It was warm. And soft. It was the first moment of waking up with the sticky cobwebs still ebbing on the surface, hindering me from making any decisive thought.
She knew that she needed to get up, but she wanted to experience the new warmth for a little while longer, burrowing a little deeper as a slow and content breath slipped from her lips.
The sheets were too soft. It was different from her room. The mattress was too comforting. It was different from her room in that aspect as well. The scents and lighting in the room were all wrong, but she still loved it all the same. Alice bit down on her bottom lip knowing that she was starting to go insane.
Alice rubbed her eyes wondering if she was still dreaming since she was able to see Noah so close up. She would never dare to trace his jawline or touch his long eyelashes, but in a dream, it was free reign. Only until it wasn't, and she gasped lightly when his blue eyes fluttered open with good humor.
"Good morning, Alice."
Nothing came to mind except her scrambling to reach over to the nightstand for him to take his temperature already likely knowing that the fever broke. It didn't exactly go to plan since the easy thought of reaching over him didn't go to plan, instead, she collapsed into him which led to a collision of their limbs and elbows.
"Ouch," Alice grunted as Noah lifted them up so that they were in a sitting position.
Running a hand through her messy hair, she cleared her throat. "Good morning."
He rubbed her arm where he accidentally bumped into her a little harder than normal, and she leaned away. "I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you."
"You are, and you're doing a great job at it," Noah said. "To be honest, I don't even remember letting you in."
Alice patted his shoulder. "I don't blame you. You were in pretty bad condition yesterday."
Noah grabbed the thermometer for her, and she went to clean it before taking his temperature. After a moment, she took it back to inspect and nodded to agree with the number.
He had a normal body temperature again luckily. Noah really worried her for a second there at night when she was contemplating taking him to urgent care.
There would have been nothing that she would have been able to do after that, but Noah pulled through as if he heard her struggles despite working through his own. Alice pressed the back of her hand to his forehead while Noah leaned into her touch like he was a kitten starved for attention.
He was getting too cute, and Alice told him so with a quick squeeze around his neck as she took off to grab him the stew that she cooked earlier that night.
Alice pressed her hands to his mouth, and his lips moved beneath her hands while he tried to say, "What are you doing?"
She tried to move away from his embrace, but their legs were tangled together. She had never thought that she would fall asleep with Noah in the bed after distinctly remembering that she slept on the ground at the side of the bed last night. Maybe she got up and sleepwalked, but she wasn't too sure.
"It's so late. We're already late for school," she said frantically.
Noah snickered. "Isn't it, Saturday?"
In such a frazzle, she had woken up to forget that it was the weekend. "I felt like I was in a different time when I entered your room."
"You have my thanks."
"It was no problem," she said softly. "I just wished that you never got that point. I was worried."
He slid his hand down her back with gentle pressure. "I feel a lot better now. Don't stress out about it."
Alice sighed. "You're right. Come here."
She needed to take his temperature just so that she could check one more time. Noah reached behind me for the thermometer to put in his mouth to make her happy since she would push. Reading the number, she nodded after checking. "You're all good, Noah."
He flopped back on his back with her following him in the process, and she pushed against his arms. "We need to get up."
"Why? We have no reason to get up. We're not obligated to do anything on the weekends. Rest with me, Alice."
Pursing her lips, she silently agreed as it was going to be hopeless cause considering that he was serious about napping judging by the way he already flopped one arm over his eyes. Laying her head on his shoulder, it didn't take long for them to knock out again once more.