BtVS: Undeniably Human (M, Xander, Summer Cold)

[Mercury]

Undeniably Human

“I thought people only got colds in winter.”

“Well, they dod’t.”

“But then why are they called ‘colds’.”

“Because they bake you feel cohhhh...Hecshh! Ecshhh! Heschh!... cold.”

“Well, I don’t know how. It’s all hot and horrible in here.”

Xander rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. He was shivering, but the heat from trying to bundle up under covers made his head stuffy and the rest of him feel nauseated. He’d decided that he would much rather remain cold and goosebumpy with a dripping nose than the warmer alternative. Still, some chicken soup wouldn’t have gone astray, or hot chocolate. Hot chocolate would be nice, but he didn’t want to ask Anya to do it, she’d likely burn the basement down.

“You dod’t have to be here.”

“I’m your girlfriend. I’m supposed to be with you when you’re sick. To take care of you. Etc.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, appreciating the gesture but almost giggling at the ridiculousness of it. Anya had no idea what it was like to be sick, or how to care for someone who had a cold. She had already tried to put a cold compress to his forehead and he had gently explained that it’s for fevers, not colds, and that the two were not the same.

“Utchhh! Hchttt! Utchhh!” Xander sprayed the sneezed across to the side, the mist settling on the sheets of his fold-out bed. However, he started coughing and clamped a hand over his mouth as he doubled over, his lungs convulsing.

“Stop that,” Anya commanded from her standing position, “Its sound is unpleasant.”

“I cad’t, it’s just whad sigk people do. They sdeeze, they cough, they sobtibes vobit.”

“Eww, don’t do that!”

“I wod’t, Ahd, it’s just a cold.”

“... Then I suppose I can handle the sneezing and coughing. Just keep the other body fluids to yourself.”

“I will, I probise.”

He pulled one of his pillows into his lap and hugged it, feeling sick and pathetic and he slumped down. He wanted his friends, but he didn’t want to seem too... human. They all had their lives going on, and he would feel stupid if he called them like a child wanting to be picked up from school early. He also knew he could be particularly grumpy when he was sick. Willow could tolletarte him in such a state, but he knew that by the end of it she would be yelling or crying at him.

Still, Xander never really liked being alone while he was sick, but it was embarrassing and he wasn’t sure Anya was human enough to be of much comfort. She was still hovering around the end of the bed, looking at discarded tissues like she wanted to throw them out but thought that touching them would result in instant death.

Of all people, he decided, he didn’t want to drive her away with his grumpiness.

“Go hobe, Ahdya.”

“No.”

Xander groaned, which triggered another bough of coughs which he smothered into the top of the pillow he was clutching.

“I’m your girlfriend and I’m supposed to be here with you.” Anya repeated.

“Dow, you do’t.” He reached for the kleenex box, but had to turn to the opposite side, away from the ex-demon , before he could pull any of the tissues from it. “Icsshhh! Ustchh! Icsshhh!” He claimed a tissue and blew his nose, loud and wet, before throwing it tissue down onto the floor.

“Xander you’re my boyfriend and you’re not supposed to be alone when you’re sick.”

He shook his head, but appreciated the turn of phrase. She wasn’t doing it because she felt obligated, but because she cared about him and Xander knew it was a big step for her and probably something hard for Anya to admit to.

He felt himself melt a little and he muttered and sincere, congested “thank you”, which earned him a sweet smile in return.

“And if you catch this off me,” he continued, “you won’t be alone either.”

Anya’s face fell, but Xander didn’t get to see it as he once again was pitched forward, coughing. He remained curled around the pillow, his body tense as his chest seemed to spasm beyond his control. His throat closed and he had difficulty taking a breath to cough again, but somehow his body managed.

There was a gentle patting on his back and an occasional hand running through his hair.

“... I’m going to go get you a Popsicle, the ice might help.” She said, once he had recovered, “Or if you need heat I could call Giles and he could teach me how to make tea, but I’m still going to have a Popsicle... so if you want one...?”

“Thanks, Ahn, but I don’t know if that’ll help.” He winced at the attempt to talk, the voice having sounded almost as bad as his throat. “Maybe just a glass of hot water?”

“Well, that’s boring.” Anya pouted but turned the leave the basement. “I’ll see if they have any medicine in the bathroom upstairs.”

“I don- Eschhh! Ikttthh! Eschhh!- dod’t deed bedicide.”

“You need something... I won’t tell your parents you’re sick, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

It was, and he gave her another smile before being sent into another fit of coughs. He knew that she had headed up to the main house while his head had been down, and when his chest and throat had released him, Xander let himself fall to the side and curl-up on top of the covers, still hugging the pillow.

His limbs felt heavy and he let his eyes fall shut to the basement heat, small shivers still resonated through his bones, but they didn’t reach the warmth of his skin. He coughed again, letting his body relax into it in an attempt to not strain his throat any more by fighting against it. The barking force squeezed a few tears from his face, and Xander buried it in the pillow, which made his skin flush hot, but he refused to surface until his body had ceased.

When he lifted his head to breathe, he found his nose was completely blocked, as if it had been compacted through his entire skull and he groaned.

“Xander,” Anya returned down the stairs, “all there was were cough drops and this spray thing.”

“I’ll ta’g both.” He lifted his arm up towards her, not moving the rest of his body from its foetal position. She put the meds in his hand and the glass of water next to his fold-out bed as he fumbled with the spray for a moment before he managed to get the cap off.

He supposed he should have sat up before he used it, but he didn’t overly care.

“Hecshh! Ecshhh! Utchhh! Heschh! Hchttt! Hchttt!..ughhh.” he sniffled. “That’s better.”

“That’s better?” Anya asked, incredulously.

“Yeah, I can breathe again.”

“Breathing is good.”

Xander smiled. “I still feel like crap, but yeah. Breathing equals good.” He managed to pull himself up so that he could reach for the glass, which was just the right temperature to soothe his throat but not burn it.

“So... I’m going to catch this, aren’t I? This cold?”

“Probably.”

She clenched and unclenched her fists a few time as she chewed her bottom lip and she came to a decision.

Cautiously, Anya crawled onto the bed next to Xander, not cuddling into him, as it was too warm in the room for that, but being close enough. She rested the tissue box in her lap and took the glass off him so that he could fight with the individually wrapped cough drop and wouldn’t have to put anything down too far away.

“I know I’m not very good at this.” She admitted.

Xander slipped the drop into his mouth then kissed her on the cheek.

“Well, I’m not very good at being sick, so we’ll have to figure it out together.”

[snuffles]

I don't know this at all but it's definitely cute! And the end was just adorable <3

[silentdreamer789]

Lovely! Will there be more with the promised contagion?

[Bruyere]

“Stop that,” Anya commanded from her standing position, “Its sound is unpleasant.”

Haha!

“I know I’m not very good at this.” She admitted.

Xander slipped the drop into his mouth then kissed her on the cheek.

“Well, I’m not very good at being sick, so we’ll have to figure it out together.”

Aww, this was really sweet.

I don't write BtVS fic but Anya always strikes me as one of those characters who is deceptively difficult to write and I thought you did a great job with her here.