A flash of lightning illuminated the bedroom, seconds before thunder rattled the windows. Streetlights flickered in the rain.

Each crack of thunder made the businessman slightly jump. He gave up on sleeping entirely and sat up in the bed.

Truth be told, he really did feel sick at the moment. Hehatedit. He hated the feeling of wanting to throw up every twenty minutes. The way his face felt like it was a hundred degrees. He hated it, and had no intentions of throwing up or falling back asleep. He wanted to hug his girlfriend. He wanted her to hold him and tell him he was going to be okay.

Bud leaned back into the bed and swallowed with a frown, sighing at a surge of vertigo that hit him all of a sudden. Then a glance over to Kimbra's side of the bed. The Samoyed was still asleep, sprawled across the pillows, snoring gently.

He wouldn't wake her then.

But how in the world had he gotten so sick so quickly? He wanted to fall asleep. When was the last time he'd been so sick?

And wasn't the flu going around this time of year? A few of his employees had called out of work, mentioning it.

Great, of all the things he had to catch, it just had to be the flu. Did this really have to happen? Anything, just anything else, would be better than this. Like getting hit by a car while crossing the street. Or getting audited by the IRS.

Bud let out a muffled whimper as his head began to throb, pain squeezing him as if there were a vice around his crown and temples. And a migraine as the cherry on top of everything. What afantasticday.

"You sound horrible." Kimbra said suddenly, sitting up on an elbow with a yawn. She hadn't expected him to be awake at this hour.

"I sound fine."

"No, you don't. You sound like you're dying."

Bud swallowed as his heart flipped in his chest. He could just play it off. He could play it off as a tummy ache, and he could let her get a good night's rest.

But he…

He wasn't okay, but he could be.

"It's just a cough."

Do you really believe that?

"Buddy, you're sick." She spoke again, much softer, not caring what he thought of her at that moment. "Are you okay?"

He might think she was silly, for worrying so much. Especially if it was something as small as just a minor cough. But she didn't care what he thought of her at that moment.

Bud's southern accent slipped from his mouth. "I ain't got time to be sick. And I'mperfectlyfine." He didn't need to dwell on it now. It would just make him feel sicker than he already did.

As always, the scientist saw through Bud's lies. She frowned before standing up from the bed.

"I'll be right back," she said, before stepping out of the room. Disappearing down the stairs.

The Samoyed made her way into the kitchen, opening up one of the cabinets. She rooted a hand around inside of it, looking for a bottle. Once found, Kimbra pulled it out and grabbed a spoon from a drawer.

Once back upstairs, Kimbra sat down on the bed, beside the hound. The bed shifted slightly under her weight. "Take this and you'll feel better."

Bud made a face of disgust at the liquid. "Ew, no, I'm not taking that."

Kimbra tried again, holding the food closer to his mouth. "Youneedit, you'resick."

"I can survive on my own."

"Take the stupid medicine." It wasn't a request.

A shudder took over Bud as he continued to argue with his girlfriend. "I'm a survivor."

Kimbra breathed out one long, low breath. Growing tired of the back and forth banter rather quickly. "No you're not."

"Iam."

"No, you're a dumbass. Take the medicine." What Kimbrawantedto say was that the man was acting like a child. But she knew that'd just lead to a full-blown argument.

"It's nasty."

She sighed. "It'll make you feel better."

"I don't trust you." Bud retorted rather childishly.

"Bud"

"I don't!"

Kimbra wanted to roll her eyes so bad at him. But she had to keep her attitude at a minimum. "If I take it, will you take it?"

He frowned for a moment, considering. "Sure."

Fine then. If that's what will get him to take the damn medicine, then she'd do it. Anything to just help the poor pathetic man.

The liquid left a bitter taste in her mouth that made her want to gag. But Kimbra refrained, or else Budreallywouldn't take it.

After forcing it down, she refilled the spoon with the substance and held it to Bud's mouth once more. "Okay here, I took it so it's your turn."

"No thanks." Bud muttered into the pillow. He didn't want some stupid medicine. He wanted to keep his head shoved exactly like this because it was helping to keep the building tension and pain at bay. His head would explode soon enough, so he was just delaying the inevitable.

"Bud."

"It's disgusting, no." He said dismissively, waving a hand in the air.

