When you get caught in the rain...

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Billy was flat on his back in his room, twitching slightly as a fever raged through him.

"Geez," he heard - or thought he heard - Sal say. "Take these advils n' git the fever down, b'y."

She'd come in and out of his room every few hours with glasses of water and green ibuprofen pills that would break his fever for maybe twenty minutes before it raged again.

He couldn't see Bennie. He wasn't even sure if he'd dreamed the whole thing.

The Sal that was or wasn't left his room, shutting the door behind her. And Billy rolled over and coughed, shivering under the ratty afghan that Veronica Wilson - Sal's mother and the former proprietor of the Phoenix Bluff, a tall, jolly Englishwoman - had knit for him when he was... oh... twelve?

Lost in memory, he slept.

Comments

[random_xtras]

Bennie sighed from where she sat on her tail on the chest in the corner, then jumped down, crawled over to the bed and propped herself up to watch him for a moment before she climbed up and put her arms around him.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

He snuffled and opened his eyes. "...Bennie?"

[random_xtras]

"(I'm here,)" she said softly, hoping that the warmth of her body would help undo the damage that was partly her fault to begin with.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

He smiled, eyes hooded. "'Lo," he muttered, dozing again.

[random_xtras]

She kissed him gently, then wrapped the blanket and her arms more firmly around him. "Shh. Sleep."

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

A grunt. "'Kay."

[random_xtras]

She stroked his hair and snuggled her cheek against his, then frowned and looked over her shoulder as footsteps approached the door.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"Ella tol' me ye was sick an' so I figgered..." Tom was talking even before he opened the door and let himself in. When his eyes fell on Billy and Bennie together he made a very weird face. It wasn't a look of disgust, but just your typical what-the-heck-is-this face.

"I thinks I might leave now..." he said.

[random_xtras]

Bennie quirked an eyebrow at him. "Eh?"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Tom merely smiled and exited the room; his rapid foosteps could be heard thundering down the stairs.

"(Don't think he meant to see that,)" Billy grunted, putting an arm around Bennie.

[random_xtras]

She shrugged and turned back to him. "(If he comes in here he will see this.)" One webbed hand gently stroked his damp hair back. "(I'm sorry, my love. You told me you shouldn't be in the rain.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(If I wanted to I'd have gone home.)" His voice was very quiet and his eyes remained closed. "(It's my fault.)"

[random_xtras]

Her webbed hand gently touched his stubbly cheek. "(And you already had salt in your lungs from the ocean....)"

It was clear she was worried.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"Nah," he said, sighing as her hand touched his cheek. "(It's just a fever, it'll go away in a day or two.)"

[random_xtras]

She tipped her head forward and gently brushed her lips against his. "(I hope so. You don't look so good, my darling.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

He smiled and held her closer, but then relaxed as something seemed to come across his fevered mind. "(You really shouldn't go kissing me,)" he said, turning away from her as he coughed. "(You'll get sick yourself.)"

[random_xtras]

"(No I won't.)" She watched the coughing with concern, then nuzzled her nose against his cheek.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

He shifted his aching limbs and sighed. "(If you say so,)" he said, snuggling up to her.

[random_xtras]

Her hand reached over, fingertips gently caressing his cheek again.

-(I wish you were mine,)- she thought, dark eyes tracing his features. -(This not being able to hold you close is a #$%@&.)-

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

He looked at her strangely.

"(What?)"

[random_xtras]

"(Have you ever thought of marrying?)" The hand went over her mouth and she winced. -Blabbermouth.-

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(No,)" he said. "(But that's just because I never thought someone would think of me like that.)"

[random_xtras]

"(I do.)" Her eyes were lowered, avoiding his as her face heated beneath the covering fur.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Really?)"

He sounded completely amazed.

[random_xtras]

A wordless nod.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Oh.)" He paused. "(Well... um....)"

And he really didn't know what to say.

[random_xtras]

"Propose, @#$%&head!" came the growl from the other side of the door.

Bennie started and went 0_0.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Isn't it too soon for...)" Billy looked at the door, and then at Bennie. "(Isn't it?)"

[random_xtras]

"(Not for me.)" Her voice was too low for the eavesdropper to hear.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(In that case then...)" He paused, once again realizing that if the fever hadn't left him flushed, he'd be blushing now.

[random_xtras]

Her eyes flew to his face. "(Then?)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Then you need to make a decision because I'm way too sick right now.)" He smiled. It was obvious that he had no objections to what Vic had suggested.

[random_xtras]

"(I love you,)" she said softly. "(I will be yours gladly. This not being able to hold you the way I want is driving me nuts.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(I love you too,)" he said. "(And ... and sure.)"

[random_xtras]

She shook her head. "(Your boat is more romantic than you are, though.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(It's not my strong suit, that's for sure.)"

[random_xtras]

"(I don't care.)" She sighed, then blinked. "(How are we going to get married? The priests call me abomination.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(They'll figure something out,)" Billy said. "(And our friend Ro does legal marriages...)"

[random_xtras]

"(One needs identification to marry, no?)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Not... necessarily.)" Billy coughed again, thinking of the story of Leeroy and Sam's marriage.

[random_xtras]

She winced at the cough and put a hand on his chest. "(You should be resting. We can talk about this later.)"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"(Fair enough.)" He rolled over and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

[random_xtras]

Bennie settled down and watched over him, listening to the low drone of voices from downstairs.