Kai's POV
She burns at both ends.
I told her she'd get sick. Told her to sit down. Shut up. Stop running around like she was sunshine incarnate with no immune system.
Did she listen?
Of course not. She had a party to plan. A classmate's dog's birthday to attend. A new sticker collection to show the dean.
So here I am—sitting on the freezing floor of her dorm room—watching the human embodiment of chaos and glitter shiver under six blankets.
Her usually loud voice is a raspy whisper. Her cheeks flushed, eyes glassy. She keeps mumbling in her sleep, clutching my hoodie like it's the only thing tethering her to earth.
She said my name earlier. In her sleep.
Twice.
I should leave. I should've left hours ago.
Instead, I sit.
Stuffed between a pink unicorn beanbag and a pastel bookshelf titled "Emergency Romance Reads."
I watch her breathe. Not in a creepy way. In a—I'm-counting-each-breath-because-I'm-scared way.
Because it hits me, somewhere between her fourth sneeze and the way she still tried to thank me, voice cracking like glass—I care. Too much.
She stirs. Slowly blinks. Her long black hair is everywhere. She looks at me, confused and small, voice soft as tissue paper.
"You stayed?"
"Yeah."
She sniffs, blinking slow. "You hate glitter."
"You're sick."
Her lip trembles. "You tucked me in?"
"You were freezing."
"…Did you braid my hair again?"
A beat.
She's wearing my hoodie. I don't even remember giving it to her.
"Yes."
A shaky smile. Then tears. Real ones. I panic. "Sky?"
She throws herself at me, weak and wobbly, but determined.
"I love you."
I freeze. "You're delirious."
"No. I'm in love with you. You stayed. You braided my hair. You made me soup. And you hate soup."
"…You hallucinated the soup. That was Ava."
"I STILL LOVE YOU!"
I look at her. Really look.
She's a mess.
Flushed, eyes wet, voice cracking, and still smiling like I hung the stars.
And God help me—
I let her crawl into my lap.
She tucks her head under my chin, mumbling things like "our kids will have your eyebrows" and "I'll name our daughter Marzipan."
She's burning with fever. Burning like she always is.
And I don't push her away.
Not this time.