The Ice-Bucket Challenge - Lizzie Bennet Diaries (Darcy/Lizzie)

[AdrianMarx]

Whoops, I have been snowed under with school work. Sorry. I hope some of you watch LBD because I am in love.

---

When Lizzie nominates Darcy, she has a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

Darcy rolls his eyes at her from behind the camera thinking that she looks beautiful despite her hair dripping over her face and her clothes plastered to her body. Really, it only serves to show off her figure and Darcy has to admit that there's something quite endearing the way she looks like a drowned rat but is still grinning.

Fitz, who is also dripping wet and shivering with a towel wrapped around his shoulders, nudges Darcy's shoulder.

"No escaping it now, Darce," he chuckles.

"Come on, William!" GiGi calls from where she's refilling the bucket by the tap on the wall. "I'll go easy on you and throw it all at once."

Darcy chuckles. "As merciful as that is, GiGi, I think I have to pass. I fear I'm in the midst of coming down with a cold."

GiGi looks at him in disbelief. "You'll have to do better than that."

"GiGi, I-"

"Don't be such a spoilsport," she titters, manhandling him into the chair and pointedly ignoring his protests.

Eventually, he gives up and puts his bare feet into the basin filled with cold water. GiGi grins in triumph and Lizzie checks the frame.

"Alright," she says with a cheeky smile. "We're good to go."

Not a minute later, GiGi is captured on camera throwing a bucket of iced water round her brother with perhaps more enjoyment than is proper and Darcy's teeth don't stop chattering for hours.

~

Lizzie finds him on the couch in his sitting room the next day wearing an oversized jumper and plaid pyjama bottoms, having been frogmarched home from work by Reynolds. His hair is mussed and he's wearing his glasses and clinging to a mug of tea like his life depends on it. She can see the red tint to his nose and the flush on his cheeks and feels a pang in her chest.

"Oh, William," she sighs, bridging the distance and gathering him up in a hug. She notes that the time for which he tenses at contact before relaxing has significantly lessened to the extent where it is barely noticable. "I didn't realise you were serious. What were you thinking?"

She feels his entire body relax against her and positions herself so that he'll be more comfortable. He sniffles. She hadn't even known William Darcy could sniffle in such an adorable fashion. Her heart clenches.

"GiGi was insistent," is his only defence and his voice croaks in protest. He coughs with one hand rubbing earnestly at his chest.

Lizzie slaps him lightly on the arm. "You have to learn to disappoint that girl."

"Pehh- Perhhhaps hhIHISHHHuh!" He smothers his face with a tissue quite ungracefully and Lizzie determines that he must be feeling dreadful if he's already exhausted his handkerchief collection.

"Bless you," she murmurs against his hair while she gently runs her fingers through it. He sighs and she can even hear the congestion in that one sound. Poor lamb. "Is there anything I can get you? Hot water bottle? Soup? A blanket, maybe? You're shivering."

"A blanket would be much appreciated, thank you," he manages to get the whole sentence out in one breathless rush before he curls into himself and sneezes harshly.

"hhIHHISHHHH! huh...hhHHISHHHHH! ISHHHuhh! hh...uh...hhhiSHHngch!"

"Bless. You shouldn't have put yourself through that," she reprimands him gently. There's little he can do about it now so she can see no reason to make him feel any guiltier than necessary.

Darcy attempts a nonchalant shrug but it comes across as pathetic. He says, "It would have made no difference. The average rhinovirus takes 48 hours to incubate."

"True but this can't have done you any good," Lizzie counters while Darcy breaks off in a fit of coughing. Exhaustion is scrawled across his face and Lizzie has an overwhelming urge to scoop him up and put him to bed and make him all the soup and tea he could want.

She fetches his blanket instead and some Vicks VapoRub.

(Lizzie remembers the first time she discovered Darcy had a “sick” blanket. It’s white and heavy and so warm that Lizzie finds herself sweltering beneath it after just ten minutes. But she’s learned over the past year that Darcy is a freak of nature and constantly freezing, the exact opposite of her mother who insisted upon having the windows open during snowstorms because she was worried about getting heatstroke during one of her panics.)

It’s kind of adorable that he even has something like that and she tells him so. He grimaces.

“It’s practical,” he mutters.

