Polo and Dreameh's short RP (Mature Content) - Continued (Part 2).

Abby considered his expression, not entirely impressed, but she decided to let it slide. When he shifted in the bed to make room for her, she hesitated. Memories of the dreams she'd been having during the last few consecutive nights lingered in her mind; waking up to a rotting body beside her, dead eyes staring emptily right into the pit of her soul.
She sat beside him, bringing a knee up to her chest.
He put an arm around her, but the affection only seemed to cause her to tremble more violently. The more contact she received from him the more scared she became, because she didn't want the contact to stop. She wanted to keep looking into those eyes and see the looking right back at her with the same warmth she could see at that moment, wanted to kiss those warm lips without the fear of pulling back and seeing a dead man laying before her.
More than anything, she wanted to be able to sit there, curled up in his arms, and never have to feel him let go.
When he mentioned the first time she met, however, she managed to cast her mind back to that one time in the corridor when they'd bumped into each other. He'd called her an idiot, she'd called him a jackass, and they'd gone their seperate ways. It was funny how they'd gone from hating each other to being completely and utterly in love, just like that.
People would ask her in a few month's time how they met, and was it 'love at first sight'. She'd smile, shake her head and say honestly 'no, it was not'.
When he went on to talk about how much she meant to him, her heart ached so much that even she had trouble breathing. He was making it sound like these were going to be his last words, and that he'd never have another chance to say them again. At this thought, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled herself closer to him, curling up against his thin body. No matter how much she tried to will the thought of him dying away, she couldn't help but dread the moment she'd finally have to let him go.
It hadn't occurred to her how much of an impact she'd had on his life, but when she listened to his words, she realised how ignrant she'd been. She was the only one he'd really wanted to spend the majority of the last year with, including his own family, and not once had he ever gotten bored of her company.
Her cheeks were dampening with a cocktail of their tears, but no longer did she care. There were no doctors around to pretend to be strong around.
Abby turned her head when she felt Leon's hands cupping her face and she looked at him obediently, just as his lips pressed against her forehead.
"I hope you know how much you mean to me. Because even now... I just don't have the words to explain it."
She nodded, resting her head gently on his bony shoulder. "I know." she sighed inwardly, trying to calm her racing heart. "Believe me, baby, I know."
She clutched his shirt desperately, then curled up into a fetal position beside him - nearly pushing herself off the narrow bed in the process. "I just-" She shook her head, letting out an involuntary shudder. "I-..." I don't want you to go. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. Leon probably felt bad enough for leaving her an not being able to to get married to her, and it would be selfish for her to dump it on him like that.
So, instead, she sucked up a sharp breath and forced a smile. "Should I... Do you want me to call the band over? We haven't seen them in a while, hm." As much as she wasn't fond of company, at such a time, and she hardly looked her best, she didn't much like the idea of being left alone with a man who could ass away at any moment, and it was only fair to let the guys come and see him before it happened, too. Even if it was just for a few minutes before he had a rest, it was nice to be in the same room as a group of people who were going through the same as her.

Leon just stroked Abby's hair, hushing her gently as anxious, half-finished thoughts jumped from her lips. He held her close, his grip strong a reassuring, and tried with all that he was to comfort her.
At last, she seemed to calm down, and looked up at him with a forced smile. "Should I... Do you want me to call the band over? We haven't seen them in a while, hm." She suggested, and Leon frowned in response. He could see the fear in her eyes, see the courage failing her, and he realized the harsh, simple truth: She's afraid of being left alone.
This realization struck him a hefty blow, and for perhaps the first time, the weight of reality began settling onto his shoulders. He was going to abandon Abby - leave her alone with her grief and fears - and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He was going to have to leave the girl he loved in the hands of his friends, because he couldn't be there for her to hold her hand through her greatest suffering of all.
The thought struck a dull ache in his heart.
"Okay." He murmured at last, bowing his head in quiet resignation, "Call them, they also deserve to say goodbye."
It was so typical of Leon. Even on his deathbed, his thoughts were selfless ones. So selfless, in fact, that they were almost selfish.
He left Abby to call the band then, but after she had been gone from his bedside barely a minute, he suddenly found himself struggling to breathe.
"Abby-" He gasped desperately, his breath growing shallower still with panic.
I can't die without you by my side!
"Abby!" He repeated more urgently, managing to coax a coherent sound from his lungs this time.
His eyes were glassy with fear as he held out a hand to her, willing her to take it.
"I need you." He whispered, chest rising and falling quickly with each breath. "I'm scared." His voice broke, and whatever strength had been holding his calm expression together finally snapped. Even though Abby was mere meters from him, it was too far. He had been at peace before, but without her, he was terrified.
What's going to happen to me? Where will I go when I die? Will I ever see Abby again?
Terrifying questions raced through his mind, and he looked at Abby desperately, his handsome chin quivering with the threat of tears.
I'm not ready yet. I need more time here, more time with Abby... I'm not ready! I don't want to die!

