[oom] take it easy

[from_the_outside]

By the week after Bucky had found Alpine caught in a soaking downpour and brought him home, Sharon can hardly remember a time when she woke up and didn't feel the little white cat curled somewhere nearby.

Today's no different, although it seems like he's decided to set up camp on her chest instead of by their feet as usual. Sharon mumbles, tired, and pushes at the sheets to get the cat to move, in the process realizing two things:

First, she's lying on her side, not her back.

And second, when Alpine's small miaow? comes, it comes from the floor, not the blanket. 

Sharon takes a breath to respond to him and instantly breaks into a series of wet coughs that she does her best to stifle.

Well, crap.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

She gives him a slightly suspicious look. "What books?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"This one's called 'the Silmarillion,'" Bucky tells her. "The first one was The Hobbit. I read it back when it was originally published."

[from_the_outside]

"Oh," she says, visibly relieved, then closes her eyes and tugs the blanket up beneath her chin. "No, that's perfect. Go for it."

[nerves_of_ice]

The relief surprises him enough to ask, "What did you think I meant?"

As he says it, he tucks the blanket in a little closer. "Warm enough? Want another blanket?"

[from_the_outside]

"I'm fine."

She shakes her head against the pillow and opens her eyes to look at him. "I don't know, I thought since it was when you were first going after the Flag Smashers, maybe it was related to Karli... And if it was, maybe you weren't sure I'd want to hear it because – "

She shrugs. "My part in the whole thing."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No, baby," he murmurs, curving his hand over her upper arm and letting it rest there. "Nothing like that."

[from_the_outside]

"No," she agrees, smiling slightly.

"Elven mythology is pretty unrelated. But don't be offended if it puts me to sleep; I'm still pretty tired."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sleep's good for you," he points out. "Close your eyes and rest, baby. I'll read you a story."

He looks down at his phone and starts, "Chapter One, Of the beginning of days. It is told among the wise that the First War began before Arda was full-shaped, and ere yet there was any thing that grew or walked upon earth; and for long Melkor had the upper hand. But in the midst of the war a spirit of great strength and hardihood came to the aid of the Valar..."

He keeps his tone low, the cadence of his words rhythmic and soothing.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon makes a soft sound and closes her eyes, curling into her warm bubble beneath the blanket.

She's never read the Silmarillion, and she probably still won't, but it's relaxing to let Bucky's low voice wash over her like gentle, lapping waves. None of it sticks in her brain, but that's beside the point.

[nerves_of_ice]

She's going to be out like a light before he hits chapter two, he's sure of it. Alpine already is, snoring a little in his curled-up ball.

He smiles, watching them, and keeps reading.

[from_the_outside]

It's not long before she's drowsing, then dozing, the soft cadence of Bucky's voice and the long words and complicated story she's not really paying attention to acting like a meditative background noise. Warm and comfortable and with the cold medicine beginning to clear things up in her head and chest, she loosens her grip on consciousness and lets herself be tugged gently back under.

[nerves_of_ice]

He keeps reading aloud even after she falls asleep, not wanting to run the risk of the silence waking her.

After about half an hour, he switches the television to a nature documentary and lets it take over the role of background noise while he gets a drink of water to wet his throat.

[from_the_outside]

She wakes up, groggy, to Alpine jumping up onto her hip and the low sounds of the television telling them about the migration patterns of humpback whales.

"Mm," she grumbles, and pulls a hand out of her blanket nest to push her hair, now dry and wild from her nap on the pillow, out of her face.

[nerves_of_ice]

He covers her hand with his, helping to push her hair back.

"Hi," he murmurs. "How're you feeling?"

[from_the_outside]

She coughs to clear her throat and turns her head into his hand.

"A little better," she says. "I think that medicine is helping."

[nerves_of_ice]

He lays his hand gently against her forehead. "Your fever is better," he murmurs. "How's your throat?"

[from_the_outside]

She swallows and nods. "Better," she reports. "That medicine is drying up my head so less gunk is trickling down. Maybe I'll try the juice again."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods. "Let me get you a fresh glass. Want apple this time? It might be easier."

[from_the_outside]

"Okay," she says, peaceably, and blinks at the television, where humpback whales swim calmly somewhere off the coast of Hawaii with their calves.

[nerves_of_ice]

He comes back with a glass of apple juice, and also with another cup of tea with honey.

"Here you go, baby." He sets them down in easy reach for her and starts straightening the blanket over her.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon pushes herself up and takes the juice with a grateful sound. It does go down a little more easily, cool and sweet. Her head has that odd sandpapery feeling, her drained sinuses feeling too dry, but she can breathe through her nose and for that she's pleased enough.

"Good," she says, when she's drained about half the glass, then smiles at him fussing with the blanket. "Sorry you're stuck in here taking care of me, baby."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm not," he says, firmly. "I'm only sorry you're not feeling well."

[from_the_outside]

"I feel a little better," she points out. "If you need to go do anything."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky eyes her. “Trying to get rid of me?”

[from_the_outside]

"No," she says, smiling winningly, and considers changing over to the bedroom so she can check her phone for a few minutes before dismissing that thought as unjust.

"I like getting to hang out with you all day, even when I feel gross."