Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!-Chapter 270: Not Alone

Eli leaned forward slightly, watching Riven with sharp eyes that betrayed his fatigue. He could barely sleep knowing his friend was in a coma. But now that he observed Riven closer, he saw that there was tension written clearly on his face.

He cleared his throat. "Riven... Is there something wrong?"

Riven blinked, then quickly shook his head. "No! I’m just... Tired." The lie was barely believable and clumsy, but he hoped it would hold.

Because how could he explain it? That the dreams weren’t dreams, that they felt too real. That he had lived another life. That his soul, his very being, wasn’t originally from this world. That the pain and darkness he saw weren’t nightmares—they were memories. Memories of the original Riven.

So instead, he forced a smile and tried to change the subject. "Am I alright now?"

Eli gave him a sceptical look but replied gently, "You’re stable. That’s the important part. Your pulse is stronger, your breathing’s normal, and your colour’s returning... Slowly."

"That’s good."

"It is. But that doesn’t mean you’re clear to get on your feet and do whatever you want," Eli said, folding his arms.

Riven huffed a laugh. "I was not going to do exercise!" No, he was not, he was lazy, he was a couch potato!

"You know what I mean..." Eli narrowed his eyes again.

"Cough." Riven knew. No snusnu, at least not yet. He needed to wait for some time before he could do any physical activity with any hot man.

Riven held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I promise I’ll be good."

"No, I don’t want vague ’I’ll be good’ promises." Eli pointed a finger at him like a scolding parent. "I want you to swear that you will stay put and rest for one more day."

Riven gave him a half-smile. "You’re really enjoying this power dynamic, huh?"

"Swear it, Riven. I’m not playing."

Riven leaned back against the pillows, grinning with mischief. "What if I say I intend to rest, but don’t swear it?"

Eli crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Then I’m staying here all night and watching you like a hawk."

Riven blinked once, then gave a sly grin. "Oh? All night? At my bedside? Eli, are you trying to seduce me?"

Eli turned red in an instant. "Wh—No! That’s not—You—!"

Riven chuckled as he leaned back into the pillow, clearly enjoying Eli’s flustered reaction. "I mean, if you insist on watching over me like some devoted lover in a tragic romance, I won’t stop you. I might even sigh dramatically and call your name in my sleep."

"You’re impossible," Eli muttered, face burning as he turned slightly to hide it. "And delusional. This is a medical intervention, not an invitation for flirting."

"Oh, but a man can dream," Riven said with a wink, his green eyes sparkling.

Eli groaned and covered his face. "Why do you have to make everything flirty when I’m just trying to keep you alive?"

"Because you’re cute when you’re flustered," Riven replied shamelessly. "And it makes the near-death experience slightly less miserable."

Eli peeked through his fingers, trying not to smile, and failing. "You-" He could not finish the sentence. Ever since his wet dream, he could not see Riven the same way anymore. But he should not! He was Ronan’s mate, and he had a... A Unique relationship with Soren.

"Still alive, though. Thanks to you."

That softened Eli’s expression, and he finally lowered his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached out and adjusted the blanket over Riven’s chest, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "You scared me, Riven. I really thought... I wasn’t sure you’d wake up."

Riven’s flirty demeanour faded a little, replaced with something more genuine. "Sorry."

Eli shook his head. "Just take care of yourself, okay? Please. There are a lot of people who care about you, so take care of yourself for them!"

Riven’s eyes fluttered half-closed again, and for once, he didn’t argue. "Fine, fine. Stay with me. But if I start sleep-talking, pretend I said something charming."

"I’ll pretend you said, ’Thank you, Eli, for being the best friend and healer in the world,’" Eli replied, settling more comfortably into the chair beside him.

Riven mumbled as he drifted off, "Mmm... you’re not just a healer..."

Eli’s cheeks turned pink again. He didn’t reply.

Riven lay quietly, the room dim, save for the golden light of the small lamp flickering beside his bed. The weight of the blankets on him was gentle, warm—but not as warm as the lingering words that floated through his mind.

"Just take care of yourself, okay? Please. There are a lot of people who care about you, so take care of yourself for them."

Eli’s voice still echoed softly in his ears. Not scolding. Just kind and earnest.

There are people who care about you.

He repeated it in his head again, again, and again.

He had people.

He had people who cared.

He had Ronan, who silently protected him, whose hands trembled when Riven got hurt, even if he never said a word. He had Soren, whose possessiveness came from a place so deep and consuming, it would terrify anyone else, but somehow comforted him. He had Eli, who lectured him with flushed cheeks and tired eyes, and still never once stepped away.

In contrast, his dreams, those twisted echoes of another life, showed him crying alone. Curled up under cold sheets in a dark room, with a father who glared at him like a stain. No one had told him back then that they cared. No one had reached for him.

But here... He had been held. He had been protected. He had been fed. Carried. Kissed.

Riven smiled.

He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes. The room was still quiet. The chair beside his bed was empty now, Eli had gone to grab something, but Riven could still sense his presence, the way you feel a friend in another room.

"I’m not alone anymore," Riven murmured to himself.

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