Abby's eyes lingered on his for a moment when she saw something flash in his expression. What was he thinking about? She wasn't sure, but she was suddenly aware of how worried he looked in comparison to his calm composure just moments before. She hesitated, then nodded, pulling herself to her feet and wandering across the room to the cheap wall-phone. Jesse was the first one she called. Then Slade, then Kate last.
Half way through talking to Kate, however, a desperate voice caught her attention. She turned around to see the strong man that had come in accepting death quivering in fear all of a sudden. The sight of him worried her.
"I've gotta go." she said quickly, dumping the phone back on the stand before scuttling back to Leon's side.
"I need you." He whimpered tearfully. "I'm scared."
She stared at him for a long while, her heart aching for him, then in a heartbeat wrapped her arms around his frail body when she could no longer stand seeing the pain in his face.
"I know." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. "So am I." She admitted. There was no point lying anymore.
With a long, shaky sigh she cradled his head to her chest like a newborn baby, caressing the tuft of hair on the back of his neck like she had done many times when they'd kissed and snuggled. Gone was the strong young man she'd hated for being so accepting of death, replaced by a terrified little boy that didn't want to die yet.
This shouldn't have happened. She thought hotly to herself. Things like this shouldn't happen to people like Leon... Taking their lives before they've had the chance to live them. It isn't fair...
She shushed his racing heart gently, rubbing his back in attempt to calm him from his panicked state. When this didn't work, she turned to the one thing they'd always done to show their feelings to each other.
She sang.

You're here again
A thousand miles away from me
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who you are
You tried so hard
Thought you could do this on your own
We've lost so much along the way...

And I see your face
I know I'm finally yours
We find everything we thought we'd lost before
I call your name
You come to me in pieces
So I can make you whole.

Leon shivered when Abby brought his head to her chest, but whether it was from cold or fear was hard to say. He felt both.
He closed his eyes tightly as the comforting sound of her voice reached him, and tears streamed down his face as he struggled to get a grip on himself. It was natural to be scared, but he could not fight it... It was time to let go.
He drew in a deep breath, comforted by the familiar, soothing sensation of Abby rubbing his back. He was about to tell her that it was fine, that he was okay again, but then she started to sing, and he just held his silence to listen.

Abby's beautiful voice wrapped around him like a blanket, and he felt his shallow breathing steady slightly as the panic left him, although his heart felt as though it were in a clamp, squeezed fit to burst.
With eyes closed, he leaned into Abby's embrace, glad to share her body warmth when his own was rapidly slipping away. His breathing was getting shallower, but he was calm again with Abby at his side.
When her song finished, he looked up, and whispered weakly, "Thank you."
There was pain in his eyes; not from his body slowly dying, but rather from the idea of slipping away and leaving behind the person he loved most in the world. Even though it was the end, he was not yet willing to let go.
"Stay here with me." He murmured quietly, holding Abby's hand gently to his chest. He could feel himself slipping further and further down from where he sat, and he knew he no longer had the strength to hold himself upright. Before he knew it, he was lying down in the bed.
He didn't speak again for a while, because each breath was becoming a battle, but he didn't dare give up the fight just yet. No matter what the doctor had said, he would hold on until the bitter end.
"I'm tired." He admitted softly, a frown creasing his features, "Talk to me." He murmured, "If I stay awake, I... I can hold on." He swallowed past a lump in his throat, and finished in a shaky whisper, "Just a little longer..."

