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"One hundred and two point two."
Fox said as she looked at the thermometer in her hands.
An exhausted and undone Owen was watching her blearily; everything looked already foggy enough without his glasses, but the fever and headache were certainly not helping.
"It's official, Owen: you've come down with the flu." She said with an apologetic expression. "I told you to not stay too close to Alex last week. Children are experts in passing germs and illnesses."
Not that baby Alexander did that on purpose, obviously.
"He was sick. He kept crying and shivering." Owen replied, hoarsely.
"I know. That's why I told you to leave it to me; if I get sick, it's not a big deal: I have much more endurance, since I already got the flu in the past. You on the other end..."
"I never fell sick in all my existence." He sniffed and reached for a Kleenex.
Fox couldn't help the smile forming on her lips: she was feeling a mixture of tenderness and pity,with a pinch of amusement. It wasn't often (quite rare, in fact) to see Owen in such a state. His eyes, usually clear and focused, were now glossy and puffy. His nose was red for all the times he had to blow it and his poor voice was as raspy as a piece of sandpaper.
"You need to stay in bed. For a few days, at least." The woman declared while tucking the blankets better around him.
He scowled at her.
"Don't look at me like that, mister, I warned you to let me handle Alex."
Owen sighed and relaxed a little. "Where is Mr. Xanatos?"
"He's feeding Alex. Hopefully he won't be covered in mush this time, but I wouldn't count on it." Fox chuckled. "Either me or David will be back in a couple of hours to check on you. Ring the bell if you need anything."
A small, silver bell was sitting on his bedside table and he glared at it like it was something disgusting.
"Owen, I mean it. Ring the bell if you need anything. Is it clear?"
"Yes madam, but I assure you-" He tried to sound professional, but failed as a sudden cough interrupted him. She handed him a glass of fresh water.
"Don't feel ashamed. Since you became fully human, you had to expect things like these would happen."
Owen drank the water, using it as an excuse to not comment on what Fox just said: not even two months had passed since he became a mortal, and it was already making his life hell. When he could still use his powers, he was able to heal and cure himself whenever not seen, avoiding to break his pact with Mr. Xanatos.
He lied back down, feeling the need to close his eyes, and then he was fast asleep.
"Out as a light." She murmured before leaving the room quietly.
Two hours later Owen woke up, covered in sweat. He was glad that the paracetamol was being effective, but now he needed to change his pajamas and bedsheets. The blond glanced at the bell for a moment: no, he didn't need help for this, he decided. He may be a human, but he was still an adult.
Owen stepped out of bed and immediately regretted it once he realized how truly weak he was: his head was spinning and his knees weren't able to sustain his weight, inevitably letting him fall on the floor. He groaned and tried to stubbornly crawl towards the bathroom, when he heard the door open.
"May I ask what are you doing exactly?" It was Xanatos.
Owen clenched his jaw, mentally cursing himself for letting his employer see him in such an embarrassing moment.
"I'm trying to get to the bathroom, sir."
"Oh, good. I thought you were doing military exercises." David shrugged, leaving the tray he was carrying momentarily on the dresser.
"Here, let me help you." He carefully took Owen from under his arms and slowly stood him up, still holding him to make sure he didn't fall again. "Owen, didn't Fox give you a small silver bell? Like the one you have there?"
Xanatos was joking of course, but Owen blushed nonetheless, convinced that his boss was disappointed with him.
"Apologies, sir, it won't happen again."
"I hope so. Otherwise I'll have to put a camera and Alex's baby monitor in your room." He smirked when he saw Owen become even redder.
Xanatos loved to see him like this, but in other, more pleasant, situations. "Let's go: I'll prepare you a warm bath and change your bedsheets."
"Sir, there is no need-"
"Yes there is. Come on."
They slowly made their way inside the bathroom; David filled the tub with warm water and put a few drops of mint scented bubble bath.
"It will help you relax."
"I'm already very relaxed, sir." Owen remarked with a touch of annoyance.
"I can see that..." Xanatos rolled his eyes. "Do you need help to remove your clothes?"
"I think I can manage."
"Good. I'll change the sheets, then. Be careful in getting into the bathtub, okay?" David recommended softly before leaving his lover alone.
