Title: A direct hit

Author: thousand_miles

Rating: T

Pairing: Red/Lizzie

Summary: Red takes a direct hit in a rather sensitive spot. Will Lizzie help him feel better?

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Blacklist. This is just me having fun with the characters.

A/N: This is just me having fun with these characters. It's AU and don't take it too serious.

A direct hit

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. You'd think by now he should know better, but apparently not. It was his own fault, and Lizzie's too. Refusing Madeline Pratt was the right thing to do, after all his heart belonged to another. Although at the moment, lying here on the floor, experiencing hellish pains, he really wondered if Lizzie was worth it.

Why didn't women fight fair? Why always go for that one spot? And with a knee also. Men fought fair. Men avoided that one spot, understanding that awful pain. He'd rather get hit in the head multiple times than take another hit like this.

"Red?" Liz yelled out his name. She'd been trying to get a hold of him for more than an hour now. After failing to reach Red, she tried calling Dembe. He hadn't answered her call either. To say she was worried was an understatement. Dembe always answered the phone. Something was wrong. She didn't know what to think, nor did she knew where to look. She'd decided to go to his latest house first to see if they were there. If they weren't maybe she'd find a clue where they would be. "Red?" She yelled again as she walked through the living room.

If he weren't in so much pain, he would have stood up and hid to avoid Lizzie from finding him. But he couldn't even do that. He really wasn't a praying man, but now he prayed she wouldn't find him lying on the floor like this. So he kept quiet and hoped she would leave.

After several minutes of silence he thought she was going to leave, but then he heard footsteps on the stairs. Damn, he should have known Lizzie would do a sweep of the house if she couldn't find him. He'd seen her calls when he was talking to Madeline, but ignored her because of Madeline. He heard her opening a door which meant she was in the hallway. Wouldn't be too long before she would find him. Could the ground maybe open up now and swallow him?

Only one more door to go. She really hoped to at least find a clue to where Red and Dembe would be. She was really starting to worry. She'd called Dembe again, but again he didn't answer. She called Red again and that's when she could hear the ringing of a phone in the one room she hadn't checked yet. So his phone was here, that was certain. Now would Red be there also?

Carefully she opened the door. She peaked inside first and noticed that this was the bedroom. Probably Red's bedroom. Opening the door further she stepped inside. That when she saw two shoes lying on the floor with feet clearly attached to them.

"Red?" She quickly rounded the bed and found him lying on the floor in an almost foetal position. She knelt down next to him. He was entirely too quiet for someone who was hurt. "Red?" She tried again.

No longer able to keep silent Red groaned loudly. He tried to curl up even more, but it was useless. All he felt was pain and it even seemed like it was getting worse.

"Red, talk to me. What's going on? Where are you hurt?" She tried to look for any injuries but couldn't find any because of his position. When he didn't say anything she shoved him onto his back.

That made Red scream out. He lifted his knees towards his chest and rolled to his other side turning his back to Lizzie.

"What the hell, Red?" She'd never seen him like this before. This was serious. She took out her phone. "I'm going to call the ambulance."

"No." Red managed to get out.

"No?" Liz turned him on his back again and he almost screamed again. She saw how he squinted his eyes and again moved his knees towards his chest. "Look at you. You're clearly in pain. You need an ambulance." She grabbed her phone again, but Red quickly grabbed the phone from her and threw it away. "What do you think.."

"Don't call the ambulance." He said through gritted teeth.

"Then you better tell me what is going on and you better do it now. Otherwise I will call the ambulance and you won't stop me."

He knew he had to tell her because she would call the ambulance. Maybe if he wished for the floor to open up and swallow him again it would happen this time. But it didn't. He turned on his side again, this time facing Lizzie. "I got hit." He murmured.

"You could have internal bleedings." She'd seen how he held his hands low on his stomach atop of his belt. If he had internal bleedings she really should call for help.

"I don't."

"How can you be so sure? You're not a doctor."

"I know because that's not where I got hit."

"Damnit, Red. Tell me now or I'll rip your clothes off myself." She ordered him. Not that she would actually rip off his clothes. In her dreams she had, but he never made sounds like this.

