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Waiting for Your Curtain Call - ch 1

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter 1: Your Show Last Night

Tags: Modern AU, Bodyguard AU, Popstar AU, KristAnna, human!Sven, Eventual Smut, Slowish Burn, Fluff, Bodyguard Kristoff, Popstar Anna, Popstar Elsa

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Kristoff Bjorgman was proud of his job. It was strange being in the limelight, but not all at the same time. Anna and Elsa Arendelle’s devoted fans knew him as Anna’s bodyguard. They knew Sven was Elsa’s too. He was on tabloids next to Anna, but he meant nothing to the picture. He was just there. Usually in black and with his shades over his honey-brown eyes. Kristoff had never had to be truly violent with anyone—not yet, at least. Anna and Elsa’s career as a sister-pop-princess duo was still growing, meaning the obsessive fans weren’t as psycho as others had to deal with.

What Kristoff couldn’t stand was the pompous boy-band prince that Anna was dating. The guy was obnoxious, stuck on himself, and not good enough for Anna, that was for sure. Sure, Kristoff may have been a little biased because he—well—may or may not have been crushing on the ginger girl for as long as he’s worked for the Arendelles…

But it wouldn’t work. The pop princess and her bodyguard? No way. Oh, but the fans ate up Anna dating Hans Westergaard. He was part of a boyband consisting of him and his twelve older brothers. Kristoff could barely keep up with boy groups of five, let alone thirteen. Hans seemed to be the weak link. The baby of the group. Which made him the “cute one” but apparently… not very talented. At least from what he heard. The guy could carry a tune, sure, but nowhere near what his brothers could. Kristoff was pretty sure he could show the guy up himself with a guitar.

Not that Kristoff was one to brag or anything.

But Hans made his job hellish and difficult. The last thing Kristoff wanted was to guard that twinky little weasel. When the guy was with Anna, Kristoff was obligated to look after them both. And it grinded his gears more than he could say.

He turned the corner, looking in every crevice of the concert hall unable to find Anna. She was supposed to leave the stage and return to her post. But as usual, when Hans was there… she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. When he checked in the audience, big surprise, Hans was no longer in his seat. Kristoff growled, clamping his palm down on Sven’s shoulder, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Where is Anna?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

Sven shrugged, brushing his hand from his shoulder. “I don’t know, man. You know how she gets when Hans is around.”

“I swear when I find them—”

Sven bumped him. “You’ll find her. Just don’t beat Hans to a bloody pulp. The guy’s face is all he’s got.”

Kristoff snorted at that before taking off to search the premises. He’d been checking the whole lot and she was nowhere to be seen. His blood boiled hotter every passing minute he couldn’t find her. If something actually happened to her and he didn’t know because of her little stunts like this, he’d never live with himself. Unsurprisingly, Anna wasn’t in her trailer after her portion of the concert either. Elsa was, however, when he went to check for Anna in hers.

“Can’t find her again?” the elder sister asked with a sympathetic smile.

He sighed. “She does realize she puts my job on the line every single time she does this, right?”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Hans is more important to her right now. He eats up all her attention.”

Kristoff chuckled at that. “You don’t like him either, huh?”

“Can’t stand him.”

Humming in agreement, he stepped out of her trailer. “If she gets in touch, please tell her I’m looking for her. I pray for both of them that I don’t find them first.”

Elsa waved a hand. “Good luck.”

As Kristoff left the door, Sven was standing by the trailer door. “Still nothing?”

“I’m going to break that little prick like a twig.”

His partner just laughed at that. “I don’t know if Anna would forgive for that one. This is her first relationship, after all.”

“I know. And she’s acting like an immature teenager!”

“Anna is eighteen.”

“And in the spotlight where she could be targeted by anyone!”

“Did you check the backstage dressing rooms? There’s one that’s unoccupied. Maybe they’re in that one.”

Kristoff frowned, not wanting to imagine what he could possibly find in that room. He had to suck it up, however. This was his job. And he wasn’t going to let that Backstreet Boy wannabe take it from him. There was no hiding his anger as he stomped back inside. One would think when someone is a special guest on a talk-show, they’d behave. But no. Not Anna.

Kristoff was almost entirely positive that Hans tagged along today so he could get his fifteen seconds in as he watched Anna from the audience. Because of course, he had special front row seats to watch his girlfriend. And of course, the host of the evening pointed out that Hans of Th1rt3n was there. Of course, of course, of course.

When he reached the “empty” dressing room, he heard shuffling from inside. Kristoff swung the door open, a scowl on his face. Oh, and what did he know! There were just the people he was looking for. Anna sat up on the dresser with Hans standing between her legs. Disheveled clothes, swollen lips, and tangled hair… It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the couple had been up to.

“Get out of there,” Kristoff sneered.

Hans just smirked, straightening his designer jacket before turning his attention back to Anna. His chin held high, he looked back at her with a lustful gaze. “I’ll call you later.”

Anna giggled at that. “Okay.”

The pop prince gave him a smarmy stink eye as he brushed past him with clear intent as his shoulder bumped against the blonde’s. Kristoff slammed the door behind him, arms crossed as he glared at her.

Seemingly unsure how to respond, Anna’s gaze flickered around the empty room. “Hey, Kristoff.”

