Okay seeing as I apparently can't stay away from angsty stuff for too long and I'm delayed for last week's theme and I want to gift my friend Red a small story, here we are! I mean, it's going to be multi-chapter but nothing too epic as of yet...maybe but my stories do take a life of their own. Oh the theme is 'Memories'. Thank you to NeoMiniTails for betareading the flashback scene for me. I cried while writing this.
All the Appmon were down, their Buddies gravely injured and unable to access the God-Grade forms. He stood up, towering over the lot of them before turning towards Shinkai Haru.
The wind pushed and screamed against their bodies, almost like it was begging for them to go. It felt like the world knew something they didn't. Losing wasn't an option, and they wouldn't know if they could win without at least trying.
Haru felt the air around him become dense, breathing was getting harder, sweat drenching his body. There was an attack coming at him, but he couldn't move. Terror froze him in place. He turned his attention to his body which was struggling to get up.
"Haru!" Gatchmon cried out as he launched the attack towards his Buddy.
Haru stepped back, stretching his arms out in front of him in order to shield himself. There was no way he could take the attack head on! He braced himself for the impact of the attack to strike. The wind whistled and the ground shook. His heart pounded as Haru thought about everything he wished he said but never had a chance. A part of him wondered if he ever said 'I love you' to the one he loved or would be another fallen soldier die with regrets. He wanted to be a main protagonist, a hero of sorts, but not for a tragedy. Was this really how it was going to end? He waited for the attack to come, but it never did. The world around him was silent as he opened his eyes.
Haru's eyes widened, horror enveloping his features as he saw his boyfriend, the love of his life being hit by the attack. Rei had jumped in front of him when the attack had come. He rushed forward, catching Rei in his arms. The smell of burnt flesh rising to his nostrils. Haru held Rei close, chest to chest, the red liquid smearing all over Haru's body.
"Rei! Rei!" Haru cried, tears streaming down his face as he began to cry. Every memory flooding through his mind. Every good and bad time, every time their hands touched, all the times that he had come close to telling Rei how he felt; it all came rushing back to him.
"Why did you do that?" He knew why. Oh God, he knew why. He could remember promising that they would all make it out alive. They would all be okay. They were supposed to be able to talk about this when they're old and gray, but that wasn't going to happen. He held onto his boyfriend's cold hand and tried to tell himself that it was warm. "Oh god Rei..." He felt as if his heart had cracked in two and then broken further into tiny little pieces.
"H-Haru..." Rei managed to crack out weakly. "I-I don't want to live in a world you're not in..." No, don't say that. Please. Don't. I can't live in this world without you. I can't. "I love you." Rei's words were firm and powerful, just like he was. His breathing was ragged and shaky. He opened his mouth to say something more but nothing came out. That was all he managed to get out before his eyes closed, breathing coming to a halt.
"No, no! Rei! Come back!" Haru sat up in his bed, panting as tears streamed down his cheeks as he realised it had just been another horrible memory. Another nightmare that was so real. No, it wasn't just a nightmare. It was real. Rei was gone...he would never see him again.
He was dead; he wouldn't come back like Gatchmon or Yuujin, no, he was gone. He buried his face in his hands, beginning to sob.
Gatchmon wrapped his tiny arms around Haru's neck, trying to hug his Buddy the best that he could, tears coming to his own eyes. "Haru...I'm sorry."
More tears fell from Haru's cheek and he shook his head.
"No," Haru managed to choke out. "It's my fault." He buried his face further in his hands. "It's all my fault. That attack was meant for me...oh god, Rei, why? Why did you leave me?" He could still see Rei's face swimming before his eyes, his smile, his warmth - his devotion to their relationship. Rei looked so much happier when they were together - he had deserved happiness, then why? Why was life so cruel taking that way? He didn't deserve it, he didn't. Not him. Not his Rei.
"Haru, it's not your fault," Gatchmon said, own voice choked. "I should have been stronger, I should've been able to become Gaiamon sooner, if I had been a better Buddy."
Haru hugged Gatchmon tighter. He tried to say it wasn't Gatchmon's fault either but when he opened his mouth to speak, he only broke down into more sobs, his chest beginning to ache with each loud sob he gave. He knew crying wouldn't bring Rei back - his boyfriend would never smile back at him again, he would never be here to offend Astra and Eri with his bluntness with Haru trying to cushion his words. He would never be there to reassure Hajime that he'd always be there for him. He wasn't there anymore, was he? Hajime-kun had lost the most important person in his life...all because he had chosen to protect Haru in that moment. Why? Rei...Rei, please come back. I don't want to live without you either.