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The countdown started the day the Sun forgot Mercury’s name.
A week or two at most, according to Earth’s time. It’d be the end of the life on Earth too, and despite being devastated by the mourning Earth, Mercury selfishly wanted Earth to be safe from the blast, alive.
The Sun’s surface bubbled vigorously, popping and flaring frequently. Its being moved almost like liquid, as if the Sun’s core itself was struggling to hold back such high levels of energy. Mercury observed from his orbit, the Sun had its eyes closed, surface flicking red every once in a while. He suspected a reformation of the sort was happening from within it. It must have felt painful.
Venus had still been traveling his orbit alone at the other side of the Sun, though Mercury was sure he’d have noticed it too. He wished the other would return in time for the burst, as selfish as it sounded, so that he would not be alone. Mercury thought he was allowed some selfishness.
The gas giants visit, a rare gesture. Mercury wasn’t sure he'd interacted with them more than 100 times during his 9.6 billion years of living, it was a gesture appreciated nonetheless. Mercury only felt numb as grievances and farewells were exchanged. He had a thought then, that their lives would change drastically as well, he just wouldn’t be there to witness it.
Mercury sternly declined Jupiter’s offer to try and throw him off orbit using his gravitational pull, stubbornly wishing to continue orbiting the Sun, he thought the Sun deserved as much. Besides, fighting fate was a dangerous thing to do. It was harder to stick to his choice when he saw Saturn’s grief-stricken face.
The ice giants don’t visit, Mercury had expected as such. They’d get dangerously hot if they did, even more so than before. A painting was gifted alongside a painted asteroid through the gas giants though, two of each for him and Venus. A farewell gift, despite knowing it’d only be destroyed. There might have been tears in Mercury’s eyes had they not evaporated the instant they appeared. He thanked the bigger planets, tone quiet and small.
Mars came a week before Venus’ estimated return, eyebags deep and dark, a sight Mercury had never seen before. Even with weariness constantly wearing him thin nowadays, Mercury still wanted to help the other. It pained him to see such kind eyes in deep pain.
“Hey bud.. Uhh, Earth can’t come right now, but he’ll visit! Just a few days before… y’know.” Mars paused, body jerking, a pained expression on his face. Mars had always been expressive, and way too feeling for his own good. Mercury had liked that about him before, it only felt like asteroids hitting him in his core now. “Wanna… play some, space poker?” It’s a question asked between shuddered breaths and a quivering tone. Mercury could not find it in himself to deny his dear friend of such comfort.
It was a fun few rounds. Mercury had won each and every game, watching Mars get progressively more and more frustrated. He laughed, heart lighter than it’d been in a while.
Venus returned a day before, five hours earlier than expected, face unreadable. They exchanged eye contact, and it was the first one they shared in 7 billion years that was not fueled with hatred or annoyance from either side. A silent recognition passed through them both, solemn acceptance.
The planets redid the ritual they held for Mercury with Venus. Tears shed, requests denied, farewells exchanged. Mars held onto Venus longer than he had for Mercury, but he was too fatigued to care, or to feel jealous, by then. Earth finally joined them in the visit, the final one, eyes tired and still red with tears. His smile remained, as wobbly and unstable as it was. His surface looked more dimmed than usual, Mercury assumed even the life on his surface was grieving as well. They hugged.
He glanced at Venus, face calm and undeterred, unusually imposing from his usual persona. He seemed to have been preparing for this moment for millenniums, which he had. In hindsight, they both had.
From the day they were born, the timer had already started.
Mercury stared at his Sun, its eyes were still closed. He thought the other must have lost consciousness by now, no celestial body could handle a self implosion lucid after all. It was for the better, Mercury did not want it to feel guilt. It was red now, not quite blood red as it would soon be, but a lighter red around the edges. The atmosphere around it was almost unbearingly hot, even for Mercury’s rough surface. The Sun seemed to have grown in size, now only a few kilometers away from Mercury, it bubbled.
The hour before it, Venus drifted from his orbit to Mercury’s side. To the other’s surprise, and relief.
“Ouch! If it isn’t sizzling hot here too..”
“What did you expect from heading closer to the Sun, Venus?” Mercury sighed, teasing came easily. Especially when paired with Venus’ enraged yells. The yell he received was not as fiery as the one in his memory, they were both too exhausted for that. Mercury found no fault in imagining it.
Silence fell, the Sun inched closer.
“You should stay in orbit y’know.”
“Who cares, it wouldn’t matter soon.”
“Good point.” Mercury nodded, Venus hummed.
The Sun inched closer.
“Thank you.” Mercury said, eyes ablaze with the Sun’s rays, prickling painfully at the edge of it.
“Huh?” Venus’ voice was scratchy, rough, dripped in confusion.
Mercury hesitated.
“I…” Venus was silent, patient for once, “I didn’t want to be alone.”
Shocked silence, a huff.
“Me too.”
Mercury smiled, surprisingly genuine. Venus blinked, smiling as well, the happiest he had seen him.
The Sun exploded.