four am.
it was a little after four am when the doctors, that had been observing him the entire time, noticed the slightest movement in junhui, who had been laying on the couch in front of the fireplace ever since his sudden throwing up. minghao had been allowed beside him, seated on the floor, with his hand brushing through junhui's hair as a sign that he was there and never left his side.
even when the doctors were against it at first instance, they knew there was no better treatment than to allow those two together. it never failed to calm minghao down as well. though minghao never suffered from physical side effects, they were more or less sure about the fact that minghao's presence would be able to wake junhui in the calmest way possible.
junhui didn't jolt awake nor did he got scared once he squinted his eyes to get used to the sudden light that surrounded him. he had to take in his surroundings for a slight moment and let out an inhumane sound that resembled a muffled groan. carefully he lifted his hand up to his head, pressing down against his forehead as wrinkles appeared in his skin from the sudden frown.
"fuck.." he breathed out, visibly still in pain as it had only faded the slightest. yet at least there was the smallest sign of progress as the boy was able to move freely again. strength had seemingly came back to his body.
"jun..?" minghao carefully asked, pulling back his hand as he assumed it might affect junhui's headache in a bad way.
"no.. please stay." junhui whispered as the warmth he had felt on his scalp suddenly disappeared, leaving a stinging cold behind. the only thing he wished for right now was to be entirely engulfed in warmth, be it just on top of his head or being held by minghao. his craving was almost too much to resist.
once he managed to fully open his eyes, he was met with minghao's face, flooding his system with a sudden rush of safety. his lips curled up in the slightest smile as he reached for his boyfriend's face, cupping his cheek and caressing the skin with his thumb. "hey you."
"jun.. what did just happen?" minghao whispered, holding back his tears. he was desperate to know the slightest bit of information, coming from junhui's mouth and none other. at this point minghao knew all too well that it couldn't just be what junhui had told him.
though he barely had any knowledge about mysterious diseases, incurable ones even, minghao was smart enough to notice that there was beyond more than what junhui had told him. though he had no idea if junhui possessed that knowledge, or even had received enough information himself, minghao just wanted answers for junhui's own sake.
"i don't know hao.. i didn't feel well and that just happened out of a sudden." junhui admitted, staring at anything but minghao as he couldn't bare to face minghao's hurt-filled look.
"you've been holding things for me, haven't you?" no harsh words were spoken. minghao sounded rather desperate. and even if junhui wasn't ready to tell the full story yet, minghao deserved to know the slightest more.
even if it was just to prepare him for what might happen next.
"i have.." junhui emit a cynical chuckle, staring back up at minghao with a helpless look in his eyes. even if it was unlike junhui to simply give up, he knew he came at a point where keeping secrets was not an option. "they said they have no idea if i'm curable. these are just the symptoms, apparently a lot more awaits me in the upcoming few weeks."
with a sigh junhui pulled his hand back, feeling unworthy of touching the one person he loved so dearly. if it wasn't for minghao he would have given up a long time ago. yet up until now minghao had always managed to keep him going, even when he was completely unaware of his condition.
"you remember the words you said to me when we were stargazing?" junhui could fairly remember the words he had said, that minghao had repeated several times as it gave him a form of assurance in their relationship and their future together. "we'll figure it out."
though it had been his own words, junhui found comfort in them. minghao was right, even when the world seemed to end, simply having minghao by his side would make everything right in the end. it might not cure his illness, but it would at least bring more happiness into his life than anyone else was capable of.
and in that moment, junhui didn't wish for anything more.
"say junhui, i hate to interrupt your moment here, but could you maybe try to sit straight so we can see what your body does." doc jumped in between, sitting at the arm rest of the leathern maroon couch.
"i could try, right?" junhui propped himself up on his elbow and gave all he got to push himself up. even when he still wasn't entirely capable of doing so, with a little help of minghao he managed to sit straight, instantly being met again with minghao's nostalgic home-like warmth as the boy took a seat beside him.
"good, good." doc spoke as he observed junhui, the three other doctors behind him scribbling down important things that most likely had something to do with junhui. "now, are you still in any physical pain? or are there certain thoughts clouding your mind?"
"beside the thoughts about minghao?" even in a situation like this junhui was able to flirt, meaning he was recovering from his sudden attack sooner than expected. "i don't feel much pain right now, though i must admit that my body feels weird. almost like it's asleep."
"then do you feel tired?" doc asked another question, acting like a professional doctor, though he still sounded more like a father to junhui.
"actually, i do not. it's weird to explain but i really don't feel like sleeping right now." junhui said, being thrown back on the subject sleep which he had been avoiding. sleeping seemed a pure nightmare at this point as it always resulted in waking up with physical pain or him having nightmares about the consequences of his disease. though he knew he was barely even physically capable of sleeping, even if he wanted to.
yet as long as minghao stayed by his side, junhui knew he could make it eventually. just as long as minghao was there for him.
