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They had been caught.
Greed didn't know when the public had found out about his and Oncie's relationship. They hadn't been as careful as they usually were in public, the media must have put all the pieces together. Too long eye contact, poorly hidden hand holding, lingering forehead kisses. All of which had led people to figure out their secret. It started out as a few rumours, flashy and tacky magazines throwing out outlandish theories about them for clicks. But as Oncie and Greed became more careless, bigger newspapers began to agree with the theories. Names were thrown around, 'Freaks of nature', 'Inbreds', 'Hillbillies', and more scathing insults.
It was then that the police were called.
Greed and Oncie were sitting together in the factory, just enjoying each others company, when sirens blared outside. Both knew that the police were not there for a simple 'friendly chat'. If they wanted to preserve their relationship, they had to run. They ran out of the back exit of the factory, ignoring the shouting of officers, and towards the Truffula forest.
Hand in hand, they ran through the partially destroyed Truffula forest, sirens distantly following them. Candy coloured trees rushed past them as they struggled to keep their footing. Their breathing was ragged and their limbs were sore, but they knew that they had to keep going. Neither of the pair spoke to the other, they didn't want to discuss the fact that this was possibly the end for them. For their relationship and, in a way, their lives.
Due to either a poor sense of direction or a lack of a plan, the couple found themselves at the edge of a cliff. Right of them, a waterfall that the two were a bit too closely acquainted with, and to the left, a large boulder. The spot was actually one of their favourite date locations. They went there on their stressful days, just before the sun was setting, they'd sit and watch it together. It was one of the few places outside their homes that they didn't have to hide. The locations had always brought them happiness on most days. But that wasn't the case today.
Releasing Greed's hand, Oncie collapsed onto the grass, he doubled over and wheezed, "Wh-what are we gonna do?"
Leaning against the large boulder, Greed replied, "I...I don't know...Shit." With every word, Greed could taste the metallic tang of blood at the back of his throat. "Fuck, I didn't think this far ahead..."
Making an effort to calm his breathing, Oncie looked behind them. The sound of sirens and shouting were distant, but with every second they were getting closer and closer. Turning back, Oncie looked down the cliff, the drop was well over twenty stories. "Do you think we could backtrack and make it down there -" He gestured to the forest below them, "- quick enough so they don't catch us?"
Greed stood up straight, rubbed his eyes, and sighed. "No, the path downwards is quite far back, they would intercept us before we made it." He glared at the waterfall beside them. "I doubt we could make it over the river without going over the edge." Sighing again Greed sat down next to Oncie.
"This-this is all my fault, I was the one that led us out the left exit. If we'd gone in your direction we could've made it to the coast and escaped the country." Oncie sniffed and choked up.
Greed thought for a moment. He did buy a boat the month before, and he knew that it could make it to Europe. They could've started a new life where nobody knew them, if they'd only headed for the coast. But... Greed looked at Oncie and at how distraught and sorry he looked, no, he wouldn't let Oncie feel guilty about this. "It never would've worked, Oncie. People know me, and by extension, you, everywhere I go. They'd recognise us." He put his arm around Oncie and kissed the top of his head. "It's not your fault, if anything, it's my fault. I was the one that got us into this mess, even though I knew what would happen if people found out about us. I'm so sorry." Greed finished, dejectedly.
Looking up at Greed, Oncie leaned over and kissed his cheek. "That's not true Greed, I'm also to blame as well. I knew how dangerous this all was and I didn't stop it... I didn't want to stop it."
Looking out at the falling sun, Greed sighed. "I didn't want to stop it either, I still don't. I guess that means we're both as bad as each other." They both laughed, but their tones lacked any humour.
From behind them, they could hear that the shouting was near. They had about a minute to think of a plan, but they couldn't think of anything.
"There's nothing we can do, is there?" Oncie asked.
Greed shook his head. "No, nothing to stop them catching us." Looking over the cliff, Greed had one final idea. "They're going to end our relationship no matter what we do, but what if we didn't give them the satisfaction?" Greed turned to Oncie with a familiar dangerous glint in his eye.
Oncie gulped, usually he wouldn't humour the dangerous side of Greed, but he was desperate at this point. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"What I mean is," Greed got up and pulled Oncie to his feet, "they want to rip up apart and they want everybody to see them do it. But what if we made it so they couldn't do that?"
"How would we do that?"
Greed stepped towards the edge of the cliff, dangerously close to falling over the edge. "Simple, we take our own lives before they can. That way, we would never truly be separated by their hands. What do you say?" He held out a hand to Oncie.
Shocked, Oncie asked, "Are you saying that we should kill ourselves?"
"Wouldn't you rather that, then whatever they have installed for us?"
"I..." Oncie thought of the shouts of the police, the judgement of the media, and the disgust that their family would have for them. There truly was no other way. He sighed and grabbed Greed's hand, "You're right. Let's do it."
Greed pulled Oncie beside him and then kissed him gently on the lips. The kiss was sweet and short, reminiscent of their first kiss together. They pulled apart and Greed gave Oncie a soft smile. His dangerous side had receded and was replaced with the softer versions of himself, a part of him that he'd only showed to Oncie and Oncie alone.
Oncie returned the smile. Smiling was difficult in the situation they were in, but the knowledge that they would be together until the very end allowed him to. "I'll see you on the other side?"
"Yeah," Greed said softly. "I'll see you there." Truthfully, he didn't believe that he'd end up in the same place as Oncie, but he could hope. "I love you." Greed squeezed Oncie's hand, tears forming in his eyes.
Oncie squeezed back, he'd already begun crying. "I love you too."
Just as the police rounded a corner and caught up to them, the couple took one final breath and jumped. The angered and shocked shouting quickly grew quieter and quieter. Their eyes closed as they braced for impact, never letting go of the other's hand. They died together, knowing that when they reached the other side, they'd find each other again.