Just Let Me Go

Randy sighed and gently picked Teddy up, carrying him over to the huge mirror that sat in the dining room "Take a look at yourself" Randy murmured "Tell me what you see."

"I'm still too fat," Ted muttered.

"That's not what I see" Randy whispered, pulling Ted's shirt away so they could both see how frighteningly skinny he was "You know what I see? I see the most beautiful man in the world and right now he's wasting away in my arms. He thinks he's fat, but I always thought of him as perfection itself." Randy gently put Ted down and forced him to stand on his spindly legs "Teddy, you're starving yourself to death. You haven't been able to wrestle in months, because if you did you'd most likely snap a bone or worse, your neck!"

Randy sighed and pulled Ted back against him "I know what you think you see" he whispered "But you're wrong, you're DYING Teddy, every night I hold you in my arms with that knowledge, knowing that one of these nights, unless something changes, you're going to fall asleep and not wake up. Please Teddy, you say you love me, then come back to me!" Randy's voice shook with emotion "Come back to me before it's too late!"

"You'll help me?" Ted murmured, too ashamed to look Randy in the eye.

"Yes" Randy whispered, softly kissing his neck "However long it takes, I swear to you, I will be there to help you."

"Okay," Ted whimpered.

"First things first" Randy murmured, noting how tired his lover was "You need to get some rest, some proper rest" he picked Ted up again and carried him into the bedroom.

"Stay with me?" Ted whimpered.

"Always" Randy whispered, sliding into bed and pulling Ted up into his arms. Over the months, Ted had grown so skinny that he could hold him without any effort at all "Sleep well Teddy-bear" Randy whispered soothingly in Ted's ear "I love you."

"Love you too Rand," Ted murmured, drifting off.

Randy kept Ted cradled in his arms the entire night, not letting go once.

Ted woke up the next morning knowing today would be harder than he ever expected anything would ever be

Randy awoke not much later and he gently picked Ted up to carry him to the bathroom. Maybe it was a good night's sleep, maybe it was a result of last night's talk, but Ted didn't feel as feverish as today, which was always a good sign.

"I love you" Randy whispered as he set Ted down inside the tub and tenderly undressed him. It was all he could do to not burst into tears when he saw how deteriorated his lover's body had become. In his eyes, his Teddy had always been the most handsome one of the group, but now...he was only a shadow of that beauty, his refusal to eat was destroying him, bit by bit.

"Shhh...." Randy whispered soothingly when Ted began to moan "It's alright Teddy, I'm here." He quickly took off his own clothes and got into the tub, turning on the water as he did so. It took no effort at all to lift the blonde into his lap, and he was so weak that he couldn't even raise his head to look up at him, even though he was clearly trying to do just that.

"Baby just rest" Randy kissed him gently and proceeded to bathe him, slowly running a thick washcloth up and down his weakened body "I love you....you're so beautiful....perfection...." Randy kept whispering how much he loved him in Teddy's ear, letting him know that he wasn't fat, he was beautiful and he loved him.

When Randy finished, Ted was practically asleep in his arms, he didn't even move when the water drained out of the tub "Come on Teddy" Randy slowly lifted him out of the tub and dried him off "Today's a new day, and I'm going to help you get through it."

Ted weakly nodded, one eye opening to look at Randy. "Love you," Ted murmured.

"I love you too Teddy" Randy laid him back down on the bed and gently gave him a kiss before he went to grab some clothes for them both.

Ted nodded, curling up on the bed instantly, although he was still really tired he hoped that if he fell asleep then he could avoid eating today.

"Come on Teddy" Now dressed, Randy came back to the bed and gently straightened Ted out "The sooner I can get you dressed, the sooner I can get you something to eat."

Just the sound of those words made Ted's stomach flip. Ted shook his head. "Can't do it," Ted muttered.

"Teddy yes you can, I'll be right there to help you." Randy gave him a soft kiss after he slipped a shirt over Ted's head "We'll just start out with some soup, something that can start to replenish your body."

"I'll try," Ted said softly, lifting his head to look at Randy. "For you."

Randy smiled "That's my Teddy-bear" he gently picked him up and carried him out to the living room "We WILL get through this" he murmured "I swear to you we will."

"You're too good to me Randy," Ted muttered.

"Don't say that" Randy murmured, gently brushing Ted's cheek "You deserve all of this and more, don't ever forget that."

Ted nodded, too weak an tired to respond.

Randy quickly got the meal prepared, it used to be one of Ted's favorites; chicken and noodle. Filling a small bowl, he grabbed a spoon and went back to the couch,

"Alright Teddy" Randy set the bowl down and gently pulled the blonde into his lap "I'll make you a deal. You eat ten spoonfuls of this soup and I'll let you rest for a while, deal?"