Seto was blind.

The first thing that would have came to mind when hearing the word blind was "not being able to see." Blind could have no meaning; no context behind its own word. Blind could have meant anything to a person, whether to see or ignorance to something. Seto was not both of these things. Within the contrary, Seto could have been considered extraordinary; a breakthrough in science when the following events occurred. Seto did not want the extraordinary to approach him.

On the outside, Seto had appeared normal. Brunet hair that was always neatly combed, pale skin that had the color of snow, lips that looked nude; faded, and a frail stature could define him. Seto's eyes were the shade of milk chocolate, laced with the color of a soft purple. His eyes perfectly complimented his whimsical appearance, but Seto could not learn to appreciate this factor, he never did. Nothing about his own appearance mattered to the brunet.

In the world that does not play favorites, Harvey Seto Hex was blind. He was not blissful; he could see. Harvey Seto Hex was blind ever since he was first born. Harvey Seto Hex was blind for most of his life. Harvey Seto Hex was blinded to color; permitting his own world to be the black-and-white movie it had seemed.

To a normal person, who was quite use to seeing color, being able to not see color would not matter, for as seeing things in general was a more of an optimistic route. Without the use of color, things would have been bland; boring. Seto grew up in the world of "bland," but with a cost. The world never played favorites, and Seto was the main target for things that were unsustainable for a "normal" human being.

Seto was uncontrollably teased.

He was teased for using the wrong colors in a coordinated coloring book. He was teased for not seeing the difference in shirts that were boldly the opposite color. He was teased for failing the colored-number test; the ones that you had to see the number that was aligned in a similar shade of color as the background. He was teased for not knowing the difference of a dark, cloudy sky and a bright blue day. He was teased that his outfits rarely matched, and he always wore the color black. He was teased; constantly.

Yet, Seto could never understand the purpose of why he was being teased. He couldn't see the difference in colors, and what he was coloring; the drawing held beauty either way. He couldn't see the difference in colored shirts, appearances didn't matter to him. He couldn't see the different numbers in the little book filled with black and white, but the teacher said it was okay. He couldn't see the difference between the climates of the sky, but it wouldn't have mattered since he could feel the climate. He couldn't see what he was picking out for clothing, the colors all looked the same, for as they were different shades of black and white. He couldn't see things; constantly.

After all what had occurred, Seto blamed himself. Seto blamed himself for being idiotic that he couldn't see the difference in colors, whether it would be in a coloring book, nature, or on someone's simple attire. Seto blamed himself that he was too dumb to see the numbers, that he didn't deserve to see them. Seto thought his fashion sense was stupid, that the outfits he picked were made for children, not for someone like him. Seto blamed himself from little situations that came his way, to large situations that blocked his sanity. Seto continuously blamed himself.

That is; until that faithful day came.

Seto's happiness was dwindling as each day passed by within his life. To escape all the hatred that constantly stood at his doorstep, he read. Books were the key to imagination, whether it would be a faded one, or one that held the wildest of dreams. Seto was rarely seen in public without a book, for as, to pass time, he always had read. The characters seemed to have gave him a false sense of hope, courage that one day he too would find his happily ever after. Books were the light in Seto's life, the replacement of people.

It was another dull summer day in the city of Iro as Seto sat still in the public library. Large chapter books were scattered across the light gray table in which Seto rested at. The books were eye catching, with titles that could lock someone's interest with ease. On average, Seto had stayed at the library from the moment it opened to the moment it closed. He had been doing so for seventeen years; it had become a daily routine for him. Nothing was new, and nothing was old.

"Good morning, Harvey." An elderly lady greeted, sitting down at one of the chairs at the light gray table. "I made you breakfast today, it isn't much but I thought you would enjoy it."

Seto looked up from his book, setting it aside. The woman that had sat down to him was named Adelaide. She had worked at the public library for over sixty years. In Seto's opinion, she was a beautiful woman, despite being presented in bland colors. Adelaide had wrinkly skin, almost like a crumpled paper-like appearance. Her hair was medium gray and curly, which gave a "grandma" vibe. She always had worn a bright white sweater, dark black sweatpants with a streak of white on the side, and open-toed sandals that were the color of a solid gray with sparkly white. Her eyes hid behind white frames.

Adelaide treated Seto as if he was her own son. The two had a special bond that was forged within the walls of the library. Adelaide never had relatives that visited, or children since her husband had died. Seto never failed to visit Adelaide during holidays, and bring her a gift on Christmas, her birthday, and Thanksgiving. Adelaide did the same, and had always brought Seto either a breakfast or dinner while he was at the library. Seto loved that about her.

