Title: If You Could Only See
Author:PNS*
Rating: G
Notes: Willow comforts Xander after losing his eye.
The world was no different now. Someone had once told him magic was all about perceptions. Maybe it had been Willow. Now his only perception of the world was a grim 2D one. He had never been special, strong, and now he got to be disabled.
It wasn't fair. He had told himself his whole life that somehow all the unfairness dumped upon him would result in good karma. He tried to do good. But what did it matter when the good guys died and the bad ones laughed, standing in the carnage.
Willow was draped across the bed, her head in his lap. She was asleep in this awkward position, having cried enough for both of them, provided he had two good eyes, which ironically enough...
There were tear and mascara stains on the plain white hospital blanket that was tight against his legs. He hadn't been able to say anything to her when she arrived in the hospital. It was as if the finger had pierced his heart too. He had never let anyone give up but now he felt like he had the right to give up himself.
"What do you see Xander?" Xander was confused for a moment but it was Willow talking in her sleep.
After a minute more Willow's hand moved within his own and he opened his hand. She drew hers towards her as one eye cracked open. Her blue eyes looked up at him.
"What were you dreaming about Willow?" Xander's voice was barely a whisper, so forced it was. He was the only one who knew what Caleb had told him.
"I know you Xander," was all Willow said. She sat up a little and scooted closer. He wanted to protest but he couldn't. He couldn't deny Willow anything. "I want you to know me." He did know her, he could even talk to her telepathically. But this was something...more. "May I?" She reached for his the gauze over his eye and he sat there without saying a word.
Willow looked around for doctors or nurses before taking off the eye patch. Underneath was the stitched up remains of Xander's eyelid. "See through my eyes." Willow placed her hand lightly over Xander's eye and immediately a barage of images hit him. They were all images of himself. And he was, to Willow, a superhero. Her superhero. Through the years, sunrises, sunsets, graduations, birthdays, side by side. Together. She had always looked up to him no matter how low he had felt himself.
Her hand drew back but its' impressions did not leave him. "I can't fix you physically. But I hope that helped." He knew that inside she had to feel emotionally jagged for having given him that piece of herself. But it could only draw them closer. "I love you the world over Xander." She replaced the gauze pad and gently kissed it. "And someday the world will see you the way I do. You just have to believe." Her head went back down to his lap, and she slept again. Xander would try to believe, for Willow's sake. For who else did he have to believe? To hold on for? He was her Superhero. So be it.
Willow slept with a secret smile inside. In giving Xander a part of herself she had seen what was inside him. And what she had seen surpassed anything he could imagine.
Author:PNS*
Rating: G
Notes: Willow comforts Xander after losing his eye.
The world was no different now. Someone had once told him magic was all about perceptions. Maybe it had been Willow. Now his only perception of the world was a grim 2D one. He had never been special, strong, and now he got to be disabled.
It wasn't fair. He had told himself his whole life that somehow all the unfairness dumped upon him would result in good karma. He tried to do good. But what did it matter when the good guys died and the bad ones laughed, standing in the carnage.
Willow was draped across the bed, her head in his lap. She was asleep in this awkward position, having cried enough for both of them, provided he had two good eyes, which ironically enough...
There were tear and mascara stains on the plain white hospital blanket that was tight against his legs. He hadn't been able to say anything to her when she arrived in the hospital. It was as if the finger had pierced his heart too. He had never let anyone give up but now he felt like he had the right to give up himself.
"What do you see Xander?" Xander was confused for a moment but it was Willow talking in her sleep.
After a minute more Willow's hand moved within his own and he opened his hand. She drew hers towards her as one eye cracked open. Her blue eyes looked up at him.
"What were you dreaming about Willow?" Xander's voice was barely a whisper, so forced it was. He was the only one who knew what Caleb had told him.
"I know you Xander," was all Willow said. She sat up a little and scooted closer. He wanted to protest but he couldn't. He couldn't deny Willow anything. "I want you to know me." He did know her, he could even talk to her telepathically. But this was something...more. "May I?" She reached for his the gauze over his eye and he sat there without saying a word.
Willow looked around for doctors or nurses before taking off the eye patch. Underneath was the stitched up remains of Xander's eyelid. "See through my eyes." Willow placed her hand lightly over Xander's eye and immediately a barage of images hit him. They were all images of himself. And he was, to Willow, a superhero. Her superhero. Through the years, sunrises, sunsets, graduations, birthdays, side by side. Together. She had always looked up to him no matter how low he had felt himself.
Her hand drew back but its' impressions did not leave him. "I can't fix you physically. But I hope that helped." He knew that inside she had to feel emotionally jagged for having given him that piece of herself. But it could only draw them closer. "I love you the world over Xander." She replaced the gauze pad and gently kissed it. "And someday the world will see you the way I do. You just have to believe." Her head went back down to his lap, and she slept again. Xander would try to believe, for Willow's sake. For who else did he have to believe? To hold on for? He was her Superhero. So be it.
Willow slept with a secret smile inside. In giving Xander a part of herself she had seen what was inside him. And what she had seen surpassed anything he could imagine.