Chapter Text
Addison Wells never calls. She only texts unless it's truly an emergency. Then, she’s tracking your location and calling you until you finally pick up, if not driving to find you herself.
Victor is underneath a soccer mom mini van, a catch pan ready to collect the old oil as soon as he pops the drain plug out, when his phone starts vibrating in his pocket.
“Hello?” He tucks the phone between his shoulder and ear as he unscrews the plug and watches the old engine oil spill out into the drip pan in front of him. The process is easy and he’s done thousands of oil changes since he started working in high school.
The girl on the other end of the line exhales. “Hey- Nova’s sick. I need to leave for an overnight competition in half an hour. I've been taking care of her all afternoon because I thought this bug would've passed by now, but I can’t stay. Can you please come over and take care of her?” The cheerleader’s words are rushed, and it raises an alarm in his chest, but he’s got an hour left in his shift. He doesn’t leave in the middle of a job (except for that one time when Nova admitted she had feelings for him while he was inspecting Ray’s car. That was the only time, and that was after hours.)
He places the drain plug on the rolling cart a few feet away. “I am in the middle of an oil change, Addy. As soon as I finish this car, I'll be right over.”
“Victor, she’s throwing up!” Addison shouts.
His blood runs cold. “Why didn't you lead with that? I'm on my way!” He rips the oil-covered plastic gloves off his hands, hangs up, and shouts, “Marcus, I gotta go! Nova’s sick!” His voice carries over the noise around him- the low rumble of engines, the clatter of tools dropping to the floor, and the classic rock radio station one of the other mechanics put on this morning.
The owner of Salt & Steel Auto sticks his head out of his office in the upper loft of the garage. “What were you working on?” He calls out, his eyes tracking the twenty-two-year-old jogging to his locker.
“Mini van. Oil change. The tank is emptying now. Drain plug’s on the cart in the bay,” he answers frantically as he puts in the combination for his locker so he can get his keys, wallet, and sunglasses. “Thanks, Marcus!”
“Take care of our girl!” His boss’s voice calls out after him. He gives the man a thumbs-up from behind as he runs out of the open back bay door.
Victor reaches the apartment in record time. He may have run a few stop signs; he’s not sure. He runs up the stairs to the second floor of her building and knocks on the door lightly, unsure if Nova is sleeping. The door swings open to reveal Addison in her team warmups with a duffle bag in one hand and her cheer backpack on her shoulders. The blonde with streaks of blue at the ends of her hair lets out a relieved sigh. She opens the door wider and waves him inside.
“Perfect, I was just about to call and ask where you were. She’s dozing on the couch. It's been about half an hour since she last threw up. She’s felt off all afternoon, so she missed her 1:00 class. I have to go or else I'll be late for the bus. Keep me updated on how she’s doing, okay?” The cheerleader squeezes his arm and gives him an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Victor.”
“You got it, Addy. Good luck.” Victor nods and locks the door behind her. He moves into the kitchen to wash his hands since he didn't have a chance to before leaving the shop, and takes off his sneakers. He kicks them toward the door where Nova’s red and white sneakers sit and slides his wallet out of his coverall pocket. The girls’ apartment is warm and inviting, and he feels his heart rate begin to slow down now that he’s here.
He sighs and steps into the living room area, where Addison said his girlfriend was sleeping. Curled up on the couch under a purple and yellow blanket covered in swirls and lanterns is a mess of blonde hair, his Nova. She looks so small, and he can't help himself as he crouches beside her and kisses her hairline.
“Hey there, Sunshine,” he says softly, brushing some tangled strands of hair behind her ear. Her eyes flutter open partially, and a low groan leaves her lips as she shifts on the couch, burrowing further into the cushions. Her skin is pale and warm. He lightly scratches the back of her scalp, and the groan turns into a soft exhale of relief.
“Hey, handsome.” Her voice is weak and raspy.
Victor’s lips quirk upward at the nickname. “I heard you're not feeling well. Addy called and asked me to come over.”
She blinks slowly. “Did you come from work?”
He nods and rubs his hand up and down her arm, covered by the blanket. “Tell me what hurts.”
Nova’s eyes fall shut at the soothing action. “Everything. My head, my throat, my stomach. I've thrown up every hour since I got home.” She coughs. “I can't keep anything down-” Her voice cuts off as her face scrunches. She groans again. “No, no, no,” she mutters, her face going almost green as she pushes herself upright.
