Only Love Can Hurt Like This || @xhaisevc
Although the lights had returned and power was restored, his mental health was still in shambles. He still sat, crouched beneath his and Kaiâs shared desk. His head laid across his knees as he kept his legs pulled to his chest. Slowly, he rocked back and forth as tears continued to trickle down his freckles cheeks. Being alone was probably the worst thing for him, right now.  Heâd tried to call his brother to at least talk to the person he was the closest to. But the time difference wasnât in their favor, tonight. He knew his brother was probably passed out after a drunken night.Â
He tossed his phone, not even realizing the power heâd put behind the throw. The expensive phone hit the way with a bang before clattering to the floor. He knew without looking that heâd broken it. Although he was a gentle man, he often forgot that the Gumiho in him wasnât. It was a Monster with power and rage that he kept inside. Heâd had many things happen to him that could have forced the monster to the surface. And maybe if he let it out every once in a while, maybe, he wouldnât find himself huddled beneath a desk, crying and craving Malachiâs touch.Â
His arms tightened around his legs as his cries shook through his small frame. It was times like this that made him remember that he wasnât better and that he only pretended to be. All of the videos of him smiling and chatting with subscribers, these past months, it all felt like a mask, when his shit finally caught up to him. More times than heâd like to admit, he found himself talking longer showers because he could sit and cry without anyone knowing. Or the days when he told himself that heâd clean or go out but he found himself sitting in bed afraid to leave the confines of his blanket. The sound of the door opening and shutting fell on deaf ears as Ashton found himself lost in thoughts of anxiety.
He let off an annoyed huff as he an his team scrambled to get back the progress they lost when the power had gone down. Heâd been in the middle of editing code from a new game that would be a transfer from indie into a main, three part anthology now being picked up for console. It was already a grueling task as he the otherâs in his body tried to adhere to the guidelines set by the original creator, not wanting to damage the integrity of their beloved game that had been the subject of buzzing news in the gaming community so long.Â
They would be working past quitting time he was sure of it, he and the other four being the most particular developers in their branch, not wanting to return the next day to back track and still try to meet their daily deadline.Â
Far to engrossed with picking up the pieces he was unaware of the chaos that had been ensuing around them, the company had sent a majority of people home due to the outage while otherâs left to be with kids and family as soon as theyâd hit the fifteen minute mark without power. It wasnât until his phone had been nearing the last ring that heâd picked up initially, recognizing Ashtonâs nickname and face on his screen. Before he could fully release his âHelloâ, the quiet sniffles and sobs of the foxes had him packing up his things before he could even explain whatâs wrong.
âIâll be home soon.â He said simply, not needing much more than that, and before he could be stopped and briefed on what exactly had happened, he was holding his tie as he jogged out the door.Â
Suddenly the bus ride was much too long, and he was all but running to their shared apartment, fumbling anxiously with the keys to get in the door. He tossed his laptop case and keys to the side, calling for Ashton through out the dimly lit space. âAsh?â Malachi asked, peering into their bedroom, and then bathroom with no sign of him.
âAshton.â His tone was more stern now, nervously racking his brain on why heâd been upset and why he hadnât been answering. His last result landed on their shared office, the ghoul pushing the door open to find his gumiho cowering underneath the desk. âBaby...what happened? And come out from there. Iâm here its fine.â His phone had begun to buzz and Malachi for once decided to ignore it completely.













