The Chilling Loneliness
Rob Lucci isn't the kind of lover who coddles or infantilizes their loved one when they're sick, but he does take care of what's his.
Warnings: Fluff
Word Count: 1117
Pairing: Rob Lucci x GenderNeutral Reader!
You’ve been in bed for the past few days, alone in the big, quiet room. Earlier this week, your partner, Rob Lucci, had been noticing signs that you might have the Virus. You had started coughing every once in a while, but one night, he heard you coughing in the middle of the night, and you spent the rest of the night coughing continuously. Ever since then, you began to cough more frequently. Moreover, you’ve been blowing your nose one or twice every hour, and have become sluggish during training, where your techniques have gotten sloppy, and you complained about being so cold that your bones are becoming frozen. When Lucci mentioned them to you, you brushed it off and said, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just strep throat.”
“I don’t think so,” Lucci disagreed, “You should see a doctor right away."
At Lucci’s command, you made that doctor’s appointment, where, after running a test, it was confirmed that you, indeed, have the Virus. Immediately after the result, you were put in quarantine. All of your colleagues were notified of your illness, thus limiting your contact with the outside world, except for a couple of your inferiors, who have been assigned as caregivers should you need anything. Since you and Lucci share a room, he has been camping out in his office lately to avoid getting infected.
Now here you are, lying on your back in bed, coughing aggressively as usual. The cold air from the air vents made your bones literally shudder. Despite the fluffy sweater and the fuzzy socks you’re wearing, plus the two thick comforters, you still feel cold. You wanted so badly to roll over to the side so that you could huddle up into a ball to warm yourself up, but you thought that you needed to be on your back so that you could breathe properly.
As you lie there, you realize that with Lucci out of the room, the bed feels a whole lot bigger. Too big for your liking, almost like lying in an empty void. It’s so lonely without his presence. You sometimes wondered what Lucci was up to or if he was even thinking about you. Then again, as a CP0 agent, of course, he’s going to be too busy to visit you. Although you appreciate your inferiors taking care of you (they’ve been commendable caregivers, in fact), it just doesn’t feel the same.
You heard a knock on the door and sat up. You were expecting to be one of your caregivers, but to your surprise, it was Lucci coming through that door, and he was wearing a mask. Not his usual CP0 mask, but the type of mask doctors often use when doing surgeries. Hattori was wearing one too–so cute!
“Lucci!” you gasped, feeling your cheeks glowing up, unsure if it’s from the Virus or just happy to see him. “What a surprise.”
In his hands was a tray with a bowl of hot soup, a glass of water, a few crackers, a piece of cheese, and a small cake on the side. He placed the tray on your lap and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I wanted to see if you’re doing alright,” he explained, practically muffled from the mask.
“I still feel like garbage,” you woefully admitted, before coughing a couple of times into your sleeve, “Plus, I still feel cold despite being bundled up, and I’m still coughing a lot even when I sleep.”
“I see,” Lucci responded. He glanced at the nightstand and found an empty bottle of water, and that you’re almost out of paper handkerchiefs. He gets up and heads out the door.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
You watched him in confusion as he left the room, the door closing behind him. You wondered what that was about, but decided to proceed to eat your meal before it got cold. About 30 minutes later, just when you were finishing your meal, Lucci returns, this time carrying an extra set of blankets, an extra pillow, a full bottle of water, and a box of paper handkerchiefs. He placed the items on the bed, took the tray away, set it aside, and gently moved your back forward.
“What are you doing?” you asked.
Lucci didn’t answer; instead, he reached behind you and grabbed the vacant pillow next to you, stacking it on top of the one behind you. Next, he reached for the extra pillow, stacked it on top of the others, but this one was propped up against the headboard.
“Try sleeping with your upper body propped up,” he suggested.
You leaned backwards and were surprised to find how pleasant it was the moment your back touched the softness of the pillows. Not only was it good for your back, but you found yourself being able to breathe through your nose without struggling. Lucci brought the other items closer to you.
“I figured you needed these so that you can be more comfortable,” he explained.
“You didn’t have to go through with all the trouble,” you told him.
“But I want to,” he said, “because I take care of what’s mine.”
You stared up at him, eyes widened at his strong persistence. Despite half of his face being covered up by the mask, you detected the sense of sincerity in his eyes. You smiled up at him.
“That is very thoughtful of you,” you told him, “thank you.”
Lucci didn’t say anything. You took the extra blanket and spread it across the bed. He watched you as you smoothed out the covers with your small, delicate hands. Those same hands that once caressed his taut muscles when in bed together or massaged his back when he was tensed.
“If it weren’t for the fact that you have the Virus, I’d have warmed you with my body,” he spoke.
You paused at those words and blushed as you paint the image inside your mind: you and him curled up together with him behind you in a warm, naked embrace, his muscular body protecting you from outside forces. You smiled blissfully.
“That would’ve been lovely,” you mumbled. Lucci takes the tray and turns to leave,
“Get some rest,” he ordered, “You’ll need it to recover.”
“Right,” you affirmed, leaning back against the small mountain of pillows.
You watched him walk away and exit the room with the door closing behind him. Slowly, you closed your eyes and nestled into your new sleeping position. Finally, you can drift off to sleep without fighting with coughs, and the cold doesn’t seem to bother you anymore because his genuine love for you will keep you warm for the next few days.
Author's Note:
I made this because I got Covid, and this situation inspired me to think what type of partner would Lucci be if his partner got sick (I'm leaving Covid to the reader's interpretations). Here's to hoping I feel better.