Work Text:
Fingers slip between the ones who are getting cold to the touch. Groans of danger get closer. They exchange whispers of comfort, making promises they will fulfill in the afterlife.
“I will always love you, okay?” He tries to hush his cries, tears leaving a stain on the latter’s bloodied shirt.
He nods, coughing up crimson. “I… I love y-you.” Uttering his last words.
As he takes one final breath, his lover embraces his own fate.
It’s dark.
The buzzing of insects have all mashed up, creating a symphony of emptiness. His vision adjusts to the dimness of the room, his back would be hurting a lot if it weren’t for Luca’s great skills of finding them a futon laying around. They were tired after a long day of walking, finding stores with non-perishable goods to eat. He pats the space beside him to make sure that he’s not alone.
A hand reaches back. Shu smiles, entwining their fingers together. He scoots closer to the warmth of the latter’s body, laying his cheek on his chest. There, he could clearly hear Luca’s heart beat that eases his mind.
He’s alive. They’re alive.
It wasn’t new to have those kinds of dreams, or nightmares, nor Shu is surprised it occurs. In the world they live in, it’s considered normal. He can’t say he’s used to it, because each and every single one ends in tragedy.
He only wishes it would stop.
“Good morning,” Luca croaks out, clearing his throat, having just woken up. Shu turns his attention to the man. “Does your back feel okay?”
Shu nods, nuzzling on the fabric. “Yes. Thank you.”
Luca gives him a soft smile. “Of course, my love.”
The ravenette looks up at him, eyes shining and full of adoration for the man. He sits up, Luca’s hand that was under his shoulders goes down to his lower back. Shu leans down, planting a kiss on Luca’s lips. Luca hums, and soon they make out languidly, pulling Shu closer until he’s on his lap. Their lip locking echoes in the space, their hands holding onto each other without any intention of letting go. Shu giggles in the middle of it, and Luca follows suit. They pull away, rubbing their noses together as they bask in each other’s embrace.
“The sun is about to rise,” He starts. “After we get ready, shall we move?”
Luca gruffs, “Yeah.” He tucks a loose hair behind Shu’s ear. His eyebrows furrow at the list of things they have to do today. The latter notices and pushes two fingers in between, parting them. “Did I look grumpy?”
“Uhuh,” Shu chuckles. “We just have to do what we always do, okay?”
“Okay,” Luca breathes in deeply, and sighs it out. “Where would I be without you?”
This makes Shu laugh quietly. “I know right.”
The blond watches his lover’s delightful face, finding himself smiling at the view. Shu’s beauty has never faltered, he just continues to bloom with every passing day. Sure, there’s dirt or small cuts here and there but as long as he’s beside Luca, his radiance will never fade away.
“I love you.” Luca whispers. “So, so much.”
Shu’s laugh dies down, and he smiles like the brightest of suns, his eyes forming crescents. He draws a heart on Luca’s cheek with a finger, tapping the tip of his nose after.
“I love you,” Shu whispers back, his chest tightening.
They tread the ruins quietly. Weapons in their hands, their stuff in backpacks, looking out for danger. The sun is shining in its full glory, which makes it easier to search for things they need.
Shu can’t count how many years has it been ever since the outbreak hit the world. He tries not to dwell on the thought too much anyway. Those feelings are of the past, and he believes he should focus on the present. Surviving with Luca is all in his mind, the ultimate goal he set for himself.
They have a plan. Find supplies, shelter, and humans. Luca has one destination in mind, and it’s taking them a long time to get there. All he knows is that the City, where Luca was born, is the safe haven. The center where all geniuses reside, dedicating their lives into science and into giving the people an easier life, a hope for the future. Luca is one of them, and it was a huge loss when he left.
If it wasn’t for Shu, perhaps both of them would already be living in the City. If it wasn’t for Shu’s attachment to his hometown, perhaps both of them would already be in that safe haven.
But Luca is just too good of a man. He sacrificed his entire upbringing just to be with Shu. Shu knows how much Luca loves him, and for that he is forever grateful.
Although, a lingering thought never leaves, that perhaps, all of this, is because of his greediness.
“Darling,” Luca calls. Shu follows immediately, their movements take him back to when he would go on paintball games with Luca and their friends. Stealthy, quiet, with a gun ready for action.
They step inside a convenience store, careful not to step on shards of glasses to minimize noise. It still has a lot of supplies, and Shu quietly cheers for the great find. Luca takes lead and clears every corner and rooms, while Shu stands on guard in every door and window he sees.
