Bits and Pieces (Rivers' short fanfics, updated 09/06/18)

[RiversD]

@Pyrus_Fangmon

@anonymockingbird Thanks! Loving your new name/icon as well!

So, in another attempt to write a few different characters:

Title: Paperwork

Character: Fandral

Fandom: MCU/Thor

Tags: Allergy

Authors Notes: This one's been annoying me for a while, but I'm lazy, and I reckon this is as good as it's going to get, so...

-

 

Loki lay in the dark, listening out for whatever had woken him up. A minute or so later, he heard it again, and recognised the unmistakable sound of someone trying to sneeze quietly. The involuntary moan that followed each stifle somewhat defeated the point, he felt, although it seemed that he was the only member of their group who had been woken by them. The likes of Thor and Volstagg tended to be somewhat less discreet in their stirrings.

He slid from his sleeping mat and padded over to Fandral, who had taken the second watch.

The closer he came, the more obvious it became that Fandral was in difficulties. His shoulders were convulsing like deer in rut.

“Having trouble?”

Fandral spun around, trying to raise his sword and sneeze at the same time. It looked quite dangerous.

“Loki!” he hissed. “What are you-” he made a valiant effort to finish the sentence, but couldn’t keep control of his breathing for long. “hhh… hhxXt! You- nngxt! hh… I c-could h- ha- hh’nnghsh!”

“Oh, do let yourself finish before you try to speak. I can wait.”

Fandral glared at him, but apparently decided that his dignity would be less damaged by doing as he was told than by struggling on. He lowered his head and finished the fit with four brisk sneezes, all compressed into the hollow of his hand. When he was quite sure he was finished for the time being, he tried again.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on the watchman like that. I might have stabbed you.”

“In that state? I very much doubt it.”

Again, the grudging acceptance. Loki continued, in a slightly less confrontational tone;

“Did this come on suddenly?”

Fandral shrugged. “Suddenly enough. Itched for a bit, but I don’t know how long.”

He frowned. “Hang on.”

He turned into his hand again, his breath unsteady. Abruptly, he clenched his fist tightly around his nose, crushing a pair of sneezes into breathy submission..

“hh’ghnxt! nnght!"

He tugged a piece of cloth from his belt and wiped his nose. Loki tutted.

“Close your eyes, I’m going to make a light.”

Obediently, Fandral shut his eyes to preserve his night vision as Loki conjured a small glowing orb from the air.

“Now hold still. Let me look at you.”

However much they might mock him at other times, the warriors knew enough not to question Loki’s commands when he was acting as a healer. Fandral sat as still as he could, while his companion made a brief examination.

“Alright.”

Loki closed his hand. The orb vanished. Fandral relaxed, waiting for a verdict.

“Are your eyes irritated?”

Fandral blinked a few times, considering this. “I don’t think- they’re a little dry, that’s all.”

“But you do have pressure here?” Loki placed a finger and thumb on either side of Fandral’s nose, just below the eyes, and pressed gently to indicate his meaning.

“Y- yehh…” Fandral twisted away to press the sneeze into the crook of his arm. “nSSCHmt!” So hurriedly contained, it was less controlled than the others had been. In the camp behind them, Thor rolled over in his sleep, muttering something about a cat.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright. But yes, that part's uncomfortable. Feels like someone crammed a wasp’s nest in it.”

“hmm.” Loki sat back, gazing out over the slopes below them. He clicked his tongue.

“The princess vines have flowered. You’re probably reacting to them.”

“Really?”

“It’s not uncommon. They’re very effusive pollinators.”

“Bugger. Can you fix it?”

“I have a spell that can hold off the sneezing for a time. And I can prepare something a little more lasting. You can take it at the end of your watch.”

“No sooner?”

“The preparation I have in mind is somewhat sleep-inducing. It wouldn’t be wise to take a watch under its influence.”

“Alright. Your spell, then.”

“Close your eyes again. I shall try to be gentle with it.”

Though Fandral obeyed as readily as before, there were new lines of tension in his face.

“Relax.” Loki insisted. “The spell won’t hurt.”

Working quickly, he wove a silvery net between his fingers, then reached across to place it on Fandral’s face. He stopped halfway and sighed, exasperated. Fandral appeared to be biting the inside of his lip, and his flared nostrils were trembling with need.

“go on.” Loki whispered. “Get them over with. I can wait.”

