"If You Say So" - Trade Story for iluvemojis

[darkness-is-the-light]

I'm sorry that this is so late @iluvemojis, but some personal problems got in the way. This is fairly short, just over 1,000 words but I tried to incorporate the things you wanted. If you're wondering, the characters have no names or physical traits because I wanted to let you decide for yourself. The only thing I'll note is that the characters are graduate students around the age of 23. I hope you enjoy.  

--- 

"Are you sure you're all right?" the young woman asks, hesitation creeping into her voice. 

 

This isn't the first time she's asked him, rather the third. She thinks for a moment that, perhaps, she sounds like a broken record. But she's known her boyfriend for five years now, and it's obvious when he doesn't feel well. 

 

He had woken up that morning with a slight headache behind his eyes, something he frequently suffered after a deep sleep. It seemed to be nothing, at least until the pressure migrated to his sinuses. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing the appendage in a soothing motion. This only did so much, though, and he was ultimately left unsatisfied. 

 

He suppressed a soft groan, pushing the covers from his heated body. This only gave momentary relief, as cool air rushed to his exposed limbs. But within minutes he became chilled and had to decide between sweating and shivering. 

 

A glance at the bedside clock told him it was too late to worry about the matter. He had roughly an hour to make himself presentable for work. It seemed that he had forgotten to set his alarm after an exhausting night. Of course, what else could be more important than his alarm that he just happened to neglect. 

 

That, unfortunately, was only the beginning of a difficult morning. 

 

"Yes, I told you before," he mumbles, "I'm fine." 

 

"Honey, you look exhausted." 

 

"I'm perfectly fine," 

 

"Come here, I want to feel your forehead." She can always see right through him. 

 

He narrows his eyes, "Are you trying to make me late for class?" 

 

She sighs, "No, I'm not."

 

"Then why are you pressing the subject when I told you I'm fine?" 

 

"I know you have the tendency to hide things from me," 

 

"I'm not hiding anything," She opens her mouth to argue, but closes it and sighs. 

 

"Okay," 

 

"I have to leave before I'm late." He grabs his bag and leaves the room before she can say anything else. 

 

"You didn't have any breakfast," she murmurs to herself. 

 

***

He soon wishes he had listened to her. His head is now throbbing and the pressure has only become worse. And to make it even worse, his class is dragging along. He hopes his two hour lecture will finish early, although that is unlikely. 

 

He wants nothing more than to crawl back into bed. That would require him to admit his impending illness to his girlfriend, though. She would be disappointed with him for lying... unless he refrained from telling her the truth. Again. 

 

That seems like a better idea than admitting vulnerability. 

 

***

"How was your class?" She asks after he enters their apartment. 

 

"Fine," he mumbles. 

 

"Just fine?" 

 

"Yes," he says, brushing past her. 

 

"Is something wrong?" 

 

"No, I just have a paper to work on."  He walks into their bedroom and closes the door behind him. 

 

She shakes her head. Something is definitely not right. 

 

Her suspicion is confirmed when she hears a loud "huh... ISSH!" not even five minutes later, followed by ticklish coughing. She doesn't doubt that he's hiding a cold, considering his pale complexion, flushed nose, sneezing, and coughing. 

 

She wants to invade his privacy and take care of him, but she decides to give him some time alone to calm down. 

 

**

"Honey, are you feeling all right?" She knocks on the door softly. 

 

The only response is silence. 

 

"Honey?" She tries again, only to be met with silence. 

 

She opens the door slowly to find him curled up under the covers. Her eyes soften at the sight of his sleeping face. He looks peaceful while sleeping, unlike his usual tough exterior. It's a welcomed change. 

 

"You're so adorable," she whispers, walking over to his side. She presses a hand to his forehead, finding his skin warm. "Why didn't you tell me you felt unwell?" 

 

He stirs at the sound of her voice, mumbling something incoherent. She shushes him with a gentle tone and he resumes his sleep. 

 

"I'll let you sleep in peace," she says, leaving the room. 

 

**

"...Huh-ISSH! ...ISSCH!" 

 

The sneezes break the silence of the living room. The young woman looks in the direction of the bedroom, expecting to see her boyfriend emerge from the room. Instead, she hears another set of identical sneezes. 

 

"Huh-ISSH! ...ISSCH! ...Huh!" 

 

The only difference is that there seems to be a third teasing him. She hears gasping hitching breaths followed by a low groan. The process repeats twice more. It must really be bothering him. 

 

She knows that he's come down with something quickly. He only has sneezing fits with false starts when a particularly nasty cold is working it's way into his body. 

 

She waits for a few seconds, listening for signs of the impending sneeze. Fortunately, she doesn't have to wait long. An audible gasp announces the coming sneeze. 

 

"...Huh-ISSSCH!" It's much louder in volume and sounds like it scraped his throat on the way out. 

 

The young woman stands, looking around for the box of tissues. She finds it on the coffee table and hastily grabs it, walking to the bedroom. She knocks on the door softly, announcing her presence before opening it without listening for a reply. 

 

"Bless you!" She hopes she doesn't sound too surprised, even though she feels it. "That sounded exhausting." 

 

He looks up at her with watery eyes. "You were listening?" 

 

"How could I not hear that?" 

 

"...I suppose you have a point." He sniffles, rubbing his nose as if it still bothers him. 

 

"I brought you tissues if you need them." 

 

"Thanks," he clears his throat. 

 

"How are you feeling?" She asks. 

 

"I'm fine," 

 

"Honey, please stop this. I know you don't feel well." 

 

He sighs, "I didn't want to worry you." 

 

"I'm always worried about you." 

 

"Why?" 

 

"Because I love you. I wouldn't worry if I didn't." She rests her hand on his arm. 

 

"Do you really mean that?" 

 

"Of course. I've loved you for years and I'll love you for even more. You're worth worrying over." 

 

A small smile forms on his lips. "I love you, too." 

 

"I know you're not well, but can I kiss you?" 

 

"That's not a good idea... you might catch this." 

 

"It's worth it, if it means I get to kiss you." She says. 

 

"If you say so," 

 

End.

[iluvemojis]

Yess!!!! I love these spellings. That fic was definitely worth the wait...thank you so much!

[Elyze]

Cute story! I do like that you leave the appearances open to the reader's imagination, lets each of us fill it in with our own preferences

[RediChalyn]

Great story!  I love your spellings and I especially love how you left the appearance of the characters up to us readers to decide.