*about 6 months later*
"Babe? Where are you? I can't see you" It was hard to make out Harry's words from all that noise in the background. I shifted in bed, adjusting the cell phone against my ear. The pain in my throat was killing me, I felt like I was choking on my own words.
"I-couldn't make it" I managed to speak despite the pain the formation of each word was causing me. My fever had reached 102 by now and my throat hurt everytime I gulped, making it impossible to go to Harry's concert. I knew how badly he wanted me to be there, he had been talking about the concert all week...and now, this had to happen. There was silence on the other end as I waited for him to reply.
"Oh" Oh? Is that all he's going to say? Oh?
"Yeah..."
"I guess I'll talk to you later then" and with that, Harry hung up, leaving me staring at the phone in my hand. Was he mad? Even if he was, he should have atleast asked me why I couldn't make it to his concert...I frowned as I looked at the phone again, feeling a whole new surge of headache. Groaning, I pulled the duvet over my head as I decided to get some sleep, I'll think about Harry once I'm up and hopefully feeling a lot better, I owe that much to my aching body.
After a while, I heard the door to my room open and I placed a hand on my forehead, trying to calm the massive headache.
"Ayesha, can you please get me a glass of water?" my eyes were closed, massaging my forehead with my thumb and index finger. I heard footsteps leave my room before my door opened again and I sat up in bed, managing to tear my eyes open.
"Harry?" and just like that, I wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. Harry sadly smiled at me before giving me the medicine that rested on the side-table and the glass of water in his hand.
"Sshh. Take this first" he watched me take the medicine as he put a gentle hand on my back, soothingly rubbing it up and down. I blinked, looking at the time on the wrist-watch I still wore,
"What are you doing here? I mean shouldn't you be at that after party right now?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows together before letting out a deep sigh
"You honestly think I'd be at some party while you're at home like this?" he shook his head before sitting down on the bed next to me. "When you told me that you couldn't make it, I knew something was up love...because I knew you wouldn't miss my concert for the world" I nodded as I looked at his hands...his beautiful, beautiful hands. "That's when I knew I had to come and see you straight away, if I wanted to get any sleep tonight that is..." Harry smiled as he spoke the last words, making me beam at my beautiful boyfriend. Oh, so that's why he hung up way too quickly...
He put a hand on my forehead, eyes widening as he took in the heat of my body "You're burning up babe!" I closed my eyes as I rested my head against the pillow, nodding before a had a fit of coughing again "and you have a sore throat" he noted again. I was feeling so cold, my body shivering due to the fever, hugging onto the duvet for dear life.
"What are you-"
"Move over"
"What? NO!" I glared at Harry as he tried to get into bed with me. No way in hell am I letting him come anywhere my fever-ridden body! "No Harry!" I shook my head firmly "You're not coming near me. I'm not risking getting you sick too" I held his gaze before he looked down and slumped his shoulders. Finally!
"Fine"
"Good" In one swift movement, Harry lifted the duvet off my body before I found his figure next to mine, "Noooo babbbbbyyyyyyy" I tried pushing him away "you'll get sick!" I coughed, turning my head as farther away from Harry as possible. Long fingers wrapped themselves around my waist, pulling me into him. I tried to argue with him but he only tightened his grip, making me give up and rest my back against his chest.
"That's better" he whispered against my hair, soothingly stroking my leg up and down. I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me feel better, but I still didn't want him here, he'd catch the fever too.
"You're impossible boy" that made him chuckle "and crazy too"
"Krazay for ya babay" he kissed the back of my head before cuddling closer to me again. "What would I do without you..." the way he said it, I knew he didn't expect a reply. I smiled and closed my eyes, melting into the warmth I knew didn't exist anywhere else.
*****
I groaned as I turned over in bed, in my half-empty bed I must add. Where was Harry? I shivered as I got up, why was it so freakin cold today? Oh joy! Probably because someone had left the window open. Unwillingly pulling the duvet off my body, I made it to the edge of my bed, rubbing my eyes.
"Ms. Khadija Hassan" a loud voice made me stop dead in my tracks, I think I even forgot to breathe. Is that...a loudspeaker?
"Ms. Khadija Hassan" there it goes again. I slowly made my way to where the voice was coming from, the window. And as soon as I lay eyes on what stood before me, I swear I forgot that I ever had fever to begin with. Harry stood outside the window, with hundreds of bouqets of red roses surrounding him and an equal number of wrappings of chocolates accompanied by red balloons, and surely, he had a loudspeaker in his hand. I was subconsciously gripping the ledge of the window so tight, I was sure my knuckles would have gone white. I was fully aware of the fact that I was smiling like an idiot as I stared at my curly haired-boy. Harry's lips turned into a dimpled grin as soon as he saw me.
"Hi babe" his voice echoed, making me blush a bit.
"Hi" my voice was a mere whisper as I waved at him shyly. A few people had stopped to watch us, but I couldn't concentrate on them right now.
"So umm..." Harry cleared his throat "I've been thinking a lot about how to do this, I've thought of atleast like a hundred ways but nothing quite seemed like you...the warm, loveable, spontaneous you. And I didn't want to do this like the typical way you know, that's too mainstream" My heart fluttered in my chest, begging to jump out as I stared at him "So..." Harry went down on one knee, pulling out a small velvet covered box from the pocket of his jacket "Infront of everyone here today..." I was holding my breath, gaze fixed on the box "Ms. Khadija Hassan, will you marry me?" Cheers erupted from the audience outside as I covered my mouth with my hands, tears flowing down my cheeks. Forgetting how sick I was or how weak I felt, I pulled my body away from the window as I backed away from it, running towards the front door and across the lawn where he stood...and crashed into his arms. I could hear people applaud, whistle and cheer as Harry lifted me off my feet and spun me around, and saying that I was the happiest girl alive would be the under-statement of an entire lifetime.
"So, I take that as a yes?" he gently put me down on my feet, resting his forehead against mine. I started nodding violently, making the dimpled smile that I had fallen in love with infinity times over, appear again.
"Yes! Yes!! YESSSSS!!!!!" I jumped up and down, making him pull me into his embrace again. "This is perfect Harry, you are perfect" I wiped away my tears as I took in my surroundings, over-whelmed by the effort he had put into all of this. "I love you! I love you!! I LOVE YOUUU!" I looked up at Harry to see him teared up as well.
"I love you so much" he gently stroked my cheek with his thumb as he looked into my eyes "I'll always keep you happy, I promise" I stared into his beautiful green orbs as I nodded slowly...
I knew he would.