"I got hit where I don't ever want to get hit." He hoped she would understand him.

"Don't be so cryptic. Just tell me where they hit you."

"I got hit in my…" He really didn't want to tell her. Why wasn't she a mind reader?

Then it dawned on her where Red got hit. His hands weren't on his stomach; they were on his groin. He got hit in the balls. Try as she might, she couldn't hold back her laughter. "You must have really pissed off the wrong woman."

Why was she laughing? Didn't she understand the tremendous pain he was in? He never thought of her as being cruel. "Can you get me some ice?" He asked her.

"Why? To limit the swelling?" She tried hard not to giggle, but it was no use. It was simply too funny. In front of her, on the floor was the notorious Concierge of Crime, almost crying like a baby because he got hit.

"Elizabeth. Some help please?" He hoped the use of her first name would show her how serious he was.

"You want my help?" She really was having too much fun with this. "With what exactly? Check if the plumbing is still working?" She laughed at her own joke.

Clearly she was of no use to him. "If you're only here to laugh at me, you can go. I will take care of myself." Carefully he tried to sit up and he succeeded. He was now sitting up right against the side of the bed.

Looking at him and the grimace on his face she decided to take pity on him. "I'm sorry, Red." She apologised. The man was in pain. "How can I help?"

"Can you help me up?"

"Sure." She held out her hands for him and pulled him up slowly. Judging from his moan he was still in pain. Carefully he sat down on the bed. He took some deep breaths, hoping the pain would go away. No luck yet.

"Still need some ice?" Lizzie asked as she stood in front of him. She was trying hard not to start laughing again. Judging from the way Red looked at her, she was failing.

"No. I'll just lie down. I need some time to recover."

"Okay." She walked around the bed, sat down on the bed against the headboard and crossed her legs.

"What are you doing?" Red asked as he watched her sitting on his bed. The times that he had imagined her on his bed, and there had been plenty of times, it never happened quite like this.

"I'll just stay here to keep an eye on you." After all, now that she was in his bedroom, she wasn't just going to leave.

"And do what exactly?" Couldn't she let him suffer alone? Wasn't he humiliated enough already? Didn't she see that?

"Nothing. I just want to make sure the situation doesn't…" How to phrase it? "... aggravate."

She was having entirely too much fun with this. He didn't deserve that. He decided to stay quiet and maybe she would leave.

"What exactly happened here?" Liz asked after a moment of silence. She really wondered which woman he'd pissed off and what had he exactly done to get such a reaction.

Red sighed. He really didn't want to share what happened. It was embarrassing. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"That makes it even more interesting." Liz crossed her legs and turned to Red. "Let me think. Were you on a date or was this a business meeting that turned into something more? It probably started out as a business meeting." She started her analysis. "This woman had something important to offer you. Knowing you the woman was probably very beautiful with long blond hair, long legs and other big assets." She smirked at her own words.

"I am not that superficial, Lizzie." He mumbled. So far her analysis was wrong and he didn't mind. He'd rather not tell her the truth.

"Right. You're still a man though. Ooow wait, you probably don't need a reminder of that at the moment." She really was having too much fun with this situation. "Anyway. You probably reached some agreement concerning the business deal and you decided to celebrate."

"I don't go for blonds." Though he did not want her to know the truth, he also didn't want her to think he was that cursory.

"Really? I seriously doubt that."

"I have my eyes on a certain brunette." He admitted surprising himself and probably also her. Maybe it was the pain that made him say things he didn't want to say.

Her heart missed a beat after hearing his words. Was he implying what she wanted him to imply? Her feelings for him were growing. She'd stopped denying the attraction for a while now. She enjoyed his presence and enjoyed his touches even more. But she also knew Red. He was a man used to female attention and they were always very classy, attractive women. Women who made her feel insufficient. She decided to continue with her deduction. "Okay, so it was a beautiful brunette then. You led her to your bedroom. Now you are a smooth talker so it would surprise me that you said something wrong, but then again you are also not the type of man who would force a woman. So what did you do?" She tapped her finger on her bottom lip and thought about possible scenario's. "Did you maybe want to back out of the deal you made because you found out the deal wasn't as good as you first thought? So you ended the deal. She wasn't happy and to demonstrate that she kneed you in the groin." She looked at him. "So?" She asked wanting to know if the scenario she came up with was correct."

