Chapter 8

       The past few weeks, I had never been more miserable in my life, and not because I missed Jerome.

       Because I was literally feeling miserable. I had been so sick for weeks now. I was constantly feeling nauseous and very weak. I could barely go out on any missions because Grandpa said I was in no condition.

       I didn't even know what was causing it. Normal sicknesses shouldn't take this long, and Grandpa even checked me over since he was also the HQ's paramedic. He said there wasn't anything wrong with me.

       Which I didn't believe since what else could cause me to feel like this?

       I woke up around noon and it took me a good half an hour before I was finally able to pull myself out of bed and to the main part of the HQ where most Protectors spent their time.

       I didn't even know why I bothered getting out of bed because every single step I took was making me feel a lot more weak.

       Orchid was the first person to see me and she quickly walked over to me. "Nolan, if you're still feeling sick, you should just stay in bed," she said.

       "I'm fine," I lied because honestly, I was getting tired of staying in my bed all day even though I was one of the most lazy people on the earth. I never thought I would actually be tired of staying in my bed.

       "Clearly you're not," Orchid said. "I know Grandpa checked you over, but I really thing something's wrong. You've been sick for the past few weeks. Maybe we should..."

       "No," I interrupted, knowing what she was going to say. "No hospitals. I don't do hospitals."

       "I wasn't going to suggest that," Orchid said. "I was going to say something else."

       "What?" I asked.

       Orchid didn't reply. Instead, she grabbed my arm and gently led me to Grandpa's office. Grandpa was sitting at his desk and looked up when we walked in, immediately giving me a concerned look. "You're still sick?" he asked.

       "Yeah, he is," Orchid said. "Something obviously is wrong and I have a solution that the Tribunal might be okay with. I think we need a sorcerer to heal Nolan."

       I looked at Orchid. She better mean any other sorcerer and Jerome because he made it quite clear that he didn't want to see me again.

       "We have had sorcerers heal other Protectors in the past when they were quite injured from missions," Grandpa said. "I just have to send a request to the Tribunal, but most of the time they'll approve of it. In the meantime, Nolan should just rest in his room until I get the request approved or denied."

       "Thank you," Orchid said. "And I'll make sure Nolan stays in his room."

       She wasn't joking.

       She wouldn't leave my room at all and moved the computer chair beside my bed and just sat there.

       "By the way, I'm going to request that we see Jerome and not any other sorcerer," Orchid said.

       "What?" I asked. "Why would you do that when it has been killing me to stay away from him?"

       "Exactly," Orchid said. "You started feeling this way a few days after you started staying away from Jerome. Coincidence? I think not."

       "What are you saying?" I asked.

       "You said it yourself that you felt like you were being pulled towards him," Orchid said. "There has to be more to this, and not just you being attracted to him. There has to be some reason why you always want to be near him."

       I sighed and laid down on my bed. "I should probably just sweat this out because if there is some other reason, then I will only be screwed because the the Tribunal's stupid rule."

       "They can't keep it a rule forever," Orchid said. "It's not fair to you, to anyone."

       "They've had it for years," I said. "They're not going to change it."

       It actually didn't take long for Grandpa to knock on my bedroom door, then walk in after Orchid answered it. "The request was approved," Grandpa said. "Nolan can see a sorcerer to heal him if there's something wrong that I couldn't see."

       "Awesome," Orchid said. "I'll take him to one right now."

       When Grandpa left, Orchid walked over and helped me got out of bed. "You're unbelievable," I said. "I can't see him."

       "Well, you're gonna see him," Orchid said. "And I will be the nice sister I am and talk some sense into him."

       I didn't even bother trying to argue with my sister, mainly because I was too weak to do so. In fact, I was so weak that I doubt I could walk all the way to Jerome's apartment, so we took our family's car that we didn't use too often.

       We got to Jerome's apartment and Orchid knocked on the door, and Mae shortly answered it. "Hey," Mae said. "Is everything okay?"

       "Not really, no," Orchid said. "Nolan has been really sick for the past few weeks and we don't know what's causing it so I was hoping that Jerome could heal him."

       Mae sighed. "I wish he could, but I don't know if he can."

       "Why not?" Orchid asked.

       Mae opened the door wider and gestured for us to come in. When we were, Mae shut the door behind us before calling for her step-brother. Moments after, Jerome lazily walked out of his bedroom, looking as bad as I felt. He even had to lean against the doorway to stay standing.

       When he saw me, he looked at Mae and asked, "What's he doing here?"

       "Hey, my brother has a name," Orchid said. "And Nolan's here because he has been feeling sick for the past few weeks and I was wondering if you could heal him."

       "Look, I wish I could but in case you didn't notice, I'm way too weak to use my magic," Jerome said.

       "He has been sick for a few weeks now," Mae said. "His dad even tried healing him with magic but it didn't work. We don't know what's causing it."

       "I might," Orchid said. "But on a completely unrelated note, can we stay here for a bit? Nolan has been trying to rest at the HQ but it's too loud there. He can't sleep."

       "Yeah, sure," Mae said. 

       "Nolan, you can go rest on my bed," Jerome said. "It would be better than the couch and I'm about to get something to eat."

       I really didn't want to stay any longer, but I was still too weak to object, so I just thanked Jerome before heading into his bedroom and laying down on his bed. I thought Jerome was going to head into the kitchen, but he stood by the doorway hesitantly before closing the door and walking over to me. "Why have you been feeling sick?" he asked.

       "I don't know," I said as I sat up on the bed. "Nobody does. My grandpa checked me over and he said there was nothing wrong, but it's obvious something is."

       "And I might know," Jerome said. "I didn't want you to stay away from me either. It too so much restraint for me to not go to the HQ just to stay you. It's like there's this... I don't know."

       "Invisible force pulling you?" I asked.

       "Yeah," Jerome said. "You feel it too?"

       "Why do you think I've been risking staying in contact with you?" I asked. "I can't stay away."

       "And I don't want you to," Jerome said. "I really need you, Nolan. It's like my powers have been drained because I've been away from you and I can't be away from you anymore."

       I said nothing in reply. I didn't even know how to respond to that.

       Jerome didn't say anything either. Instead, I found us looking into each other's eyes and it wasn't long before we both leaned in and pressed our lips on each other's.

       I had always read or heard about people saying when they kiss the one, the spark was there. I never believed it, to be honest.

       Until now. 

       Because the spark was definitely there.

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aww yay jerlan ftw. (i love them so much as you all know because THERE WILL FOREVER AND ALWAYS BE MY NUMBER 1 SHIP)