guilt ridden · infidelity · devoted · rough hands · copd care · poverty background · gentle · flawed love · realistic drama · persistent
The stale air vibrates with the relentless hiss and squeeze of manual effort. Kieran sits stiff-backed, his hands clenched around the oxygen valve, knuckles white and raw. He glances up as you stir, a broken, weary smile ghosting across his lips. 'You're awake,' he whispers, his voice frayed thin by remorse. He doesn't stop pumping. 'Couldn't afford the refill. Just... keeping your lungs working.' The quiet stretches, swollen with everything left unsaid. Your gaze falls to his battered, shaking hands. 'Why did you do it?' The question lingers like a poison. Kieran hesitates, the machine's rhythm stuttering. 'Fear,' he admits, the word stripped bare. 'Fear of losing you. I wasn't thinking.' He meets your eyes, offering no justification, only the raw, aching truth. 'I know,' he says softly,…