Of pleas and cliffs
.
The wind wasn't cold, exactly; but as it ruffled Rin's hair it also made him shiver. His breath hitched when more men appeared before him, seeing but copies of the one he had managed to get away from. They didn't even carry weapons; they didn't need them, not when there was a cliff and an abyss just one metre behind Rin.
They probably believed Rin wouldn't choose death over going with them.
They were wrong.
As he gave a small step back, barely hearing a collective gasp coming from the men in front of him, Rin was surprised. He had never thought the prospect of death could be so calming; he had always figured that, when he faced it, he would cry. Not out of fear, but simply because stopping existing was a big deal.
But no tears came.
"Rin! Stop it!"
Rin's eyes widened; Haruka made his way among the little crowd of the men that had been chasing Rin for weeks and, ignoring their hissed words, he approached Rin in great strides.
Instinctively Rin stepped back again, wind blowing harder through his hair. No. Out of everything, this–
Please leave.
"Don't," he warned.
Haruka's steps came to a halt. He was pale, eyes wide and scared.
"Come here," he said, quietly. "It's dangerous being that close to the edge."
Rin laughed.
"I'd rather fall than go with them again." His lower lip trembled when Haruka's expression darkened. "You know what they do, Haru," he added; he couldn't help his pleading tone. As ready to jump as he was, he desperately needed Haruka to understand. "You know what they'll do if they catch me again."
"It's just–" Haruka swallowed– "I'll come for you," he promised, in a low voice so the men behind him didn't hear. He stepped forward again, and this time Rin didn't move. "We'll go somewhere they can't find you again."
Rin shook his head. No such place existed. "You'll only get in trouble for nothing. This is bet– –"
"How is you dying better than anything?" Haruka's voice raised an octave; it took Rin's everything not to walk towards him to hug the panic in it away. "Rin, please."
Incoming tears itched behind Rin's eyelids, in the back of his throat. This wasn't how it should happen. Haruka shouldn't be there. It shouldn't be so hard to draw back half a metre and let gravity do the rest.
"Leave," he ordered, hating his voice for breaking. He moved, and his right heel only found air when his foot landed on the edge. Whatever little colour left in Haruka's face vanished, gaze fixed on Rin's feet. "Just leave and stop making things difficult."
Instead, Haruka extended his arm, palm upwards. His fingers were close enough for Rin to grab them.
"I'll find a way, I promise." His hand shook noticeably. "But come here, please."
Rin didn't think he had ever heard Haruka beg. But his friend's words had given him an idea.
Slowly, he raised his hand, grabbed Haruka's. He tentatively tugged at it, almost smiling at how easily Haruka crossed the little space left between them. Rin swallowed down, not meeting Haruka's eyes when they frantically searched in Rin's face a sign of what was going on in his head.
"There is no way," Rin whispered. Their intertwined hands were trembling, but he couldn't tell whether it was him or Haruka. "And you should have never come."
A tear slid down his cheek.
"Use your head," Haruka replied. "No matter how bad it is, as long as you're alive there will be a way."
Rin pursed his lips together, but he couldn't help more tears escaping his eyes, blurring his vision. He had to do it now, because if he let Haruka keep talking it would be impossible.
"Maybe…"
He leant forwards, brushed Haruka's lips with his. Rin closed his eyes, treasuring the surprised sound Haruka choked in the back of his throat, slowly disentangling their hands. He drew back a bit, though, when Haruka's arms attempted to grab his clothes.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
Haruka frowned, confused. "Rin…?"
"Don't hate me too much, okay?"
Haruka understood a second too late. By the time his arm shot forward to grab Rin, he had already jumped, his insides twisting with the sight of his friend's hurt expression, of his terrified gaze.
Rin didn't have much time to dwell on it. Soon he was falling; and even though he closed his eyes, unable to keep seeing Haruka's pain anymore, he could hear his own name in Haruka's voice, a bloodcurdling scream that echoed in the rocks beneath him.
Part of Rin still wanted to find Haruka and get rid of the fear haunting his gaze when his consciousness shattered against the ground.