"Thank you." Seto smiled, taking a sandwich that was on the plate Adelaide had placed on the table. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Ah, once you finish your breakfast, I need you to put some books back from upstairs. It is getting harder and harder for me to climb up those flights of stairs." Adelaide chuckled. "Oh, and there is a young man up there as well, I assume he would need some book recommendations from you. After all, you are one of the finest book readers I've ever sawn."

Seto's face flushed a light gray. "Thank you. And it will be no problem helping you out."

"Ah, Harvey, lighten up." Adelaide teased. "I've known you for thirteen years; since you were the tiny seven year old that entered this building; crying and bruised. You've always been so stiff. But, then again, I'm proud of you."

Seto nodded. "Thank you, Adelaide."

Adelaide hugged Seto, patting his head. She chuckled, shuffling across the floor and towards the counter. "That's my boy! The books that you will need to put back are in the cart!"

"Alright!" Seto shouted back, smiling.

Time flew quickly as Seto had ate and read. The sandwiches were quite delicious, seeming to be made out of the finest ingredients. Of course, Seto savored the taste as he read, trying his hardest not to stain the book he held with his slightly crumbed hand. One after another, each sandwich on the plate had disappeared, without Seto realizing. Putting his book down, he stood up and grabbed the plate, then headed towards the counter.

"Ah, done so quickly?" Adelaide smiled, taking the plate and lightly pushing it towards the side. "Hurry along now, these books are not going to put themselves back."

Seto smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. He shortly nodded, before presuming to his assigned task. Strolling towards the cart, six stacks of books, which had about eight books in each, stood tall. The male shortly sighed, knowing the task would be tedious. Deciding to take a smart route, he managed to lug the cart towards the staircase, then picked up a stack of books. The cart was neatly parked next to the staircase, which would bring easy access to jogging up and down the second and first level as he placed away books.

Swiftly running up the shiny light gray staircase, he managed to reach the upper level. He huffed; exhausted already. Seto was not the athletic type, nor the one you would see outside walking from place to place. Seto was more of an inactive person; the one you would see at a petite coffee shop, sipping coffee and on a laptop (of course the laptop would be replaced with a book and the coffee shop was the public library.) Seto wanted to change that habit, but of course he was too lazy to do so.

Looking at the first book's spine, he took a look at the label that was placed towards the bottom of the spine. The public library had used the Dewey Decimal Classification System; which would consist of proper organization. In summary, each book, based on author and book type, would be organized in a certain place within the numbers 001 - 900+. Seto liked that system, and admired the person who thought of the system. It was an organized process, one that would be easily understood throughout the generations.

Clearing his thoughts, Seto continued to glance at the first book's spine. The side had read "868.91 NAR." The book would have belonged in the Literature section, which were numbers 800 - 899. Strolling to the specific book shelf, and designative section, Seto squatted down, taking a look towards the books that were neatly placed at the bottom of the shelf. Finding the specific place to put the book in (between "868.91 LJ" and "868.91 OA"), he huffed, taking a look at the next book's spine.

"Need help?" A voice behind him chuckled.

Seto turned around to be met with a man, around his own age, towering over him. He blinked, before hesitatingly standing up. His own height was nothing compared to the other male's height, Seto only reached up to his chest. Shaking his head, Seto frowned. "Ah, well, no one has really offered to help me before. Hey, um, why do you want to help me in the first place?"

The male that towered over him rubbed the back of his neck. "I've always seen you reading here, book after book, and it astonishes me. I've been coming to this library for about two months now, since I don't have much to do at home. I've never failed to see you here, from morning to night. Heck, sometimes I check at the library's closing time to see that you're still here."

"O-Oh..." Seto's ears flushed a shade of light gray.

"Heh, I sound like a stalker now, don't I?" The male awkwardly avoided his own glance. "My name's Brice Solace."

"I'm Harvey Seto Hex." Seto replied. "I prefer the name Seto, though."

"Nice." Brice smiled. "Now, can I help you now?"

"Depends. Do you know the Dewey Decimal Classification System?" Seto asked, adjusting his posture.

"That seemed like an avid amount of alliteration." Brice replied, snickering. "And I think I do. It's like that thing that organizes itself by numbers and some sort of abhreviations of authors' names, right?"

