Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Boy on Page One ❯ Human error ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

At the W.P. precinct, early in the evening.

The door leading into the precinct holding area opened up allowing Reeve Land inside; Quinn got up from the bench upon - at last - seeing her husband. She's been looking at the closed but occasionally opening door wondering when her phone call would be answered, and Reeve would appear to free her of the mishap. This whole thing was unfortunate. Also incredibly humiliating. Why had she let it get this far? Her son… No. Hakuo, seemed genuinely afraid of her! The relief in his eyes when that nurse came to escort her outside…

At first she was angry. How could he be so cold to the woman who'd raised him for all those years? How could he simply act as though he doesn't care? And then she remembered his amnesia. She must seem like a real crazy person! But to go as far as to call the police! A charge! And, as it would have it, a restraining order. Hakuo Krenn issued a restraining order against her. Aren't any of the years that they've spent together floating around in his heart counting for something?

This was humbling and eye-opening; when she gets home to her family - or rather what's left of her family… She's going to give them so much love.

Gathering her coat and purse, she walked to the cell door, awaiting the officer to open it so she can leave with her husband. But, this does not occur. Reeve just stood outside of the cell and looked at her.

"I can't believe you, Quinn. I can't believe you lied to us," he says through a voice thick with tears that are nowhere in sight, only in sound. "But to have taken it this far."

"Me? Reeve, Hakuo did this - his mother is..."

Reeve shook his head, waving his hand. "Quinn that's enough..." When she continued to speak, cutting through his words with an attempt to speak over him, he shouted. "Will you, please, shut up!"

"Sir?" The guard warned. He doesn't need any marital disputes or abuse breaking out in there.

"I'm sorry," he says to the guard.

"Him you apologize to, what about me?" She gave the door a tug. "Tell him to open the door, Reeve, I'm ready to go. I wanna be home with my family."

Reeve, again shook his head. "No, Quinn, you've lost that title…" He said firmly. "You lost the right to call us a family. You took it too far doing this. You took it to a cruel level - far worse than my cheating on you ever could."

"I don't see how this compares to that, Reeve. You were the one being cruel, you were the one who almost broke us up..."

"We have already been divided, honey… Quinn… It ends here. It ends with this." He firms his jaw. "I want a divorce; I've already filed for the paperwork..."

Panicked, she couldn't believe what she'd heard. "W-what?"

"I want a divorce, not a separation until we work things out. Not an angry spat and running away to our parents' or a hotel… I want out. And I'm taking the kids with me. This is too much."

"No! I won't let you!"

"You don't have a choice, Quinn… Our marriage is rocky, and our family life has become so toxic our oldest is threatening to our faces to run away from home - and look at how you respond to it…" He waves his hands through the air as if to make the environment that they're in come into clarity for the woman, who he believes still hasn't really registered the situation yet. "You come down here, and you antagonize some poor kid who's laid up in the hospital, because you want back a son who's long gone. Quinn, he doesn't want to be with us anymore… He may as well have been a completely different person."

He couldn't hold back his tears once his wife's began to fall. But dammit, he's adamant about this. Enough is enough! He does love his children, he does crave for his family to stay together - despite his having cheated on his wife two years ago. He stuck around, he wanted to work it out, and get things back to the way they were. They were altered sure, but they were still them deep down. And, not even hidden away; at one point, they were a loving family. But, he's done. Like Ai, he's had one hit too many with this. He needs to be away. He needs to start anew properly.

The poison is at the root, and now the root is burrowing deeper into the ground.

"I don't intend to post your bail."

"No, Reeve, don't do th.." her words couldn't even finish; when she shrank, he felt himself shrinking, though he remains upright.

He can't change his mind. He's had a four hour drive to think this through, and an additional twenty minutes before then to impulsively speak to a divorce lawyer to draw up papers. In case. And it seemed in case was waiting for him, because he got his answer to go ahead with it, the moment she began blaming anyone but herself. Mr. and Mrs. Krenn, their children, even Hakuo was probably to blame in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You can keep the house, but you can't keep the family in that home." He touched the bar where his wife's hand clutched for dear life. Their last bit of contact. "When you get home, we won't be there. I hope you get better… I'm sorry."

And he walked away.

