AN-I have been debating on this chapter for a while now. It seemed that it needed to be written so here it is.
It had been two weeks since his team had been pushed to the limits of their physical and mental abilities. Between the case of the dead woman and her foster sons, Christopher and his brother and, to cap it all off, Brody being ill, his team was slowly returning to normal. That was until he woke up and went to sit up, and ended up in a fit of coughing. The form of his junior agent and now girlfriend stirred at the noise and sat up as she rubbed her hand up and down his back till his coughing eased.
"Someone not feeling to hot today, I take it?" Meredith Brody sat up and wrapped her arm around Dwayne's shoulder.
"I feel like crap, this is all Christopher's fault." He flopped back on the bed taking Brody with him.
"Yes and no, it was LaSalle who gave it to me but then me who gave it to you. On saying that if you hadn't kissed me when I was sick then you wouldn't be sick now." She lifted a hand up and rested it on his forehead only to take it away as she felt the heat radiating off his head.
"You are sick, come here." She opened her arms and he sort of slid sideways and on to her chest as she wrapped her arms round him.
"My poor baby's sick. I would offer to stay and look after you but at least one of us should show our face Downstairs." She placed a few kisses to his head and he started to cough then broke out in a fit of sneezing.
As she moved to get out of bed Pride kept a tight grip on her waist, he was comfortable and he didn't want to let go. He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and bright red cheeks and to add to the effect he gave her the big sad look.
"How do you expect me to say no to that face?" She moved back to him and and he went back to burying his face between her breasts.
"I can't stay all day though, I do need to get up soon and at least make some coffee and food as well as get you something to make you feel better." She felt him wrap his legs overs hers and pin her to the bed.
"Dwayne you do remember what I am like without coffee, right?" She ran her fingers through his bed tousled hair making it stick up more than normal.
When Pride thought about it she did have a point there. He had suffered a whole day with her and no coffee and it was not something he would ever forget. Between her short temper and pacing back and forwards and, to cap it off, her headache she was not a pleasant person without coffee.
"You promise you won't be long, right?" He lifted his head a little and looked up at her.
"No I won't be long, promise." She kissed his head and he slowly slid off her to lie on his front on the bed.
As she looked at herself to see what she was wearing she reasoned she needed something on to go down and face LaSalle. A vest top and panties was not an option. Picking her sweatpants up and hoodie she threw them on on and headed out the door to go down and see if LaSalle was even in yet. Entering the kitchen she saw the coffee machine was full and there was a box of pastries on the bench that LaSalle must have brought in with him. Grabbing Pride's cup and her own she filled them and put them on the table. Getting a plate out she placed a couple of the pastries on them then put them with the coffee. Next she dug around the cupboards looking for something to help make Pride better. She would make him his famous Pride cold remedy but she had no idea what was in it and after drinking it she didn't really want to know either.
Finally after digging around she ended up going in her desk and digging out some vapour rub and some flu tablets she had from when she ill. Looking around she still hadn't found where LaSalle was and didn't want to go without speaking to him first. Pulling her phone out she was about to ring him when he appeared from down by the locker rooms.
"Mornin' Brody, where's King?" He went and sat at his desk and picked his coffee cup up.
"Sick in bed, the flu you had that you gave to me well he's got it now so he's upstairs where I hope he can stay." She put her phone away again as he was there.
"No doubt that's my fault, he was sucking face with you who gave him it." LaSalle stood from his desk and went to the kitchen.
Brody followed behind his as she watched him pour out fresh coffee and grab the box with the pastries he had brought with him in.
"Cheers for breakfast. Any chance you can call me today and not him if we we are needed?" Brody gathered everything onto a tray to go back upstairs.
"No problem tell King I said hey and hope he's up and about soon." LaSalle moved away back to office while Brody made her way to see Pride again.
As she approached his door she heard him coughing and it made her heart ache hearing him sick like this. Using her elbow she pushed the the door open and let it swing shut itself as she made her way over to him still lying down in bed with the covers kicked off, lying on his side coughing. Putting the tray on the big table she pulled the small coffee table over near the bed and got the tray so it was now in easy reach. Sitting on the bed she moved her hand up and down Pride's sweat drenched back as he coughed and watched as he moved to her and nestled with his head on her leg.
"If you sit up I have coffee, food and something for your cold." She sat with her hand on his back.
