Overbearing Husband I

            When I came home from Mozart, my throat was hurting so much, I could barely speak.  I walked into the dorm, took off my shoes, set down my bag, and immediately headed for the medicine cabinet.  Ryeowook greeted me from the kitchen and I waved at him as I passed—not my usual way of greeting him, I admit—and I went into the bathroom to dig through our medicines.  He joined me a minute later, watching me a moment before saying anything.

            “Do you have a headache or something?” he asked, looking over the bottles on the counter.

            “No, my throat hurts,” I said, although I hardly had to tell him that once I started speaking because my voice was so raw, he actually jumped a little. 

            “It sounds worse than yesterday,” he said, reaching for a painkiller still on the shelf and opening it.  He shook out two tablets and handed them to me. 

            I nodded, not wanting so say anything.  I filled a glass with water and downed the pills. 

            “I think you ought to go in and have it checked.”

            I shook my head.

            “Yes!” he insisted. 

            “I just have a cold.”

            “You don’t have a runny nose or a fever,” he pointed out.  “You only have a sore throat and it’s been bugging you off and on for a couple weeks now.  It’s time to get it checked.”

            I shook my head again.  “I’ll just quit talking when I’m not performing.”

            “Cho Kyuhyun!” he hollered, stomping his foot for emphasis.  “You need to go into the doctor and have this checked out.  What if it’s something serious, like throat cancer or something?”

            At this, I looked over at him and raised my brows.

            Ryeowook smacked me in the chest.  “Don’t give me that kind of look!  You could have any kind of weird problem.  The doctors said that due to your lungs being punctured years ago, you’re more susceptible to respiratory issues, so you need to get checked out of something’s wrong.  Do you want me to go with you?”

            “No!” I stubbornly insisted.  “That won’t look suspicious at all, will it?”

            Ryeowook smacked me in the shoulder.  “I don’t care how it looks!  And they’re doctors.  They’re sworn to secrecy or something like that.”

            “Quit hitting me,” I grumbled, putting away the bottles.  “I obviously don’t feel well.”

            “You’re throat hurts, not your arm.”

            “You don’t need to injure that, too!”

            Ryeowook sighed.  “You are such a baby when you’re sick.”

            “I’m not sick…my throat’s just dry or sore or something.”

            “Then shut up!” Ryeowook said, storming out of the room.

            I want you to understand, I do love my husband, but there are moments—lots of moments—when he also really irritates me.  I put away the medicine and headed into the bedroom to change into pajamas.  If Ryeowook wasn’t going to take pity on me, I at least wanted to feel comfortable and go to bed early.  But my stomach started growling the moment I was dressed and I’d washed off all my makeup from the performance, so I was forced to head back into the kitchen to find something to eat.  As I entered the kitchen, I noticed a mug of something steamy on the table and a pot on the stove.

            “Don’t speak to me,” he warned me.  “I’m not in the mood to keep arguing with you and you’re only making your throat worse.  I made you tea and I’m making you some soup, since I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet.”

            I nodded and walked over to my angry husband, who was stirring the contents of the pot.  I lightly grasped his waist and leaned in to kiss his cheek.  “Thank you.”

            “You’re welcome,” he said, reaching back to pat my head.  “And quit talking.”

Overbearing Husband II

            Kyuhyun woke up in the morning and shuffled into the living room to join me.  After a particularly wonderful night of love making, in which he’d managed to make me three times, I confess to being in a stellar mood.  I was completely relaxed and satiated without a ing care in the world, lying around on the couch watching my daytime soap operas in my pajamas—just how Heechul taught me to—and munching on cut up fruit while drinking my morning coffee.  Life didn’t get much better. 

            After taking one look at Kyuhyun, however, he didn’t look quite as blissful as I did.  He slumped onto the couch beside me, circles under his bloodshot eyes, and stared blankly at the television. 

            “Good morning!” I chimed, reaching over to squeeze his knee.

            “Morning,” he croaked, falling over and laying his head on my lap. 

            I looked down at him and set my bowl of fruit off to the side.  Then I reached down and began to play with his hair.  “You don’t sound so good.”

            “I’m dying,” he said, his voice rough.  “Before I do…I want you to know…I love you.”

            “I love you, too,” I said, leaning down to kiss his forehead.  I began to rub his arm and he groaned, holding his throat.  “I love you so much, I made an appointment for you at eleven today with Doctor Lee to get your throat checked.  You should probably shower and get dressed so you aren’t late.”

            Kyuhyun nodded.  “Okay.”

            “Do you want me to help get you ready?”

            “Will you wash me?”

            I shook my head.  “If I do that, you won’t get to the doctor’s office on time.”

            “Then no.”

            I smacked his behind and pushed him off me.  “Get going.”

            Kyuhyun got off the couch and headed to the bathroom.  I grabbed my bowl of fruit and started eating again. 

            After a minute, Kyuhyun returned to the room.  “When I get back, will you take a nap with me?”

