#I need more shuffle units! ♥

[her-devils-advocate]

Gentle touches on bruised minds.

♥. Genre: sickfic

♥. pairings: Nate Sewell / Female Detective (Named)

♥. content warnings: None

♥. notes: I suffer from migraines a lot, so I figured I'd make my detective be the one suffering this time, especially as she has Nate to help soothe them!

♥. Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48231235

♥. Word count: 1,364

The loud slam of her car door rings violently in her ears as she grits her teeth, trying to hold back a swear along with the wave of nausea that threatens to overtake her. She was so close now, she could make it to her room before the worst of the migraine arrived to drag her under that familiar current.

Valerie stumbles over the roots, her vision growing darker as she squints to battle against the sunlight. The shimmering rays above do their best to break through the trees and pierce into her eyes as she falls against the warehouse door. She sighs against the metal as she presses her aching head to its cooling touch, doing all that she can to hold back the weakness she feels overtaking her body. 

The way she sways whenever she moves feels more like an eerie precursor to the pain that would keep her paralysed, shackled miserably to her bed for the rest of the day and night.

She groans at the way the pain travels around her head, leaving a path of anguish in its wake as it curls around her jaw with its clawed hands before settling in the back of her skull, taunting her with each movement that sends a wave of more pain darting throughout her skull.

The dim lighting of the interior within was a welcomed change as she slowly makes her way to her room, the labyrinth of hallways hidden inside the facade was simply second nature to her by now. 

She shuffles against the wall with each step, not trusting her body to move without solid support. The urge to simply curl up into a cocoon of suffering grows stronger, yet she doesn't want to risk one of the others finding her laying pathetically in the hallway like that. Not wanting to risk the extra headache that would cause. So she simply keeps shuffling through the winding hallways until she finds the living room instead, collapsing on the plush, leather sofa with a heavy sigh that almost becomes a sob.

Valerie silently thanks all the deities she can name as she notices the room is vacant. Empty and safe from a possible game of 21 human health questions. As much as she adores Felix -the younger vampire becoming more of a brother to her the closer they grow- she’s not sure she could get through that without crying.

As she mourns the passing of what plans she had for the day, an amusing thought pops into her head. She had never felt more like one of them as the warm lights of the warehouse's living room assaults her vision, the music pouring out from Felix's room weighing heavy on her ears. The pounding in her skull grows stronger as she grips the pillow beside her like a lifeline. 

Her senses feel as if they are under attack from simply existing, she would pity the members of Unit Bravo for having such sensitive senses if she weren’t currently pitying herself more. Pitying herself alongside mentally berating herself for leaving her strong painkillers in her apartment, knowing that it had been a while since her last attack and that it could creep up to ambush her at any given moment. Like today.

A cruel shiver overtakes her frame as the familiar sensation of her body simultaneously freezing and overheating battles within her, a sinking feeling inside makes her body feel heavier with each passing moment as she moves to lie on the sofa, burying her head into the cool leather as if that could remove her suffering.

As the minutes crawl past her, prolonging the torment that only seems to increase more and more, she realises she can’t wait this out much longer, that she doesn’t need to do so anymore. 

She slowly pulls her phone out of the back pocket of her dark jeans, wincing with a hiss as the harsh light of the screen burns her eyes and mind, causing her to glare at her contact list as she scrolls down to shoot out a small, albeit rushed text to her saviour.

“[12:48] Det. Valerie Michaelis: 

Nate got migraine. It's bad. Pls bring me pill? At warehouse living room. Love you. Xx”

She lets her arm drop between her body and the back of the sofa, trying to steady her breathing as her nausea grows stronger in retaliation. It doesn’t take long to hear the small “pling” in response, the only sound that could bring her comfort in this moment, rather than annoyance.

“[12:51] Handsome Agent N: 

Sorry for the long reply darling. I opened the wrong application in my rush to reply to you. I will be with you shortly! Love you as well.”

“[12:52] Handsome Agent N:

I think I understood the “pls” correctly, I would bring you anything and everything you ask of me. Almost home to you, love you still.”

She smiles at his response in all its ‘Sewell glory’, only for her smile to widen as she feels his fingers brush through her hair tenderly, almost as if she were porcelain. Her skull certainly felt like it was at the moment. 

She cautiously opens her eyes, finding his own gazing back at her in concern and pure adoration. Even while she feels as if she’s unravelling from within, he still looks at her as if she were a goddess. Val sighs in relief as she notices that the room has grown darker and quieter, the lights have been switched off and the blaring music turned down upon his arrival, a realisation that makes her heart ache with love.

“Hey dear,” his voice is a tender whisper, not wanting to risk speaking too loudly and disrupting the small amount of relief he had provided already, “I brought you some painkillers and water.” 