"I guess your explanation makes some kind of sense." Seto shrugged. "There are seven stacks of books on the cart downstairs, just don't go downstairs to grab them, I'll get them. I don't need Adelaide to worry that some random man is stealing books."

"Well, alright." Brice chuckled, taking the stack of books from Seto's grasp.

That's when it first happened.

A warmth, a flash, and a spark. A short blur of sparkling, bright colors which quickly faded back to black and white. Seto, shocked, fell to the ground, holding his eyes in pain at the things he had just witnessed. He couldn't comprehend the things he had sawn; it almost felt as if everything turned against him. Everything that Seto had knew about his vision was abruptly changed with the accidental touch of another male, but at the time, Seto thought the phenomenon was only his imagination. But with the abrupt change of scenery and colors, Seto's eyes burned at the recent sight.

"Are you alright?" Brice asked with concern. "Did I scare you?"

"N-No. My eyes just hurt, d-don't worry this happens a-all the time." Seto lied.

"Maybe you need a break or something." Brice suggested. "You look like you've overworked yourself."

"No, no." Seto uncovered his eyes with his hands. The pain was unbearable. A mix of nausea and hot flashes overwhelmed his frail figure.

"Your eyes looks bloodshot." Brice commented. "They're deep red and all that jazz. C'mon, I'll bring you home."

"B-But..." Seto retorted. "There's work to—!"

"It doesn't matter, you can always finish it later." Brice replied, grabbing ahold of Seto's skinny wrist.

Seto didn't resist, but winced at the abrupt touch that he received. Shutting his eyes tightly, the nausea had returned, along with more sharp pains that travelled back and fourth from his head. Attempting to open his eyes, the bright colors returned, bold and ones that he could not recognize. He saw the figure in front of him, leading him down the stairs Seto had walked up and down throughout his life. He saw the cart where the stack of books stood tall, the table in which he always had sat at. He saw the library walls, the shelves, the counter, the lights, the floor, everything. The world didn't look like the bland colors he once saw, they were abnormal, breath taking.

"D-Do you see that?" Seto stuttered, gazing up at the colors.

"See what?" Brice blinked.

"The..." Seto was abruptly cut off by Adelaide's worried voice speaking in choppy fragments.

"What happened to Harvey?" Adelaide yelled, quickly strolling towards the two.

"He got a headache or something and nearly passed out." Brice replied for Seto. "I figured that I should take him home, he looks like as if he has been overworking himself."

Seto could see the sadness in Adelaide's eyes. She cooed, concern laced in her voice. "Well, alright. Be safe you two. Please be careful with him, he is very fragile."

With that, Brice led Seto to the doors of the library and headed out. Seto shut his eyes again, not use to the colors that continued to shine before him. He couldn't possibly get use to the things that were before him, and at the time, he was convinced that the images would go away. After all, they did disappear once, but at an inconvenient time in which Seto could not comprehend anything that was occurring. As Brice led Seto down what seemed like to be a street, Seto decided to break the silence between them.

"T-Thank you..." Seto murmured, embarrassment laced in his voice.

"It's no problem, really." Brice chuckled, taking a sharp left turn. "Hey, uh, I'll just take you to my house, alright? My house is nearby here, just about a block away."

"A-Alright..." Seto stuttered again, nodding.

The world can change, adapt, with people constantly evolving, almost like butterflies or a simple plant. It starts out small, but slowly, it shall grow with the conditions it would be faced with. Everything changes, the world kept on spinning, whether you would like it or not. It was truly an experience, something that could last a lifetime. What many people did not tell you is that one person could be that change in your life; whether it would be a stranger or your best friend.

Everyday you could find something waiting, whether it would be something you had lost, or something new you had found. It could be lying upside down, or turned in a direct that faced towards a new adventure. When you finally find it, you'll promptly see how it's faded, almost like a missed opportunity that was not clawed at. The underside is usually lighter when you turn it around, with the blistering sun always shining upon it. Everything stays, right where you left it. Everything stays, but it still changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly, in little ways when anything could possibly stay.

With the bustling sounds eventually passing, and the sharp turns beginning to make its stop, Seto felt a pair of hands leading him foreword and up what is seemed like a set of stairs. With the sound of keys ringing and a door slowly creaking open, cold air brushed against the duo's faces. Brice led the blinded one into the house, quickly setting him down on his couch. Seto sighed as he heard Brice shut the door and dash off. Slowly opening up his eyes, he didn't wince at the sight he saw.

