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Everyone had a soulmate. It was just a known fact amongst people. There was no explanation why, it was just there. A concept that was just accepted. Some people didn’t believe it. Some people chose not to date their soulmate. Some people died waiting to find theirs.
Anna Arendelle wanted so badly to find her soulmate. She was quite the hopeless romantic and thought the concept of being with someone who was literally her “meant-to-be” was amazing. Her parents had always told she and her sister, Elsa, that they had been soulmates. That the pull they felt to one another was like nothing else.
Elsa was a bit skeptical of the concept. Not that she thought their parents were lying, but she doubted she’d ever experience it for herself. Nor did she have the desire to search for it.
But Anna was definitely the opposite. She had a boyfriend in high school, Hans, who she had hoped was her soulmate. She was immediately attracted to him. Anna later learned from her mother that the attraction and pull of a soulmate were two totally different things, much to Anna’s disappointment. But she continued to date Hans anyway, even though he was two grades older than her… Needless to say, when he went to college… the relationship didn’t last. He’d decided that sleeping with other girls was more important than being with Anna.
Despite her heartbreak, she knew that her opportunity to really find her soulmate was renewed since she was no longer in a relationship with her “high school sweetheart” if she could call him that. Her mother’s reassurance that she could find her soulmate urged Anna forward. The hope made her day dream again. Made her imagine what type of man her soulmate would be.
Anna walked with her sister down the busy street corner. Main street of Arendelle was always bustling with activity in the mornings. Elsa had a favorite coffee shop that she loved to start her day with. She introduced the little shop to Anna when she started at Arendelle University that year with her sister. It wasn’t too far from campus, so it was an easy walk.
But something different happened that morning. Anna got her typical maple harvest latte as she always did, but suddenly the tiny carrot cakes caught her eye. Blinking, she just gazed at the treat for a moment.
Elsa tilted her head. “Anna?”
Shaking her head, Anna was out of her trance. “Ah, sorry. I just--The carrot cakes look good.”
“I didn’t know you liked carrot cake,” her sister replied with an amused smirk.
“I-I don’t know if I do,” she paused before glancing at her sister. “But I think my soulmate does.”
Her sister’s bluebell eyes widened at that. “What? You don’t usually start sensing things about your soulmate unless you’ve been around them.”
Anna’s heartbeat quickened at the thought. Had she met her soulmate and hadn’t realized it? What he’d passed her on campus and she’s never known? What if he was in one of her classes? Gears spun in her mind as she tried to connect the cogs to form a cognitive thought. How would she know it was him?
Elsa watched her before giving a reassuring smile, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hey, if you’re supposed to find him then you will. It’s fate, right?”
Willing the confusion and wonder in her heart to die down, Anna gave a small nod. “Yeah… You’re right, Elsa.”
o~o~o~o
The ache in Anna’s chest didn’t leave for days. She didn’t understand why she suddenly knew her soulmate’s favorite treat or song or that he had a dog. Sometimes she’d dream she was connected to him. A red string tied on her pinky led her down a sidewalk towards a white light. She saw a flash of him. But only the back of him. Blonde hair, broad shoulders…
Anna longed to meet him. To finally see him in person.
“I don’t understand, Mama…” she sighed, flopping back on the bed.
Iduna gave her a sympathetic smile. She placed a hand on Anna’s knee. “You’ll find him if it’s meant to be, dear.”
“But I want to find him. Doesn’t he want to find me?”
Iduna shrugged. “Not everyone actively looks for their soulmate.”
Sitting up on the bed, she gave her mother a concerned stare. “Do you think he’ll hate me when we meet?”
Her mother smiled, laughing. “No one could ever hate you, Anna.”
She hoped her mother was right in that instant…
o~o~o~o
It was a typical Tuesday when Anna saw him for the first time. She wasn’t sure how she just knew . It was almost a terrifying epiphany to suddenly know that someone was your soulmate. She left the coffee shop, a carrot cake in her hand. He was across main street walking his dog that she’d somehow known he’d had.
Her heart thundered in her chest when his brows furrowed and he looked at her. God, the way he looked at her. His eyes were honey-brown. Wide and beautiful. Surprise was clear in that expression.
Then she saw it.
That invisible string that had been leading her towards him all of this time. The string ran from her finger to his across the street.
She bolted towards him.
Anna paid no attention to the cars coming her way. To the other pedestrians that walked by. He looked utterly horrified by her actions.
“Are you crazy!? You almost died!” he shouted.
He was right. She probably looked insane to him. But she didn’t care.
“It’s you,” she breathed.
God, her mother was right. The pull… the ache she felt in her chest for this man was nothing like the attraction she felt for Hans. For anyone. This was a longing and desire she’d never experienced in her entire life.
His cheeks pinked a little, glancing down at his hand where he could also see the string attached. “Y-Yeah…”
Anna couldn’t express how thrilled she was, but her soulmate didn’t seem to have the same excited reaction she did. (His dog was thrilled though--wagging his tail happily and panting as he looked between them.)
