AN: Yay another chapter :) I'm also starting a second project (yeah I know, I make work for myself XD) that'll be going alongside the one I mentioned a while ago x Both of them are a lot of work, and they'll take a while, but I'll post any updates here as I go :) So watch this space and enjoy the chapter :)

When Arianna entered the hall, she immediately felt a pair of eyes on her. She sighed and walked over to the blonde, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"Where were you last night? You never came back. I didn't go looking for you, because last time I did I got demerits… But-"

"I went to see him, and ended up staying there all night." When Ellen's eyes widened, Arianna held up her hands to placate her. "I sat in a chair next to the bed, okay? Don't worry." Ellen visibly relaxed and Arianna quickly went to grab some cereal and a couple of pieces of toast.

"You extra hungry or something?" Ellen muttered when her friend sat back down. Arianna gave her a look.

"No. The toast is for him." She explained, as though it should have been obvious. Ellen nodded mutely and returned to her book as Arianna dug into her cereal in silence, feeling strangely comfortable in the slight buzz of the hall. She was done in a matter of minutes and bid Ellen farewell quietly. All she got in recognition was a slight movement of her roommate's hand, reminiscent of a wave.

When she got back to his room, Hieronymous appeared to have fallen asleep again. Silently, she crept over to sit back in her space in the chair. When she did, his eyes opened blearily.

"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly. "S-sorry… Did I wake you?"

"No, I was not asleep…" he muttered. She handed him the toast quietly.

"I would've tried to warm it… But I'm not experienced enough to control it. Sorry."

He waved his hand over the toast and suddenly it was warm. Her eyes widened. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"With enough practise, it is something that can be done with a minimum of effort." He drawled. She nodded in understanding. Silence fell over them as he began to eat the toast, albeit slowly. After a moment, she shifted awkwardly in her chair earning a sideways glance from her husband.

"Um… D-do you want me to stay? O-or should I leave you alone?" she worded it in such a way that he seemed to understand the actual question: Am I annoying you?

"You may stay if you wish, though I'm sure you have better things to do than take care of me." He muttered in response.

"Not really." She shrugged, seeming to relax a small amount. "I don't have any work to do… But if you want me to go, I-" he sighed, making her pause in her rambling.

"I never said that. I am merely stating that I am hardly interesting company in this state."

She shrugged. "You're always interesting company." She practically mouthed it, and Hieronymous was surprised to have heard it. He assumed it was a private comment, but couldn't quite stop himself from answering.

"You would be the first to think so." He said quietly, and for a moment she panicked, having not expected him to hear her. Then, she relaxed and smiled.

"I know, I'm a bit weird." She said quietly. After a moment, she fidgeted. "A-although… I could use something to do… You don't mind if I go and grab something from my room quickly, do you?"

He smiled, put slightly at ease by the fact that she wouldn't just be sat there self-consciously. "By all means."

She returned a couple of minutes later with a small book, a pencil case and a sketchpad. All of the items seemed to put her at ease, as she wasn't awkward when she sat back down, she simply had a pleasant smile on her face, which she directed at him for a moment. He returned it, but didn't think she'd seen it.

She flicked to a page in the small book and began to write.

Friday August 22nd 2014

Dear Diary,

I'm sat in his room beside his bed at the moment… He seems to be a lot better, but Potsdam said he has to stay in bed all day…

Having written Potsdam's name, she suddenly remembered the bottle of fluorescent liquid. And turned to the bedside table.

"I forgot about this!" she cried, a little panicked. She heard a light groan from the bed.

"I was hoping you'd forget it." He muttered.

"No such luck!" she scowled lightly at him and uncapped the bottle. It smelt awful, an overpowering odour that reminded her of mint and air-freshener, except both fragrances had been amplified by about twenty times their ordinary potency. She coughed. "Why does it smell so strong?" she complained as tears filled her eyes.

"Because it is vile medicine…" he drawled, as though she had just asked the most obvious question in the world. "Must I drink that foul concoction?" he asked, hoping she might have some sympathy, but the tone of his voice hardened her expression.

"Oh, shush… It'll make you better."