“Do you know how much trouble you could get me into? Your father wants you under my watch at all times. You’re going to get me fired, Anna!”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Yes! Yes, you did! You know exactly what you’re doing sneaking away with him. This isn’t fun and games. You can head back to his mansion and do—whatever the fuck it is you want to do with him. But you can’t do it here. Not while I’m supposed to be protecting you!”

Anna scoffed, waving a hand to brush off his concerns. “Please, Kristoff, you don’t have to protect me from Hans.”

He gaped at her, then. “Yes, I do, Anna! That’s part of my job. One that I won’t have anymore if you keep doing this,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, brows pinching as he gazed at her. “We’re friends, aren’t we? We have to be there for each other.”

She hoped off the dresser then, a pleading puppy pout on her face. “Yes, yes! Of course, we are, Kristoff. I-I’m sorry… I know I haven’t been a very good friend to you. I know you’re trying to do your job. It’s just that Hans—”

“—Is very convincing, huh?” he finished.

Anna nodded. “I’ve never, ya know, been with a guy before. All of it is so… exciting and new? I’ve never had the rush of someone wanting to sneak off and spend time with me.”

This whole conversation had a bad feeling swirling in Kristoff’s gut. He was supposed to protect her. Physically, at least. It wasn’t his job to protect her heart… her emotions.

No matter how much he wanted to.

  o~o~o~o

  Kristoff took the heat from Agnarr after Anna’s disappearance. After watching him be shouted at, he hoped Anna may have had a change of heart. Especially with the guilt-stricken look etched on her face. She apologized over and over the next few days. Despite feeling a bit guilty himself, he couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied.

The next few months, however, still sucked ass as Hans became a frequent guest at the Adrendelle home and their events. After the talk show incident (and watching Kristoff get chewed out), Anna had been more aware of her surroundings and how her actions could affect other people, which he was grateful for. Hans did not share that sentiment.

Kristoff knew Hans seemed like a bit of a controller, but damn, he had underestimated that thought. He wasn’t sure if Hans was pissed that he’d interrupted their romp in the dressing room, if he could tell that Kristoff had feelings for Anna, or if he was just an asshole. Or if it was all three.

No matter which it was, the brat purposely tried to get under Kristoff’s skin as much as he could. And somehow, he’d still look like the innocent party. It was just little things he would do. Smart ass comments that would make Kristoff look stupid, tripping him—yes, tripping him like a grade school bully—but somehow made it look like an accident. It was annoying that he felt like he was back in high school. What was next from him? A “kick me” sign on his back? He wouldn’t put it past him.

And no matter what a pain in the ass he was. No matter how much he couldn’t stand the fucker. He never wanted it to end the way it had.

The cheating scandal broke on the tabloids first. None of Anna’s team, none of her friends… no one told her. She saw it on social media when they were about to head out to a charity performance. There was a gut-wrenching sob from behind her bedroom door. The sound sent his heart plummeting to his feet. Kristoff and Elsa both heard it. They slammed open the door as quickly as they could. Anna was huddled at the foot of her bed, slumped over on the floor, shoulders shaking with meek sniffles.

He was on his knees next to her in an instant. “Anna? Hey, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

She stayed silent, her cries wracking her body as she held her phone up to him. The image of Hans kissing one of their back of dancers, his hands way too high on her thigh while they sat at a bar lit up the screen.

Why that little—

Kristoff felt an animalistic growl leave his throat before Elsa was over his shoulder. He handed her the phone, and the elder sister’s stare turned icy.

“I’m going to kill him,” she murmured.

“Not if I get to him first,” Kristoff sneered.

Anna grabbed his shoulders, surprising him out of his brooding. “Please, stop. Both of you,” she muttered, pleading.

He opened his mouth to refute. He wanted to tell her she didn’t deserve this, that he knew that bastard was trouble, knew that he deserved a good square in the jaw—but when he saw the hurt in her eyes. All the furry melted. Kristoff felt his shoulders relax as he placed his hands over hers, taking her tiny palms into his own.

“What do you need, Anna?” he asked, gently squeezing her fingers.

Her eyes were wide at the question. “I… I don’t want to go to the concert.”

Elsa hitched a breath at that. “Anna, you have to. We’re in this together…”

Smiling pitifully up at her sister, there was so much anguish in her gaze. His chest tightened at the sight. God, he wanted to take her pain away. He felt so frustrated with himself for not sticking up for her sooner, telling her that Hans was bad news and she should stay away. He had known all this time that the asshole was going to hurt her. He just didn’t realize it’d be so soon. Or like this.

“Please, Elsa. Tell them I’m sick or something. I-I can’t sing like this.”

Her sister sighed. “People are going to know why you aren’t there.”

“I don’t care if they know… I can’t do this.”

“Anna—”

“Hey,” Kristoff interrupted her, “look, we’ll deal with the PR stuff later. Just tell them Anna wasn’t feeling well,” he released Anna’s hands, moving to stand over her next to her sister. Her fingers dragged along his forearms as he stood. It made him wince… had she not wanted him to let go?

“Papa is going to be furious,” Elsa replied in a warning tone.

He nodded. “I know, but we have to respect what Anna needs right now.” Kristoff gestured towards the door with his head. “Can we talk for a second?”

Elsa rubbed her hands over her arms, hugging herself gently. “Yeah, okay.”

Looking back down at Anna, he gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll be right back, okay?” He took Anna’s phone from Elsa just as the elder sister went to hand it back to her. “I—uh—think it’s best that I held onto this for the moment, yeah?”

