In sickness and health

Elsa shivered, curling into the fetal position beneath her heavy blankets.

Outside, she heard the sound of bluebirds chirping through her window. She had always liked the unique song they sang, but today even that couldn't cheer her up.

At least her sneezes had stopped for the most part, but this was a thousand times worse. A stuffy nose, a sore throat, a constant headache, and here she was, too weak to make so much as an ice pack.

It was the worst feeling in the world. Here she was, queen of Arendelle, and all she could do was curl up in a ball and wait through the longest day of her life.

An empty soup bowl sat on the nightstand beside her, her second for the day. In a few minutes, when her servants checked up on her, they'd take it away. She had asked them to bring her a few books to help pass the time, but a combination of headaches and blurry vision had vanquished that idea, and they now sat in a pile under the bowl, unreadable.

For their own protection, she had insisted that all of her servants spend as little time in the room with her as possible. Now, she was starting to regret that decision. She was used to being alone, of course, but being alone combined with barely being able to move was miserable. She wanted some companionship. She wanted someone to talk to.

She wanted Anna.

It was a selfish sentiment, of course. Somebody had to run the kingdom while she was ill, and Anna was about the only one who had the qualifications. Meanwhile, she had an entire team of servants who would wait on her hand and foot. But how was it fair that, just as they were getting to know each other again, she had to spend a whole day locked away again?

She squeezed her eyes shut, too late to catch the first tear running down her face.

"Anna," she said softly.

"Elsa?" came a familiar voice from behind her.

Her eyes shot open. She rolled over and saw Anna, standing right by the door.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa asked, totally surprised.

"What does it look like, silly?" Anna said, coming towards her. "I'm here to take care of you."

"But…I have servants for that," she pointed out.

"I put them to other jobs," Anna said. "Nobody gets to take care of my big sister but me."

"You can't be here," Elsa said even as her heart leapt with joy. "Someone has to rule the kingdom."

Anna leaned in over her. "And that someone is you, Elsa. I'm no good at ruling. Arendelle needs its queen, and I need my sister. So, as acting queen, my first and last decree was that I would stay by your side, and do whatever it takes to make you feel better. Sound good?"

"Sure," Elsa said, smiling. Already, Anna had made this day ten times better.

And yet, something seemed just a little odd.

Why would she send away all my servants? Does she really think she can take care of me better than all of them?

If she just wanted some private time with me, why wait until I'm bedridden? What could we do together while I'm stuck in this room?

Then, before she could ask these questions, Anna leaned in again and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"What are you doing?" Elsa said, caught completely off guard.

"I'm checking your temperature, of course," Anna said in a matter-of-fact way. "Your fever's even worse than it was last night."

"Why didn't you just use your hand?"

Anna seemed to contemplate for just a little too long before answering. "Cold hands," she said. "Wouldn't be as accurate."

"If you say so," Elsa said doubtfully.

She sniffed hard. Even through her clogged nose, she could smell a faint hint of lilac, lingering in the air from Anna's proximity.

"Anna, are you…are you wearing perfume?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, good, I was worried you wouldn't be able to smell it," Anna said. "I picked the strongest one I could find."

"Why?" Elsa demanded.

Anna smiled mischievously. "What, can't a girl smell her best while tending to her sister?"

Elsa said nothing, demanding further explanation with her glare.

Anna shrugged. "I thought you'd want to smell something nice while you're cooped up in here all alone."

"You could have picked some flowers," Elsa said.

Anna chuckled softly. "Well, Elsa, I wanted to be the something nice that you would smell."

Elsa didn't know what to say to that.

"Are you okay, Elsa?" Anna asked. "You look a little…uneasy."

"Yes, Anna, I'm fine," Elsa said. "I'm just…my throat is dry," she finished lamely.

Anna sprung up. "Okay, I'll go get some water," she said, walking to the door.

It was a lame excuse, but it would give her some time to collect her thoughts and clear her mind. She watched Anna walk out and stared at the door, waiting for it to swing closed.

But before it could, Anna walked back through with a pitcher and a cup.

"Lucky for you, I came prepared," she said, pouring water into the cup.

Elsa stared at her, very much surprised.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Anna said. "I'm not about to leave you alone while I run all the way down to the kitchen. I'm staying right by your side, no matter what."

