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A microwave oven’s timer. Such an ordinary object had never managed to provoke as much as a second thought until now. The thing was almost taunting him, wickedly counting down with the clock on the television screen before he shut the latter off. Out of sight, out of mind? Not quite true in this case, although he wished it was. Whether it was in front of him or not, that clock was always ticking. It was his last night on Earth. Well, everyone’s last night on Earth.
Koga Oogami was surrounded by ordinary objects every day, many of them making up his ordinary kitchen; the threadbare, most definitely smelly dishcloth that hung yellowed above the stove, discarded granola bar wrappers emptied of their contents (his dog, Leon, had without a doubt gone through the trash again), those two skewers of chicken he was currently in the middle of heating in that damn microwave oven with its evil bitch of a timer. Ordinary objects only seemed extraordinary, even exclusive, for he didn’t have any more than another hour to look at them.
Since when did he care whether or not he saw each and every page inside of an instruction manual ever again? Since now? He knew it wasn’t as big of a deal as he felt it was at the time. It was daily, anyway, that he would look away from objects, from people, not knowing it was the last time he was seeing them. Ninety-nine percent of the time he was more than alright with that, he wouldn’t do as little as to realize or remember.
However, there was one thing that had always been significant to Koga upon first laying eyes upon it. Or rather, him. He was Sakuma Rei. Sakuma Rei who he had invited over to his apartment to spend his last night with. Sakuma Rei who was on his balcony taking in the view of a world that now had an expiry date.
He tiptoed towards the crack in the window that led outside so as to not wake Leon, asleep on a battered rug.
“Sakuma-senpai.”
Rei didn’t respond, presumably fixated on the unusual specks of red light amongst the stars in the sky. The atmosphere was certainly different. It felt wrong, but they both knew it was.
“Hey,” Koga repeated louder this time, “Sakuma-senpai.”
“Oh, Koga,” the older boy hummed, “I didn’t see you there.”
“Of course I’m there, idiot.” Koga retorted. “This is my apartment.”
“Speaking of which, why did you want to spend your last night with me?” An honest question. “Why me?”
“I’m sure you know.”
Rei directed his gaze towards the other boy, unmoved from his position leaning against the rail. The metal was cold, saturated with the night air.
“I’ve always said I wanted to become someone like you,” Koga continued, “but just being with you brings continuous life power into me. I want this night, the rest of our lives, to last a little longer.”
“There’s no point in worrying about the future, most especially now. All that matters is the present moment.” Rei reached his arm out to pat Koga’s head, now turning completely to face him, “We’re about to be wiped out like the dinosaurs, aren’t we, Doggy?”
“Don’t call me that!” A panicked stammer. “I’m a proud wolf!”
“You still remember the script.” Rei teased.
“Only you would forget, you spacey old man.”
A mischievous grin creased his lips, “Wanko.”
“Vampire bastard! Change it back.” Koga let out an exasperated sigh before peering at the vast city beneath them, the glowing streetlights adamantly failing to die out in spite of the End gradually rearing its ugly head. “Now of all times…”
“Okay, Koga,” Rei corrected himself, “I think the chicken skewers are calling for us.”
***
“Even for our last night on Earth, you’ve prepared tomato juice for me.” Rei spoke softly over the glass, as if it would shatter had he been any less gentle with his words.
“You never liked the tomato juice they had in the drink machines at school.” Koga reasoned plainly.
“What a thoughtful pup you are, I must praise you for your good efforts,” gratitude evident in a smile that reached his eyes, “but you could’ve added more sugar.”
“Be grateful I made you something! Am I not sweet enough for you?”
“I wouldn’t deny that you’re one of the most important people to me. You’re irreplaceable,” Rei took a short sip of the beverage in his hand, “no organism that dominates the planet once we’re all gone would ever come close to replacing you.”
“Shut up and drink your juice, the fuck are you looking at me like that for?!”
An expression sweeter than any tomato juice was plastered like a bandage on his pretty face, one which Koga couldn’t quite discern. Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Rei. Did Sakuma Rei want him? His soul sure wanted Sakuma Rei.
Lost in his thoughts of him, Koga hadn’t touched his own tomato juice.
“If you’re not drinking it, I’ll have it.”
Naturally, he stiffened, freezing with his mouth ajar.
“What’s up? Oh, is it the indirect kiss deal again?” Rei shook his head playfully. “You’re still embarrassed by such things? You’re just as stubborn as you were back then.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Illuminated by the lights from the kitchen behind them, his pale corpse-like skin stood out in the shadows— him.
Crimson eyes like hellfire.
Black hair that melted into the darkness.
From between his seductive lips that were sexier than any girls’, came a masculine, deep voice.
He looked simultaneously like an angel that could rescue the world and a devil that could destroy it, too.
“You’re so beautiful.”
If Koga reached out his hand, he could touch him. So he did. Rei didn’t move, didn’t push him away. No, Rei did not push him away. Instead, he placed his own hand on top of the other boy’s, removing it from his shoulder before taking it into both of his hands. It felt slightly rougher in between his two smooth ones.
Looking down with shock at the mere sight of it before back up at the person who stood right in front of him, Koga began to relax. Honey eyes met pure red and the clock stopped for the first time since it started counting down. The glaring reflection of a fire-hot rock growing larger and larger in Rei’s eyes was only trivial and could almost be ignored. It didn’t matter. Only Rei mattered.
The nearing End rushed no sense of urgency into the two as they slowly leaned in. Koga could taste the lingering tomatoes and sugar on Rei’s soft tongue, but he didn’t think to complain about the sweetness. A new heat was felt consuming his body, a photograph held over a lighter. He couldn’t tell if it was from kissing his beloved Rei or Earth and everything he ever knew literally being on fire, exploding into nothingness. Either way, his world was on fire.
The stray dog had finally found what it was looking for.
This was it.