Chapter Text
“I leave the estate known as the Honeybee House and all of its belongings to my close friend and confidant, Adam Bianchi. Thank you for all those years of service and friendship. I’m sorry but I hope you understand I couldn’t live without him.”
Adam was alone. Alone in the house that had once been filled with joy and laughter. Where his friends had finally realized they loved each other. Where they shared smiles and food, no matter the class.
Where he found both of their dead bodies.
“Tell Steven I-I loved him, please. I don’t want to leave him…”
Andrew had looked so desperate, grabbing at his sleeve, blood pouring out of his wound. He barely registered the doctor bustling around them, trying to save his life. But it was too late, Andrew’s grip getting weaker till his hand went slack, hanging off the bed. His eyes hauntingly still open.
Steven had arrived two hours too late. A part of him died that day and Adam was left with the broken shards of his friend. Adam couldn’t break yet, Andrew had been a constant in his and Steven’s lives. Knowing him, he would have been disappointed to see what his death had done to his lover. So Adam stayed strong, for Andrew and Steven. Of course, he could never replace what they had lost, but he would do his best to be a brother to Steven in his need.
He did not know Steven’s last words.
He couldn’t remember the last time they actually smiled together. Never with the same unadulterated happiness as it had been before Andrew. The past year had been hard on them. They were the only inhabitants of the Honeybee House, all the previous maids and butlers laid off, leaving him the only one to see Steven.
Adam knocked on the door. No response. He knocked again. Still no response. He was growing worried. He called out Steven’s name before he opened the door, which was left unlocked.
Steven was lying in his bed, a serene smile on his face. It was the most peaceful Steven had been in a long time. Adam smiled softly, glad he could find a way to rest today of all days. That smile did not last. Getting closer he noticed an empty tablet bottle hidden by the blankets. Picking it up and reading it, he dropped it out of shock.
Steven was gone.
He rushed to call an ambulance, not even noticing the will left on the table. He didn’t even know he was on it till he was called to the reading.
The house was his, and he was the sole inhabitant.
Adam was alone.
Faint shouts and sobbing came from the yard as he arrived at the Honeybee House.
He picked up the phone, calling the police before picking up a fire poker and entering the backyard.
He was horrified at the sight, the perpetrators were over the fence the moment he had opened the door but he was more focused on the boys near the fence. Their bodies in two crumpled heaps. The one further from the fence had been stripped of his jacket, leaving his back exposed and marred with fresh mutilations and cigarette burns. To his surprise, the other victim was attempting to crawl over to the boy.
Adam threw the poker to the side, rushing to the shirtless boy to check for a pulse. He did not find one.
“I-Is he?” The other boy asked shakily. His eyes were wet and what he assumed were his glasses lay a few feet away. Adam shook his head sadly. The boy turned away, biting his lip. “C-can you help me?” He asked, “I want to hold his hand. One more time. Please.”
He held the same desperation in his eyes as Andrew had. Adam couldn’t say no. He stood up, walking around to move him closer to what he assumed was his boyfriend. When they were next to the boy, Adam helped him sit up.
“Hey Eugene, ‘m sorry I couldn’t help.” He whispered, slowly grabbing his hand. “I love you.” The boy pressed Eugene’s hand against his lips. “I love you.” He repeated, seemingly in a trance, fresh tears falling down his cheeks. He turned to face Adam, going rigid as he finally realized that he was a stranger. “I loved him, and he loved me.” He stared at Adam, daring him to argue. He wasn’t intimidating, but Adam nodded, assuring him that he agreed. The boy’s posture relaxed and he went back to holding Eugene’s hand.
Here were two young boys, another dead boy and his lover. How many tragedies did he have to witness?
The boy’s body suddenly went limp against him, and Adam was alone.
The ambulance was too late, they found him with the bodies, his head bowed in mourning. Later he had been informed the boy’s names were Eugene and Zach.
When he met them again as a ghost, Zach thanked him profusely and Eugene shook his hand, gratitude in his eyes.
He died in his sleep, but even after death, he was still witness to many tragedies.
The Fulmers died holding each other. Unable to breathe and unable to escape.
Sara and Helen didn’t even know they were dead till they woke up as spirits. Brent confining himself to the attic, overcome with guilt.
Keith in an accident, leaving behind a distraught fiance who was unable to move on. She tried though, but she simply couldn’t find the right fit.
Yes. He was united with his friends, but he sometimes wished he had gone wherever spirits normally go after death. He was simply tired. Tired of all the death and sorrow of this house. But it wasn’t over.
“I’m not going to live through the night…am I?”
Adam watched sadly as another boy was taken from his lover too soon.
“I would’ve wanted to be able to tell Steven my last words.” Andrew had said.
With those words, Shane picked up the pen and wrote. When he finished, the pen rolled out of his hand and Adam knew he didn’t have much time left. Shane looked at them all, before he closed his eyes, succumbing to the cold. He was no longer alive.
They greeted his spirit warmly and comforted him as they watched the body being wheeled out.
Another dead boy and his lover.
He only hoped Ryan would not follow Shane into the afterlife. He had already seen how death of a love could break a person. Steven being a prime example.
What terrible irony. They recreated his friends’ love story for a film, now they were living it.
Adam slipped into the familiar role of a comforter, this time for the one who died instead of the surviving lover.
Though he knew he shouldn’t have, he caught a glimpse of Shane’s note as the officers passed it to Quinta.
“I’ll miss you. I love you.”