Work Text
~~~
Anne woke up in the 21st century to meet the brand new day ahead of her. She yawned and stretched the sleep away from her body and slowly made her way out of bed. She had a dream that night. She knew it was a dream because it was simply too impossible for it to be true.
Feeling kind of sick tonight
It was about the past. Rather, it was about her time in the 1500s with one Catherine of Aragon.
All I've had is coffee and leftover pie
It's no wonder why
It was a weird dream. She couldn’t remember the exact details, but she knew it was set in the past. It had Catalina standing before her, looking at her with interest and a small smile. It wasn’t a memory. It couldn’t be a memory. Because Catherine of Aragon didn’t smile at her. Catherine of Aragon would never look at her with fondness or any of the sort. Anne rounded the corner to the kitchen.
Still you take up all my mind
She entered the kitchen to find the usual morning chaos unfolding before her.
I don't even think that you care like I do
I should stop
She made her way to her usual seat with ease. And upon sitting down, a pan and a spatula came into view as pancakes were set on her plate in front of her.
Heaven knows I've tried
Anne looked up with sleepy eyes, and saw Catalina standing next to her, smiling at her as she put down the pancakes in front of her.Anne smiled back and proceeded to eat the pancakes without question.
One day, I will stop falling in love with you
Some day, someone will like me like I like you
“Hey! How come Anne gets hers on a plate while I have to stand up and get them myself?” Kat asked, faux offense in her voice. “Because I don’t want her getting hurt trying to get these pancakes. Look at her, she practically slept walk the way here.” Catalina said, pointing at Anne. “Besides, these are Anne’s pancakes anyway. Crispy on the edges. Do you want your pancakes crunchy?” Kat made a face. “Blatant favoritism sucks.” The youngest queen muttered under her breath. Anne snickered at her cousin’s dismay.
Until then, I'll drink my coffee, eat my pie
Pretend that we are more than friends
Anne ate her pancakes happily, her heart warming at Catalina’s tiny gesture. She then thought of how thoughtful and sweet and nice Catalina really was. How she’d never thought they’d ever come to this point.
Then of course I'll let you break my heart again
She hasn’t forgotten about the dream just yet. But as the details blurred away into obscurity, the plot buried into the depths of her mind, she was left with remembering one particular moment. Catalina smiling at her, with her eyes looking at her fondly.
I'm just tryna understand
Catalina laid awake at night, several thoughts swirling in her head.
What I am to you
More than songs, we've exchanged
She was thinking of Anne. The green queen having plagued her mind more frequently with each passing day.
Midnight calls
Sunset views
She didn’t know when it started. But somehow, some way, the shorter girl was able to worm her way to her mind and, although she hated to admit it, to her heart. Her poor, weak, swelling heart.
Promise I don't mean to cry
But I get overwhelmed and confused
If only you knew
Her thoughts hurt more than they should. The facts, the feelings, her wants. They all fought with each other, and they didn’t show any sign of stopping. She was overwhelmed with the suddenness of it all. She wasn’t sure how it even came to be. She was oblivious to it all until suddenly,
What I felt like
She felt herself falling for her. Falling, not knowing if someone would even catch her. … Shit. This needed to stop.
One day, I will stop falling in love with you
Catalina sat up and tried to stop the ever whirling tornado of thought swirling through her head. She pulled her knees up and put her hands on her head like it would quiet down the noises in her head.
Some day, someone will like me like I like you
She needed to stop this. She needed to sleep. She needed to quell the raging storm inside her. For Anne, for the other queens, for her sanity. But most of all, for herself. Because she just knew she couldn’t take another heart-break.
Until then, I'll drink my coffee, eat my pie
Pretend that we are more than friends
She tried to reason with herself. She tried to tell herself what she wanted was out of reach. Impossible, improbable. Simply out of the realm of possibility. Given everything, it just didn’t make sense.
Then of course I'll let you break my heart again
Because why? Why would Anne even choose to like her? Why would Anne even want to be near her? They’ve gotten better, sure. They were friends now. But to want something more? Really? …
Some day, one day
I will stop falling in love with you
With a heavy sigh, Catalina let herself fall back on her bed. She should really stop thinking about her… It was for the best, for both of them. To keep her distance. To keep her heart at bay. To be quiet. To keep her cool.
Until I do,
She could do that… She could do that eventually.
I'll be thinking of you
Let you break my heart again
But for now, she’ll lie here awake at night, thinking about little moments in their day. Thinking about the miniscule gestures that they knew only the other would notice. Think of the times they’d look at each other. The little dances they did while performing. And the smiles they’d give only to each other.
