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mtap-comics · 1 year

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Welcome back to my Bad Things Happen Bingo!

Fandom: My time at Portia

Pairing: Arlo x Female Builder

Summary: Elenya had a really bad week. She was completely exhausted and she just wanted a hug from her favourite person, even if she had to stumble up the hill to the Civil Corps Headquarters to get it.

Word count: 5382

Prompt: Stumbling and Staggering

Author’s note: Can please someone stop my brain? I wanted this to be a cute little story to help me get out of my writers block, maybe 2000 to 3000 words, and now we've got this.

This one is more comfort than hurt, so be prepared to call your dentist when you are done with reading!

Oh, and I read through this like, two times, so if you find any mistakes or something doesn't add up, let me know!

Have fun reading!

Warnings: Mentions Blood, Established Relationship, Elenya is tired, Arlo is a sweetheart

Read on AO3: Link

Safe in his arms

Elenya was tired. Not just tired as in "one night of bad sleep", but tired as in "five hours of sleep in the last five days". Her head was throbbing with a mild migraine and her hands were shaking so badly that she had to decide to end her work day early.

Everything she had tried to build went wrong and when she almost torched her hand trying to weld two steel plates together, she had to admit defeat.

There usually wasn't much that could keep her from working, but even she knew she couldn't work safely in this condition.

The fact that Portia had just been hit by a heat wave didn't help either. The sun was beating down on the residents incessantly, and while that normally didn’t bother her a lot - after all, it was terribly hot in Barnarock all year round - the constant sweating and heat exhausted her even more. Not to mention the headache the bright light was giving her.

God, she really wanted to go back to bed.

But rather than do that, she stumbled up the path to Civil Corps headquarters, her whole being focused on a single goal.

Arlo.

She felt anxious and miserable and just wanted a hug from her boyfriend. As soon as his strong arms wrapped around her body, she always felt better immediately, and that was exactly what she needed right now. Besides, she hoped that maybe she could sleep with him tonight.

After all, the reason she had hardly slept the last few nights was because of terrible nightmares. As soon as she closed her eyes, she was haunted by dark shadows, the sense of danger, and the inexplicable feeling that something bad was about to happen. She couldn't remember the exact dreams after waking up, only the feelings and each time she couldn't go back to sleep.

She had tried to distract herself with work, tried to drive away the anxiety with it, but every night the dreams only got worse.

But maybe she could finally get a good night's sleep when she was in Arlo's arms. Even just being near him made her feel instantly safe, let alone when he held her tightly in his strong arms.

However, if that didn't help either, then she would probably have to turn to Dr. Xu. Her body was so exhausted by now that she was freezing even in the blazing late afternoon sun, her black shorts and red t-shirt not enough to keep her warm.

Which really shouldn't even be possible. Because she could feel the sun on her skin, could feel the heat of it, but it didn’t seem to reach her body. Goosebumps crept up her arms.

