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His whole body ached and he was shaking and he didn't understand why. His head hurt the most, it felt like someone had hit him with something and he didn't even want to open his eyes in fear that the light would make his head hurt even more. He had never felt so bad, so ill and his body felt like it currently hated him. Feeling something cool press against his head, he groaned before slowly attempting to open his eyes, the light killing him as he felt a hand against his cheek.

"Florian," a familiar voice whispered as he slowly opened his eyes to see Miss Mardle sat beside him, watching him in amazement as a large smile covered her face. "Hello," she said nervously as he shut his eyes again in pain. The light was too bright and it hurt, even though he wanted to stare up at her. "Is there anything I can do Florian?" she asked quietly as he nodded, covering his eyes with his hand before he opened them again.

"Too bright," he muttered as she nodded and climbed off the bed. Approaching the window in silence, Josie quickly pulled the curtains shut before approaching the bed, it wasn't completely dark now but she hoped that it would be dim enough for him to be comfortable.

"Try again now," she whispered, watching as he moved his hand away from his face and nodded before she slowly approached his bed again and sat down beside him, reaching across for the damp cloth that she had been using earlier. "You've got the flu Florian," she explained as she ran the cloth across his forehead, trying to cool his fever as he continued to watch her, his eyes never leaving her face. "The doctor believes that you collapsed on the stairs and knocked your head, that's why you've been unconscious," she explained, still running the cloth against his face as he nodded slowly, his body still aching. "You need to rest, I'll let you sleep," she stated before standing, stopping when he grasped hold of her hand. "Florian, you need to rest."

"Stay?" he asked quietly as she bit into her lip nervously, the younger man still clutching onto her hand. Moving to sit down again, she sighed as she continued to watch him. Remaining perfectly still as his free hand moved to rest against her cheek, she shut her eyes before resting against it and smiling weakly. "I thought that if I stayed away for a while we would be able to go back to the way we were before I… " he explained weakly as she opened her eyes and rested her hand on top of his. "You barely talk to me now," he said quietly. "You don't even stay in the room anymore when I enter it."

"But you should have told me, or Agnes, that you were feeling unwell. Florian I care about you, I want you to be healthy and I hate the idea that you're unwell because you didn't feel able to talk to me," she explained quickly. "Do you want anything? A drink? Something to eat?" she asked as he shook his head, just wanting her to stay with him.

"I worried you," he stated as she glanced down at their joined hands. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, don't you ever apologise to me," she blurted out, her eyes shutting as she shook her head. "I will stay until you fall asleep Florian," she explained as he nodded, smiling at her before he removed his hand from her cheek and groaned. "Are you in any pain?" she asked as he shook his head.

"I just ache," he whispered as he shut his eyes, clearly exhausted as she watched him in silence, rubbing his palm with her thumb as he slowly began to fall asleep. Hearing his breathing even out, Josie smiled before she ran her fingers across his cheek and relaxed. He was going to be okay.

"When Mr Grove found me in the shop yesterday to tell me that Agnes had found you at the bottom of the stairs, I was so worried that something had happened and I would never hear you play the violin again or have a conversation with you," she explained to him as he slept peacefully. "The idea that the last memory I would ever have of you was you being angry with me for refusing you, for protecting you from this," she whispered before she leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, glad that he remained asleep as she did. "Because that's what I'm trying to do Florian, I'm protecting you from what will happen if we made that mistake," she stated before she stood up and moved towards the door, turning only when she reached the doorway to glance at him for one more moment before she left the room to see Agnes standing outside her bedroom. "He's awake," Josie smiled.

"That's wonderful," Agnes smiled as Josie nodded. "Is he sleeping?" she asked as Josie nodded again before yawning. "You should get some sleep, I will tell Mr Grove that you are looking after Florian today," she explained as Josie moved towards her and rested her hand on Agnes' arm.

"Thank you although I doubt he'll be happy to learn that," Josie stated before she moved towards the stairs, thinking about Mr Grove would react to the news that she was taking time off work to care for the lodger he had a grudge against. "If I am not awake before you leave for work, can you wake me up?" she asked as Agnes nodded, watching as the older woman disappeared from sight.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Josie," Agnes declared, shaking the older woman as Josie groaned and looked up at the other woman who had just woken her up. "It's Florian," she stated, the name making the older woman sit up, concern covering her face as she stood up and grabbed her robe, pulling it on over her nightgown. "His fevers getting worse," she explained, not surprised when Miss Mardle ran out of her room. Entering Florian's bedroom, she quickly approached the bed and rested her hand on his head as Florian continued to shake while Agnes entered the room in silence.

