We'll Still Be Together

Chapter 14

Seven months had passed since Moriko was diagnosed and his condition gradually worsened day by day causing him to be unable to leave the hospital.

His legs' numbness increased cussing him to be unable to move, his balance issues increased, painful dizzy spells, bone pain, headaches, his weight was severely unhealthy, etc.

Chuuya sat there, crying beside his brother knowing that he would have who-knows-how-long left to live.

With a shaky hand and a hoarse voice, the dying male put his hand on the crying one's head as he said "Chuuya," gently.

The younger's head was lifted up slowly, making sure not to put the older in pain.

With puffy red eyes, he stared intently at Moriko's soft gaze as if begging to hear something from him before he died.

"Please don't give up on yourself.." The skeleton-like man pleaded, his eyes filling with water.

"W-What.?" The young one asked.

"Keep doing... What you love and don't... Try to kill yourself.." The older rasped as he coughed continuously.

"And remember to.. Accept everything that life throws at you. Be it unfair or not, be sure to accept it all. Find the beauty in everything." The yellow-skinned person spoke, smiling softly.

"I will. I promise you, I wi-"
"Chuu."
"Yeah?"
"Open the box I keep under my bed in my room. There's something for you there."
"Okay."

With another coughing fit arriving to attack, Moriko put his hand away from Chuuya's head up to his mouth only to find blood on the said hand after pulling it away as the coughing ceased.

"I guess this is goodbye." Moriko chuckled, the built-up tears from his azure eyes flowing down as he rest his body on the bed.

"Hopefully Yosano-san can-"

"She can't. Her ability could only do so much." Moriko interrupted, his voice barely audible.

"Please, don't leave." Chuuya pleaded, crying.

"Can't keep that promise now, can I?" The dying male mocked.

"Now isn't the time!"
"I think it is."
"Please. Don't leave like how my friends did."
"..."

With one final "I'm sorry" and one final laugh, Moriko lay there motionless on the bed, his heart monitor only causing a long, non-stop beep noise signaling he was gone.

Chuuya stared in disbelief at his unresponsive brother for a moment before breaking down in sobs.

"This can't be happening. Can it? It's not happening right now, right?!" He panicked as soft cries choked his voice.

He continued to scream until a soft touch appeared onto his shoulder.

"Chuuya, he told you to accept everything that life gave you, right?" A familiar voice asked.

"Leave me alone, Dazai!" He exclaimed.

"You promised you'd accept it, so, why are you crying?" The brunette asked.

"Because he meant something to me!"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here. You can cry now." Dazai comforted, pulling the male into a hug.

"It's barely even been an hour and I already miss him." The smaller thought.

*****

A week had passed since his passing and Chuuya kept the human-sized teddy bear he found from the box underneath Moriko's bed and named it "Hiroshi". (No one knows how it fit under the bed honestly)

Each time he felt down, he'd always hug the bear and cry into it.

He then gradually got better over the course of a few months and remembered that winter was almost near.

*****

"Dazai! Dazai!" Chuuya called out as he sprinted to look for the bandaged man in glee.

"It's snowing! It's snowing!" He cheered, seeing November's snowfall happen.

"I know, I know." The younger chuckled, closing his book of suicide and having his head rest on the sofa's backrest.

"Wanna go out today?"
"Yeah, that's why I told you it was snowing!"
"Okay, okay. Grab your coat and scarf."
"Yesssssss!!"

*****

The two were sat down underneath a cherry blossom tree that had only the bark and the branches of it left.

The cold snow bit at their skin as they cuddled close to each other.

"It's nice seeing the snow fall." Dazai claimed.

"Mhm." Chuuya hummed in agreement.

"Oi! You two kids!" A woman's voice spoke.

"Oh, dear." Dazai grumbled with a sigh.
"It seems like we have to deal with a Karen."

"What can we do, miss?" Chuuya asked.

"You two are sinners!" The lady presumed.

"I'm sorry, what did we do besides the countless crimes convicted towards us along with murders and homicides?" The ginger headed male questioned at her.

"You two are doing something only a man and a woman should do!" The middle-aged one spoke.

"Jesus Christ, can't you get over that? We're not hurting you are we?" Dazai hissed.

"Excuse me?! Respect your elders, young man!"
"Respect is earned, hun. "
"Learn your mann-"
"Come on, Chibi. Let's go."

The two men stood up and walked off, leaving the middle-aged woman alone to yell curses and other stuff at them.

"Neh, Chuuya." Dazai called.

"Yeah?" The younger replied, hugging Dazai closer as he walked.

"I love you."
"I love you too, Mackerel."