alley rose. | harumaki

2. alley rose

nicholas and euijoo had just laid down for bed, harua's journal already being kept by the bed on the nightstand.

"bedtime story!" euijoo announced as he jumped into bed with nicholas.

nicholas giggled and opened up the book to the next entry.

"May 10th, 1998.."

harua and maki were sitting in the yard of maki's house. his parents were at work which meant they had the property all to themselves.

maki laid on the grass as harua sat beside him taking in deep breaths of the humid summer air.

"do you believe in heaven..?" maki suddenly asked. the thought had been running amuck in his head for a few days now, he needed to get the answer from the boy.

"sure," harua nodded at him, leaning his head against his knees to look at maki all sprawled on the grass.

"so.. there's a house waiting for me..? luxury? serenity?" maki questioned, attempting to seem curious although everything was screaming worried.

harua sighed softly. "you have all that down here.. what does it matter?" he asked as he feared the answer to the question.

"i don't have much longer.. down here.. i'd like to be prepared," maki answered hesitantly. he knew it was the last thing harua wanted to hear but he couldn't lie to his best friend.

harua sighed. "you're not leaving me." he said stubbornly, turning away from maki and his silly ideas.

they weren't silly at all though. harua had already known that summer was all they had left together. and that was only the estimate.

maki sat up and scooted close to harua, leaning his head on the older's shoulder. "harua, i love you," he spoke faintly, nuzzling his head against his arm.

harua was only so strong. he turned to look at maki with a warm smile on his face. "i love you too.." he nodded at him.

their faces were so close.. he could feel maki's breath on his face, smelling the scent of cherry candy and his medicine.

it made him happy and sad all at once. he knew he'd remember maki whenever he would smell cherries.. but the cherries would just remind him of his medicine and his medicine of his illness and his illness of the last summer they had.

the moment filled with cherry scent only lasted so long. maki's lips soon made their way to harua's and cherry scent was replaced with cherry flavor.

maki was scared as he initiated the kiss, expecting harua to push him away and yell at him. it was 1998. he barely knew himself that he was gay.

but alas, harua leaned into maki and grabbed his arms, pulling him closer as they kissed and harua savored the test of cherry candy on his lips and tongue.

their lips soon parted and harua watched the boy's pale face. his eyes were so dreary and sad, harua could feel his own eyes tear at the sight.

"summer won't be our last.." harua whispered in a pleading voice, more so trying to convince himself than he was trying to do for maki.

maki shook his head, pulling the boy in close to hold him as he began crying. "harua.. you have to accept it.." maki's voice broke as his eyes soon began to spill with tears too.

"no.. maki.. you can't leave me.." the older cried into his chest, gripping onto his shirt tightly as they sat there in the yard and cried together.

"'don't leave me hanging alone..' i whispered to maki as he held me in that field of grass, stuck under the hot summer sun.'" nicholas spoke from the journal in his hands as he looked to his husband who was all teary eyed, curled up beside him.

"that's so sad.." euijoo cried softly and dug his face into nicholas's chest. "i know baby," nicholas agreed with a slight sniffle, finding the journal entry to be quite heart aching too.

he couldn't imagine losing his husband or even the thought of it approaching. all he could was thank god he still had euijoo cuddle up with him in that bed. he was grateful and so was euijoo.