I don't own the Blacklist and I don't make money with fanfiction.
Another chapter for this oneshot collection!
Set shortly after 2x5.
Summary: Red and Lizzie being honest to each other, more or less fluffy, I don't know :)
Please read and review!
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Red and Liz were on a thirteen hour flight from Washingon DC to Peking. He told her the details of their new case, but she didn't really listen. She had left the hospital two days ago and hadn't slept since then, because every time she closed her eyes, she remembered how it had felt when she got infected; the way it got harder to breath, the way her brain had felt drugged and made her tell the truth when Samar had asked about Red...
God, she kept thinking about that moment. Nearly dying apparently made her talk about things she actually didn't even want to feel.
The truth was: In fact, she tried to like Samar, but didn't really trust her. If she knew she was an honest person, she'd like to be her friend, but Liz had the feeling that Red had hired Samar to keep an eye on her at work.
Liz knew it had been a huge mistake to tell Samar that she felt possessive of Red and jealous of the girl he was trying to protect, she wished she could turn back time and not say it, but being together in that room with Samar, who had had a shot wound, had created a strange moment of closeness and had led to girltalk...
What if Samar really was honest? Then Liz would have a new friend.
What if she was a traitor? Then Red would know how she felt about him.
...But surely he already knew that,anyway. Liz thought about that for a while. Yes, Red did know how she felt. And maybe he also knew that she didn't want to feel that...
' I find jealousy a base emotion, but in this case, it's quite endearing.'
Yes, he definitely knew. So why hide her emotions? Because I don't know how he feels.
"Lizzie, pay attention." Red's firm tone interrupted her thoughts.
"Hm? What? Sorry, I was just...lost in thought..."
"Sweetheart, if you are too tired to pay attention, sleep. We still have twelve hours to fly. If you decide not to sleep, we will talk about the case and I expect you to listen and focus, understood?"
"Understood. But...there's one problem."
"Which is?"
"I can't sleep."
"And why is that?"
Liz told him about her nightmares and the feeling of being unable to breath while falling asleep. Red mentioned her to come closer and lie down with her head on his lap. She obeyed hesitantly, unsure what he was planning, but nevertheless, she tucked her legs up, let him place his jacket over her and rested her head on his knees.
"Then just rest. Close your eyes and if you're not feeling well, I'm right here. I guess you just can't sleep alone." Red buried his hand in her hair and began reading a book. The slight movements of his fingers stroking over her head were comforting and helped her to calm down, but he seemed to sense her nervousness.
"Lizzie?"
"Hm? I'm tired..."
"Why exactly did you open that door at the airport and joined agent Navabi, knowing that she would infect you as soon as you entered the room? I didn't think you like her that much."
Yawning, she debated whether she should tell him the truth, which was kind of pathetic and another evidence for her jealousy and possessiveness. Nevertheless, she told him. He was probably already guessing it, anyway.
"I wanted your attention." she said quietly and blushed, glad that she was facing away from him.
He chuckled, but kept caressing the back of her head and playing with her hair, showing more care and affection than she had thought he was capable of.
"My attention?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, sweetheart. You always have my attention. What made you think you had to infect with a deadly virus to get it?"
"I don't know...I just...after what happened with Naomi and that girl you're trying to protect I felt like other people had become more important to you. I felt...like you would replace me with that girl. Um, sorry, with your daughter."
"Who told you she's my daughter?"
"Isn't she?"
"No."
"Then why is she so important to you?"
"I won't tell you."
Liz sighed, she had expected that answer, but she wasn't going to beg him to tell her the truth. By now, she knew that 'no' meant 'no'. Maybe he would tell her someday...and maybe not. She had a question that needed to be answered although she had already closed her eyes and leaned into his touch to make him continue caressing her hair.
"It was you who put those headphones into my ears and let me listen to music while I was asleep in the hospital, right?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, there's nobody else I know who would do that. Other people just sit at the bedside and hold hands, but the headphones were a good idea...thank you."
"You're welcome."
"But...why haven't you been sitting at my bedside when I woke up? I thought you would...well, you know, be there." she trailed of.
"I had to go somewhere. That's all I can tell you."
Suddenly, a wave of jealousy hit her.
"See? That's what I mean with being replaced." she snapped.
"Don't think that. What's this really about, Lizzie? Hmm?"
"I'm jealous." she whispered.
"Oh, Lizzie. Don't be. There's nobody more important to me than you, believe me." With that, he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and she fell asleep.
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Two hours later, Red woke her up.
"Red, what is it? I was sleeping..." she replied slowly.
"About the case...there's something I have to tell you."
"God, dammit, the case? You woke me up because of the case? Can't you tell me later?" she complained, only half listening to what he said. She pretended not to hear him and closed her eyes again.
"Lizzie-"
"Shut the hell up and let me sleep. Please, Red."
She knew this had been too harsh, but he couldn't tell her he would let her rest and then wake her up to talk about the case...
Despite of the playful slap on the back of her head he gave her, she managed to fall back asleep, cuddling into his side. He kept stroking over her hair, fully aware that she hadn't heard a single word of what he had said, but more than happy that he had her. When he was sure she was sleeping deeply without any nightmares, he bent down to her and kissed her cheek.
Several hours later, he was almost finished with the book he was reading and his left hand was resting on Liz's neck, stroking the side of it absently until he felt her shoulder twitch in response to his tickling touch, she was waking up.
She opened her eyes and stretched to clear her head, then realized that she wasn't lying in a bed but on the couch in Red's jet. Oh, God, she had been sleeping with her head in his lap for hours...and what the hell was that soft touch on the side of her neck?
Oh, my...I like that...damn, it's Red's hand...what am I gonna do?!
Liz turned around so that she was lying on her back and could see his face.
"Hey there, sleepy head. Slept well?" he asked in an affectionate, but also kind of mocking tone.
"Yeah. How many hours have I been out?"
"Seven hours."
"Seven? I haven't slept so well in weeks."
Red chuckled and brushed his thumb over her shoulder. "We still have a couple of hours before we arrive, which means-"
"I know, I know. The case. I'm listening. And...sorry for insulting you when you woke me up earlier..." she said, blushing a little and biting her lips.
"It doesn't matter, I just wanted to tease you, anyway." he grinned.
Liz moved next to him again, suddenly remembering a soft touch on her cheek while she had been sleeping. Maybe she had just dreamed it? No, he really had kissed her, hadn't he?"
"What are you thinking, sweetheart?"
"Uh...well, nothing in particular. I just thought I...felt something during my sleep, but I think it wasn't real."
"What was it?"
Why is he so close to my face? Does he know what I'm thinking? Never mind, just do it! Liz thought before she gently placed her palms on his cheeks and kissed him slowly, hesitantly, with her mouth closed.
Red ran his tongue over her lower lip, then deepened the kiss and put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer and caressing her waist under her shirt.
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