Bros Forever

Chapter Five: Regret

"Emalf..."

"Emalf..!"

"EMALF!"

Emalf screeched as he snapped to consciousness, covered in cold sweat, Rieta standing over him.

Emalf was dazed for a few seconds, until he remembered what happened, his confusion rapidly changing into crippling sadness.

"Are you okay, Emalf? You were passed out on the ground when we found you, and you slept for almost an entire day. You must've been exhausted."

"Yeah, you could effin' say that.."

He looked around, realizing he was in his own bed. He had all of his clothes on again, including his shades, assuming Rieta dressed him. Adauchi's necklace was still on, too.

"The citizens told us you were crying for Adauchi. We checked inside his house and he was gone. We haven't been able to find him anywhere. Is he hiding somewhere? Is something wrong?"

".. Nah. I don't know nothin'."

Rieta stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds, before Ivlis walked in, holding Poemi, who was screaming and sobbing, clinging onto Ivlis' coat.

"Emalf-" Ivlis began before Emalf interrupted him.

"If it's about Dau-
Adauchi, I have no effin' clue where he is."

"It is about him, actually." Ivlis said, with a hint of some unknown emotion in his voice, "Poemi was out playing, and she found him."

Emalf sat up in shock, "No way? Forreally?!"A drop of sweat dripped down his cheek.

"She was in one of the abandoned houses, and he was in there.
Hanging."

"Hanging?" Emalf tilted his head, confused.

"He killed himself, Emalf."

Emalf froze, processing what he'd just been told, "You're... You're lying! No effin' way.. He said he was leaving..!"

"... Well, yeah. He left."

Emalf tried to stand, but his legs immediately gave out. He collapsed to the floor, weakly holding himself up, before puking everywhere. He could not believe what he'd been told.

His best friend? His bro? The person he loved unconditionally? Dead?

Rieta looked disgusted, "I have to clean that up you kno-"

"YOU SHUT THE EFF UP! SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP! AND YOU, LORD IVLIS. HE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU. YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER CARED ABOUT ME! HE LOVED ME, AND I LOVED HIM! MAN, WHAT THE-
WHAT THE FUCK?!" He stood up and held his head, falling back onto the bed and screaming at the top of his lungs. He felt like his heart was just ripped apart and the pieces stepped on.

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF! YOU JUST TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE, FROM EVERYONE! HE WAS YOUR SON, IVLIS! AND YOU TOOK HIS LIFE AWAY! HE WAS JUST A TEEN! H-He-
HE WAS MY TEENAGE DIRTBAG! MY BRO!" Emalf sobbed, Ivlis shocked at his rant. He'd never spoken out against Ivlis before, especially not to his face.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HIS BODY?! WHERE IS HE?!"

Ivlis opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it, silently carrying out the still crying Poemi.

Emalf stomped out after him. He had so much adrenaline running through his body.

Ivlis lead him to Adauchi's old room in the castle before he bought his own separate property. He opened the door and stepped aside.

Emalf walked in and saw Adauchi's lifeless body on his old bed. He looked so peaceful, he could've just been sleeping, but when Emalf reached out to hold his hand, he was cold. One of the things Emalf always loved about Adauchi was how warm he was. That was completely gone now.

Emalf's head snapped over to the door, seeing Ivlis peeking in, "Get the eff out. You're dead to me."

Ivlis quickly nodded and shut the door.

Emalf looked back down at Adauchi's body and noticed he had his hand stiffened around something. He grabbed onto his fingers and pried open his hand to see the crumpled up photo they took two nights prior. He hadn't even checked to see if it were developed yet. The first time he saw it was crumpled up, in his dead best friends' hand.

Emalf gently took off his shades, tears falling from his bright orange eyes that had grown substantially duller the past few days. He lost the girly sparkle in his eyes that people always teased him for. He was so heartbroken.

He felt so sad, but so numb and empty at the same time. He felt like he had his heart ripped out. He was so unwhole.

He clutched his necklace, leaning over Adauchi to rest one final kiss on his lips. He was so cold. Emalf just wanted to hug him and warm him up. He wanted to shake him and wake him up.

He wanted to do karaoke with him again.
He wanted to play Animal Crossing with him again.
He wanted to be held and told he was loved again.
He wanted to be spooned again.
He wanted to feel his warm, soft lips gently pressed onto his again.
He wanted to see his warm smile again.
He just wanted to be with the no homo love of his life again.

But he couldn't.

He was gone forever.