Tin Man fic: In Sickness
Title: In Sickness
Characters/Pairing: Glitch/Cain
Rating: PG13
Summary: Soothing a fever. Shameless fluff.
Author's Note: For kseda. Unedited and half-asleep...I hope it doesn't suck too much. *hugs*
***
Another ten minutes had passed, another touch of the back of his hand to Glitch’s forehead and Cain’s concern only grew. They had only lived in their newly built cabin for a few weeks, not having time to think of such things as stocking up on common medicines. In their haste to complete construction before the heavy snowfall hit, neither man had remembered to make a visit to town for supplies.
They had enough food and water, the plumbing system functioning perfectly well with Glitch’s ingenious design making a mockery of the frozen soil that surrounded it. Wood for the fire had been brought in when the weather had began taking a turn for the worse, snow piling up at a worrying rate.
Now, with every passing hour, the snow grew deeper, the lights flickered and threatened to give out completely, and Glitch’s fever continued to climb.
Bundled in warm, soft pajamas, Cain sat on the edge of the bed while Glitch, delirious and rarely lucid enough to reply to even simple inquiries, shivered and sweated and whimpered through his illness. “Shhhh,” Cain soothed absentmindedly, using a wet facecloth in a vain attempt at comfort.
There was no going for help; the weather had made certain of that. All there was left to do was use what he had on hand to keep Glitch from burning up from the inside.
One more rewetting of the cold cloth, replacing it on a hot forehead and Cain stood. He kept the door between the rooms ajar and his ears open for sounds of distress as he filled the claw-footed bathtub with cold water. As the water rose, he tracked down a few candles left lying around from a more intimate evening and set them up around the room, prepared in case the electricity failed. The last thing was to ensure that there was a stack of towels within reach.
Shucking off his shirt, Cain returned to the bedroom. He had already stripped Glitch of most of his clothes earlier in the day so now all he had left to do was wrestle Glitch out of his thin sleep pants.
“Not really my idea of a hot date,” Cain continued his commentary, though he suspected nothing he said was getting through the thick haze of fever. He moved up and slipped an arm under Glitch’s shoulders, the other under his knees. Glitch’s whole body convulsed, too weak to fight much longer. Cain held on tighter than strictly necessary and carried Glitch to the waiting tub.
Glitch yelled in protest of the treatment when he was immersed in the cold water and Cain had to move quickly to keep Glitch from smacking his head back against the edge of the tub. Cain folded one of the towels up and draped it over the end, creating a makeshift cushion.
“Take it easy,” Cain kept his voice even, though he was shaking almost as hard as Glitch. He used his hands to pull water up over Glitch’s body, cooling as thoroughly as he could. The occasional cupped hand would drift up to the top of Glitch’s head. Cain watched as the droplets wove through the tendrils of hair and ran down the length of the zipper in a neat river, ending up soaking into the towel under Glitch’s head.
“Too cold,” Glitch moaned, uncoordinated hands splashing water in Cain’s direction. “...too cold...please...”
“Just for a little longer, sweetheart,” Cain told him, hating the way Glitch was shivering and how his body was far too tense. But he could tell the cold was helping; Glitch’s fever-bright eyes were watching him with more steady focus, his flushed face was fading into a more pale pink. The bath wasn’t a cure, not by far, but maybe it would buy Glitch more time, time that Cain needed to wait out the winter storm until he could make it to town and find the local doctor.
Glitch’s white fingers wrapped around Cain’s wrist briefly, Glitch releasing a shuddering sigh. “Why?”
Cain swallowed thickly, leaning forward to press in lips against Glitch’s forehead for the umpteenth time that day. It was much cooler to the touch and Cain was grateful that he had not put Glitch through this painful ordeal for nothing. “Because you take care of me when I need help. Because this is what we do.”
“Can I get out now?” Glitch shifted awkwardly, his head pushing back against the towel, exposing his long throat. “Please?”
Taking a moment to run his hands over Glitch’s body, Cain checked to make sure the scorching heat had been temporarily diminished then finally nodded. “Hold still for a second,” he instructed, reaching behind himself for a towel. Shaking it out with one hand, he grimaced as he stood on stiff legs. Towel draped over one shoulder, he reached down to help Glitch stand. “Don’t move, let me get you dried off.”
“I get the feeling if I tried to go anywhere I’d fall right on my ass,” Glitch shivered, unselfconscious in his nudity. He moaned with contentment when Cain wrapped the large towel around Glitch’s shoulders.
Cain let Glitch get a good grip on his arm then guided him slowly out of the tub. Drying off the rest of Glitch swiftly, Cain led him back to the bedroom and under the covers. “Better?”
Glitch closed his eyes and nodded jerkily, tugging at the blankets fitfully. “I guess I was in pretty bad shape for you to toss me into the lake like that.”
“It was the bathtub, not the lake, but yes, you were,” Cain could hear his worry seep back into his voice. He rubbed his eye with the base of his palm, long since having lost track of the time of night. “Go back to sleep.”
“You, too,” Glitch reached out and pulled at Cain’s sleeve. “I bet you haven’t slept at all.”
“I know you’re feeling better now, but that fever of yours isn’t gone yet,” Cain stroked his fingers over Glitch’s forehead and into his damp hair. “Just lay there and let me take care of you.”
Glitch rolled onto his side and curled around Cain’s body, keeping one of Cain’s hands between his own. “Love you.”
Cain bent over and kissed Glitch’s temple. “Love you, too. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“I always need you,” Glitch mumbled, already half asleep.
