.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and rested them in the palms of her hands. Gathering all her faith despite the empty stable that engulfed her, she whispered to herself. “He’ll come home.”
~~~
Kristoff wiped the snow from his eyes and looked again, relieved yet disbelieving. The sun had just risen over Arendelle, its light casting a pink blush across the sky. Just like the morning that he had turned his back on the town, on Anna, but this time his heart was filled with hope and possibility.
Sven slowed to a walk as they reached the bridge that joined the village and the castle, his hooves clip-clopping across the snow dusted cobblestones. With a ruffle of the reindeer’s withers, Kristoff dismounted and walked beside his friend, inhaling through his nose and taking a deep breath of the salty fjord air. The gates were open, the stable door only a few steps away. He was home.
~~~
Clutching Elsa’s hand, Olaf scurried after his Queen, excited but confused.
“What are we doing?” he tittered like a curious child. “And why are you carrying Anna’s sash?”
“It’s Kristoff’s sash, and we’re taking it to Anna. She'll want to give it to him as soon as he arrives,” Elsa stated, picking up her pace. “We’ll wait for him with her, together. She doesn’t have to be alone.”
Olaf wanted to believe her, but growing older had made him less naive.
“Do you really think they survived that storm?”
“Have faith, little snowman,” Elsa reassured softly. Her summer-like smile warmed his demeanour and he skipped ahead, keen to reach the stable to wait for their friends. But just before they reached the threshold, Olaf suddenly stopped and let out a stifled shriek. Crouching next to him, Elsa put a concerned hand on his back.
“Olaf, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
Olaf pointed one shaking twig arm towards the stable ahead of them.
“G—G—GHOST!”
Only a few steps away stood the large form of a man with his back turned to them, completely white. Elsa wrinkled her nose sceptically.
“Uh, Olaf…I think that’s Kristoff.”
“Kristoff is a ghost!” Olaf struck out an arm to hold Elsa back then stomped determinedly up to figure—and kicked him in the shin.
“Ow! Hey!” Shedding snow across the floor, the man turned around abruptly. He pulled his bandana down off his face, revealing the freckled cheeks, curved nose and scrunched mouth of Kristoff’s clearly annoyed expression.
“Ohhh! Nope!” Olaf turned back to the door with his hand held to the side of his mouth. “He’s an actual real live person! Never mind!” Kristoff looked up to see Elsa just outside, who giggled with relief, and delicately waved her fingers. Awkwardly he held up a hand to return the greeting before turning back to Olaf, his features painted with total bewilderment.
“Hi Kristoff,” greeted Olaf, back to his normal chipper self.
“Uh, hi... Talk about a frosty receptio—“
STOMP! A boot slammed down onto Kristoff’s foot.
“AUGH! And what was that one for?” Foot still pegged down, he turned to see Anna breathing heavily with her hands on her hips and a look that could freeze his heart in seconds.
“That,” — Anna seethed —“was for leaving the way you did!” Quickly her resolve began to shatter as tears glistened in her eyes and her shoulders shook. Barely able to stand any longer, she staggered forward, desperately grabbing Kristoff’s collar and pulling his face to hers.
“And this,”—she sobbed, hot tears now in rivers down her cheeks— “is for coming back alive.” With a force that made him stumble backward, Anna’s mouth collided with Kristoff’s in a deep and passionate kiss. His arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her closer and dissolving any space between them.
After a long, lingering moment the lovers reluctantly parted lips to catch their breath. Transfixed by the look of pure love and joy in her eyes, Kristoff tucked a lock of hair behind Anna’s ear to better see her face. Since the last time he saw her, he had thought he’d never get to hold her like this again and studied her face, reliving every memory of it, but then realised something was different about her.
“Oh!” he baulked. “Your hair!”
Anna’s eyes widened and she nearly choked on the incredulous laugh that escaped her.
“You just survived a snowstorm—you should see your hair!” she retorted.
Kristoff’s eyes crinkled as he chuckled affectionately as the spark of her internal fire rose up Anna’s face.
“I mean you’re wearing it out.”
Realising she’d never finished putting up her hair, Anna twirled a loose lock around her fingers and bit her lip.