"Oh," Elsa said. "Thanks."

While Elsa tried to think of something to say, Anna looked at the three books on the table. "Were you reading these?" she asked, picking up a blue book.

"Not exactly," Elsa said, glad the conversation had finally steered back into normal territory. "I tried to, but my vision's a little blurry."

"How about I read to you?" Anna suggested.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Elsa said, heart overflowing from Anna's thoughtfulness.

"I would do anything for you, Elsa," Anna said, looking into her eyes. "Anything at all."

Her gaze was warm and loving, but there was something in it that unnerved Elsa. She broke eye contact, looking straight up instead.

"Could you sit me up, then?" she asked. "Might be hard to drink the water like this."

"Sure thing," said Anna, smiling. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Elsa. Elsa did the same, and Anna gently leaned back, pulling Elsa into a sitting position.

Anna's body was warm, her grip gentle. As Elsa inhaled, she smelled Anna's perfume again. Against the staleness of the room, the gentle aroma of lilac was heavenly.

Elsa reached the sitting position, yet they were still tight in each other's arms. Anna's hands were gripping her far tighter than they needed to, and the touch excited her.

Her heart was fluttering. There was something that just felt…right about holding Anna like this. In that moment, she wanted to do things that she never even dreamed of with Anna.

Her own thoughts scared her. What am I thinking? She's my sister! What's happening to me?

She let go of Anna, and the spell broke. She leaned back against the upright pillows at the head of the bed.

Please tell me Anna didn't notice that.

But by the sly grin on her face, Elsa knew she had.

"So," Anna asked, "Does that feel good?"

"What?"

"Sitting like that," she explained. "It doesn't hurt or anything?"

"Oh," Elsa said, trying to bring her mind back to reality. "No, it's fine."

There was that grin again.

Anna grabbed the blue book. "Should I start with this one?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Elsa said, not even glancing at the title.

Anna looked skeptical, but she opened the book and began to read.

Elsa didn't hear a word of it. Her mind and heart were both racing, and she was terrified about what might happen if her heart won.

I must be going crazy from this cold. How else could I think those things about Anna? That's so wrong!

But…it didn't feel wrong…

How could it not be? She's my sister!

Yes, and she's also funny, and smart, and caring, and beautiful…

Anna closed the book. "You're not listening," she said.

"What? Yes I am," Elsa said quickly.

"Really? Because I just skipped ahead ten pages and you didn't even notice."

She signed. "I'm sorry, Anna. I don't mean to ignore you, it's just…"

She struggled to find something to say. Stalling for time, she picked up the cup of water and took a swallow.

She drank too quickly, and for a moment she choked on the water. She coughed involuntarily, causing herself even more pain from her sore throat.

Anna leaned forward. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

Elsa tried to say she was fine, but instead she coughed again. The pain in her throat burned again, leaving her only one word to say.

"Ow," she said in a weak voice.

"Oh, you poor baby," Anna said sadly.

She took the cup from Elsa's hands. "Let me help," she said.

"How could you-"

Anna signaled her to be quiet. She took a gulp from the cup, holding the liquid in her mouth. Then she moved in towards Elsa.

"Anna?" Elsa said, confused.

Then she realized what Anna was doing.

"An-"

Their lips met.

Elsa squirmed, but Anna held them together. She opened her mouth just a crack. Slowly, the water trickled from her mouth into Elsa's.

Eventually, Elsa stopped wriggling. All the water poured into her mouth, and she didn't cough once.

Anna pulled away. Elsa's head fell back into the pillows, and she simply sat there, absolutely speechless.

Anna put the cup back on the table. "Do you want another drink?" she asked in a voice that sounded 100% genuine.

"I-I'm fine, thanks," Elsa said.

Anna frowned suddenly. She reached a hand out to Elsa's shoulder, touching it gently.

Elsa shivered at the touch.

"Wow, you're so sweaty," Anna said.

"What?"

"Your body's covered in sweat. And you're still wearing the same dress you were wearing yesterday?"

Elsa blinked, trying to adjust to this new conversation. "Yes, why? Is that a problem?"

"Of course it's a problem! How do you expect to ever get better if you just sit here covered in your own sweaty clothes?"

She hadn't really thought of that. "You're probably right," she said. "I should change."

"Oh, more than that," Anna said.