“Empty.” Luca declares. Shu nods, setting his backpack on the ground and roams the store to get some items.
Luca does the same, humming a silent tune while his eyes scan the shelves. He spots a canned bread, face lighting up at the discovery. After checking its condition, he grabs multiple of it to surprise Shu later.
“Oh, candy.” Shu whispers. He’s surprised that it still looks edible, probably with all the preservatives in it. He takes them and stuffs them in his bag.
He glances at Luca who is still in the snack section with a giddy smile on his face. Shu giggles quietly at him, turning around to the medicine shelves. He takes what he thinks they’ll need, not even caring about the expiration dates. Bandages, alcohol—all that stuff.
“You finished over there?” Shu asks, his bag now full.
“Yeah,” Luca answers. “My bag’s heavy.”
“Mine too.” Shu grins. “What a start to the day.”
Luca reaches a hand and Shu takes it. They walk out of the store with lifted spirits, happy with the things they have. Luca presses a kiss on Shu’s hand, offering a smile Shu finds ever so handsome.
It might be hard, but just being with Luca, this is everything.
“Woah, a mall.” Shu whispers under his breath. The huge building should have plenty of supplies, but that also means there could be danger lurking around. “Maybe we can find shelter here for the night?”
“Maybe,” Luca agrees. He tightens his grip on Shu’s hand. “We have to be careful, okay?”
“Of course.” Shu nods, returning the squeeze. “Let’s go.”
“Looks nice.” Luca comments. Shu turns around to show the yellow sweater he saw in one of the racks. It covers the ragged and tattered clothing underneath, the fabric lighting up his delicate face. “It’s probably time for an outfit change, hmm?”
“Yeah,” Shu replies. Setting all his stuff on the tile floor, he starts to take off the layers on his body.
“W-woah!” Luca gets startled, covering his eyes. “Warn a man here, baby.”
Shu rolls his eyes, taking off his jacket and shirt and replacing it with a fresh one. Luca stays still, obviously peeking through his fingers, blushing. Shu wears the yellow sweater over the shirt, and proceeds to unbuckle his belt.
“You’re not planning on walking around this store naked, are you?” Luca asks, raising an eyebrow.
“There’s plenty of options around,” Shu teases. “I could just walk over there and grab one off the hanger.”
Luca shakes his head. “No, find one first before you take off your pants, gosh.”
Shu grins. “Fiiiiine.”
They both get their clothes changed, and for once, they looked like how they were years ago. Standing in front of the mirror, side by side, in silence.
“Wow," Luca exhales. He glances at Shu, with an expression on his gorgeous face he can’t pinpoint but finds himself doing the same. “No crying.”
“I’m not,” Shu retorts back, sniffing. He faces the blond, fixing his hair. He softly taps the scar on Luca’s forehead, trailing his finger all over his jawline. “What a handsome man,”
Luca grins, tears welling up in his eyes. He caresses Shu’s cheek with a thumb, the wound there healing slowly but surely. The bags under his eyes have doubled, his skin tanned by the sun, yet his beauty remains.
It’s not fair.
This life is not fair. This is not what he promised Shu, what he vowed to give to the love of his life. The universe really fucked up all his plans for the both of them.
Luca feels sorry. If only he didn’t thought of it, if only he didn't dropped out of the project, if only he didn’t leave his colleagues alone, if only he finished the anti—
“Hey.” Shu slaps his cheek softly, putting him out of his trance. “I can hear your thoughts. Stop blaming yourself.”
“...I was thinking about where we should stay for tonight.” Luca mutters, changing the topic.
Shu grins, pinching a bit of Luca’s nose. “Even after all this time, you still can’t lie.”
Luca doesn’t answer. Shu wipes the tears that fall off his favorite pair of lavender eyes. He silently asks Luca to take a deep breath, and the latter does.
“Good boy.” Shu assures him, tucking the blond hair behind his ear. “I love you, Luca.”
“Fuck.” Luca thinks.
“I love you,” Luca breathes heavily, nodding. Shu goes into his embrace, and Luca leans his head on top of the raven hair. “I love you, Shu.”
“I love you, Luca.” Shu repeats. A smile so beautiful sits on those lips—something that Luca realizes he’s taking for granted.
God, please let me hear that every day until my time comes.
The sun has set.
Currently walking towards a furniture store, Luca picks up his pace to scout the area. It’s pretty big, like those wholesale places where you can find stuff for cheap prices.
