An Irregular Heartbeat // Countryhumans AU

Prologue

The stars twinkled in the night sky, trying their best to shed their light on the people below, their tiny quills of light seeping into the darkness. The moon was a slim crescent in the sky. It would be larger tomorrow night, but for now it was a tiny sliver in the night sky. 

But that isn't where this story begins. The beauty of the night can only take you so far, after all.

A flicker of a screen. A smile in the darkness.

There he was again, playing a game on his laptop while lying on his bed. This was a normal occurrence for the stars-and-stripes, and happened at least once per night. 

His excited voice rose over the small noises of the game, "Great job, Rei!"

"Thanks, you did great, too." Another voice responded from the headphones haphazardly leaning off of the bed.

"Nah, you're the one who's really carrying me here." 

Not like our starry friend could see it, but his friend smiled a little bit on the other side of the line. "No, you are the only reason I stayed alive during that battle, so you should get the credit."

Did I forget to mention they're extremely stubborn? No? Well, they're extremely stubborn. Not sure if that's good or not, but I guess we'll find out soon. 

Their lives, for the most part, are ordinary and happy. Though their lives could be better, the two  wouldn't trade away these moments of happiness for anything in the whole wide world.

But the stars of fate are awfully cruel. They are porcupines, dipping their beautiful, starlit quills into the night sky. They are astonishingly beautiful, but prickly to the touch.

And though those with hopes and dreams bigger than the whole world itself never expect it, when you reach too far into the night sky, the land of endless dreams and opportunity, you get pricked by those nasty, deceiving, starlit quills and

Tumble

Down

Towards the ground, towards a hopeless tomorrow, and, sometimes, towards death.

Maybe someone should've told them that. Maybe their mothers or older siblings should've told them that you shouldn't put your heart on your sleeve. That you shouldn't go up to the stars without a parachute or another person to catch you when you fall from those dazzling, starlit heights.

Oh, well. 

It's too late now.