You woke up to a soft touch on your forehead. You blinked slowly, fighting against the last dregs of sleep.
Caleb pulled his hand back, “It’s time to wake up.”
He took a seat on the bed beside you, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, “I’m making breakfast, but eat this for now.”
He reached for a bowl on the nightstand, placing it in your lap.
You looked at it groggily, “This is..?”
You smiled, reaching up to rub the sleep from your eyes. Taking hold of the bowl, you felt a sudden shiver zip up your spine.
Caleb’s brows furrowed, “What is it?” He leaned in closer, looking you over.
You shook your head, “Nothing, sorry.” You didn’t know why you were apologising, but your voice was a mere whisper, “It was colder than I was expecting. It shocked me…That’s all.”
Caleb smiled lightly, hiding a chuckle, “Here,” He took the bowl back and took a piece between two fingers, holding it out to you, “Tuck your hands under the blanket. I’ll feed you instead.”
You shook your head, “Didn’t you say you were making breakfast? You should probably make sure you don’t burn the house down.”
“It’ll be fine. Come on, sit up.”
Caleb helped you up, firm hands guiding your shoulders before holding out the fruit to you once more.
You sighed, and let him feed you.
You were about a third of the way through when he left you to tend to breakfast.
“There’s water on the nightstand. Make sure you drink it. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.
You watched him leave the room, scanning his form.
The whispers from last night played through your mind again.
The words, his voice, the way his arms held you so close. So tight.
Maybe he was having a nightmare?
You tried to brush it off.
Stretching your arms, you reached for the glass on the nightstand, taking a few meager sips.
The water was tepid, not as refreshing as you would have liked, but it helped you wake up a little more.
You set it down, turning to get out of bed. As you stood, you found yourself leaning against the nightstand, your vision swaying from the sudden movement.
You closed your eyes, resting for just a moment.
Already, you could feel yourself being pulled back into sleep.
Sighing, you shook it off, and trailed into the hallway.
The lights were dimmed, and soft music echoed from the living room.
You mentally hummed the tune, perking up as the melody wrapped you in its cheerful embrace.
You took a seat on the couch, same spot as yesterday, and watched Caleb move throughout the kitchen.
You would miss this view.
“If you keep staring at me like that, I can guarantee you won’t be going home as soon as you thought.”
A blush burned at your cheeks.
He wasn’t even facing you. How could he possibly know what you were doing?
Huffing, you turned away, mumbling under your breath as you scroll through your hunter’s watch, “Who’s looking at you? I just want to know when breakfast is ready.”
“I’m sure that’s the case.”
The warmth of his breath on the back of your neck sent a shiver down your spine. You lurched from your seat, spinning back to glare at him.
“Come on, baby apple. Breakfast is on the table.”
You finished breakfast quickly and checked your hunter’s watch again before heading for the shower.
You messed up your flight time and were running behind.
“Yeah, just taking a quick shower. I’ll be ready to go soon.”
Caleb frowned in confusion. You usually took long showers, especially at his house.
But you didn’t have time, a fact you found incredibly frustrating as you slipped into the bathroom.
Caleb’s words wouldn’t leave your head, no matter how much you tried to push them out. A longer shower would’ve given you some time to clear your head.
Sighing, you stepped into a quick shower, too frustrated to enjoy the fancy setting Caleb had added just for you.
When you finished, you stepped out into the hallway, wrapped in a warm towel.
“Your clothes are on the bed.”
Caleb came up the hallway, stopping beside you. He held out a laundry bin, “Night wear, please.”
You tossed your pajamas into the bin.
“Thank you, miss,” He shifted the bin under one arm, “Now,”
He paused, eyes scanning your face with an unreadable look.
“Mn? Finish getting dressed while I take care of this. I’ll meet you in the living room.”
Caleb disappeared down the hall.
You dressed quickly and grabbed your suitcase, heading out to stand by the front door.
Only the jingle of keys alerted you to Caleb making his entrance.
“Caleb, is something wrong?” You met him by the counter, “I’ll be late if we don’t leave soon.”
“Are you sure you wanna go today? You seem a little out of it.”
Caleb pressed the back of his hand to your cheek and frowned. He moved around the counter, shuffling through the drawers.
“Come here,” He grabbed your hand and pulled you close, “Open.”
“Caleb, I—” You sighed at the stern look on his face, quickly realising you weren’t getting out of this. You opened your mouth and let him check your temperature. When it beeped, he carefully took it out, giving you a gentle pat on the head as he did so, “Good girl.”
A blush crept up your face at the praise.
“See?” You gave him a smile, “That’s not a fever. I’m perfectly fine!” You started towards the front door, ready to head home, only to turn and find Caleb still standing in the kitchen, staring down at the thermometer.
“It’s not a fever, but you’re warmer than usual,” He looked up at you, concerned eyes meeting your gaze, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Something squirmed inside you. You hated to make Caleb worry like this. And the words from last night began to ring in your ears again.
You felt your forehead. It was a little warmer, but…
You shook yourself off, “I'm fine. I'm just a little warm from the shower still. That’s all.”
Caleb looked skeptical, “Fine, but if that changes, you let me know immediately, alright?”
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