John/Kelly - Warm Drinks

Kelly dug her fingers into the automatic door, hearing it groan in protest as she allowed it to open just enough to let her to slip by. She keyed it closed immediately when she was inside Blue Team's quarters, and it shut with an indignant thunk.

The massive lump in John's bed was still there, and she frowned when she saw his meal sitting untouched on his bedside table. His back was turned to her, and his legs were curled up loosely near his chest. He was definitely not himself yet.

"John," she whispered, moving over to his bed.

"Yes." His voice was hoarse, and it was followed by a controlled cough.

"I brought you a hot drink."

The lump muffled at her, either in protest or acquiescence she couldn't tell. Kelly sighed and set the mug down next to his plate, and then sat herself on the edge of his mattress. Her hand went to his forehead.

"Still warm," she said, concerned. "How are you feeling?"

"Annoyed," he replied. His head shifted, and he looked up at her. Even in the darkness of the cabin, his eyes were a focused blue. "We have too much work to do."

"It's your own fault." She tapped his shoulder, a signal for him to sit up, and she stepped away to let him orient himself. "Both the techs and the doctors told you to take it easy."

"They always say that." He reached for the mug and brought it up to his mouth to sip. She watched his face scrunch together as he got a mouthful of the hot toddy, and he pulled the mug away from his face. John coughed and gave her a wary look. "What's in this?"

"Lemon, honey and whiskey. It'll clear your sinuses, and it smells better than vapour rub. Help to break your fever, too."

He grunted and passed it to her, and she set it back down on the table. "Thank you," he rasped, swinging his feet up and shuffling back under the covers. A forceful shudder ran through him, hard enough to shake the bed.

"Keep drinking that," she told him. He was already rolling back up into a ball, and his head disappeared under the blanket.

"Aye, ma'am."

"I'm serious."

"I will."

"You're awful at lying."

A hoarse laugh came from under the sheets, followed by another shudder. Kelly shook her head and kicked off her boots. "Move over," she ordered.

"What are you doing?" His head poked out and he squinted at her.

"You're shivering, and the blankets are way too thin. Move over."

"You'll get sick." He didn't move an inch. She put a hand on his shoulder again, this time in warning.

"That's my business, not yours."

"Of course it's my business," he grumbled. She nudged him, and he finally shifted over with a sigh. "Can't have two of us feeling under the weather."

"I'll manage." She slipped in behind him, being careful to keep the sheets tucked in tightly. Kelly was hit with a huge wall of heat from his back despite his shivering, but when she wrapped a hand around his ribs to find his hand, his fingers were freezing.

"You're a mess," she whispered into his neck, and saw tiny goosebumps flare over his ruddy skin. She pressed a kiss to the exposed skin, and heard him sigh.

"And you really shouldn't be this close to me."

"I have the advantage of taking much better care of myself," she replied, tucking her legs in flush behind his and trying to cover as much surface area of his body as she could. "You're lucky you've only got a head cold with what you've done to yourself."

He chuckled in response and squeezed her fingers. His extremities were already beginning to warm up again, but she had no intentions of going anywhere.

"Besides," she murmured, pressing her face into the back of his neck. "I've stayed away for three days. This just gives me an excuse to be close to you."

His breathing was a ragged whisper in the quiet of their quarters. John didn't respond, but he did push up against her in answer, and she slipped a hand under his shirt as if they were going to sleep normally. She wasn't all that tired, but the waves of heat radiating off of his skin were relaxing enough to lull her into a contented stupor. She could hear him slipping back off to sleep, his hoarse breathing evening out and his nose softly whistling. Kelly smiled into his skin and closed her eyes, only just realising he might have used her cuddling up to him as an excuse not to drink the hot toddy she'd made him.