Work Text:
...was losing you."
***
"You win. I- I don't...want to disappear, Grim. I don't want to be forgotten. So...please, take it. End this bet, and take my soul."
For a moment, the only thing Casper could do was stare at the man held gently in his arms.
Mason's long hair pooled around him, a few strands catching onto a multitude of piercings dangling from his ears. The emerald green color of his silky waves was even more saturated and appealing to look at in real life. It also brought additional vibrancy to a beautiful, warm, tan skin tone. One which guided subtle attention to a single birthmark lying just beneath his left eye. The iris was a stunning shade of pale pink, whereas the right one was candy red.
Both were becoming hazy.
Mason was doing his best to hold on. To not allow his soul to disperse before it could be claimed by...
By someone who couldn't bear to take it. Someone who couldn't bear to part with it—or the man attached.
Casper always knew their little game was going to end this way. But seeing Mason like this, literally knocking on death's door, wasn't something he was ever prepared to witness.
"Mase, please, I- I can't." Casper's hands began to shake, and his voice did the same. "You should take my soul instead. I lost. I lost and that means you- you can have mine. You can have my soul, and-"
"I don't want you to die for me, Casper."
Mason reached up. His fingers caressed a cold cheek to wipe away heavy tears. Then, he allowed his palm to cup the reaper's face.
"You...really are beautiful, you know. Inside and out." Heterochromic eyes became more distant. "I know that I'm going to die. I don't want to. And it's not fair. But if I have to...I don't want to vanish. I don't want to give my soul to anyone except you. You already have my heart. May as well take the rest of me while you're at it."
Casper's throat tightened, leaving him unable to respond. He tried to blink away his tears. To ignore the heavy brick sitting in his stomach. To push away the suffocating burn spreading through his chest.
He didn't want this.
He...never truly did.
"Can you...take care of Leaf for me? Poor kitty's gonna need someone to look after him. He- he gets lonely too. You'll be good for each other."
Casper took in a sharp breath. "I'll do anything for you. I'll give Leaf a wonderful home. I'll- I'll keep you as comfortable as I can. I'll love you until the end of time. But, please- Mason, please- don't leave me."
An airy chuckle was accompanied by a peaceful expression. "So you finally admit it, huh? I'm glad. Because I...I love you...too..."
The hand holding Casper's cheek slid down, falling to the floor.
A small, endearing smile graced Mason's features in death. Just as it did in life.
Wisps of his golden light soul were beginning to dim. In a few short seconds, they would completely unravel.
Fade away.
Casper wasn't going to let that happen.
Out of pure desperation, he brought his lips to a pair of unresponsive ones. A deep, deep inhale personified the action of mentally balling up his own soul to the point of making it quiver from the brute force. A long exhale pushed forward a stream of sweet tasting air into a body too precious to be considered a desolate husk.
The kiss intensified, gaining more passion as Casper nudged his tongue forward before bringing it back with a slow flick.
He did as Mason asked and took his soul.
But Casper also took control of his own source of life to rekindle the flames of a tiny fragment, belonging to him, still buried within his lover's remains.
That tiny, minuscule piece of the reaper used to be seen as insignificant. Now, its value was worth more than anything in the world.
That shred of Casper's soul held priceless memories: being there when friendly banter became more daring, when a platonic want for companionship became romantic, when nights came to an end with a sense of longing and disappointment, when the desire to reach for the other took precedence over everything else.
Had Mason's soul been whole, he would've devoured the piece which belonged to Casper, entangling them until they became a single entity.
So, in taking Mason's now while also sending forth currents of his own, Casper was returning the essence of his loved one by allowing the reaper's to envelop it.
He was hoping that, by cradling the tiny sliver with fertile roots capable of spreading throughout the original host shell, Mason's soul would be able to branch onto Casper's and the fibers would extend, extend, extend until becoming whole again.
And if not, the part of Casper's soul funneled into Mason's body would mold and reshape, giving them the chance to live, although as separate beings, with the same spirit inhabiting both bodies.
A split soul.
Or...even a Twin Flame.
As a grim reaper, Casper had his fair share of beliefs when it came to fate. Following his unlikely companionship with a mortal that felt a little too familiar in such a short amount of time, he did some digging. Extensive research gave him the opportunity to stumble upon a series of infographics talking about different types of soulmates. There were types who only existed to act as a lesson for people, never having the end goal of being permanent. There were those who were born apart, only to be reunited with every single lifetime lived.
And there were those who came to be when a single soul divided itself into two with both people containing half.
A pair only capable of truly shining at their brightest when together.
In the past, he believed everything was predetermined.
Now, Casper was going to do everything in his power to reshape destiny.
Mason lived his life by outmaneuvering the cruel hands of an established fate.
If he could do so, Casper could do so.
Especially for the one he loved.
It was unclear if Mason would still be himself. If he would even wake up at all.
But for him—to see his lively expressions, hear his laugh, hold his hand, embrace him with unconcealed adoration—Casper could wait.
Even if he had to start over and build up their relationship from nothing, he could wait.
*
Birds were singing outside of a slightly ajar window. Parted curtains brought in rays of gold at the edge of a bed engulfed in dim light. Leaf was bathing himself in a patch of sun which settled directly above his cat bed.
Casper was lying down, eyes closed. An unmoving body remained quiet, undisturbed, beside him.
Hours felt like seconds, but also like centuries.
It was agony.
Casper was anxious. Half of his mind was riddled with voices screeching at him that his efforts would be for naught; he would be forced to live with this earth-shattering heartbreak; and he would spend the remainder of his days, suffering, alone. The other half gave him gentle reminders to stay hopeful; to not allow his fear to overshadow his resilience; to not give up on the one person who held any shred of importance in his heart.
Overwhelming love continued to flourish.
As did terrifying loneliness.
Honestly, sitting indoors with no distractions wasn't really helping.
Maybe it would be good for him to-
His entire body stiffened when a light groan came from his left.
Opening his eyes, Casper sat up. He watched with rapt attention as his lover's brows pinched together. Long eyelashes fluttered against each other, parting.
Pink and red irises gained extra radiance thanks to golden light coming in through the window.
Their owner turned his head, looking at his bed mate with parted lips.
Casper reached out, placing his hand onto his lover's chest.
"Mason..?"