He helps her slowly sit up, pressing tender kisses to the top of her head with each whimper the action draws out from her. With a small smile, he places two white tablets in the palm of her hand, a cold glass of water in the other. “This should hopefully make you feel better quickly, how long has it been bothering you?” “Thank you, you are a lifesaver. It’s been bothering me since … Well, since I woke up,” she glances away in shame as she hears his small sigh, guilt over her own lack of care making her voice a delicate whisper, “but it wasn’t that bad! It was only a small headache until recently, that's when I decided to come here instead of my apartment. I usually try to just wait it out for as long as I can, or sleep it off, but I…I guess I don’t mind being looked after as much now.”

Her hushed confession causes his heart to flutter violently within him, threatening to burst with emotions he simply doesn’t have the words to reveal, his tongue growing heavy each time. Part of him worries that he might never have the ability to profess just how deeply and how truly he feels for her. So he is content to simply show it through actions, especially when she is in vital need of care and affection while she suffers.

His eyes crinkle slightly from the force of his smile as he slowly moves her so that she can rest her head on his lap, carding his fingers through the silky hair that has been released from its braid, taking extra care to avoid tugging at her already sore head. He quietly hums a simple melody, knowing she needs something to distract her from her misery as the dull silence keeps her trapped within her mind.

His smile grows wider as he feels her press a light kiss to his knee before sleep overtakes her, granting her more relief than the medication could provide. Nate stays perfectly still as he sends out a quick message to the Unit’s group chat, warning them to stay away from the living room until their detective has fully recovered or relocated. He then turns his phone on silent to avoid the onslaught of worried questions from Felix disrupting her well-deserved slumber.

[cousinslavellan-archive]

Rose and Rainer Pt 3

Rose makes it back to her team’s base at the outpost, cursing out certain turian’s the entire time - only to be hassled by said nosy teammates. Life sure is great sometimes.

Have a third part guys! Hope you’re still enjoying my dorks :3 ♥

Rose

Stupid smug-ass turian jerk! Calling me stupid nicknames - arg, I should’ve kicked his ass for that. Wasn’t even a good look out! That’s the last time I give a stranger a ride!

Rose huffs the whole way back to her team’s allotted unit, grip tight on the two Remnant Blooms she’d recovered. She’s irritated and annoyed that she’s allowed herself to be irritated, that he’d managed to get under her skin.

Petty as it might be, she takes a moment to mentally replay his graceful landing back at the pillars and pictures him wiping out instead, face planting in the sand - an image that makes her lips twitch just a little. Would’ve been hilarious. Bah.

She’s grumpy right up until she steps into the central living area of their little complex, pausing at the sound of arguing from beyond the door to her left.

At it again, Rose quirks a grin at the voices, amusement overtaking the irritation, Probably arguing over what to name a new bug.

She shakes her head and casts the door a last glance - the sign her teammate had hung on it proudly declaring it the ‘Bio Lab’ in huge, sparkly letters - before heading instead for the door to the right, a sign with her own precise script marking it simply as ‘Botany’.

Couldn’t very well call it a greenhouse, Rose nudges the lock with her elbow and shuffles quickly inside, crossing to the prepped table to set down her load. She sighs and rolls her shoulders in relief once the extra weights gone, stretching her arms out and arching her back with a quiet hiss. Not quite enough windows.

Her ‘Botany Lab’ is simple and functional - at least, it is for her, and since no one else needs to touch her specimens she can’t say she cares too much about what others might think.

The wall opposite the door is lined entirely with windows, cracked open to catch whatever faint breeze might be blowing, angled just so to make sure the plants got the proper amount of sunlight.

Her desk and terminal are set up at the far right of the room - a couple of frames propped up, a music player ready and waiting, her sketchbooks and datapads piled neatly near the edge.

Her couch takes up the left end; a long enough fixture that she can stretch out completely on - one of the few perks of being freaking short - sporting a blanket and several pillows, her personal locker sitting on the ground next to it. Technically, her team had a shared bunk-space, accessed via a ladder in the main room - but after being in stasis for 600 years, and then living in close quarters on Havarl… she likes having some space of her own.

The window-wall is occupied by a long, sturdy workspace - holes dug out and prepped for specimens, her tools placed neatly on the shelves of one end.

Currently, only the two specimens she’d brought from Havarl occupy the space - sitting beneath a section of blackened windows, trying to simulate the environment on Havarl as best she can.

The dirt she’d prepped for the Elaaden blooms sits waiting at the opposite end of the work space, ready for the new specimens.

Rose grins, already working to get out of her armor. Alright, then, no more distractions; let’s get to work.

It’s a relief to be out of the tight-fitting Initiative gear, and she straightens out the tank-top and leggings she’d worn beneath it before going for her gloves. Not taking any chances till we know if Heleus dust can kill if ingested. No thanks, I’ll pass on being the test-dummy for that one.

