What the heart wants

Chapter 35

Nayeon has a temperature, she should be resting in her bed but they have a day off the next day and she doesn't want to spend the night holed up in her room.

The lightning lights up the dark kitchen every now and then, helping her navigate her way in the dark to the stove and turn on the low lights on the vent.

She grabs the first aid box they always keep at the bottom of the kitchen cabinets and takes the thermometer out.

Her temperature reads 40•

She sighs as she leans back on the counter and shuts her eyes. She doesn't want to spend the day off being sick.

Another lightning flashes before her. A window that's left opened in the living room rattles loudly as the wind picks up the speed.

Nayeon knows it's only a matter of minutes before it begins to rain again.

She opens her eyes when she hears soft footsteps approaching the kitchen.

A gasp of surprise leaves her when she realizes who the silhouette belongs too.

Mina steps into the low light coming from the vent.

The wind gathers more speed.

The younger girl tucks errand hair that's flowing around in the wind behind her ears.

Nayeon clears her throat and averts her eyes when their gaze meets for a heartbeat.

She glances through the corner of her eyes as Mina goes to the cabinets a little away from her, reaching for something in them.

Nayeon sees her eyes accidentally land on the reading on the thermometer. She quickly hides it behind her back.

The window begins to rattle even more loudly, the wind coming through it making a howling noise.

"You have a fever?" The words are barely a whisper.

Nayeon opens her mouth to say something but no words come out so she settles on gaping because Mina is actually talking to her.

She finally finds her voice after a few seconds of gawking and stutters no.

Mina steps closer to her, their fingers gently brushing as she reaches for Nayeon's hand behind her and brings it to the front to look at the temperature.

Outside, the sky suddenly opens with a loud roar. The smell of earth fills the room as the rain grazes the warm ground.

"It doesn't work properly." Nayeon lies.

Mina quirks a questioning brow at her.

Nayeon scratches the back of her neck. She only lied because she knows how worried Jihyo gets. Jihyo never leaves her side when she's sick. Nayeon wants the girl to enjoy her day off and not spend it babysitting a sick person.

Mina puts the thermometer down on the counter and leans a little closer.

The back of her hand brushes against the heated skin on Nayeon's forehead who closes her eyes at the featherlight touch.

"You have a fever Nayeon-chan." Mina breathes out as she withdraws her hand back slowly.

Nayeon hears the rain strum across the glass windows having its own musical concert whenever it lands on the surface matching the soft music in her heart when she hears Mina calling her Nayeon-chan again.

She opens her eyes. Another lightning strikes in distance and in the momentary brightness she catches Mina's eyes gazing at her softly.

"What are you doing here birthday girl?" They take a step back from each other when Chaeyoung appears in the kitchen.

Mina points at the thermometer on the counter.

"I swear to god Chaeyoungah don't even think about it." Nayeons sighs when she sees the younger girl smirk.

"Think about what? Telling Jihyo you mean?" The smirk becomes prominent and her dimples begin to show.

Nayeon side steps Mina and perches herself on one the stools around the island.

Chaeyoung closes the rattling window so it's warmer in the house and sits down before Nayeon. She takes pity on the older girl who's coughing into a tissue. "I won't as long as you take your medicines on time."

"I smell hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows." Sana and Momo appear from behind the door suddenly giving Chaeyoung a good fright.

Nayeon turns to look behind her and Mina is stirring something in the pan. Only then she realizes how stuffy her nose is because even though she's in the kitchen she couldn't smell the food at all.

"You're having a party without us." Momo says accusingly as she joins Nayeon by her side.

Nayeon smiles warmly at her and points towards Mina. "She's making some for herself. It's not a party if it's for one."

Nayeon's forehead creaks in confusion when Mina places a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of marshmallows in front of her. She mumbles a polite thanks despite being puzzled.

"You really thought she's the type to make something just for herself?" Chaeyoung pokes her side and looks at Mina affectionately who's serving Momo and Sana their hot chocolates and marshmallows.

"Look it's raining." Momo points out excitedly and Chaeyoung rolls her eyes. It's been raining for quite a while now.

She takes a sip of her hot chocolate hesitantly because she's not a big fan of them but lets out a sigh when the intoxicating smell and taste of coco assault her senses.

"Mina, you could make millions if you sold these." She tells Mina who is sitting down by her side after serving the girls. She has a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Thank you?" Mina says unsure of how to react to a compliment like that.

"She already makes millions dumbass." Sana teases and Chaeyoung gives her a meek grin.

Nayeon lets the warm hot chocolate soothe her throat that's swollen and aching. The marshmallows makes her sweet tooth happy and she's suddenly grinning like a child because she's reminded of her childhood.

Her mother always made these for her when she got sick.

"This is so good." Nayeon declares stuffing more marshmallows into her mouth.

Chaeyoung agrees with a nod of her head.

Mina has a soft smile on her face.

The rain has slowed down and its making a gentle pitter patter sound against the window.

Momo thinks everything is so calm and serene.

Two minutes later Chaeyoung has her hands on the collar of Nayeon's hoodie because she's stolen the last of her marshmallow and shoved it down her throat before the younger girl could even react.

"Chaeyoungah, you can't hit me. I'm sick." Nayeon groans loudly. An evil smile settles on her face when the younger girl reluctantly lets go off her hoodie with a sigh.

"You're sick?"

Jihyo appears out of nowhere.

The smile on Nayeon's face gets wiped out.

Mina wants to laugh at how ashen her face looks but she doesn't.

Chaeyoung drops to the floor as her loud laugh fills the room.

Momo and Sana make a quiet escape into their room not wanting to be around when Mama Jihyo makes an appearance.