#i wrote :) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

katnissdoesnotfollowback · 29 days

Note

You won't judge me if I share this, right? But I think Peeta would want to be pegged by Katniss at some point. Maybe in COBLMF, maybe in another modern au of yours, hell, I think Spellbound Peeta would love to try it. And it would be so hot and tender too, with Katniss whispering reassurances in his ear while he's just whimpering and gasping in pleasure at both her cock in him and her words

I won't judge you, Anon. I will, however, put this below a cut and add a RATED E for explicit sexual content warning to it, though. Set in the COBLMF universe for reasons. One of which is the fact that anything I write that far in the future for Spellbound would inevitably contain spoilers.

If Katniss regrets anything about last night, it’s the alcohol, she thinks as she groans and silences her alarm. She takes a few deep breaths and turns her head to stare at Peeta’s still motionless body beside her. They’re both still naked, and she stretches just a little, attempting to alleviate the ache that’s taken up residence in her thighs and her butt, and gah! Even her pussy still aches from last night as she rolls over to snuggle up against Peeta’s back.

His skin is warm with sleep and is emitting, other than the faint traces of alcohol laden sweat, the morning after scent she secretly loves so much. A little musty and dirty because of the sex. God, the sex last night. She squirms at the memory, already feeling the heaviness of need settle once more in her core. She wraps her arm around his waist to bring herself even closer to him, but it does little to alleviate the growing desire she’s feeling.

They’d had a little too much wine with dinner last night. She’d been so lightheaded and giddy and happy as they sat on the couch afterwards, her head in his lap and Peeta’s fingers combing through her tresses, that when he’d asked her to tell him her dirtiest sexual fantasy they hadn’t yet done, she’d almost offered them up. Both of them.

But she’d snorted and giggled to hide her embarrassment over her own naughty fantasies and deflected instead.

“I honestly can’t think of anything,” she’d said and tugged him down towards her head, arching her back so that she could kiss him. “What about you?”

“Now I feel like I can’t say anything, if you’re completely satisfied,” he’d said, although his blush told her that he was holding back. Surprisingly, she hadn’t felt insulted. She knew he wasn’t saying that he found their sex lacking or unsatisfying. Because she doesn’t find their sex lacking or unsatisfying at all, but that doesn’t stop her from sometimes… imagining things.

“No, tell me. I wanna know,” she’d teased at his curls and tried to hold his mouth close to hers, because even just thinking about Peeta concocting new things for them to try had her feeling aroused. But he’d still pulled back a little.

“It’s a little out there,” he’d said, his voice gruff and sending a shiver down her spine. Of arousal. Of awareness as his hand skimmed over her belly and the growing need for him to slide his hand down inside her pajama shorts, down between her legs where she’d already grown slick and swollen.

“It’s a fantasy. It’s supposed to be a little wild,” she’d encouraged, shifting herself to also encourage him to touch her, but he’d kept his hand frustratingly above the waistband of her shorts. And it occurred to her that, depending on what Peeta’s fantasy was, maybe she’d find the courage to tell him hers, too.

And then he’d told her.

“I’ve always wanted you to take complete control of me and fuck me.”

“Haven’t I done that?” she had asked, laughing a little and thinking of how unhinged he gets when she holds his arms down on the bed with her knees and rides his face, or pins them down with her hands and rides his cock for as long as she wants. As many orgasms as she’s able to reach and can still feel her legs.

“No, I meant…,” he’d licked his lips and bent over to whisper close to her ear. “I meant that I want you to ride my ass.”

“Oh,” she’d said quietly, and even though it hadn’t quite sunk in what he meant, when he cupped his hand under her head and lifted her towards him again, she’d kissed him back.

And it wasn’t long after that conversation before they were sprawled out on their bed, naked and in the middle of what she could only call rutting. It wasn’t to fulfill her unmentioned fantasies, nor would it fulfill Peeta’s fantasy either, because he’d been in charge. In complete control, teasing her right to the edge of an orgasm before backing off and changing how he was fucking her. Again and again and again, until she’d been a sweating, sopping, pathetic mess. Begging him desperately to let her come.

He held her down, powerless to move herself as he’d driven her to the brink. She’d clung to him, scoring lines down his shoulders and arms with her nails in his skin. Biting his pectorals and biceps, pulling his hair and thrashing her head as he tormented her. Clawing his back and then his ass when at last, the coil he’d wound impossibly tight inside her had sprung loose in a flood of heat and relief.

And as they laid there in the aftermath, her fingers lightly caressing over his taut buttocks, he’d wriggled slightly, until her fingers were teasing at his crack. And that’s when it hit her. What exactly his fantasy meant he was asking her to do.

Katniss blushes now, heated and discomforted. She knows he’s bi. Known it for a long time now. And there was that night, after she met Soup, when she used Peeta’s old crush on the burly man to fuel the fire of their sex. But this… this feels different somehow. She’s not big and muscular or burly. And if that’s the kind of man he likes to be with, Katniss has no idea how her strapping on a fake cock to fuck her husband could possibly fulfill his fantasy or even come close to his expectations.

But she loves him. Irrevocably and undeniably, she loves him.

Hadn’t she considered a threesome, after all? She’s actually a bit confused that a threesome wasn’t the fantasy Peeta had professed. It was one of hers, and this feels like something close enough to it that maybe it’d be better to try a third person instead of a fake cock. She considers bringing it up, but she still can’t quite find the courage.

The next time the topic of their as yet unfulfilled sexual fantasies arises, it’s a few weeks later, when Katniss feels a little stressed about the school year starting back up and on a whim, she uses her panties to bind Peeta’s wrists together while she rides his cock. Hard. She comes before he does and rolls off of him. Worn out. Frustrated that he didn’t come with her.

“You didn’t come,” she says as she turns her head to the side to look at him. He also hasn’t broken loose from her panties, and Katniss knows that he can. Easily. Which means he wants to be tied up a little longer.

“I want to try something,” he says quietly. “But you’re probably thirsty.”

And she is thirsty, like she often is after they make love, so she pushes herself off the bed and leaves him still partially tied up as she gets a glass of water from the kitchen. She gulps half of it down and refills it. When Katniss returns to the bed, Peeta struggles to sit up and Katniss offers to untie him, but Peeta shakes his head.

It’s then that Katniss understands. This is one of those nights when he wants her to call all the shots. She helps him drink. And when she sets the glass aside, Peeta turns over onto his knees, resting his weight on his forearms, his ass lifted in the air for her. With Peeta’s knees and thighs spread like this, she has a perfect view of his balls, hanging heavy and low with the heat of arousal. His cock, still thick and blushing with the need to come, angles slightly down with gravity. It’s like he’s presenting himself to her, and the very thought of it sends an arrogant, powerful thrill through her body.

