24 Fic: What Matters - Hugs and Cuddles Challenge 10/20 (Tony/Michelle)
Title: What Matters
Fandom: 24
Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida
Prompt: Hugs and Cuddles Challenge #08. New Miss
Word Count: 468
Rating: PG
Summary: He's injured, she's watching over him.
Author's Notes: Halfway there! Thank you everybody for your support!
It'd been close this time, too close. A couple inches to the left and she wouldn't be sitting where she was, knees pulled against her chest, watching him sleep. He was still weak, but he'd insisted on coming home. He hadn't wanted to spend another night in the hospital on a bed he swore was worse than his bunk at boot camp. By all accounts, he'd been responding well to his meds and his wound was showing no signs of infection. The doctors hadn't been entirely pleased with his blood pressure when they released him, but they'd sent her home with a checklist of things to watch out for and suggestions for eating better. Apparently their diet wasn't doing him any favors. Probably not her either, now that she thought about it. They would do better.
They were both still here to do better. She wouldn't waste that.
"Michelle." His voice was soft, rough with the sleep he'd somehow shaken off.
Her fingers found purchase on his cheek, smoothing his scruff gently. He'd startled her, but she tried not to let him see that.
"Hey," she breathed, trying not to disrupt the stillness too much. "You should be asleep. You need to rest."
He knew that, of course, but he was tired enough to indulge her.
"C'mere. You needta sleep too."
Her lips found his forehead. "I'm okay. I need to watch you."
The fingers that slid under her pajama top were sleepy and uncoordinated, but she scooted closer anyway to save him the stretching. She'd been wary of getting too close and hurting him.
"No ya don'. M'fine. Just c'mere."
"You need to sleep so you can get better." Her fingers brushed his collar, careful not to tug the fabric over the bandages on his chest.
"Can't get better with you all the way over there."
It was sweet, that sleepy assertion of his and in spite of herself, she gave in. Rearranging took a little effort, but soon she was half on her side, half on her back, tucked against his uninjured shoulder. Stubborn as he was, he'd insisted on putting his arm around her and bringing her closer, defying her attempts to keep her weight away from his chest.
But still, it helped. Pressing her face into the crook of his neck helped. Feeling him swallow helped. Watching the gentle way his chest rose and fell helped. She felt the knot in her belly start to loosen, even if it would take days before it came completely unfurled. In return she felt some of the tension in his shoulders relax, his breath come easier.
"Mhmm, told you it's better."
Her only answer was to rub her toes along his ankle. It'd been close, but not close enough to take this from them.
That's what mattered.
Fandom: 24
Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida
Prompt: Hugs and Cuddles Challenge #08. New Miss
Word Count: 468
Rating: PG
Summary: He's injured, she's watching over him.
Author's Notes: Halfway there! Thank you everybody for your support!
It'd been close this time, too close. A couple inches to the left and she wouldn't be sitting where she was, knees pulled against her chest, watching him sleep. He was still weak, but he'd insisted on coming home. He hadn't wanted to spend another night in the hospital on a bed he swore was worse than his bunk at boot camp. By all accounts, he'd been responding well to his meds and his wound was showing no signs of infection. The doctors hadn't been entirely pleased with his blood pressure when they released him, but they'd sent her home with a checklist of things to watch out for and suggestions for eating better. Apparently their diet wasn't doing him any favors. Probably not her either, now that she thought about it. They would do better.
They were both still here to do better. She wouldn't waste that.
"Michelle." His voice was soft, rough with the sleep he'd somehow shaken off.
Her fingers found purchase on his cheek, smoothing his scruff gently. He'd startled her, but she tried not to let him see that.
"Hey," she breathed, trying not to disrupt the stillness too much. "You should be asleep. You need to rest."
He knew that, of course, but he was tired enough to indulge her.
"C'mere. You needta sleep too."
Her lips found his forehead. "I'm okay. I need to watch you."
The fingers that slid under her pajama top were sleepy and uncoordinated, but she scooted closer anyway to save him the stretching. She'd been wary of getting too close and hurting him.
"No ya don'. M'fine. Just c'mere."
"You need to sleep so you can get better." Her fingers brushed his collar, careful not to tug the fabric over the bandages on his chest.
"Can't get better with you all the way over there."
It was sweet, that sleepy assertion of his and in spite of herself, she gave in. Rearranging took a little effort, but soon she was half on her side, half on her back, tucked against his uninjured shoulder. Stubborn as he was, he'd insisted on putting his arm around her and bringing her closer, defying her attempts to keep her weight away from his chest.
But still, it helped. Pressing her face into the crook of his neck helped. Feeling him swallow helped. Watching the gentle way his chest rose and fell helped. She felt the knot in her belly start to loosen, even if it would take days before it came completely unfurled. In return she felt some of the tension in his shoulders relax, his breath come easier.
"Mhmm, told you it's better."
Her only answer was to rub her toes along his ankle. It'd been close, but not close enough to take this from them.
That's what mattered.