~ The Wingman ~

Chapter Warning: Implied incest, Elsanna, Kristanna, Angst

A/N: A one-shot exploring the events after Frozen 2. Kristoff begins to realize that Elsa and Anna may have more than sisterly feelings towards each other.

Kristoff was not blind.

Neither was he deaf nor dumb.

But he was mute. Mute to what was clear as daylight before him. Mute to speaking out to his fiancée, lest his greatest fears be made true.

There was something going on between Anna and Elsa.

When did it start? He wondered. After all, the sisters were closer than any sibling pair he'd ever seen. So close that he felt like a third party at times, even though Anna was rightfully his.

Now, he stood by a shop in the shadows, watching the two embrace again. It had been scarce an hour since they had split up to go shopping. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Sven and him. At Elsa's insistence, Anna was paired with him. Given her frown however, Kristoff knew who Anna's choice shopping partner was.

That was all according to Elsa's plan. She just needed him to distract Anna for an hour so Olaf and she could bring out the humongous birthday cake they had hidden.

Anna ignored the cake. All she saw was her beloved sister, and the two fell into each other's arms as if they'd been separated for a year. When was the last time she'd hugged him like that?

Kristoff sighed. He couldn't fault the sisters. Not if he wanted to be the bigger man here. After all, they had so much lost time to make up for. First, the magical accident in their childhood. Then, their parents' deaths. Now, the two were living apart again.

In truth, Kristoff was secretly glad that Elsa was staying with the Northuldra. Even though Anna had accepted him as her boyfriend three years ago, their relationship had not progressed the way he'd wished.

Anna was a wonderful girlfriend. Beautiful, kind and so excitable that it warmed his heart. But she wasn't truly his. If anything, it felt like he constantly had to share Anna with Elsa. Their time in the Enchanted Forest had proved it: she abandoned him to follow Elsa.

Kristoff never once complained. If anything, he counted himself lucky to even be allowed into their circle. As a princess, Anna had her pickings of rich and handsome princes but she chose a lowly ice harvester.

With the sisters living apart now, Kristoff allowed himself to believe that his relationship with Anna could grow too.

How naïve he was. If there was one saying that is true, it was that absence made the heart grow fonder. It'd been half a year since Anna's coronation but things had only gotten worse.

Sure, she would smile at the right times. She'd hold his hand, return his kisses and even took him into her bed. Before her subjects, she was the epitome of a good queen as she kissed babies on the head and nodded patiently even when facing a dozen dignitaries.

But Anna seemed to have lost a part of her soul.

I am not blind, Kristoff thought.

Her smiles were the brightest only when Elsa returned to Arendelle. When the older girl was around, Anna rarely held his hand or kissed him openly. It was as if she was afraid to let Elsa see their affection.

Likely, she feared Elsa's jealousy.

Anna finally released her sister, but not before planting a kiss on Elsa's cheek. Olaf and Sven were wheeling out the cake now.

Not wanting to let anyone see him sulking, Kristoff stepped out, plastering on a smile he didn't truly feel.

Four hours later, Kristoff found himself yawning. All the cake, merry-making and charades had finally worn everyone out. Sven had collapsed by the side, with Olaf snoring blissfully on top of him. Elsa was curled up by the corner of the sofa with Anna's head resting on her shoulder.

"Why don't you stay the night?" Anna said. "It's late."

She held Elsa's arm as if afraid that her sister would ride off again.

Not a chance.

Elsa grinned. "Well I guess I could…" she said in a most playful tone, the kind that said: I was always planning on staying.

Anna met his gaze. At least she was courteous enough to wait for his permission so Kristoff said his words dutifully. "It's okay, I need to bring Sven back to the stables anyway. You two go on ahead."

Nodding, the sisters left the library hand-in-hand. No doubt, they'd retreat to Elsa's room.

Kristoff never did ask Anna how they spent their nights together. In spite of his misgivings, he suspected even they wouldn't cross that line.

But he was afraid to ask.

That night, he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Should he speak out? It was clear as daylight that what Elsa and Anna shared was no ordinary sibling bond. And in this moment of tossing and turning about in bed, Grandpabbie's words returned to haunt him.

"Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart," Kristoff whispered.

An act of true love.

"True love," Kristoff echoed to no one in particular. "True love… True love… Dammit!"

Kristoff jumped out of bed and headed for the library. The only people awake at this hour were a pair of guards who returned nods to Kristoff as he passed them by.

He lit a lamp and began to work. Poring over the shelves, Kristoff gathered every book imaginable on the topic of love, be they history, fairy tale or legend. Working like a man possessed, he skimmed through every page.

It wasn't until sunlight crept across the walls that Kristoff realized it was morning. A dozen books lied in a pile around him.

"An act of true love." Kristoff palmed his forehead, more out of dread than fatigue.

It was as he suspected. Every instance of a spell or curse broken by an act of true love happened between couples. In one story, it was a prince and a maiden; in another, a humble sailor and a mermaid; and yet again in another, two childhood sweethearts.

Not once had there been any mention of family or friends saving their loved ones with the power of true love.

And yet Anna's actions had saved them both from certain death.

Kristoff sighed. He wished he could say that this revelation surprised him. It was becoming clear now. His troll family had been most astonished when he recounted the story of Anna thawing. He remembered too well the grim look on Grandpabbie's face. It was little wonder they didn't ask any further.

No longer in the mood for sleep, Kristoff began his daily duty of planning ice delivery routes.

It was late morning before the sisters finally emerged for breakfast. Elsa was radiant as she entwined her fingers with Anna's.

"Morning. Had a good sleep?" Kristoff said.

Anna was practically beaming. "You betcha. What's for breakfast?"

Kristoff was about to answer when Elsa leaned forward to nibble on Anna's ear. "You are!" the older girl said.

Anna giggled and shoved her sister away, but not before they caught the look on Kristoff's face.

"Is everything okay?" Anna said, touching his arm. He glanced at her finger. She was still wearing the ring.

"Just… tired. I didn't sleep well," he said.

"Too much cake?" Anna said.

"Maybe. Why don't you two go on ahead?" Kristoff said.

"You need to eat something at least. Breakfast is important," Elsa said.

Seeing their faces so filled with concern, Kristoff relented. Despite his misgivings about the true nature of their relationship, he knew that Elsa did love him as family. Like Anna, she had every reason to shun him, but ever since the day they met, she'd welcomed him to the castle with open arms. There was so much on his mind but that could wait. For now, the sisters' happiness was what mattered.

Elsa stayed for lunch at her sister's insistence.

And of course, dinner as well.

The two were inseparable. They met delegates in the castle and greeted the townspeople who were all too glad to see their former ruler. As Queen Anna's fiancé, Kristoff tagged along. Now he wished he hadn't; his new understanding of their relationship had him seeing too many signs he'd ignored once.

All day, Elsa and Anna stole glances at each other, held hands for hours on end, and planted kisses on each other's cheek even when there were subjects looking.

I am not deaf, Kristoff thought. Even though I try to be.

It started soon after Elsa's coronation. Within the castle, maids and servant boys would whisper to one another about how extraordinary close the royal sisters were. On the streets, the people questioned if Elsa's rejection of marriage prospects had anything to do with her overly possessive sister.

Despite his relationship with Anna, the commoners of Arendelle saw Kristoff as one of their own. Thus, they rarely filter their words in his presence. If any of those words made it to the sisters' ears however, they showed little displeasure if any.

Once, an ambassador from a faraway kingdom had outright mistaken them as a couple. Elsa had merely smiled and explained that the 'lovely fiery-haired maiden' was her younger sister to the mortified ambassador.

Through it all, Kristoff never spoke out. After all, the sisters had gone through hell itself just to be reunited. He knew too well that criticising the sisters' relationship would only invoke Anna's rage. If the commoners wanted to gossip, so be it.

"It's getting late. Why don't you stay another night?" Anna said.

"I would love to, but I need to protect the Enchanted Forest," Elsa said with a strained smile.

"Oh c'mon, the Earth giants are there. Who would dare attack the forest?" Anna said.

Elsa glanced away from her sister as if working out an answer. Kristoff realized then that Anna was right; the Enchanted Forest was safe as long as the four spirits were protecting it.

