I woke up some time later, I couldn't tell what time it was, but the sun was shining. Mrs. Lee wasn't next to me anymore, in fact, it was Sandeul sitting next to me holding my hand and was fast asleep on the side of the bed. 

I tried to pull my hand out of his, but his grip got tighter. "I've got you," he mumbled. 

"Sandeul?"

Sandeul opened his eyes and quickly sat up. "What's wrong?"

With one hand, he kept a firm grip on my hand, and with the other, he cupped my cheek gently. He smiled at me. "What?"

"Huh?"

"You were looking at me like you were terrified of a calm touch. Are you okay?"

I nodded. "It's something I haven't felt...in a while."

Sandeul stood up, let go of my hand and brushed off his pants. "You want something to eat?"

I sank a little more into the bed. "You mean I don't have to get it?"

Sandeul put a hand on your forehead. 

"Not with that fever, unless you want to go to the bathroom, you're not getting out of bed. Now what do you want, my princess, today, I am your server and I shall take care of you."

I smiled. 

"Can-can I have some pancakes?"

"Of course."

Sandeul took a bow and quickly walked away. I could suddenly hear Sandeul yell, "MOM, CAN YOU MAKE SOME PANCAKES?"

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Other POV~

He walked back into the room with a smile.

“I thought you were going to make them.” You gave him a look with a slight smile.

“That’s a joke, you think I know how to cook?” He laughed. You smiled, same old Sandeul.

“So.. I guess you’ve heard…” You trailed off.

“Yeah, after you ran off yesterday my dad told me. I’m really sorry Chris.” He said, grabbing your hand again. It wasn’t that you didn’t like your hand to be held, you just weren’t used to it. You kept expecting something else to happen, no one touched you just to show you love. People only touched you so they could get you to submit to their will, having to get used to all this new love that surrounded you was really weird.

“I wish you would’ve told me about your situation before you did. I would’ve told you that you can always come to my house.” Sandeul said regretfully.

“I wouldn’t have taken up the offer, I don’t like to owe people things.” You said. He rubbed the back of your hand slightly.

“You wouldn’t have owed me anything, Chris. You shouldn’t have to be so mature at this age.” He argued. You gave him a weak smile.

“I just want to get into a good college, and be able to sing. I didn’t care what it took, I just want to be able to have a normal life by myself.” You argued back.

“You can have that. You’ve done so much work towards it. I had no idea.. I just thought you were exaggerating about your lack of sleep. I had no idea you weren’t sleeping like you should, and you did all this manual labor, for what? money?” He asked.

“Yeah, my mom’s job couldn’t pay all the bills, so I had to start working. She didn’t know though, she was always asleep, or busy.” You started to tear up at the thought of your mother again.

“How many days have you gone without sleep before?” Sandeul asked, still surprised at my life. I shrugged, I had kept all this a secret for a reason, when people worried about you, they often got involved.

“I’d say I’ve gone maybe two or three days.” You shrugged.

“With no sleep?”

“Most of the time, you’d let me sleep during lunch while you and CNU would talk during those two or three days. Thanks for that.” You looked away from him, unsure of what to say anymore.

“I just figured you were watching too much TV or something.” Sandeul shook his head.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to get involved. You were always helpful, so don’t worry about it.”

“You always say that.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Because I don’t want you worrying about it.” You said.

“I want to worry about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you, Chris.” He said, his eyes catching yours.

“I’m so useless though, and-and my family is nonexistant, and I-I have all this stuff I have to do, and I have so much drama with myself, why the hell would you love me?” You asked, suspicious. Your eyes were getting blurry with tears that had yet to fall, and you took a deep breath.

“I can’t explain it, Chris. I just want to help you with everything, make you smile, make you laugh, watch you be healthy, isn’t that love?” He asked, still holding my hand softly.

“How would I know anything about love?” You asked. You really loved Sandeul, but you didn’t want to say that because you didn’t want him to suffer with you.

