Summary: (AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden
Pairings: ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.
Warnings: This one's a really heavy and long chap, so be warned. This is what you might call the climax of this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Since we're going out with a bang, that's my favorite song in the entire world on the title, and we all have Def Leppard to thank for that.

Chapter 25
"Bringin' On The Heartbreak"

December was definitely not one of his favorite months. In fact, if he had a choice, he would choose not to have another one for as long as he lived. Asides from the biting weather, the hardly welcomed mornings and the collective grouchy mood, it also made the small, smelly apartment he lived in practically uninhabitable.

As if the rent was getting any easier to pay with the lousy wage of a rookie cop.

And on top of all that, it seemed that day wouldn't be any different from the rest. He reached out to pushed the wooden door that led to the training lockers open; however, it stopped sliding under his nearly slack, crestfallen weight when it was halfway open.

He'd been about to write it off as some misplaced desk or chair, which wasn't all that unusual in there, but then he saw a set of seemingly long fingers clutching the rim in a firm grip. Before he could do as his curiosity suggested and peek in, whoever was behind it pulled it all the way open first, so fast he had to keep himself from stumbling forward.

His heart jumped in a pleasant, merry way at the sight of him alone, and a smile seized the muscles of his face right away. Seeing him there, or anywhere at all, was such a rare occurrence he knew it was safe to assume his day had just gotten the nice start he'd been praying for.

Disciplined like always, especially around authority figures, he straightened up and nodded at his superior. "Sir."

A warm smile was thrown his way as the other nodded back and countered in his usual nonchalant style. "Morning, Hassleberry."

And just like that, the protocol was discarded for the tone of a real friendship.

"Leaving already?" Discouraged as he was, he didn't even bother hiding his disappointment about the other's departure.

The older man averted his gaze, probably foreseeing what was coming like the sharp guy that he was, his grin knowing and relaxed by the time he turned back to him. "That was the idea, yeah; you're...kinda blocking the exit, though."

That he was. And they both knew it, so when he threw out a loud, unabashed laugh, the other was quick to follow. "Aw, c'mon, stay a while. Let's have a friendly spar, what do ya say?"

"Yeah, as friendly as World War II..." His superior laughed light-heartedly and shifted his way to his other foot. "No, it's too early for that. Besides, there's a huge pile of paperwork that I need to take care of before the morning is over..."

He hummed and raised an eyebrow, unable to fight the smirk that appeared on his face or the mocking tone that came with it. "Is that really so, or are you just afraid I might kick your ass again?"

Still, regardless of their confidence and spite, his words were nothing but a ridiculous bluff used just for the sake of coaxing him into agreeing.

Headstrong, smart and fast, the man in front of him was truly a force to reckon with. Of all the many times they'd spared, he'd only managed to defeat him a few times, and that was saying a lot, considering he was 6-feet tall, weighed almost 200 pounds and had enrolled fresh off of military school.

What he had in strength and muscle, the other had in intelligence and speed.

As expected, their little practices just as fun and challenging as they were famous around the district. In fact, whenever he managed to persuade him into that entertaining game of pride, there was always a crowd of excited man lurking just around the corner, waiting for a chance to bet on the outcome.

Instead of growling or glaring like any lesser man, the taller one simply narrowed his eyes and shook his head, his tone and demeanor clearly amused.

"Get in, you little prick."

And then they both laughed again, because really, what else could they do? Things were about to get pretty exciting for a change.

—

Detective Princeton was just the type of man every guy respected and wanted to be around. He was easy to get along with, a clever joker and a great drinking buddy. The guy was a freaking encyclopedia for conversation topics, a perfect gentleman with the ladies and he could behave like a comrade around the guys and act like the boss whenever the situation required it, something the high ups really appreciated because he gained his subordinates' trust in no time and actually knew what to do with it afterwards.

He was most known for the first case he handled as an amateur, 21 year-old investigator: what appeared to be a clean-cut murder, and actually turned out to be the work of an unnoticed yet established serial killer with an irregular M.O and a special fondness for psychological games.

The fact that he tackled the case in less than a week with no exterior help from the police was probably what astonished people the most.

As for his reputation, he was extremely picky with the jobs he took and liked to do things his way; he was currently one of the top 3 detectives in the world and the proud owner of an undefeated record: 97 solved cases and counting.

...however, like everything considered great, his perfect aptitude also carried a deal-breaker.