“Does it look bad?”
“No,” Kristoff assured, running his fingers down the same lock and gently touching her hand. “I like it.”
Something else was different about her. About him too. Kristoff swallowed, steadying himself for all that he needed to tell her. Before he could organise his thoughts, Olaf toddled up with a bundle of warm-hued cloth and held it out to Anna. Surprised to see the snowman, Anna gratefully took the fabric, then both her and Kristoff turned to see where their little friend had come from.
“Elsa!” they exclaimed. Trying not to distract their attention, Elsa nodded with a soft smile and beckoned Olaf back to her, embracing him in a warm hug. With an enthusiastic clattering of hooves, Sven bounded over to them and joined the embrace. Elsa winced even though she was happy—his jowls were wet with water after quenching his thirst in the fountain, too impatient with thirst to wait for his stable trough to be filled. The reindeer eagerly licked Olaf all over like a living snowcone.
“Sven! Buddy!” Olaf giggled. “Ooh hoo hoo! That tickles!”
Anna was pleased to see her family reunited, but a more pressing matter dragged her attention back to Kristoff.
“I know you don’t want me to buy you gifts, and I can respect that now. But please. Let me apologise for the way we last said goodbye. Let me give this to you.” In two hands Anna offered the gift to Kristoff, who graciously accepted without hesitation. Kristoff looked down at the sash he held in his broad palms and traced the edge of the woven pattern with his thumbs. Sunbeams streamed through the doorway into the dim stable, the soft light reflecting off the golden threads that tightly held the motif of sheaves of wheat. “Something that you can take with you when you have to leave, and remind you that I’ll always be here for you, waiting for you to come home.”
Unable to speak, Kristoff’s eyes drifted back up to meet Anna’s, her face as soft and generous with endearment as their moment in the fields, the last scene in his visions.
“Do you like it? I made it! With my own hands!” Anna bounced on her toes, thrilled he had accepted her gift crafted with care and dedication. The swell of excitement sent forth a wave of rambling. “Well, Elsa helped. She helped a lot. She taught me how to weave! It’s not perfect, but I wove you a new sash! Can you believe it?!”
“You did all this for me?” Kristoff stuttered, finally finding his voice. “But why?”
Anna stopped bouncing and draped her hands over the sash to reach Kristoff’s fingers, her skin brushing against his with a feather touch. She looked earnestly into his eyes, no trace of doubt or fear lingering within her.
“Because I love you.”
Kristoff's smile wobbled as his brows crinkled together over his shimmering honey eyes.
“Thank you. Me too,” he whispered hoarsely. “I mean I do.” Kristoff cleared his throat and grasped Anna’s hands through the soft fabric between them. “I love you too.” His heart flickered with the beat of a hundred butterflies' wings, and this time he was unable to contain them. “Anna, I don’t ever want us to be torn apart again—but not by me stopping you, from anything.”
“Oh Kristoff. I’m so sorry,” Anna gushed, sympathetic to his internal struggle. “I was so caught up in what I wanted, that I was blind to what you needed— space to live your own life too. Room to breathe. I finally understand.”
Kristoff leaned in closely to her as he freed an arm and pulled her nearer to him. A fire burned in his heart like never before. All his instincts wanted to protect her, but never to control her or smoulder the feisty spirit he loved. Loving one with an indomitable spirit was not for the faint of heart.
“You need those things too Anna. Someone like you, you deserve every wish your heart makes. I don’t want to take that from you—I want to give you what you need to achieve those dreams. I don’t want you to dim your light, just so you can be with me—I wanna be by your side through everything, even if it scares me. I guess I was so worried about losing you, I pushed you away. I’m sorry too. I guess I’m a bit of a fixer upper after all, but I can fix this.”
Anna’s lip trembled but her focus on him did not waiver.
“You don’t need to fix anything, Kristoff.” She gestured to the space among them. “Between us, we’ve got everything we need to make this work—because in here, I promise you, we’ve got that part right.” Anna tapped her chest, the metallic sound of the compass hanging around her neck dulled by the fabric of her dress. Kristoff’s head tipped to the side in curiosity. Sheepishly Anna pulled the compass up by the chain from below her collar.
