The Forever Boys.

Garrett Nickelsen checked his phone for the third time within two minutes, shifting uncomfortably on the worn seat of the booth in farthest corner of Denny's. It was where he had done it, that December afternoon. The memory of him getting down on his knees, begging for him to be his, flashed into Garrett's mind briefly before he looked out of the window.

"He's never late," he muttered to himself, looking around the busy diner for signs of his boyfriend.

He probably ran into traffic, he assured himself. Maybe he's helping an old lady cross the street. Of course, that could be it! Or, maybe he was driving Shane over a friend's house. He could be doing any of those things, Garrett told himself repeatedly.

"Huh," the waitress said, suddenly appearing by his side. She had become a friend of the two boys, always serving them when they ate there. "Still not here?"

Garrett glanced at her before focusing on the parking lot again, just waiting for that old pickup truck to drive in. He always told him he should get it fixed by a real mechanic, but no, John was too stubborn and wanted to fix it on his own.

"It gives it character," he had told the younger boy, ending the conversation.

"No," he said to Rhonda, the waitress. "He's not."

She got a glazed look on her face before smiling dreamily. "I remember two years back when you were just a little fourteen year old. He was a junior, right? I remember you two sitting in this exact spot. I was serving the opposite end, but I could sense something was happening. When I turned around, he was on the floor, saying... what was it again?"

He met her eyes, reciting the words he had come to know by heart.

"He said, I want you forever, forever and always. Through the good and the bad and the ugly. We'll grow old together, forever and always."

She gave him another smile, her hand resting on her heart, touched by the sweetness. After hurrying away to take a table's orders, Garrett checked his phone again to see if he had any missed calls.

None.

He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again. As he started putting on his jacket, his cell phone suddenly started to vibrate, an unknown number flashing on the screen. He seized it, hitting the green button and putting it to his ear, eager.

"Hello? Is this John?" he asked, biting his lip.

The voice, whoever it was, began talking to him calmly. His face slowly morphed from excited, to anxious, to shocked, and then to... to what?

Nothing.

He dropped the phone on the floor, running out of the diner as fast as he could. He didn't care about not paying for his coffee, he didn't care about the looks he was getting from complete strangers; he had to leave.

In his car, he forced his key into the ignition and drove as fast as he could to the hospital. As he was speeding down the roads, he felt himself begin to sob hysterically, feeling nothing but heaviness in the pit of his stomach. It was as if he had swallowed a weight and it had no intention of leaving. People shouted at him to slow down, but he only sped up, knowing damn well he could have been arrested for driving 80 miles an hour on a small town main street.

After what seemed like a lifetime, he was finally running through the clear glass doors, looking around for the main desk. His hair was matted to his forehead, his face a sticky and damp mess. His cheeks were blotchy and his lips were still trembling.

He had to see him.

"May I help you?" the woman at the desk asked, barely looking bothered by his appearance.

He spoke with as much clarity as he could. "I-I n-need John O... O'Callaghan's room."

He watched her expression turn to absolute pity, making him swallow hard. Suddenly a nurse appeared by his side, taking his arm. She murmured reassuring things to him, trying to calm him down. Apparently he had begun to sputter nonsense while trembling.

He didn't even notice.

They passed by a man waiting on a wooden bench, his head buried in his hands. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties, wearing a shirt and tie. There was a cup of coffee and a briefcase beside him, along with an uneaten sandwich. A doctor was next to him, telling him something about birth difficulties. The man was crying softly to himself.

As the nurse quickly whisked Garrett away, a sudden memory faded into his mind. John had brought Garrett over to meet his parents for the first time. They were at the O'Callaghan's lake house for the weekend, and while everyone else was outside having a good time, Garrett and John were sitting on the couch together.

"So what do you think?" John asked the boy on his lap, his arms tightening around him. "Hopefully my mom didn't scare you."

Garrett giggled and shook his head, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. "No, I love her," he assured him. "Your family's amazing. And I love the house."

"One day we're going to live in a house just like this," John told him, looking into Garrett's deep sea-green eyes. "Just you and me, away from everyone else."

A smile formed on the younger boy's lip as he added, "With our kids, of course."

John laughed and nodded. "With the kids. We're going to stay there, forever and always, and grow old together."

"We have to get married first!" Garrett exclaimed, his heart already beginning to skip a beat. He loved when John talked about the future. It seemed so close, already mapped out and within reach.

