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Spinning spinning spinning. The feeling of his skin tearing, his insides melting. The sickening laughter of the bear, the shrill scream that broke through his lungs.And then there Mondo was, staring up at a white ceiling. Every muscle in his body ached and screamed, still burning inside of him. He let out a hoarse groan, the ache only worsened by the headache as the memories leaked back in-Ishimaru screaming, begging for it to stop, take him, God just take him instead-His eyes shot open, darting around as he heaved for air. Where was he, where was- He forced his arms behind to push himself back up, ignoring the surge of pain that ran through his body. Immediately however, two small hands pushed against his chest, forcing him onto his back. He thrashed for a moment, a yell of fury leaving his throat before being caught as he realised who it was.“Chihiro…” He muttered, looking up at shock at the boy. Guilt began to cling at his heart, remembering what he’d done- He’d killed him, he had slaughtered him-Any apology was quickly cut off by the much smaller boy clinging to his shirt, crying.“Mondo- You’re awake- Thank God, I-I was so worried, w-we were beginning to think you wouldn’t wake up!” He sobbed happily. The biker gang leader was incredibly confused, unsure what to do. But nevertheless he wrapped a strong arm around his petite form, hoping it would comfort him in some way.“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry- It was wrong of me to try and push you like that, I-”“What the fuck’re you apologising kid? I should be the one saying sorry, I cracked your goddamn head open for fucks sake… All cause I was too scared-” He cut him off, his voice quiet.“No, no please don’t be- I know it was an accident, y-you were- you were- God, I’m just so happy you’re alive!” The programmer's grip tightened and Mondo let out a wince, patting his back. The boy sobbed his heart out, Mondo doing what he could to help (and not be crushed to death).It was only several moments later, when Chihiro’s tears had stopped; his grip loosened, Mondo finally asked the looming question.“Chihiro… How are we alive…?” He asked quietly. The programmer’s green eyes looked down as he sighed, before looking back up.“I don’t know… The whole story, but I’ll tell you what they told me…” He started, sitting back down in the chair resting beside his bed. The story went that the whole game- It shouldn’t even be called that, more a brutal slaughtering- Had all in reality been, well, a virtual reality. And it was all set up by one woman, the woman who had destroyed the world and sent it flying into despair, their beloved classmate, Junko Enoshima. She had essentially forced the entire class into the game. It was not known how this was done- A threat to their families, a false promise that she would stop her madness- the reason didn’t matter however, the sixteen students were still forced into a literal game of murder and betrayal.But they didn’t die. Not him or Chihiro, or Leon or Maizono- Not the following victims and killers either. Simply placed into a coma. Now the ‘Future Foundation’ as their oh so great heroes had called themselves, now knew they would most likely all awaken from.“Is… Any of that coming back to you…? Chihiro asked, fiddling with his thumbs. Slowly, the memories returned- though they were faded and he struggled to get a firm grip on them, the little things he could remember matched up with the story given.“Yeah… But, I got one other question…” Something else came back. Ishimaru sitting next to him… The flush that covered his cheeks as he reached up… The soft feeling of warm lips against his own, before the raven haired hall monitor ran off yelling apologies-“... Where’s Kiyotaka?”
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For the first time in his life, Mondo was absolutely speechless when he entered the hospital room down the hall from his. Chihiro had at first tried to avoid answering the question, but after Mondo asked twice more, his anxiety only increasing with every change of topic, he eventually helped him off his feet down the hall. And here he was, standing frozen in place… Over Kiyotaka’s comatose body.The room was silent, only the faint beep of a heart monitor interrupting it. Kiyotaka laid pale in the bed, eyes, once filled with life now shut tightly, lips once full of warmth- a warmth he had briefly felt in that single second of peace, where the despair outside didn’t matter, it was just him and Kiyotaka, together- Now cold and sealed shut.Mondo’s legs moved on his own, his hand wrapping tightly around his smaller one. He scowled, beginning to tremble in fury.“Who did this...?” He whispered. Chihiro looked up, asking him to repeat himself.“Who. Did. This?” He repeated, gritting his teeth and his grip tightened on his Kiyotaka’s hand. Immediately Chihiro gulped, looking down at his feet as he stuttered and stammered for an answer.“They… They wouldn’t tell me, all they said it that they were found and executed…” He whispered, sensing his rage. It did nothing to soothe or calm him, but the following silence showed he wouldn’t push the unfortunate boy anymore for answers.“Do… Do you want a moment alone…?” Chihiro asked, and after a quick nod he left the room, closing the door behind him.Mondo sat down on the chair placed by his bed, looking over the smaller man. Where had all that shouting, over rules and how they must abide them, his bursting energy, his bright and beautiful proud smile, the smile he had grown to absolutely adore- Where had all of it gone?His eyes moved down to the lips, remembering the warmth. He sighed, squeezing Kiyotaka’s palm gently.“Y’didn’t even let me answer you, idiot…” He muttered.