The one bad thing about Chazz Princeton was the fact that he never stayed anywhere for more than a couple of months. He had many job offers and governments from all over the globe literally fought one another just to be a part of his extensive resumé whenever he decided it was time for him to search for a new post.

Over the years, countless people had wondered what the reasons for that weird quirk were. His strange urge to migrate from job to job, from one city to another, it was simply irrational to everyone who met him.

Many wondered exactly what such a young, handsome and promising detective was looking for.

And more often than not, he did too.

Mondays. Oh, Mondays...

The fresh moods, the early risings and the smell of coffee made it by far the best day of the week. It was the day to start something new, something exciting, a new project, or even finish a really delayed one.

To his right, a small group of laughing girls ran past him as he stood just outside the door of the old coffee house, debating whether to go in or not.

In the end, he couldn't resist the craving for something warm to keep the cold at bay. The guy behind the counter was welcoming and pleasant than most, but still, he'd known better ones. The owner didn't seem to be around for the day, and that disappointed him greatly because he'd been kinda expecting to see her, at least to say hello and see how she was doing.

The coffee shop, being as established and popular as it was, was looking pretty empty that day. Only a pair of girls on one table and a lone, unusual man in another. In the early days of December as they were, seeing people wearing hats and trench coats wasn't all that uncommon at all, but there was something about the guy that seemed off.

With his nose buried deep into his book, the guy hardly noticed his lingering stare, anyways. Beneath the rim of his blue hat and the dark fringe of his hair, he could make out a pair of reflective, black-rimmed glasses.

"Here. Anything else?" The teenager across from him asked with a smile, which he returned in his own distracted way after shaking his head no.

Suddenly, the lonely man got up from his seat and, book and coffee in hand, he began to walk towards the exit. Thinking that maybe his rude staring had scared him off, he turned back to the kid who had just finished his order and grinned again while he handed out the money. His back tingled with something rather ghostly, something ethereal that ripped a shiver from his skin. He spun his head to the side with a frown just when the man he'd been eying was walking through the door.

The small smirk he saw on the man's lips baffled him to the point of almost dropping his coffee. His gray eyes remained glued to the advancing figure as it paced away and out of the frame the huge front window offered him.

Without thinking twice about it, he grabbed the paper cups and ran outside as carefully as he could to avoid spilling the scalding beverage. The street was empty by the time he reached the sidewalk, and the weirdness of it all made him sigh.

For a second there, he could've sworn he'd just seen...

But no...that was impossible and he knew it.

His fiancée was already waiting for him, so he choose to simply forget about the eerie occurrence and unearthly feeling and move on for the sake of his now questionable sanity. However, it seemed he was never meant to forget about the strange man or the odd sense of familiarity his sole presence stirred in him, because a couple of steps down the street, he reached a narrow alley that led to a parallel street.

Leaning against one of the walls of the alley was a huge, green dumpster, and draped over the metallic rim was the same beige trench coat the mysterious man had been wearing.

Sure enough, his fingers stumbled across a pair of reflective shades when they slipped inside one of its pockets.

A ghost from the past. That was the only explanation for the familiar face and warm smile that greeted him the minute he walked inside his house.

How long had it been since the last time he saw him? Six, years? Well, it didn't really matter. He was back, and that was the important thing here.

"I don't freaking believe it..." He stared at his childhood friend with wide, joyful eyes and then glanced at his soon-to-be wife, who appeared to be just as surprised as he was.

Jaden looked so...different. Not in a bad way, of course, just...older. His brown hair was longer, falling past his shoulders now, and he was taller, almost six inches taller than he'd been the last time they'd seen each other. By now, all of the child-like features that used to define him had already given into the thieving effect of the years and faded from his face, gone to be replaced by the look of a handsome, young man.

And it proved that not even a youthful, fierce spirit like Jaden Yuki could remain unaffected by the passing of time.

The biggest change was definitely in his eyes, though.

The once wide and open brown gaze was now narrow and much more intense, almost ancient in a way, like ages had come and gone since the day he left and his eyes were the only thing that gained any years.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" His voice had lost its soft, boyish edge a long time ago, but it was still so very nice to hear.

"Yeah." His throat felt rather dry, so he cleared it a little and smiled up at his best friend. "Yeah, it has."

When the brunet held out a hand for him, straight-faced and all, he laughed and shook his head as he grabbed it; instead of just shaking it, he used it to pull his friend towards himself and give him a proper greeting, the only greeting he could give him after years of not seeing him. Asides from the surprised grunt he let out at the strong embrace, Jaden didn't say anything.

