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Jeonghan and Seungcheol had been dating since high school. Now, Seungcheol was long over with college, and Jeonghan was supposed to be working too, only if he had not contracted a disease that led him to be bedridden from the first years of college 'til the present time.
They had plans, a very long list of goals that they wanted to achieve after college graduation. Both of them wanted to travel together, buy a house, adopt dogs, then maybe kids. They wanted to get married and spend their wholes lives together arguing, cuddling, kissing, making love, and other cute domestic stuff.
Seungcheol and Jeonghan thought they had a long future ahead of them, not knowing it would remain as a list of words written on a piece of old paper.
Three years after graduation, Seungcheol worked as a banker while Jeonghan was basically living in his hospital room, only allowed to go for a walk for a few minutes or an hour max.
Every day was the same. Every single day was torture. Seungcheol gets up, visits Jeonghan, goes to work, and goes to Jeonghan again. He'd frequently stay the night to accompany his lover, who was day by day getting paler and weaker. It was torture for Seungcheol.
Who would want to see the love of their life slowly slipping from their hold, right? Not him.
Seungcheol was walking back to the hospital after a tiring day of work when he passed by a jewelry store, a memory crossing his mind. He remembers entering a jewelry shop with Jeonghan during their high school days. He also remembered how Jeonghan looked while staring at the jewelry, telling him that they were pretty.
With that thought in mind, he perceived it as a sign. He had wanted to propose for a long time, and maybe this was it. There were lots of uncertainties, and that included their future together, but he was sure of Jeonghan. Seungcheol entered the shop without hesitations and got what he needed before running to the hospital.
It was past six pm when he got to Jeonghan's room, and the first thing he saw was the younger one sleeping on his bed while the radio was playing. Seungcheol sat on the chair near the bed, slowly reaching for his lover's hand to entangle it with his. Jeonghan's hand was way smaller than it was before, paler, colder. He decided to close his eyes and lean his head on the warm bed, drifting to sleep.
When Seungcheol woke up, it was almost midnight. Jeonghan was also awake and had been staring at him with a soft smile. "Have you eaten?" was the first sentence that came out of Seungcheol's mouth.
"Not yet. I'm tired," Jeonghan answers in a small voice, "And I'm not hungry. Are you?"
Seungcheol slowly shakes his head as he squeezes the other's hand. "Do you want to do something?"
"I'm so tired, Cheollie..." Jeonghan answers, closing his eyes.
"That's okay. We can stay like this. I'll keep holding your hand. I won't let go."
Jeonghan was more tired than usual, and Seungcheol understood. It wasn't the first time, after all. It had always been like this, but Seungcheol felt different. Something was different today.
"Hannie... Love?" Seungcheol calls out, gently caressing Jeonghan's thumb and then bringing it closer to him for a kiss on the back of the hand.
"Hmm?" Jeonghan answers with a hum, eyes still closed.
"I've been thinking a lot about this, for a few months exactly. I didn't know any other way on how I should do this, but I do know that I didn't want to wait any longer." Seungcheol expressed as he scratched the back of his head with his other hand.
"What is it, baby?" Jeonghan spoke as he opened his eyes, curiosity evident in them. Although struggling, he slowly lifted himself by leaning his other hand on the bed while Seungcheol helps him sit properly.
"I got a sign earlier. I don't know if it was- but yeah- I took it as one." He started, moving his gaze from Jeonghan's hand to his eyes. "It was as if the universe was telling me to do something, that I was moving too slow." He chuckles.
"Will you..."
"Will you spend your whole life asking me about my day? Will you take my hand and go towards one path together? Will you stay with me and do everything we have always planned for. Would you spend your life completing our bucket list together? And if it isn't clear enough, I'm asking you to marry me, Yoon." Seungcheol was nervous. Heck, he even wanted to run-
"Cheollie, I do. I'd love to spend my whole life waiting for you to ask you about your day. I'd be more than happy to spend my whole life with you. Why are you making me cry..." Jeonghan replies, voice cracking with tears rolling down his cheeks, as he slaps the older's arm... but Seungcheol doesn't feel it.
He climbs up the bed to sit beside his fiance, taking his hand to slip the ring he had just bought that afternoon. Jeonghan was a crying mess, and so was he. He let the other sob on his chest, sobs that contained pain instead of happiness, but Seungcheol let it slide until the cries died down.
Jeonghan was tired but awake and peacefully seated between his legs, head leaning on his chest as he brushes the smaller's hair with his fingers.
"Cheollie... I want to rest," Jeonghan whispers weakly. Too weak for Seungcheol's liking. "Can I sleep?"
Seungcheol nods his head, "Do you want to lie down?"
"No, I'll sleep in your arms like this, please." The younger snuggles closer.
"Okay, baby." Seungcheol heaves a deep breath, tears slowly building in his eyes once again, "Okay."
"Good night, fiancé, future husband," Jeonghan giggles after that, and he looked up at Seungcheol, "Be happy always, okay? For me. I love you so much. I'll always do."
"Good night, my love," Seungcheol says back, leaning closer to place a gentle peck on Jeonghan's forehead and a lingering kiss on the lips. "I will. I love you so much more."
After saying that, Jeonghan drifts off with a smile on his face, leaving a crying Seungcheol alone as he witnesses the warmth of his lover slowly turn cold. Hands that were once so full of strength became fragile. Eyes that used to be so full of emotions, now dull and closed. A part of Seungcheol died along with the love of his life.