A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait for this new chapter. I am unsure of what to think about this chapter. So please know what you guys think…
Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron
Cindy tried to clear her mind; anything to distract her from the longing and the realization of how unhappy she was. Before she could jump out of her bed to escape from the overwhelming emotions, Jimmy walked through the door.
The girl gave him a small look of relief. The boy, misunderstanding her stare, thought that the girl was furious at him. He swallowed nervously, then smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry that I took so long. I had to measure out the medicine and I found a couple more blankets to keep you warm. I-I'm sorry."
When the two's eyes met, Cindy's eyes widened in awe and surprise at the strength of the emotion in the boy's azure eyes. For the first time she could see the depth of the pain and the hurt he was feeling.
The two quickly broke off the gaze as Jimmy walked over to her bed.
In one hand, Jimmy held a tiny measuring cup filled to the brim with a thick clear liquid. On the other hand, Jimmy held a bigger glass filled with ice water. And tucked under his arm, Jimmy managed to carry two thick comforters.
He handed Cindy the medicine cup. For a moment, Cindy looked at the medicine with distaste, sniffling as she did so. With one more glance at the boy towering above her, she drank it all in one gulp.
Her face twisted as the medicine flowed down her throat. With a grateful glance, Cindy took the glass of water from the boy's hands and drank deeply.
Jimmy's eyes and face remained a mask of concern but his tone was light as he said, "Without fail, you always swallow more than you can handle don't you Vortex?"
Cindy snorted and rolled her eyes. She smiled slightly but remained silent; she found herself more tired than usual, the sickness and the medicine taking a toll on her consciousness.
After many long minutes of tense yet somehow comforting silence, Jimmy finally whispered, "I'm sorry that you had to suffer through that but on the bright side, the medicine's gonna help to reduce that high fever of yours. It's gonna give you some comfort when you sleep."
"Ha. I doubt it Neutron…" She paused after a bout of sneezing and coughing. Her voice was stuffy and slightly raspy, "The fever, coughing, and sneezing may go away pretty soon but the real problem is going to be the chills. I can already tell that the cold chills is going to keep me awake despite the stupid," She yawned, her tone becoming more quiet as sleep tried to take over. But as always, the hard-headed girl fought it off.
Jimmy' eyebrows furrowed in concern, he sat on the edge of the girl's bed and placed the two comforters on top of the girl. After, he once again placed a cool and slightly shaking hand on he sweltering forehead. Apparently the medicine hadn't kicked in yet.
As quickly as it happened, Jimmy pulled his hand away; his eyes getting a far away look, his expression suddenly annoyed and angry. "I wish I could make all this go away. I'd go to my house and bring back this medicine that my mom had that stopped the chills but we had used it all up the last time my mom was sick." Unconsciously, he brushed back a lock of stray hair behind her ear. He let out a furious sigh. "I'd drive to the pharmacy downtown but my parents used my car to get to the airport."
He said, more to himself than her, "Of all the damn times, my father's 10 year old car decides to break down and my own car is unavailable for use. Just when I needed it the most!"
Jimmy ran his hands over his face and Cindy could hear him murmur, his words almost incomprehensible, "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine a person worse than I to be stuck in this situation with. I'm completely worthless! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
When he finally looked up, Cindy could see the defeat written everywhere on his face. Seeing that the boy before her was so upset and over her , for that matter, brought a sudden boldness to the girl. Without hesitation, she reached a hand up and cupped Jimmy's strong and steady jaw. She rubbed her thumb across his cheek, feeling the rough stubble that was already growing on his face.
The look of despair disappeared to be replaced with surprise and some comfort. Slowly, he closed his eyes and placed his hand on top of hers; reveling in the feeling of her hand on his face, thumb stroking his face. To the boy, the moment was bittersweet. The longing he felt every time he was around her magnified; he needed her.
The two of them sat in silence for a long while until Cindy shivered once again. Jimmy opened his eyes and regretfully freed his face from the girl's hand. As soon as their skins lost contact, a feeling of loss washed through them.
The silence that came soon afterward was almost unbearable, bringing with it a new wave of thick tension between them.
The silence stayed for many moments before Jimmy stood up, eyes glancing to the wall clock. He turned to her and said, "It's almost midnight. You should get some sleep. This fever's wearing you out."
She gave him a slight nod of her head as she watched the boy turn off the main light switch, turning off the lights in the room. Every step that he took echoed in her ears, the need rising within her as she thought of him being away from her.
As he was walked out of her doorframe, Cindy called out in a hoarse, soft tone, "Jimmy…"
Due to his large steps, the boy was already halfway down the stairs but despite that and the low volume of her tone, Jimmy still managed to hear his name. In less than a minute, James Neutron found himself at the girl's side, standing in a room lit only by the light of the moon through the curtains.
He kneeled in front of her and looked at her with concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurting?"
"No, um, no. I just realized that I had to ask you something."
He sighed in relief, though his face had a look of questioning on it. "Of course. I already make a sucky care taker, answering a question is the least I can do."
Cindy's heart was going erratic as the night continued to wear on. For what seemed like the hundredth time of the day, Cindy felt her heart flutter at the boy's words. He waited patiently for her to speak. She took a deep breath. In her mind, she imagined saying her words with confidence but in the end, what came out was a jumbled mess. "Um, uh, I was wondering…could you stay? I mean…could you stay here…with me? Just for tonight?"