She dashed out of the room, then came back in with a towel and a basin of warm water.

"Elsa, what you need is a sponge bath."

"What?" Elsa said, pulling up the covers to her chin. "Anna, are you crazy?"

"What do you mean?" Anna asked. "Would you rather walk down to the bath room and take a full bath?"

"I'd rather have my servants do it," Elsa replied.

"Oh, so suddenly you don't trust me?"

"Not with the way you've been acting!" she shot back.

Anna grabbed the covers. "Elsa, you're being ridiculous," she said, trying to pull the blankets off of her. Elsa held on tight.

Anna started to get a little angry. "Let…go!" she shouted, yanking off the covers.

Her expression softened when she realized what she was doing.

Elsa was sitting there, breathing as deeply as she could, which wasn't much. Her strength was almost completely sapped by the sickness, and her throat probably hurt from the yelling she had just done.

Anna wrapped the covers around her again. "I'm sorry, Elsa," she said, turning away. "I just wanted to help you feel better. But now we're yelling, and we're fighting, and it's…it's all my fault."

She hung her head. "You just needed me to be there for you, and I screwed it up. I'm a terrible friend."

Elsa reached out to her. "Don't say that, you're not a-"

"Yes I am!" she said. "I should've just been thinking about your well-being, but instead I was…I was trying to…"

She stood up. "I'll go get one of your servants," she said, taking a step towards the door. "They'll take care of you without you having to worry about-"

Elsa grabbed the hem of her dress.

"Please don't go," she begged.

Anna looked surprised. "But…I just hurt you."

"It was my fault," Elsa said. "I never should have doubted that you cared about my health."

Anna turned to look at her. "Elsa…"

"You're a wonderful caretaker, Anna," she said. "I wouldn't want anybody else here in your place."

Anna smiled. "Thank you, Elsa," she said.

Elsa could tell there was more she wanted to say, and she was too scared to ask what it was. Anna looked ready to burst.

Instead, she grabbed the towel and dipped it into the water basin. "Turn around," she said.

Elsa obeyed, turning her back to Anna.

"Ready?" Anna asked.

"Yes," Elsa said. In truth, though, she wasn't sure if she was at all.

Anna took the straps of Elsa's gown in her hands. Ever so gently, she slid the dress down to her waist.

Elsa pulled her arms out of the straps, crossing them in front of her chest.

Anna took the washcloth in her hands. She touched Elsa's shoulder with it, then traced a straight line down her back.

Elsa stiffened at the sudden contact, then started trembling.

Anna put her other hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Easy, Elsa. I've got you."

Why do you think I'm shaking? Elsa thought.

Anna pulled away the towel, then touched it right in between Elsa's shoulder blades and began another downward stroke. Elsa braced for it this time, arching her back as the cloth ran down it.

Elsa's whole body was tingling.

Slowly and methodically, Anna covered every inch of Elsa's back. Elsa started breathing in sync with her motions – a sharp inhale at contact, and a soft exhale as the cloth went down.

Anna was right – after a day and a half of sickness, having the sweat cleaned from her back felt heavenly. It felt like taking off a thick, uncomfortable coat.

And the touch of the washcloth to her back – an angel couldn't have been gentler than Anna.

Suddenly, Anna stopped.

"Elsa, lower your arms," she said.

Elsa dropped her arms to her sides, glad that Anna couldn't see her blush from behind.

Anna ran the cloth across her stomach. Then she moved it upwards, pulling it across Elsa's breast.

Elsa started shivering even harder. Anna's other hand held her tighter for support, but Elsa realized that she was shaking, too.

Anna leaned forward until her head was right next to Elsa's.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice trembling. "I can't…help myself…"

She kissed Elsa on the neck.

Elsa let out a small gasp, but made no effort to pull away.

Anna started nibbling, sinking her teeth into Elsa's skin. Elsa gave a small cry, the pain stimulating her whole body.

Then, just like that, Anna relented, pulling her head back. For a moment, Elsa sat there, quivering, unable to move. Then Anna turned her head to face her.

"Anna…" Elsa said, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

Anna looked into her eyes. "I want you, Elsa. I can't fight it anymore. I want to kiss you, and for you to kiss me back. I want to touch every inch of your gorgeous body. I want to make you scream with pleasure, and to be the only one that hears you. And I know I shouldn't have these feelings for you, but…that just makes me want to have them even more."

