Some Sugar(15)

She paused. “Hold on,” she tried to say around a mouthful of minty toothpaste. Finishing off her teeth, she sat down on the closed toilet lid once again. “I’m not with anyone else.”

“I’ve not been with another woman either.” He ran fingers through his hair, and sighed. “I suck at this. I tell all of my clients to go after what you want and not beat around the bush.”

“What do you want, Hunter?”

“I want you. I want us to be together. Nothing held back. I want to buy you gifts and for you to accept them. I want to give you the world without any explanation. To be there with you at night to make love to you, to fuck you, and to hold you when you’re puking your guts up. It’s what I want.”

“Hunter?”

“No, hear me out. I know it has only been three weeks, but we’re adults, and we only live a few feet away from each other. If we piss each other off then we can go back to our apartments. I care about you, Faith. I wanted you long before I asked for sugar. Please, give me, give us a chance.”

“Hunter!” This time she yelled his name.

“Yeah, baby.”

She moved quickly and opened the toilet lid, throwing up again. He was there pulling her hair out of the way, and rubbing her back.

Great. The guy of her dreams was telling her he wanted more, and she was ruining it with vomiting.

Finally, after another hour, a shower, brushing her teeth again, and lying in bed, she smiled up at him. “I probably look like a total wreck, but yes, I want more with you, Hunter. I want to be with you.”

He smiled, and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her head. “You’re the first woman in my life that I’ve stuck around with, even with vomit.”

“You’re such a charmer.”

“Sleep, baby. Sleep, rest, and we’ll talk again soon.”

She couldn’t help it. She was so tired, and so, she closed her eyes, falling asleep, happy.

****

Hunter nursed her back to health. He loved doing it. He enjoyed taking care of her, and two weeks after she had thrown up, it was his turn. At his own apartment, she rubbed his back, and pressed a damp towel to his forehead, nursing him back to full health. He couldn’t believe that he was dying.

“Did you have sushi?” she asked.

“I don’t think it was your sushi. Clearly you had a sickness bug, and you’ve given it to me, only it’s ten times worse.”

He was sure he sensed her rolling her eyes.

“Why is yours ten times worse?” she asked. She sounded amused and comical as she pressed the damp towel to his head.

“Because, it hurts everywhere. It’s horrible, and you’re not being nice enough to me.”

She chuckled. “You’re being a baby, but that’s fine. I guess you have man sickness. Kind of like man flu but with sickness.”

He groaned. “You’re laughing at me.”

“A little.”

“You’re not denying it.”

“I’m the worst girlfriend in the world.”

He loved her touch. “No, you’re not,” he said. He knew he was an awful patient. Even doctors hated taking care of him.

She helped him sit onto the toilet, ran him a hot bath, and provided him with the means to brush his teeth. Once he was in the bath, he just slumped making sure she had to take care of him. He loved having her hands all over him, even if he felt shitty, and in no way capable of fucking. Damn, he wanted to fuck her, but he couldn’t. He just wanted to cry. Stupid illness. He hated being ill.

However, he could totally get used to being sick if Faith took care of him. She ran the soap across the sponge, and began massaging it into his back.

“Oh, Faith, I don’t feel well. I’m really, really sick.” He released a cough that sounded pathetic even to him.

“Hunter, you will be fine. You’re not dying yet. Not on my watch. Besides, we’ve only just started dating.”

He slunk back in the bath, feeling pathetic. “Will you promise to love me forever?”

She chuckled. “Yes, I will. Does that make you feel better?”

“It does. You could tell me what you thought when you first saw me.” They had been talking about their first impressions. He finally admitted that he wanted to sleep with her. Faith hadn’t admitted to anything.

“I thought you were a very sexy, handsome guy.”

“Did you want me?” he asked.

Again, she rolled her eyes, which he found so cute. “Yes, I wanted you. You know I did. I told you.”

“I forget.”

“No, you don’t. You’re not the kind of guy who just forgets. You like me to tell you constantly exactly how I feel.”

“It’s part of my training. I need to know everything that goes on in your head.”