Abby pulled up the fold-up chair as close to the bed as possible and perched herself on the edge of it, not once letting go of Leon's hand. She allowed it to be lifted to his chest, and she opened out her palm so that she could feel his heart fluttering in desperation to keep the rest of the body alive, even when it knew it wouldn't manage for long.
"Stay here with me." Leon pleaded, and she just nodded and replied honestly, "I'm not going anywhere."
She watched him weakly fall back onto the bed again, not longer able to sit up, and bit her lip to keep it from quivering again. He was tired, evidently so due to the deep shadows beneath his eyes and his breathing was no longer clear, but shirt and raspy.
"I'm tired." He gasped quietly. "Talk to me. If I stay awake, I... I can hold on. Just a little longer..."
Her brow creased with worry. The Doc had told him to stop fighting it and succumb to sleep when it took him. Yes, it would mean he'd sleep more and more until he eventually stopped waking up, but at least then he wasn't suffering. At least he'd be at peace for a few moments longer.
"Once the band's gone," She rubbed his cold hand assuringly, leaning onto the bed so her face was only inches from his. "Then you'll be able to have a rest." A corner of her mouth lifted up weakly, and her eyes glistened with fresh tears. "My little sleeping beauty."
The joke was a poor one, but there all the same. She had to admit, Leon had always been a little bit of a girl, whether it was because he once wore more make-up than she did, that he cared about his appearance or because he wasn't much taller than her, she wasn't sure. But she'd never have had him any other way.
"Leon?" She asked quietly, still smiling slightly. "I'm sorry I kneed you in the crotch that time." She admitted, blushing. "The first time, I mean. You deserved it the second time." She smiled wetly.

"You're so cruel." Leon chuckled softly, his laughed morphing into a pained cough that shook his frail rib cage. He clutched his chest, gasping for air, and for a moment the beating on his heart monitor quickened. But as the attack passed, Leon resumed speaking - gaunt and ashen-faced, but still smiling through thin lips, "You'll damage a guy's ego with all this 'Sleeping Beauty' nonsense. You may even have to knee me in the crotch again to check if I have any balls left!" He pulled a face and stuck his tongue out at her, then thought for a moment and amended hurriedly, "Actually, I take that back." He shielded his crotch defensively, shooting her an accusing glare, "Don't you get any ideas, Missy."
He grinned in amusement, and flashed Abby a joking wink. It was strange, but... It felt right to fill his last few minutes with lighthearted jokes and teasing. He squeezed Abby's hand, expression soon sobering again as he remembered what was to come. He was on his deathbed already... This was not the time for jokes, but rather the time for goodbyes...

Just as this thought occurred to him, the door was pushed open, and Jesse raced in with Slade by his side, Kate trailing slightly behind them.
"Leon!" Slade gasped, running over to the bed and collapsing onto his knees beside it, eyes shining with tears, "Abby called-" He glanced briefly toward her, "She said-" His voice cracked, "God, Leon, please don't..." He trailed off when he saw Leon shake his head, and Slade was in tears almost instantly, shaking with violent sobs while Kate wrapped her arms around him, and the pair cried together.
Leon looked up, over their heads, and met Jesse's firm gaze from where he stood in the doorway. "So it's come to this, old friend..." He murmured, slowly approaching Leon with a forced smile. His eyes glistened, but he allowed no tears to fall. He was trying hard to stay strong. "You're just here to make sure you get into my will, you bastard." Leon teased, tears pouring freely down his cheeks as he grinned weakly at Jesse. "But seriously, guys... I- I'm glad you came." He offered a teary smile, "I know this must be hard for all of you, but... It means a lot." He coughed weakly, "I guess I just can't get rid of you lot, can I?"
Slade and Kate were still crying - harder now - but Jesse sat down on the foot of his bed, and smiled strongly at him as he said, "We're like the stink on your feet, mate. We'll always be here for you." He took Leon's hand, and squeezed it reassuringly. "How are you doing?"
Leon took a moment to catch his breath, then replied with a weak chuckle, "I'm doing f*cking brilliant, man. Seriously - wanna see me tapdance? Or run a f*cking marathon?"
Jesse rolled his eyes, and gave Leon a playful shove as he growled, "Shut up, Mister Sarcastic. This is no joke."
Leon stuck out his tongue.
"Seriously, Leon."
He paused, fixing on a serious expression again, and glancing over the worried faces of his band. He sighed heavily. "I'm doing okay." He murmured, nodding slowly, "It's a little scary, and-" He swallowed a lump in his throat, "I wish I didn't have to go just yet... But this has been a long time coming. I'm ready." Looking up, Leon added with determination, "I have no regrets. I've lived a good life." Even Jesse was crying silently now, "Even if I wish I had more time, I'm ready to go. I've accepted this."

