3:30h.

Kenji stared at the screen of his computer blankly, a faint scowl of irritation sweeping his dark features. His cobalt gaze washed into the corners of the filthy apartment, still dismal and dim despite all attempts to brighten it. He smirked softly, a gentle amusement slipping over his lips at the sight of Max, sprawled asleep and snoring quietly on the freshly made mattress, drug out into the center of the room.

Max whimpered on the makeshift bed, and rolled over, tossing in fiery discontent with whatever demons lightened his dreamscape. Kenji's gaze crashed down upon the shore of his roommate's sleep, and peered curiously at the twisting boy. The figure moaned softly, then Max's eyes flickered widely, and he sat up, a hoarse, muffled scream escaping the cool hand sudden over his lips.

Max glanced about, terrified, and scampered backwards on the mattress frantically upon blearily sighting Kenji's concerned figure. All he seemed to note was masculinity, and that was enough to send Max into a spiral of fear.

Kenji looked blankly at his companion, surprised at the sudden reaction that left Max huddling on the corner of the mattress, knees clutched feverishly to his chest. Max blinked, then his shoulders slumped, and he looked up at Kenji, and slowly crawled over, his face ablaze.

"Nightmare," the scrawny youth sniffled, fitting himself into Kenji's arms tiredly. Kenji frowned, and slid back, lifting Max's chin to look into his flaring green visage. Max's exhausted expression begged him not to, but it was burning him up, and Kenji couldn't stand seeing him so. No, Max, you need this; Kenji firmed himself, and slid a hand through Max's loose hair, cupping his skull so he couldn't turn away.

"What was the nightmare about?" Kenji asked softly, the waves in his eyes requesting the same of the entire night. Max's eyes widened, almost watering, face clutched within Kenji's hands so he couldn't turn away from the Asian youth, and couldn't thus dance about the question.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Max whispered urgently, meeting Kenji's ocean eyes, his own fiery gaze beseeching and pleading with him not to ask again, to let sleep and dream. Only then perhaps could he escape the memories, from the awful screaming dream that was somehow entirely silent to him, empty cries echoing still in the firelight of his mind. Kenji just stared back, unable to break the eye contact between bloodshot flaring green and steadfast cobalt blue.

"You suck, Kenji. I had a bad dream, okay? Can't I just go back to sleep?" Max whined, the childish sound harsh from his tinder-dry throat. Kenji's calm logic would not be swayed by his flaring evasions and they knew it both.

"No, you've been going back to sleep forever. You need to talk about this, just as much as you say you don't," Kenji replied coolly. Max pouted, and Kenji dropped his hands to Max's shoulders.

"It was a memory. You'll hate me if I tell you, I don't want to tell you. You won't think I'm pure anymore," Max mumbled, aiming flames at the mattress's stained cover. Kenji arched a liquid eyebrow, not quite understanding. Max seized upon an opportunity with distaste for the tactic, and yelped.

"Why the hell does this have to be so filthy? Ugh, it's dirty!" Max gestured to the suddenly vile mattress. Kenji shook his head, his green hair swirling in tired soft waves. Max sneered at himself, dropping his gaze to the pale insult again, his fire tossed at distraction extinguished.

"Tell me. I refuse to hate you," Kenji met Max's flames with icy strength of his own, demanding that the dream, whatever it might be, be told. Yeah, you say that now, but ya won't love me either, Max snarled in the hell of his thoughts, tiny flames licking at his damnation.

"Fine, I was dreaming of my childhood," Max sulked, blurting out briefly before retreating and curling his knees to his chest, despite Kenji's soft hands on his tense shoulders. Please, don't make me continue, take that and drop it, Max pleaded to whatever gods he believed in, a swelling of fear and despair burning brightly into his chest.

"What was so bad about when you were a kid?" Kenji mused aloud, his eyes dropping uncomfortably to gaze at Max's hunched shoulder. Max fixed him with a furious glare, and stammered in flaring fear, "You won't understand." Kenji raised one delicately plucked eyebrow in cool disbelief.

"Fine! You won't leave me alone unless I tell you, will you?" Max yelped, shoving Kenji off, and scampering backwards to put a fair distance between him and his fellow student. Kenji's eyes poured in hurt, but he didn't protest the sudden movement, seemingly comprehending the need for space between the fires of Max's temper and his own frozen fears. Max dropped his eyes between his knees, blinking an acid tear away, but it fell down his cheek nonetheless. Kenji's eyes widened in fear at the glistening droplet of anguish.

"My childhood...I was raped, Kenji. Repeatedly, by my neighbor. I was dreaming of him, okay? It wasn't pleasant, I didn't like it...you probably think I'm a faggot or something," Max sniffled, crumpling in his own blaze of disgust before Kenji's silent gaze Kenji's lips opened, his watering eyes infinitely sorrowed on behalf of the American student. He was speared by a sneer from his companion, who jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms about his thin chest.

"You don't understand," Max stammered, his voice hoarse and without inflection. Kenji stood gracefully and shook his head, reaching out to Max and beginning to speak. Max interrupted, his temper exploding. Hot burning tears streaked down his face, leaving trails of agony and hurt, aimed at Kenji but failing him, then at Max's fiery self.

"You couldn't understand, you can't! Why did you make me tell you! Why?" Max yelled, dodging Kenji's arm deftly, and darting past him to the door. Kenji cried after him, his deep voice unable to quench the fire of anguish in his companion with all the seas on the planet, "No, Max! I understand, come back!" Max grimaced, hating himself with fiery passion, and escaped the room. He slammed the door in the inferno of his hatred, trying to dissuade Kenji's pursuit, as the beautiful ocean-eyed youth would surely try to follow him. A shatter of glass accompanied his ashen wake. Kenji chased after him, hoping that he wouldn't do anything in his blazing pain.

Kenji let light flood the bathroom, having smashed the door to pieces. Shards lay upon the floor, shattered glass echoing glints of firelight in painful prisms. Max was gone.

Kenji slumped to the floor, melting into sobs.

Owari.

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