Work Text:
Normally Dan Heng’s Wednesdays consisted of working from home and resting, while waiting for his boyfriend to come back from work but today was different.
It was about an hour or so since Anaxa had left for work when Dan Heng’s phone was blowing up with many missed calls and messages from Anaxa’s co-worker Hyacine (honestly the two acted more like siblings than co-workers), while he was steeping some imported tea from the Xianzhou Loufu on his stove since it was a snowy day.
He checked his many voicemails and texts from Hyacine reading something amongst the lines of ‘Dannie, Anaxa is pushing himself again’ before sighing whilst his tail swished in a upset manner, and cutting off the stove, grabbing his car keys and putting his coat over his pajamas and picking up some pocket warms for when he picks Anaxa up, knowing he tended to get cold easily, especially during the winter.
He was glad Anaxa had Hyacine to look over him when he couldn’t.
He used to push his physical limits often (which he still does unfortunately, though not as frequently), until he and Hyacine learned of his condition and took it upon themselves to help him get rid of the self destructive habit.
Once Dan Heng arrived at the campus where Anaxa worked at, he was met with a familiar pink-haired girl with curled pigtails and aquamarine eyes that sparkled in a red pleated peacoat.
”Thanks for arriving quick Dannie!” She said.
”No problem Hyacine. After all I care for him too.” He replied.
Hyacine smiles, letting out a small-relieved sigh at his words.
Soon the two had begun making their way into the building where Anaxa’s lectures were held.
***
“A-And, t-this is the rea—! Achoo !” Anaxa was barley able to get through his first class without the constant interruption of sneezing and his teaching assistant in the back of the class staring at him intensely as she lifted up her phone to probably call in a substitute for his class.
A shy looking lilac haired girl raises her hand.
“Yes Castorice..?” He asks sounding as if he were exhausted from running a marathon.
The girl hesitates as she asks her question, “Are you alright? You don’t look very well.”
Anaxa turns to glare at her for a moment before sighing and turning back to the board, “Don’t asks stupid questions Castorice, of course I am.”
If it weren’t for the noticeable shivers and the nasally sound of his voice he’d be sure he sounded reassuring enough to get his students off his back.
As he resumes the lesson with the occasional interruption of coughing or a sneeze he feels himself getting lightheaded and begins to lean himself against the board.
It seems he wasn’t subtle enough since another one of students was watching him, keeping a close eye on him as if he were some kind of helpless child.
”Mydeimos.” He calls out sounding irritated.
”Yes Professor Anaxagoras?” The blonde with faded red tips asks.
“Keep your eyes on your work.” His nose scrunches in noticeable irritation.
“HKS…” he mutters, his eyes turning back to his notes.
These idiots.
Just as he thinks he’d be able to have a interruption free lecture he begins hacking his lungs out. (He honestly just wanted to go home a curl up in his bed that was covered with many dromas plushies in his dromas onesie next to half-dromas boyfriend).
”Professor!” His second(Cipher was always first) most annoying student called out.
Those sky-blue eyes that were piercing Anaxa were obnoxiously good at guilt-tripping him (though it was probably just that he had a soft spot for those three).
“Tch…what is it Phainon.” He asks trying to sound snappy.
”Uhm…I know you already said to stop pestering you about your health but you don’t seem peachy.”
Anaxa just gave him a very sharp glance as he casually said “ten point deduction” (he wasn’t actually going to deduct points, it was just to stir some panic in the man).
”Wh-what!?” He asks with all the color draining from his face.
Anaxa felt slightly better hearing him sounding distressed over his grades rather than his health, and continued the lesson.
***
Anaxa knew something was off when Hyacine left early.
She never left early and if she did she’d inform him.
Soon enough he found the lightheadedness coming back to him, this time with a aching pain that made it feel like his head was swelling.
Just as he thought everything couldn’t get any worse his already stuffy and runny nose had suddenly gotten even worse and begun shivering.
Anaxa sat down in his chair ignoring the concerned looks his student were giving him.
Miraculously Hyacine had returned and didn’t hesitate to lead him out of class and call in his other co-worker Cerces to take over his class for the next few days.
As he was being leaded out he was shocked to see that Hyacine had contacted his boyfriend to pick him up instead of her driving him home.
”Dan Heng?” He said, his posture noticeably easing as Dan Heng embraced him.
Dan Heng held his hand, frowning as he felt how cold his hands felt—taking out the hand warmers he had take while he was on his way to pick him up.
Anaxa felt his already hot face flush at the menial act of service.
”…Thank you”
”Let’s go home.” Dan Heng says placing a hand on his shoulder as the two walked out.
“Bye-Bye Dannie and Naxa, take care!” Hyacine said, handing Dan Heng a list of tips to help Anaxa recover as she skipped her way back to class.
***
As they walked out, a cold breeze blew making a shiver run down his spine.
Dan Heng pulled to him closer to him.
”You’re cold.”
”An astute observation my dear.” He said sarcastically.
“Let’s hurry up to the car, you’ll be warmer in there.”
“I couldn’t agree any more.” He chuckled as he placed a kiss on his cheek causing Dan Heng’s draconic tail to sway whilst he tried to maintain a nonchalant face.
***
As the door swung open Dan Heng kicked off his snow-ridden shoes an coat and slips on house slippers, while Anaxa didn’t even bother and just plopped himself on their coach with snow still on his coat in his teaching clothes.
Dan Heng goes to take the coat and shoes off him before ordering some takeout and grabbing some medication and a thermometer from their bathroom.