“ hh..th..t- h’inschh! Hn'ght! Eh-hnngxt! Thank you… just a moment-”

For several seconds he was all but motionless, breathing heavily into cupped hands. Then his breath warped again and he pitched forwards with a forceful double to finish the fit.

“Ingsch! hh-inghsht! … sorry.”

“Don’t be stupid. Close your eyes again.”

This time, there were no interruptions. Loki laid the silvery strands carefully across Fandral’s nose and completed the spell. Their work done, the threads melted away into nothingness. He stood back.

“Better?”

“Yes.” Fandral wriggled his nose experimentally and gave it a rub. “Feels a little… numb?”

“Don’t poke at it.” Loki advised.

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Heeeeheeeeheeeeee zee torture is beauty!

[SneezeyLove]

Aww, exasperated yet helpful Loki! I love this! And Fandral's always adorable. So much to love!

[Bruyere]

I'm so behind on this thread but there were so many lovely ficlets to catch up on.

Authors Notes: Yay for canon allergies! Boo for unexploited canon allergies! Yay for fanfic!

slightly O/T but I loved the author's notes for Khoshekh because yes, exactly.

And I loved Carlos' sneezes.

“No, no. It’s okay. I feel more comfortable when I know how my medicine’s been made. It’s a scientist thing.” he added, hoping that would prove satisfactory. It did.

Hee!

And so many lovely Tony/Pepper drabbles. I love post-Avengers/IM3 slightly fucked up Tony with Pepper looking after him.

And yay, Bond and Q fic! <3 <3 <3

His left hand drifted to the collar of his hoodie as he took a couple of shallow, querying breaths. Then his nose seemed to make up its mind, and he gasped in a much more meaningful quantity of air, drew his collar up to cover his mouth and nose, and sneezed.

“hh’schffsch! Etsschuh!”

“Bless you.”

“Mm.” Bond waved at him to continue.

I love this section. the phrase, "meaningful quantity" is gorgeous. Such potential in it! And I love Bond's barely and acknowledgement of Q's blessing.

[Garnet]

OMG RiversD! So maybe this is weird to review a drabble like six months late, but I've been rewatching Pushing Daisies as background noise, and somehow just now found the drabble you did for it.

My heart.

You got the language and cadence of the show's narration so on-point! I keep thinking about writing something for it, but that factor always scares me off. So many good phrases here, though. Like, "itinerant river"? I'm so stealing that.

I love how unimpressed Emerson is, it's very in-character, and nnghh, "streaming nose" and the detail about the twisted eyebrows. And of course the piemaker is as tightly buttoned-up about a cold as he is everything else. BABY UGH.

“No.” Ned wiped his nose again, and wished this conversation was over. “That was me sneezing.”

I'm gonna die.

Anyway, so cute. So, so cute.

[RiversD]

So I'm back. It appears that I write a lot more sneezefic when I a) have an impossible number of other things that I should be doing with my time, and/or need to write to try and pull my brain out of its pit of anxiety and self-pity. Why must life taunt me in this way?

But hey, I can finally get round to posting again, and you guys have continued to be lovely in the comments. I love you too. Group hug?

@Pyrus_Fangmon

Thanks, girl.

@SneezeyLove

I do have a soft spot for Fandral. Plus, it felt like he was less openly antagonistic towards Loki than the other warriors in the films, so I like to imagine they were a little closer to understanding one another maybe? I don't know, perhaps I just want Loki to have had *actual friends*.

@Bruyere

Aw, thanks so much! I think slightly-messed-up-inside-but-healing Tony may be one of my favourites (even if I do feel a bit guilty about messing with him)

And I'm glad there's another Skyfall appreciator in the building. Hey there!

@Garnet

This comment caused me to literally hug my laptop. I thought you should know that.

I'm so happy that you think I got the tone alright- that's definitely the scariest part of writing Daisies fic. But I want to, because tragedy and cuteness and fairytale necromancy, and Lee Pace's faaaaace.

BABY UGH.

All of the Piemaker feelings. Forever.

Gah, you've stirred up all these Pushing Daisies emotions in me now. I may have to resurrect that proper-length fic I started back when I wrote this. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

[RiversD]

I've also realised I forgot to change the title of the last drabble, so it's stuck with the same one as the drabble I wrote before it. Grr.

