Lullaby
Title: Lullaby
Author: Laura, aka umbrellabeach55
Pairing: Merrikat
Summary: "I'm going to play you a lullaby, okay?"
Disclaimer: I don't own the guys. Song credit in the fic goes to Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars.
“Zack?”
Jack shuffled sleepily into the den of the small apartment, dressed in a white t-shirt and boxers, rubbing his eyes at the lamplight. It was 7:30 am, around the time Jack got up for work, and he woke up noticing that his husband, Zack, was absent from their bed.
Zack looked up at him from the couch, where he was shirtless and curled into a tight ball. He mumbled a feeble good morning before coughing violently and returning to the cartoon softly playing on the tv.
“Is something wrong, baby? You’re shivering,” Jack said, joining Zack on the couch.
“I woke up not feeling well,” Zack murmured, barely moving his lips.
Jack placed a hand on his forehead, noticing his sweat-glistened chest. “Baby, your head is on fire. I’m sure you have a fever. You should’ve woken me up.”
“You needed your sleep for work,” Zack slurred, eyes on the tv.
“Zack,” Jack sighed. “You are more important.”
The other just hummed. He clenched his arms tighter around his shins as another wave of shivers overtook him.
“I’m staying home today,” Jack announced after a minute, standing from the couch. “You need someone to take care of you.”
“Jack, I don’t want you to miss a day because of me,” Zack protested weakly.
“Zack, how many times do I need to tell you that you are more important?” Jack huffed. He leaned down and kissed Zack’s fiery forehead. “Now you just stay here. Nurse Jack is here to take care of you.”
Despite himself, Zack smiled, and Jack blew him another kiss as he left the room. When he returned, he was carrying a bottle of ibuprofen, a glass of water, and one of Zack’s shirts.
“Take a couple of these and put this on,” he said, setting them on the coffee table. “And then we’ll get back in bed after I call in to work.”
Twenty minutes later the two were settled back in bed watching Iron Man on their bedroom tv. Zack was curled into Jack, his head on his chest and his hand curled tightly into the hem of Jack’s t-shirt. Jack rubbed his stiff back in slow circles as his shivers came less frequently, and then stopped altogether.
“Jack?” Zack said softly.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Thanks for staying home with me.”
Jack craned his neck downward, planting an affectionate kiss on the top of Zack’s head. “It was no trouble at all.”
~
4 hours and two and a half Marvel movies later, Zack was still tensely curled against Jack’s body.
“Baby, you need to go to sleep,” Jack whispered to him.
“I can’t relax, Jack,” the other answered. “I can’t shut off my brain.”
“Here, let me up.” Jack rose from the bed clumsily and paused the movie, Zack whining softly at his absence. Ignoring him, Jack crossed the room to the closet, extracting his acoustic guitar from the mess. He settled back in next to Zack, propping himself up on the headboard and letting Zack settle his head on his leg.
“I’m going to play you a lullaby, okay?” he murmured, smoothing Zack’s hair. Zack nodded, closing his eyes and re-twining his fingers into Jack’s shirt.
He started off gently, playing the beginning of a Snow Patrol song he knew Zack loved. When the lyrics came in, he kept his voice low and soothing.
“We’ll do it all
Everything
On our own
We don’t need
Anything
Or anyone.”
Zack’s breath was already evening out, his limbs visibly relaxing.
“If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
I don’t quite know
How to say
How I feel.”
Zack slowly stretched out from his fetal position, shifting around and placing his head on his pillow, but still keeping his hand securely on Jack.
“Those three words
Are said too much
They’re not enough
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
Forget what we’re told
Before we get too old
Just show me a garden
That’s bursting into life.”
Jack glanced at Zack as the tempo slowed, keeping his voice tender. Zack’s face was soft, his mouth slightly open as he breathed in and out.
“Let’s waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own.”
Jack dragged the note out, slowly quieting his voice. Zack didn’t open his eyes again, and Jack could tell from the way his body was completely relaxed that he had finally found sleep. Jack slowed his strumming, gently fading the music out until it was completely quiet. Zack still didn’t wake, and Jack smiled at the sight of his hand still holding onto Jack’s shirt.
He eased the guitar off his lap, leaning it against the nightstand. Scooting down slowly, he guided Zack’s hand from his shirt to intertwine with his own fingers instead. He gently kissed his forehead before settling down next to him, pulling the covers up to their shoulders.
As he watched him, Zack’s lips moved slightly, and Jack knew he must be dreaming. “What are you dreaming of, baby?” Jack asked quietly. He wasn’t expecting Zack to answer him, and was startled when he did.
“My Jack,” Zack murmured in his sleep, lips slightly curling up in a smile. Jack’s chest swelled. Grinning like an idiot, he closed his eyes. He knew he would sleep well.