“It was in my bag that morning. The only thing that survived when it broke. It was my mother’s. I think father gave it to her. On the inside it’s inscribed ‘Follow Your Heart’. It helped me keep faith in us, in you, and that you’d make it home.”
“I’m so glad to be home, Anna,” His palm cupped her face tenderly. “The star that guided me was you.” Then he slipped his fingers in his tunic, retrieved the gift he’d kept safe there, close to his heart, and held it out to Anna. “I wanted to give this to you too. You and I, our lives and hearts are intertwined. Think of this as a token of my love, and that no matter how far apart in this world we have to be, you’ll always have me.”
“Oh Kristoff!” Anna gasped. “A new strap for my bag?” Almost disbelieving she followed the wheat pattern with the tip of her finger and smiled to herself, as if the threads of the band had woven around her heart. She looked up at him with doe eyes and he all but closed the gap between them, his breath warm against her rouge cheeks.
“Turns out I can learn something new too, with a little help.”
“You learned to weave too? But how?”
“For you Anna, I’ll always find a way.” He pulled back a little as he reached behind his head to rub his neck awkwardly. “And uh, the trolls may have had something to do with it.” Anna giggled knowingly—the love experts!
“There’s something else,” Kristoff continued seriously. “You’ve embraced me as I am and welcomed me so generously into your world—I want to invite you into mine. Anna, will you join me in the mountains?”
Anna not only bounced, but squealed, her hands flying to her mouth.
“Oh Kristoff!”
“Uh uh uh!” he chuckled. “There are conditions. First we start small in the favourable weather then we’ll work our way up to harvesting season.” Anna nodded feverishly but tried to contain herself. She was going to be a wild woman! “To survive in the wilderness requires some essential skills, so you’ll need these too.” From his trusty tattered sash he pulled the last of his hidden necessities, a set of steel and flint, and placed it in her hand. “Along with that compass, some tools to get you started. And just like how you showed me how to use the correct knife and fork, I’ll teach you how to use them. I’ll teach you everything I know and then I’ll know you’ll be safe out there. I’ll know I can trust you to trust yourself. You up for it?”
Too excited for words Anna bounced up on her toes again with another kiss. Kristoff laughed into her lips, accepting her approval, and returned her kiss, all the passion of the last few days spilling forth.
“Thank you Kristoff. You have no idea what this means to me. Eee, we’re going to have so many adventures together! Oh oh, and…” Anna poked her finger into his chest, summoning all her royal command. “As the Official Royal Ice Master and Deliverer, Arendelle once again calls you to duty, as a formal representative in the service of furthering our kingdom's ice trade on the international forum.”
“International?” One of Kristoff's brows quirked. “You mean travel? Beyond Arendelle? I’ve never really…”
“You’d be with me and Elsa and Olaf. Sven could come too! If you want to, that is…”
“I do!” he answered quickly leaving no room for doubt, then his voice trailed cautiously. “I guess I’m just a little nervous.”
Anna tilted her head playfully.
“It would be your duty!”
“Well, when you put it like that!” he grinned. The thought of ‘duty’ snapped Kristoff out of his building daydream and sudden panic gripped his chest. “Wait! The team, the other harvesters—did they all make it back safe?”
“Oh sure they did.” Anna waved her hand like fleeing a mountain during a raging snowstorm was no big deal. “With Tor they were in safe hands.” Kristoff let out a rush of air in relief and a smile returned to his face. “He’ll be so thankful you returned in one piece. Though, you know, he never doubted you. Someone’s gotta tell him!”
Anna squeezed Kristoff’s elbows and looked around him to smile excitedly at her sister. Kristoff followed her gaze and nodded appreciatively to Elsa. Elsa returned the gesture and smiled back with mutual enthusiasm.
Elsa's smile disappeared just as quickly as a thought suddenly occurred to her. She looked around the otherwise empty entrance to the stable and asked hesitantly.
“Uh, Kristoff… Where is your sleigh?”
His shoulders drooped.
“Ugh. Don’t ask.”
