Chapter Text
Death is weird. At least for Aether that is. You could ask someone how they perceive this inevitable cycle of life and they'll give the most profound answer. An eternal sleep is what Aether thought death was.
Unfortunately, Death is a spoiled emo girl who's playing a shark feeding game inside her afterlife office.
"So, Ronova, you're saying that I can't pass over because I have too much lingering attachment?" Aether scratched his nape as he watched the brat- girl play on her gaming console.
Aether felt his eye twitching but he kept a polite smiling expression. He peeked down to see a shark icon eating small fishes and avoiding competing predators. Somehow, he couldn't fathom the thought of this little girl acting the role of "Death."
"Yeah, yeah, basically you have to purify yourself through a series of missions and tasks to make sure that your soul is happy and healthy so once you die, you can pass on without a sweat! Ah, shi*, I lost again!" Ronova grumbled as she smashed the screen with his little fingers.
"Hey don't look at me like that! I could literally read your expression all over your face!" Ronova grumpily put her game down before standing up.
"^^ ?" Aether only raised a corner of his lips.
"Y-you're doing it again!" Ronova puffed his cheeks as she circled the boy.
"Hey, what do you regret the most?" Ronova asked inquisitively.
Sora was taken back by the sudden question. Emotions pooled in his eyes. Regret. A single word but it carried a lot of weight for him. He could say a lot of things that he regrets such as not living well enough, not being able to leave that apocalyptic world, or even settling down.
For him, to regret is to live.
You live your life trying to do things that you want and you love just so you won't regret. However, he also believed that if you regret, it means that you have lived.
Just not enough time..not enough space.
He could list a lot of things that he regrets but there's only one answer.
"Kuni.." Aether spoke softly, tenderness evident not only in the way he gently let out the name but also how his eyes that were pooling with sadness suddenly seemed to brighten a little.
"I regret him the most. We still had so much to do but so little time." He looked at Ronova before continuing, "He was the kindest man I've ever met."
"You took him from me." He said firmly. "Somehow, it makes me really sad."
Ronova took a seat back in her chair before speaking. "I can't deny that. People live and they die."
Even so, Aether couldn't help but to grimace. That man was his everything. Their memories of doing missions, staying up late, the rainy days, the sunny days...he felt like crying again.
"Did you talk to him too?" Aether asked and Death gave a nod.
"He said he hates you very much."
A tear fell from his left eye.
"That fucker."
"He wanted you to live well." Ronova replied, "You were everything for him too."
Aether stifled a laugh as he started rubbing his eyes with the back of his palm, shielding and hiding his face. "You're so lame. Weren't you a bratty gamer just earlier?"
"Hey! I'll let you know that I do my job pretty well!" Ronova pouted before observing the man. She smiled briefly before grabbing Aether's hand.
Gradually, their environment changed and they're inside a room. The walls were painted cream and sunlight poured from the window with translucent curtains. It looked very warm..
The living room wasn't big but it seemed so spacious and alive. Just like a small world. Small with too many people but big enough for two.
Aether looked at Ronova. "This is?"
"Shh...just observe."
Soon enough, a man entered the room as he put down his suitcase and sat on the couch. Aether's eyes trembled. It couldn't be...
"Kuni..." He immediately walked towards the man to touch his hand only for his fingers to pass through the man. Aether's chest heaved and he stepped back. Ronova gently held his wrist and shook her head.
"I don't understand.." Aether spoke, his voice laced with confusion and sadness.
A few seconds later, another person enters the frame.
"Welcome home, Kuni." Aether turned his head only to see himself standing by the kitchen. His blond hair tied neatly. This Aether walked to the couch and sat beside Kuni. The man looked at the smaller boy with so much devotion and tenderness in his eyes that it hurt Aether deeply.
That exact look. That look as if he hangs the star in his eyes. He watched as Kuni pulled Aether in his arms and hid him from the world. The two looked really content as they shared sweet nothings with each other.
"In one of the billion worlds, you two are together. You two are happy." Ronova gently squeezed Aether's hand.
"It's not so bad, right?"
"Don't make me laugh.." Aether turned his head away. Happy. Such a luxury from the world he grew up in.
"These two are happy, not Kunj and I."
"In my heart, even I cannot be the same person twice..these two people..they just happened to share the same DNA but we're not really them." Aether said with a wisdom beyond his years.
He looked at the two counterparts. They looked so happy.
"They are real, right?" He walked towards them and gently caressed Kuni’s face.
"Somewhere beyond the vast universe, this is what's happening right now." Ronova affirmed.
"This man..he looks just like him."
"Well, they are the same person, technically."
"At most, they're twins." Aether chuckled before stepping back again besides Ronova, "Hey, can you bring me back?"
"I can't. I'm sorry." Ronova looked down and apologized, "I'm merely here to help you accept and move on to the afterlife."
"Figured." Aether sighed and finally smiled.