Anyway, I have finally caved and am watching Death Comes to Pemberly. It's set 6 years into the Darcys' marriage, and I've only watched 2 episodes of 3, so...

Mr Darcy has been being a bit of a horse's rear end in episode 2, so I thought I'd give him another reason to be bad tempered...*whistles*. Besides, he went out late at night in the pouring rain, and we all know what that means in Austen-land.

Title: Business as Usual

Character: Mr Darcy

Fandom: Death Comes to Pemberly (so technically Austen too? hmm)

Tags: Illness

Authors Notes: Set early in episode 2

“Darcy? There you are!”

Elizabeth hurried across the entrance hall to meet her husband. If Mr Darcy did not look entirely happy to be accosted by her, it was a feeling easily brushed aside. Mr Darcy seldom looked entirely happy to meet with anyone. If one did not know him well, it might be imagined that he felt the entire human race to be a nuisance. She had thought so herself, once.

“I have asked the servants to gather in the ballroom.” She told him. “I thought we could explain matters to them there.”

As she spoke, Mr Darcy’s face grew oddly still, and she feared for a moment that she had done something to anger him. But all such speculation was disproved as her husband abruptly turned aside, whipped a handkerchief from his pocket and bent into it with a tightly restrained sneeze.

“h’rrffshh!”

“God bless you, Darcy.”

He sniffed discreetly, and lowered the handkerchief.

“Forgive me. The ballroom, you said? I should think- excuse me-”

She saw it coming almost before he did, it seemed. She knew him too well to mistake the small upward twitch of his left nostril, nor the gentle tremor that disturbed his upper lip. When the inevitability of the thing impressed itself upon his attention also, he turned away from her with a sharp gasp of breath, and buried himself in the handkerchief once more.

“hh! RFSSCH!”

“Bless you.”

Now Darcy did look annoyed, but only at his own loss of composure. Elizabeth surveyed him.

Now that she drew her mind down from its other concerns and gave her husband a fuller portion of her attention, it occurred to her that he was not quite himself. A certain pallor, perhaps, was usual to him, but now the curvature of his nostrils stood out against it with a tell-tale flush of pink. And then there was the over-brightness of his eyes, which she had put down to their restless night, but now…

“Are you quite well, Mr Darcy?” she asked.

A touch more colour found its way into his cheeks at that. When he answered, he did not quite meet her gaze.

“It is nothing much. You ought not to concern yourself.”

It was a feeble attempt to dissuade her, and they both knew it.

“Tosh, Darcy. I am your wife. Have you been coughing?”

Darcy sighed his surrender, not willing to make a fight of it today. He shook his head.

“Not half so much as I have been sneezing.”

She tutted, and absent-mindedly adjusted his collar.

“Is that why you have been so difficult to find today? I thought you were up too early this morning.”

“I had hoped to avoid disturbing you.” He confessed, with another gentle sniff.

“Please. You would hardly cause me less distress by conspicuous absence, Darcy.”

“Call it selfishness, then. It is a little embarrassing to be… discommoded, in this way.”

“Nonsense. It is only to be expected, after last night’s exertions. And in such awful weather, too.”

He frowned, unconvinced.

“None of the others appear to have suffered any ill-effects.”

“The others do not have your habit of working yourself quite out of sorts whenever the Pemberly ball draws close. You know you are very often ill as soon as it has passed.”

“Not very often, surely. I was not last year.”

“No, but you have been ill four years out of these last six, Darcy, and I cannot think it is coincidence.”

“Truly so many?” He seemed genuinely surprised, and she laughed for the first time that day.

“Mr Darcy, for a man as intelligent as yourself, your memory is remarkably selective. No matter, if I must be your record-keeper, your record keeper I shall be. Now, are you prepared to address the servants, or must I do it alone?”

That last was only meant as a barb- she knew he would never ask her to perform duties that were his by right, even if he had to carry them out from his bed. He shook his head at her, and began to lead the way. Suddenly he paused, and put a hand to his pocket.

“I should collect a fresh handkerchief. I fear this one has seen more use than I anticipated.”

Elizabeth smiled, and put a gentle hand to the small of her husband’s back. “Go, then. I will wait for you.”

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

N'awwww. Darcy is adorable :3

[RiversD]

@Pyrus_Fangmon Thanks! I've fallen for Matthew Rhys' Darcy so hard it's not even funny.

