“Hey are you alright?”

A workmate of Miguel at the interior design company, Haus, looked at him with a worried face.

“I’m fine, Glinda. Thank you.”

He told her with a forced smile. He had been having dizzy spells since morning and all his muscles were stiff and in constant pain. It didn’t help that the temperature was getting colder day by day.

He had been working nonstop with no rest day for the past three months.

In the morning he would work at the primary school. In the afternoon until evening he would work part time at the interior design company. During weekends he would work a full day at the spa.

There was no time to feel tired. He could not afford to be tired.

He needed the money. His father’s second treatment was scheduled next week.

“Well then I am leaving now. Make sure to rest too. You look like you need it hun.”

She said as she tapped Miguel on the shoulder.

“Yeah thanks.”

He smiled. The dimples in his cheeks were no longer hidden. His face had lost some of its fullness.

Miguel looked at the time and it was already 5 pm. Sighing he tried to roll his shoulders, a futile attempt to dislodge the muscle pains that he had been enduring for the past month.

He stared at the computer and started to type. Eventually he got immersed with his work and did not notice the time pass by. Only when another co-worker called his attention did he stop his work.

It was already 8 pm. Time to sign out.

He sneezed a couple of times while he was going down the building.

He felt dizzy in the elevator. During the ride down he leaned against the wall to keep himself from falling.

Another sneeze made Miguel look down as he walked. He didn’t even realize that he was about to smash into a wall until he was already falling down. He tried to balance himself but his body refused to move. Before he lost consciousness, he seemed to have seen the wall fall onto him.

The light was blinding and he was floating.

The rescuers must have been able to find his body under the rumbles of the fallen wall.

He trembled hard. It was…cold. He felt it seeping into his bones.

Perhaps he was dead. They recovered a dead body under the wall.

His muscles were tense and rigid. A breeze swept past his skin.

He shivered again.

It was so cold, so dark.

They must have placed him in the morgue for it to be this cold.

As Miguel was plagued with a delirium about moving walls and death, his teeth chattered and his body shook violently. He was hit by another episode of chills.

But even in his delirious state, he could feel the warmth that touched his forehead and the comfort that he felt with it.

He vaguely heard shuffling sounds. Then he felt something large and warm envelope him. It seemed he was under a wall again. But the wall felt warmer against his skin this time. He snuggled into the wall trying to get as much heat as he could.

Miguel’s labored breathing started to return to normal when he felt a sense of relief and comfort. His taut muscles finally relaxed and he found himself welcoming the darkness again.

He woke up to a wet towel on his forehead. After a few minutes of trying, he finally managed to open his eyes. When his bleary sight eventually cleared up he saw a stranger sitting on the single sofa.

The man had a dark brown hair, pale skin and a handsome face. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The top three buttons of his shirt were left undone. The stranger stared at Miguel with his vibrant green eyes.

Miguel found himself scared at the unwanted attention.

The man smirked.

“I…-“

Miguel’s voice came out like a croak and then he found himself violently coughing into the white blankets.

The man held Miguel up with his arms and made him lean into his chest. After the violent fit the tall man handed him a glass of water which he hurriedly gulped.

“Easy.”

His voice was deep and had a nice timbre to it.

Needless to say, Miguel spilled some water on his clothes, on the blanket, and on the sheets.

“I’m sorry.”

Miguel croaked.

“It’s fine. You have to get out of the bed though so they could change the beddings. You also need to get out of those wet clothes.”

He looked down and touched the wet patch on his clothes.

Wait.

It didn’t look like his clothes at all!

He remembered that he wore a dark blue button up long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants. Where were his clothes and who changed him?

He looked up at the man with his brows furrowed.

The man chuckled and seemed amused with his expression. But he spoke as though he knew what it was that he was thinking.

“I changed your clothes into a more comfortable one.”

Miguel mumbled.

“You pervert!”

The man frowned. He felt wronged by Miguel’s words. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Miguel shivered under the green-eyed man’s intense gaze. So, Miguel kept quiet and looked down.

“I brought you to my villa after you collapsed and became unresponsive. Most of the employees in your building had gone home already. You should feel grateful that I brought you to my house to recuperate.”

Miguel spoke softly and thanked the stranger.

“The doctor said you had a flu.”

“Wha-“ He cleared his throat before trying again. “What day is it?”

“Tuesday.”

“What?!”

He could not afford to have a leave. Oh no. He was being paid by the hour.

What would his employers think of him when he did not inform them of his absence?

He was unconscious for two days.

“I took the liberty to answer your calls by the way. They were getting annoying I almost threw your phone on the wall.” The stranger said.

How could he even say that? Miguel thought that the man was no good.

“Ah. My phone.”

Miguel sat up and looked around for his mobile device.

“Before you check your phone, go to the bathroom first. I shall provide you with clothing in just a few seconds.”

He agreed and tried to stand up but his knees failed him. His entire body was sore. He felt almost boneless. So, he ended up falling to the floor.

Fortunately, the stranger was able to catch him in time before his head hit corner of the nearby bedside table.

“You seem to excel at falling onto me. You like me that much?”

The man smirked.