“Stay close to me, okay?” Luca says.
Shu nods, gripping his rifle tight. Flashlights on, they go inside. It’s eerie, with the creaking of old pipes and wood echoing. Shattered glasses on the floor, dust all over. Some hanging lights flicker and die, and Shu shrieks a bit when a cockroach catches his sight.
“You good?” Luca asks, grinning.
The ravenette rolls his eyes. “We should split up, this place is pretty big.”
Luca opens his mouth to say something, but stops and just nods. “Okay. Watch your back.”
Shu turns around and goes to the other side of the store, making sure to check any crawl space that a creature or a human can hide into. Under the beds, behind the drawers and chairs. All Shu sees are bugs, dust, and debris.
On the far right, a big, white canopy bed catches his eye. The sheer drapes flow onto the ground, and the pillows stay frozen in time.
“Pretty,” He mutters under his breath. Shu makes his way towards the bed, thinking of making it their resting place for the night.
It reminds him of their honeymoon night, where the canopy bed was their companion when they became one on that day. He remembers one of the drapes getting ripped when he accidentally tugged on it a little too hard. Luca laughed so hard that night, and went to town on him as the fact fed his ego.
Shu blushes at the memory, patting his heating cheek. He walks slowly towards it. When he arrives, he sees a frog plushie in the middle of the pillows. Shu reaches for it, when suddenly a creature pops out from behind the bed frame, launching at him.
The creature growls loudly, and Shu backs up quickly to properly point his gun at the monster but the latter is just too twitchy and fast. He misses a shot, and Shu tries to get away but the creature gets a hold of his leg, causing him to fall down on the floor and shards pierce through his arms. The grip tightens, and he needs to act fast if he doesn’t want an inch of the creature’s nail to prick his skin. Shu groans, swiftly turning his body to face the creature. He wastes no time and shoots it on the head, just in time before he gets bitten. The filthy hand loosens up, and Luca is by his side as the creature lets out its final whimpers.
“Baby,” Luca pants, checking Shu’s face. He examines him briskly, the fear slowly replaced by anger.
“I’m okay,” Shu says in harsh breaths. He takes a shard out that went into his hand, hissing at it. Turning to Luca, he offers a small smile. “I’m alright, hmm?”
The lavender in his lover’s eyes darkens every second, and the next thing he knows is that the man gets up and stomps on the creature’s head multiple times.
Sounds of nasty bone crushing and blood squelching fills the air, the scent’s so rotten it almost made Shu gag. Luca mutters something Shu couldn’t hear, staring at the corpse with a deathly gaze.
Shu watches in silence, not fazed at the brutality that Luca did. The creature’s squished brain is all over the place, the blood painting the white canopy bed in crimson. He still doesn’t say anything, letting the blond take in what he did and carry him and his belongings in his arms as they walk away from the bed.
Luca sets him down on a sofa. He’s also silent, checking Shu’s arms and legs for any deep wounds. The ravenette lets him; he knows Luca won’t stay still unless he has checked for himself.
“All good, love?” Shu asks.
The blond nods, kneeling on the floor. He buries his face on Shu’s thighs, holding onto him tightly.
“Luca,” He calls.
He looks up, eyes ready to cry. Shu softly smiles, patting the blond hair.
“Let’s get to bed, hmm?"
Luca finds two cabinets that are light and big enough to barricade the backdoor and the main entrance. It’s what he always does to make sure no one comes inside the place they are going to stay for the night.
He asked Shu to stay on the sofa after patching up his minor wounds, to which Shu didn’t oppose, letting Luca do what he had to do to calm his mind. He checked the rest of the area for more creatures, Shu watching him with his gun ready. Thankfully, there’s no more creatures lurking.
They move to a different bed, but Shu doesn’t like it.
“I wanted to sleep on the canopy bed,” He pouts.
“The bastard’s still there.” Luca answers, still a bit tense.
Shu roams his eyes around, and sees another canopy bed but it’s metal and has no drapes. It’s uglier than the first one he saw, but it’ll do. He doesn’t want to smell the creature’s remains.
He turns around and gives a hand, Luca taking it with no other words.
“I’m glad we found spare clothes from that clothing store,” Shu mutters, looking at the yellow sweater he placed on the drawer near them. “These will last us for months.”
Luca nods, arranging their backpacks on the nightstand beside the bed. Shu watches his man in silence, still worried for whatever is going on inside that head of his.
