Izzy sighed as he approached the casket at the front of the church. It was gorgeous, lined with some sort of jewel. The church they were at was just as stunning. Manuel had gone all out on this. The Hispanic man in question sat in the front row, sobbing into his eldest son’s chest. Luca was crying gently as well, murmuring what Izzy could guess were comforting words into the man’s ear in Spanish. Augustus was handing out roses to anyone who wished to lay them in front of the casket and pay their respects to Elvis.
Izzy had one of these roses in his hands now as he looked down at the smooth black stone the casket was made out of. It was closed, because apparently the body had been a bit mangled and Manuel figured it would only upset everyone more to see. Izzy, however, wished he could see the boy’s face just one last time…
Izzy also had a feeling that the boy had done this on purpose, that it had been suicide, not just a car crash. That was what all of the police who had arrived on the scene seemed to say. Izzy tried to deny it, hoped with all his might that it had truly been an accident. But all the signs pointed to suicide. The boy had just driven straight into the trees, no sign that he couldn’t control the car, no sign that someone had crashed into him… He wanted to see the body, to know if the boy had been on drugs or not, to know if maybe the drugs had clouded his vision or he’d been distracted and driven into the trees by mistake… he was looking for any excuse for the boy to not have killed himself. Because if that was the case, if Izzy could have prevented Elvis’s death… he might not be able to stand it.
Izzy felt his heart ache as he kneeled in front of the casket, leaning his forehead against the cool stone.
“Goodbye, darling. I’m going to miss your smile.” He murmured softly, placing the flower in front of him before standing and turning around. He glanced around until he found who he was looking for. The boy with the dreadlocks, twirling a single rose in his hands as he sat in the back row by himself. He moved towards him, passing Phoenix as he went who was sobbing, though trying to hide it as Mack held him back from doing something.
Izzy took a seat beside Zach who looked up at him curiously.
“If you’re here to blame me, I haven’t talked to Elvis in months.” The boy murmured, glancing back to his rose.
“I’m not here to blame you, why would I?” Izzy frowned.
“I’m not sure, ask him.” Zach gestured to Phoenix and Izzy now realized that Mack was trying to stop him from coming back here.
“He thinks it’s your fault?”
“He does.” Zach nodded.
“Something tells me you feel at fault too.”
“I know it’s not my fault.” Zach sighed as he glanced up to meet Izzy’s gaze once more. “But we broke up just recently and… I don’t know. I feel like he just kind of gave up after that.”
“I think everyone feels guilty.” Izzy sighed, placing a hand on the boy’s back, rubbing gentle circles on his back as he glanced into his eyes. “But it’s not your fault, no matter what Phoenix says. He’s just in pain and this is his way of dealing. I don’t think it’s your fault.” He gave the boy a gentle smile, leaning in closer.
Zach smiled at first before sighing.
“Are you honestly trying to flirt with me at a funeral?” He shook his head as he moved away. “And they say I’m disgusting.” He muttered softly.
“I’m sorry.” Izzy apologized immediately as he pulled his hands back. Normally, most would have denied it but he wasn’t that type. He had indeed been flirting, but not because he wanted anything with Zach, because he needed something from the boy. And flirting was the only way he knew how to get his way. “It’s the only way I know to get people to agree to what I need.” He smiled apologetically.
“You could try asking.” Zach sighed.
“Okay.” Izzy smiled. “I’d like you to come back here tonight with me and help me break open that coffin. I know you’re good with medical stuff so in case I can’t tell I want you to help me figure out if he was on drugs or not when he died… I’m trying to figure out if he killed himself.”
“Everyone is saying he did.” Zach informed the man.
“I know. But I have to be sure…”
“Okay.”
“You’ll help me?” Izzy arched an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I want to know too, I guess.” Zach nodded slowly.
“Alright then… meet me here at midnight.” Izzy smiled before walking away, returning to his seat.
That night, he arrived at the church at eleven thirty exactly, to find that Zach was already waiting out front, a bag in his hands.
