Stargazing (Starshipping)

5: Imminence

It was a while before Jaden managed to wake up. He had found himself in a warm bed, unlike the place he knew he had fallen asleep in before. Yusei must have taken him home.

He turned, staring at the blurry figure of his other. It wasn't that hard to make Jaden smile, and he was certainly smiling by the time he saw Yusei's sleeping form. He was positively beautiful, which were words that Jaden didn't normally use to describe such an empowered and muscle-based man.

But, when Yusei was asleep, it was another story. Jaden couldn't resist but move a few strands of loose hair from Yusei's face, putting them back where they belonged. His smile grew as his partner turned to him, eyes barely opening.

Staring into a direct ocean was something most people feared, but for Jaden, it was a rush that he never got tired of. It was as if every time he stared into the eyes of his signifcant other, he was staring into an abandoned part of the sea that no-one had ever discovered before.

And it was beautiful.

Jaden got a small smile from his partner, and a small kiss, too. He wasn't bothered by the morning breath, since he was used to odd smells by now. Living with someone who practically bathed in oil meant that he was immune to things most people would turn their nose up at.

He pushed himself closer to his other, making sure their foreheads touched. Jaden could feel the warmth radiating from Yusei, but it was unusual. He was too warm, to be precise.

Jaden gingerly raised a hand to feel his forehead, and was quite surprised when he felt how warm his other actually was. He didn't remember there being a fever clinging to this illness as well.

"Yusei..." The boy murmured, intertwining their hands together in an attempt to get closer. They were already dying together, so being this close surely couldn't hurt.

"Jaden..." Came the groggy response. Yusei's voice was hoarse, and it wasn't something Jaden expected. Yusei cleared his throat after speaking, and Jaden watched him with an unwavering gaze.

"You're...really sick..." Was all Jaden could murmur, wondering if his significant other would be able to have an answer as to why. Better yet, a cure.

"I know...I think it's...something that happens alongside the illness..."

"I've been sick for longer than you...why haven't I got it?"

"I don't know, Jaden."

The boy didn't have any further questions. Jaden gripped Yusei's hand as tight as he could until his knuckles turned white. His lover didn't say anything, nor did he try and stop him or tell him his grip was too tight.

Quite frankly, Yusei didn't feel it.

~*~

It was hard to get to the hill today. The stars, as stoic as they were, seemed impatient today. Jaden was trying his best to support his other half, but Yusei had given up halfway up the hill.

But that was fine. Jaden lay with him, his head placed perfectly on Yusei's so he could hear his lover's heartbeat. It was slow, but something wasn't right with it. It was almost as if...it had forgotten to do a beat every so often. It had forgotten how to function.

Jaden frowned at this, but it seemed that Yusei could hear his heart, too.

"Your...heartbeat. It's...irregular." His other mumbled, running a gentle hand through Jaden's hair.

"So is yours..." Jaden would mumble, letting himself get lost in the rhythmic pattern of Yusei's strokes. He was gentle with him, as if he would break with a single touch that was even considered normal contact.

Yusei smiled, letting out a shy laugh, "We're as bad as each other."

The stars were very impatient today.

Jaden felt Yusei's heartbeat slow, and then stop. The boy waited for it to continue beating like it always does, but it didn't. Jaden sat up, staring at his other. For once, he didn't smile when he saw the look of sheer contentedness on his face.

"Yusei?" He whispered.

There was no response.

"Yusei?!"

Nothing.

Jaden frantically moved his ear to Yusei's mouth to  try and find a sign of his other breathing, and he was surprised when he found it was shallow. He then pressed his ear against his chest, and felt a small blip of his heartbeat again.

Jaden's eyes were wide, and he couldn't believe it.

He had almost lost Yusei. He had...almost lost Yusei.

Jaden wasn't taking any chances. He got his phone, and began dialling the emergency services, gripping his other's hand tightly. Yusei forced his eyes open, and wasn't surprised to see that Jaden was looming over him.

Unbeknowence to Jaden, Yusei was having problems hearing him. There was a ringing in his ears, and he felt as if it was getting harder to breathe. But there was nothing clogged in his throat, and the blurry vision of all the stars above couldn't be that pretty that his breath was being taken away.

"Yusei, I'm-I'm gonna get you some help, okay?" Jaden managed to choke between talking to the lady on the other end of the phone, asking for an ambulance and stating where he was.
"Y-You'll be okay...you'll be okay."

Jaden was forced with the task of keeping his lover's eyes open. If he was still conscious, that was a good thing. All he could think of doing was holding Yusei's hand, feeling the contrast but ignoring it. His grip was like a vice, and it was tightening with every passing second until his knuckles were completely white.

It kept Yusei awake, that was for sure. Jaden made sure he wasn't crushing his other's hand, and began talking to try and keep a conversation going.

"Just...just stay awake, okay? Remember your cards?"

"...I remember my cards...how can I not?" All Yusei wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep, and it was evident in his voice.

Jaden had to keep him talking.

"You're really good at duelling, Yusei. I'm proud of you. Your motorcycle skills are really good, too."

"...I'm a professional, Jaden..."

He had to just keep him talking, even if it was petty thoughts that meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.

"Yeah, of course you are. How could you not be?"

"I've been...practicing for years."

"You're the greatest I've ever seen."

"Jaden...let me sleep."

"I can't. Not yet."

"Let me sleep..." Yusei's eyes were closing, and Jaden was trying his hardest to keep them open but nothing was working.

"Yusei, don't do this!"

"Just for a few minutes..."

"Yusei, you can't!"

"Please..."

"Yusei!"

The stars were very impatient, but they were forced to wait a few more days. By that point in time, they would have two new arrivals instead of one, and they would create the most beautiful supernova known to man.