"I love him so much..I couldn't help it. How could I give him up? Knowing that somewhere, even if they're only a fragment or even just someone who looks like us, there is a possibility that we could be happy too." His tears started falling again.
"If I do these tasks you speak of, can I finally move on to the afterlife and see him?"
Ronova nodded, "Once you no longer have any attachment, you can peacefully pass over. Do you accept it?"
"Yes."
Ronova smiled at the man, "Alrighty. Let's go back." He extended his hand.
Aether looked at their counterparts and smiled, "Give me a moment."
He walked towards the two people hugging each other before kneeling down.
"May you two be well..cherish each other." He then turned away and took Ronova’s hand.
Eventually, they returned to the afterlife office. Aether looks out the window and sees the sky and the sun.
"In the afterlife, can I see him?" Aether asked Ronova, who grinned at him.
"Why wait? That's such a long time from now!"
It made the man's ears perk up.
"What do you me-"
"Maybe it'll be better for you to know yourself!"
"What–?!"
Suddenly, everything was engulfed by a bright light that felt blinding but also warm. Aether's eyes widened before eventually accepting it. Then everything seemed to slowly beacon out. He felt himself being swallowed by something he can't explain and then it finally started...
Memories of unknown origins..
Little by little it started sparkling through each passageway of his brain..like a fireworks.
From the most mundane memories and then the repetitive thing that's part of our everyday lives. Family, friends, and loved ones.
A bond made by blood that somehow seems to travel through.
'There are still so many things I want to do...to experience with Kuni.'
"Then do it."
Everything was swallowed by the light.
____
Aether shielded his eyes from the immense brightness of the sun. He blinked once, and then again, and again. Finally, he looked at the skies. They were blue, and the clouds were white, pure. He took a deep breath and the air was clean. He didn't feel the same horrid smoke and dust that scratches his throat.
Could this be..?
"Twerp!" A strong grip enveloped his wrist and before he could realize what was going on, he was already being pulled by someone.
That dark hair..
He could feel heat traveling to his eyes. At that moment, the world felt brighter. He couldn't hold his breath. Is this really happening?
"..Kuni?"
Upon hearing his name, the man stopped and looked at the blond. "Hm? Is something the matter? We don't want to be late for the morning assembly. It's our first day of high school after all."
"Your uniform is wrinkled."
"Ah! Don't point it out! I woke up late." Kuni grumbled under his breath before observing the boy.
"Hey, did you eat something weird? You keep staring, am I that handsome?"
"My foot." Aether rolled his eyes, he was about to say something again when he saw Kuni climbing on his bike. A mother bike.
"Hop on."
'_' That's lame as fuck.
"I'm heav-"
Before he could finish, Kuni's strong arms reached out and pulled him closer, steadying the bike with an ease that made Aether’s protest die in his throat.
"Just get on," Kuni said, glancing back briefly, the corner of his lips lifting in that annoyingly confident way.
Aether clicked his tongue but swung his leg over, settling onto the narrow seat. The faint scent of soap and warm laundry clung to Kuni's shirt, and before he could help it, Aether's eyes wandered to the shape of his shoulders under the thin fabric.
Kuni began to pedal, and the morning air brushed past them. Aether tried to keep his hands to himself at first, but the slight sway of the bike made him instinctively grip the sides of Kuni’s uniform. His fingers lingered a second too long.
"You can hold on tighter, you know, tch.” Kuni said without turning his head.
Aether’s ears warmed. "Shut up."
Still, he found himself leaning forward, his forehead brushing lightly against Kuni's back. Each push of the pedals seemed to pull them closer together, the quiet rhythm of the ride filling the space between them.
Above them, the morning sky was a pale wash of blue, streaked with wisps of clouds that seemed to drift lazily in no rush to get anywhere. The golden light touched the edges of the rooftops, making them glow.
When they curved around the familiar road by the coast, Aether caught a glimpse of the sea stretching endlessly, the sunlight glittering on its surface like scattered shards of glass. The rhythmic sound of the waves mixed with the hum of the bicycle chain, and for a moment, the whole world felt quiet.
Aether closed his eyes briefly.
'I see...so this is what you meant by not waiting any longer...'
Kuni suddenly picked up speed, the wind whipping past their ears. Aether let out an unexpected laugh, gripping Kuni's sides as the bike surged forward.
Hearing it, Kuni chuckled too—a deep, warm sound that mingled with the rush of the sea breeze. Then, with one hand still on the handlebar, he reached his left hand back to steady Aether at the waist, his palm firm and reassuring.
Aether's laughter softened into a quiet smile, the warmth of Kuni's touch grounding him as they sped toward school, the ocean glittering at their side.
___
Somewhere along the universe:
Office worker Kunj smiled at his husband.
"Baby, I felt warm just now."
Aether smiled at the man, "Really? I felt the same way too just now. Maybe summer is around the corner."
"I think so. It'll be hot around that time. You know what else is hotter?"
"P-pervert!"