Gloves secured, Rose gets to work; taking first the tiny Bloom she’d managed to save from being stepped on and gently scooping it out of the container, settling it gently in the waiting dirt. She’s humming as she carefully covers the roots in dirt, patting it down and making sure no bits are sticking out before grinning.

“You’re safe now, little guy - despite nearly been squashed by scavs, and a turian, and somehow sprouting out in the middle of the desert. Welcome to my garden.”

She watches it for another moment, ever curious, then laughs and moves to grab the other bloom, going through the same procedure of carefully burying the roots and settling it in the dirt.

The small watering can she keeps in the room is topped up from the reserve and carried over, giving each plant a drink - the Havarl Blooms get more water than the Elaaden Blooms, considering they’d come from a planet with much less sun.

Maybe it’s a less efficient then the methods bigger research teams are using, but that’s fine with Rose. Her team’s job is simple; investigate the effects of the Remnant on the local Ecology.

Finding the Remnant Blooms was pure luck, but I’ll take it.

Rose eyes the plants again, hmms, then sets down the watering can and strips off the gloves, thoroughly sanitizing her hands just to be sure. She plops down in her chair and opens her Terminal, glancing over her emails and loading the News Feeds she bothers to keep up with.

The only new email she has is from Vorn, the Botanist of the affiliated krogan colony - a confirmation that the Remnant Blooms are a new discovery, so far as he knows, and a request for updates. Easy enough.

HNS is quiet save for new birth and colony anniversary announcements, and that’s fine by her; haven’t had to face a Kett yet, and here’s hoping I never do. Though so long as it’s not them, I should… be okay.

That thought hangs on for a moment, makes her flinch, before she physically shakes herself, loading the last news feed and sighing.

Meridian’s still not open to new colonists. Rose leans back in her chair, squinting at the bulletin, I understand they want to explore the majority of the planet before Pathfinder Ryder declares it safe, but c’mon! It’s been almost three years.

Three years since the Hyperion had become a Port on the planet, anyways - it’s only been eight months since Rose was brought out of stasis, along with her teammates.

Ah, well. Maybe eventually. Rose sighs again, eyeing her sketchbooks for a moment before grinning and grabbing the top one, Okay, before I get too distracted - gotta sketch out the new Blooms.

She pauses when she reaches for her pencil and accidentally brushes the music player, staring at it for a long moment. I could listen to one of those logs. She thinks, chewing on her lip, I mean, that is why I brought that with me… sure.

Rose bumps her knuckle against the on switch, scrolling to the last playlist and selecting the first recording - tapping play before she can chicken out.

“Hey, Rosie!” her twin’s voice greets cheerfully as she settles in to draw, already sketching the shape of the full Bloom, “Just heard the news - a Botanist! That sounds so interesting! And not at all what Mom and Dad want, I bet - don’t worry, I’ll handle them.”

Rose snorts, lips quirked as she draws - the Elaaden Bloom’s petals are thinner but longer, probably from the lack of rain - eyes glued to the sketchbook even as her ears are focused entirely on the voice.

“Can’t all be N7’s, right? Need some scientists! And hey, you got in to both programs - they can’t be mad!” the voice pauses - so typically Lily - before continuing, ever cheerful, “I mean, they’re probably mad, but fuck it, you do what’ll make you happy, Rosie!”

The petals are the same silver black, but Havarl’s have purple and blue veins - Elaaden’s are all silver with hints of gold. Hmm… wonder what causes that difference…

“Anyways, I won’t talk your ear off any longer - but I miss you! I can’t wait till I get a break from N School so I can come visit you guys! Then you can meet Nate!” Lily’s voice goes even higher on the name - her voice was already higher than mine, just a bit, enough to tell us apart if you knew us well enough - before settling back down, still happy and excited, “Take care, Rosie! Let me know the minute you start your new training! Love you lots!”

The recording finishes with a beep nearly insync with Rose’s last line on the sketch, staring down at the finished Bloom for a moment.

“Love you too, sis.” she mumbles quietly, closing the sketchbook and setting it back down on the desk, “Wish you were here.”

“Knock, knock!” the voice and rapping on the door make Rose perk, quickly plastering on a grin as the lock flashes open and her visitor swoops in with a smirk, “Ahah, you are hiding in here, Rose! I’m hurt!”

“Hey, Malee.” Rose laughs when the asari plants herself directly behind the chair, blue arms wrapping around her shoulders and her friend’s chin resting on her head, “I heard you guys arguing - find a new bug?”

“Pft, hardly,” Malee squeezes her again, voice a purr when she says “We were debating whether or not you’d brought that yummy turian home with you. I said no, but Naermi swore she spotted you sneaking him into the lab - so if there is a turian hiding in here somewhere, kudos to you, Rosie.”