“Another disaster?” Anna inquired, biting her lip.
“They come in threes,” he shrugged with a deflated sigh.
Anna stood tall and determined.
“I’ll help you find it!” At that moment her stomach growled hungrily. “But right now I need to find some breakfast.”
“Yes! Please! I’m starving!” Kristoff agreed.
“It’s never too early for krumkake!” Anna gripped her strap tightly and whipped out her other hand to grip Kristoff’s wrist. She turned to drag him in the direction of the village but just as she went to take a step, she stopped. Instead she stood side by side with Kristoff, threading her arm through his. “May we?” she asked demurely.
“We may,” Kristoff smiled at her with a mischievous glint in his eye and bumped her shoulder with his biceps. “Just watch out for poles this time!”
Anna’s expression flashed with excitement and without another word she took off in a flurry of footsteps through the snow, Kristoff laughing joyfully in tow across the bridge.
Elsa shook her head gently and chuckled.
“Some things never change.”
Olaf held out his twig and slipped it into Elsa’s fingers.
“Like the feel of your hand in mine.”
Along with Sven they walked a little way behind Anna and Kristoff, giving them space, yet knowing they would be together again soon. The soft winter sun above embraced them with its welcome warmth at the beginning of a new day, a new adventure. Elsa squeezed the little snowman’s hand as they headed towards Arendelle, their town, their home.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Characters: Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Additional Tags: Making Up, Reconciliation, Developing Friendships, could be read as platonic if you want, But it's me, You Know What I'm About, Talking Link (Legend of Zelda), No Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Series: Part 44 of Standalone Zelda Fics
Summary:
After the Yiga attack, Zelda finally decides to sort out her feelings and try to make things right with Link.
Despite how busy he is planning for his eventual demise and staring tragically into the distance, Shen Qingqiu has a surprising amount of free time during the years Luo Binghe is in the Abyss.
Naturally, he spends this time taking advantage of his otherworldly knowledge in order to inflict terrible merchandise on the general population.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
Byakuya Togami and Genocider Syo get locked in the cafeteria together overnight. Byakuya begins to understand Syo not as a force of nature, but as a person.
A Genocider Syo character study I did which includes friendship, Monokuma Theatre, mutual understanding with Byakuya and a bunch of discourse on food inside the killing game. Thank you to my lovely girlfriend @narutosux for helping me proofread this fic and for support! This is a free ‘commission’ (read: gift) for @matrioshka, I hope you like it!
Rated T. See master post for tags. For @true--north 🩵❄️
Frozen (c) Disney. Fanart and fan fiction by @sunflowers-and-sandwiches, please do not use without permission.
Anna awoke in the middle of the night with a shiver. A cold breeze whistled into the room and had put out the fire. Next to her Olaf turned in his sleep but Elsa didn’t even stir—the cold never bothered her anyway. In the dim light Anna turned to look for the source of the chill. An old window latch had come loose in the wind and the glass shook as each gust passed through the open frame. Rubbing her upper arms to stay warm, Anna slipped out of bed and padded to the window. Before closing it she paused to look out at the unusual night sky. No moon, no stars, though low clouds as thick as soup had fallen over the entire kingdom, obstructing her view of the village and mountains beyond. She hoped Kristoff was safe out there. Turning back to see the finished sash draped over the end of the bed, Anna felt resolute in her faith he would return to Arendelle. He had to.
~~~
Kristoff yawned. Morning was just barely a hint on the horizon and he had stayed up all night finishing his gift for Anna. Gently he pulled the last line of weaving into place, the weft bringing everything together at last. He tied up all the loose threads and ran his fingers along the last two sheaves of wheat in the pattern. It hadn’t been easy, it wasn’t perfect, but he’d finished it and at last he had something to share and be proud of.
His fingers tingled, but he shook the feeling away, dismissing it as the consequence of repeating the same movements over and over again. His hand ventured to his waist, where he found the knife he wore concealed there, and cut the threads that tied the loom to him free.