“Are you going to–”
Nova’s off the couch in an instant and runs for the bathroom. She drops to the floor and expels the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Victor follows and kneels behind her. He pulls her hair off her neck while rubbing circles on her back. After a minute, she lets out a pained groan and collapses against the porcelain bowl, exhausted. The surge of adrenaline is gone as quickly as it came.
“I got you, Nova,” he mutters, reaching forward to flush the toilet and gently maneuvering her into his arms. She doesn’t fight him, her limbs limp and her breathing ragged and shallow. Her head falls into the crook of his neck with a low whine.
“I don’t feel good, Vic.” The anguish in her voice hurts him, so he tightens his arms around her ever so slightly. His hand laces with hers, her palm clammy.
“I know, baby,” he says, kissing her forehead. “Do you want to stay here for a few minutes, or can I move you to your bed?”
Nova takes a few breaths through her mouth. “Few more minutes,” she answers after a few moments.
The couple sits on the bathroom floor for several minutes. Victor feels his phone buzz in his pocket, and he slips it out, thinking it is his boss, telling him he forgot to clock out, but he did it for him. Instead, he sees a text from Vargas: B-Dubs for game night?
He sighs, remembering his original plans for a long night of playing video games with his roommate tonight. Now that he’s here, that won’t be happening. No game night. Sorry. Nova’s sick.
Vargas Williams
How sick? Bring her over
Victor takes a photo of his floor view of the toilet and sends it.
Vargas Williams
Oh shit. 😬
Got it. Need me to bring anything over?
“Hey, Nova?”
“Hmm?” She shifts her head to look at him, her blue eyes exhausted.
“I’m spending the night. Is that okay?”
The blonde leans against him and nods. “Please. Don’t leave me to suffer alone,” she mutters dramatically.
He kisses the top of her head again and says, “Never. I’m going to ask Vargas to bring some stuff over.” His free hand types a response to his friend with his thumb.
Victor Barton
Clothes, deodorant, toothbrush. Can you get Gatorade, ginger tea, and anti-nausea chews from the store?
Actually could I place a Wawa order and you pick it up on the way over? Not sure what the food situation is here and I can’t look rn.
Vargas Williams
I better get a good tip. I don't doordash for free 😈 my last class is done so I’m heading home and will get your stuff
Victor shakes his head, chuckling. He’ll Venmo his friend money for the errands later. For now, his focus shifts solely back to Nova. He slides the phone into his pocket and adjusts his hold, bringing her even closer. “Hey, we can't spend the rest of the day on the floor of the bathroom. You need to eat something, even if it's just broth. And you should change. Jeans and a crop top probably aren't comfortable to sleep in.” Nova shakes her head against his neck in agreement. “I'm gonna text my aunt and ask if she can bring over some soup for you. She always has some in the freezer during the winter. Okay?”
His girlfriend hums. “Thank you.” Her voice sounds the slightest big stronger when she speaks. “I’m ready to move.”
He gently lifts her off the floor and places her on the closed toilet seat. She leans her weight against him as he grabs a cup at the corner of the sink, fills it with water, and hands it over so she can rinse her mouth. When she finishes, he scoops her up bridal style and carefully carries her into her bedroom.
It takes a few minutes of slow, lethargic movements, but he helps her change into clean lounge clothes before she curls up under the blankets. “Hey, Vic?” She says softly, reaching out to grab his hand.
“Yeah?” He crouches beside her mattress and squeezes her hand. It doesn’t feel as clammy as it did a few minutes ago, which he hopes is a sign that she’s improving.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Anything for you, Nov. I’ll be back in a little bit. Get some sleep.” He presses a kiss to her temple and releases her hand so he can leave her to rest.
Stepping into the living room, Victor looks around. There is a small pile of tissues on the coffee table, and Nova’s favorite blanket lies forgotten on the couch. He grabs the trash can and pushes the tissues into it. His girlfriend is a very tidy person, and he’s sure she would hate to see the pile just sitting there, leaving sick germs everywhere.
After replacing the trash can and washing his hands, he slides his phone out of his pocket again and opens his texts. There’s one unopened message from Vargas.
Omw. place your dinner order and I’ll get it after i stop at the store.
Victor gives the message a thumbs up, then finds the thread with his aunt.
Victor Barton
Hey Auntie. I need a favor.
Auntie Elaine
Yes?