“Oh, my Gods, you two were spying on me again.” Rose groans, tilting her head back to glare at the laughing asari, “And somehow I think you have those bets reversed, Mal.”

“Hmph! I do not!”

“Malee bet you’d brought the turian home - I said she was crazy.” the bored voice of their third teammate pipes up from the doorway, a deep sigh present in the otherwise high voice, “Pay up, T’Velis - I told you Rose wouldn’t bring a scav home.”

“He’s not a scav.” Rose can’t help mumbling, but Malee’s too busy whipping around and huffing to notice.

“Dang you salarians, I swear you are no fun.” she hears the asari gripe before typing something on her omni, hmphing again, “He was a very good looking turian, why wouldn’t Rose be interested?”

“How should I know?” Naermi retorts,  “I just assumed she wouldn’t want to bring a dirty scavenger into the house.”

“He’s not a scavenger.” Rose says again - louder this time - fed up with being the current topic of debate, “Or - not anymore, anyways.”

Two sets of very different eyes are on her then, and Rose slowly spins herself around in the chair, meeting them both head on.

They’re a team of three, but she’s the only botanist - and considering how often the other two argue, she’s glad to be able to run solo on most things. Both of the other women are xenobiologists, but they’re also… very different.

Malee T’Velis is an asari - 40 years old and still a Maiden by asari standards, with blue-purple skin and white markings where a human would have eyebrows. Outgoing, inquisitive, smart and charming - and the best friend she’s ever had, since they’d met as teens on the Citadel.

Naermi Solus is a salarian - 20 years old but probably smarter than either Malee or Rose herself, skin a pale-coralish tone, personality exactly what she’d come to expect from salarians - usually serious, studious, but easily excitable whenever they found a new specimen. She’d only joined them after they’d all ended up on the Nexus - something Rose was honestly grateful for.

Good to have an opposite to Malee.

“Ooooo, Rose knows things.” Malee’s grin says everything about her thoughts, and Rose lifts a hand to stop her.

“Nope, don’t even think about it, Mal. I gave the guy a ride back from the Outskirts because he helped me deal with a couple of scavs. That’s it.”

“You sure? He seemed awfully friendly.”

“That’s it, Mal.”

“See? Waste of time.” Naermi blinks once at them both and then takes her leave, mumbling the entire time.

Malee only grins wider, “Seems strange that someone you don’t know at all would give you a nickname, Rose.”

Oh, fuck. “He was just doing it to be a pain in the ass, Mal; now shoo, I want to sleep-”

“Aw, you tired, Princess?”

“OUT!” Rose grabs her gloves and tosses them at the fleeing asari, her laughter echoing behind her even once the doors closed itself.

She stands and stares at the door for several moments before allowing herself a quiet chuckle, too - running a hand through her hair and glancing back at the biggest frame on her desk, giving a crooked grin.

“Wish you were here, sis.” Rose laughs, the sound going quiet, “You’d have loved this.”

 The next morning finds Rose heading for her Nomad and stopping dead in surprise, wondering if she’s pissed off some sort of Heleus God. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Rainer pauses in examining his talons to glance up at her, mandibles quirked out in what she can clearly read as amusement. “Mornin’, Princess. Figured Ah’d catch ya eventually if Ah waited by yer toy long enough.”

“Don’t call me that.” Rose grits out, glancing around - fuck, Malee better not be hiding somewhere… oh, Gods, she’s probably up in the bunk with binoculars- “Are you here for a reason or just to annoy the hell out of me?”

“Well, mostly ta annoy ya, if Ah’m being honest.” Rainer purrs, pushing away from the Nomad to pace closer - and it takes every single ounce of Marine training she’d ever had to not take a step back, “But also ta offer a hand. Ya headin’ out ta more Remnant Sites t’day?”

Rose does take a step back then, but only so she can tilt her head back and give him a proper suspicious glare, “Maybe… why do you care?”

“As it happens, Ah’ve got no jobs for th’moment - and thanks t’ya, Ah cornered those idiot scavs yesterday. So.” Rainer shifts his stance, mandibles twitching, “Thought Ah’d offer t’play lookout again. Just this once - and Ah’ll even pay attention this time.”

Rose can’t even help a startled burst of laughter, shaking her head, “Aw, you worried about the poor wittle human, Rainer? I can handle myself, bud - but, if you’re that bored, I guess you can come with me. Just this once. Deal?”

“Deal.” the turian steps back, voice dripping with sarcasm as he sweeps his arm out towards the Nomad and bows, “After you, Princess.”

“Fucking jerk.” Rose snarls back, stomping past the laughing turian and yanking the door of the vehicle open, “Oi, you coming or not, jackass?!”

“Aye, aye, Princess.”

Ohhh, I’m going to kill him.