Justin shot up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, a soft gasp escaping his throat for a split second. He had woken up from a nightmare, which he had been prone to getting whenever he was feeling under the weather. Slowly, Justin began to take in his surroundings as his real-world senses came back with a crawl. A few deep, labored breaths and he remembered where he was. In his room…and he barely remembered what happened earlier in the day.
He felt his forehead, thick with sweat, but his face was still flushed and warm. “Thirsty…” he heard himself mutter with a painfully strained voice.
But, he couldn’t walk all the way downstairs to get water because his body ached just to move. Justin groaned before moving to get off the bed, his throat burning. He was surprised when, gently but urgently, someone else’s hand grabbed his own. He felt the cool, soft fingers wrap around his feverish palm.
“That’s not a very good idea,” Selena whispered from somewhere behind him and to his left. “Here, let me help.”
“Sel…?” he started to say with a slight croak.
“Shh,” she silenced as she quickly went to the kitchen and came back with a cold water bottle. “You shouldn’t talk either, you have a sore throat. At least you have me giving you water instead of hurting yourself in the process,” she said with a light laugh.
Giving into his aching thirst, Justin leaned back slightly and began to drink from water bottle. The cool water hitting his throat caused him to greedily sip up the contents until little was left. Wiping his lips, he turned slightly to see his girlfriend on her knees behind him. Her warm, brown eyes and smile were enough of a comfort for him to feel a little better.
“Thanks…” he smiled back, his eyes half-lidded. “But…were you awake this whole time?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to talk so much?” she joked softly, “You woke me when you sat up. I guess you had a nightmare, huh?”
“Nothing I haven’t seen already,” he answered with a cough, closing his eyes. “Sorry I woke you.”
Selena smiled, “It’s okay. It would be worse if I couldn’t be here for you.”
Justin breathed deeply. “It wouldn’t…just be worse…” he struggled through his sore-throat with each word. “It’d be…impossible…to live…without…you…”
“Shhh,” she urged again, “Don’t talk…just try to sleep. I’m here.”
He cast a weak smile in her direction. “Don’t get…sick too…okay?”
She smiled back, rubbing her hand across his forehead, “I won’t, Justin. Sleep.”
Her voice made him feel more like he was in a waking dream. He laid himself back, and he could feel Selena drawing the covers back over him and moving his head to rest in her lap. The sensations on his forehead continued and saw no sign of stopping.
“Love you…so much…” he mumbled in half-sleep.
Selena smiled down at him, caressing his face with her hand. “I love you too,” she murmured right back.
“Definitely gonna…make a good mom…someday…”
The breath caught in her throat at hearing those words, and the warmth rose in her cheeks. The statement was surprising…but her heart fluttered at the thought. “Thanks,” she simply replied, quiet and gentle.
He smiled widely, and nestled the back of his head in her lap. Finally, when she felt his breath go rhythmic and even, sleep present on his face, she stopped the movements on his head.
She leaned back on the pillows and just looked down at her young boyfriend resting so tiredly on her, his flush cheek resting on one of her palms. Her other hand caressed over his jawline.
Selena couldn’t help but wonder what he was dreaming about with that smile on his face. Her cheeks didn’t get rid of the blush that she knew was there, but who cared right then?
Soon enough she was satisfied that he would sleep through the night, and closed her own eyes to drift into a dreamless sleep.
