The Stars (GTOP)

Chapter Twenty: Waking Up

Every day since Seunghyun had heard Jiyong say his name, the rapper had talked to him more than in the first months. He knew Ji could hear him, saw that his brain responded to his voice. And everyday Dr. Dobbs told Seunghyun that his brain was becoming more active. Jiyong's parents spent a lot of time talking to him as well, telling him news about Dami or talking about his pets.

Seunghyun was able to sleep through the night easier and he was able to talk to his lover without feeling a wave of emotion try to drown him. It had been two weeks with his hope growing everyday. Two weeks at Jiyong's side, with new energy and determined to find something he could talk about that would maybe stick in Jiyong's memory when he awoke.

Seunghyun was sitting next to the hospital bed, watching the orange cast from the sunset bounce off the walls.

"I wish you could see the colors from the sunset right now. It's making your room bright orange." The rapper turned around and looked out the window. He smiled and stood up to take a photo. "I'll show you this when you wake up."

He snapped the photo and looked at the folder he'd made of things he wanted to show his lover. It contained photos of new artwork he'd discovered, sunsets, the animals, some shots of his parents, and some headline screenshots that Seunghyun knew would interest Jiyong.

He sat back in the chair. He turned his camera back on and took a picture of Ji. He looked peaceful and beautiful the way the dying sunlight hit his face. Seunghyun turned on the lamp next to him and picked up the book he'd been reading to Jiyong and his glasses.

He was reading him a random poetry book he'd found in the gift shop. There were quite a few poems that Seunghyun enjoyed, and he hoped Jiyong was enjoying them too.

Seunghyun cleared his throat as he opened the book to were he'd folded a page corner.

**"If I thought for just one moment that this would be my last breath,

I'd tell you I'll love you forever, even beyond death.

If I thought for just one moment that your face would be the last I'd see,

I'd take a million pictures and save them just for me.

If I thought for just one moment that your voice would be the last I'd hear,

I'd listen attentively and promise not to shed a tear.

If I thought for just one moment that your touch would be the last I'd feel,

I'd embrace you and know that this has all been real.

If I thought for just one moment that my heart would beat its last beat,

I'd thank the Lord for allowing us to meet."**

Seunghyun smiled as he finished the poem. "That poem is oddly perfect right now, isn't it Ji Ji?" he said quietly.

He kept reading for a while until he reached the end of the book. He folded his hands over the book and looked at his lover.

He fell asleep watching over Jiyong.

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The air was filled with a steady beep, loud and clear. Jiyong opened his eyes to see a white tiled ceiling. He felt tubes and needles in his arms. He felt a tightness in his chest, the stirrings of panic until he turned his head and saw Seunghyun asleep in the chair beside him, glasses askew on his face and a book in his hands. The fear he'd begun to feel melted away because as long as Seunghyun was with him, he was alright. He looked around the room a bit more, trying to find a clock or calendar. Not seeing the latter, he squinted at the clock. "1:47 am."