ER ficlet

[hypersnuff]

A very short ER ficlet, which doesn't fit into the time line at all, but it was a plotbunny I had to get rid of!

~*~

Neela Rasgotra stormed into Ray’s bedroom and flung something small and lacey at him. From where he lay on his bed he caught it and began to examine it as she stood with her hands on her hips. Oh. A thong. Whoops.

“I hate you and I hate your stupid blonde floozy too! Coming home to find THAT on the floor is not my idea of a good day!” She stamped her foot as she yelled.

He raised his head a little and shrugged. Too tired to come up with anything truly snarky for a comment he said, “Just ‘cos you’re not getting any.”

She fumed for a moment and then launched herself at him. She was small, and he was not, so he caught her without much trouble. “I’ll show you not getting any!” she began as her tiny fists pounded anywhere she could reach on him.

“Hey! Stop it!” He protested but she continued, her words becoming a stream of angry gibberish. By the time he had her wrists firmly grasped so she couldn’t hit him; tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Bad day?” he ventured and she nodded. He dropped her wrists and pulled her into a hug. “Want to talk about it?”

From his shoulder, where her head was resting came a muffled yet grumpy, “No.”

Ray sighed. This wasn’t quite how he’d planned to spend his evening, but oh well. Room-mates were room-mates and you had to look out for them, he guessed, especially when you worked with them.

Sometime later, Neela’s sobbing subsided and she raised her head. “Sorry”, she mumbled.

Ray shrugged. “It’s ok.”

She stood up and headed for the door, but paused. “Thanks,” she said, and then moved back towards him, leaning in as a persistent itch in Ray’s nose which had been lingering since lunchtime fired up. Her lips drew near to his cheek but he turned away and cupped his hands to his nose. She stepped back as he sneezed, a wet, strong “Heh-kash! Heh-kash!”

“Bless you,” she murmured.

“Thanks,” he said and sniffled wetly.

She crinkled her nose, perhaps in disgust. “Do you need a tissue?”

He felt about four as he nodded, and watched as she turned and walked across the hall to her room. She returned, not with just one tissue, but with the whole box. She placed it on his bedside table, as if it were a peace offering. “You OK?” she asked.

Ray nodded, but the look on her face turned the nod into a head shake quickly. “I think I’ve got the thing that’s been going around,” he mumbled, not looking at her.

Expecting her to lecture him on not spreading germs, he was surprised when she leant in and placed a cool hand against his forehead. “You’re a little warm”.

He looked up at her for a moment, and then, swiftly, leant up and kissed her. He was shocked to find her responding eagerly, leaning in to meet him.

When they broke apart, she smiled and said, “Well, I know misery loves company but you didn’t have to get me sick too.”

He swore, breaking the tenderness of the moment. “Sorry.” He tried to explain further, but he couldn’t find anything to say.

She smiled again. “It’s ok; I was probably going to get it anyway.”

There was silence for a moment before he was taken by force by several fast, wet and loud sneezes that rocketed through his body, causing him to double over. "Heh-kash! Heh-kash! Heh...he-kasht! Heh-KASH!"

When he recovered, he groaned and flopped back onto the bed.

Neela offered him the tissue box and he took one and blew into it, before tossing it into the trash can by his desk.

He closed his eyes for a moment and she said, “Time for bed, perhaps?”

He opened one eye and nodded, allowing her to move him gently and pull the blankets up around him.

She brushed her lips against his cheek and left, turning the light off as she went.

Neela was in the doorway of her own room when she hesitated, came back and slipped quickly into bed next to him. With a small, warm figure tucked neatly up against him, Ray fell into an easy, dreamless sleep within minutes.

[Bongo]

I haven't seen ER in ages, and when I did, Ray was an ass, I don"t know if he still is or not, but I loved his character. Great story!!!!!

[hypersnuff]

He's still a bit of an ass, but the last episode of ER I saw (yesterday, actually) had a cute Ray/Neela snuggle moment. I "awww"ed.

Thanks, I'm glad someone liked it!