Charles groaned, feeling a weight on his chest that he didn't remember being there last night.
It had been a couple of weeks since Symphony had caught a cold, and she was over it now... But now Charles had caught it, and so found himself stuck in bed with Symphony.
And that... Was the weight on his chest.
Symphony had gotten cold in the night, and had decided that Charles wouldn't mind waking up with an arctic fox curled up on his chest.
"Could just use a blanket." Charles whispered gently, reaching a hand up to stroke Symphony's fur, smoothing it down from being restless in the night.
Symphony slowly uncurled herself and sleepily laid her head so that she could tiredly blink at Charles, mismatched eyes only half open.
Charles chuckled and scratched her ears, earning a wide but happy yawn as a small pleased rumbling came from Symphony's throat.
Until Charles stopped and turned away to cover a sneeze. "This is one nasty cold..." He groaned, coughing a little. "Symphony, you have my sympathies." He sighed.
Symphony rolled off his chest and transformed into her human form, stretched out beside him, cupping her chin in her hands as she leaned on her elbows. "You did that on purpose didn't you?" She asked, referring to the word play Charles had done.
Charles grinned, and Symphony rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Knew it." She laughed.
"Come in Hank." Charles called, looking towards the door, which quickly opened to show their blue friend.
"Just coming in to check on the both of you." Hank told them, coming into the room with a needle. "And for a bit more blood from Symphony."
Symphony groaned. "Don't you already have like, three whole quarts of it in the lab?" She asked, curling up against Charles' side in an attempt at hiding.
Charles chuckled and wrapped an arm around her as Hank came closer with his needle. "He used it all." He teased, making Symphony groan more.
"You've taken enough blood in the past few weeks Hank, that I'm surprised there isn't a clone of me walking around the mansion!" Symphony complained, making both men laugh.
"Close your eyes." Hank nodded, reaching the bedside.
Symphony closed her eyes, and held her breath, turning her head away from Hank as she felt the prick of the needle.
"How far along is that serum Hank?" Charles asked.
Hank smiled and finished taking Symphony's blood. "I think I almost have it. Before, it would help her and then leave her powers slightly enhanced, but I think if I can create it so that it's engineered specifically to her genetics, that we can make it work properly." He explained. "You're done Symphony."
Symphony released the breath she was holding, and opened her eyes, finding herself too comfortable, curled up cuddling beside Charles, to move.
"How are you feeling?" Hank asked, looking over at Charles.
Charles simply shrugged with a smile. "Like I have a cold." He answered.
Hank chuckled and shook his head. "That's to be expected. Symphony, I need to know how you feel too." He informed the Professor's wife.
Symphony sighed. "Bored... But otherwise fine." She answered before yawning.
"I think you're a little cuddly too." Charles commented, realizing that she still hadn't moved.
Hank grinned at the two, and carefully reached out to take Symphony's pulse. "Heart rate's normal... Temperature seems fine."
Symphony looked up hopefully, and Hank didn't even have to be a telepath to know what she was thinking.
"No, you're not getting out of bed Symphony. You are staying put, just like Charles." Hank grunted seriously, earning puppy eyes from the fox that now sat before him.
Hank just shook his head and stood up. "Try to get some rest, both of you." He said as he left the room.
Symphony growled. I've had enough of resting. I'm tired of resting. I want out of this bed. I want out of this room. I want outside! She complained. I'm tired of being stuck in here.
Charles smiled and pulled his fox back towards him, wrapping his arms gently around her. "I know Symphony. I'm sure Hank will figure out the serum soon, and you'll be out of here in no time. I promise." He told her.
Symphony sighed and licked her lips. The sooner the better. She answered irritably. I'm hungry. She then realized.
Charles chuckled. "I know."
Symphony whined, and Charles scratched her ears gently. "You get grumpy when you're hungry." He commented, earning a gentle swat with a fox paw from Symphony.
"Here." He sighed, reaching over to open a drawer in his bedside table.
Symphony sat up and put a paw one Charles' free arm as he brought out a box of treats. "Don't tell Hank I gave you one first thing in the morning." Charles chuckled, pulling a treat out.
Symphony just took the treat gratefully and started chowing down on it, her tail flicking happily.
*****
Charles sighed, looking down at Symphony.
It was now mid afternoon, and they'd spent the whole day just laying there.
Symphony was still incredibly bored, and had even suggested playing a card game, but then realized they'd both have to sneak out of bed in order to get any games.
"We could just get Hank to bring us something to do." Charles suggested.
Symphony shook her head sleepily. "The less we interrupt him, the faster he'll work, and the sooner I'll be out of bed." She reasoned, stretching her arms a little, along with her legs.
Charles smiled and shifted a little so that he was on his side, giving him a better angle to kiss Symphony from.
Symphony curled up and closed her eyes, bored enough that she was falling asleep.