Victor Barton
My girlfriend is sick. She can barely keep anything down. If you aren’t too busy, can you bring over some of your chicken soup to her apartment? The stuff you always made me when I was a kid?
Auntie Elaine
Why is this the first I'm hearing about this girlfriend?
He grimaces when he reads that message. He feels bad, he really does. He hasn’t been to see her in weeks, spending most of his free time with Nova. Since they started dating over a month ago, and fake-dating two months ago, his time is split pretty evenly between working and Nova. Most months, he goes over to see his aunt for dinner once or twice, or spends the day doing projects around her house. The last time he was over there to see her was the middle of September, just before he met Nova. He’s been at the house a few times since, just not when she’s been there, to cut the grass, to put a package inside, and to watch the property while she was out of town for a week. Now he feels exceptionally guilty for not sharing this news with his mother-figure sooner.
Victor Barton
…Because I haven't come over for dinner in weeks and I wanted to tell you in person. I’m sorry. I promise I will make it up to you. I'll bring Nova over once she’s feeling better, and you can meet her. Thanksgiving, if she’s around?
He finds a selfie of them from the football game, back when they were still fake dating, and sends it to her as a peace offering.
Victor Barton
But please, can you bring some soup over? Or could Vargas stop by to pick it up?
Auntie Elaine
I'll bring it over. You’re lucky I’m working from home today. Send me the address. It gives me a reason to see you for a few minutes and run some errands up by you. She is very pretty. You look happy.
I want to meet her. Bring her for Thanksgiving.
-
A soft knock on the door pulls Victor out of his thoughts on the couch. He stands and crosses the carpeted floor to the door and pulls it open to reveal Vargas holding a few bags.
“‘Sup, my man? I have an order for Victor?” Vargas jokes. “That you?” The young man rolls his eyes and opens the door further to let his friend in. “Jackass,” he mutters with a grin.
“Hey, this jackass has your dinner and sick-day remedies for your princess!” He drops a duffle bag with Victor’s clothes on a chair and holds the grocery bags up before placing them on the kitchen counter. The Australian then puts a hand out to dap up his roommate. As he claps him on the back, he asks, “Speaking of your princess, where is she?”
Victor steps away from his friend and opens the grocery bags to check the purchases. His head tilts towards her closed bedroom door. “Sleeping. Addy said she was throwing up every thirty minutes when I got here earlier. It’s been maybe forty-five minutes since she fell asleep, an hour since she last threw up. She was really nauseous.” He takes the bottle of anti-nausea chews out and reads the instructions aloud under his breath.
His friend grabs the Gatorade bottles and puts them in the fridge to chill. “Hopefully that means she’s starting to feel better.”
“I hope. I asked my aunt to bring some of her chicken soup over because she said she couldn’t keep anything down. She should be here soon. What do I owe you?”
Vargas waves off his friend. “I’ll send you a Venmo request. Don’t worry about it.” He smirks and crosses his arms over his chest. “So you finally told Elaine about Nova? It’s about damn time. And she’s bringing her famous chicken noodle soup over? Nova’s a lucky woman.”
Victor leans his back against the counter, hesitating. “Auntie hasn’t met Nova. I haven’t actually seen her since September. We’ve been busy. I told her about Nova over text about an hour ago when I asked if she’d bring some soup over. I sent her a selfie of the two of us as a peace offering.” He clenches his teeth and shrugs.
His roommate’s jaw drops in shock, then shifts to a devious grin. “Oh, shit. Vera’s gonna have a field day with this!” He pushes off the counter, claps his friend on the shoulder with a laugh, and shakes his head. “Love you, man. Good luck with that conversation! With that, I’m gonna go. Tell Princess I say hey and to feel better!” Vargas flashes a peace sign and ducks out the door, leaving him alone.
“I’m fucked,” Victor groans, thinking about how his aunt, his second mom, is going to be at his girlfriend’s apartment in an hour or two with soup for her to eat. She learned about said girlfriend about an hour ago. She isn’t going to meet said girlfriend today because she’s sick. This is the kind of material that he will be teased about for the rest of his life; he knows it.
Shaking his head, he lets out another groan, this one much less serious, and grabs the duffle bag Vargas brought for him. He takes out the t-shirt and shorts and goes into the bathroom to change. Once he’s in clean clothes, he returns to the kitchen and makes Nova some ginger tea to help settle her stomach. The kettle is boiling in minutes; he finds her favorite coffee mug, pink with Good Morning, Sunshine in gold lettering, and pours the water over a tea bag.