            “Do you plan on sleeping during your nap?”

            Kyuhyun looked me over from head to toe, very slowly.  Couldn't blame him for that.  I looked damn hot.  “Eventually.”

            I winked at him.  “Sure.”

            “I love you.”

            “Quit talking and take a shower.”

            “Okay.”

            “You’re still talking.”

            Kyuhyun grumbled to himself and walked back out of the room.  I picked up the phone and called Kyuhyun’s mother back.  It rang a couple times before she picked up. 

            “Wookie, dear!  Did you get Kyuhyunnie to go to the doctor’s?”

            “Yep!  I sweet talked him into it.”  I mean, it was kind of the truth.  I promised him when he got back, that’s almost the same thing.

            “I knew you’d be able to,” she cheerfully replied.  “Did he give you a hard time?”

            “Only a little,” I replied, “but Kyu knows better than to fight with me when I’m determined.  And I always know how to talk him into doing what I want.”

            “I supposed you just told him you wouldn’t cook for him if he didn’t.”

            I grinned.  “Something like that.  I assume the same thing works on Mr. Cho.”

            There was silence on the other end for a moment.  “Um…ah, yes…withholding dinner is the same thing that works for him, too,” she said, awkwardly laughing.

            I had to stop myself from laughing.  Kyuhyun and his father were so much alike, it was scary.  They both really did have a great love of food, but they were also very passionate men.  Kyuhyun’s father was still very smitten with his wife, which was just adorable to see in older people.  Kyuhyun’s parents are cute together.  “Like father, like son.”

            “Well, ah…I should get back to the luncheon I’m at.  Thanks for calling, dear.  Let me know how the visit goes.”

            “I will, mom,” I promised.  “Have a good time with your friends.  Bye.”

            I hung up the phone and laughed out loud, knowing that Kyuhyun couldn’t hear me anyway.  The shower was already on.  I looked down at my phone and shook my head.  Oh, mom…you little vixen!  I know perfectly well how you manipulate Kyu’s father.  Like father, like son…indeed!

Overbearing Husband III

            “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice,” I whispered to Doctor Lee.

            Doctor Lee nodded, waving me up onto the bed to be examined.  “Yes, well, your bandmate was very insistent on us seeing you today!  He said your schedule is packed for the week otherwise and, of course, we didn’t want you to get any worse, seeing as you’re a singer and you’re on television.  My daughter loves Super Junior.  I’m sure I wouldn’t hear the end of it if something happened to your vocal chords…although she’d probably be more upset if something happened to your face.”

            I began coughing incessantly and Doctor Lee poured me a glass of water.  “Thank you,” I mouthed to the doctor, quickly drinking it down.  I hoped to god this appointment didn’t end with me having to pose for pictures with half the nursing staff and sign a bunch of weird again.

            “I was surprised that your bandmate called instead of your manager.  Isn’t it usually managers or personal assistants of some sort that make appointments for idols?” the doctor asked, looking into my mouth with a lighted tool.  The last time I’d opened my mouth this wide was only the night before, but I had something far different from a lighted tool in it.  “Say ah!”

            “Ah!” I said.  And Ryeowook doesn’t make me say ah, but I do make noises, even when I’m the one blowing him.  I nodded once the doctor was finished with my mouth.  “Usually, but Ryeowook is also my roommate and best friend.  I believe he’s getting tired of muting the television just to listen to me whine.”

            The doctor laughed at this.  “Well, he harassed my poor nurse until she invented a time for you to come in today.  This is actually part of my lunch break.”

            “Sorry.  He has a hard time with the word no,” I explained.  Truer words have never been spoken, hence the all-night fest.  Not that he had to work very hard to convince me.  Two glasses of wine, homemade cupcakes, and him taking off his shirt and I was done for.  I have no self-control whatsoever. 

            “Well, you’ll have to whisper a thank you to him when you get home.”

            I had every intention of doing so.  Whispering sweet nothings into Ryeowook’s ear was one of my favorite pastimes.  Then I intended to strip him and have my way with him and show him how thankful I was, but I kept that part out of my conversation with the doctor.

            “You can just call it like it is,” I smiled smugly, “he acts like an overbearing wife sometimes.”

            The doctor leaned back and shook his head.  “No, the overbearing wives are usually less demanding.  I was worried he was going to come with to make sure you showed up.”

            No, Ryeowook knew I wasn’t stupid enough to miss the appointment or there would be all sorts of hell to pay later.  But instead, I simply said, “So did I.”

            “Well, we’re going to run a few tests on you, Mr. Cho, then we’ll see what comes up.  Can I ask a few questions to update your health profile while you’re in?”

            “Sure.”

            The doctor sat down at his computer and began to type.  “And please answer honestly.  Your records are kept confidential here.”

            I nodded.

            “Have there been any changes to your or your immediate family’s health since your last visit?”

            “No.”

            “Do you drink?”

            “Yes.”

            “How often?”