I'll be back in 15 minutes, he said. You worry too much, he said...

That prick better not be surprised at the sucker punch he was going to get as soon as he arrived. Just because the chief had assigned him the lovely job of protecting the guy's sweet, precious ass didn't necessarily mean he couldn't slug some sense into him. As long as no one else did, right?

They had already checked a lead and interviewed an important witness for the case, so he had a little bit of trouble trying to understand why the other was so interested in fooling around in that town any more than they needed to.

After almost three hours of absolute boredom and silence on a car full of hard-rock CD's and random folders and files, his boss and current charge finally returned from his little trip.

Not only that, he also came back dressed different. "What's with the hat, dude?"

If anything, Chazz' smirk widened. "You like it?" He ducked a bit in order to use the reflective surface of the car window as a mirror and fixed the indigo hat on his head, all the while wearing his trademark bedroom-eyes-look that made all the women, and sometimes even men, melt. "I think it makes me look kinda mysterious...and sexy. Let's not forget sexy."

The cop simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the sports article he'd been reading, quite used by now to his superior's weird sense of humor.

"So..." He tossed the magazine over his shoulder and shrugged, his eyes bored and expectant as they landed on the older man. "We're done here?"

They had to head off now if they wanted to travel back with any light. The trip back would only take somewhere around five hours, but it was still a tedious task to even consider, seeing as he would be the one doing all the driving.

The black haired detective gazed at him before looking away with a mild frown that the golden sunset light forced on his face; it sure took him a while to come up with an answer. "...yeah." Bright, narrowed gray eyes met his again, a little bit uncertain and, dare he say, sad? The sigh that parted his lips confirmed his suspicion. "I guess we are."

However, despite his words, the guy refused to move; instead of getting in so they could leave, he walked around to the hood of the car and sat on the edge, with his feet resting over the bumper and his forearms on top of his knees.

Also, now that he looked closely, ever since he'd returned from his little errand, his boss had been playing with that dark blue hat he certainly did not have when he left.

He sighed. When he walked over to stand by his side, Chazz didn't even lift his head to offer him a glance. Nothing but the small hat on his hands seemed to matter to him. "You know...we don't have to go back tonight. Not really."

He would have to think of a decent excuse for the delay, one that the chief would actually buy, but honestly, he would eat muddy, crawling worms if it meant he would never have to watch Chazz fidget on his skin like he was doing right then.

The other did look up after that, his eyes so curious and mischievous he couldn't keep himself from grinning down at him. "I mean, there's...obviously something you need to do before we leave..." At the blank, unreadable stare the detective gave him, the cop threw his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?"

As usual, Chazz used a smirk instead of a real answer. The younger sighed.

"Here." He stretched out his arm towards his friend, a small, satellite phone laying on his palm. "The chief will deep-fry my ass if anything happens to you, so be very careful and don't trust anyone. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, you call me immediately, alright?

The unconcerned nod he received only infuriated him further. "Got it, mom."

Oh, those stupid, cheeky smiles would end up being his downfall. That was for sure.

They went out for a couple of drinks right after the other arrived, and Thank God, he'd managed to catch an good, understanding woman so early on in life, seeing as she was actually the one who suggested they did. Indeed, they had a lot of catching up to do.

After his mother's passing, Jaden was never the same again. With Leyla's death and Chazz' disappearance, his best friend's entire universe was quick to crash and burn. Only it didn't seem to last long because he left town before the week was over. His family just...fell apart after that.

He left in search for the dream he'd carried ever since he was a kid. He mustered up all the money he had and ran away, out of the picture completely, without even saying anything to anyone. Not goodbye, or at least where he was going.

Everyone did. First Chazz, then Jaden, and finally, so did Bastion.

He kept in contact with Bastion, but it took him a whole year to hear from Jaden again. He sent him a letter; well, it was more like a picture-less postcard because it was rather brief and devoid of any explanations.

By the time he wrote it, he'd already traveled through most of Europe and visited some parts of America.

And it seemed his best friend had gone through a lot of things in the time he'd been away — countless jobs, all too different from one another if he could say so, many successful projects and a massive journey around the world.

Yeah, Jaden was truly amazing. He had a brilliant mind and a unbeatable determination, so he wasn't really surprised to know of all the progress he made on his own, out of nothing at all. He and Gabriel became business partners about two years ago, and if everything worked out fine, they would open their fourth local some time around May of the next year.

