{ #1 } I Was Shooting For The Moon, I Hit Two Stars (MxMxM || 18+)

Chapter 58 - Time To Sweat!

(Shan's POV - Fri. 8 May 2015)

"Atchaaaaaaaa!!!"

"Bless you..." Mark says as he walks into our bedroom, carrying a tray with a mug of soup.

Dang! I can't even get its smell through my fucking blocked nose!

"Thanks..." I grunt faintly, trying to sit up.

Mark puts the tray on the floor and helps me to settle comfortably against the pillows before he hands me a few tissues. Unashamedly, I loudly blow my nose and drop the used tissues in the bin he left beside the bed. Sexy much, isn't it?

Damn cold! Despite the two sweatshirts I'm wearing, I can't help shivering, and as Mark sits down beside me to brush his fingers against my forehead, I enjoy their coolness. I guess the fever is still high and I might not be able to go to work tonight again. I really hate leaving Aaron in the lurch, but I doubt I'd be very efficient in my current state. Besides, no one wants my germs.

"You're not getting any better, it seems," Mark sighs. "I'll call Aaron and let him know you're going to stay home tonight."

"Perhaps I'll feel better later on..."

For once, this is not Mark interrupting me but another coughing fit.

"Yeah sure..." he comments with heavy sarcasm. "How about you get dressed and we go out running a marathon in five minutes?"

Mark has been quite lenient over the past two weeks in terms of strictness – not that he ever was super strict either – so I don't refrain from snorting and rolling my eyes, surprisingly earning a scowl from him.

"You'd better keep these eyes down, Babe, or your backside might turn as red as your face," he scolds me. "Now take these pills and then you'll drink this," he says, first handing me some Tylenol with a glass of water, then a mug.

What I thought was soup actually looks like milk...

"Ugh... What's that?" I grouse after smelling the warm beverage.

The mixture smells weirdly spicy, something really strong, and my nose functions are not at their best!

"Just drink it, Babe," Mark orders firmly.

A firmness I haven't heard in a long time, so the submissive side of my brain commands me to obey. Yuk!! This is really disgusting, but I still empty the whole thing when I see Mark's frown deepen. Fine with me! If I vomit, he'll just clean my mess!

"What the heck was that?" I ask with a grimace once I have swallowed it down.

"Milk, rum, honey and pepper," he states. "My grandma's recipe to fight a fever. I had completely forgotten about it, but Mom reminded me of that when she called this morning. By the way, she sent a kiss for you and wished you well. Now..." he says as he stands up and pulls on my legs to make me lie down.

Mark tucks me under the comforter and even fetches another one from the chest of drawers that he adds on top of the first one.

"This is going to make you sweat like hell and you're going to eliminate all the toxins from your body. Sleep for another hour or two and you should feel better," he explains with a smile.

"Surprising..." I reply, managing a smirk. "I thought you were the kind of guy with other sorts of ideas to make another guy sweat..."

Oops. Bad joke, Shan... Mark's smile immediately turns his lips into a thin line and a serious expression covers his face as he bends over the bed to rest his hands on either side of my shoulders, staring straight into my eyes.