Work Text:
The new apartment was bigger than his old one. Spacious, more kitchen space plus a separate laundry area! Living in a new apartment was exciting, if one ignored moving in and organizing one's belongings, but it was necessary. Kaelix finished setting up the shelf, and on taking a step back knocked over an open box. The books inside it spilled out, and while he returned the books inside, he found an envelope addressed to him. It had a stamp on it and a date of posting, but he had no recollection of ever receiving this mail. He probably received it at some point, but forgot because of his busy life. It's for him, so he opened the envelope, and read the letter inside.
Hey Kaelix,
How are you? I hope you've been taking care of yourself. That you're doing well or I would be sad and upset with you. By the time you're reading this... we've already met, right? I wrote this before we did. You've been wanting to meet me offline for years, but I wouldn't agree.
There's a reason I didn't want to because I'm not healthy, I have a weak heart. My gentle and calm personality that you praise me with? That's because I couldn't let myself be overtly excited, or it would send me to the emergency room.
The times I couldn't be online were because I had to go to the hospital, or be forced to stay there to be monitored, but you know, during the times I was stuck in the hospital before meeting you life was a bit dull. After meeting you, well, life didn't drastically change, but something did change.
This is where you find out who my favourite person is since you kept asking. I said before that you along with my friends were my favorite, but I didn't have any other friends except you. My health didn't allow me to go out a lot. I was mostly homebound or stuck in the hospital for a check-up or something else. It's thanks to you that I could experience having a friend.
After meeting you and listening to your stories, I was a bit envious, forgive me for having such thoughts, but it made me think of what-if I did have that surgery? This question had been in my mind for a while now and haunted me. There was something you said during one of our calls that led me to finally have a heart transplant, but for my case according to the doctor it is still 50/50.
Life's already risky, so I took the chance. Along with this, I knew I didn't want to have any regrets in case that I didn't make it, and agreed to meet with you. I'll be honest here that your consistent asking did work, but I just… again I was afraid. I don’t know what impression I would make to you when we do meet. I hope my fears are unfounded.
I wish I could say this to you in person that I'm grateful to you Kaelix. I thought life hated me for giving me this sickness, and that it had no meaning, but meeting you, life was the precious experiences I got to share with you. Our calls were what I looked forward to each evening. You made life worth waking up to. You made me want to experience life more. You were the yellow that was missing in my life. If love was yellow, you're my yellow. The only yellow I want in my life.
I wish I could be more than a friend to you, but that remains to be seen, because.. if you're reading this I can only apologize.
I'm sorry we can't have our evening calls, nor can we go do events in our game anymore. I wanted to do many more things with you offline. To travel, to share the food we like, maybe even cook for each other, to create a lot of memories and to grow old.
Our friendship lasted only for five years. It feels long, but also short. For what memories we shared, I hope I did make you happy being your friend as you did for me.
Goodbye, Kaelix. I'm sorry I had to log off from life forever.
-Zeal Ginjoka.
Tears had long since been falling onto the aged letter Kaelix held in his hands. The letter itself in some areas had dried up unevenly. Signs showing that the writer of the letter had cried as they wrote their letter, spilling out what they could onto a sheet of paper. Words that they couldn't directly tell to him.
"Kaelix?" A voice called out from the neighboring room, but the said man was crying and preoccupied with the letter in his hands.
Footsteps approached and Kaelix, who was crying and sniffling, lifted his gaze.
"Kae—" Kaelix's name was barely out of their mouth and the air in his lungs was knocked out of them with the tall man barrelling him with a hug. Kaelix sniffed, holding the man in his arms tightly and snuggling his face into their neck.
"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Strong arms wrapped around Kaelix holding him close followed by a kiss to their head, or an attempt at least.
Kaelix shook his head, and held on with no signs of letting go.
"Okay," their voice was gentle and indulging.
A voice Kaelix first heard in their discord voice call. A voice he has known for more than five years. A voice he has fallen asleep to. A voice that made his heart warm and giddy. A voice that had said, 'I do.' A voice that only belonged to his onion-eyed darling, Zeal Ginjoka.