To Endure A Little More

FOURTEEN

Head spinning too fast, heart beating faster than her pace when she ran out of the room into the room of memories. A wall of frames met her blurry vision. Tears escaped her face and raced down her cheeks as she fell on her knees after closing the door shut. Leaning onto the wooden door, she held onto her heart, balling the cloth dressing her skin into her fist, wishing she could rip her heart out before it could break any further.

Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage. This damage is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue. Jeremy has been suffering from such a thing, how could Terran hide this from me? Aelia thought.

Typically, the disease develops slowly over months or years, Who knows how long Jungkook has been suffering from this... Tears left Aelia's eyes unceasingly. What more she couldn't process was why this was affecting her so much. The fear of losing Jeremy and this time, maybe permanently, returned in her and ate at her soul.

A few light knocks on door she was leaning on intruded her sobs and she wiped her tears immediately, getting on to her feet.

"It's me...Jeremy." Hearing the weary, rusty yet angelic voice, Aelia opens the door to see Jeremy on his feet across her. He walks in, stumbling on his way.

"You shouldn't be out of bed, Jun." She said, helping him inside and closing the door again. Jeremy gets lost for a minute, eyes widening at all the frames on the wall and shelves filled with antiques like books in a library.

"And let you cry over my secret that I just revealed to you?" Aelia went silent for a second at Jeremy's words and he gets the hint. He pulls her into his arms to comfort her but she only breaks down further.

"It's only stage 2, I'll be fine."

"You aren't fine, Jeremy Peterson. I can't see you suffer on your own like this...I've made you suffer enough." She cried as his heart grew soft and ached harder. "And a-after you poured yourself in alcohol like this... you're definitely not on stage 2 anymore..." 

Although the man himself is in pain about it, he shakes his head at her confidently to drive her mind away from being as worried as she is. Guilt worked in Aelia's heart, knowing she's at fault for his situation for most part.

"I only found out about it a few days ago. Symptoms didn't really show before. Until the day you and Luan came over. I was so upset about it, I thought you guys could help me feel better." He spoke, suddenly growing silent. Breathing out a huge sigh, he speaks again. "But, maybe luck's never in my favor..." he forced out a laugh, looking down. That made Aelia's eyes cry more tears. She knew exactly what he was referring to and recalling to the night after knowing Jeremy's part filled her with regret and shame for her actions.

She gets on her knees next to Jeremy on the floor and takes him in her embrace. Jeremy buries is face in the crook of her neck, tears starting to leave him. She caresses the back of his head soothingly, kissing his head.

"I'm here for you, Jun. Maybe I failed to be there for you before but I'll try my best now. You will never have to feel upset again." The words leave Aelia's mouth without consent and both their eyes widen at it.

It's another solid minute of silence till Jeremy speaks again. "All because you finally know I might die?" His voice is bold and expresses no emotions.

"What? No-" Aelia is cut off when Jeremy realizes his words.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way-" Aelia cuts him off this time, solemnity taking over her as she fights back her tears.

"Jeremy. Stop. Listen" Aelia heaves in a heavy breath, looking him in the eye. "Two weeks. I've fought for two weeks, the fear that I'd lost you, forever. For a mistake I made. I feared everyday that I'd suddenly hear that machine that told me your heart pace, go beep and then Andrew telling me your gone. You can only imagine the fright and distress I had in my heart. Yet, mine beat every one of those days with the hope that if I took care of you well, maybe you'd come back."

Jeremy's eyes glistened, tears threatening to escape but his lips stayed sealed, unsure of what to say. Jeremy's heart mimicked the pace of Aelia's and both beated faster than ever. 

Aelia continued. "...that maybe you'd wake up instead and prove to me that I still have a chance to make it up to you." She said. "For pushing you away, for bringing you down when you tried picking me up, for looking at everyone but you, for shutting myself out of love and you, for thinking of my own feelings and never yours...." 

Silence.

 "...for making you feel as if luck was never on your side, for never considering you, for never looking at you, for never showing you how much worthy of love you are, for making you feel like loving me was a sin-"

Before Aelia could carry on with remorse any further, Jeremy cuts her off by sliding a hand on top of her lips; the very lips he wished he could rather kiss right now.

"Shhh...no more." He said. Rather to himself than her. Her words gave him courage and hope for what he believed she was trying to mean and he decided for himself that he'd no longer wait for fate to walk him down the path. He'd much rather run chasing fate down his path instead.

With that, his lips sealed with hers and the soft contact overwhelmed them. Surprised by the action but Aelia took no time in kissing him back, granting herself permission to let love in. Jeremy's body felt weak but she made him feel stronger than ever.

Their foreheads rested against each other, eyes closed with smiles lacing their face, making the moment feel so special that they wanted to cherish it.

"So you know now that I've felt the fear of losing you from even before I found out about your secret. I'm not willing to lose you again and ever for real."

A huge smile grinned it's way on Jeremy's lips as Aelia spoke.

"I may not deserve you, Jeremy Peterson, but I sure will earn you."

"Oh my love, you deserve everything good in the world. And I, Jeremy Peterson, am willing to fight through everyday to get better and prove to the world that I deserved this spectacular kiss you just gave me." Aelia's cheeks blushed red and both couldn't stop smiling which came from the depth of their hearts. It sure was a moment they wish they could live in forever. Away from all the pain that's out there in a world, a moment to take rest from having to keep fighting, just simply happy.

But nothings ever purely perfect in this world. Everything is flawed and disturbed. And so was their moment.

"Until we see your picture in a frame next to mine this room of memories, all part of Aelia's past that she's ready to bury." A voice spoke as the other two's eyes widen in shock.

"Luan Aldrin?!"