He was an idiot. He may have been a scientist and a doctor but he was also an idiot. If he wasn't an idiot then why was Otto in this situation right now? Why was he clutching the deformed hand of his fellow comrade if said comrade wasn't an idiot? Otto let a few tears fall as he looked at the broken body of Mr. Hal Gibson. His skin was singed and black, his body was a mess of thick clots of blood tangled with fur, and his eyes were unfocused. All Otto could do was hold Gibson's hand for the last few minutes. Chiro had been kind enough to leave Otto alone with his fallen team mate.

Calling him a team mate seemed offensive to Otto. Gibson was so much more than a team mate. He was a friend to talk to, a playmate to tease, a confidant to cry to, and above all he was a mate that would give Otto the moon if that was what he wanted. Otto didn't want to moon though. He wanted Gibson.

"Ot-ottnneh?" Gibson managed to rasp out through his swollen throat.

"Gibson! W-what is it?" Otto asked through his heavy sobs.

"You-you're oke-okiyy…ahk…" Gibson tried to form words but his mind was not working. The only thought he had was about Otto being safe.

"O-of course of safe you," Otto sniffed loudly between his tear stained words," y-you idiot."

The two sat in silence for a brief moment. A light smile passed Gibson's face. Otto was ok and that was all that mattered. Of course the opposite could be said for Otto himself.

"Damn it Hal! Why did you do that?! I would have been ok; I could have taken that hit!" Otto nearly screamed.

The worn body that was Gibson simply smiled wider as if this entire thing was just a sick, twisted joke. He was smiling like his life didn't matter, like the fact that he was going to die in mere moments meant nothing.

"Yo-uurah ader-adorable wh-h-hen yee…yurr angr-angi-angry." Gibson choked out the sentence.

"What? Why are you saying that now? Don't you get what's happening to you? You're dying Hal!"

"I kn-know. Nevrrr tld yooo-you th-theat enn-enough."

Then Gibson started laughing. It was a horrible sound; thin and wet with painful yelps mixed in. Blood poured from his mouth while he bellowed. Soon his body started to shake uncontrollably, twitching itself in ways nobody should move. But still, Gibson laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed until slowly the laughter died down. Otto looked down at the floor, unable to watch the one he loved falling apart in such a way. He debated with himself if he should leave but decided not to. No matter what he would not leave Gibson now.

"I love you so much."

Otto yanked his head up at those words. They weren't stuttered or rasped. Gibson didn't choke on the letters or slur the words. He had said it perfectly. Gibson would always be able to say those words perfectly. Because those words were his whole world. Those words were why he was in this mess to begin with.

"I love you too."

Otto leaned down and placed a kiss on Gibson's mouth, breathing in one last final breath of air to the blue simian. Gibson stared into Otto's watery eyes. They were the last thing he ever saw; the last thing he ever knew.

Otto is safe.

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