Work Text:
Rei doesn’t remember how it happened.
A moment ago, he and Kieryn were crossing the bridge to escape with the other killing game survivors, and in the next, he’s falling.
He reaches for Kieryn first, grabbing his hand in desperation to stop his fall at all costs; nothing matters if he can’t even save one person. After securely gripping other’s forearm in his hand, Rei acts quickly to grab at anything above him for purchase and manages to snag a loose rope from the collapsing bridge. The pull of gravity is strong, and the two continue falling a few feet more until they jerk to an abrupt halt. For the moment their lives are spared, but they dangle helpless above a valley too deep to see the bottom.
“Kieryn! Are you okay?!” Rei yells over the pounding of his heart in his ears as his nails dig into Kieryn’s skin to keep his grip firm. Even in a situation like this he’s always worrying about others. Kieryn, hanging onto Rei’s arm like a lifeline, looks up at him with pure fear in his eyes. He nods slowly to indicate Rei’s words came through, but any words to answer back right now die in his throat, overcome with the fear of falling. Even without looking down Kieryn feels nauseous, and Rei wishes he could do anything to comfort him. If only he wasn’t the middle man between life and death.
Rei scans his surroundings. The rope in his hand continues up the cliff and to the side, presumably where it’s bolted into the ground. The cliff face shows no platforms or any reliable means of purchase, and they’re too far from it anyways so that’s not an option. It seems the only way is up.
“Shit,” He curses under his breath as his arm burns from the weight beneath him. They need to get up as soon as possible. As much as Rei can rely on his own strength it’ll be difficult holding his own weight with Kieryn’s. “Hey- hey Kieryn, Can you pull yourself up?” Rei asks, almost breathless.
“I- I can try,” Kieryn tries, and he really tries, but the pull of gravity is too strong. A gust of wind blows during his second attempt, dangling Kieryn like a ragdoll, making him almost lose his grip on Rei’s hand entirely. “Fuck- I don’t think I can- Rei-”
Rei grits his teeth trying to remain calm. There has to be another way out of this, there has to be. He’s gotten them out of plenty of dire situations before, so how is this any different? He will get them both out of this, he just needs to think of another way.
“Rei,”
Climbing up he can do no problem, he can get through that easily by himself. Maybe if Kieryn tried to pull himself up again he could latch onto Rei’s back as he climbed.
“Rei.”
Or if they could somehow swing on the rope, the momentum could carry them towards the cliff side and then they could start climbing up that way. Wouldn’t the best solution but it is another option-
“REI!”
“Huh?” A familiar voice snaps him out of his running thoughts, and Rei looks down to see Kieryn’s face twisted with worry. Rei must’ve been saying his thoughts out loud since his boyfriend’s eyes blinked back tears of hopelessness. “It-it’s alright Kieryn, I’ll- I’ll get us out of this I promise!” Rei shot back with a smile, wavering and empty.
Kieryn didn’t say anything for a long moment, he could see the dwindling hope in Rei’s eyes as seconds passed. The weight of their bleak situation hung heavy in the air, the silence speaking for itself. Neither of them wanted to admit the inevitable.
Rei seemed almost content with this outcome, despite his never give up attitude he’d rather go out like a hero protecting someone to the very end. That’s just the kind of selfless person he is. But Kieryn on the other hand, he never did like that. Even before he met Rei he’s never adhered to the hero ideals, quite hated it actually. Rei’s self martyrdom is probably the thing Kieryn hates most, throwing away his whole life, his whole future away just like this.
Rei has so much to lose.
Kieryn remembers their talk under the stars the night before they escaped, remembering how Rei’s eyes sparkled under the moonlight as he talked his head off about his family. The smile he wore was contagious, it was the most beautiful sight Kieryn’s ever seen. At one point he may have felt jealous that Rei’s relationship was so close to his family, being surrounded by the people who loved him.
Now the only feeling is regret that he’ll never be able to meet them.
Rei has so much to lose. Kieryn won’t let him throw it all away.
“Rei, you have to let go.”
Kieryn’s words strike an immediate reaction from Rei, Rei’s eyes go wide and his hand grips his boyfriend’s tighter. “No. No way. That is not happening.” His expression is dead serious, it’s the exact reaction Kieryn expected. “Rei-”
“I said no, d-don’t even think about it!” Rei’s voice shakes with every word, firm and unwilling to do that. Anything but that. “I’ll figure out another way-”
“No, Rei! Listen to me! There’s no time left, that rope is going to snap off any moment and then we’ll both fall! I know you’re strong, you’ll climb up the rope and then save yourself-”
“I’m never letting you go! Not now- not ever. So please- please, don’t leave me.”
Something warm and wet hits Kieryn’s cheek, was he crying? No, his vision blurs but the tears remain in his eyes, threatening to spill over. What hit him was from above. Rei’s face contorts in agony as hot tears flow down his face and drip onto Kieryn’s, his lip wobbles trying to keep everything together so they don’t fall but Kieryn can feel the tremble in Rei’s hands as he so badly wants to sob.
If only things were different.
If only he met Rei sooner, and not in this twisted killing game. If only this was just a bad dream, a nightmare he’d wake up from.
But the pain shooting in his arm is so painfully real, as well as the heartache in his chest. There’s so much he wanted to do with Rei, so much he wanted to say. But he’s out of time, and so, with tears running down his cheeks Kieryn smiles one last time; The words come out easy, as if he’s said them a hundred times before.
“Rei, I love you. And I’m sorry.”
It takes a simple twist of the wrist. Rei’s hand reaches for Kieryn’s in an attempt to save him, but it’s no use.
Kieryn plummets.
The rushing of wind in his ears isn’t loud enough to block out the agonizing scream and spills from Rei’s lips as he gets smaller and smaller. There’s an overwhelming feeling of weightlessness, as if he’s flying. Time seems to slow down, as memories replay in his head in his final moments. The smile on his face remains despite everything.
Maybe he’ll see Rei again in the next life.