The silence was awkward as they stared at one another.
Finally, she gathered her courage. Smiling, she held out her hand with the string attached. “I’m Anna.”
Her soulmate seemed surprised. Did he think she’d go through all of this--cross the street without looking both ways like an idiot--without even introducing herself?
“Kristoff,” he replied.
When his stringed hand met hers, an electric pulse shot to her chest. She gasped, squeezing his fingers harder than she meant to in her surprise. Kristoff seemed equally shocked.
He swallowed, glancing away from her. “W-Well, it was nice to meet you,” he sputtered before turning to take his leave.
“Wait! Don’t go!” she spouted quickly.
Kristoff cringed and glanced around, seeming to check if people were staring. “What?”
“You can’t just--you can’t just leave. We’re soulmates.”
Shaking his head, he hissed. “No. No, I don’t do the whole ‘soulmate’ thing. I don’t do people at all. It’s--It’s just me and Sven,” he said, gesturing to the dog. “And that’s how it should be.”
When he started to retreat again, Anna stepped in front of him. “No. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Kristoff. I know you feel what I’ve felt. You know things about me, right? Things you couldn’t explain?”
“I…” he glanced down.
“What’s my favorite snack?” she asked quickly. Kristoff gave her a confused look, but Anna rolled her eyes in response before reaching into the sack she’d gotten from the coffee shop. “I know yours,” she said before holding up the carrot cake.
Kristoff gaped at her, glancing between her face and the treat. “Your… Your favorite coffee is maple harvest. I-I wanted to try it sometime. That’s why I started walking through here with Sven. You have good taste,” he admitted.
Anna smiled at that. “Thank you.”
His lips twitched a little at that. Despite his clear resistance, she was glad she could make him smile. Kristoff was adorable. Nothing like she expected him to be, surely. When she saw how broad his back was… she assumed he’d be some macho man, but Kristoff was rather--normal. Kind of shy… Maybe a little grumpy.
“I know we’ve just met… and you don’t seem too thrilled about the whole soulmate concept,” Anna began with a nervous laugh, rubbing her sleeves cautiously. “But I would at least like to get to know you. Will you… give this a chance?”
Kristoff pursed his lips, seeming to mull it over. He gave her a cautious look, apparently stunned by her desire to get to know him. Maybe, he was telling the truth. People may have not been this thing. But that was okay. She could help him through that. He didn’t need a lot of people. Just her, right?
He had to have felt that pull. That need to be with her like she felt for him.
Sighing, he nodded. “Yeah. We can give this a shot.”
o~o~o~o
Anna was told that being with her soulmate was like no other. Her mother’s words had been proven true. It’d taken some time for Kristoff to open up… but he loved her. She knew he did. It only took a month for her to fall completely head over heels for him. It took her so long to gather the nerve to kiss him.
And boy… when she did.
They were sitting together in his living room after he’d invited her over for dinner. It was their first time to be really alone--well, aside from Sven, of course--and Anna felt her heart dancing against her ribcage while they cuddled on his couch. She wasn’t sure how she convinced him to watch holiday rom-coms with her… but she had a feeling he liked them too, but just wouldn’t admit it. Maybe, it was because of their bond….
She turned to face him, watching him carefully. Kristoff seemed to notice her eyes on him as he gave her a sideways glance. His cheeks were flushed. She knew--She just knew he wanted to kiss her too.
“Kristoff. Thank you for this.”
He turned to her then. “For what?”
“I know you really don’t like people… And now you’ve met my family and have to deal with going out with me all the time even though you’d rather be at home. I’m just--I’m happy you gave this a chance. Gave me--uh-- us a chance.”
Kristoff gave her that small smirk she’d come to love over the last few weeks. He pushed her auburn fringe back on her forehead. “I’m glad I did.”
Anna gaped. “Wait. Really?”
Snorting, he shook his head. “What? Did you think this date meant nothing?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you just wanted to hang out?”
“We’ve been hanging out almost every day since we’ve found one another. I just assumed we were dating.”
Anna nodded feverishly. “Oh, we are! We definitely are!”
“Sooo, since we’re dating--” he cleared his throat. “That means I could kiss you, right?”
A grin spread across her cheeks.
“I-If I may? We may? Uh--”
Anna cupped his cheeks and pulled him in. The feeling of his lips pressed to her own was electrifying. Her chest ached. It felt as if her soul was hugging his own. Though just a small peck, the kiss spoke volumes. The feeling left her breathless. Her heart fluttering.
She loved him. She really did love him. Her soul loved his.
Kristoff’s hand traveled up her face, burying into her hair. He pulled her close again. “You know… I think I believe in soulmates now.”
She laughed against his lips. “Really? What was your first clue?”
He caught her lips again.
Yes… Some things were meant to be.