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“Let me OUT!”
Ax growls as he slams himself against the bars of his cell for the fifth time in the last three hours. He HATED this. Like, yeah? He kinda deserved it? But also? ??? Come on guys, you can’t keep him here FOREVER. For once his normal state of apathy and disinterest has turned into pure, unbridled rage and… Fear? Is this fear? Is he feeling FEAR??? No.. Surly not..
He jumps at the sound of a piston door opening, and jumps back to his feet. A visitor? ...Oh it’s just Xisuma. He can’t help it- he lets out a half hearted snarl, slumping back down to the floor. He went to grab his helmet to hide his face, only to remember it had been confiscated. Great, now he had to actually face his problems.
“Apathy.”
Ax doesn’t look up. He doesn’t want to face Xisuma. Now that he’s had time to calm down and think about why he did what he did, he was.. Ashamed. Angry, scared.. And ashamed. Hot anger warms his face and he looks further away, choosing instead to stare at the granite wall beside him.
Xisuma sighs, opening the door of the cell. He half expected Ax to run out but, surprisingly he didn’t, He.. Didn’t even move. Which honestly worried him more than him escaping. X stands in the doorway for a bit, giving Ax a good five minutes of clearance- But still nothing. He leaves the door open behind him, and goes to sit next to Ax, who turns his head the other way so he’s not looking at him.
“Hey.”
No response.
“Apathy. Talk to me.”
“Why are you here, Xisuma?”
X pauses, a bit startled by the anxious pitch of Ax’s voice. This wasn’t the problem he expected, but it was one he could handle.
“..I wanted to check on you.. I know you like.. Tried to kill me. But.. I heard your banging and screaming. And I know how shitty it can be to be stuck in a situation that’s causing such anxiety. ...You’ve been slowly breaking down in here haven’t you, Apathy?”
Ax growls, turning to glare at him. He was so angry . Xisuma had locked him in here in the first place. Why did he fucking CARE ? ...And then, albeit by accident, he finally looked at Xisuma’s face.
“I know.. I’m the one who put you here. I know that’s why you don’t want to even look at me. But.. Why don’t you come home? There’s always a place for you in my base Ax…”
All the anger that had built up, all the hatred and rage,just.. Dissipated. He can feel tears stinging at the edges of his eyes, threatening to overflow. He bites down on the inside of his cheek, looking down and away at the floor again.
“Ax..?”
Apathy swallows hard, trying to force back the feeling of encroaching tears. He pulls his legs up to his chest, curling up around himself. He’s trying so hard to keep himself composed but he just… can’t. The floodgates break, and he buries his face in his arms, sobbing into his knees.
Xisuma hesitates for a moment, then scoots closer, wrapping an arm around Ax, gently rubbing his back.
“Hey, it’s okay..”
He tenses up a bit when the smaller male suddenly clings to him, but soon relaxes, holding him in a gentle, comforting embrace. Neither of the void boys say anything for a long while- The silence only broken by Apathy crying and the soft ‘its okay’s from Xisuma.
“Suma..?”
“Yeah Ax?”
“...Can we go home? I need out of here..”
“Yeah.. Let’s go home.”