It seemed that Owen still had troubles calling him by his first name, but Xanatos didn't mind. A few minutes later and the bed was clean and dry again; Owen felt much better after the bath, and almost fell asleep, cuddled by the warm water and sweet scent. David helped him out and wrapped a big towel around him.
"Sir, please, I'm perfectly capable of drying myself..."
"I'm almost done."
Owen narrowed his eyes and yanked the towel away from David's hands.
"I SAID I CAN DO THIS ALONE!"
There was silence for a moment. Owen was fuming with indignity and Xanatos was taken aback by his sudden reaction; the blond was usually so quiet and composed, and never raised his voice. Well, except when they...
Caught as he was in his thoughts, David barely realized that Owen walked right past him and out of the bathroom. He followed him, still a bit shocked by hearing his lover so furious.
"Owen, wait-"
"I understand that since I have lost my powers and my arm turned into stone, I haven't been considered useful-" Owen snapped heatedly, while sitting on the bed and trying to put on a pair of underwear with one hand, a task he learned to do quite well.
"What are you talking abou-"
"-but there is no need to treat me with pity! I can still be of help! I can still...I can..." He started coughing and his eyes teared up from both the effort and shame.
"Easy there, calm down..."
Xanatos poured some water into the glass and gave it to Owen, while gently patting his back. The blond's fit slowly settled down and he concentrated on breathing and drinking small sips of water.
"I'm useless." He muttered, unable to look at his loved one.
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't have my magic anymore. One of my arms is made of stone. And you are all treating me like..."
"Like someone who's sick and needs help? Owen: taking care of you is not an act of pity, but of affection."
Owen turned his head away, but Xanatos wouldn't have none of that; he gently cupped the other's face and moved it back towards him. Owen was crying, silently.
"I bet it's hard to feel so fragile after being immortal and powerful for so long."
The blond nodded.
"It's not easy being human. Trust me, I know...inside my family, I'm the only human. My wife is half fae, my son has magic and you are still Puck. How do you think I felt when I found out all of this?"
David smiled sweetly, wiping away some tears with his thumbs.
"I feel the weight of time and mortality on my shoulders every day. I know I could die any moment, even for something stupid-"
"Don't say that, that's horrible."
"That's mortality." Xanatos sighed. "At first I was obsessed in finding a way to live forever. Now...I don't think I care so much. Because I have gained something better."
"Like what?"
"A family that loves me for who I am." Xanatos was feeling his own eyes starting to fill up with tears, but he blinked them away.
"My father...never accepted me as I was. My mother died when I was very young. I didn't have many friends at school...and when I became rich, I was surrounded by false people who were only interested in my money. I decided to close up my feelings for good...it was easier to protect myself from getting hurt." He shifted closer to Owen, his hands moving on the fair man's shoulders. "But then you arrived, and then Fox, and then Alex, barging in my life like a hurricane and suddenly I realized that I didn't need to protect my feelings anymore. For you loved me for everything I was, not for something you wanted me to be. And believe me, that is a miracle."
They were both crying now, silent tears rolling down their cheeks. "So don't you ever say again that you're useless, Owen, because you saved me. You are still saving me. You, Fox and my sweet Alexander...you are a lighthouse for me when I am lost in the sea of life."
They hugged, Owen unashamedly sobbing into David's broad shoulder, who started kissing his light hair tenderly.
And Owen thought that feeling fragile wasn't so bad after all.
Fox wondered where her husband had disappeared to; he had to check on Owen an hour ago, but was nowhere to be found. Maybe he was still there? She took baby Alex in her arms, who gurgled happily and bounced excitedly when his mother picked him up.
"Let's go find daddy, honey." Fox grinned at her child and walked into the hallway, up a flight of stairs and turned left. She knocked at the wooden door but no one answered.
"Owen? Have you seen..." The redhead blinked and stopped in her tracks after entering: both men were cuddled under the blankets, with David holding Owen in his arms and both wrapped in a blissful sleep. She smiled softly and carefully stepped out of the bedroom.
"Nap?" Alex said, tilting his head. He was starting to say a few words already, and she couldn't be more proud of their son's intelligence.
"Yes Alex, daddy and Owen are having a nap. Let's go back downstairs and let them rest, mh?"
Why did she have the feeling that the next one to fall sick would've been David?