# #

Zane Hyde paced back and forth outside of the Burger King, in a neighborhood unfamiliar to his own. He had some spying to do. Yes, he was back to the snooping and spying again. But he needs to in order to obtain information. He needed to know when and where he could find time to 'accidentlly' bump into this Asian kid that Will claimed he knew… whom he claimed was his true brother. He can still hear his brother's voice speaking foreign words. The frightened feeling he had during the conversation... he's never felt anything like that before from Will. It was awful. It was so awful that it prompted this. The stalking and the spying. He's about to harass someone on a whim - Christ, what is he doing?!

'Man up, Z,' he thinks to himself. 'you're sixteen-years-old this year, you can't let yourself be a pussy to older guys,' He winced inwardly at the thought as he can still feel the cold gaze, and smell the acrid nicotine and body spray combo of that jerk sous chef when he drove him out to the woods to shake him down for lying. 'Oh! He's done.'

With a gulp and a breath, he marched for the entrance just as Ai Land is walking out.

"Later, guys!" the cashier called over his shoulder.

The pair grunt as they crash into each other.

"I'm sorry," Zane says hurriedly.

"Excuse me." Apologized the Land teen. Reaching out his hand, he helped the grounded stranger to his feet. Blinking, he looked at Zane with question. "Do I know you?" He knows he's seen him before. "Oh, it's you! You gave me advice about my parents that one time; I didn't recognize you without your glasses."

Zane balled up his hands, feeling anger rise again having to hear about more things his brother has done without his knowledge. Weird, things so unlike his brother. The Will he knows… the brother he knew, was an arrogant, womanizing bastard. He earned just as many Cs and Bs as himself. He's the last person to help a stranger to anything other than a well-placed smart-mouthed comment.

"W..we need to talk." Stuttered the younger teen.

…

"So you're twins? That's cool."

"We were twins, yeah..."

Ai took Zane to the local coffeehouse; he isn't entirely sure why, but for the past couple of years the place has reminded him of his brother. He stopped in once with some friends for a hot chocolate, and this blond British guy made him one of the best cups he's ever had. It kind of creeped him out when he said he added extra cocoa powder on top just for him, but, that was probably because he was turning into a regular. It wasn't wrong to visit the place to smell the coffee in order to be reminded of Yakusoku; it was a lot healthier than what his mother was doing anyway. In spite of all the calamity he still loves and, from time to time, misses his brother.

"I'm sorry, did something happen?" wondered Land.

'Damn him, why'd he have to be nice?' Thought Zane. He wanted Ai to be a bastard, so that he could puff up his chest and strong-arm some answers from him. "He died. His condition took him. That's what the doctor said. He just.. went…"

"God. That's awful, I'm sorry." He repeats.

"Yeah."

They sit in silence.

"I know how you feel, I lost my brother, too..." He picks at a healed line of scabbing on his hand that he got when pulling out a nasty splinter a week ago. Never help a novice with Shop Class projects. "It's not as bad as death, but it was just as sudden."

"Your brother, he had amnesia, right?" When Ai nodded, Zane began his questioning. "What if…" he doesn't know what he's saying. This really was insane. How do you even ask someone such things? Body swapping! He'll be laughed at.

Setting his cup down on the little table, Ai inquires. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

The corners of Zane's mouth twitched as he weighed actually telling this stranger about what he's thinking and feeling, but he didn't spend time doing a stakeout-follow-around for fear to stop him. "Before my brother left home, he was acting strangely and saying weird things..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know how to say it but, he told me that he's not my brother but yours."

Ai felt a pause from that statement. He agrees it's a strange thing for someone he barely knew to say to his own family; but, there was no way that it could be true. There was just no way!

"I know, it's weird. It was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard," Zane tapped his tension away on the tabletop. "But he sounded so damned sure..."

"What were his exact words?" Asked the older teen. "Word-for-word."

"I don't remember, it was two years ago." It was a lie, he remembers clearly the part that was important. The Lands, and the admittance that he was someone else.

"You have to remember!" Ai stood so abruptly the back of his legs shoved the chair noisily a few inches behind him; patrons looked at the upstart, wondering what the issue was? Mostly they just wanted him to get lost and stop disturbing their miniscule peace.

"Okay, okay!" He flagged him down to sit back in his seat and, most importantly, to be calm. "He said that he was supposed to have died, but that he woke up inside of my brother, Will, instead."

