Velanna starts to look abnormally pale a day into the trip into the Deep Roads. By the time they reach the old thaig - their destination - she’s sweating profusely, and doesn’t offer a protest when Nathaniel puts his arm around her to help her step over some fallen debris. “You really are sick, aren’t you?” he says.
“Thank you for the brilliant insight,” she mutters. She manages to pull herself out of Nathaniel’s grasp, and immediately collapses. “Maybe,” she says as Nathaniel crouches next to her, “we should camp for a little while.”
“Maybe,” he agrees, gathering Velanna into his arms. She’s not very heavy, and doesn’t even make any faces at him when he lifts her. In fact, she lays her head on his shoulder and sighs. She’s asleep before he lays her back down.
When she wakes, he’s built a fire and is setting traps around the perimeter of their camp. Out of the corner of his eye, Nathaniel sees her sit straight up. When he looks over, her eyes are bright and glassy. “Are you okay?”
Velanna shakes her head. “No,” she says, her voice cracking. “No, I don’t think so.”
Nathaniel goes over to kneel next to her. He puts a hand on her forehead. “Andraste’s ass, you’re burning up.”
“Really? Because I’m kind of cold.”
“Not surprising.” He guides her back down onto the pallet and pulls the blanket up to her neck. “We’re pretty secure here. Just rest for a while.”
“But you can’t stay on watch forever,” she protests weakly.
“I’ll manage.”
On a whim, he leans over and kisses her forehead. She chuckles. “I used to do that to Seranni when she got sick.”
“I did it to Delilah,” he admits. “But I’m afraid I don’t have any stuffed animals around, which was my other comfort specialty when I was a child.”
“Kill one of those stupid deepstalkers and stuff it for me.” That’s apparently the funniest thing she’s ever heard, because Velanna starts laughing, and doesn’t stop until she starts coughing violently. “I’m so sick,” she groans when she catches her breath.
“I noticed.” He pats her shoulder. “Sleep. I’ll go try to catch a deepstalker for you.”
This time, she only chuckles weakly as he stands up. He barely hears her speak as he turns away. “Hey, Nathaniel?”
He turns back. “Yes?”
“You know …” Velanna’s voice is dreamy, on the edge of sleep, “I don’t think I’d mind if you did that when I wasn’t sick.”
“Did what?”
“Kiss me. But maybe a little lower.”
Nathaniel stares at her for a minute after her breath evens out into sleep. When he turns away again, he’s grinning. Maybe, he thinks, he will go look for a deepstalker. Just to make her laugh again.
The Deep Roads Flu (Nathaniel/Velanna, G)
“Thank you for the brilliant insight,” she mutters. She manages to pull herself out of Nathaniel’s grasp, and immediately collapses. “Maybe,” she says as Nathaniel crouches next to her, “we should camp for a little while.”
“Maybe,” he agrees, gathering Velanna into his arms. She’s not very heavy, and doesn’t even make any faces at him when he lifts her. In fact, she lays her head on his shoulder and sighs. She’s asleep before he lays her back down.
When she wakes, he’s built a fire and is setting traps around the perimeter of their camp. Out of the corner of his eye, Nathaniel sees her sit straight up. When he looks over, her eyes are bright and glassy. “Are you okay?”
Velanna shakes her head. “No,” she says, her voice cracking. “No, I don’t think so.”
Nathaniel goes over to kneel next to her. He puts a hand on her forehead. “Andraste’s ass, you’re burning up.”
“Really? Because I’m kind of cold.”
“Not surprising.” He guides her back down onto the pallet and pulls the blanket up to her neck. “We’re pretty secure here. Just rest for a while.”
“But you can’t stay on watch forever,” she protests weakly.
“I’ll manage.”
On a whim, he leans over and kisses her forehead. She chuckles. “I used to do that to Seranni when she got sick.”
“I did it to Delilah,” he admits. “But I’m afraid I don’t have any stuffed animals around, which was my other comfort specialty when I was a child.”
“Kill one of those stupid deepstalkers and stuff it for me.” That’s apparently the funniest thing she’s ever heard, because Velanna starts laughing, and doesn’t stop until she starts coughing violently. “I’m so sick,” she groans when she catches her breath.
“I noticed.” He pats her shoulder. “Sleep. I’ll go try to catch a deepstalker for you.”
This time, she only chuckles weakly as he stands up. He barely hears her speak as he turns away. “Hey, Nathaniel?”
He turns back. “Yes?”
“You know …” Velanna’s voice is dreamy, on the edge of sleep, “I don’t think I’d mind if you did that when I wasn’t sick.”
“Did what?”
“Kiss me. But maybe a little lower.”
Nathaniel stares at her for a minute after her breath evens out into sleep. When he turns away again, he’s grinning. Maybe, he thinks, he will go look for a deepstalker. Just to make her laugh again.