She took Elsa's hand. "Is it wrong for me to feel this way?" she asked, eyes wide.

Elsa wanted to answer, but still, words failed her.

Anna let go of her hand. "If you say that it's wrong, I…I'll accept that," she said, turning away. "I won't hate you or anything. We'll still be friends, if you want. I don't want to force you to-"

Elsa raised her hand, gesturing for her to be silent. She took Anna's head in her hands, gently pulling her head towards her own.

Their lips were inches from each other. Elsa tried to summon all her willpower to take the next step.

Instead, Anna did it for her.

Anna kissed her, and Elsa reciprocated, first with a closed mouth, then with full tongue.

The sensation of Anna's tongue on hers was strange, but very erotic. Elsa felt Anna's tongue dancing around her mouth, tasted her saliva in her mouth…

A worrying thought creeped into her mind. Very gently, she pushed Anna away.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked. "You don't like it when I do that?"

"It's not that," Elsa said hurriedly, "it's just…if we keep this up, then I'm definitely going to give you my cold."

Anna considered this for a moment. "That's okay, Elsa. If it's your cold, I don't mind catching it."

"Anna, that's…just not right," Elsa said.

Anna seemed surprised to hear her say those words. For a moment, a look of disappointment crossed her face. Elsa felt crushed, knowing she had caused it.

Then the look was gone, and Anna smiled, albeit a little weakly.

"You're right, Elsa," she said. "Doing this, right now, would be a pretty bad idea. I guess I just didn't think it through that much." She stood up and turned to the door.

Elsa grabbed her arm.

Anna turned back to her. She smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm just stepping outside for a second, to clear my head," she said reassuringly. "I'll still spend the rest of the day with you."

Elsa didn't respond, but she didn't let go, either. For a few seconds, they sat there in silence.

Then Elsa fell back into the bed, yanking Anna down on top of her. Anna barely had time for a yelp of surprise before it was done.

Now she was lying directly on top of Elsa, their bodies pressed against each other once again.

This time, however, it was Elsa who started the kiss, but Anna was no less enthusiastic for it.

They held that kiss for a full ten seconds. When it was over, Elsa studied Anna's face, looking for a reaction. She seemed surprised, yet pleased.

"Forget the cold," Elsa said. "You want me? Take me."

Anna's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Touch me. Kiss me. Make me scream so that only you can hear."

Elsa could hardly believe the words that she herself was saying, yet she couldn't stop herself now.

"Prove that you want me as much as I want you."

Anna smiled. Slowly, she started crawling backward, moving down Elsa's body. When she reached her waist, she took Elsa's dress in her hands, pulling it with her. Gracefully, she slid the dress down and off the rest of Elsa's body. Anna cast it aside, throwing it onto the floor.

But she didn't come back up.

Elsa gasped as she felt Anna's tongue pass over her clit. She grabbed the sheets on her bed, clenching her hands into fists.

Anna kept licking, her tongue moving slowly and rhythmically. Elsa arched her back and moaned in primal pleasure.

"Anna," she moaned softly.

As if it were some sort of signal, Anna started going faster. Elsa writhed on the bed, moaning louder.

Her whole upper body lifted off the bed, as if Anna's actions were filling her body with power that she could no longer contain. She pushed her hands into the bed as if to ground herself, and threw her head back, her body contorted into an arch.

Elsa felt the climax coming. As passion coursed through her body, the entire world started to fade to white. Soon, she could see nothing but herself and Anna.

She wanted to freeze herself in that moment, that second of pure ecstasy between her and Anna. But as Anna refused to relent, even this thought disappeared from her mind, swallowed by a sea of euphoria.

Elsa screamed, her voice echoing through the bedroom. Anna, at last, pulled her head away, knowing her work was done.

With all the energy sapped from her body, Elsa collapsed back onto the bed. She lay there, breathing deeply in spite of her cold.

Anna giggled, crawling her way forward until she and Elsa were face to face once again.

"I love how you sound when you moan," she said. "Your voice is so beautiful."

"Not…fair…" Elsa panted.

"What?" Anna said, unprepared. "What do you mean?"

"Because…I want to hear you moan, too!"