The room he was in was dark. The lights were off, the curtains were shut, it was a sight that Seto was comfortable with. Everything looked the comforting shade of black, as if nothing had changed, only the sharp pain and nausea lingered. Seto let down his guard, as if he was convinced everything was the same, it was only his imagination ganging up on him. He sighed with relief, relaxing himself as he felt himself sinking slightly into the memory foamed couch. Oddly, he felt comfortable in Brice's home, as if he belonged here.

"Hey Seto, I brought you some food." Brice entered back into the living room, carrying some sweets and junk food in his arms. Seto took a glance at them, not being able to recognize the colors but understanding the words that were written on the covering. Oreos, Pocky, Doritos, Cheetos, Lucky Charms, Marshmallows, and some products that Seto couldn't easily recognize. "Alright, it's not some but it's still food."

"A-Ah thanks Brice..." Seto smiled, slightly nodding his head as Brice placed the snacks on the table.

"No problem, I mean, food always helps everything, right?" Brice snickered as he plopped down next to Seto. "Since your eyes are hurting, I figured watching a movie or something would not help. So, let's get to know each other!"

Seto scratched the back of his neck, not really knowing what to say. "W-Well...it seems you already know a lot about me so..."

"C'mon, it will be fun, stutter king!" Brice exclaimed, throwing his arms up. "I mean, you're pretty much stuck with me for a while."

"Ah, okay..." Seto awkwardly shifted in his seat, taking a glance at Brice.

Seto had begun to notice the outstanding features of the other. Brice had hair that seemed to defy gravity, since it had looked like it was spiked, pointing upwards with ease. He looked slightly muscular, like he worked out once and a while. A smile was planted on his face, almost as if he was an excited puppy awaiting for its owner to return back home. His eyes seemed to shone with the same level excitement as his lips that were curved into a smile. He seemed like the one person who would always smile during the saddest times in life.

"So, how old are you?" Brice began with the questions. "I'm twenty one."

"I'm twenty years old." Seto replied, grabbing a Dorito and eating it. "God I feel old."

"Favorite country?" Brice continued to ask, grabbing at the snacks as well.

"Philippines." Seto shrugged.

"Australia." Brice replied. "Favorite cartoon?"

"Probably Adventure Time." Seto shrugged again, imagining the characters within his own head.

"Steven Universe is the bomb for me. Hey, would you rather be a main character in a terrible cartoon, or a side character in an amazing cartoon?" Brice abruptly changed the subject without his own noticing.

"Since when did this turn to a Would-You-Rather?" Seto questioned, his focus seeming to sharpen.

"I change my mind a lot, Set. Maybe you should not set astray." Brice snickered at his own pun.

"Haha, very funny Brice." Seto rolled his eyes.

"Was that sarcasm?" Brice asked, crossing his arms like a child.

"Indeed, it was." Seto replied in monotone.

"I have a feeling that was sarcasm as well." Brice muttered, playing as if he was angry.

"How so?" Seto questioned once more, bluntly.

"Seto I'll personally fight you with one of these pillows." Brice jokingly threatened.

"Try me." Seto sassed.

"Is this a challenge I hear?" Brice was intrigued as he leaned in towards the other.

"Indeed it is." Seto sassed once more, his smile widening.

What people didn't tell you about changes is that they could either happen abruptly, or slow in time. Within each word, action, and thought brews a motive in which assists the lock of interest that brings fourth another person's witty imagination. Good or bad, time will always tell about events that were good or bad in cost. Everyday goes on, and time never slows. The Earth had always spun for the seven billion people inhabiting it, but will never stop for one specific person's needs.

As the day had continued, Seto began to enjoy the company that had aided him with his short-term recovery. The two had acted like children; running around the house constantly, yearning for each other's attentions. The two had a pillow fight, played tag, shot Nerf Guns, and played hide n' seek. Generally speaking, Seto hasn't had this much enjoyment from another being in years, due to all the trading he had experienced as a child. Seto wanted to keep this moment forever; cherish it for as it was a petite bubble in his life. Of course, all things would grow to an end.

The two, as sparky as they were, eventually grew weary an settled on the couch. Brice had assumed Seto had felt better, and decided to put on some anime for the two to watch to pass time. He figured Seto would like anime, he seemed like the sort of person to do so. The brunet, on the other hand, hardly knew anything about anime, but decided not the tell Brice. After all, he didn't want to ruin the fun. Seto had guessed that anime was a type of animation, but just in a different form.

