Y/n's POV
Thankfully Aurora was extremely understanding about the whole thing and said whenever I get better, we can have our date then. I just barely slept through the night as I woke up multiple times to throw up. I actually ended up sleeping in the bathroom because I was too lazy to keep going back and forth since I didn't want to throw up in the trash can again. I was only woken up by my phone buzzing in my pocket. I fished around for it and put it on speaker,
"Hm?" I answered, my throat sore and voice not ready to work.
"Hey, just wanted to check up on you to see how you're doing." I heard Somi on the other line say.
"I feel like shit." I told her with my voice coming out hoarse.
"Yeah, you sound like shit. I'll head over to your place after like 4pm when some more staff comes in. Do you want anything when I arrive?"
"No, food sounds disgusting right now."
"Do you want a drink then?"
"I don't know, maybe juice or something?"
"I can do that for ya. Other than that, don't die. You can die after I'm there because I feel like it'll be more traumatizing if I see your dead body right as I walk in, ya know?" Somi explained to me as I cracked a small smile.
"I understand. Have fun at work." I told her simply as she said goodbye to me before hanging up. I then actually looked at the time and saw it was just past 9am. I sighed and then came to my senses as I felt just how sweaty my body was. I became uncomfortable with it and lugged myself off the tile floor and turned on the shower, stripping myself of my clothes. I turned on a random playlist and took a shower which was actually very refreshing for me.
I got out and walked to my room, changing into sweats and a crewneck. I then got some medicine and took it before climbing into bed, hoping to god that I can get some sleep before Somi gets here. I smiled softly as Apollo joined me on my bed, positioning himself on the pillow beside me. I put my sleep playlist on quietly and set an alarm for 3pm, so I should get about 5 hours of sleep in. But we'll see if that actually ends up happening.
"Sleep tight, Apollo." I mumbled as I got comfortable in bed, my eyes slowly growing heavier as I drifted off to sleep.
"Okay, but what if she says no to me asking her to be my girlfriend?" I asked Somi as my hands were clammy and all sweaty. She just rolled her eyes at me and slapped my arm,
"You dumbass, she's going to say yes to you! Why the hell would she not say yes?" I opened my mouth to speak, but she didn't allow me, "forget I asked that because I know you're going to start listing off everything about yourself."
My mind kept raving about finally asking her to be my girlfriend. We've been on multiple dates and they have gone extremely well, but I'm still scared. She can change her mind easily and there's nothing I can do to stop that.
"I'm scared I'll end up getting hurt again." I told Somi softly as I shifted my weight around on my feet. I moved my gaze to the ground and heard her sigh at me. I watched as she took a step towards me and rested her hands on my shoulders,
"Y/n, everything is going to be fine. I know you're scared about her breaking your heart in the end, and I'm also scared about that. But you'll never know how happy you can become with her, so give her your heart for now."
I took her words in, realizing that she's right. I slowly nodded my head in acceptance and she smiled brightly at me, giving my shoulders a light squeeze. I laughed at her and she told me to get everything ready in my apartment because she's going to be coming over in about two hours. Somi left me alone with Apollo as I made sure everything in my apartment was spotless.
She deserves the best, and I guess that's me according to all my friends.
When I had an hour until she arrived, I decided to get ready myself. I looked over my apartment once more before dashing to my bedroom. I grabbed my black chinos and a simple white button up shirt. I called her yesterday and asked her to coming over for dinner, so it's obviously going to be more casual, but I still want to look decent. To add something stupid, I wore some fuzzy socks to hopefully make her smile that smile I adore.
I looked at my reflection and took a deep breath, actually happy with how I look. I checked my phone and saw I had about 20 minutes left until she arrives, so I'll start on preparing some of the food since it takes a while. I went into my kitchen and got a pan and pot out, pulling the ingredients out of the fridge. I also put a simple black apron on and rolled my sleeves up, starting to cool for the girl that has my heart.
I had music softly playing out of a bluetooth speaker and I was just humming along, making sure I didn't burn anything. I accidentally almost cut my finger off as a knock echoed through my apartment. My eyes widened as I realized she's here. I set my knife down and quickly washed my hands as I was cutting raw chicken. I took a towel in my hands and dried them off as I went over to the door. I flung the towel over my left shoulder and turned the door knob, opening the door as a smile already made its way to my lips in anticipation of seeing her.