I'm sick, and I don't like it. Clearly, the only thing to do is make fictional characters suffer with me. That's a perfectly healthy reaction.

Title: Keep on keeping on.

Character: Edwin Jarvis

Fandom: Marvel's Agent Carter

Tags: Allergies, Stifled.

Authors Notes: Set during ep.3, Time and Tide. Peggy and Jarvis are tracing Stark's stolen tech... through the sewers. Naturally.

Peggy was concentrating so hard on where she was putting her feet that she actually jumped at the sudden, sharp sound from behind her.

“hept’ch!”

Turning, she caught Mr Jarvis lowering a hand from his face. He caught her gaze, and she was about to comment, when his whole face appeared to twitch at once, and he brought the hand back up to clamp his nose firmly between finger and thumb. His head jerked forward.

“hept’ch! ah…” he drew a second quivering breath, hand hovering in readiness, but the urge seemed to dissipate, and he sighed.

Peggy frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Jarvis ran a slow knuckle down the length of his septum. He appeared a little irritated that she had asked. “Nothing significant. I’m afraid I have a slight allergy to mould.”

“Oh. You might have said.”

Jarvis sniffed carefully, as much for emphasis as out of need.

“You were very insistent that I accompany you on this little jaunt, Miss Carter. I hardly think that it would have changed your mind had I done so.”

Peggy hesitated.

“No, you’re quite right. Best come on, then, and try to keep it in check. We can’t be far from the end now.”

She turned and began to pick her way through the dank tunnel once more. Behind her, Jarvis flinched against his fist in the darkness.

“het’chmph! Very good, Miss Carter.”

[Anonymouse]

Awwww Jarvis! Not sure why it took me so long to even consider him in a fetishy context, but he's so darn cute, why the hell not? His sneezes are very fitting! As is the allergy. Such a proper gent. Loving all this Agent Carter action.

[RiversD]

@AnonyMouse I know- he didn't occur to me either until I was searching for images of some of the other cast members. He popped up and I was all "wait... he's quite pretty, isn't he? Why didn't I think of him?"

This one's a tad sloppy, but it's not getting any neater.

Title: Focus

Character: Q

Fandom: James Bond (Craig era)

Tags: Illness, Stifled, Fever(non-explicit)

Authors Notes: Can be read as a sequel to "Paperwork" back on page 5.

Q sat curled over his desk, trying to clear his head enough to work. It was mind over matter, and mind was losing badly. It wasn’t helped by his nose, which would lie dormant until he had almost forgotten about it, then overwhelm his senses with a sudden, urgent, need. He twisted to one side and pinched his nose shut.

“hhngt! Hh…hngXt!”

Damn Bond. This was his fault. If Q had known what the man had caught was this bad, he’d have followed their meeting with a decontamination shower. He felt as though the room was swaying. And the images on his tablet were starting to appear blurred, whatever he did to the screen settings. This was intolerable.

His throat was against him too. He was certain he could feel it swelling more closed by the minute.

Just a few more lines of code. He could check code like this in his sleep, why the hell was it taking so long?

His nose prickled a warning again, and he set his tablet down.

“hhh…hngxXchah! ahhn!” He gasped in the aftermath of that one. It felt as though it had dragged a rake up his already painful throat.

Q reached for the remains of his tea. He bought himself a couple of swallows-worth of relief before it ran out, and the pain flowed back. Drat. He ought to get some more. He would, just as soon as he felt certain that his legs would carry him as far as the kettle.

Just a few more lines of code, then. Easy. He could do that.

If only he could focus…

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

heeheehee

*quietly drops and scurries out*

[RiversD]

@Pyrus_Fangmon *scoops up and leaves grateful hugs in its place*

Apparently today I am tidying up all the scraps. So...

Title: Outvoted

Character: Q

Fandom: James Bond (Craig era)

Tags: Illness, Stifled

Authors Notes: Definitely a continuance of Focus (see above)

Q was in a foul mood when he walked into MI6’s main atrium. This was the third time that day he had been dragged from his office on some inane pretext, and the second time he’d had to deal with the paper filing system. He held the two manila folders close to his chest, and tried not to sniffle too obviously. His nose was prickling almost constantly now, and it was just adding to his general hatred of today.