"You should work some more on your profiling skills." Red said. Carefully he sat up against the headboard. As long as he didn't move too much the pain was bearable.

"Then tell me what happened." Liz asked again. "If you don't tell me I can never kiss and make it better for you."

"Mmm…" Red hummed, contemplating her words. She was more than welcome to kiss and make it better. It would sure make him feel better.

"Easy tiger." She saw how he reacted to her words. "I don't think you're quite ready for that yet." She teased him. "Why won't you tell me what happened?"

"I had a meeting with Madeline Pratt."

She hadn't seen that one coming. Madeline Pratt and Red shared some kind of history. She wasn't sure how or what exactly, but it seemed loaded and it intimidated her. "You had new business to take care of with her?"

"No." He shook his head. "We had some old business to take care of."

"And why did that have to be done in your bedroom?" She wondered if she sounded jealous. She was somewhat but didn't want him to know that.

"Madeline never was someone to respect one's privacy. She was early to our meeting and decided to find me."

"Where was Dembe?"

"I told him to give Madeline and me some privacy." He explained.

"Why? You always have Dembe present at business deals."

"This was more of a private matter."

"Oow." She really didn't know how to react to that so she kept silent.

Her silence didn't sit well with him and he felt the need to explain. "Madeline and I have had our encounters in the past. She has certain expectations. I needed to make clear to her that our future dealings would only be of a business nature." He hoped she would understand what he was saying. He crossed his ankles a move that was still too much. "Clearly she didn't take it too well." He grunted in pain.

"Maybe it meant more to her than you expected?"

"No. Madeline just likes to get what she wants when she wants it. She doesn't handle rejection very well."

"Clearly." Liz couldn't help but smile.

"You know it really isn't nice to laugh at people's suffering." He pointed out to her.

"I'm sorry." She apologised but still with a small smile on her face. "Why did you want to change that arrangement?"

"Because I didn't want that arrangement anymore."

"But why?" She asked again.

"Because a woman has captured my heart and I want her to know that she will be the only woman for me."

"She must be really something then for you to do this." Liz whispered. She was afraid to ask whom he was talking about. There was hope and fear within her.

"She is." He watched how she played with her fingers in her lap. "Though she does take a bit too much pleasure in my pain." He hinted at her.

Liz, who didn't want to make any assumptions to end up being wrong, didn't quite know how to respond. "You should know by now never to piss off the wrong woman."

"Sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. Despite the agonising pain, I know she will be worth it."

"Agonising pain. Come on. Men always exaggerate everything. A bruised pinkie will turn into a broken arm."

"I am not so happy with your choice of words considering where I got hit." He grumbled.

This made Liz giggle again which turned into full blown laughter. "You poor man." She managed to get out before she started laughing again.

Red squinted his eyes and looked at her. She was laughing so much now that she was no longer sitting on the bed but rolling on his mattress. He could not let this continue. She was having way too much fun at his expense. Despite the pain he was going to do something. He moved quickly and before she knew it he had her pinned to the bed. His hands were on her wrists holding her arms above her head. He made sure his weight wasn't fully on her, but enough to hold her down. He held her eyes for a moment. He saw the trepidation. Then he started to tickle her. He didn't know she was this ticklish, but within a few seconds she was writhing under him, laughing and squealing. Her movements were far from unpleasant. That was until one sudden move.

Liz suddenly tried to turn on her side, trying to shield herself from his hands. Just then Red hit a particular sensitive spot which made her move her knees up suddenly. And then, just like before, Red got hit again in the same already sensitive spot. With a loud scream he fell on his side on the bed, his hands immediately covering himself.

"Damnit, Lizzie." He said through gritted teeth. Just his luck, getting hit in the balls twice in a day, by two different women.

