Title: Wait, what?
Author: MGO/SephirothFlame
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Nicholas Rush x Girl!Eli Wallace, TJ
Warning(s): Gender swapped
Spoiler(s): 1.8, Time
Word Count: 1,075
Rants: When I saw the prompt, I was all "oh, this could be fun". Now I'm in love with girl!Eli and MUST WRITE MORE of her.
Disclaimer: Stargate Universe isn't mine. I'm just messing around in their sandbox while I have time.
"I'm going to give it to you now," TJ said, pressing the needle into Eli's arm, just above the crook of her elbow. TJ was swift though, and before Eli had time to register the fact that there was a needle jabbed into her arm, the antidote had been pushed into her system and TJ was already disposing of the needle.
Eli looked pathetic when she glanced at Nicholas, and he pretended to not notice she was crying for Eli's sake. "I hate needles," she muttered, watching as TJ put a bandage over the prick. TJ smiled sadly, touching Eli's arm gently. Nothing needed to be said. They'd seen the Kino.
"That wasn't so bad, was it, Eli?" TJ asked, and Eli shot her a miserable glare. Laughing, TJ turned to Nicholas. "Your turn, Dr. Rush," she said, and Eli scooted over so Nicholas could sit on the bed next to her. He handed the Kino controller back to her and she flashed him a weak smile of appreciation before he rolled up his sleeve.
When TJ had announced that she had the antidote ready for the thing in the water, everyone had been ecstatic. Eli wanted to be cured, ASAP. When TJ mentioned it would have to be given via a shot, Eli had deflated. She had avoided getting shots with a passion back on Earth, going so far as to ride out the flu seasons without getting a single one.
Nicholas knew, because Eli had told him all of this. She had begged him to go with her to get it because she always went with her mom and her mom being there always made her feel better. She trusted Nicholas, maybe if he was there she would feel better – safer. Nicholas could make sure TJ wasn't reusing needles or something like that. Nicholas doubted that TJ would, but after Eli continued to pester him all morning, he finally gave in and agreed to go with her.
When they had gotten to the make shift med bay, Eli had spent an hour trying to convince TJ there had to be some other way for this antidote to be administered. (Couldn't I just drink it? It's acid, Eli. What about mix it in the water? There isn't enough. How about for a glass? No. Can you make a pill? How am I supposed to do that? You're a medic, you tell me! Just shut up and roll up your sleeve.) Eli had obeyed, albeit sulking as she did so.
Nicholas was impassive as TJ gave him the shot, biting his cheek at the sudden sharp pain. Eli looked like she was about to start hyperventilating, and Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you just leave after your shot?" he asked her, and Eli made a face.
"You were here for mine, I thought it was only fair," Eli said pathetically, looking anywhere but at Nicholas and the needle TJ prepared to dispose of. Someone must have lucked out when they grabbed the supply of needles and Nicholas wondered how many were left.
"Only people left to cure are Colonel Young, Matt and myself," TJ said, more to herself. "You two can go get back to work now."
"Thank you," Nicholas said, standing up.
Eli mirrored him, though she looked a little woozy. "I think I might go to my room and lie down. Shots always make me feel sick."
"We hadn't noticed," TJ replied, smiling softly. "Do you want to just stay here?"
"No offense, but I want to get as far away from you as possible," Eli said, holding her hands up, gesturing, though what Nicholas wasn't quite sure. "I'm going to have nightmares about you and giant needles for weeks."
TJ laughed. Eli sulked. Sighing, Nicholas shook his head and made to go back to the control room, and he could hear Eli behind him. She was a like a lost puppy, struggling to please. She needed to feel like she was, well, needed. Nicholas had noticed that when they first met. It was a good thing Colonel Young spoiled her so.
"Hey, Dr. Rush?" Eli said, reaching out to grab his shirt and slow him down. "Seriously, why do you move so fast all the time?"
Nicholas allowed Eli to tug his sleeve until he was facing her, an annoyed look on his face. He wasn't moving fast, the rest of the universe was moving slow. There was so much to do on this ship, so much for him to learn, and idling around in a hallway wasn't going to accomplish anything. He was literally going nowhere fast.
"Eli," Nicholas started, gently prying Eli's fingers from his shirt. "There is so much about this ship that we can't possibly begin to understand-"
For once, Eli was glad she was so tall. Grabbing the front of Nicholas' shirt, she pulled him in, pressing her lips against his. He didn't respond at first, didn't know how to, hell, he wasn't even positive he was entirely sure what was going on. Eli broke the kiss, flushing brightly as Nicholas stared at her in confusion.
"I wanted to say thanks," she said, laughing nervously. "For coming with me, to, you know."
"Right," Nicholas said, watching as Eli fidgeted under his gaze. It sunk in. Eli had kissed him. Eli had grabbed him in the middle of a could-be busy hall and – and Nicholas couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed him, only it had been too long ago and his heart ached for his wife.
"I should, um, go find Chloe so we can do that thing, you know, in the one place," Eli flushed. "I'll see you later, Rush."
When Nicholas just continued to stare at her, she flushed harder and turned away, ready to bolt. Nicholas grabbed her arm, the one she hadn't got a shot in, and pulled her around to face him again. "Eli," he said softly, bringing a hand up to touch her cheek.
"Yeah?" She asked, biting her lip as Nicholas' fingers traced her cheekbone and down her jaw.
Rush leaned forward to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers gently. Eli eagerly returned the kiss, moving her hands to grab the front of his shirt. The corner of his lip twitching up in a smile, Nicholas broke the kiss, but Eli didn't let go of him.
"You're welcome," he said softly, and Eli beamed up at him.