"Would Hetalia be a good anime to watch?" Brice asked. "Pretty much each episode is like five minutes long."

"Sure I guess." Seto shrugged, watching Brice fiddle with the T.V. remote. Abruptly, the device turned on, making Seto's eyes sting. The lights in Brice's house were not very bright, they seemed like soft lights. Seto had begun to grow use to color. The nausea and sharp pain would not return whenever he had witnessed color.

As the anime intro passed and a loud German man was screaming at an Italian man, Brice chuckled. "Hey Seto, I had fun today."

"Same here." Seto agreed, nodding his head as he hugged a pillow. "Hey, Brice, I have something to ask of you."

"What is it?" Brice replied, perking up.

"You won't think this is stupid, right?" Seto began, avoiding glances with the other.

"Of course not!" Brice had talked as if Seto and him were friends for years.

"Well—" Abruptly, Seto was cut off with a loud screech from the T.V. causing him to jump from his seat. Brice nearly did the same, stubbing his toe on the side of the table whilst grabbing for the remote control. He lowered the volume and chuckled.

"Whoops. Forgot to lower the volume." Brice rubbed the back of his neck.

"Jesus Christ, you could have given me a heart attack." Seto complained, standing up from the ground and dusting himself off.

"Is it too late now to say sorry?" Brice murmured.

"Yes, yes it is." Seto joked, plopping down back into the couch.

With that, a relationship began to blossom. Day after day, Brice would always come to the library, from the moment it opened to the moment it closed. He would sit besides Seto, reading along with him, although he did not understand most of the words in the complex books Seto had read. When it was closing time, Seto would follow Brice home and the two would have hung out, watching animes and acting like children. Week after week, month after month, year after year, they stayed together. The colors blossomed before Seto's eyes, unraveling sights that were breath taking.

Seto saw galaxies, the ocean waves, the cloudy skies, the sandy beaches, the flashing lights, the fireworks on the Fourth of July, fires, lightning, fireflies, the blue skies above, the rays in which the sun gave, his own clothing, his own self. He loved the things he saw; he admired them all. He learned how to understand colors, differentiate them, and learned the purpose of them. Seto's favorite color was purple.

Above all, Seto saw Brice. He knew that his gravity-defying hair was the shade of golden. He knew that his eyes were a crisp oceanic blue that would have shone through the darkest of souls. He knew that his teeth were not perfectly white, but still managed to sparkle and lift up his own day. He knew that his arms and shoulders were sometimes sunburnt with the color of a rosy shade due to his inability, and forgetfulness, of putting on sunscreen. Seto could finally see the importance that had shone throughout the days, weeks, months, and years.

Little by little, Seto had disappeared from the face of the public library. Brice would always take Seto someplace new, whether it would be an aquarium, a small coffee shop at the end of town, a park, or simply a hillside for gazing at the stars at midnight. Seto's eyes were shining through the days, enjoying every bit of ink-like color he missed witnessing his whole entire life. He loved every bit of color he could find; from the darkest to the lightest of shades.

One day, a particular day, he watched that same male who gave him the chance to see color bend down on one knee, opening up a box holding a shiny gray ring with a purple, sparkling diamond in the middle. He watched the colored ring being slipped onto his pale finger. He watched his own transparent tears slip down his pale face, and abruptly being embraced with the blond haired male, knowing he would be with him forever. Without a doubt, his life was changed, everything was changed.

He watched the blond paint pictures, beautiful ones with the colors and ink that would astonish the finest of painters. He watched the blond peacefully snore on the sofa where he had worked, his crystal blue eyes shut and his tanned face in a peaceful expression. He watched the blond run around the house like crazy, almost like a golden retriever. He watched the blond always waiting for him when he went out to work at the office; always giving hugs that would choke him senseless. With the color, Seto was able to view it all.

Both knew they wanted to spend their lifetime together.

Yet, one day, Seto found himself in his office cubical where he worked, four years since he had been married to Brice. He found himself answering a phone and watching the color be wiped away from his eyes. He found himself carelessly running out of his workplace, not bothering to tell what was going on to his coworkers. He found himself hoping into his car and driving to the hospital as quick as he could, almost getting into a car accident twice. He found himself running into a hospital bedroom, hearing the sounds of beeping and monitors scattered around. He found himself back in the bland, white and black world he grew up in.

Finally, Seto found himself, violently screaming at a bloody gray body in tears and anger.

"Why didn't you tell me!"