"There's just no way…"

Ai thought it was strange how understanding the young teen had been. That he seemed a little too ready with an answer to his problem. Too empathetic. But, how? There was just no way. But, with all he knows about this psychic stuff… could it be possible? He knows that if he wants answers, there's one place he can get them. Hakuo Krenn.

"Ai," Zane awaited an answer. An explanation as to why his brother would say such a thing. That it was all some big joke on him that his brother and this stranger have played. It had to be.

"Zane, I don't know why your brother would say something like that; he had been in a coma, maybe his thoughts were a little scrambled because of it."

"Yeah, but, why would he say that he's your brother Yappy something or other?"

"Yaku-soku."

"Right, that."

Ai shook his head. "Maybe he was possessed? Maybe he woke up in intervals and someone was watching the news. It's very possible."

"What like… like unintentional brainwashing?"

Ai nods to the assumption, because he can't tell this boy the truth. If it was the truth. "I'm really sorry that your brother freaked you out, but, I only spoke to him once. He told me that I should tell my parents to separate or they'd hate each other - like your parents."

Zane let that sink in. That sounded like Will. It also sounded like a reason his brother would help a stranger, because their parents' divorce had affected him greatly. Maybe he was just suffering of brain dilemmas, and he didn't know what he was saying.

Zane thanked Ai for talking to him. It was eye-opening, and painful to think that his brother was suffering so much. Quietly saying nothing, just slowly going mad.

The Hyde teen thanked Ai again, then left for home to resume mourning his brother.

# #

Gev greeted Hakuo with a knowing smile. "Hey, man. What's new?"

The outer tip of the Krenn teen's brow twitched, before he plastered on a knowing smile of his own; "Kind of wishing I had a cup." because seeing that the two of them have come along for what should have been a private visit, he felt a little kicked in the balls.

Spotting a cup beside a pitcher of water, Ludwig poured some of its liquid content over into it. Ever helpful, he hands the drink to Hakuo. He completely misread the meaning of the comment, assuming Hakuo had just missed the cup when reaching because of sluggish motorskills. He had been in a coma too. He knows.

"Sooo," Ludwig took the lead in conversation, "how are you?"

"Let's not do this," Hakuo requests. "I don't like the uncomfortable air." Looking into the cup, he takes a drink.

Gev's gray gaze was practically showcased through a magnifying glass, his eyeballs had bugged out that much. He was giving a great live-action visual of an animated character Rock Lee with a look like that; and internally he shouted at the Krenn teen: For the love of all shit, no! Hakuo wouldn't dare tell them what he plans on doing? He wouldn't throw a glove-slap like some middle-ages gentleman, stating they'd duel for Gev's affection. He can't be that bold.

Having not seen the exchange of glances, Ludwig asked. "Don't do what?" He wasn't aware he was doing anything. Did he mean that he shouldn't care about him? Does he think it's a lie to some degree?

"Treat me like I'm still back there," Hakuo looked at the expression as though Gev had lost his mind, as he continued with what he was saying. "It's always the same thing with these situations. I get visitors or hospital staff... they give me this face matched with a tone of voice, that's really asking me: How'm I doing, after… How am I doing, because of…" he paused for it to sink in then asked. "So, which 'after' or 'because' are you referring to? How am I after having been in a coma and realizing I've missed two years of my life? Or, how am I after having woken up because a man was right in the middle of raping me for the umpteenth time in my life?"

"I.." He trailed off because of not knowing what to say, since, yes, that is how he'd asked the question. But, he didn't mean for it to be rude. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know you didn't, nobody does; but even before this, there it was back when I first came home. I know I can be moody…" he looked between the three. "But that's not all there is about me. I'm not Mr. How-are-you-between-tragedies. Now, if you'd like to ask me how I am with a chipper tone, then the answer is great!" He beamed a practiced happy grin at the trio. "The doctors say I'm progressing with my recovery at a great rate; thanks to my mom, who didn't just show up and pray me better. Apparently she and everyone stretched my limbs, hooked me up to these muscle stimulators to keep circulation. They all worked so hard for me…" he felt misty eyed. "Umm, I got a bunch of great stuff for missed birthdays and Christmas; and the best thing of all is the doctors told me that they see me at home mid March. March, that's so soon. So.. great."

