•☆𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰☆•

Faded

  I opened my eyes, I felt warm. A slow and soft ticking noise from a clock echoed around the room. Other than warm I felt weak, my throat sore and my head felt heavy. A fog glazed over my thoughts. 

  Before I could try and think about anything else a voice shouted my name from beside me, then I was consumed by a familiar cool feeling. Rei. I smiled and hugged him back with one arm, the other filled with tubes, iv, and other things. 

  Soon he pulled away, his big goofy smile plastered on his pale face. "What..happened?" I asked weakly, my raspy voice just barely above a whisper. His smile went down a bit before speaking. "You blacked out back at the park." I hummed and thought for a moment. 

  Had he taken me here? Then a vague memory came back into my mind. He was my ghost guardian. That thought made me smile more. "Thank you.." I whispered to him. His face reddened and he glanced away. "It's no problem." My heart sped up and my chest was filled with that feeling again. But this time I couldn't hide it.

  Rei had taken notice of the sudden change in my heart monitor. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked, leaning over to me. I sighed and looked down, I'd have to figure out how to explain.

  "For a while I've had this strange feeling, or reaction. I've never had it before and it's only when I'm with you. Like when you smile or laugh, my heart reacts. My chests gets tight and it feels like my hearts going to explode. My tongue gets caught in my throat and I get all flustered. I just can't figure it out, and I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry you anymore.." I say quietly, looking down at my lap and fidgeting with my hands. 

  Then he suddenly laughed, smiling wide and a blush spread across his face. "Y-you just confessed to me!" He said. I looked at him, "confessed?" I asked. He nodded, "Kage, what you just explained..that feeling is love and you said you only feel that around me. So you just confessed your love for me." He explained. 

  I could feel my face erupt in a dark blush. I looked down, having no idea what to say. Rei rested his hand on mine making me look over to him. 

  His face holding a reassuring smile, the same blush as me was there too. "Your not the only one who has that feeling. I love you too Kage, in fact I have since we were little.." he confessed to me. 

  I looked at his eyes, they held a sweet and loving shine in them. Something seemed a bit off about him though, it could have been the lighting but he looked more see through or faded than usual. Rei seemed to pick up on this too. 

  He gripped onto my hand tightly and shook his head, turning away from my gaze. "You- this has to be a joke, or-or a mishap. A mistake or. No.." he started mumbling, his voice getting more distraught with each trip over a word. 

  "Rei, what's-" I stoped as he met my gaze again. His eyes were glossed over and tears fell from his eyes. "You, finished my unfinished business..that's what it was, confessing what I should have confessed all those years ago.." He croaked out.

  My eyes widened in realization, the thing I had dreaded most had finally happened. Tears pricked at my eyes too, my heart speeding up more and more. 

  Rei forced himself forward and embraced me in a tight hug, his tears falling onto my neck as mine did the same to him. My arms slowly started slipping through him at times as he faded more and more.

  He noticed this and pulled back. His eyes staring into mine, as if searching for something. A feeling, or a last memory, something to hold onto a bit longer. Before he closed them and leaned in closer to me. Then it happened.

 His lips connected with mine, the taste of our tears were mixed together. The beautifully tragic feeling of love was blinding in the kiss. My hands desperately trying to keep a grasp of his sweater. Of him. 

  While his hands tangled in my hair. The world didn't exist to us in this moment. The only thing that I could hear was the beep of my monitor keeping up with my fast heartbeat. Pulling away, gasping for air. Coughing from the lack of it. My old tears being replaced with new ones. He was barely here, just somewhat visible. 

  "I, I love you Rei." I said between hiccups from crying. He cupped my cheek and whispered out his last sentence. "I love you too, Kage.." 

  Then He was gone. His touch, the feel of him next to me. The color of his eyes, his goofy smile. It was all gone. I started crying harder, griping onto the blanket until my knuckles were pale. He had been ripped away from me. 

  Finally I broke, yelling, not caring if the nurses or other patients got mad at me. My throat was burning as I did, my tears choking me up. My coughing causing me to stop. My monitor going crazy as people rushed into my room, asking me questions and trying to check on my condition. But nothing they would do could help fix what I was feeling right now.  

  For a moment I was so high up that I could touch the clouds. Heart being filled up with him. Then the next thing I knew I was plummeting back down to earth, drowning in my own ocean of tears. 

  Heartbreak. 

...

  The bucket list had been completed, but it was so bittersweet that he wouldn't be here to cross off the last thing with me. It was even worse that I'm the only one who'd know his touch. His everything. But maybe that's a good thing, a special memory just for me. Something that I'd never forget even if I tried. Which was hard for me anyways. Forgetting things I mean. After that night at the hospital I got the correct medicine and treatment I needed and my condition has improved greatly. 

  It's hard to think that was 4 months ago. I feel bad for mom, her having to worry about me at work when I was in the hospital. Then when I get out I barely speak, most likely making her worry more. 

  The current warm air flowed all around me. My hair being tossed around in it as I road my bike. Trees passing me by as I got closer to where I was heading. The place was quiet, just like it had been last time in the snow. 

  Slowly griping the break handles I came to a stop. Taking my time as I steped off of my bike and set up the kickstand. Leaving it next to that all too familiar bench. Then turning and walking forward to a line of trees, all of them big and small had leafs covering their branches. 

  I stoped in front of one. Smiling at what was carefully carved into the bark of its tree trunk. A small chill traveling down my spine as I examined it. "Do you remember when we did this last year, Rei?" I asked. The silence around me made me sigh. 

  Fishing something out of my pocket before sitting down at the base of the tree. I pushed some buttons on the device before holding it up to my ear.

  "Hey mom.." I paused and looked up at the sky. "Let's go star gazing tonight."

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AN- You've reached the end. I hope that you enjoyed reading this and will look forward to my future story's.  Thank you.