But the wisdom he acquired and every success he claimed came with a high price.

It took a great deal of effort to hide the deep sadness he felt behind grins and jokes. Hard as it was to ignore the dry knot on his throat, he didn't want Jaden to notice he was doing his best to keep from screaming himself horse.

Jaden wasn't really his old Jay, anymore; that cheerful, naïve and simple guy had gotten lost somewhere on his way back home.

The man in front of him, on the other hand...

He didn't smile or laugh much but when he did, it was brief and kinda bashful, like it was a forbidden act he only tried out of youthful recklessness. The tone he used to talk was deep and so sober it actually made him want to drown his wits in alcohol just so he wouldn't have to listen to it.

And his eyes...they were the same shade of brown they'd always been, and yet, they seemed to be an entirely different color. There was no light inside of them, not like there used to be.

Of course, there were some things about Jaden Yuki not even time would never change, like his good nature and loyalty, or his strong sense of justice, and he was deeply thankful for that because those were the only things that truly mattered at the end of the day.

Cheery or serious, that man would always be his childhood partner; he would always be welcomed inside his house and his well-being and happiness would forever be a concern to him.

Like the winter days, their improvised get-together was drawn-out and still pretty short-lived.

When Jaden started stumbling on his words for his leave-taking, Syrus couldn't help the stab on his own words at the thought of them going their separate ways once again. Because really, how long would the other stay gone this time?

Would he have to wait another seven years to see him again?

In the end, they both made excuses to leave as fast as they could and after one last handshake, they traded numbers and decided to meet up again, with a better timing on better circumstances.

Hurried as they were to just get the hell out of there, the two friends forgot to set a date.

Night had already spread wide across the windshield by the time he pulled over and into the parking lot of the first hotel he found, still within the limits of the town.

Walking into a lobby and paying for a room now felt as casual and normal as brushing his teeth in the morning. He was so used to the mechanically polite wake-up calls and the penetrating stench of nicotine in every surface.

It was hard for him to imagine life without a suitcase in one hand and his passport in the other; he almost didn't remember life before the hotel rooms and the hard, magically-made beds.

A sincere, yet ironical chuckle rumbled in his throat, because really, just how tragic was that?

Something heavy dropped inside his chest at the thought, halting his mindless pacing around the empty room.

Funny. Ever since he started off with that kind of lifestyle, that was the first time he'd actually felt that way. Seeing Syrus probably had something to do with that.

Man, it felt good to see his old bud again, and even more so to discover he was doing pretty fine. He had an incredible job that he loved, a great deal of respect amongst his colleagues and his fiancée was an absolute knockout. The guy had everything any man could possibly desire, and it made him too happy and proud for regular words.

He would've pondered a bit more about that if a familiar ring-tone hadn't startled him out of his reverie. Slightly bewildered since not many people called him so late at night, the brunet strode across the room and swiftly picked his phone from the only table in the room.

"Hello?"

"Jaden! Look, this is going to sound way too crazy, and it's a really long story, but before you leave you need to know-"

For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about this.

"Syrus?"

But far from cutting down on the weird babbling, his friend just went straight to the point. "Yeah, it's me, now listen-"

Or tried to, anyway... "Are you okay, man? What's wrong? Did something-"

"Jaden!"

The firm, exasperated tone was definitely new to him, so he stopped talking and breathing all together at the cutting order. Yeah, in all good honesty, he'd only been trying to buy some time, if only the few seconds he needed to brace himself for whatever Syrus was about to tell him, because he already knew Syrus wouldn't call him in the middle of the night for good news.

The awful gut feeling stewing inside him only grew stronger.

"Chazz is back."

And just like that, both his heart and dinner shot up and got caught up in his dry throat, rendering him unable to utter a single word.

It hit him like a bucket of ice-cold water, leaving him to disperse in the rush of feelings, the chaos of his mind. He didn't raise his cold hand to cover his open mouth, nor did he rest it over his scorching forehead, over his wide, caramel eyes. He did none of those things, reactions so common in movies and soup operas - plain, overused.

"...he's in town."

Instead, he could see through the eyes of a dazed, hollow man that was himself his own helplessness as he groped shakily for the wooden table, almost clawing the wood when another wave of that nameless sensation burned his spirit.

It was a brand-new reaction for him, something new and raw and gaping with emotion.