“I ordered some take out from Jiaoqiu’s restaurant, it’ll be here soon. In the meanwhile I’ll start a bath.” He says as he shoved the thermometer into Anaxa’s mouth and was served a cup of tea (it frankly felt absurd to him that he never once got frustrated at him for all the times he got sick out of his own negligence of his health).
”Tsk..you’re too good for me.” He murmured hoping he didn’t hear.
Alas he did in fact hear it, nothing escaped his ears after all.
“I’m not. I’m simply doing what a good partner should do.” He said, it felt strange when he said it.
Anaxa scoffed at the words trying to act unimpressed despite looking pathetically sick.
BEEP BEEP
Just as he was about to add on the thermometer in his mouth, rung declaring his temperature.
”102…you’re burning up, do you want to go to the ER?”
”No.”
Dan Heng placed a his hand on his forehead asking, “are you sure?” As he used a dromas hair clip to pin up his sweaty bangs that’d been sticking to his face.
Anaxa grabs his arm, pulling him on top of him on the couch.
”H-Huh?!”
“Are you trying to get me sick too?” He teased.
Anaxa just let out a long languid breath “Just let me have the pleasure of cuddling you, my dear.”
Dan Heng was honestly shocked by his straightforwardness. Anaxa was never very direct about his wants so it nice to hear he was comfortable to ask him to cuddles with him.
”Of course, I wouldn’t be able to say no anyways.” He said nuzzling into the side of his neck, trying to not poke him with his horns.
As Dan Heng’s head laid on his chest, he could hear Anaxa’s uneven breathing that sounded like a car engine. Before they’d met he’d been a heavy smoker so it was no surprise he had trouble breathing at times (what really surprised him was how he didn’t even have cancer after smoking two packs a day).
The moment of comfortable silence was penetrated by the sound of their door being knocked on.
KNOCK KNOCK
“Order for Dan Heng.” A familiar gruff voice said.
“Sorry.” Dan Heng placed a kiss on Anaxa’s cheek before getting up and answering their door.
“Moze?” He said to the one at the door.
”Yup, by the way, your cousin added some incense” he said in the same monotone voice he always spoke in, “free of charge.”
“Tell her I said thank you, and have a safe drive back.” He as he closed the door.
***
“Anaxa, the food is here. It’s from Jiaoqiu’s place.”
Anaxa responded with nothing but an exhausted groan followed by many sneezes.
”C’mon, it’ll make you feel better. It’s not the spicy broth, I made sure to tell him to use the plain beef broth other wise I’d tell Moze to get rid of all his herbs and replace them all with cilantro.” He jested.
After a moment of procrastination, Anaxa gathered all his strength and made his way to their dining room.
Thankfully Dan Heng had left the lights off knowing he had a throbbing headache (he was so thoughtful it made him feel guilty sometimes).
As he dragged his feet into the dining room he was met with the pleasant smell of the braised beef stew and scallions.
He could feel his mouth watering since he hadn’t eaten breakfast that day.
Dan Heng had already begun eating his share of the food and was no doubt enjoying it.
As he sat down, he enjoyed the hot steam of the stew that blew into his face as he took the lid off.
He eventually went in for a spoonful of broth.
“Ah—” Anaxa , winces sticking out his tongue.
Dan Heng lets out a poorly concealed snicker.
”Tch… don’t you mock me.” Anaxa says pouting.
“Sorry.” Dan Heng says in a not-so apologetic manner, as he leaned over to wipe away a scallion from his cheek.
After waiting a couple of minutes for the soup to cool down he goes in for another spoonful.
Just as he expected it to be, it was delicious, he was honestly quite thankful that Dan Heng knew exactly what he needed.
”By the way, my cousin Lingsha added some of that expensive incense she makes, wanna use it? I know you liked the last set of incense she gave us last time.”
Anaxa nods listlessly as he talks, focusing on indulging and enjoying his soup while it was still fresh.
It was all enjoyable until Anaxa begun to struggling to eat and breath at the same time due to his runny nose(the struggle is real dude).
He was having to face the choice of whether to eat and struggle breathing or to starve.
After a short while of blowing his nose until it was clear enough to eat without needing to breath through his mouth he begun eating.
“Seems like you can’t have a break can you? Just last week ago you had passed out.” Dan Heng says, staring the noodles in his bowl before solemnly saying in an anxious voice, “that scared me.”
Anaxa pauses for moment—staring the at him, opening and closing his mouth trying to come up with a a sarcastic response to his words but couldn’t think of anything to say.
There was no response he had for him. He had passed out plenty of times prior to meeting Dan Heng much for various reasons and he was aware of it, but he didn’t know that it’d scare him.
It scared him seeing him like that.
Dan Heng was not so easy to frighten, he was brave, but not an impulsive cold brute, he was gentle and kind. It was only natural that it felt uncomfortable hearing him sound so terrified.
Needless to say Anaxa felt a wave of guilt and discomfort come over him as he heard his concerns and not wanting to feel like a burden to him.
”Tch…sorry” he says in a low sarcastic nasally voice.
Dan Heng took his cold shaking hands, bringing them to his chest.
”Don’t be. I’m not asking for an apology. I’m just worried for you, but it would be of help to me to feel less anxious if you told me when you didn’t feel well.”
“I don’t decide when that happens.” Anaxa replied sarcastically.
The slender man muttered something that was unheard by him but had clearly affected him in some way given how much harder his already red-sweaty face was flushed, how cute.