Elliot kissed Julian's forehead before the sun was up.
He'd been up early, moving quietly through the apartment so he wouldn't wake him. The man sleeping curled in their bed still looked fragile in the dawn light, soft hair tousled over his pillow, chest rising in gentle rhythm.
Elliot lingered.
He didn't want to go — not after these weeks at home, not after getting used to the rhythm of Julian's breath beside him.
But work was calling, and for the first time since the collapse, Julian had nodded sleepily the night before and whispered, "It's okay. You can go. I'll be fine."
So Elliot kissed him. Once on the lips. Once on his temple. Whispered, "I'll be home before you miss me."
And left the apartment with quiet reluctance.
---
Before he went, he made sure everything was in place:
Warm bath drawn, with lavender oil and soft towels folded nearby.
Fresh tea brewed and left in a thermos on the kitchen counter.
Breakfast already prepped and covered — oatmeal with fruit, exactly how Julian liked it.
A note taped to the fridge in his steady handwriting:
"I love you. You're strong. Call me if you need anything. Always."
What Julian didn't know was that Elliot had a surprise planned.
A small one — nothing dramatic. But meaningful.
He'd arranged to leave work early. To stop by the bookstore Julian used to love before all this. To pick up a first edition of the poetry collection Julian had cried over months ago.
He'd even asked one of Julian's old friends — a safe, gentle soul — to visit next week. Just something to make Julian feel connected again.
Elliot just wanted him to smile. To feel life again.
---
But while Elliot was gone… Julian didn't feel strong.
Not even a little.
He tried. He really did.
He made it to the bath. Sat in the warm water. Read the note on the fridge. Even forced a few bites of oatmeal.
But the silence was too loud.
The shadows in the apartment too deep without Elliot's presence to hold them back.
And even though he knew Elliot loved him… fear snuck in anyway.
What if Elliot got tired?
What if he realized this was too much?
What if one day, the door closed in the morning… and didn't open again?
That thought cracked something open inside him.
Julian tried to swallow it down. Tried to distract himself.
But as the night settled in, and the clock ticked past the time Elliot said he'd be home, Julian began to cry.
Softly at first. Then in quiet sobs, curled up on the couch with Elliot's sweater wrapped around him, breathing in the scent like it could keep him whole.
---
Elliot opened the door just after seven.
He had the book in one hand and flowers in the other.
The smile on his face disappeared the moment he saw Julian — curled into himself, eyes red, hands clutching the sleeves of Elliot's sweater like lifelines.
"Julian?" His voice cracked as he dropped everything to the floor and rushed over. "Baby, hey — what happened? Talk to me."
Julian shook his head, tears falling again. "I—I tried. I tried to be okay. I just— I didn't know when you were coming. And it got dark, and I felt so alone, and I—"
"Shh," Elliot whispered, pulling him into his arms, holding him tightly, protectively. "I'm here. I'm here now. I'm so sorry I took longer. I should've called."
Julian pressed his face into Elliot's neck. "I was so scared. That maybe… you'd realize this is too much."
Elliot pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, brushing the tears away with both hands. "Julian, no. Never. You are never too much. You are my heart."
Then, softly, over and over, he kissed the tear tracks on Julian's face.
His cheeks.
His eyelids.
His trembling lips.
"I love you," Elliot whispered between each kiss. "I love you, I love you, I love you."
Julian finally melted into him, clinging tight.
"I got you something," Elliot murmured into his hair. "Not to fix anything — just because I saw it and thought of you."
Julian blinked up, glassy-eyed. "What?"
Elliot smiled, kissed him once more, and reached back for the book on the floor.
Julian's eyes widened when he saw it — the title, the weathered leather spine.
He didn't say anything.
Just opened it.
And there, on the inside cover, was a note written in Elliot's clean, careful script:
"To the boy who taught me how to love with gentleness. Your story isn't finished. And I'm honored to live every chapter with you."
Julian cried again — but this time, he smiled through it.