A week into the year, that's all it took.
8:03AM, Tavros entered the yard alone.
Horuss greeted him,
"Good morning young Nitram!" He spoke in a cheery tone, making Tavros giggle. "Would you please stop by my locker at the end of the day? I should have gotten all of your brother's work together by then." He'd grin down at the seated boy, to which he'd respond with a nod.
That's when it all began.
Rufioh was sick, apparently it was nothing, but as the days went by, the calm look on Horuss and Tavros' face was done. No one thought to ask questions. Gamzee was always too stoned to notice something wrong with Tav, and it seemed to be alright usually, but now you could see he was lonely and afraid.
Two weeks passed, Horuss stuck to Tavros.
News had finally gotten out, Rufioh was dying.
No one ever knew what he had caught, or why no doctor could find a cure for it.
At least, that's what Horuss ranted about everyday at lunch now. He never had many friends, it was always just Rufioh and Meulin, and sometimes Kurloz and Mituna would join them. But that didn't mean much now.
Tavros had began to lose patience with Gamzee; that was evident. According to Kurloz, Tavros had come to their house the night before and gotten in a fight with Gamzee about him needing to "sober up and listen to me you god damn stoner idiot!" According to Kurloz, Gamzee had then gotten mad but kept quiet, saying "If you don't like my choices, then maybe we shouldn't be together." According to Kurloz, that's when Tavros left, ranting to himself about Gamzee.
According to Kurloz, they weren't a thing anymore, and it kind of sucked.
That was the first downfall.
Tavros and Gamzee had broken up.
A few weeks later, Horuss and Tavros made their first appearance at the hospital to see Rufioh.
He was bed bound, couldn't move on his own anymore.
"I'm sorry," he'd croak out at the sight of a crying Horuss, making him sit on the small bed. "I didn't mean to upset you… If I don't make it, please take care of Tav for me…" His eyes were filled with tears now, too. Anyone with eyes could see he was in bad shape, and the fact Horuss couldn't help him… he was a mess.
"Please don't leave me Rufioh… I need you…" Horuss' voice would crack, tears pouring from his eyes. "You promised you wouldn't leave me…"
That was the last memory he had with him.
Sitting in a hospital room, breathing in the strong smell of medication and sanitary supplies, crying.
Rufioh died two hours later, holding Horuss' hand.
Neither the oldest Zahhak nor the small Nitram attended school for the next few weeks. It was that of a grieving period for them.
Horuss had lost his everything… He stayed in bed for three days straight, just staring blankly at the wall. He'd sometimes find himself scrolling through Rufioh's youtube, watching his old videos. Listening to him sing, watching him just being him… and then he'd always stop at the very last video to be uploaded. It was a video of the two of them together, Rufioh's gift to Horuss for his eighteenth birthday. He never stopped crying…
It was only after Tavros started attending school again did the word get out.
Horuss dropped from school.
He was, according to Equius, dedicating his time to being a scientist. Trying to find cures for unknown diseases like what Rufioh had.
No one ever really heard from him again. Equius and Meulin, they never mentioned him anymore. It was kind of like he was just…gone…