NORTHHOWMUCHISYOURLOVE, Chapter 19 part 2
“He said he’d take me on a trip during the break, and told me to think about where I want to go.” I said. Honestly, there are so many places I want to visit, but deciding which one to go to first is quite hard. “But many things would probably depend on him, right? So maybe I should go wherever he wants.”
“I don’t know. Just talk it out with him. Hey, North, are you hungry? I’m starving.” “It’s so late, yeah. But you’re always hungry at this time.” I said. Ter eats a lot, especially sweets, to the point where I’ve considered learning how to manage diabetes care. But he said we need to control his diet first, which is the hardest thing for Ter. “There’s a rule not to eat after midnight.”
“Afraid of getting fat?”
“Afraid of running out of money.” I sighed, “We can’t just eat whatever we want every night, Ter. Like that time you wanted to eat dumplings at midnight. Who would be open to selling to you?” I remembered the torturous night when Ter wanted dumplings at midnight, and in the end, he settled for snacks from a convenience store, thanks to Phii Hill who could afford to treat him.
“But we’re at a coffee shop, there’s plenty of stuff for sale downstairs. Let’s get something. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yeah, I am hungry.” I admitted, starting to feel the hunger. If we waited longer, I’d be even more famished, but then I remembered I didn’t bring my wallet. “I didn’t bring my wallet. If you’re paying, we can go get something.”
“North, I always treat you. Go ask the owner, little dog.”
“I don’t want to.” I shook my head, suddenly having to ask for money was awkward.
“Wag your tail and stick out your tongue, the owner will give you a treat. If that’s not enough, you can fetch a stick too.” Ter said with utmost seriousness, which was quite annoying.
“Spit, bastard. I won’t eat it then, I’ll just take it from you.”
“You’re so bad, stop snatching other people’s food. Go ask for some.”
“…”
“Quickly.”
“Alright, alright.” I agreed reluctantly. It shouldn’t be a big deal. Just asking to buy something to eat. Maybe he’s hungry too, studying for so long. I stood up and walked over to sit on the empty chair next to him. Phii Johan glanced at me slightly.
“Phii…I forgot my wallet.”
“How much do you need?”
“Huh? Oh, not much. Just going to get something to eat downstairs.” I was slightly taken aback by Phii Joe asking how much I needed, like he immediately knew I was asking for money, T^T.
Phii Johan didn’t say anything, just handed me a thousand baht note. I took the money and nodded slightly in thanks.
“Do you want anything?” I asked.
“An Americano, you make it.” Phii Joe said before turning his attention back to the sheet in front of him.
“Joe.” Phii Arthit called out.
“What?”
“Where’s the bathroom?”
“Don’t know, why are you asking me?”
“Aren’t you the owner of the shop?”
“I don’t know.”
“What kind of owner are you?”
“I just signed the checks, that’s all.” Phii Johan said. I wasn’t too surprised; it’s just like Phii Prang said.
“It’s on the second floor, Phii Arthit, go down and turn left at the hallway.” I said, knowing almost everything since I work here.
“Yeah, you should know this stuff.” Phii Arthit said before heading downstairs to use the bathroom. Ter and I went downstairs to buy something to eat as well, ordering a sweet drink each and some snacks since we ran out of rice. “Uh, can I make the Americano?” I asked, remembering Phii Joe asked me to make it. I guessed it wouldn’t taste very good, as Phii Arthit had said it was too bitter, but Phii Joe probably likes this taste, which is why he asked me to make it.
“Uh, is that okay?” one of the employees hesitated before turning to Phii Kim, “The customer wants to make his own coffee.”
“Oh, sure, did Joe order it?” Senior Kim raised an eyebrow, “Come on in.”
“Is the owner here?” the female employee said, twisting her body in embarrassment, “Oh, he’s so handsome, does he like Americano? I’ll practice making it every day.”
“He’s really, really handsome, isn’t he? How can someone be that good-looking, and he’s rich too, right? He’s perfect, like a model, tall, over 180 cm, and with such a great body.”
