We didn't sleep. The violent sobbing stopped, but every time those words crashed back into my brain, the tears started streaming down my face again.

It was late in the morning. My face burned, and Liron wiped another stream of tears away. His voice was hoarse when he spoke. "I'm scared, Maddock. I don't remember much about my dad, but I know it was painful for him near the end. I don't want to go like that."

I sniffed, and blinked the tears from eyes. "You won't. I'll be here for you. We can fix this."

Liron looked like he was about to start crying again, and I pulled him onto my chest. His breathing got heavier, but calmed down when I rubbed his back. "Promise to stay with me. I can't do this alone."

I nodded, choking back the bile that rose at the thought of Liron suffering. "Yes, bud. I promise. You and me, forever and ever."

I couldn't bring myself to admit out loud what was happening. I wanted to tell him that if he died, he was going to take a piece of my soul with him. If he died, I wanted to go as well. "I love you so much," I whispered. We were both exhausted, but I didn't think either of us would sleep well for a long time. "I love you so much that it hurts to think I won't have you for the rest of my life."

To my surprise, Liron started laughing softly. He pulled himself up and faced me. His eyes were red. "Look at us," he chuckled, and it was a bittersweet thing to see him smile genuinely. "We're sobbing like old maids when we have, likely, four or five years left together." His smile grew tight, and for a moment I thought he was crying again, but a giggle escaped his lips instead. "A bit ahead of the track, aren't we?"

I joined in on his laugh. He did always have a way of putting odd circumstances in perspective. "I'm sure I'm overreacting a tad bit," he breathed eventually, wiping his face. "The doctor did say there were medications and support treatments to help with it until it becomes too severe. I guess the shock of mortality only really got to me, even though we all have to go sometime. I swear to you, though," he grinned devilishly, "we're gonna have some five fucking fantastic years."

I wasn't comfortable hearing him say these things, but if it was helping him cope, then I would allow it. He was smiling sadly at me, then he leaned closer and kissed me softly. 

A comfortable silence fell on us. It was just us, alone in the silent world. We belonged together, like this. Not like lovers, but as two souls who made a blood pact to stay with each other forever. 

"I'm actually so tired right now," he said softly, as if he was afraid to break the silence of the morning. "I feel drunk, but okay? You get me?"

"Yeah," I whispered back. A calm had come over us. The storm was over. Liron had somehow made everything okay again with his words. Just as easily as he had broken my world apart, he put it back together with a ray of hope.

Liron rested his head on my chest again, and I cradled him in my arms.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on top of his and, minutes later, drifted off to sleep just as he softly started singing, "When the night has come, and the land is dark..." 

Liron was a beautiful song, and I was lucky to have ever heard him at all.