Hera coughed violently, feeling as though the fish meat would shoot out of her nose, her throat raw with pain. Before panic could set in among the group, Xavier hurried over, patting her back gently and offering her water from his own flask.
He did everything so naturally, as if nothing was wrong with it. And because Hera was in so much pain, she didn't have much time to think and simply drank the water between coughs that he offered.
As tears welled in her eyes from the pain, Hera's relief was palpable as her airway cleared, allowing her muscles to gradually relax. Handing the flask back to Xavier, she managed a grateful, "Thank you," while using her sleeves to dab at her mouth.
"Feeling better?" Xavier's tone was tender, but his expression remained lazy, as if, he'll doze off any minute now.
