drabble about our muses inspired by the next song that comes on shuffle
Take my [ h a n d ] and my[ H e a r t ] and soul, I willOnly have these [ e y e s ]for [ y o u ]And you know, everything [ c h a n g e s ] butWe’ll be [ s t r a n g e r s ] if we see this throughYou could stay within these walls and [ b l e e d ]Or just [ s t a y ] with meOh lord,[ n o w ].
[Takes place after I’ll Cover You in the movie, RENT]
Angel smiled softly against Collins’ lips, hands covering his. Her stomach was twisted up in knots, but in one of those weird, good ways. Like butterflies were trapped up inside of her, threatening to escape. She had always been too afraid to get attached to someone, especially after her diagnosis. It was hard enough telling her mother and siblings back in California; she didn’t want to add anyone else to the list.
But Tom Collins was sweet, and funny, and caring, and as cliche as it sounded, just altogether got Angel. After she had brought him home from that night in the alley, and patched him up, he didn’t react in the slightest when she dressed up in one of her costumes. He took it in stride, told her she looked fantastic, and off they had gone to the support meeting.
Angel also felt a little more comfortable with this sort of relationship thing they had going on with the fact that Tom was in the same boat as she was. Terminal illness. It was just a matter of who was going to go first, as morbid as that sounded. It was an equal boat.
Pressing another soft kiss to his lips, Angel pulled away,unable to stop the grin on her face. She took his hand again, twining their fingers together, and walked.
Angel is a pretty patient person, she thinks. And half the time, she has Tom groaning quietly, “Come on, baby.” And the nickname is one of her new favorites. She smiles as she kisses each and every one of his fingers, slowly, making sure he knew how much she loved each and every part of him.
When she finally kisses his mouth, he tugs off her black wig with a mischievous grin, and Angel gasps against his lips, about to lecture him about the importance of not messing up a lady’s hair, but his fingers dug into his side, and they both collapse in a heap of laughter.
He loves him. So incredibly dearly that it almost frightens him. It was just like they had said; that he had been searching his entire life for a love like this one. And it’s only been a week, but Angel found himself unable to remember what it was like without the professor Tom Collins. That might’ve been a lie; but his past had certainly been dark and not-so-nice, and Collins was this ray of sunshine that made everything start to finally seem okay.
Angel doesn’t care about the different colds and flus and other infections that he gets, because he’ll be damned if he lets them interrupt on their time together. He’s keenly aware that their days have a number. To them however, it was more of a dice throw in which neither of them knew how many days they really have left, or when one day would be the “last good day”.
And now he wonders why he didn’t get tested sooner, why he didn’t figure it out, and prioritize his medicine higher than his heating and electricity cost. Because if it meant a little while longer with Collins, it would’ve been worth it, and he knows it. He could have been cold for three months, if it meant three more days.
Angel doesn’t know how he’ll be able to say goodbye.