Both sisters nodded silently. He hated having to treat them both this way, but it was his job to make sure Anna was safe. And from now on he knew that meant that went for her heart as well. He wouldn’t let her go through this again.

Never again.

[ashtheshortstack]

Waiting for Your Curtain Call - ch 3

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter 3: You’ve Got Me Coming Back For More

Tags: Modern AU, Bodyguard AU, Popstar AU, KristAnna, human!Sven, Eventual Smut, Slowish Burn, Fluff, Bodyguard Kristoff, Popstar Anna, Popstar Elsa

Read on Ao3

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter

Kristoff awoke the next morning to his phone full of notifications. It was his job to keep up with Anna on a daily basis—and maybe he took that part of the job too seriously—so, when she had posted on her social media apparently there was a ferocious reaction. 

  @annaarendelleofficial: Thank you all for your support during this trying time. I’m sorry I was unable to attend the charity concert last night, but my sister did an amazing job out there. I ask for time to myself while I figure this out… I hope you all understand. Love you all! 

  There was an all out battle of words between fans of Hans versus fans of Anna. Many of Hans’ fans were claiming the photo was being taken out of context, that everyone didn’t really know the truth. But Anna’s fans were arguing that if it was a fake then Anna wouldn’t have missed the concert. Which was true. And he couldn’t really blame Hans’ fans. They didn’t actually know him. Didn’t know his true nature. They were just a bunch of girls who liked cute singing guys. 

Anna was trending even more so with her quiet statement that morning. The outcry was mostly supportive. Kristoff often made a point not to feed the trolls, but sometimes there were some snide comments directed towards Anna--that she was inferior to Elsa or that she deserved Hans’ treatment somehow--those made his blood boil. The internet could truly be stupid sometimes. 

Hans hadn’t posted anything since the photo leaked. Comments on his last post from a day ago had a mixture of emotions. Some supported him while some called him a coward and a cheater. The latter comments were correct, of course. 

All Kristoff wanted to do was see Anna. Just to check on her. The Arendelles were supposed to have the day off, so he and Sven were technically off the clock. There were different security guards that protected their home on the daily. Sven and Kristoff were the travelling agents basically. If there was one thing Agnarr Arendelle took seriously, it was the protection of his daughters and home. Or it could just be about keeping a watchful eye on them at all times. Kristoff wasn’t sure if Agnarr really knew the difference. 

He showered and dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen. Even if Agnarr was high maintenance, he did put Kristoff and Sven up in a nice place to live not far from the Arendelles’ mansion. When he made it into the kitchen, there was already a pot of coffee brewed on the counter. Kristoff poured a cup, adding in a bit of sugar before joining Sven at the table. 

“Hey, man. This whole mess with Hans is crazy, right?” Sven asked, glancing up from his phone. He must’ve been checking Twitter.

Nodding, Kristoff sighed. “Anna was devastated. She was crying so much and I--I wish there was more I could’ve done for her.” 

Sven grinned behind his mug. “Ah yes, you’re evening curing the heartbreak of one Anna Arendelle. Did you go for the comfort kiss?” he teased as he poured a bowl of cereal before adding the milk. 

“Sven! C’mon, that’s ridiculous. As much as I care for Anna, I would never want to be the rebound guy. Especially not Hans Westergaard’s.” 

Humming in agreement, Sven slurped down some cereal. “True that, man. I know Anna’s pretty update, but at least we don’t have to deal with that vermin anymore.” 

“True,” Kristoff sighed. “I feel guilty for being relieved.” 

“It’s not selfish to be happy that the girl you like is single. Especially since her boyfriend was a pain in your ass.” 

With another sip of coffee, Kristoff gave a small nod. Sven was right, of course. But it didn’t change how much he worried for Anna. All he wanted was her happiness and seeing her so upset the previous evening made his heartache. If he hated Hans before… he loathed the bastard now after he dared to use Anna like trash he could toss aside. Teeth clenching at the thought, he tried to calm himself. Getting angry at that bastard wouldn’t make Anna feel better. 

Kristoff stood quickly after finishing his coffee, setting his cup in the washer. Sven perked up, brows raising as he glanced at him. 

“What’re you doing? Aren’t you gonna eat?” 

“Not hungry,” he grumbled. 

Sven gave him a knowing glance before Kristoff went to the entry hall, grabbing the leather jacket from the coat rack. He slipped it on, grabbed his keys, and slammed the door behind him. There was no need for full leather chaps when he was just going five minutes down the road. Technically, he would walk to the Arendelle mansion, but he hadn’t gotten on his bike in a while. It’d be nice to have some change. 

Kristoff clicked the helmet beneath his chin and slipped on his shades before mounting his bike. He kicked the stand, cranking the handle, and took off towards the mansion. The wind whipped and hit his cheeks, but the breeze felt wonderful considering he’d felt so cooped up lately. It was nice to be free for once in a while. Not that he felt trapped by his job… Anna did make it worth it. Even if it was just her friendship. But he knew his job would be so much easier now that Hans was out of the picture. 

When he arrived, he gave a quick nod to the security guards at the entrance gates, and they let him in immediately. He kicked down the stand to his bike and hooked his helmet on the handle bar. Kristoff was let in the door by Kai, one of the house managers, who gave him a smile.  

“Good morning, Kristoff. You’re not on shift today,” Kai stated. 

