Deadline | Short Story [Milijah]

[3] His Sickness & Dispair

[2 Months Until The Deadline]

The incident that happened last month took one month off of the sick boy's deadline. He's been so distant from his lover lately, who has been detecting there was something wrong. Elijah has been avoiding Michael, because he thought if he did so, maybe when he leaves him it won't hurt as much. Today the boy's were at the class where they sat by each other and Michael wasn't going down without any answers.

"Elijah is there something wrong?" He managed to ask the sick boy, but got ignored.

Michael felt like it was him that did something, he didn't know what it was. He decided not to pressure the sick boy and acted as if he wasn't there. Like they never met. Like they weren't together. Like they didn't love each other.

He couldn't do do it.

-

At the end of the school day, Michael searched for the sick boy. He couldn't go about his day without knowing what was wrong. He wouldn't be able to sleep with the thought of Elijah not being okay. Or maybe he's just tired of me, like everyone else. Maybe I should just leave him alone...

The boy felt a tap on his back and turned around to see Elijah with a weak smile on his face. He immediately hugged him, with the feeling of not ever wanting to let him go. Elijah hugged back slowly and laid his head on the boy's chest.

"What did I do wrong? Just tell me and I'll change it no questions asked."

The sick boy shook his head and looked up. "You didn't do anything, we just need to talk. Can we go to your house?"

"Of course." Michael kissed the sick boy's cheek.

-

The boy's got to Michael's house and they sat in silence for a moment in the room. Elijah was finding a way to clearly explain to him what was going on, without hurting the boy's feelings. Without him knowing, he didn't have much time left.

Only 2 Months.

"We've been sitting here for a while Elijah..." Michael chuckled nervously.

"I know... it's just... I'm trying to find how to say this perfectly." The sick boy looked down at his hands.

"...You want to break up with me don't you?" The boy quickly assumed. "I-I understand if that's the case, you haven't really been around me as much."

"No, Mike, I don't want to break up with you!" His eyes began to water. "I don't ever want to leave you."

"Then...what's wrong?" The boy wrapped his arms around Elijah and held him. "Tell me babe."

The sick boy gripped onto Michael's shirt. "I'm sick."

"Well everyone gets-"

"Not that type of sick Michael." He backed away from him. "I have bone marrow disease."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had it ever since I was a child. It wasn't as worse back then, so I didn't really care about it. As I got older, my body started to weaken more often and I couldn't be as active. Kids at my old school would laugh and make fun of me, just because of my weak bones." He began to cry. "They would pull the most stupid pranks like throwing milk all over my car or me, like it would change anything. But it couldn't! I-I wish I was different. I wish I wasn't born with this pathetic disease!"

"Elijah..." Michael wiped his tears. "Don't worry about that. I don't care if you have a sickness or about what happened in the past. All I care about is that you're okay. I'll look past all of that, because I love you."

This was the first time Michael actually told Elijah that he loved him. He was happy at the fact he finally brought himself to do it. He felt this was the perfect time.

"I love you too and I want the rest of my life to be with you." The sick boy crawled onto Michael's lap and wrapped himself around him, not letting him go.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." The boy chuckled and held onto the boy's waist, still partially oblivious to the truth.

"My mom and I only moved here because of the doctors." Elijah mumbled. "But I'm glad we moved here...for a different reason."

"Let me guess." Michael looked Elijah in his mellow brown eyes. "You found me?"

"More like the love of my life." Elijah smiled, a smile he has smiled for the few weeks he has been ignoring Michael. Only his lover could make him smile this way, only he could make him feel this way.

"I never thought I would find someone like you." Michael kissed the sick boy delicately. "Stay over tonight."

The boy's eyes widened. "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Of course."

-

Later on that night, Elijah called his mother to let her know that he was staying over at Michael's house. She instructed him not to forget to take his pills and somehow he did seem to forget. He was so caught up with Michael, he gave him all his attention. He needed to, because he wouldn't have it for much longer. He began to make his way to the bathroom and suddenly his legs became weak. He started to panic and he looked around for somewhere to hold on to. There was nothing. Then, his knees dropped to the ground and his legs became numb.

"N-No. Not now, not here!" He yelled. "Please don't give up on me now, just another month. Please." His eyes filled with tears as he tried to move his legs.

"Elijah?" He heard the groggy voice of his lover. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-Yes." I can't let him see me like this. He began to use his hands to crawl, to the bathroom. He didn't want Michael to see him in this pathetic state that he was in.

He went into the bathroom and closed the door immediately. He grabbed his bag and looked for his pills. Maybe if I take them now, I'll be fine for him tomorrow. Is what he thought. He found a pill bottle, but no pills. He eagerly searched, but found nothing besides empty pill bottles.

"No. No. No." He mumbled to himself, tears running down his cheeks. "I need them to work for him. I want to be strong for him! I don't want to leave him! You stupid legs work, please!"

There was a knock on the door of the bathroom. "Elijah, open up what's wrong?"

"I-I can't..." His voice was weak. He was weak. He couldn't bare it anymore.

"Elijah. Open the door." Michael demanded once again. "Please."

"I don't want you to see me like this Michael!" He yelled. "You'll just pity me like everyone else."

"Baby... Just open the door. I don't care what you think I'll do. I know what I'm going to do. Now just let me in."

Elijah sighed and unlocked the door. His lover opened the door, and hugged him. His tears stained his lovers shirt , but he didn't care. He just wanted him to be by his side along the way.

"I can't move my legs Michael. They won't move."

Michael picked up the sick boy. "Then I'll be your legs."

"But..."

"Let me do this for you, you already done so much for me."