L.Joe paced around the room, glancing at the clock every few minutes. He sighed to himself and plopped himself on the large King sized bed, frowning.

"Why isn't she back yet?" he muttered, his frown getter deeper and more intense. L.Joe had even gotten off early work that day to bring home his reports to  read at home, so that he could wait for Mihye. Even though she had already told him that she was going to be late, he still had that tinsy winsy bit of hope that she would come home early. Maybe the problem was solved earlier?

He was curious to be honest, curious as to where she went and what was so important for her to rush off so quickly. But he knew to trust her, he kenw that she was a wise and responsible woman and what caused her to be in such a panic would most definitely be something utterly important.

He could understand alright, but it's just that...

"I wish I was more important to her than whatever that had happened." he grumbled, laying down on the bed. When it was late enough, he changed into his pyjamas and sat on his bed, wondering if he should wait for her.

He wanted to. He wanted to see her before tomorrow comes. He wanted to see that she was alright after being away from him for the full day. He needed to assure himself that she was alright, he needed to see that smile of hers before he's able to sleep again.

He took out his phone and read her message again. "But she specifically told me not to wait..." he muttered. "If I did, wouldn't that look like...like I like her or something?" he frowned deeply. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. *That's nonsense.*

He sighed and climbed into bed, laying down and staring at the ceiling blankly. *I'll just wait for her here and pretend to sleep when she comes.* he told himself, his eyes wide.

But it was difficult. Laying on his soft comfortable bed like this and not falling asleep, that was one impossible task, especially when he was busy all day and was thoroughly tired. If it had been L.Joe from the past, he would have fallen asleep in no time despite what he told himself to stay awake.

But this L.Joe wasn't the L.Joe from the past. This L.Joe was married.

L.Joe turned to lay on his right and stared at the empty left side of the bed where Mihye usually lay. Although they shared beds and were now not awkward about sleeping together, they were purely sleeping together, and there seemed to be an invisible line that separated the two sides of the bed where they both made sure not to cross. It was an unspoken rule. They were married, but not in love.

L.Joe had always thought it was just like the two of them sleeping on two single beds, just that the beds were placed side by side. He thought that there wasn't any difference to sleeping himself and sleeping with Mihye on the other end of the bed. Afterall, it's not like they cuddled to sleep or something.

But when L.Joe looked at the empty space beside him, he was alerted with the empty feeling in his heart that gnawed uncomfortably against his chest. He realized that he had already formed a habit of watching Mihye sleep for a bit before turning in himself. And now that if he wanted to sleep himself without her, he was unable to.

L.Joe sighed and rolled over to Mihye's side of the bed and buried his face into her pillow, taking a deep whiff. It smelt of her, flowery and sweet. He smiled slightly to himself. He missed his wife, believe it or not.

At 3am at night, Mihye finally arrived at home. She changed into her pyjamas with her eyelids half closed and crawled into bed. She didn't notice how L.Joe rolled over to his side off the bed from her side moments before she came into the room, and how her side of the bed was already warmed up with his heat. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was off to dreamland.

L.Joe opened one eye after a few minutes when he heard her breathing change, slowing down and taking shallower breaths. He his side as quietly as possible and turned to look at her. Mihye was soundly asleep, her long lashes escalating from her eyes and contrasting with her fair cheeks. L.Joe reached out unconsciously to curl a lock of her hair behind her ear and brush her bangs out of her face.

*She looks so tired.* L.Joe looked pained. He was pretty tired himself from waiting for her, but he really couldn't sleep without the knowledge that his wife was back home safely and sound. He reached over to her and lifted her head up slightly, taking the pillow away from her. Instead, he replaced it with his arm as he tugged her towards him, providing his arm as a pillow. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and buried his face into her hair, sighing softly.

*Good night, Mihye.* he thought as he finally succumbed to sleep.

L.Joe woke up in the morning when he felt something hot against his chest. He frowned and squinted, realizing that the heat he had detected was actually radiating from Mihye. He untangled himself from her and noted how her cheeks were flushed, and she was frowning deeply while she slept, which was rather different from her usual peaceful and angellic expression.

He placed his hand on her forehead and retracted with shock when he felt her temperature. "She's burning." he whispered worriedly. He immediately set her down on her pillow, tucking her in. He rushed to wash up in record time, and ran down the stairs to the kitchen to look for medicine.

He found several fever pills, but all of them stated that it had to been consumed after meals. L.Joe could have easily woken the maids up to cook, or even call for Kevin to reach earlier, but he didn't want to. She was his wife.

Instead, he got out an apron and rummaged through the refrigerator for ingredients to put in his first major cooking project. The maids scrambled into the kitchen when they heard noises in the kitchen and was surprised to see their young master cooking congee early in the morning.

"Byunghun sshi! We can do this!" they exclaimed, anxious. L.Joe waved them away. "I've got this covered," he told them steadily. He turned back to his pot of porridge and stirred carefully, testing the taste and smiling to himself when he was satisfied with it.

He heard footsteps into the kitchen and he frowned. "I told you guys that I can handle the porridge." he told what he thought were the maids. "You girls go rest."

"Byunghun oppa?"

L.Joe spun round to find Mihye clinging onto the dining table and squinting at him with her bed hair, looking weak but still adorable. He immediately turned off the stove and rushed to help her stand up straight, flicking her forehead. "What are you doing out of bed?" he chided worriedly. "You're sick, Mihye. Stay in bed!"

Mihye bit her lip. "But breakfast-"

"I have it covered alright?" he carried her bridal style and walked up the stairs. Gently placing her down on the bed, he tucked her into the covers again. "Don't get up okay? Oppa's going to get angry if you do."

"But-" Mihye opened to protest.

L.Joe sent her a reprimanding look. Mihye whimpered and nodded, settling down again and closing her eyes. L.Joe smiled. "I'll wake you when the porridge's ready." he whispered, taking a last look at her before going down to the kitchen again.

He returned twenty minutes later with a bowl of piping hot congee on a tray. He woke Mihye up and she squinted at him groggily while he helped her sit up. She was sweating slightly and he wiped her forehead with the back of his hand tenderly. He gave Mihye the spoon but frowned when he saw her eat at snail pace, when she couldn't really concentrate on eating and didn't have much appetite.

He took the spoon from her without a word and scooped some congee, blowing on it. He put it to and gave her a look. "Open up." he commanded.

"Byunghun oppa I can-" Mihye wanted to protest but L.Joe already pushed the spoon into . She blinked at him with full of porridge, swallowing profusely. "Byunghun oppa I can eat mysel-" she tried saying when he pushed another spoonful of porridge into .

"Be a good girl and just eat okay?" he grinned, seeing Mihye's confused expression. When he saw Mihye about to say something, he fed her again. He remembered how he fed her popcorn while they were watching movies the other time, while she was completely absorbed in the show. Now he remembered why he enjoyed feeding her so much. The way she ate was just so adorable.

"Don't go out today." L.Joe told her as she cleared the entire bowl. He helped her lay down again after feeding her the pills. "I'll be at home don't worry, and Kevin hyung won't be coming today since I'm at home. Just don't overwork yourself and rest okay? I'll punish you if you get out of bed to cook or clean alright?" he wagged a finger at her.

Mihye giggled weakly and nodded. "Arraso Byunghun oppa. Gomawo." she closed her eyes with a smile, drifting off to sleep.

L.Joe smiled and brushed her bangs away from her face and watched her with a matching smile. *Don't fall sick again Mihye. Although I like taking care of you like this, I don't like for you to suffer.*