**TW: mention of death/illness**

Adrian

"Adrian, make those girls stop staring at you," Tia sighs as we lightly jog on the treadmill. We'd started to work out at the gym about an hour ago as apart of both of our daily routines.

I chuckle. "Have you seen me? They can't resist looking at this..." I wink at her. She gives me a blank stare before pretending to gag. With a laugh, I step off of the treadmill and head over to sit down on a mat. Tia follows, plopping down on the ground with a grunt. "Tired?"

"Absolutely exhausted. Gio kept me up all night playing video games with him," she sighs.

"How are you guys doing, anyway?"

"We're good! He's been cleaning the house everyday before I get home so that's great!" She gives me a smile as we begin to stretch. "What about you and Luna?"

"We, as a couple, have been amazing," I sigh. "But Luna has been kind of spacey lately so I don't know what's going on with him."

"Have you tried asking him?" Tia asks, stopping to take a sip from her water bottle.

"Yeah but you know how he is...he'll pretend that nothing is wrong until he's completely over it so he doesn't have to face confrontation," I shrug.

"Well then, how do you know that something is wrong with him if he pretends he's okay?"

"I just know, Tia," I shoot her a sly smile. "He has been really snappy lately...and he's eating more than normal."

"Maybe he's pregnant."

"Tia, I'm being serious!"

"So am I!"

"That's impossible. We haven't even had sex yet...plus he's a male."

"Whatever," Tia raises a thin eyebrow at me and smirks . "I guarantee he already told Gio what's wrong."

As she finishes her statement, my eyes widen. "You really think he told Gio and not me?" I question.

"No. I know he did. For a fact," she chuckles. "I'm sure he'll tell you eventually. Just don't worry about it too much."

I glance at my vibrating phone as she speaks, ignoring the call when I see it's from my mother. "It's hard not to worry about it when I live with him," I sigh, standing up. We both make our way out of the gym and head to our separate cars. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a nice evening," she smiles. I get into the car and begin to head towards my house, dialing Luna's number on the way.

"Hello?" Luna answers.

"What are you up to, my love?" I ask him.

"Um..I just got home not too long ago so I'm about to lie down and relax."

"Do you want something to eat? I'm heading home."

"Yes, please."

"What would you like? I'm going to McDonald's."

"Two Big Mac meals. Extra large, please. Thank you."

"You're going to eat all of that?"

"Don't question my appetite."

"Are you stress-eating, Luna?"

"Just shut up and bring me the food!" Luna snaps before hanging up the phone, causing me to chuckle. I stop at a fast food restaurant and pick up a meal before making my way home. It is only a matter of time before I am entering the gates of our house and pulling into our driveway. I unlock the door and walk into the silent house. "Luna?" I call out, placing the bags of food onto the counter. I furrow my brows as I receive no response before heading into the living room. Soon enough, I spot Luna lying down on the couch, fast asleep with Riot next to him. I lean over the couch and begin to gently poke his belly. With a groan, Luna curls into a ball as his eyes flutter open. "How'd you fall asleep already? I just talked to you."

"I was sleepy," he mumbles, holding his arms out to me for a hug.

"I'm stinky and sweaty, babe. I'll give you a hug after I shower."

A frown forms on Luna's face. "Did you bring the food?"

"It's on the counter," I tell him before heading upstairs. Quickly, I take a shower and change into a pair of shorts and a hoodie. Once finished, I head back down to the kitchen, where Luna sits at the island, stuffing his face with french fries. "Is it good?" I chuckle as Luna's face starts to flush.

The curly haired boy takes a few sips from his drink as he nods. "Thank you," he stands up from his seat.

"No problem, Love," I wrap my arms around his waist and give him a tight squeeze, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Don't forget that my dad and Belle are coming over for dinner tonight."

"Right," Luna nods with a sigh. "I'm gonna go finish my nap."

"You okay?"

"Aren't I always?" he gives me a small smile.

"Not recently, no. What's wrong?"

Luna shakes his head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

I let out a sigh, not wanting to argue. "Can I at least have a kiss before you go finish your nap?"

He shakes his head again. "I'm too tired."

