Summary
- "If you marry me
Would you burry me?
Would you carry me to the end?"
~To The End by My Chemical Romance
- The way it bounds you to it, making sure you don't escape, taking precautions so you don't dare to call out for help. As the darkness surrounds you, until its so dark you can't see and until it's so cold you can't breathe due to the thin air, that's how you know what I'm feeling. Being a caged bird, or a bird with clipped wings, however you put it, I will never be free. Not as long as I am bounded to him, and he to me.
- Kei works at the asylum just at the edge of the woods close to the city. He's tall, has amazing blonde hair, and he has an amazing build, born with looks to charm just about anything. Wilkshire is where all the lunatics who can't be cured are sent, and it gets boring when you have to hear the constant moans of the mushed brained patients and the protests that are heard from those who still cherish what little sanity they have left.
After yet another doctor quits, Kei is tasked with taking over until a new replacement is found. Unfortunately for him, he's stuck with the most mentally sick patient in the institute, Tadashi Yamaguchi. The first time they meet, Kei can't help but wonder what a nice boy like him could be doing in his own personnel Hell, but after a small lashing incident, Kei can't help but shake him out of his mind.
Maybe it was the way he looked at him with beautiful dark eyes, or maybe the sweet way he spoke in, either way, he left an impression on Kei, and maybe this small obsession could take over his life.
Prologue:
"Going home soon?" Kei looked up from the scattered papers on his desk, adjusting his glasses and blinking away the sleep from his eyes. He looked up at the person who had spoken to him and sighed.
"In an hour or so, I still have to finish this paperwork that's been piling up," Kei groaned as he leaned back into his comfortable office chair. He hadn't been aware of the time until Sugawara had snapped him from his daze, and now as he looked out the window Kei realized how late it was.
"Things have been getting hectic ever since Patient A-0 showed up, hasn't it?" Sugawara exaggerated a sigh before looking over Kei's shoulder, trying to make sense of the messy ink that was smeared all over the old and expensive parchment paper.
The only light in the room was from an old and raggedy lamp in the corner opposite of them, giving off a dim and soft yellow glow. The light of the lamp wasn't enough to reach the desk, it was common knowledge to Kei, so that explained the burning candle besides his assortment of fountain and dip pens.
"I don't understand why you don't just buy a new lamp. In fact, you should, you're just wasting perfectly good candles." Kei shrugged off Sugawara's observation, not paying much attention to what he was saying. "Did you hear me? I said you should get a new lamp for your office."
"Don't have the time," Kei muttered as he dipped his pen in the ink bottle next to the stack of papers. He wasn't paying any mind to what Sugawara was saying as it had become a habit for him to come into Kei's office just before he left home.
"What are you even working on? Did someone else give up on A-0?" It was very common for a doctor to suddenly drop a patient, especially if it had to do with the their newest addition of misfits.
"No, we're just getting a new transfer, again," Kei yawned as he handed the paper he had just been reading over to the other male.
Sugawara skimmed through it before sighing and setting it back down on the oak desk. "It's the third transfer from Bridgewood this month, what's going on down there anyways?"
"Beats me, in the end it's just more paperwork for me," Kei groaned, earning a small but modest laugh from the ashen haired boy.
"Stoneridge is probably going to make us send someone to check up on them," he yawned.
"I wish they'd lay off of us, we get stuck with their rejects after all." Kei wasn't too fond of his job, but as long as it paid his bills he was fine with it. He usually stayed long before everyone else had left, stuck reading over important papers and signing documents, and was always the last one to arrive. No one blamed him though, not when they themselves wished they had the courage to come in late like he did.
"What's left to do with the paperwork?" The shorter male piped up as he saw Kei make some marks on the documents with his lavish pen.
"Just have to sign the transfer papers and read over their profiles." It was usual for Kei to do so. Every night he'd stay in his office and read over the patient's profiles and their ranking. Wilkshire was in charge of the more troubling asylum patients, tasked with not curing them, but containing them in cells everyday so they weren't a menace to society. It wasn't very humane, but it was Stoneridge and Bridgewood's last resort.
"Want me to wait for you?" Sugawara prompted, hands digging into the pockets of his black winter coat.
