Bath water for the soul (Weir/Beckett, Teen)
For Annie sakuracorr on her 21st birthday! Have a really fab day, hon. (Oh and Carson apologises for being too tired to do anything more.) *grins*
Title: Bath water for the soul
Author: Starrylizard
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: Teen
Characters: Weir/Beckett (established relationship)
Summary: Carson has had a rough mission and Elizabeth pampers him.
Bone weary; there was no other word for it.
Carson stumbled through the gate, dripping wet and covered in mud. His arms and feet felt as though they had lead weights attached and his vision swayed alarmingly as he tried to focus on the blissfully dry Gate Room. He shook his head and tried to get a hold of himself as the rest of the teams stumbled in after him, some carrying the stretchers of wounded.
To say that it had been a long couple of days would be a huge understatement. It was all he could do to muster a small smile for Elizabeth, who had come to greet them, and then lead the way to the infirmary.
OOO
It said something about how damn tired he really was, that when Dr Biro had hustled him onto a bed in his own infirmary and told him to sit and wait, he hadn’t made more than a token complaint. A short time later he’d been coddled into a blanket by one of the nurses and had the few cuts and bruises he’d picked up on the mission treated and covered. He still swayed slightly as he sat, sipping a warm drink, but he was definitely starting to feel human again.
He could see McKay and Sheppard sitting within similar blanket cocoons on the other side of the room. McKay was bitching about how his nose was running, how he was definitely getting a cold, and the state of his sore feet - basically keeping up his own little running monologue. All the while, Sheppard dangled his feet off the side off the bed next to McKay’s and listened good-naturedly. Occasionally Sheppard would make a comment in a low voice and McKay would scowl and stop talking for a moment while Sheppard just grinned like it was Christmas.
Carson watched the pair intently, comforted by the normalcy. He could feel his eyelids drooping constantly… and then Elizabeth was there, blocking his view of the squabbling duo by standing in front of him.
“Carson.” Her soft voice startled him out of his reverie. Elizabeth reached a hand forward to tousle his wet hair gently.
“Hello, Elizabeth.” He nodded and smiled.
“You did well, Carson.” Elizabeth glanced around the infirmary, taking in the beds of wounded soldiers that she was informed would all be fine. “Now we need to get you to bed. Come on.”
Elizabeth tugged gently at his arm, bringing it across her shoulders and placing her own arm around his waist, and Carson slid off the bed, letting the blankets fall behind him. He found he was grateful for the support when his feet touched the floor. His legs felt like rubber and it took him a moment to right himself before they set out across the infirmary.
One of the nurses, Amanda, such a nice lass, gave a wave as they passed. “Look after him, Dr Weir.”
Elizabeth smiled back. “I’ll do that. Let me know if the infirmary staff need anything, won’t you?”
And then Carson must have zoned out for a while, because the next moment they were at his quarters and the door was sliding shut behind them. Carson started toward the bed, a man on a mission, but Elizabeth chuckled and pulled him back. He found himself leaning into Elizabeth again, their foreheads touching gently.
“Carson, you’re soaked to the skin and you smell terrible. Come on.”
Elizabeth led him by the hand, taking him to the bathroom where she touched the bath controls, setting the water rushing in. She then turned back to him. Carson felt like a child, standing cold and wet in the bathroom as Elizabeth began to undress him with gentle efficiency.
She unzipped his jacket and, when he struggled feebly against the wet fabric, she helped him untangle his arms from the sleeves. Soft hands slid up his sides, tickling his ribs beneath his clothes in a gentle caress, and he lifted his arms, giving silent permission to pull his t-shirt up and over his head. He was aware of how the material stuck to his grimy skin, making it an exercise in tugging, before it came off.
Then she sat him on the edge of the tub and knelt down to undo his boot laces. He heard each boot hitting the growing pile of dirty clothing on the bathroom floor, thud, thud - the sound coming as if from far away. He looked down at the top of Elizabeth’s head as she worked and grinned widely for a moment, just as Elizabeth looked up.
“What is it?”