And there she was. That beautiful smile that always makes my stomach flip on display. Her eyes were bright and excitement was evident in them. Her hair had soft waves and a few strands of hair framed her face perfectly. She was wearing some light washed jeans with a simple black turtleneck. I also noticed that she was wearing heels because she was taller than usual.
After some time of just admiring her, I broke the silence that had taken over,
"Hey Rosie."
I woke up with my alarm blaring loudly next to me. I shot my eyes open and felt around for it, quickly turning it off and just staring up at the ceiling. I knew Somi would be coming over soon and that got me to lazily get out of bed. I still felt horrible, but not as horrible as before. I went to the bathroom and then just sat down on the couch, pulling up Netflix to watch something. I clicked on a random movie and just decided to have that as kind of a background noise as I reached for my laptop that was sitting on the coffee table. I opened up my editing software and then pulled up some photos I needed to have done by tomorrow.
But before I got too into editing, I reminded myself that I needed to take some more medicine. I went back to my bathroom and grabbed the small container out of the medicine cabinet. I took some and then grimaced at the awful taste that followed. I don't know why the hell they make adult medicine taste like shit, but I hate it. Part of me just wants to buy kid's medicine just because it tastes better. Then again, it would have less actual medicine in it.
I moseyed back over to the couch and this time got fully into my work. I had to adjust some lighting and then add some words for the advertisement itself. I was all smiles when I started to edit Ilona and Peter's pictures. They just look so good together and I swear to god if they don't get together, I'll lose my mind.
As I was zoned out staring at a photo because I didn't know what I should do to edit it, I heard Somi knocking on my door. That same old pattern she does echoing through my apartment. I rolled my eyes as now I'm going to have to deal with her telling me how she's better than me because she didn't get food poisoning. I walked over and opened the door,
"Hi." Rosie said with a smile as I just stood frozen like an idiot, completely blocking her from getting into my apartment. I just continued to stare at her in disbelief as she giggled lightly at my reaction, "may I come in?"
"Yeah– yeah come in!" I rushed out as panic soared through my body. When she walked past me, her faint perfume lingered, along with her strawberry shampoo. My eyes widened as I quickly remembered what state my apartment is in right now. I snapped my head around and wanted to scream out of frustration as I overlooked the whole thing.
But she didn't seem to mind as she just casually set her purse down, along with a grocery bag I didn't even realize she had. I shuffled over to her after I had closed my door,
"Um, I was not expecting you in the slightest, so that's why my apartment looks like a war zone." I told her as she just laughed, turning around to face me.
"I know you weren't expecting me, y/n."
"Then may I ask you why you're here? Aren't you supposed to be in Seoul?" I asked her as a light blushed covered her cheeks.
"Well, I was coming to NYC for... work and then Somi called me saying you got food poisoning. I told her I was here and she said I should come here to cheer you up. So I got you juice and also some light snacks that shouldn't upset your stomach." I stared at her as my jaw dropped slightly, still shocked at what had happened in the past like two minutes.
"So Somi knew you'd be coming over in place of her and she didn't bother to tell me to clean up my apartment a bit?" I said, pissed that Somi did that to me. Rosie just playfully rolled her eyes,
"Y/n, your apartment isn't even dirty." I scoffed,
"Yes it is. There's blankets everywhere, dishes, crap thrown around, it's dirty!" I argued back as I went around to clean, but she caught my wrist before I could do that. I met her eyes,
"Relax, you don't need to clean your apartment up for me. Your home isn't supposed to be a spotless museum anyway; it shows someone actually lives here and uses the space." She explained to me as I just sighed, nodded my head in defeat. She smiled in satisfaction and let go of my wrist before digging through the grocery bag and pulling out what she had bought. I watched in curiosity as she pulled out some good snacks, a light smile graced my lips as it was all set out on display. She then grabbed the juice I asked Somi to her and slid it across the table towards me,
"Here's the juice that you wanted."
"Thank you." I said softly as I walked over to get glasses and filled them both up, handing one over to her. Our fingers gently brushed against one another's and I just avoided eye contact with her. I just ignored the spark that shot through my fingers and went over to the couch, motioning her to follow.