Charles brushed her hair out of her face with a chuckle, and simply watched as Symphony drifted back into a restless sleep, still as cuddly as she had been earlier in the morning.
Hank tapped on the doorway quietly, just enough to get Charles' attention.
Charles looked up and caught Hank's eyes hopefully.
Hank nodded and smiled, holding up a needle. "Already tested it. It works." He whispered.
Charles grinned. "She's going to be very happy to hear that." He answered, noticing Symphony's ears twitching at some unknown sound as she slept peacefully, her tail and feet twitching infrequently.
Hank nodded and smiled. "Let's tell her once she's awake. For now let's let her sleep." Charles muttered.
Symphony yawned as her fingers and toes stretched out, cracking.
Charles chuckled. "She looks so innocent and peaceful when she's sleeping." He sighed, making Hank smile.
"And she's not innocent and peaceful during the day?" Hank teased.
Charles smirked. "Peaceful? Her? During the day? Hank, you live here, you know the answer." He laughed.
Hank laughed as well, and shook his head. "I'll go get a start on dinner. Don't forget to take your medication Charles." He reminded, noticing that Charles had yet to take his cold medication.
Charles wrinkled his nose disgustedly as Hank left, and then glanced at the little white pill. "No thank you." He muttered, turning back over and closing his eyes to take a nap for himself.
It wasn't long after though, that he was awakened by a fox tail draped over his side and tickling his arm, making Charles realize that Symphony had turned over.
Cracking open an eye, he grinned at the sight of the small bump on her stomach.
Things were going to be just fine, and Hank was helping to make sure of that. The time could only go by smoothly, as far as Charles was concerned in that moment, and Symphony would still be as amazing as before, if not more so with a child to raise.
All Charles could be, was happy, whether he had a cold or not.
Symphony sighed, and flicked her tail a little, smiling gently with her eyes shut, fully aware that Charles was watching her "sleep."
She wouldn't take that moment from him, no matter how badly she wanted to change forms and start bouncing around playfully.
"I know you're awake." Charles chuckled, making Symphony smile more, still keeping her eyes shut.
"I know you know... Telepath." Symphony teased lightly, stretching out with another yawn, her back, neck, and knees popping as she rolled over.
Charles shook his head.
No matter how frequently her joints cracked, he would never get used to it. It just wasn't normal, and it bothered him when he heard several snaps coming from his wife's bones first thing in the morning. It had bothered him for the whole eleven years that he'd known her, and today was no different, even though he knew it would only get worse over the next seven months.
Suddenly Charles' eyes widened as he looked over at Symphony in worry. "You're not going to get weird cravings in the middle of the night and make any of us fetch them for you, are you?" He asked.
Symphony looked at him oddly. "We won't know until I reach that stage." She frowned. "Don't worry about it yet. You've got a cold, and we've got a while yet until then. Don't make yourself even sicker." She scolded.
Charles just chuckled and nodded, hoping Symphony wouldn't notice that he still hadn't taken his medicine.
But too late he realized that she had been reading his mind.
"Oops." He groaned as Symphony grinned and leaned over him to snatch up the pill.
"Take it." Symphony commanded, crossing her legs in front of him.
Charles sighed and did as he was told, before remembering what Hank had told him.
"Hank finished the serum, and already tested it. It works Symphony, and it's ready for whenever you're ready." He told her.
Symphony didn't have to be told twice! As soon as Charles was finished speaking, she was already out the door and on her way to Hank's lab.
Charles laughed and slowly got out of bed, and into his wheelchair, rolling in the direction he could now hear fox claws tapping against the floor as Symphony practically leaped down the hall, and down the stairs, too excited to sit patiently for the elevator.
But Charles had to wait, and when he finally made it to the lab, he was met by a happy fox, chasing her tail around out in the hall as Hank stood in the doorway of his lab, watching amusedly.
Charles laughed at the sight, and shook his head as he watched his wife's shenanigans. "What's going on here?" He asked.
Hank looked up and shrugged his shoulders. "I assume she's a bit over excited. She came down here and I gave her the first injection and she started chasing her tail after it flipped a couple times!" He laughed.
The two men watched with humour as Symphony continued chasing her tail until she paused and wobbled, shaking herself before she leaped into Charles' lap.
"It's good to see you so happy!" Charles chuckled, stroking his wife's white fur.
Suddenly Symphony yipped, a slight trilling chirping sound coming straight from her lungs. Charles grinned at it and then looked over at Hank.
"What kind of sound was that?" He asked.
Hank thought for a moment. "I think that's the sound foxes make when communicating with their mates." He finally suggested, trying to remember what Symphony had taught him.
The white fox dipped her head in confirmation, agreeing with what Hank had said.
Charles just nodded and smiled, hugging the fox close. "My sweet Symphony." He whispered possessively, making Symphony's tail wag happily.