The Dark Beast's Love

It seemed like the universe hated it every time things were going my way. Things had finally resolved itself and Riven and I got along a little better than before. It was easier to understand him now when the truth had been laid out and as days went by, I also got a hang of his sudden shifting moods. It had turned into a game, guessing what he was going to do next, trying to interpret the mood he was in by studying his movements and language. But most of the time he still managed to catch me off guard and that made every touch a little more thrilling than the last. But that was when the season shift decided to spread its sickness, causing me to one morning with a runny nose and sore throat for the exact wrong reasons.

I tried to disregard my aching muscles and go on with my day as if everything wasn't more difficult than usual. Being sick has always been something I've hated because it always caused so much trouble. When I was sick back home, I would push myself for as long as I could, until the sickness let loose or until I couldn't move anymore due to the aching of my muscles. But I didn't need to do that here, still, the restlessness was a bigger enemy than the exhaustion so I was out despite sneezing every other second.

To my mercy, Riven was as out as he always was early in the mornings. I had gotten used to being the last one out of bed despite growing up as the early riser in the family. It gave me time to do things before I had to stand out with his nagging, because Riven would definitely not agree with my choices of being up.

However, for my own sake, I picked out the easier chores today, such as picking ripe fruit and collecting some mushrooms from the forest. When I had walked past Riven from where he was collecting honey, we both greeted each other with warm "good morning's and then both returned to our task, Riven not noticing my red face thanks to the distance.

I got through the potatoes and the cabbage before I had to sit down to catch my breath. It had taken me almost double the time it was supposed to do, and I started wondering if the cold indeed was something more serious. I shivered at the possibility, and because a cold breeze just brushed past me. Thankfully the sun was at least out today so there was some comfort in its warmth at least. I closed my eyes for a moment and salvaged the sunlight on my skin. Summer had always been my favourite season due to the possibilities it offered, but spring was a close second. Especially when the sun was out and everything around me smelled like fresh grass and flowers.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me aware of Riven's presence when he took a seat somewhere to my right. I heard his amused chuckle when I turned to him without opening my eyes, but turned back to the sky without another word.

"You've only been awake for about two hours," Rivens amused tone brought me back to consciousness when I was about to slip away.

"Well, it was two exhausting hours," I muttered as I turned to lie on my stomach with my hands under my head.

Riven shifted beside me, and I could see through my eyelids how his shadow hovered over me.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked and I tensed in surprise when I felt his hand on my back, but relaxed immediately after the shock.

I hummed happily when his hand started massaging my muscles, unknowingly helping me with my ache as a result.

"Liliana?" I could hear the concern in his voice when I started to drift away again. His hand rested on my forehead and I pressed into the chill of his hand. "You're hot."

A grin spread on my lips. "Thank you, I think you told me that someday ago."

His hands stopped in his movements but returned to their task before I had the time to miss it.

"I think you're sick," Riven said as he touched my cheek this time.

"It's just a cold," I said. Nothing a little sleep can't cure."

"You've already slept, dear," I couldn't help smiling at the nickname. "This isn't something sleep can solve."

I groaned in response when he started poking at my cheek.

"Come on, let's get you inside." Riven urged and tried to turn me to my back.

"Are you going to go mother hen me?" I asked and squinted when the sun was back in my eyes.

Riven rolled his eyes but the corners of his mouth were turned upwards. "I'm going to bury you, that's what I'm going to do."

"In blankets," I chuckled.

"Yes, to suffocate you."

I grinned wider. "You're going to bury me in blankets and feed my soup," I said mockingly with the nest doe eyes I could muster.

"Collect yourself, Liliana," Riven laughed. "You're ridiculous."

And I couldn't help the warmth that spread when I heard him laugh quietly again.

He did mother hen me for the rest of the day, despite my protest and the fact that he clearly had other things to do. True to his word, he pulled out every blanket he could find and threw it over me where he'd forced me on the bed. And then he used the cabbage and the tomatoes I had left behind to make a soup along with a cup of honey tea on the side. The combination of the two together was atrocious, but they did wonders to my freezing body.

It was confirmed that it was the flu when I ran as fast as I could to throw up in the bathroom.I had not eaten enough for it to be much, but I heaved out the little soup I'd just managed to get down. Riven was by my side in an instant, keeping my hair away from my face and giving me a glass of water to rinse out the disgusting taste that dominated my mouth.

Everything went downhill from there.

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I could not eat or drink anything without throwing it up again and my body shook so violently that Riven refused to let me go anywhere on my own, despite me telling him that I had done it before. That only seemed to concern him further and behind the sound of my violent coughing I could swear that I heard him muttering something about not taking care of myself.

"You need to stop hovering over me as a hawk," I croaked out from under the blankets.

"If I could be certain that you wouldn't leave this bed the second I let you out of sight I would," Riven pointed out and returned to his book. It was a classic I've heard many praises about but never read myself.

"I can barely move as I lay, getting off this bed will be near impossible," I just finished my sentence as a cough got stuck in my throat.

"Do you need help switching positions?" He asked concerned as he put down the book.

"Nah," I buried myself deeper into the blankets. "I'm comfortable."

Then when a moment passed I let out a low chuckle.

"What?" Riven asked and tilted his head.

"Nothing," I muttered and suffocated my laughter in the soft fabric.

"Are you?" Riven hesitated but then continued. "Are you being delirious?"

There was silence for a moment and then I giggled. GIGGLED.

"Are you fucking giggling?"

"No," I lied and hid my face again.

"Okay," Riven was clearly amused. "This is a sign that you should be sleeping."

"I'm trying to, but every time I do even the slightest movements, you ask me if I'm okay," I pointed out and threw a pillow that didn't get as far as intended.

Riven laughed his adorable laugh again and I should have been offended that he'd laughed more times today than he'd done any other day. But it was such a heartwarming feeling in contrast to the misery that I kept quiet. "I almost want to keep you like this," He admitted. "Cuddly and giggling."

I glared at him.

"You can't blame me," He shrugged. "You're cute like this. Every other time you're too busy trying to be a strong independent woman to even allow yourself to giggle."

"Hey!" I exclaimed defensively. "One can be a strong independent woman and still giggle."

Riven chuckled at my response.

"Sure one can," He rose from the chair and sat down next to me. And I turned to be able to face him easier.

It hit me that if he had been one of my loved ones, I would have snaked my arms around his waist and pulled him down to keep him there. Not only for warmth, but because I'd never allowed myself to be vulnerable around anyone, so it would have been nice to just rely on someone else for a change. Nathan never saw me sick because I never went to the cottage when I was. It was an extra trip that was unnecessary when I needed to save my energy to be able to provide for my family.

But here...

Here, I wasn't a necessary resource for our survival. Riven had managed just fine without me. So I was allowed to be buried in blankets and I was allowed to rest without having to feel guilt over leaving someone to fend for their own. It just would have been nice to be able to share this time with a loved one.

I must have been drifting to sleep because I could only vaguely process Riven shifting around my blankets. Then there was the ghostly feeling of a kiss on my forehead before his baritone voice soothingly clinged in my ear. "Sleep dear," He said softly. "Let me take care of you for once."

I sighed in bliss and fell asleep.