Benched (AoS, Secret Santa for AnonyMouse!)

[SpamKey]

Ahhhh this is my first Secret Santa and I really hope I don't disappoint! This is part one of two(?) and I hope you really enjoy it, AnonyMouse! The good stuff (e.g. caretaking, fevery fluffy stuff) comes next part, which I should have posted within the next few days. I really hope you like it, I've had a lot of fun writing this. Honestly, I've been waiting for any excuse to write something AoS related, especially after that last cliffhanger! Merry Christmas, and enjoy some fluffy Hunter/Bobbi!

---

“This is utter bullshit.”

“Hunter…”

“Bobbi!”

“Oh for the love of God…”

“Atchhh!”

The back-and-forth had been going on for the past few hours; or, rather, ever since Coulson had benched Hunter on the basis that unpredictable sneezing was a very bad factor to have take effect on a stealth mission. Hunter had replied that so was being, like, six foot ten and larger than your average linebacker. Mack had very kindly offered to assume the remark was aimed at Daisy, for Hunter’s sake. Despite the ridiculousness of this offer, he’d accepted, in the interest of self preservation.

So there they were, stuck at home base while literally everyone else was out on this super important mission, all because Hunter had somehow managed to catch a little cold. A little cold that left him shivering on the couch in the commons area, blankets piled high to combat his feverish shivers, sneezing and coughing sporadically, while Bobbi, still in the midst of her rehab, watched with sympathy and annoyance in equal measures.

“I would’ve beed fide.” Hunter repeated petulantly for the eighth time that day. Bobbi snorted in response, swiping to a new page on her tablet. She sat curled on a nearby armchair, reading through field reports, of all things. Hunter really didn’t understand Bobbi sometimes.

“Oh, I’m sure you would’ve been fine. I think Coulson was more worried about everyone else’s wellbeing after you blew their cover.” She responded drily. Hunter grumbled indistinctly, burrowing further into his blanket fort.

“Sdill could’ve helbed.” He muttered, more to himself than Bobbi. “Could’ve piloded. Could’ve drived a gedaway vehicle.”

“Three, two, one…” Bobbi murmured.

“Hahh-ATCHhhuh! ITChhhuh! Ugh, dabbit…”

“Bingo.” She smirked as Hunter snatched up a tissue, disgruntled. “Your driving is deadly under the best conditions. Fevered and sneezing every two minutes? You’d probably bring down a building.”

“The operatiod was id the biddle of dowhere-eh-etchhhuh! ATChhih! Ogh…”

“You’d still manage it.”

At this last remark, Hunter fell into pouting silence. If it weren’t for the frequent sniffling, sneezing, and occasional coughs, Bobbi would’ve thought he’d fallen asleep. Suspicious, she glanced up from her reports.

Hunter froze, arm reared back to throw was seemed to be several balled up tissues in Bobbi’s direction. Bobbi raised an eyebrow. Hunter’s hand slowly lowered.

“I wasd’t goigg to do id.” He stated, attempting to school his expression into something close to innocence.

“Of course you weren’t.”

"I was aibigg ad the bid."

"That's right."

"Defididely dot ad you."

"Nope."

“Thad would be dowdrighd suicidal.”

“Exactly.”

“Righd.”

Another short moment of sniffly silence.

“This is utter bullshit.”

“Hunter…”

“Ehhh-ITCHhhuh!”

---

Again, part two coming soon! I hope this is what you had in mind, AnonyMouse!

[Anonymouse]

I am loving this so far! And I am so glad there will be a second part, you are too generous. Bobbi equal parts irritated and sympathetic is the best thing ever. And Hunter being a whiney little jerk. He was going to throw a ball of tissues at her! Like he's so bored sitting there he needs to find ways to keep busy. And their exchange afterwards was so in character.

“I wasd’t goigg to do id.” He stated, attempting to school his expression into something close to innocence.

“Of course you weren’t.”

"I was aibigg ad the bid."

"That's right."

"Defididely dot ad you."

"Nope."

“Thad would be dowdrighd suicidal.”

“Exactly.”

See, Hunter, you're not as dumb as you look. You really nailed his snarkiness with that and the linebacker comment. I love that Bobbi seemed to be timing his sneezes, too. Like clockwork.

I love my present, thank you!

[SpamKey]

Sorry this took so long! I got busy over the holidays As per usual. Here's the more caretaking-fluffy portion of it! I'm really glad you liked it, AnonyMouse Merry Christmas!

