The high-pitched squeal of tires filled the night air, soon followed by a deafening crash, metal against metal.
Silence.
Within moments, the far-off cry of an ambulance took over, eerie stillness broken.
Paramedics rushed to save the victims. Three men, one dead at the scene, trapped within the crumpled heap formerly known as his car, one severely injured, one only sustaining minor cuts and bruises.
A limp brunette boy, no older than twenty, was lifted from the confines of the red sports car and onto a stretcher. His breathing was shallow and soft, his pulse faint. A gray-haired man followed the paramedics as they loaded him up. They told him they needed him to come with them, 'just in case.'
A quick check assured the doctors that the older man was okay, and immediately released him. The boy, however, was not so lucky.
Eight hours of surgery awaited Takahashi Misaki, forcing Usami Akihiko to wait until he was in his own room in the intensive care unit.
...
Akihiko was finally able to see his young lover, claiming to be family. Although he was not, he may as well have been.
"Misaki…" he choked out the name. His beloved Misaki lay there, so pale and fragile.
He pulled up a plastic chair, preparing to stay by his side until he woke up. Akihiko took hold of Misaki's hand, giving it a gentle kiss before whispering softly to him.
"Please, Misaki, come back to me. I need you."
Making sure no one was around, he finally let his tears fall freely. They soaked the edge of the bed and left tracks on his cheeks. He fell asleep there, still clutching the boy's hand tightly.
...
"Time of death: 2:39 PM."
Usami Akihiko stood frozen in place. He refused to believe the doctor's words, refused to listen to the whine of the heart monitor flat-lining, refused to accept that his world had been taken from him. If Misaki was gone, life meant nothing. Why continue on?
Usagi-san, don't you even dare! Don't even think that!
'Usagi-san' gasped, Misaki's voice ringing loud and clear in his mind.
But Misaki, without you, I have no reason left to live! You were my everything. I love you… He thought to himself.
Since when had he gotten home? The vague memory of shuffling out of the hospital and driving home slowly came to mind, brief, hazy images at best.
...
Two weeks had passed since the incident.
Two weeks of wandering around his apartment like a zombie.
Two weeks of heart-wrenching sobs filling the large rooms.
Two weeks of hardly eating, filling his stomach only when he knew he absolutely needed to.
Two weeks of his world crashing down around his feet and being sucked into a black hole, never to return to him.
Suddenly, struck by an idea, Akihiko rushed up to his study and began typing furiously. He went without sleep for two days.
I'll finish it, he promised himself, for Misaki.
On the third day, his fingers finally stilled. He sent the manuscript to his editor, Aikawa, with a note attached which read, This is the end of the Junai Romantica series. Please get it published immediately.
With that, he stepped away from his computer and made his way to the roof.
...
Rain poured down around the novelist. It soaked his clothes, ruining some items permanently. Not like it mattered, though. He wouldn't need them after this.
Usami Akihiko stepped onto the ledge of the tall building, looking down at the city.
Usagi-san, don't you dare!
"But Misaki, I can't live without you!" He sobbed, tears mixing with the rain that fell onto his face.
Oh, yes you can! Misaki's voice shouted angrily in his head. Akihiko could only smile at the sound.
"I really can't…If I don't have you then what is there left to live for?"
Silence.
"Misaki…?"
Yes, Usagi-san?
He gave a half-hearted chuckle.
"Please don't hate me for this, Misaki. I love you so much."
…I love you too. But you can't do this! Please, stay alive…for me. The voice begged him.
Akihiko could swear he could see the boy standing in front of him, hanging in the open air, tears streaming down his perfect cheeks.
The man smiled sadly, eyes glazed over, staring at something unseen to all but himself.
Behind him, he could faintly hear his editor's voice screaming for him. She had rushed over, shocked at his sudden end to his BL novels. She had come to see what was wrong.
"I can't do that, Misaki. I'll see you soon. I love you…"
Usagi-san! NO!
Too late.
One final step and he was gone. The whole way down, a serene smile pulled up on his lips. Eri Aikawa could only stare down in horror. It almost looked, if she stared hard enough, like he was holding someone in his arms. A brown-haired, green-eyed apparition, arms wrapped tightly around the gray-haired novelist, lips pressed against one another's. But that was just the rain distorting her vision and playing tricks on her, right?
He hit with a bone-shattering crash.
...
Eri Aikawa stepped up to the open casket to say a final goodbye to her dear friend. That same serene smile still sat on his face.
From the sky, two butterflies, green and violet flew down and landed over the man's still heart. They flapped their wings in unison. The violet, much larger insect crawled up to the green one until they were touching. The smaller of the two stopped moving for the briefest of moments. Suddenly, the two creatures flew off together staying side by side until they were out of sight.
The red-headed woman could only stare in wonder. At last her tears began to fall as she crumpled to the ground.
"Good luck, Misaki-kun and Usami-sensei."
Oh god, I can't believe I just wrote that! I've never been one for deathfics, but when the mood strikes me and I go to read one, I can't help but think about this situation. Surely they wouldn't go on living without each other! In the very least, Usagi-san couldn't. I've always seen him as a slightly emotionally-weaker man than Misaki. Whereas Misaki has his brother, friends from school and Aikawa-san to potentially help him through, Usagi-san seems like he wouldn't have anyone he would feel he could turn to. If Misaki died, I'm sure this is what he would do.