She really needed some sleep.

~~~~~~

Elenya was glad that most people were hiding from the heat in their houses, leaving no one to notice her stumbling up the hill like a zombie.

Her leg and arms felt like lead, her feet barely lifting off the ground, and her eyes closed from time to time without her noticing. The walk up to Civil Corps headquarters never felt so hard.

She was just at the height of the large tree short of her goal when suddenly a violent dizziness overcame her and she stumbled to the side. She tried to catch herself on the trunk of the tree, but missed. Instead, her left hand scraped the rough bark and she slammed her shoulder hard against the tree.

Ouch...

Disoriented, she clung to the tree for a moment, the pain in her hand and shoulder a good focus point in the process. She preferred to focus on that rather than the world, which continued to spin around her.

Damn, her body was definitely starting to reach its limits. But she only had a few more steps to go, then she could hopefully finally relax in Arlo's arms.

Elenya didn't know how long she stood there like that, but after a while the dizziness finally subsided and she dared to let go of the tree.

Okay, she can do this. Just one step at a time, that's all.

She stumbled on toward her goal. Her coordination was off and her eyes were threatening to close permanently.

God, she was so tired.

After stumbling against the statue of the flying pigs as well, hitting her right hip quite painfully in the process, she finally stood in front of the large orange doors that would finally lead her to Arlo.

Please let him be there.

Of course, the possibility that he wasn't even at headquarters didn't occur to her until she had struggled up the hill, but it was too late now anyway. If he wasn't there, she would just curl up on the nearest soft surface and cry.

She had no strength left for more.

But luck was on her side, at least in this matter. Cautiously, she opened the door and didn't have to search long before her blurred gaze fell on the familiar shock of red hair. Arlo was sitting at his desk next to the assignment board, his head bent over a document which he was studying intently. He was so engrossed in it that he didn't notice Elenya until her - this time - left hip collided painfully with the corner of the desk as a new wave of dizziness overtook her.

Startled, his head snapped up.

"Elenya! What are you doing here?" Confused and delighted at the same time, his eyes met hers. He slid his chair slightly away from the table, probably to stand up, but Elenya quickly took the chance to step in front of him.

Exhausted, her legs finally gave way under her and she fell onto his lap, her legs straddling his hips.

"Woah, hey, what's wrong?" Alarmed, Arlo's arms wrapped around her shoulders and waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.

Instantly she was flooded with his warmth and she buried her head in his neck, her aching head welcoming the darkness there. Arlo's soothing scent rose to her nose and she finally lost the battle against the tears she had been holding back for days.

They flowed ceaselessly from her eyes and soaked through Arlo's T-shirt.

"Sweetheart?" Concern poured from his every pore, and he tried to push her away from him a little so he could look at her. Quickly, she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and buried her face even more into his neck, hiding from the world.

Please, don't let go!

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?" He wanted to know from her gently but worriedly, but the only thing that left her lips was a sob.

She had reached her limit.

5 days without proper sleep and terrible nightmares, she just couldn't hold it in anymore. And Arlo's strong arms finally gave her the chance to let go.

Her crying got worse and the arms around her waist and shoulders tightened.

"Hey, shh, it's alright. I'm here. You're alright. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here." Gently, Arlo's soothing mantra swept over her, enveloped her, bathed her in the feeling of safety, and slowly her tears dried up.

Having cried out all the pent-up emotions and fear, she slumped even more in Arlo's arms, her exhaustion even greater than before and a steady ache throbbing in her head.

"Everything's going to be alright, sweetheart." A soft kiss was pressed to the mop of her hair and with a sigh she tried to snuggle even closer to Arlo. Would have loved to melt into him and never come back.

He let her rest for a while like this, before he spoke up again.

"Can you please look at me, sweetie?" Arlo's right hand, which had been wrapped around her shoulders until just now, softly came to rest on the part of her cheek that was visible and tried to gently lift her head.

Reluctantly, she complied with his request.

"Hey, there you are." A soft, loving smile played around his lips, but concern quickly took over his gaze the longer he studied her face.

She didn't even want to know what she looked like right now. She'd already been startled this morning when she'd looked in the mirror. Her face had been completely pale, her eyes irritated and red and with deep shadows underneath. How she looked now after crying, she could only imagine.

Gently, Arlo's rough thumb stroked her wet cheek and she leaned into the touch, seeking even more comfort.

"What happened, darling? You don't look well at all. Are you sick?" Concerned, he studied her face, his thumb still gently caressing her cheek.

For a while she just stared back, examining the familiar features of his face, noticing the almost equally dark shadows under his eyes, the slight stubble on his cheeks, the stress crease between his eyes, and guilt spread through her.

Suddenly she remembered why she hadn’t sought him out earlier. Why she had pushed her body to the brink of exhaustion before seeking help from him.

Earlier in the week, after she had the first nightmare, she had asked him if maybe they could do something together. Just relax for a day, maybe go on a picnic or something. Stress might have been the trigger for her bad dreams and a day with Arlo would be the perfect cure for that, but he had just snapped at her that he didn't have time for that now.