---

Bobbi was asleep, finally, slumped over in the armchair she’d been reading in all day. Hunter took comfort in the knowledge that she was sleeping, confirmed by the slow rise and fall in the blanket he’d covered her in upon waking up.

Waking up in a cold sweat, after trying to fall asleep for the fifth fucking time, only to be woken up by nightmares. For the fifth fucking. Time.

It was a bit of a lame, overdone nightmare; just that memory of opening the door, seeing her covered in blood… A pretty piss-poor attempt by his subconscious, seeing as all he had to do was open his eyes and see Bobbi sitting in the same room as him, alive and (mostly) well. Yes, not a problem at all. All he had to do was close his eyes, drift off, and--

Jerk awake with a startled cry as the image flashed before his eyes again, sending his blood running cold with just that split second vision. Yup. Piss-poor attempt. So unoriginal. So why did he sit there, eyes shut and jaw clenched, trying to control his breathing and banish the stupid fucking memory from his head?

“Hunter.”

Damn. It.

He half-expected her to be annoyed that he’d woken her up, but when he opened his eyes, her expression was uncharacteristically soft. No, not uncharacteristically, per say; a rare expression of sincere sympathy, one he’d only seen on her face a few times, yet was still undeniably Bobbi. He was torn between embarrassment at having earned it, and gratification that it had been directed at him once more. He’d half believed that ship had sailed for good.

“Maybe we should get you into a proper bed, huh, sicko?” Bobbi asked, quirking her mouth to the side in a smirk that made his heart flutter. Oh, good God above, I’m like a fucking schoolboy with a crush.

“Bight be a good idea, yeah.” Hunter rasped, turning to the side to cough hoarsely. Bobbi frowned, reaching out to feel his forehead. “Thed agaid, baybe I’b already dreabigg.”

“Shut up, idiot, your fever’s gone up, I’m allowed to be worried.” Bobbi playfully smacked his shoulder in reprimand, before retreating to find the ibuprofen. Hunter laughed.

“Yeah, thad’s the Bobbi I kdow.” He called after her. Just as she returned with the bottle of pills, his expression crumpled. “IKChhhuh!”

“Blow, snotty.” Bobbi ordered, passing him the box of tissues. With a sour look, Hunter complied.

“You’re acting like my mum, you know.”

“Oh, don’t you dare bring that up again.”

“Why not, the resemblance is terrify-ihh-ATCHHhhuh!”

“Fuck you, Hunter.”

“Love you, too.”

Bobbi rolled her eyes. “Take the pills, and we’ll get you into bed, sicko.”

“Oh, I bet you’d jusd love thad, huh?” Hunter tried to sound flirtatious, but the rough congestion in his voice sort of killed the mood.

“Kudos for trying,” Bobbi smirked. “But the only thing that’s happening in there is sleep. And preferably for more than twenty minutes at a time, deal?”

“Take it up with the fever, Bob.” Hunter muttered, choking down the pills. “I’b nod exactly beigg gived buch of a say id the battehh-ehh-ETChhuh! Itchh! Ugh…”

Bobbi sighed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re dreaming about. I thought you said you’d gotten over it.”

Hunter shrugged, sniffling. “I duddo, Bobbi. I ab, bostly, id’s just the fever, I thigk. Offing Ward’d probably helb, too.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, hotshot,” Bobbi replied, dragging a reluctant Hunter to his feet. “But until you get over your manflu, you’re not offing anybody.”

“Killjoy. ITchhhuh!”

“Bless you, Hunter.”

“Thagks, Bobbi.”

Bobbi rolled her eyes, leading the asleep-on-his-feet mercenary to his quarters. Once he’d gotten settled under the covers, his breathing deep and even in a more peaceful sleep than before, she slid the door closed with a small, fond smile.

“Love you, too, Hunter.”

[Anonymouse]

Hey, happy new year! Sorry for not commenting sooner but this was wonderful. I love these two so much and they're lacking in attention around here so I'm glad you wrote about them. I love all the little details, like Hunter covering Bobbi with a blanket after she fell asleep, and Bobbi's little smirk and jabbing nicknames for Hunter. Poor guy with his nightmares, though... and it's amazing Bobbi is able to sleep after what she went through but I imagine that she is more resilient than he is.

I enjoyed this little exchange:

“You’re acting like my mum, you know.”

“Oh, don’t you dare bring that up again.”

Thank you so much for this, I'm glad you were my SS! I hope you have a great 2016 and don't be afraid to write more AoS fic. Too long til it comes back!