call out my name [2gether]

CH 28 🔞

[NSFW! You have been warned.]

THE OXYGEN THAT YOU NEED.

Tine was sitting on the long side of the hospital bed, clad in the oversized, blue hospice pajamas while intensely staring down at his bare feet. The sun was shining into the room through the open window, bathing him in a dreamy, white haze. The stray sunrays splintered through his soft hair like dusty webs, creating an ethereal aura around him and Sarawat was startled at how much it reminded him of Tine's ghostly image. A cold shiver ran down his spine. Shit. It had really been such a close call.

Blinking owlishly, he instantly tried to stow way the unnerving anxiety that ran through him, pooling like hard lead in his lower belly. Sarawat was certainly not used to feeling like this and because of all these recent events, he would probably never be able to keep his cool around Tine ever again. Not when he looked so soft and innocent, still slightly anemic. Sarawat just wanted to scoop him into his arms and never let go. Aw, hell. When had he become such a sappy fuck?

"What are you doing?" Sarawat asked mystified when Tine kept on staring, very transfixed, at his own two feet, feather light lashes grazing his sharp cheeks.

Suddenly being addressed, the fair skinned man raised his head in alarm, brown eyes wide, having totally missed the other one's quiet entrance.

"Oh, hi," Tine laughed self-consciously while raising one slender hand to rub at his flushed nape, flashing his front teeth on a square grin and eyes crinkling. The flimsy pajama shirt shifted with his jerky movement, revealing that it was buttoned askance. A slice of creamy skin peaked innocently underneath the uneven collar and Sarawat tried not to stare at it too much with his owlish eyes. He licked his lower lip absently.

Frankly, it was driving Sarawat a little mad, knowing that he could so easily touch Tine right now but had to refrain for the sake of not spooking him. It was quite obvious that Tine did not remember anything about his little ghostly adventure, seeing as how bashful he was acting around Sarawat, every time just as surprised when the guitarist came to visit him at the hospital. Needless to say it had been two slightly awkward weeks. But with Tine's parting confession still lingering fresh on his mind, Sarawat was certainly not going to let it become an obstacle. This time around it was his turn to pursue Tine. Besides, it was just the perfect opportunity for Sarawat to get to know the real Tine, the Tine that he had been chasing traces of all this time.

"I was trying to wiggle my toes," Tine explained as if that was the most obvious thing in the world and once again looked back down at the pale appendages with a furrow between his dark eyebrows, legs dangling from the side of the bed a little forlornly. Why won't they move?

Tine had been going to physical therapy for several hours a day to regain his range of movement and so far it had been going extremely well, even if not a little too quick, too miraculous. Well, except for some minor things that seemed to take their sweet time, like wiggling his toes and moving his left arm. And for some strange reason, he always felt a little cold. Oh right, and one of his eyebrows, might it rest in peace. Although, Tine kind of liked it, he had decided. The thick, jagged nick in it certainly gave him a slightly roguish appearance and character, as if he had some interesting stories to tell about his otherwise boring life.

Sarawat inclined his head, a tiny smile tugging at his bow shaped lips. He slipped his guitar case off of one curved shoulder, while keeping his intense gaze focused on Tine, absently putting the instrument on the only chair available in the room. Sarawat then stalked closer to the hospital bed, reaching out one lithe arm and petting Tine's head softly, endearingly.

"Don't worry. It'll come with time." Like your memory of us, Sarawat thought. "Don't over extort yourself too much."

Tine nodded in reply quietly, rather immune to all the encouraging words that he been fed since the moment he woke up from his coma. His friends and family were constantly treating him with kiddy gloves, especially P'Type. It was almost unbearable when his older brother came to see him, on several occasions even trying to spoon-feed him like some kind of giant baby. It was highly degrading, especially if it happened when Sarawat was there to see it. Tine sniffed indignantly. He did not know how he finally got Sarawat to notice him, Tine did not dare questioning that yet, but Type was certainly cramping Tine's style with his mother-henning. And it was not like Tine needed any help with that, since Sarawat usually got him tongue tied by his mere existence alone.