She sat down next to me and Apollo happily climbed onto her lap, meowing out of excitement that she's here. I playfully rolled my eyes at my cat since he just wants attention and I saved my work on my laptop before closing it. Rosie just pet him with a smile on her face like she has also missed the little demon.
"So," she said, breaking the comfortable silence between us, "what have you been doing to keep yourself entertained these past few days?"
"Well, last night and this morning was the absolute worst. I didn't get any sleep at night, so I actually took a nap before you came over. I've been taking medicine to help, and thankfully it has been working. But to keep myself entertained, I really have just been editing photos or sleeping." I finished with a chuckle as she nodded her head.
"What movie is this?" She asked me as she pointed to the TV where the random ass movie I picked just for background noise is still playing.
"If I'm being honest, I have absolutely no fucking idea." That got a good laugh out of her as she tilted her head back slightly, a big grin on her face. I just silently admired her side profile, taking in her natural beauty.
"So I guess I shouldn't ask you about what is happening right now." She said while looking over into my eyes. I shrugged my shoulders guiltily in response, causing her to just shake her head in amusement. I grabbed my juice and finally took a sip of it, smiling at the taste because I just love this damn juice so much. Rosie decided to speak up again,
"Are you still going on the date with Aurora today?" She asked me, tilting her head a little, interested in my answer. I shook my head,
"No, I texted her to cancel it and she was completely fine with it. She told me we could reschedule it whenever." I told her as she took in the information, nodding her head in acknowledgment.
"So I guess you're stuck with me today instead of her." Rosie said with a smile as I gave her one back. To be fair, I'm not mad about it, but I know I'll fall for her more when that's dangerous for me.
"Guess you'll have to entertain me for the rest of the day." I said sarcastically as I kicked my feet up on my coffee table. She reached for the remote and exited out of the god awful movie that was still playing. I watched as she went to the search bar and looked up 'New Girl'. I quirked an eyebrow as she clicked the pilot episode, a huge smile on her face as she obviously saw that I haven't watched this show.
"I think you're going to really like this show. I find it extremely entertaining and it's great to binge; a cure for food poisoning if you will." Rosie said with humor lacing her voice. I gave her a curt nod and shimmied further into the couch, getting comfortable. I tossed a blanket over the top of my legs and stretched it across so it also reached her. I just threw it over her legs, trapping Apollo underneath, making me laugh.
"Y/n! You're so mean!" She yelled somewhat, even though I could tell she didn't really mean it. She quickly got Apollo out from underneath and he was completely unbothered with everything. Rosie held his face in her hands and started talking to him in a higher pitched voice. I observed her as she then peppered kisses all along his stupid furry face. I turned my head back to the TV, just focusing on Jess crying over 'Dirty Dancing'.
Rosie seemed to also put her attention on the screen, placing Apollo on top of her lap on the blanket. I chuckled softly at a joke and I could see out of the corner of my eye Rosie smiling.
Rosie's POV
I love hearing the sound of her laughter, even if it's just a small chuckle. I was trying to figure out a way to scoot closer to her without making it obvious. I was over the moon when she said the date with that bitch was canceled, so I need to make some moves. Granted they'll be small ones, but they'll be just enough to have me lingering in the back of her mind.
After the second episode finished, y/n got up and said she was going to use the bathroom. I watched as she went towards the bathroom,
"Are you feeling okay?" I asked her, growing concerned as she just gave me a small nod before disappearing behind the door. I sighed and rested my head against the couch cushion, looking up at the ceiling. But my body moved on its own when I heard the faint sound of y/n throwing up.
I quickly put Apollo next to where I sat as I rushed over to the bathroom, standing on the outside of the door. I knocked on it gently,
"Hey, can I come in?" I asked her calmly. A weak 'yes' came from the other side and I turned the handle, peaking my head in to see her head hanging over the toilet. I scrunch my face up as she threw up once more.
"You poor thing," I said as I walked over to her and rubbed her back soothingly. Y/n didn't throw up again, so I helped her lean back against the wall behind her. I was trying to level out her breathing, so I flushed the toilet and then grabbed a small cup from under the vanity, filling it up with water. I slid down the wall next to her, waiting for her to gather her bearings. Her eyes were closed, so I just let my eyes wander about her face.