“Join me,” Shu invites. Luca nods, taking off his jacket. He places it on the end of the bed, climbing on the plush carefully. Shu crawls towards him, hooking his leg on top of Luca’s pants. He feels the latter’s hand snake behind his lower back, and Shu smiles at it. “Luca.”
The man looks at him in the eyes. The shine in it is coming back. “Have you calmed down?”
“Yeah,” He answers. “...I’m sorry I wasn’t there immediately.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Shu hushes. “It’s my fault anyway, I shouldn’t have suggested that we split up.”
“No, it’s mine. I should have stopped you from doing so.” Luca insists.
“Come on,” Shu sighs exasperatedly. Luca pouts a bit from it, making Shu smile a bit. “It’s okay, Luca, hmm? I’m alright, see? Totally fine.”
Luca stares at him, a pained look on his face when he remembers how Shu was on the ground with the creature holding on to his leg. Shu scrunches his nose, and he shakes his head to get the image out of his mind, now more composed. “...Okay.”
“Good boy.” Shu praises. He twirls a bit of blond hair around his finger, violet eyes scanning the handsome face in front of him. “I like canopy beds.”
The man raises an eyebrow. “You do? Since when?”
“Uhuh,” Shu grins. “Since our honeymoon, it reminds me of that night.”
Luca thinks for a while before chuckling.
Right, their honeymoon. Luca thought and still thinks that it was the best night of his life. The moment when he and Shu exchanged words of commitment, sealing it with a kiss for everyone in their audience to see. The world was a witness to their love, oh how lucky they have been to see such a thing.
A night where the calm ocean waves and the shining stars accompany them, as they engage in acts of becoming one. Shu was gorgeous, his fair skin covered in sweat that sparkled when the moonlight hit him. His luscious lips were red, swollen a bit with how much they kissed. The marks Luca left all over his body was a sign of his ownership to the man, where Shu also engraved his on Luca’s. He remembers how Shu worshipped him, caressed his every muscle and licked and sucked wherever his mouth landed on.
It was also the night where they had to pay an extra charge when they broke the bed.
Luca’s hand on Shu’s lower back goes inside the shirt, caressing the skin with soft touches. “Oh, right. The one where you ruined the drapes.”
Shu pouts. “It wasn’t entirely my fault, you know.”
“I know.” Luca smirks. He pinches Shu’s waist, the latter yelping. “I caused it.”
“You did,” Shu breathes out. He moves until he’s sitting on Luca’s lap. The blond automatically gets a hold of Shu’s waist, looking up at him with lusty eyes. “Made me feel so good, I couldn’t control my own body.”
“You’re feeding my ego, baby.” Luca mutters. “It’s telling me you want another night like that.”
“We did have nights like that after our honeymoon. Many, many nights.” Shu whispers. “But, it feels like it’s been too long, you know?”
He leans down, tracing Luca’s tattoos with a finger. His hot breath fawns over the latter’s face, their hearts beating out of their chests. Luca’s hand squeezes Shu’s butt, biting his lower lip.
“I want you,” Shu says ever so delicately, as if his lips were not uttering such seductive words. He thumbs Luca’s lower lip, licking his own at the sight. “Want you to mess me up, fuck me like you mean it, just like that night.”
“The heavens must miss an angel like you,” Luca huffs, hands leaving a print on Shu’s plush thighs. “Their little angel is stuck in this hell.”
Shu moans, tucking his bangs behind his ear. He leans forward, his palms planted on the built chest. Moving his hips up and down with no plan on stopping at all, violet eyes rolling to the back of his head as Luca’s cock punches his system just the way he likes.
“I-it’s okay,” Shu tries to reply, going up just to plop back down on the monstrous length. “This is paradise, when I’m with y-you.”
Luca groans, eyebrows furrowed as he watches Shu take the lead. He looks absolutely divine on top of him, his cock peeking below with droplets of precum already falling onto his tummy. They try to make as minimal noise as possible, so Shu set the pace at a slow, and the drag of Luca’s cock against Shu’s insides and Shu’s walls hugging Luca’s member meant for the both of them a torturous yet pleasuring sex.
“You have to fuck me,” Shu pants. He already hates the fact that they can’t make loud noises, with the bed already squeaking a bit. As much as he loves the pace, it’s not what he wants today. “Make something up in your sexy mind so you can fuck me.”
The blond chuckles, sitting up to carry Shu with one arm under his butt. Shu wraps his legs around Luca, holding onto his shoulders. With the cock never leaving him, he moans quietly with every movement Luca makes.
