Nightingale Academy

It was just my luck to wake up the next morning with a 102 degree fever. Azure called Tily to our dorm and had her give me some medication. I was given three pills and a cold glass of water before Azure and Tily both left. I fell asleep soon after.

I woke up again around three in the morning. I had slept the whole day without so much as a bathroom trip. I sat up in the bed and slapped my hand to the side of my head, trying to keep the nausea to a minimal. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the pounding in my head, and carefully laid back down into the pillows. I turned onto my side and sighed into the pillows. I recognised them from Amaranth's room and sniffed them slightly. If my nasal passage worked, I'm sure I would have smelt his musk and ivy.

I continued cradling my head with my hand and searched for a painkiller on the bedside table. I smiled in relief at seeing a glass of water and a pill next to it. I pinched the pill between my forefinger and thumb, pushing it through my tight lips and swallowing it dry. I closed my eyes and let the pinching in my head subside to a dull thud before I drank from the glass.

The need to relieve myself became unbearable and I forced myself to slowly crawl out of bed. I sniffled, rubbing my stuffy nose with the back of my wrist. In an unbearably slow pace, I walked out the room and towards the bathroom. I was so out of my element, I almost didn't notice a familiar icy feeling rolling around the surface of my skin. Other than smiling slightly to myself, I ignored Amaranth and slowly shuffled down the hallway.

I did my business in the bathroom and splashed my face with cool water. I frowned at my red-faced reflection in the mirror and dried my face with a paper towel. I threw the paper out before slowly walking back to my room. Amaranth continued watching from his hiding place. I wanted to call him out, but I knew he was aware that I could tell he was there. I suppressed a frown, thinking of yesterday's events.

I shook the unpleasant memory out of my head and sniffled. I shuffled the rest of the way to my room, my head pounding dully and my vision blurring. My face was probably even more red than it had been in the bathroom and my sniffles have become unattractive and loud, but Amaranth's eyes stayed glued to me. I walked through my bedroom door and locked the door behind me, though it most likely would do nothing to prevent Amaranth and his unknown superhuman powers from gaining access.

Secretly, I wished that Amaranth would come in, climb into bed, and hold me. Yet, I was still angry and confused. My pounding head kept me from thinking straight and instead it lulled me back to a deep sleep.

.:.

When I woke up again I could smell the revolting scent of soup in the air. I contorted my face slightly and sat up in my bed slowly. Azure's giggle rang in my head like soft soprano bells and I looked over at her. She sat crossed-legged on her bed and grinned at me.

“I brought you soup from lunch. It'll make you feel better,” she says.

I puff out a bit of air and scrunch my nose, showing her my distaste. Again, she repeated her sentence and lithely pounced from her bed to mine. She picked the bowl up from the side table and swirled the spoon in the steaming liquid. She made a wide 'O' with her mouth, beckoning me to do the same and I sealed my lips tightly together, shaking my head. Slightly frustrated, she scooped the soup up with a spoon and tried to shove it between my lips.

I shook my head, the hot liquid dripping from my right cheek and rolling down to my neck. Azure sighed and placed the bowl back down, giving up for the moment. She opened up the drawer under the bowl and pulled out a box of Huggies. She pulled out moist towelette and wiped the soup from my neck and cheek.

“You have to eat, Lilith. You'll dehydrate yourself and worsen your condition,” she urged on.

I shook my head, pouting childishly. I've only had a fever one other time in my life and I wasn't allowed to leave my house for five days. I became delirious and very much unlike myself. I threw tantrums and refused to eat or take my medicine. My parents weren't used to handling a daughter who actually acted her age and had to resort to locking me in a room and keeping me there along with a box of tissues and all the books I could possibly read. I didn't read any of the books at all and ended up using the tissues to make ghosts and castles amid cataclysm.

Azure sighed heavily once more. “You leave me no choice.”

She got off my bed and left the room. I sat upright, staring intently at the door, curious to see if she indeed decides to come back or not.

In place of Azure's lithe body comes in a taller and more built form. I gaze fondly at the well-formed man in front of me until I realise who this person is. I cross my arms and pout, staring down at the floor and avoiding his beautiful sapphire eyes.

“She's acting-” his deep and rich voice cackles with ill-hidden amusement, “-like a child.”

Azure walks in front of her brother and stares at me with the tiniest sliver of annoyance. “Yes, well, you can see that I had to resort to drastic measures. She wont eat.” She flicks her long, dark hair back behind her left shoulder and crossed her arms in a similar fashion as myself, but while I look like a stubborn child, she looks sophisticated and more mature. “I've tried force feeding her, but she turned the other cheek and lets the soup hit her face. It's like taking care of a three month old.”

I finally look over their way and scowl at her. She sticks her tongue out at me and pokes her brother in the stomach. “Will you feed our pretty little flower?” She pouts out her bottom lip and gazes at him dolefully.

He snickers at her slightly and turns my way. “You don't even need to ask.”

Azure grinned triumphantly and waved her hand at me, making her leave. The door shut behind her and now I was alone in the room with Amaranth. He sheepishly smiled at me from across the room. I continued to ignore him and roll myself into the blankets, sinking my flushed face into my pillow. I heard Amaranth's loud sigh and heavy footsteps make their way closer. The side of the bed sinks in and my whole body moves into the depression, my outer thighs resting against Amaranth's back. He lies his hand on my head, the comforter still between us and I squirm under him slightly before giving in and letting the satisfaction of him touching me set in.

“Will you please eat, Lily?” he asked so softly that I barely was able to make his words out.