Author: Laura, aka umbrellabeach55
Pairing: Merrikat
Summary: "I'm going to play you a lullaby, okay?"
Disclaimer: I don't own the guys. Song credit in the fic goes to Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars.
“Zack?”
Jack shuffled sleepily into the den of the small apartment, dressed in a white t-shirt and boxers, rubbing his eyes at the lamplight. It was 7:30 am, around the time Jack got up for work, and he woke up noticing that his husband, Zack, was absent from their bed.
Zack looked up at him from the couch, where he was shirtless and curled into a tight ball. He mumbled a feeble good morning before coughing violently and returning to the cartoon softly playing on the tv.
“Is something wrong, baby? You’re shivering,” Jack said, joining Zack on the couch.
“I woke up not feeling well,” Zack murmured, barely moving his lips.
Jack placed a hand on his forehead, noticing his sweat-glistened chest. “Baby, your head is on fire. I’m sure you have a fever. You should’ve woken me up.”
“You needed your sleep for work,” Zack slurred, eyes on the tv.
“Zack,” Jack sighed. “You are more important.”
The other just hummed. He clenched his arms tighter around his shins as another wave of shivers overtook him.
“I’m staying home today,” Jack announced after a minute, standing from the couch. “You need someone to take care of you.”
“Jack, I don’t want you to miss a day because of me,” Zack protested weakly.
“Zack, how many times do I need to tell you that you are more important?” Jack huffed. He leaned down and kissed Zack’s fiery forehead. “Now you just stay here. Nurse Jack is here to take care of you.”
Despite himself, Zack smiled, and Jack blew him another kiss as he left the room. When he returned, he was carrying a bottle of ibuprofen, a glass of water, and one of Zack’s shirts.
“Take a couple of these and put this on,” he said, setting them on the coffee table. “And then we’ll get back in bed after I call in to work.”
Twenty minutes later the two were settled back in bed watching Iron Man on their bedroom tv. Zack was curled into Jack, his head on his chest and his hand curled tightly into the hem of Jack’s t-shirt. Jack rubbed his stiff back in slow circles as his shivers came less frequently, and then stopped altogether.
“Jack?” Zack said softly.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Thanks for staying home with me.”
Jack craned his neck downward, planting an affectionate kiss on the top of Zack’s head. “It was no trouble at all.”
~
4 hours and two and a half Marvel movies later, Zack was still tensely curled against Jack’s body.
“Baby, you need to go to sleep,” Jack whispered to him.
“I can’t relax, Jack,” the other answered. “I can’t shut off my brain.”
“Here, let me up.” Jack rose from the bed clumsily and paused the movie, Zack whining softly at his absence. Ignoring him, Jack crossed the room to the closet, extracting his acoustic guitar from the mess. He settled back in next to Zack, propping himself up on the headboard and letting Zack settle his head on his leg.
“I’m going to play you a lullaby, okay?” he murmured, smoothing Zack’s hair. Zack nodded, closing his eyes and re-twining his fingers into Jack’s shirt.
He started off gently, playing the beginning of a Snow Patrol song he knew Zack loved. When the lyrics came in, he kept his voice low and soothing.
“We’ll do it all
Everything
On our own
We don’t need
Anything
Or anyone.”
Zack’s breath was already evening out, his limbs visibly relaxing.
“If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
I don’t quite know
How to say
How I feel.”
Zack slowly stretched out from his fetal position, shifting around and placing his head on his pillow, but still keeping his hand securely on Jack.
“Those three words
Are said too much
They’re not enough
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
Forget what we’re told
Before we get too old
Just show me a garden
That’s bursting into life.”
Jack glanced at Zack as the tempo slowed, keeping his voice tender. Zack’s face was soft, his mouth slightly open as he breathed in and out.
“Let’s waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own.”
Jack dragged the note out, slowly quieting his voice. Zack didn’t open his eyes again, and Jack could tell from the way his body was completely relaxed that he had finally found sleep. Jack slowed his strumming, gently fading the music out until it was completely quiet. Zack still didn’t wake, and Jack smiled at the sight of his hand still holding onto Jack’s shirt.
He eased the guitar off his lap, leaning it against the nightstand. Scooting down slowly, he guided Zack’s hand from his shirt to intertwine with his own fingers instead. He gently kissed his forehead before settling down next to him, pulling the covers up to their shoulders.
As he watched him, Zack’s lips moved slightly, and Jack knew he must be dreaming. “What are you dreaming of, baby?” Jack asked quietly. He wasn’t expecting Zack to answer him, and was startled when he did.
“My Jack,” Zack murmured in his sleep, lips slightly curling up in a smile. Jack’s chest swelled. Grinning like an idiot, he closed his eyes. He knew he would sleep well.