And then there was Bond. He swept into the building with all his usual grace and energy, making Q feel that little bit more tired just by existing in the same space. Bond made it about half way across the atrium when he stopped, and began openly staring at Q. It was infuriating, probably because of the sheer confidence it took to stand and stare at someone across a busy room. Other people were starting to notice.

Q nodded to the agent, and made to move on, willing Bond to let him get away. He knew he looked bad. His nose was chapped to buggery. Still, he hoped against hope that Bond would be gentlemanly enough not to pass comment.

No such luck. Bond stepped into his path, forcing Q to stop walking or be knocked over.

“Caught it, didn’t you?”

Q bit down on the inside of his cheek.

“Or something like it. Thanks for that.”

“Please tell me you took some time off.”

“We don’t all have your holiday allowance, 007.”

“What happened to being able to do your job from a laptop at home?”

Q sighed. He didn’t have time for this. His headache was rapidly approaching critical mass.

“I got promoted. Excuse me.”

He stepped around the agent and began to stride away. He made it a few steps before his nose informed him that it would like some attention now, thank you so much. He gave it a quick rub with one index finger, but that just made his eyes water. Wonderful. He felt his breath start to catch.

This sneeze was really not going to wait. Well, best deal with it while there was a hope in hell of salvaging some dignity. He broke stride to retrieve a tissue with his free hand- he preferred handkerchiefs, but really, with a cold this heavy everything was single use- and pressed it to his nose, tightening his grip on the folders as he did so.

“hhh..nngsh!”

That wouldn’t have been so bad, had the effort of sneezing not triggered a reaction in his lungs. With barely enough time to draw a fresh breath, he was forced to curl into his hand with a series of short hard coughs that made his chest muscles wish they had never been born.

By the time he was finished, Bond was looming over him. Q had always wondered how he managed that effect- he was certain the agent wasn’t that much taller than him.

“Go home.”

“Bond, for goodness-”

“I said, go home. You’ve got nothing to prove and no-one to prove it to. Your minions should be able to keep World War Three at bay for a couple of days.”

“I wouldn’t guarantee it.” Q muttered, but his heart wasn’t in it. He ached all over, and it was taking most of his energy just to stand upright. He didn’t have the strength to argue.

He shrugged his folders into a more comfortable position, and walked away. To his chagrin, two corridors later, Bond was still with him, keeping pace a couple of steps behind. Q stopped, exasperated. So did Bond.

“Are you going to follow me all th- bugger… hh’nnssch! All the way back to Q-branch, 007?”

“All the way to the bloody taxi if I have to.”

“I… fine.”

[sapphiremint]

I can't believe this is the first time I've seen this thread...These are amazing!! I love love love the Tony ones bc I love that snarky smart-ass

[Bruyere]

I love Jarvis' sneezes. All politeness, repression and irritation rolled into one.

And yay more Bond and Q. I am sooo tired so I apologise for the rambling incoherence to follow but I had to comment on this.

I read Focus and already had the comment tab open and was debating whether or not it would be too cheeky to comment that Bond really ought to take care of Q seeing as it was his fault. Then I went away and worked on an essay for a bit and when I came back there was another drabble with bond looking out for Q! Best reward for working on an essay!

And Oh, I loved these two drabbles. And I love how with drabbles you can write little snippets and then they weave together to produce something more and I feel like these three do that perfectly.

It was mind over matter, and mind was losing badly.

Aww, Q. And I love his mantra of Just a Few More lines of code throughout, even though he's really failing at it.

And I love that Outvoted is a continuance of Focus, especially when it's basically all about Bond's focus on Q and how he just zeroes in on him.

And then there was Bond. He swept into the building with all his usual grace and energy, making Q feel that little bit more tired just by existing in the same space.

I adore this description of Bond and the presence he has.

I also went back and re-read the first drabble in this little series and I love how relatively functional Bond is compared to Q. Granted, they could be at different stages of the illness but it definitely fits with that almost mythical superhero double 00 status that Bond seems to be sneezing and grumpy but otherwise fine and Q seems like he's on the verge of giving up at any moment. But also with Bond, that concern he has for Q maybe shows how much of the double 00 superhero stuff is just a facade. If he really did feel like shit and he's worried that Q feels just as bad (or worse) and how much of that shows in his concern for Q.

And whereas Q just told Bond to go home (and then he did) Bond is basically mother hen-ing Q out of the building . :heart:

/end ramble.

