Chapter 98
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He woke up with a headache. Groaning at the pain, he pressed a hand to his eyes and moaned uselessly, body sore and tired and his mind just as cranky as it was exhausted. He felt torn open, felt hollow, like he’d been scraped out with a spoon. But the headache was overpowering it, something he was almost thankful for as it stole his focus.

”Are you alright, Xiao Fang?” asked Ivy, and Sun Fang startled. He hadn’t realized he was still sitting on the armchair, Ivy no longer beneath him. 

Groaning, he forced out, ”Headache.”

”I will get medicine,” Ivy whispered, and Sun Fang nodded, instantly regretting all his life choices. He moaned again, pressing the hand harsher over his eyes, and leaned his had against the armchair’s backrest, tilting his head back in the process. The new position was a little easier on his mind, but the pain was still disgustingly present, something he couldn’t ignore. He grimaced, beautiful features twisting as he waited for Ivy to return.

Some minute later, he heard Ivy coming back. He turned his head to face Ivy’s direction, but didn’t remove his hand from his eyes. He still felt—empty. Sad to the point where empty was all that was left behind, really. But the pain, it grounded him. He didn’t know if that was good or bad, but it at least meant that he wasn’t drowning in the numbness.

”Here,” Ivy whispered, holding out its hand. Sun Fang finally removed his eyes’ cover, wincing at the light that instantly assaulted him. Even with the curtains drawn shut, and the light turned off, the sun outside the window was too powerful. 

In Ivy’s hands was a glass of water, and a small pill. Sun Fang took the pill first, popping it on his tongue, and then grabbed the glass. He tiled his head back and filled his mouth with a large gulp of water, as much as he could. Then he swallowed, flinching at the sensation of pill going down his throat. 

”Good?” Ivy asked, and Sun Fang bobbed his head in confirmation. Ivy smiled at him, allowing him to drank the rest of the water before it took it back. ”You’ve lost too much water,” Ivy noted as it watched the speed he swallowed the full glass’ water. It said, ”I will get you some more in a while, so you can recharge.”

Sun Fang didn’t respond. Once he’d swallowed the last of the water, he smiled weakly at Ivy and pulled the blanket up over his head, hunkering down on the chair. He clenched his eyes shut as the headache momentarily intensified, getting worse as the medicine coursed through his system.

He heard Ivy’s footsteps soon enough, walking away somewhere. Sun Fang’s head was pounding too much for him to worry about it, though. Rather, he bit down on his already tortured lip and furrowed his eyebrows as he shoved his forehead against the backrest, trying to think of something else, anything else.

The light around darkened suddenly. Sun Fang breathed out in relief, his shoulders relaxing slightly as the pressure on his eyes soothed a little.

It took him nearly an hour to be free of the headache, in the end. He sat on that chair, thinking of music that liked, and video games that he liked, and his favorite movies, until the headache abated enough for him to move, to exist, to breathe and live and not just be a creature of pain and misery. 

”Ivy,” he called as he pulled the blanket over his head, walking through the hallway to the kitchen, where he could hear the sound of pots clanging and water sizzling. A heavenly smell was leading him, his blanket draped over his head and shoulders like a shroud, keeping him safe from the vicious light.

”Ivy,” he repeated as he entered the kitchen. Ivy was standing by the stove, a pot on it. That was where the smell was coming from, Sun Fang thought, his eyes glueing themself on it. 

Ivy turned to him, ”You’re up, Xiao Fang,” it noted, looking him over from head-to-toe. Sun Fang hummed in confirmation, and Ivy smiled at him, nodding to the already prepared table. ”I’m just making soup. I thought you’d need something light and up-lifting. It’ll be done soon, so you can sit down,” it said. 

Sun Fang tried to smile, his abused lips stinging. ”Thank you,” he said, slumping down on the chair. He rested his head on a hand as he closed his eyes and focused on that smell, breathing it in through his nose. At one point, he picked up a napkin and blew harshly from his nose into it, feeling snot spilling out. He grimaced in disgust as he threw it in the trash bin by the door.

”It’s no trouble,” Ivy muttered. It sat down the pot on the table, and Sun Fang inhaled sharply, his eyelids fluttering in bliss. The smell was so much better when it was right here with him.

Ivy stepped back, said, ”You can get started,” and walked over to the kitchen counter, quietly starting to put everything thing away and clean up. Sun Fang would normally dislike Ivy cleaning while he ate, but he didn’t want Ivy to leave yet. So he didn’t say anything, merely moved and began to shovel soup into his bowl.

When the bowl was full, he grabbed a spoon and began to eat. Small sips at first, letting the broth wet his dry mouth. He slumped on the chair as the liquid went down his throat, burning through his chest. 

His stomach growled at him, and he ate the rest in a rush. 

Full, stomach bloated, and his mouth still colored by the soup’s taste, Sun Fang leaned against the chair’s backrest, his head tilted up to the ceiling. He was silent for a moment, then said, ”Thank you for the meal, it was delicious,” to Ivy, who was still pretending to clean. Ivy turned to him and Sun Fang forced his heavy head up, and he smiled, some spark beginning to return to his eyes. ”Thanks,” he said again, warmth returning to his bones.

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