Fics: Bed Rest and Sick Day

[paxieamor.livejournal.com]

Title: Bed Rest

Fandom: The Avengers (Movie-Verse)

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers

Summary: Direct sequel to "Tick, Tock", Steve has to look after Tony, who is put on bed rest for a few days.

Warnings: My plan is to kill you all with fluff :D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please don't sue me, Marvel.

Early on in their relationship, Steve Rogers realized that Tony Stark + Boredom = Catastrophe of Epic Proportions. Following his kidnapping, savage beating and near death by explosion, he was ordered to take a vacation. Due to his being used as a human punching bag, part of that vacation was to be bed rest.

“At least two days,” the doctor had said. “He can get up to use the restroom, but that’s it.” Tony had said that this doctor didn’t have a TARDIS and therefore couldn’t be trusted. The doctor said he’d normally take offense to that, but since Tony shouldn’t even have been awake, let alone cracking jokes, he would let it slide. At this point, Tony shouted that he was absolutely serious and Steve had to shove him into a wheelchair and push him out.

Pepper had said she wasn’t going to stay home with Tony while he was on bed rest. She used stronger language, of course, but that was basically it. Of course, no one else was going to stay with him either. No one, that is, but Steve. He knew that if he was lucky, Tony would finally pass out and Steve would be able to catch up on some reading—Agatha Christie had written a number of Hercule Poirot books since he had gone missing and he was determined to read all of them. Steve didn’t hold much faith in luck, so he was pretty sure he would be listening to Tony complain he was bored for two days straight.

Thankfully, the first day was spent in silence; the doctor had been kind enough to give Tony plenty of drugs that kept him unconscious for most of the day, which Steve used to get started on “The Hollow”. By the next morning, he was finishing “Taken at the Flood”. By the next day, he was losing his mind.

“Steve, I’m bored,” Tony said flatly. Breakfast had been finished and he was sitting in his bed with a cup of black coffee, staring at reruns of M*A*S*H. “Can’t I go work in my lab?”

“No,” Steve replied, turning the page in his book. He had moved onto Sherlock Holmes by now; he had read them all as a child, of course, but it had been over 70 years since then.

“I feel fine, Steve.”

“I know, Tony. You’re still staying in bed.” There was silence for a moment.

“What’re you reading?” There was genuine curiosity in his voice, Steve noticed. He wasn’t asking to be a pain, he honestly wanted to know.

“The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Steve replied. “Sherlock Holmes novel.”

“Oh.” More silence. “Is it any good?” Steve looked at him, surprised.

“You’ve never read it?”

“Nope.”

“Have you read any Sherlock Holmes?”

“There’s more than the one you’re reading?” Steve blinked a few times. “What?” Steve shook his head. He then reached into a bag he had with him and pulled out another book.

“Here,” he said, handing the book to Tony. “Start there.” Tony raised an eyebrow and looked at the cover.

“A Study in Scarlet?” he asked. “Sounds like a cheesy romance novel.” Steve, without looking up from his page, rolled his eyes at Tony.

“Just read the damn book.”

A couple hours later, Pepper got a text message from Tony:

Please pick up a complete set of Sherlock Holmes books. Preferably the ones with art by Sydney Paget, Steve says his illustrations are the best.

Pepper decided she wasn’t going to ask.

Title: Sick Day

Fandom: The Avengers (Movie-Verse)

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers

Summary: Steve is sick in bed; Tony decides to get him a gift.

Warnings: My plan is to kill you all with fluff :D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please don't sue me, Marvel.

“I wasn’t aware Captain America could get sick.” Tony shrugged his shoulders slightly as he walked up and down the aisles of the small pharmacy/gift shop he and Pepper were in.

“According to Nick,” Tony said as he picked up a lavender and lilac candle, gave it a sniff and put it back down with a “blah” face. “Steve only gets sick once; he’ll catch a strain of whatever, be miserable for a few days and then suddenly be fine.”

“I see,” Pepper replied, adding the exact same candle to her basket (she thought it smelled nice). “So, what exactly does he have? Flu? No, to take out Cap, it’d have to be really bad… MRSA? Whooping cough?”

“Chicken pox.” Pepper did her best to maintain her composure- she failed.

“Chicken pox? Seriously?”

“Apparently he never had them as a kid.” Tony picked up a Batman comic book and flipped through it. “So, he’s stuck in his room being sick for at least a week. Wanted to give him something to cheer him up…” He put the comic book back. “Are you sure I can’t just get him a prostitute?”

“Tony!”

“It’s what I would want!”

“You’re not getting Steve a prostitute!”

“But it’s perfect!” Tony flailed his arms slightly as he tried to articulate his point. “It’s a perfect gift when you’re sick! She’ll be a great companion and he can hold her and snuggle her…” Pepper gave him the look. The look of ‘your skill mastery in bullshit is not going to work this time’. She then walked away, shaking her head. Tony continued to look up and down the aisles, contemplating a Lord of the Rings Pez dispenser set, a light up rose in a vase, a small orange squirt gun and a My Little Pony coloring book and crayons, when something beamed him in the back of the head. He turned around; on the floor behind him was a small pastel purple unicorn. Specifically a pastel purple unicorn pillow pet.

“I couldn’t find a full sized one.” Tony looked up at Pepper and raised an eye brow. “It meets all your requirements,” she continued. “It’ll be a great companion and Steve can hold and snuggle it.” Tony picked up the unicorn, giving him a thoughtful glance. He unhooked the strap and examined the unicorn in pillow form before re-latching the strap and giving the unicorn a hug. “Well?” Pepper asked.

***

“You got me a unicorn?” Steve asked, giving the plush the same once over Tony had given it in the store.

“Pepper wouldn’t let me get you a prostitute,” Tony replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Do you like him?” Steve gave the pillow pet a hug, smiling a little.

“He is pretty cuddly,” Steve admitted. “Thank you.” Tony leaned over and gave him a kiss, which Steve happily returned.

“What are you going to name him,” Tony asked. Steve looked at him; he was smirking. This was likely not a good thing.

“I think I’ll name him Thor.”