—ARIANA'S POV—
The first thing I felt when I woke up was a pounding headache. I wasn't feeling the best yesterday either, but it wasn't as bad as this. A sudden wave of sickness pulsed through me, making me retch over the side of the bed. Nothing came out, but I still felt dizzy and lightheaded.
I tried to stand up, but my legs felt like sphagetti, weak and useless. I collapsed to the hard wood floor, hitting my head on my nightstand on the way.
"Njomza," I called out weakly, hoping she'd hear me.
No response.
"Njomza!" I gathered up all my remaining energy and shouted, my throat hoarse.
I heard the stomp of her footsteps as Njomza rushed to my room. She let out a gasp when she saw me on the ground, and knelt beside me.
"Ariana! What the fuck happened?!" She cried, shaking me gently.
"I'm..not...feeling...well..." My eyelids were starting to droop, and I felt like I was about to pass out.
Njomza put her hand on my forehead, and a look of alarm appeared on her face.
"Your forehead is burning. You have a fever." She slid her arms under me and lifted me back on my bed, then hurried out the room. She returned moments later with a thermometer and a glass of water. I feebly open my mouth, and she tucked the thermometer under my tongue. Sitting down beside me, she ran her fingers through my hair and lightly rubbed my forehead.
I felt really bad for snapping at her yesterday. She didn't do anything wrong. I just felt tired and a little sick, but I thought that it was because of the alcohol I drank the night before. I needed to apologize to her.
"I'm sorry," I said as she took the thermometer out of my mouth.
"For what?" She raised her eyebrow, occupied with reading the thermometer. "40°C. Here, drink some water." She handed the glass of water to me.
"For yesterday. For everything. I'm so sorry Njomza. I shouldn't be annoyed with you just because I wasn't feeling well." I accepted the water with a shaky hand, sitting up a little, and brought it to my parched lips.
"Oh. It's fine. No big deal."
"If I ever hurt you by accident, please tell me." I gulped down some water and handed the glass back to Njomza, who set it down on the nightstand. Feeling a little better, I lay down and closed my eyes. Njomza also lay down beside me and cuddled me, her breath tickling my neck. I felt warm(the comfortable type of warm, not the fever kind of warm)and loved, with Njomza taking care of me despite my behavior yesterday.
Sighing contently, I fell into a dreamless, deep sleep.
—NJOMZA'S POV—
Once I made sure that Ariana was asleep, I went down to the kitchen to make breakfast. Courtney and Aaron were already there, Courtney on her phone, and Aaron reading a book.
"Yo lazy ass, get up and help me make breakfast." I poked Courtney sharply in the ribs, and she let out a cry in surprise. Rolling her eyes, she put her phone in her pocket and marched over to the fridge.
"Ariana is sick," I told her. "Really sick. She can't get out of bed."
Courtney turned around and looked at me with concern.
"Hold on, Imma go check on her." She slams the fridge door shut and runs upstairs to check on Ari.
"UGH. So no one is gonna help me make breakfast?" I groan and take out some bread from the fridge.
Aaron chuckled from where he was sitting.
"I'm at an exciting part in the book, sorry." He glanced at me apologetically and went back to reading his book.
Tut-tutting at Aaron, I proceeded to toast the bread. While the bread was toasting, I went back to the fridge to see what other things we had.
Blueberries and strawberries. Perfect. I proceeded to make Ariana's favorite smoothie. Once it was done, I poured it into a tall glass and put a piece of toast on a plate. It wasn't much, but since Ari was quite sick, she wouldn't have a big appetite anyways.
I knocked gently on Ariana's bedroom door, and Courtney opened the door for me.
"She's asleep," She whispered to me before slipping out of Ari's room.
Making sure not to spill anything, I prowled up to the bed, where Ariana was sleeping soundlessly. I woke her with a kiss on her forehead. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open and she let out a tiny moan in pain.
"Sorry to wake you, but I think you should eat something." I handed the toast and smoothie to her.
She nodded in thanks and sat up, trembling a little. She timidly bit into the toast and swallowed painfully, then set it back down on the plate.
"I-I don't know if I can eat," She said, her voice shaking. "My stomach hurts a lot."
"Poor baby," I pat her head sympathetically. "Try drinking the smoothie. It'll make you feel better."
Ariana whimpered but took a sip of the smoothie, taking a deep breath and trying to not throw up.
"I need to lie down again," She croaked after drinking another mouthful.
I tucked her into bed, then set the food down on a table on the other side of the room. I went to the medicine cabinet to get her some Tylenol and also picked up a bucket from the bathroom, just in case.
When I returned to her room, Ariana was tossing and turning under the covers, her breathing labored.
"Baby what's wrong?" My heart was pounding loudly, adrenaline rushing through me. I started to take out my phone, just in case I needed to call an ambulance.
Ariana only dry-heaved in response, and I brought the bucket up to her. She vomited into it and I stroked her back, muttering words of comfort. After she was done, I set the bucket down on the ground and curled up beside her, hugging her close to me. I massaged her stomach and led a trail of kisses from her jaw to her neck, my lips soft against her skin, which was pale in a shade of sickly green.
We stayed like that for a while, Ariana slowly calming down. She took some Tylenol, and I let her sleep. It was already noon, and I hadn't had anything to eat or drink this morning. I went downstairs and snacked on some oatmeal cookies and a glass of orange juice.
"How is she?" Aaron asked, and I realized that he hadn't moved from his spot at the table ever since morning.
"Hmm, could be better." I pulled out a chair and plopped down beside him. "Tried giving her some food, but she just started throwing up."
Aaron stood up and tried to go upstairs to see Ari, but I held him back by the wrist.
"Don't disturb her, she needs to sleep."
He looked disappointed, but sat back down obediently.
"Y'know Njomza," He placed his hand on top of mine on the table and looked at me intently. "I think you would be an amazing girlfriend to Ariana. Trust me. I've known her for very long, and she had always been interested in girls, even if she doesn't show it. She loves you. She always talks about you, and your name makes her smile. Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I just thought that I should tell you how she feels."
Third person(including Ariana herself)that's told me that Ariana loves me.
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely."
"Thanks. Now cmon, I haven't ate anything today except for these cookies." I put the plate of cookies back in the fridge and ordered some takeout to our house on my phone.
I went to check on Ariana again. Judging from the quarter-full bucket, she had probably thrown up again, but now she was sleeping soundly, her beautiful hair strewn across the pillow. I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead. It was much cooler now. The fever had gone down. I let out a sigh of relief.
Ariana woke for a moment, long enough to say two sentences.
"Thank you for everything. I love you."
This chapter was especially hard to write because of my emetophobia. but i did it !
i'm thinking of writing an ariana x reader imagine so tune in for that.