Work Text:
N knew something was wrong when Uzi hadn't insulted him or her tools in the last ten minutes.
She sat hunched over in her chair, parts scattered in front of her, fiddling with a screw that had been in her hand for far too long.
Her movements were much slower, lacking the usual eagerness and chaotic energy she had when building something dangerous.
He walked over to her desk and stood beside her chair.
...She looked away, subtle but there. Like she was trying to avoid his gaze. He knew why.
"Hey Uz! Um... aren't you tired?" he asked softly, sitting beside her, "You've been working for hours..."
"It's only been one hour," she muttered, her voice lower than usual.
The screw slipped out of her hand, and she quickly grabbed another part, adjusting it on her railgun, trying to make her movements look steady.
...Not working.
N narrowed his eyes at her.
"It's been three hours," he pointed out.
She shrugged, "Same thing."
"They're not—"
"N, I'm completely fine. I just need to finish this one last thing and—" she tried to argue, but her voice cracked on the last word.
"...I'm fine," she mumbled, a bit weaker this time.
He sighed quietly and stood up, knowing that she was quite stubborn about this kind of thing and wasn't gonna listen to him.
His eyes shifted to her face, studying it.
Her optics were half-lidded, the usual bright purple glow dimmed just a fraction.
More importantly... she didn't seem only tired.
He hesitated for a second before lifting his hand and placing it gently on hers.
The action surprised her a little and she stared up at him.
She was warm.
Too warm.
"...Are you overheating?" he urged.
"What? N—no, I just drank oil, idiot." Her hand shifted beneath his, trying to pry it away. But he lifted it, bringing it up to his face.
"Uz, you're burning up," he watched her, concerned.
Her gaze dropped down as she pulled her hand away, "I just... really need to finish this, then I'll rest."
"That would take another hour...you can do it tomorrow?" he suggested, hopefully.
She was quiet for a moment, then she stood up from her chair—too fast.
"Look, I know you're worried but I can't pause this right now okay?? I won't be able to get it done tomorrow and it will just..."
She paused, her vision blurring.
"It will..." Her knees buckled.
N took a step forward, "Uz?"
Her vision blackened completely for a second and the world tilted for her, about to fall face-first on the floor—
"Uzi—!"
He caught her immediately, steadying her.
They both looked at each other, eyes wide.
"...You good?" he asked.
She blinked a few times, trying to focus and stand properly, "I'm—"
"Not good," he finished for her and swiftly scooped her up in his arms, like she weighed nothing.
"Wha—" she squirmed weakly in his hold, "N! Put me down!"
"Nope! You need rest."
He started walking, holding her effortlessly as she still protested.
"Come on! I was fine—"
"You were about to kiss the floor Uz," he stated.
"Gravity's fault..." she whined.
"Mm-hmm."
She grabbed his arm, "Put me down right now or I swear I'll bite you."
He didn't. Instead, just held her more securely.
Her movements slowed and she groaned as she pressed her face against his chest, too tired to argue anymore.
He smiled when she stopped struggling and peered down at her, "Uz, you're still burning up, do you have a fever?"
"Drones don't get sick," she murmured.
"We do... your head hurts, right?" he questioned.
She threw a confused look at him, "How'd you know?"
His lips turned into a sheepish smile, "Your visor is glitching, it does that when your head hurts."
"Don't analyze me."
"You're just too cute like this—"
She punched him weakly and he chuckled.
<~>
N pushed the door open with his foot, because his hands were currently very much occupied.
"Okay, we're here!" he announced, laying Uzi down on her bed while she tried to glare at him but it wasn't actually sharp.
She instantly curled up on herself, "You didn't have to literally transport me here."
He sat on the edge of her bed beside her, "You didn't have to be stubborn and literally faint in the workshop."
"I did not faint," she groaned.
N hummed and shifted closer, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.
Still too warm. Worse, maybe.
"How are you feeling...?" he asked before adding, "And please, be honest this time."
She exhaled quietly at the sincerity in his tone, "I feel like crap. My head feels like it's about to explode, my whole body aches, my throat is sore, and my vision is blurry."
He froze slightly at that.
"...You told me to be honest."
He sighed, "Well, whose fault is that? You overworked yourself. I told you to rest like 2 hours ago."
She opened her mouth to argue—but immediately regretted it because all that came out was a violent cough.
He quickly leaned forward and patted her back, "Hey—hey, easy," his tone softened, "You okay??"
Her hand batted his away, "I'm f-fine," she replied between coughs.
"Yeah, yeah, sure you are." He rubbed her back a few more times before leaning back and pressing his hand to her forehead again.
Uzi stared at his hand, "N, you've checked my temperature twice in a minute."
"And in a minute, it's gotten worse," he said, pulling his hand back.
"That's not possible."
"It is. And now you have to eat!" he demanded, starting to walk out of her room.
"Where are you going?" she blurted, sitting up a little.
He stopped and turned back, smiling warmly and walking back to her.
"I'm just going to get you some oil—uh, maybe soup, okay?" he assured and carefully guided her to lay back down.
She relaxed somewhat at that, "Oil soup?"
"Yeah!"
"That's not a thing."
