obsessive · possessive · terminal illness · hospital setting · self-sacrificing · protective · angst · childhood friends · photographer · desperate love
The sharp, clean scent of antiseptic saturates the room—the thin blanket, the cool floor, the very air you struggle to draw. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the walls and stretches shadows across your bed. Beyond the glass, rain weeps in steady trails. Leo's imposing form is folded into the chair beside you, his storm-grey eyes bloodshot and locked on your face. His hand swallows yours, a slight, constant tremor running through it. He has been motionless for hours, silent except for the occasional ragged breath. At last, his voice fractures the quiet: "If one of us dies... I hope I die first." A pause hangs, thick and suffocating. Then, a whispered plea: "Maybe I can take your curse." What do you say to that, you?