“Well, that guy you like, do you love him? How do you know you like him?” Sandeul asked, hesitant to mention it.

“I don’t want him to suffer with me. I want him to fall in love with some pretty lovely normal girl, and forget about me. I want him to get famous, follow his dreams. I want him to let me alone.” You said, tears starting to fall.

“You feel that strongly about him?” Sandeul asked sadly.

“Damn you Sandeul. I love you, you bastard.” You sobbed. He gave you a shocked look.

“Well then I want you know that I don’t want a normal girl, I want the lovely and pretty you.” He said. No matter how much you wanted to take your hand from him, you couldn’t seem to find the strength to pull it away.

_________________________

Your POV~

Sandeul took a deep breath and sat next to my bed. He smiled and took the fork, cut up the pancake, and held up a peice to me. "Say 'AWWW'."

I opened my mouth, and he hand fed me. 

After a few minutes, I was done. Sandeul smiled. 

"Sandeul?"

"Hm?"

"Can you-uh-lay on the bed with me?"

Sandeul smiled. 

"Alright."

___________________________

Other POV~

He laid beside you in the bed, and you snuggled up to him. You tried not to think too much, that always seemed to ruin things for you.

“You’re really pretty, Chris, I wasn’t lying.” Sandeul said, putting a hand on your back.

“No one’s ever called me pretty before, I don’t know how to respond to that.” You said truthfully. Sandeul rubbed your back slightly.

“You don’t have to, I just wanted you to know.”

“I really don’t want to drag you down with me.” You said, voicing your fears.

“I want to be dragged down with you, so stop fighting it.” He said with a light chuckle.

“School on Monday is going to .” You said randomly.

“Yeah, but Friday was pretty bad considering you were sick, and the whole event happened, and you didn’t sleep.” Sandeul reminded me.

“True.” You looked up at him. Why was he always so optimistic? You wanted to thank him somehow, but the only way you’d been taught to thank people was by doing them ual favors, and you figured Sandeul wouldn’t like that. Well, you thought he would like it, just not for the right reasons. You smiled at him, trying to convey your feelings without going overboard.

“Your song is really good.” Sandeul said.

“I’ve been working really hard on it.”

“I can tell, your high notes are amazing.” Sandeul complimented again. You looked up and him and leaned toward him, connecting your lips. You kissed him softly, unsure of what you were doing. He didn’t respond at first because he didn’t understand the change in events. Then, you felt him start to move with you and he cupped your face, to bring it closer to his.

You hadn’t been taught much about boys. You didn’t know much about love either. You had been taught your entire life, that boys wanted , not love, and that love didn’t really exist. You did what you thought would please Sandeul, because you were trying to thank him.

You shifted your position so you were straddling his hips, and you deepened the kiss, and your tongues started to mingle. You moved your hands to his shirt, and started to it. You felt his hands stop yours. You blushed a little bit, but continued the deep kiss. You then started to your own shirt, but again, Sandeul’s hands stopped you. He flipped you back to laying beside you, and separated your mouths.

“Chris, what was that?” He asked, breathing quickly. You sniffed, and you started to cry a little bit.

“I’m sorry. I was trying to thank you, because I thought.. I thought you liked me. I-I’m sorry.” You started to cry.

“You don’t have to give as a thank you to people, Chris, or kiss them either.” Sandeul corrected you, he pulled you back to him, snuggling you.

“I don’t know what to do then… I’m not used to this.” You sniffed. He smiled at you.

“You could just say ‘thank you’ or make them a song or something.” He said. You nodded.

“Are we dating?” You asked.

“Do you want to be?” Sandeul asked carefully.

“I don’t know.II like you, but I’m not sure how to date or anything.” You shrugged.

“You don’t have to. I’d love if you’d be my girlfriend.” Sandeul said. You smiled at the words ‘my girlfriend’.

“I think I’d like that too.” You said, closing your eyes.