No More Air

"Egbert stop this, stop it right now. Don't you dare close your eyes, stay awake, Egbert are you listening to me?"

Dave's rambling orders only earned a chuckle from the blue eyed boy in his arms, the light laugh ending a fit of strained coughs, the blade in his gut making it a little hard to show his amusment.

"Calm down, Dave," John breathed, smiling up at the blonde, "It'll be... Alright..."

"You dumbass, it's not gonna be alright," Dave hissed, trying to sound as irritated as possible to keep his tears from spilling over, "You're dying. Do you think dying is alright? You selfish motherfucker. What the hell am I suppose to do without you? Do you know how boring it'll be when you're gone?"

He blinked, staring up at Dave with a blank expression, looking as ampathedic as ever. He hadn't thought about that. But, it would seem that he was the only one in this situation that was thinking realistically, the only one who knew that time wasn't on his side.

"I'm sorry..." The brunette whispered, his eyes having trouble staying open.

"Stop..."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to get through this stupid game with you..."

"Egbert shut up."

"I'm sorry that I didn't think about how you would think about this..."

"Egbert, I said shut up."

"I'm sorry I didn't say 'I love you' as much as I should have..."

That was it. Dave couldn't handle it anymore. Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping off his chin and hitting John's chest like a drizzle of rain. His brain kept telling him to calm down, that it would be alright but it was a lie. Nothing would be alright. Without John, Dave wouldn't know how to function. When the time comes for the derpy boy he had grown to love so much to leave him, he would be taking Dave's heart with him.

Without John Egbert, Dave Strider wouldn't be Dave Strider.

The Strider felt John's cold hand on his cheek, staining his skin with sticky specks of blood. Sniffling, he gripped John's hand, squeezing it as he looked down at the buck toothed boy.

"John..."

"I thought cool kids didn't cry..." John's voice was barely above a whisper when his wonderous blue eye finally closed, "Isn't that right, Dave?"

Dave watched as John went limp, exhaling one as last time before his chest failed to raise again. In silence, Dave just sat there, holding John's hand, reminacing in memories he and his lover could never laugh about together again.

And as the Heir Of Breath's soul departed, Dave Strider could feel his heart go with him.