So why did Elsa choose to live there? Despite being half-Northuldra, Kristoff knew it certainly wasn't for any of the people there.

Several months ago, Anna had barged into Kristoff's room and gripped his collar, asking him if he knew who this 'Honeymaren' was. Rumour had it that Elsa had been seen dining and spending long hours with a pretty Northuldran lady.

Kristoff could not forget the sheer misery on Anna's face as they hurtled towards the Enchanted Forest. Nor could he forget her sigh of relief when they learnt that Honeymaren already had a boyfriend. She was merely one of Elsa's closer friends in the Northuldra village who bonded with her over a shared love for baby reindeers.

I am not dumb, Kristoff thought.

Elsa wasn't living in the Enchanted Forest for its protection. She was staying away from Arendelle on purpose.

The words came spilling out before Kristoff could stop himself.

"Elsa, you should stay another night. Anna misses you."

Elsa's lips pressed into a thin line as she regarded him. He could tell how much she yearned to say yes, but fear robbed her voice.

She knows, Kristoff thought. She's doing this for Anna's sake.

"Please?" Anna put on her most eager and needy smile, and at last the snow queen sighed in defeat.

"Alright, just one last night, okay?"

"Yes!" Anna threw her arms around her sister.

As Elsa returned the hug, her eyes caught Kristoff's.

He smiled and gave her a nod. He wasn't sure if she was asking him for permission or checking if he had finally learnt the true depth of their feelings for each other. But it didn't matter. Anna's joy was more important for now.

Kristoff counted his lucky stars when he found Elsa alone in the queen's office an hour later.

Elsa glanced up in surprise when he knocked on the open door.

"Not sleeping yet?" he said.

"Since I'm staying, I might as well do my share of the paperwork. Heavens know how difficult our neighbours can be sometimes," she said. "Anna's tucking Olaf in by the way."

"I know. I came here to talk to you," he said.

She tensed up and after several seconds, laid the quill down with obvious weight. "I am listening."

"Why are you living in the Enchanted Forest?" he said.

"Because the Northuldra needs my protection."

He narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

"Kristoff, don't make this any harder for me. Please."

"You're staying away to protect her, aren't you?" he said.

"Close the door please."

Once he did as she bid, she stood up and paced about the room. She began to knot her fingers together, the same way she always did in times of stress.

"I am on your side. I just want what's best for you two," he said.

Elsa whipped around, and Kristoff saw that her eyes were wet. "What's best for her is to be with you! You are a good man. You can make her happy. Anna deserves to get married, have children and live a long joyous life as the beloved queen of Arendelle."

"And what about what's best for you?" he said.

"To be a bridge between humans and the spirits. To support Anna as queen and to protect Arendelle always."

It was a well-rehearsed answer but Kristoff wasn't fooled. "Is that what you truly want?"

"I just want Anna to be happy," Elsa said. Her tears were flowing freely now.

"Then stay by her side! You know she's happier when you two are together. I've seen it."

"I am sorry, Kristoff. I–I shouldn't have come between you two, I swear–"

"Dammit, you aren't listening!" he said. "You are the most important person to Anna right now. You are the very reason she smiles, so stay here for her sake! Stop making sacrifices all the time."

Elsa opened her mouth in a retort but Kristoff interrupted her. "Elsa, you are her happiness!"

"Your happiness matters too," Elsa said. "You know that she loves you. Don't you love her?"

"Of course I do! But I just want her to be happy and–" Kristoff chuckled when he realized he'd repeated Elsa's exact words. "Look, all I am saying is: Stay in Arendelle, alright? She nearly lost you at Ahtohallan. You don't know how much it hurts her each time to see you leave."

Kristoff sucked in a heavy breath to steel himself. "My love for her doesn't compare to her love for you, or yours for her."

Elsa blinked. "We are sisters."

And in time you could be more, Kristoff thought but some things were better left unsaid.

"Just promise me that you'll at least consider staying, okay?" he said. "If not for yourself, then for her."

"I promise," Elsa said. "Why are you going so far for me?"