"Luna...seriously..." I mutter. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you think that something's wrong? All I did was say I don't want to kiss you."

"But you never do that. Can you just tell me what's wrong?" I frown.

"Why are you frowning?" Luna raises an eyebrow at me.

"Cause now I'm upset," I roll my eyes. Luna leans in to kiss me before I place my hand over his face and push him away, causing him to gasp. "I don't want your ugly ass kiss now!"

"Don't be rude!" Luna exclaims, slipping his arms around my neck. "Of course you want my kisses," he says, placing kisses all over my face and neck. As he kisses me, a small smile forms on my face causing him to giggle. I tighten my grip on his waist and lean down to softly press my lips against his. After a moment, Luna pulls away, staring into my eyes. "I love you so much."

"Well if you love me so much, you should tell me what's wrong with you," I tell him.

"Why can't you just say you love me back?" he pouts.

"Why can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong with me!"

"Yes there is, Luna. Are you pregnant?"

"Adrian, what? No! I've just been stressed out, okay? That's it," he finally admits, rolling his eyes. "Can I go take my nap now?"

"Look at how quickly your mood just switched."

"Cause you're annoying me now!"

"So you're stressed...that's why you snapped at me earlier for saying that you stress-eat," I chuckle. "What are you so stressed about, darling?"

"The restaurant," Luna sighs. "I'm just struggling to figure everything out. I don't know how to run a business..."

"Luna..." I start. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"...since they gave it to me...I was excited at first but now I'm just super stressed out."

"Baby, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because y-you're so good at running your business and I-I don't know..I didn't want you to look down on me because I can't do it too..." he bites his lip, staring down at his feet.

"Babe, I would never look down on you, especially for needing help with something. Running a business isn't easy and I don't expect you to be an expert at it."

"You're not disappointed in me?"

"Of course not!"

There's a moment of silence before Luna finally looks up at me and says, "Can you teach me?" I raise an eyebrow. "How to run a business."

A smile makes its way onto my face as I nod my head. "Yeah, of course, babe. How about you come to work with me tomorrow and I'll take you around my day with me?"

"Sounds good," Luna says. "I'm sorry for my attitude these past couple of weeks..."

"It's okay, babe. I just wanted to make sure that you're feeling alright."

"Can I go take my nap now?" he smiles.

"Can we cuddle while you do it?"

"Well it wouldn't be a good nap if we didn't," he giggles as we make our way upstairs. It doesn't take long before we're both lying down in our bed, Luna nuzzled into my chest. "I'll see you when we wake up, baby," he mutters, closing his eyes. As I prepare myself to fall asleep, I feel my phone vibrate again. I decline another call from my mother before glancing at Luna's sleeping form. With a smile, I place a soft kiss on his forehead before closing my eyes and preparing to fall asleep.

***

"Mm! It smells amazing!" I exclaim as I walk into the kitchen where Luna stands over the stove, stirring something in a pot. "Whatcha making, beautiful?"

"Garlic butter lobster tails with rosemary roasted potatoes, and balsamic grilled vegetables," he smiles before gently kissing my cheek. "You look handsome."

"Thank you," I tell him. "And it smells delectable."

"It will be," he says as we hear a soft knock on the front door.

"I'm gonna go get that," I kiss his forehead and make my way to the door. I open the door, revealing my father who stands with his arm around Belle's waist.

"Adrian! We missed you!" Belle smiles, bringing me into a hug.

"I missed you guys too," I tell them. My dad gives me a handshake before following me into the house.

"It smells amazing in here!" my dad exclaims, sniffing the air.

"Luna's whipping something up in the kitchen," I chuckle, leading them into the kitchen.

"Ah, I see we're finally going to taste Luna's infamous cooking," Belle says.

Luna looks up from the pot on the stove and gives my parents a bright smile. "Hi guys!"

"Luna! It's so great to see you," My dad says, wrapping his arms around Luna in a tight hug. "We've missed you since Adrian never brings you when he comes to visit."

"You go visit them without me?" Luna pouts, looking at me.

"I rarely ever go and when I do, it's straight after work."