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Nyahahahahah! That last bit

[Rika]

Just discovered this thread and wanted to drop in and say that it is all lovely and wonderfully written.

[RiversD]

@stitch- Aw, thank you! Yeah, I should try and find my Tony muse again. He's fun.

@Bruyere- You're brilliant, and I love you for the heavy feedback on the Bond drabbles.

I also went back and re-read the first drabble in this little series and I love how relatively functional Bond is compared to Q. Granted, they could be at different stages of the illness but it definitely fits with that almost mythical superhero double 00 status that Bond seems to be sneezing and grumpy but otherwise fine and Q seems like he's on the verge of giving up at any moment. But also with Bond, that concern he has for Q maybe shows how much of the double 00 superhero stuff is just a facade. If he really did feel like shit and he's worried that Q feels just as bad (or worse) and how much of that shows in his concern for Q.

My feeling was that Bond went home, thought, "well, this is going to be a thing.", and hid himself away until he felt less cruddy, whereas Q tried to power through and ran himself into the ground. Hence the need for intervention. Basically Bond's just very practical and won't make things harder on himself unless he's mid-mission or something, whereas Q's in a perpetual state of "this project needs to be finished, I can't possibly take time off just yet. It's just a cold, I'll be fine..."etc.

@Pyrus_Fangmon- Thanks! I was quite pleased with that

@Rika- Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.

[RiversD]

I've had another Bad Brain Day, and I had to write something to break me out of the downwards thought-spiral. Since it's written, figured I might as well share. Have another new (well, old) fandom:

Title: A Bad Day All Over

Character: Sam Seabourn

Fandom: The West Wing

Tags: Illness, Noseblowing

Authors Notes: I'm probably going to hate this in the morning. But for now, here's Sam.

“Sam?” Ainsley didn’t waste time waiting for a response to her knock, sidling into Sam's office and closing the door behind her.

“Come in, why don’t you.” Sam muttered, but without any real reproach in his voice.

“Sam, I need to- is everything alright?”

Ainsley paused as she got a good look at Sam for the first time. He was paler than she remembered him being, and his eyes were pink and watery-looking. Had he been crying? She began preparing a mental apology for interrupting, just in case.

Rather than properly answer her question, Sam just nodded, a distracted look stealing over his face, and reached for his pocket. He pulled out a slightly crumpled handkerchief and, his expression collapsing into helpless anticipation, hid his mouth and nose behind it.

He shot her a vaguely apologetic glance as his breath wavered undecidedly against the cloth for a moment, then snapped forward with a sharp, irritated sneeze.

“ISSCHoo!”

He blew his nose. It didn’t sound like a pleasant experience. When he finally lowered the handkerchief, the blush of his nostrils stood out all too much against the pallor in his cheeks. Ainsley blinked.

“Holy Crap, you’re sick.”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised.” Sam sniffled, seeming mildly offended by her tone.

“I’m sorry, Sam. I guess it’s just not something I think about that often.” She smiled. “Must be that superhuman image you’re selling. It makes the rest of us think that a simple rhinovirus couldn’t possibly stand a chance.”

Sam made a noise that might have been a laugh, or possibly a smothered cough. It was hard to tell.

“You’re confusing me with Josh.” He croaked. “Who I am assured hasn’t had a day’s illness in his political life. Incidences of sneezing, coughing, and occasional 102 fevers are merely coincidental.”

Sam broke off with a hard swallow and a tight grimace. Apparently his throat was giving him trouble too.

“Well, perhaps that’s it. In any case, I always figured you would be the type to let everyone in the building know that you were suffering.”

“Yeah, well, I might if I had the time.” He pulled a file towards him from the stack on his desk, rubbing his nose against the back of his other hand.

“It feels like we have a new agricultural policy every five mi-hih! hischoo!” Caught off guard, he fielded this one into the sleeve of his jacket. “Yikes, sorry.”

Ainsley winced.

“Sounds like a civil suit being filed over a technicality mentioned in one of last week’s speeches is the last thing you want to hear about right now, huh?”

Sam buried his face in his hands. “I’m going to murder someone today.”

Ainsley nodded. “In that case, I’m going to go get a muffin before I even try to explain this one.”

[TaurielRiver]

Oh my gooodness, Rivers! I have just realised what an adorable sweetheart you are, alerting me to the presence of another Daises drabble and failing to tell me you wrote an equally gorgeous one yourself! I shall have to stalk you more carefully in the future!!