"You can go on ahead, I'll probably take a while," he waved him off, returning his attention back to the scattered papers.
"I don't mind. It looks like you don't have much to read through," Sugawara smiled at him. Kei groaned in defeat and waved the smaller male to the chair. Suga's smile of triumph relieved a bit of the tension in the room that remained from what had happened hours ago, and Kei was grateful that his coworker had stayed.
Almost half an hour passed before Kei declared himself done with his paperwork. By that time Suga was trying his best not to sleep in the comfortable chair. The clatter of Kei's pen hitting the hardwood floor boards woke up the ashen haired boy, stretching his limbs and trying to speak through yawns Suga stood up.
"What time is it?" Sugawara asked dreamily as he rubbed his eyes slightly and straightened out his posture.
"Almost half past eleven. Sugawara-san, you're not used to staying this late, are you?" Kei asked to at least show the least bit of concern to his friend who had offered up his time to keep him company this late at night.
Sugawara laughed lightly and shook his head. "No, I usually go home two hours before you do, but tonight I was stuck doing my own stack of paperwork," he explained to the younger blond. Said male nodded his head in understanding and organized the papers in their respective folders.
"It seems we're stuck doing everyone else's shitty reports and paperwork," Kei complained as he organized the pens on his desk. It was sort of true since both Kei and Sugawara were at a higher position than the rest. Of course it meant everyone would want to drop off their respective documents at their feet and beg them to do it. They were already on thin ice with Stoneridge, and employees who lacked interest in doing their jobs weren't ideal. If Kei wasn't trying to prove a point to the snobs at Stoneridge, he wouldn't care about the amount of pressure every one of his subordinates was putting on him. In fact he'd probably just shove off his work onto someone else if he felt like it.
"I guess," Suga sighed. He looked over at Kei organizing his briefcase, looking through a few of the papers on his desk and deciding which he would take home to read over while he had dinner.
When Kei finished, the both of them stalked out of Kei's office and down the asylum's dark hallway. They were used to the flickering and old lights that barely illuminated the place, finding their way by keeping their hands on the wall at all times. Both them didn't know why Stoneridge didn't just send someone to fix the lighting, after having done so many favors for them they still pretended like they were above those at Wilkshire.
"My car's that way," Kei muttered as they stepped out of the building.
"Oh okay, see you tomorrow, Tsukishima," Suga waved at the blond, starting to walk away the opposite of where Kei intended to go when the taller boy stopped him.
"You walk home don't you?" Kei asked when he saw the look of surprise Sugawara displayed on his pale skin.
"Yeah, I walk to the nearest bus stop and take the bus home," he smiled.
"I can give you a ride if you want, it's almost midnight. It's dangerous to walk at night, especially around here," Kei insisted, wanting to at least make up for making Sugawara stay a little longer than usual.
"No, it's fine. I don't want to trouble you," he smiled to reassure him.
"I insist, Sugawara-san. I feel at fault for keeping you this late." With a small laugh, Suga finally accepted and both males walked down the pathway that led to the parking lot. The only cars there were those of the security guards who were on the night shift and Kei's 1965 Buick Riviera. It was a model that he had bought a few years ago, the engine was good and the headlights weren't busted like the other car he had seen. It had been a good price, and so far his car hadn't had any problems.
Kei unlocked the door for Suga and started up the engine as soon as Sugawara had taken a seat.
"It's almost a ten minute drive to the city, how do you manage to walk this late at night without getting mugged? Kei asked as he drove down the isolated road.
"It's not that bad around here." It was a lie the doctors at Wilkshire told themselves to get rid of their worries. Every patient at the asylum had no chance of full recovery, the only sort of activity that could be classified as "curing" them was the daily check ups on their health and sanity levels.
"I guess." The rest of the ride was just conversation fillers as Suga tried to strike up a chat. They passed by many trees that shielded the moonlight. Kei was thankful that his headlights weren't busted like a car of the same model that was owned by one of his colleagues.
At the sight of the first street lamp and the city limit sign, Sugawara asked to be dropped off at the nearest bus stop.
"Are you sure? It isn't much of a bother to just drive you home," Kei declared.