“All his friends are handsome too, I saw when they went upstairs.”
“Second-year med students are all the same, I see them on the page often. Oh, there’s version two of the page now, after the first one got shut down. The admin just made a new one the other day.”
“That’s good, I’ll go like it later. Why isn’t there a fan club page for him by the way? I’d be the first to scream, what kind of person makes your heart race just by looking at them? Ugh, I want him to be my husband, just my husband.”
And there were countless more compliments that made me smile shyly as I listened, feeling embarrassed on his behalf. Why so much praise? I was making coffee at the same time. Phii Joe must be used to such compliments by now, but if it were me receiving them, I’d be floating out of this world by now.
I walked back upstairs with Ter, carrying snacks and drinks. I placed the Americano on the table and returned to my usual spot to eat the snacks. It was midnight now. They said they’d study until around one, right? I was starting to feel sleepy.
“Hey, North. You said you had a headache, and now you’ve eaten something cold, won’t that make you worse?” Ter said, looking surprised as if he just remembered.
“It’s too late now.” I said. Why warn me now when I’ve nearly finished half the cup? “It should be fine. I don’t feel any worse.” I said, going by how I felt. It’s just cold water, how bad could it get? But was the rain outside getting heavier? It felt so cold.
“It’s no big deal if you’re fine, North, but your face is all red.”
“Really?” Ter touched my forehead and quickly withdrew his hand as if it was too hot. Was it that hot? I was starting to feel a bit hot and cold.
“Really hot, damn, I forgot you shouldn’t drink cold stuff, your face is redder than before.”
“Uh…just…” I couldn’t finish my sentence before I started coughing, my throat itchy. “Damn…” I coughed again when I tried to speak, why was my throat so itchy? The iced green tea, being both sweet and cold, made it worse.
“This is bad. Tell Phii Joe.”
“No way. I won’t tell him, he’ll definitely scold me.” I said worriedly. He’d surely scold me, T^T. I was so confident about not getting sick.
“Well, I think it’s too late for that.” Ter said, glancing behind me. It looked like someone was approaching.
“…”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t get a cold?”
Phii Joe…
“…” I didn’t respond, just turned to look at the person who had knelt down beside me, his strong hand gently touching my face with a look of concern mixed with displeasure.
“Are you not feeling well?” Phii Fah asked, looking my way. “Yeah.” Phii Joe answered.
“Caught in the rain?” Phii Fah asked.
“No, I think I caught it from a friend.” I said truthfully. I’ve never gotten sick from being in the rain, I can repeat that as many times as necessary, I’m sure it’s because of Nao.
“Take him to the hospital.” Phii Hill suggested.
“Hmm.”
“No, I don’t want to.” I quickly interjected at the mention of the hospital. I don’t want to go to the hospital, T^T, “It’s nothing. It’s not serious enough to go to the hospital.”
“…” Phii Joe didn’t respond. I lowered my head to avoid the terrifying gaze from the person beside me before Phii Johan got up, grabbed Phii Fah’s raincoat, and draped it over me, “I’ll return this later, Fah.”
“Sure, and now what?”
“Where’s the nearest hospital?”
“I really don’t want to go to the hospital.” I interjected again. It’s not that I’m scared of doctors or hospitals, but it’s just a cold. There’s no need for a hospital visit, and besides, he still needs to study for exams, “I really don’t want to go. Please, finish studying first.”
“…”
Phii Johan ignored my words, moving as if to carry me, but I backed away slightly, which only seemed to make him more displeased.
“Phii, I really don’t want to go. It’s just a cold, I’ll get better soon.”
“North.”
“…”
Phii Johan called my name in a low voice, as if he had run out of patience to listen to me. He then scooped me up instead of supporting me. I gasped in surprise as I was suddenly lifted off the ground, squirming a little but starting to feel lightheaded.
“Quick, he’s feeling faint.” Phii Fah said.
“Yeah.” Before Phii Joe carried me downstairs to the car, my vision started to blur. I didn’t understand why I felt this sleepy, it was like I saw Phii Fah coming down with us, bringing my bag to the car.