Nova shifts under the blanket at the sound of her door opening, and blinks as he carries the mug and anti-nausea medication into her room and places both on her nightstand. She rolls onto her back and moans, a hand moving to cover her eyes. When he sits beside her on the mattress and lies down, she scoots closer and grips his shirt.
“Room’s spinning,” she whines, her head leaning against his ribs. “Make it stop.”
“Here, take this.” He opens the anti-nausea chew bottle and gives her one. “Chew it completely, don’t swallow it whole. It should help the nausea stop. You can take one every fifteen minutes.”
She lets out a low groan and squeezes her eyes shut as she chews on the lemon-flavored tablet. “Okay. Please don’t leave.” She tucks herself under his arm and breathes from her mouth, willing the fast-acting tablet to live up to its name.
“I’m not going anywhere, Sunshine.” He moves a hand to her scalp and rubs small circles into her hair. It eases the tension that was building with the dizziness in her head, and she lets out a light sigh of relief.
“That feels so good,” she mutters.
“Good, I’m glad. There’s ginger tea behind you when you’re ready.” He shifts to lie on his side and pulls her to his chest. One arm winds around her waist, slipping beneath her t-shirt to rest on her back, while the other continues tracing shapes into her scalp. He feels her breath even out against his chest, and she hums, content.
After several minutes of comforting quiet, Victor speaks. “Hey, Auntie is gonna bring over some soup. She always made it for me when I was little and sick. She should be here soon.”
Nova gives a small nod against his chest. “Do I have to meet her?”
He shakes his head. “Not today. But she wants to meet you. She said you're very pretty, and I look happy.”
Nova pulls back and opens one eye, suspicious. “How does she know I’m pretty?” Her blue eye looks clearer, so she opens the other to meet his gaze. “I need another one of those chews.”
Victor lies on his back to reach for the bottle. He opens it, hands one to Nova, and slips his phone out of his pocket. He opens the text thread with his aunt to show her the messages. “I sent her our football game selfie. It’s been a while since I’ve gone over to see her.” He scrolls through the exchange and tilts the screen to her. She shifts closer, eyes flicking across the device.
“Oh.” She seems surprised. He always talks about how close he is to his aunt. The woman lives 30 minutes from Rayburn, so she assumed they’d see each other often.
“Yeah, I said I had a girlfriend, and she went full ‘Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this girl?’ and ‘When am I going to meet her?’ so I sent her the picture to calm her down. I mean, how could anyone say no to a beautiful face like yours, even when you’re sick.” He flashes her a charming wink that has her cheeks flushing pink.
“So, do you want to come to my aunt’s for Thanksgiving this year to meet her and the rest of my family? My cousins and their kids?”
A loud knock on the door echoes through the apartment before Nova can open her mouth to answer.
Victor kisses her temple and rolls out of bed. “I’ll be right back,” he says with a light squeeze of her hip.
He has a sneaking suspicion he knows who is at the door as he exits the bedroom. He unlocks the door, opens it, and is met with the warm smile of Elaine Barton. “Hey, Auntie. Thanks for coming.” He opens the door wider and takes the pot and a grocery bag from her hands.
“Hi, sweetie,” she says softly. The older woman with faint streaks of grey in her dark hair follows him inside the apartment and shuts the door. Once he places the items on the counter, he turns and hugs her tightly.
“I’m sorry it’s been so long. I missed you. How are you?” He towers over his guardian and has to bend over slightly to kiss her cheek.
The woman rubs his shoulder affectionately and returns the squeeze. “I’m well. I’m really glad you texted. I was quite surprised to read the words ‘My girlfriend is sick’, especially since it’s been so long since you’ve mentioned any girl besides Vera.” She pulls back and looks him over. “How are you? Is work okay? You’ve been working a lot. I hope you’re not burning yourself out.”
Victor shakes his head. “I’m okay. Work’s good, and you know I like to keep busy. I just have someone new in my life that I want to spend money on, so the extra work means extra money to spend on date night.” A fond smile crosses his face as he thinks about the blonde in bed several feet away. “She’s really special, Auntie. The way things started with us is a really fun story that I’ll tell you sometime, but-” He looks at his feet for a moment, then meets Elaine’s expression. The woman’s face is covered with pride and love as she hears the strong emotion behind his words. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this about anyone. I have someone that I’m thinking about from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, someone who makes me laugh and feel like I’m important, like I matter. I know I matter to you, and to the rest of the family, and Vargas and Vera, but it’s different with Nova. I really care about her.”
