Rating: T
Prompt: Cold
It was rare but not unheard of for Jess to wake up shivering in the middle of the night. Ever since she'd started sharing a bed with Becker, it had been happening less and less, but occasionally, she'd wake up to find the blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed, tangled around their feet, with only the warmth of his body wrapped around hers for comfort.
When she woke up shivering, her teeth chattering because she was so cold, Jess was surprised to find that not only were Becker's arms tightly around her as usual but the thick quilt and sheet was still pulled over them and tucked under her chin.
"You okay?" The sleepy voice behind her encouraged her to shuffle backwards, further into his embrace. "Jesus, Jess, you're like a furnace."
She frowned, not believing him, and closed her eyes as she willed his heat to infuse her body and chase away the icy cold chill that seemed to be shrouding her. "'m cold," she muttered, turning in the circle of his arms so she could press her face against his chest. "Warm me up?"
"You're not cold." The concern in Becker's voice – and the fact he pulled away from her – made her open her eyes to glare at him. "Jess, you're burning up."
Leaning into the hand he let rest against her forehead, Jess grumbled under her breath when she found his touch to be cool rather than the warmth she'd been expecting. "You're cold, too," she complained, closing her eyes again and trying to duck her head and press herself closer to him.
"Do you feel okay, Jess? Jessica." The sharp edge to his tone made her open her eyes again. "How are you feeling?" He asked in a softer voice.
"Cold." She frowned at him; hadn't she made that perfectly obvious by the way she was shivering and trying to get closer? When he only continued to stare at her in concern in the dim light of the room, Jess forced herself to think about his question – and her answer. "I don't feel right," she said eventually. "I have a headache. And I feel a bit sick."
"Hmm." Becker moved away from her, ignoring her protests, and reached over to turn on the light. When he turned back to her, his concern only deepened as he took in the pallor of her skin and the dazed look in her eyes. "I think you're coming down with something, sweetheart."
Jess frowned at him and shook her head, wincing when it caused the headache she'd mentioned to get a little worse. "I don't get sick," she told him petulantly. "Ever."
"I think that's about to change," he said softly, a little amused at her grumpiness. "You said Andi thought Lizzie was coming down with something. Maybe you caught it off her last weekend."
"Maybe." Hoping that wasn't the case as both Lizzie and Tom had been off school most of the week with a flu-like virus, she clenched her teeth against a shiver. "I just need to sleep it off and I'll be fine," she declared optimistically. She was about to cuddle back into him when a thought struck her and she sighed instead. "I should probably go sleep in the spare room. I don't want you getting sick, too."
Becker's arms immediately tightened around her, pulling her close. Jess snuggled in with only a token protest, resting her head in the crook of his neck as he rolled onto his back. "If you've got it, chances are I'm going to get it, too. Besides," he kissed the top of her head affectionately. "I'd rather keep you close so I can keep an eye on you."
"That's not your eye I can feel," she mumbled sleepily in response, already halfway back into slumber.
Chuckling, he tightened his arms around her, reassured that she wasn't feeling too ill if she could still find it in her to tease him. "Go to sleep, Jess. We'll see how you feel in the morning."
She nodded but didn't say anything. Moments later, he heard her breathing get deeper and slower, her body relaxing where he held it against hers. The occasional shiver still ran through her, though, and he tugged the blankets more firmly around them, creating a cocoon that he found stifling but was willing to put up with if it meant she could rest.
Poor poorly Jess :(