"Can I have the water please?" She asked me as I handed her the cup of water. Her grip was weak, so I just brought it to her lips myself as she drank it. I was mesmerized by her lips and I had to blink a few times to get a grip on myself.
After a few minutes, she was ready to get up and I asked if she wanted to go to bed, but she said we could just go back to the couch. I helped her up by wrapping my arm around her waist and walking us over to the couch slowly. I could feel her almost dragging her feet because of how weak she felt.
"Almost there," I said quietly as y/n just stayed silent, most likely focusing on staying upright. I gently sat her down on the couch and she just flopped down in order to lay down. I eyed her and became a little more worried about the food poisoning because her face was paler than usual and she was obviously weak.
"Y/n, when was the last time you ate something?"
"Like, a day ago?" She answered, making me gasp in shock and disbelief. So that's why she's feeling so weak: she doesn't have any food in her system. And then when she takes the medicine, there's nothing else in her stomach other than acid, so that can fuck some stuff up. You never really want to take medication without having eaten, so that explains everything.
"Okay, that's horrible, so I'm going to make some soup. I know you probably don't want to eat it and I'm not going to force you to, but I am going to encourage you to." I told her as she just weakly nodded her head. I sighed and walked over to the table where I had laid everything I bought out and grabbed a can of soup.
I searched around her cabinets and found a small pot and got started on heating up the soup. I kept my eyes on y/n, who was just curled up in the blanket on the couch. I frowned as I stirred the soup around occasionally. But soon it was done and I poured it into two bowls, grabbing spoons and walking over to y/n. I set both bowls down on the coffee table in front of her, gaining her attention with the sound, making her crack an eye open.
"It's done?" She asked me quietly as I nodded my head,
"It is done, so could you please sit up for me and try to have some?" I asked her gently, not wanting to push her. She squeezed her eyes shut and then willed herself to sit upright on the couch. I then handed her a bowl and she looked down at it, her smile dropping,
"I don't really want to eat."
"But if you don't then you'll continue to be weak and the food poisoning will take longer to go away. But, if you truly do not want to eat, I won't force it down your throat; I'll just be a little sad is all." I explained to her, hoping to get her with the last thing I said. I know from our almost month-long friendship that she hates to make people sad. She glanced over at me, annoyed that I used that against her, but I watched as she brought a small spoonful of soup up to her mouth.
She ate it and then a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as she ate more of it, making me smile widely. I then sat down next to her and ate my soup as the episode of 'New Girl' continued to play. We both laughed lightly at a few jokes here and there before y/n put down an almost empty bowl on the table.
"I'm proud of you." I told her sincerely as she gave me a small smile. Y/n then rested her head back on the top of the cushion and I crinkled my nose as that did not look like a comfortable position for her. An idea then came to mind,
"Why don't you lay your head down on my lap?"
Her eyes glanced over at me, uncertainty clouding them. I just gave her a reassuring smile and I swear a small blush creeped onto her cheeks. It may have been from her being sick, but I'll let myself just interpret it how I want to.
"Okay." She said simply as she leaned down sideways towards me. I got all giddy inside and I wanted to scream out in excitement as she finally rested her head on my lap; her face towards the TV. I brought the blanket to rest nicely on her body as she stretched her legs out to cover the length of the couch. Apollo just curled up on a nearby chair and I just had to control my wildly beating heart that was pounding loudly.
I was hesitant to rake my fingers through her hair and rub her scalp, but I let myself do it. At first, it was cautious and timid, but y/n didn't tell me to stop, so I became more bold with it. Not long after, I heard soft and steady breathing coming from the girl that's on my lap. I smiled down at her and whispered oh so softly,
"Sweet dreams, y/n."
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i am having a blast writing this story tbh. it is obv going at a slower pace than my previous stories because its been 14 chapters and the still haven't even been on a proper date. but i wanted to make this story this way because it's just more realistic. also HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!! anyway, thank u all for reading and i cant wait to see u all in the next one... hehehe <3 (side note, happy 50k words already LMAO)