Fic: "Ideal Bedside Manner" [Flora series, Flora/Udo]
Title: Ideal Bedside Manner
Fandom: Flora series by Ysabeau Wilce
Rating: PG
Summary: Udo is most eager to help Flora recover.
A/N: Spoilers for Flora's Dare. Written for schmoop_bingo prompt: "nurse back to health". Unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.
AO3 mirror
"Pigface Psychopomp on a Pogostick!" Flora muttered under her breath. "Stupid Udo with more stupid flowers and that stupid cloak and that stupid self-satisfied expression on his face."
She groaned and tried to bury under her covers as Udo thrust yet another handful of hibiscus blossoms along with a new, pristine yellowback of Nini Mo vs. the Snapping Mongoose in her face.
"Stop doing this, Udo! Crackpot Hall doesn't have even any more vases for them. No more clean ones, in any case."
"That's not a problem, my love. I'm sure that Valefor is eager to hunt for more of his long-lost glassware."
(On cue, a loud, insufferable lament from the aforementioned egregore echoed from the hallway outside the room.)
Udo chuckled back in spite of her glare as he placed the bouquet on her bedside table. "But, Flora, don't you love these flowers? Your room smells so great now, especially with this constant breeze in the house."
"I don't like it when I'm sweating off my fever with an uneasy tum! I'm getting so sick of it."
"Don't fret, that's why I'm in charge of taking care of you," Udo declared as he swished his studded cloak behind him and slid into the chair next the bed. Flora snorted at the gesture but felt thank f.
"How wonderful, the vainest glass-gazer in all of Califa as my loyal nurse," she muttered dryly (Udo tugged at his tie in mock-pride). "Quiet day at Case Tigger, I take it?"
"Ah," he winced quickly. "You don't know the half of it. My parents have finally given up on house arrests after my Catorcena, praise Califa, but I still had to take care of Gesilher and wash Gunn-Britt's hair back to normal. Ges was a particular disaster since he somehow managed to eat all the sandwies in the pantry and had been terribly sick ever since Mamma rescued him. I have no idea when I'll finally get this constant smell of vom out of my nose."
He gagged involuntarily and Flora grimaced in sympathy. "I'm glad that that chaos is finally over."
Udo nodded emphatically and placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
"It seems that you're almost back to normal, Flora," he said, tucking a few sweaty strands of hair from her forehead behind her ear.
"Poppy plans to order me back into recovery, I think," Flora sighed. "Actually, don't move your hand. It feels nice and cool."
Udo was only glad to oblige. "Ayah, I've been watching Hotspur myself. He's pacing all the time and made me carry all these watermelons for you into your Casa Hielo."
"Between the two of you, it's likely I'll perish from too much concern and smothering," Flora laughed softly. Udo's face, however, hardened at her words.
"Pigface, don't joke about that, Flora," he said in a solemn whisper, stroking his thumb along her brow. "During that earthquake business, I was so scared that I might lose you right after you saved me, and I never want to go through that again."
She gave him an astonished look as his face broke into his usual grin.
"Listen, I'll shut up and leave so you can resume your rest, but I just want you to know that I will want to be by your side from now on--and not just to make up for all that Spring-Heeled garbage before."
He rose to perform a solemn and rather archaic courtesy that Flora only vaguely recognized as a Farewell to a Most Grievously Unrequited Love. She bit her lip as he swirled dramatically to the ground in mid-bow.
"Udo," she interrupted, unable to hold back her giggles any longer, "for the sake of the gracious Goddess, please stop that and sit back down. Here, hold my hand." Udo abandoned his anguished expression and snapped to attention immediately. Flora stared him in the eye. "Tell me about the skirts this week."
Udo took the opportunity, rare as it came from Flora, of all people, to launch into a detailed description of the emerging fashions and migrating hemlines within the last twenty-four hours or so.