As she gazes at him, trussed up like a feast for her, Peeta’s cock lurches once or twice, and suddenly she understands.

This is as close to his fantasy as they can get without actually owning a strap on.

She kneels behind him and massages his cheeks, both of them. Gripping tightly and noting the way he arches and thrusts back towards her, almost eagerly. Leaning forward, Katniss slides her hands up his spine, down his sides as she lays on top of him. Their skin warm and caressing each other as their bodies shift and sway. Katniss positions her knees a little wider and Peeta moans when she starts rocking her hips against his ass.

Not because she’s actually fucking him, she realizes as she kisses him between his shoulder blades and savors the way he trembles beneath her, but because he’s thinking about it.

Still moving her hips in a slow grind, Katniss slips her hands down. Down to caress and tease his clenched thighs for a moment before finally wrapping her fingers around his cock.

“Oh fuck, please,” Peeta groans and she watches his fingers flex and clench, gripping the pillow as she slowly strokes his cock.

Humping him like this doesn’t do much for her, but the sight of Peeta at her absolute mercy like this does. He pulses in her grip, and the feeling of power grows to heady heights. She drops soft kisses all over his back. Shoulders. Spine. Neck when he arches beneath her and she can reach it. He buries his face in the bedding and moans in a way she’s never heard before when she strokes faster, grips him harder. He sounds desperate and a little pathetic, but when she backs off and Peeta merely turns his head to whine that he was getting close, Katniss discovers that she loves it. Loves having this kind of control and power over his pleasure.

And there’s a part of her that knows, it’s because she sounds just as needy and pathetic when he’s teasing her to the brink of an orgasm with his hands and mouth.

“I’m tired,” she says simply. Suddenly, when inspiration strikes.

And then she grabs a pillow, balling it up as best she can and positioning it between his knees. She pushes down on his hips until Peeta’s mostly flat on the bed.

“Fuck the pillow, sugar,” she murmurs as she lays on top of him again, and Peeta’s whole body quivers beneath her, but he does it. She spreads her legs enough to rub her clit on one of his ass cheeks as he works his hips and ass, frantically humping the pillow.

Positioned like this, she can nibble on his ears and caress his sides, up his arms to pluck teasingly at the panties still holding his wrists together. Katniss relaxes into it, enjoys the feeling of him chasing his pleasure beneath her, enjoys the way his movements and his needy whimpers maintain a low level of desire inside her, too.

“I’m close. Can I come? Katniss can I come?” he eventually pleads, and she rises up to her knees, pulling him by his hips, and he follows willingly until he’s kneeling beneath her again.

“No. I make you come,” she practically growls and Peeta’s groan tells her that’s exactly what he wanted to hear. Wrapping her arms around him again, she grabs his cock, fondles his balls and murmurs to him, tells him to thrust. So he does. He slides his cock through her grip, his moans growing louder and more desperate. His body bucking beneath hers.

And when he comes, with a shout and a head to toe shudder that nearly unseats her, Katniss already knows. She’s going to fulfill his fantasy. Completely. Or at least, she’s going to try.

Once they’ve showered and dried off and Peeta is combing through her wet hair so he can braid it, she asks him, her voice tentative, unsure of the words. “So… the couple of times you were with a guy…you’re a bottom?”

He hesitates for just a second, but doesn’t fully stop combing her hair. She loves it when he does this. It relaxes her until she feels like putty in his hands and words just slip from her mouth unheeded. He leans forward and kisses her neck in a way that makes her shiver and moan slightly.

“Depends on the guy I was with and what we both wanted. I’m versatile,” he tells her. So both then. Makes sense to her, given what their preferences are in the bedroom, neither of them in complete control all the time.

He finishes braiding her hair, and they lay down in the dark. She waits, wide awake with her mind churning, until he’s sleeping soundly before she disentangles herself from his embrace. She pulls her laptop onto her crossed legs and glances at him, to make sure he stays asleep as she waits for it to boot up. When it does, she opens a private browsing window, bites her lip and shakes her hands, psyching herself up before tapping in the words.

How do I peg my husband?

An hour later, she closes the window and drags herself to bed, convinced only of the fact that in order to do this, she’s going to need a boatload of courage. And probably more wine.

#words are peetas thing not mine #smut happens #well aren't you a spicy anon #at least you have the safety of anonymous #i might be deleting more anons of questionable motives #just for daring to write something like this #that doesn't actually contain said pegging #but hey #the muse spoke #i wrote #anonymous #look at that ask

8 notes · View notes

horn-knee-demons-anonymous · 2 months

Link

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Formula 1 RPF Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber Characters: Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber Additional Tags: Unreliable Narrator, Mildly Dubious Consent, Bondage, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Vibrators, Chastity Device, Forced Orgasm, Overstimulation, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Nipple Play, Nipple Clamps, Gags, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, what I can only describe as horny domesticity, Mind Break, Subspace Series: Part 1 of horny demons anon writes F1 RPF Summary:

“Alright, Seb,” Mark says, in Seb’s absolute favourite tone of voice out of him. “D’you wanna try something fun, mate?”

Or, when an attempt to get fucked by his teammate goes sideways, Seb experiences the wonders of subspace, courtesy of a vibrator, a chastity belt, and the teammate in question.

Or, How to Accidentally Establish the Most Questionable D/s Dynamic in Human History, a guide by Sebastian Vettel and mostly Mark Webber

#my fic #martian hornyverse #come get y'all juice #sebmark #martian #i wrote

10 notes · View notes

vnd5lain88 · 11 months

Text

light thoughts

huge nonlinear waffle that may go places i never intended it to. it's 1 am. help!

i often think about an average day with light yagami, pre-death note usually. wake up, go to school, maybe mingle with semi-close acquaintances and perhaps even walk home with them. go home, lay in bed, read, study, sleep, rinse and repeat. maybe talk to your sister. have some food. and on the weekends you date. *snore*... none of these actions are really driven by self-interest either. unlike most top students, light's good grades just come to him. he sure is diligent and hardworking, yes, but it isn't in an effort to chase the standards he achieves, rather, these actions are simply part of the routine of a boy who believes he will undoubtedly get those results regardless. because in his mind, and in the mind of pretty much everybody else who knows him, he is just that brilliant. so that's just a truth, no motivator there. he gets such good scores... pretty much because he can. and it isn't much of a big deal to him either (read: the Sheer Enthusiasm /s with which he gives his mother his test scores and receives her praises in the very beginning of the series).

as for dating, light is involved with so many girls because people would raise an eyebrow if he wasn't. he usually isn't interested in those ordeals and the few times in which we do see him flirting or kissing it's made clear to us that it's duplicitous. and for friends... well... light isn't exactly keen on keeping any close relations with any peers.