***
End
Characters/Pairing: Glitch/Cain
Rating: PG13
Summary: Soothing a fever. Shameless fluff.
Author's Note: For kseda. Unedited and half-asleep...I hope it doesn't suck too much. *hugs*
***
Another ten minutes had passed, another touch of the back of his hand to Glitch’s forehead and Cain’s concern only grew. They had only lived in their newly built cabin for a few weeks, not having time to think of such things as stocking up on common medicines. In their haste to complete construction before the heavy snowfall hit, neither man had remembered to make a visit to town for supplies.
They had enough food and water, the plumbing system functioning perfectly well with Glitch’s ingenious design making a mockery of the frozen soil that surrounded it. Wood for the fire had been brought in when the weather had began taking a turn for the worse, snow piling up at a worrying rate.
Now, with every passing hour, the snow grew deeper, the lights flickered and threatened to give out completely, and Glitch’s fever continued to climb.
Bundled in warm, soft pajamas, Cain sat on the edge of the bed while Glitch, delirious and rarely lucid enough to reply to even simple inquiries, shivered and sweated and whimpered through his illness. “Shhhh,” Cain soothed absentmindedly, using a wet facecloth in a vain attempt at comfort.
There was no going for help; the weather had made certain of that. All there was left to do was use what he had on hand to keep Glitch from burning up from the inside.
One more rewetting of the cold cloth, replacing it on a hot forehead and Cain stood. He kept the door between the rooms ajar and his ears open for sounds of distress as he filled the claw-footed bathtub with cold water. As the water rose, he tracked down a few candles left lying around from a more intimate evening and set them up around the room, prepared in case the electricity failed. The last thing was to ensure that there was a stack of towels within reach.
Shucking off his shirt, Cain returned to the bedroom. He had already stripped Glitch of most of his clothes earlier in the day so now all he had left to do was wrestle Glitch out of his thin sleep pants.
“Not really my idea of a hot date,” Cain continued his commentary, though he suspected nothing he said was getting through the thick haze of fever. He moved up and slipped an arm under Glitch’s shoulders, the other under his knees. Glitch’s whole body convulsed, too weak to fight much longer. Cain held on tighter than strictly necessary and carried Glitch to the waiting tub.
Glitch yelled in protest of the treatment when he was immersed in the cold water and Cain had to move quickly to keep Glitch from smacking his head back against the edge of the tub. Cain folded one of the towels up and draped it over the end, creating a makeshift cushion.
“Take it easy,” Cain kept his voice even, though he was shaking almost as hard as Glitch. He used his hands to pull water up over Glitch’s body, cooling as thoroughly as he could. The occasional cupped hand would drift up to the top of Glitch’s head. Cain watched as the droplets wove through the tendrils of hair and ran down the length of the zipper in a neat river, ending up soaking into the towel under Glitch’s head.
“Too cold,” Glitch moaned, uncoordinated hands splashing water in Cain’s direction. “...too cold...please...”
“Just for a little longer, sweetheart,” Cain told him, hating the way Glitch was shivering and how his body was far too tense. But he could tell the cold was helping; Glitch’s fever-bright eyes were watching him with more steady focus, his flushed face was fading into a more pale pink. The bath wasn’t a cure, not by far, but maybe it would buy Glitch more time, time that Cain needed to wait out the winter storm until he could make it to town and find the local doctor.
Glitch’s white fingers wrapped around Cain’s wrist briefly, Glitch releasing a shuddering sigh. “Why?”
Cain swallowed thickly, leaning forward to press in lips against Glitch’s forehead for the umpteenth time that day. It was much cooler to the touch and Cain was grateful that he had not put Glitch through this painful ordeal for nothing. “Because you take care of me when I need help. Because this is what we do.”
“Can I get out now?” Glitch shifted awkwardly, his head pushing back against the towel, exposing his long throat. “Please?”
Taking a moment to run his hands over Glitch’s body, Cain checked to make sure the scorching heat had been temporarily diminished then finally nodded. “Hold still for a second,” he instructed, reaching behind himself for a towel. Shaking it out with one hand, he grimaced as he stood on stiff legs. Towel draped over one shoulder, he reached down to help Glitch stand. “Don’t move, let me get you dried off.”
“I get the feeling if I tried to go anywhere I’d fall right on my ass,” Glitch shivered, unselfconscious in his nudity. He moaned with contentment when Cain wrapped the large towel around Glitch’s shoulders.
Cain let Glitch get a good grip on his arm then guided him slowly out of the tub. Drying off the rest of Glitch swiftly, Cain led him back to the bedroom and under the covers. “Better?”
Glitch closed his eyes and nodded jerkily, tugging at the blankets fitfully. “I guess I was in pretty bad shape for you to toss me into the lake like that.”
“It was the bathtub, not the lake, but yes, you were,” Cain could hear his worry seep back into his voice. He rubbed his eye with the base of his palm, long since having lost track of the time of night. “Go back to sleep.”
“You, too,” Glitch reached out and pulled at Cain’s sleeve. “I bet you haven’t slept at all.”
“I know you’re feeling better now, but that fever of yours isn’t gone yet,” Cain stroked his fingers over Glitch’s forehead and into his damp hair. “Just lay there and let me take care of you.”
Glitch rolled onto his side and curled around Cain’s body, keeping one of Cain’s hands between his own. “Love you.”
Cain bent over and kissed Glitch’s temple. “Love you, too. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“I always need you,” Glitch mumbled, already half asleep.
***
End