Flora closed her eyes, filtering the sound of his voice to its dynamics and melodies, and let out a pleased smile in spite of herself.
Fandom: Flora series by Ysabeau Wilce
Rating: PG
Summary: Udo is most eager to help Flora recover.
A/N: Spoilers for Flora's Dare. Written for schmoop_bingo prompt: "nurse back to health". Unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.
AO3 mirror
"Pigface Psychopomp on a Pogostick!" Flora muttered under her breath. "Stupid Udo with more stupid flowers and that stupid cloak and that stupid self-satisfied expression on his face."
She groaned and tried to bury under her covers as Udo thrust yet another handful of hibiscus blossoms along with a new, pristine yellowback of Nini Mo vs. the Snapping Mongoose in her face.
"Stop doing this, Udo! Crackpot Hall doesn't have even any more vases for them. No more clean ones, in any case."
"That's not a problem, my love. I'm sure that Valefor is eager to hunt for more of his long-lost glassware."
(On cue, a loud, insufferable lament from the aforementioned egregore echoed from the hallway outside the room.)
Udo chuckled back in spite of her glare as he placed the bouquet on her bedside table. "But, Flora, don't you love these flowers? Your room smells so great now, especially with this constant breeze in the house."
"I don't like it when I'm sweating off my fever with an uneasy tum! I'm getting so sick of it."
"Don't fret, that's why I'm in charge of taking care of you," Udo declared as he swished his studded cloak behind him and slid into the chair next the bed. Flora snorted at the gesture but felt thank f.
"How wonderful, the vainest glass-gazer in all of Califa as my loyal nurse," she muttered dryly (Udo tugged at his tie in mock-pride). "Quiet day at Case Tigger, I take it?"
"Ah," he winced quickly. "You don't know the half of it. My parents have finally given up on house arrests after my Catorcena, praise Califa, but I still had to take care of Gesilher and wash Gunn-Britt's hair back to normal. Ges was a particular disaster since he somehow managed to eat all the sandwies in the pantry and had been terribly sick ever since Mamma rescued him. I have no idea when I'll finally get this constant smell of vom out of my nose."
He gagged involuntarily and Flora grimaced in sympathy. "I'm glad that that chaos is finally over."
Udo nodded emphatically and placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
"It seems that you're almost back to normal, Flora," he said, tucking a few sweaty strands of hair from her forehead behind her ear.
"Poppy plans to order me back into recovery, I think," Flora sighed. "Actually, don't move your hand. It feels nice and cool."
Udo was only glad to oblige. "Ayah, I've been watching Hotspur myself. He's pacing all the time and made me carry all these watermelons for you into your Casa Hielo."
"Between the two of you, it's likely I'll perish from too much concern and smothering," Flora laughed softly. Udo's face, however, hardened at her words.
"Pigface, don't joke about that, Flora," he said in a solemn whisper, stroking his thumb along her brow. "During that earthquake business, I was so scared that I might lose you right after you saved me, and I never want to go through that again."
She gave him an astonished look as his face broke into his usual grin.
"Listen, I'll shut up and leave so you can resume your rest, but I just want you to know that I will want to be by your side from now on--and not just to make up for all that Spring-Heeled garbage before."
He rose to perform a solemn and rather archaic courtesy that Flora only vaguely recognized as a Farewell to a Most Grievously Unrequited Love. She bit her lip as he swirled dramatically to the ground in mid-bow.
"Udo," she interrupted, unable to hold back her giggles any longer, "for the sake of the gracious Goddess, please stop that and sit back down. Here, hold my hand." Udo abandoned his anguished expression and snapped to attention immediately. Flora stared him in the eye. "Tell me about the skirts this week."
Udo took the opportunity, rare as it came from Flora, of all people, to launch into a detailed description of the emerging fashions and migrating hemlines within the last twenty-four hours or so.
Flora closed her eyes, filtering the sound of his voice to its dynamics and melodies, and let out a pleased smile in spite of herself.