"Can you get me more water?" Josie questioned as Agnes nodded and took the bowl that was resting on the bedside table before leaving the room. "Florian, Florian I need you to open your eyes now," she whispered, running her fingers across his cheeks as the sweat continued to run down his face. "Florian please wake up," she begged as Agnes walked into the room again and placed the bowl of water on the table again before watching as Josie placed a cloth into the water and began to wash the sweat away. "You should get ready for work," Josie stated as she glance across at Agnes, who nodded and left the room before Josie returned her focus to Florian. He looked so sick, so exhausted and she didn't know how to make it any better. Hearing him groan, Josie breathed out as he opened his eyes slightly to glance up at her.

"Hello," he whispered as she nodded in response. "Do you not have work?" he asked as he looked across at the clock, her head shaking as she forced a smile onto her face.

"I'm staying here, to look after you," she explained as he stared at her.

"You don't have to," he said quietly.

"I want too," she immediately responded as he shut his eyes again and groaned in pain. His body definitely hated him. "Tell me about Belgium," she blurted out, desperately trying to keep him awake. "Tell me about learning the violin," she suggested as he opened his eyes and stared at her for a moment.

"Why?" he asked as she shrugged.

"I'm interested," she responded as he smiled weakly.

"My father played," he admitted as she nodded slowly, encouraging him to continue. "He started to teach me when I was four," he smiled, remembering how excited he'd been to learn the instrument that his father had caused him to love. "I never stopped playing from then," he smiled as Josie laughed, not surprised. "My drawer," he whispered as confusion covered her face. "There's something in my drawer," he stated as she nodded and approached it, opening it slowly as he watched her.

"What do you want?" she asked as she stared down at the folded clothes and various objects that were neatly organised.

"There's a book," he whispered as she nodded, finding the old book before taking it out and sitting down beside him again. "Open it," he said quietly as she glanced down at the book that was in her lap, opening it slowly to see a photograph inside. "My family," he said quietly as a large smile covered her face, concern however replacing it when he attempted to sit up.

"Florian, you shouldn't…" she began before he shook his head and relaxed against the headboard, his finger moving to point at the man in the photograph.

"My father," Florian said quietly as Josie nodded slowly, glancing across at him as he began to cough.

"Florian you should be resting, this can wait for when you're better," she explained as he shook his head, not wanting to sleep. He wanted to talk to her, see her smile. Shaking her head at him, Josie smiled as his finger moved to the woman in the picture. "Your mother?" she asked as he nodded, smiling to himself as she watched him.

"She was always cooking," Florian whispered. "And she always laughed. Our house was always full of noise," he stated, his eyes shutting as he attempted to stop himself from crying, hoping that Miss Mardle hadn't noticed.

"We should stop now," she whispered as she shut the book and placed it on the side, her fingers moving to his cheek to wipe away a stray tear. "You're always so happy, I forget sometimes," she admitted as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I forget sometimes, I am so happy here and I sometimes forget why I am here and then I remember and its hurts because I forgot about them and I shouldn't," he admitted as she found his hand again and squeezed it. "I still don't believe that they're gone," he muttered as she moved closer, not knowing what she was going to do. "Can I tell you something?" he asked as she nodded, their eyes locking as she smiled weakly.

"Yes," she whispered as he laced his fingers with hers.

"I have nightmares sometimes, I dream about them and what happened, what's still happening in my country," he admitted, looking down as if he was ashamed as shock covered her face. How had she not known? "I see their faces," he whispered as she cupped his cheek, pushing his face gently so he was looking at her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as he shrugged. "Florian…"

"I didn't want you to think that I was weak," he admitted as she shook her head.

"I would never think you were weak," she stated fiercely as he watched her. "You are so brave," she mumbled as he moved closer to her, his body still shaking as she bit into her lip. "Florian…" she whispered as she felt his breath practically on her face. "I…" she began, jumping back when the sound of someone at the front door rang round the room. "I...umm… I should get dressed," she commented, both of them becoming aware that she was sat next to him in her nightclothes. "Excuse me," she muttered before walking out of the room, hearing Agnes answer the door as she approached the stairs. What was she doing, practically leading him on by sitting that close and touching him? She was giving him the wrong idea. She was practically letting him think that there was a chance! Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she slowly moved towards her own bedroom, desperate to get dressed properly and forget that she'd been so close to him again.

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