Gold Foil

Chapter Sixteen: Break

Tick. Tock.

Satoru’s eyes are dry and his head hurts.

Tick. Tock. 

Somewhere, he can hear Toji moving something around in the main part of his dorm. At this point, Satoru doesn’t even care. He’s found that he doesn’t care about a lot of things anymore. There’s a crash from the other side of the door and Satoru just rolls onto his side, ignoring whatever dishware or half sentimental item of his just broke. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Tick.

He feels sick.

Tock.

Bolting up from bed, Satoru half stumbles half dashes to the bathroom. He just makes it to the toilet just in time and silently thanks whatever higher being might exist while he loses his dinner. Trembling hands grasp around the cold porcelain of the toilet bowl and Satoru lets out a weary sigh and closes his eyes with a drawn out groan. This has been the third time this week that he’s thrown up and at this point, Satoru isn’t sure if it’s because he can’t sleep or because of stress. At this point, he figures that it doesn’t even really matter though because at the end of the day, he can’t keep food down no matter what.

“Well, damn.” A deep voice purrs from behind him and Satoru glances over his shoulder to glower at Toji. The constant source of his frustrations is partially hidden in the shadows of the dim bathroom but Satoru can see him perfectly fine with or without any light thanks to his Six Eyes.

“Get. Out.” He hisses, Satoru has absolutely no patience for any of Toji’s quipping remarks. Instead of disappearing into the inky darkness, Toji lets out a low whistle and squats down next to him with a thin and toothy grin.

“My, my. I’ve only said two words and you look like you already want me dead.” Toji tilts his head and his green eyes glimmer under the flickering light. “Look at you, getting all worked up over nothing.” That smile grows and Satoru snarls, swiping a hand at him. Toji leans out of the way and snorts.

“Leave me the fuck alone, I mean it.” 

“Oh? What are you going to do? Attack me? As if that’s worked in your favor in the past.” The other man’s smile disappears when Satoru lunges at him. In a swift motion, Toji stands up and Satoru crashes against the wall.

“Good luck, kid. You’re gonna need it. Wanna know why?” He waits for a reply and when Satoru doesn’t say anything, Toji leans down. “Because you’ve changed.” A second later, an icy presence hovers over his shoulder. That in itself is nothing new, Toji always seems to like to hover around Satoru and try his hardest to break past the constant wall of Infinity. This time, though, Satoru can clearly feel strong fingers dig into his flesh. 

“You’re getting weak.” Toji breathes out and Satoru can hear the smile in his voice. He closes his eyes and feels sick again. 

A cheerful chirp stirs Satoru from his sleep and he cracks one eye open. Sitting up, dazed, he looks around the bathroom in confusion before he remembers what happened just a mere handful of hours before. Sluggishly, he groans and closes his eyes, ready to fall back into a fitful sleep when there’s a second chirp that’s sharp against his sensitive ears as it echoes in the barren walled bathroom. Opening his eyes again, he stares up at the ceiling and counts to ten. If there’s nothing else from his phone, then whoever’s texting him isn’t in dire need of him. 

One. 

Satoru squints at a crack in the ceiling. His eyes follow the hairline fissures, inspecting how the almost delicate spider webbing of the cracks gets larger towards the center of the ceiling.