Hello my lovely snakies! I must warn you, if you have a tendancy to get emotional with sadness, hold onto your ass cheeks for this one!

Chapter 7:

Roger looked shocked. "B-but the beast is there...I saw it."

"I know but I feel like we need to go back. I...I need to. Please?"

As a final pleading effort Simon leaned in and captured Roger's lips with his.

"Okay, but should things go awry I want you out of there. I mean it. I'm taking a spear as well, I believe I left one up here."

Simon beamed "Ok! We should go now."

They finally broke away, Roger beginning to smile again at Simon's excitement. "You have such a beautiful smile Roger."

"It's only because you're here."

Simon blushed but soon winced and he tried to stand. Roger, feeling guilty for his pain held his hand and helped him get dressed. Simon's thin legs trembling all the while. He also offered to carry him to the rock. Simon kept smiling the whole time despite the throbbing pain.

"I can't believe we did that. I mean, we really did that..."

"What's even more unbelievable is that you came onto me!"

"I did?"

"Yes, you were practically begging! I had no idea what had gotten into you."

"You apparently. Oh god, that was out loud."

Simon blushed furiously and Roger broke out into hysterical laughter. After Roger wiped away his tears he took Simon's hands in his and spoke once more. "Don't worry I never heard anything...You were beautiful, I remember you kept trying to hide your face. I had to keep telling you not to, I wanted to see your face the whole time...So beautiful, especially in the moonlight."

"O-oh...I was really out of sort it sounds like… But thank you. I only remember some of it...the good parts I assume. You were beautiful too." Simon spoke blushing

"Hm? Well I remember it" Roger said with a cheeky smile "Every second of it." Simon blushed harder and hugged Roger again. "I love you."

"I love you too baby. Okay...well grab that spear and lets go."

Simon did as he was told and hooked one of his arms around Roger's neck as he was picked easily up off the ground.

He began trekking towards the rock all the while Simon was humming along with Roger. They harmonized, smiling. Simon abruptly stopped "I wish I could have been like this back home. Us together I mean. We could have sung together before all this, it's nice. Even just being with you before this would have been nice."

"Yeah, like I said the first time I spoke to you, your voice is really beautiful." Simon blushed and clung tighter to Roger's neck, the spear lightly dragging through the dirt. Roger continued humming soon followed by Simon's soprano counter harmony. Roger bounced his arms to better his grip on Simon. The abrupt action caused Simon to hitch on a note, in turn making them both laugh before returning to their hymn. Humming contentedly until they reached the base of the rock.

Roger gently placed Simon down, who wobbled before standing tall, fighting through the pain between his legs. He chalked up the fact it lasted so long to him losing his virginity to someone so much bigger than him. However he wouldn't mind doing it again. He handed Roger the spear and he began to scale the mountain first, holding Simon's hand. He claimed this was to help Simon with ascending the mountain but it was more so for his own comfort. As much as he would hate to admit it, he was terrified. They soon reached the top of the mountain and hid behind a rock peeking over the edge.

What they saw froze them solid, Roger went slack jawed and Simon eyes began to water. Simon was the first to come out of hiding and approach the 'beast'. They saw a skeleton in an oversized jumpsuit, a parachute tangled on a rock and flowing gently in the wind. Simon began laughing hysterically. "Ah! I knew it! All along there was no beast! It was just you!" Simon was frantically pacing and ruffling his hair, 'It's us! It's us Roger! I'm not crazy, it's all in our heads!" Roger was scared again, now of Simon. Was he really batty like the others said? "You know how I know I was right? We did that last night! Jack said that was the worst possible thing, the dirtiest thing, and now, now we see there is no beast! Roger we are the beast, us people!" Simon was continually getting more roiled up, rediscovering the deep truth of his theory, "IT'S US I SAID! .RIGHT!" Turning his attention to the 'beast', red in the face and crying he continued screaming, profanities flowing through his normally unsoiled lips, absolutely shocking Roger "You absolute bastard! What in the ungodly fuck is the reason you had to land on this godforsaken fucking hell hole and not any other place in the god damned ocean?! You have been terrorizing us for months, maybe years! Nobody needed this bollox, fucking….you are the devil you...Roger, it's not real...it's...n-no...t-t...r-re-e..." Simon suddenly fell silent before mumbling, almost as if talking to someone. "I'm not...batty...s-silly boy..." Simon sat and shook his head, staring into space.

