Letting Him In

Chapter-30

"Did you not hear a word I just said?" he asked. He could feel his heart beating loudly, and he knew Dean could probably feel it with how close they were standing. "Dean, we can't."

"I can, Li. I want to," he said softly, still not letting go. "I like you, and nothing is changing that. You feel like you're being selfish if we go on? Then I'm being selfish by asking you to be my boyfriend."

"That doesn't make sense. You're not being selfish," Elijah said, burying his face in Dean's neck to hold back his tears. Everything seemed to be catching up to him as he stood here with Dean.

"And you saying that I should leave you because things are going to get hard doesn't make sense to me, Li," Dean said, his hand gently rubbing Elijah's back.

Elijah closed his eyes, his thoughts too jumbled for him to say a word. How was he supposed to say yes to Dean, no matter how badly he wanted to, when he knew that he could bring him nothing but pain?

"You don't have to say anything right away, Li," Dean said, pulling away just enough so that Elijah could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Just think about it, please. Because I'm not going anywhere, and I want to be with you. Things get hard? We'll get through it together."

Elijah nodded, not sure if he was agreeing to think about it or straight up agreeing to give them a chance. He would deal with it later.

"We should go," he said reluctantly after a minute or so. "Kade must be up by now and my family might worry I ran away."

His joke might have been funny if his voice had been steady and not of the verge of breaking down.

Dean nodded, and they walked back to the hospital together, making their way up the stairs and to the oncology ward. Elijah's mother was waiting there with a small, concerned frown on her face which eased up when they came into view.

"Hello, Ma'a- Elise," Dean corrected himself, remembering what she had told him last time, and Elijah smiled a little.

Before anyone could say anything, Doctor Larkson came into view, holding a clipboard. Catching sight of Elijah, he offered him a kind smile.

"Elijah," he greeted. "Are you ready? The room's prepared and there should be a nurse there soon."

Elijah nodded, gulping a little. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father take his mother's hand in his, pulling her a little closer to put his arm around her shoulder. He knew how much this was affecting them, and the guilt pooled up in his stomach once again at the sight.

The Doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "Did your parents explain the treatment plan to you?" he asked, making Elijah focus on the matter at hand once again.

"Not yet," Elijah muttered, still annoyed by that fact.

The older man nodded. "Very well, I'll go through it once with you. I just need to finish up some rounds here, so you can get settled into your room, and I'll come see you there."

Elijah nodded. "Wait, I'm not staying here, right? I can go home and come back for the sessions?"

His voice sounded pleading and desperate even to him, but he didn't care. He couldn't stay here. Not again.

"Lijah..." his father spoke up for the first time, but Doctor Larkson shook his head.

"I can't say yet, Elijah. That solely depends on how your body responds to the medication. You'll stay here overnight for now, and depending on how tomorrow goes, we can decide about that."

Elijah nodded reluctantly. It wasn't like he had a choice.

"Mum said she'll try to be the one taking most of your hourly check-ups," Kaeden said, falling into step next to him as he followed his parents to what he assumed was his room.