Pink bruises - Soudam

Chapter 14

TW implications of attempted s//icide

"Hey Tanaka, can-"

"Gundham."

"Huh?"

"Call me Gundham if you wish."

"Oh uh, ok. You can call me Kazuichi or, uh, Kaz if you want."

"I appreciate the thought, mortal."

"Anyway, uh, Gundham can I hold one of your rats?"

"I suppose so, let me retrieve one for you."

Gundham had finished feeding all of his creatures and was now sitting down, letting the devas climb around his shoulders and lap. Kazuichi was watching the large cage of rats. He loved the way their tails twisted around anything they moved across, and how their little hands held food and bits of bedding.

Gundham swept over and opened the door of the cage with a little clicking noise. The rats ran away, and then came back when they realised what was going on. One of them climbed onto Gundham's arm and he drew it out of the cage, shutting the door behind it.

"This is Aiya," he explained as the pale rodent ran up and down his arms. "She can be excitable, so be careful."

Gundham held out their arms to Kazuichi, who cupped his hands so Aiya could climb onto him and not fall off. The rat sniffled around his hands and then attempted to wriggle up Kazuichi's sleeve. "Hey," Kazuichi giggled. "Don't do that."

He put his hand around Aiya's middle and lifted her into his shoulder. She excitedly ran back and forth over his neck and shoulders, making Kazuichi lean his head forwards so she had more room.

He looked up and noticed Gundham was smiling at him. Gundham noticed Kazuichi was looking at him and hid his face in embarrassment. "Hey what's wrong?" He laughed. Gundham mumbled something he couldn't hear and turned around to move his Devas.

"I can't hear you dude..."

"Nothing, mortal, I'm fine," the breeder insisted.

"Sure, sure, whatever," Kazuichi laughed quietly as Aiya's whiskers tickled his neck. He noticed Gundham smiling again. He didn't point it out this time. His smile's too nice to interrupt.

"Damn your mum is a good cook," Kazuichi said as the two walked upstairs.

"I will inform her at another time, I'm sure she'll be grateful," Gundham replied.

They finally arrived at Gundham's room. Gundham's house had a lot of stairs.

"We should slumber soon," Gundham informed him, watching his Devas through the bars of their cage.

"Oh uh sure, where uh... should I sleep?" Kazuichi mumbled. He didn't want to seem annoying, he hadn't really wanted to bring it up but didn't really have another choice.

"I'm sure we have a mattress you can sleep upon," Gundham replied, poking sunflower seeds through the gaps in the bars. He stood up fully. "I shall to ask my mother."

"Oh uh ok," Kazuichi stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"Sit on the bed, mortal. I have no chair, so it shall have to do. I will return shortly," the tall man swept out of the room without another word, leaving a mildly confused Kazuichi to glance anxiously around the room.

The pink haired man inched over to the bed, and with much hesitation, sat down on the edge of it. One of the Devas was running determinedly on their wheel and Kazuichi watched intently, trying to distract himself whilst he waited. Soon enough, Gundham returned.

"My mother will be here soon, she is looking for the inflatable mattress we supposedly own," he explained.

Kazuichi quickly stood up. "Oh, neat."

They both stood awkwardly in the middle of the room together. Suddenly, Kazuichi moved forwards and put his arms around the taller man's middle.

"Nrg-?!" Gundham winced. "Mortal, are... you ok?" He hugged Kazuichi back, if not in a confused manner.

"Yeah, I'm... fine," said the pink-haired man, voice muffled by Gundham's shirt.

"You don't seem too fine."

"I am."

"Why are you hugging me with such..."

"Thank you for saving me."

"Hmm?" Gundham was confused.

"When you found me in woods last night. Thank you. If you hadn't have found me..." Kazuichi trailed off, but before Gundham could say anything, he continued. "... I... I don't think I would've tried to do much to stop myself from... y'know... not coming back..."

Gundham hugged the mechanic tighter. "It is ok mortal Kazuichi, you are safe."

Kazuichi's chest did something funny when Gundham said his name. That hadn't happened before. Huh. He wasn't sure he disliked it. They hugged for a bit longer, but it barely felt like any time at all. When Kazuichi finally let go, Gundham seemed slightly disappointed. Or maybe he was relived. Kazuichi wasn't sure. He wasn't great at reading facial expressions.

Gundham moved over to the Deva's cage and opened the wire door with a click and a little ping. He held out his hand and one of the tiny creatures crawled up onto his hand. He drew his hand close to his chest and the hamster snuffled along his arm, occasionally trying to climb up his shirt. Eventually he held his hand up to his shoulder and the animal scampered on. It looked around, then started to poke around Gundham's earrings.

Kazuichi watched, mesmerised. It was fun watching the hamsters do there thing. They were so small. This had been the first time he'd ever even wanted to watch them, and it was fun as heck. He'd also noticed Gundham's earrings. He'd seen them before, but never properly. They were pretty damn cool.

Earrings are cool. I wonder if I could ever get my ears pierced? Maybe someday... I wonder if I could put screws through my ears, that would be cool, hehe. Would the holes be big enough? I wonder if I could make them...

"You seem intrigued, Mortal Kazuichi, what are you thinking of?" Gundham interrupted his thoughts.

"Your earrings are cool," Kazuichi responded. "Actually scratch that, how the hell is everything you wear look so cool?"

"... thank you? I suppose?" Gundham pet the hamster on his shoulder awkwardly.

"Like seriously dude," the pink-haired man started again. "Your eyeliner, your uh... contact... I'm not sure which eye has the coloured contact in but oh well, your earrings, your hair, your nail polish, I dunno it's all just cool."

Gundham glanced around, seemingly flustered. "Th-thank you Mortal, you also are pleasant to the gaze."

"Uh, thanks..."

They sat there in awkward silence for a few moments. Then the door opened.

"Hello you two, I have a camp bed," Ms Tanaka poked her head into the room. Kazuichi jumped. Saved by the mother, I guess.

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No angst this chapter, it's fluff time and probably will be for a while-

Friday Night Funkin go brrrrr please help I want to play it 24/7 but I have school grrrrr

Song: Cloud 9 by Beach Bunny (because I love this song so much-)

I'm gonna make a Spotify playlist for this book soon, when I do I'll say next chapter and also edit this chapter and tell you here :]