"Oh, don't worry, honey." Abby assured him, patting his crotch teasingly. "I already know you have something there, because it came up to say 'hello' this morning." She managed a smile, until she realised grmly, that was this morning.
It felt like a lifetime ago since they were in that crappy apartment, talking about making out and sugar problems and drinking hot chocolate.
She flinched her hand away when the door opened, and the band came flooding in, eyes red from crying. Her face fell at the despair in all their faces, and she was yet again reminded about the grim time they would have to go through. How long did Leon have? He looked ready enough to go to sleep right then, she just hoped he'd have it in him to hold on for a while. He seemed to have enough will, though, so she just kept her fingers crossed.
She sat back from him, giving Jesse the chance to approach Leon without her guarding him like a lion's prey, just as Slade fell to his knees an arm's length away from her. Before she knew it, her vision glazed over with tears, and once again, she was crying. But not only because of the fact that her fiancé was dying, but because she was also in the same room as someone who Leon had urged her to spend the rest of her life with. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced the thought away. He wasn't dead yet, it would be selfish to be thinking about all that now.
She was about to get up and comfort him, but thankfully Kate got there before she did, so she let the two mourn with each other. She thought of calling Lucy to comfort Jesse, and probably herself, then shook her head. They didn't need more people in the room, and the company would probably tire Leon out sooner, which wouldn't help the situation. Besides, she'd probably want to be left alone anyway.
Jesse and Leon exchanged boyish remarks, when eventually Leon finished, "I wish I didn't have to go just yet... But this has been a long time coming. I'm ready. I have no regrets. I've lived a good life. Even if I wish I had more time, I'm ready to go. I've accepted this."
"Stop it." Abby said eventually, breaking the silence. "Just... Stop. Please. You make it sound as if you've already gone."
She looked away, feeling her breathing become strangled again as the tears choked her, and it took a good few tries to calm herself down again.
Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She pulled out Leon's phone, which she'd accidentally taken in stead of her own from the apartment - and pulled out a blank text message. There wasn't time to head to the bitch's house and drag her by her hair, so a text message would have to do. Whilst the focus was not on her, she took a blurry picture of Leon's pale face, tagged Britney's number, and began to text.

He's too weak and too bloody kind-hearted to send this
to you, so I'm doing it myself. If you haven't already noticed, Leon's dying.
He has been ever since I first met him. Except he was a douchebag then,
because he thought he had to be. Because YOU infected him. Now, if time
was something he had now I'd have driven over to your house and dragged
you over here by your filthy hair and made you see yourself what you have
done to him. Make you see what YOU will look like when you're on YOUR
deathbed. I don't give a shit why you decided to do this to him, whether
it was because he was a self-centred brat when he was in the band (which,
by the way, he also had to give up because of YOU, but it was only one thing
of a list of many) or if you just wanted to be famous. Whatever the reason
was, CONGRATULATIONS.
You've successfully managed to unashamedly destroy the life of not only one of the
bravest men alive, but also that of three other band members, me, and an
innocent little girl who was - and still is - the love of Leon's life. His little
sister. You weren't there to see her grieve him, the day he told her he was
going to die, so you wouldn't have heard every heart-wrenching sob that
left her tiny mouth when she held onto him until she cried herself to sleep.
You weren't there to hold him when he curled up on his bed and screamed
into a pillow, tears streaming down his face because the world was so fucking
cruel. I wouldn't expect a filthy whore like you to understand him at all. It
is obvious that you were angry about being infected by the virus that is
going to take Leon's life today, you obviously wanted to go on a frenzy
and thought 'fuck it' when you made the choice to sleep with him. But I DON'T
CARE how much it torments you that you're going to suffer the same fate as
him. I DON'T CARE if you cry yourself to sleep at night in fear of what will come.
The difference between a whore like you and the dying man in front of me
is that, no matter how angry Leon got, he would never wish this burden on
anyone.

You will see in this picture that he is surrounded by a group of people who all
love him dearly. I hope when your time comes that you look 100 time worse
than this, and that when you die there will be no one left to celebrate your
pathetic, miserable life.

Abby.

"Stop it." Abby said at last, drawing curious glances from all the band member, "Just... Stop. Please. You make it sound as if you've already gone."
"Abby, I pretty much am]/i]-" Leon began, but Jesse laid a hand on his arm to stop him. Leon glanced up questioningly, and when Jesse shook his head, he fell silent.
[i]Message received.
Even on his deathbed, he hadn't completely got the hang of this 'tact' thing.
Leon spent a little longer talking to the band, even though he was growing weaker by the minute, while Abby fiddled with a cellphone in the background. Leon just assumed that she was distracting herself, so he let her be, allowing his friends to have his attention for a while.

