i'm sorry in advance.
tw: car accident
🦋
Rossi wakes up in the forest.
Sitting up, he brushes the leaves off of himself, looking around for someone. He hears footsteps.
"You're awake." Royce says from behind him. "Good morning." He helps him stand up, smiling at the confused look on Rossi's face.
"What happened last night?" Rossi asks, his head is pounding. "I told you not to let me drink too much."
Royce laughs. "You only drank one and a half, love."
Rossi blushes, leaves and branches crunching under their feet as they walk back to the cabin.
"Where's everyone else?" Rossi asks.
"They... went out for a bit. They'll be back later."
—
After Rossi has showered, and they've eaten breakfast, they walk out onto the back deck.
"It's going to rain," Rossi says after a few minutes. "The leaves are turned over,"
Royce smiles at Rossi, watching the breeze blow his hair around.
"You okay?" Rossi asks. "You look sad."
Royce nods, smiling quickly. "I'm okay. I'm just sad we have to go back tomorrow. It's been nice to have this time together."
"We still have tonight..." Rossi says. "Let's go watch a movie?"
The hours pass quickly, and with each tick of the clock signaling another hour gone by, he knows that he needs to tell Rossi. He just doesn't know the words to use...
🦋
Rossi yawns as he stands up, stretching.
"I'm tired," he says, looking back at Royce on the couch.
Royce pulls Rossi back down on the couch. "Let's stay up. For just a little bit longer?"
Rossi groans. "Fine."
Tipping his chin up, Royce brings his head to Rossi's, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.
"I love you." Royce says. "And I hope you never forget that."
Rossi sits up, jolting. "What's going on, Royce? You're scaring me."
Royce takes a deep breath.
"When you wake up, I'm not going to be here." Royce says, his eyes burning as tears fill them.
Rossi looks at him, tilting his head. "Are you breaking up with me?"
Royce shakes his head. "This isn't real, Ros," he says quietly. "This is in your imagination. It's a dream."
Rossi's heart beats in his chest quickly, starting to breathe heavily. "What's going on?"
🦋
The monitors beep rapidly, signaling Rossi's heart rate rising. Carmine stands up as his mom runs to get a nurse.
"What's happening?" Giovanni asks, looking at his older brother.
"It's okay, Gio," Carmine says, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Their mom comes back in, six nurses following behind her.
Someone takes his vitals,
someone listens to his heart,
someone sticks an oxygen cannula up his nose while trying to find his respiratory rate.
All while Carmine holds his little brother,
just as scared and confused.
🦋
"Rossi, you've been in a coma for six weeks." Royce says. "It's time to wake up now."
"What?" Rossi asks. "Wh-what's going on, Royce?"
"Six weeks ago, you and I were driving home. From this very trip. It was late at night. It was raining. I tried everything I could, but... the car wouldn't stop. It was a hit and run..." Royce leads Rossi's attention to the TV.
—
"Two teenage boys were in an accident this evening coming home from a family camping trip. Their names have not been released to the press yet, but they are both in critical condition. The other driver has not yet been located."
"No new update yet about the crash from last night, but police are looking at CCTV footage to try and get the license plate number."
"Rossi de Luca and Royce Birmingham have been identified as the two boys from the crash early yesterday morning. We do not have any updates on their condition, but will continue to keep you updated."
"In a confirmed update today, we learned that Royce Birmingham passed away from his injuries late last night. Rossi de Luca is still in the icu, in critical condition. The doctors have not been able to say yet whether he will make a full recovery or not."
—
Rossi turns to look at Royce.
"This is a joke, right? A sick joke?" Rossi asks.
Royce shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Ros..."
"I don't want to live without you, Royce." Rossi says, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.
"You have to let me go, Ros. You have to live." Royce says softly.
"No. No. I don't want to live if I can't have you-"
"Ros, your family needs you. You have to wake up. You have to let me go."
"I don't want to, Royce," Rossi cries. "I need you. I need you with me. I can't do it without you."
Royce holds Rossi's face in his hands. "You will be okay, Rossi. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you for giving me everything that I ever wanted. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being my best friend..." Royce's thumbs wipe away Rossi's falling tears. "Remember, I'm always with you. I'll always be in your heart. But you have to wake up. You have to wake up now, Rossi."
"No, I—"
Royce kisses Rossi long and hard.
"Wake up." He says softly.
🦋
The nurses are all gathered around Rossi's bed; Carmine, Alessia, Giovanni, and his mom, too. His mom grips his hand, holding it tightly. They can't see him, but Royce is there too, smiling sadly.
Rossi stirs. His eyes open.
And immediately he starts to fight, trying to scream out.
He hopes it was just a bad dream.
There's no way Royce is gone.
He can't be.
He would know...
wouldn't he?
Rossi looks at his mom, and with just one look, she nods.
It's true.
Too exhausted to keep fighting,
Rossi starts to cry,
and his mom holds him close.
Rossi closes his eyes.
He counts down from
ten,
mine,
eight,
seven,
six,
five,
four,
three,
two...
When he opens his eyes, this will all have been just a sick joke, or a nightmare. And Royce will be standing there, by his bedside, and he'll get to tell him about the
crazy
dream
that
he
just
had,
right?
But he opens his eyes, and Royce isn't there.
His brothers and sister are standing at the edge of the bed, but Royce isn't there. Royce isn't in the corner, or in the bathroom, or...
"Rossi," a nurse says. "Are you in any pain?"
🦋
Rossi sleeps most of the day.
He doesn't want to be awake.
He doesn't want to see anybody.
All he wants is...
"Rossi, you're so strong." A voice says. "You are doing so good. I'm so proud of you."
Rossi jolts and wakes himself up.
Just
another
stupid
dream.
—
After two months, Rossi is finally released from the hospital. He sees a therapist twice a week.
He's not sure how he's supposed to deal with any of this, but he knows he has to continue Royce's legacy. He has to keep going, because that's what he wanted...
So he does.
He lives his life,
finds love and gets married,
has three kids, one of which he gave the middle name Royce,
but through it all,
he
never
forgets
Royce.
Even when dementia comes.
Still he remembers.
And one morning he wakes up,
and he sees
the
love
of
his
life
once
again.
11/13/2022