that's all to say that light leads a pretty humdrum life. for someone like him, this way of being just doesn't do it. what's interesting here is that light plays along regardless. (as i am a westerner, i speak with only a bit of knowledge on this subject) seeing as there are certain societal norms placed in japan in an effort to maintain synchronicity in a community this complacence is simply expected of him so he acts accordingly. which means that light is a perfect product of the circumstances he was raised under, and that he also cares about what others think, and he expects norms to be followed, and so on. heavy emphasis on the "expects", i mean it as in like. it's just second nature to him. i don't even think he's particularly aware of the flaws of the social etiquette he maintains, or that he dwells on them much.

something else that's cute about light is his self-isolative tendencies.. it's nothing concerning but he is a rather distant individual as i stated previously. it's funny, i think light's character can spark a conversation on just how nuanced the human mind really is. even with everything handed to him the very fact that it Was handed to him (key word also: handed) made way for another mass of frustrations that light decides to keep buried within his unconscious. with the discovery of the death note these frustrations Burst outward and work as the catalyst for some of the root motivators behind kira's plan. god help me and my long-winded sentences.

the very solution kira proposes is proof enough to me that this guy doesnt spend much time fleshing out deeper topics such as... how to "rid the world of all evil" or how such a thing is nearly inconceivable because of the lack of a tangible evil in the natural universe etc. etc. literally a few words in and i can already find the moral dilemma in this argument. and i mean sure it's normal for teenagers, especially teenagers in 2003, to have such extremist beliefs but it's different with light imo. because he is incapable of an open-mindedness broad enough to ever accept the idea that he *gasp* may just be wrong. in fact, he is so incapable of accepting this possibility that he makes murder out to be an act of good. because it's light doing it. and light is a very good boy. if he kills people, it's okay. somehow, he'll find a way to make it okay. it is impressive how much self awareness this guy lacks.

this is a really interesting side to him: he is honestly quite the emotionally avoidant individual. light's feelings are put through a hundred logical filters, he isn't the type to dwell on them as they simply are. it's really cool, the fact that he has unhealthy behaviors like this. in fact, i would usually begin to question if a person like light is mentally disordered in some way, or if the potential for such a problem to occur exists, but that clearly isn't the case. for most of the series he's the very definition of functional, and doesn't seem to take it to the extreme either. well, yes, his work is extreme, but they are within his limitations. save for, you know, being kira at some point.

i think the biggest exception to this idea that he doesn't spend much time delving into serious topics is takada, they did talk about kira a lot but i assume it was sort of an echo chamber situation considering they are both upper middle class teens/young adults with naïve underdeveloped world beliefs that are only further magnified by their similar upbringing . there are also those friends light makes jests with about kira when news about him first starts popping up.... but we see like... 6 panels of them? 3? actually come to think of it we don't see much of light having any meaningful conversation outside of kira-related matters at all. this can contribute to the characterization of him being a rather shallow person but that's subjective ofc.

just think about the picture this all paints... i wish i could find a better way to articulate what im thinking, because these ideas are very visual to me. it's grey, it's muddied, it's routine. auto-pilot, light lives on auto-pilot. up to when he found the death note his life could be considered rather meaningless despite his accomplishments. there was nothing to stimulate him. deep down what he wanted above all else was a real challenge, something to end the futility of his existence. and martyrdom is very meaningful. off this point i can go on a whole other tangent about the tragedy of him finding the note but. i will spare myself that lengthy ordeal.

anyways, i love this guy. i love his ability to twist an action as malignant as murdering tens of thousands of people into a self sacrificial, necessary course of action for the sake of the Entire World in the span of like... a few days (two weeks? three? i forget). to be fair tho this was also partly due to the fact that there juuuust so happened to be a god of death basically using lights life as bait to force him entertain it. which is also painfully enjoyable because it means that all the cards were against light in a way! because that god of death and its own motives are very much outside of lights control.

but yes, anyways, a very commendable "talent" indeed. just look at how desperate he is in the yotsuba arc as well. look at how long a time he was able to totally deny L's kira-power-hopping theory because it could be true. and if it was true, then light isn't the morally righteous person he believes himself to be. it wasn't until months later that he really sat down and tackled the truth of the matter. i could go on for days about how pitiful of a character yostuba light is. or well, i'm not sure if pitiful is the correct word seeing as he does make great efforts to prevail regardless of his situation, and that deserves respect... but that doesn't stop me from feeling a great deal of pity for him.

another great thing to think about in regards to light is... the people he is actually a victim to. which is a bit of a disorienting thought to me, mainly because it is brushed aside by ohba. he is a victim to misa's actions in some ways, he is Definitely a victim to L's actions, and to ryuk's most glaringly. light is basically ryuk's little plaything. i think i'm out of steam so i don't want to bother elaborating on those statements but i have a lot to say when it comes to that as well. by the way, i'm definitely not saying he's a poor soul who was hurt by the people around him and that he never did wrong. i think that's clear but i'm stating it just in case. this is especially true in regards to misa, there's no doubt that he was total trash to misa. misa was also trash to him. i actually quite like misa and light's relationship because of how insidious it is. they are both mutually parasitic in a way. not divorce but not love winning either. they don't love each other at all. they both use each other. yet another relationship of light's that is lacking of any good substance. a lot more sinister than what it seems at first glance. it's great.

that's all. x

#light yagami #death note #death note meta #long post #so as you can see ive spent all day reading through death note analyses and seeing as they've mirrored my own little thoughts on #light and i wanted to process the mass of information i read through..#i wrote #i wrote a lot

31 notes · View notes

sebsrainbowbicycle · 3 months

Text

I WROTE!!!!!

#not much like but I actually wrote #like this is big deal I’ve been STUCK for a bit #and yes perhaps I’m projecting a bit and it’s angst #and there’s no guarantee imma finish it but like !!!!#I wrote #Dee talks #Dee writes

9 notes · View notes

frazzledazzlin · 2 years

Text

DRAWN BY MY GF. Why do you as a man have another man best friend

#there's no reason for them to stay wifeless at that age they have all the money and more #the gay subtext is unreal in this damn stick game #i keep thinking about every singke interaction between them there is no heteroromantic explanation for any of it #i wrote #thsc #the henry stickmin collection #reginald copperbottom #right hand man #rhm #copperright #copperight

162 notes · View notes

bi-bats · 5 months

Text

#I WROTE #I WROTE 1000 WORDS #I WROTE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MONTH #THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER FOLKS #bibatrambles

19 notes · View notes

nobodybetterlookatme · 2 years

Text

Alright, here’s over 7k worth of fic based off this post about a sick paramedic being taken care of by the nurse they regularly flirt with. No, I have no excuse for this actually

The fast pace of the job never bothered Ellie. In fact, she preferred it that way. She thrived in the high-stress environment and the constant thinking on her feet. Admittedly, though, it was always much easier when she could think clearly. Halfway through a forty-eight hour shift, and she’d been coming down with a cold for most of it. A chill had already set deep in her bones, and even now, in the warmth of the hospital, she still couldn’t manage to get warm. She brushed it off as just being a bit cold; it was freezing out, and she hadn’t had a jacket for several hours now, courtesy of a patient who couldn’t manage to keep their bodily fluids to themself. Ellie hadn’t minded not having the extra layer at first, but now, she desperately missed it.

