Work Text:
It was raining.
Till stood on stage, his hand on the microphone as the rain fell onto him, fell all around him.
He felt like death, this performance may as well be a funeral for him.
Mizi was gone, and the months she had spent missing had been rotting him from the inside out.
Till felt his will to fight slip away long ago.
Slowly, the stage lit up, and the music began, and despite everything, Till began to sing.
It was soft, melancholy.
Faintly, he registered Ivan didn't start on stage with him. He couldn't bring himself to care much.
Disadvantage or not, Till already knew Ivan would win. His abilities and his previous scores were almost unmatched.
His mind drifted as he sang, to Mizi, to one of the nights at the bar.
If he could cry anymore, he might've.
As he stopped, the music softened, a quiet piano filling the stage.
-
Ivan slowly stepped onto the stage with one goal in mind : Lose.
As his cue came on, he began to sing, his gaze on the aliens but his mind elsewhere. His thoughts lingered on one thing; Till.
In a weird way, much like he had read in old human stories, he was experiencing the best moments of his life.
Fighting with Till in ANAKT, watching him draw under the tree, the moment he realized Till was his shooting star.
The nights in the bar, slipping in and getting rid of his collar, comforting him to the best of his abilities, despite everything.
As his verse continued, Ivan couldn't help but feel a small pit in his stomach, an uncomfortable truth bubbling up from the depths of his very being.
He was scared to die.
As he stopped singing, Till immediately picked up where he left off. His voice was dull, almost lifeless compared to the firey passion he had singing Unknown.
Ivan followed his lead, looking over at Till.
Till didn't sing after him, just gripping the microphone and staring at the ground.
Ivan took a breath and didn't hesitate, throwing his microphone and crossing the stage towards Till.
He was afraid to die, yes, but for Till? He'd do it over and over.
As the music began to pick up, Till turned towards him, and Ivan wasted no time. He grabbed Till, pressing their lips together.
Till immediately jolted, almost like he was being woken up, and went to push away, but Ivan pulled him back in, kissing him much softer this time.
He had to know what it felt like to be loved like him, even if only for a moment.
Ivan looked away from Till for a moment to see their scores. Relief immediately rushed over him and he turned his full attention back to Till.
He placed one final kiss, the most gentle he could muster, before moving his hands to Till's throat.
Till's eyes shot open but he made no movement, staring at Ivan before letting his eyes flutter shut.
Ivan held him as gently as he could, his hands starting to go up in shakes.
He was scared. Terrified.
He prayed it wasn't obvious.
The first bullet struck him and he jolted but kept his gaze on Till, kept his hands steady.
He had to.
Another shot rang out and Ivan didn't move.
Till's face looked so peaceful, the exhaustion around his eyes almost easing as he was "resting" in Ivan's hands.
Another shot landed and Ivan felt his body starting to give out.
He cracked a smile, pulling his hands away from Till's throat.
-
Till's eyes shot open as Ivan pulled away from him.
The smile on his face was so gentle as he began to fall, his hand still reaching out for him.
Ivan's body hit the ground and blood immediately began to pull the ground.
All Till could do was stare, the rain around them suddenly feeling so loud in the absence of music.
In the absence of Ivan.
He watched in the reflection of Ivan's blood as the board lit up:
Till Wins
He felt nauseous, reaching for Ivan before falling to his knees.
Till reached for Ivan's out stretched hand, only holding it for a moment before the guards grabbed him, yanking him back and up.
He began to scream, kick, thrash as human guards moved to Ivan's body. Trying to pull away, trying to get away so he could be by his side, so he could be with Ivan for one last moment.
A sharp pain in the neck, the dull familiar buzz of drugs in his system, and Till's struggle became non existent.
All Till could do was watch until Ivan was out of sight, and the collar was snapped back onto Till's neck.