"I'm really thankful for the ride out here, but I don't want to be too much of a bother. You can drop me off at the corner over there," Sugawara thanked him as he pointed to the corner where a small shop was placed. It was like a crafts store by the looks of it, and right next to it was a flower shop. Kei passed the neighborhood on his way to and from work, so it wasn't any surprise to see the rest of the small shops, especially the ironic placing of the tattoo parlor next door to the flower shop.
"You aren't of any bother at all, Sugawara-san," Kein insisted but this time Sugawara didn't let himself be pushed over.
"It's fine, I'm fairly certain that the bus will be here in a few minutes." Kei sighed in defeat and stopped right at the corner he had been told to halt at. Suga unlocked the door and smiled at Kei. "Thank you for the ride. Have a good night Tsukishima." And with that he lightly closed the door to the 1965 Buick Riviera. He waved to the taller blond before Kei drove away.
It was already midnight, and not many restaurants were open, not if you included the bars that is, but Kei didn't feel like getting hungover, he never did. It would be instant ramen again, the third night that week, and he was slowly growing tired of it. He wondered for a second why he had even bought instant ramen, but quickly remembered that it was quick and easy to cook, not to mention the cheap amount it was priced at.
Turning off the engine and stepping out the car, Kei mentally sighed at the thought that he would actually have to come in early to work. Contrary to what he had told Sugawara, another doctor had indeed resigned and it was Kei's job to look after their patient. He didn't blame the doctor for leaving though, he actually envied her for being able to just pack her things and leave without any worries.
He walked into the elevator and pressed the button with the "15" on it. The apartment complex had many stories, and it wasn't like the rent was cheap or anything, but with the amount of money Kei was earning a week, he could easily afford a number of different luxuries excluding the lavish apartment.
He hated his neighbors, most of them boring people and rich snobs who liked to boast about their social lives. One neighbor in particular was the one next door to his apartment, the one who threw parties every Friday night with booze and loud music, and when the party had sort of died down he would hear sounds that irked him and chilled him to the bone. He had noticed that recently his neighbor had been inviting over a small blond, and as Kei stalked out of the elevator and to his door, he spied the little blond standing at the door way.
He stared at him, and Kei glared back as he dug in his pocket for the key to the apartment. "How long do you intend on standing out here?" Kei asked as his hand finally grasped the key that had somehow gotten lost in the pocket of his cream colored coat.
"I've been waiting here since six and he still hasn't showed up." The way the blond spoke made Kei cringe a little, but he quickly dismissed the second of uncomfortableness as he raised an eyebrow to question why the hell his neighbor had not been home in hours.
"He's probably fooling around with people, I wouldn't wait any longer if I was you. He's a lost cause," Kei muttered.
The small boy sighed in defeat and shrugged. "I know, but I don't have the key to the apartment."
"You're his roommate?" This conversation had started to interest Kei a little bit. The boy didn't seem like the rest of the people who lived in the complex, in fact he seemed like a normal person apart for the tone he talked in that made him seem like he had no interest for whatever was going on.
He nodded and said, "I'm Kenma."
"Tsukishima," Kei offered. Kenma nodded in acceptance and directed his gaze back to the door. "I still wouldn't waste my time on him, throwing parties every party and making me buy ear plugs."
"I work extra late on Fridays to avoid his 'social gatherings' as he calls them," Kenma sighed.
"At least you can leave. I have work early in the morning but usually I can't sleep because he's playing loud music."
"It's why I avoid even coming home." Kei nodded in understanding and unlocked his door.
"Well, goodnight Kenma," he said as he turned the brass knob and opened his door. Kenma hummed a farewell and Kei closed the door, dropping the briefcase as soon as he set foot inside. He made his way to his kitchen and started to prepare his dinner.
"I don't look forward to Stoneridge's visit tomorrow," he muttered as he turned on his stove to warm up the water.
A/N: Hi! I want to thank you for giving this story a chance! I am in love with any Asylum! Au and I just live for them, so I wanted to try a Tsukkiyama fic. This probably won't be based off of pure romance, so you really shouldn't expect much of that, but I really do hope you enjoy. Also, let's just say I published this on the 14th since that's my birthday and all.
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