Yakusoku felt sick from Hakuo's positivity. The guy was the darkest shade of black, but he still remains so positive and dare he say, optimistic. When he was stuck inside William Hyde two years ago, he did nothing but complain, wanted nothing more than to die of his own making or by some wonderful accident. He was miserable. There was no 'bright side'. But, Hakuo would have found one, wouldn't he? Like being thirteen would mean his 11 years missed was halved in comparison of going from 8 year to 18. Or, he might have liked snooping around another person's lifestyle. One that was uninteresting, untainted, and under-stated life compared to his own.

Noticing the silence and pensive attitude, the patient asks. "Why so serious? You don't get along with your new set of wheels, blondie?"

"Huh?" He snapped out of his stupor noticing he was being addressed.

Hakuo cocked a brow over everyone's weirdness. "How's the fit? Any issues? The doors trying to turn you into the reflection?"

"Oh. No. Everything is great. Thanks for the new body." And he really felt that he needed to get it out there.

He's been wanting to say it from the start, but he heard the news of the coma. During two years, appreciation morphed into guilt. Every time he got to wake up in the morning, anytime he felt an emotion, was embraced or touched, every passing season, anything at all left him feeling a little like a thief. As if he continues to steal away Hakuo's life in order to have one of his own.

"I never meant for this to have happened. I'm sorry for rushing you in separating me from Will's body." Siegfried's blue gaze lowered to the floor as if bowing where Yakusoku had not.

"I know. So let it go; it's just as much my fault for tiring myself out, trying to get it over with." Hakuo reached for the pitcher, pouring himself another drink.

The pair, Yakusoku and Ludwig, watched with guilt beaten eyes. Again, Hakuo was telling them not to worry, but unlike calling someone on the phone and hearing them tell you that things are alright, don't worry… to have to see the damage first-hand, it sure isn't easy not to worry.

Downing his cup of water, he looks around. "Ya know, you'd both look less afraid of me if my head unscrewed and flew around the room, demanding to be addressed as Lucifer." Finishing the water, he adds. "Buck up or buck off, your choice," Hakuo laughed at their faces as they wondered if he heard himself say "buck" instead of "fuck". He did say it wrong on purpose to snap them out of it.

"So, aside from obtaining another piece of metal to remove at the airport, he nodded at the wedding ring on Ludwig's finger. "What else is new on the outside?"

"I'm still a chop boy, but I get paid more because now I can work the bar and make those alcoholic marinades."

"Nice! Ludwig?"

"I work at a music store selling instruments, sheet music or blank bars for composers," he felt embarrassed about it, although he loves it. But having to say it out loud made him uncomfortable, like he's being judged for not wanting more out of life.

"Yakusoku?"

"A barista. I was the number one brewer back home, but after we moved I'm back to working the ranks," he hadn't meant to shoot a glance at Gev because the sous chef is in the same position at his new workplace, but he shot the glance all the same.

"A barista? You like coffee that much?" Hakuo scrunched his nose up.

"It's my nonsexual lover."

Hakuo can understand that. He too has many obsessions, one of which is flesh and bone and looking quite delectable this day. Gev has a blue-gold hoop through his left eyebrow, he can see the stud on his tongue when he speaks, and his ten inches thick winter cover was testing Hakuo's limit to not shout "cute" like a child seeing a rabbit so much as exist.

Ever the dark presence, Gev is dressed in all black with metal accents. The Krenn teen imagined Gev opening his coat and there being a bright yellow shirt underneath it with a Tweety bird picture, that reads: bad old puddy tat. He smiled to himself to prevent laughter.

As the trio stayed a little while to catch up, he learned that they're now Londons, as it would make no sense taking either Ludwig's or Yakusoku's new or old last names. Hakuo was also given their new address along with an invite to visit at any time.

"I'm hungry," Ludwig said when checking his watch 40 minutes later since they'd arrived; as if his growling stomach wasn't enough indication that had to announce his state of being. "do you mind if we go get something to eat?"

'Ludwig, you're a God!' Hakuo beamed at him as Ludwig suddenly glowed with a bright light through the gray. 'Go Rudolf, guide Santa's sleigh!' He shrugged his shoulder. What does he care when or where they go?

"Bring me back a single pizza." Gev says.

