The Dress - an Iain de Caestecker Fanfiction

Chapter 12: Convalescence

You look up at Nicky, sitting across the table from you. She's staring, eyes narrowed. You try not to flinch.

"Jacks."

"Go fish."

"Dang it!" You laugh triumphantly as she draws a card. "You're not cheatin'?"

"Would you stop me if I was? Come on, I'm convalescing, just give me this one... And no, I'm not." You were killing time until Iain came back, he texted you an hour ago saying he was bringing dinner. Every night since you'd gotten back, someone had either brought dinner or come over to eat and visit. You were being well cared for. 

"Did he say when he'd be here?" Nicky asks, her stomach growling loudly. 

"Nope, just that it would be soon." Just then, you hear keys at the door and someone seeming to struggle with an armful of bags. You jump up and help as soon as Iain walks in, looking a bit overwhelmed. 

"I hope Chinese is good with you two." The smells waft up to you and your mouth waters,

"You got egg rolls, right?" Nicky calls from the kitchen area where she's setting the table.

"Nick, don't worry about the table, let's sit in here." Iain calls, showing the movie he rented. 

"Trainspotting?" You laugh, he'd been trying to get you to watch it for months, 

"There's no hiding now. You're watching this. And you're gonna like it... Okay I actually can't guarantee that, but I think you will." Nicky brings some dishes into the living area while you grab the drinks, 

"Ooh, Trainspotting!" You hear Nicky say excitedly. She was a fun one to have around, in the past two and a half weeks she has rescued you from yourself so many times. Whenever you looked like you were going into a bout of depression or you were having a particularly rough day of pain that the meds just wouldn't touch, she would make you focus on something else, playing card games or showing you random videos on her phone. Even once setting up a furniture fort in the living room and watching a Firefly marathon with you. You were set for a follow up doctor's appointment in just two days, when you would get your stitches out and be told when you could go back to work, though you weren't entirely sure if you were ready. You had been sent the script for the next episode, and you had been working on it, but you couldn't quite make things stick, certainly not like they used to. Occasionally you would forget something fairly small, like where you set your coffee mug (in the microwave), or your keys (in the freezer), or you would forget to put water in the kettle when you tried to make tea, but the important stuff seemed to stay with you. The worst thing you'd forgotten so far was how to get to the studios where your production's soundstage was. But now your memory block seemed to be working overtime to keep you from retaining your dialogue. The writers had worked your absence into the storyline without anything too terrible happening to your character, but you weren't sure how much longer they could wait for you. 

"Oi, Y/N! Are you trying to hide in the cabinet or something?" Nicky calls, 

"Face it, you're going to have to watch this sooner or later. Might as well be now since it's already starting." Iain teases. You smile and shake your head at them. Being held hostage by Scottish captors, twin siblings no less, had been more than a little amusing. You reemerge from the kitchen with an armful of cold drinks, "Did you get lost?" He asks, helping you set the bottles down. 

"Thinking too hard, so, kind of." You smile, 

"Dangerous territory, that." Nicky jokes, "I'm tellin' you, you'll have more fun if you stop thinkin' so much."

"Yeah, I'm sure." You take your usual seat between the two.

"No, really, I don't think I've ever really seen you cut loose. I've seen you relax, but not get crazy. At least not yet."

"Nick, come on, she hasn't exactly been up for a night on the town lately."

"All I'm saying is—"

"A lot of stuff over the movie, now shush."

"Alright, you two. Calm down." You play referee, trying to quiet them down. "Can we eat yet?"

You all pile your plates high and settle in for the movie. Nicky leans over and whispers, "We're due for a girls night out as soon as your up for it." You smile conspiratorially and discreetly nod your agreement.

As the movie plays, you fill up on Chinese food and Coke, unconsciously snuggling closer to Iain the later it got, and you were half aware that his arm ended up behind your head on the couch.

You actually really did enjoy the movie, and as you said goodnight to Nicky and Iain, you surprise yourself by needing to suppress the sudden impulse to kiss him goodbye. As you're getting ready for bed you hear snippets of a whispered conversation carrying on in the living room,

"Nicky would you drop it already?"

"I'm just saying. I really like her. I don't know why you don't think it could work for you two."

"Because it already didn't. That's not what she wanted."

There was a long pause. "Maybe she forgot."