He was staring out the window at the trees. The now colored leaves were slowly falling off the branches and gathering on the floor. He was wrapped in an oversized hoodie that he found lying on his bed that morning. He didn't even know who's it was, but he felt comfortable in it and it was needed for the weather. He loved autumn. It was his favorite season.
There was movement beside him that caused him to look up. There was a man with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes smiling down at him. His breath caught in his throat. His smile. The man was gorgeous. His cheeks burned at the thought and he lowered his head, hoping the man didn't notice.
"Mind if I join you?" His voice. He nodded quickly and bit his lip nervously. The man must noticed his excitement and let out a small laugh. His laugh. "I'm Brendon." His name.
"Ryan," he replied shyly. It took a lot to not look up and stare at the man he seemed to already have a crush on as he sat across from him.
"That's a nice name." Ryan let out a giggle and buried his face in the sleeves of the hoodie. He was a grown man. Why was he suddenly giggling and shy towards another person? He bit his lip and took in the familiar scent of the hoodie. "Gorgeous."
He looked up in surprise at the comment. He was ready to smack himself in the head when he saw Brendon staring out the window. He was talking about the view, not him obviously. He looked out and smiled at the scene.
"Autumn's my favorite season. It's so beautiful." Brendon gave a knowing smile that made him want to question what he knew.
"It suits you." Ryan felt himself blush again. "See," Brendon said with a smile. "Your cheeks change just like the leaves do." he chuckled and looked at Ryan in amusement. "Can I get you something to drink? A coffee? Hot chocolate?"
"A coffee please," Ryan responded. "Cream and.."
"Two scoops of sugar," Brendon finished. Ryan cocked his head to the side.
"How did you know?" Brendon shrugged in response.
"You seem like a two scoop kind of guy." Ryan nodded, barely accepting the response. He didn't really have time to question it anyway because Brendon was already up and gone. He came back with two cups and set one in front of Ryan. Instead of going back to his original seat, he moved to the open spot beside Ryan, not that he minded.
They silently sipped at their drinks and stared out the window. Time slowly passed as a sense of comfort fell over the pair. They naturally gravitated toward each other. Eventually, Brendon had his arms wrapped around Ryan while the smaller boy was leaning back against his chest, both comfortable in their silence.
Ryan was still confused as to why he felt so safe in this stranger's arms, but a part of him said it was okay. Brendon was safety and comfort. He was bathed in the scent Brendon seemed to share with the hoodie. He felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Ryan smiled when Brendon kissed the top of his head. Their hands found each other and their fingers tangled together. This is how they stayed, in this position, staring out the window at the trees dancing in the autumn breeze.
Across the room, two nurses were watching the two men. The younger of the two looked up at the older. "So, he does this like every day?" The older had a small smile on her face as she nodded. The younger, this only being her second day, was still new to the arrangement Brendon had with Ryan. "Why?"
"You know that Ryan suffers from anterograde amnesia." The younger nodded. "Well, he got into an accident which is why he can't make new memories, but he also lost some old ones because of it." Her smile slipped from her face. "He doesn't remember meeting Brendon or falling in love... or marrying him." The younger looked back at the two, her heart aching at the thought of Brendon needed to introduce himself to his husband over and over again.
"Brendon comes everyday before work, sometimes after. Doesn't miss a single day. We get to watch Ryan fall in love every time and Brendon just falls deeper in love."
"How does he do it? Brendon, I mean. How does he get Ryan to keep falling in love?"
"Brendon knows Ryan so well. He knows what to say to make him blush, make him laugh, make him irritated. He knows it all. He knows that this time of year, if he leaves his sweatshirts out, Ryan will wear them not caring that they're not his. And Ryan isn't completely clueless. He knows they have a bond, he just can't explain why."
"That's a lot of dedication," the younger said. "I wouldn't think anyone had that kind of energy. How long has he been doing this?" The older gave the question some thought, calculating the time in her head.
"Before I started working here, but not long before. I was assigned to their case and helped Brendon with his small requests. Holding the hoodies for Ryan, being the flower deliverer on his birthday and their anniversaries, helping with all the small things Brendon used to do and didn't want to stop." The younger looked at the other with wide eyes.
"But you've been working here for eight years." The older nodded, keeping her eyes on the couple. "I couldn't do that. I'm surprised he hasn't just stopped." The older shook her head and looked down at the younger. She was silent for a moment before choosing her words.
"You're still very young. When you find the kind of love they share, you'll never let it go no matter what." The younger let the words sink in before nodding in understanding. They turned back to the couple.
Brendon was whispering something in Ryan's ear. The smaller giggled and blushed in response. He looked up and nodded. They leaned in and connected their lips, smiling against each other's lips. To Ryan, this was their first kiss and it was absolutely perfect. Brendon added this to their hundreds of other shared kisses and it was just as perfect.
They pulled apart, eyes still closed, smiles stuck on their faces. Occasionally, they stole feather kisses from each other. Both wanted to continue this moment and have more time together, not just today, but the rest of their lives.