Meanwhile, somewhere many miles away, Britney curled into a ball on the bed in Leon's old apartment, and sobbed as she clutched her cellphone to her chest. "God, Leon... Why..." She choked through desperate sobs of regret, the tears smudging her mascara as they flooded down her face. She tried calling Leon's number, but he did not answer, so instead she just lay down and cried. She knew that she deserved every word that little bitch Abby had said to her, no matter how cruel...
She had eventually realized what a good man Leon was, and what a mistake it had been to try to destroy him those few years ago. She had fallen far, far further than she had ever expected... And now, sitting in an apartment that still smelled like him, Britney missed her ex. She regretted every time she had turned him down, and regretted even more that she'd ever slept with him in the first place... Because she knew that by the time the morning came, he would be gone, never to return. And she could never take back what she had done.

Back in the hospital room, Jesse held Leon's hand, and swallowed thickly when he felt his friend's grasp weakening. With all the strength left in him, he turned away, and said in a shaky voice, "C'mon, guys. Let's leave these two lovebirds alone." He flashed Abby a wink, then pulled Slade and Kate to their feet beside him.
"Cheers for now, Leon." He murmured, his eyes meeting those of the boy who had been his best friend since day one. He held Leon's gaze a moment, transferring some sort of silent message, and added in a hoarse whisper, "I'll see you when you wake up."
Leon smiled sadly at him, nodding, and murmured through tears, "Thanks for everything, Jes." His voice dropped to a whisper, "I love you, man."
Jesse turned away, hiding his tears, and raised a hand in a silent farewell as he left the room.
Leon was left in tears again, drawing in shaky, shallow breaths as he struggled to get a grip on himself.
"This is it, Abbs." He mumbled, casting Abby a serious glance. His expression clearly stated what he was not brave enough to say: There's no more time for jokes or messing around. This is really it. It's time to say goodbye.

Abby's head snapped up suddenly when she heard Jesse mention leaving, and she frowned at him. Why was he leaving? What reason would they possibly have for leaving at such a-
Then he winked at her, pushing a tear down his cheek, and she realised why. Biting her lip, she nodded respectfully back at him.
"Cheers for now, Leon." He said gruffly. "I'll see you when you wake up."
Abby nearly laughed. Poor Jesse, trying to be funny as always. In fact she was glad he'd said it, because if Leon had said it she'd probably have had to fight the urge to hit him.
When Jesse and the others finally left the room, Abby shifted the chair back next to the bed and sandwiched Leon's cold had between hers, bringing his pale fingers to her lips. They were going limp in her grip, and all she could do was keep them moving to hide it from herself.
"This is it, Abbs."
She looked down at Leon's trembling hand, when she realised that it wasn't trembling, and in fact it was her own hands that were doing do. She clutched his slightly harder to hide this fact, but it didn't mask very well. She nodded wordlessly, choking on tears, and coughed into her arm.
"You're right." She croaked. "It is." Then, after a pause, she looked up and her eyes were lit up with the last spark of happiness she would ever feel with him, and she smiled wetly. "It's time we got married, don't you think? Or, at least..." she glanced around the empty room. It was obvious there was no one who could legally marry them, and they didn't have time call anybody. She sniffed. "Well, we can say our vows still, right?" She sort of laughed, her face glistening with tears as she brought a hand to his face, caressing his pale cheek with her thumb.
Without waiting for his permission, she began to whisper the lyrics of a song she'd grown up with, and a song that Leon was probably familar with, anyway.

It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken hospital light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

She had to take a moment to clear her throat, and wipe the tears from her eyes, not that that would keep them from falling. She had a feeling they wouldn't stop for a while.
"I take you, Leon Hunter, to be my wedded husband..." She sniffed. "To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward..." She kissed his hand again. "'Till death and beyond. And all I ask in return, my love, is for you to never leave my side..." She smiled weakly. "I don't care how awesome Heaven is. If I need you..." She choked a sob. "You'd better come running. Or flying. Or floating, or whatever you do." She gave him a stern look, but it was difficult to keep it there forever. She was evidently holding back properly mourning, because she didn't want the last thing he saw to be her looking her utmost worst.