When he closed his cellphone without so much as a 'thanks' or 'goodbye', still unblinking and breathless, he realized he'd never felt so close to the dark box of insanity as he did right then. He felt angry, foolish, betrayed, relieved, curious, excited...maybe even glad.

But the real madness began when he heard himself chuckling. It started out as a simple grin, then he broke out in short, breathless fits of laughter.

A strange urge filled his being, one so strong he could only obey. He grabbed keys and dashed out of the room, too fast for him to remember if he'd even closed the heavy door after himself.

And to be completely honest, that thought wasn't important enough to even make it into his list of worries.

The pleasant, cool nights was definitely what he missed the most about that town. Well...a close second; there was a certain, especial coffee house that honor would always belong to.

God, the park was exactly as he remembered it, and that small discovery made him feel more hopeful and pleased than he'd felt in years. Simply because it was good to know some things would always remain the same, no matter what happened or how many years rolled by.

Halfway through the long, tree-rimmed path he'd gotten to know so well, his feet bumped into something that almost made him fall down flat on his face and force a mouthful of dirt inside his mouth. Instead of going down, though, he staggered a few steps forward before he finally retrieved his balance.

Deja vú racked over him instantly, and when he looked back only to find a big, round rock sticking out the earth, he placed his hands on his knees and released a loud laugh that set the woods alight, at least for a moment that disappeared into anonymity as fast as it came.

The bridge was carpeted with dry, leaves and light dirt, and the silver glow of the last-quarter moon gave the whole place a supernatural, surreal touch that he couldn't have been more thankful for. After all, there really was something unearthly about that bridge.

It was the lost-and-found bridge, the place where wandering souls crossed paths. There was no place like it, not in Paris, or London, or New York. Not even the home of the honor and the terror, the beautiful Japan, had anything quite close to it.

A leaf crumbled under a foot a few meters behind him; probably some lonesome human looking for an enigma bigger than their purpose in life.

However, the steps didn't breeze by and out of reach like he'd expected. In fact, they stopped as soon as he acknowledged them with a small tilt of his head.

"Such a lovely night..."

Hm, it really was, and he would've even agreed with the nice observation if he'd gotten the chance to.

"...isn't it, detective?"

Still unfazed, the black haired young man gave into his natural curiosity and, with a smile on his eyes, he turned his head to the side only a little to take a look at the one addressing him so casually. He smirked. 'Ah, the plot thickens...'

Somehow, as soon as he set a foot on the park, a part of him realized something like that might actually happen. A gut feeling, he guessed. They say that kind of sixth sense was exactly what marked the difference between normal detectives and great detectives.

He only wished that small part of him hadn't failed to tell the others.

The contentment that flooded his heart was so overwhelming he wasn't sure how he was able to contain it all in his chest. It felt good to be back. No matter how beautiful all those cities he visited were, they still were no match for this one. The city that he grew up in, the one that held all the memories and that gave him the best friends he could ever ask for.

It was his origin, his roots, it was his home.

He was finally home.

Looking around, he realized how much he had missed being there, in the park where his childhood friend Syrus and him used to hand out at, where he had found the love of his life and where he had lost him too.

He had almost forgotten how enchanting the whole place looked when the streetlights illuminated it at night.

The thud of his steps on the muddy, flowered ground was just as he remembered it. The sound of rushing water and the nostalgic smell of humid earth warned him about how close he was to the bridge.

His pace came to a halt almost automatically at the exact spot where he stood when he saw the gorgeous creature he fell in love with for the first time.

Like possessed by some wistful spell, his characteristically chocolate gaze dashed towards the place Chazz had stood at the first time he laid eyes on him, looking so elegant and enigmatic, but above all, so terribly beautiful.

And there he was. Lean, even taller shape outlined finely in the dark, dazzling eyes standing out brilliantly above everything else, lit alive like water by the reflection of the yellow, magical moon.

They were narrowed and focused solely on the ground as he lent over the edge a little with one of his hands resting on the thick handrail, the other lost under the black fabric of his coat.

The ability to move was swiftly snatched from his hands, and any coherent line of thought quickly became a messy web of whispers that had no unity whatsoever as he stared at the dark figure slouching in the middle of the bridge, almost completely hidden in shadows. The scene itself was so familiar to him, for he remembered living it before, seven long years ago.

He was still behind the thick wall of denial, even as he walked closer.

From where he stood, marveled to say the least, he allowed himself to completely take in the whole sight, every single detail.

