Wasuranai Kara

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

"It’s time, Gren."

"Yeah. I know."

Gren stood up. There almost wasn’t room to. Both men were over six feet. Neither could stand up completely straight in there.

Rumo looked at his watch. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Even if we get separated, you can’t look back. Promise me that."

"I promise...but I’m not leaving this planet without you."

Rumo didn’t answer. He held out a metal object. Gren took it. It was the key to a ship.

"Rumo..."

"Hush now. We’ll make it. I have one, too."

"Okay."

Rumo pushed open the exitway. They both stood and looked around. The sun was just coming up. No one was around. They had exactly three minutes and ten seconds to get to the ships. "Go. I’ll catch up."

"What?"

"If we go together, we’ll be caught. So go now. As soon as you get to the ship, hide in the storage. And take this, too." Rumo handed Gren a gun and two clips. "It should be enough. I don’t know if you’ll have to use it, but just in case."

Gren just nodded.

Rumo leaned over and kissed him. "Good luck, Gren."

"You too, Rumo."

Gren ran.

It’s been too damn long. Almost ten minutes. Where is Rumo!? He should be here...

Gren heard the door slide open. He was still holding the gun, and cocked it. He was about to go when he heard Rumo’s voice.

"Gren..." It was quiet and choked with pain.

Gren dropped the gun. He ran to where Rumo was. The door slid closed. Rumo sat next to the door, smiling. His arm was over his stomach, covered in blood.

"SHIT! What happened?"

"Nothing. Don’t worry about it. They’re coming. We have to get off this rock. NOW."

"But you’re hurt."

"Goddamnit! Stop worrying about me and let’s go!"

Gren knew that all of this would be for nothing if they didn’t get going. He slid into the cockpit after taking one last look at Rumo.

He had known how to fly standard ships since he was fourteen or so. At twenty-six, he hadn’t forgotten. They were off the ground (without any clearance) in less than a minute.

Gren programmed the auto-pilot for Mars. This was simply because Mars was the closest, easiest place to get to. After he double-checked everything, he went back to Rumo.

"Tell me what happened," he said solemnly.

"I told you. Nothing. Just an accident."

"We’re going to Mars. I have to get you to a hospital."

"No. I despise hospitals."

"Look at all this blood! You’ll die if I don’t get you to a hospital. You know it."

"Gren..."

"I can’t watch you die. Maybe I’m just being selfish."

"Maybe..."

Gren pulled Rumo close. Rumo wrapped one arm around him. Both of them were crying.

"Maybe you’re not being selfish at all," said Rumo.

"Rumo..."

"Have you ever seen a falling star, Gren?"

"What the hell?"

Rumo smiled. "There’s a legend about falling stars. That each person has a star. And when they die, the star falls. There was a lot of them after the Titan war. They said it was a meteor shower. But each one of the stars...was a lost soul. Someone who died."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Just something they say on Earth, I guess."

They sat there, holding each other, both of them covered in blood.

"What is this all for, if we can’t stay together, Rumo?"

"I don’t know. I really don’t."

There was more silence.

"I’m so glad I met you, Gren. I really am. You made me remember how to smile...how to love."

"Rumo..."

"Promise me something."

"Yeah?"

"Do what you set out to do. Get your revenge. You deserve it."

"You know...it doesn’t matter, really. I may die before I can do it."

"No. You won’t."

"Wouldn’t that be fitting, though? Vicious killed me once...and thinking about him will kill me all over again."

"You have to do it, Gren. You have to do it."

"I’ll never forget you."

"I’ll wait for you, you know. Between Heaven and Hell, and Life and Death. I’ll always be waiting for you."

"I know."

"I love you, you know."

"I know. I love you, too."

Rumo kissed Gren. Gren cried harder.

"I’ll never forget you."