Frozen Fever Fic (Anna & Kristoff, M/F)

[Spoo]

Hello, SFF!  

I don't come around these parts very often anymore, but when I do it's to cross-post a fanfic from sneeze!tumblr. I can't believe I'm writing for Frozen in 2022, but here we are.  This fic takes place immediately after Frozen Fever. It helps if you've seen Frozen Fever/the first Frozen movie, but the sequel isn't necessary at all. 

Enjoy!  

- - - 

 

The thing about a cold, Anna knew, was how contagious it could be (given the right circumstances and environment). Taking care of Elsa as thoroughly as she had meant sitting closely to her sister, touching her to check for a fever, and, at one point, falling asleep on her bed with her; it was a miracle Anna hadn’t gotten sick sooner. 

Nevertheless, in the days that followed Elsa’s recovery, Anna started to feel off. Her throat hurt, her nose was stuffy, and one nap turned into three spread throughout the day. Elsa had been busy catching up on important ‘queen stuff’ (as Anna liked to call it), so she hadn’t noticed Anna’s waning health. Yet.

In truth, it was better that way. Elsa felt terrible enough that her illness had coincided with trying to give Anna the best birthday ever. If she knew she’d passed said illness onto Anna, despite Anna intentionally putting herself at risk with her insistent caretaking, there would be even more guilt to ease. 

Anna adored Elsa, but when something brought Elsa down, it was never an easy task to lift her out of it. That didn’t mean Anna wouldn’t do it, because she absolutely would, but if it could be avoided in favor of Elsa remaining oblivious and happy, then that was the better option for sure. 

Rather than risk being discovered, Anna stuck to places that weren’t strictly indoors. There was a bigger chance of Elsa figuring things out if she were in plain sight, so the redhead made herself as scarce as she could. She still had to see Elsa at mealtimes, but at least she had the advantage of stuffing food in her mouth to mask her scratchy voice and drippy sniffles. 

Fortunately, Elsa was needed by the docks that morning to discuss a new trade route (‘queen stuff’), which granted Anna the opportunity to flee someplace that wasn’t the castle. Sort of. The stables were still technically part of the castle, but they weren’t an area Elsa typically spent much time at. That made it the perfect location to avoid her. 

Anna took a solid moment to greet her horse—it was always nice to see that Kjekk hadn’t pulled one of his infamous escape acts—though her attention fled elsewhere when she heard the familiar bellow of a reindeer. There was only one reindeer it could have been, considering that he regularly came around. Despite being unwell, Anna felt her spirits soar high. If there was a chance Kristoff had come back early from his most recent ice delivery, then she wanted to be the first person to see him. 

With that in mind, she hurried down the aisle of stalls and turned at the end, hoping to find her blond beau standing there. She found Sven enjoying some hay, which meant that his best friend couldn’t have been far. As she opened her mouth to greet Sven, a resounding sneeze stole her words and made her jump.

“HHAH’ATSCHHHhhue!”

Anna’s widened teal eyes found the source further down the path, bent halfway and groaning in the aftermath of the thunderous outburst. Honestly, she didn’t need to see the person to know who was responsible for it; he was as easily identifiable as his sneeze.

“That’s one way to make an entrance,” she teased, giving Sven a friendly stroke behind his ear. “Bless you.” 

She watched as Kristoff straightened up with a start and rushed to shove something into the folds of his clothing. 

“Ahdda?” He seemed surprised to spot the princess so soon after his arrival. As if realizing that her name hadn’t come out quite as he’d intended, he snuffled behind a closed fist and tried again. His words were clearer this time. “I, uh… didn’t expect to see you here.”

“It was a last minute decision,” Anna confessed, leaving Sven’s side with a parting stroke under his furry chin. “Mostly to avoid Elsa since she miiiight have gotten me sick.” She sniffled damply in demonstration. 

Kristoff’s broad shoulders slumped, though it was hard to tell if it was done in relief or response to the unfortunate news Anna gave him. She settled on relief, because he quickly pulled out what he’d been eager to hide just a moment ago. It looked like a handkerchief (or what had been a handkerchief at one point). Now, it was little more than a strip of worn cloth that seemed dangerously close to falling apart. 

“You, too?” he asked, frowning. 

Whereas Anna had had the luxury of tending to her brewing illness in the comfort of her own bedroom, with all the rest and tea she needed, Kristoff hadn’t been nearly as lucky. Summer was his biggest season for business, which meant there was no time for slowing down. Anna had comfy pillows and warm blankets. Kristoff had biting alpine winds and a full schedule. No wonder he seemed worse off than she did, despite them catching a cold around the same time and from the same person. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but I feel like it’s pretty obvious,” Kristoff continued. The way that he noisily blew his nose after making the statement only proved what he said to be true. There was no hiding how he felt, even if he tried his very best. “Gnuhhh. Remind me to never let Elsa lick my face again.”

Anna’s expression snapped into one of awkward confusion. “Wait, what?” 

