Jay... I love you."
Jay's eyes snapped open, her breath hitching.
The words hung in the humid air, heavier and more real than anything they had ever said before.
Keifer didn't pull away. He moved back to her cheek, his lips brushing against her skin once more as he looked directly into her glassy, shocked eyes.
It was a silent question, a plea for an answer that his heart was desperate to hear.
Jay's lips parted. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he could feel it through the water.
"Keifer..." she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and realization. "I-"
"ACHOO!"
The sneeze exploded out of her, much more violent than the last one.
Her whole body jolted, and she accidentally head-butted his chin.
"Aaw"
"Oh! I... I'm sorry"
He put his finger on her soft wet lips, look directly into her eyes.
He gripped her waist, helping her sit up and then stand in the shallow water.
"Jay, I think you're catching a cold. Your hands are like ice."
Jay sat up, her fingers clutching his broad shoulders for support.
She was about to say something when another sneeze racked her frame-"A-achoo!"-and she ended up leaning forward, her forehead resting right against his warm, damp chest.
Keifer let out a breathy laugh, but his eyes were full of worry.
He got out of the tub and reached back to pull her out, too.
"I'll go change outside. You change in here quickly. Don't stay in these wet clothes for another second."
Jay sneezed again, looking like a miserable, wet kitten. Keifer gave her one last lingering, worried look before he stepped out and shut the door.
Alone in the steam-filled bathroom, Jay stood shivering.
She reached for a fluffy white towel, but her hand paused in mid-air.
The memory of his voice-low, raspy, and sincere-echoed in her ears.
"Jay, I love you."
A small, genuine smile bloomed on her lips. She pressed her face into the soft towel, hiding her blush even though no one was there to see it.
She felt a surge of shy happiness that made her heart dance, but the moment was interrupted by another-----
------AACHOO-------
She quickly dried off, threw on her warmest pajamas, and stepped out into the bedroom.
Keifer was already there, having changed into a dry T-shirt and sweatpants.
His hair was still a bit damp and messy. As soon as Jay walked in, she sneezed again.
Keifer didn't say a word. He walked over, grabbed her wrist gently, and led her to the bed, tucking her under the heavy duvet.
"Achoo!"
"Jay, I'm calling the doctor," Keifer said, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. "You're shivering, and you're so sick. I shouldn't have teased you in that water."
"Hey, no," Jay said, followed by another sneeze. "It's just a cold... it'll get better once I sleep. No doctors, please."
"No, I'm calling, you are also so thin Jay. A cold could wipe you out."
As he started to dial, Jay reached out and wrapped her small fingers around his wrist.
He stopped, looking down at her. Her eyes were glassy with cold but fixed on his with a soft, pleading look.
"Please," she whispered. "Just stay here instead."
Keifer paused. He looked at the phone, then at her pale, hopeful face.
He let out a long sigh and set the phone back down. "Okay," he murmured. "No doctor. But if you got fever, I'm not asking next time."
_____________________
_____________________________
The room was quiet now, the only sound being the soft, rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain against the windowpane.
Keifer sat on the edge of the chair he had pulled up to the bed, his focus entirely on the girl buried under the mountain of blankets.
"One more sip, Jay," he murmured, patiently holding a spoon of medicine to her lips.
Jay, looking smaller than ever with her red nose and sleepy eyes, obeyed.
She swallowed the medicine with a little grimace, her eyelids already feeling like lead. Keifer set the bottle down on the nightstand and turned back to tuck the duvet tighter around her.
He felt a small, sudden tug.
Jay had reached out from under the blankets, her small fingers curling tightly around his wrist.
She didn't say anything-she couldn't-because she had already drifted off into a deep sleep.
Her breathing was soft and slightly congested, her tiny hand holding onto him as if he were her anchor in a stormy sea.
Keifer's heart melted. The "Ice CEO" was nowhere to be found.
He leaned down, his shadow falling gently over her, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss right on the tip of her red, cold-nipped nose.
"Sleep well, wifey," he whispered.
He didn't want to break her grip, so he didn't even try to stand up.
Instead, he rested his elbow on the edge of the mattress, propping his face in his palm.
In the soft glow of the lamp, he just sat there, adoring the way her lashes fanned out against her cheeks.
He watched the slight rise and fall of her chest, thinking about how his "fake" life had suddenly become the only thing he wanted to be real.
The warmth of the room and the exhaustion of the day's drama finally caught up to him.
Slowly, his own eyes began to flutter shut. He didn't even notice when his head finally dropped, his forehead resting near her hand, as he fell into a deep sleep right there by her side.
________________
_________________________
The quiet of the room was heavy with the scent of medicine and the soft sound of the night wind.
At 2:00 AM, Jay's eyes fluttered open. The heavy fog of her own illness had cleared, leaving her head light and her body finally warm.
The first thing she felt was the grip of her own fingers. She realized she was still holding onto Keifer's wrist like a lifeline.
She panicked for a split second, her eyes widening as she saw him slumped in the chair beside her bed.
But then, she saw his face. He looked so vulnerable, his usual sharp, CEO confidence replaced by the exhaustion of a man who had spent hours caring for her.
Her heart softened instantly, a sweet, fluttering warmth spreading through her chest.
She let out a tiny, shaky breath and smiled.
"You big dummy," she whispered affectionately.
She sat up slowly, moving as quietly as a mouse so she wouldn't wake him.
She wanted to adjust his head or perhaps guide him to lay down properly on the chair so his neck wouldn't ache in the morning.
She reached out, her small palm moving toward his forehead to brush back a stray lock of damp hair.
But the moment her skin touched his, her smile vanished.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Keifer wasn't just warm. He was scorching.
"Keifer?" she gasped, her voice trembling.
He didn't move. His breathing was heavy and ragged. The cold water from the bathtub, the wet hair he stayed in while tending to her, and the lack of sleep had finally taken their toll.
The roles had flipped in an instant. The man who had been her protector all night was now the one shivering, his body burning with a high fever.
"Keifer! Wake up!" she whispered, pressing both hands to his cheeks. He let out a low, pained groan, his brow furrowed as if he were in the middle of a bad dream.
He was on fire.