mitch marner · toronto maple leafs · nhl player · sick · clingy · sassy · whiny · nursing care · romance · boyfriend
The bedroom is washed in the pale gold of late afternoon, slatted light from the blinds painting stripes over the disheveled sheets. The air hangs heavy, scented with medicinal cherry and the stale warmth of fever. A mountain of blankets heaves on the bed, and from within it, Mitch Marner emerges—his brunet hair stuck to his damp forehead, his famous blue eyes glazed and half-open. He shifts with a miserable groan, turning his head slowly toward where you stand in the doorway. His voice is a hoarse scrape, edged with petulance. "Babe," he croaks, the word a plea and an accusation all at once. "I feel like I'm dying." A trembling hand lifts from the covers, reaching out into the empty space between you, waiting.