Hakuo was wrong on two counts, Gev wasn't in all black, and the shirt he's wearing is camouflage brown and olive green, with a green thermal-insulated long sleeve underneath.

"Hakuo? Do you want anything?" Yakusoku asked as he exits the chair beside the bed.

"Pizza, huh? I guess an individual olives and mushrooms wouldn't be too much?"

"Not at all, we'll be back," Ludwig heads for the exit; Yakusoku follows.

When he's sure the coast is clear Gev snickered smugly. "Didn't expect to see them, did you?" The "protective cup" comment wasn't missed on his part.

"If we're being honest, no, it was a surprise. But as you'll be shocked to find out, I'm happy that you brought them along," patting Gev's shoulder, he adds. "to get them out of your system. Farewell tends to take a while when you've got a lot of history. And in the meantime, I can recover."

Gev smiled at him. "You're delusional, but on you it's cute. Because you're always delusional." He leaned over causing Hakuo inwardly catch his breath.

'In a perfect world, he would kiss me right now.' Thought Krenn.

Gev reached out and gripped the patient's chin, and with his thumb he brushed across his lower lip. Gev then kissed him though not long but sweetly. A flirtatious length of a 'mmua' style kiss. That fluttering length in between long and short.

Hakuo heard Angels singing. 'Holy shit, does it turn out that the world is perfect, but I'm the problem?' He wondered, based off of his earlier thought about getting kissed. "What was that for?"

Sitting slumped forward in the chair then slouched against the back, he replied. "For, somehow, being a healthy fucked-up."

"Oh." It was neither said sadly or with question. It was just a sort of response.

"No shitting on the invite; you really should come to our house someday."

"I will."

"Are you really gonna spring this joint in March?"

He nods. "Once the weather warms; they don't want me fresh out the grease then into the bitter cold for me to possibly relapse. Comas aren't easy to recover from; it really was lucky that my family didn't leave me lying like a mannequin."

It was then that Gev said the prettiest thing to him. "I'm looking forward to you."

Not 'it' his getting out, but 'him' the person.

He asked then. "What are you plans once you leave?"

Hakuo smiled cheekily and said. "To go to your house."

Gev scoffed and gave the dork a shove. Being able to be proper friends with Hakuo was going to be exhausting.

March 12th, 2019.

He's been given the all clear. Today, he's going home! It was a long road. It was riddled with pain of body, mind, spirit, and heart. He was drenched in sweat too many times as he pushed himself extra hard to cross the room, walk the hall, or even stand for ten minutes each day. Day-after-day. It was easy to bluff that it didn't hurt or exhaust him, but alone he allowed himself to crumple in - even if it was a little. And he would cry, or bitch right into his pillow to muffle his words; he spoke them aloud because he refused to keep them solely in his head. It made no sense to him to keep the bad things rattling around.

It can live up there, the bad thing. It can grow, and talk to you, touch you on the inside where even the most hardened person is soft. So the pillow took his sweet religion of finding ways to be alright, and that way was to let his problems out the front door where he doesn't have to know them anymore. But, some of them aren't always so quick or easy to evict. The Blue Devils. The Depression apartment complex houses few, but when it takes in a tenant they stay firmly planted with a lifelong lease. And why not? Making the building manager miserable is a paying job, they basically live there for free! Who'd give that up?

But, not even the open window gripes of the tenants can catch his attention today, as his mother wheels him towards the front door of the hospital towards freedom. The large revolving door greeted them like a sun bathed God. Hakuo could seriously have busted loose of the wheelchair to dash for freedom. He can't wait to feel the sun again after having been cooped up in the hospital the entire winter with little do outside of watching television, physical therapy, and being poked and prodded by doctors and nurses for his vitals and whatnot. He packed up his flowers, dressed in the clothing brought to him from home, then collapsed his weight into the wheelchair brought in by the nurse for his mother to wheel him out.

"It's still a bit nippy," Emiko says in a dry voice; she's just as happy to have her son coming home today, but she's caught a mild cold and it's drying her throat out. The anti-germ mask is at least keeping her from spreading the illness or worsening it.

"You think it would be alright if I get out of the chair and go all Willy Wonka style, ya know, taking shaky steps then flipping over into a tumble before I stand?"

"You do and I'll leave your goofy butt on the front entrance."