“You can go to my family’s hospital, I’ll call ahead. If you need to stay overnight, I’ll reserve a special room for you.” Phii Fah said while opening the driver’s side door, and Phii Joe gently laid me down on the seat.
“Hmm, thanks, Fah.” Phii Joe said before taking the bag Phii Fah handed him and walked around to the other side, throwing the bag in the back before starting the car. I could feel the car moving because of the heavy rain still pouring outside. Even without the air conditioning on, it was very cold. I hugged myself tighter before drifting off to sleep.
So cold…
I wasn’t sure if I was awake or dreaming; it felt more like a half-sleep state. I slowly opened my eyes to see everything blurry, with dim light from above. I curled up to stay warm under the thick blanket covering me, but I was still feeling cold and wanted something even warmer.
“Cold.” I managed to say, my voice hoarse, as if I saw someone sitting next to me, leaning against the headboard.
“You’re already covered with three blankets.”
Is that Phii Joe…
Ah, it’s so cold.
I slowly moved towards the voice.
“What are you doing?” he asked, sounding slightly surprised as I moved closer and burrowed into him. Why was he so warm? “…” Phii Joe didn’t say anything more, just used one arm to pull me closer. I noticed his other hand was holding something. Once I was close, I moved even closer.
It smells so good, what is that scent? Why does it feel so comforting? I burrowed further to catch the scent, and he seemed a bit awkward when I rubbed my nose against his neck.
So warm, and it smells good too, I want to stay like this for a long time.
“Hmm, give me a hug.”
“…”
“Phii Joe, hug me.”
“You…”
…
“Ugh.” I half-woke up, the first sensation being warmth, then a slight headache. I saw a familiar room, dimly lit with light from a bedside lamp. As I became more aware, I realized I was leaning back against Phii Johan’s chest, with Phii Joe propped against the bed, one arm around me, the other holding some papers.
“Phii…” I whispered, calling out to him softly as I shifted slightly.
“Sore?”
“No, how about you?” I asked back, feeling that he was probably the one who should be feeling sore. How long had I been lying like this? “How did I end up here?” I mean, how did I end up in this position?
“You said you were cold.” Phii Joe said. That made me raise an eyebrow in surprise, meaning I had burrowed into his embrace myself…
“I’m sorry, are you sore? I can get up if you need.”
“It’s fine, aren’t you cold?”
“Yes.” I let myself stay in his embrace. I really like it…How can one person’s embrace be this warm, and it feels so good too. No one has ever held me like this when I was sick before.
“Are you studying for tomorrow’s exam?” I asked when I glanced over and saw Phii Joe reading some exam sheets. Not only was I not really understanding, but I was even more confused when I saw it was all in English. Because I got sick, he didn’t stay to study with friends, had to come back, and then said he was going to take me to the hospital. I don’t know if we went or not, I’ve been asleep the whole time, T^T.
“Hmm.” was all he answered while his eyes were still on the paper. The only light on was the bedside lamp, perhaps because he was worried I wouldn’t sleep well? But wouldn’t it be bad for his eyes to study in such dim light?
“You can turn on the light if you want.”
“You should be able to sleep by now.” Phii Joe said, tightening his embrace a bit. I still felt hot, isn’t he hot when he holds me like this?
I tried to close my eyes as he suggested, but I couldn’t fall asleep.
“What time is it now?”
“Three AM.”
“Wow, you should be able to sleep too then.”
“In a bit.”
“Do you usually study this late?”
“Yes.”
“What about when you said you’d take me to the hospital?”
“We’ve been and the doctor said it’s not too serious.” Phii Joe responded.
“Oh…I was actually talking to Ter about going on a trip. Ter said he’s going to Japan with Phii Hill during the break.” I said, remembering, but then realized I shouldn’t bother him now since he was studying. I shouldn’t disturb him. “Do you want to go?”
“Yeah, Japan sounds nice.”
“Really? But I don’t want to go with Hill, and I’ve been to Japan often.”