Leon listened as Abby spoke, and each word that left her lips wrenched at his heart more and more.
I don't want to leave you...
He wanted to beg her to stop, but he was choking on his tears, and he had no breath to spare for objecting. He truly loved that girl with all his heart. To hear her speak those vows - even if they were only pretend - was all that he could ever have wished for. As usual, he didn't know how she knew what to say when he didn't even know what he wanted to hear... But Abby just knew. She always knew. It was one of the many things he loved about her...
He clenched his jaw, willing himself to be strong even as tears streamed down his cold cheeks, soaking the pillow under his head and reddening his beautiful eyes, still bright with the life he refused to let go of.
"Abby," He whispered when he finally found the strength, gripping her hand tightly, "I'm shocked you even have to ask." He managed a weak smile, "I'd walk through Hell to be by your side. And even if that's what I have to do," He chuckled weakly, "I promise I'll be watching over you. Forever."
He met her gaze intently, then braced a shaking arm against the mattress and - with an unbelievable, valiant effort - he managed to sit up, pulling Abby's hand to his chest and placing it over his heart, then holding it there firmly as he met her gaze with the sort of strength that only Leon could muster in such an utterly pathetic state.
"You'll never be alone." He swore passionately, "I'll be with you every second, through the good times and the bad. Even if you can't see me or talk to me any more-" His voice cracked, and he pulled her closer, sliding his free hand around the back of her head and pressing his forehead desperately to hers.
"I'll always be here." He gasped, his voice no more than a shaky whisper, "There's not a hint of doubt in my mind. I love you too damn much for a silly thing like death to get in the way." He pulled back an inch, looking up at her, and smiled bravely as he clasped her cheeks between cold, shaking palms, "This is just a little bump in the road for us, you hear? It's not the end - forever's just not long enough for me to be with you." He uttered a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and his grip on her face weakened a little.
"I want you to believe." He whispered, speaking through ashen, quivering lips as he gradually slipped away from Abby, "Believe that there will be a time when you'll find me again, and we can be together without a care in the world. Keep me in your heart..." He laid a trembling hand over her heart to demonstrate, and added with a smile and a shadow of a laugh, "Yeah, I know it's cheesy, but that's kind how I roll."
He managed to grin through his tears, and found himself grasping Abby's shoulder in a desperate attempt to keep himself sitting up just a little longer.
"I love you, Abby." He whispered for the very last time, "No silly little delay like this," He waved his hand, dismissing his own demise as though it were the simplest thing in the world, "could ever change that."
With the last of his strength, he reached toward her, and met her lips in a kiss so full of emotion that it tore at his faintly-beating heart.
He never broke that last kiss, but when his shaking limbs gave out for the final time, he fell back on his pillow with a grunt of pain, face contorting into a momentary wince. He took a moment to recover, then looked up at Abby, eyes glassy with tears. The light inside them was fading.
"I'm... Kinda tired..." He mumbled, his breaths coming in shallow gasps, few and far between, "I... Think I'll have a little rest now." His fingers twitched weakly, searching for her hand, "You'll be here when I wake up... Right?" His eyes found hers, and gazed into them with all the love in the world.
"Give us a smile, then." He whispered, voice fading fast into silence, and eyes closing for a little longer than a standard blink, "We're one step closer to meeting again... I think that's worth... Smiling about."