“Hah’ISCHIEW!” A sudden sneeze caught her off-guard, and she sniffled loosely, wiping her runny nose on her arm. Just the temperature change, she reasoned, setting to work on the run report while her partner cleaned the rig and changed the bedding on the stretcher. She looked up after a few moments, her grey eyes locking on the pair of familiar brown ones that belonged to the sweet nurse she spent a considerable time flirting with. Ellie smiled at him and gave him a tiny wave, then looked back down at the sheet in front of her, and continued filling it out.

Riley had been staring at her since he heard her sneeze, and grinned when she finally looked his way. He would’ve dropped what he was doing the moment he saw her, but the bedding needed to be changed before the ED got busy again, and Ellie clearly had her hands full, too, so he had time to finish his task. He smoothed out the sheets and looked around before heading over to where she was seemingly filling out paperwork, hoping to talk to her for a couple minutes before one of them was whisked off again. “Hey,” he called as he approached. “How’s my favorite paramedic doing?”

Ellie looked up at Riley’s voice, her tired eyes lighting up a bit upon seeing the nurse. “Oh, you know. Living th- the- h’IschhIEW! h’schhOO!- living the dream,” she replied with a sniffle, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand as she smiled at him.

He frowned when she sneezed again, looking at her more closely and noticing the bags under her fever-bright eyes and her dripping, red nose. He moved to stand beside her, leaning towards her just enough that their arms touched. “Can’t imagine the job’s any easier when you’ve caught a cold, huh?” He asked, giving her a sympathetic smile.

She huffed, giving him a dirty look before turning her attention to the report in front of her. “I don’t have a cold,” she grumbled. “I don’t get sick. Probably all these hospital chemicals getting to me.”

Riley arched a brow, amused. “You mean the chemicals that have never given you any problems before?”

“Exactly.”

He chuckled, but he couldn’t help but worry. He knew her hours were long and unforgiving, and he knew she wouldn’t be taking care of herself at all until her shift ended. And even then, his stubborn medic still probably wouldn’t practice any form of self care. Hell, she wasn’t even wearing a jacket. “Can I at least get you a coffee before you head out? It’s been so cold out, I’m sure you could do with a hot drink and a caffeine boost.”

Ellie looked up at him with a grateful smile, then nodded. “Yeah, that- that sounds nice. Thanks.”

He smiled at her, bumping his head against hers before straightening up and heading towards the break room. He walked in, checking the coffee pot and breathing a sigh of relief when he discovered that there was still some hot coffee left inside. He poured some into a to-go cup with a bit of cream and sugar, just like he'd seen Ellie do in her own break room when time allowed. He stirred it before popping a lid on it and heading back to where she was finishing her run report, setting the cup beside her.

Ellie glanced at the cup, then up at him, giving him a smile and an affectionate shoulder bump in a wordless thanks. She sucked in a soupy sniffle as she took the cup and gulped a bit down, not minding that it was so hot it nearly burned. At least it was warm, and at least it was caffeine. She coughed into the crook of her elbow, trying to muffle it as best she could.

Riley wasn’t entirely sure what to do; either press her to admit she was sick and piss her off, or ignore the fact that he was worried about her pushing herself so hard when she so clearly needed to be in bed. He winced slightly when she paused a moment to stifle a fit of sneezes before coughing again. “You sure you’re okay?” He asked, grasping her upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze, his eyes concerned and pleading.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, a bit out of breath as she sniffled again, rubbing her nose with a knuckle.

“Seriously, El, I can give you something for-”

She glared at him, pulling her arm out of his grasp. “I said, I’m fucking fine,” she growled, her voice low enough that only he could hear. “Besides, if I actually wanted drugs, I’d use my own. Unlike you, I don’t have to fight a doctor every time I wanna give meds to someone.” She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Alright, alright, you win.” He smiled softly at her, still unable to fully get rid of his concern. “Just stay safe out there, alright?”

Ellie laughed hoarsely, which turned into a few more painful coughs. “‘Safe’ isn’t exactly in the job description.”

“Yeah? Too cool for scene safety these days?” He teased, shaking his head with a grin. “Can’t believe they even let you pass the NREMT with that attitude.”

She scoffed. “I’ll have you know-”

“Sinclair!”

Ellie whipped her head around at the sound of her partner’s voice, tilting her head slightly.

“Rig’s back in service. If we’re lucky, we can grab something to eat before dispatch notices,” he said, making his way over to her. “Quit your flirting and finish up the damn paperwork so we can get the hell out of here.”

Ellie gave Riley an apologetic shrug. "Duty calls."

He nodded. "I should get back to work, anyway," he replied, nudging his shoulder against hers. "And try to stay warm, will you? I'm cold just looking at you." With that, he gave her one last smile, then went back to making himself busy. Every so often, he looked towards the desk she'd been working at to check on her, frowning every time he caught her having a sneezing fit or coughing into her elbow. Riley could only hope that she wouldn't have to run too many more calls in her condition.

Ellie joined her partner back in the ambulance when she'd finished up the paperwork, slumping down in the passenger’s seat. "Hey, Khalid?" She called, looking over at her partner. "Fuck you."

He laughed. "For what, getting you sick?"

"I'm not fucking sick," she huffed. "Just, you know, in general. Because you suck."

"Whatever you say, El," he chuckled, a playful grin on his face. "Personally, I think you should be thanking me."

"And why would I ever wanna do that?"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe because your little flirt buddy is a nurse?" He said, smirking as he nudged her with his elbow. "I'm sure he would love to work his magic on you."

Ellie scoffed, which turned into a fit of coughing. "Yeah, right," she croaked when she was able to breathe again. "He's gotta suck off a doctor before he can get anything done. Some care that would be."

Alex rolled his eyes with another laugh. "Whatever you say. But I think he’d be willing to break the rules just a bit for you."

She pouted, her incessant sniffles the only sound punctuating the silence. Admittedly, she would love nothing more than to be at home curled up in bed, and the thought of someone caring for her was nicer than she cared to admit. Ellie shook the thought from her head. Her job was to take care of other people, not the other way around, and she was still on the clock. Still, she hoped that the silence would last just a little while longer.

In retrospect, though, she was an idiot for even daring to think about a relatively quiet shift. She'd run more calls than she could safely count in her current condition, and she hadn’t even had the energy to properly flirt with Riley when they arrived back at the hospital time and time again. Now, she was just looking forward to going home and sleeping for the next three days. Ellie's head felt heavy with congestion, and part of her wondered if she'd make it back to her apartment in one piece.