He chuckled. "Don't make me repeat myself again. I want her to be happy. I want the two of you to be happy."

She was gazing at him in wonder. Her mouth was trembling as if she had so much more to say but in the end, just two simple words came out.

"Thank you."

He opened the door. "Don't keep her waiting too long. You deserve each other."

I am not mute.

In all his life, Kristoff prided himself as a man of action rather than words. And so, by the time Anna found him in the stables the next day, he was fixing a sled to Sven.

"Where are you going?" Anna said.

"The Enchanted Forest," he said.

"Wait, what?" Anna said.

"I'm visiting the Northuldra."

"Whatever for?"

He shrugged. "I feel like I didn't get to know them well enough. And Sven thought he saw a most comely reindeer there."

Anna raised a hand. "Time out! I can't just up and leave Arendelle suddenly! We are in the midst of negotiations with Weselton."

"It's just me and Sven," he said matter-of-factly.

Anna stared at him. For a moment, neither of them spoke. When it became clear that Kristoff was serious, she said, "I am your fiancée! Don't you think we should be discussing this?"

"Well, I did wait for you to wake up," Kristoff said.

"You are not telling me something." Anna swallowed. "Did I do or say something to make you angry?"

"No! It's not you, alright? It's me. I need a break. Not from you! I mean, I just need a break from Arendelle," he said.

Anna gasped. "I didn't know you were going through so much! Who's giving you a hard time? Is it Kai? Or one of those stupid Weselton ambassadors. Or one of the guards?"

"None of them." Kristoff regarded her. "What if I told you to choose between coming with me, or staying here with Elsa?"

Anna's eyes widened. Her lips parted but no words came out.

That was the last confirmation Kristoff needed. He stepped forward to hug Anna. "Hey, it's okay. It's not like I am gone forever."

"So, it's… just like a holiday for you, right?" Anna said. "When are you coming back?"

Kristoff glanced down and took a deep, long breath. "I don't know."

Anna stepped back from the embrace. It hurt Kristoff to see that. "This is too sudden. You're scaring me. I don't want to lose you too," she said.

Kristoff squeezed her shoulder. "Just trust me for now. I need to do this alone. You should focus on convincing Elsa to stay in Arendelle."

"But why do you need to go?"

Because you two need to come to terms with your feelings with each other, and you can't do it with me around, Kristoff thought. Instead, he said, "Elsa needs to see that she doesn't have to live at the Enchanted Forest. You said it yourself, remember? No one would dare to fight the Earth giants. And if something does come… some kind of threat that we can't handle, then Gale can just send a letter to Elsa for us."

"So I'm going to lose either you or Elsa?" Anna said.

He held up her hand. "I am still your fiancé. You won't lose me as long as you still have this ring. My love isn't fragile, Anna. What I want is for you to be happy, and maybe– just maybe the right person for you at this moment isn't me. It's Elsa."

"Promise me that you will come back?" Anna said.

He hooked his pinky finger with her. "I promise."

Anna eyes were still so confused and yet, so hopeful as well. She just needed a final push so Kristoff said, "Look, there are plenty of guys like me but there's only one snow queen. You need to hold on tight to her and never let go. She loves you more than you can imagine."

She kissed his cheek. "There's only one Kristoff Bjorgman in the world."

As Kristoff rode off on Sven, he gazed back at the castle. The sisters stood at the balcony, hands held together while waving to him. He could've sworn that Elsa was crying again.

A twinge of regret washed over Kristoff. This was likely the start of the slow but inevitable death of his relationship.

But he felt a sense of pride too.

What he shared with Anna was a river, stable and clear. What Elsa shared with Anna was the ocean, passionate and unstoppable. The depths of their love simply couldn't be compared.

Kristoff was not blind, deaf or dumb. And he certainly wasn't selfish.

He had to be the bigger man here, and if that meant leaving Arendelle for now so they could figure things out? That was a price he could gladly pay. And if at the end of it all, on the off chance she still chose him over Elsa? He would take her back in a heartbeat.

But deep down, he already knew the answer. Elsa and Anna couldn't live without each other. They deserved to be happy together.

Kristoff grinned. He couldn't wait for charades on Friday.