He chuckled at the thought of people coming in and out of the place thinking some random dead guy has been dropped off at the door, or maybe someone just barely made it to the hospital before blacking out, and anyone from the medical staff has yet to find him.

"Are you guys surprising me with a party?" He stands up when his father's car comes around the bend to prevent him and his mother from having to walk the lot.

There was a good chance his father has just been driving in circles until he saw them, it's next to impossible to get a space to park at the hospital. Emiko opened the door for him, helping him in a small way of holding the airspace at his back as he climbs into the warm car. And it feels so good! The heater refreshed its reach once the back door was shut. He greeted his father, who smiled at him with his eyes before asking if he was hungry or wanted anything special for dinner?

"I would, actually," he let him in on his craving for potato nachos with chicken and steak.

"It's been a while for that one," He's watching his wife return the wheelchair to the waiting nurse; the pair made a verbal exchange of some kind, then Emiko came back to the car and climbed inside.

"All set," she said once her seat belt snapped into place in it's chamber.

Being at home was just as he knew it would be. Everyone was there for him: Nathen, Mike, Wade, Alan, Tommy was missing but the celebrated young man wasn't going to cry about it. River and his family, Gev, Ludwig, and Yakusoku, Celes's friends - although he doesn't know them, he's sure the moral support is a good nod for kindness making progress in the world - even Robin Tenney from a few houses down; there was pizza from the local eatery Park's Pizza. One is dressed as he likes it with onions, sausage, pineapple, and black olives, and the winning food stuff a selection of tacos from Taco Bell. He was going to gorge himself! The banner made him smile. It read: Happy Well Party.

Music was put on for them to listen, dance, or sing along with. Celes was in charge, all pop-tunes; Gev and the guys must have wanted to jump from the second floor, or become mole people in order to drown it out. The parents are in the den conversing with each other. The celebrated young man just stood around taking it all in. It was a warm sort of feeling to be cared for this much and by so many people, even if they're barely acquainted. After everyone snuck over to him and wished him well, glad he's ok or awake, he was joined by River in the kitchen.

The older man gave him a big bear hug, swaying them back and forth as he held him close. Pulling away, he jokingly placed his hand over his head. "Look at you, you're finally man height."

Cocking his brow, he fired back. "And so are you!" He chopped him against the forehead. "Can you believe it? I grew two whole inches while I was out, tch, and they say eating your veggies helps you grow."

River nodded to agree it was a hopeless lie parents tell their children. "So, what do you think of my Toni, isn't she cute?"

Hakuo kind of wished her name was anything else, but he wouldn't allow that bad seed to dislodge a perfectly good name from the roster. It wouldn't do to instantly hate, or continually cut his eyes at anyone with the name like they're the reason it's bad.

"She's adorable. I can't wait for you to meet Elias. He'll make you want a boy."

"I do want a boy, but not until my baby girl is at least 15." He noted, but kept quiet that he somewhat knows Elias. Hakuo must have forgotten.

"15?! You're gonna give her that love mileage?"

"You know it; accident or not, she's my world." He looked into the living room for his world, and the mother of said world, who is truly the stars surrounding his planet.

"Are you and Hilary married?"

"We are," he nods. "It was a court thing. We wanted to hold off on the reception party until you could be there." He grinned sheepishly, his dimples sank his cheeks in so deeply it was like witnessing an excavation of the face.

"What if I never woke up?"

"Hey, that's life then."

Hakuo didn't know how he felt about having held up a good friend's life alterations when he didn't even know he was doing it. It seemed kind of cruel.

"Seriously, don't make that face." River hugged him again. "We took care of the part that matters; parties are just to relieve the tension of wanting to dig into each other right off."

"Oh, that's nice," he laughed.

Sinclair called. Hakuo video chatted with Elias - who got a heaping helping of 'Who are you' teasing. The kid is 6 now, and looks so much different from the button-nosed little four year old he once was. He was looking more like a Krenn on his mother's side, the Igarashis, with the sharpness of the nose, and the slight squint of the eyes. He missed him, more than he knew he would or could. And Elias promised he would come out to see him in person. Hakuo told him he'd like that.

As the party began to peter out, Hakuo found himself in the hall, the link between worlds of rooms occupied with people.

"Your parents have some dated snack choices," Gev said, upon finding Hakuo standing in the hall alone.