"Adrian comes to visit and you don't tell me?" Belle looks up at my father.

"I just like to bond with my son," My dad chuckles.

"Well tonight, you can bond with the couch," Belle gives him a fake smile causing me to laugh. Luna glares at me.

"You think that's funny?" he raises an eyebrow at me.

Clearing my throat, I look at the ground. "Nope, not at all. I'll go set the table. Dad," I call, motioning for him to follow me. With a sigh, he follows me into the dining room where we begin to set the table with plates, silverware, and glasses. Once we're finished, I check my phone to see two text messages from my mother.

Mother: Adrian can you please answer my calls?

Mother: Call me back when you can. I really need to talk to you❤️

Before I get the chance to respond, Belle and Luna begin to bring the food into the room, placing them in the middle of the tables. Belle, my dad, and I sit down at the table as Luna makes his way back into the kitchen.

Soon enough, he peeks his head out of the kitchen. "Would you guys like wine, or champagne, or anything? But if you don't want alcohol, we have juice. Apple, Orange, Grape, Kool-Aid–"

"Wine will due, Luna," Dad tells him, chuckling. Luna nods and heads back into the kitchen, soon returning with two bottles of wine. Finally, he takes a seat next to me and we start to dig into the food.

Nearing the end of our meal, Belle clears her throat. "So...Adrian your birthday is next week, do you guys have any plans?"

"Sheesh," I groan. "I forgot about that."

Luna playfully rolls his eyes. "I have something planned."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "You do?" I ask.

"Of course! You didn't think I was gonna let your birthday pass without doing anything, did you?"

"That's what I was hoping..."

"I'm sure Luna will provide you with a good time," Dad smiles at him before adverting his attention towards me. "So...the big 27, huh? You're getting closer and closer to thirty."

"Which means you're getting closer and closer to fifty. How about that, old man?"

Dad rolls his eyes. "You know, I've been too much of a loving and caring father for you to treat me like this."

"I love you, Dad."

"I don't love you anymore."

"That's a bold statement to make when I know I'm your favorite child."

"Yeah whatever," Dad chuckles. With a giggle, Luna grabs everyone's empty plates and starts to head into the kitchen. "Oh! Luna do you want help with that?"

"No, I'm okay!" Luna smiles.

"Are you sure, baby?" I raise an eyebrow at him, earning myself a nod.

"Well, we're gonna head out. It was nice to see you Luna," Belle grins.

"You too! I hope next time Adrian comes to visit, he'll bring me with him," Luna chuckles before giving my parents a hug and finally heading into the kitchen.

My dad and Belle shoot me small smiles as I walk them towards the door. "Keep him for a very long time. He's amazing," Dad tells me.

I let out a soft laugh. "What do you mean 'a long time'? I'm keeping him for the rest of my life."

"What?" Belle's eyes widen. "Is our little Adrian thinking about marriage?"

"Soon. Don't worry," I chuckle. "I think it may be a little bit too early right now."

"You know, your father and I got married after being together for two months and now we've been married for almost fifteen years. Don't fret over how long you've been together."

"Do it when you're ready, Adrian," Dad says. "Time doesn't matter."

"Right," I nod my head. "Trust me guys, I'm not thinking about marriage right now." My dad and Belle shoot me smiles before hugging me and leaving out of the front door. I head into the kitchen to see Luna washing the dishes. I wrap my arms around him in a back hug and press my lips to his neck. "I'm gonna go make a phone call, alright? We can watch a movie afterwards."

"Sure thing," Luna says and gives me a gentle peck on the lips. I make my way upstairs and change into a pair of comfortable clothes, stopping midway to play with Riot. Once I'm finished, I step onto the balcony and pull my phone out of my pocket, letting out a soft sigh as I press call on my mother's contact. After a couple of rings, I hear her answer the phone, her voice softer than usual.

"Oh, thank god!" she sighs into the phone. "I'm so glad you answered."

"What do you want?" I answer dryly. "Clothes? A new car? Your light bill paid?"

"No. I would like a relationship with my son."

"Excuse me?"

"I know this is weird, Adrian but I've messed up a lot–"

"Yes, you have."

