Comforts Of Home
Meg Fox

Oz stood. "Do you guys want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," said Xander.

Willow smiled weakly from the hospital bed. "Cheeseburger, fries, chocolate sundae, and, oh, a horse."

Oz grinned. "Sorry. I don't think they do horse."

"That sounds like a bad porn movie," Xander said without thinking. "'Cafeteria Does Horse'." Oz and Willow raised their eyebrows simultaneously. Xander quailed. "Um, not that good porn movie titles are any better." Willow started to laugh. Xander cast his eyes around the hospital room, desperate for some form of escape. Nothing. No trapdoors, no police boxes, no transporter beams. "Not that I've seen many." He raised his eyes to the heavens, "Any," he amended.

"Good save," Oz said solemnly.

Xander sighed. "Thanks, man."

"Back in a minute." Oz dropped a kiss on Willow's forehead, next to the bruise. He smiled, but Xander could see the pain and worry in his eyes. Oz opened the door and left.

"He's good to you," Xander said softly.

Willow nodded. She stretched, careful not to dislodge any of the tubes or bandages stuck to her. "Very good," she said. "I try to notice stuff like that, when all this is going on. I think it's important."

Xander took her hand and stared at her earnestly. He hoped he was doing a better job of keeping the love and concern out of his eyes than Oz did. "You're right. We have to remember what we've got."

Willow smiled, then took her hand back. Wriggling irritably, she smacked the pillows behind her. "Okay, this is really starting to annoy me."

Xander slapped himself on the forehead. "Oh, darn, I forgot."

"What? Your underwear?"

Xander gave her a look. "No. One day commando was more than enough." He bent down and unzipped his backpack. He yanked out a large pillow with a white, ruffled pillowslip. "I thought you might like your pillow from home," he said, suddenly shy.

His worry - that Willow would think he was stupid - disappeared when her face lit up. She exclaimed, "Xander! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She pulled him into an awkward hug. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. When she withdrew, she placed the pillow behind her back with the utmost care.

"You said that already," he said, grinning, trying not to blink in case the tears came out. "You're welcome."

Willow. Grateful. Pillow.