Rafael

What Is and What Could've Been

"You gotta come back to us, prekrasnyy (lovely)."

Deciding it's better now that he remain silent, he rests his hand over the top of yours once more and closes his eyes. He finds himself mumbling an old prayer his mother once whispered every night.

"Hospody, budʹ laska, blahoslovitʹ nashu lyubov svoyimy daramy ztsilennya. My znakhodymosya u vashiy mylosti, i vsim vyshche, my molymosya. Aminʹ."

"God, please bless our love with your gifts of healing. We are at your mercy and to all those above, we pray. Amen."

"You," You're interrupted by a cough as you force your eyes to open. "You know I ain't with that shit." Your alarms start beeping rather obnoxiously and it startles the praying man before you.

Nurses run in quickly and begin turning the monitors off before the actually acknowledge you. "Welcome back, Miss Y/L/N! Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital." You croak out before being taken over by a coughing fit. Val's once subtle hold on your hand tightens as you force yourself to sit up a bit more.

"Good, that's good. And you know what year it is?"

"2019."

"That's wonderful, Y/N. Now, we'll leave you be and the doctor should arrive shortly."

The second the hoard of nurses leave, Val opens his mouth to speak. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. This, this is all my fault."

"We were in a car accident..." You turn to face him now and he can't make out any emotion in your features. Your eyes seem to be looking a thousand miles away and through him as you speak.

"Yeah, yeah we were. Kid, I don't know what to say if I'm being honest here."

His heart breaks at seeing you this- he can't find a word for it. Empty. His heart breaks at seeing you this empty.

The doctors hadn't told him anything pertaining to your condition the second they realized Rafael was your actual boyfriend. And your actual boyfriend hadn't been very forthcoming with what little information he was given.

  Glass doors expose Rafa's return from home as he walks normally at first back to your room, stopping in a bubbling anger upon seeing Val, and then almost running when he sees you awake. He slides the door open, nearly exasperated in excitement as his eyes beam and well with tears.

  You find your heart breaking the second you see him. Everything had gotten so messed up with him. You weren't sure how or if it could be fixed but he was here for you, he was always here for you. Rafael crowds your bedside instantly, reducing the other man to a fly on the wall.

  "Hey, baby," He leans down to whisper soothingly, kissing the top of your head and stilling himself there for just a moment with closed eyes. His heart was pounding against his rib cage as he took everything in.

  "Hey," Your eyes find his instantly and you almost drown in them. A hand goes up to cup his cheek, to make sure he's real, and you feel his beard that has started to grow out.

  "I haven't had much time to shave, uh-" Rafael gives a small smile accompanied with a cough. "They said they didn't know how well you'd wake up and I know you like the beard so I figured..."

  Tears begin to sting your eyes as he rambles on about how he figured if your memory was a bit fuzzy, hopefully you would remember him by at least the facial hair. He's still going on when you interrupt him with, "Baby, I'm right here."