Elaine bites her lip to hold back the tears lining her eyes. She steps forward and places her hands on his cheeks. “I think it means you’re in love, Victor,” she says in a low voice. “And it makes me so happy that you've found that with Nova. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Movement from the bedroom prompts him to look over his shoulder. Out steps Nova, wrapped in a blanket and rubbing her eyes.
“Victor? Who was at the-” her breath catches when she sees the visitor standing beside her boyfriend, and her eyes widen. “-door?” She pulls the blanket off her head but wraps it tighter around her shoulders. “Oh. Hi.”
He squeezes his aunt’s arm and steps away so he can move to Nova, one arm slipping around her waist. “Hey, what are you doing out of bed?”
“You were taking too long,” she grumbles as she leans against his chest. “Is that your aunt?” She whispers.
Victor nods. “Yup.”
“Oh my God, I look awful!” Nova’s face flushes in embarrassment, and she hides it against Victor's chest.
Elaine’s chest warms as she watches her adopted son interact with the young woman. His eyes are full of love and affection when he looks at her. It’s like how her brother looked at Victor’s mother, many years ago. “You must be Nova, Victor's girlfriend, whom I just learned about a few hours ago. I'm Elaine. I'm sorry to stop in like this, especially when you aren't feeling well. I was just dropping off some soup. I hope to re-meet you in a few weeks when you're feeling better, hopefully at Thanksgiving.” She raises a hopeful eyebrow at her before reaching for her purse.
The blonde nods and smiles hesitantly. “Okay. Thank you.”
His aunt gives the couple a satisfied nod, and she turns toward the door. “Victor, I’ll leave you to it. I have some errands I need to run, and you have someone special to take care of.” She gives her nephew a playful wink.
He grins and looks back at Nova, who left his side to settle on the couch cushions with her mug of tea. “Yeah, I do.” He follows his aunt and opens the door for her. “Thank you, Auntie. Love you.”
Elaine hugs Victor tightly and presses a kiss on his cheek. “You're welcome, Victor. I love you, too.” She gives Nova a small wave and smile, which the blonde returns, before departing down the hall.
As he closes and locks the door, Nova giggles lightly. “So that happened. I met your aunt,” she observes, taking a sip of the ginger tea. Her smile is hidden by the mug. “She seems nice.”
He pushes a hand through his hair, turning bashful. “Yeah, she’s pretty great. I got really lucky to have her as a parent.” He crosses the room and sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. She passes him the pink mug, which he sets beside him.
“How’re you feeling?” Victor leans forward and cradles her chin in his palms, tilting her head back so he can inspect her appearance. Her skin has a bit more color, even after the blush faded from her cheeks. Her eyes are clearer. She’s sitting up without falling over, and her movements aren't as sluggish. Her forehead doesn't feel as warm as it did two hours ago, when he first arrived.
“Mortified. I can't believe I met your aunt while wrapped in a blanket and with my hair looking like a bird’s nest!”
“I mean physically, not emotionally,” he teases. “And for the record, I think you look like a cute bird's nest.” He flicks two fingers against the bun leaning haphazardly on her head and watches as it flops to the other side.
Nova rolls her eyes and lightly shoves his shoulder. “You're supposed to say that. You're my boyfriend,” she mutters. “I don't feel nauseous. I'm mostly just hungry and thirsty.”
“Lucky for you, I can fix both of those problems. Do you want to sit at the table, or stay here?” He stands, passes the tea back to her, and rests his hand behind her head. He kisses her forehead and feels Nova’s sigh against his chest.
She considers the offer for a moment. “Stay here. There’s a soup mug with Snoopy on it in the cabinets. Can you put the soup in that?”
Her boyfriend nods and puts his phone on the table. “What flavor Gatorade do you want? Vargas got lemon lime, fruit punch, and orange.” He pulls the fridge open and looks at her, waiting for her answer.
“Fruit punch.”
A moment later, Victor’s phone starts vibrating in front of her.
“Can you see who texted?” He calls out as he pours the electrolyte drink into a glass.
Nova hums and picks up his phone. She taps the screen, and a string of messages from Addison pops up, even though she can’t read the contents. “Why is Addy texting you?” She raises an eyebrow at him, curious about his explanation.