A sharp gust of wind blew through his hair, rustling the blonde strands and sending his hat flying. He reached over to pick it up but as his fingers touched the fabric an agonising shock flashed through them and his knuckles gripped white in burning pain. His yelp was blown away by another blast of wind and instead muffled screams coming from the campsite filled his ears. Sven awoke and bellowed upwards. Kristoff’s head snapped up and instead of the lingering stars of pre-dawn, the sky was filled with the presence of a dark and ominous cloud that was hurtling up the mountain straight towards them. One look at his team’s panicked faces as they found their ways out of their tents was all Kristoff needed to spring into action. With a well aimed slice, he cut his reindeer free of the loom and shoved the freshly finished woven strap down his tunic. Safe against his heart, the hope it stood for would have to wait.
As the wind quickened, so did Kristoff—directing his team and helping to hastily load the essential kit into the sleighs and hitch the horses with terrified eyes flashing. He slapped the back of the last sleigh signalling they were good to go and dashed back to his own camp, incoming sleet piercing his bare skin. Tor ran across, his thick brown beard now white with snow, and began to pull out the tent pegs from the frozen ground with his bare hands.
“Don’t worry about me!” Kristoff yelled above the roaring gale. “Just get everyone out of here!” Tor opened his mouth to argue but the look of determination on Kristoff’s face made him think twice. “Take them home, and don’t look back!” Tor shut his mouth and hesitated, staring deeply into his once-apprentice’s eyes then nodded resolutely and fled for the departing sleighs. Luckily Kristoff travelled light and he heaved the tent and the cooking pot into his sleigh just as the slapping of reins, yelling of men and braying of horses momentarily rose above the squall.
Sven scuffed the ground with his hooves as he waited restlessly at the front of the sleigh. Kristoff pushed his shoulder into his friend’s side as he fastened the harness to him, tugging it to check it was secured.
“It’s alright buddy. I’m here. And we’re going back to Anna.” With a quick reassuring pat to the withers, Kristoff leapt into the seat of the sleigh and grabbed the reins. “Yah, Sven! Yah!”
The reindeer took off following the wake of the team ahead of them. Soaked with sweat and sleet, Kristoff took one last glance over his shoulder at the remains of the campsite. Morning’s sunrays obscured by a heavily clouded sky, something glinted next to where Kristoff’s tent had been and his heart plummeted. His mallet. He’d mended it the night before but his sleep-deprived mind had forgotten to return it to its rightful place. And it wasn't just a mallet, it was the mallet Tor had given him when he’d first accepted him as his apprentice and taken him under his wing as something like a son.
“Damn it!” Kristoff cursed himself for his uncharacteristic lapse. Hauling the reins he turned Sven about and drove the sleigh head on into the blizzard. The whites of Sven’s eyes flashed as he looked back and moaned at his friend, begging him to turn around. ‘It’s fine,’ Kristoff’s racing thoughts justified. ‘We’ll make it! Just grab the mallet and get out fast!’
As they reached the smouldering campfire, Kristoff leapt out of the seat and took a few stumbling steps, hitting the ground hard. Panicked, Sven continued to run, but still had just enough sense to swing the sleigh around hoping to rendezvous with his friend on the return trip. Snow from the sleigh's runners showered Kristoff as he grabbed the mallet, tucked it into his sash and ran to catch up. Just as his mitten gripped the wood of the dash, the sleigh came to a sudden skidding halt and Kristoff tumbled backwards into the snow.
Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining, an icy force both foul and unfair turned the world around them instantly white. Kristoff scrambled to get up and place a calming hand on Sven’s hindquarters, patting the opaque wall of weather before him to find his frightened friend. Desperately he looked around but everything was obscured by snow and sleet. Holding onto hope he listened for the distant sound of hoof beats and yelling but the wind screamed in his ears, fractals of ice stung his face and panic began to rise in his throat. He tried to gulp it down but his breaths came too quick, too sharp. This truth he couldn’t run away from—he’d left it too late and missed his chance. He’d been left behind.
Images of Anna flashed before his eyes, remembering the look on her face that morning that he had urged Sven up the mountain, departing in a spray of snow. A sob escaped him as his heart was crushed by his tightening chest. Is this how she had felt? His head shook wildly as he threatened the howling wind with his own roar of defiance. No! He couldn’t let that be her last memory of him! He needed to get back to Arendelle! He had to! But there was no way the reindeer would be able to pull the heavy sleigh through the storm, so he unshackled his friend leaving everything else behind.
