" No?" Jae's smile faltered.

" Don't you think it's a good idea?"

" No I do not"

" You basically live with me anyway" I looked at him and sighed. He just doesn't understand at all. I run my fingers through my hair. " Jae I cannot live with you. We can't just make big decisions like that" I tell him and he frowns. " It has been five months, do you realize that? We've been together for almost a year, it's not like we are rushing anything" He says placing the flowers he brought me , with a copy of a key to his apartment, on the table.

" I became your girlfriend, in less than a week. I had sex with you, the second day I met you. I think we should slow down, seriously" I say to him and he places his hand on his forehead, the other resting on his hip. " You are being unreasonable, It's not like we've been dating for a month or something. You are literally always here, 5 days out of 7. You are basically my wife" He rants.

" Exactly, and that's the problem, at this rate we'll grow bored at this rate" I say and I could tell he was hurt. My words stung, and he retreats. " I could never grow bored of you" He says in the most absolute seriousness staring at me intensely. The air became thick, so thick that it was hard to breathe. I knew that I hurt his feelings. " I'm not going to force you" He turns to walk away and I grabbed his arm. My mother always told me, you should never be able to count the times that you face your partner's back.

" No , wait" I held onto his arm. " I don't mean that I will get tired of you. I spoke out of my own conscious. I am afraid that I could get too comfortable and something happens t—-

—-Nothing is going to happen. I have you, what more could matter? You can never become too comfortable my dear, I want this to be our home. I hate waking up, and you are gone. It eats me, do you know that?" He pats his chest, there is no mask in his eyes, just a glint of sincerity. He wraps his arms around my back and pulls me towards him. " I am going to do everything I possibly can, so that we can live comfortably and happy." He tells me placing a kiss on my forehead.

" What did I do to deserve you? I am so blessed. You saved me from my haunted heart" I whisper and he smiles. " It is I who is blessed. My girlfriend is a intelligent, young successful African American woman, with a warm smile and an amazing body. I love you so much" He tells me and kisses my lips. I frowned at the sudden eruption in my loins, the urge to throw up becomes unbearable.

" What's wrong?"

I take off running into the bathroom, dropping to my knees and emptying my lunch into the toilet. Jae was besides me petting my hair. " You have a fever, an—-Athena, your nose is bleeding!"

•. •. •

Jae brings the covers over my chest and wipe my forehead with a wet washcloth. " This is a cup of ginger tea, you need to drink it all before it gets cold. It will kill your fever, and ease your stomach" He says taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. I smile up at him. " I feel better, but thank you" I assure him and he shakes his head. He lays next to me and rests his head against mine.

" You just need to get some rest. You have the flu. I always got the flu when I was a boy." He moves and lays his head on my chest. " You've been sick, a little while. We may have to get medicated if it continues. Your nose was bleeding" He tells me and I nodded. " I have to go to the office all day tomorrow, do you think you will be ok?" He asks me.

" I am twenty four years old. I have managed before"

" That's not what I want to hear Athena. I want you to need me" He say softly and I bite my lips. Why would I allow myself to be that vulnerable? He sits up and pulls me up with him. " Drink the tea" He instructs and I reach for the cup. " It's hot" He warns and I used the washcloth to grip the cup.

I blew over the tea before I took a sip.

" I wonder if you'll take care of me like this, when you become my wife" I spat out my tea. Jae chuckles and stands up, grabbing the towel that hung on the wall and wipes up the spit. " I am not saying now" He say in between laughs. I could kill him for teasing me. " How can you toy with a sick person! Jerk" I clicked my tongue and he rolls his eyes.

" You will be fine" I throw my pillow at him. He dodges it and laughs at my wimpy attempt. " Next time I won't miss" I say and he walks over to me and kisses my lips quickly before I could swing another pillow at him. I growl and he captures my wrists and pins it above my head. " Let me go" I say and he bites his lips and smiles.

" No"

" Jae"

" Call me daddy first" He says and I bursted into a fit of laughter. He frowns and drops my wrists and rolls his eyes. His face burns to a bright red. " That's the most cringeworthy thing you've ever said" I say laughing harder. He goes into the bathroom and closes himself inside and I laughed harder. " Jae! Jaeeee! Daddy!" I couldn't conceal my laughter.

" You know for a sick person, you seem to be just fine" He says through the door. I throw my head back in laughter. I told him I felt better.&