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There was a knock at her door and it took all her energy to get out of bed and answer it. She could have sworn she’d gotten her flu shot this year. Maybe? Maybe it was last year? No matter, she felt like absolute shite warmed on a brick right now and she almost didn’t open the door until she saw Mycroft there with his arms laden with bags of food. That gave her pause to smile as she undid the locks and opened the door. “You have expert surveillance in my flat,” she teased.
“Since we returned from Prague I had all of the interior surveillance turned to the points of entry,” he said. “No, it was brought to my attention you called out from your post and Andrea said that perhaps I could spend a day with you and work via the internet.”
“Oh, Mycroft,” she said. “Did you have to cancel meetings over this?”
“None where the other participants can’t afford to sweat a few days before I see them.”
She blinked. “Days?”
“Well, only if you’d like me here that long,” he admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t want to presume.”
“No, days sounds nice,” she said with a smile before she pulled her arm up and coughed into the crook of her arm. “Sorry.”
“You need to stay well hydrated, and while I’ve been assured I personally should avoid them for the sugar content, there’s some electrolyte drinks and ice lollies for you,” he said. “Also as many types of clear brothed soups as I could get a hold of on short notice.”
She gave him a tender look. “I would kiss you but you can’t afford to get any sicker than you might already.”
“I’m well up to date on my shots,” he said, finally entering her foyer and leaning down slightly to kiss her forehead. “Now. It’s been some time since I’ve had to deal with the daytime telly assortment, so please don’t put me through that singular hell today. Are there any films you’d like to watch?”
“Die Hard marathon?” she asked, perking up ever so slightly.
“I’ve never seen any of them, so I suppose I can ignore them.”
“Lots of loud explosions,” she said.
He tilted his head from side to side just slightly, pursing his lips a bit. “Well, if I can’t ignore them, one day without work will suffice, or I’ll simply pause it when you fall asleep. Which reminds me, let me make your bed with fresh linens and a new quilt.”
“You really don’t need to,” she said, her heart bursting with even more love if that was possible. “I changed everything a few nights ago.”
“But you weren’t sick then,” he pointed out. “Let me change the bed linens while you decide which of the assortment of soups you would like to try first. Though I have a preference for the wonton.”
“I don’t think shrimp and I will quite get on at the moment,” she said with a smile as he finished coming into her home and she shut the door behind him. She took the bags from him and shuffled off to her kitchen, setting everything on the counter with a bit of effort and looking at the assortment. None of it was canned, it seemed, and was all fresh and various degrees of warm. She popped open each lid and sniffed out what she was able before settling on a simple chicken noodle soup. She took the soup to her sitting room and settled on the sofa, pulling the blanket she kept there tightly around her and settling in.
The next thing she knew she was being carried. She nestled into the arms holding her and nuzzled the neck that her nose was pressed into. What she could whiff smelled like Mycroft’s cologne, and she thought to herself how nice he was, carrying her, before she drifted back to sleep in his arms. Sometimes, it was quite good to be taken care of. She’d have to remember to return the favour if he ever got sick...