"Ooow shit, Red. I am so sorry." Liz sat on her knees, towering over his lying body. She pushed him on his back but Red quickly turned on his side again, his back towards her. She wasn't quite sure what to do. He was curled up on his side groaning in pain. Unbelievable. What were the chances of her hitting him at the same spot Madeline had. "It was an accident Red." She said.

"Remind me to never piss you off." He managed to say. He was taking deep breaths, trying to relax his body.

" I'm so sorry Red."

"Give me some time to recover okay. I hadn't even fully recovered from the first hit yet." The deep breaths he was taking were somewhat helping. He carefully moved onto his back and looked into her blue eyes as she looked down on him.

Liz gently placed her hand on his chest. She wasn't sure what to do next. There was no use in apologising again. She also wasn't sure what she could do to relief the pain. So she stayed silent and rubbed his chest softly.

"Why don't you lie down, sweetheart? I'd rather not have your knees near my body."

"Okay. You sure there is nothing I can do for you? Should I maybe get some ice?"

"No." He watched as she lied down next to him. "I just want to lie here."

Liz didn't know what to do. She felt like she should avoid him. Then she was sure she wasn't going to hurt him again. "Maybe I should go." She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"No." He said, quickly grabbing her wrist. However the movement was more than enough to cause him pain again, making him moan.

"Okay. I'll stay." She didn't want to make it worse for him and clearly he was going to follow her if she was going to walk away. She lied down again and turned her body towards him. They were now facing each other. Liz put her hand on his arm and sighed.

He saw the trepidation in her eyes. "Come here, sweetheart." He said as he lifted his arm for her so she could snuggle closer. She hesitated for a moment but then quickly scooted closer. "It is a good thing that I know you are worth the pain." He tightened his arm around her. "Just promise me to never do that again. I am rather fond of that part of my anatomy. I don't want any permanent damage."

This made Liz giggle again. "Me neither." Her words were muffled by his chest. "When you've recovered I'll have to make sure everything is still in working order." She grinned even though he couldn't see it.

"I'll gladly let you give me a check up." He growled into her ear. Despite the pain he still felt he pushed her onto her back. Once again he hovered over her, but this time not to tickle her. "You are the only woman for me, Lizzie. You're the one I want."

The intensity in his voice took her breath away. His eyes captivated her and she couldn't look away. Red slowly closed the distance between them and brushed her lips with hers. Sensing no rejection he tasted her lips again, this time more persistent. He sucked her bottom lip in his mouth before running his tongue over it. She quickly opened her mouth for him. Their tongues met and tasted each other. Red controlled the kiss keeping the kiss slow yet passionate. He explored her mouth and let her explore his, but didn't let her hurry him. He took her upper lip between his lips and gently sucked on it before letting go. With soft kisses he kissed his way from her mouth, over her jaw, towards her ear. He felt the shiver run through her body and delighted in it. When he took her earlobe between his teeth her lower body thrust against his.

Though the move was not unwelcome, his body was already feeling the effects of their kiss and now with her body moving like that against him he felt it even more so. His hips pushed against her, making sure she felt what she did to him, but it pained him also and he couldn't help the painful groan. It clearly was too soon for him to do anything.

"Mmm…" Liz kissed his neck letting her tongue taste his skin. "Looks like there's no permanent damage." She slid her hand down his chest towards his lower body.

Red stopped her hand before she got any further. "As much as I like that thought." And he really did. "I can't." He carefully moved off of her and willed his body to calm down.

Liz felt sorry for him and for herself. With only a few kisses he'd left her feeling all hot and bothered. She snuggled into his side and kissed his cheek. "Try not to get excited."

"Easier said then done, sweetheart. You're entirely too enticing."

"I'm glad you talked to Madeline even though it caused you quite some pain."

He turned on his side towards her and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad too." He softly kissed her. "You're worth the pain."

They were silent for a moment, both enjoying the newfound closeness. "I'd better leave and let you recover."

"Stay."

"You sure?"

"I think it's best I have my private nurse here in case a situation arises." He grinned before wrapping her in his arms.

Liz laughed. "I agree. Best you have me at hand."

The End