Let's Play!

Once he could touch her, he pulled her right into bed, pushing the towel away to cuddle her body into his.

"Yes."

Willow was kind of chilly all over, and without the towel she was quickly cold, even with him.

"O-okay."

She didn't let herself whine or complain, but she couldn't help the shivering.

"Do you feel better?"

"I don't think I've ever felt like ...."

Give him a moment to wake up before he shifted to cover her with more blankets, hiding her inside all the warmth he could summon.

"Is this cold a normal thing? "

He sounded so worried about her.

The blankets helped.

"The house is cold. I wasn't wearing clothes," she explained with a prickle of anxiety.

Ansel nodded, nuzzling her

/ I'm sorry. Do we have enough blankets? /

He asked tenderly.

Willow nodded.

"I'm starting to warm up. It's not a big deal. It's not dangerous. Just... Unpleasant."

"You shouldn't have to be.... that. I need to think about your needs better, I'm sorry. "

"you didn't do it. I wanted to look out the window."

"Oh? Is it nice out? "

He asked, blissfully unaware.

"it's kinda cold and rainy. But it's something to look at more than the wall."

Ansel shifted, looking over her. Delight ran through him as he tipped her chin up to kiss her.

/ You should try the mirror next time. You're breathtaking. /

/that wouldn't work for me. i don't like looking at myself./

/ Well then wake me up! I'll look at you! /

He might have gotten distracted in appreciating his wife?

/I think you forgot the goal?/

Ansel looked at her sheepishly now, kissing her tenderly.

/A tiny bit..... but I'll have you know you're amazing to my eyes. /

/it would seem so./

Willow smiled a little against his mouth, her lingering anxiety finally having melted away with his steady affection. The more her concerns about last night faded, the more of her woke back up. After a few more kisses and he'd have the mostly functional version of her back. It wasn't as good as she'd been for that little while in the manor, but it was better than she'd been last night, for sure.

She pulled back, though, drawing little circles on his collarbone.

"Can I have some water?" She asked him hesitantly.

Her thirst has only gotten worse overnight. She was ignoring it, but by now her empty stomach was pinching as well.

Ansel nodded, pulling her in for kisses.

"Yes. And any thing else you'd like. "

Willow glanced down to the arms that had pulled her back in.

"There's no water in the bed."

/ I'm going, I'm going...../

But not without two more kisses. He even brought back a couple egg and cheese bagels.

"I wasn't trying to make you do it. I could have gone to get the water."

A rush of relief ripped through her when he handed her the food, though, quickly followed by a spiky, goblin-like urge to scrabble and hoard. She repressed the latter. It didn't seem like it from the outside, but it took conscious effort not to devour the food as quickly as possible. It was a very different experience from when she had eaten her snack yesterday.

"I appreciate it, though," was all she offered as she ate little bites.

She really was incredibly grateful for each of those bites.

Ansel was watching her curiously before he slowly nudged her.

"Hey. ..... do you want more? "

He could feel her struggle and was trying to figure out what he could do to convince her to eat faster or more if she needed to.

Willow considered the plate for a minute before shaking her head.

"This should be plenty."

/ What about ...... bigger bites? /

He sounded so worried.

Willow glanced up, brows coming together.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know you were in a hurry."

She shoved a big bite in her face, sliding out of bed to presumably get dressed.

"No no.... hey...."

He caught her gently and sat with her in his lap, kissing her neck as his arms wrapped about her waist.

"I can feel your hunger. I'm worried for you and want to help. '

Willow's confusion only deepened.

"You did? I was eating the food you gave me."

"But..... little bits don't help as much, do they? "

He asked with further worry.

"no, not really, but by the time I get to the end of the sandwich it'll add up. It won't be so bad."

Willow looked down at the plate, and her growing uncertainty made the goblin feeling swell. She glanced his way, assessing his state and using it to steady herself into waiting. It was okay. He wasn't about to throw her out. He wasn't going to take away the sandwiches to get back at her for last night. Everything was fine, even if...

"I don't understand what's happening. Am I doing something wrong?"

Ansel relaxed with her reassurance that things were gonna be ok once she took the little bits all in. Ok. She just wanted little bits. Ok.

"No. . . I'm just.... your body in hunger has me worried about your wellbeing. I want to care for you..... like, .... I want to do so well that you don't have to feel like this. "

"this isn't anything to worry about. I'm not truly starving or anything."

Willow looked down at the plate thoughtfully as it dawned on her what he might actually be referring to.

"It's not like this all the time anymore. It's really only comes back when I miss more than one meal in a row. But, but I can control it! See? I'm not doing that thing you don't like. I'm even taking a break."

She showed him her bagel-less hands as proof of her control.

Angel looked over her in confused concern, kissing her forehead.

"I don't want you to ever miss a meal, then. "

He decided, trying to figure out what she thought she shouldn't do....

"that's not a realistic goal. Missing one is fine."

Willow picked her sandwich back up and resumed eating.

"What did I say that's confusing?"

"..... you said that you're not doing something I don't like? "

He posed slowly.

"I'm not?"

She showed him the sandwich again, somewhat confused herself.

"I'm not eating it fast. I'm controlling it and eating it normal, like you like."

Ansel flinched.

"Willow.... I just was worried when I commented about it..... you know what your body needs. "

Willow looked down at the sandwich, and the next was hard for her both to find words to express and to say. There was shame in it.

"My body is fine. It doesn't need it fast. It's just the... The lesions in my brain that want it fast. The sick, animal-y parts."

Ansel looked sympathetic as he snuggled her.

/ You don't have to change that for me. I only ever worry about you in regards to food. I know my ability to recall to feed things is.... lacking. /

Willow shrugged and took another bite.

"I haven't died from it yet."

/.... That's such a pathetic testiment to my failures. /

"no? That's a success. That's why I said it. I have not gone the way of the goldfish."