She shivered so hard her teeth chattered as she stepped outside and into the parking lot, squinting at an unfamiliar car parked near hers with a person leaning up against it. For a moment, her vision and mind were both hazy enough that she thought this might end up being a dangerous situation for her, but upon seeing his familiar smile, her eyebrows jumped in surprise. “Riley?” She croaked, ducking into the crook of her arm to muffle a few coughs. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Oh, his poor medic sounded terrible. He would stop at nothing to get her out of there and make sure she was properly taken care of. But he couldn’t make himself too obvious. “I, uh, just wanted to see if you.. maybe wanted to go grab some dinner with me?” Damn, all that time rehearsing, and he still couldn't manage to sound anything less than awkward.

If her cheeks hadn’t already been so flushed from fever, they would’ve flushed with embarrassment. “Like- like a date?” She squeaked, to which Riley nodded. “I, uh, I would love to, but- but I.. just got off shift, and- and I’m tired, and I should really shower first, and-”

“It’s just takeout. Nothing fancy, I promise. We can eat in my car,” he said, stepping towards her and taking one of her cold hands in his. “Besides, I just got off shift, too. I’m not exactly in the mood to socialize with any more strangers.”

She could swear her heart skipped a beat when he took her hand, but couldn't help but cringe internally; she'd been sneezing into her hands for longer than she cared to admit. Ellie squirmed for a moment, knowing that she was backed into a corner and unsure of how to proceed. She finally gave him a small smile, and nodded. "Sure. Takeout sounds nice," she agreed, rubbing her raw nose with her wrist.

He grinned. "I knew you couldn't resist me," he teased with a wink, laughing when his comment earned an affectionate eye roll from Ellie.

"Don't get it twisted, Jimenez. You're taking me out, that means you're paying," she replied nonchalantly, a playful gleam in her tired eyes.

He placed a heart on his chest in mock offense. "Using me for my paycheck? I see how it is."

She shrugged, then laughed, which turned into a painful bout of coughing that she desperately tried to muffle with the crook of her arm. She let go of his hand and took a step back, grabbing her elbow with her now-free hand to keep her face firmly pressed into her arm as she doubled over a bit from the force of the coughing fit. She couldn't manage to get herself to stop, so all she could do was hope that the nurse didn't find her as disgusting as she admittedly felt.

Riley winced in sympathy, moving to stand next to her and rub her back until she was able to breathe again. He kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders when she slightly leaned into him, able to feel every wheezing, cracking breath she took, every tiny shiver and shake of her body. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sure you're starving." Really, he just wanted to get her out of the cold and into his car where he could turn the heater on. "Have you eaten anything since you started your shift?"

She chuckled awkwardly, relieved that he hadn't mentioned anything about her cough. "Uh… does pre-workout and a protein bar count?" She squeaked, giving him a shy smile. "Kinda hard to eat when you keep getting dispatched. I'm sure you understand."

"Some of us actually have a lunch break," he chided, walking her over to his car and opening the passenger’s side for her. "But, hey, at least that means you've got an appetite, right?"

"...right." Ellie hadn't really felt up to eating her entire shift, and she still didn't feel hungry at all now. She hadn’t exactly been planning on eating when she got home, just showering and trying to sleep until her next shift. But now, she would just have to grin and bear it.

Riley walked around the car and slid himself down into the driver's seat, immediately turning on the heater and smiling at Ellie. Damn, even with a cold as bad as hers on top of her end-of-shift exhaustion and now-messy braid, she still managed to look gorgeous. He couldn’t recall a time he'd actually seen her outside of work, and his mind flashed with thoughts of how she'd look in normal clothes as opposed to her work clothes. Or, better yet, with nothing else on at all. He undressed her with his eyes, imagining how flushed and warm the rest of her body was.

"Like what you see?" Ellie asked, clearly amused. "Can't say I blame you."

His eyes snapped up to meet hers, her hoarse voice snapping him from his thoughts. "I- I was just-" He tried to come up with a defense, but he had nothing. He rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks flushed. "...yeah."

"Thought so," she said smugly. She was about to open her mouth to tease him, but instead, her breath began hitching. "Hh- h- h'IschIEW! h'schhIEW! h'schIIEW! h'IschIEW! hih'schhhIEW! h'ischhIEW! h'iCHiew!" She sucked in a soupy sniffle, trying to contain the mess with her wrist.

Riley fished out a tissue from the packet he'd stashed away for her in his pocket, handing it to her without a word about her condition. "Ready to go?"

She took the tissue from him and mopped up the mess beneath her nose with it, nodding her head. She was surprised that he hadn’t questioned her, nor had he accused her of being sick again, and didn’t know whether to be relieved that he didn’t seem to care, or worried that he didn’t seem to care. Maybe he didn't actually care when he’d mentioned it at the hospital, and had only been doing his job. Ellie frowned at the thought, but said nothing.

He glanced over at her as he pulled out of the parking lot, concerned when she was suddenly quiet. He put a hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You alright?” He asked. “You know you can tell me if you’re not, right? I didn’t go through all those years of nursing school for nothing.”

"Well, you don't have to right now. You're off the clock," he pointed out.

Ellie scoffed, shooting him a pointed look. “I’m fine. I didn’t go through EMT school and paramedic school for a nurse to look after me,” she replied, wrinkling her nose playfully at him. “I can look after myself.”

"So are you," she countered.

He rolled his eyes playfully, and gave her knee one last squeeze before putting his hand back on the wheel. He was silent for just a moment, then looked over at her with a small smile. "How do you feel about soup for dinner?" He asked, knowing that she could definitely use it. "There's a great little place I swing by sometimes. Curbside pickup, we can stay in here where it's warm."

Ellie looked over at him with a slight smirk. "Want a bit of extra private time, huh?" She teased, gently touching his arm with her fingertips. "Can't blame you, we- hh- we're around people all- all day as it is. h'ischhIEW! h'iCHiew! hih’CHiew! hah'ischIEW! h'SCHHOO!" She quickly cupped her hands in front of her face, sneezing wetly into them. Thick strings of snot shot from her sinuses and into her hands. She sat frozen in place, too mortified to move, knowing if she removed her hands from her face, she would reveal the mess she’d made. She sniffled helplessly, not knowing what else to do.

Riley glanced over at her, feeling his cheeks growing a bit warm. He knew she must be miserable, but he couldn’t help but think about how cute her sneezes were, and how much he wanted to hold a tissue up to her sniffly, red nose. He settled for fishing a couple more tissues from the pack and handing them to her. “Doing okay over there?” He asked, listening as she blew her nose and coughed into the tissues.

