Later that night...
Remy woke up about 2 hours after he and Cyndi had fallen asleep. He glanced up at her (since he was still sort of half lying on her) and smiled sleepily at her sleeping face. She had only promised to stay until he had fallen asleep but probably didn't plan on falling asleep herself. Still, he was glad that she was there with him. If this was all they would have; their friendship, than it was better than nothing. Besides, when she was being his friend they often slept in the same bed together or sat on the couch together to watch movies giving him a good excuse to get close to her. Again, it was better than nothing and Remy was a desperate man.
Not really thinking of the possible consequences (i.e., her waking up or getting her sick), Remy got off of her and leaned down to her face and kissed her very lightly on her slightly parted lips. They were so soft.
"Love ya, Chere..." He whispered to her before he got up for a drink.
Feeling a shifting on the bed, Cyndi woke up soon after Remy had gotten up which sort of pissed her off. She was having the best dream. Oh well.
"Remy?" Cyndi said softly as she sat up in the bed.
"Mmm?" He mumbled from the bathroom.
"I wanna take your temperature. Get in here when you're done." She replied as she reached over to his nightstand for the electronic thermometer and a fresh plastic cover to slip onto the end of it.
"Hope ya ain't doin' it de 'old fashioned' way." He cringed as he walked into the room while breaking into another coughing fit. Old fashioned meaning the way a baby's temperature is taken...and he didn't mean in the ear.
"Ewww..." She scowled, getting a mental image she did not want.
"Absolutely not." She finally said as he crawled back into the bed.
"Open up..." She said softly. He did and let her put the themometer in his mouth. While they waited for the results, Cyndi busied herself by playing with Remy's unruly mess of auburn hair.
"You need a haircut." She stated casually as she let her fingernails drag slightly across his scalp. She knew he liked that.
"Wha' are ya tryin' ta do, Amour? Kill Remy?" Remy thought to himself as he closed his eyes in pleasure, enjoying what she was doing with his hair. Whatever it was that made that gesture turn him on so much regularly seemed to be working overtime tonight.
The thermometer beeped and Cyndi pulled it out of his mouth to read the display window; ending the torture on top of Remy's head.
"What was it before?" She asked him softly.
"102.4..." He replied hoarsely.
"Good, it's dropped a bit. It's 100.2...No ice bath for you tonight." She smiled.
"Remy migh' need one regardless..." He thought to himself while coughing. She had gotten him going and then cruelly took it away. Ugh, if she only knew...
"Chere...?" Remy said quietly.
"Yea?" She asked as she put the thermometer back on his nightstand and tossed out the used plastic cover.
"I love ya." He admitted.
"Remy..." She said warningly as she cast him a sideways glance.
"I really do. Je suis désolé (I'm sorry)..." He sighed. She sighed along with him and thought it over. A person shouldn't be sorry for loving another person...it was the sweetest thing anyone could ever say to anyone. And yet, when Remy said it to her...all she wanted to do was run.
"I can't lie to ya anymo', Chere. Je suis profondément dans l'amour avec vous (I'm deeply in love with you)." He said, looking so pathetic in his current state. Hair all disheveled, nose slightly red from blowing it all day, skin a whole shade lighter than usual, 3 days worth of stubble on his cheeks and chin. And yet...he was still the most beautiful man she had ever known.
"Remy...don't do this to me..." She said softly as her eyes began to tear.
"It's mo' like wha ya doin ta me...can't t'ink o' anyone else. Can't dream 'bout anyone else. Ya see, Chere, ya even break my heart in my dreams." He sighed sadly.
It was the most romantic and dejected thing Cyndi had ever heard.
"Do you really know what love means, Remy?" She asked softly.
"Dis. You an' me righ' now. Ya take care o' dis Cajun 'coz ya know he won't do it fo' himself. De way ya know jus' wha' I need an' when I need it. Ya know Remy better den he know himself..." He began, taking a break to cough and clear his throat.
"I love de way ya laugh, smile...even de way ya cry. Remy ain't never seen a woman look so belle when she so sad." He said gently, watching the tears roll down her cheeks as she listened to him.
"An' I love de way ya always yellin' at me." He smiled softly which caused her to smile back. Who would've thought that was one of her most endearing traits?
He scooted a little closer to her and took her hands in his.
"So, ta answer ya question, Chere...wha doesn't 'love' mean when ya love everyt'ing bout someone." He said gently.
She didn't say a word for the longest time as she tried to process all that he had just admitted to her.
"Please say somet'in, Chere." He pleaded hoarsely.
"I have no words." She said softly.
"Is dat good or bad?" He asked as he reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a tissue to wipe his runny nose.
"I dunno." She said with a little shrug.
They both fell silent.
"Well, even if ya don' feel de same...jus' know dat dere's someone who loves ya. I guess dat's all Remy can say now." He sighed as he looked away from her.
"You know I care about you, Remy. I just, I never wanted to see you as more than my friend. And not because you're not handsome, sweet or funny..." She replied, suddenly coming to a realization.
"You're all the things I want in a man." She sighed. Remy's ears perked up at this and his undivided attention was hers again.
"I just...I don't think we should ruin what we have." She replied.
"Why would dat ruin t'ings?" He asked through a cough.
"Relationships are complicated. I just don't want to ruin our friendship. Don't you like being friends with me, Remy?" She asked gently.
"I love bein' friends wit' ya, Chere." He sighed.
"But...?" She replied.
"Chere...Remy can't do dis ta himself anymo'. Do ya have any idea how hard it is ta be around ya an' want ya de way Remy does?" He replied in frustration. When Cyndi furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to speak again, he cut her off.