Kimbra could feel a headache coming up and had a long night ahead of her. "I hate you."

"Youloveme. You'reobsessedwith me. I'mirresistible."

For fuck's sake, he sounded like a complete idiot.

"Take the medicine, or I will hold you down and force you to take it."

"Kinky."

"Bud."

The words came out in a husky whisper. "Darlin' don't start something you can't finish."

"Iwasn'tstarting anything," she whispered back. "I want you to take the medicine so you can get better."

"You know what will make me feel better?"

She smiled at that, even though she was a little irritated by his stubbornness. "We aren't doing that while you're sick, now take the damn medicine."

"It'd be a nice way to go out, wouldn't it?" A small smile, him just trying to crack a joke to ease things, not that it would help.

"Bud!"

"Ow, my head. What?" He was starting to look irritated.

"You're being awfully overdramatic."

"I think that I'm theperfectamount of dramatic, thank you very much." Bud let out a few irritated grumbles and he pulled the blanket over his head.

"I'm not leaving until you take this."

Bud just sighed, annoyedly. His pride had always surpassed his capacity for self-preservation. The thought of putting anything foul into his mouth made him nauseous. Yet if he didn't, Kimbra wouldn't ever leave him alone. He'd never get any sleep this way.

The hound rolled the idea around in his head for a bit before giving in. The liquid had a revolting taste, and if he didn't feel so bad, Bud would have spat it out on the floor. But he didn't. Instead, he laid back down, pulling the quilt tighter around him as shudders racked his frame.

Softly, Kimbra stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She walked back down the stairs, placing the bottle back in the cabinet. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the thermometer, sitting beside various other bottles. She picked it up before heading back upstairs.

Bud hardly noticed her return, as he slowly dozed off. The sound of the bedroom door shutting jarred him partially awake. He moved his head, sleepily allowing her to again check his fever. He was warm, his hair damp with sweat.

"Where'd you go?"

"Just downstairs." She leaned over, brushing her hand through his dark hair. Mostly a force of habit. "Shh…go back to sleep baby."

"I still have that fucking nasty medicine taste in my mouth." He looked up at Kimbra, squinting at the Samoyed. His cheeks were red, a look of discomfort on his face as he blinked at her slowly.

"It's to make you better, Bud. You'll thank me one day." Another sweep of her gentle hand through his hair. "Do you want something to drink or a popsicle?"

"I want you to throw away that crap," he had said it quietly, but she heard it nonetheless.

"It's to help you get better," Kimbra replied softly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Bud's breathing hitched, and he let out a whiffling sigh through his nose. "You're a cruel,vilewoman."

She couldn't quite figure out if he was joking. But decided on the latter. "I'm only doing it out of love. I want you to get better, Buddy."

"You're doing it because you enjoy seeing me suffer."

"If I enjoyed that then I wouldn't be taking care of you."

Bud simply shot her a small glare of contempt and said nothing back.

"Bud."

He finally replied to her, in a bitter tone. "You want me to live longer so you can torture me further."

"So I can torture you further?" Kimbra echoed, disbelief coloring her voice. "You're absolutely ridiculous."

The businessman opened his mouth. Nothing but a breath left at first, and he mumbled trying to get his voice to work again.

"Yeah I very much am, but you love me." Bud mumbled.

"I do, so very, very much."

Bud smirked as he snuggled close to his girlfriend, some form of his puppy mode coming out as he closed his eyes. The hound drifted back to sleep. Unbothered. Untouched. At peace.

But Kimbra couldn't go back to sleep. She tried, really she did. Her mind just wouldn't leave her alone. As always.

She turned to lay on her side, pondering over it. Wishing she could just stop thinking about it and just fall back asleep.

Maybe he was okay after all?It could have been something he ate or one of his moods. Or perhaps she had imagined it all and it was truly nothing. Just her overthinking as usual. It still could have just been a small stomach bug, but she genuinely worried about the man at times.

How funny.A few years ago they were both at each other's throats. Swearing that they'dnevercross paths again after the EcoTech project came to end. She used to silently pray he'd get hit by a car going through the crosswalk. He'd count down the days for when she'dsupposedlymove back to Alaska.

And now here she was, living with the man. Taking care of him. Genuinely worried about his well-being.

It felt as if they were venturing into something new. Something unfamiliar.

The great unknown.