“Just peachy,” she grumbled, roughly scrubbing her nose with the soggy tissues and sniffling. She leaned back into the passenger seat, shivering and trying to curl in on herself as subtly as she could to keep herself warm.

He sighed, but didn’t push the matter more, and flipped on her seat warmer when he saw her shivering. He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and quickly typed an order into his phone, then gently touched her arm and leaned towards her, longing to touch her now that they were away from prying eyes.

Ellie smiled, and leaned in to meet him halfway, resting her head on his shoulder. “You’re warm,” she hummed, shutting her eyes for just a moment. She sniffled again, trying not to let her nose run on his shoulder. Normally, she’d be a bit more concerned about sharing her germs, but she definitely wasn’t sick, and regardless of if she was or not, Riley didn’t seem to mind.

“So are you,” he murmured, nuzzling his head against hers, trying to feel her for a fever. He couldn’t tell exactly how high her temperature was, but she was far too warm, and he worried about her overheating. Though, he supposed that he would be right there to help if anything happened to her, so she would be fine. He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together, feeling how damp with cold germs her hand was. He smiled softly, content to stay just as they were for the rest of the night until he heard a tap on the window. Riley pulled away from her to lower the window and take the bag of food the friendly employee offered, then rolled it back up and fished out Ellie’s order and a spoon to hand to her. “Chicken,” he told her as she took the cup. “It’s your favorite, right?” He remembered her mentioning it in passing some months ago, and hoped that the answer hadn’t changed.

She nodded, grinning at him as she took the lid off and stirred at the steaming liquid with her spoon. She sniffled, which only made her nose tickle and her breath hitch. "Sh-shit, I- I- h'Ischoo! h'CHOO! h’SCHiew! h'schIEW! h'IschhIEW! hah'Ichoo! h'Ischiew! h'schIIEW! h'IschIEW! hih'schhhIEW!" She turned her head away from Riley, trying to avoid sneezing on him and trying not to spill the soup in her lap. Mess ran down her lip, and trying to sniffle it back was futile.

Riley watched the contagious mist shoot out of her and all over her lap, her shoulder, his car, and gave her a sympathetic smile. He took another tissue from the pack and gently wiped her nose for her, then cupped it over her red, freckled nose. "Blow."

Ellie hesitated, but did as he said, emptying her nose into the tissue he held for her. She coughed a few times, still sniffling as she pulled away. "Thanks," she muttered, her face red with embarrassment.

He hummed, gently bumping his head against hers. "Eat. I'm sure you're starving." He took out his own bowl of soup from the bag and took the lid off, immediately digging in. Sick or not, it was cold out, and a bit of hot soup was the perfect post-shift meal.

The soup soothed her aching throat, and warmed her a bit from the inside, but not enough to keep her from shivering. She was so tired, and her body hurt, and part of her wondered when she would be going home. As much as she didn't want her night with Riley to end, she couldn't deny how much she just wanted to go home and sleep.

When Riley finished eating, he put the lid back on the empty container and slid it back in the bag, offering it to Ellie to do the same when she finished. "Hey, I know this is our first date and all, but.. any chance you'd wanna come back to my place? No sex or anything, I swear, I just… I wanna keep spending time with you." It would also allow him to keep an eye on her, but he left that out.

She smiled at him. Fuck, how was she supposed to say no to an offer like that? "Yeah, sure. Uh, as long as you're sure you don't mind."

"Of course, I don't," he assured her, pulling out of the parking space and driving out of the lot. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want you to say yes." He reached over to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

She couldn’t help but feel warm inside from the soft touches he gave her, and squeezed his hand back. She gazed out the window, sniffling tiredly as her eyelids drooped a bit. She was exhausted, and hoped that they would be sleeping at some point tonight. She nearly dozed off for a moment, but a ‘h’CHIEW!’ startled her awake again. “h’choo! h’IschOO! h’SCHOO! hah’ISCHIEW! hah’schhIEW!” She was too tired and caught off guard to cover her sneezes, and just tried to direct the spray towards her lap. “Sorry…” she murmured with a pitiful, liquid sniffle.

Riley squeezed her hand harder, glancing over at her as contagious mist sprayed in his car. He knew it was wrong to think she was so pretty when he was sure she felt so terrible, but he just couldn’t help it. “Don’t apologize, querida,” he said softly, running his thumb over her knuckles. “You doing okay?”

She nodded. “‘m okay,” she replied, wiping her nose with her free wrist and coughing as quietly as she could. She avoided making eye contact with him until the car stopped, then she looked over at him, sniffling and hoping that her nose wasn’t running too much.

He smiled at her, a bit amused. “I imagine you wanna shower?” He asked, reluctantly letting go of her hand so he could turn his car off. “You can borrow one of my shirts, if you want. I.. don’t think any of my sweats would fit you.”

“Oh, uh… yeah, yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.” She gave him a sweet smile, cursing herself for not taking her clothes out of her own car. Though, she hadn’t exactly been planning on coming to his apartment. Hell, had she known they were going on a date, she would’ve showered before she left work. Clearly, that was what Riley had done; his damp hair had been a giveaway, as well as the lack of scrubs. She unbuckled her seatbelt, then opened the car door and stepped out, shivering when the cold air hit her.

He locked his car, then walked around to the other side to stand beside Ellie, taking her hand again. He led her into the building, then up the stairs to his apartment, unlocking the door and ushering her inside. He locked the door behind them as he flicked on the lights, then hung his keys on the hook by the door. “Shower’s just in there, alright?” He told her, pointing to a door on the far right. “I’ll bring you a towel and a shirt once you’re in. Then we can hang out on the couch, if you want?”

She nodded, giving him a grateful smile before heading into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. She quickly took off her clothes and sloppily folded them. She set them aside, then unbraided her hair, setting her hair ties on the counter as she shook her hair out. Ellie sniffled as she stepped into the shower, immediately cranking the handle as far as it would go. She was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the water heated up; it barely ever got up to lukewarm at her own apartment in the time it usually took her to shower. She sighed in relief when the hot water helped relax her aching muscles a bit, and the steam loosened a bit of her congestion.

Riley could hear her sneezing from behind the closed door as he gathered a couple things for her, and frowned. All his attempts at getting the stubborn medic to admit to being ill had failed, so he supposed all he could do was take care of her as best he could without bringing up her obvious cold. She didn't seem to mind, so long as he didn't accuse her of being sick. "Clothes and towel are on the sink," he called as he stepped into the steamy bathroom, taking her work clothes after setting the shirt and towel down so he could throw them in the wash. With the laundry taken care of, he sat on the couch and waited for her to finish up in the shower.

Ellie finally managed to turn off the water, her teeth chattering once again at the loss of the warmth, the chill seeping back into her bones. Maybe a hot shower hadn’t been the best idea, but it had felt nice. She wrapped herself in the towel and quickly dried herself off, coughing and blowing her nose into it. She towel dried her hair, then ran the brush that Riley had left on top of the towel through her hair, trying her best to detangle it. She finally slid the shirt on, then stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing her itchy nose with the towel.

