Aiden stirred awake, the dull ache in his neck reminding him that he'd spent the night sleeping in a chair. He blinked groggily, the morning light filtering in through the curtains, soft and golden. As his vision cleared, he froze for a second.
Olivia was awake — sitting up slightly, blanket around her shoulders, looking right at him.
Their eyes met.
Aiden blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sight of her clear brown eyes watching him quietly.
"You're awake," he said softly, straightening.
He stood up quickly, the movement almost too brisk, and reached out without thinking — his hand automatically going to her forehead. His brows furrowed in concentration as his palm brushed over her skin. Still a little warm, but nowhere near last night's heat.
He exhaled in relief. "Good. Your fever's gone down."
Olivia blinked at him, her heart doing an odd little flip. His voice was low and rough from sleep, but laced with a gentleness that wasn't often there.
"You should freshen up," he said, stepping back and rolling his shoulders. The tension from sleeping upright made him wince. "I'll bring breakfast. After eating and taking your medicine, you need to rest some more."
Olivia nodded obediently, her voice still a little hoarse. "Okay."
Aiden gave a small nod, rubbing the back of his neck before heading toward the bathroom. Olivia watched him disappear inside, the door clicking softly behind him.
As soon as he was gone, she sighed and pressed a hand to her chest. Why does he look even more handsome when he's worried?
When Aiden returned a short while later, he carried a tray with breakfast: toast, scrambled eggs, fruit, and a small bowl of soup. The sight made Olivia smile faintly.
"You didn't have to do all this," she murmured.
He set the tray on the nightstand, ignoring her words. "Eat while it's still warm."
Olivia obeyed quietly, still a little weak. When she was done, Aiden handed her the medicine and a glass of water. She took the pills, swallowing them, and handed the glass back.
As he set it aside, Aiden said, "Lie down and get some more sleep."
Olivia hesitated, fidgeting with the blanket. "Aiden?"
He paused, looking at her. "What is it?"
She met his eyes, a shy little smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you."
Aiden blinked, caught off guard. "For what?"
"For… taking care of me," she said quietly, her gaze dropping to her hands. "You didn't have to. But you did."
For a moment, he just looked at her — her flushed cheeks, the sincerity in her voice. Then, his lips curved into the faintest smile.
"You don't have to thank me," he said simply. "Just get better."
He straightened, about to move back to his chair, when he felt something tug at his wrist.
Olivia was holding him lightly, her fingers barely curled around his sleeve.
Aiden froze, eyes dropping to where her small hand touched him.
"You should rest too," she said softly, not meeting his gaze. "You've been sitting in that chair all night. It can't be comfortable."
Her voice was quiet, but there was concern in it — the kind that made something warm stir inside his chest.
He blinked, a little surprised by her gentle tone. "I'm fine."
But Olivia shook her head. "No, you're not. Look at you — your shoulders must be killing you."
Aiden raised an eyebrow, half amused, half exasperated. "Are you scolding me now?"
"A little," she said, smiling weakly. "You stayed up all night for me. The least you can do is take a nap properly."
There was no arguing with that tone — the quiet, firm Olivia Bennett tone that always got her way in meetings and now, apparently, in a hotel room too.
He sighed in defeat. "Fine."
Olivia shifted slightly, moving toward the edge of the bed to give him space. "There's room. You can rest for a while."
Her cheeks turned pink immediately after saying it.
Aiden looked at her — really looked. The blush on her face, the way she fidgeted with the blanket, the shy way her eyes avoided his.
He quietly removed his coat and tie, folded them neatly, and placed them on the chair. Then, without a word, he lay down on the other side of the bed.
"Happy now?" he murmured.
Olivia glanced at him, her heart beating a little faster than it should. "Yes. Now sleep."
He let out a chuckle. "You're bossy even when you're sick."
"I learned from the best," she shot back weakly, already sinking back into her pillow.
Aiden smiled faintly, eyes closing. Within minutes, her breathing steadied beside him — soft, rhythmic, peaceful.
He didn't remember when he fell asleep either, but the exhaustion from last night finally pulled him under.
When Aiden woke again, the sunlight outside had dimmed. Evening already. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, then turned to see Olivia still asleep beside him — her breathing even, her expression relaxed.
For the first time since she'd fainted, she looked completely at peace.
He stood up quietly, stretching his stiff limbs. After freshening up, he ordered some food from room service and ate quickly, leaving Olivia's portion covered on the tray. Then he settled by the table, opening his laptop and slipping back into work mode — emails, schedules, client messages, one after another.
A couple of hours later, he heard a soft groan.
Olivia stirred, rubbing her eyes like a sleepy cat. Her hair was tousled, her voice still raspy from sleep. "What time is it?"
"Almost three," Aiden said, glancing up from his screen. "You've been out for a few hours."
She blinked, still half in dreamland. "You let me sleep that long?"
"You needed it," he replied simply. "How are you feeling now?"
She smiled faintly. "Better."
"Good," he said. "Go freshen up and have your dinner."
Olivia nodded, getting up slowly. After washing her face and fixing her hair, she came back to find Aiden still working.
"Don't you ever stop?" she teased lightly, sitting down to eat.
He didn't look up. "Only when certain people aren't fainting in meetings."
She pouted. "You're never letting me live that down, are you?"
"No," he said, deadpan — but the corner of his lips twitched.
After dinner, Olivia took her medicine and leaned back on the bed, watching Aiden type away with that unbothered focus of his. For a while, the only sound was the soft tapping of keys and the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Then Olivia sighed dramatically.
Aiden looked up. "What now?"
"I'm bored," she said flatly.
He raised an eyebrow. "You were literally unconscious for half a day. Maybe enjoy the peace."
"I've had enough peace. My brain's too quiet."
He sighed and leaned back. "Then find something to entertain yourself. Watch something. Read. Play a game. Anything that doesn't involve work."
Olivia's lips curved into a small smile. "So, permission to watch anime granted?"
Aiden gave her a blank look. "…Anime?"
She nodded solemnly. "Yes. I have a few episodes to catch up on."
"Of course you do," he muttered under his breath, going back to his laptop.
Olivia grinned, plugging in her headphones and opening her laptop. Within minutes, she was fully immersed — giggling at cute moments, gasping at dramatic twists, mumbling about unfair cliffhangers.
Aiden tried to focus on his work; he really did. But every few minutes, her reactions pulled his attention.
He looked up to see her smiling brightly one moment, frowning the next, then slamming her hand on the bed with a muttered, "No way he just did that!"
Aiden couldn't help it. He chuckled.
Olivia caught him looking and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing," he said, still smiling faintly. "I didn't know you were this… expressive when watching something."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "It's called being emotionally invested."
"Right," he said, pretending to type again, but the amused curve of his lips gave him away.
They spent the rest of the evening in that quiet rhythm — Olivia watching her anime, Aiden working beside her. Occasionally, she'd gasp or laugh, and he'd glance over, secretly entertained.
It was domestic, peaceful — like they'd known each other far longer than they actually had.
By the time dinner ended, both were too tired to do anything else. Olivia took her medicine, Aiden closed his laptop, and the silence between them felt warm, comfortable.
"Good night," she murmured.
"Good night," he replied, turning off the bedside lamp.
As the lights dimmed and the city outside buzzed faintly through the window, Aiden lay awake for a few minutes, listening to the soft rhythm of Olivia's breathing beside him.
It was strange — how easily her presence filled the room, how natural it felt to care for her, to have her near.
He didn't know what it meant yet. But he knew one thing for sure — he didn't want it to end.