Nodding, he pursed his lips and lifted his shades to his forehead. “I know. Just--I--After yesterday, I wanted to check in on Anna. She wasn’t in very good shape after the--you know.” 

“I understand,” he said with a slight smile. 

Kristoff made his way through the home. He started up the stairs only to be stopped by Iduna calling his name. 

“Kristoff! What’re you doing here? Isn’t it your off day?” 

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he felt himself tense when he nodded. “Yeah, I just wanted to check on Anna.” 

God, he sure was having to tell that to a lot of people today. And anyone he told kept giving him the same smirk. It really boiled beneath his skin. Did everyone know something he didn’t? Or was he just that obvious? Or was it a combination of the two? Either way, it was beyond frustrating. 

“She’s actually with her father right now discussing some matters, but you can go wait in her room if you’d like.” 

Kristoff cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Sure,” he replied with a curt nod. 

He did just that. When he opened the door to her room, he certainly didn’t expect to see the pile of tissues gathered on her mattress. Had she slept like that? There was a tightening in his chest at the thought of her crying herself to sleep over that bastard. Oh, how she deserved so much better. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he did some tidying up. He was sure the maid would appreciate not having to pick up the crispy snotted tissues. Kristoff tossed the tissues into the trash, made her bed, and chucked away the now empty ice cream tub. 

When Kristoff stood at the foot of her bed and looked over his handy work, his shoulders sagged. “God, am I really this whipped?” he muttered to himself. 

“Kristoff?” 

He quickly turned to see Anna standing in the doorway, her jaw slack and eyes wide at the sight of him. 

“Hey, Anna. How are you feeling today?” 

Blinking at him, she still seemed a bit stunned at his presence. “You--You came here to check on me?” 

He gave a noncommittal shrug and glanced away from her. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?” 

Anna smiled, eyes softening at his words. “I’m glad you’re my friend, Kristoff.” 

“Me too,” he smirked. 

Striding across the room, she hopped onto her bed and patted the place beside her. Kristoff took the hint and slid on top of the covers next to her. Anna tugged her legs to her chest, hugging her arms around them. 

“Well, Hans texted me this morning.” 

Kristoff felt his chest tighten. “Oh, really?” 

“Yeah, some bull about it being a mistake and wanting me back,” she explained with a roll of her eyes. 

Scoffing, he shook his head at that. “Seriously?” 

“Oh, no, it gets better. When I said ‘no,’ obviously. He quickly changed his tune and tried to persuade me into fake dating so we could continue getting good publicity for one another. And again, I told him no. He really must think I’m an idiot, you know? It’s so stupid--ugh--anyway. So, then he decided to insult me, call me easy and desperate, and other insulting things. God, I’m so stupid. I was so wrong about him.” 

“Wait, he what?” 

“He’s an asshole, Kristoff, pay attention.” 

“No, no, no. I got that. He called you easy? ” 

“Yes.” 

The growl that left his lips wasn’t human. “That little--” 

“Hey,” she placed a gentle hand on his chest. “It’s okay. I know I was upset yesterday, and yeah, he hurt my feelings. But there’s so much better out there. This is just a set back. I’ll make it through. No use in crying any more tears over that prick, right?” 

Despite the rising anger heating in his gut, Kristoff took a long look at her calming demeanor. Seeing her a little more positive today helped him relax a little. He knew Anna was pretending to be okay. She was still hurting deep down. Her rambled excuses didn’t work on him. Kristoff knew her well enough. 

“You’re right… But it’s okay to be hurt. You don’t have to be so brave all of the time.” 

Anna’s face relaxed, her bottom lip quivering slightly. “Thank you, Kristoff. That means a lot.” 

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to suck this up and move on. You don’t, Anna. You’re allowed to hurt.” 

“I feel more stupid than hurt.” 

“You’re not stupid… Just new to love. Maybe that makes you a little naive,” he backtracked when she frowned. “I-I mean--Okay, maybe not naive. B-But that was your first relationship, and it’s okay that you didn’t know what it was supposed to be like.” 

Anna gave him a sideways glance. “What is it supposed to be like then?” 

He shrugged. “I-I don’t know. Like, uh, Ghost , I guess? You know how their love lasts even after death. When you care for someone else’s well being more than your own,” Kristoff murmured with a bitter smile. “A-And flowers and chocolates and all that,” he added. 

“I never took you for a romantic,” she teased while bumping his shoulder with her own. 

Kristoff laughed. “Y-Yeah, well…” he ruffled his hair nervously. “There’s a lot about me that people don’t know.” 

She hummed. “Will you tell me more, sometime?” 

“Uh, sure. I-I guess, I can do that. Sometime.” 

Anna’s smile was infectious. He couldn’t help but return the sentiment. She suddenly glanced away, chewing her bottom lip. “Uh--well--Papa is supposed to ask you and Sven this when you get back to work, but since you’re here I guess I could ask you myself?” she sucked in a breath. “Elsa and I are going on tour. Do you want to come?” 

“What?” 

“Do you want to be my bodyguard on the road? I know that you live here in LA, so I can’t ask you to leave if you’re not up for it. But of course, you’ll be paid for extended hours and everything. I just--I wouldn’t trust anyone else but you and Sven.” 

Kristoff nodded quickly. “Yes, Anna, of course. I’d be happy to go on tour with you guys. Traveling the country and getting paid for it? Sign me up.” 

“Great! I’m so glad you’ll be coming along.” 

