You Made Me Forget What Surviving Alone Felt Like
The first time Adrian got sick, Lia thought the world might actually end.
Not because the illness was serious.
Because Adrian Monteverde behaved like being mildly feverish was a personal betrayal by the universe.
And somehow—
it was the softest she had ever seen him.
—
Monday evening arrived cold and stormy.
Rain battered against the penthouse windows while thunder rolled quietly somewhere beyond the skyline.
Lia stepped out of the elevator carrying groceries and immediately froze.
The apartment lights were dim.
No music.
No laptop open at the dining table.
No Adrian appearing within five seconds to touch her somehow.
Her chest tightened instantly.
"Adrian?"
Silence.
Then finally—
from somewhere down the hallway—
"Bedroom."
The roughness in his voice made her move immediately.
Lia pushed the bedroom door open carefully before stopping short.
Adrian lay across the bed still wearing black sweatpants and a dark t-shirt, one arm thrown over his eyes dramatically.
And honestly?
He looked miserable.
His hair was messy.
His expression exhausted.
And the second he saw her—
everything softened instantly.
"There you are."
Even sick.
Even half-dead apparently.
Still that.
Lia set the grocery bags down quickly before walking toward him.
"You sound terrible."
"I feel terrible."
The quiet complaint nearly ruined her emotionally on impact.
Because Adrian sounded genuinely offended by being sick.
Lia sat beside him carefully on the edge of the bed before brushing her fingers lightly against his forehead.
Immediate reaction.
His eyes closed instantly while a soft breath escaped him.
Hot.
Definitely feverish.
"You have a fever."
"I know."
"You still worked today?"
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"I had meetings."
"Adrian."
"You moved in with me," he murmured weakly. "You knew I was stubborn."
Unfortunately—
fair.
Lia sighed softly before pushing his hair back carefully from his forehead again.
Immediate reaction.
Always immediate.
Adrian leaned into the touch instinctively.
Like comfort from her had become automatic now.
"You should've stayed home."
"I tried."
Her brows lifted.
"You tried?"
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"I missed you."
The sincerity nearly destroyed her.
Because Adrian sounded genuinely exhausted by it.
Like even feeling sick didn't stop his brain from emotionally attaching itself to her existence.
Lia stared at him for several long seconds.
Then quietly—
"You are impossible."
"You love me anyway."
God.
The worst part?
He sounded completely certain.
Lia stood carefully afterward.
"Don't move."
Adrian blinked slowly up at her.
"You say that like I'm dying."
"You're dramatic when you're sick."
A faint laugh escaped him.
Weak.
Warm.
Beautiful enough to tighten her chest painfully anyway.
Lia disappeared briefly into the kitchen before returning with water, medicine, and the thermometer Adrian definitely ignored all day.
He watched her the entire time.
Completely focused.
Like even feeling awful didn't stop him from looking at her as though she was the safest thing in the world.
"Open."
"You sound aggressive."
"Adrian."
A quiet sigh escaped him before he obediently took the medicine.
The entire situation felt surreal honestly.
Adrian Monteverde—cold, terrifying billionaire feared by half the city—sat against expensive pillows looking sleepy and sick while letting Lia boss him around without argument.
Pathetic.
Adorable.
Emotionally damaging.
Lia adjusted the blankets around him carefully afterward.
The movement made him catch her wrist gently before she could pull away.
"Stay."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because suddenly—
he sounded smaller somehow.
Not weak.
Just vulnerable.
Lia softened instantly.
"I'm not leaving."
Adrian relaxed immediately at the words.
Visible relief.
Like some irrational part of him genuinely worried she might disappear if he closed his eyes too long.
The realization hurt.
Lia settled beside him against the headboard afterward while Adrian shifted closer automatically.
Immediate instinct.
His head rested lightly against her shoulder while one arm wrapped securely around her waist beneath the blankets.
Warm.
Heavy.
Trusting.
"You're clingier when sick," she whispered softly.
"I'm always clingy."
Unfortunately—
also true.
Rain echoed softly around the apartment while the bedroom remained warm and dim.
Lia brushed slow fingers through his hair absentmindedly.
Immediate reaction.
Always immediate.
Adrian's breathing softened against her shoulder.
"You know what's embarrassing?" he murmured quietly.
Lia smiled faintly.
"What?"
"I had a terrible day." His fingers tightened slightly against her waist. "Then you came home and suddenly I felt better."
The confession shattered straight through her heart.
Because Adrian sounded almost frustrated by it.
Like needing her this much still overwhelmed him sometimes.
Lia tilted her head gently against his.
"You know normal people recover from fevers without emotional attachment issues, right?"
A quiet laugh vibrated softly against her shoulder.
"I don't care about normal people."
God.
She was never surviving this man.
The storm outside intensified while thunder rolled low across the city.
Adrian shifted slightly closer beneath the blankets until their legs tangled together naturally.
Comfortable.
Domestic.
Home.
Then suddenly—
his voice quieter now—
"You take care of me gently."
The words caught her off guard instantly.
Lia looked down at him carefully.
"What?"
His eyes stayed closed while his thumb brushed slowly against her waist.
"Most people take care of me because they have to." A pause. "You do it because you love me."
The honesty physically hurt.
Because Adrian said it like the realization still surprised him.
Lia's chest ached painfully.
She leaned down slowly, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead.
Warm skin beneath her lips.
Adrian inhaled softly.
Then immediately relaxed further against her.
Like affection from her worked better than medicine ever could.
"You know what your problem is?" she whispered softly.
A faint smile touched his mouth without opening his eyes.
"What?"
"You spent too long believing you had to survive everything alone."
Silence filled the room afterward except for rain against the windows and Adrian breathing steadily against her shoulder.
Then finally—
so softly it nearly broke her heart completely—
"You made me forget what surviving alone felt like."