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The medicine cabinet closed with a quiet bang . Yugamu sighed with satisfaction after filling and putting away the last pill bottle of the night. It had to be fairly late, he’s sure Sirei’s night-time announcement rang throughout the school a few hours ago.
“Ah, I'm becoming nocturnal aren't I?” In all honesty he wasn't tired at all, likely the fault of his little caffeine experiment earlier that morning. It's surprising the Revive-O-Matic wasn't used today, especially with how Gaku decided to help himself to a far larger dose than he would ever recommend. That was quite the crash to witness.
Yugamu leaned back onto the operating table, no one would realistically be awake at this hour. Getting sleep whenever you can was vital in war after all. He had a passing thought to wake someone up to tease them, maybe Gaku or Takumi (or Hiruko if he had a death wish), but they would probably spend the next morning at breakfast chewing him out. Not like that wouldn't be entertaining in its own right.
Ah right . Well there is someone who isn't cooped up in their room. Yugamu did a double check of the Bio Lab before flicking off the lights, closing the door behind him and making his way to the Courtyard.
Yugamu’s skin became hot as soon as the artificial humidity of the Courtyard hit him. He quickly adjusted his eye to the deep purple hue of the room, attempting to reflect the night. His vision locked onto the left side cage, the shadowy silhouette of a man sitting within it. With a smile, Yugamu swiftly made his way to the cage, careful to not give his presence away.
“Who’s there? Sumino-kun?” The man called out.
“Sorry to disappoint you cutie, but no.” Yugamu made his way up to the cage bars, pressing himself up against them.
“Omokage-kun?” Eito’s face twisted up in disgust, “Why did you decide to show your ugly mug here?”
“Ouch, how harsh,” Yugamu replied with no real conviction. “To be honest I'm rather… understimulated at the moment. I thought you would be a fun contender to tease, especially at this hour.” He studied every microexpression that flashed across Eito's face as he spoke.
“Go on?”
“I’d have to assume it's rather boring being cooped up in a cage for hours on end as well. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
Eito's eyebrows shot up in response. “Im surprised of all people you’d be dumb enough to think about letting me out Omokage-kun. Do you even have the key on you?”
Yugamu chuckled, “Of course I do, no lock or key is safe from a trained assassin.” He paused to give Eito an eerie smile. “There is a condition if you want to be let out though, you have to let me hold your hand the whole time.”
Any remnant of interest on Eito's face was instantly wiped. Seems the fun is over already.
“Well if my presence disgusts you that much I'll be on my way Aotsuki-kun~” Yugamu uttered in a sing-song way, turning his back to leave the Courtyard.
“ Wait- ” Yugamu turned around, surprised to hear a response. Eito's face looked truly pained as he continued, “I can't deny it would be nice to get out of this room for a few minutes… I’ll go with you.”
In that moment Yugamu couldn't help but feel ecstatic. He reached into his haori taking the key out, shoving it inside the lock in an instant.
Click
The cage doors opened up with a creak, Eito sat still in the middle of the cage, unmoving. Yugamu reached out his hand towards the boy.
“C'mon I don't bite, well unless you're into that sort of thing,” he said with a wink.
Eito looked around nervously, “give me a moment.” He popped open one of his hoodie pockets, pulling out an identical pair of gloves to the one he was already adorned with. Yugamu watched intensely as he slipped them on top of the existing pair. His hand slowly, and shakily making its way towards Yugamu’s, stopping just short of contact. They made eye contact with each other as Eito let out a ragged breath. He closed his eyes, finally interlocking his fingers with Yugamu’s.
Eito’s gloved hands felt much warmer and more plush then he was used to. Yugamu kind of wished he could feel the boy's bare skin, but he understood the difficulty that posed with his condition. Maybe one day.
Yugamu took a step back, slowly pulling the gray haired boy out with him. His other hand gripped the chest of his hoodie as he looked down to Yugamu. He almost forgot how much Eito towered over him.
How cute.
“How does it feel to be free Aotsuki-kun?”
Eito’s voice was strained, “honestly I feel like I'm going to vomit. I can feel your putrid nails through my gloves, your stench is almost unbearable, and your face looks so abhorrently ugly I feel shivers going down my spine.”
Yugamu doesn't quite know what to say to that, he doesn't think Eito would enjoy any of his usual quips of how he can make him shiver in other ways . So he opts to relax his grip, careful to angle his nails away from Eito's hand.
