Paper Wishes (#1)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Believe in Yourself

We were in the elevator waiting to arrive on the floor Nox's room was on. "I can heal you," Tsubasa said.

"Heal me?"

"You know - the mark on your cheek."

"That would be great," I said, not wanting Nox to see me with a handprint on my face if he woke up.

"It's a bit intimate," he said.

"Define 'a bit intimate' for me."

"I need to kiss you."

"But just on the cheek, right?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "If he finds out, Nox won't like it. But he wouldn't like that you're in pain either, so it's really up to you."

I flip-flopped over the decision, debating internally.

"You have to decide soon, we're coming up to his floor."

"Okay, hurry," I said as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

Tsubasa leaned forward and tenderly kissed the bruised cheek, his stubble tickling me. He gently rubbed his cheek against mine before pulling back. "There, you're all better," he said as he stepped back again.

I stared at my reflection on the door of the elevator and he was right - the handprint was gone. I reached up to touch my cheek and I felt no pain. "That's amazing!"

"I think you meant to say, 'you're amazing!'"

"That, too, I guess."

"Come on, let's go visit your honey," he said as the elevator door opened, gesturing for me to go first.

Much to my disappointment Nox was still unconscious.

"Couldn't you just heal him the way you healed me? Give him a kiss, or something?"

"If it were that easy, I'd have kissed him all over for your sake." He sighed.

"Would you give it a try for my sake?"

Tsubasa looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but to his credit he didn't. "Will it make you happy?"

"I just want to make sure we try everything."

He sighed, again, and untied Nox's gown at the neck and pulled it down slightly.

"Whoa - what are you doing?"

Tsubasa gave me a very pointed look. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Can't you just kiss him on the cheek?"

"No. I kissed you on the cheek because that's where your injury was. You told me that Nox had been clutching his chest."

"Oh."

"May I continue?"

I nod yes.

Tsubasa leaned forward, his face hovering over Nox's chest. I saw his eyes flick up to look at me before looking back down as he kissed the area where Nox's heart would be. He stepped back and pulled Nox's hospital gown back up.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Tsubasa said as he threw himself down into the convertible chair-bed.

"What do you think I did wrong?" I asked, as I continued to stand at the foot of the bed.

"What you did wrong? I'm the one that just made out with your boyfriend's chest."

"No, I mean when I tried to use my magic to bring him back to me. Did I say the wrong thing?" I closed my eyes as I angled my head down, my hair cascading down my shoulders creating a curtain between me and Tsubasa.