Adrian lay curled on the sofa, his breathing steady as sleep claimed him after another exhausting day. His delicate features were softened in slumber, the lines of worry smoothed away, if only for a short while.
The hospital room was quiet, except for the faint hum of the machines monitoring Ethan's body.
Ethan had grown accustomed to Adrian's quiet presence, to the way the boy would sit by his side every day, talking to him as though he could hear. Adrian's words had become a strange comfort, and Ethan had found himself drawn to the boy, even though he didn't fully understand why.
Moving silently, Ethan walked over to the sofa and crouched down beside Adrian. His soul form allowed him to move without constraint, and though he knew Adrian couldn't see or feel him, Ethan's hand hovered just above Adrian's cheek, the desire to touch him too strong to resist.
With a gentle motion, Ethan's hand brushed against Adrian's soft skin. To his surprise, he felt it. The warmth of Adrian's face, the slight flush of his cheeks as he slept. For a moment, Ethan froze, staring at his hand in disbelief. But then, something even stranger happened.
He felt faint and light.
In an instant, Ethan found himself standing in a vast, empty white space. Confusion swept through him as he looked around, trying to make sense of where he was. It was peaceful but eerily silent, as though time itself had stopped.
And then, in the distance, Ethan saw something—or rather, someone.
Adrian.
But this wasn't the Adrian he had just seen sleeping on the sofa. This Adrian was struggling, his body thrashing in the water as he gasped for breath. The boy was drowning, his hands reaching out in desperation, but no one was there to help him. Ethan's heart lurched at the sight. Without thinking, he ran toward Adrian, his soul moving as though it had a mind of its own.
"Adrian!"
He dove into the water.
Wrapping his arms around Adrian's frail form, Ethan pulled him to the surface, lifting him out of the dark, swirling waters and into his embrace. They floated together, the water calm now as Ethan held Adrian tightly, keeping him safe.
Adrian coughed and gasped, blinking in confusion as he found himself cradled in someone's arms. He looked up, his wide silver eyes meeting Ethan's for the first time. There was a flicker of recognition in Adrian's gaze, but more than that—there was surprise.
"Ethan?" Adrian's voice was small, unsure. "When… when did you wake up?"
Ethan stared down at the boy in his arms, momentarily stunned by the clarity of the moment. He could feel the weight of Adrian's body in his lap, the warmth of his breath against his skin. For the first time in what felt like forever, he could speak, he could move, he could feel. A slow smile spread across Ethan's face, his usual composed expression softening as he looked at Adrian with an unfamiliar tenderness.
"I woke up just now," Ethan said, his voice smooth and warm, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "I woke up to save you."
Adrian blinked, his cheeks flushing a soft pink as Ethan's words sank in. The surreal nature of the moment seemed to dawn on him, and he shifted slightly, trying to sit up, but Ethan held him firmly in place, his grip gentle but unyielding.
"You… saved me?" Adrian asked, his voice quiet, still unsure if this was real.
Ethan nodded, his smile deepening as he brushed a strand of hair away from Adrian's face. "I couldn't let you drown, could I? You're my wife, after all."
Adrian's eyes widened at the word wife, and a deeper blush spread across his cheeks. His usual composure seemed to falter as he processed what Ethan had said. "W-Wife? But you—"
Ethan chuckled softly, his hand trailing down to cup Adrian's cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against the boy's soft skin. "That's right. We're married now, Adrian. And as my wife, you should get used to this kind of intimacy, don't you think?"
Adrian's heart raced at Ethan's words.
He tried to pull away, to create some distance between them, but Ethan's arms remained firmly around him, holding him close.
"I… I don't understand," Adrian stammered, his voice shaky. "You were in a coma, and now you're here… It doesn't make sense."
Ethan's expression softened as he gazed down at Adrian, his eyes filled with amusement and something else—something deeper. He leaned in slightly, his face inches from Adrian's, and whispered, "Does it matter? Right now, we're here. Just you and me."
Adrian swallowed hard, his breath hitching as Ethan's presence enveloped him.
Ethan, seeing the flush on Adrian's cheeks, couldn't resist teasing him a little more. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against Adrian's ear as he whispered, "You're blushing, Adrian."
Adrian's breath caught in his throat, and he turned his head slightly, trying to avoid Ethan's gaze. "I'm not…"
Ethan chuckled again, the sound low and rich. "You are. And it's adorable."
Adrian felt his cheeks burn even hotter, and he squirmed in Ethan's lap, trying to break free from the overwhelming closeness. "Y-You're flirting with me…"
"Of course I am," Ethan replied smoothly, his lips curving into a playful smile. "You're my wife, remember?"
Adrian's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process the surreal situation. His mind screamed that this wasn't real, that Ethan couldn't possibly be awake, let alone flirting with him. But the warmth of Ethan's body, the sound of his voice, the way his strong arms held Adrian so securely—it all felt so real, so vivid.
"I… I don't…" Adrian stammered, his voice trailing off as Ethan's hand gently tilted his chin upward, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"Shh," Ethan murmured, his voice soft as silk. "Just stay with me, Adrian. Right now, it's just the two of us."
Ethan's eyes bore into Adrian's, the intensity of his gaze sending shivers down Adrian's spine. For a moment, time seemed to freeze, and all Adrian could do was stare up at Ethan, his heart racing, his thoughts a jumble of confusion and desire.
And then, without warning, Ethan leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Adrian's cheek.
Adrian's breath hitched, his entire body tensing at the unexpected contact. His skin tingled where Ethan's lips had brushed against him, and a rush of heat flooded his cheeks.
"E-Ethan…" Adrian's voice was barely a whisper, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
Ethan pulled back slightly, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he watched Adrian's flustered reaction. "You look even cuter when you blush."
Adrian's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and he tried once again to pull away, but Ethan's arms remained firmly around him, holding him in place.
"Don't go," Ethan whispered, his voice soft but insistent. "I like having you close."
Adrian's heart skipped a beat at Ethan's words, and he felt a strange mix of emotions welling up inside him. He didn't know what to make of any of this.
For a long moment, the two of them sat there, the world around them fading away as they remained locked in each other's gaze. Adrian's confusion and embarrassment slowly gave way to something else, something warmer, something that made him want to stay in Ethan's arms just a little longer.
But just as Adrian was about to speak, the white space around them began to blur and fade. Ethan's form flickered, and the dreamscape started to dissolve.
"Wait," Adrian called out, his voice laced with panic as he reached for Ethan. "Don't go!"
But it was too late.
The dream shattered, and Adrian awoke with a start, his body jerking upright on the sofa. His heart pounded in his chest, and he looked around in confusion, his mind still reeling from the vividness of the dream.
The hospital room was quiet, the soft glow of the night light casting faint shadows on the walls. Ethan's body remained motionless on the bed, the steady beep of the machines the only sound in the room.
Adrian took a deep breath, his mind racing as he tried to shake off the lingering sensations from the dream. His cheeks were still flushed, his heart still racing from the memory of Ethan's touch.
It was just a dream, he reminded himself. Just a dream.
But as he glanced over at Ethan's sleeping form, a strange feeling settled in his chest—a feeling that he couldn't quite explain.