Product of Pain

Hint of Uncertainty

Fatima found herself up earlier than usual the next morning; mainly due to the lack of sleep she was able to get the previous night. Her busy mind was the culprit of her inability to close her eyes and sleep peacefully and she understood that it was due to two things: One, Zac's fever had been up and down all night and she wanted to ensure that it didn't go past 103 so she kept watch on him all night, doing her best to keep his body temperature cool and him asleep.

Two, she was still battling with her confession that she loved—she was in love with him.

Fatima recalled asking Delena how would she know that she was in love with him and her answer was simple: you'll know. Singing to Zac last night brought on a sense of intimacy that she had never experienced before. Watching over him and taking care of him elicited a sense of care that she didn't know existed until she met him. He brought out parts of her that she never knew existed until she met him.

But that wasn't the part that echoed in her memory. It was the, I love you too.

He loved her.

Well, at least she thought he did. It was not something to easily decipher as Zac was oddly delirious in his high temperature state of mind and wasn't sure if he actually heard her and was responding or speaking from a tired mind and had no idea what she was talking about.

But he said it, and it made everything inside of her freeze and then melt. To Fatima, she had never heard those words from anyone other than her friends. But not in that capacity. "Love you girl" or "Now friend, you know I love you".

But "I love you too mama" we're words she never imagined hearing.

"You gone scrub the nonstick out of that pan babe." Fatima jumped at the sound of the groggy voice behind her. Her head turned in his direction and she smiled weakly, unsure if he remembered their last conversation or not

"You didn't even know these pans existed until you met me sir." She quipped with a smile. Her hand reached up, cupping his neck behind his ear "How you feeling?"

He looked at her carefully, taking her hand in his "I'm good, you don't have to worry so much." He joked

"I do actually. You we're pretty out of it. Your temperature was up and down, you barely had an appetite and you were delirious for a little bit. So yes, I needed to be concerned" Zac could tell by her tone that she was dead ass serious and didn't take his joke lightly

He smiled, ticking her chin "Aww okay, I'm sorry mama. I glad I had you looking out for me last night. Sounds like I was a handful?"

"Tuh, handful is an understatement. Biggest baby ever."

"Mmm but I'm your big baby though right" His eyes dropped to her lips and even though he was still sick,she allowed him to kiss her anyway. He pecked her lips multiple times before slipping his tongue between her lips. A sultry moan escaped her mouth nodding in the kiss "Say it again" Zac pulled away, whispered against her lips before pecking them gently

She pulled out of the kiss "Say what?"

Zac's eyes pierced directly through Fatima's as confusion washed over him. He could could sworn on a stack of bibles that he heard her tell him that she loved him last night. Based on the confused look on her face, he must have been tripping. He quickly ran his hand over his forehead.

"Nothing, that fever must have had me tripping forreal baby"

She nodded "You were pretty out of it. I think you thought you were in a hospital it something and I was your nurse."