Chapter Text
It had been two weeks.
Two long, painful weeks of you pleading, almost begging your boyfriend to take you to a doctor. And every attempt at persuasion was met with a stern “no”, sometimes with a harsh glare being sent your way if you were being particularly stubborn. It felt as though every day consisted of nothing but you coughing, sneezing, vomiting, and continuing to try reasoning with him.
He’d taken to working from home after you’d gotten a pretty bad fever, and refused to let you do things on your own. The only time he left the house was when he absolutely had to be in court or when you were running low on supplies. Otherwise, he rarely left your side. He insisted on helping you with nearly everything you did, saying that physical exertion would only slow down your recovery.
You were well-aware of your boyfriend’s over-protective nature, but this was getting ridiculous. You weren’t even allowed to call your own family, let alone your boss, to inform them of your sudden illness. Instead, you were told that speaking to others would “cause you needless stress”, so Miles did all the talking for you. He always kept the conversations brief, giving out only the most basic details about your situation.
And you’d had enough.
You tried to be understanding at first, tried to see things from his perspective. He had a strong desire to protect you, which sometimes came off as him being overly cautious due to his inability to properly express his emotions. Or, at least that’s what you told yourself. But now it was becoming obvious that he was far too controlling. You couldn’t take it anymore. You were going to talk some sense into him, and he was going to listen. You refused to be shut down again.
That’s why, on one gloomy Saturday morning, you decided to broach the topic again. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy, as Miles could be stubborn as a mule at times, but you had to try. You sat patiently in your shared bedroom, twiddling your thumbs as you waited for him to finish making you soup. You’d rehearsed what you were going to say at least a dozen times before you felt confident enough to bring it up.
Then, finally, Miles walked in, carefully carrying a bowl of warm soup in one hand. He wore gloves and a mask that covered his mouth and nose, just in case your illness was contagious. Surely he’d know for certain by now if he had taken you to see a doctor, you thought bitterly.
You gave him a weak smile and an appreciative nod, taking the soup from his hands. He handed you a spoon and sat down next to you, wordlessly. You let the quiet moment last a little longer, forcing yourself to gulp down a few spoonfuls before you took a deep breath. “Miles...” You began calmly. And just like that, all the words you’d been planning to say got caught in your throat.
“Yes, dear?” He replied, eyes crinkling as he smiled at you through his mask.
You placed a hand over your chest, trying to calm your rapid heartbeat. “There’s something I’ve been... Meaning to talk to you about. I mean, really talk to you about.” You almost winced at the look of irritation in his eyes. “If this is about going to see a doctor,” he said.
“Miles, please-”
“I’ve already discussed this at length with you, (Y/N). My answer is still no.”
You fought back the urge to cry. “But-”
“I don’t trust those doctors,” he continued, “Medical malpractice can be a serious threat to one’s health. I’m not willing to risk you getting hurt-”
“I’m just sick, Miles! It’s not like I need life-saving surgery! It’s not that serious-”
“If it’s “not that serious”, then you don’t need to see a doctor.”
You felt your anger begin to boil. He always did this. He always twisted your words to make your decisions seem illogical. You couldn’t take it anymore.
“If that’s all you have to say-”
“Dammit, Miles! You don’t get it!” You screamed, much louder than you intended.
Finally looking at him, you saw him staring at you in stunned silence. You never raised your voice at him, and your sudden outburst surprised even you. As you took a moment to calm yourself, you noticed your eyes had begun stinging. “Look, I-” you took another deep breath. You carefully placed your bowl on the bedside table and turned back to face him. Taking his hand, you began running your thumb across his knuckles in a soothing manner. “Miles...” You said. “Please, just... Listen to me.”
And sure enough, he remained quiet, eyes looking over your face with uncertainty. “I get that you worry and that you just want to protect me, but this isn’t helping,” you made a vague gesture with your hand. “My sickness isn’t getting any better. It’s been two weeks. I need to see a doctor. I don’t want things to get any worse than they already are, and I know you feel the same.”
“I promise that nothing bad will happen. I just need a quick check-up and a prescription, that’s it. There’s nothing you need to worry about.” That was a lie, of course. With how your illness had been steadily growing worse, you knew it was more than just the flu or the common cold. But you still had hope that a doctor might be able to make him see reason.
An uncomfortable silence settled between the two of you, and you noticed some stray tears had fallen down your cheeks. Still, neither of you looked away from each other as you waited to see who would crack first. After a long, suffocating moment, Miles sighed. “I see...” He trailed off, his expression souring behind his mask. “I suppose there’s no point in fighting it, is there? If you’re truly this persistent about seeing a doctor, then... I guess we have no other choice.”
A sense of relief washed over you upon hearing him say that. He stood up, rubbing his temple. “Finish your soup and brush your hair while I schedule an appointment. We leave in twenty minutes.” With that, he left the room, leaving you with your thoughts.
~
Sure enough, about twenty minutes later, you found yourself being carried to Miles’ car. You shielded your eyes from its eye-bleeding color as he placed you in the passenger seat, a blanket still wrapped around your shoulders. He shut the door and made his way around, taking his place behind the wheel. With the keys in the ignition, the engine roared to life, and you two were off.
A few minutes into the drive, you decided to speak up. “Thank you...” You muttered, glancing at your boyfriend. He didn’t say anything as he kept his eyes on the road, adjusting his glasses ever so slightly. As you stared out the window, watching all the buildings pass by, you heard him mumble something.
“Did you say something, love?”
With a slight strain in his voice, he replied, “Nothing, dear. I’m just a bit worried about this appointment.” You nodded, feeling that same uncomfortable silence surround you again. In an attempt to calm him, you forced a smile and said, “Don’t worry! I’m sure the doctor will fix me right up.”
Quietly, with venom lacing his words, he muttered, “She better, or losing her job will be the least of her worries.”
A pit formed at the bottom of your stomach. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all...