A Grim Healer

“Now then, let me grab some medicine for you.”

The word medicine ticked off something in Xeran's mind.

“Why are you here?! I was about to perform a surgery!”

Xeran whipped out his scythe, pristine as ever despite being ages old. “Is that what they call murdering a patient nowadays?”

“W-well, I have to help them somehow. After they get administered the 'medicine' I recommend them, then their bodies will become useless and die anyway, so might as well preserve some of what's left of them!”

Grim reapers couldn't throw up, but Xeran was about to be the first one who could. “Disgusting and vile creature, say your prayers.”

“Wait, spare me, I—”

Xeran was gripping the sides of the chair with all his pathetic human strength, bracing himself for the worst while also subconsciously leaning away from Cedric's death box (or “first aid kit”, as he called it).

Cedric pulled out an unlabeled bottle and smiled to himself. “Alright, got it.” He stood and walked over to where Xeran was sitting, slowing down as he noticed the white-knuckled grip Xeran had on the arms of the chair he was in. “What are you doing?”

“I'm not letting you put that poison in me, no way.”

“Poison?” Cedric burst out laughing. “Why would I give you poison?” The way he said it made it seem like that notion was never something that had or could have ever crossed his mind. “No no, this is just nausea medication. Here, let me give it to you since your arms are…occupied.”

“I feel like you're enjoying my suffering a little too much,” Xeran deadpanned at Cedric's teasing tone of voice.

Cedric pursed his lips and poured some of the medicine onto a spoon. “I don't know what you are talking about. Anyway, open up…”

Xeran reached up and pushed his arm away. “Get that crap away from me.”

Cedric pushed his arm forward again, nearly getting the spoon to reach Xeran's mouth. “You won't feel better until you take it,” Cedric singsong-ed.

“Good, let me die from this, that'll show those Council assholes…” Xeran mumbled the last part of that sentence. The last thing he needed was to be questioned on things related to the experiment to the people who were unwilling participants in it.

“…I don't believe you will necessarily die from being somewhat nauseated, but I would rather you not feel awful anymore.”

“Don't care, don't want to take it.”

“Please don't be unreasonable.”

Their back and forth passive and semi-aggressive arguing was getting to the point that they were not only just barely yelling at each other, but were also becoming more physical too.

Xeran shoved Cedric away with a little more force than intended and unintentionally winced as Cedric stumbled back. It didn't seem to deter him, though, since he immediately sped right up and hovered over Xeran, grabbing his arms with one hand before they could shove him back again. He pinned Xeran's arms over his head with one hand, and the other one held the spoon of medicine right in front of Xeran's lips.

“Now,” Cedric spoke, his voice a little huskier and winded, “please take the medicine.”

Xeran just harrumphed and shook his head slightly.

“Please,” Cedric leaned over more if it was even possible—at this point, he may as well be completely on top of Xeran— “I promise it won't hurt you at all. I would never dare to do such a thing.”

“I—”

“Are you in here?!” The door suddenly slammed open.

“…”

It was the girl from earlier—Mirabelle, or something like that—staring at them as they were positioned in a very…precarious manner.

Her mouth opened as if she was going to speak, but she thought better of it and shut it. After a while of no one moving, Mirabelle whispered something that Xeran could barely make out, her lips curving up into a smirk. “…I can see why you refused to dance with me, now.”

Stop! Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong! Get your head out of the gutter!

Mirabelle patted down her gown and huffed. “Whatever, I still think we make a better couple, Adrian. Cedric is totally lame and,” she mouthed “ugly”, “in comparison to me, but I'm sure you will see soon enough.” With that (unnecessary) quip, she left, slamming the door on her way out.

“…”

Damn, now I almost feel sorry for him. “Look,” Xeran said, waving away whatever nastiness in the air Mirabelle left behind in her wake, “just ignore her, she doesn't know what she's talking about. She was up my ass about the stupid dance for who knows how long earlier because of how 'great we would look as a couple', but you're much better company than she would have been.”

Cedric's grim face instantly melted into something happier. “Well, if you say to ignore her, then I will pay no heed to her remarks.”

“Uh, yeah, do that.” Xeran mumbled awkwardly. He didn't really know what to do with a human who was so willing to listen to him. Especially one that refused to listen to him not even five minutes ago.

Now that he thought about it, looking back on the last expression he saw on Cedric's face before he was rudely interrupted by the Council, he couldn't help but to remember how fascinated and open Cedric looked, as if whatever Xeran said was all that mattered. He knew that look would repeat in his head on a constant and torturous loop from now on.

When was the last time I ever saw such an expression directed at me? All any human has ever done was glare at me with scorn and derision for stealing away their livelihoods…not that I'm really the one responsible for it, it's all their stupid faults.

Realizing they were still in the same position they were in before, Cedric stood up and Xeran pushed himself back, the nausea from before replaced with a new and…unusually weird feeling.

A human feeling, one that reapers most likely don’t possess.

Whatever it was, Xeran wanted to scratch it out of his system as fast as possible.

“So, I will see you tomorrow…?” Cedric asked rhetorically. “Yes, okay, good night, sleep well.” He hurried towards the door, refusing to look in Xeran’s direction.

Just before he shut the door behind him, he stuck his (slightly flushed?) head in the crack between the door and the wall. “Also, take the medicine.”

Cedric shut the door just before the pillow Xeran threw could hit him.