all the love // H.S au (university series)

sick

I woke up with watery eyes, and a tickling sensation in my throat that I knew this meant I was catching a cold. My nose was already getting stuffy. I groaned out loud, feeling like my body and soul both got hit by a train and was thrown on the plush chair I woke up on. I willed myself up from the chair, and made my way to the kitchen to turn in the kettle. I checked the clock hanging above the doorway and it read 8:12 PM. Fuck, I literally slept through the whole day. Where was Irene? After making sure the kettle was on and my cup was out, I scampered down the hall to Irene's bedroom. The door was half open and her desk lamp was on, she was huddles over it and a mess of ink and papers was surrounding her.

"Hey." I said weakly, not realizing how hoarse my voice sounded.

"Well good morning, sleepyhead. What, did you not get any sleep last night?" She asked, turning from her artwork that probably kept her busy for the last few hours.

"No, I got plenty of sleep. I think in coming down with something." I say and cough into my elbow.

"The circles under your eyes look extra dark today." I felt offended but also felt like I needed to apologize for it, which is so dumb. I know.

"Um, Harry & I got caught in the rain yesterday. That's the only thing I can think of that could've gotten me sick. Oh shit, Harry." I frantically searched my pockets for my phone as I realized I was not healthy enough to see him Friday. I prayed that I would get better by then, but it's a long shot because it's only Wednesday. I found myself wanting to let him know anyway, so it wouldn't come as a shock of I pulled a rain check on him.

"You and Harry? Remind me who he is again?" She said with a sly smirk. She knows damn well who he is, she pointed him out after class just the other day. I just gave her a teasing glare and turned myself from her doorframe, going back to make tea.

"Care for a cup?" I shouted from the stove, pouring boiling water into my handmade ceramic cup. It was so cool living with an artist, she made almost all the bowls and cups we use. And a lot of the artwork hung up is either hers or her artist friends who have a print exchange every couple months.

"Yes, if it's no bother." Irene shouted back. I pulled out her favorite mug and continued to prep her cup the way she likes. I went back to her room to drop off her cup, then sauntered off into my own bedroom, holding onto the heated cup tightly, trying to steal any warmth I could from it. My teeth clattered without warning, and I pulled back the covers of my bed and huddled under a mound of blankets, finally taking small sips of the soothing tea. I reached for my cell to send Harry a quick text, letting him know I'm ill.

"Hey, Harry. I am pretty sure I caught a cold so giving ya a heads up that Friday night now work :/"

I set my phone aside and sneezed a few times; I reached for the box of tissues on my bedside table that was sure to be empty in the next day or two.

from: Harry🍌
"Oh no! well we can be ill together, then. I caught something as well. Hope you feel better asap- all the love, H."

Is it selfish of me to be glad Harry caught a bug too? I know I said I wanted to slow down, but hanging out, as friends, never hurt anybody. And of Harry was healthy he'd probably not want to keep our plans. I locked my phone and set it to the side as I reached for the Metropolitan magazine I'd been flipping through this week. Hey, everyone has guilty pleasures.

Sooner than later the warm cup of tea went cold, the magazine articles got boring, and I knew I needed to get ready for bed and drink some major doses of NyQuil to knock me out. I pulled back the sheets, suddenly feeling a lot hotter than I was before. I knew if get cold tonight though, so I pulled out my favorite fuzzy sweater and placed it beside my bed for easy access. I opened the door to the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, braided my hair back so it'd not stick to my face as I slept, and opened the cabinet to reach for the nearly empty bottle of cold medicine. I polished off the rest and took a long look at the mirror in front of me.