Chapter Text
It was inescapable.
Everyone on the planet, from CEO’s to janitors, was either talking about or hearing about the news. There was no way to outrun the quiet whispers that drifted through the air; the hushed murmurs repeated over again. The message occurred often enough that one may begin to think that the information is being replayed by an algorithmic robot, programmed with one sentence on an eternal loop. Some individuals heard it so many times that they’ve memorized it, gaining the ability to recite it by heart. Some began to hear it in their sleep, hidden amongst their dreams, a mantra that refused to leave their mind.
“ Experts have identified a huge meteor, capable of destroying our entire planet. It is reportedly set to hit Earth in just a few weeks.”
A few chose to believe it, others chose to maintain a blissful ignorance. Some even went as far as to accuse the media of lying to them, that there was no such meteor and that they would all be just fine. Yet, after these so-called “experts” failed to destroy the meteor and protect Earth’s inhabitants, people started to realize how dire the situation truly was. Even more so when it became visible in the darkness of the night sky. At first, it took a trained eye to spot the giant rock alongside the stars, which shone of equal brightness. But in just a mere few hours, the meteor was an obvious streak in the sky - a bright yellow that stood out among the vague gray of the other stars and other unnamed planets. At this point, people were forced to come to terms with the fact that their time on Earth was decreasing at an alarming rate. All they could do was decide how to spend their last moments.
Everyone had the same amount of time left to live.
They were going to make it count.
♁
“Yes, I understand, can you please hold? Thank you-”
“I’m sorry, I’m gonna have to transfer you to another line-“
“I promise I’m trying to help, but there’s a lot of panicked people with the same concerns-“
Phone call after phone call filled the brightly lit office, distorted voices ringing throughout the somewhat empty space. Sitting diligently at the very expensive desk was a busy young man trying desperately to calm the people on the other end of the line. His long, blue tinted hair flowed over his shoulders in a messy fashion, an obvious visual sign that he was far too overworked to care for it. Others, friends and strangers alike, had known him for his ability to maintain his level-headed composure, but the mangled panic and fear that strung through the voices on the phone had begun to infect his own mind. There were so many people, afraid and angry, not leaving him with a single moment to collect his own thoughts.
This had to be the only time throughout his entire career that he didn’t know the answer to their calls. As the Yashiro Commissioner, he was expected to listen to his clients with grace and solve any and all issues they may place upon him. This task had never been a problem for him before - he had been naturally gifted in the art of solving people’s problems ever since he was a small child - but who has the answers to the end of the world? He hadn’t been accustomed to comforting the desperate cries of scared families, especially while knowing in the back of his mind that they would all soon be dead. For the first time, an alien feeling crept deep into his heart: he felt utterly and completely lost . He didn’t know how to help the callers, nor what to tell them as they wept loudly through the line. They just kept calling, more and more and more-
“Ayato?”
Reality snapped back into place as the sound of his own name forced the man out of his spiraling thoughts. Said man slowly became aware of where he was and what he was doing. He lifted his head to meet the vibrant green eyes of his visitor, filled to the brim with both curiosity and concern. Before Ayato could open his mouth to speak, his visitor continued, “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been..”
“Thoma,” Ayato’s tone sounded almost surprised when he spoke, yet strained. For a moment, he tilted his head in confusion at the other’s unfinished statement. It wasn’t until he lifted a hand to his face and felt a foriegn wetness on his cheek that he understood the blonde’s question. He hastily wiped them away and lifted his head to meet with Thoma’s questioning gaze, “I’m fine, thank you. What brings you here? Is there a problem?” Ayato broke eye contact for a brief moment to gather and organize multiple stray papers that had been strewn across his desk while he listened for the other’s response. While he was doing so, Thoma shifted uncomfortably on his feet; gaze tilted downwards as he formed his thoughts into words - and this did not go unnoticed by the older male.
“No, there’s no problem. I just wanted to see you. And I brought lunch! ..I know it’s kind of late for it to technically be lunch, but I also know you haven’t eaten yet. It’s your favorite!” Thoma lifted a small basket from behind his back with a grin. Ayato scanned Thoma’s person, eyes flicking over the basket in his hands and then back to the look on his face. He’d known Thoma long enough to know that there was much more to his words than he was letting on, his smile masking something unspoken on his mind.
