Amour

Chapter 8

I came home and found him asleep on the couch curled up like a little kitten. I felt my face turn a bright shade of red when I saw that he had on the same pair of boxers he had on THAT night. I still don't know what happened a month ago when he made a complete 360 during the few hours that I was away. I would be lying to you if I said that I was okay with the fact that he is keeping things from me. It hurts. I feel like I was being slowly pushed out of his life. There was definitely a gap between us.

I grabbed my blanket from my room and covered him up. I grazed his cheek with the back of my hand he was very warm. I hand immediately flew to his forehead. He was burning up!

"Hoonie...Hoonie..." I gently shook him.

"Hmm..." one of his eyes popped open.

"Come on get up."

"No...I have a headache..." he whined groggily.

"I know sweetie. You'll feel more comfortable in bed so come on."

I slowly helped him off the couch. He almost toppled over when he stood up. I quickly grabbed his waist and draped him on me. With much difficulty we finally made it to his bedroom and onto his bed. I ran to the bathroom and got the thermometer and placed it under his tongue. It read 105.

"No! No! No!" he shook his head adamantly.

"It'll make you feel better." I coaxed.

"I don't care. I hate that stuff. It's disgusting" crossing his arms across his chest.

"You can have this peppermint candy afterwards." I tried to bribe him.

"NO!"

"Fine then don't take it. Don't get better. See if I care!" I spat out angrily.

The atmosphere of the room suddenly changed into something very ugly. I don't know why I said that. I usually have a higher tolerance for his childish antics...I usually like it. I felt that gap between us again. He had his face turned away from me. He suddenly felt very foreign to me.

sniffle

He was crying. I felt my heart crack because I didn't know why he was crying. It feels like there is a million miles between us. I placed my hand on his face and forced him to look at me. I was scared at what I saw for I didn't recognize what I was seeing. His eyes didn't hold any anger or sadness and it was definitely not one of his temper tantrums. This is a Sunghoon I've never seen before and it scares me. Its scary to love someone so much and then realize you don't even know them.

"Hoonie ah...I'm sorry for what I said. Please don't cry."

"Hyung..." he threw his arms around me and clung to me as he continues to sob. His crying sounded so...so...desolate. It was heartbreaking and my heart was breaking with him, piece by piece.

"Oh God...baby please tell me what's wrong." I begged while tightening my hold around him.

"I don't know...*sob* I don't know anything anymore. I'm so...*sob* so confused. I...I..." He was getting hysterical. I felt him starting to hyperventilate.

"Shh... It's ok. Shh..." stroking his back trying to calm his cries.

"My head...really *sob* hurts..." he whined.

"I know I know...poor baby." I continued to coo him and he eventually stopped crying. I held him with his head buried in my now soaking neck as he hiccupped.

"Are you done?"

"Uh *hiccup* huh" I laid him back against the pillow.

"Gee thanks." I said dryly referring to the mixture of tears and snot on my neck and shirt.

"Sorry hyung *hiccup*" he said with a small smile. I handed him a glass of water.

"Feeling better?" He nodded. "Ready to take the medicine now?" He shook his head still refusing.

"Come on Hoonie. I guarantee that when you wake up you'll feel 100% better." I begged. "Besides I think you owe me at least that much," I added referring to his present on my neck and shirt.

"Fine." He pouted.

I poured the green liquid into the little plastic cup to 15 milliliters and handed it to him. He looked at it distastefully but drown it all nonetheless. He grimaced at the aftertaste. I quickly gave him some water to wash down the liquid then the peppermint candy to kill the aftertaste. This was very important procedure because if the aftertaste is not killed immediately the medicine could return.

"Now that wasn't so bad was it?" He glared at me silently as he sucked on the candy. I smiled at him.

"Alright, alright its time for you to get some rest." I said tucking him in.

"But I'm not tired yet" he complained.

"Just close your eyes and you'll be asleep in no time. Sweet dreams." I kissed his forehead.

I sat on the bed holding his hand and watched him closed his eyes. He is such a baby when he is sick. Not to sound mean or anything but I like it when he is sick. It gives me the chance to mother him. And he likes it; correction he demands it when he is sick. Only when he is sick am I able to kiss him and call him cute little names. And only when he is sick do I feel needed...wanted. Before long his breathing slowed as he headed into dreamland.

I was heading out the room when I remembered something. I crushed my lips against his lips and forced his mouth open gently. I stuck my tongue inside his mouth and fished out the half dissolved peppermint candy. He could have swallowed and choked on the damn thing!

I was in the kitchen making some chicken noodle soup when I heard someone knocking at the door. I opened the door and found a very uncomfortable Soyoung.