This Desolate Existence (boy x boy) COMPLETED

Part 11

Of course, by the time I wake up, both Takeshi and Tobio are on top of me. Tobio is squeezing me and Takeshi is twitching, as if his body still wants to get up. I roll my eyes, sick of sleeping next to people. I try to get up, but Tobio only holds me closer and Takeshi doesn't move.

"Are you serious right now?" I ask myself. I woke up later than usual, because I was up all night fighting with these two. Ibiki opens our tent to wake us up and starts laughing. He falls to the ground, holding his sides. "Would you stop laughing and help me?!"

"Okay, okay." He gets up, still chuckling, and pries Tobio and Takeshi off of me. As I sit up, finally free, they stir.

"Hm? Oh, how did you sleep, Ran?" Tobio asks.

I look at him, my hair tangled and dark circles under my eyes. "Why don't you tell me?" I say, irritable.

He blinks. "Huh?"

"What's going on?" Takeshi wonders, yawning hugely.

"Never again!" I huff, leaving the tent. "From now on, I'm sleeping outside."

Ibiki cackles. "That's the greatest thing ever! And I thought I had it bad with Yuzu!"

"You called?" Yuzu suddenly appears and Ibiki tells him what happened. "I'm sorry, Ran." But he's holding back a smile.

"You two are great friends," I mutter. Shuhei looks amused as he tries to fix my hair. "See, at least Shuhei's trying to be nice to me."

"Sorry, Ran," Tobio apologizes.

"Me, too," Takeshi adds.

"Never again!" I walk off, searching for food. I rub my forehead, already not looking forward to today. I barely got any sleep last night so I'm extra cranky. Shuhei follows me. "Next time, Yayoi, Takeshi, Tobio, and Yuzu are sharing a tent. I'm not sleeping next to any of them again."

"I agree with that," he says.

"Come on, everyone! We've got to get moving." We sober and clean up the campsite. As we walk, it's completely silent for once. We're close to the enemy's base and no one wants to speak in case there are scouts around. Corporal again informs us of the plan and tells us to be careful around the cliffs above the river. "Once you fall in, you're not coming back out. The water runs so fast, there's no way to stop yourself. If you fall in, we can't go back for you, even if you do survive."

"Yes, sir!" we respond. As we approach the river, I can see what Corporal means. The wall around the building goes right to the river. There's only a small space for us to step. And as I look down at the rushing water, I get a little nauseous. It's a long way down. If you even survived the impact, the waves would suck you down repeatedly until you'd drown. This is not a very forgiving river.

Finally, we pass the nerve-wracking part with no one being sucked into the depths of that water. Corporal stacks up around the door. He counts down from five, then breaches the building. The wooden door swings forward and smashes against the wall. Splinters fly from the broken frame. He immediately attacks some people sitting at a table, eating what looks like steak. He easily takes them down and moves to another room across from us.

We go to follow, when a group emerges from a doorway on the right. We engage them, fighting hard. With horror, I realize they aren't kids like us. These are full grown men with more strength and experience than us. Why would the General send us to fight men with the handful we had? I parry the blows of my opponent, but I'm on the defensive. He manages to get a good kick in and I hit the wall hard.

I cough, trying to get my breath back. He smirks, thinking it's over. As he goes for the killing strike, I leap forward and throw my entire being into his abdomen. Surprised, he falls down with me on top. I quickly bring my sword down, ending his life. I stand up, panting and sweating. My friends are having a hard time. I see Ibiki with blood running down his face from a cut kneeling on the ground. He looks dazed and his opponent raises his sword.

Instinctively, I run forward without a plan in my head. I feel the blade cut into my shoulder and I call out in pain. However, I'm angry. These people are hurting my friends and smiling about it. I won't take that, I'll protect them all. I'll kill these men even if it kills me. Ibiki slowly looks up at me, his eyes widening.

"Ran?" he whispers.

I grab the blade in my shoulder, slicing my palm, and pull it out. I feel fire igniting in my veins. "You hurt my friend," I snarl. "Now it's time for you to die."

He laughs. "A kid like you is going to end me? Why don't you go back to sucking your thumb, boy." He tries to yank his sword from my grip.

I grin evilly, holding fast. "Wrong move. How's it feel to lose to a child?" I jerk my sword to the right, drawing it across his neck. His blood sprays my face as his body drops. I turn around to Ibiki. "Are you alright?"

He nods. "Yes, I'm fine." That's when I see Hiroji fall, his head missing. 

"Hiroji!" Yayoi yells, fighting off his own attacker. I watch a few others who's names I can't remember follow Hiroji.

Corporal rejoins us, covered in blood. "Fall back! We need to retreat!" He engages another enemy, freeing Tobio to run. Ibiki and I go to the door. Tobio and Yuzu are already outside, as well as the rest I don't know as well. Takeshi, Yayoi, and Corporal are slightly ahead of us. Shuhei is behind me. We bolt out the door, quickly shimmying across the cliff. We finally get past the wall and begin sprinting away.

I look back at Shuhei, who's still close to the edge. That's when I notice an enemy throw a dagger at him. "Shuhei, look out!" I shout. He turns to the left just as the dagger sinks into his left shoulder. The impact of the blade hitting his body as well as his sudden spin overbalances him and tumbles into the river.

"SHUHEI, NO!" I scream, running towards him. 

Corporal grabs me. "No! You can't go back!"

"I NEED TO SAVE HIM! LET ME GO!" 

"He's gone, Ranmaru! Remember what I said?!"

"SHUHEI! HE COULD STILL BE ALIVE!"

"I'm sorry, but even if he is, he'd want to be. Ranmaru, he's dead." Corporal yanks me, making me run alongside him. I stare behind me at the place where Shuhei disappeared. I shamelessly sob as Corporal continues to drag me away.

"But I...didn't even...get to tell him..." I whisper to myself. "...that...I love...him...Shuhei...you can't die...until I hear...you say it..."

A/N: I'm so so so so so sorry, my lovely cookies! I was trying so hard not to cry when I wrote this! And I failed! My Shuhei! :''''( You're all welcome to smack me for this. I'd smack myself, too. Please don't hate me! Just keep reading and maybe it'll get better. I have a plan and I hope you'll be happy with it. Goodbye for now, I'll see you in the next chapter!