Page 50 of Some Things Never Change

“You’re sick and you might make me sick.”

“So? Sharing germs is caring.” His big thigh bumped into mine again as a big sly smile crossed his lips. His eyes flicked to my lips as mine had done earlier, for a mere second. “We can share cooties, if you like.”

I smiled, placed his handmade bouquet beside me, and stood up. “No. One person being sick is more than enough for this household. Now, come on. Let’s head back out there. You need to eat something, drink lots of orange juice, and take your meds.”

I reached for his big hand and tugged him to his feet. I wasn’t too worried about getting sick myself, but he needed to rest. I led him to the kitchen, hand in hand. I figured he hadn't eaten anything, so I made him plop down at the bar to eat a bowl of the rice porridge I made. On the side were strawberries and sliced kiwis and a tall glass of orange juice. While he ate, I changed out his bed sheets from this morning and threw them in the washer.

Once he took the flu and cold medication after his meal, he was still insistent on staying up with me. We sat down and watched a movie Andy wanted to watch in the living room. Just as the credits were about to roll, he let out a long sigh and plopped his head on my lap unexpectedly. I tensed at his sudden action, but he was completely oblivious to it as he nuzzled into my thigh.

“We used to do this all the time, right?” he asked, taking the remote control.

I couldn’t concentrate on the TV as he scrolled through the endless films and shows available to us. His hot breath brushing against the top of my knee had been too distracting.

“B-But, wasn’t it me who used to rest my head on your lap?” I asked.

When we had movie marathons as kids at the Hughes's place, I would always fall asleep with my head on Andy’s lap. Anthony always complained nonstop about his numb thigh whenever I rested my head in his lap, so he was always my last resort. It also didn’t help that we kids were always too lazy to grab a pillow from either of their bedrooms. So, it would always be Andy’s lap I fell asleep on.

My question seemed to amuse him as he stopped looking for the next film he wanted to watch. He turned to look up at me as his hair got into his eyes, and I quickly reached out to push it all away. He practically curved into my palm at my touch. Just as he did the morning after we fell asleep on the couch together, like a craning cat.

Wordlessly, Andy shifted from his side to his back with a pair of sparkling eyes gazing up at me. My hand was still buried in his soft, silky hair as he smiled, making his features soft and unbearably handsome. I found myself leaning in closer to him, mesmerized by his beautiful eyes and how the late afternoon light seemed to dance in them. I couldn't help but feel drawn to him as the feeling of desire slowly crept up from my chest and to my lips. My eyes went to his lips again for a fleeting moment and I’m sure he caught me red-handed again.

Suddenly, Andy's hand reached up to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing small circles on my skin, close to the corner of my lips. “It’s my turn to lie in your lap now,” he answered.

I let out a shaky laugh. “If you’re tired, you should go to bed.”

His body shifted a bit again as he turned toward me. His head tilted coyly. “Only if you go to bed with me.”

“Andy—”

“Please? Like old times.” His fingers lightly touched where my dark circles probably were. “And you look pretty exhausted.”

I couldn't deny that I was tired. I was taking care of Andy from the moment I woke up. Then, I was cleaning the house all morning all by myself when it was usually just half the work.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine, but just for a bit. I don’t want to get sick."

Andy beamed. His eyes twinkled even brighter than before. He turned off the TV, slowly stood up, and took my hand. He led me down the hall to his bedroom, eagerly. He threw back the covers on his bed and climbed in, patting the spot next to him.

"Come on, Tink. You know you want to."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. I climbed in and Andy threw the covers over us. As I shifted into a comfortable position on his vast bed, he watched me.

“Thanks for taking care of me. I probably would be much worse right now without you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“If you get sick, then I’ll make sure to take care of you just as well as you did for me. I’ll strip you down for a sponge bath, too.” He snickered.

I playfully kicked his leg. “Your fever wasn’t going to break with all your sweaty clothes on, okay?”

Andy laughed. “Alright, alright. Now sleep.”

“You’re the one that should be sleeping.”

He blinked slowly. “Stop talking, Tink. Sleep now.”

I chuckled and closed my eyes. I immediately dozed off to wispy dreams of knuckles brushing against mine.

Chapter

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