Luca takes the bed comforter and places it on the now-clean floor (he swept away debris and dust earlier), grabbing the pillows with one hand and plops it on the thick sheet. He lays Shu down gently, that means the dick head popping out of him and he whines. He adjusts to his preferred position, spreading his legs open.
The latter can’t help but admire the godliness of his lover, laying there with the scent of sex and desperation dripping all over. It’s a sight he’s never ever going to get tired of.
Shu is the grandest of them all, a breathtaking work of art.
“Hurry, hurry,” Shu whimpers, holding the back of his knees. “I’m so ready for you, love.”
Luca mutters something under his breath, getting into position. He plunges his whole cock inside Shu, and they both let out a quiet moan. A cheeky groan and whine there. He takes both of Shu’s hands and holds onto them, caging him on both sides of his head.
“Shit, baby,” Luca groans when Shu twitches around him.
“Fuck me,” Shu begs, wiggling his hips. “Fuck me, please, Luca, baby, please—”
Words get cut off as Luca proceeds to do what he wished for. Skin on skin slapping echo in the space, their hushed breaths and moans only orbiting around their faces as the hot hair produces sweat.
They kiss. The nasty, messy one. Teeth clashing, tongues battling for dominance. You couldn’t even call it a kiss with how rough they are going with each other. Luca takes control, playing with Shu’s mouth as his cock berates his hole. The ravenette feels ecstasy rush through his system, everything he’s asked for is being given to him, tenfold.
When they pull away, Shu chases Luca’s lips for more. More kisses, more tongue. Luca gives him just that, and more.
“I missed you,” Luca whispers, hips not showing signs of fatigue. “I missed you so fucking much.”
Shu feels tears well up in his eyes. He knows he hasn’t been the same ever since this shitshow started. Luca has also changed. Both of them did. But they are smart, they know better. Having each other for support is better.
For the best.
“I missed you too,” Shu replies, sniffing. The waterworks start, and Luca goes harder in his thrusts. He gasps quietly. “Luca, I love you so much…!”
“I love you Shu, too much.” Luca immediately replies, kissing the tears. He feels his climax is near, as Shu already arrives. He cums, tightening around Luca. The blond pours everything into Shu, moaning into each other’s lips.
Days pass after they stumbled upon the mall that kept them safe.
Walking, killing, scavenging, walking, killing, more walking. So far, they’ve seen no signs of other humans, only creatures that lurk in the dark. It’s weird how they haven’t met anyone with how much they have traveled.
“Do you think everyone is already in a safe place?”
Shu asks one day. Luca pauses, and the latter does the same. The thought never crossed his mind, and now that it has, his face sours at it.
They finally arrived at the place Luca had been dreading and also looking forward to. They are now in the City, and Luca recognizes the structures from years and years ago. Although now it’s all gone to shit, with destroyed buildings and abundance of greenery; something everyone saw in the zombie movies.
Shu bites his lower lip at the realization, and clings onto Luca’s arm.
“Luca,” He calls.
“I know, it’s okay.” Luca replies. He glances at the small bag that is attached on his chest strap, eyes twitching at the sight of it. He faces Shu, a calm look on his face. “The lab—it’s near.”
Shu takes a deep breath, nodding. “You know the way?”
Oh, Luca knows it all too well.
“I do.” Luca says. “Stay close to me.”
After a while of walking and carefully treading in complicated, dark tunnels and dusty collapsed buildings, they reach their destination. Luca opens a metal, gray door, one that looks like it’s an entry to an underground laboratory. A writing is engraved on the front, something like a code. Perhaps it’s the facility’s name?
“A-0502,” Shu mutters under his breath, gripping his gun tight. His eyes search every corner, security cameras installed in the farthest edges. He squints to see if they are active, and sure enough one is. “This is very cliché. This is all too familiar.”
Luca chuckles dryly, agreeing to what Shu said. “It is.”
The blond reaches for the knob. He turns to open it but it’s locked. No surprise there, especially if this is actually the laboratory that Luca told him about.
“Do we kick this down or something?” Shu asks.
Luca shakes his head, still silent. He looks up and directly stares at the one active camera, before digging for something in his jacket pocket. A key is in his hand, slotting it in the knob.
Click! The door unlocks. Luca takes the key back into his pocket, turning around to face Shu.
He has this solemn expression on his face, and as seconds pass, it converts into something more remorseful, with a large helping of repentance. Shu places his hand over Luca’s fist that is holding the key, it’s so tight that Shu can see the skin turning white.
