This is my first story, so be kind! Constructive criticism is always welcome, but please be judicious not malicious. I myself am not a Christian although this story deals with Christian themes. I hope you like it, and I hope you pick up on all the allusions thrown in there.
Oh shit, oh God, ohChrist it hurt. He could feel the blood slipping down his arm, slowly gathering in his palm. He raised his hand and dug it into his hair, tainting the pure white a sickly reddish brown that spoke of death and all things unpleasant. His chest rose and fell sharply as his labored breath took on a wet sound alluding to the gaping wound in his side just below his armpit. If he could only move he could get away. Get away from the cracking fire and the exposed, falling support beams that he used to think gave his home character.
This is it, he thought. I'm going to die and no one is going to come, no one is going to help me.
He flinched at a deep groan of metal as another beam dropped from the ceiling into the wreckage that was Kakashi's apartment. Opening his eyes he turned his head as far as it could go, not far given the mangled mess that was his upper body, hoping against hope to see something besides smoke and crumbling brick. He couldn't be sure but Kakashi thought he saw light, something white filtering through from the gaping whole in the side of his home.
Slowly blood loss and delirium set in and in one shocking moment Kakashi thought that life was ending. Not his life, but all life. It's the end of the world. There was no warning. Nothing on the news about flooding or forest fires or earthquakes. But here I am, floating waist deep in stagnant water waiting to die. It's the end of the world.
"That's a little over dramatic, don't you think?" A gravely voice somewhere from behind him. Kakashi's eyes opened as wide as they could go and rolled back hysterically, trying to find the source of the voice.
What?!
"Not what, pardon. Didn't your mother ever teach you that Kakashi?" There. His eyes locked onto the figure approaching him, now within his limited and rapidly decreasing range of vision. Kakashi tried to speak but all that came out was a sick whine, something high pitched and pathetic that he would be embarrassed of it he were in better health.
Can you hear me? He thought frantically, his mind panicked. Please God, hear me.
"Oh, so now you believe in God? Wait until everyone hears this. Hatake Kakashi, raised an atheist, briefly religious during his celibate teenage years, who later went back to atheism after the death of one insignificant boy, now wants the help of God." The voice was closer now and Kakashi could clearly see the speaker. A young man with brown hair pulled back in a high pony tail, and a pair of deep set dark eyes, crouched down next to Kakashi. "How cliché, the sinner repents as he lay dying. Don't you think that's a little shallow?"
So it is the end of the world, Kakashi thought. I'm dying and you're taking me to hell.
"I'm not taking you to hell, you moron. I'm just here to talk," the man said. Apparently serious, he crossed his legs and settled himself down next to Kakashi, careful not to bump him.
"I can't ta-," Kakashi started. And stopped. And started again. "How did you do that?"
The man grinned a mischievous grin and Kakashi was reminded of a child. The man's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "It's a secret. My name's Iruka."
"Hi." Kakashi couldn't feel his body anymore. He still couldn't move but it didn't hurt anymore either. He decided that a friendly…ish…apparition while he slowly died was better than being totally alone.
"So what makes you think this is the end of the world?" Iruka was leaning close, his elbow resting on one knee, and his head subsequently resting on one closed fist. "Couldn't it just be a natural disaster? That happens you know. You do live on a fault line."
"It's not an earthquake. I have a sturdy house. This wouldn't have happened." Kakashi's voice grew louder. "Oh God," he whimpered, "I'm dying."
"Yeah, you are. Your eye is disgusting by the way," Iruka said conversationally, not at all phased by Kakashi's changed demeanor. "It's all red; you must have burst all the blood vessels with all that pressure on top of you."
"I can't see very well." Kakashi tried to inhale deeply but was caught off guard at the liquid that flooded his lungs. A cough wracked him, that wet sound back as his blood gurgled up out of his mouth.
"Maybe you should close your eyes, then," Iruka said. Kakashi did, closing both his eyes and breathing as deep as he could with blood flooding his lungs. His eyes flew open again when he felt something against his lips. Iruka was leaning over him, a white handkerchief hovering above his mouth, slowly wiping away the dripping mess of red. When he pulled away Kakashi met his eyes and felt something startle through him.
Iruka smiled. It wasn't the smile from before, he didn't look impish or mischievous. He looked happy. "Kakashi," he started, still smiling that smile, like the world wasn't literally falling down around his ears. "If it's the end of the world, why are you afraid?"
Kakashi just stared back at him, not quite understand the question. "What?"
"Yeah, I never understood that. A fearful Armageddon. It's like an oxymoron, right?"
"I don't get it." Kakashi's brow furrowed and he closed his eyes again. That left one was really starting to ache. It was disconcerting that while the rest of his body was numb there was one bright pulse point of pain, throbbing steadily behind his eye.
"Well if you believe in Armageddon, the Second Coming, the End of the World, then you must be a religious person. You must be the kind of person that believes in Jesus if you think he can literally rise again. And if you're the kind of person to believe in Jesus then you must be the kind of person who believes that he died for you, sacrificing his life so you could get to heaven." Here Iruka paused to skewer Kakashi with his gaze. Although the fallen man's eyes were closed he could still feel the look boring into him. If he could have, he would have turned away.
Iruka drew in a breath to continue. "And if you believe that Jesus died for your sins then you must believe that all you have to do is repent, to be truly sorry and you can go to heaven. You must know that you are not the one going to hell, it's all those other people." His gaze slid away now, taking in the surrounding rubble. The ceiling was starting to bow in, creaking slightly with exertion. Just a little bit longer, Iruka thought.
"So why are you afraid? If the end of the world means you're going to heaven?" Iruka bent close now, his face just inches away from Kakashi's, both his hands braced on either side of the man's head. "Open your eyes Kakashi." Kakashi did. "Why are you so terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" Here Iruka's eyes grew hopeful, so bright that Kakashi thought he might go totally blind from just staring into them. They were so beautiful.
And then Iruka bent his head and kissed Kakashi softly on the lips. A strangled sound left the other man's mouth and his body convulsed slightly before going limp. Iruka's gaze went from sad, to serious, to playful in the span of time it took Kakashi's soul to be totally expelled from his body.
He looked up behind him, meeting the dazed look of his new companion. Iruka stood, standing up out of the water he had been kneeling in. His white linen pants were still as clean and dry as when he'd first appeared.
"Come on Kakashi, you don't need that any more. You've shuffled off this mortal coil." Here he laughed and reached out to grab Kakashi's hand, leading him away from the body lying under a cross-beam, blood spilling from its mouth, one arm crooked awkwardly behind its head.
"We have work to do."