Every move Doppio makes is torture. From the slight moving of his fingers, breathing, his own blinking- he’s realizing that he’s falling out of control of this body he is stuck in, and there’s nothing he can do about it. It almost feels as if he heart beating is manual now, too. Everything in his body is telling him to stop thinking, to lay down and pass on, but he persists. The only thing soothing him is the cold, wet floor under him.
When Doppio hears footsteps, he doesn’t bother turning his head to see the source of the noise. He tries to ignore it, until the footsteps inch closer and closer and he can’t help but try to look in that direction.
Doppio doesn’t see him at first, instead feeling his hands gently grasp his body. And when Doppio's head is turned, he instantly knows the one who is holding him is his boss. The boss he’s been waiting so long to see, so long to hold and hug, but now he can’t even muster the strength to hold his hand.
Diavolo knows immediately that he can’t save Doppio, and as soon as the realization hits him, guilt and sadness lowers deep into his stomach. He takes Doppio’s smaller hand and pets it, watching as the smaller man beneath him lips curl into a small smile.
If anything, he could try to make Doppio’s last moments peaceful and lovely, but he doesn’t know what to do. The whole point of him getting the arrow, the reason why he killed everyone else, was to share this victory with Doppio. It was to see if the arrow would grant them the ability to have separate bodies, but not in this way.
Diavolo doesn’t know what he wants his first words to be. ‘I love you’ ? ‘I’m proud of you’? He’s not the best at talking, but when it comes to talking with the other half of his soul, it comes naturally. He starts simply by propping Doppio’s head up into the corner of his arm, cradling his failing body, and just says his name.
“Boss…” Doppio replies with a smile, looking up lovingly at his boss.
“I’m so proud of you, my darling Doppio.” He praises, moving stray pink hairs out of Doppio’s face and mouth. “I’m always proud of you.”
Doppio takes a moment to try and lift his hand, the weary limb shivering as he extends it, and Diavolo takes it. His hands are cold and wet, but the boss still holds it gently in his hand, pressing it up against his own cheek so Doppio can feel.
“I wanted you to… call me but this…” Doppio pauses to take a breath, feeling Diavolos silky soft skin on his hand, “ is even better.”
“I know.” Diavolo puts Doppio’s hand back by his side, taking time to fix his sweater, “It’s my special gift for the best man I know.”
Even though Doppio should know by now, his face still lights up when his boss calls him good. “Really?”
“Of course you are. You go above and beyond for me, my sweet Doppio. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than you.” Diavolo strokes Doppio’s cute chubby freckled cheeks, watching the smaller man close his eyes into the pet.
“You… promise?”
“Have I ever lied to you before, Doppio?”
“No…” he mumbles, moving his head into his boss’s pets. Diavolos gently scratches his head, but to Doppio, it feels like heaven.
The smaller man's body shivers, he’s starting to lose feeling in the tips of his fingers. He looks up at Diavolo with scared eyes for a moment, but all fear is soothed when he makes eye contact with his boss. He knows that he’s safe.
“Praise me, Boss.”
It’s one of those lines Doppio says a lot, one that brings a smirk to Diavolos face every time. With their exact thoughts syncing up, Diavolo knows exactly why he wants to hear it.
The last thing Doppio wants to feel is his boss’s touch. The last thing he wants to hear is his boss’s voice. The last thing he wants to see is his boss’s face.
“Of course.” Diavolo says with a smile. God help him, he knew how to mask his emotions quite well, but for some reason, he felt like crying. Yet, he knew he had to keep strong for Doppio.
“My Doppio, oh my sweet Doppio…” Diavolo strokes his hair lovingly, “you’re even prettier than you are in the pictures you took. A camera can’t capture how beautiful my Doppio is.” Diavolo feels himself stumbling over his words, but continues with the aura of confidence that he knows comforts his doppio so well.
“You’ve fought so well for me. I’m beyond proud of you. Always working so hard for me, all of the time… you’re a blessing, my sweet doppio.”
Diavolo continues mumbling about how cute and sweet he is, until he realizes that Doppio is no longer moving into his pets or smiling. His beautiful brown eyes are fluttering shut, and at that moment, Diavolo knows that it’s time for him to go.
“It’s-“ Diavolo gulps and breathes for a moment, looking at Doppio, the only man he’s ever trusted, the man who he loved the most, laying on his lap, shivering- “It’s alright if you need to go.”
Doppio's eyes open, giving his boss one final smile before they close again. It seems like that was all he needed to hear for his body to shut down.
Diavolo continues to pet Doppio’s head, whispering sweet nothings to him, until Doppio lets out a deep breath, and doesn’t breathe ever again.