"You coming back to bed? You did promise." He looked up at her from where is head rested on her leg.
"Yes Dwyane I am coming back to bed but only if you sit up and make the effort to help yourself." She watched him slowly sit up and shuffle up the bed to sit up.
Once he was sat up she pulled the covers back over him as all he had on was his boxer shorts. Yes he was hot now but it never lasted and soon he would be freezing again. Standing up she passed him the tablets and coffee which he took as she stood and pulled her hoodie up over her head then pushed her sweatpants down till she was back to just her vest top and panties. Sitting on the edge of the bed she got the plate and her cup before slotting her legs under the blankets as she felt Pride's head drop to her shoulder.
"Here eat this then we can snuggle back up okay." She felt him move a little to look to see what she classed as food.
"Christopher I take it." He lifted his head and took one of the pastry swirls and took a bite.
"Yes, he says hi and get well soon." She picked the food up and started eating.
Eating in bed was not a favourite of Brody's but today it served a purpose. She got to make sure Pride was eating and once done she got poorly cuddles which she had to say were cute, especially when she wasn't the one that was ill. When she was finished she climbed out of bed and put the plate back on the table with the now empty coffee cups. Picking up the vapour rub she took the lid off, and after putting some on the fingertips of both hands she looked across at Pride as she placed her fingers on his chest making him open his eyes and look at her. Rubbing the greasy substance across his chest she saw the effect it had with in seconds as he closed his eyes and let her carry on. After covering his whole chest she got him to sit forward and quickly covered his back before getting him to lie down. Getting out the end she went and wiped her hands and put the lid back on the vapour rub as she climbed back into bed and lay down.
She hadn't even got the covers over before she found herself covered with Pride's body as he moved to rest his head on her chest again and wrapped himself around her. Wrapping one of her arms round him she ran her fingers through his hair as she felt him grow heavy against him as he fell asleep. This was what love was about, being prepared to snuggle in bed all day when the other was sick and all they wanted was cuddles. She knew she loved Dwayne and she knew he loved her. Letting her eyes close she knew she was going to sleep when he did as she knew his cough would wake them both soon enough.
Sure enough she was awoken by Pride and his hacking cough after what seemed like only a few minutes. As she rubbed his back she looked at the clock on the wall and saw they had been asleep a little over an hour. When he finished coughing she looked down to see he was looking up at her. He just looked so cute and she couldn't help but smile at him. He was lying with a red nose and cheeks to match the red bloodshot eyes. He looked so sick and all she wanted to do was hold him and make him better. It wasn't very often she felt in a protective mood, but when it came to the man currently trying to get himself comfortable against her breasts she did. As she watched him move a little more she waited till he finally stopped moving before she kissed his head.
"You done wriggling now?" She rested her chin against the top of his head and closed her eyes.
"Sorry for waking you up, this cough just won't settle" He took her hand in his and stroked her knuckles.
"No need to say sorry, you put up with me when I was sick and you can't help it when you're ill." She moved and kissed his head.
"You need anything or you happy to go back to sleep?" She ran her hand up and down his back.
"Am happy right here for now." He gave a small smile as he moved his head a little making her breasts move under his face.
"I can see you think my boobs make good pillows, and they must be comfortable as that's at least the second or third time today you have been happy to lie there." She watched his smile grow at being caught using her chest as a comforter.
"Well I have known for a while how amazing your boobs were, but until today I didn't realise they made excellent pillows, along with the others use I have for them." He gave her that grin that he saved to get away with anything.
"Lucky you're so sick or you would pay for that comment mister!" She tapped his head before ruffling his hair.
"You're lucky I love you or I would have you charged with assault after that." He tried to bury his face further in to her chest as he shut his eyes again.
"You can't get any closer, no matter how much you try." She stroked the side of his face and watched his features relax.
"Sleep and we can talk when you wake." She yet again watched him fall asleep wrapped up around her as he slept off his cold.
