The Young In Our Veins (Ryden)

Chapter 20

I smile lazily at the boy next to me. He's so beautiful. I don't ever want to leave him. Brendon pushes his short fingers through my hair, massaging my hip.

"Happy nine months." Brendon says grinning. The sun shines in from his window, lighting his face perfectly.

"Best nine month gift ever." Only nine month gift ever. I pull up the sheets to cover my pale chest as embarrassment washed over me.

"Baby, you're gorgeous. Don't feel so insecure." And I'm not gorgeous. I'm pale, terribly thin, and small rashes have started to appear on my stomach and thighs.

That time is creeping up on us too quickly.

We try not to talk about it, but Brendon appearance is his tell. He tries to hide his fear and pain, but I can see it in his eyes. He's scared and well... so am I.

Every time I cringe in pain, the corners of Brendon's mouth turn down. Every time I get a cold, Brendon packs me up to go to the hospital. It's all too much. For both of us.

He knows though. I think he's slowly accepting the fact that I won't live forever. Of course, that doesn't mean he's okay with it. He tells me, 'We'll get through this. It'll be okay.', but I know he's just trying me feel better. I'm fine. Really.

My body feels satisfied, having just been pleasured by this beautiful boy. "I love you." Brendon whispers, kissing my showing collar bone. All my bones are more exposed. People notice.

The worst moment was when my favorite professor asked me, 'If there's been something wrong lately?' I told him the truth after he got it out of me. He knew Brendon, mainly because of how much we're around each other. His first reaction was, 'Did Brendon do this to you?' But no. He didn't. And I never told him who did.

I'm not that cruel.

"I love you too." I wrap my thin arm around his shoulder. We breath each other in until Brendon throws the sheets of himself and hops out of bed.

"So I was thinking..." Brendon begins joyfully. I appreciate that he tries to ignore it. It makes it almost easy to forget. "We go have breakfast."

"Okay sure." I say, slowly crawling out of bed. Brendon is quickly at my side, giving me an arm to hold onto. "So where are we gonna go?" Brendon pecks my cheek and smiles.

"Can't tell you yet." And with that, the man takes me to the car where I am later blind folded. "I swear to god if you peek..."

"What? You won't do anything." I say smiling. I had zero intentions of peeking.

"You're right. I won't. I'm totally whipped." We both laugh and I feel the car come to a halt. The Brendon's car door opens and closes. A warm breeze hits my face as Brnedon opens my side. "I got you." He says as he practically lifts me out of the car. To be honest, I would've had a hard time if he didn't.

"I know you do." I step onto linoleum flooring and the scent of coffee fills my nose.

I know exactly where we are.

"Bren..." I whisper.

"Just wait." Brendon wraps his arm around me from behind and moves me to a chair, sitting me down slowly. "I know you know where we are, but there's more... take off the blindfold." One of Brendon's hands are still holding mine tightly as I slowly take of the cover.

When I see him before me, down on one knee, holding a small velvet box, I nearly cry. I'm lying though. I start sobbing almost instantly. "Ohmigod Brendon."

"So a while ago I met this guy named Ryan at this very coffee shop and I like... I fell for this guy almost instantly. It was like that moment where you know that your life's about to change big time, but you just don't know how. Then you stayed at my house that first night and... well that's how I knew."

I look at Brendon with tears rolling down my cheeks. A faint smile is plastered onto his face and his cheeks are slightly rosy.

"I knew that you were something else. Something special and when you told me that you... had AIDS." Brendon tip toes around the word like it could upset me and ruin the moment. "I swear I cried for a whole week just thinking about not having you in my life, even though I hadn't known you for long and Jesus look at us know."

"Nine months strong." I whisper kissing his forehead.

"Anyway, I'm gonna get to the point and say, I love you more than anything and I want to do one thing before I have to let you go. Ry, I want to marry you." And that's the first time Brendon ever really came out and said that eventually he'd have to let me go.

It kills me to know its true.

"So will you?" Brendon asks quietly.

"God Bren, of course I will." I pull his face to mine and kiss him deeply. Then there's applause and I look up to see Spencer at the counter and tons of random people smiling at us. "Oh.."

Brendon chuckles and slides a thin silver band onto my finger. "I love you so much Brendon." I say through a hiccupy voice.

"I love you too Ryro."