Kristoff raised both of his hands passively. “Okay, that came out wrong. She didn’t actually lick my face. She licked her thumb and then used it to wipe something off my face when we were setting up for your birthday.” 

“See, that makes a lot more sense,” Anna remarked, grateful for the explanation. Kristoff started to cough, and she added: “Sounds like you could use some tea with honey.”

Kristoff shook his golden head a tad too quickly. “No, I’m good.” 

He didn’t want to be rude, but tea wasn’t his favorite beverage. It tasted like…well, like weird leaf water (and that was saying something when he’d grown up drinking all kinds of goopy troll concoctions). Plus, the fancy teacups in the castle were way too dainty and never fit right in his bulky, callused fingers. 

“I do appreciate it, though,” he noted, giving his nose another cleansing swipe before the cloth disappeared somewhere in his leather tunic again. “Shouldn’t you be in bed? If you’re not feeling well, I mean.”

“Honestly, I don’t feel too bad,” Anna replied. “But I have been sleeping a lot, so maybe that’s why.” Both Elsa and Kristoff had pushed themselves during the infancy of their ailment, which seemed to have exacerbated their conditions. It appeared Anna taking it easy made all the difference. “I’m just glad Elsa is feeling better.”

“You and me both,” Kristoff agreed, shaking his head. “Those snowgies cause a lot of damage for being so small. I didn’t think my sled was gonna make it back in one piece when I took them to the North Mountain.” 

“Well, I’m glad it did,” Anna stated, unable to stop herself from wrapping her arms around Kristoff’s middle. “I missed you.” 

All aches, pains, and stuffiness faded to the back of her mind as she cuddled into his side, humming contently. Kristoff was the equivalent of a huge teddy bear; she felt instant comfort giving him a tight squeeze. Having him back, even if it was only for a day or two at a time, was something she eagerly looked forward to. 

Two strong arms wound around her in return, reciprocating the affection, while his chin plopped down on her soft ginger hair. “Missed you, too, feisty-pants.” 

They stayed like that for a beat, enjoying the rare silence. Actually, it was too quiet (even with Sven and the horses making the occasional sound). 

“Where’s Olaf?” Kristoff asked, once they’d pulled back from each other. 

“He’s with Elsa doing queen stuff,” Anna replied, like it was a perfectly normal response to give. “They should be down by the docks.” 

Kristoff sniffed. “That explains it. I was starting to wonder why we hadn’t been interruhh…hhuh…!” He swiveled sharply to the side and raised a forearm that didn’t make it all the way up to his face in time. “HAHT’ZSCHHHhhue!…gghuh, I was about to say ‘hadn’t been interrupted yet’, but I literally interrupted myself.” 

Anna’s smile was sympathetic, if not a teeny bit amused at the irony. “Bless you.”

“Thanks.” Snnnrrff!

Kristoff was right about Olaf interrupting, though. Far too many times had they been on the cusp of a romantic venture (or kiss) when the enthusiastic snowman popped up between them, oblivious to the tender moment he’d ruined. And when kindly told they needed some alone time? Olaf would agree, toddle a few feet away, and then look at them expectantly, as if he’d given them plenty of space for their alone time. Fun fact: it was never enough space. 

“We don’t have to stay out here now that you’re back,” Anna began, gesturing at the door that led to the courtyard. “We can go insihh…!” 

Oop, now it was her turn. Without much time to prepare, considering those types of bodily functions never gave her fair warning, she ducked into a pair of crossed wrists. “Hhht’khschh!—hh’khschhh!—ht’khschh!”

Kristoff slung an arm around Sven’s back as the reindeer joined them; he’d finished his hay and was ready to contribute to the conversation. Only, it was Kristoff’s voice that spoke for Sven (as usual).

“Anna has the cutest sneeze.”

“Doesn’t she, buddy?” Kristoff agreed (with himself). 

Sven prodded the side of a velvety antler against Kristoff’s shoulder. “Way cuter than youuurs~”

“It’s not even a competition,” Kristoff deadpanned. He waited until Anna seemed finished (though, he never knew when it came to her kittenish fits). “Bless you…?” 

Anna lowered her wrists with a sniffle; the small spell had left her feeling kind of woozy in the aftermath. Maybe it was time to return indoors. 

“Thank you,” she replied, looking over at him. “I guess I should have asked if you had to leave right away before I suggested going inside.”

“Not until tomorrow morning,” he informed her, smiling. 

Anna reached for Kristoff’s hand and tugged him along. “Good. Let’s go inside and drink some hot chocolate.” 

Kristoff arched a thick brow as he followed closely behind her. “In the middle of summer?” He wasn’t complaining, because hot chocolate sounded waaay better than the tea she’d offered him earlier. 

“Yup. In the middle of summer,” Anna said, leading them out of the stables. “Listen, the time of year doesn’t matter when it comes to choc—ack, backupbackupbackup!”

