Author's Note: Another Aoi x Oga one-shot, this time inspired by Terrible Things by Mayday Parade. I swear to you, I have an obsession with character death and the feelings that come along with it. I've always been better with words when it came to depression and sad situations; happiness and sunny smiles were never really my forte. I'm such a morbid person….

Terrible Things

Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things.

He couldn't believe his ears when the news struck him. It was as if he had been hit with the full force of a tsunamic wave. If the silence following Lamia's words had been any longer, he was sure he'd hear the cracking of his heart as the pieces fell like broken glass. His muscles tensed and all he could think was no, no, no, no, not her; anyone but her.

"She's not going to make it," Lamia said again, her voice void of emotion and her face impassive. The only thing that held a look of feeling was her eyes; they were swirling with sorrow.

He felt his chest tighten as his stomach did summersaults. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his knees weak. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to keep himself standing.

Thunder rumbled outside his window as the rain slammed against the glass with a loud ta-ta-ta-ta-ta and he barely contained the laugh that formed in his throat; it couldn't have chosen a better time to storm.

It's only fitting. Hilda thought gravely as she gazed upon the girl lying in Oga's bed. Her face was flushed and covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her hair was a wild mess, almost like a mane of snakes against the pillow. "How long does she have?"

Lamia stayed silent for a moment before responding, "less than twenty minutes."

As if that were some cue, she opened her eyes, staring up with daze as the world around her blurred into focus. "Oga?"

He sucked in a breath as her strained voice reached his ears.

She turned her head to the side, addressing Hilda and Lamia. "Could you two leave us for a moment?"

"But Ku-"

"Please?"

The desperation in her voice was enough to make them oblige. They sauntered from the room, closing the door behind them with a silent click.

"Kunieda…"

She suddenly laughed; it was a weak a pitiful sound, but a laugh none the less. Oga felt a bubble of anger rise in him, how could she laugh? "I don't have much time left, do I?"

"No, but you can't die," he growled, "You can't just leave Kōta and your cousin like this!"

"Oga, I need to confess something…" She said, peeking out from under the blanket.

"There is no Aoi Kunie. It was me all along. Y-you were just so much nicer to me when I was her and I was afraid if I told you, you'd be mad." She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the next little bit that was about to leave her mouth. "You know, I've always l-liked you. Since the day you tried to push Beel on me, I've had feelings for you. I just…I just couldn't bring myself to say it. But since I don't have much longer…"

Her words trailed off as she ducked beneath the covers, afraid to meet his eyes.

Oga was completely stunned.

Despite having less brains than the average person, even he understood the meaning behind her words. Somewhere inside him he had always known. Even of Furuichi made a point to spell it out when he was sure the young woman was out of ear shot, he knew with out having to be told. At the time, however, he didn't think much of it, but with the confession finally hanging in the air between them, it was all his mind could focus on.

"Aoi…" He said, his voice still stained with shock.

She stiffened beneath the blanket, realizing it was the first time he had purposely spoken her first name. Involuntarily, she glanced up at him. He stared back at her with a look she couldn't quite describe. Whatever it was had her heart skipping a beat.

Or perhaps it was only because it would stop at any given moment.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" he sighed.

Her brows knitted as she moved the covers, allowing her face to show. "Wha-"

He scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to do. He'd never been confessed to.

Beel, who had been sleeping the entire time, suddenly squirmed in his arms; Oga had forgotten the child was even there. The baby began cooing and warbling, his large eyes shinning innocently as he reached for the dying woman.

He didn't get it.

"Beel, no." Oga said.

The weight in his father's words caused the Demon Lord to stop and glance back at him, a bewildered expression obscuring his young face. "Dah?"

"She can't play with you anymore."

"Dah!" he exclaimed defiantly.

He still didn't understand.

"Hey, Oga, take care of him. You're the only one who can." Aoi said suddenly, a strained smile spreading across her pale lips.

"Baka," he grunted, "you could have if you took him."

"I'm being serious here," she sighed. "Also, take care of Kōta and Grandpa, and Hilda as well."

A single tear had begun sliding down her cheek. "And take care of yourself. Don't do anything stupid." She turned to Beel. "You be good too. You…you have a good father."

Realization finally dawned on the child as he gazed down at her face. His eyes began to fill with tears and several whimpers escaped from the edges of his lips, muffled by the pacifier in his mouth. Static began forming around his little body. He was going to cry at any moment.

"Don't you dare cry," Oga snapped. His tone was forceful and strained; something the child had never experienced from his 'father'.

Aoi smiled at the child, "Please, Beel. Don't cry for me."

The child forced himself to blink back the tears. Turning his head, he found Oga in a similar state, though his composure was slowly cracking. The same fearless, cruel, and merciless man he had come to know in his time in the human world was breaking before his eyes.

Men don't cry, he'd always say.

Yet that same man was treading upon a string that was coming undone one strand at a time; eventually it would break and he would fall through the gap. As each terrorizing second passed, the strands broke one by one until the first droplet finally broke through and sat on the corner of his eye, glistening in the dim lamp light.

"I thought I said not to cry for me," Aoi whispered.

She felt herself growing faint, as if the strength was being sapped from her. Her vision was blurring, coming in and out of focus and her breathing had grown even more labored than before.

She had only minuets left.

"T-Tatsumi, come closer," she said, mustering the last bits of courage. At least I won't have to live this down, she thought grimly. It was the first, and the last time, she'd ever call him by his first name.

For a moment, the Delinquent stared at her with a look of confusion, but he obliged. With her last bit of strength, she pushed her self up and caught his mouth in a quick, but sweet kiss. Oga's eyes widened as she pulled away, all but collapsing against the sheets of his bed with a loud oof. Another smile spread across her lips.

One breath in.

One breath out.

One breath in.

There was no exhalation. Her body grew limp and motionless. Oga felt his stomach churn at the sight as he quickly brought his hand up to cover Beel's eyes. Demon Lord or not, he was still a child and he had grown rather attached to Kunieda in the past months.

He didn't doubt for a second that the sight of her lifeless body would render him into a near fatal fit.

The door opened slowly as Lamia peaked in. She gazed at Kunieda before looking to Oga. Her jaw nearly dropped. A steady stream of tears was flowing down his face, creating small puddles on the floor below. The hand that wasn't supporting Beel was clenched; the veins on his arm were popping beneath his muscles. The young doctor wasn't sure what to do.

The wet-nurse pushed the door open further. Instead of the degrading comments and harsh words she usually threw at him, she only gave him a sad look before taking her master from his arms and ushered the young doctor from the room.

"Leave him be," she said in a low voice."

"Even for a man like him," Misaki commented as she passed the congregation, "this was worse than a hit below the belt. I don't think he'll ever get over it."

Author's Note: I don't even know…this is what comes from lack of sleep. I think it's safe to say that there's major OOC here? I just hope the ending doesn't seem rushed.