Startled and hurt, she had backed away from him then, but those feelings quickly faded as he immediately apologised to her and she noticed the deeply stressed look on his face.

There were several problems he had to take care of at once, and that while Remy was out of action for several days because of his knee. He hadn't told her exactly what it was about and her offer to help had been turned down as well, so she had decided to leave him alone for a few days and, when he finally had some rest, force him to take a day off and do nothing.

And now she had probably interrupted him in the middle of something important.

"I'm sorry..." Her voice was all hoarse from crying, and she had to clear her throat before she could continue speaking. "I didn't mean..." she hiccupped, "I didn't mean to disturb you..."

"Hey, none of that." Gently, he now lifted his second hand to her cheek as well, cupping her face and pressed his forehead softly against hers, keeping her gaze captive. "You could never bother me. You can always come to me, especially when you're not feeling well. Please tell me what's wrong. It hurts me to see you like this." His voice and touch were so tender that new tears came to her eyes.

How had she ever deserved someone like him?

"I'm sorry anyway. It's just... I haven't been able to sleep for five days. Every time I fall asleep, I wake up from a nightmare shortly after and can't go back to sleep after that. I'm just... I'm just so tired." Frustrated, new tears ran down her cheeks, but Arlo immediately wiped them away, leaning his head back as he did so.

"Oh, my poor sweetie. Why didn't you come to me sooner?" The crease between his eyes deepened with concern and uneasily Elenya averted her gaze.

"Well... You've been so busy and stressed this week, I didn't want to take up your limited time too..." She cringed at how small and uncertain her voice sounded. That was just the best way to make Arlo feel guilty, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

And sure enough, when she turned her gaze back to his, she could see his eyes twist with guilt.

"Oh..." His hands, still gently cupping her face, were about to lower, but Elenya quickly grabbed his wrists and stopped him. She needed the comfort of that gentle touch, and at the same time she also wanted to show him that she didn't blame him for anything. He immediately understood what she wanted and got back to cradle her face oh so gently.

"I'm so so so sorry love, for snapping at you like that a few days ago. I never meant for you to feel like you couldn't come to me. I'll always be here for you if you need me, okay? Please don't ever forget that. No matter how busy I am, if you need my help, I'll find a way." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you and I always want you to be okay."

His look was serious but full of love and Elenya felt her cheeks blush.

No matter how many times he said those three words to her, they always made her heart race and fill her with happiness.

"I love you too. And you have nothing to apologise for. I saw how stressed you were and I really just didn't want to bother you. But today..." She wanted to say more, but Arlo's eyes, which had been wandering over her face, suddenly widened with shock as they landed on her left hand, still clutching his wrist.

"Elenya! You're bleeding! What happened?" His hands moved away from her face and carefully he pried hers from his wrist.

Confused, she looked down at her hand, which was now held palm up in Arlo's hand.

Oh, she had forgotten about that already. The tree bark had scraped her hand, after all, and the movement must have reopened the barely closed wounds. Now that her attention was drawn back to it, she also felt the burning again.

"Oh, I got dizzy on the way here, and I stumbled against the tree outside. The bark must have scraped my hand in the process."

"Oh dear, why didn't you say so in the first place? We really need to clean the wounds before they get infected. As bad as this is bleeding, they must be pretty deep. Did you hurt yourself anywhere else?" Concerned, Arlo's gaze darted back and forth between her hand and her eyes.

But at the mention of blood, something entirely different came to her mind.

"Oh no, I hope I didn't bleed all over your shirt!"

She wanted to lean to the side to get a look at his shoulder, but her overtired body didn't play along and a new wave of dizziness overcame her. She tipped to the side more than she wanted to and would have fallen off his lap had Arlo not immediately pulled her back to his chest.

"Hey, careful. Don't hurt yourself more, please." His arms were wrapped tightly around her back again and she let her head fall back against his shoulder, careful not to bring her bloody hand near him this time.

The dizziness wouldn't subside, however, and with a whimper she slumped completely in his lap. The little bit of energy she could muster for their conversation quickly dissipated and what remained was her bone-deep exhaustion.

The arms around her back tightened even more and she could downright feel Arlo's concern.

"I've got you, I'm here. Let me just tend to your hand and then you can lie down, okay?" Worry resonated deep in his voice and she felt bad for causing him more stress, but she only had the strength left to nod in response to his question.

Her head throbbed violently at the motion.

"Okay. Do you think you can stand up? I'd love to carry you, but I'm afraid I can't stand up like this."

"Oh, of course." Her legs felt like jelly, and she wasn't sure they would even carry her anymore, but she couldn't very well stay seated either.

Arlo must have heard her uncertainty in her voice.

"I'll help you, don't worry. Go as slow as you need." His hands moved from her back down to her hips and held her tight. On shaky knees, she managed to get up from his lap with his help and before she knew what was happening, she found herself in his strong arms, one underneath her knees and one behind her back.

