Clytemnestra

"You promised." Asano hissed, his tone accusing, his voice sounding weary and tired. He was reclined back on the bed, various tubes and wires burrowed into his body. His skin looked deathly pale, his handsome features now almost skeletal. He looked weak, inches away from death. His eyes were still bright and full of tenacity, the only part of him that hadn't truly withered away after the illness set in, the same illness that had killed his mother twenty-five years earlier when he was ten.

"Don't make me do this." Karma hissed, glaring at his partner. It was so strange to think that less than two years ago the two of them were evenly matched physically. The competitions they used to have back them seemed a life-time away, like a beautiful dream compared to the reality in front of him now.

"You promised me." Asano repeated. He might of threw something at Karma if he had the energy. "How much longer are you going to make me suffer like this- This illness only gets worse. This time next year I probably wont be to speak any more. My body will completely shut down. I'll need even more of this damn machinery to keep my heart going; I'll be artificially alive."

"We can't give up now- They still might find a cure." Karma said, sounding uncharacteristically desperate. He crouched down by the bed, and squeezed his partner's hand that felt small and bony in hiss.

"Within a year? Karma, I thought you were suppose to be smart. Even if they do find a cure it's too late for me." He said, with tired complacency, as if he had already excepted his fate. He turned to face Karma, his amethyst eyes piercing "Please. While I still have a little bit of control left, kill me. I don't want to be kept alive on a machine for years like my mother was. I'd do it myself if I had the strength."

"Fuck... Gakushuu.. " Karma choked out, taken aback by how casually Asano was asking to be killed. He hated that promise (I'll kill you if you can no longer do it yourself) But it was the only way he could convince Asano not to take his own life when he was very first diagnosed with the illness two years ago. But he couldn't bring himself to regret it, because he knew that was the only reason he had two extra years of memories with Asano. Even though Gakushuu's health had been failing rapidly throughout that time, it hadn't been all bad.

"Don't be selfish, Karma." Gakushuu said, with a reprimanding tone.

"I'm the selfish one? You're the one who wants me to spend the rest of my life traumatized." The red head said. Suddenly it was as if they were arguing about something mundane like who's turn it was to do the dishes, or what to watch on TV rather than life or death. This wasn't the first time they'd had this argument. They'd been having it everyday since Asano lost the ability to walk last month. Karma was getting worn down.

"You're right. I am the selfish one. I always have been." Asano said, with a half smile. "So that's why you're going to do what I say. I don't want to spend the next few years hooked to a machine, Karma. I want to die before I become too much of a burden on you. Before you come to resent me."

"I wont- "

"Stop being so pathetic Akabane and just do it! Please!" Gakushuu demanded, his eyes glistening with tears. He gripped Karma's hand as tightly as he could (Which wasn't very tight at all). "Please.. I'm scared and it hurts all over. I don't want to have to live anymore."

Karma was silent for a moment. He hated seeing someone as prideful as Asano act so weak and afraid. "..Okay.." He said quietly, his heart hammering in his chest. Asano smiled at him, grateful tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Thank you." He said.

Feeling his eyes sting with tears Karma lent forwards and pressed a kiss to Gakushuu's lips, before reaching around and grabbing one of the spare pillows with shaking hands.

"I love you." Gakushuu said, as he looked up at him. It took Karma by surprise; The two always knew they loved each other, but they had never said it before, mostly because of the fact they were two emotionally-stunted men who weren't great at expressing feelings and were too prideful for their own good.

"I hate you. For making me do this" Karma replied, barley above a whisper, as he climbed in the bed next to Asano and rolled him on his side so that they were facing each other. he put the pillow against his own chest.

"Liar." Gakushuu said, with a flicker of his old wit, as he grabbed the back of Karma's shirt. "I know you love me really. Even if you hate me too."

"Well. That's true." Karma said, his hands shaking, and his mind reeling; Non of this felt real. He didn't even notice how much he was crying. Going against his every instinct, his grabbed Gakushuu by the back of the head, and pulled him into the pillow next to his chest in a long tight embrace.

It wasn't until Asano's grip on his shirt finally loosened, and his hand dropped to the bed, that Karma finally let him go.