DISCLAIMER: All of the places and characters in this story belong to Disney and are inspired by the work of Hans Christian Andersen. No profit is being made from this story. It only serves to (hopefully) entertain.

Rated T for some sensuality and sexual references.

Lazy Sunday

If there was anything Kristoff loathed, it was the hour he had to spend every Sunday morning sitting in a pew and listening to what he deemed to be nothing more than gibberish. He'd never been one for church, despising the monotony of the experience and those repetitive hymns everyone had to sing. If he had his way, he'd be spending his Sunday morning going for a nice climb, because if something was going to get him in touch with his spiritual side, it was being surrounded by the majestic mountains, not sitting in a stuffy hall wearing horribly uncomfortable clothes and having his ears assaulted by the boisterous warbling of those in attendance. But church was important to Anna, not to mention an expectation for him now, so he reluctantly dealt with it.

This wasn't to say Sundays didn't have their virtues, and it was these virtues that kept Kristoff from gouging out his eyes during the bishop's sermons. There was a small part of him that felt bad about pretending to pray during the service when he was really glancing sideways to stare at Anna's figure, but what else could he do to keep himself sane? He knew just as well as her the whole church thing was an act, because the second it was over, they'd retreat to his cabin – their cabin - rid themselves of their Sunday wear, and remain that way for the remainder of the day. Church was a nothing more than a waiting game, grueling and tiresome, yet inexplicably rewarding.

A Sunday morning in late March was particularly grating on Kristoff's patience. There were a few visiting dignitaries that day and a couple of people had passed away since the previous service, so the formal welcomes and extended prayers dragged on the ordeal even longer. He could tell even Anna was bored; she didn't sing as much as she usually did. Her eyes were drooping and, by the end of the service, she looked as if she was going to pass out at any given moment.

"You alright?" he whispered to her as the familiar tune of the closing melody began to play, closing his hand over hers in her lap.

"Hm?" she mumbled. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep too well last night, that's all."

Mhm, Kristoff thought to himself with a grin. Anna could never admit to being bored with church; it had been a sanctuary, an escape, for her when she was growing up, and he knew she still held those memories close to her heart. But she was grown now, experiencing new things...

He'd happily help cure her boredom soon enough.

As they always did, he and Anna bade their farewells and good tidings to those in the congregation before departing to the mountains. With the snow completely gone, this was their first trip into the mountains in many months without the sled, instead riding quietly into the woods on the backs of Sven and Lena. Anna led the way, and Kristoff was mildly frustrated with the slow, steady trot she kept her horse at. An easygoing pace was so unlike her, but he didn't comment on it.

When they arrived at the cabin, they went straight to the bedroom, as always. This, in Kristoff opinion, was what made church worth it. Arendelle took restful Sundays seriously, so no one bothered nor questioned he and his wife when they retreated to the solitude of the cabin after every service. Their intentions weren't completely dishonorable, either; they did do a fair amount of resting while they were there. Afternoon naps weren't unheard of, and they'd spent quite a bit of time each visit simply cuddling in bed together and talking. Of course, these occurrences typically took place after a fair amount of midday love, but neither of them were about to complain.

Anna laid down right away and Kristoff followed immediately after, lining his face up with hers and pulling her into him for a kiss. He caressed her slowly, sensually, savoring the moment and her taste, relishing in the fact that they were finally there, alone, and for an entire day. No one would bother them; it was their time.

As he slipped his tongue between her lips, he felt Anna lazily reciprocate. Her kiss wasn't as fervent as usual. It was bad by any means, but something was missing.

"You okay?" he murmured against her mouth.

"Mhm," she hummed in reply. It wasn't even close to convincing.

Kristoff pulled away and gazed down at Anna. Her eyes were hooded and hazy and the sides of her mouth were quivering as if she were withholding a laugh... or a yawn.

"Anna?"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, bringing a hand up to cover her eyes. "I'm just exhausted. I'm so sorry, Kristoff. I-"

"It's okay," he assured, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. "It's okay. Do you want to take a nap?"

"Would... would you mind?"

"Not at all. Come here."

Kristoff pulled Anna against him, and she nestled against his chest while he enveloped her in a comforting hug.

"I'm so embarrassed," she muttered through the yawn she finally allowed to escape.

"Don't be," he hushed. "If you're tired, you need to sleep. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You aren't mad?"

"Of course not." Admittedly, he was slightly disappointed, but he wasn't about to tell Anna that. "Just get some sleep, okay? We can have a late lunch when you wake up, alright?"

"Okay," she murmured.

It didn't take long for Anna to fall into a slumber, the familiar sound of her light, rhythmic breathing filling the room. Kristoff almost slithered away to go chop some wood in the clearing outside, but decided against it; not only was he feeling a severe lack of motivation, but he really did love how it felt to have Anna cradled against him.

Eventually he, too, felt sleepiness begin to cloud his vision, and he fell into an early nap with his wife.

Kristoff woke a couple hours later, the sun obviously a bit higher in the sky outside the window. He often woke in this bed on Sunday afternoons, but it was typically to the sight of Anna beside him, sometimes with a breast or part of her bum poking out from beneath the sheets, and he was usually nude himself. Not only was he fully clothed on this particular day, but Anna was nowhere in sight.