He carried her the few steps over to one of the yellow armchairs and set her down carefully in it.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'll just get the first aid kit." Arlo waited until she nodded in understanding and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Looking after him with half-open eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself. Now that she was no longer surrounded by his warmth and security, she started to freeze again and the feeling of anxiety returned.

Fortunately, it really didn't take him long and after only a minute he was kneeling in front of her, the first aid kit lying open beside him.

"Okay, sweetie, can you give me your hand?" Invitingly, he held out his right hand, and she tried to comply with his request, but her hand was shaking so much that she could barely hold it out to him. Quickly, Arlo reached for her hand and gently pulled it toward him, his large hand gently cupping the back of her hand. Even that little bit of skin contact made her feel better.

"Okay, I'll just clean the wounds and then we'll put a clean bandage around your hand. I'm afraid that's going to hurt, but I'm going to go as fast as I can, promise. I don't want them to get infected." Sympathetically, his blue eyes looked up at her and her overtired brain wondered why he was making such a fuss over a scraped hand.

Was he still feeling guilty about not having time for her the last few days?

Whatever it was, she wasn't about to complain. Sure, the cleansing burned terribly in the open wounds, but she hardly noticed. His warm hands were so gentle and careful as he tended to her hand that she hardly perceived anything else. His concerned gaze was fully focused on her, making her feel loved and safe.

Feelings she needed so badly right now to banish the nightmares from her mind.

"There, all done." He lifted her hand up to his lips and pressed a feather-light kiss to her freshly bandaged palm. The warm feeling inside her grew stronger.

"And to get back to my question from earlier, are you hurt anywhere else?" Concerned, his eyes darted over her body, probably searching for other injuries.

She shook her head. "Just a few bruises, I think..." A big yawn escaped her, her eyes drooping and Arlo's eyes softened.

"That's good. Would you like to lie down in my bed for a while now? You need sleep very badly." Arlo straightened back up to his full height and with wide, hopeful eyes she looked up at him.

"Are you coming, too?"

She didn't need to hear his answer. The look of regret that immediately settled on his face at her question told her what she needed to know.

She slumped in disappointment and felt awful about it at the same time. The dark shadows under his eyes and the tired features told her that he hadn't had an easy week either, and she didn't want him to feel bad about her too, but she knew if she lay down alone now, the nightmares would come right back and she couldn't handle that anymore. She would rather stay awake and accept the consequences.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I really need to go through these documents before I can lie down with you. That will take maybe another half hour, an hour at the most. Do you think you can manage that long on your own?" Remorse filled his voice, but she had to shake her head at his question.

The concern in his gaze deepened and for a moment he stared at her thoughtfully until something seemed to occur to him.

"Oh, wait a minute, I have an idea." He quickly cleaned up the first aid kit, took it back to the bathroom, and then went back to his desk where she couldn't see what he was doing. She heard papers rustling and the scrape of the chair on the floor and then he was standing in front of her again.

With eyes shining warmly, he bent down to her and told her to put her arms around his neck. Confused, she complied and with a startled cry she suddenly found herself in the air, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips. Like a monkey, she clung to him, her face buried in his neck as his hands held her hips securely.

What was he planning to do?

"Hold on tight." With those words, Arlo started walking, his steps gentle and seemingly undisturbed by her weight. She knew he was walking toward the desk, even if she couldn't see it, and sure enough, a moment later she found herself in the same position as before. Sitting on his lap, her legs to his left and right.

But this time the chair was much closer to the desk - she could feel the edge in her back when she leaned back - and Arlo could still reach his documents now.

"Oh." Surprised, she looked up at him.

Did that mean she could stay with him without disturbing him?

"So, now I can work and hold you close at the same time. How does that sound?" He lovingly brushed a strand of hair out of her face that had come loose from her ponytail, a gentle smile on his lips, and gratefully she engaged him in a deep kiss.

He returned the kiss without hesitation. His right hand came to rest against her cheek and his left arm, wrapped around her waist, pulled her even closer to him. For a moment, she enjoyed his soft, warm lips on hers before pulling back slightly.

"Thank you, Arlo." Sincere and full of love, she looked deep into his eyes and his gaze softened.

"No need to thank me, sweetheart. Like I said, I'll always find a way to help you. Now you get some rest and I'll go over the rest of these reports, okay?" He pressed another quick, gentle kiss to her lips and then reached for the top paper on his desk.

Elenya watched him for a moment, admiring the way his beautiful blue eyes flitted intently over the lines, but it wasn't long before her own eyes closed on their own and so she complied with his words.

She placed her head back on his shoulder, her face buried deep in his neck, and gave in to her exhaustion. The arm around her waist tightened a bit more and wrapped in his warmth, scent and security and accompanied by soft paper rustling, she dozed off.