The door swinging open shocked them both, Elsa seemed equally as stunned to see Kristoff sitting on the bed beside Anna. She seemed out of breath, as if she’d rushed to her sister’s room. Elsa stood straighter, sighing. 

“Hey, Kristoff. Considering how calm you both are, I assume neither of you have checked Twitter?” 

Anna’s eyes went wide. “Oh, God.” 

Reluctantly, Kristoff pulled his phone from his pocket. He pulled up the app, and there on trending was Hans Westergaard once again. God, what now ? 

  @HansWestergaard: There are two sides to every story. Not everything is as it seems. Maybe, some people should take responsibility for their own actions and stop pretending to be a victim.

  Kristoff’s jaw clenched as he swallowed. Was this douche for real? Was he really trying to pass blame onto Anna? How ridiculous could he be!? That tweet was so loaded…

Anna sighed beside him. “Is this ever going to end? He got caught… the least he could do is try to apologize gracefully rather than pretend I did something wrong.” 

“You should post screenshots of the messages he sent you,” Kristoff suggested. If anything, that could prove Hans’ true nature. 

But Anna shook her head. “No, that’ll just cause more trouble. People will accuse me of editing them. I can’t do anything until there’s physical proof of how he treated me, and frankly, I’m not going to confront him anytime soon. This will blow over, right?” 

Agnarr pushed the door wider from behind Elsa. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is a PR nightmare, Anna.” 

“I’m sorry, Papa, it’s not like I wanted this.” 

“I know, I know,” he told her, voice hard. “Look, don’t say anything else about this. You two have a tour and a new album to focus on. And Anna, I’m sorry, but I can’t have anything like this happen again. No more boys for now, do you understand?” 

“What!? Papa, I’m an adult . You can’t ban me from dating!” she retorted as she hopped to her feet from the mattress. 

Agnarr scowled. “I mean it, Anna. This isn’t an open discussion. You will not date anyone.” 

“But Papa!” 

“No! That’s enough. I’ve said what I said as your father and manager. You will not be seeing anyone. It was a mistake to allow you to date that pompous boybander to begin with,” he hissed before slamming the door behind him, nearly smacking Elsa in the process. 

Well. Fuck.

[ashtheshortstack]

Waiting for Your Curtain Call - ch 2

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter 2: Sparkling Eyes

Tags: Modern AU, Bodyguard AU, Popstar AU, KristAnna, human!Sven, Eventual Smut, Slowish Burn, Fluff, Bodyguard Kristoff, Popstar Anna, Popstar Elsa

Read on Ao3

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter

Leaving Anna alone in her room, Kristoff and Elsa moved into the hallway. He could see the worried expression on the elder sister’s face as she chewed her lip.

“Look, there’s no way she can perform like this and you know it. I’ll stay here with her,” he said.

Elsa shook her head. “She’s my sister. She needs me.”

“I understand that. But you can’t both bail on a charity event. It’ll look really bad, first off, and you damn well know your father wouldn’t allow it.”

Sighing, she nodded. “Yes, I know.”

As if on cue, Agnarr came storming up the steps. “What is going on up here? The driver has been waiting for twenty minutes!”

Elsa stepped forward, calmly placing a hand on her father’s upper arm. It was hard to believe she was his daughter at times. He was so demanding, yet the eldest Arendelle was always so tame in her demeanor.

“Papa… I’m afraid Anna won’t be attending the event this evening. It’ll just be me.”

“What? Elsa, that can’t happen and you know it.”

“I have a few solo songs I could sing, and I’ll just sing Anna’s parts as well. There’s no way she can attend, Papa, not in the condition she’s in,” she retorted as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Agnarr was clearly over this conversation as he let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What ‘condition’?”

Kristoff stepped in then, holding up Anna’s phone, showing the image to the father. He stood silently as Agnarr processed the photo before him, his brows furrowing. Kristoff watched as the man’s jaw clenched, swallowing thickly.

“Goddammit,” Agnarr cursed quietly. “I knew that spoiled brat was nothing but trouble,” he sighed. Agnarr seemed to gather his frustration before looking back at them. “Is Anna alright?”

Elsa and Kristoff shared a glance before turning back to Agnarr with a shake of their heads. If anything, that only made the man even more annoyed.

“I’ll be back,” Agnarr muttered before pushing past them and into Anna’s room.

Kristoff wanted nothing more than to follow him, to press his ear to the door and hear what the man was saying to his daughter. If you asked him, Kristoff would say the man was more interested in being his daughters’ manager than their father. Iduna wasn’t half bad, but she was meek and didn’t put a stop to her husband’s antics at times she probably should. If anything, that frustrated Kristoff even more.

If Agnarr forced Anna to go perform while this news broke, the press would have a field day. The interviewers would have mics in her face asking about it every second they could. If they did attend, Kristoff would have to be blocking cameras and paparazzi all evening. He couldn’t think of a worse way to spend his night. Or Anna’s, for that matter. She’d be miserable.

Agnarr left her room, despite the grimace on his face, he seemed at least a bit sympathetic. “Elsa, you and I will be going to the concert. Kristoff, could you keep Anna company until her mother gets home from the office? It’ll only be a few hours, but I think it best if she’s not left alone right now?”

He nodded quickly. “Yes, sir. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Come, Elsa, we’re already late getting you to wardrobe.”

 o~o~o~o

 Tiny sobs filled Anna’s bedroom. Knowing he needed to be more than just her bodyguard at that point, Kristoff rubbed a comforting hand on her back as Anna cried into her palms. She was sniffling, wiping the snot on her sleeves. Kristoff had been around her enough to know that when Anna cried… she ugly cried.

