Scared

Chapter 28

Paul wrapped a warm woollen blanket around his boyfriend's body and his own.

It wasn't that cold outside, it was for the pure comfort of feeling like at home.

Like they weren't still at the hospital.

After their little outing to Jim's house, they had to return to the hospital and John had been sad about it.

So Mimi and Paul tried to make as cosy as possible the bedroom.

Mimi was sitting on the chair, massaging her feet and complaining about her shoes.

She definitely had more wine than usual, but who were John and Paul to interrupt her fun?

Plus, Mimi was still pretty much sober, she was just a little tipsy, but was of great entertainment.

Paul cuddled John to his side, rocking slightly back and forth the sleepy boy.

It had been a wonderful evening, Jim, Mike and Angela were wonderful people to be around; John felt very much welcomed.

But they couldn't deny the fact that John was still pretty much sick; they couldn't change the future. Medicines weren't strong enough yet, a cure wasn't invented yet.

John was going to grow weaker and more helpless with time.

He would need help even doing simple things and activities.

The doctor was sad to say he would probably never gonna grow old.

So Paul wanted to live in the moment, wanted to soak up every single moment.

He grabbed a wrapped up package, delicately posing it on John's covered legs.

John's legs had started hurting badly again, so much they had to increase the painkillers, so now he was feeling loopy and disconnected from reality.

But before falling into a medicine induced sleep, he wanted to give his loved ones his gifts.

He had asked Cynthia to go pick things up with him the day before, the girl more than happy to take him around, Mimi also trusting John to go with the slightly older girl.

John smiled, trembling hands grabbing the colourful bow, slowly starting to undone it.

Holding his breath, he ripped away the paper, holding his breath as his heart started beating faster.

He looked up at Paul with big wet eyes when he saw what was inside the box.

The leather cover of a photo album. John passed his fingers on it, before opening it.

Pictures of John and Paul together appeared throughout the pages.

John's smile grew as he flipped the pages, smiling at his and Paul's happy faces smiling back at him.

The book stopped a little after the middle and on a blank page, Paul's careful handwriting appeared:

'For the love of my life: this is for keeping all of our memories'

He turned around, feeling close to crying as he threw his arms around Paul's neck, kissing him sweetly and deeply.

It was a promise, a promise he was going to do all it took to feel at least a little better and to spend as many days with Paul as possible.

He turned around at the other gift on the bed, the one being from Mimi.

He opened it with curious eyes, gasping at the present.

"Thank you, auntie! I love it!" he lifted his arms, letting Mimi hug him gently, kissing his forehead softly.

Mimi had gifted him a nice hat; John smiled, putting it on top of his head and smiling brightly.