He tucked a blanket around her, "I'll make it a thing!"
"...Just don't take too long," she muttered under her breath, just enough for him to hear.
His hands paused briefly.
He lifted his head and pressed his lips softly to her forehead.
"I won't."
Her visor turned a faint purple as she pulled the blanket over her face, grumbling something incoherent under it.
He chuckled lightly and walked out of her room, saying, "Don't move!"
<~>
Uzi, of course, did not listen to him.
She lasted exactly five minutes before wanting to get up.
It's not her fault. He said he'll be back quickly. It's been five minutes.
...Not that long, technically. But still.
She tried to calm herself, letting her mind wander somewhere else instead of considering getting up.
Nope.
Her eyes shifted towards the door. She wanted him to be back since he was a good distraction from the pain, and now he wasn't here.
All she could think about was the pain throbbing in her head and her whole body feeling like it was burning.
"Ughh..." she groaned quietly.
Now she really wanted to get up.
<~>
N stood near the counter in the bunker's kitchen.
No one used it much, since they didn't need to eat anything, it was for keeping things like robo-medicines or oil for Uzi, V, and him to keep them from overheating.
He grabbed some oil from the cabinet, poured it into a pot and turned on the heat.
JCJenson really didn't have to make drones in a way so they can actually get sick like a human too, what's even the point of that?
And since Uzi has more organic components because of the Absolute Solver...it might be worse for her.
The oil bubbled as he took some medicines from another cabinet and put them in a bowl, then added the oil.
He really hoped Uzi wouldn't notice the medicines...she hates them.
N smiled to himself, satisfied with the “soup” even though it was just warm oil.
He picked up the bowl and turned around—and nearly dropped it at the sight of Uzi standing right behind him.
She was glaring at him—or at least trying to, the blanket was still draped over her while she clutched it.
"Uz?? What are you doing here?"
"You took too long," she answered.
"I was gone for five minutes..."
"Ten minutes," she corrected him.
He looked at her for a moment and then sighed, "What if you passed out on your way here? I told you not to get up."
Her tone changed, "I...didn't like being alone."
His expression softened.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the other holding the bowl and guided her back towards her room, "C'mon, back to bed."
She went willingly, watching the soup like it personally offended her.
"Is that poisoned?"
"What? No," he responded with a small laugh.
"Looks like it. You can't make something good," she teased.
"Hey!..."
Thank Robo-God she didn't see the medicine.
<~>
N neatly tucked her back in bed and sat beside her, holding the “soup.”
Uzi stared as he scooped some oil in the spoon and held it close to her mouth.
"...I can eat myself."
His hand moved closer. "Do you want to, though?"
She eyed him for longer than necessary, then slowly leaned forward...only to stop.
He waited, "Uh—what's wrong?"
Her eyes flickered to the oil, "Smells weird..."
He laughed nervously, "It's just oil!" a sweat drop appeared on his visor.
"Liar."
"I'm not lying!"
"You are." She glanced at the oil again, "Did you put medicine in it?"
"No."
"You're terrible at lying.
"...Okay, yes! I did." he admitted.
"I'm not eating tha—" she tried to protest before he cut her off.
"Uzi. You're not gonna get any better if you don't eat the medicine. Besides, I mixed them in, you're not even gonna taste them," he explained, his tone a fraction more serious than before.
She frowned, contemplating.
"Please?" he pleaded, voice softer now.
She clicked her tongue and leaned forward, taking the bite.
He lit up immediately. She, on the other hand, stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"I can still taste it," she complained.
"Liar," he murmured, wiping a drop of oil from her chin with his thumb.
<~>
N fed her a few more bites, ignoring her half-hearted complaints as he did.
He held up the spoon again and she shook her head, signaling she was full.
The spoon clinked against the bowl as he set it aside, "See? That wasn't so hard!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"You should sleep now," he suggested.
She groaned, "I tried earlier too when you went to the kitchen, but I can't..."
He tilted his head, "Why?"
She slumped back into the bed, "Because everything freaking hurts, especially my head."
"Oh..." he frowned.
He thought for a moment before moving and sitting on the bed properly beside her, within reach.
She hesitated for a second then shifted closer.
"You're clingy when sick," he teased.
"Bite me..." she pouted.
He snickered and slowly pulled her closer, giving her time to move away if she wanted to, but she didn't.
"You're warm," she said, slightly muffled into his coat.
He pulled the blanket up on her, then himself, "You're burning up."
"...That's different."
His arms wrapped around her again after tucking her in, more confident this time. He lifted his hand and checked her temperature again.
"Hey, it's less hot than before! Looks like the meds are working."
He exhaled, relieved, and moved his hand to her head, running his fingers through it.
She hummed quietly at that, pressing herself closer.
"N?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks..."
He smiled, "Anytime."
A few minutes passed, neither moved.
Uzi broke the silence in the room.
"Don't leave..." she mumbled, barely audible.
His hand paused, then moved again. Softer this time.
"I won't. Sleep, you stubborn gremlin."
"Shut up..."
Her breathing slowed, even now.
Sleep mode appeared on her visor.
N pressed a soft kiss to her head, "Goodnight, Uz."