~~~
In the dead of night, unbeknownst to each other, two formerly dead tudor queens got up from their beds and made their way towards the kitchen. Anne arrived there first. She’d opened the fridge and was now browsing her options for a midnight snack, humming as she did so. Catalina was curious when she stepped out of her room and saw that the light in the kitchen was on. Briefly, she thought that one of them must’ve forgotten to turn it off. When she arrived in the kitchen, the last thing she expected was seeing the very person keeping her up to have their head in the fridge, humming some sort of tune. Hearing the footsteps from behind her, Anne turned her head to find Catalina standing there across from her, surprised that another was awake at this ungodly hour of the night. “Hey.” Anne greeted with a smile. “Hey.” Catalina replied back, returning the smile. “Couldn’t sleep?” Anne inquired. Catalina hummed in confirmation. “Me neither,” Anne said, turning her focus back to the fridge, which she was still holding open. “Well, we still have Jane’s leftover pie here. I don’t think she’ll get too mad if we take some for ourselves… probably. Want me to grab you a slice too?” Anne offered, tilting her head as she asked. Catalina let out a chuckle at the small comment before replying, “Sure thing, I’ll make us some tea while you’re at it.” Silence fell upon the room as the two did their respective tasks. The only sounds to be heard were the shuffling of footsteps, the clattering of cutlery and the bubbling of water before a sharp whistle. Languid movements and easy maneuvering made its way to the living room. Anne set their leftover pie on the coffee table while Catalina set their tea beside it. They ate and drank in silence. None spoke a single word. They simply ate and drank in each other’s company. They really were an odd pair. Besides them, there was only silence in the room. The silence wasn’t deafening. It wasn’t even suffocating. No, the silence was warm. The silence was peaceful. It was comfortable in a way that silence usually wasn’t. They merely basked in each other’s presence. They didn’t feel the need to fill the room up with needless pleasantries. It was just them. Catalina and Anne. Anne and Catalina. Sitting on the sofa, eating leftover pie and drinking tea, at an ungodly hour neither of them should be awake. After a while of eating, when their plates weren’t empty just yet, Anne spoke. “Y’know, never in a hundred years would I have ever imagined that we’d end up here.” Catalina put her fork down and gave Anne a quizzical look. “What do you mean?” Catalina asked, not sure exactly what Anne was referring to. “Just here I guess.” Anne said, shrugging her shoulders. “Here in the 21st century. Here, where we perform on stage telling our story for the world to hear. Here, at the dead of night eating leftover pie with tea. Me here, next to you, without one of us trying to kill each other.” Anne said the last part teasingly. Catalina let out a chuckle at the last part, too. “I don’t think any of us would’ve believed ourselves if we told them that we’d get reincarnated after 500 years and start performing a musical about our lives for the modern folk to hear.” “That’s true, I would’ve deemed you insane.” “I’d call it blasphemy.” They laughed as they thought of how the what-if scenarios would play out. Catalina added. “I really wouldn’t believe any of it. The musical, the fact that Henry married five more women after me, the fact that we all live relatively peacefully in one house, that out of all the queens, I’m closest to you of all people.” Anne stopped her giggling and turned towards Catalina. “I’m your closest?” Anne practically squeaked the question. Catalina froze in her place, a blush rapidly going towards her cheeks. She didn’t mean to say that. “Uh, yeah. Like, I know it sounds pathetic and you have your cousins and the others and all but-” Anne cut her off. “No no no! It’s fine. It’s not pathetic, it’s just it took me by surprise. That’s all. You’re the one I’m closest to, as well.” Catalina stared at Anne, confused. “But what about the others?” Catalina asked quietly. Anne hummed. “Well, two of them are my cousins, so of course I’ll be close to them, Anna's fun and always down with what I’m trying to pull so there’s that and hey, Cathy’s nice to talk to intellectually and for internet and fan stuff. But you?” Anne turned to look directly at Catalina. “I knew you, Lina. And now,” Anne boldly placed her hand on top of Catalina’s. “I know you. I know who you are now. I now know the person behind the queen. The person behind all the fighting, the yelling. All the blaming and fear of losing everything.”
Anne cocked her head as she gave Catalina a warm smile. “I don’t think anyone can beat that.” Catalina gave her a bashful smile, letting herself soak in what exactly Anne’s just said. She let out a peaceful sigh. “Yeah… I don’t think the others can even have what we have.” Anne’s smile grew wider. She then turned and made their shoulders hit each other. “Awww, don’t get all sentimental on me now.” Anne teased. Catalina rolled her eyes. “In your dreams.” She said as she pushed Anne away. Anne giggled as she felt herself being shoved to the side. “You know you love me.” “Unfortunately.” They both then grinned at each other for different reasons of amusement. One then helped the other sit back up, and after everything was settled, they both continued to eat together in comfortable silence. They ate, they smiled and they sat there doing nothing. They just enjoyed the person who was here with them. Here, at the dead of night, sipping tea and finishing leftover pie. While the world was asleep, two former English queens basked in one another’s presence, enjoying each other’s company. If the world thought of them as foes, they’d let them think what they want. They knew the truth. Behind closed doors, they knew who the other was. If they pushed each other’s buttons and got on the other’s nerves, they knew they’d be fine. They knew they could face anything together. No matter what it was, they knew that some way, somehow, they’d be able to resolve it and come out even stronger than before. And if the other queens woke up the next morning to find two empty plates, cups of tea with varying levels of been-drank, and the first two queens cuddled into each other, lying peacefully in each other’s arms on the sofa in their living room, They didn’t say anything.