𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 - 𝐫

date : 15/01/22
title : the way i love you
fandom : westside story
pronouns : they/them
TW : angst, major character death, mentions of sick

plot summary : after an alarming call from the police, y/n is asked to make their way down to the hospital

"is this the y/l/n residence?"

"yes, y/n speaking, how may i help you?"

"this is officer shrank, please could you make your way to the general hospital as soon as you can, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you"

"the hospital?"

"yes please, i hope to see you soon"

y/n could feel their heart pounding in their chest, rattling their rib cage. their mouth was dry and their breaths were deep and uneasy. they arrived at the hospital, the artificial yellow light blearing through the big glass doors. the handle was cold as they pulled it towards them and slipped through the door. there was something so unsettling about the stark white walls and shiny tiled floors. y/n stood slightly overwhelmed in front of the door. swallowing down the fear building up in their throat. they had no idea why shrank had called them in, there was no cohesive thoughts in their brain at that moment in time. the panicked person rooted to the spot caught officer shrank's attention very quickly.

"y/n, i'm glad you're here, please walk with me" he offered an arm out for y/n to take hold of. they obliged stumbling gently as they began wandering down the halls of the hospital. they passed by metal doors with one way glass - no one could see in, only out. they came to a door and shrank stopped.

"y/n, what you are about to see may be upsetting" shrank said, patting y/ns arm courteously. y/n reached for the door but was stopped.

"one more question, before you go in" y/n nodded slowly in response breathing out a deep breath.

"what is your relation to riff?" y/ns eyes grew wide and their jaw fell open.

"he's my boyfriend" they replied shakily and with that shrank opened the door. y/n stepped inside. the room was again that unsettling shade of white and the air was cold yet tense. shrank followed them in, standing behind them. shrank gave a signal and a doctor in a white jacket pulled back a white sheet. y/n was feeling so sick they didn't even notice the two metal tables in the centre of the room. both of them covered with white linen.

a gasp shook y/ns entire body as the doctor let the sheet fall. their entire body began to just shake as tears streamed from their eyes.

riff lay on the metal table. his skin sickly pale. eyes closed. he looked so peaceful. like he'd been crying. y/n knew he'd been crying, they could feel it. they stepped closer to him, standing so they could look at his face. their hand made its way to his face almost instinctively. it was cold. y/n felt even more nauseous. their body felt weak as if it were on the brink of collapse.

"riff" they muttered through a sob. they were so stuck for words.

"i hope you know how much i love you"

"how much i'll always love you" tears fell from their eyes, splashing against the metal of the table they were stood beside.

y/n had been so consumed with grief that they hadn't noticed anita walk in. she was also stood beside an identical metal table. her eyes already welling up with tears, fearing her fate was to be the same as y/ns. and to her dismay it was. anita couldn't hold back her sobs. y/n looked up from staring blankly at riff, babbling with disbelief under their breath.

"bernado, he loved you so much you know" they said, looking at anita., whose hand was over her mouth, muffling her urge to scream. anita looked wide eyed at the person across from her. they were shaking too. anita recognised the man laying on the table.

"and riff, he loved you too" anita commented, sadness taking over her voice. they both nodded, going back to their grieving.

"say your goodbyes please" officer shrank said sombrely. he felt guilty for interrupting the last moments they both had with their loves.

"goodbye riff, ill never love anyone the way i love you"

and as they left and the white linen was pulled back over his head. y/n promised to themselves that they would never love again.

for no one in the world could ever compare to him.

a/n : broke my heart to write this, im so sorry :(