So, a VERY LATE but much deserved review of ‘Cold Call’:

I love all your Emerson quotes! You totally nailed his withering abruptness and deadpan phrasing of EVERYTHING, totally hilarious! Such good word choices, I could pretty much hear him reading this over my shoulder.

And Ned getting suckered in to the conversation despite himself, SO NED. And those muffled stifle-y sounds, poor baby! And, oops, I think I might have died just a little bit at “that was me sneezing.” Because, AW EXPLANATIONS.

And, big grin from me for the ending! I mean, how bad could it be… it’s not at all like anything could happen… what could possibly go awry?!…

[Bruyere]

You're totally welcome. And thank you for replying to my ramblings about Q and Bond. I like this line of thought very much.

Bond's just very practical and won't make things harder on himself unless he's mid-mission or something, whereas Q's in a perpetual state of "this project needs to be finished, I can't possibly take time off just yet. It's just a cold, I'll be fine..."etc.

He blew his nose. It didn’t sound like a pleasant experience. When he finally lowered the handkerchief, the blush of his nostrils stood out all too much against the pallor in his cheeks. Ainsley blinked.

“Holy Crap, you’re sick.”

"You don’t have to sound so surprised.” Sam sniffled, seeming mildly offended by her tone.

Aww. Poor Sam.

[silentdreamer789]

Love the West Wing one in particular; you got the characters just right. Poor Sam!

[sallyhally]

I also want to thank you for that Pushing Daisies drabble! Like the others said all your charakters are so spot-on it´s just asdfgh *faints*

I shall have to stalk you more carefully in the future!!

Me too TaurielRiver, me too...

[RiversD]

@TaurielRiver To be perfectly honest, I had forgotten that I'd buried that one so deep. Thank you! I'm so happy that my Emerson was okay. I love the Daisies characters (I really need to get over my fear of not getting my tone and canonicity perfect and finish something else with them)

@Bruyere Always glad to poke around with meta/ headcanons. And thanks for feeding back! It's awesome to know when I'm not writing into a vacuum (not that I wouldn't write it anyway- I enjoy this too much).

@silentdreamer789 Aw, thanks so much! I've not done anything for West Wing before, and I wasn't sure I'd be equal to it (also sorry 'bout the formatting there, my bad)

@sallyhally Thanks! It's always brilliant to get that kind of reaction for fandoms that I love.

And in a return to my usual service:

Title: Patience

Character: Steve Rogers

Fandom: MCU,Captain America 2

Tags: Illness, injury

Authors Notes: I suspect that when I've seen Age of Ultron I'll be either very upset or very angry, so I'm writing while I can still pretend everything's fine.

Steve sniffed carefully, and winced at the prickle of wetness to it.

“I thought not getting sick any more came as part of the deal.” He grumbled.

Natasha sighed, and lowered her book.

“Not getting sick easily is. You drank half the Potomac, Steve. I’m pretty sure that’s enough microbes even for you.”

“I guess so.”

Steve shifted uncomfortably against his pillows. He sniffed again, scrunching his nose up against the creeping apprehension of a sneeze. It felt as though this cold had him perpetually on the edge of one, though that might be because he didn’t have much to distract his attention from his own misery. Or because his current condition was giving him cause to dread every fresh itch. He turned back to Tasha with a petulant sigh.

“Still, do you think there’s a way I could convince it to come back in a few weeks? It feels like I’m breaking my ribs again, only slowly.”

That bought a slightly more sympathetic smile to Tasha’s face.

“I know. It’ll pass.”

“That’s not so comforting, you… eh…”

Steve curled a hand loosely under his nose, trying to stave off the tickle a little longer. He was fighting a losing battle, though. His nose was raw and reactive with use, and he didn’t dare pinch it as he usually would. He had learned the hard way that trying too hard to restrain a sneeze would only make the pain worse. He gave in.

“eh…ekhisshoo!”

Steve groaned, letting the sound out slowly in an attempt not to antagonise his creaking muscles any further. Soft though the sneeze itself had been, it still felt as though his body was making a solid effort at tearing itself apart.

Natasha rubbed his shoulder companionably, and repeated gently,

“It’ll pass.”

[sapphiremint]

Yay some Steve and Natasha <3 so sweet. I always love reading MCU stuff, can't wait until Age of Ultron comes out!