“We could go up to the roof if getting some fresh air will make you less nauseous, we just have to be careful of being caught by others.” Yugamu can feel a bit of drool fall from his mouth, “oh that makes it sound like we are having a passionate secret relationship.” Maybe he can’t help himself.
“ Ugh, you are truly disgusting.” Eito takes a small step away from Yugamu, but his grip doesn't falter. “Can’t we just walk outside on the battlefield if you’re so concerned about being caught.”
“Aotsuki-kun we both know you would try to use that opportunity to get away, maybe throw my body into the Undying Flames where the Revive-O-Matic can't reach me? I'd be honored to be killed by you, but maybe not in that way.”
Eito grimaced, “perhaps you are more attentive then I give you credit for.” Yugamu doesn't know if he's even capable of not being hyperaware of every little thing. It's been ingrained in him to never let his guard down ever since he could perceive the world around him. Maybe their vigilance was something they had in common.
“Well our time is limited here, shall we make our way up to the roof Omokage-kun?”
The chill of the early morning air was a very stark difference compared to the mild temperature of the Courtyard. They opted to walk on the outskirts of the rooftop near the railings. They both looked up to the various stars that littered the seemingly vast sky, partially obstructed by the Artificial Satellite.
“It feels quite romantic out here, doesn't it? Although I wouldn't try to throw my body over the railings, even if the mood permits it,” Yugamu jokes.
Eito looks down at Yugamu, ignoring his statement. “How can you even see well with that ugly eyepatch. Why do you even bother wearing it?”
“Never thought you'd take an interest in me, Aotsuki-kun! If you want an honest answer it's a little something left over from my assassin training, you never know when you'll be thrown into darkness, and having one eye covered just helps you adapt faster. Plus-” Yugamu pulls his eyepatch to the side, showing Eito his eye. “I like the way it puts people off.”
Eito brings his hand to his chin in a pensive pose, “That is… interesting. But doesn't wearing that eyepatch all the time disintegrate your vision? I suppose I can't be one to judge.”
“Oh? Why do you say that? What little secrets are you hiding Aotsuki-kun~”
Eito pauses for a moment, he looks torn if he should disclose the information or not before eventually speaking, "I'm wearing the wrong prescription for my glasses, the blur helps me bear slightly more with you hideous monsters.”
Yugamu hums, “That’s a smart way to deal with it. Although it must be hard to live with the condition you have, if you’re so willing to destroy your senses over it.”
Eito speaks in such a quiet whisper Yugamu almost doesn't catch it, “You don’t know what I would do.” He suddenly grabs his chest with a groan, “ Ugh I feel so nauseous, I don't think I can be in this close of proximity of your unsightly body for much longer, but-”
“You don't want to go back to your cage just yet?” Eito gave a hesitant nod in response.
Yugamu ponders his options for a moment, “we could go to my room if you'd like- hey don't make that face, im not trying to do anything with you. Well, unless you'd like to .”
Yugamu feels Eito physically shiver. “Absolutly not.” Yugamu could only chuckle as he began to lead Eito towards his trailer, faintly hearing other footsteps as they approached his room. Quick on his feet, Yugamu practically yanked Eito as he ran to his door, throwing it open and shoving the boy in. Right at that moment Kurara’s trailer door opened.
“What the fuck are you doing that you need to make that much racket?” Kurara questioned too loudly for the time of night it was.
“Hello Oosuzuki-san, what are you doing up at this time of night?” Yugamu began to slowly close his door, ignoring how Eito fell backward onto his ass when he shoved him in his room.
“I was gonna grab something to drink from the cafeteria cause I woke up with my throat feeling like sandpaper, what the hell are you doing?”
Yugamu knew the best way to get people to stop questioning him was to be the most off-putting version of himself. “I was about to take one of my much needed special walks, want to stick around to watch me strip? Having an audience just makes it more exciting~"
“Please tie yourself upside down to the railing and ritually kill yourself. That's the only way I will grace you with forgiveness for that abhorrent image.” With that Kurara began walking towards the stairwell door.
“I can find some throat coating medicine for you later Oosuzuki-san!” Yugamu yelled out, Kurara threw up her middle finger in response, disappearing to the lower floors.