Something darker.
Ayato smiled and pressed a button on the nearest phone, speaking into it clearly, “Decline any calls that come in for me. I’m finished with my work.” A few seconds passed before a female voice came through the speaker, rushed and confused.
“Mr. Kamisato, there are a lot of people that wish to speak to you in this time of crisis-”
“How about you try telling families that they and their loved ones are destined to die?” The room flushed cold with the sharp coolness of his voice. “I cannot do anything but bring them horrid news that will surely cause them further panic. I’m finished telling everyone that they should spend their final moments with their loved ones while I am not doing so myself.” Thoma’s dipped head rose slightly to meet Ayato’s eyes, thousands of words being silently communicated within the span of mere seconds. “Decline further calls. That is my last order for you.” He released the button with a huff and turned to Thoma, who was still standing before his desk. Except now, he wore a sinister expression on his face, matching the atmosphere of the now quiet room.
There was a heavy silence with the slightest bit of awkwardness lingering between the two. Ayato knew that Thoma didn’t like any topics that involved their end. While being fully aware of the oncoming asteroid, Thoma tried his best to preserve his typical cheery attitude for as long as he possibly could. When Ayato questioned him on this, he was flashed with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he said, “I don’t want fear or any other negative emotions to dampen my remaining time with you. I’m going to enjoy every last second.” He paused for a moment to lace his hand with Ayato’s, “And with you by my side, it’s easy to feel okay.”
From that day forward, Thoma quickly and gracefully changed the subject whenever the asteroid was mentioned. Right until this very moment, when he became the one to speak up about it. “Ayato, have you seen any news recently?” He asked, voice low and devoid of much emotion.
Ayato shook his head as he stood from his office chair, dusting his pristine business clothes off as he spoke, “No, I haven’t had a spare moment to do anything but take calls. Why? Has something happened?” He carefully examined the expression on his partner’s face, the solemn lines etched deep into his green eyes, a rare yet increasingly common feature. Ayato silently wondered if his own physical appearance had changed over the course of the past few weeks; if the lines on his face had deepened or if his expressions lacked authenticity.
Thoma paused a moment before answering, setting the basket on the now cleared desk and walking closer to his boyfriend. He took both of Ayato’s hands into his own and clasped them tightly, both for his own comfort and for the comfort of the other. “There was a major mistake in the predictions of the impact,” He spoke evenly, “I don’t know how it happened, with so many people peer reviewing each other, but the estimated time of impact has.. changed.”
Ayato never took his gaze off of Thoma and waited for him to continue, waited to hear that the meteor was farther away than they had originally thought - that they had just a little more time. He waited a second, then two, for the younger man to break into the bright smile that Ayato so dearly loved and tell him that they would be able to spend more time together, even if just a few more days. But it never came. Thoma remained silent, as if asking for Ayato’s permission to continue.
No, not permission.
Support.
Ayato’s heart sank as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead lightly against Thoma’s, feeling his world crash around him when he noticed watery tears in his emerald eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, voice barely above a whisper, a question that he never wanted to hear leave his own mouth, “How much time do we have?”
Thoma closed his eyes and a steady stream of tears rolled down his rose-tinted cheeks. He took a shaky breath and squeezed Ayato’s hands tightly. “A few hours. Maybe two.” He breathed, the sound of hushed sobs leaking through his voice. He opened his stained eyes and watched as the words ever so slowly registered in Ayato’s mind, and time halted to a stop.
The words hung heavily in the air while silence followed. It wasn’t like the first silence, slightly uncomfortable and relatively awkward. This silence was different; it demanded to be heard and extinguished any sound that may have left either lips. Stipulating. Suffocating.
Just like that, they went from having two weeks left together..
..to two hours.
♁
The thundering roar of panic in the newly filled streets was a stark contrast to the quiet yet stifling office the boys had stepped out of. People everywhere were crying, screaming, running into each other as they rushed to the workplace of their loved ones, desperate to spend every second of their last two hours together.
