Author's Note: First of all thank you SO much for the reviews. I tried to respond to each of you via PM but here is a thank you to the guest reviewers! This is chapter 2 and it's less crack than chapter 1 but I hope you'll like. Please let me know if you want me to continue this fic or not. :D Thank you so much to my dear friend jackandsamforever who beta'd this fic. *big hugs* :3
Chapter 2
Liz turned around and shrieked when she found Red standing right in front of her.
"Red! What are you doing? You should be in bed," Liz said, gently pushing him away.
"But Lizzie, you promised you'd bring the origami thingies," Red whined.
Liz sighed and picked up her bag that she had put the paper birds and cranes in and gave them to Red. "Here. Go play with them. I'll make you some tea. I hope this safe house has some."
His drunk smile made her smile, and with that she walked out of the room.
When she returned with a cup of tea in one hand and a pack of crackers in the other, she found Red sitting cross-legged on the floor looking like a schoolboy, surrounded by even more origami.
Where did he hide all the paper napkins? Liz wondered, frowning. Then she had a idea. He'll never believe me when I'll tell him tomorrow. With that in mind she took her phone and waited for the perfect moment to take a picture. Here we go, Red. You won't get away with this.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," she huffed, still half-amused and half-annoyed. "Let's put you to bed, Red. You're not in the position..."
"Wait, wait, waaaaait, Lizzie. I have something for you," Red responded, still babbling. He got up and tip-toed his way over the origami birds, careful not to accidentally step on them.
Liz waited. When Red was standing – or rather teetering on a wobbly legs – in front of her, he lifted his hand he had hidden behind his back. "For you," he said, almost like a child.
It was a rose, a origami rose. Liz's jaw dropped. "How in the hell...?"
"I made it for you. Do you like it, Lizzie?" Red almost sounded sober, and looked at her as if expecting a reaction.
With trembling fingers she took it from him. "It's beautiful, Red. I don't know how you were even able to make it, but it's gorgeous. Thank you..."
"Lizzie!" She looked up at him expectantly. "I need to... to tell you sssomething..."
Liz's eyes grew wide when Red stepped closer.
"I...," he gulped slowly. "I..."
"Yes?" Liz asked, suddenly feeling nervous.
"I... Lizzie, sweetheart... I... I think I'm not feeling soooo well...," Red said, turning slightly green.
Oh no... oh no... Liz panicked, looking around the room for something she could use if Red had to throw up. The only useful thing she saw was a vase. Let's just hope it's not an expensive ancient Ming vase.
But before she could get it, Red turned even greener, then bent over and vomited.
R-L
A moan broke through the silence of the morning.
"Oh dear lord... what happened?" Red groaned, and opened one eye but closed it again when he found himself squinting in the bright light streaming through the window. He turned around on the bed and tried to open his eyes again. When he was finally able to see, he found himself looking at Liz who was sitting on a chair next to the bed.
She was staring back at him with raised eyebrows. "Morning," was all she said.
Red rubbed a hand over his face and grimaced at the bitter taste in his mouth. "Ew... my mouth feels and tastes like I've eaten something rotten. I haven't felt like this since Moscow, over seven years ago."
He looked at Liz. "Please tell me what happened... and please tell it didn't involve me stripping down naked in front of complete strangers."
"As if you would care, Red," Liz said while getting up to walk over to a table with a pot of... Red inhaled... tea. "You were drunk... no, you were sloshed," she filled two cups and approached him."And you made... these..." She pointed to something on the floor; he could see a small smile on her lips.
Red sat up and raised an eyebrow when he saw the pile of origami figures. "Well... this is new."
"New?" Liz asked, laughing a bit. "Is that all you have to say?"
"What am I supposed to say, Lizzie?" Red wondered, looking at her expectantly.
"Nothing, I guess. I can't believe after all these years I'm still surprised by something that you do," Liz said.
"Did I say something to you, Lizzie?" Red asked, finally taking the cup from her.
She shook her head. "No. I think you wanted to, but instead you gave me this," she pointed to the paper rose lying on the bedside table.
Red's eyes grew wide, and Liz could swear that the tips of his ears turn slightly red.
Since when doesRed blush? Liz smiled.
"Well, then you ruined that sweet moment soon after…" Liz continued.
Red focused on her again. "How so?"
How embarrassing can this get? He thought.
"You threw up," she said, trying to look at him accusingly, but failing to hold back the grin from her face.
"Oh god…" Red groaned. "This isn't happening."
Liz laughed. "I'm surprised, Red. You don't mind getting drunk and folding origami thingies, but you get embarrassed because you threw up?"
"No, I'm embarrassed because it happened in front of you, Lizzie." Red sighed, bending over as if to hide his face.
Liz let out another laugh. "Are you serious? We've gone through a lot worse, and I promise that you've done other things that were much more embarrassing, Red."
"How so?" He asked.
Liz pointed at him. "See? The fact you think those things are so normal that you've forgotten about them… unbelievable."
"How can I make this up to you?" He asked, still not looking at her.
"By taking a shower, getting dressed and inviting me for a proper breakfast," Liz turned and went to the door, then stopped in the doorway. "Dembe brought you some clothes."
He nodded and put the cup on the bedside table.
"Oh, and Red?"
He looked up.
"You owe me a new pair of shoes."
tbc...?