Tan
I waited for hours, i wish i could've slept but i was wide awake.
"Are you with Rune?" the nurse asked and i immediately stood up, "i am, how is he?"
"He lost a lot of blood, he was dehydrated, he didn't drink water for almost 72 hours, he could've died, you brought him just in time, even a 10 minute delay would've meant that he wouldn't have made it" i smiled at the news, "can i see him?"
"The anesthesia is still wearing off, you have to wait about 30 minutes, you can go in if you want" i quickly nodded and went inside after her, my heart beat quickened and worry ensued. All that mattered that he was alive and breathing. I went inside the room, the sight of him knocking the air right out of my chest. All his scars and bruises were clear under the white light. My chest ached for him, i tightened my fist and took a deep breath.
I ran my fingers over his cheek, cautious not to touch him. I could only imagine the pain he'd went through and somehow managed to endure. I bit back the tears, i didn't need to cry, he was okay. He was okay. "How stupid are you? You're so fucking reckless, you got yourself into this shit on your own" i ran my hand through my disheveled hair and interlocked our fingers, "why do you always make me worry about you, you're so damn annoying".
I rested my head on the bed and within seconds, i fell asleep. "Water" a tiny voice said to me and i lifted my groggy head, "water" he repeated and i quickly poured him some, carefully pressing the glass to his lips.
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you think idiot?"
"Should you be mean to a patient?"
"Why not if they are stupid like you"
"What do you mean?"
"You snuck out again and got yourself beaten to death! Why do you always do things that don't make sense? You were left to die in this shady building, bleeding everywhere and i only found you two days later when you were seconds from dying"
"You found me?"
"Why else am i here?"
"Stop answering my questions with more questions"
"This is what i mean, this attitude is what got you like this in the first place"
"You shouldn't have saved me"
"what? why?"
"I wanted to die" i didn't say anything.
"Well you did a terrible job of dying, if you wanted to so badly, why didn't you just shoot yourself in the head?
Are you an idiot? do you think dying will solve anything? How the hell do you know you're going to heaven?" Rune looked away from me"please leave"
"i'm not going anywhere"
"i'll call security"
"i'll tell them your delusional"
"i'll beat you up"
"come and try"
"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, his voice cracking"because i care about you, so stop being like this"
"I don't deserve it"
"Why not? Is this about your mom?" he looked down, staring at nothing in particular. "I told you that i don't judge you for that, why are you beating yourself up over this? Do you think your mother would want you to live your life like this? Hating yourself for something you couldn't control?" Rune shrugged his shoulders, "what would you know? You didn't see your mother killed in front of you, you didn't have to grow up thinking it was all your fault, you didn't have your father hate you and beat you, tell you were a lesser person. You didn't have to deal with so much hate and anger in your heart that it was the only thing you felt".
"Hating yourself and blaming yourself didn't make your situation any better did it?"
"Just go away"
"No, i'm not going anywhere, especially with you in this condition. I was waiting all night, don't expect me to just go, if i ever get in this type of situation, you better do the same for me"
"You waited here? The entire time?"
"No, never mind, do you need water? i'll go get you some" i quickly ran out of the room and sat down on one of the chairs, taking my time to calm my heart. What was i saying in there? i sounded like an idiot, iv'e basically ruined my entire image in front of him. I stood up and walked back inside, stopping dead in my tracks. Standing in the room beside Rune was that same old lady i'd met at Dao's grave. I had to know who she was. I walked inside and she turned to me, a look of surprise on her face. "You two know each other? She's my grandma" Rune said whilst looking at me, i nodded. "We met at my sisters grave," i told him and he turned to her.
"You know his sister? How?" he asked her and she smiled, "how do you know this young man?" she asked him instead and he rested his hand on mine, "he's my boyfriend" and i bit back a smile. I didn't think he'd admit that to his grandma of all people, i expected her to be angry but she wasn't, "that's lovely" she said and she sounded genuine. "You never answered me" Rune told her and she took a seat, "you're sister was a very lovely girl, she would always talk to me and she always had these funny stories to tell me. She used to work for me as a part timer to help me. She'd spend hours every week taking care of me and helping me go out on walks with her...she was very dear to me. When i heard she'd passed away, i was devastated, i didn't know who her family was, she didn't share that with me but i loved her like a daughter" she finished as she dried her tears with a tissue.
