Part 2 in the 12 Days of Shipmas Collection
Note: This is the second day of a series of minifics written for the prompt challenge on Tumblr. Each one is set in a different verse, established or unestablished. Today, we have a Graham Lives AU.
Day 2: You both have a cold. Must be something going around and totally not about the clothes-less weekend you spent together
Emma slumped onto the couch, dragging her sheets around her. Her head was pounding. "I loathe being sick," she moaned out before snatching a tissue and blowing her nose.
Mary Margaret tsked from the kitchen and grabbed the kettle from the stovetop. She poured the water into the mugs, one tea and one hot chocolate. "Well, you aren't quite used to our weather, I guess. The fog hangs around for months up here, gets into your skin."
She sniffed and nodded, working around stifling her next coughing jag. "It hasn't even started snowing," she complained, and groaned at how nasal her voice sounded.
"Well, I guess we did have that bad rain the other week. Surprised so few people are sick, to be honest," Mary Margaret replied. She swirled the teabag in the cup thoughtfully and then handed it to her. She took a sip of her chocolate. "I mean, not even any of the kids in my class."
Emma swallowed a sip past the scratchiness of her throat, letting the feel of the honey soothe her throat. She looked at her curiously. "Who else is sick, then?" she asked, and then sipped slowly.
Mary Margaret hummed thoughtfully. "Come to think about it, the only other person I've seen with a cold is Sheriff Graham," she said.
Emma choked on her tea and then hid her face in the mug. "Just … just me and my boss, then?" she asked.
Her roommate nodded and sat on the chair opposite her, tucking her legs up. "Yes, poor thing was still at the office when I came by this morning to drop off your paperwork."
"Oh?" she asked, wincing. It had seemed like a good idea to have her roommate drop off the file when she could barely drag herself out of bed this morning. Mary Margaret had fussed and insisted, and Emma's head had been ringing too loud for her to protest. She figured Graham would take the file and the little post-it tucked in there, no harm, no foul. Now, it seemed the idea served only to throw some suspicion on them.
Mary nodded. "I should bring him some of the soup I got for you later. He looked like death warmed up." Mary Margaret eyed her. "Much like you right now."
Emma cleared her throat. "Gee, thanks," she mumbled, and tried hard not to seem guarded.
Mary Margaret blushed. "Oh, I didn't mean you look bad, Emma. I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
Emma waved her off. "I'm sure the phlegm just adds to the look. I know what you mean. It's fine."
Her phone buzzed next to her and she grabbed it up to read the message.
You HAD to send your mother.
Emma rolled her eyes. She doesn't know why and when Henry would have told him about that particular theory, but ever since they got together he was constantly using it. Mary Margaret was her mother and David was her father and there was no amount of prodding to stop him. Especially when her son chimed in.
She looked up at Mary Margaret. She smiled at her warmly before reaching for the paper, and Emma shook her head as she rapidly texted back. Sorry, was dying.
She'll suspect. Sounds like we have the same cold.
Emma grimaced. Colds are pretty common.
I blame you.
She peered up at Mary Margaret over her phone, who busied herself by reading the paper.
She messaged back. You weren't complaining.
She waited a moment, popping the blister pack of cold medicine and swallowing it down with the tea.
Guess that's true. But it was your idea.
She huffed a laugh that she disguised as a cough. The cabin she found was her idea, sure, but it wasn't like he protested. Even when it started raining when they were still outside … exploring. In fact, she would have suggested going inside at the first drop if his mouth hadn't been so pleasantly occupied.
She chanced another look at her roommate, but she wasn't listening to her phone's buzzing at the moment. She wiped her nose with the tissue and then rapidly punched out a reply. Poor baby. I guess next time I'll forget to invite you.
Bet you'd miss me.
Her body warmed before a fit of coughing hit her. She shivered and wrapped the throw blanket around her shoulders. Maybe.
Just maybe? I guess I'll have to be more convincing next time.
She bit down on her lip and fidgeted in her seat. She wondered just how much energy they could muster, if she could sneak him in while Mary Margaret was in school. And if that meant they'd do anything more than share a few water bottles, soup, and sleep.
"You know," Mary Margaret mused, folding the paper in two. "It'd probably be good if you both stayed here today."
Emma looked up in surprise. She almost forgot she was there. "Huh?"
"Well, Graham certainly can't stay at the office."
Her brow furrowed. "Why would he come here? He's got a place of his own, you know."
Mary Margaret blew on her cocoa, a low curl of smoke rising from the mug. She hummed and swallowed the rest down. "Well, you've both got the same cold. You could have some peace and quiet here, rather than back at the office. And less chance of something going wrong if you stayed here rather than his place, when I'll be coming home later."
Emma frowned. "I was planning on a sick day, here. I really don't want to work on the case of who broke into Clark's while I'm fighting back a cough every two seconds," she said, and leaned back against the couch. Her head felt cloudy, and she struggled to focus on the woman in front of her.
Mary Margaret smiled behind her cup and raised only her eyes to her. "No, no, not to work. I just think it would be easier to keep things in one place. Then I wouldn't have to see your bra tucked into the bottom drawer of Graham's desk."
Emma spit out her tea and looked up in horror. "What?"
Mary Margaret rose and gave her a pointed look as she gathered her purse. "You two have been just about as discrete as you said me and David have been."
Emma blushed and shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it. I knew you two had feelings for each other months ago," she reminded. She grinned as she reached the door. "Tell him he's welcome to come over. And that he can say more than two words to me now."
She huffed and watched as her roommate left for the day. She didn't even get the chance to explain why all the secrecy, the loom of the damned mayor over her relationship and her own need for privacy. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed her phone. Come over. You have explaining to do.
What?
You left the drawer open.
There was a long pause, the ellipses appearing and disappearing at the bottom of the message thread. Okay, that was my fault. Be over in ten.
She sighed and laid down on the couch, her eyes fluttering closed. She'd deal with the fallout of this later, but for now the idea of diving under the covers and sleeping away her illness with a warm, almost possessively cuddly man sounded good.