Elsa found her strength again, and she took Anna by the shoulders, rolling her over onto her back. Now Anna was lying on the bed, with Elsa crouching over her.

Elsa grabbed at the straps of Anna's gown, tugging it off her body. Soon the dress was on the floor, and nothing stood between them.

Anna's body was beautiful, practically a work of art. Slicked with sweat from exertion, she glistened in the light shining through the window.

Elsa had never seen anything more beautiful in her entire life.

She stared into Anna's eyes, seeing the pure love and adoration radiating from them.

Then, she watched that expression turn to surprise and euphoria as she shoved her fingers into Anna's clit.

Anna gasped, and Elsa smiled, knowing exactly the joy she was feeling. She thrust her fingers forward and back, gently yet forcefully.

Now it was Anna who was writhing on the bed, and Elsa who heard the beautiful sounds of her blissful moans.

Anna reached up and wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders. As Elsa held her in nirvana, she gripped tighter, her fingers leaving bright red lines in Elsa's pale skin.

Elsa's fingers started getting moist, and Anna's moans climbed to higher octaves. Elsa knew the end was coming, so she sped up, moving her fingers as fast as she could.

Anna started breathing faster and faster, and each breath became a moan. Her hands slid off of Elsa's back.

At this point, neither could care less about queens, or colds, or laws. All that mattered was the person right in front of them.

And as Anna screamed, they were both in paradise.

xxxxxxx

Anna sniffled, clutching the covers around herself. Elsa stood over her, hands on her hips.

"I told you this would happen," she said, more playfully than accusatory.

"So you did," Anna said.

"The healers said you should be in bed all day," Elsa continued. "I'm going to-"

"You're going to go and be queen, like you're supposed to," Anna interrupted.

Elsa was surprised. "You don't want me to take care of you?" she asked.

"It's not about want, it's about need," Anna said. "I'm not as sick as you were, Elsa. All I need is a little rest, and I'll be fine tomorrow." She sat up and struck a fighting pose. "See?"

"Well," Elsa said, "If you're sure…"

"I'm sure, I'm sure. Now go. Be queen, make policy, rule the world," Anna said.

"Okay, then," Elsa said.

She turned around very slowly and took a sluggish step away.

"Oh, and Elsa?" Anna called out.

Elsa immediately whirled back. "What is it?"

Anna stared straight forward, not making eye contact. "About what happened yesterday…" she said.

Elsa noticed she was blushing heavily.

"You were sick, delirious, probably not totally sure what you were doing. If you want, we could call it a…a fever dream."

With her voice thick from a stuffy nose, Elsa found it impossible to determine her emotions.

"You're still my best friend and my sister," Anna continued. "I wouldn't jeopardize that for anything."

Elsa stood there, thinking of a response.

"Okay, then," was all she could manage.

Then she walked out the door.

Anna heard it close, then sighed.

She didn't feel nearly as healthy as she had let on, but that wasn't important to her. Elsa had to go and do Elsa things, and she'd be fine lying here.

We're still friends, and that's all that matters.

Anna closed her eyes, trying to silence her buzzing mind. With any luck, she'd manage to fall asleep for at least a couple hours. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

A hot towel landed on her forehead.

Anna's eyes shot open. Elsa was standing over her, smiling warmly.

"E-Elsa?" she said, surprised.

"I wasn't as well prepared as you," she said. "I had to run all the way to the laundry to get that for you."

"But…you're supposed to be ruling," she said.

"The kingdom is healthy, you aren't," Elsa said. "And since I gave you this cold, it's my obligation to stay by your side until you're well again."

Anna faked a pouty face. "Oh, just until I'm healthy, then?"

Elsa kneeled down beside her, touching her hand to Anna's cheek. "Always," she breathed, stroking Anna gently.

Anna beamed. "I guess this cold was worse than I thought."

"Why?"

"Because I think I just died and went to heaven."

Elsa laughed. "Now, about that 'fever dream' thing…"

"That was just in case you…" Anna started.

Elsa held up her head. "Hold on, let me finish.

"The thing about dreams is, sometimes you have a recurring dream. That means you have the same dream, over and over, and over again."

Anna gave her a sly grin. "So you think that's the kind of dream you had?"

"Maybe," Elsa said. She put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "We'll see, won't we?"

Anna put her hand on top of Elsa's. "Yes," she said. "We will."