"Ma'am, he wants you to return" a man said once he walked in, he was dressed in a black suit. He and his friend who joined him appeared to be people who fell out of the 'men in black' movie. The grandmother turned to Rune and gently patted his head, "take care of yourself".
"Isn't your dad going to come in?" i asked him and he shook his head, "do you really think he would?". I remained silent and took a seat, "where is the water you promised me?" i looked up, confused as to what he meant and then it dawned on me,"i'll go now" i got up and headed to the door. "Don't go" he said, his hands stretched towards me when he barely had the energy to hold or grab anything. "Are you sure?" he nodded and i sat back down, "tell me if you need anything". Rune closed his eyes and i could only stare at him, he looked exhausted and sickly. His usually brownish skin was much paler, his cheekbones and jawline were more more prominent. The yellowing bruises and stitched up cuts covered his face like a mask. The rest of his body was in no better condition, i carefully took his hand in mine and felt my heart drop at the sight of his cut up and bruised knuckles. I gently pressed my lips to them. I pulled away and found Rune's eyes staring back at me, no matter how bruised and wounded he was, he was still beautiful.
I stood up and rested my arm on one side of his head before i kissed him. I kept it gentle, afraid to hurt him. Yet he pressed his lips closer to me with much more urgency, i reciprocated, sliding my tongue between his parted lips. He tasted like copper accented with something sweet, sure it didn't sound appealing but the feeling of his lips against mine, sucking and pulling only made it harder to pull away. At this point i was intoxicated by his lips and i couldn't get enough, he was like a glass of wine that only got better and better.
"Rune!"i quickly pulled away from him, turning around to see, off all people, Doctor Malee. She rushed over, barely acknowledging me as she pushed me aside to get a better look at Rune. I felt annoyed by her but i didn't show it, she was just concerned. I sat down as she bombarded Rune with never ending questions, i took my time to wonder why the fuck Rune was in that club after the last time he got beat up there. I couldn't get an answer to any of it. At least 20 minutes had gone by since Malee had come and she didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. I got up and decided to go outside for a walk, the hospital smell and the sickness around me was really affecting me. I quietly made my way to the door, "where are you going?" Rune called after me and i turned around "i'll be back" i said before leaving.
I went outside and walked around the entire premises two times before leaning against the building wall somewhere near the entrance.
"Want one?" i turned my head to see a guy in his 20's. He held a cigarette out to me and i shook me head, "i don't smoke"
"that's a first" he said, his voice was soft and deep
"if i die, i don't want it to be because i killed myself"
He didn't say anything after that, yet as i stared ahead at the road something came over me and i turned around, pulling the cigar from his lips, i took a puff. I instantly coughed, i took another puff before returning it to him. "Keep it" he said yet i didn't like it, the flavor still coated my tongue and left a stinging sensation at the back of my throat. I dropped it to the ground and put it out with my shoe. "Why are you here?" he asked as he lit another cigarette, "you shouldn't smoke so much" i told him before looking away to stare ahead, "my boyfriend got hurt".
"You're gay?" he asked and i nodded, "what about you? why are you here?".
"My cousin broke his arm" he answered bluntly and i pursed my lips, not knowing what else to say. "Do you know what time it is?" i asked, i turned to face him and he checked his phone "almost 7 am". "I have to go then" i told him before leaving and going back inside the building. I went back into Rune's room and felt relieved to find that Malee wasn't there. I walked back inside feeling refreshed.
"She left? Already?" i asked him anyway, "yeah, why? did you want something with her?" he asked, the annoyance clear in his tone. I shrugged as i walked over to notice a red stain on the skin right below his ear. Maybe it was a bruise? I wasn't that stupid, i reached over rubbed the skin with my finger, the red color smearing. "You got a little something there, you sure you didn't want something with her?" i asked before taking a seat, i wasn't going to show him how it bothered it and if he didn't think it was wrong then i had nothing to say to him.
I pulled my phone out, plugging it into the charger i'd gotten from my walk and decided to watch a video, "its not what you-" my phone buzzed and i quickly answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Art"
"Art? why are you calling me at this time?"
