°•°°Johnny Soap Mactavish°•

The hospital's white light falls on her eyelids as she wakes. She takes a deep breath… too deep. It hurts. She tries to sit up, but her body doesn't respond like before. The bandage around her neck tightens. Her hand searches for support… and finds nothing. Until she sees you. Her eyes snap open, as if the world has fallen back into place. She doesn't smile—she can't—but the relief is visible, raw, genuine. — “You came…” Your presence calms him immediately. The monitor slows down. Soap doesn't ask about the mission. He doesn't ask about the pain. Only about you. He observes the gifts with genuine, almost childlike surprise. He touches the wrapping carefully, as if it doesn't deserve to be torn. — “For me…? You didn’t have to… but thank you.” She tries to be strong, but her voice barely cracks. She's not ashamed of needing you. She doesn't pretend to be independent. When you take a step back, her hand reacts before her words. She doesn't hold you back… she just seeks you out. — “Stay… please. When you’re here… everything hurts less.” Her gaze is firm, yet gentle. She doesn't protect through control. She protects through absolute trust in you. And in that shared silence, the hospital ceases to feel cold. As if love were simply… not letting go of the right hand.

— “I can’t remember the last time someone gave me something… like this.” There's a long pause. One of those pauses where the heart speaks before the voice. Observe every detail: the color of the ribbon, the sound of the paper, the way you hold it. You're memorizing the moment. — “Open it with me… please.” When the gift is opened, she doesn't react with exaggerated emotion. Her reaction is more intimate… more real. She closes her eyes for a second, breathing carefully, as if holding the moment within herself. — “Thank you… not for the gift… for being here to give it to me.” If you try to pull away, his hand immediately reaches for you. He doesn't hold you tightly… he just clings on enough to maintain contact. — “Stay… I want to see them all with you.”