He was lying on the hospital bed, struggling to keep his eyes open when he saw him. On the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a man dressed in black.

He turned his head towards the corridor with difficulty, his vision going blurry as the blinding white light of the corridor was hurting his tired eyes. His head felt heavier than it had ever felt before, and his body felt so numb he could barely move a limb. Not that he would have the strength to move, anyway. His mind, however, felt clearer than ever. He looked at the blurry figures of his loved ones standing in the corridor, talking with people dressed in white - probably the doctors - and felt his heart sink. His eyes started welling up and he sobbed silently, not willing to alert the people standing outside his hospital room.

He turned his head again, wincing as he did so, and there he was. The man all dressed in black. He was standing in front of him, looking down at him with an emotionless face, like he was not at all moved by the pitiful state Jonghyun was in. And it was not a good state. Even the doctors - who had seen countless people lying on hospital beds in very bad shape - had a hard time keeping a straight face when they saw him. He had heard the nurses talking about him once or twice, saying that his condition had worsened so badly that he could never recover. He needed a miracle. But Jonghyun never believed in those things.

The man had his arms crossed behind his back, staring at Jonghyun up and down like he was judging how much time he had left. His eyes were dark, darker than anything he’d ever seen, but it drew him in in a strange way. He had a small handsome face, a tanned skin, and plump lips that many people would certainly have liked to kiss. Saying the man was attractive would be an understatement, and Jonghyun found himself staring longer than he had meant to. The man was dressed in a black suit and a black long coat that showed his strong built nicely. Another thing Jonghyun noticed was how tall the man was, but then again, everyone seemed very tall from his perspective, on the hospital bed he was lying on.

The man circled the bed slowly, his hand running on the white covers, until he was standing right next to Jonghyun. He had to turn his head again, the action draining him from the little energy he had left. The man raised his hand to cup Jonghyun’s cheek, it with his thumb gently. His hand was ice-cold and Jonghyun could feel the cold spread to his own cheek.

“It’s time.”

The man’s voice was deep and warm, and Jonghyun felt a tear run down his cheek.

Time for what ? He wanted to ask, but his vocal cords were too tired to work.

“Time for you to leave this place.” The man answered, like he had read Jonghyun’s mind.

Realisation showed on Jonghyun’s face, as the identity of the strange man was finally revealed. It was clear now, why the man was here, how he had walked past the nurses’ eyes so easily, and why he was able to read Jonghyun’s mind.

His time had finally run out.

A lot of things crossed Jonghyun’s mind at that moment. The fear of never seeing his loved ones again, the relief that came knowing he wouldn’t suffer anymore… but the only thing he could think of was

what’s his name ?

It seemed to catch the man off guard, because he frowned very slightly. He figured he mustn’t have been asked that question very often, and Jonghyun was quite surprised, because he was sure Death had been around since the dawn of time.

“I have many names.”

The man was staring at Jonghyun with a glint of curiosity in his eyes, much like Jonghyun had been staring at him a few minutes ago. His hand, still gently touching Jonghyun’s cheek, slowly retracted. It was Jonghyun’s turn to be caught off guard, because the man took a step back.

“Perhaps now is not the time, after all.”

The man took a step back, and another, until he disappeared in the darkness of the room, and Jonghyun was left alone.

***

The following days, the memories of the man in black seemed like a dream. The days remained the same, full of the worried faces of his family and friends come to see him, and the pitiful looks the nurses and doctors were sending him. He had never felt lonelier, even though his loved ones visited him every passing day. He just couldn’t seem to focus anymore. His mind was constantly elsewhere, like it was out of his very ill and useless body.

When he managed to get some sleep, his dreams were haunted by the memory of a man wearing black clothes, a man with cold but soft hands and a deep warm voice. Jonghyun felt like his dreams were much better than reality. At least, when he dreamed, he didn’t suffer.

One day, in broad daylight, the man who haunted his dreams had come into the reality to visit him. A nurse walked into his room to check his vitals, but it seemed like she couldn’t see the man standing right beside Jonghyun. It was very hard not to notice a man like that, Jonghyun thought, but then he remembered the night he had first seen the man, and it all made sense.

He’s come for me.

The man raised his hand, this time to move Jonghyun’s black bangs out of his face, and the gesture was so gentle and caring that the beeping noise of the heart monitor beside him quickened. Jonghyun couldn’t comprehend why the man - Death itself - made him feel more alive than he’d ever felt in months.

“What is this ?” The man asked, a small frown on his god-like face.

What ?

“This. This… feeling.”

The man looked very confused, and so did Jonghyun.

“Some people beg me to take them, some people beg me not to, but you…”

Me ?

The man retracted his hand again, and Jonghyun would have whined at the loss of contact if he still had energy left. The man stared at him again, his once emotionless face now showing a hint of worry.

“You’re not like them.”

Who are ‘them’ ?