The frantic command came so fast and unexpectedly that Kristoff barely had time to react. He ducked down to try and prevent Anna from tripping back into him, yet his action was more chaotic than cautious. The crown of Anna’s head collided with his nose as she backpedaled in an attempt to push Kristoff and Sven back into the stables. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Anna hissed in apology before turning around. “I saw Elsa coming this way with Olaf, and I totally… ohmygosh, are you okay??”

Kristoff had both hands covering the lower part of his face; his brown eyes were tearing up, and it was clear that she’d hurt him somehow. 

“Kristoff, I’m so sorry,” Anna apologized again. “I didn’t mean to—oh no.”

‘Oh no’ was right, Kristoff thought, his breath hitching behind his hands. Aside from the fact that she’d knocked into him pretty hard, his cold practically guaranteed nasal consequences should he have touched, rubbed, or hit his nose too firmly. It would have been fine if Elsa wasn’t in earshot, and if he didn’t always sneeze like his life depended on it. 

Kristoff tried scrunching and wriggling the buzzy feeling into submission, but it was no use; he was past the danger point. Anna seemed to realize this, because her hands shot out and pressed over Kristoff’s hands, giving him an extra layer of insulation. 

The corners of his eyes managed a grateful, watery crinkle before they slammed shut. 

“HH’RFFMSCHHHH!”

It was heavily suppressed, though still audible to them both. Anna’s nervous gaze whipped towards the door in case Elsa had picked up on anything. No one came rushing in, but Anna did hear the clicking sound of Elsa’s shoes echoing in the courtyard as she and Olaf passed through to enter the castle. 

She dared a glance at Kristoff, whose fluttering eyelashes and heaving chest suggested that he wasn’t done. It wasn’t his fault—it was her fault—so she braced her hands over his again and waited it out. Sure enough…

“HHIH’RRMFFSCHHH!”

“What was that weird sound?”

Olaf’s innocent question had Anna’s stomach sinking. She and Kristoff exchanged wide-eyed looks and hoped that the snowman’s curiosity wouldn’t ultimately lead to their discovery. 

“It was probably one of the horses,” Elsa’s kind voice replied. 

Okay, that was a little funny. Anna pursed her lips to keep herself from giggling. Kristoff didn’t look half as amused. In fact, Anna could practically see the ‘A horse? Seriously?’ written on the upper part of his face.

When heavy doors closed twenty seconds or so later, Anna dropped her hands and exhaled a weighted breath in relief. 

“Whew… So, that happened,” she said, as if the other two weren’t there to witness it firsthand. Noticing that Kristoff hadn’t yet lowered his hands, she gently touched his shoulder. “She’s gone now, honey.” 

But Kristoff shook his head. His voice was a muffled, congested mess behind his clamped palms, but Anna thought she heard him say something along the lines of: “Believe me, it’s better if I keep my hands where they are.” 

Ahh…right. Anna wished she had something absorbent to offer Kristoff, but sadly, she didn’t. Just words of comfort, or a hug, or the promise of getting him something once they were inside. 

One index finger managed to lift from the others to signal that she give him a minute. He then disappeared further into the stables to presumably take care of some much-needed damage control. Anna waited by the door with Sven, who nudged her affectionately, until Kristoff returned. The ice harvester’s nose was a good shade redder than before. He also looked ten times more exhausted. 

“Sneaky attempt round two?” he asked, leaning down to press his warm forehead into hers.  

“Sneaky attempt round two,” Anna confirmed, nodding against him.

 

End.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Spoo

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Aw! This was cute! 

[ShamanBodyan]

Wow, that's very cute. I look forward to continuing. I really hope Anna catches a cold.

[Spoo]

5 hours ago, MyOwnPrivateSFC said:

Aw! This was cute! 

Thank you so much!

39 minutes ago, ShamanBodyan said:

Wow, that's very cute. I look forward to continuing. I really hope Anna catches a cold.

Thanks. This is a oneshot story, unfortunately, so it will not have any continuations. Also, Anna did have a cold in the fic (in case that wasn’t clear).  

[ShamanBodyan]

17 minutes ago, Spoo said:

Thank you so much!

Thanks. This is a oneshot story, unfortunately, so it will not have any continuations. Also, Anna did have a cold in the fic (in case that wasn’t clear).  

Oops, I didn't notice that this is oneshot. As for Anna, yes, according to the plot she already has a cold, but I meant either the deterioration of her cold and possibly care, or a greater emphasis on her (since I perceived her as the main character of the fic), without thinking that this is a oneshot dedicated more to Christoff.

[SleepingPhlox]

This is cute as heck and SO them. This unashamed Disney fan thanks you for posting it here!!!

[Sickficsinger]

Adorable! I was hoping for more of Anna but tbh you're not wrong about rest v. Pushing. Awww poor baby.  I do appreciate the lack of toxic masculinity with him and the cuteness ❤️

[Katzoo12]

Never even noticed there was a new Frozen fic until now! Incredibly good job! And yeah, it’s 2022, but I still love Frozen…not as much as Encanto though!

[A4o]

I'm in love with this fic, I keep re-reading it !

[CircleSquare]

What a cute one!!