Abby just nodded wordlessly at all his promises. Really, she hoped he was telling the truth, because living without him would be as hard as breathing beneath water from then on, and drowning didn't seem all that bad the more she thought about it.
"You'll never be alone. I'll be with you every second, through the good times and the bad. Even if you can't see me or talk to me any more-" He cut off, pulling her head towards his. She fell to her knees by the bed then at the ferocity of his passionate strength, and she knotted her fingers through his soft, dark hair, as it seemed to be the only thing left she could hold onto. "I'll always be here. There's not a hint of doubt in my mind. I love you too damn much for a silly thing like death to get in the way." She closed her eyes. The way he said it... It made his death seem almost insignificant.
"There's not a hint of doubt in my mind. I love you too damn much for a silly thing like death to get in the way." He took her face in his hands, and she suddenly hated him for being able to smile like that. He was being brave and he was the one who was dying, and yet she was the one completely in bits. She had to fight the urge to crumble at his touch, wishing foolishly that the world would freeze at that moment so she could feel his touch for the rest of time. The more she felt it, the more hollow was the black hole in the chest when she realised it was something she wouldn't have forever.
"This is just a little bump in the road for us, you hear? It's not the end - forever's just not long enough for me to be with you."
She shook her head tearfully at him. 'Forever' seemed a long way away when they didn't have much time in the moment.
"I want you to believe." He began again, sinking back towards the bed. "Believe that there will be a time when you'll find me again, and we can be together without a care in the world. Keep me in your heart..." Her chest burned where he touched it with a weak hand, which she caught in her own before it could drop back onto the bed. That, at least she could promise him forever. He could spend eternity in her heart if he wanted. Hell, she'd let him live in there for free.
She tried to laugh at his 'cheesy' comment, but it sounded more like a sob. Her eyes were now swollen and raw from crying so much, and her head throbbed like it was being trampled by an elephant, yet the tears kept flowing; neverending.
"I love you, Abby. No silly little delay like this could ever change that." With that he slipped a hand behind her head and kissed her with such love and passion that Abby's heart physically hurt at the thought of losing him. She could taste his own tears trickling down his cheeks, mixing in with hers, the strength of the kiss weakening as he did, and before Abby could catch him he fell back onto the pillow, his bloodless face contorted to a pained grimace. She gasped suddenly, thinking he may have literally dropped dead there and then, but the heart moniter continued to beep on, slowly but surely.
Leon's expression had gone grey as the light began to dim in his eyes. Her heart stopped for a moment. Was this it?
He mentioned the tiredness and her face fell. The poor boy had suffered enough. "I... Think I'll have a little rest now. You'll be here when I wake up... Right?"
She nodded, but she was only half listening to his words. He was drifting further and further away from her, and it seemed consciousness was slowly beginning to be a thing of the past.
She must have looked pretty miserable, because he then said, his voice nothing but a mere whisper, "Give us a smile, then. We're one step closer to meeting again... I think that's worth... Smiling about."
She did as she was told, lifting his fingers to her lips. "Don't worry about me, baby. I'll be here. I'll be right here when you wake up."
She nearly choked on the sobs now. He's not going to wake up.
"Just close your eyes."
Stay with me... Please.
"Listen to my voice."
Don't fall asleep... It's too soon yet...
"I love you, Leon. I will always love you. I promise you, with all my heart."
The angels can wait... For a moment.
Her hand found it's way to his cheek, and she wiped away the last of his tears. "This isn't goodbye, you know. I'll be seeing you soon, don't you worry about that. You'll never be out of my reach, I promise. We'll always be together..."
Please, God. Don't take him away from me...
"We all love you, Leon. We all love you so much... "

"Don't worry about me, baby. I'll be here. I'll be right here when you wake up." Abby whispered tearfully, and at the sight of her smile, Leon felt a deep sense of peace wash over him. Suddenly, reality was far from his grasp. He felt no pain, and the struggle of breathing was forgotten. The beeping of the heart monitor faded into the background, and his entire world shrunk until the only thing left in it was that smiling face before him. He looked into her eyes, and he was the happiest he had ever been. The heart monitor gradually began to slow.
"Just close your eyes. Listen to my voice." Abby encouraged gently, and as heaviness began pressing down on his eyelids, Leon was forced to obey.
"I love you, Leon. I will always love you. I promise you, with all my heart." He forced his eyes open again, his gaze the warmest it had ever been when Abby touched his cheek. "I know." He whispered, a smile pulling onto his cold lips.
"This isn't goodbye, you know. I'll be seeing you soon, don't you worry about that. You'll never be out of my reach, I promise. We'll always be together... We all love you, Leon. We all love you so much... "
His hand closed weakly around hers, and as the beeping of the heart monitor slowed further still, his eyelids began to flicker.
He struggled to draw one final breath, battling the downward spiral of death to say his last farewell.
"I... love you... too..."[/i] He managed, looking up at her for the last time, and showing instead of telling her all the words of love that he no longer had the time to say.
The time between the beeps on the heart monitor had become so long that it was almost as though the machine had stopped entirely. But then Leon closed his eyes, and with his final ounce of strength, he squeezed Abby's hand. Then his own went limp, and the heart monitor beeped for the last time, a sound that went on and on with horrible finality.
Leon Hunter lay dead in the hospital bed; a smile on his face and a song in his heart, for the rest of eternity.
He would never feel pain again.