Her face was wet, red, and puffy—and her sobs showed no sign of stopping. She hiccupped a few times, trying to catch her breath. Kristoff found a bottled water in her room, handing it to her and she took little sips.

“I—I should’ve known,” she murmured, voice wavering. “I should’ve known someone like that wouldn’t be satisfied with someone like me.”

Oh fuck no. She was not going to put that pompous asshole above her like that.

“Yeah, he wasn’t good enough for you anyway,” Kristoff replied nonchalantly.

Anna sniffled, blinking up at him. “What?”

He gave a shrug. “You know what I mean. You could do better than the ‘cute one’ of a boy band. He’s nothing compared to his brothers. The ‘sweet one’ or the ‘older one’ would be more your type.”

She actually laughed at that. It wasn’t a cheerful laugh by any means, but it at least made him feel better to know he helped decrease her sobs at least for a moment. “You may have a point.”

“Anna, I hate to admit this… but I never liked him.”

The ginger snorted with a nod. “Oh, I could tell. He really grinded your gears, huh?”

“More than I could ever tell you.”

“It’s amazing… how many red flags you ignore because you have feelings for someone,” Anna sighed. “I wish I hadn’t pretended I didn’t see them.”

“It’s not your fault he’s an asshole, you realize that right?”

She pursed her lips. “I know…”

Kristoff narrowed his eyes. “That wasn’t a convincing statement.”

“I just can’t help but feel like… maybe I did something wrong? Maybe—I don’t know… I… I didn’t want to have sex with him, and I guess because of that he went looking elsewhere.”

Kristoff felt the anger bubbling in his chest. Of course, that punk was trying to use Anna for sex and publicity. That’s all it really was. He didn’t give a damn about her. God, he hated that he was right.

“A man that tries to pressure his girlfriend into having sex with him isn’t a man, first off. And I have no doubts that even if you had been with him that way, he still would have cheated. Hans is the scumbag here, Anna. You did nothing wrong. He was using you.”

Anna hugged her knees to her chest. “You really think he didn’t actually love me?”

“Did he tell you he did?”

“Yes…”

“After only two months of dating? Yes, Anna, that was a manipulation tactic.”

“Oh,” she sighed, a weak sadness to her tone.

The tears bubbled into her eyes again, and he noticed her quickly try to blink them away. He hated that he felt like an asshole, but she deserved the truth, didn’t she? Kristoff didn’t tell her or warn her about Hans when he should have, so the least he could do was make sure that dickweed didn’t smooth talk his way back into a relationship with her.

If being brutally honest is what he had to do to protect her, then that’s a risk that he was wiling to take. It would sting to hear those words, he knew. But this was all he could do.

Swallowing thickly, Kristoff placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Do you—uh—want ice cream or something?”

Anna gave him a weak smile. “Did you learn that from breakups in rom-coms?”

“I don’t know how to do this sort of thing,” he admitted.

She giggled lightly. “Yes, actually, there’s mint chocolate chip in the freezer.”

As he walked down the massive flight of curved stairs to the kitchen to grab the ice cream container from the freezer… Kristoff realized how truly gone for her he was. He was bringing her ice cream, rubbing her back, doing anything he could to make her feel better. There was a chance he could brush it off, pretend he was just trying to be a good person or friend, but he knew better. He knew if Sven was crying over a girl he’d tell him to get his own damn ice cream and quit crying on him.

But for Anna?

He’d do anything to make her happy. To see her smile. To make her laugh. He wanted her to stop wasting tears on the son of a bitch who hurt her. Who was using her to further is career and hopefully just get in her pants.

How could Hans not see what an amazing person Anna was? It was almost impossible not to fall in love with her. Was that man really so stuck on himself that he couldn’t see this wonderful human being who adored him? Maybe, Elsa had been right when she spoke months ago that Anna really didn’t know anything about love. If Agnarr—the man who controlled their careers—and Iduna—the woman who let him boss around his children and stayed at her office for long hours until the late evening—were her examples of “true love” it was no surprise that she was a bit misguided.

Kristoff grabbed the ice cream and a glass of milk to go with it and brought it back to Anna like the mindless love-stricken dog playing fetch that he was.

When her eyes lit up at the sight, however, he couldn’t find it in him to humor the negative thoughts. Being gone for her was worth it if she looked like that when he did something for her. Every time.

“Thank you,” she cooed taking the ice cream and a spoon.

The container was brand new, apparently. Anna paid no mind and dug her spoon in. Kristoff moved to her large flat screen, turning it on.

“Any requests?” he asked. He couldn’t fight the smile on tugging on his lips when he saw her cheeks stuffed with ice cream like a chipmunk.

Swallowing her mouthful, she shrugged. “I dunno. Isn’t it like—tradition to watch something like The Notebook?”

“Anna, I am not watching The Notebook.”

He would, if she really wanted. But he had to at least protest.

Anna hummed, tapping the spoon to her lips. “What about… Titanic?”

“That’s—better, I guess.”

“Oh! Oh! I know! Ghost! We should totally watch Ghost, dontcha think?”

Kristoff smirked at her. “Why do all of your choices involve dead people?”

“Because I want to cry about something besides my sorry life, Bjorgman. Put on Ghost.”