“Sorry I kept you waiting.” Izzy apologized even though they weren’t supposed to meet for another half hour.
“Don’t be. I just wanted to get here early so you didn’t think I wouldn’t show.” He shrugged. “Are you ready?”
“Of course. What have you got there?” He gestured towards the bag.
“Oh, just some chemicals, a syringe, to tell if he was high when he died if it’s not obvious by looking at him.” Zach explained.
“You’ve come prepared.” Izzy chuckled. “But if this door is locked, which I’m sure it is, how are we getting in?”
Zach rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a paper clip.
“Do you honestly think I can’t pick a lock?” He scoffed, bending over so he was eye level with the lock as he bent the paperclip so it was just a long strip of metal. He jammed it into the lock and only thirty seconds later, he stood, turning to Izzy as he opened the door with a grin. “You first.” He gestured inside and Izzy nodded, quite impressed as he entered the church they had just been in earlier.
As they had hoped, the casket was still there, not to be moved until the following morning.
Zach moved in the door, shutting it behind them as they moved down the aisle carefully, approaching the smooth black casket.
“Okay… let’s hope it’s not been sealed shut yet.” Zach nodded. “I’m sure I can get into it if it is, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier if it just opens up.” They reached the spot where Elvis’s body was being held and Izzy held his breath as he watched Zach’s fingers grasp the side and hoist it open. It opened without a problem.
Izzy cringed when he set eyes on his lover, pale and lifeless. It wasn’t too bad to look at, other than the side of his face which was partially missing and one of his arms which was broken hopelessly. His arms were both too discolored from the crash to tell if he had marks from using drugs.
So Zach pulled out his supplies and went to work. Izzy simply watched as the boy injected Elvis with several chemicals, waiting. Izzy watched Elvis closely but didn’t see anything change. Zach must have seen something however, because a moment later, he shook his head.
“He was completely sober when he did it…”
“That means…” Izzy swallowed hard, trying to will his tears away.
“It was suicide.” Zach finished for him, looking down towards the ground as he put his things back in his bag and shut the casket.
“Thank you, Zach.”
“You’re welcome.” Zach sighed, resting a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry…”
Izzy simply gave the boy a sad smile as they exited the church together.
A week later, when Elvis’s body was buried properly in the nearest cemetery, Izzy found himself approaching the grave with a single Azalea flower in his hands.
“Hello darling.” He murmured, getting to his knees and resting his head against the cool tombstone. “I brought you a flower.” He spoke gently as he placed the flower on the ground along with several others that Izzy guessed were from Manuel, maybe Xavier, maybe even Zach. “I would have brought you a whole bouquet but this way, I have an excuse to come back. Each day I’m going to bring you one of these, until this grave is covered in them, until the entire cemetery is flooded with Azaleas.” He smiled softly, running his hand over the smooth stone. His smile faded slowly, his shoulders beginning to tremble with tears. “I miss you, Elvis. I miss you a lot. I miss your smile and your freckles and your laugh. The locker room is so empty now… I’m thinking about quitting, honestly. I don’t know how much longer I can stand seeing this new Peter Pan around. He’s not you. He’ll never be able to bring the character to life like you did.” He paused, watching as his tears began to hit the ground beneath him as they dripped from his eyes. “Why did you do it, Elvis? What made you decide to end it all?” His voice was hoarse, trembling with what sounded like anger. “Why?” He snapped. “Why didn’t you just come to me?! I was right there… I was always right there for you. I told you every day I was there… so why didn’t you fucking come to me!?” His fist slammed down on the ground as a sob tore through him, shaking his entire body. It was anger coursing through him now, there was no doubt about that. But he had to make himself angry. If he let the depression take over he might never get out of bed again. “You know I had depression… I told you that you were the one who got me through it most of the time. You were my reason to smile… and you left anyways.” Izzy hung his head, trembling lightly as he spoke. “I never told you but I think I loved you Elvis. Maybe I should have told you sooner…”
He slowly stood up, staring down at the grave for another moment before he turned around and walked home… alone.