"I feel fine…" he lied. She raised an eyebrow and held a hand to his forehead as he was taken over by a violent coughing fit.

"Yeah right. Open wide, you big baby." She teased, and he wasn't sure if he should've been happy about her return to normal or not. He defiantly kept his mouth closed and looked away from her, hearing a sigh from beside him. "Do you want to be stuck in bed for another week?" that was enough to make him turn back to her. "'Cause you know that's what'll happen if you don't drink this, right?" he scowled at her, as if to blame her for his illness. But all she did was hold the small, pungent, glass bottle towards him. With a huff, he snatched the bottle from her grasp and tipped the contents into his mouth, nearly throwing up his breakfast in the process of swallowing the concoction. He gagged.

"Gods, what did she put in this?" he complained, looking at the bottle as though it once contained poison. "She couldn't have made it taste any less vile?" All his moaning did, though, was bring forth a small, bubbly laugh from his young wife as she took back the empty bottle. His eyelids began to droop and he sighed. "More sleeping draught… Ugh…" he complained as he began to slip into unconsciousness.

Once he was sleeping peacefully, Arianna smiled and pulled the covers up to cover his shoulders, before returning to her diary entry.

I just gave him the potion Potsdam left… I don't know what it was, but it had sleeping draught in it, so he's asleep again. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps… All the stress leaves his face. He looks so handsome like this.

Okay, Arianna, stop being love-sick…

It was so strange yesterday. I came to check on him in the afternoon, like I said I would, and ended up sitting with him all night. When I asked if he wanted me to leave, he held my hand. I don't think he really did it consciously, but still… My neck kills today, because of sleeping in the chair, but he wouldn't let go when I tried to leave, so I didn't have much choice.

Strangely, I'm not too bothered.

She spent the rest of the day drawing in her sketch-pad, Eventually, she ran out of things to draw from mere imagination, and ended up sketching a picture of her husband, partly from boredom, and partly because she wanted to remember what he looked like so peaceful and relaxed…

She finished it just as he began to stir, and swiftly closed the book.

"Arianna?" he muttered. "What time is it?" he passed a hand across his eye, rubbing the sleep away. She smiled pleasantly.

"It's half seven." She replied. He frowned.

"Did you go to lunch?" She looked down sheepishly, and he rolled his eyes. "Useless girl."

"Sorry…" she muttered indignantly.

"And why aren't you at dinner?"

"I didn't want to leave without seeing if you were hungry?" she lied, but he rolled his eyes again, knowing from the tone of her voice and the way her shoulders raised that she had actually forgotten. "It's fine, I can go now." She said with a smile. "Do you want me to bring you some soup or something?" He contemplated it for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I'll be back soon." She said, standing up and placing her sketch-pad and diary on the chair before leaving the room.

Hieronymous sighed, looking at the small book with a raised eyebrow. She had been writing in it…

"Is that her diary?" he wondered aloud, thinking how very like her it would be to keep a diary. He was overcome by the urge to pick up the little book and flip to an entry… But he resisted. Nothing good came of reading people's private thoughts.

When she returned, he smiled.

"Thank you." He said, and she seemed a little taken aback by the show of gratitude. "You did not need to do any of this… I… appreciate your kindness." He explained with some difficulty, not failing to notice the blush that coloured her cheeks.

"You're welcome…" she muttered nervously. He slowly began to eat the soup in silence as she sat down again.

"You need not stay tonight… I understand that sleeping in a chair does nothing for one's neck, or back."

"O-oh… Right, yeah… I… I guess I'll leave you to it." She stammered, standing quickly to gather her things. He mentally slapped himself. She thinks she's annoyed you, you fool…

"Do not misunderstand me, Arianna. I appreciate your worry, but it would be foolish to make yourself ill while caring for me."

"R-right, of course." She still seemed awkward, but he knew there was little else he could say.

"I should be able to attend breakfast myself tomorrow…" he added, and she nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

"Yes." She made to leave. "Thank you, again…"

She didn't hear him as she slipped through the door in silence.

Again, I hope you liked it and please tell me what you think :) x