I shake my head violently and squeeze my eyes tightly together. One part of me (the ill part caused by the fever) was merely doing this so to be stubborn and left alone, but the other (my normal self which is severely embarrassed at this moment) did not want to be seen by Amaranth while in my current uncontrollable state. The weight of his hand left my head and the covers started to tug open. I growled, clinging onto them the best I could. I was too distracted with keeping the covers above my head on that I didn't notice Amaranth move one hand to my side until the comforter was lifted and light spilled in. I blinked rapidly, fighting to accustom my eyes to the change of luminosity and glared at the man next to me.

“No!” I thrash my small fist into his chest, catching him of guard, the shock apparent on his face, and pulled the comforter towards myself as best as I could with him still sitting on it. I pull the larger portion of acquired blanket around my lower body and smirk at Amaranth.

He closed his hanging jaw and looked back at me with an endearing smile. The love-filled expression on his face made me flush and look down at my hands. They tightly clasped themselves around the blanket and held it firmly. My bottom lip found its way between my gnawing teeth before a sudden burst of confidence surged through my body and chilled my bones. I shivered slightly, causing Amaranth to pull the covers out of my hands and instead wrapping them around me tighter. I glanced back up at him and locked eyes. The same adoring expression spread across his face and I felt my heart start to thump faster.

When was I going to tell him? When was he going to tell me? His feelings are obvious as they are always written on his face when we are together in privacy and his actions speak loudly, but neither of us has spoken out loud of our feelings. Small touches and heartfelt smiles can only go so far until I start to crack and want more. And yet, I was still angry with him. How could he put me in a situation in which he uses me to make other girls jealous? I knew from the beginning that being with Amaranth, even as mere companions, was going to be hard, but Amaranth goes one step farther and actually finds the reactions his arm around my shoulders gets to be amusing.

During my internal battle with both my thoughts and my light-headiness, which I assumed was from my fever and not Amaranth's close proximity, I felt the familiar touch of certain fingertips trailing across my cheek and jaw line. I gazed back up at Amaranth, expecting to lock eyes again but instead he had his eyes closed and a smile played on his lips when he felt me looking up. His face looked calm and serene and even with his beautiful eyes hidden, he still looked enigmatic.

I felt the confidence caused by the medication and my ill-stricken self surge through my veins again and I started leaning closer, preparing myself. For what, I wasn't sure yet.

“Amaranth, I-”

He silenced me, placing a finger to my lips and picking up the bowl from my night stand. “We'll talk later. Right now, I need you to eat.”

I nodded, giving in, all confidence sinking back to the dark pits of my normal self, and opened my mouth as he fed me the spoonful of soup. I looked away from him, feeling embarrassed, and stared head at a cork board with Azure's pictures from Photography class tacked onto it. Several pictures were old and taken before I came. In all of the pictures Azure and Amaranth looked exactly the same as they do now. One particular Polaroid was obviously older than the others by quite a few decades. The picture was tinted with the slightest shade of sepia and the edges blurred. In it, Azure, Amaranth and the headmaster were standing outside the doors of Nightingale's main building, the building looking a few decades younger.

I swallowed another spoonful of the vomit-scented soup and gagging slightly. Amaranth chuckled and scooped up more from the bowl. “Just one more spoonful, Lily.”

Pouting, I shook my head side to side.

“Please? For me?” Amaranth smiled sweetly, enough to make my heart flutter into my throat, but I stood my ground and shook my head again. He mimicked my expression perfectly and leaned down to my height. “Don't you care about me, Lily? Just take one more spoonful for lil' me, huh?”

I grumbled and opened my mouth for the 'Choo Choo Train'.

“Another one-” I thrashed my fists onto my knees this time, “- for Azure. She hasn't been feeling well and you had her worried all night. Don't you feel bad?”

I gave in, feeling the guilt caused by his truthfulness.

“And just one more.” That's what he said the last six times, too.

“No!” I turned my head to the side, avoiding the spoon.

“Oh, c'mon, Lily. This is the last one, I promise!” he fought back. “This time for your mum and dad! Don't you love your parents!?”

I stopped resisting and my eyes grew wide, my jaw slackening and dropping half an inch. Not only do I have to be very sensitive to strong scents when I'm sick, but I also have to have my brain work like that of a child's. Amaranth, quick and clever as ever, took my open mouth as an opportunity and shoved the spoon quickly into my mouth. I almost spurted it all out but Amaranth pressed my mouth firmly together and waited for me to swallow before he let go.

“Now,” he says while putting the empty bowl to the side. “Wasn't that easy?”

I scoffed. “No.” He hadn't been the one force fed.

He smoothed out the comforter around me and lied me back into bed. My head hit the pillow and he moved to get up and leave. “Wait,” I stop him, my fingers holding onto his sleeve tightly. “You said we would talk.”

He grimaced slightly but as soon as he did, the painful expression was gone and replaced with a tight and forced smile. “We will, but you're not feeling well and now have a full tummy,” he patted my stomach under the blanket and surprisingly, I didn't blush a colour of blue. “Sleep first and we'll talk when you feel better,” he finished sternly.

I nodded, not feeling up to endure an argument which he was going to win anyway. I sighed through my nose and smiled up at him. His smile stayed tight-lipped but his eyes danced as they stared back at me.

“Stay with me.”

I was shocked by my voice. My demand was not a surprise due to my current state of mind but I never heard my voice so sure. It's like I knew that he was going to finally break away from his tightness and smile genuinely, then pull the covers up to slip underneath them and hold me a tightly as he possibly could without breaking me in half.

I sighed though my nose again and smiled as his cold nose crushed the back of my neck. My mind focused on the feel of his body and my senses were at an all time high. The air round me smelled like him and I soon forgot the terrible scent of the soup I had just been fed. My skin couldn't feel anything but the cool texture of his arms and his body pressed against my back. I closed my eyes and relished in the nonpareil that is his existence. What was it that made me angry with him in the first place?