In contrast to the night that spread frostily around them, Chazz's pitch black coat paled down to a rainy gray, the collar and shoulders catching the moonlight like a mystical, dark halo.

Even when he was able to discern those onyx spikes through the darkness, he still couldn't find the willpower nor the strength to move. His knees felt like jelly, he felt rather light-headed, and if his hands weren't gripping the interior of his pockets so tightly, they sure as hell would be shaking madly.

He bit his grinning lip, wondering when was the last time he'd felt like that.

After a long moment of hesitation, he finally started to approach the other with fairly trembling steps, his eyes glued to the one person he could only think about the whole time he had been away.

He was in utter disbelief even as he reached out to touch the black haired one's shoulder, a bit hesitant at first, then shook him firmly after not getting a reaction.

Quite confused now, the brunet walked around the other and came to stand by his side, close enough for his nose to pick up Chazz's old scent. He smelled of toffee and vanilla, just like he remembered.

The eyes Chazz rolled his way were dark, too dark, and unfocused, but once he actually had a chance to take a look at him and recognition flashed past them, they widened so much it made him look like a startled, disorientated owl.

But there was something in them, something that shouldn't have been there.

Fear. He looked truly and utterly frightened.

Something was terribly wrong, here.

Before he could gather the wits he needed in order to ask him what was wrong, the older man turned around to face him fully...

And fell down as his knees folded beneath him.

Even if Jaden reached out, out of instinct, and grabbed him by the shoulders in time to stop his descent, the weight was still too much for him and it ended up dragging him down along with Chazz. He tried, anyway, and lowered the well-built body down onto the ground as carefully as he could so that he lay on his back; he slipped an arm under his shoulders and lifted him up to his chest.

Those gray, tired orbs peered up at him confusedly, and it seemed his old classmate was about to say something important, but when a shaky, searching hand landed over his chest, he screwed his eyes shut and threw his head back with a barely restrained groan.

Jaden could only blink dully at the odd, wet warmth his fingers met against the fabric of Chazz' shirt. When he brought his hand up to his face to examine it, still in blissful shock, the sticky, crimson screen that now covered his palm horrified him beyond understanding.

Blood. A lot of it.

"...no." His skin was pale as the moon and just as cold, too. "No, no, no, no..."

The stain on his white dress shirt was too big for him to tell where exactly all the blood was coming from, and he was afraid of hurting even more if he tried to search for the source again.

"Chazz..." He whispered, out of breath all of a sudden. "Chazz, what...what happened to you?"

One of his hands instinctively flew up to curl beneath the taller man's sharp jaw, but a pale, bloodied set of fingers wrapped around his wrist before his fingertips could even grace his skin.

The other nailed his gaze on his squarely, his hold cold and trembling, and then shook his head no in a weak motion.

"Please...leave."

Instead of making him feel joyful and serene at last, the gruff, now deep voice he'd missed far too much only sparkled an angry fire that reduced the small remains of his once optimistic soul into simple ashes.

The brown haired man just frowned numbly at the raspy words, utterly baffled and lost.

He couldn't be serious. Was it some kind of cruel and twisted, death-wish game he was playing or something?

"Jaden, please..." The sad, begging tone was entirely new to him, and it sounded like a completely different person from the boy that'd shared his face and name years ago; still, it matched the helplessness and fear building up inside those gray orbs, so he had no choice but to deem it all as real. "...leave now."

"No!"

The roar of a threatened dragon wouldn't have sounded quite as powerful and poignant as that cutting word did, and the effect was instantaneous, like an electric shock straight to the neck, making the wounded man flinch slightly.

"Enough with your games, Chazz! For once, just this once in your entire life, stop being a god-dammed coward!" And maybe screaming at someone who was already in great pain wasn't a very moral thing to do, maybe he was being an insensitive asshole here, but then again, he probably learned that from the master: the king of assholes himself.

The very same bastard that came back only to do what he did best.

He'd merely returned to leave again.

But just when he thought his heart couldn't hold another thread of hatred without burning down, he heard something that drowned out the fire and murdered all the negative feelings that had taken root inside his spirit a long time ago.

"Jaden, I'm sorry..." His already labored breathing was becoming more and more choppy as the seconds continued to bleed out of their hands, impatient and selfish like a spoiled child. "For leaving you like that...but I couldn't...I couldn't st-"

"Shut up!"