He couldn’t argue with that. And so, Kristoff found himself searching through the movie catalogue before finding Ghost and pressing play. He helped her onto her bed, sitting against the headboard as they found a comfortable position that put a reasonable amount of distance between them, but close enough that Kristoff could give her a pat on the shoulder if she got upset.

The passionate pottery scene had Kristoff a little uncomfortable as he readjusted himself and tried his best not to think about being in such a position with the girl next to him. He would love to wrap his arms around her, place his hands over hers and—

She was sniffling again.

“Anna?”

Her bottom lip was quivering, tears slipping down the side of her cheeks. “Do you—Do you think someone will ever love me like that?”

It was a movie, he wanted to say. Wanted to remind her that this man would be dead majority of the film, but he couldn’t. Not when there was such devastation in her eyes as she watched the romantic scene play out, and he was trying to ignore the melody of “Unchained Memories” as it rang throughout her room. Rich people and their high def televisions and surround sound… why.

No matter how much he wanted to tell her that it could be him. He could be that person. He could love her the way she deserved to be loved… the words never bubbled to the surface. That wasn’t what she needed to hear right now. If anything, Kristoff would never want to be her rebound. Especially if she was rebounding from Hans Westergaard of all people. The scumbag didn’t set the bar very high as far as first relationships went, but he didn’t want to be second to him. He wanted Anna to want to be with him.

There were times he would think she’d be better off without him. That she deserved people like her—popstars and famous guys—but now… he regretted letting her go through with that. Kristoff could remember her bouncing happily, how giddy she was when Hans first started making his moves on her. She babbled about how nice he was, he was a gentleman, he was the first guy to ever be interested in her. And Kristoff held his tongue like a fool because he thought she deserved better than himself.

But no. She deserved someone who cared about her. He knew that now. Learned that lesson the hard way by seeing her so broken and puffy.

“Someone will, Anna. I promise.”

She wiped her eyes, gazing at him with those seafoam eyes with a smile. “You really think so?”

“I know so.”

He did. He wanted to be that person.

Anna’s grin grew along her lips. She plunged her spoon into the ice cream, scooping out a large helping before holding it out to him. “You want some?”

Glancing down between her face and the spoon, he blinked. “Uh, sure.” His fingers twitched to reach for the spoon, but instead Anna held it to his lips. Kristoff tried to ignore the swirling in his gut as he took the spoon into his mouth, cleaning it of the ice cream. There was a tightening in his jeans, and God, how he willed his dick to calm down. It was just ice cream for fuck’s sake.

Those dreamy little eyes of hers simply watched as he removed the ice cream from the spoon, and she tugged it from his lips. When Kristoff had imagined swapping spit with Anna, it certainly hadn’t been like this. He cheeks were warm, but he hoped the darkness in the dimly lit room was enough to save him from any possible embarrassment.

“It’s good, right?” she asked.

Gulping, he nodded. “Y-Yeah. What—” he cleared his throat, “What brand is that?”

She laughed, gesturing to the container. “Did you not see that it was Ben and Jerry’s when you brought it up here?”

Smacking his forehead, he quickly turned his attention back to the movie now that Sam and Molly had moved on from heated pottery making. “No, I wasn’t paying attention. I was—I was worried about you.”

Anna hummed in response. “Thank you for that. For being worried about me, I mean. Papa was just angry at me that I didn’t want to perform.”

“Well, he is your manager.”

“Yeah, but he’s also my father, and sometimes he forgets the line between,” she retorted.  

Well, she had him there. There was a lot of salt in her statement that he decided not to press. Anna was already in a bad enough mood, he didn’t need to make it worse by bringing up shit with her dad too.

There was a bit of an awkward silence since Kristoff decided against any follow up questions about her statement. But Anna broke the quiet with a coo.

“That’s so cute. The ‘ditto’ thing.”

He snickered. “A little cheesy, isn’t it?”

“What’s a relationship without a little bit of cheese, right?”

Kristoff found himself humming in agreement.

“…I shouldn’t have given into Hans… That wasn’t the type of relationship I wanted, you know? He was all about publicity, social media, bragging about all the great things we did together. Taking cute pictures and posting them is fine… but he was obsessed with the amount of likes each photo got. That bothered me. He only did big romantic gestures when there were people to see them,” Anna was curling in herself against, her knees pulling to her chest. “Why did I not notice before?”

“Rose colored glasses,” Kristoff replied quickly.

“Huh?”

“We see the person we want to love with rose colored glasses. We ignore their flaws, pretend we don’t see them, despite how big of a red flag it might be flying in our face. It’s normal. It’s human. You can’t blame yourself for his actions.”

Before he knew it, Anna was scooching towards him, she rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Kristoff. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He nearly choked. “Ah ha, it’s nothing. I’m your friend, and I’m always here for you.”

She agreed with a nod of her head. Kristoff wasn’t sure how much time went by as he watched the movie. Found himself sickeningly satisfied watching the murderers get dragged to hell, silently wishing the same thing would happen to Hans. He was a shit person and deserved it too. He hadn’t noticed Anna’s breathing even out, hadn’t notice she’d stopped commenting on the film.