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It had been six months since Mondo had awoken in a tiny hospital room. Six months since he had found himself alive after being essentially liquidised (into butter, according to his classmates) and discovered it was all some cruel virtual game held by a crazy bitch that caused the apocalypse. Six months since he had discovered his best friend, the man he would die for over and over as long as he was safe and happy, had shortly after been murdered.The others refused to say who this sick fuck that had cracked open his head was- and maybe they were right in doing so. Mondo knew for a fact he would strangled them then and there, or maybe crack their head open like they had done to him- But planning vengeance for a murder that didn’t actually happen wouldn’t do anything. It wouldn’t help anyone, and it certainly wouldn’t wake up Kiyotaka.So for six months, Mondo Oowada simply sat by his bed and waited. Sometimes he’d tell him how things were going, like when Hifumi and Celeste both woke up miraculously on the same day, but then proceeded to avoid Mondo like the plague. He had his suspicions, but like he had told Kiyotaka one day he wouldn’t act on them, that would only upset ya, wouldn’t it Taka? Other times however, he simply watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, listened to his soft breathing. He would imagine a world where the apocalypse never happened, and that Kiyotaka was only sleeping. He would shoot up at any minute, shout how it was a beautiful morning and drag Mondo by his ear to class. Other days however, he would remember that day. Every tiny little detail, like how his face immediately turned pink. Or how the moon from the night sky reflected against those burning red eyes. How soft his lips were. How his hands clung to his shirt… Every miniscule detail meant more than any world to Mondo, apocalypse or no apocalypse. And every detail tore at his heart.Mondo didn’t leave his room for hours on end. Most nights, he would stay there until Chihiro came in only to find him passed out, still holding his hand. As a matter of fact, Chihiro was the only person he talked to really any more. When he wasn’t helping the Future Foundation out with this new project of theirs, he joined Mondo. They exchanged quiet words, majority of the time apologies for things that had long since been over with. Mondo knew however he had hurt him, and did everything in his power to make it up to him and Ishimaru for causing them both such heart-ache. But in the end it didn’t matter.Kiyotaka was still sleeping. Mondo was still waiting.Just like he was today, as he had every day. He stood by his side, giving a rare gentle smile as he took hold of his hand.“Hey Kiyo… Sorry for fallin’ asleep on your chest last night again, don’t worry, Chihiro’s already given me a massive hounding for it. Things have been goin’ okay, Oogami woke up- Chick that looks like a dude? Aoi wouldn’t stop squealing and huggin’ her…” He spoke softly, catching him up on everything that had happened.“Y’know, even though it was dumb, I couldn’t help but think what’d I be like if you ever woke up… I’d probably end up crushing you in my arms, and then you’d shout about how this wasn’t appropriate for a ‘hospital enviroment’ or some bullshit like that…” He chuckled, thinking back to those innocent days. When Mondo saw Kiyotaka as nothing but a hardass, and Kiyotaka saw Mondo as a disrespectful delinquent. And then came the days after, days filled with laughter and hope before all of the despair.“... I miss you, a lot… I wish I had done somethin’ more for you… I wish I had given you an answer that day, before we, y’know…” He blinked rapidly, forcing those tears away.“I woulda told you… That I loved you, more than anything else in the world… I would've kissed you back, I would’ve-... I would’ve promised you that we would make it through this messed up bullshit, together…” He gritted his teeth, a tear falling down his cheek.“God I- I miss you so much…” He wept silently, looking down to the floor as his tears flowed freely. For a moment, he found himself overwhelmed with grief, stuck in a never-ending spiral of despair. He was gone, gone, gone, gone, he wasn’t coming back, he wasn’t going to wake up, he wasn’t, he wasn’t, he wasn’t-But then there was a quiet groan. And purple snapped up to meet red.“M-M… Mon… do…”His arms were around him instantly, cradling him in his arms as a wide smile spread across his face.The hall monitor joined in him in his tears, trembling as I clutched onto him.“I was so- so scared Mondo- I thought I was going to lose you, I thought, I, I…”“I know, m’here, m’here…” He repeated over and over, rocking him back and forth in his arms. They cried their hearts out together, smiling in relief at the fact they were finally safe, finally together.After what felt like an eternity, Mondo pulled away to look down at Kiyotaka, wiping away a lingering tear from his cheek- That bright smile, the smile that made him feel like everything was going to be okay.This time, Mondo was the one that kissed him. And this time, it was returned full-heatedly.For that brief moment, nothing else mattered. Not the apocalypse or the remnants, the future foundation, the following questions- Nothing. It was just them, together, finally. And that was all.
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Thank you for reading!