“But I can’t think of anywhere I want to go.” I said, “Usually, people who haven’t traveled abroad go to Japan first. I’ve never been abroad either.”
“The Northern Lights.”
“Huh?”
“Do you want to see them?”
“The Northern Lights…Wow, I’d love to see them. Just seeing pictures, I know they’re incredibly beautiful, are you going?” I asked with excitement, I wanted to go too, but isn’t it far? The expenses would be quite significant.
“Hmm, want to go?”
“I do…but.” I said softly, of course, I wanted to go. Who wouldn’t? But there are a lot of things to consider, and can I even go? “Can I go?”
“Hmm, let’s go after the term ends.”
“Where?”
“Norway.”
Norway!!
Norway, really!
“Norway!?” I exclaimed in surprise, and because I used too much voice, I ended up coughing. I sat up on the bed to avoid infecting Phii Joe, before he handed me a glass of water. I quickly took it, “Thank you.” drinking water helped a lot.
“Wow, isn’t that too far? Norway, I mean. I don’t know if my family would let me go.” I said, but if you ask me, I think my family would allow it. My mother likes me to gain new experiences, or she wouldn’t have let me do part-time work, but going abroad might need another ask.
“I can explain it to you later.” “Thanks.” I thanked him again. Phii Johan put down the papers and lifted me onto his lap, facing him, almost straddling him. This position made me feel nervous. I could hear the rain outside because the balcony door next to the bedroom was slightly open, and the soft light from the lamp made his face clearer.
“You said you wouldn’t get sick.” Phii Joe asked in a flat tone that made my hair stand on end, his face calm but clearly angry.
“Uh…Well. I really didn’t get sick from the rain, I got sick from Duennao.” I said truthfully. Sitting like this felt even stranger, the heat in my chest spreading to my stomach, my breath warm. I didn’t know if it was the fever making my body this hot, and this sitting position made me have to look down.
“But you’re still sick?”
“…”
“Sorry…uh.” before a strong hand pressed on the back of my head, pulling me in for a fierce kiss. I closed my eyes tightly, gripping his shirt with both hands, while his other arm pulled me closer until our lower bodies were touching. The fever made my breath even hotter.
I responded to the touches cautiously, as his hot tongue intertwined with mine, sweeping all over as if to claim everything, making my heart beat faster and faster until it felt like it would burst out, creating a hollow feeling in my stomach.
Phii Johan reached out and took my hand, placing it around his neck when he realized my arms were weak.
“Ah!” I gasped in surprise and opened my eyes when his hand gently squeezed between my thighs and moved closer, just that touch was enough to send my body into turmoil. Phii Joe was also breathing faster, seemingly aroused, and his other hot hand lifted my oversized shirt, tracing from my waist and slowly moving up.
And the heat from his touch made me feel even hotter. “Uh, Phii…ah!” I mumbled through our kiss, while his hands still roamed over my body. Phii Johan slowly pulled away from the kiss, trailing his lips down to my neck, then softly biting and sucking there.
“Ah! …oh.” I let out a sound when the warmth of his tongue circled my neck and ear, his hand that was at my waist lifted my shirt further until his fingers touched my nipple, pressing lightly and then circling, sending shivers across my chest.
“Ugh, no, no more.” I protested, even though my mind was going blank with the fever making me feel heavy-headed. Encountering something like this made it even harder to think. My breathing was rapid, both through my mouth and nose, feeling like I was drowning again as my heart worked overtime. I was genuinely scared it might explode; the feeling of emptiness in my stomach and the heat rising in my chest intensified.
I winced slightly as I felt a sharp pain in my throat, wanting to move away but unable to. I was completely drained of resistance. Why would you do this to someone who’s sick?
“Ugh.” my chest might be embarrassed, but…it felt good. The pain in my private area was growing, becoming unbearable. I was seriously on the verge of a heart attack.
“Phii, that’s enough…” I said quietly. Phii Johan gave a small, pleased smile at my reaction before moving closer, whispering softly in my ear.
“…”
“Do you know how much I had to endure just now?”
“…”
“How should I punish a liar?”
🙂
Punish!?
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