Big Book Of Xephin One Shots

Untitled (S)

TW: Illness

Xephos considered himself to being too proud and dignified to succumb to being a such thing as ill. Illness wasn't something he did, he had work to do and was far too busy to be taking off time to deal with such a triffle thing.

Yet as he curled under his covers more tightly, physically shaking from feeling so cold despite he could feel sweat running down his forehead, he considered maybe a few hours in bed wouldn't harm the business. Honeydew and Lalna cast a sideways glance at each other. Xephos had never been ill before or if he had powered straight on through it. He had been the one to care for them when they needed tending to when they were ill. Now their friend was ill. Ghastly white with flushed skin but claiming he felt awfully cold. Lalna awkwardly placed a bucket beside Xephos' bed. "Just in case you're sick" Lalna murmured earning himself a half hearted glare which could just be seen from above his covers. Xephos glanced at them through heavy eye lids, they both looked unsure of what to do now. "Go.." he mumbled, speech muffled by the blanket not helping his already weak voice,"I can take care of myself"

"Are you sure?" Honeydew asked shuffling from side to side on his feet,"I'm not sure your employee contract covers the issue of an employee dying" Lalna shook his head indicating it was a bad time to be making jokes. Especially death jokes.

Xephos sighed, a really raspy horrible one,"If you...guys...don't leave. I will...cough over both...of you"

Honeydew snorted,"Charming! No thanks mate, I think we'll leave you then!" Lalna gave Xephos a small smile telling him to shout if he needed anything before trailing after Honeydew, but Xephos knew he could hardly shout for anything. He just felt too weak. Ideally he really wanted to sleep but shivers kept controlling his body and he kept getting hot flushes that made him want to kick the covers off. He highly doubted he could due to his lack of energy. Xephos had even lost the strength to roll his eyes at himself now. He would have sighed at that but his chest hurt. Damn. He simply thought.

Gingerly moving trying to get comfortable he heard the door to the bedroom open again. With his eyes still shut Xephos mumbled painfully,"If you...guys have come...back to tell me...any more..death jokes...I'm gonna vomit...on you now"

Xephos heard a gently chuckle and opened his eyes to see Sjin stood there giving him a small smile,"I wouldn't appreciate being thrown up on"

Xephos actually smiled in response, glad to see the other man,"Hey Sjin" he waved a hand pathetically about gesturing to himself,"I'm...ill"

Sjin nodded,"I heard, Honeydew said you had the flu or something..." He stepped closer and felt his forehead wincing slightly,"You don't look like you're doing too well" Sjin murmured crouching down and running a hand through Xephos' hair gently. Thats when Xephos became conscious of his looks, god, he felt awful and must have looked it. He winced at the thought of what Sjin must be thinking of him. Looking all sweaty and dishevelled.

Xephos groaned trying to hide his face,"Don't look at me" he grumbled,"I must...look awful"

To Xephos' surprise Sjin laughed and pulled the cover away to pet his hair again,"Don't be silly, everyone gets ill and feels awful but don't worry you look the best you can for being so ill"

Xephos didn't have the effort to raise his eyebrows but simply mumbled into his pillow,"So...you think I...look fine?"

"Dashing almost" Sjin replied smoothing back his hair from his face.

Xephos hummed enjoying the feeling of Sjin stroking his hair therapeutically for him,"You're just being...nice"

Sjin grinned in response looking around the room,"Hang on to that thought of what a wonderful person I am" He got up and Xephos could hear him hunting through the chests, shifting the junk accumalating in them from side to side. Obviously Sjin found what he wanted as he heard him go 'ah ha!' and the chest slam shut.

The next thing Xephos felt was a cold damp cloth pressed to his forehead. He breathed out a sigh of relief feeling the heat radiating off of him respond to cooling down. Sjin dabbed along his forehead, down his jaw and even on his neck. Anything to take down his temperature.

"There we go" Sjin murmured sounding cheerful despite the concern clear in his face,"That should bring down those hot flushes" he was about to pull away when Xephos reached out and caught hold of his hand.

"Thank...you Sjin" Xephos mumbled feeling foolish he couldn't take care of himself. Sjin got this look on his face as he took Xephos' hand in his own, he looked as though he was about to say something but despite how Xephos tried to put it off he wheezed and began coughing. Sjin quickly found him a drink of water to sip steadily from and he helped Xephos get more comfortable in his bed.

"You don't...have...to do..this" Xephos tried explaining despite the fact he knew.

Sjin's laugh was refreshing to hear as he began to settle back down into his bed again,"Don't be silly Xephos...what are friends for?"

Xephos nodded, feeling that heavy sleep come over him again, his illness wanting to be slept off. Sjin understood that and stroked his hair again trying to gently coax him off to sleep. Xephos found Sjin's hand and held onto it limply, he could feel Sjin holding on back gently running a thumb across his knuckles caringly.

Xephos found himself drifting to sleep easily, his temperature dropping so he didn't feel so hot or sticky. He didn't mind now that he felt vunerable. At first Xephos thought that being vunerable showed how you couldn't trust anyone if you were weak. However he found himself trusting in Sjin. 

Sjin was here for him and he appreaciated that. Xephos felt a gentle chaste kiss pressed to his forehead with a whisper of "Sleep well" in his ear. Xephos smiled to himself as his eyelids drooped to the sight of Sjin's lovely coloured blue eyes. His last conscious thought before sleep wondering what Sjin was going to say before he coughed, but as Xephos felt a warm content feeling settle in his stomach, he knew whatever it was Sjin didn't need to say it. Xephos knew.

Credit to sponders on tumblr