"Oui, Remy wants ya. Ya do t'ings ta him he never t'ought were humanly possible without physically touchin' somebody. Ya drive Remy crazy..." He sighed as he moved closer to her, his eyes now glowing warmly at her with desire. She knew that look. She had seen him give it to countless women over the 6 years she had known him and never in a million years thought it would be directed at her. She also never expected it to make her feel the way she was beginning to feel.
"Remy...I can't do this. You're sick right now...and I...I dunno what to say about all of this. I need to go think." She stammered, looking flustered and nervous.
"Dere's not'in ta t'ink 'bout, Chere..." He whispered softly as he leaned in and kissed her softly.
God, did he have the softest lips or what?
She actually let him kiss her but when he moved his lips away, she silently got up from the bed and left the room, closing the door carefully behind her.
Remy sighed loudly before another coughing fit began.
At least his feelings were out there. What happened next was now up to her.
XXXXXXX
The next day...
Remy's fever had gone away and all he was left with was a bad cough. So, he showered, shaved and made himself look human again before leaving his room for the first significant amount of time in 4 days. He even ventured out of the mansion to get himself a haircut (mostly due to Cyndi's statement the night before about his unruly locks).
Feeling 100 percent better, he arrived back at the mansion at least looking like his old self. The cough was still pretty bad and he did still feel sleepy, but he didn't particularly enjoy sitting in bed all day.
After parking his car, he walked into the mansion to find Cyndi, Marie and Kitty engaged in an animated conversation which suddenly went quiet once he came into the room. He shook his head at this and walked out of the room.
So, this was how things would be? Uncomfortable? Awkward? Remy started to wish he had never said a word about his feelings. Whenever he was honest, it always seemed to get him into trouble.
"He looks better today." Cyndi said softly to her two friends.
"Girl, you have to talk to him. You have to talk to him, right now!" Marie urged. These two were more frustrating than anything she could possibly think of.
"No..." Cyndi pouted childishly.
"Just do it! He spilled his guts to you. Don't punish him by ignoring him. That's not fair." Kitty butted in.
"Who's side are you on, Guys?" Cyndi asked, putting her hands on her hips and taking a defensive stance.
"No one's taking sides. We all know you like him, so cut the crap already!" Marie said.
"I do not like him. Not like that. He's my friend!" Cyndi cried out in frustration.
"Ok, Cyn-Bob Liar-Pants..." Kitty teased.
"Kitty, what the hell...?" Cyndi sighed.
"Sounded funnier in my head." Kitty shrugged before she walked away. Cyndi rolled her eyes and turned back to Marie.
"Cyn, stop being so stubborn. Stop lying to yourself." Marie begged. Cyndi let out a long sigh and shrugged.
"Ok, so I'm attracted to him. And I might even like him...but where would this go? Remy doesn't have girlfriends. He doesn't know how to be a boyfriend." She replied.
"At least now we're getting somewhere..." Marie smiled.
"Yea, thanks for helping me make my life a living hell." Cyndi groaned as she rubbed her temples slowly.
"Just tell him how you feel. I guarantee he won't let you down." Marie promised.
"Fine...I'm going to go talk to him. But, I swear to God...if this backfires somehow, you're gonna get it." Cyndi threatened only half seriously as she walked away to find Remy. Marie smirked to herself and patted herself on the back, congratulating herself on a job well done.
Later...
Cyndi found Remy sprawled out on the living room couch, hugging one of the decorative pillows to his chest and resting his freshly shaven chin on it. He glanced up at her and gave a weak smile in response to her presence in the room.
"Move over..." She ordered softly as she approached the couch. Remy made room for her on the couch, sitting up and tossing the pillow to the side. She sat down and sighed briefly before turning to him.
"I'm sorry I walked out on you last night." She said.
"It's ok, Chere. Remy jus' overwhelmed ya..." He said, his voice not as throaty as last night.
"Still, I was wrong. You don't deserve that." She replied gently.
"Marie kinda kicked some sense into me today...do you want to hear what I realized?" She asked him. He nodded slowly and waited for her to speak again.
"She helped me realize that I've been lying to myself for a long time just to keep our friendship. And, in all honesty...I do care for you. In more then just a friendly way...but, I dunno if I love you, Remy. I'm just so confused. Nothing makes sense anymore." She sighed as tears welled up in her blue eyes but didn't roll down her face just yet.
"Remy's not askin' ya ta love him back. Jus' ta give him a chance. Love ain't always obvious...love takes time ta grow. How else do ya t'ink Remy fell in love wit' ya, Chere? It didn' jus' happen overnigh'...took a year or two." He reasoned.
Perhaps the Cajun knew more about love than she originally thought. It was almost ironic actually. The man who seemed incapable of settling down; had mentally been settled down for almost 2 years.
"I just don't want to hurt you if things don't work out. And I don't want to get hurt. Not by you, of all people." She sniffled softly as a tear slowly streamed down her cheek.
"Dat's de t'ing...ya gotta take chances. Ya never know what'll happen, Chere. Ya can't live life scared of gettin' hurt all de time. Remy'd be so sad if dats de way ya lived." He replied, reaching up to wipe the rogue tear away with his thumb.
"Well, if anyone's worth taking chances with, it's you." She said with a shy smile. Remy smiled back and kissed her cheek softly.
"Remy feel de same 'bout ya, Amour." He smiled.
"Now what?" She asked with a chuckle. Remy shrugged and scooted closer to her.
"We kiss?" He smirked playfully.
"I ain't gettin' the damn flu, Cajun." She scowled as she lightly smacked his chest.
And with that, everything was back to normal...well, sort of.