Andrew could barely recall the series of events that led up to Norton's death. Everything felt like a distant memory, he felt miles away from his own body. He sat in the hospital waiting room, head in his hands. It didn't make any sense, how something could go from perfect to disastrous.
Norton had come home around midnight, his clothes dirty and filled with the scent of dirt and sweat. Andrew was already in bed at that time, getting ready to sleep by settling down with a book. Norton, who was exhausted, wasted zero time shoveling some food in his mouth and getting into the shower. Andrew waited peacefully, enjoying the time he had with his book.
Norton emerged from the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist, moving to their shared dresser. He dug through the drawers until he found a pair of nice boxers. His towel dropped, and he slipped the underwear on right before flopping into their bed.
"Ugh. I'm so tired. I never want to go back there again. It's like hell on Earth." Norton said, a cough emerging with his words. A cough that Andrew was so used to, yet it still made him jump every so often.
"You shouldn't, honestly. I'm sorry." Andrew said with a sigh, folding the corner of the page he was on to mark it. He gently set the book down on his bedside table and turned to his partner.
"It's alright. Can't do much about it, it's just something I'm going to have to deal with." Norton had a tinge of sadness in his voice. Another cough followed his sentence.
"I worry for you, Norton." Andrew mumbled, placing a gentle hand on Norton's cheek. Sometimes, Andrew regretted letting himself get so close and attached to Norton. His lover's profession was dangerous, and while he liked to believe that Norton was being safe and that nothing extraordinarily bad would come from it, he couldn't help but become paranoid when he was away.
"Don't. I'm okay." Norton smiled gently, causing butterflies to erupt from nowhere in Andrew's stomach. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He didn't want to have a nightmare, or go into a frozen state that he could never escape on his own. Norton's smile always made his nerves go ablaze, just out of pure joy.
"You know, one day, we'll be rich. Rich enough so that I don't have to work anymore, so rich that I would just sit and admire you all day." Even in sad moments, Norton never failed to flirt with the white haired man, making a faint blush spread across Andrew's cold cheeks.
"Alright. You need to rest." Andrew said, pressing a gentle kiss onto Norton's cheek. Norton savored the kiss, leaning into Andrew's touch. Something about Andrew's affection made Norton never want to let go, to hold onto that moment of time for forever. He leaned the opposite direction to turn the lamp on his bedside table off, and laid down to finally sleep. It didn't take long for him to drift into a pleasant dream, knowing his partner was safe next to him.
"Goodnight, Andy. I love you."