“You’re wonderful, is all.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but then ruined the effect with a grin. She ran her hands up his arms and then gripped his chin lightly with her fingers, tilting her head as if to study him. “What am I ever going to do with you?”
The hot steam rising from the water was already starting to banish the chill from his exposed skin and, when Elizabeth straightened up, he noticed the steam was also dampening her hair, causing it to curl enticingly at the ends. Small ringlets framed her face, making her look much younger.
Now all that was left of his clothing were his trousers, and Elizabeth pulled him back to his feet by taking both of his hands in hers and leaning back with all her weight until he was forced to stand. He reeled forward, catching himself by clutching at Elizabeth’s shoulder, while she steadied him with hands on his hips.
Carson leant forward, resting his chin on Elizabeth’s shoulder and breathing in the scent of her skin, her hair. He rubbed his stubbly chin against her neck and starting to hum, tickling Elizabeth with the low vibrations against her skin. Elizabeth chuckled deep in her throat and Carson, even as tired as he was, decided it was just possibly the sexiest thing he’d ever heard.
Meanwhile she’d reached between them to undo his trousers and he felt them fall to his ankles in a wet heap. His boxer shorts soon followed when Elizabeth hooked her hands under the waist band and pushed them down.
Carson made no effort to step out of his pants. He was quite comfortable resting where he was, his face mashed into Elizabeth’s neck. He breathed in again, nestling against her hair, and half-dozed, still humming gently, eyes drooping shut.
“Come on, Carson. The bath will get cold.”
He didn’t really hear what she was saying, just felt her voice against his ear and sighed contentedly again. Elizabeth managed to push him away though and spin him around.
“Into the bath.” She smiled and slapped him gently on the bottom to get him to move.
“Oy! You’re a cheeky woman!” Carson felt himself snap back to a semblance of alert at the sting on his cold skin and he grinned at Elizabeth. He grabbed Elizabeth’s head in both hands, pulling her down for a quick kiss and then stepped into the bath. He hissed at the burn of the hot water touching his too cool skin, but eventually slid down to immerse himself in the silky warmth, letting out a contented sigh and closing his eyes.
He caught the familiar comforting scent of Athosian spices as Elizabeth dipped the bar of soap into the water near his body. Her hands then settled on his shoulders, fingers gently, but firmly massaging and manipulating the muscles there - working wonders. Carson let out a small grunt of pleasure as she ran her fingers up the nape of his neck. No one had ever pampered him like this and he certainly wasn’t about to object.
Carson felt the tiredness and tension begin to seep away from his weary body as Elizabeth’s long fingers worked their way into his scalp. She lathered soap through his hair, spiking it up before tousling it back down again with care. It was as if he could feel every strand of hair individually, all sensation somehow intensified as her fingers worked their magic. He lost himself in her caress, his skin tingling with her touch.
Some time later, he heard her voice again. He wasn’t sure how long she’d been speaking, but it obviously wasn’t the first time she’d spoken to him.
“Caaarson?” she sing-songed, sounding amused.
Carson opened his eyes, blinking sheepishly up at her and she grinned openly. “There you are. Lean forward and I’ll wash your back. Oh and close your eyes a minute.”
He did as asked and Elizabeth poured water over his head, washing out the soap from his hair, the water trickling down over his face and shoulders. She quickly scrubbed at his back too, before kissing the nape of his neck.
Her warm breath tickled against his wet skin when she said, “All done now. Come to bed.”
It took an effort to step from the tub and drying took longer than it should when he insisted on hugging Elizabeth the whole time she dried him with a scratchy towel. She didn’t object though, just laughed as her t-shirt quickly became soaked through.
Carson flopped down belly first on the bed, completely boneless and without a stitch of clothing. He watched with one eye open, face mashed against the pillow, as Elizabeth undressed and crawled in next to him. She pulled the covers up and, even as Carson’s eyes drooped shut, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“You really are wonderful, ‘lizbeth,” he mumbled and felt a gentle kiss land softly on his brow as he drifted off to sleep.
~fin~