"Sweetheart," John began, taking his boyfriend's hand in his. "For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, do you promise to love me?"

Garrett gave John's hand a squeeze, feeling tears sting his eyes as he blinked and nodded.

"Forever and always."

The nurse left Garrett in a blinding white room, telling him he could stay for only a few minutes. He tuned her out and rushed to John's side, kneeling by him and taking his hand.

He was hooked to various machines, only breathing through an oxygen mask. His face was covered in bruises and cuts, his arm in a sling. His eyes were shut, and for a moment, Garrett thought he looked almost peaceful, just laying there without a care in the world.

"Why?" Garrett barely whispered to him, holding his hand tighter. "Why are you leaving me?"

There was no response. Only the constant beeping, the beeping that was keeping them both alive.

"How could you lie to me?" His voice was rising now as he felt himself start to get angry at John. "What happened to forever and always?!"

No response. Only beeping.

Garrett began to weep, his head on the bed, right beside John's hand. He remembered what the doctor had said, feeling himself cry even harder and feel more hatred towards John. Then all of a sudden, he turned the hatred onto himself. He was the one who should have made it a bigger point to fix the damn car. He should have warned him something could happen.

Maybe if he did, John wouldn't be where he was.

The doctor appeared now, holding a clipboard that held John's fate. He told Garrett what was going to happen, giving his apologies.

It meant nothing to him.

"No!" he shouted. "You can't do this! There has to be something you can do to save him!"

The doctor gave him no response, only looking down, then leaving the room altogether.

The young boy was about to begin crying again before he felt something squeeze his hand. He gasped and looked at John's face, watching as his lover's eyes opened slowly, meeting his. With his other hand, John took the oxygen mask off, taking a deep breath.

"John," Garrett breathed.

"Garrett," he whispered, though it was barely audible. "Before I... I..."

"Don't," Garrett said firmly. "You're going to make it. I believe in you. You can do this. You're strong, John."

John only closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and looking at Garrett with such longing. "Baby boy, we both know what's going to happen. But before it does, will you do one thing for me?"

"Of course," Garrett said within a heartbeat, his vision getting more blurry from new tears starting to form. "Anything."

He spoke the words slowly, with as much love and feeling as he could.

"Will you do me the honor of marrying me before I go?"

Garrett's hands flew to his mouth. His heart was hammering in his chest as he nodded quickly, the tears flowing freely now. The weight was still in his stomach, but now it had gotten a little bit lighter.

"Yes," he said sincerely. He leaned over the bed and kissed John over and over, feeling the need and longing in his lips.

The nurse had secretly overheard the conversation between the two and felt moved by their intense moment. Without them knowing, she requested the priest from one of the other wings of the hospital. He looked into the room and saw the couple holding each other, feeling touched as well.

"They're only eighteen?" he asked the nurse.

She shook her head. "No. The one crying is sixteen."

There was nothing more powerful and moving than young love, he had decided.

He entered the room, clearing his throat. Garrett widened his eyes, looking at John. John smiled, his eyes half open. He felt himself beginning to get more drowsy after every two seconds.

He knew his time was close.

The priest had been filled in about the situation from the nurse, knowing that time was not going to be on their side. He skipped the opening remarks and went into the vows, turning to the younger boy first.

"I do," Garrett whispered, looking into John's eyes.

Then the priest turned to the boy on his death bed, trying to hold in his tears.

"I do," John whispered weakly, his eyes already beginning to shut.

He pronounced them Mr. and Mr. O'Callaghan, leaving them to kiss. When Garrett pulled away from his new husband, fresh tears were glistening in his eyes.

"Please don't leave me," he begged, feeling the weight come back. "I need you so much," he whimpered, his voice cracking. "You have no idea. You can't leave me now... I love you. So much, John. Please..."

John opened his eyes to look into Garrett's. He knew it was his time now, and he knew Garrett knew as well. His heart wasn't strong enough. The beeping had gotten slower, stealing away their future life together.

Their future... What happened to that? Everything was right there. Why did that stupid monitor have to take the one thing that meant the world to him away?

"Listen to me," John spoke, his voice hoarse. "We both know I don't have much time left - "

Garrett shook his head, starting to argue. "No, baby - "

John continued talking, feeling his heart rip in half from just looking at the pain and abandonment on his husband's face.

"I love you forever, forever and always. Please just remember, even if I'm not there, I'll always love you, forever and always."