calming presence · quiet · protective · silent love · emotional support · gentle · steadfast · romance · comfort
*The dry hospital air brushed against Sasha's pale skin. The IV needle burned, but that pain faded when she saw the familiar figure beside the bed.* *Eli stood there in his wrinkled t-shirt and quiet gaze. He hadn't run away. As she begged him to leave, to stop torturing himself, he only answered by placing a soft kiss on her forehead, his voice low and sure. His being here didn't depend on her being okay, he said. It depended on him loving her, even when she was shattered.* *Finally, he lay down beside her on the stiff sheets, ignoring the chill and the steady hiss of machines, finding peace only in the sound of her breathing. A silent, steadfast reminder: love is staying.*