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Bubba never thought it would end this way.
Not his life– that wasn’t over. At least not in the literal sense. He wasn’t dying, but he very well could have been. It felt as if he had been stabbed in the gut, just like the man bleeding out in front of him.
It seemed like only moments ago he was back on the farm, his beloved husband wrapped up in his sun-tanned arms. His husband was his sunshine. The only thing which brought his reality together and held him intact. They were both scarred, yes, from the Cube War and from other things. Heck, Bubba even got his legs blown off. But at least they were scarred together.
But now he was here, back on the battlefield after many years, his savior and his future dying in front of him. Blood soaked through Jeremiah's military uniform. The red slowly seeped onto Bubba, but he could barely feel it. His eyes burned like fire, tears held back, and all he could think about was how it was over. This future he had carved for himself, one with chickens and eggs and a lovely husband. It was all gone.
All the little moments.
The weekdays when Jeremiah would make breakfast for him, would wake up at exactly seven in the morning to go out to the chicken coop and grab the nicest looking eggs. Jeremiah always made sure to make them over-easy, how both of them liked it. He was always one for tradition, would always flip the eggs with timeliness and accuracy. When he was done, Bubba would get up from the kitchen table and walk up behind him, whispering some words of encouragement about how good it looked. Jeremiah would turn around, usually muttering something self-deprecating, but would quickly shut up when Bubba pulled him into a kiss.
Waking up to Jeremiah's smiling face in the morning. He was always more rational and unexpressive than Bubba, probably due to his greater experience in the war. But when they were alone, he would give Bubba that smile, that beautiful, perfect smile made of warm summers and sunshine breaking through the clouds.
By other people Jeremiah was often viewed as guarded and distant, closed off to his feelings. This was a fair observation, as it was true he often acted this way, revealing very few emotions even around close friends. But when they were together, just him and Bubba, he was looser, more transparent and vulnerable. Despite how cold Jeremiah seemed around other people, around Bubba he was warm. Open. And Bubba cherished that.
And now it was gone.
All the big moments.
When Bubba had first admitted he loved him, his palms sweaty as they sat together in the cold of the night. Ever since the American Government had spotted that mysterious cube from space, there had been a talk of war on the horizon. A war which would be more violent and terrible than any of the other wars before it. He had been friends with Jeremiah for a while, and although Bubba didn’t want to ruin their bond he knew that if there was a war they were both likely to be drafted. They were both eighteen, and of good physical fitness. It was almost a guarantee. So Bubba said those words, his mouth dry and his stomach churning, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to deal with the pain if Jeremiah died in the war and he hadn't confessed his love. He expected the beautiful angel in front of him to reject him. His parents had taught him that nothing good came of same-sex relationships. Instead Jeremiah turned towards him, his sparkling grey eyes capturing Bubba’s gaze, and smiled, simply saying “I love you too.”
That day they were together in the cornfield, after the first Cube War had come and went. The war had changed both of them, Bubba physically and Jeremiah emotionally. Nonetheless, Bubba still loved him just as much; would do anything to protect him from the monsters in real life and those in lurking his head. The sky was beautiful, the sun’s dying rays shining through the cornstalks, yet Bubba only had eyes for his sunshine, for the light of his life who stood beside him. However, all day Jeremiah had been acting strange. Bubba thought maybe the monsters had come back to haunt him. That was until his love suddenly knelt down on one knee, pulling a small container from his pocket.
That was, to this day, the only time Bubba had seen Jeremiah nervous, the blonde practically quaking in his boots as he rambled, before finally asked Bubba if he would marry him. Bubba felt his heart skip, and bursts of light erupted inside him. Explosions of warmth and love and memories filling him up almost as much as Jeremiah’s presence itself did. He responded yes almost instantly. Jeremiah slipped the ring over Bubba’s finger, his rough fingers sending sparks up Bubba’s arm wherever they touched his hand. Jeremiah got up, the relief echoed in his relaxing shoulders, and Bubba couldn't resist anymore, grabbing the blonde's shirt collar and slamming their lips together as Jeremiah's hands clutched his back and hips tightly. It was everything their first kiss had been and so much more. Passion and desire caused them to press together further, until he and Jeremiah were one underneath the golden skies.
And all of it was gone.
Every moment with the love of his life felt bittersweet now, because Bubba knew he would never get any more moments. Every memory came with a price tag, and as soon as it was gone it would be gone forever.
All thanks to some cubes.
Bubba had never thought he would have a future when he was younger. Growing up gay in the South was not easy. People were nice, yes, but they were not accepting of things that did not follow their beliefs. The rules were as follows: You go to church on Sunday, you pray, you follow the ten commandments, you believe in God and you do not commit sins. As far as they were concerned, being gay was a sin, and a bad one at that. His family was no exception. He'd always dreamed of moving out, of living a life away from everything, where he could be free to do as he wished, be who he wanted to be. It was just that, however. A dream.
Until he met Jeremiah. Suddenly, he had light in his world again. A life away from his Catholic parents, his mama and daddy who always forced him to act a certain way, be a certain man. A life away from the imprisoning walls of that house that seemed to trap him even when he wasn’t inside. Part of him felt bad. He knew it was a sin, a guilty pleasure. But none of that mattered to him when he had his angel by his side. His blond beautiful sunshine.
And now he was back in that house, without his sun; a boy who was too afraid and guilty of his feelings to tell anyone until it came down to the wire.
He had lost his light.
His purpose.
His Jeremiah.
All thanks to some fucking shapes.
Bubba bent down, carefully setting his beautiful sunshine down to rest as he looked away from him for the final time. An anger grew in his heart, hijacking the looming grief. His eyes still burned, but this time with seething fury. He drew his weapon, the cold glint of steel already making him feel marginally better as he looked out into the war strewn battlefield before him. Horses and men were dead, bleeding out in front of the yellow sun. The light of his life was dead, bleeding out behind him.
His grip tightened as he walked forwards.
“It's time to dice some cubes.”