With deliberately slow deep breaths he calmed himself enough to function and focused on finding a way out. The wind blew in gusts and gales but if he paid attention there was a pattern to them, and in the breaks were glimpses of distant green. Green meant trees and trees meant shelter. Grabbing Sven by the base of his closest antler, Kristoff began to take careful steps forward, slowly and steadily leading them towards their only chance of escape. Sven stumbled, the tempest hitting his broad side, threatening to throw them off course more than once, but at last they made it to the tree line. With eyes barely open, scrunched against the icy blizzard, Kristoff noticed a snowbank that had formed where some of the pines grew thick near the ground and steered Sven towards it.
The reindeer groaned as his aching body at last found respite from the terrifying conditions. The ground was uncomfortably hard, but at least the drift of snow blocked most of the chaos of weather. Kristoff pulled over some of the tree branches to create a makeshift shelter protecting them a little more and at last rested against the warm side of his friend, frozen to the core but still alive. Outside the storm raged on but for now they were safe.
“You’re okay, buddy. You’re okay,” Kristoff attempted to soothe his friend and himself. The reindeer huffed out of his nostrils into Kristoff’s snow-laden hair, returning the affection, then promptly smacked him in the head with his antler.
“Geez, some thanks!” Kristoff barked, rubbing above his ear. Sven gave him a disapproving glare and proceeded to scold him like a disobedient child.
“You give Anna a hard time about acting impulsively and then you ride into a snowstorm just to get back your hammer?!”
“Actually it’s a mallet but fine,” Kristoff shrugged him off, irritated. “So maybe I’m a little more sentimental than I thought.”
“You’re being reckless!” Sven shook his head. “If Anna were with you, you wouldn’t be doing stuff like this!”
Kristoff’s face grew red, “But I was right about it being too dangerous, wasn’t I?”
Sven peered at him seriously, frustrated with his indulgence in this self-torture but with an edge of pity.
“You got distracted because you left her behind and you can’t forgive yourself for it. It’s been keeping you awake, now you’ve made a big mistake!”
The words stung.
“Okay, okay!” Kristoff spat, his hands trembling. “I get it! It’s all my fault!”
Kristoff turned away sharply, concluding the argument as much as hiding the tears that brimmed in his eyes. He focused on the pine needles covering the exit, quivering in the eddy of the icy gales outside. A wave of anticipatory nausea washed over him—since he was being so reckless anyway—and then he lunged for the opening.
The rash decision bit him in the ass as the reindeer’s teeth pulled him back by the seat of his pants.
“Are you crazy?! What are you doing?” Sven baulked as Kristoff crouched at the edge of their precarious shelter, unyielding.
“You’ll be safe here until the storm passes.” Kristoff raised his open hand to show he was resolute in his decision, but his body shook. “I need to get back to Anna. I can’t let things end the way they did. I’d do anything for her, Sven—I would die for her!”
Sven rolled his eyes, “Very noble of you Lord Kristoff of Arendelle—but you can’t make things right with her if you’re dead. Can you face what you most fear? Will you live for her?”
Kristoff couldn’t fight the truth anymore. The battle within him lost, or won. His head felt heavy and he slumped sideways into the snowdrift. Bitter cold seeped into his bones as his arms and face pressed against the icy wall. Somewhere out there, the blizzard whooshed like white noise that felt further and further away. His eyes began to flutter closed and Kristoff succumbed to the darkness. Tired. Just so tired.
Pairing: Special Agent Dale Cooper/Sheriff Harry S Truman
Warnings: Mild language
Tags: Character study, completely made up lore for Truman, in between episodes, still technically canon compliant, Truman has feelings he just doesn't know it yet, ruminating, backstory, supernatural elements, pre-relationship, mid canon.
Summary: Truman ruminates on just how unlike a chihuahua Cooper is.
A/N: I will be adding a second chapter from Dale's perspective soon!!!
