Archive of Our Own

Summary:

Podfic by klb of (sub)textual evidence by PenAndInkPrincess

Author's summary: “-can’t see each other again,” Ilya says, looking only at Shane’s hand, holding it so, so gently and stroking over Shane’s skin so, so softly. The soothing feeling of it makes it very hard to focus, but Shane tries very hard to do it anyway. “I tried-we tried, but this can’t happen again.” It takes a moment, but Shane finally manages to make sense of the words, and he lets out a soft noise of understanding.

Ah. He’s apologizing that he won’t be able to see Shane in the hospital again before he leaves.

“I understand,” he says, and he does. It was probably really hard for Ilya to get here even once, and it can’t be very long before his plane leaves. He’s sad, of course–they didn’t even get to spend time together, really–but it’s not like this will be the last chance they ever have to see each other. He gives Ilya his best attempt at a smile, and if it comes out a little sad, too, all Ilya does is reach out to stroke the backs of his fingers gently over his cheek.

(ilya goes through with his plan to break up with shane in the hospital) (the problem? shane is too high to understand that he's being broken up with)