“It’s sentimental,” Lizzie counters. He agrees with a nod and collapses into a fresh tissue.

“hHISHHHh! HNGCH! hhNCH!”

“Bless you,” she tucks the blanket around him properly and pulls him into her arms again. Darcy begins to thank her but he stutters on the first sound before another sneeze bursts from him.

“hhEHHISHHHOO!”

Lizzie blinks in surprise. “God bless you!” She exclaims softly.

“My apologies,” he murmurs, abashed. Lizzie kisses his cheek which only worsens his blush and, yes, it’s totally adorable how he still gets flustered when she does that. She sometimes wonders how she ever misread him so drastically. He’s such a softie that he’s almost pathetic and is saved from this label only because he’s impossibly endearing and she loves him to bits.

"Don't be silly," she whispers, cracking open the Vicks and reorganising his t-shirt so she can rub the stuff into his chest. He sighs deeply in response and Lizzie feels terrible for contributing to his obvious suffering.

When he removes her hand, his cheeks are tinged with red and she recalls purposely noting the lack of fever. She smirks. He’s cute when he blushes and she tells him so. He tries so hard not to look mortified that she can’t help but huddle closer.

“I love you,” she tells him sincerely. He examines her face for honesty as he always does because he’s so afraid his luck will run out and she’ll string him along until she plucks up the courage to leave before the moment is broken by a stifle which makes even him wince.

“hHUhngKX!”

He groans softly and Lizzie takes pity on him.

“Dead Poets Society?”

He smiles. “Please.”

She kisses him properly then, on the lips, and he flushes all the way to his ears. She grins and gives his hair a ruffle.

“Predictable,” she chuckles and Darcy has to agree.

[tma]

OMG..... Are you **serious**????? I LOVE LBD (and Emma Approved). This is the **best** pre-going into surgery "present" ever. I hope that school work will get lighter so that you can write beautiful, yummines have time to relax.

I'm just SOOO excited that I had to post this before actually reading- and now I shall go and read.

[tma]

Awwwww!!! SO cute! :wub:

Gigi would totally participate in the soaking of her brother, and with a big grin.

BlushingDarcy (in *any* of his incarnations) is on my list of "Favourite Things Ever"

It’s kind of adorable that he even has something like that and she tells him so. He grimaces.

“It’s practical,” he mutters.

“It’s sentimental,” Lizzie counters.

YES! I could completely picture the look on his face w/ that.

I adore all of this very, very, very much.

[glaciosity]

I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING SO BEAUTIFUL.

YOU ARE FABULOUS AND TALENTED.

Also, I totally just finished watching Dead Poets Society!

I can't wait to read more of this - it sounds like it's going to be incredible

[AdrianMarx]

OMG..... Are you **serious**????? I LOVE LBD (and Emma Approved). This is the **best** pre-going into surgery "present" ever. I hope that school work will get lighter so that you can write beautiful, yummines have time to relax.

I'm just SOOO excited that I had to post this before actually reading- and now I shall go and read.

Eek, I haven't watched Emma Approved yet. I'm determined to finish the book first but it's taking all of my will power. Awh, I hope surgery goes well!! <3 (Me too, oh Lord. I'm so stressed right now.)

Awwwww!!! SO cute!

Gigi would totally participate in the soaking of her brother, and with a big grin.

BlushingDarcy (in *any* of his incarnations) is on my list of "Favourite Things Ever"

It’s kind of adorable that he even has something like that and she tells him so. He grimaces.

“It’s practical,” he mutters.

“It’s sentimental,” Lizzie counters.

YES! I could completely picture the look on his face w/ that.

I adore all of this very, very, very much.

Blushing!Darcy is one of my favourite things to write. Because he's such a cutiepie and just ahh. Baby. I cannot.

Shrieks I am glad you like it omg <33

I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING SO BEAUTIFUL.

YOU ARE FABULOUS AND TALENTED.

Also, I totally just finished watching Dead Poets Society!

I can't wait to read more of this - it sounds like it's going to be incredible

THANK YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOODNESS

I love DPS so much. Oh gosh, I guess I have to live up that that expectation now, huh?

[bangbang]

OK I have 1000% no idea of this fandom but awww, this was really sweet! I seriously love how you took the ice bucket challenge to it's fetishy conclusion - absolutely brilliant!