Jðkêr//Är†hµr x RêåÐêr ïmågïñê§ & ðñê-§hð†§

• An Inappropriate Crush (Pt.2)

-- 1st person POV --

I stay at the hospital all night with Arthur, not wanting to leave him.
Several times he tells me there's no need to stay but I insist, wanting to be there to support him through this ordeal.
He and his mom are so very close. They're like the centre of each other's little word so I know the whole situation is really taking it out of him.

As dawn begins to break the nursing staff finally manage to persuade Arthur to go home to rest, as Penny's condition is stable and they promise to call him at the first sign of any change.

As we step out into the grim early morning light I shiver and he immediately notices.

"You cold? Here...."

I shake my head and try to protest as he shrugs out of his tatty old coat. "It's fine, Arthur. There's really no need."

"It's clean I promise." He says earnestly, holding it out for me to take.

"I believe you." I giggle. "But you need it--"

"No please (y/n), just take it. I insist."

He drapes the coat around me and I thank him. It's still warm from the heat of his body and I pull it tighter around me.
It smells of him.
Slightly smoky with a faint hint of soap and the spicy zing of his cologne. I inhale deeply. Wanting to breath the scent of him in and hold it in my memory forever.

Wow. I've got it pretty bad, I realise, which is bound to just complicate things further.

"Are you hungry?" He asks suddenly, shattering my thoughts. "We could get breakfast?"

I'm beyond tired after being awake all night but I don't care about getting any sleep. In fact I'm elated by Arthur's offer.
Although his initial frostiness towards me thawed a little he's still been a bit quiet and distant with me, but I've been hoping that's more due to him worrying over Penny than still being mad.

"Breakfast sounds great." I smile up at him as we make our way along the garbage littered street. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well I, uh, don't have much money to buy food but I could fix you something to eat at my place."

Oh. He's inviting me to the apartment which could be awkward. I've never been there alone with him and if my mom finds out she'll completely flip out.

But that adorable little puppy face of his makes my heart melt and I wish he wouldn't give me those looks. They destroy me.
How can I say no to that face?

"Sure." I shrug.

For the first time since yesterday evening he gives a faint smile and says. "O-okay then."

We walk to the station in semi-comfortable silence and fight our way through the throngs of commuters heading to work.
The subway is stuffy and uncomfortable as usual, then the walk to Arthur's place is gruelling thanks to those dreaded stairs, so by the time we eventually arrive at the apartment I'm grateful to be able to collapse on Arthur's worn but undeniably comfy couch.

His building is run-down, his home a little shabby but not dirty. It's comfortable and always warm which is a bonus.
He makes us both a much-needed decent cup of coffee. It's cheap but tastes so much better than what they sell at the hospital. Then he sets about raiding the cupboards, hunting for something edible.