Forever August ✔️

chapter twenty-two

"i never meant to start a fire.
i never meant to make you bleed."
- jaymes young
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AURORA OPENED HER eyes and all she saw was white. White walls, white tiles and bright, white lights. The square room was filled with the soft hum of machines, and a slow drip. The air smelt strange. Too clean and stale at the same time. Her head throbbed as she sat up slightly, gazing around the room.

She could see tubes sticking out of her arms, feel the pinch of broken bones as she tried to sit up higher before giving up. She wiggled her toes to make sure they were all there, then her fingers. Satisfied, she sighed. Her head felt hazy, a thick fog blurring the lines between reality and her mind. It was only when she turned her head to the right that she saw him.

Gus was curled up on a chair, a pale yellow blanket thrown carelessly over him, long legs sticking out. His curls were matted against his head and Aurora could see the swollen skin under his eyes. It was clear he hadn't slept in a while.

"Gus?" Her voice came out in barely a squeak, so low even she couldn't hear it. Her voice felt dry, small, and she wondered how long it had been since she was last awake. How long it had been since she entered this hospital, and why.

There was a cup of water resting on a tray beside her bed. With trembling fingers, Aurora reached for it. The cup shook in her hand, droplets of water spilling over the edges and falling onto the blue garment she was wearing. She drank the entire thing before she cleared her throat and tried again.

"Gus?" she called, louder, firmer, this time. Gus instantly shot up. The blanket fell to the floor as he whirled around. His eyes were wide with terror when they locked on hers. Then, his entire face seemed to shift, like his body let out a sigh of relief as he stared at her.

"Rory," he breathed. Aurora felt her cheeks ache as she smiled. She barely had the time to say hello before he was leaning over the bed, holding her tightly to his chest. "I thought..." he began, words trailing off. She could feel his tears against her cheek, feel how quickly his heart was beating.

Gus pulled back and held Aurora's face in his hands, his touch as light as a summer breeze. "I thought you were gone," he said. "I thought I had lost you." His voice broke on the last word and Aurora felt his hands tighten on her face.

And although it hurt like hell, she forced herself to smirk. "You really think I would die without finishing every item on my bucket list?" She rolled her eyes.

Gus laughed. It was her favourite sound in the world. "I thought you said it wasn't a list," he said, smile never leaving his face. Aurora shifted over slightly as he sat on the bed beside her. His movements were slow, careful, as to not hurt her.

"Bucket adventure," she corrected. Her hand reached for him, latching onto his arm. "Gus?" she asked.

"Yes, Rory?"

There were a million questions she wanted to ask about the hospital, the pain that seemed to be radiating through her body and how much time she had missed. Instead, all she managed to say was, "Kiss me."

Gus smiled for the briefest of moments, eyes seeming to shine. "Of course," he said before leaning forward and kissing her, softly. The heart rate monitor Aurora was connected to began to beep, loudly, exposing her. Gus pulled back slightly, smirking.

"Shut up," she grumbled, laughing as she tugged his face back to hers.

A nurse interrupted shortly after, checking her vitals before leaving with a knowing smile. Aurora knew she only had minutes until the room was full of doctors, Thomas among them, so she turned to Gus, who was perched on the edge of the bed, eyes locked on her face. She wondered if he would ever look away again.