“Luca,” Shu whispers. The blond nods, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a sigh. “Let’s go inside.”
The interior is really not as surprising as Shu thought, especially with his world being a gamer before all of this shit went down. Its spacious, gray walls paint a scene that there is only one goal to be achieved. With plants that were probably placed in there to do its job of creating a homey workplace, the blood splatters on some of the concrete overshadows all.
Equipment is either broken on the floor, drawers that were once filled with stuff only houses items you can count with fingers, the lights flickering every now and then.
It’s hard to say if there are still people inside with the state of the place, or if this is all like an IKEA showroom for guests who come in. Their footsteps echo as they go deeper in the laboratory’s hallways. It’s eerily silent, and Shu knows that it’s a sign to not let their guard down.
Luca halts when they reach the end, a glass door with a hand scanner on the side. He takes off his glove, and places his palm over it.
“Authorized p-person recog—nized. Permis-sion gr-anteee..d.” A broken, robotic voice responds, and the doors open staggeringly. Despite the electricity still running in the facility, perhaps a rough day affected some of the technology.
Shu follows his lover, watching his back with many questions to give the man. Luca is surely aware of them, yet it’s something unspoken between the two of them.
They don’t know how it got to this point and how it’s still not addressed, but throughout their relationship, Luca only shared bits and pieces of his previous work to Shu. He knows Luca used to be a scientist who worked with a group, with projects that are either for the public or highly confidential. It’s a topic the blond likes to avoid, something that he deems “unnecessary” to even shed a light on.
With Shu already taking a lot from Luca, he decided to be patient and wait until the man himself opened the conversation.
Shu reckons today might be the day.
Technology that only could be seen in movies is right in front of Shu. It’s a whole network, with plenty of computers and machines that surround the center of the room. In the far back are more laboratories that are pristine white, suggesting that the area must be free of contamination.
The place is a mess, with chairs and tables upturned, and papers on the floor. Shu takes it all in, and Luca walks around calmly.
“There’s no one here,” Shu concludes. “Why is there no one here?”
Luca doesn’t reply, his fingers hovering over some sort of panel. He does his thing, Shu keeps an eye on him as Luca presses on buttons.
Suddenly, a holographic monitor pops out in front of them, and a man with bluish, brown hair appears on the screen. His glasses hide his eyes, probably from the light against it. The video was probably taken in a dark room, as Shu can’t make out anything from the back.
“Luca, still remember me?”
The man says, and Shu turns from Luca and the mysterious stranger. Luca’s eyebrows are furrowed, and even from the side, Shu can see the anger that is seeping out of him. Like a bull that saw red, puffs of air come out of his nose, his entire body shaking in rage.
“I’m cutting to the chase. Whatever you’re thinking is correct. This place is no longer once you know of. They have evacuated to somewhere you cannot reach. I made sure of that.” The man smiles. “There is no one here, only what remains is the past of what you, me, and our team did.”
Shu opens his mouth to ask something, but Luca somehow sensed it and raised a hand, and Shu follows.
“We, well, I thought it would be safer for them if you don’t see them. Who knows what a traitor like you will do, right?” He chuckles. “Oh, you probably have your dear husband with you. Hello, Yamino Shu. Pardon me for being harsh, but I’m only telling the truth.”
The ravenette’s eyes widen at the mention of his name. He turns to Luca again to ask but the man still has his hand raised. “Luca, who is this?”
“Ike.” Luca spits the name like some wretched curse.
“You see, us geniuses once thought that if there is really a God that could create many things, including us humans, then isn’t it possible to have that ability in us?”
Shu breathes heavily, listening in on the video.
“You probably didn’t know, but Luca here thought he could be like God. Someone so powerful, revered… divine! He really is the greatest creature that God had created and the Earth could ever ask for… and also the most foolish one.”
Luca stands there in silence, not rebutting anything that Ike is saying.
“One night, he approached me. With his playful nature, I thought he was just joking, but boy, was he not.” Ike moves closer to the camera, his eyes still being hidden by the glaring lights of the screen. “I still remember your question to me, Luca.
Luca closes his eyes, eyebrows still furrowed.
“Hey Ike, do you want to be a God?”
Shu lets out a shaky breath, his head hurting with the pieces of the puzzles he's trying to connect.
“I did, in fact, want to experience something that was so ludicrous. There, we started a project. You could probably already guess what it is, I know you’re a smart cookie, Shu. That is why Luca fell for you in the first place.” Ike chuckles bitterly. “More boring details could be shared, but I’ll cut the time short. Once that tiny parasite devoured that poor rat, the impact was so tremendous that even he, God himself, was surprised.”
