"No," she said as he felt his lips press on her neck. That made him stop. "I don't want to."

She felt him released her. Of course she didn't want to. First, he was drunk. Second, she thought, which she was sure of, that he didn't really want to. There must be a reason behind his 'sudden outburst'. Knowing him, it might be another of his manipulating tactics.

"No fucking. Let's sleep," she said with authority on her voice, keeping distance from him. He chuckled.

"You honestly don't want to?" He teased, shifting his weight onto his right elbow. She cursed herself. He must have caught on that she wanted him. Good thing, she already lost the mood.

"Yes. I am not in the mood anymore. We're both drunk but you're worse. Sleep."

He collapsed once again, grunting. That was when she knew she kinda won, whatever that is.

"At least, come here." He opened his arms, asking her to cuddle with him again.

She hated how it made her a bit happy but she scooted nonetheless. "I didn't know Asano Gakushuu is needy piece of shit."

He smiled up to her. Her heart sank, but she knew his smile was fake. He hated that she won.

As soon as she lied down on his arm, he wrapped his arms lazily around her. She could feel the heat of his body surrounding her. It was cozy, but too warm.

Wait. Too warm. It cannot be normal body temperature. She reached up to touch his neck. He was burning. How could she not notice earlier?

"Hey," she urgently said as she sat up. "Hey, you're sick!" She stood up, turned on her bedside lamp and hurried to her bathroom. She took some face towel, a small basin with water and a thermometer. She also got some water and medicines from the kitchen and a large shirt from her drawer.

"What? I'm not," she heard him protest. She took her dress off and change into her night clothes. She tied her hair into a messy bun. She's gonna be nursing this big idiot.

"Yes, you are. You're burning and you're weak. And you're asking me to fuck you? Tsk," she retorted as she grabbed the thermometer and placed it in between in armpits. She wiped his face with the wet towel. When she heard the beep, she took the thermometer that reads 38.3 degrees.

"See?" she shoved the thermometer to him. "You're sick. Damn I might get sick too!" He just groaned. He probably didn't notice it too.

"Change into this," she commanded as she handed him the shirt. It fitted him. He didn't say anything as she helped him lie down again.

"What have you been doing? Do you have a cold? Over fatigue?" She asked as she placed the wet towel on his forehead.

"I don't know," he hesitated, probably recalling events.

"Have you been eating well? Sleeping well?"

"Oh that must be it. I haven't slept in two days and my last meal was last, last night."

"Dang, what a broken heart could do," she sighed. She thought he was too heartbroken that Karma was getting married.

"I'm not heartbroken," he strongly denied, more like a whining kid.

"Shut up. Don't talk, just sleep. I'll prepare a soup or something so you can take your medicine. And when the morning comes, you can go home. And I can sleep on my bed."

She left him in her room.

Thirty minutes had passed. She returned to him to find him sleeping still. Funny how this man, as complicated as his whole personality was, looked like an angel when asleep. He looked peaceful and that was the first time she had a good look at his sleeping face.

He was unbelievably good looking, and she couldn't believe that hours ago, she was making out with him. She placed the tray on her side table.

"Oi," she tapped his shoulder lightly. His eyes opened right away. What a light sleeper. He grimaced. Hangover must have kicked in.

"Ah, hurts," he groaned.

"Of course it does. Now, eat." She helped him get up. She can tell just from touch that his temperature hadn't went down. In fact, it may even got worse. He tried lifting his arms, and obviously, he couldn't. She sighed. She had to feed him.

"You owe me another– wait, three favors already. Here, I'm feeding you. Careful, it's kinda hot," she said as she picked a spoonful of soup.

"No, I can do it," he insisted as he tried lifting his arms again. This time he did, but his arms wobbled. "No need to feed me. Please just place the tray over there. I'll try again later," he assured her when she was about to assist him.

"No, you eat this then drink your medicine then get well. Stop being stubborn or I'll tell Karma you're being a bitch." Truth was she wanted to sleep, but she couldn't knowing that someone, specially he was sick and on her bed. She had to take care of that first before going to the comfort of a deep slumber. She was drunk but she was coherent enough to distinguish priorities. She picked a spoonful of soup again.

This time he didn't say anything. He just leaned in and took the spoon. She continued feeding him, as silence ensue between them. It was peaceful, and for one hell of a night—no, one hell of a week, it was just right and needed. When he finished, he took his medicine and lied down again without saying anything. It seemed to Rio that neither of them wanted to break the silence. She was about to leave the room when she heard him.

"Rio, I'm seriously grateful." She turned, but he already had his eyes closed. That time she had no energy to deny it, she let loose the butterflies in her stomach.

She might or might not have feelings for him.

She was not sure. She couldn't even determine what kind of relationship they have. Are they friends? Somehow. Mere acquaintances? Not quite. Rio thought they seem comfortable with each other. Fuck buddies? They almost fucked after all, but wasn't that because they were both drunk and stressed that they resulted into doing that? She was stumped. But as she was feeding him a little while ago, she could feel the sense of achievement that she got to feed him. And she could tell to herself that she liked the intimacy.

