IIII II
"Take, slow down! Please!" Zack shouts to Undertaker. The day is warm and the Undertaker's parlor is closed for the day. "Where are we even going?" Undertaker is holding a picnic basket as he walks along a dirt road outside of town.
"There's a particularly beautiful tree in a field nearby. I thought we could use a break from work."
"So we're going on a picnic?"
"Yep," Undertaker smiles brightly at Zack who just chuckles and rolls his eyes a bit.
"You could have just told me that from the start," Undertaker just laughs in response as they continue to walk.
The spot is on a small hill with a large oak at the top of it in all of it's mighty glory. The wind is blowing Zack's hair around quite a bit so Undertaker ties it all back for him.
"What about yours?" Zack slides his pale fingers through the silver strands. Undertaker smiles and kisses the hand.
"It's fine," They set out the cloth and the different foods on the ground before sitting next to each other. Near to no talking goes on between the two until Zack rests his head on Undertaker's shoulder.
"Have I looked tired lately?"
"Not particularly. Why?"
"Because you've been acting differently around be since that night," Zack's eyes are down cast to his hands as he continues to speak. "You're always keeping me from going out like before, not that I mind that! I'm perfectly happy to just stay around the parlor all of the time... But it's not just that," he's fiddling with his fingers. "You're always worried when I accidentally poke myself with the needle. You almost never sleep through the night without checking on me and becoming restless. You're acting like I'm just going to disappear in front of you..." Undertaker doesn't respond and his face takes on a solemn and sad look. "Take?" Zack is looking up at him and has a hand grasping his. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing..." Undertaker pulls Zack into a tight hug.
"I won't pry if you don't want to tell me, but please say that it isn't nothing," Zack hugs him back and nuzzles his head into Undertaker's chest.
"...Thank you..." tears are brimming in Undertaker's eyes as he hugs Zack tighter.
IIII I
"Take, all of the paperwork is done for today. Do you want to go get some tea or something?" Zack pokes his head into the back room and Undertaker smiles.
"That sounds lovely."
"Good, because I found a really nice shop, just down the street, the other day," Zack is smiling brightly.
"I'll be right out, just have to clean up a bit before we go."
"Okay."
IIII
Undertaker has Zack pinned in the back room as he kisses him deeply.
"A-ah, Take, there are clients up front!" Zack attempts to protest and Undertaker smirks.
"Then we'll just have to keep our voices down, now won't we?" Zack blushes deeply at the preditorial growl in the man's voice.
"Bu-but," Undertaker breaks him off with another deep kiss.
IIII
"Zack, let's go shopping together," Undertaker is lounging on top of a coffin near by and Zack raises an eyebrow.
"Why so sudden?"
"It's not sudden at all! It's been ages since we last went out for stuff together!"
"Well... alright, but only after I finish this coffin."
"Yeah!" Undertaker smiles brightly and fidgets on top of the coffin.
"You've become more and more restless lately, haven't you?" Undertaker freezes a looks else where.
"Have I?"
"You have."
"Oh..." Zack glances at him and frowns before kissing him on the top of the head. "Alright, let's go."
"Okay."
III
"Take, I'm not kidding, you should lay down. You look like hell!"
"I'm fine, just a little tired," deep bags are forming under Undertaker's eyes, and his face seems to be getting paler.
"No you aren't. Now lay down. I'll be right back with some medicine," Undertaker grabs his wrist as soon as the words out of his mouth. "Take?"
"Please... I'll lay down... just don't leave me..." Zack's face softens and he nods.
"Alright, I'll stay with you."
II
"How are you feeling, Take?"
"Better."
"Liar. You look worse," Zack is laying next to Undertaker in their coffin. Undertaker just chuckles.
"I've been worse."
"... Does this have anything to do with why you've been acting strangely?" Zack's voice is soft as his fingers are tightly holding to the fabric of Undertaker's shirt. "Take... are you dying or so-something?" tears are brimming in Zack's eyes. Undertaker hesitates before gently hugging him closer.
"If I told you that I wish I was, what would you say?" Zack tenses up and holds onto him tighter.
"I-I'd tell you that you're an idiot a-and you'd better not," Undertaker chuckles. "Why?" Zack looks up at him, the tears streaming out of his eyes. "Why do you wish something like that?" Undertaker's voice catches in his throat and his face takes on the pain of a dying man.
"Because... I... you..." tears drip out of his own eyes and Zack stares with wide eyes. "I don't want to lose you..." he finally chokes out at hugs Zack tighter.