As soon as Yugamu opened his door he was met with a pungent, rancid smell. He quickly b-lined to the bathroom, Eito hunched over the toilet heaving, with a noticeably pale face.
“Hey, are you alright?” Yugamu reached his hand out to try and comfort Eito.
“ Please … please just keep your distance for me.” Eito pleaded in a broken tone. Yugamu instantly retracted his hand, opting to sit on the edge of his bed instead. He observed as Eito cleaned himself up, washing his hands 6 times over till Yugamu swears he saw blood.
Maybe I could make something in the Bio Lab to help keep his hands from cracking. Would he also want a gentler soap, or some hand sanitizer?
Yugamus thoughts were interrupted as Eito sat on the couch across from him. “It is difficult.”
“Huh?”
“I don't like living like this, I mean I must as I was the one graced with these righteous eyes… but it's difficult.” Eito began to hug himself as he spoke, “It's isolating being the only thing like me here, constantly surrounded by you vile monsters who want to speak to me with your grating voices, trying to make friends with me. The audacity you all have is truly revolting.” He sighed, “but sometimes I can't help to wish I saw what you all saw, just for a moment, even if it's wrong to want.”
Yugamu didn’t dare to speak as Eito continued to monologue. “I know these eyes are a blessing , but sometimes it doesn't feel that way. I never could grow up normal. I never found comfort in my parents, or friends, or other people I should trust. In fact their very presence made me ill , that's why I killed them after all... But sometimes at night, I wonder what my life would be like without this so-called condition. Maybe I wouldn't live in so much fear all the time. But humans are too vile to truly want that.”
Yugamu hummed, “Well, It would be fascinating to poke and prod around your brain, find out what's wrong, but I don't think you’d like that.” Eito scowled in response. “Maybe we can brainstorm some accommodations? I'm sure I can cook up some medicine to help prevent you from getting constantly overstimulated. Or would you rather just talk it out?”
Eito slumped against the couch. “I don’t know, I don't know why I'm even bothering to speak to you. I hate you and your repugnant presence.” His voice didn't have any bite to it. Eito always had a somewhat intimidating aura to him, but now he just looked so tired.
Yugamu got up, walking to the bathroom to wet a hand towel with warm water before ringing the excess out. “You still have vomit on the side of your face.” He offered the towel to Eito but it was never taken, so he hesitantly brought it to the side of his face. If Eito had any protests he didn't air any of them. He rubbed the towel in circles, the boy practically melting into the feeling.
Is he touch starved?
Yugamu continued to rub soothing circles into Eito’s cheek from under the towel as he spoke. “You probably won't like what I have to say but I kind of get it, at least the stolen childhood and struggling to belong, you know?” He chucked, “and the killing too, but I think that's well known.” Eito stayed silent, his eyes half-lidded. “I had high expectations to be an assassin like the rest of my family, my autonomy forcibly ripped from my grasp before I was even taught the concept of it. I try not to show it but I'm always on edge, I struggle to show my sincerity in ways people get . I forced myself to develop pleasure from torture because its all I endured in my formative years in the name of training.” He couldn't stop from letting it all spill out, “I was some freak lab rat for my family, and honestly I barely feel human. I think I'm addicted to how you talk down to me because at least someone sees me as a person… Sometimes I wish I grew up differently as well.”
Eito’s eyes were wide, the lavender burning into Yugamu’s gaze. “Sorry, my voice is probably hurting y-” Yugamu was pulled forward in an instant, he couldn't even process that Eito was kissing him before he was practically thrown to the ground. Eito ran to the bathroom, the sound of aggressive retching filling the room. Yugamu was completely frozen… he did not expect that.
A few minutes passed before Eito exited the room, looking like absolute death . Yugamu couldn't help but tease him, “You know Aotsuki-kun, if you wanted me to touch you again you don't need to get vomit all over yourself, you can just ask. I’d even be willing to touch you elsewhere if you ask nice enough.”
“Must you always talk like that? You might be one of the most grotesque people here,” Eito quipped with a slightly more playful tone. “I think the morning announcements are gonna come on soon, so I should probably return to my cage before anyone notices.”
Eito made his way towards the door, holding out his hand. Yugamu stared at it for a moment. “Well? You said if we walked outside I must be holding your hand.” Yugamu couldn't help but smile before intertwining their fingers.
He might be the cutest person here.