He normally wasn't one for sleeping well at the best of times so seeing him actually sleep was nice, even if it was illness induced. The only problem she had now was she wasn't tired anymore. Until she found herself sharing a bed with Dwayne Pride she had not been the best at sleeping herself. A couple of nights with Dwayne Pride wrapped tight around her had cured that problem as she now slept like a log on the nights they stopped together. He still spent the odd night on his own at the office and she would go home alone, it wasn't very often but there were cases when she knew he need space to wrestle with his demons and she would leave him to it. On those nights she had been surprised a couple of times when half way through the night she had woken to find he had used her spare key and was climbing in to bed beside her. The first night that happened she nearly shot him until he spoke. After thumping him several times for scaring the life out of her, she fell asleep with her head on his shoulder after crying herself to sleep and him endlessly apologizing for scaring her.
Now if he did decided to stay on his own but wanted to come over he knew now to call her name as her entered the bedroom. So much had changed in the short time since they had become a couple and she couldn't be happier. When cases got tough she had someone to hold her and share with, when she had nightmares about both past and present things in her life she would wake to find herself encompassed in his arms as he stroked her cheek and kissed her head. Reaching across she hoped she could get her phone as she was now getting bored mulling over stuff. As her fingers touched her phone she felt it vibrate and the screen lit up. Picking it up she saw it was LaSalle. Before she had even brought the phone up to read she hoped it wasn't a case, she didn't want to wake Pride up and have him go out when he was ill.
Reading the text she couldn't help but laugh, only LaSalle would text her from downstairs asking if she wanted anything when he went for lunch. She swore he wanted an excuse to come up and see insides Pride's room again. Texting LaSalle back she asked him to bring some coffee up and maybe a sandwich when he got back as she was presently stuck under Pride. When she realised how that sounded she quickly text back pointing out he was asleep and she didn't want to wake him up. She could picture LaSalle being doubled over laughing as he read the messages. She felt herself yawn and decided if she was bored she might as well have cuddles and be bored at the same time. Very gently she slid back down the bed and lay down again with a still very fast asleep Dwayne Pride wrapped round her.
As she settled back a little she looked down and watched as Pride shuffled about in his sleep. No matter how much or how little he moved his head never seemed to move from it's current position nestled on her breasts. She knew she had and ample cleavage and she also knew most men took more notice of it than they did her. Most of her life it had bothered her when men used her as a pillow yet her she was being used as a pillow and she couldn't have cared less. Seeing Dwayne sleep was a privilege only offered to two people she knew of and one of them was her. Seeing him sick and asleep on her was not nice but she was glad he took comfort in her and in some ways needed her.
Lying running her fingers through his hair she felt herself fall asleep knowing she would be woke soon by either LaSalle and coffee or by Pride as he coughed or sneezed. She was surprised when it was her phone that woke her up as it beeped and vibrated at her side. Picking it up she rubbed her eyes as she focused on the words. Seeing it was LaSalle again she looked at the message and smiled. Texting a reply she sat up as best as she could and checked they were both covered over in time for LaSalle's head to appear at the edge of the book case. Lifting her finger to her lips she indicated for him to be quite as she looked down at Pride. LaSalle nodded and came round the corner carrying a bag and a large coffee cup.
Stepping up to the edge of the bed he looked down at the site in front of him and smiled that big grin he used when he wanted to blackmail you. Brody looked up at LaSalle and gave him the dagger look and he just kept on smiling. He could see that his boss had made himself very comfortable resting his head on Brody's very ample chest, and he could see the way they were tangled together. When she looked down she saw she still had her hand resting on Prides head with her fingers through his hair. This was getting even worse for her and the blackmail list she was sure LaSalle was making. Brody didn't think this could get any worse for us until Pride moved and that was when she decided it was passed time LaSalle left. As Pride moved she watched as the blanket slipped down and revealed a lot more of her than she ever wanted LaSalle to see. When Pride moved his hand and slid it under her top to rest his hand on her stomach she just looked at LaSalle and then to the door.
LaSalle didn't move, he stood looking like the cat who got the cream till he watched his boss move and wake up. LaSalle placed the coffee cup on the table to next the bed as he went to make a sharp getaway.
"Christopher I never want to hear about what you saw in here today, go that?" Pride moved a little but not enough to move his hand or his head away from Brody .
"Sure thing King." LaSalle made his getaway leaving his colleagues alone again.
"What did Christopher want?" Pride sat up a little and Brody was finally able to move.
"Coffee and whatever's in the bag." She sat up and picked the cup up.
"Ohh look, he went to my favourite coffee house and got my coffee." She lifted the lid and took a long drink.