“Shu, you know what he did?”
Luca gulps.
“He started working on an antidote.” Ike scoffs, until he’s laughing maniacally. “A… fucking antidote! Hahahahaha!”
Ike’s evil laughter and cackles fill the room, and the two figures stay in place as they continue to listen.
“That was hilarious in so many ways Luca. I knew you had prankster blood in you but that was the cherry on top, your best performance. But hey, you succeeded in making one! Although the poor rat didn’t make it from the damages, it still reverted back to what it used to be. But you see Luca, you just cannot go away that easily.” Ike taps his fingers on the table.
The video cuts, and the holographic screen shuts down. Confused, Shu walks closer to Luca, where the man is mashing buttons.
“Luca, what was that—”
Ike’s voice booming inside the room interrupted his question. Luca and Shu frantically scan the area, looking for any sign of life. Their palms start to ache with how hard they are gripping their guns, getting ready for whatever can happen.
“You just cannot go away that easily, no, no. You introduced me to the ways on how to become a God, Luca. With you gone, your followers were lost. They didn’t know what to do without their leader, that someone they worshipped suddenly vanished. That hurt them, Luca. You hurt us."
"They didn't have a God for a while but thankfully,”
Luca glances at the dark area behind Shu, and Ike gives them a wicked smile. The gold in his pupils glints with something sinister.
“I am here.” Ike grins.
A blur it was. It happened so quickly that Luca didn’t register that Ike just shot Shu in the back. The ravenette falls onto the floor, a groan leaves his lips as crimson starts to flow.
That’s when reality started to sink in.
“Shu,” Luca mutters, his voice and breathing shaky. He cradles Shu in his arms, the latter coughing up blood from his mouth. He presses on the bullet wound, just above the heart, closer to the shoulder.
Shu yells, brain scrambling to be distracted from the excruciating pain. He cries, steadying his ragged breaths, trying to stay conscious.
“L-luca,” Shu whimpers. “It h-hurts…”
“Shu, baby, hey, i-it’s going to be okay,” Luca stutters. He gets a cloth from his bag, messily doing Shu’s wound just to suppress the bleeding as much as he can. The ravenette whines, and Luca feels the pain Shu is experiencing like his own.
They hear Ike getting closer to them, and Shu musters the strength to glare at the brunette. Ike waves a hand, the gun in his hand a contrast to his seemingly innocent clothes.
“My, he’s a total beauty.” Ike smiles. “I can see why you left us, you left me, for him.”
“Fucking shut up!” Luca shouts, tears falling from his eyes. “Why would you do this?!”
Ike stops and raises an eyebrow, scoffing. “Is this the part where you ask why I shot Shu instead of you?”
All Luca sees is red, fuming at the sight of someone who used to be his best friend. A monster so evil that even Satan would be afraid of.
“Lu… ca,” Shu hiccups. “G-go, do what you h-have to do,”
They both know what Luca should do. He’s got a pistol in his back pocket, and he could outspeed Ike easily. He just can’t leave Shu as he will most likely engage in a gun fight with the man.
“I’m going to be f-fine,” Shu breathes, lips smeared with his own blood. He gives Luca a small smile. Shu presses on his own wound, biting his lower lip at the weight. “N-not fatal.”
Ike stumbles and falls on the floor when Luca suddenly shoots him on the thigh. The blond lays Shu carefully on the ground before standing up, feeling weak on his knees. He misses when he shoots through a wall, the room suddenly becoming dimmer and foggy. Ike moves swiftly while Luca is distracted and takes the gun that he dropped and aims at Luca’s arm. Luca groans, clutching at the wounded area. He recovers at the surprise and doesn’t wait for Ike to get up before he’s kicking him in the stomach, making the man fall again and hit the wall.
“You’re no God,” Luca spits. “With how weak you are.”
The latter scoffs, an arrogant grin on his face. He clutches his stomach, coughing. “But I am, I created this. You helped, sure, but I finished it. You’re the one who’s weak, Luca!”
Ike managed to sneak a shot in Luca’s waist just above the hip, the blond caught off guard. He stumbles forward to Ike, caging him on the floor between his legs. They struggle a bit, hitting each other with punches and kicks and any other means to hurt and weaken each other. Luca gets the chance to punch Ike straight on the jaw, and the latter groans.
