"It's my challenge to you: will our lives end first, or will love bloom before life ends? What will you choose?" Tessa asked the boy on the next hospital bed, Aiden. 

"Love? I don't know. But I believe you'll be the one to fall in love first," Aiden replied. 

"We'll see," Tessa said with a playful smile. 

As Aiden prepared to leave for his scans, he looked over and said, "Well, I'll see you after my scans for the day, Tess." 

Tessa just smiled and nodded, watching him go. She had noticed that Aiden only had one visitor—a man who came to pay bills but never interacted with him much. The cold dynamic between them puzzled her, and she couldn’t help but wonder what their relationship was. 

When Aiden returned from his scans, he grinned. "Missed me?" 

"You think?" Tessa replied, rolling her eyes. 

"I definitely do," he said with a flirty smile. 

"So, you've started flirting with me now? Why the sudden change when you did nothing for the past week?" 

"Who said I did nothing? I've been staring at you, mesmerized, trying to speak to you with my eyes. Now I just feel sad you never noticed." 

Their conversation meandered, lighthearted yet tinged with the knowledge of their shared reality. 

"Can I ask you something?" Tessa hesitated before blurting out, "Who is that man who comes to see you?" 

"Oh, him? He's my butler, you could say." 

"Butler?" she echoed, confused. "If you're from a wealthy family, why are you here?" 

"We all have our secrets, my lady," Aiden replied with a coy smile. "Mine is just a little more complicated." 

 

As weeks turned into months, Tessa’s family frequently visited, often taking her out for short trips. During one such outing, Tessa persuaded her mother to include Aiden, who hesitated at first but eventually joined them, with his enigmatic "butler" tagging along. 

At a restaurant, Aiden turned to Tessa mid-meal. "So, I have a question." 

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Do you want to marry me?" 

"Are you serious right now?" Tessa asked, incredulous. 

"Yeah." 

"Do guys fall in love that quickly?" 

"Well, when it's you, anyone would." 

"Shut up," she said, laughing, but his words lingered in her mind. 

"One day," he said, gazing at her. "I'd love to hear an answer to that." 

Over the next year, Aiden and Tessa’s bond deepened. They became each other's anchor in the storm of their shared battle. Despite their illnesses, Aiden remained cheerful and teasing, though his condition worsened. 

One evening, as they sat in their hospital beds, Aiden asked again, "So, you still don’t love me?" 

"Nope," Tessa replied cheekily. 

"After a year of flirting with you?" 

Aiden got out of bed and walked over to her. "What are you doing?" she asked, startled. 

"You're on IV right now, so don’t move," he said before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. 

"Maybe that will help," he said as he returned to his bed. 

"You’re lucky to be able to kiss me," she muttered, flustered. 

"Well, I actually kissed your forehead, but if you want—" 

"No! Shut up!" 

"Maybe in due time," he said with a grin. "I still haven’t heard your answer to my marriage proposal." 

"What’s the point when we’re spending our lives on deathbeds?" 

"Because marriage is the thread of fate," he replied softly. "And I want to be tied to you, even after my death." 

"Don’t speak like you’ll die today," Tessa chided. 

"Well, you shouldn’t say it, Tess. What if God hears it?" 

 

That night, fate proved cruel. Aiden awoke screaming, clutching his head in pain. Doctors rushed in, moving him to the ICU as Tessa watched in horror. The atmosphere was suffocating, and her heart raced with dread. 

Her mother returned from the ICU hours later. "He’s asking for you," she said gently. 

Tessa’s legs felt like lead as she walked into the ICU. Aiden lay there, pale and fragile, his once-lively eyes now dull. 

"You came," he said, his voice barely audible. 

"Yes," she said, her voice trembling. She took his hand, her tears finally breaking free. 

"Yes, yes, yes," she sobbed. "I’ll tell you yes a thousand times—just please, get better and come out of here, Aiden!" 

"Just a little too late, my love," he whispered, a faint smile gracing his lips. "But thank you." 

Summoning the last of his strength, he pulled her close. She leaned down and kissed him, her tears mingling with the moment. As their lips parted, Aiden’s eyes closed, and his hand went limp in hers. 

"No, Aiden!" she screamed, shaking him, pleading with the universe to bring him back. Her cries echoed in the sterile room, raw and heart-wrenching, until her voice gave out and silence enveloped her. 

Clutching his lifeless hand, she whispered, "If there is an afterlife or even a next life, I will marry you in every life. I promise." 

Tessa stayed by his side until the nurses gently led her away. A piece of her was gone, tethered to Aiden’s soul, bound by love that transcended life itself.