Chapter Text
"I'm very sorry, Mr and Mrs Siripongthon, he doesn't have much time left."
"How much does he have, doc?"
"A week or so."
The gentle thud of the door was heard, Fluke looked up to see his parents coming closer to his hospital bed, a warm smile on both of their faces, but their eyes red and swollen.
Fluke knew immediately what the doctor had told them.
"Fluke, sweetheart," She calls out, taking a seat at the chair next to the bed, with Fluke placing the book down to the side table. Not a few moments later, her tears started to fall down her cheeks and that of his dad as well.
"Mom, I know. Please don't cry." He coaxes, only for both of his parents to cry harder.
Fluke was almost immune to this; crying, seeing pain. He almost couldn't feel them anymore. The months he's spent at the hospital have taught him a lot of different things about life and love. Seeing kids run around the hallways laughing with their friends, or teens who had suffered from a mild illness getting visited by their friends and even the elderly who were loved by their children.
He couldn't ask for more from his parents, they visited him almost everyday, always checked with the doctors about his condition and even brought him all the nutritious food they figured he would need to gain his strength back.
But Fluke was prepared for the worst case scenario, he knew his brain tumor would cost him his life, and now, here it was, he was finally paying the price.
The Siripongthons came back to their family house at the heart of Bangkok, guiding Fluke with his apparatus that helps him breath normally, his father opening the doors and windows while his mom helping him walk to his own room down the hall.
The white oak door revealed the spacious room painted in baby blue; Fluke's favorite color, the bed neatly made and the room squeaky clean. It has been months since Fluke got to sleep on his own chamber, and tonight shall be the first of last.
Settling onto the soft mattress, his mom passed a small button to him which was painted red, "Press this whenever you feel uncomfortable or anything. Fluke, please?"
"Okay, mom. I will." He answers, his voice coming out as a soft whisper as his mom lets him take a rest and retreats from the room.
"Oh and sweetheart, your phone's by the lamp."
Fluke reaches out for his phone and sees the hundreds of notifications he's got from the past week. He hasn't touched the device in a few days because he was feeling worse than usual and stuck to the books he liked to read rather than damaging any more of his brain with the mobile device.
A text message caught his eye.
Message from three days ago.
From: yeonghwoni
hey, i heard you were hospitalized. how are you?
He smiles a bit before unlocking the phone and types in a short response.
To: yeonghwoni
yeah i was, but i'm home now. thanks for your concern, ohm.
From: yeonghwoni
are you feeling better?
To: yeonghwoni
not much, there's nothing more i can do.
actually, can i ask you a favor?
From: yeonghwoni
sure, what is it?
To: yeonghwoni can you stay with me for a week?
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Four minutes.
Five minutes.
Fluke didn't really expect Ohm to agree, after all it's been almost a year since they broke up, but he really wasn't the one who wanted it.
Fluke loved Ohm, and he still does.
His parents didn't expect to see Ohm standing outside their doorstep almost an hour after they've gotten home from the hospital. The young man was in his black sweater and jeans, holding a paper bag they presumed was food for Fluke.
"Ohm, come in." Fluke's dad led him to the living room as Ohm greeted them both.
"Fluke asked me to come, and stay with him for a week." The two adults were stoned at their seats as Ohm told them what their child had requested. "Is there anything with Fluke? Why a week? Migrating?"
"No, son, maybe he just wants to spend some time with you. You know our Fluke, he's never loved anyone after you two broke up." His mom says as she grabs the paper bag from Ohm's hand, "Go to his room, he's just right there, resting. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
Ohm stood up, his feet bringing him in front of Fluke's white oak door, taking in a deep breath he knocked onto the door and opened it a few moments after. He was greeted with a peppermint scent that made the room feel lighter, the blue paint just right to his eyes and the small man on the bed.
The weak and pliant body clad with a thick white blanket, the tuff of soft brown hair visible to Ohm who stood silently by the door and stayed still for a while. Despite all the equipment that was stuck to Fluke, he looked quite at peace. His doe eyes were closed and his even breathing evident by the up and down motion of the blanket.
He steps closer to the bed, settling down onto the plush blue chair next to it and a smile on his face as he softly says, "Fluke, hey, I'm here." with a light tug onto the smaller man's arm.
Feeling the movement, Fluke had opened his eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the brightness of the room and there he saw Ohm, smiling at him beside his bed, and almost instantly, a tear fell onto his right eye but he had quickly wiped it away with his hand.
"P-P'Ohm," He whispers, his voice nasally and having a hard time to pull up a smile.
"Shh, don't force yourself to speak, it's fine." Ohm shushed him down, holding up the hand that was slim and almost cold.
"H-how are y-you do-doing?" Fluke asks, still lying down on the bed, his smile much more evident this time.
"Great, I've been in some masteral classes since August." Ohm answers as he sees Fluke trying to adjust to a seating position. The taller male hurriedly stands up to help him, his hand on the small of Fluke's back guiding him to a much more comfortable position.
"I wanted t-to take c-classes too." His voice was small, somehow etched with so much sadness.
Ohm knew Fluke was the studious person between the two of them, he knew that after graduation, Fluke wanted to take up a masteral course or even pursue doctorate if he can. Ohm knew all of Fluke's plans after college, but what he didn't know was why he hadn't done any of those when he had graduated more than seven months ago.
"Why didn't you?" Inquired Ohm, but the other only smiled in response, while shaking his head in the process.
Fluke was in no state to take classes, and even if he did, he would mostly skip them because he frequents the hospital every month.