“The others. The people I’ve taken.”

Why ? What’s different in me ?

The man didn’t answer, instead, he took a step back, and Jonghyun felt his heart sink.

Don’t go. Please, don’t go. Don’t leave me.

A small smile appeared on the man’s face, but Jonghyun’s eyes were too tired to see it from where he was.

“I shall come back for you another time.”

***

He had heard the nurses talk again - they always talked about him right beside him like the fact that he couldn’t speak also made him deaf - and their words hadn’t left his mind ever since.

“It’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

“It’s like God doesn’t want him to die just yet.”

Was it God that didn’t want him to die ? Or was it because Death had spared him twice ?

The third time he saw the man, night was about to fall. He had waited for days - or was it weeks ? He had lost his sense of time a long time ago -, hoping to see as much of a glimpse of the man’s black clothes, or his perfect face. He was slowly waking up when his eyes met the man’s. He was barely a few inches away from him, sitting on his bed.

Am I still dreaming ?

“Some people are eager to see me because I am there to set them free… But it is not your case, is it ? You want to be free, yet you want to see me for another reason.”

Is it stupid of me to say that I have never felt more alive than in the presence of Death ?

“What would I know about being alive ?”

I don’t know. I figured you’d know everything.

The man stretched out his hand, and Jonghyun felt his heartbeat quicken in anticipation. Not because he was afraid - he really wasn’t, he had lived through so much nothing could scare him anymore -, but because he was eager. No matter how odd it might have sounded, Jonghyun had missed the man’s touch. Everyone were so afraid to touch him, afraid that he would break like glass if they held him too tight - whether it was the nurses taking care of him or his family visiting him - and he was afraid of people touching him, because it hurt most of the time. But the man’s touch was different. It was firm, and gentle, and it didn’t hurt at all. It was soft and reassuring, and it brought tears to Jonghyun eyes. The man was clearly not afraid of him breaking, because he knew his body wouldn’t break now. It was him, Death, who had his fate in his hands, after all.

The man’s hand was as soft and cold as ever, but the look in his eyes had softened since their first encounter.

Why haven’t you taken me yet ?

“Eyes are the reflection of people’s souls, and you… have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. If I took you, I would never see them again.”

The man retracted his hand and Jonghyun expected him to leave as he always did, but instead, the man grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. Jonghyun’s hand was almost as cold as the man’s, and so it didn’t bother him at all. He was surprised by the man’s gesture, but he didn’t question it. Maybe he was as lonely as he was. Maybe he just needed reassurance, like everyone. With the little strength he had left, Jonghyun squeezed his hand, and the man smiled. It was a beautiful sight, truly breathtaking, and Jonghyun felt himself smile in return as he fell asleep, exhausted.

***

Months passed - or was it years ? - and the man kept visiting Jonghyun randomly. Jonghyun was still very sick, and in pain, and each passing day the doctors would wonder how he had lived through the night. Jonghyun was the only one who knew. He knew Death had taken a liking to him, and it was the only thing keeping him alive.

Every time he saw the man, Jonghyun would feel his heartbeat quicken, and he would know then that he was falling deeper and deeper for Death itself. He suspected Death had fallen for him too, because he had started talking to him more and longer than before. The man’s fingers would linger on Jonghyun’s skin, making him shiver at the gentle touch.

One day, the man came with sadness in his big dark eyes, and Jonghyun knew.

He knew it was time.

He felt his eyes well up with tears upon knowing that his time with the man was up.

He felt cold fingers wipe his tears gently and Jonghyun closed his eyes.

“Don’t close your eyes. Let me see them one last time.”

Why now ? Can’t we have more time ? Not much, just a bit. Please...

“It has been thirty seven years since our first encounter. Even I cannot postpone it now.”

Thirty seven years ? Jonghyun really had lost his sense of time. His body felt so numb that he hadn’t felt it grow old, and his life was meaningless. He had stopped listening to his friends and family, as well as the doctors. Only the man still mattered.

He felt the man take his hand in his and squeeze it gently. Jonghyun looked up and tried to engrave the man’s face in his memory. His black soft hair, his big dark eyes, his plump lips, his small nose, his tanned skin… He hadn’t changed one bit. He was still as handsome as ever, as if he had been shaped into perfection by God himself. With all the strength he could gather, Jonghyun raised his hand shakingly and brought it to the man’s cheek. The man put his hand on his, keeping it in place.

I love you.

The man smiled and he brought a hand to Jonghyun’s cheek, slowly leaning over him. His soft plump lips pressed against Jonghyun’s chapped ones and he closed his eyes, a single tear running down his cheek as his heart stopped, the only noise left in the room being the steady, alarming noise of the heart monitor.

“I love you too.”

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Some feedback, please ? I haven't written anything like that before !
I usually hate sad fanfics, what is happening to me ? This is probably an exception, to be honest.