I Love You As Much As I Hate You

16. You Look So Real...

"Rain common, it has been four days," Gray opened the curtains and the sunshine filled the gloomy room.

"Shit!" Rain pulled the blanket over her head to block the light.

It was their daily routine for the last three days. Gray was waking her up, forcing her to eat something before going to work and left her alone with her depression for the day until he came back with take-away dinner in evening. During the dinner, Gray was trying to chat with her a little, but her mind was too full for a sane conversation so she was stuffing a little of the dinner before escaping to the room back.

However, the fourth day was different.

"Rain listen to me," Gray pulled the blanket off from Rain, "this is serious."

"What happened?" She was suddenly awake, hearing Gray's words.

"You need to go to check on Cloud."

"Gray, I..."

"Look, there is a serious case with a lot of injured people so I have to go to work as well as Mir. He called me earlier to say that Cloud doesn't answer his phone."

"And? Maybe he is busy or forgot to charge his phone."

Gray grabbed her arms, "after what happened in the beach, we made a promise always to pick up or say it in advance that we will be busy. So, there is no way Cloud didn't answer for the entire morning if he was fine. Now tell me, will you go to check on him or shall I send my mom?"

"I-I will go," Rain stuttered, panicking with the possibility of Cloud being really sick or hurt, but trying not to look so concerned.

"Thank you," Gray smiled to her, "try not to kill him."

"I will try."

***

Rain took a deep breath before knocking the door, and repeated the action two more times but there was no answer. She checked the pot for the key but it was not there. One last try, she murmured before trying the door, luckily it was not lock so it opened easily.

"Cloud?" Rain called out his name from the hall.

Silence... Therefore, she entered the flat and went to Cloud's room. There he was, lying motionlessly on the bed with a very pale face. Seeing him like that, Rain's heart skipped a beat and the bag in her hand fell onto the floor with a thud, the medicine boxes scattered around. Rain paid no attention to them as she moved towards the sleeping figure and sat beside him. Gently, she put her hand on his forehead to find out he was burning.

She jumped to her feet and went to kitchen to prepare a basin of icy water and towels. Coming back, she pulled the blanket off him, took his shirt off and started to wipe his body with the cold towels to reduce his fever.

During the first round, Cloud was still unconscious, but when she pulled him towards her and leaned his head on her shoulder to wipe his back, he stirred a bit, unconsciously responding to her presence.

Rain noticed a warm arm encircling her waist and looking towards her shoulder, her gaze met Cloud's drowsy hazel eyes, "how do you feel?" she asked softly.

"Wow, you look so real..." he adjusted his head on her shoulder, "and feel so real..."

"I am really here Cloud," she continued to wipe his back, "do you feel better?"

"Hmm," his arm fell to the bed again as he drifted back to sleep.

Sighing heavily, Rain put Cloud back under the blanket with a cold towel on his forehead, collected the medicine boxes from the floor and went to cook porridge.

"Cloud... wake up," she gently woke him up while caressing his hair.

"Hmm?" Cloud was still drowsy so he could not focus what was going on.

"Common," Rain pulled him into a sitting position, "you need to eat something before taking the medicine."

"Rain?" Cloud asked with confusion. He was sure he was hallucinating, maybe his fever was too high.

"It is me," she fed him a spoon of porridge.

"Why did you come back?" He asked with a low voice, being afraid of her answer.

"To nurse you," she gave him another spoon.

"That's all?" Cloud looked at her with a pained expression, "will you go when I am fine?"

Rain wiped a stray tear from her cheek, her gaze was fixed on the bowl she was holding. "Yes," she murmured at the end while looking at Cloud but he already drifted back to sleep.

Softly, she laid him back and replaced the cold towel on his forehead. Unconsciously, she started to caress his mushroom hair. I don't know what to do, it hurts so bad but still I can't hate you, she murmured with a heavy heart.

After sitting for a while, Rain stood up to change the water in the basin, but suddenly a warm hand caught her arm.

"Don't go... please..."

Rain sat back, holding his hand which was holding her arm, "I won't leave you, I am just going to the kitchen," she said reassuringly while caressing his fingers.

He nodded indistinctively and his hold became loose. Rain put his hand back under the blanket and went to change the water.

"Cold..."

Returning with the basin full of cold water, Rain heard Cloud was mumbling while shivering all over. Hastily, she changed the towel with a cold one before getting into the bed with him. She inserted one arm under him, pulling him into an embrace. Feeling the warmth, Cloud unconsciously nuzzled into the crook of Rain's neck while Rain was rubbing his back, trying to warm his cold body as well as his cold heart.

They stayed in that position for the entire night, until the rays of the sun filled the room next day.