A step away from love

02. Fake boyfriends

Jiew was walking towards the cafeteria when he was interrupted by his classmates.

"Jiew, did you hear about Yong?"

It was common knowledge that YongJiew were inseparable, so they were just confirming if the colleague knew about the latest events. However, in this case, the short student didn't really know what it was because a conversation with the teacher from the last class had taken all his time and attention.

"Yong is in the infirmary feeling sick! We don't know what happened to him, but we took him there and we were going to the classroom to get his things. He won't be able to come back to attend the other classes today!", Marc explained.

The news took Jiew by surprise, but he didn't freeze in place. He quickly ran back to the classroom, grabbed Yong's belongings and his own, and walked back past his friends towards the path to the infirmary, shouting over to them that he would send them a message on Line to say that everything was fine. 

However, seeing Yong proved to be more complicated than the boy had previously imagined:

"I'm sorry, kid! The patient is in a delicate state and needs to rest! I can't let colleagues bother him like this!"

That would really be an annoyance because Jiew was very worried about Yong, as well as feeling partially responsible for him. As the taller lived alone in the city, he didn't even have a roommate, no one would know about his condition if it wasn't for him. So Jiew used all his charisma and decided to take a chance.

"Actually, we are boyfriends! I really wish I could see him, does Phi understand?", Jiew asked, giving the head nurse a pleading look with his wide, irresistible brown eyes.

The boy was adorable, didn't appear to be a troublemaker and seemed worried enough. Then, using the authority she held, the woman noted down Jiew's informations as such student ID on the visitor list and let him in into the small room where Yong rested.

"I'll come back later to see if he's better, ok? In case you need anything, just call me outside!", the woman said as she left the two men in the room.

Yong seemed to be dozing and Jiew decided not to disturb him. His skin looked cold and even so, the boy lying on the stretcher was sweating. Jiew took a piece of cloth lying next to a bowl of water and wiped the sweat from the man's forehead.

"N-No...", Yong whispered softly.

"Hey, hey… it's me! Don't worry, okay?", Jiew comforted him giving his hand a little squeeze just to show his presence there.

The patient soon relaxed and after Jiew finished wiping the entire area of ​​his face, neck and arms, he also seemed to feel much better and then woke up.

"What happened anyway?" Jiew asked.

"Are you trying to say that you care about me?" Yong smiled weakly, but still teasing the other.

"You cocky moron! I will…", but Jiew didn't have time to complete his threat because the nurse entered the room as she had promised.

"I see that talking to your faen has done you a lot of good! Let me just check a few more things and maybe I can let you go, okay?"

Yong frowned at the way the woman used to refer to Jiew and started to open his mouth to protest, but Jiew gave him a brief squeeze on his hand indicating that he should be quiet. The contact between the hands made the two boys very self-aware and ended up leaving them red as a tomato. Yong smiled to himself at the unexpected situation.

"You're better already! You can leave now, darling! I'll just give your boyfriend some information of how to take care of you, ok?", the nurse said and then proceeded to explain to Jiew what he should do if the fever came back or if Yong showed up any new symptoms.

The boy had listened carefully and was helping Yong to the bus stop when the taller one decided to say:

"Thanks for your help, Jiew! But now I can take care of myself!"

"Don't even think about it, stubborn! If I leave you alone, I'll end up taking the blame for letting you die and then what? Your mother will come after me and the Police will probably arrest me for murder!"

"What are you talking about?", Yong looked suspiciously at his friend who didn't have time to answer because their discussion was interrupted by Marc who was also arriving at the bus stop.

"It's good to see you both here! Are you still feeling bad, Yong?"

"Oh no! I've already been discharged and I just need to rest. But I'm feeling okay now!", Yong said smiling.

"So… why are you two linking arms?", Marc asked pointing to the place where their arms were connected, because since they left the infirmary and Jiew had helped Yong walking to the bus stop, they had forgotten they were in that way and stayed like that was in fact a nice and safe position for both of them.

Ashamed of being caught like this, they both retracted their own arms and acted awkward until the bus came. But Jiew still went to Yong's house and spent the night there to make sure his friend wasn't sick anymore. They watched a movie, ate pizza and went to bed early. Yong in the bedroom and Jiew in the living room's couch.

So close and so far, but with the certainty that they were always a step away from each other and never be alone in the hard times.