[ Soulmates. ]

Chapter 8.

Espresso jolted awake as he sprung out of the chair, looking around before running over to Madeleine, grabbing the man's hand. "Madeleine..can you hear me-?" Espresso gently shook Madeleine. "Mm..what time is it.." Madeleine grumbled, still half-asleep. Espresso let out a sigh of relief, checking his watch. "6:39 PM.." Espresso crawled into the bed next to Madeleine, cuddling the man carefully.

"I'm so tired still, dork.." Madeleine mumbled, wrapping an arm around Espresso. Espresso couldn't help but tear up in the moment, the man was just grateful that Madeleine was still alive and breathing. Espresso smiled. "I'm sorry..but the festival is tomorrow..!"

Madeleine opened his eyes, looking down at Espresso. "Well..hopefully I'll be able to go in this condition.." Madeleine weakly smiled. Espresso noticed how sickly pale Madeleine looked, frowning. "You need to eat.." Espresso kissed Madeleine's cheek. "I'm not hungry..I have a loss of appetite.." Madeleine huffed, pulling Espresso closer. "Madeleine..you're so cold.." Espresso hugged Madeleine tightly.

"It really wasn't a horrible nightmare..I really am dying, huh.." Madeleine's tone was hushed and calm, not like his usual tone, that was normally loud and confident. "Madeleine." Espresso cupped Madeleine's cheeks, looking into the man's eyes. "I love you." Espresso leaned in. "..I love you too, dork.." Madeleine leaned in as well, placing a gentle kiss against Espresso's lips.
"Good..now, you have to swear that you'll be able to last until the festival tomorrow." Espresso held out his pinky. Madeleine smiled, hooking his pinky around Espresso's. "I swear and promise..I'm a man of my word.." Madeleine pulled Espresso's hand up, kissing it.

"You better be." Espresso slightly smiled at Madeleine, receiving a smile back from the blonde. "This reminds me of when we were kids. What was it that you said?" Espresso thought for a few minutes. "Together, forever." Madeleine responded, looking into Espresso's eyes.

"Yeah. You said that we'd be together, forever.." Espresso's voice quieted down into a calm, quiet one. "I wasn't lying. I'll be with you until the end of time itself..nothing can separate us, not even death." Madeleine cupped Espresso's cheek.

Espresso laughed a bit, crying at the same time. "I don't know what I'd do without you.." Espresso felt a warmth in his heart, one he had only felt when he was around Madeleine.

Thinking back on it, Espresso and Madeleine were really close friends when they were young. They both had feelings for each other, but they were too embarrassed to admit it. It was obvious they did, though.

Espresso pressed his forehead against Madeleine's, closing his eyes and cupping Madeleine's cheek as well. "Then..together, forever. Until time stops, until the universe collapses, until nothing exists anymore.." Madeleine closed his eyes as well, wiping Espresso's tears. "I like the sound of that.." Espresso leaned into Madeleine's hand. "Good.." Madeleine kissed Espresso's cheek.
"We'll find each other no matter what. We'll come together like magnets.." Madeleine opened his eyes, looking into Espresso's. The brown haired man shared the gaze, nodding. "Of course we will..nothing will be able to pull us apart." Espresso leaned in.

"See? You're getting the hang of it.." Madeleine chuckled before kissing Espresso. Espresso kissed back for a moment before pulling away. "Let's spend as much time together as we can..okay?" Espresso looked into Madeleine's eyes. "Agreed." Madeleine let go of Espresso. "Let's go on a date-!" Madeleine suggested, his face lighting up.

"You have to heal, dummy." Espresso laughed. "Though, I do appreciate your enthusiasm.." Espresso stood up. "Oh..well, hm." Madeleine thought. "We could watch a few movies instead, yes?" Espresso walked over to the TV, turning it on. "Yeah!" Madeleine nodded. "Alright, what movie?" Espresso grabbed the remote. "You can pick, I don't mind." Madeleine pulled the covers over himself.

"Alright..we'll watch a romance movie." Espresso grabbed a random romance movie, opening the case and pulling out the disk, putting it into the dvd player. "That should do it..right?" Espresso looked back at Madeleine. "Yeah.." The blonde mumbled sleepily.

Espresso smiled, going over to the bed and pressing play, getting into the bed next to Madeleine. "You know, I've always thought about what you used to say when we were kids.." Espresso cuddled Madeleine.
"Mmh..I'm tired, Epsresso.." Madeleine didn't even pay attention to what Espresso had said, dozing off. "Ah, alright then..goodnight, Madeleine. I love you.." Espresso kissed Madeleine's cheek, laying his head down on the pillow and falling asleep as well.

"Come on, dork! We're gonna be late!" Madeleine yelled, dragging Espresso through the flower field. Espresso looked around, squinting his eyes due to the brightness, trying to keep up with Madeleine. "We're supposed to be there in 5 minutes!" Madeleine looked back at Espresso.
Espresso's eyes adjusted to the brightness, staring at Madeleine. This was the first time Espresso noticed how truly beautiful Madeleine was.

Espresso looked into Madeleine's eyes before smiling, catching up to the male. "It's our first day of middle school! I'm so excited-!" Madeleine giggled, his smile was pure serotonin to Espresso. "Let's make a good impression on everyone!" Madeleine put a thumbs up.

"Agreed." Espresso nodded, laughing a bit. "I bet you'll be so popular, Madeleine!" Espresso exclaimed. "Pssht, as if. And even if I do get popular, I'm never leaving your side!" Madeleine wrapped an arm around Espresso's shoulder.

What a lie.

"Promise?" Espresso looked into Madeleine's eyes.
"Pinky promise. Together, forever." Madeleine held out his pinky.

Liar.

"You better not be lying, or I'll kick you." Espresso wrapped his pinky around Madeleine's. "I'm not lying! I never lie." Madeleine rolled his eyes.

Fucking liar.

Espresso felt his cheeks heat up a bit, his heart skipping a beat. "Good. If you die, I'll hunt you down in your next life." Espresso stared at Madeleine.
"Don't worry, I'm never gonna die!" Madeleine laughed confidently.

Lies.

"Thank you, Madeleine." Espresso kissed Madeleine's cheek. Madeleine's cheeks reddened in embarrassment, smiling goofily. "Yeah..no problem!" Madeleine silently cheered to himself as if he had just won the olympics, causing Espresso to giggle.

"I love you, Madeleine."

"I love you too, Espresso."

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A/N: To clear up any confusion, that last bit in italics was a flashback to when Espresso and Madeleine were starting 6th grade, going into middle school.

1054 words.