We Still Reach For The Stars

Part 4 (final part)

~time skip~

Aaron stared at Mason in shock and sudden recognition when he had finished speaking the last sentence.

Tears were rolling down both their faces when Aaron remembered, remembered EVERYTHING.

"Mason...?"

The pale boy nodded, his face scrunched up in an effort to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I ran, I should have-"

"Don't."

Aaron nodded, sniffing and wiping away at the tears. He was still seated on the... expanse below him. Mason was as well.

"You have questions."

Aaron nodded wordlessly again.

"Well then, ask away."

"What is going on? I mean, if I'm supposed to forget everything, then why are you telling me this now? What life am I living? Is this a dream?"

Mason smirked, running a hand through his hair, eyes still red and puffy. "Always the rambler, you." He shook his head slightly. "The Uniter told me everything I needed to know. Apparently, you're dreaming right now. You dream this same dream once a week, every week, on the same day: Sunday, at midnight, the day of-"

"The day it happened."

"Yah..." Mason shivered. "She told me you forget every single time. Every time you wake up, you can never recall your dream. And every time you come back here, you know you're here for a reason but you don't know why. It breaks me every time."

Aaron reached forward to take his hand, and tried to give a comforting smile, but it just made Mason feel worse.

"Every time, you can tell you recognize me, you know deep down inside that you know me, but you don't... you don't REALLY remember. So I have to tell you. The same story, over and over. Every. Single. Damn. Time." His fingers squeezed painfully hard around Aaron's, and his eyes snapped shut with frustration and sadness.

They were silent for a moment, before Mason continued, opening his eyes, "The Uniter told me that you continue to live. You wake up, you live, you sleep, you dream, you wake up, you live, you sleep, you dream, you wake up, you live... over and over. Then you die. And you go back to living, and sleeping, and dreaming, and waking up and living, and sleeping... it's the same damn cycle, over and over, when will it end? When will Eternity make up its damn mind and let us be together? Why can't we reach the stars, why are they so close yet so far away?" He looked so frustrated, and Aaron, on instinct, crawled over to hug him, resting his head on the boy's shoulder, shifting around until they were both comfortable. Mason instantly relaxed, wrapping his arms around the lean boy.

"I just... I want to be able to love you. And I don't want it to be just a dream. I want it to be real..."

"Maybe... maybe this is the last time?" Aaron suggested, hopefully.

Mason chuckled muttering, "You say that every time. Every single time."

"You know me. Always the optimist."

Mason let out a wet laugh, wiping the remaining tears away. "God, I miss you. And I'm going to have to retell the story next time. And the next... and the next."

Aaron snuggled in deeper. "Have you ever failed to tell me?"

"No," Mason instantly replied, "I'm not that heartless, especially not to the love of my life-well, love of my existence, I suppose."

Aaron smiled gently, his head still wresting in the boy's shoulder. His hands stroked through his silky hair; even after who-knew-how-long, his hair was still the same length.

This was his home. This stupid, pale boy who he had stupidly fallen in love with.

But he didn't regret this love. Not in the least. Which brought Aaron to the sudden thought...

"Mase?"

"Hmm?" Mason's hand was stroking up and down Aaron's back.

"Do you... would you rather I had moved on with my life, and left you to wander alone? Would you have wanted me to let you go, so you wouldn't have to suffer and watch me lose my memory, over and over, every week?"

Mason's reply came almost the moment he stopped taking. "No. No, I don't regret it. Not one bit. And neither should you. Yes, it breaks my heart, but I know each passing moment is another moment closer to the day I will see you the next week. And the next week. And the next. Until your life ends, and you start a new one. And then we will continue. On and on and on." Mason's hand came to rest on the back of Aaron's head, pulling him closer, so that Aaron had to shift onto his lap to be comfortable. "And its a moment closer to spending forever with you. God, I can't wait for that day. And when it comes, we'll see the stars up close. And we will be together, and no father or family or status could come in between us."

Aaron smiled. He liked the sound of that. Maybe it WAS all worth it. The waiting. The memories. The lives he had to live, over and over. And for that moment, here in his lovers arms, he was content and happy.

Until a light started to shine at the edges of his vision.

Aaron snapped opened his eyes in aggravation, sitting up and looking in confusion into Mason's eyes.

A sudden look of sadness crossed the pale boy's emerald eyes. "This is it. You're about to wake up," he grabbed onto Aaron's fingers again, clutching on for dear life.

Aaron was quick to speak fast, "Mase, I can't go, I want to stay here with you, I want to spend eternity with you, I want to be able to love you and not leave you, I want remember you long enough for me to know you in my life-"

Mason grabbed his chin in his hand, bringing their lips together, stopping Aaron short.

That same spark. Again. The same one, that erupted into a roaring fire almost immediately.

"We will get there. I promise." Mason whispered, pulling away, "Some day, we will reach the stars together. But until then, we wait."

Aaron nodded, tears in his eyes as his vision got whiter and brighter, the blackness and far off twinkles of light leaving his vision.

"This is worth waiting for," Mason's voice was distinct now, almost far away.

Nodding in agreement with all his might, Aaron managed to clutch tighter onto Mason's hand right before he slipped away.

He was left with eight last words before he returned to the land of Living: "we'll touch the stars next time, My Love."

A/N

Aaaaand that's a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed this one-chapter, four-parts story! Fun fact, "We Still Reach For The Stars" was actually a story I wrote in only one day! I stayed up until 1:00 on a school night, I'm pretty sure; all I know is it was a while ago, in 2020. Anyways, I hope you guys liked Mason and Aaron's stories. Maaaaybe if you share it with friends, and I get enough votes, I'll make a sequel? Comment if you want that lololol. Hope you guys enjoyed your daily dosage of gay tragedy, make sure to vote!

Stay salty, my little readers *pats heads*