Kazuichi Souda Stories

Blank Screen

The soft blue light from the computer screen illuminated his pale face, the dark circles under his eyes seeming to weigh down his body as he slumped forwards. A blank face stared into an empty google doc, hands resting on the keyboard yet fingers remaining still. Unmoving. He couldn't bring himself to move, even as the screen dimmed as the laptop threatened to shut off without any activity from it's user, it still wasn't enough motivation.

The screen went blank, the room went dark.

His eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness of the room, wanting nothing more than to fall shut and let his body go limp- Give into the exhaustion slowly clawing away at his body. Each time it struck, it became harder to resist. He was tired, but his guilt kept him awake. Guilt of not being helpful enough, guilt for not finishing his assignments, guilt for being a failure. People can say otherwise all they want, he wouldn't believe them. He isn't even sure he can anymore.

A soft knock on the door startled the teen out of his trance, yet despite straightening his back and his eyes staying trained on the wooden object, words couldn't slip past his lips. He wasn't sure what he wanted, or what the person outside his room wanted. Maybe they came to yell at him for being up so late? Smack him and take his laptop? Tell him how disappointed they are for him not being able to finish one fucking assignme-

"Kazuichi?" Gundham's voice was like a soft echo in the room, slowly pushing open the wooden door as the old hinges quietly squeaked from wear; A plea to be oiled and maintained as to not continue to be further weared down. He felt like the squeaky hinges, but his cries weren't as loud. His cries were blankly staring across the room, the excuse of feeling 'spacey' in an effort to hide his worsening state, how his posture slowly grew more and more slouched until he may as well just topple over and lay on the ground.

"Kazuichi." Gundham's voice repeated, an unbandaged hand moving to gently cup the mechanic's cheek. Kazuichi rapidly blinked, attempting to bring himself back into the reality in front of him as his eyes adjusted to the partial darkness of the room; What little light there was in the hallway slowly creeping inside and nearly reaching the foot of his bed. For a moment, he wished that his room had returned to its previous darkness. That he could lay down and rest, but he knew nothing like that would come. It's for the best. Probably.

Gundham's eyes still maintained trained on Kazuichi, examining his form before letting out a quiet sigh. He pulled his hand away in order to carefully take the laptop, slipping it shut before carefully setting aside. Afterwards, he returned to Kazuichi, gently taking the mechanic's hand in his own as he pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles; Loving and gentle, just what he desperately needed. "What can I do to assist you, my Beloved?"

Kazuichi paused for a moment, mind struggling to catch up with Gundham's question. The breeder didn't seem to mind. This wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence when the mechanic needed help. Even if he does know what he wants, it can be hard for him to ask at times, which makes these conversations difficult. Even what's going on is over something small.

"I- I.." Kazuichi struggled out, needing to pause in order to take a deep breath. His hands began to tremble, tears pricking up in the corners of his eyes. He knew Gundham was worried, even if he didn't show it much- The way his brows furrowed was enough of a giveaway for Kazuichi to understand what he was feeling. It seems after half a year of dating, he managed to figure at least a few things out. "Can I- I uh,, Can I sleep in y- your room tonight? Please?"

Instantly, he was met with a nod, and a silent offer to be carried. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, his exhaustion proved to be obvious. Nodding his head, Kazuichi accepted, pulling the blankets off himself before Gundham carefully scooped the mechanic up in his arms. Kazuichi could feel the ache in his back as he changed positions, the constant slouching having finally taken its toll on his body.

Arms locking around Gundham's neck, Kazuichi let his head fall against the other's shoulder, eyes finally slipping shut. The gentle sway of his body as the breeder walked down the hall was oddly soothing, mind slowly turning into a swirling pool of mush and water. It wasn't the frustrating type though, it was.. Calm. He felt sleepy. He could barely tell as he was laid down into a bed, blanket tugged over him. Nor could he really feel the weight of Gundham making the bed dip down beside him. All he remembers is the feeling of a pair of arms wrapping snug around him, and the gentle beat of a heart as he drifted to sleep.

That essay can wait another couple days.