(Bella) 

I watched Seokjin as he finally fell asleep. I moved off the bed and onto a nearby chair. I touched my own forehead, feeling a little warm. It had nothing to do with fever and everything to do with the incredible display of skin I had been subjected to when I first walked in. I looked around his room and found a white filmy shirt. With a bit of a struggle--and an eyeful of his beautiful body--I managed to get the shirt on him and covered him with the sheet. I found a washcloth in his bathroom and dampened it with cold water. I returned to his bedside and placed the cool cloth on his forehead.

His lips parted, but he did not make a sound. His head moved a little, probably from the sudden cold of the cloth.

I leaned my head back on the chair. Oh, my Lord! He was not human! The minute I saw him bare-chested lying on his couch, I almost screamed. The image of his broad shoulders, muscular arms and chest, and his trim waist were etched in my brain forever! Even now I was tempted to pull back the sheets just to verify that I had not imagined such perfection. No wonder all the girls were crazy for him!  I felt a little lightheaded, too.

Stop it, I told myself. He's ill. I need to help him. I got up and went into the kitchen. I managed to put together a version of chicken soup using some leftover chicken in his fridge. Thank goodness he had plenty of vegetables. I left the soup to simmer and went back to check on him.

I stood at the door and heard him call my name. I pulled a chair next to his bed and removed the cloth to touch his forehead. It wasn't as hot as before. I began to look for the thermometer, but I heard him call me again. I turned to him, but his eyes were shut. His beautiful lips moved, and I heard my name again. I moved out of the chair and leaned over him.

His eyes suddenly flew open. They were dark and shiny, looking at me but not really seeing me. His lips were moving, and I leaned a little closer to hear. His body was moving, and I reached out to move the covers over his shoulders. His body jerked, and my hand fell flat on his chest. His eyes moved to mine. This time I think he could see me. His red-rimmed eyes stared at me as if he couldn't believe I was there.

"Stay with me," he whispered. "Don't go. Bella."

I gulped and retracted my hand. "I won't leave you. I'm here. Just sleep." I stroked his head gently. I sat down and waited until he was asleep then I rushed to check on the soup.

I ladled some into a deep bowl and brought it back to his room. He was still sleeping, and I thought it best not to wake him. I sat down next to his bed and, at some point, I must have put my head down on the bed and dozed off.

One side of my face felt warm. I moved gingerly then gasped when I realized that I had been leaning against Seokjin's chest. I scrambled away from him. I sat up and scraped the chair back noisily.

His eyes opened. "Hey," he croaked and gave me a weak smile.

I could feel my heart beating erratically. The shock of his handsomeness never diminished. I saw that he was struggling to pull the sheet aside and sit up.

"How long have you been here?" he asked. He seemed to give up the effort to pull himself up.

"Not long," I said, not really knowing what time it was. "I made you some soup although it might be cold by now."

His eyes opened wide. "You? You made me soup? Thank you."

"I can go heat it up."

"No!" he exclaimed. "I'll just eat it like that. I'm sure it's good." He sat up on the bed then seemed startled when he realized that his shirt wasn't buttoned. He pulled up the sheet so comically that I couldn't help but laugh.

"I promise that I tried to help you with your shirt," I said. In my mind I knew that I hadn't wanted to cover him up. "I found you without a shirt when I walked in. You don't remember?"

He shook his head. "No." He looked down for a minute. "You've stayed here all this time?" At my nod, he pressed his lips together. "Did I...did I say anything?"

"You told me to stay."

"That's all?" he asked, sounding nervous. He did up a few buttons.

"Yes." I was surprised to see relief flash across his face. I glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "Oh, it's almost midnight. I should probably go home. I left you some soup, water, and some Tylenol here on your nightstand."

"I should walk you home," he said.

"No," I said firmly. "You cannot get out of bed. Are you crazy?"

"It's very late."

"I live just across the courtyard."

He shook his head. "Too many drunk undergrads roaming around right now. What if something happens to you? No. Text your roommate that you will stay here." He pinned me with his gaze. "Not only that, but what if I feel worse during the night?" He saw that I was about to protest and held up a hand. "If you want to leave, then I will get up and walk you."

"Okay," I said. "I will reheat the soup and text Cindy." I heard him move and turned to see him spooning broth into his mouth. "Jin, it's cold!"

"It's fine," he said. He stared at me for a while. "I like when you call me Jin."

I felt my cheeks get warm. "You keep saying that."

"I do?" he asked, looking confused.

I shook my head with a smile and finished my text to Cindy.

"I guess you'll need something to sleep in," he said. "The second drawer behind you, on the left. Pick out a t-shirt."

I chose the longest one I could find and changed in his bathroom. When I came out, I couldn't meet his eyes. "Um, I'll just take a blanket to the living room. I'll leave the door open so that you can call me."

"No. Stay here," he said without hesitation.

"Where?"

"Here. The bed is very big. You can sleep here."

I glanced up to see if he was suggesting something improper, but his expression was unusually subdued. I wondered if the fever had zapped his swagger. That's when I remembered that he was ill, and I got the thermometer to check his temperature again. It was down to ninety-nine point eight degrees. Better but not by much.

"Jin, please take another pill and drink the rest of the water," I instructed. While he was doing that, I scurried to the other side of the bed and very gently slipped under the covers.

"Yes. Thank you," he said. "I like that you called me Jin."

"Yes, I know. I know. Finish your water and try to get some sleep."

"Of course, beautiful. I will... do anything you say." He winked at me. "Anything."

I took one of the pillows and placed it between us as a barrier, and I heard him chuckle softly. I wasn't taking any chances. Sick or not, he was lying beside me, half-naked, and the barrier was really for me so that I could not see him. I didn't think that I'd be able to sleep. Every dip of the mattress from his side made my heart beat faster. At some point, though, I must have dozed off.