"You sharing that we me since I am the sick one." He looked between the cup and her face.
After taking another drink she passed him the cup which was still half full. He flashed her a smile and downed the contents of the cup before passing her it back. Picking the bag up she pulled out a sandwich from the same place and yet again she was pleased to see he had bought her her favourite. She would thank him later when she caught up with him. Yet again she found herself sharing her sandwich as Pride dropped his head to her shoulder when she was eating and made her feel guilty with the bloodshot red eye. When they were finished she went to stand up but was stopped again as she felt him pull her back to bed.
"I have to use the bathroom." He finally let her go and she got up.
After going to the bathroom she came back and stood beside the bed looking down at Pride.
"How you feeling now?" She watched him do mental check over.
"Cold without you." She watched him pull the cover over himself.
"Move over then." She climbed back in and he opened his arms to her as she was about to repeat the same gesture to him.
"If your cold wouldn't it better if I held you instead?" She willing shuffled in his arms for a change and he wrapped her up close.
"Don't care, as long as you're here then I am happy." He placed a kiss to her forehead as it rested on his shoulder.
"So other than being cold how you feeling now? You don't seem to have coughed in a while." She ran her hand up and down his chest.
"I still feel a little crappy, I need to teach you how to make my cold remedy." He ran his hand up her back and under her top.
"I thought about that last night but I remember when I took it and I really didn't want to know what's in it. I am not actually sure I want to know now. May be when we get up you can show me, and then write it down somewhere so I can keep a note." She placed a few kisses to his chest.
"Sounds good to me, then maybe I can kiss you properly." He moved a little so when she looked up he could see her face.
"Well you're sick caused you kissed me I was sick, I love you but not enough to get sick again. When you're better I have no problem kissing you as much as you like." She ran her finger along his lips.
"I will hold you to that mind. Soon as I am better that's the first thing I want." He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss to the finger she had just ran along his lips.
"Deal, now since you do feel a little better can we get up and get more coffee since you drank mine." She gave him the cute smile and eyes look.
"Come on then, maybe a bit of fresh air will help." He placed a few more kisses to her head before letting his arm slip away from her giving her space to get up.
When Brody got up she looked around and grabbed the sweatpants she had on before then set about hunting for her bra. Pride got up and pulled a t-shirt on and then he got a pair of sweatpants out as well. He was having a sick day so there was no need to make the effort and get ready. By the look of Brody she had no intention of putting much effort into clothes today either. As she slid her bra on he couldn't help step up behind her and stop her from finishing her actions as he cupped her through her top.
"Dwayne not today. Soon as your better we can but we know it will get out of hand if we start now. Let's go make this thing for you to drink and maybe you will get that kiss before the day is over." She leant back a little into his embrace.
Next thing she knew he stepped away and had her hand as he was pulling up to the door. Slipping her feet in her shoes as she passed them she found herself being lead out the door and down stairs to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen Pride started to hunt round looking for all the stuff to make cold cure. Brody set about making coffee for them both and then went looking for LaSalle. Finding LaSalle at his desk she offered him coffee and watched as he stood up from his desk and followed him through to the kitchen.
"Hey King you're up. How you feeling now?" LaSalle took his cup of coffee from Brody as he went and sat at the table.
"A little better. Just making my cold remedy to see if that help as it's never let me down yet." He stirred the glass in front of him.
Both Brody and LaSalle watched as he picked the glass up and downed the contents in one. Brody gagged as she remembered the taste and LaSalle laughed.
"I take it that stuff still tastes as rough as last time I drank it?" LaSalle asked seeing his bosses face as he put the glass in the sink.
"Definitely tasted better." Pride picked his coffee up and took a drink.
Both Brody and LaSalle laughed at that as they both knew had bad it was. Pride came and sat at the table with his coffee and the three friends sat and talked. It had been awhile since they had sat and talked about stuff that wasn't work. LaSalle kept his friends updated on how Cade was doing and told them he was coming home for the day on a visit soon. As they slipped back into the usual chat they lost track of time as they talked until LaSalle's stomach gave a low rumble.
"Let's see what we got to eat before you wither away, Christopher." Pride looked in the freezer and pulled out a few boxes and placed them on the counter.
"Right one of you set the table, they other make coffee and I will set about cooking these." He removed the lids and switched the oven on.