Roger was about to stand and ask what he said when he lost all muscle function and collapsed before every single muscle in his body tensed to it's full capacity. Knowing he was entering a tonic state Roger stood and walked up to him panicked. It only took a few minutes before he began violently twitching. Roger knelt next to his seizing boyfriend, a look of horror on his face. He knew it was best not to touch him, he'd have no idea what he was doing. He wish he did. If only he could remember what he had read in those books. The convulsions only got worse after a while Roger couldn't stand to watch anymore. One thing he did remember is that the clonic state was notsupposed to last this long. He ran to the beach, to get the others to do something, anything. Simon could be dying, this was easily the worst seizure he had ever witnessed.

Roger was on the brink of tears, he couldn't lose Simon not now. He was finally starting to get better, as was he. He hadn't even thought about cutting himself, and Simon's mentions of suicide had all but disappeared. The night terrors were ceasing, he had actually slept the last few nights. Simon was finally recovering and now he was going to die. No, Roger wouldn't allow it. Roger felt the tears burning his eyes begin to stream down his face. "Simon can't die. Simon won't die. He's going to be okay. He will live." Roger thought to himself. He didn't care anymore he let the tears fall freely. Once he reached the beach the first person he saw was Jack. Lucky for him. "Jack!"

"Rog? Where have you been? Wh-"

He practically screeched to a halt near Jack.

"It-It's Simon. It's bad. Really bad. Come on, we have to do something."

"Like what? What happened? If it's an episode I can't help, you know that."

"No, he's...I don't know. I think he's gonna die, it's the worst I've seen him. Something's really wrong."

"Roger he's alway throwing a faint, he'll be fine."

"Jesus Christ Jack. For the last goddamn time, he has epilepsy! He isn't just doing it for attention you insensitive prick!"

"I'm sorry, you wanna rephrase that?"

"No, fuck you. If you won't help fine."

Roger turned, not wanting anyone else to see him in that state. Unaware Jack was following close behind. Anger, curiosity, and concern fuelling him. Roger reached the rock again to find Simon laying still, limp, looking lifeless. He was in his postictal period now. He ran over and knelt feeling for a pulse, he found one but it was very faint. He let more tears fall. Sensing Jack's presence behind him, he turned. "He's alive but, I don't know. You weren't here it he was acting..."

"Batty."

With no energy to argue he simply nodded. "Why did you follow me?"

"You actually spoke, and you were crying, so I knew it was serious." Roger sighed shakily and allowed more tears to fall.

He leaned in to kiss Simon's right temple, knowing that it was always sore after seizures. He continued peppering kisses over his face stopping finally on his lips. Tears falling on his face. Jack would have smirked and made a snide remark, but seeing the state Roger was in, he just walked over knelt next to him. "Promise you won't tell anyone, I mean, Ralph knows I think. That's why we were leaving the tribe, at least for a while." Roger nearly whimpered while wiping his tears off Simon's face.

A pang of guilt hit Jack but he merely responded, "Yeah, for sure. You were leaving?"

"Yeah, we were hiding it for a long time...we didn't want to have to be secretive all the time anymore."

They were silent for a while before Roger hitched on his breath and gripped the hand who's wrist he was receiving a weak pulse from.

"God, Jack he can't die. I try to be tough but...even when I'm stabbing something to death, he's there, just in the back of my head. I hate to admit it, I really hate it, but I love him." He choked out.

"I know you do...just because I'm your best friend, you hid it pretty well."