A knock was heard and Fluke's mom came in with a tray of food and juice in her hands, Ohm helped her place them at the bedside table. Fluke collected the small red button and hid it under his pillow but it caught Ohm's eye even before he could tow it away.
"You boys enjoy some fruits and juice, Fluke, water and your meds don't forget okay?" She reminds and Fluke nods his head. "Please do remind him, Ohm, he's forgetful now."
"I will remind him."
The door closed behind the two young males as Ohm helps Fluke eat some strawberries from the tray. Seeing the smaller male happily munching on his favorite fruit brought a real smile on Ohm's face as he gave him water a few moments after.
"You really love strawberries huh?"
"I don't know why I like them, ever since I was in the hospital Mom had brought them for me."
They were his favorite, but he couldn't remember it.
Ohm just slowly nods his head, helping Fluke with the water every so often and when he had almost finished his fruits, Fluke stopped eating and told Ohm to give the tray back or it might cause a mess later on.
Making sure Fluke would be okay alone, Ohm went to bring back the tray towards the kitchen where he saw Mr. Siripongthon video calling someone from his phone, and he excused himself for a moment placing the tray onto the sink when the older male called out for him.
"Ohm?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Make him happy."
He did not quite get what he was trying to say so he smiled in response as he walked down the hallway again, back into Fluke's room when he saw the bed empty, he started to panic. He roamed his eyes around the room only to find the small male inside his small library at the corner of the room reaching out for a particular book on the shelf.
"Gotcha!" Fluke says as he had the book in his hands and almost stumbled down the second after he did.
Ohm's reflexes were fast enough to prevent Fluke from meeting the cold floor and he had his arms around the small and petite waist. "Careful, I don't want you breaking limbs now, do I?"
Back to the bed, Fluke passed the book onto Ohm's hand, "Read me p-poetry P'Ohm." His voice was still shaky and nasally, but he never bothered to say that out loud, Ohm knows Fluke was still in the recovery stage and he didn't want to force anything out of the other.
Ohm smiles while he takes the book into his hands, opens up a page and starts reading.
"We never broke up. I am on my second cup of coffee and you're just waking up.
The sun is streaming through the curtains and I go to kiss your back.
We never broke up. You find me on the bathroom floor again after a bad day.
You pick me up and we talk it through. You tell me nothing is ever as bad as it
seems. Not when we have each other.
We never broke up. It is two in the morning and we're laughing so much, it
hurts. We keep telling each other to go to sleep, but neither one of us does. I was
so happy— I could have died that night. Sometimes I wish I had.
We never broke up. Only, we did. As I lie awake wishing, willing you here.
Dreaming of the day you're in my arms again, asking me why did we ever break up."
Ohm had the words slipping his mouth and the next moments after, Fluke was sobbing.
He knew that they did break up, Ohm wanted to and he can do nothing but to agree. After all, staying in a relationship with a man who doesn't love him is as meaningless as a pen without paper.
"Why are you crying?" Ohm asks, the book long forgotten and his warm hands coming in contact with the small pristine face of the man lying on the bed, a blanket draped over him.
"I miss you, I miss us. I miss everything." Fluke answers in a clear voice despite the sobs that were leaving him.
Silence.
Neither of them knew just why they had broken up in such a way they still came back to each other, maybe as friends, as colleagues or maybe even as mere strangers. But none of them exactly knew the reason why, they were in Fluke's bedroom, Ohm holding Fluke in his arms, and the other crying silently.
"I'm sorr-'' Ohm was cut off with Fluke's hand holding his, the tears long gone and the smile back onto the beautiful face as he spoke with sincerity.
"I have forgiven you a long time ago, P-P'Ohm, don't say s-sorry. J-just stay with m-me for a w-week and I'll be okay."
"Fluke come on, why a week? You know I can come whenever you need me."
"You c-can't P'Ohm, don't make her feel s-sad. Make her s-smile like you did w-with m-me. Don't h-hurt her, k-keep her, for as l-long as you l-live."
Ohm looked immensely at Fluke's eyes, looking for an answer to all of his questions but he found none of them. He only saw a small glint of hope within the brown doe eyes as Fluke smiled, bringing in so much light to the room.
"Can y-you come b-back tomorrow, and f-for the w-whole week?" Fluke asks, more like pleads, and who was Ohm to say no?
"I will, Fluke. I'll stay with you for a week, you can count on me with that."
The smaller nods his head, a content smile etched on his face. "I want to sleep, P'Ohm."
"Go to sleep, Fluke. I'll wake you up at dinner, and I'll just grab some stuff from home."
"N-no, you c-clothes are s-still in my c-closet."
Ohm can never get used to the shaky voice of Fluke but he had to, he knew it was a crucial step for Fluke to stay at home and recover for the next few days.
"Okay, get some rest and I'll stay here."
"Read another poem, please"
"Always."
"Fear isn't a reason when it comes to love—it's an excuse. Anyone who has ever been in love will tell you that. When it happens, you don't think about the consequences. You'd turn your life upside down to be with that person. You'd do anything for them."
And I'd do anything for you, P'Ohm, even when it pains me.
Even when it doesn't make me happy.
Even when I'm about to go.
As long as you live with a good memory of me.
I am and will always be willing to do anything for you.
Fluke dozed to sleep, a smile on the curve of his lips and Ohm admired the sight in front of him as he put the book down to the table and went to find Fluke's parents.
---
Hey everyone, it's Eyds!
I'm rewriting some parts of this fiction because I saw some faults in it, but nevertheless the story remains the same as it was. Please expect slow updates, but I'm almost there!
Thank you for reading, see you next time!