The Twenty-First Chapter

Sehun woke up to the feeling of fingers delicately brushing his hair that fell on his forehead, feather-like that made him slowly open his eyes. An easy smile instantly graced his lips when he saw her face that lit up when he finally stirred awake. He tightened his hold around her waist and pulled her closer to press their bodies together. He could feel her smile on his chest and Sehun nuzzled the top of her head.

“You wake up so early.” His voice was thick with sleep as he murmured against her hair.

“It’s already past 7am, .” She quipped but her snarky remark wasn’t all new to him.

“So that’s why you woke me up by playing with my hair? Did you sleep well?” He moved a little back to see her face and he was amused to see a faint blush on her cheeks as she averted her gaze away from his.

“Yes, I slept well but I was bored because you look like you’re going to sleep forever. And I can’t get up from bed to do something because you kept me a prisoner under your arm and my stomach’s already complaining that –“

“Good morning to you, too.” He cut off her rant and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He could get used waking up to this.

Daesom rolled her eyes but kept her arms draped over his torso. With arms all over each other and legs tangled under the sheets, Sehun thought that this would be the best thing about mornings. He still couldn’t believe the fact that she arrived at his doorstep yesterday afternoon, telling him that she would stay with him and that she loved him, too. It felt like a dream to him, one that he would never want to wake up on. He just realized that it was the 25th of December, Christmas Day, and he already had his gift right beside him.

“Merry Christmas.” Sehun greeted before trailing butterfly kisses on the exposed part of Daesom’s neck.

Daesom let out a snort which eventually sounded like a hitch of breath when he pressed a sensual kiss just under her earlobe. “Do you usually greet like that?”

“Like what? With kisses and all?” He smirked and aimed to go for her lips but she stopped him with her palm over her his mouth.

“Don’t go kissing me with morning breath! You should have the decency to wash first!”

But Sehun ignored her complaints and crashed his mouth into hers. Contrary to her words, Daesom immediately caved in and responded to his kiss. His hand brushed her warm cheek while her fingers tangled with the strands of his hair. Tongues playing at a languid pace, morning breaths completely ignored with only passion wafting in that cold weather.

They pulled away when the human need to breathe surfaced and Sehun adored that dazed look on her face when she opened her eyes. “Merry Christmas to you, too.” Daesom finally greeted back. “But Sehun,”

“Hmm?”

“I’m still hungry so get your lazy off the bed and cook something.”

Sehun laughed heartily and hugged her tighter. “Oh, I love you so much.”

-

Snow wasn’t falling from the sky anymore but it completely covered the city in white with its visit last night. It made everything bright outside the window and Sehun caught Daesom staring at it while she was waiting for breakfast to cook and seated at the dining table.

“You like snow?” He asked out of the blue which startled her a little.

“Maybe.” She glanced at him and turned her eyes to the window again. “It gives this kind of calming feeling.”

Sehun just nodded and took out the reheated pasta from the microwave oven. It was a leftover from last night’s menu but Daesom was ‘extremely hungry that she might pass out soon’ so he decided to take it out instead of cooking something which may take some time. He laid it on the table and started placing the food on her plate.

“I can do that, you know.” Daesom pointed out.

“I thought you wanted to be treated like a queen?” He teased.

She glowered at him. “You make me sound like a spoiled brat.”

He raised an amused brow. “Aren’t you?”

“Oh, just shut up and let me eat.” She snapped and Sehun just chuckled before taking the seat opposite of her. They started eating in comfortable silence before Sehun stopped halfway and watched her.

He was glad that her appetite was coming back; she ate so little when she was at the hospital, making her thinner than she already was. The color on her cheeks was returning to that not-so-sickly-pale, too, and there was even a faint rosy color in them now. He somehow took pride that maybe he was one of the reasons that she was feeling better again. She didn’t even have any chest pains or breathing difficulties last night.

Daesom noticed his eyes on her so she looked up at him and regarded him flatly. “Why are you staring at me like that? I’m not food so you can’t eat me.”

“Not even a bite?” Daesom shot a quick glare at his suggestive reply but he just gave her a cheeky smile. “I’m just happy to see you eating more again.”

“Well, hospital food and Kris kept on insisting on feeding me green, icky and disgustingly healthy food. I know it’s supposed to be good for me but I can’t eat just that.” She complained before eating again.

“Well, if that’s what Dr. Zhang says for you to eat then you should eat them obediently.”  Daesom just scrunched up her nose at his remark. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay right now?” He couldn’t help but ask. Mornings were usually hard for Daesom when he visited her at the hospital.

“I wouldn’t be sitting here eating reheated pasta if I wasn’t. I told you that my condition’s getting better, right?” She heaved a sigh. “And besides, if I’m with you, I almost seem to forget that I’m sick.” She added in an undertone, quite embarrassed and too prideful to admit in front of him.

“Really?” He tried not to smile just yet; he seemed to be letting out the smiles that were lost from him for the past years since yesterday. “Why is that?”

“I feel much better when you’re around, like I know you’ll always be there for me and – oh my god, do I really need to say this? And stop smiling like that, it’s creeping me out!” The blush was now evident on her cheeks and Sehun resisted the urge to climb across the table and kiss her. “I think I prefer the time when you’re still moody and grumpy about life.”

“Oh, but you were the one who changed me, remember?” Sehun pointed out with a smirk.

“Gosh, you’re so cheesy that I lost my appetite. Seriously, you should go back to being cold and mean again.”

He chuckled. “Just continue eating. But Daesom..”

“What?”

“About Daehyun.. I’m surprised he let you go to be with me. Did you know about..” Sehun hesitated with his words. What if Daesom didn’t know about Daehyun’s feelings for her and Sehun just went ahead of him?

Upon hearing her brother’s name, the expression on Daesom’s face almost seemed morose. She placed down her spoon and looked out of the window again. Sehun thought that she was probably trying to calm her mind. “Daehyun oppa wasn’t too happy with my decision. He wanted to bring me back to Canada while I didn’t. He said there was a cure for me there but I.. didn’t want to be somewhere you aren’t. And I