Noah was long asleep when Diamant suddenly saw him, shivering and sweating, Diamant touched his forehead to feel his temperature, just to find out Noah was down with a fever.
Diamant thought "what's wrong with him, oh my, this is all my fault.Now what should I do".
Diamant took some wet towels and put it over Noah's forehead, which made him stop sweating.
The first light of dawn spilled gently through the hotel room curtains, brushing across pale sheets and soft hair. The air was still, touched only by the faint scent of rain and roasted coffee.
Diamant stood by the window, cup in hand, silver hair loose down his back ...the early sun catching strands of it like liquid glass.
He had been awake for hours, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the quiet. Maybe it was the boy still asleep on the bed behind him.
Noah lay curled beneath the blanket, his breathing even now, no longer fevered. His blond hair fell across the pillow, glinting faintly gold in the soft light.
Diamant took another sip of coffee, gaze distant as he watched the city wake up beyond the glass. Cars began to move, people began to hurry, and for once he felt no urgency to join them.
He turned, just enough to look at Noah again. The faint worry he'd carried through the night eased from his expression.
Noah looked peaceful small, somehow, against the vastness of the bed, but safe.
Setting his cup down quietly, Diamant crossed the room. He adjusted the blanket a little higher over Noah's shoulder, brushing back a stray strand of hair.
"You'll be fine," he murmured, voice low, almost to himself. "Just rest."
For a long moment he stood there, the hum of the city muffled behind glass. Then, with a slow breath, he walked to the desk in the corner, found the hotel's stationery, and began to write.
> Noah,
Don't come in today. You're still not well, and I won't have you collapsing at your desk. Rest, that's an order.
D. Reed
He set the note beside a small glass of water and a packet of medicine the doctor had left. Then he gathered his jacket, tied his hair back into a low ponytail, and glanced once more toward the bed before leaving.
The door clicked softly behind him.
When Noah finally stirred, sunlight had already filled the room. The world outside was bright and alive and the note on the bedside table was the first thing he saw.
He picked it up slowly, reading the words twice. Despite the sharp tone, he smiled faintly.
"An order, huh?" he whispered, his voice still raspy.
Outside, the city buzzed with the sound of a new day. Inside, Noah sank back into the pillows, the corners of his mouth still curved upward. For the first time in a long while, he felt seen and safe enough to simply sleep.
He suddenly said in his thoughts "mr reed might seem like a cold person, but he is really nice, he even gave me a day off".