[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 101: Can I stay with you?

Elijah, despite the bandages constricting his movements and the pain etched on his face, attempted to rise from the bed. His grip on Ash’s hand tightened, his body tense as he struggled to get up.

"No, stop!" Ash quickly pressed his hands against Elijah’s chest, urging him to stay down. "You need to rest. Your injuries are serious."

But Elijah shook his head stubbornly, his eyes fixed on Ash’s with a familiar intensity. "No...You’ll leave if I don’t."

Ash’s heart clenched at those words, and he swallowed hard. "I’m not going anywhere," he promised. "Just...just rest, please."

Elijah looked at him for a long moment, their eyes locking again. For a second, the entire world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them, tethered to one another by invisible strings. The air between them feTheir hearts, though bruised and battered, were still connected—no matter how much time or distance had separated them.

"How are you?" Elijah asked softly. It was a simple question, but it carried the weight of so much more.

Ash, unable to bear the intensity of Elijah’s gaze, looked away. His heart raced uncontrollably in his chest. "I...I’m fine," he mumbled, though his voice betrayed him, cracking under the pressure.

How could he answer a question like that? How could he say he was fine when every fibre of his being had ached for Elijah during all those years apart? How could he explain the constant battle between love and guilt that had torn him apart day after day?

But Elijah wasn’t satisfied with that answer. His hand, still gripping Ash’s, squeezed tighter, forcing Ash to face him again. "Look at me," Elijah murmured, his voice gentle but insistent.

Ash hesitated, his heart screaming at him to run while simultaneously begging him to stay. Slowly, almost painfully, he turned his head back toward Elijah. When their eyes met again, Ash’s breath caught in his throat.

Elijah was smiling at him—a soft smile that made Ash’s chest ache. Oh, how he had missed that smile. It was a smile that had once made him feel safe, that had lit up the darkest corners of his heart.

But now, it only made his pain worse.

"Why are you here?" Ash whispered, his voice barely audible, the question slipping out before he could stop it. "Why now, Elijah? Were you searching for me?"

Elijah didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he brushed his thumb gently over Ash’s knuckles. "I haven’t seen you in a long time," Elijah said quietly, almost as if he hadn’t heard Ash’s question. "I missed your face." His eyes softened as he looked at Ash, his smile lingering on his lips as if he had found something precious that he thought he had lost forever.

Ash’s heart ached at those words. He wanted to be angry—he wanted to scream at Elijah for showing up now, after all this time, for stirring up everything he had worked so hard to bury.

But how could he be angry when Elijah was looking at him like that? How could he be angry when his own heart still longed for the man lying in front of him?

"Why, Elijah?" Ash’s voice trembled as he tried to hold back the tears. "Why did you come back? Were you...were you really searching for me all this time?"

But again, Elijah deflected the question, his gaze softening as he kept his focus on Ash. "You look tired," Elijah murmured. "Are you taking care of yourself, Ash?"

The deflection cut deep, and Ash clenched his jaw, frustration and sorrow bubbling up inside him. "Stop avoiding the question!" he snapped, his voice cracking with emotion. "Why won’t you just answer me?"

Elijah’s smile never faltered, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes now. "Because I want to know how you are, Ash. That’s all I care about right now."

Ash shook his head, tears finally spilling over as his emotions overwhelmed him. "You almost died, Elijah! You...you could have died trying to save me. Why? Why would you risk your life for me? After everything that happened between us, after all the pain I caused you...why?"

Elijah’s hand tightened around Ash’s, and he finally opened his eyes fully, meeting Ash’s tear-filled gaze with tenderness.

"Because, Ash...even after all this time, my heart never stopped being yours."

Those words pierced through Ash’s defences, breaking down the walls he had so carefully constructed over the years. His heart shattered all over again, but this time, it wasn’t just pain he felt—it was the weight of the love he had tried so hard to deny.

Ash’s eyes burned with unshed tears as he looked down at their intertwined hands. "I don’t understand why you keep coming back to me, Elijah. Every time I’m near you, something bad happens to you. It’s like I’m cursed...like I’m destined to hurt you."

Elijah’s eyes softened, his grip tightening slightly around Ash’s trembling fingers. "I came for you because I had to. How could you just leave without a word, without even saying...goodbye?"

Ash’s breath caught in his throat. His gaze remained fixed on the floor as he shook his head. "What was there to say? After what I did...how could I face you? I ruined everything. I ruined your life."

"You didn’t ruin anything," Elijah responded gently but firmly. "You need to stop holding yourself responsible for what happened to my parents. I forgave you long ago, Ash. I don’t hold you accountable for their deaths."

Ash finally looked up at Elijah, his eyes wide with pain. "But how can I not feel guilty? Every time I see you, I see the pain you’ve been through. And now, here you are again, injured because of me...because you tried to save me. Why, Elijah? Why do you keep putting yourself in danger for me?"

Elijah’s lips curved into a soft, tired smile. "Because you mean everything to me, Ash. I’m not here to take you back or force you to be with me. I would never do that. I just couldn’t let you disappear from my life without knowing that I still care about you, without knowing you’re safe." He paused, his voice lowering to a near whisper. "I came here to find you because I couldn’t bear to think of you being alone, hating yourself, and thinking you don’t deserve happiness."

Ash’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. "I don’t know how to stop feeling this way," he confessed.

Elijah squeezed his hand again, drawing Ash’s gaze back to him. "Then let me help you. Let me show you that you don’t have to carry this burden alone. I’m not asking for more than that, Ash. I just want the chance to stay by your side, at least until I get better. Let me be here for you, even if it’s just for a little while. I promise after I get better I’ll leave you alone if you ask me. And I will never show you my face."

Ash’s resolve crumbled as Elijah’s words washed over him. The man who had every reason to hate him was asking for nothing but a chance to stay close. It confused him, it scared him, but above all, it made him realise how much he missed Elijah.

"You...you don’t have to do this," Ash mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. "I don’t deserve your kindness after everything."

Elijah smiled softly again. "Maybe, but I’m not going anywhere until I get better. So, what do you say, Ash? Can you give me that much?"

Ash’s defences finally gave way. His shoulders slumped as he nodded.

"Alright...you can stay."