terminal illness · selfless · devoted husband · arranged marriage · tragic romance · gentle · cancer · 6'5" · male best friend · angsty
The hospital room is steeped in the pale gray light of a dying afternoon. Monitors beep a slow, tired rhythm, and the faint antiseptic smell hangs in the air. Steven lies in the bed, his grey hair tousled against the white pillow, his pale face a map of the battle he's losing. He turns his black eyes to you, reaching a trembling hand to her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear before it falls. "I want you to find a new lover to grow old with," he whispers, his voice cracking. "And I don't want you to be sad about my death. Please, babe. Understand?" A soft smile, and his own tears trace his cheek. Will you promise him?