Your name is Karkat Vantas. You remember that much, at least.
You also remember what song was playing on the radio when the accident happened. It was "Glad You Came" but, for the life of you, you couldn't remember the name of the band who sings it. Not that it really mattered to you. You remembered the words though, and you and Dave were singing along.
He was driving, so his gaze stayed glued to the road, but you didn't mind. It gave you the opportunity to stare without him giving you that knowing smirk. You couldn't believe that you had been dating this man for three years. And you knew that you should have gotten used to his presence by that point, but when he reached over and grabbed your hand, your heart pounded like it was your first date all over again. God, you're so in love with Dave that it's not even funny. Nothing in your romcoms had prepared you for how strongly you feel about him. Nothing even compares when he's close to you.
You noticed when the car was approaching - how could you not? - but by the time you figured out that the driver was most definitely drunk, it was too late. Dave turned to stare at you, a wild look in his red eyes, and before you could process him moving, the car was right in front of you. Time slowed for a moment, and you looked on with wide eyes as the hood of their car made contact with yours. You saw Dave diving for you, and you closed your eyes and braced for impact.
The pain was immediate.
Tears filled your eyes, but you swallowed the scream building in your throat. The right side of your body burned with a type of heat that you've never experienced, but the left side of you was cold, which you thought was much, much worse. You opened your eyes, and met Dave's watery gaze. He was huddled above you, his blood-stained lips stretching into a weak smile when he saw that you were awake.
"Dave-" You forced out through your burning throat, pressing a hand to his chest, "What-" but you stopped yourself, eyes growing wide with horror.
He laughed once, and then stopped, coughing up blood. "Y-Yeah." He agreed horsley. "It's pretty bad, huh?" You fingered the metal shard sticking through his chest, and tears filled your eyes once more. He shushed you softly, shaking his head even though every breath caused him pain. "It's okay, Karkat. You're going to be alright, and that's all that matters." He told you, voice surprisingly firm for someone so close to death. "I'm going to go soon, but I want to tell you something before I leave." He reached back into his pocket, wincing and having to pause multiple times due to pain, but after a minute, he turned back to you. You look down at the little object in his hand, and choke back a sob. It was stained with blood, and the only light source was the one headlight that's not busted, but even so, you knew a ring when you saw one. He leaned in close to you, so close that you could feel the metal shard that's killing him pressing against you. "Karkat, I…" He drew in a shaky breath. "...I love you."
You took the ring from his outstretched hand and slipped it onto your finger. It was a perfect fit.
Of course.
You forced a smile, cupping his cheek gently. "I love you too, Dave. I love you so, so much…" You told him, and you meant it. He smiled once, then gently lowered himself on top of you, careful not to hurt you, and closed his eyes.
You knew without checking that his eyes would never open again.
After that, things passed quickly. The ambulance arrived soon, but you didn't process them until they started lifting Dave's limp body away from you. You clung to him, though, cried and screamed and kicked, not caring that each moment jumbled up your broken bones even further. Eventually, they won that fight, and you dejectedly allowed them to load you onto a stretcher. The guy in the back with you whose name you didn't care to remember, told you that your family had been called and notified about the accident, and that you would be fine, but you weren't listening.
In the sudden stillness, there was nothing to distract you from thoughts about Dave. It broke your heart, to know that you'd never again wake up to see him smiling at you, and that you'd never be able to kiss him again, or argue about what movie to watch on a Saturday night, and it practically killed you to know that engagement ring on your finger would only ever be just that. An engagement ring. There was no wedding with Dave in your future. Not anymore.
You blinked away the tears, and closed your eyes. The swirling of the ceiling was starting to hurt your eyes. The heart-rate monitor that you were linked to started to beep erratically, but you didn't care. Sleep was so very close, and it sounded like such a good option. At least, while you were asleep, you couldn't think about Dave.
And that's all you remember. So now, here you are, sitting in a strange and unfamiliar meadow, with no memory other than what brought you here. You're not sure where you are, how you got here, or how long you've been sitting there. Just thinking. That's all you're doing. You just think and think and think until the sound of footsteps makes you look up.
Dave stands next to you, looking the way he did when he picked you up just an hour ago for your date, and he smiles hesitantly. "Mind if I sit down?" He asks. You shake your head, and scoot over so there's room for him.
The two of you stay that way for a while, sitting in silence and looking out over the endless horizon at the endless sunset. It's nice. You wish you could stay here, with Dave, forever.
"You can, you know." He speaks up suddenly, and you give him a confused look. Dave just shrugs. "You can stay here, if you want."
You don't say anything for a moment. "Is this… Heaven?" You ask after a moment, and he laughs.
"No. I thought that too, but this is… different. A place where you can be with all of the people you have loved and lost. It's special." He looks over at you, suddenly serious. "And you can stay for eternity, Karkat. Longer if you want. But you'd have to sacrifice your life in return. You can never leave, and you can never see Earth again if you stay." He tells you.
You look back over at the sunset, and subconsciously take Dave's hand in your own. You think about a life without Dave - what it would be like to wake up with someone else, or no one at all. What it might be like to start a family with someone else, or to kiss someone besides Dave. You know no one could ever replace him, but maybe that's the point of a soulmate. Either way, you don't like the idea. It makes your stomach churn uncomfortably.
However, you also think about your family, and your friends. You think about your parents and your older brother. They're all too formal for you tastes, but you know they love you, and you love them. You consider Kanaya, and Sollux, and Gamzee, you closest friends without a doubt. You think about John and how much it will hurt him to lose both you and Dave in one fell-swoop.
"I want you to go." Dave says suddenly, breaking the silence. You stare at him, bewildered, and he continues. "I want you to live your life, Karkat. And someday, when you're old and you die surrounded by friends and family, I'll still be here. Waiting for you." He takes off his shades, and the sight of his red eyes makes your breath catch in your throat. No matter how many times you see them, they always leave you in awe. God, how could you ever make it without seeing those eyes everyday?
Dave leans in, pressing a kiss to your lips. Behind him, a simple, white door materializes out of thin air. He doesn't acknowledge it, but you can tell that he knows it's there. You get the feeling that he brought it here for you.
You take both of his hands in your own, and shake your head, "I'm- I'm sorry, Dave. But I just can't leave you. I can't live without you in my life." You got along just fine before you met Dave, but then he came into your life and make everything shine. He made you shine. You brought out the best in you, and visa versa, and you'd be damned if you gave that up.
He just smiles. "Good." He says, and this time, you're the one who initiates the kiss. You pull him down into the grass on top of you and kiss him like you're suffocating and he's your air. He kisses back just as passionately, running a hand through your hair in a way that makes you moan and, behind him, the door disappears.
You don't care. Because what you really care about, what you really need, is showing you that, now that you're dead, there's no reason to stop kissing and breathe. And no reason to ever let go.