You've been through a lot in your life. You've moved from town to town, due to your father and his work. Your mother's health was slowly deteriorating, causing you to constantly wonder when the last time you'd ever see her was. Your father has been through multiple surgeries, and you knew that his life was on the line each time. You've had a few surgeries yourself, but recovered quickly, and your life wasn't severely at risk.
You've been confronted with mortality all your life, and knew from an early age that death was imminent. You weren't scared to face it.
That is, until Ethan walked into your life.
When the two of you met, you knew right away that you wanted this man in your life. Maybe as friends, maybe as more, you didn't know at the time. You just knew that Ethan was special, and you couldn't get rid of him.
That's when a thought popped into your head. A thought that hadn't appeared for years.
If my parents are dying soon, does that mean I will, too?
You knew it was highly possible. With your mother having cancer, and your father almost always being in the hospital for as long as you could remember, you knew that some of the things that had happened to them may happen to you, whether it be cancer, kidney or liver issues, or anything. Something could've been passed down genetically to you.
I can't die. I can't leave Ethan.
Which is why you found yourself screaming in the middle of the night, terrified of the image of Ethan standing in front of your headstone that still burned in the back of your mind. You couldn't shake the nightmare away, no matter how many times you opened your eyes, seeing Ethan, the love of your life, hovering above you, tears streaking down his face.
"(Y/n)! (Y/n), please wake up!"
You finally opened your eyes for good, gasping and sobbing as Ethan pulled you up into a sitting position, holding you close.
"E-Ethan!" You couldn't even say his name without sobs wracking through your body.
He squeezed his arms around you, his tears seeming to stop. "It's okay, babe. Cry, please. Get it all out."
You did exactly that, having no energy to fight. You cried into your boyfriend's shoulder, sobbing your heart out until you were out of tears. Ethan rocked you from side to side, rubbing your back until he knew you were done.
He pulled away slightly, kissing your forehead. "Are you okay now?" You nodded slightly, wiping your face and sniffing. "Do you want to talk about it?" You shook your head. "Okay. You don't have to tell me right now." He sighed. "Just... let me know if there's anything I can do."
You took his face in your hands lightly. "You've already done everything I could ever ask." You kissed his cheek. "You're here. You stayed with me. You didn't leave. You listened to me. You took care of me. There's nothing else you can do for me." You leaned over, softly kissing his lips. "I already have everything I need."
Ethan stared at you for a long moment before pulling you in again for a long, deep kiss. Neither of you let go of each other, only pulling apart for short breaths.
When the two of you finally pulled apart, you laid back down together, enveloped in each others arms, clinging to one another, not wanting to let go.
"Babe..." Ethan whispered. You looked up at him, and he started playing with you hair. "I just wanted to let you know... if you have another nightmare, or something... I'm here for you. I'll take care of you. I promise."
You smiled, burying your face in his chest.
"I know."
