#courtneymack!howard

[phobidawg]

Six Fanfic Collab

Colds and Cuddles- A little Anna sickfic, featuring some KatAnna fluff and a bit of Anna angst. 

With US!Queens and Mack!Howard

“Guys I’ve got the plague!!”

Anna’s proclamation was met with a look of fear from Jane, slight concern from Catherine, disinterest from Anne, nothing from Cathy, and wide worrying eyes from Kitty.

In truth, Anna knew she wasn’t dying. Her head was hurting badly, and her nose was running, and her sinuses were most certainly clogged, but she was nowhere near death. 

Not that the other queens needed to know that. 

“Plague?” Jane asked tentatively, taking a small step back. 

Catherine looked Anna up and down. “You look fine to me. Maybe a little head cold.” She gestured to Anna’s red and stuffy nose. The sick queen sneezed loudly into her sleeve. Jane winced. 

“Go upstairs and nap, make sure you sleep, get lots of water, and vitamin C. Maybe orange juice.” Cathy didn’t look up from her phone and she ordered this to Anna. Anna wrinkled her nose. Sleep? Orange juice? Water?! How boring. 

“I’m on the verge of death, and you’re telling me to nap?!” Anna’s voice was congested, but no less reproachful.

“You’ll survive,” was Cathy’s short response. 

“But Anne may not.” Catherine interjected, with a disgusted side-eye to Anne, who was stirring a concoction of chocolate milk, pickle juice, and french fries.

The queen shrugged at Catherine’s comment, the smile of an overexcited evil genius taking over her face. “My three favorite foods together can only mean the ultimate drink.”

“You’ll say that, until you puke.”

“You insult me. You think my stomach can’t hold this?”

“No one can hold that.”

“Bet.”

Anna was filling to the brim with frustration.

She was sick. They should be looking at her, not Anne’s stupid drink. 

“Fine! I’m not going to die, but I actually do feel sick.” She admitted. She got no response, the other queens had tuned Anna and her dramatics out. A pang in her heart startled her. She coughed loudly in her arm, and blew her nose with all the force of a trumpet. “Does anybody care?”

But the queens had all turned to Anne, who was taking a sip of her crazy creation. Except Jane, who had seemed to disappear at the first sign of sickness. 

Anna stomped back up the stairs, and it wasn’t until she was at the entryway of her room that she felt tears sting her eyes. 

Why wouldn’t they look at me?

Ever since Henry had rejected her, she had a deep set fear and despise of being considered unworthy of a person’s attention, and therefore always needed such attention to feel good about herself. With the other queens blatantly sidelining her, she just… 

Anna rapidly swiped a single tear away. She banged open her door, regretting it when it made her head throb, and collapsed into her bed. As she buried her head into her pillow, dark thoughts began crowding her mind.  First, they were reproachful and angry. How dare they not consider my sickness a real issue. Well, maybe I was being overdramatic, but I told them that I was really sick! And they still didn’t care!  They’re my friends, don’t they feel bad for me? Instead all they would look at is Anne and her ridiculous drink...  

However, the thoughts quickly turned on her.  I am overdramatic so they tuned me out, but what if…  I really am not that important to them? The thought was startling, and terrifying. 

After all this isn’t the first time they’ve ignored me like this…  but then again we’ve had fun times together. But fun times don’t exactly ensure that I’m as important as the other queens.  After all, I’ve always stood out. The only one without a sob story to tell, the only queen who didn’t really suffer at Henry’s hand. Heck, we were friends! I’ve always known that, but what if they’ve been more aware of it than me all along? Maybe I’m not worth their time. After all, Anne and Kit were out there getting their heads chopped off, while I rode horses and had parties. 

In the midst of her worrying if the other queens held this against her, Anna began to hold it against herself.

Her whirling inner screams were interrupted by a small voice. 

“Anna?”

Anna peeked her head up from the comforter. Kitty was standing in the doorway, eyes wide. 

In a second, she had thrown herself across the room, and taken a stunned Anna into her arms. The sick queen was too shocked to move as Kitty squeezed her tightly. 

“Oh Anna, I’m so sorry you’re sick.” Kitty said into her ear. The girl was sure and comforting, and her hug soothed the million thoughts running through the German girl’s head. Anna finally came from her stupor, and wrapped Kitty around with her arms as well. 

Anna tried to recall the last time she’d be held like this… if she ever had. Many times she had hugged Kitty when she was panicking, but she always had to be the initiator. Even then, it was only to calm her down, so the embraces had been rather one-sided. 

But here was Kitty, who had just run at her and was holding her tightly and lovingly. Anna sunk into the warm embrace. She felt her tears coming forward again as Kitty petted her hair. There was no explanation, if anything Anna was happy in her arms. Yet, they came.

“Shhh…” Kit murmered in her ear soothingly. Anna sniffled, baffled at her own tears. 

The girl gently broke them apart and climbed to sit properly on the bed. She propped herself against the headboardz and took Anna’s head in her lap. Anna’s eye widened at the sensation of being in the position of weakness, but there was also a tempting sense of comfort to it. Besides, she told herself, it’s Kitty. She’s harmless. 

And pretty, sweet and smells nice. 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Kitty pushed something soft into Anna’s arms, and she looked down. It was an adorable little stuffed seal. 

“Meet Princess Bling Bling Sparkle Bling Bling!” Kitty beamed. 

Anna settled her head back in Kitty’s lap, petting the stuffed animal. 

Kitty smiled down at her, and began to rhythmically push Anna’s hair off her forehead. Against her own will, Anna’s eyes started to close. She clutched the plushie close as Kitty tucked the blanket around her with her free hand. 

“Kitty?” Anna asked, words thick with sleep and sickness.

“Yes?”

“Do the other queens… care, about me?”

Kitty looked at her in confusion. “Of course they care about you, why would you ever think they don’t?”

“I don’t know, sometimes I wonder if they’re mad that I had such a good life…”

Kitty shook her head slightly. “That’s silly, they are not mad at all. If anything, we’re happy that at least one of us got to enjoy life to the fullest.” She had a sad sort of smile of her face, and Anna was hit once again with a sort of guilt. Kitty absent mindedly tucked hair behind Anna’s ear as she said, “I know it wasn’t easy for a lot of us wives, but even though we bash each other because of it in the show, in reality we don’t care about that, and just want the best for each other. I know you know this, but I hope reminding you helped?”

Anna thought about that for a second. We just want the best for each other.  Maybe they hadn’t looked twice at her during breakfast, but she knew that wasn’t the whole story. She thought of the times when she and Catherine had talked about their past lives and countries to each other, and the times when she and Jane had worked together to soothe a panicked Kat. Or when Anne had lent Anna her wheelies, with disastrous results. And the times Cathy would watch American Ninja Warrior with her when no one else would, just so she wouldn’t be too lonely (though Anna knew she liked the show as well, even if she wouldn’t admit it.)

The queens might not always give Anna their complete attention, but that didn’t mean they didn’t love her. And Kitty was right, they all did want the best for her.

“That actually did help, a lot. Thank you Kitkat.” Anna turned to sneeze.

Kitty brought the tissue box next to her, and resumed her hair petting. Anna, finally content, found her eyes getting heavier. Kitty leaned down to brush a light and sweet kiss on Anna’s brow, and the sick queen smiled before drifting into sleep. 

Links to the other parts- 

Aragon- https://woulddieforkhoward.tumblr.com/post/190945870568/six-fanfic-collab 

Boleyn- https://vidyamakan.tumblr.com/post/190964963034/six-sickfic-collab 

Jane- https://czuritaa.tumblr.com/post/190982058564/six-sickfic-collab