"You're not going to! I'm not going anywhere, so please don't cry!" Zack tries to wipe away the tears from Undertaker's face.
I
"Zack?"Undertaker sits up in the darkness of his parlor and looks around.
"He's out getting medicine for your fever," William is sitting nearby reading.
"What time is it?" Undertaker's heart is pounding in his chest.
"5:36 p.m. You can run and look for him now, but you won't be able to save him now," he flips the page in his book and Undertaker bolts for the door. "Best of luck..." Undertaker almost misses the whisper as he exits the parlor.
- ( 5:24 pm) -
Rain begins to pour down on the stone streets making Zack take cover under a shops over hang for a second. Two men walk deliberately towards him and he recognizes them. Instinct takes over and Zack starts running down the street. Other's block his direct route to the parlor making him run further and further from his home.
- (5:32 pm) -
"Excuse me? I seem to be lost, can you tell me how to get ba..." the guy he'd stop to ask turn and smirks. "A-ah, never mind... I-I'll just be going..." The guy goes to grab him only catching hold of the medicine back Zack had in his hands. "L-let go of th-that! I-It's for s-some o-one important to me!" The guy snickers and starts pulling Zack closer with the bag.
"Too bad," Zack hesitates before letting go of the bag.
"I-I'll buy more another time..." he runs down the street way from the guy.
- (5:41 pm) -
"Zack?!" Undertaker shouts as he runs towards the doctor's shop. When he arrives the doors are already closed and the lights dark inside. "Zack..." he jumps up onto the roof and starts looking around the streets closest. "Zack?!"
-(5:53 pm) -
Zack's breath is coming out in white billows as he shivers and hides in an alley off of the main street.
"He went this way!" someone shouts at other end of the alley making Zack take off out onto the street again. The rain is getting so back that he can barely see to the other side. The sounds of horses to his right are heard all too late.
- (6:02 pm) -
"ZACK!" Undertaker screams out when he finally sees him... but it's already too late... The people who were in the carriage are hanging back a bit and the carriage itself is a few feet away. He jumps down and slides down next to Zack. The rain is starting to lessen and the blood is starting to pool.
Zack is laying on his right shoulder with his face down and his left hip slightly tilted towards the ground. His left hand is laying limply in front of him with his elbow bent and his right hand is under his chest. Undertaker hesitates to touch him before carefully rolling him over onto his back.
"Zack..." he chokedly whispers. His clothes are soaked and torn. Deep gashes show from under the tears in his clothes. A log one lines his cheek and his hair sticks in patches to his face. A small trickle of blood leaks from the corner of his mouth. Undertaker gently caresses the side of his face before picking his upper body up enough to cradle it. "Zack..." his tears mix in with the streams of water still coming down.
- (6:07 pm) -
"Take..." shock takes Undertaker over as he sharply opens his eyes and looks down. His eyes meet with one unfocused blue eye, and one blue-grey hazy one. "You came for me..." sobs shake his body as he hugs him more closely.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Zack weakly reaches a hand up and moves the hair out of Undertaker's face.
"I-It's okay... Y-You were th-the one w-worrying y-yourself sick a-about this..."
"I should have said something! Anything! I should have kept you closer to me!" tears are streaming down his cheeks as he drops his head onto Zack's chest.
"Shhhh, shhhh..." Zack softly hushes him. "It's okay..."
"N-no! It's not!" Grell and William stand off to the side watching silently.
- (6:12 pm) -
"Take.. I-I..." Zack's breathing is becoming rough and uneven.
"Y-you shouldn't speak right now! Save your energy... I'll make you better... somehow..."
"Shhh, shhh, shhh..." Zack smiles softly at him. "I-I love you, Take," Undertaker completely breaks down.
"I love you too. S-so you have to survive... Please..." Zack slowly lifts himself up and kisses Undertaker softly. Undertaker kisses back gently and holds him closer. Zack's hand drops and his head falls back limply, ending their kiss. "No... No... No..." Undertaker moans and he clutches Zack closer to him. "please... no..." Grell and William are gone.
- (...) -
"The end mark of the cinematic record that arrives along with every death. By connecting these fake records to them, I made it so that the END would never come." Undertaker smiles as he holds Zack close to him muttering to himself. Zack moves and hugs him back. The dim lighting showing the unhealing stitches along Zack's pale skin. "Because, I can't live on, without my little doll by my side."