A look of confusion painted across the faces of terrified children, who were asking again and again as they tugged on their parents' sleeves, “Mommy, why are you crying?” They had no response, only more tears as they held their children closer. Vehicles stood stagnant in the typically fast-moving city street, many abandoned, still running. The sight before them looked as if it could have come out of a horror film, tumultuous and loud. Thoma reached down and took Ayato’s hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze as they maneuvered through the crowd.
The couple slowly made their way to a remote spot near the outskirts of the city, a small patch of grass overlooked by a large birch tree. Years before, this space had been nothing but a mass of dirt with a few dead bushes sticking out of the cracked ground, but Thoma saw potential in its location and magnificent view of the city. With the ever-growing population of stray animals, he wished to create a place that provided shade, shelter, and food for fuzzy creatures that might pass by in need of a rest. He took it upon himself to grow it to what it’s become today, still showing up with armfuls of food and water and new blankets every once and a while. Many strays have come to know this as their home, a place they knew would be safe and supply them with security. Ayato would always admire him for that; the amount of care and love he put into the project, the fruits of which only he would see.
Not only had it become a regular spot for the animals, but the boys often found themselves sitting in the cool shade of the now fully-grown birch, the breeze tickling their cheeks as they watched the city below. They often brought and ate meals here, a moment of fresh air away from the stuffy city. This was just another one of those times, though it would be their last.
Ayato sat across from Thoma, watching him as he carefully unpacked their lunch. He hadn’t lied, Thoma had made his favorite, but they could do no more than poke at their food while the heavy weight of reality settled in their stomachs instead. They continued sitting in front of each other, eyes meeting and refusing to look away. “I want you to be the last thing I see.” Ayato stated, earning a slight blush from the other.
They firmly held each other's hands, communicating words that neither man could hope to say aloud without losing their composure entirely. They didn’t want to die with tears in their eyes, no, they wanted to die with affection dancing across their features. Thoma ran his fingers over the cool dark ring on Ayato’s hand, playing with it. Perhaps as a distraction, or perhaps as a reminder of their imperishable love. They stayed there for what seemed like forever, counting the things they loved most about each other while the rest of the world counted the fleeting minutes until destruction.
Then the ground started to move.
It started softly, a gentle shake.
The asteroid had finally made impact.
Though the jerks of the Earth were not violent, the fear that washed over Thoma and Ayato made up for it. Both boys glanced downwards at the grass, watching as the moisture flew off the vibrant blades into the dirt below. The leaves on nearby trees started to quiver ever so slightly, and pebbles made soft sounds as they were tossed across the pavement.
The merciful quiet shakes were short-lived, however, soon taken over by a constant and harsh rumble. The boys latched onto each other, moving their grasp from their hands to their forearms in an attempt to remain upright and stable.
Behind Thoma, Ayato could almost instantly see the city crumbling. He watched as towers fell, dust consuming all who were unfortunate enough to find themself there. Loud screams were heard even from afar, thousands losing their lives in an instant. The world was falling apart, and Ayato’s breath hitched, feeling panic creep inside him.
Ayato felt a hand cup his cheek and his gaze returned to the man before him. Thoma looked at him with a warm smile, the city still falling behind him. He wondered if Thoma knew about the sight taking place just behind him, if he knew their home was long gone.
He’d never find out.
Ayato leaned into his partner’s hand and brought his own up to grasp it. “I love you, Thoma.” He choked, trying and failing to hold back tears.
“I love you too, Ayato.” Tears pooled in the corner of his eyes, but he never stopped giving Ayato his warm smile.
Grief flowed from their voices as the shaking grew in intensity. Soon, small buildings around them had started to collapse as well, windows shattering and doors flying open. The fast-approaching dust cloud from the city was almost upon them, soon to distinguish their light.
Their light, which burned with their passionate love; burned with their bright personalities that fit each other perfectly, like fate’s puzzle. Ayato and Thoma looked at each other for one last time as the Earth fell to destruction and their light was extinguished.
It was devastating.
It was beautiful.
And it was gone.