~~~~~~

Elenya awoke some short time later to a rough thumb gently caressing her cheek and an equally soft, rumbling voice whose vibrations she could feel in her chest.

Where was she?

With difficulty she roused from her exhausted sleep, completely disoriented, but at least without panic. The familiar smell around her and the strong chest beneath her told her she was safe.

What had happened?

A soft groan escaped her. Her body felt like it was filled with lead instead of blood, her eyes itched uncomfortably, her head throbbed in pain and she would have liked to fall back to sleep. But there was still the voice that spoke softly into her ear and the thumb that caressed her cheek.

She woke up a little more and finally she could understand the words.

"Hey sweetie, sorry to wake you up, but I'm done and we can finally go to bed. But for that you would have to stand up again for a moment so that I can stand up as well. Can you do that for me?"

Stand up?

Her eyes opened with difficulty and with great effort, she managed to lift her head, which until now, she realised, had been leaning against Arlo's shoulder. Warm blue eyes and an apologetic smile greeted her, and for a few seconds she just stared at Arlo.

Her brain struggled to process the words she had just heard, but Arlo didn't rush her and waited patiently for her to be awake enough to carry out his request.

And finally the words made sense and she remembered that she was sitting on his lap, preventing him from getting up.

God, she was way too tired.

But now that she knew what he wanted from her, she nodded and tried to lift herself off his lap. It just wasn't as easy this time, since the desk was right behind her, but as soon as some of her weight was off his legs, Arlo slid back with the chair and she was able to step away from him completely.

Unfortunately, her legs just didn't want to carry her and as soon as Arlo's hands, which had been supporting her hips, let go of her, she stumbled uncontrollably to the side and could only barely hold onto the desk to keep from falling over. Fortunately, she didn't have to hold on for long, though, because shortly after, Arlo was at her side and lifted her back into his arms, bridal style.

"It’s okay, I got you." Startled and worried, his eyes looked down at her and gratefully she let her head fall against his shoulder.

No matter how many times she fell, Arlo was always there to catch her. And she meant that literally. Even before they had gotten together last winter, she had often found herself in his strong arms when her clumsiness caused her to trip over her own feet or she ran into him, completely distracted by her work.

She was so incredibly lucky to have someone like him by her side.

Pressed tightly against his chest, Arlo carried her over to his room. As soon as they stepped through the door, they were greeted by what was normally pleasantly cool air, but right now was far too cold for her. A shiver ran through her body and goosebumps spread on her arms and seeking warmth, she curled even more against Arlo.

Who, of course, noticed this immediately and a worried frown appeared between his eyes.

"Are you cold?"

She nodded, ashamed. It was terribly hot outside and everyone probably wished they had a room like Arlo's that was built against a ruin so it was always nice and cool in the summer, and here she was, wishing she had something warmer to wear.

"Then it's time we got you to bed. I'll just see if I have something more comfortable for you to wear, okay?" Gently, he set her down on his bed and then, to her bewilderment, disappeared from the room again.

The soft mattress and cosy blanket invited her to just lie down, but she resisted the urge. She only had to hold out for a few more minutes, then she could lie down.