His voice must've sounded harsher and more commanding than he'd initially thought because those beautiful, silver eyes finally rose to meet his, and tired and unfocused as they were, he was unable to keep from losing himself inside them.

"I don't care why you left, I don't even care that you broke your promise!" He grabbed a fistful of Chazz' collar and gave it a tight tug to silence any stray excuses. "I don't, you hear me? Not anymore!"

Pale lips parted to utter words, but only rasping, short pants and dry coughs came out. When a cold hand fell on top of his, Jaden just lost whatever control he had over himself and, ignoring the blood that hanged from the corner of his best friend's mouth, he dipped down and mashed their lips in a desperate, dizzying kiss.

By the time he broke away, almost a minute later, none of them could catch a breath. He backed away a little to look at the other and his heart sank at the sight he found there. Chazz' eyes were shut and his brow was furrowed in pain, but the harsh expression softened a little after he brushed a hand over his temple.

However, as the tired grimace disappeared, the body in his arms also became heavier and stilled completely.

"It's okay.. you...you're here, now...you're here...and I'm not letting you go ever again."

Even when the older one's head sagged down and to the side and that pale face hid against his heaving, thumping chest, he refused to believe he'd even gotten up from bed that morning.

He couldn't bring himself to believe he was losing the person he loved the most, losing him all over again; only this time, he was watching him go for the last time, to a place he would never return from.

Soaked in denial, he reached up and grabbed him by the chin to shake him out of his sleep.

Still, he kept on drifting off, slipping through his fingers like dry, lifeless sand no matter how hard he tried to hold him tight against his chest and whisper words of comfort. Tireless and absent-minded murmurs that he knew would not do any good. He knew they wouldn't make everything alright or bring Chazz back or heal his crushed heart.

They would not give them more time to make up for the moments they lost.

But it was all he could do. All the ripping inside him would allow him to.

"This isn't supposed to end like this...it can't."

And it really shouldn't.

Because even if they both were there, on that old bridge that night, it was nothing like he'd imagined. And God, had he really imagined it all.

First of all, Chazz was supposed to be okay. Okay and smirking and cocky like he'd always been, and he was supposed to be angry at him for going away from him like that. For bailing on him when he needed him the most, despite promising him not to.

And then there was a small chance they might be able to work things out after that. There was always hope, and they would have all the time in the world to make it work.

Time.

Just how long had they been standing out there? Feelings and thoughts mixed.

He found it hard to remember exactly who was the one laying on the ground, bleeding from an invisible wound. Was it really just Chazz?

Perhaps they both were.

"Please..." He pulled him closer and tightened the hold his fingers had on that black jacket, the dark denim feeling hard and cold under his red, scorching palm. "I forgive you for leaving, I forgive you for everything, just..."

When his warm cheek touched the cold tip of a straight, ivory nose, a powerful need exploded inside him and urged him to press his whole being into the other man's; he pressed so hard he thought their skins were about to reach a fusing point. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, too hysterical, and he grunted out of desperation, the sound low and pitiful like the squeak of a frightened, lost animal.

"Just don't go away." He whispered brokenly when his words met nothing but silence. "Please...not again..."

A dull thud rumbled around him, like something hard and heavy had just fallen into the ground, hardly startling him, and like a lit candle standing out in the middle of an apocalyptic storm, the hope finally extinguished from his soul at the sound.

The wrecked, miserable sound suddenly equaled that of his heart breaking in million pieces.

If he'd hadn't been as crushed as he was, or simply curious enough as to look up and see what had caused the thump, he would've seen the black cellphone that now sat inches away from pale, long fingers he'd missed feeling so much...

He couldn't sob or cry. Not even a scream could make it past his lips.

He was just...too sad for tears.

Careful, shuffling paces stirred across the dirt and dry leaves scattered over the old stone.

Before he could take his eyes off from the vessel of his lost hopes and meaning for his sorrow as it lay bleeding out in his arms, a metallic click crept up from behind them.

"For what its worth, kid...I'm really sorry about this..."

Suddenly, his senses cleared enough for him become aware of it. The familiar, dark thickening in the air.

"I was actually expecting someone else..."

Danger.

He narrowed his eyes.

Of course...how could he not notice before?

Another shot was fired to the night, and it seemed the moon had been set out to be the only surviving witness from the very beginning.

(End of chapter 25)

I'm truly sorry, really, but sometimes you're forced to do horrible things for the sake of the plot.

The answers you're all missing will be in the next chapter, which will be up in four days.