Soon they were all sat eating and the world seemed right again until Pride yawned. He never got tired yet he was yawning. Maybe this cold had taken a big hold of him then he thought. Once they had finished eating Brody and LaSalle washed up while Pride went and locked up leaving the front door for LaSalle to do when he left.
"All clean again" as LaSalle chucked the damp tea towel at Brody when he had finished drying the last dish.
Brody grabbed the tea towel and threw it back at LaSalle. Soon a tea towel flicking contests had taken place between Brody and LaSalle till Brody didn't moved quick enough and LaSalle flicked it and caught her in the eye. Brody yelled and LaSalle shouted sorry as Pride stood between them.
"Christopher home now, you sit and let me look." as he grabbed an ice pack out the freezer and pushed Brody to sit at the table.
"King I am so sorry I didn't mean to hit her." LaSalle stood behind Pride as they both looked at Brody's eye.
It was now bright red and half shut as it was starting to swell. Pride picked the ice pack up and took the tea towel out of Brody's hand as he wrapped the pack up and stuck it on her eye.
"Owwwww that hurts." Brody tried to push Pride's hand away.
"Christopher go home, we know it was an accident. Leave it alone Merri unless you want a black eye." He pushed her hand away and kept the ice pack on her eye.
"Fine." Brody sulked and let her hand fall away.
"Sorry again Brody, catch you tomorrow King." LaSalle left the kitchen to head home.
Brody sat looking up at Pride with the one eye she could see out of. She could see he was pissed at her and LaSalle for messing around again. He always said someone would get hurt and he was right.
"Sorry." She practically whispered as she gave him her best am sorry face.
"You will be if this turns into a black eye. You two will never learn will you!" He lifted the pack away and looked at her eye.
It didn't seem as swollen as it had but it was still red. They would just have to wait and see what it looked like in the morning. Throwing the tea towel with the dirty washing he put the ice pack back in the freezer and turned to look at Brody. She was still sat sulking and she had now pulled a pet lip. No matter how he tried he couldn't help but laugh, she looked so cute sat there sulking.
Stepping up to her he opened his arms as she stood up and dropped her head to his chest.
"Let's go upstairs." He kissed her hair and wrapped his arm round her waist as he moved her to his side.
Walking up the stairs Brody never spoke but stayed in a mood. It wasn't till they got inside Pride's room and the door was shut and locked that Pride finally got a word out of Brody. As he stopped and pushed her up against the wall and claimed her lips she let out a moan as she returned the kiss. When they broke for air Brody let her head fall to his chest as he rested his head up against the side of her head.
"You finished huffing now?" Pride asked as he ran his hand up her back and under her top until he rested his hand on her back.
"Not huffing just..." But she stopped as she couldn't think of a anything to say as she had been huffing.
"Hey you just kis.." But he stopped her with another kiss as he pulled her to him.
As he continued to kiss her he walked them both towards the bed till he was lying with her underneath him. His lips never left hers as he helped her remove her clothes. When she was finally in her underwear she returned the favour and helped him take his clothes off. Once they had removed each other's clothes they continued kissing till she gave in and Brody flipped him on his back and straddled him.
"I thought you were sick?" As she ran her hands up his chest.
"I was till I took my cold remedy, now I can do this." He reached up and nipped her bottom lip with his teeth as he kissed her.
"Well if you're sure then I can do this" She moved and joined their bodies together and watched as he grabbed her hips stopping her moving.
When Pride gained a little control he loosened his grip on her hips and started to rock a little as she moved against him she felt herself building. He felt her climbing higher so he rocked a little more causing her to grip a hold of the sides of his chest as she ground down on him causing her to explode around him, taking him over at the same moment. Collapsing against his chest he ran his hand up and down her back before stopping to and drawing soothing circles as he caught his breath.
"So now you're all better you get to do work tomorrow Instead of lying here with me." She moved a little to make enough room for them both side by side.
"We will see, have you seen the state of your eye?" He ran a finger down her cheek and caught the edge of her eye.
"Let's just seen in the morning." She snuggled up against his side.
"Good night Merri, sleep well." He held her to him and kissed her head.
"Good night Dwayne, you too." She placed a kiss to his chest as she fell asleep.
Everyone was happy for now. Christopher's brother seemed to be on the mend and he had the women he loved asleep in his arms. Life didn't get much better than this.