"–and I would like to fix things between us..."

"What about Dakota? You don't want to fix things with her because she can't pay your bills?"

"No, Adrian! I don't want any money, I swear. I-I haven't talked to Dakota yet...I wanted to talk to you, first.."

"You expect me to just want to build a relationship with me, all of a sudden?" I scoff, biting my lip.

"W-Well...it's not all of a sudden, Adrian...I've been trying to better myself recently..."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I've been receiving help so I could be the best mother that I can be for you and Dakota...while I still can..."

"While you still can?" I question, leaning against the balcony railing.

"Listen, Adrian..." my mother sighs again. "I-I'm sick. I've been sick for a while now b-but I'm running out of time..."

"What do you mean?"

"I-I have stage two kidney cancer..." she admits, her voice lightly cracking. Almost instantly, I feel my stomach drop.

"C-Cancer? Mom, if this is one of your tricks–"

"It's not, Adrian! I promise it isn't. I just want to spend some time with my children before I can't..."

"T-There's no guarantee that you're not going to make it..."

"But there's a possibility, Adrian. I don't want to take any chances..."

"Is there anything that I c–"

"There's nothing you can do to stop this, Adrian. This is my fight. All I want is for you to be there with me, please."

"I– Of course, mom," I look down. "I-I'm gonna let this all soak in."

"Sure," she tells me. "I love you, son."

"Right," I nod my head. "Bye, mom," I say before hanging up the phone, feeling more heart broken than ever.

***

                         Luna

"You've been a pain in my bum this entire time," I look down at Riot who rubs against my leg. With a sigh, I turn the faucet off and dry my hands. As I finally finish cleaning the kitchen, I grab Riot into my arms, bring him into his room, and head to the bedroom. I enter the room to see Adrian on the balcony, talking to someone on his cellphone. Instead of interrupting, I head into the bathroom where I take a quick shower and brush my teeth. I dress myself in one of Adrian's hoodies and a pair of baby blue fuzzy socks before heading back into the bedroom. I spot Adrian still standing on the balcony, however, this time he is no longer on the phone. Adrian stands, leaning on the balcony railing, staring at the view of the city from our house. I furrow my eyebrows and head towards the balcony. "Babe?" I call softly. Adrian turns his head to look at me, allowing me a full view of his face. He gently nibbles on his lip, staring at me with red, watery eyes. Immediately, I'm by his side, pulling him into a hug. "Hey, what's wrong?" Adrian tucks his face into my neck, letting out a soft sigh. I gently run my fingers up and down his back, allowing him to relax in my arms. "Baby..." I murmur as I feel my neck start to become wet. Adrian let's out a light sniffle, clinging onto me as he quietly cries.

After a while, Adrian lifts his head from the crook of my neck and stares at the ground. I give him a small frown and cup his face in my hands, gently wiping his tears away with my thumbs. "I'm sorry..." he whispers. "I didn't mean to cry in front of you like that."

"It's okay," I tell him. "You can always cry to me, if need be. Do you want to talk about it?" Adrian shakes his head, keeping his gaze on the ground. "That's okay, too. When you're ready."

"Sorry..." he apologizes.

"Hey...look at me," I lift his chin, shifting his gaze toward mine. "I don't know what's going on, but everything is going to be alright. I promise."

"I-I don't know, Luna...not this time.."

"How about you stay home tomorrow instead of going in to work?" I suggest, grbbing his hands.

"N-No...I can't. I told you I was gonna teach you and I'm not gonna let you down."

"Babe, you aren't going, and that's final."

"Can we just go to bed and cuddle?"

"Of course," I nod my head and lead him to our bed, laying down next to him. "You wanna be little spoon, tonight?"

"Please..."

"Sure," I give him a smile before wrapping my arms around him. I gently kiss his head, intertwining my fingers with his. "I love you, Adri."

"I love you too, Luna," Adrian sighs, a small smile forming on his flushed face.

~~~~~A/N~~~~~

Sorry for the late update but I've struggled a bit to write so if anyone has any ideas or would like to help me write, pls message me. I'm planning to finish this book as soon as possible.