「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(225) Overdose

Charles' POV

Lynn was adorable when she shyly avoided my gaze but the way her eyes sprang to life at my revelation was absolutely dazzling.

"That's what you meant when you said you went to him for help?" Lynn prodded, staring at me in amusement.

"Mm-hmm," I affirmed, nodding with a smile and she grinned.

"What happened? Why didn't he come?" She investigated, not quite containing her laughter.

"We went into a bar and he was smoking a cigar," I revealed nonchalantly and Lynn expectedly scoffed, her expression naturally tumbling into an abyss of frustration.

"So that habit comes a long way," Lynn commented sarcastically, blatant disgust transcending through the hazel of her rolling eyes.

"Don't worry, Lynn. I'll talk to him about that," I guaranteed, combing through her hair as I delicately pecked her forehead.

"You better. I don't want you to die because I can't breathe," Lynn joked, albeit smiling only weakly as she was genuinely troubled by the thought.

Lynn surely loathed the smell of tobacco since she was little, not only complaining that it was vile but also for the fact that the polluting particles highly irritated her breathing tract. While her younger self was more robust against the detrimental inhalation, her current body, inevitably aged, was not as tolerant against the negative effects, exhibiting increasing vulnerabilities to stumble into asthmatic attacks with every recurring episode.

"Should I go on?" I probed softly, caressing her face in concern.

"Be quick," she mumbled with a tired grin, burying her head into my chest.

"Well, Erik and I just introduced ourselves, and you know what he said?" I whispered in her ear and she giggled, looking up at me with bloodshot eyes filled with unprecedented eagerness as I toyed with her auburn tresses.

"Go fuck yourselves," I mimicked and she genuinely burst out in laughter, her torso vibrating uncontrollably against mine until her exhaustion emerged dominant again.

"Did you?" She interrogated breathlessly, grinning at me with an odd expression.

"I'm sorry, what?" I muttered in surprise and she raised her eyebrows cheekily, finally evoking my comprehension of her actual inquisition.

"God, Lynn. No!" I exclaimed dramatically, glaring at her in absolute astonishment and she broke out in another string of giggles as her head collapsed into my chest.

"I already had my eyes on you. And only you," I confessed honestly, gingerly cradling her head and kissed the top it.

"You were such a flirt," Lynn teased faintly, lazily pulling away from me.

"But I'm glad to hear that," she commended, grinning brightly as she planted a loving kiss to my lips.

Slowly breaking away, Lynn laid lethargically back to her pillow, her strained eyes glistening with beauty undiminished even when they were progressively being concealed under their heavy lids as she gazed at me affectionately.

"Get some sleep, Lynn. Good night. I love you," I murmured, cuddling her snugly in my arms.

"I love you, Charles," she breathed sweetly beside my ear.