She could do that.

Arlo came back quickly, with a glass of water in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other.

"Here, you should really drink something. I don't want you to get dehydrated too." With these words he handed her the glass and with trembling hands she reached for it. She had to hold it with both hands to keep from dropping it, her left hand stinging lightly at the movement and then gratefully drained the glass completely. She hadn't even noticed how dry her throat was.

"Very nice." Arlo took the glass from her again, set it down on the shelf above his bed and then held out the first piece of clothing to her. "Here, Sam always has some spare clothes here, I'm sure she won't mind if you borrow one of her shorts for a night. And then I brought you this one too." He held the second item of clothing out to her and her eyes lit up.

He had brought her his grey sweater!

She loved that one. It was all soft and warm and always smelled wonderful after him, as he loved wearing it as much as she did.

"Thought you'd be happy about that." He chuckled fondly and handed her the comfortable clothes and set about putting on something else as well.

Unfortunately, her heavy arms wouldn't cooperate and she couldn't even manage to take off her current t-shirt. She grumbled in frustration and looked over at Arlo for help.

"Arlo?" God, her voice was hoarse.

"Yes, darling?" He was just pulling his own shirt over his head and she got the pleasure of watching his back, muscles working as he searched in his closet for a new shirt. She couldn't help but stare.

This was definitely a sight she would never get sick of.

"Sweetheart?" Questioningly, Arlo turned to her after she failed to answer, and sheepishly, she looked to the side.

"I... I need help."

God, she felt so helpless. She couldn't even change herself anymore.

Arlo's gaze softened.

"Of course." Without putting on a new shirt, he came back over to her and bent down to grab the hem of her t-shirt. Effortlessly, he pulled it over her head and then gently helped her free her arms from it. As soon as her upper body was free, goosebumps covered her and she shivered slightly.

Arlo quickly rubbed his wonderfully warm hands over her upper arms to chase away the goosebumps, looking at her questioningly.

"The bra too?"

She nodded. She hated sleeping in a bra.

"Okay." Arlo bent his knees a little more so he was more at her level, then reached behind her back to work on the clasp of her bra.

With that, his now bare chest was right in front of her face, and she felt the warmth radiating from him, drawing her in. She would have liked to touch him, to trace the long scar that ran from his left shoulder down to his chest, ending just above his heart, as she had done so many times before, but as it was, she couldn't even lift her arms to change. So she was content to lean forward a bit and press her cheek against his warm skin.

A happy sigh escaped her. The skin to skin contact felt wonderful and she could hear the calm, strong heartbeat of him. A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest, filling her with warmth, and he let her stay there for a moment, even though her bra had long since come undone.

"Feels good?" A fond laugh resonated in his voice and she hummed contentedly.

The heartbeat beneath her ear soothed her and her eyes fell closed. She could have fallen asleep sitting right here, but a large hand came to cup her cheek and pull her away from the strong, warm chest.

She whined in protest.

Another warm laugh rang out.

"I'm sorry, darling, we can go right back to cuddling as soon as we get you changed. Come on, we're almost done." Arlo managed to dress her in his sweater and change her pants, but how, she couldn't say.

Her body was getting heavier and her uncoordinated movements were probably more of a hindrance than a help, but then he was finally satisfied and tucked her under the covers. She heard the rustle of clothes, the light was turned off, and then Arlo finally slipped into bed beside her.

Strong arms pulled her on top of him and surprised she realised that he hadn't put on a new shirt and she was now lying on his bare chest, her ear pressed back against the same place it had been a moment ago. Her body relaxed completely and with the last of her strength she turned her head to press a soft kiss to his scar.

"Sleep well, my sweet little builder. I'll watch over you." A long, firm kiss on her mop of hair was the last thing she felt before she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, Arlo's arms wrapped protectively around her.

And when the shadows tried to haunt her again, there were strong arms and a gentle voice that drove them away and what remained was the feeling of warmth and safety.

#bad things happen bingo #bad things happen bingo: stumbling and staggering #my time at portia #mtap #mtap arlo #my time at portia arlo #mtap builder #mtap female builder #matp builder Elenya #arlo my love #blood #hurt/comfort #lots of comfort

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