He glanced down at her place on his shoulder, seeing her fast asleep. With her so close, he could see how tiny she was compared to him. How puffy her lips were from crying, how swollen her eyes were, how red her cheeks were. He could count each freckle on her cheeks if he really had the time. The marks were scattered along her face like shimmering constellations. She was beautiful… and it sent a fluttering ache in his chest to see her so up close. Touch came with the job—putting his arm over her shoulder to guide her away from crowds, blocking her from walking with a hand front of her, tugging her out of situations by the wrist—but nothing ever like this. Nothing that ever made him long to feel like this with her again.

As the credits of Ghost rolled, Kristoff checked his phone, noticing it was nearly time for Elsa to go on. He switched to the live television and flicked on the channel. The performer prior to her was finishing up his set, playing his last song as an acoustic. He was sitting on a stool, playing his guitar with the mic on a stand at his mouth.

The crowd sang along, lights swaying in their hands. Kristoff loved the energy of festival concerts like that. He wishes they could’ve gone, so he could watch from backstage as Anna sang her heart out next to her sister. Elsa was always the more elegant of the two when they performed, always poise, holding the mic right at the perfect angles, using her free hand to animate. While Anna was the opposite as she flounced around the stage like a bouncy ball. She was always high fiving fans near the stage, dancing and skipping to different locations. It amazed him how she could sing while being so energetic and active, how she never seemed to be out of breath despite this.

The Anna leaned up against him after crying for hours… was not an Anna he was used to. He’d never seen her so broken. Never seen her so distressed and upset. Kristoff almost didn’t know how to handle it, but he let instincts take over. He was used to comforting his little sisters when something bad happened. And even though his feelings for Anna were much stronger than that of a friend or sister—he still did his best to channel that energy.

Elsa took to the stage on the television. She smiled at the crowd with a wave.

“Hello! I’m so honored to be here tonight. I’m afraid my sister Anna isn’t feeling well and couldn’t be here tonight, but she sends her apologies. We hope you’ll have a chance to see both of us another time,” she announced to the crowd.

The audience roared as she kept on her best smile and waved. He wasn’t sure what that reaction could’ve meant. Were they angry that Anna wasn’t in attendance? It wasn’t quite clear. But Anna was still a human being and had to do what was best for her.

Elsa began performing her solos first. Songs Kristoff had heard far too many times in his life. Not that Elsa wasn’t a fantastic artist, she was. She had a great voice. And maybe he was a bit biased to say he preferred Anna’s voice over her sister’s. It was odd as the performance went on… to see the blonde up there alone without Anna shimmying up there with her.

Anna mumbled against him, nuzzling her cheek impossibly closer to him. It took every ounce of him to not wrap his arm around her waist and tug her in, but he knew that Iduna would be home any moment… and that was not a position he wanted to get caught in with her daughter who had just been cheated on. Kristoff was sure his job would be in jeopardy if she did. Still, she hugged his forearm before letting out a small, happy sigh that had his heart yearning for more.

The concert continued on and watching Elsa sing Anna’s parts was weird. He almost hated it. It was amazing to him that sisters could sing so differently.

He found himself lost in thought when Iduna lightly tapped on the door before opening it. Feeling himself bristle, Kristoff’s eyes were wide at the sight of her. It wasn’t a shock to see her, obviously. He was well aware that Anna’s mother would be returning from the office later in the evening.

Iduna just smiled. “Hey, how is she?”

Glancing down at her sleeping form, he sighed. “She tired herself out from crying, I think,” he told her honestly.

She pursed her lips, nodding. “That’s probably the case,” she approached them, looking over her daughter with a guilt-ridden expression. “I told Agnarr that her dating that boy was a bad idea, but you know how it is, anything to get publicity.”

Iduna sighed, cupping Anna’s cheek. “Thank you for looking after her, Kristoff. I can take it from here.”

With a silent nod, he started to slip from Anna’s grasp, but she clung to him with a distressed moan. He chuckled nervously, glancing up at her mother.

“Anna, I have to go.”

“Don go…” she murmured, eyes staying closed.

Kristoff managed to maneuver his arm from her, despite how she whined in protest. “Your mom is here. It’s okay now.”

It was then that her eyes fluttered open. “Mom…?” Anna turned over to see her mother scooching her way onto the mattress next to her. She reached out, much like a little child after a nightmare. Iduna moved onto the cushions, pulling Anna into her lap as she snuggled against her. Soft sobs began to wrack through the girl once more, and Kristoff couldn’t bare to hear her cry any longer.

He gave Iduna a curt nod with a small wave as he made it to the doorway. She mouthed thanks once more as he left.

Once outside, Kristoff sat in his truck for a moment to gather himself. His rubbed his hands along his face, letting out a frustrated sigh. He knew Hans Westergaard was bad news. Her parents knew it. Her sister knew it. So, why did none of them stick up for Anna? Kristoff assumed it wasn’t his place. He was just her bodyguard. It wouldn’t be proper for him to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. But then… Anna was heartbroken. So heartbroken her fans could absolutely be furious with her for not showing up to the charity festival. Why did none of them stop this relationship that was clearly toxic?

No. Not again. He would stick up for Anna, give her his opinion when he felt it was necessary. He was done with being put in his place. Done with whatever repercussions Agnarr Arendelle had for him. It didn’t matter anymore. Anna mattered. And that was that.

He pulled up his phone, checking social media apps for the first time since the concert. When he saw that #FuckHansWestergaard and #HansWestergaardisOverParty were trending as well as #AnnaDeservesBetter—well, maybe her fans agreed with him. A smirk twitched to his lips.

Karma was really a bitch, wasn’t it?