Roger smiled sadly and ran his fingers through Simon's straight black hair gently holding his head.

They sat in silence. Jack finally clued in to where they were and panicked "Where's the beast?"

Roger hitched on his breath. "Fuck...it's not real...it's us. Simon was right. Now he's gone, and thatbastard almost got him killed." He barely spoke pointing to the parachuter. Roger lowered his head further and rested his lips on Simon's forehead. Jack saw the body and was shocked into pace he couldn't speak as Roger casually switched topics "You don't understand Jack. You could fuck Ralph in the middle of the beach and nobody would bat an eyelash. If I even took Simon's hand no one would fear me, and you know it. I need that. Me and my stupid fucking power complex were really the only thing keeping us apart. I just wouldn't be taken seriously, because he's so...pure, sweet, " Roger backed away a little and brushed hair out of Simon's face, continuing to list his good traits "smart, kind, empathetic, loving….just, perfect. Be that as it may, he would kill my persona." Jack nodded, anyone could tell you that was true. Jack turned his attention back to the 'beast' and Roger gently cradled Simon's angelic face, resting his hand over his carotid artery.

Absolute horror rushed through Rogers veins as Simon's pulse suddenly dropped and disappeared Roger shot up and shook Simon's shoulder screaming his name, slowly increasing in volume. Hysterical sobs escaped his mouth as he desperately shook Simon. He picked him up and cradled him like he had the 2 days ago. "Fuck! No,nonononononononono! Simon no! Don't die! Don't leave me! Please no!" Roger gripped the tanned body in his arms tighter continuing to plead him. Roger gave up and let out a strange, strangled, animalistic noise. As Roger cried (a rare sight) Jack sighed "He's dead?" Roger nodded barely hearing him, sobbing, clutching the limp Simon to his chest. Burying his face in his hair. Jack felt a wave of sadness pass over him. He couldn't live without Ralph. He knew Roger would feel way worse though, Simon was all he had. Watching his friend sob into the smaller boys hair he wondered how far they had gotten. "You were close?"

Roger could barely respond from the dark mass of hair he was lost in."Y-yeah…"

"Um...H-how close?" Jack asked, just a tad oblivious as usual.

"Like, you and Ralph. As of yesterday."

Jack nodded, the last statement showing him just how devastating this was to him. Still sobbing, but unsure of what else to do, Roger stood carrying Simon with him. Jack didn't follow, he was letting the reality of the island and the nonexistence of the beast sink in. All he had known for the past year or so had just changed. Another horrifying fact was setting in. That was the fact the small raven was gone, and that meant Roger was too.

Back in their special place Roger sat looking down at Simon, he hadn't tried to find a pulse again, he was too scared. Plus he was sure Simon was dead. He had decided he was dead as soon as he lost the pulse. He had exhausted himself from crying and simply stared at Simon. He looked peaceful as if he were asleep. He looked so perfect, small and innocent, like a flower. Beautiful even in death. Roger laced his fingers with Simon's, they were cold, like usual, but this was a different coldness. He silently, hopelessly, wished for those fingers to grip him back.

He looked to the scars on his wrists. Thought of blood. He looked up his arms and stopped at his chest. It would be quick… He thought for a minute and shook his head. He promised Simon not to cut himself and that also meant he wouldn't intentionally hurt himself in any way. Suicide would have been disgraceful to Simon's lingering aura. He was still there, spiritually. Not hurting himself. That was the least he could do to honour him. Roger lowered his head and let a few last bitter tears fall. The beast wasn't real. It was them. Simon had brought wisdom and closure to the island, and now he was ripped away. Roger placed a chaste kiss to Simon's forehead. A kiss to the temple would have been pointless, there'd be no impending headache. Now that Simon was gone, Roger had nothing. As he lingered on the thought Roger could feel madness building in him. The real beast awakening in the dark boy.

OMG! I apologize, but I must leave it there! Until the next chapter!