He stretched, scratched under his left arm, and lifted himself form the comfort of his bed in search of Anna. He figured she'd be in the kitchen throwing together something for lunch, but she wasn't there, either. Puzzled, Kristoff stepped outside. He spotted her by the pond, sitting on one of two logs he'd placed beside the water's edge. She was staring into the water that slightly rippled in the early spring breeze. As the door closed behind him, she turned to the noise.

"Kristoff," she said, standing from the log as he walked toward her. "I hope I didn't wake you. I-"

"You didn't wake me. What are you doing out here?"

"Just needed a bit of fresh air. I should probably be getting started on lunch, huh? I'm sorry."

As Kristoff approached her, she made to walk straight past him for the cabin, eyes downcast. He stepped in front of her and gently placed his hand on her upper arms.

"Anna, are you alright?" he inquired, concern laced in his words.

"Yes, of course. I just figured, it's a little after noon and it's been a while since breakfast, so-"

"That's not what I mean," he interrupted. "You just seem a little... I don't know. Off."

"I'm sorry I took a nap," she apologized. "I was just so tired..."

"You don't have to be sorry," Kristoff soothingly clarified. "But Anna, it's more than just the nap. You hardly sang in church today. You love to sing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I-"

"Are you sick?"

Anna shook her head. "I'm not sick, I promise. Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Please, don't worry."

"Worrying about you is my job," he commented with a playful grin. He was relieved to see a small smile ghost across Anna's lips, too. "I know something's bothering you, Anna. You can tell me, you know."

"I know. I just... I'm worried about what you'll say, that's all."

Kristoff's face fell. "If this is about having tea with those tossers from Weselton again-"

"No, no, it's not that!" Anna giggled. "Not at all. Believe me, I have no interest in seeing them again no matter how many times they ask."

"Thank goodness," Kristoff laughed. "But Anna, you know I love you. Please, tell me. Do you need help with something?"

"No."

"And you're not sick, correct?"

"I'm not sick, honestly."

"Then what is it?"

Anna sighed. "Promise you won't be mad?"

"I promise."

"Okay," Anna breathed. "I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you this. Um... I... well..."

"You...?"

Anna took a deep breath and finally tore her gaze from the ground.

"Kristoff, I... I'm with child."

The air remaining in his lungs quickly vacated the premise, as did any shred of strength left in his knees. Time stopped. The world ceased to make sense. All that mattered was Anna.

"What?" he choked out.

"I'm... well, I'm going to have a baby. We're going to have a baby."

"Are you serious?"

"I-I've suspected for a couple of weeks now," Anna began. "My body's been feeling different, and last week when I missed my course, I just knew, and I wanted so badly to tell you, but I just wanted to be sure and I worried that you might – Kristoff!"

Anna's ramble evolved into joyous laughter, both from her and him, as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. A baby... a baby! After nearly two years of marriage, Kristoff had secretly begun to worry something was wrong, that he'd never be able to give her mothehood, but it was happening. It was finally happening, and he'd never felt so happy, so proud, so alive.

"Kristoff!" Anna laughed. "Stop... dizzy..."

He reluctantly placed her back down, only to quickly pull her into a tight embrace.

"Anna, I love you," he murmured into her hair as the pressure began to build behind his eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she cooed. "So you're not mad?"

"Mad? How could I ever be mad?" he laughed, pulling away to gaze down at her. He placed a hand on her tummy. "There's really a baby in here?"

She nodded tearfully, placing her hand over his.

"Yours," she whispered. "Ours."

Kristoff fell to his knees before her, wrapping his arms around her thighs and leaning his head against her middle.

"Hello, baby," he murmured, placing a soft kiss on her clothed tummy. "Do you know who I am? I'm your papa. I can't wait to meet you, sweetheart. I can't wait to hold you. We're going to have so much fun together. We're going to go for sleigh rides and make snow angels and play games and-"

He stopped when he heard a sniffle and felt a comforting stroke through his hair. He looked up to see Anna lovingly gazing down at him.

"You're going to be an amazing father," she said. "This baby is so lucky."

"No," he countered with a smile, standing up again. "We're so lucky, because we have you. Anna, you're going to be such a wonderful mother-"

"Kristoff-"

"-and I know this because you're a wonderful wife. You're a wonderful person. I'm so, so blessed."

They held each other for a long time afterward before retreating back to the cabin. Again, they went straight to the bedroom. Anna was tired again, and now that Kristoff knew the reason why, he wasn't about to object.

"Are you sure you aren't hungry?" he asked, just to make sure. "I can make something really quick."

"After a nap," Anna mumbled with a giggle, eyes already closed. "Just a short one, I promise."

"Sleep for as long as you need to, okay?"

"Okay."

Just as before, Anna was asleep rather quickly, but Kristoff stayed awake with one arm around her and the other draped across her middle. He had two to keep safe now.

Two.

If loving one person, loving Anna, wasn't scary enough, there would soon be another, smaller one, and that little boy or girl would be looking up to him, depending on him. Terrified as he was, Kristoff had never been more excited about anything in his life; it would be a little piece of both him and Anna, and nothing could be sweeter than that.

As he watched his beautiful Anna sleep, he knew this time would be short-lived. A formal announcement would soon have to be made, and the people of Arendelle would be anticipating the birth of the royal baby. The castle would be buzzing with excitement. And once he or she was born, well... everything would change. Kristoff knew moments like this with Anna would be more difficult to come by, so he savored this tranquil time. He memorized how it felt to have her snuggled lazily against him, the sound of her steady breathing, and the adorable twitch of her nose.

Sundays had their virtues.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! :)