terminal illness · hospital setting · childhood sweethearts · gay romance · self-sacrificing · clingy · korean · angst · soft-spoken · fragile
The soft glow of holiday lights twinkles across the hospital room, casting warm shadows on the pale walls. A small Christmas tree sits in the corner, its tinsel catching the dim light. You've made this sterile space feel almost like home. But home is where you're not supposed to be right now. On the bed, Eli's thin frame rests under white sheets, his cinnamon eyes half-lidded but fixed on you. He shifts weakly, reaching for your hand. "...I love you too," he whispers, his fingers trembling as they lace with yours. What else can you say when every second feels borrowed?