London, proper, has been hanging out with his husbands, then arguing to take over the music with Celes and so on; hooking his thumb beneath the stretchy band, he shows Hakuo what he meant by 'date' snacks as a candy necklace resides there.

Hakuo looked at the item, now snapped back against Gev's throat. He leaned towards him and gave an audible sniff.

Looking confused, Gev asked. "Do I stink?"

The goth almost toppled over from the sudden intrusion when Hakuo's tongue so softly brushed against his hot flesh to hook the band of candy as his thumb had earlier; it was soft and so warm almost cooling the hotter temperature of his neck, the dampness it left behind made his pulse quicken, moreso when he felt teeth just grazing the area as he chomps down to remove the candies from the string.

Hakuo backed away, chewing with a grimace on his face. "I know what you mean; I never cared for Sweet Tarts. They should change the candy type, it's been years now, switch it up."

Gev remained silent and shook by what happened; Hakuo's behaving like it was nothing didn't help it. Had he done that on purpose or impulse? Or was it nothing but a harmless little moment blown up because… well, fuck, no one's ever touched him in that way - not even Yakusoku or Ludwig, and he's kissed, touched, and shared love with them in all kinds of ways. But, that was almost mean. Who sneak attacks someone who's not looking?

"I'm going to the movies with Nathen this weekend," Hakuo is going on in his own little world, completely oblivious to the scoreboard he just left a mark on of 1-0 in the Krenn's favor. "We're gonna see..."

But, his words were all background noise. Ya know what...? Let him have this one. There won't be anymore, because, yeah duh, he finds him attractive This is not new information to his knowledge. He's even had a few nights of self gratification in Hakuo's name in the men's restroom at work - What? It gets boring when business slows down, and he gets a short break.

'He's trying to slant me; make me cheat on Yakuza and Ludwig so they divorce me,' He decided. 'It's a sick, sick game to play, Krenn. And you're not gonna break me.'

...

When the party broke up, Hakuo shakily walked up to his bedroom. He's been on his feet for too long.

His own bed. His home's familiar sounds. The smell of him is gone, it's gone from his body as well - Gev informed him of that during a visit to the hospital. He told him that he smelled like medicine and floor polish. Tomorrow he's going to wash in his own shower. No more nurses peeking in on him, cleaning him, or calling through the door even after they've instructed him where to stand, sit, and even how to clean himself in the handicap shower.

It was awful. Moving so slowly. Eating so carefully. Not being able to communicate as he'd like. He truly was grateful to his family for their care. It sped up the healing process, it wasn't even close to just his having determination, but a group effort.

Hakuo felt tears rolling down along the trace of his closed eyes. He's so thankful for all this. No more hearing how weird nurses are when they think no one is listening, as they talk about the patients. No more having to listen as they discussed whether or not they were going to Tony Diaz's funeral or not. How awkward it felt to suddenly turn their back on him, as they wondered what could have come over such a nice guy so suddenly? And they wondered, their voices in extra whisper mode what is so great about Hakuo?

It's funny, he often wondered that same thing himself. He knows why he's great to himself, but to others? He's at a loss.

'I'm such a screw up,' he berates himself. 'Everyone loves me so much and how do I repay it? I do my own thing and get fucked for it. I could have waited until I felt stronger; I just had to get it over with. And now two more years of my life were taken from my family and friend.'

He sniffed but it did no good, the tears just flowed free with more speed.

It was hitting him too fast. So much to catch up on. Reinstating in the academy, if they'll even take him. Finding an apartment will be impossible now that he has to pay for the medical bills, he can not leave the expenses on his parents. Just another unintended middle-finger at them. And if he can't get a place right now, that also screws over Nathen. The two of them intend to be roommates, to divide the expense so they can live comfortably. He's halted his progression in life as well!

'Oh crap!'

His body seemed to have a mind of its own; his fist bashed repeatedly at the mattress beneath him at his sides; his throat feels tight and dry; his skin burned, and the heat seemed to rush to his eyes, and they burned red in the white.

"No, no, no, no," his dry voice croaked before he began hyperventilating.

This isn't a panic attack. This exceeded that. This is a full-scale nervous breakdown.

His voice is gone so he can't cry audibly. His throat is tight so he can't breathe, It's like he's trying not to drown. But he is drowning. Sinking down into the deep.

X x X

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