Shu watches as Luca repeats it multiple times, his own vision hazy from the loss of blood in his system. Luca stops as Ike’s face is left to pulp, his glasses thrown away to the side.
“You’re the devil.” Luca says. Ike looks up at him, grin still on his beaten up face. “You don’t know the magnitude of what you have done.”
“A-and you’re an a-angel for saving that r-rat?” Ike laughs. “Okay, Luca. Whatever y-you say.”
Luca points a gun on Ike’s forehead. Every memory he has of being with Ike is all replaced with this moment. There’s nothing, not even the slightest chance of Luca forgiving Ike with what he has done to him, to Shu, and the world.
“It really was this e-easy, huh?” Ike lets out a pathetic chuckle. “Even after all that t-trouble of improving myself. You’re s-still the better one.”
The blond sniffs, a dead look in his eyes piercing through Ike’s.
“Any last words?” Luca asks. He hears Shu choke in the background, body shaking weirdly. Luca panics.
Ike smiles at the expression on Luca’s face. “There’s poison in that bullet.”
Luca’s old best friend lies on the cold floor, lifeless. He searches for any sort of antidote that can repel the poison Ike put in the bullet.
But there’s nothing.
He runs to every laboratory in the room, rummaging through the drawers and cabinets for any signs of antidote, but there’s none. Running back to a shaking Shu, he drops to his knees as his mind tries to think of a way to get it out of Shu’s system. He removes the cloth that was used to suppress blood flow and rips Shu’s yellow sweater and the shirt underneath even further, horrified eyes stare at the gnarly wound.
“I’ll drink it out of you, okay? W-we probably have meds for poisoning, you can take that after I’m done—”
“L-luc—a,” Shu shivers. He reaches for Luca’s hand. “It’s okay,”
“NO! Don’t say that! You can’t leave me!” Luca shakes his head, his hands shivering. “J-just like a snake’s, right? It’ll be painful for a bit but—”
Shu places a finger over Luca’s lips, shaking his head. “I’ve l-lost—coughs—a lot of blood a-already, and I’m getting s-sleepy…”
Luca chokes on his own saliva, already sobbing. Shu hushes him, patting Luca’s cheek with a bloodied hand. “Y-you’re sleepy…?”
The ravenette weakly nods. It’s clear, it’s all so fucking clear to Luca that it’s too late. He failed to save Shu, and it’s too late.
Luca weeps, carefully laying down beside Shu, entwining their fingers together. As much as it hurts him, respecting Shu’s wishes is always a part of his priority. As much as it kills him, he accepts that Shu is going to die any moment now. They lay there in silence, just waiting for the moment to come.
“Time is so s-short, and cruel,” Shu whispers, coughing up more and more blood. “We spent every single day together b-but it’s still not e-enough…”
The blond continues to sob, and Shu lets him. He groans, eyelids getting heavier by the second. He pats the space beside him, and Luca reaches for him. Shu smiles, glad that Luca is still there.
“Please don’t leave me alone,” Luca begs, gripping Shu’s hand tighter. “Please, please…”
Shu takes a deep breath. He doesn’t answer Luca’s pleas, he can’t promise anyway. His heart aches equally if not more at the sad reality that he’s going to die. Luca would be all alone.
No more kisses, no more cuddles, no more I love yous, no more Luca for Shu, and no more Shu for Luca.
It was unfortunate—this ending is not what he had in mind, but maybe the heavens have a plan for the two of them. If they cannot complete their love in this world, then the next would be for them.
Perhaps this is punishment for being greedy. Maybe the heavens are just imposing the consequence that was long overdue. After all, they are the ones who decide if it’s time.
Yeah… that’s probably it. Retribution.
“I love you, Luca.” Shu whispers in a hush. “Come find me in our next life, o-okay?”
“I will, of course I will.” Luca whispers back. “I love you Shu. I love you so fucking much.”
Shu gives him a gorgeous smile, and Luca’s heart gets crushed as he watches the moment that smile slowly disappears and those violet eyes he always admired lose its shine and glimmer.
The world had ended a long time ago, but for Luca, his whole universe had crumbled, like the tallest of skyscrapers that once towered everyone. The skies have fallen, his own sky slipped through his fingers.
It’s summer. That bright ball of light still shines outside. Insects still buzz here and there. The creatures still lurk in the dark, waiting.
For Luca, it was as if he had been frozen. His finger grazes Shu’s cold cheek, and for once in his lifetime, he didn’t know what to do.
Winter had come early.