"You weren't answering at your place, did you want to get some breakfast together?"i looked at the time, it was already 7:30 am. I looked at Rune who wore an irritated expression and i couldn't care less at the moment.
"Its okay if you are with someone right now"
"No, i'm alone, i'll come over to yours then"i hanged up and grabbed my bloodied sweater, the stain would be difficult to get out.
"Where are you going?"
"Did you not hear me over the phone?"
"You can't just go, didn't you say-"
"Ask Malee for help,"
"i don't want her, i want you"
"You're sick, just rest, maybe i will call Malee and tell her to bring you whatever you need, its not my job, i saved you, that's enough isn't it? You wont die without me"
"You're my boyfriend"
"Not anymore, i leave for one second and you are already getting it on with someone, god knows what else you did"
"I told you it isn't what you think"
"Okay, good for you"
"I like you, not her, i don't know why she kissed me there... Just stay with me" i turned to face him, my heart churning at his sad expression. I walked over and lightly pecked his lips, "no one can kiss you but me". "If i wasn't in this condition right now, i'd be fucking you right now"
"More like the other way around"he scoffed, "you really think so?"
"Oh don't tell me you didn't like me fucking you, you say you don't but your body said otherwise"
"Don't get me horny if you wont be able to take care of it"
"I could but i wont, maybe Malee is up for it"
"I told you nothing happened"
"I know, i just don't like her, why do you always need her help when you get hurt?"
"Well, i don't like Art but you still talk with him"
"Am i not allowed to?"Rune raised a brow and i bit my lip, "not the same" i muttered and he scoffed, i looked away before sitting down. "He's a guy, he might try to take you from me" he said and i chuckled, "he's straight"
"you sure?"
"What about you? You're bisexual aren't you, you might try to get with Malee or some other girl"
"i don't want anyone but you"
"Don't say shit like that, it makes me cringe" Rune laughed, "ouch, it hurts to laugh" he said as he inhaled sharply. I shook my head before extending the couch into a bed and falling into a deep, much needed, sleep.
Rune
1 week had already gone by, the pain had subsided for the most part and the wounds had mostly healed. Though my leg and arm were still in a cast, i was still in a much better condition.
I returned to the dorm today and felt much better, the hospital just made me feel nauseous even though iv'e been there too often to count.
"I'm going to class, call me if you need me" Tan said and i nodded, carefully sitting on my bed. I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling, i was bored out of my mind and i couldn't do anything productive, i hated feeling useless like this. All i could do was rest and do nothing, all because of that mother fucker. I'd worked hard to get that information about him and then it was gone with the wind. Cheng De was dead. I had no information. I had nothing. I was back to square one-again. I was tired of going into these continuous 360's. But i still had one thing. I limped to my bag and pulled out my torn sweater, i dug my hand into the pockets and pulled out a ID card. Wayne's ID card. Sure i'd almost died trying but at least i did something for once. I quickly called Jord, one of my fathers men.
"I need to run a profile, come pick me up at X college and bring a car" i hanged up and made my way to the lobby to meet Jord. "Stop looking at me like that" i said to Jord in annoyance, he instantly looked away. "I'm just wondering what he'll say if he knows his son was beaten up," he said as he turned his attention back to the screen. "Do you think he'd care?" i asked and he shook his head, "if you mean about his reputation, then yes he would" i thought so.
"I got it" Jord exclaimed after a few minutes, he turned the screen towards me and indeed it was him, everything was on that screen.
"Print it for me"
I took the papers from him and stuffed them into my pocket, "you can let my father know i have found him".
I left the place in an Uber and walked back to my room, all i had to do now was get rid of this stupid cast on my arm and leg, then i could kill him myself. I was really going to do this, yet there was an odd heaviness in my chest.
Tan
"You need to go shower, you smell so bad" i told Rune, pushing him away from me.
"Do i?" he asked as he sniffed his shirt, he immediately recoiled. "You're right" he admitted and he limped in his crutches to the bathroom. I looked back at the TV.
Bang
I jumped and ran to the bathroom to find Rune on the ground.
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Thank you for reading this far!