𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟 (𝕂𝕒𝕞 𝕂𝕠𝕥𝕝𝕔)

«32» i fell in love with a boy once

Oh wow

Uhhh

Im sorry

Keefe
(Takes place moments before Linh entered the healing centre)

Keefe rasped for breaths, the knowledge that his boyfriend could possibly die still sinking in despite it having been half an hour since he found out. Tears flowed like streaming rivers down his cheeks and Elwin was clutching Keefe's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"I didn't know you two w—are, this close." Elwin mentioned quietly. Keefe couldn't remember the last time someone had tried to comfort him when he was sad other than when Tam did. The thought let out a sob.

"We—I..." Keefe breathed in, and out. Somewhat calm now, he decided that maybe letting the weight of everything off his chest would be good for him. Besides, Elwin didn't seem like the type of Elf to judge him for loving a guy. "W-we're dating. We're more th-than close... I love him."

The last three words came out in a bit of a squeak, and his voice broke. Keefe squeezed his eyes shut, patiently waiting for a reaction from the doctor. Elwin pulled up a wheely chair to sit beside the blonde boy, his arm now wrapped around Keefe's shoulder. "Hey, that's okay. You know, I fell in love with a boy once. It was when I attended Foxfire, just like you."

Keefe looked in utter surprise towards the brown haired elf. It had never occurred to him that maybe more elves in this world, boys and girls alike, had had or do have a secret relationship like him and Tam. "You... you did?"

"Mhm. His name was Valerian. I'm not sure where he is or what he is doing now, but yes. I loved him." Elwin responded wistfully, which broke Keefe's heart to hear the tone in his voice.

"Did you two ever date?" Keefe asked curiously, once again earning a wistful nod in response from the doctor. He frowned at the answer. "Then what happened to you two? Why didn't you stay together?"

Elwin sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. He was clearly still a bit touchy about the past relationship, so Keefe didn't want to pry too much—but he also desperately wanted to know more. "We confessed our feelings for each other at the end of our fourth year at Foxfire. For two years we dated in secret, until the sixth year when Valerian's parents forced him to complete his match packet. And of course, I wasn't going to be on that fucking list. He told me the next night we met up that he thought it would be best for the both of us to seperate, and try to forget. Well, let's just say I never forgot."

Keefe was left distraught from the tragic love story. He was eligible for a match packet, but he had never actually even thought about completing one. "Im sorry that happened to you."

"Don't be," Elwin replied, pushing his black framed glasses back on his face and further up his nose. "I don't think things would have worked out anyway, not with how the Elvin society treats elves like us. But I think you and Tam will last, and maybe this society will finally change for the better."

"We won't last if he dies." Keefe whispered blankly, before hiding his face in the sheets of Tam's bed. He grabbed his boyfriend's limp hand and squeezed it tightly as he sobbed. Keefe felt the weight of Elwin's hand on his shoulder move away. All the while this was happening, Bullhorn was running around and screeching relentlessly. The sounds made a violent lullaby for Keefe's quiet wails.

The blonde boy was lost in sadness for the next few moments, until Linh's devastated voice sounded throughout the room. "...Tam?"

Keefe gripped the bedsheets tighter against his face. Linh probably blamed him for everything. It was his fault that Tam was going to die, and it was his fault that Linh would be battling life alone from now on. Everything was always his fault.

Keefe blocked out his hearing and tried to focus on calming himself down while Elwin told Linh about Tam's condition. Then, Keefe waited for yelling to pierce through the silence, screaming at him for what had happened. He thought he deserved it. But instead, Keefe felt a subtle hand fall on his shoulder.

"Keefe, how are you doing?" Linh's voice came out in merely a slither of sound, so sweet and caring despite the solemn situation.

"Fucking shitty." Keefe managed to blurt out through his sobs, lifting his face up to meet the dark haired girls eyes. He hadn't been expecting her to care about he was, especially since all of this was probably his fault. "You don't hate me do you?"

Linh blinked in what Keefe noticed was disbelief through the touch of her hand. Keefe could see glassy tears streaming down her face. "Of course not, Keefe. None of this is your fault, so why would I hate you?"

"Because he could die—a-and... I was with him-" Keefe's voice broke again and he glanced at Tam's motionless body laying on the bed. He didn't know if he would ever leave his boyfriends side while he was still alive.

"Hey," Linh pulled up the chair that Elwin had sat on and comforted him before and seated herself on it. "If I know anything about my brother, I know that he's not going to leave us just yet. He loves you too much."

She added the last part in a soft whisper, and Keefe assumed it was so Elwin couldn't hear. Little did she know that he was like them both. Keefe smiled at her sadly. "Thanks, Linh."

"Alright you two. Technically you guys shouldn't be here this late right now, but if somehow you both end up staying the night then I suppose I could let it slide. With your guardian's permission, of course. That doesn't mean you, Keefe." Elwin told them both, jotting down doctor scribbles onto a clipboard.

Keefe nodded and buried his face back into the warm sheets of the healing centre bed. He didn't how long it took him or when, but eventually sleep took him as a victim for the night.