🐹

"That fiend did what?!" the breeder's voice roared out before he could stop himself, causing the mechanic in front of him to flinch.

"M-my old man got a bit drunk and kinda..." Kazuichi paused momentarily, fumbling with the fabric of his jumpsuit. Gundham could see the cogs turning behind his magenta orbs. "Y-Ya'know..."

"No. I do not know."

The occult lover watched as Kazuichi furrowed his eyebrows together in what could have been either frustration or anger, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "L-look, I don't wanna talk about it. Alright? I don't have to explain myself to you."

'But now you've got me worried more than ever.' Was what Gundham wished he could've said, however he couldn't quite find himself to push those words off his tongue. He hated seeing the boy so upset.

"Young mortal, I do not usually wish to assist your kind, but please, stop being to insufferably stubborn and just tell me what that devil from hell did to you."

"I'm not stubborn!" the mechanic scoffed, ignoring the occult lover's attempt to reach out to him.

"I think you'll find that you only proved my case further."

"Shut it, furry!"

By now tears really were streaming down Kazuichi's face as he continued to blindly yell at the breeder. Gundham had to bite back his temper and be the sensible one in this situation. He really didn't want a fight.

"This is a ludicrous waste of not only my time, but yours. This is not at all what we should be arguing about, fiend. Just tell me. It is not that hard. What did that man do to you?"

"Not that hard? Bullshit! What would you know? You know nothing of what I've been through for the last twelve years of my life! D'ya really think I changed my appearance just because I fucking felt like it?!" the tinkerer quickly threw a hand over his mouth after he'd realised what he'd just let spill, again. Silence fell upon the two talented teenagers. Kazuichi, seemingly too ashamed to say anything more, and Gundham, finding it hard to process what he'd just heard.

One year. They'd been attending the same school together for a whole year and Gundham had never even noticed the pain that dimmed the brightness behind Kazuichi's eyes. The mechanic had fooled everybody. How much of what he said and did was just a lie? How many secrets was the pinkette hiding? What did he mean by his appearance being changed?

Gundham really didn't know the person he was sitting in front of at all.

"Kazuichi. I-I can't comprehend what you're saying at all." the animal lover barely spluttered out.

"Well don't!" Kazuichi spat, "Just forget I ever said anything."

"Well I most certainly cannot forget what you just told me. If that demon has forsaken such a burden upon your shoulders then I absolutely cannot let you carry it alone, no matter what it is. You are only a mere mortal after all." the breeder muttered quietly, averting his gaze from the fire that burned behind the mechanic's eyes.

"Why do you care so much all of sudden?" the pinkette asked, completely perplexed. "No one ever bats an eyelid to me — and now you wanna know my whole life story?! What're ya going to do? Spread rumours about me because you despise me that much?"

"Kazuichi, please–"

"Stop calling me by my first name as if we're friends! I hate hearing it come from you! Just call me a mortal or a fucking nuisance or something! Anything but that!" Kazuichi screamed again, hot tears still seeping from his eyes.

By now, the occult lover had no clue as to what they were even arguing about anymore. This really had gotten out of hand. Gundham let out a deep sigh. Why was it so hard to get closer to the mechanic? The breeder was careful with his next words, begrudgingly using the same demeaning nickname he gave to the rest of his classmates.

"Mortal, I do not wish to exploit you. The Great Gundham Tanaka just wants to assist you. I don't despise you at all. What could I possibly gain from hurting you further?"

"Pft! How would I know? You're probably just lying anyway. The first person you'd tell would be you're girlfriend, just to rub it in my face. Make her hate me..." the tinkerer trailed off, turning his head to the side to avoid all eye contact.

'Girlfriend?'

"The Princess of Darkness?"

Kazuichi's head spun around to give him a quizzical look before his face fell into a frown. "Yeah. Duh!  You're the guy fucking dating her."

"You fiend! How many times must I insist on telling you? I have no romantic interest in the princess. We are colleagues. She merely assists me so that I can one day rule this Earth." Gundham paused momentarily, lowering his gaze and voice before speaking again. "I have my eyes on someone else anyway."

A heavy silence fell upon the two teenagers. The tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Even the animal lover's hamsters had fallen quiet. All four of them hiding inside Gundham's purple scarf, watching the event before them unfold. The breeder's attention was soon dragged back to the whirring laptop that sat on his lap. The assignment that was due in mere hours had been finished days ago. The document he had open was a draft he had saved from earlier in the week so that it looked as though there was still work to do. Gundham's original plan was to the finish the essay as quickly as possible, so that the two males would not have to spend any more unwanted time together alone in his dorm. But as the days passed, the animal enthusiast began to enjoy the company. So he played a hoax. All in the hopes to get closer to Kazuichi and become friends. But that had all backfired the moment he brought up the scars that begun to fade from his fragile skin.

Gundham released an exasperated sigh as his shoulders dropped. His fingers automatically hovering over the keys as if there was something to write about. Maybe they were just never meant to be. All they ever did was bicker among themselves. Kazuichi seemed to despise the breeder anyway. All he ever did was yell at him. The mechanic had his walls up for everyone, and Gundham was no exception.

"Just go, pink mortal. I can finish the rest myself." a melancholy aura hung around the occult lover as he spoke. He could't even bare to look up at the man who had stolen his heart.

"Whatever." Kazuichi mumbled while hastily wiping what tears were left on his face. He clumsily jumped to his feet before storming over to the door, swinging it open and slamming it shut behind him. Gundham flinched from the sound that echoed through his dormitory. The breeder felt his eyes stinging, prickling with heartbroken tears. His so-called, cursed heart, ached with longing. Even though he was only in the presence of his four Dark Devas of Destruction, Gundham still tried to suppress his overwhelming emotions.

He hated crying.

He hated showing such a weakness that all mortal humans seemed to share. He hated the fact that he was finally letting his feelings for the young mechanic take over. It felt like they were consuming him and swallowing him whole.

Gundham slowly shut the lid of his laptop, the obnoxious whirring coming from the machine slowly coming to a stop. The few animal stickers that had started to wear with age sat atop his laptop and stared right back at him. The animal lover scrunched up his face as he closed his stinging eyes, his head falling back against the wall behind him. He lifted his bandaged hand to rest on his forehead and partially cover his closed eyes. Small sniffles began to sneak past his nose. The first, warm tear slipped down his pale cheek.

What had he done?

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

i'm literally a disaster and i am so genuinely, fucking sorry. just slap me, i deserve it. y'all had to wait like 6 or 7 months for this update yikes.

it's only 1350 words as well. it's kinda short. a lot shorter than i wanted it to be but thatS OKAY! my excuse it that you've all waited too long and at least deserved something. plus the last chapter had a cliffhanger and it needed clearing up... but now there's a new one sooo,, not much better lmao

anywaY ! thank you all for the lovely comments. i didn't expect this story to be read and enjoyed by so many people either.

let's all just hope that the next chapter doesn't take anywhere as near as long for me to write : ))))))) *toUcHes wOoD*

adios my amigos <3