Through the echoed drumming of her own heart between her ears and the messy snivelling sound that kept escaping through her nose, Abby could barely hear the slowing beep of the heart monitor merely inches behind her. It seemed stupid not to notice such an important factor of those last few moments, but keeping her eyes on the love of her life seemed more important.
Even when his eyes were closed.
She intertwined her fingers as intricately as possible, holding on as tight as she could to mask how weak his limp hand was, that he wasn't holding it back.
At least it's peaceful, she told herself, when a sudden rush of fury fell over her for sounding so glad. He was dying. It was a fact that she'd faced from the very beginning, but it didn't make it any less easier to accept when she was with him on his death bed.
A tiny breath escaped his bloodless lips, and he whispered the three simple words they'd exchanged so many times before that moment, but this time it was suddenly made all the more significant. With his final breath he had assured her for the last time that his love to her had been true.
She felt his hand twitch in hers for one last time, until it finally went heavy.
Abby sat for a long moment, ignoring the neverending beep of the heart moniter behind her, and watched his peaceful expression for any sign of life.
"Leon?" She asked shakily, wiping the tears furiously from her eyes so she could see his face more clearly. "Leon...? Leon, baby, wake up..."
Then the long, monotonous beep behind her finally sank in, and she realised she was alone. This time, it was forever.


One year later...

The dull sun flew upwards to the call of midday, and the trees swayed elegantly in the damp wind as the end of Autumn hinted in the cold, crisp air. Stood on the wet, grassy hill behind the cemetry, Abby could see the school she'd been avoiding ever since she'd first met Leon, the school where all of their early memories had taken place.
She smiled to herself.
By her feet was a grave. It was large, barely weathered by the burning sun and the heavy rain that had abused the rest of the graveyard. It was out of place, made of perfectly cut marble and polished so firmly to make it look like glass, and the words were still well preserved as if they were carved yesterday: 'In loving memory of Leon Hunterford, died aged 17. Rest In Peace.'
Abby's eyes scanned the words a few times, as if she'd not seen them before, then looked down at the red rose in her hands. The grave had bloomed with many different flowers, all from her, but none had been a rose. This particular rose was still in it's packaging, tied with a red ribbon, and looked like something someone would give to a lover on Valentine's day. It wasn't that day just yet, but there was a reason why she'd chosen it for this particular day.
It's been a year, Leon. She thought to him, playing with the stalk of the road in her fingers. And what a Hell of a year it's been.
The press wanted to know every detail of what happened in that hospital when you died. Of course, I didn't give it to them. I was hardly in a state to be within the presence of those scavengers, anyway. You could say the grieving process has been a bumpy ride with me, definitely. I know you said you were always with me, but it was hard to concentrate on that when reminders of your death were literally everywhere, in every newspaper and TV headline. I had a few breakdowns, definitely. And I didn't want to put my burden on any of the guys, either. Jesse has apparently released a few solo songs of his own in the last few months, ones he wrote when he was grieving, too. I'm not going to lie, I have a pile of 'em, too. But none are worth anything to any record company, and I don't think the rest of the world has any business on prying on my feelings about you, especially ones I've had whilst drowning in a river of tears, or sitting in a corner and ripping my hair out. I haven't heard from Kate, and to be honest, I've been avoiding Slade completely. Whenever I thought about talking to him, I always remembered what you told me that day in Italy, when you'd just proposed to me, about how he liked me. I knew you wanted be to spend the rest of my life with someone who I'd be happy with and who you'd trust, but no matter how late I'd left it, it felt like too soon. I always felt like any new guy would be me trying to replace you.
But I was wrong.
No matter who I end up spending my life with, I'll never be able to replace you. No man will ever come close. So that makes me feel a bit better.
You see, I know now. It's taken me a year to realise it, but now I know... I'm not alone. As cliché as it sounds, I will always have you with me, even though you're not physically there. So when I move on with my life I know you'll know I haven't forgotten you, nor will I ever, but I know you want me to be happy. I may never be as happy as I was with you, but that's okay, because you never really left in the first place.
I love you, Leon. And don't you dare forget it, because I sure won't.

With that she laid the rose onto the fresh tuffet of grass beside the grave stone, her engagement ring glistening on the thin, silver chain around her neck, then she straightened once more and admired the view of the rolling hills, leading off into the nearest valley, where her old life ended, and her new one would begin.
She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.
"Heya, Slade? Um... I was just wondering..." She bit her lip. "Do you want to meet for a coffee somewhere? I think there's a good place near Carleton we could go that does amazing Cappuccinos. Yeah. Half an hour, then? Awesome. I'll see you there."
Slipping the phone back in her pocket, she gave the grave one final glance. Then, wrapping her fingers around the ring she kissed it, smiled, and walked out of the cemetery to begin her life again.