“Oh shit. I was supposed to update her.” His brown eyes widen in horror, and he stops pouring the soup into the Snoopy mug. “Whoops.”
She grabs the purple blanket at the other end of the couch and pulls it over her legs. “Update her?”
Victor resumes pouring the warm soup from the container into the mug. “Yeah, before she left, she told me to update her on how you were doing. I kinda forgot once you started throwing up…” His voice trails off. “And honestly? She’s not here; I am. You’re my focus, so I’ll update her when I get to it. But right now, all I care about is taking care of you.” He picks up the glass of Gatorade and the mug of soup and carries them to her. “Here you go, my lady.”
“Thank you.” She smiles and takes the mug, feeling the warmth in the soup in her hands. It smells delicious. “This smells so good.”
Her boyfriend grabs a paper bag she didn’t notice until now from the kitchen and circles the coffee table so he’s on the other side of the couch. He finds her legs under the pile of blankets, lifts them, and sits down beside her, so they are draped over his lap. “Comfy?” He asks while taking a sandwich out of the bag.
She nods and scoots closer to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. She takes a sip of the broth and her eyes fall shut, her taste buds lighting up in delight. “Oh my God, this tastes so good. I really hope I don’t throw up again,” she mutters. “What does your aunt put in this? I want to inject this into my veins.”
Victor chuckles, tears the paper wrapping off his sandwich, and takes a bite. “That’s Auntie’s cooking for you. I always felt better when I got sick, and she made it for me.” He picks up the remote and turns on the TV. “Movie?” The hand holding it goes around her shoulders, and he flips through the streaming service until he finds Netflix. They scroll through the listings until they find something funny and mindless, acting more as background noise than real entertainment. The couple falls into a comfortable quiet as they eat. When his sandwich is finished, his free hand slips under the blanket and traces circles on her knee. There’s no deep intention behind the touch; it’s meant to comfort, a reassurance that he’s here for whatever she needs. His focus on her; when she finishes the soup, he takes the mug and replaces it with the glass of Gatorade. “Small sips.”
When half of the drink is gone, Nova curls up against him. “Hey,” she says quietly.
“Hey,” he echoes. Brown eyes shift to meet her blue eyes.
She wraps a hand around his bicep and rubs her thumb against his t-shirt. “Thank you for being here. For taking care of me. I’m really glad Addison called you when she did because I had no thoughts earlier except ‘I need to stop throwing up.’”
Victor’s arms move around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. The blankets are tangled around them, but it feels safe and warm. “You will never be alone as long as you have me, Nova.”
She smiles into his chest, so many emotions simmering inside her chest. She loves him. Today solidified her feelings in a tender, caring way. But she won’t admit that when she can’t kiss him, not while she’s still sick. “I want to meet the rest of your family. You said something earlier about Thanksgiving?”
Her boyfriend’s eyes light up at the mention of the holiday. “Yeah, I want you to meet them. My aunt, officially, at least, my sister slash cousin, Melissa, and her family, my Uncle Jacob, my other cousins, and their kids. I want to spend that day with you. If that means we do half the day at my aunt’s and the other half at your parents-”
Nova cuts him off, resting a hand on his neck. “No, all day. You can have me all day. My family always goes to the Lerners’ for the holiday, and I have zero interest in spending it with Ray. I want to go.”
The steadiness in her voice brings a wave of calm over him. She sounds so sure, this willingness to meet and embrace his family. He wants to kiss her so badly and tell her that he loves her. “Sunshine, I want to kiss you, but I know you won’t let me. But as soon as you’re feeling 100%, I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told another girl, and I’m going to kiss you like you’re in a movie when I do.”
Her smile reaches her eyes, and she leans forward so their foreheads touch. She knows exactly what he wants to tell her, and she is thrilled they are on the same wavelength. “Well, handsome, I have something I’ve never told another boy before, but I’m going to wait until I’m feeling better and I can kiss you, too.”
Victor’s eyes shut, and he takes a breath before pressing his lips to her forehead. The kiss says, “I love you, and I treasure you. You might be the death of me, but I’ll die a happy man,” and it makes her heart skip a beat.
After a few more minutes of barely paying attention to the movie, Nova pushes the blankets off her body and stands. Her legs wobble a little, and Victor’s hands reach out to catch her, but she steadies herself. “I’m going to take a shower. I need to wash all the sickness off of me,” she decides. “And then I’m ready to sleep for ten hours. Can you make some more tea before bed?”