Maybe I'm just drunk, she thought. And it had been long since she had a boyfriend that she almost forgot how it felt. But really, her past boyfriends couldn't even compare to Asano, looks-wise, status-wise, almost everything-wise. The only bad thing about him that she could point out is his personality. But she wasn't even sure of that anymore. He has this weird vibe in him that was new to her. And it was not as bad as she thought.

As soon as she finished washing the utensils that he used to avoid contamination, she returned to check on him again. She peeked inside her room to see him peacefully sleeping. She could tell that he was sleeping for real. She went in quietly to fix the blanket that was barely covering his body. She almost tripped on his shirt that he took off hours ago. Her face turned beet red as she picked it up. The shirt was too fragrant, and that same fragrance was intoxicating her moments back. She can almost taste it in her mouth.

She shook her head. She folded the shirt neatly and placed it in her bedside. She couldn't get over how angelic he looks when asleep. She never got nervous around him in the office, she thought, but why was it that that particular state he was in was making her feel things? She gently pulled the blanket to cover his shoulder. She touched his forehead. He was still hot, but a little cooler than a while ago. He didn't wake up so the medicine must have kicked in.

She decided to get a pillow and a little blanket so she can get comfortable in the little space that her couch can offer. Her head was spinning, the hangover must be kicking in soon.

Everything was like hell. Her body hurts, her head was spinning, her stomach was growling. She didn't know which to prioritize. The sun was peeking through her window. She reached out to her table to check the time on her alarm. It was half past ten. Not bad, she thought, at least she woke up in the morning. Did not sleep all through out the day.

Okay fuck it, she wanted more sleep. She pulled her blanket over her head as she buried herself in the sweet abyss of her soft bed.

Wait.

Bed?

Damn! Didn't she sleep in her couch?!

Memories of last night started flooding over her: Asano Gakushuu sick and on her bed, the things they did before that and—wait. She was pretty sure she slept in the couch. Why was she on her bed? She nervously removed the blanket over her to check if she had clothes on. Thankfully she had. She looked beside her to confirm if there was someone…

None. It was empty. In fact, she was taking up the whole space of her bed. Like no one beside her has ever been there. Did she sleep walk? Damn she hoped not.

Wait, was all that just a dream? Her eyes widened. She thought of one way to find out without getting off her bed. She carefully turned over to bury her nose on her pillow. She knew she can recognize that smell anywhere. Unless she just imagined it.

It was there. Her bed smelled like him. It wasn't a dream, and he could still be inside her house, probably taking a bath or so. She slowly stood up. Her head was still spinning but she can manage. There were no signs him on the bathroom. The shirt she placed on her bedside was gone. She went out of her room. He wasn't there too.

"What a fucking jerk? No 'thank you' again?" She yelled to herself when she realized that he really had left. She hurried to the kitchen to take some painkillers when she saw some plastic bags on her table. Food, lots of them. She took the packages out of the bags one by one.

Okay, she was taking back what she said. At least he left some food. And oh. She realized he must have carried her to bed. She felt herself blush.

Whoa there, she thought. She realized she didn't imagine thinking that she had a crush on him last night. She realized it was all real.

It was bad. And wrong and stupid and careless to like that guy. He's not into girls, and Rio was sure he will never consider her as his option.

But surprisingly, knowing that didn't hurt. She was happy that she got to be with him, and she got to see that side of him that he never showed to anyone else. It made her feel a little special. Plus the physical intimacy that they shared was something else, and she had a hunch that it might turn into something more.

It was all that it took for her to admit that she has a crush on the honest Gakucchi that was her friend, and not the Asano Gakushuu that was known by everyone. Her needy, whiny, touchy, gay Gakucchi, and she doesn't even care if she can win him back.

She checked her phone. There was the usual daily notifications, but one was her favorite.

A series of texts from him, sent 3 hours ago.

Hey, I left earlier due to an emergency. I am deeply sorry for the bother last night. I was not myself and it was really embarrassing for me that you had to deal with that. Please add it to my tab. By now I think you can ask me to buy you a car or something to compensate for the favors I owe you LOL Also, thanks for the intensive care. I feel a lot better. Seriously, you can be a mom. Soup was great. And as token of thanks I bought some food that you can heat up when you wake up. Please eat well and take care. Lose some weight. Just kidding. Thanks again.

Rio couldn't stop the grin that was creeping on her face. Admitting to herself that she likes him must have caused it. She thought his way of texting, a weird combination of formal and informal is super cute and so like him. He even tried teasing her. He was loosening up! She tapped the screen to reply.

As usual, when Rio has a crush, she had the tendency to always, always mess up with that person. And this time, she was sure that Gakucchi was hers and hers alone.