Sci sat in the uncomfortable chair in the hospital room, the only noise was the steady beeping of his best friend Outer’s heart monitor. Outer coughs a couple times before looking over at Sci, who was already looking at him, eye sockets full of concern. Outer’s permanent grin curved into a true, small smile, shaking his head at his friend.
“Don’t look so worried, Sci.”
“Outer, I have reason to worry. Y-you’re dying!” The younger male exclaims. Outer had been diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, a disease especially deadly to a skeleton as they are nothing but bones, six months ago and was basically told that he was going to die no matter what. Sci had spent countless hours researching a cure with his of his two other friends, but it was no use. There wasn’t one. All they could do was give Outer radiation treatments and hope to put off death.
“Yes, Sci. I am. But it’s my time and honestly, I’m not scared. So let’s make the most of my time that I still do have on this planet memorable. Wanna play some Uno or something?” Outer asks. That was just like him, to live in the moment and make the best of a situation while Sci prefers to hang back and see the bad. Sci swallowed the large lump that was forming in his throat and nodded, walking over to Outer’s bed. He sat on the corner of the white sheets.
The corners of Outer’s teeth turned up into what could have been a smile, but was more of a ghost of one as Sci shuffled the deck of cards. The younger male let out a chuckle.
“I don’t see why you insist on playing this game, my dear starship. It’s such a children’s game!”
“Aren’t we kids? I have a smiley face on my face.” Outer said as he gestures weakly to his forehead. It's true. Blueberry had drawn it on there when he visited earlier. Sci chuckled and nodded, dealing the cards out to himself and Outer. After a few silent moments of playing, Sci sighed and pulled Outer in for a hug. Outer’s tears almost immediately began to flow as he hugged Sci back as hard as he could, afraid to lose his best friend.
“S-Sci… I lied… I am afraid, but only of losing you. What am I going to do without you?”
“You’ll be fine, starship. You’ll have all the angels up there to protect you. I promise to think about you every single day, every second of the day, every day of the year, for as long as I live.” Sci said as he gently stroked Outer’s cheekbone with his thumb. Outer nuzzled Sci’s hand and both skeleton's sat there silently, just looking into each other’s eye sockets.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are? Because they are.” Sci said softly, gesturing at Outer’s eye lights that appeared to have small galaxies within them. Outer chuckled quietly and nodded, gesturing at Sci’s white pair. Outer had always been jealous of them as people had constantly bullied him about his own back in school.
“I could say the same to you, Mr. Test Tube.”
“Outer? Can I… Can I say something?”
“Of course.” Outer says, that ghost of a smile back on his face.
“I really, really like you.” Sci blurts out. Outer was quiet for a moment before squeezing his friend’s hand.
“I know that.”
“No… I mean… I mean, I like-like you.”
Outer rests his forehead up against Sci’s.
“I guess it was a little too late to say I love you.” Sci said as he intertwined their fingers.
“It’s never too late to say I love you, Test Tube.”
“I still wished I had said it earlier.”
“Me too. Me too.” Outer said as he wrapped Sci in a hug.
“Stay with me?” Outer asks.
“Always.”
***
Three hours later, Outer was still awake. Sci could see his eye sockets growing droopy, and he knew he needed sleep.
“You should get to bed, starship. You’re going to need it. More chemo tomorrow.” Sci said as he gently ran his thumb across the back of the older male’s hand. Outer nodded weakly and turned to look at Sci, tears threatening to spill out of his eye sockets.
“Will you kiss it better?”
“I wish I could. I really wish I could.”
“Please don’t leave.” Outer whispers hoarsely. Sci nodded slightly and watched as Outer’s eye sockets slowly closed.
***
Sci listened with his eye sockets full of tears as the steady beep turned into a long continuous one. He felt the hand that he held so tightly grow limp and he just held on tighter, begging Outer to come back to him silently. When the nurse came to usher him out, Sci stayed completely silent until the nurse spoke.
“Did you know him well?” She asks in the hushed tones nurses always use.
“He was my--” Sci paused. There were so many different ways he could answer this. Best friend. Roommate. Boyfriend. “He was my starship and I loved him more than humanly possible.” Sci turned on his heel and walked out of the hospital. He managed to make it back to his house before breaking down crying. He closed the door behind him and slid down it, crying as hard as he could. He sat against the door crying for the next two hours, screaming to the world, asking why. Why? Why Outer?! Why couldn’t you have taken me?! Sci screamed internally as he pounded on the floor, falling to it, sobbing even more. He would never be the same again. All because of a skeleton who loved the stars that he had come to love.
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Requested by lilygil608