He glanced over when he heard the door open, waiting until she finished having a desperate little sneezing fit into the towel she was holding before beckoning her over. "Here, you can just drop that wherever," he said, taking the towel from her hands and tossing it aside, then gently grabbing her wrist and guiding her to sit down beside him. He wrapped a soft blanket around her shoulders, then bundled her up close to him, letting her share one of the blankets he had wrapped around himself. "How's this?"

"Perfect," she sighed, leaning into him. She brought up a blanket-covered fist to her mouth, coughing wetly into it. She whined almost under her breath, her chest burning and her throat raw.

Riley wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to keep her close and warm. He was so worried about her, and he didn't know how to properly care for her when she still wouldn't even admit to feeling unwell. She just wouldn't stop shivering, and her cough was only getting worse as the minutes dragged on, and as cute as her sneezes were, he was sure they hurt her.

She tried to relax, tried to maybe fall asleep, or get comfortable at the very least, but she couldn’t manage to do any of it. "Hah- hah- hh- h'IschIEW! hah'schhhIEW! h'iSCHOO! h'schIIEW! h'IschIEW! h'schhIEW! h'schIIEW! h'IschOO! h’SCHOO! hah'ischIEW! hah'CHOO! h'iSCHOO!" She was overtaken by another fit of sneezes, barely managing to get a breath in before she fell straight into a bout of coughing. She slumped against Riley again, positively miserable, her teeth chattering.

He couldn't take it anymore, couldn't ignore the fact that she was so sick and he couldn’t do anything for her. “Ellie,” he said softly, pulling away from her just enough that he could adjust the blanket over her again as her overheating body kept shaking, “I know you don’t want me to say it, trust me, I’ve been trying to ignore it since we were on shift.” He looked at her sympathetically, but she wouldn’t look his way. “But you just- you look so exhausted, and- and sick, and-”

“I’m not fucking sick,” she growled, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring straight ahead, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m fine, I-” She couldn’t get anything else out before she began coughing again, tears pricking at her eyes as she buried her face into the crook of her arm. Ellie couldn’t manage to get a breath in, and she could feel Riley rubbing her back as an attempt to comfort her. She eventually managed to stop coughing, her throat feeling raw and painful as she leaned back against the couch again. “I- I’m fine.”

He frowned. "Look at me, querida." He gently grasped her chin and guided her face up to look at him, then cupped her burning cheeks. "There's no need for you to keep being strong. You're not at work, you're not with a patient. You're here with me, safe. Please, be honest with me. With yourself." He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into his eyes. Everything in her wanted to insist that she was fine, that she could handle it, that she didn't need anyone or anything. But this was Riley, and he was safe. Still, after years of never admitting to any form of weakness, she didn't even know if she was capable of verbalizing it. Instead, she shrugged helplessly, and tried shaking her head, though she wasn't even sure if she did that much.

Her half-hearted shrug was so much more than he'd been expecting, and he gave her a soft smile. He slowly pulled her in for a hug, letting her melt into his embrace. "That's it, I've got you." Let me take care of you. "Just relax now." Let me help.

Ellie let out a soft sigh, then a wet ‘h’ischhIEW!’ into his chest. She felt his hand rubbing up and down her back, and relaxed against him. It was only then that she realized how much she’d wanted this; to hug him, to press her body against his. All the stolen, flirtatious touches they shared at the hospital were nothing compared to this, and now that she was in his arms, she never wanted to leave. Another sneeze left her parted lips, and she groaned softly. “You shouldn’t be so close. I don’t wanna get you sick,” she mumbled, making no effort to move.

Riley smirked. “Oh? I thought you weren’t sick, though,” he teased, chuckling softly when she whined into his chest. “Well, on the off chance you are sick, which you’re so clearly not,” he began sarcastically, “I don’t mind risking it. I’d rather catch a cold from you than some rando in the hospital.”

She smiled, nuzzling her head against his chest. “Sorry that our first date had to- h’IchIEW!- had to be li- h’schIEW!- like this. Hh- h’IchIEW! h’schhhIEW! h’IschIEW!”

Riley shook his head, gently lifting her chin so he could see her face and wipe the snot from her upper lip with a tissue. “Hey, no need to be sorry,” he assured her, adjusting her against his chest and holding her tight. “This is perfect.” Of course, it would be better if the poor paramedic didn’t have such a miserable cold, but he didn’t know if he would trade a normal date for this. For knowing that beneath their flirty banter, behind the walls they both put up, buried somewhere deep down was vulnerability and softness when they were alone together. Knowing that nobody else had ever seen Ellie as anything other than strong and resilient was something special, and he was glad that she’d decided to let her guard down in front of him.

“This isn’t perfect, this is humiliating,” she grumbled.

“There’s nothing humiliating about needing help, querida,” he assured her. “You take care of people all day. Let someone take care of you for once.”

“So do you,” she sighed, sniffling as she clung tightly to Riley, unwilling to let him go. “You don’t deserve to have to do your job when you’re off the clock. I’m.. sorry.”

“Ay, Ellie, is that what this is about?” He asked, sounding absolutely heartbroken. “This isn’t a job. Not if it’s you. Nobody’s making me do this, I’m not getting paid, I just want to be here with you. I promise. And I know you’d do the same thing if it were me.”

"Of course, I would," she whispered, trying to think of an explanation to justify why it was different if it was him. She couldn’t think of anything with her fever brain, and instead, just enjoyed his warmth and presence. After a moment, she gazed up at him nervously. “Uh, by any chance do you.. maybe have some tylenol? Or ibuprofen? I’m just, uh, sore from work, is all.”

Riley could’ve kissed her on the spot, elated that she was finally admitting that she had needs. That he could help. He nodded, gently brushing some of her still-damp hair from her face. “I know just what you need.” He stood from the couch and fussed with the blankets for a moment, making sure she would be okay until he returned. “Just sit tight, I’ll be back in a sec.”

She smiled softly, trying not to feel too guilty for making him run around on her behalf. It was strange to let someone else do the caring, but it wasn’t unwelcome. She looked up when Riley returned and stood in front of her, taking the medicine cup full of a dark liquid from his hand and knocking it back, grimacing slightly at the taste.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he said, handing her a couple pills and a glass of water. He waited until she set the glass down on the table in front of her, then gently rested the back of his head on her forehead, then her cheek, finally able to properly feel just how warm she was. He didn’t need a thermometer to know she had a nasty fever, and frowned as he adjusted the blankets around her shoulders again. “How about I make you some tea?”

Ellie wrinkled her nose. “I hate tea.”

“That’s just ‘cause you’ve never had a cup I made,” he said with a wink. “Plus, I really don’t think you’ll be able to taste much, anyway.”

She rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Good point,” she murmured. “But you don’t have to. I’ll be just fine without it.”

“I’m sure you will be. But I think it might do you some good,” he told her, softly stroking her cheek with a finger. “It’ll only take a couple minutes.”

She nodded reluctantly, frowning when he moved his hand away and walked towards the kitchen. Sure, she could still see him, but it wasn’t the same as having him right by her side. She coughed into the blanket, curling in on herself slightly to try to keep herself warm.

Riley returned to her as quick as he could manage, handing her the steaming mug he'd prepared. "Chamomile with honey," he told her, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her, pulling her in close.

She gave him a skeptical look, then took a small, careful sip. It was warm and sweet, and the light flavor wasn’t entirely unpleasant. She took another sip, sniffling as the steam made her nose run. “Hah’ischIEW! h’SCHHIEW!” She aimed her sneezes away from her mug and towards her lap, trying her best not to spill her tea. She sniffled again, though it did nothing to stop any of the mess from running down her lips.

Riley plucked a couple tissues from the box on the table, and carefully placed them over her nose, giving her a reassuring smile and a nod when she glanced over at him. He held the tissues in place as she blew her nose, then wiped the mess from her lips before tossing the damp tissues on the ground. He held her while she drank the tea, pleased with himself that she seemed to be enjoying it. “Told you you’d like it if I made it,” he said triumphantly, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she grumbled, smiling at him from behind the mug. "Just means you're always gonna be on tea making duty."

"Fine by me," he replied. "As long as I get to see you more."

Ellie blushed, falling silent as she went back to finishing her tea. She sniffled periodically, and cleared her throat every so often, though it didn't do much to help. The warm liquid felt nice going down her aching throat, but it did nothing to help with the rattling in her lungs. She let out a few chesty coughs against her wrist, switching to burying her face into the crook of her arm when her coughing got deeper and wetter, and showed no sign of letting up, wheezing slightly as she tried to gulp in a few desperate breaths of air between coughs.

"That cough sounds awful," Riley murmured, rubbing her back comfortingly as he took the mostly-empty mug from her lap and leaned forward to set it on the table. It was killing him to not know exactly what was going on, and he put his arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Mind if I pull out my stethoscope real quick? I just- I'm worried."

Ellie smiled at him softly. "I'm fine," she replied, though she knew it wasn’t convincing. "But if that's what it'll take for you to stop worrying, then go for it."

He gave her another squeeze before standing up to fetch his stethoscope from his work bag, quickly rejoining her on the couch and slipping in the earpieces. He moved the blanket down from her shoulders to her lap, then lifted her shirt and gently placed the chest piece against her bare skin. "Try to take a couple deep breaths for me." He listened closely as she drew in a few shaky breaths, clearly struggling to hold back another coughing fit. Riley periodically placed the chest piece in another area, frowning at the mix of crackles and lower-pitch rumbling he could hear, accompanied by a few stray, wheezy coughs. When he'd listened in the last spot, he removed the earpieces and wrapped the stethoscope around his neck. "Rales and rhonchi," he sighed, snaking his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. “Congrats on being properly sick.”

"Both?" She questioned. "You're sure?"

"Listen for yourself." He pulled back again as he unhooked his stethoscope from around his neck, putting the earpieces in Ellie's ears. He placed the chest piece on her back, moving it for her as she listened to her own lungs.

She took the earpieces out of her ears when she'd finished, silent for a moment. "Huh," was all she could think of to say. She hadn’t realized she'd gotten that sick in just the span of her shift, letting out a huff and a couple more coughs as she leaned back against Riley.

He wrapped his arms around her again, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. "You'll be coughing up all that shit in your lungs in the next couple days, I'm sure." He reached his arm out to place his stethoscope on the table beside the mug, then went back to holding Ellie with both arms.

"As long as I'm done being gross by my next shift, that's fine," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. She shifted herself in his arms so she could rest her head against his chest, shutting her eyes with a sniffle.

Riley hummed, slowly running a hand up and down her back, letting his fingernails gently scratch her back. "Some sleep will do you a lot of good," he told her, leaning back against the pillows on the arm of the couch. "I can't imagine you've gotten much rest the past couple days."

She shrugged. “No less than I usually get on shift,” she murmured, sniffling a couple times before coughing into his chest. “Typical three AM toe pain calls. Doesn’t exactly- hh- leave a lot- lot of time f-for- for- hah’ischhIEW! hah’schIEW! h’IschIIEW!- for sleeping. h’chiew! hah’SCHOO! hah’IschhOO! h’iSCHIEW!” She ducked her head into his chest, soaking the front of his shirt with her sneezes. “Fuck, sorry.”

“Don’t,” he breathed, his arms tightening slightly around her. “Don’t be sorry. It’s okay. I don’t mind, really.” He reached over to pull another tissue from the box, gently wiping her nose with it. He could feel himself blushing as he helped rub her nose for her, unable to fathom how he could be so lucky as to not only see her in such a state, but be so close to her. “Ay, your poor nose is so red.”

Ellie only whined, too tired to do much else. She snuggled further against Riley, shifting into a more comfortable position on top of him, nuzzling her head under his chin. “Thanks, Riles,” she mumbled, her words half-slurred and barely intelligible through her congestion. “For everything.” She sniffled sleepily, dozing off in his arms. “I owe you.”

“Hush, now. None of that,” he chided, giving her a small squeeze. “You owe me nothing. Just sleep for now, okay? You need it.”

She nodded, already half asleep. She was relieved that her nose tickled less than it had before, and she was able to knock out before she startled herself wide awake again with a fit of sneezes. Curled up against Riley, she felt warm and relaxed, and finally let the weight of staying strong and alert go. No work, no cold apartment, no frigid shower, no trying to sleep on an empty stomach, no muddling through the next few days on her own in a feverish haze. Just relaxing and letting someone else take care of her for once.

Riley smiled to himself when he heard her snoring softly, her rattling breaths leveling out a bit. He felt bad that she had managed to wind up with such a miserable virus, but at the very least, she had someone to take care of her. Someone who thought that she looked absolutely stunning as sick as she was, no less. He threaded his fingers through her hair, the realization that he’d never seen her with her hair down dawning on him. He yawned as he continued playing with her hair. The exhaustion from his own shift was catching up to him, and while he could stand to fight it off for just a little while longer, he supposed he better not. He would have more time when he woke up to spend with the paramedic. He let his eyes shut, holding Ellie tight as he let sleep slowly wash over him.

#snz #snz fic #sneeze kink #snzfic #snez #snz kink #snz oc #snz ocs #snzfucker #sickfic #snzblr #contagion #i did it #i wrote #yes i had ulterior motives #yes you can probably tell #but i did write #so it is what it is

76 notes · View notes