Playlist: miserable. (a sad lofi mix)

A/N: This chapter contains content that might be triggering to those who read it. Viewer discretion is advised. 

. . .

He turned around to see the one and only. 

Ein.

He took a step back, he wasn't here, it was just him. Ein smiled at him pulling out a pocket knife extending the blade. "I never thought we'd see each other again, but it seems like we won't see each other for a long while, or actually, never again." He held the pocket knife out. "You know you want to, just grab it and do it."

Ein handed him a pocket knife, the blade extended. "You know just what to do," Ein said, Zane nodded and pointed the knife at his heart, his hands were shaking; should he really? Ein placed his hands over his grip on the knife pushing it towards him. "It'll all be over soon, you know, and you know you can, so I don't know what the big deal is." Zane nodded letting out a shaky breath, he knows he could, he just couldn't.

"You can do it Zane, isn't it what you wanted for years after all do you really think your family would miss you? After everything you did to them?" Ein asked slowly pushing the pocket knife closer to his chest, point the blade directly at his heart. "They don't..." The tears coming from his eyes slightly blurred his vision. He felt the knife poke his skin, just a few more inches and it'd be in his skin, a few more minutes and he can get the happy ending he always wanted.

Before he felt it impale his skin he heard his phone ring, he took a step back and looked to see who called.

Aaron...

Someone who cared...

Zane handed the pocket knife to Ein, with a sigh. Zane couldn't do it, Aaron, he cared, it's too much to hurt him, his friend, someone who saved him from all of this. He let the phone ring, he couldn't bother and try to talk to him or to anyone, he let too many of them down. He put the phone in his pocket letting it ring, he couldn't believe what he was becoming, his own nightmare; something he never wanted to be in the first place. He could already feel how smashed his mother and father would be of him if they knew, how ashamed everyone would be.

He could even feel Ein's disappointed look on him. He left the phone to ring in his pocket, only left with a voicemail only fueled him to leave everything more.

"Um... Hey Zane, I really didn't think I'd have to make a call like this or have to even make a call like this to you. I know your probably a mess right now, after everything but just know that you don't have to run away from these things. Everything's been a little messed up anyway but you know everything's gonna get better, right?

Everything's going to be alright, everything's going to be just fine, alright? I'm gonna make sure you have a good life, no matter what you say. But, your mom is worried and so am I, I've never seen you react to badly to a situation I just want you to know... I'm here, please, talk to me if you need to, I'm worried. But, please, come back home your mom is worried... I'll talk to you later."

Beep.

He didn't deserve a friend like that. He was pathetic and wrong; how come Aaron couldn't see that too? He couldn't escape any of this, could he? He didn't want to deal with anything anymore. 

A sigh of relief escaped Ein's lips. 'This will be easier than I thought' He thought, a caring expression formed on his face. "You know... I don't understand why your still friends with him, he doesn't even care about you." Zane looked up ready to object to what he was saying. "He doesn't care enough to look for you, just sit at home and say how you can talk to him but not are enough to even try to come to you to help you." Zane looked down, he was true, he didn't even bother trying to go and help him. 

"And to think about how badly they all treated you in the past and now they're just walking back into your life like they didn't shun you in high school and even try to get to know you, who you were. They just used you and kept you around because they felt sorry for you."

"They don't matter, none of them matter. If they did they'd tell you the truth, but they're just a bunch of fools not knowing who they're missing out on." Ein stated. 

"I won't hide the truth from you, never from you, I'd never do so." Ein smiled, Zane looked at him a betrayed look in his eyes. "They lied... What did I expect, of course, they'd lie to me... They don't think I useful, I'm not... They don't need me, or ever did, they just... Kept me around." Zane said a frown on his face. "But I wouldn't do that... I care for you Zane, have I ever done everything to hurt you?" Zane stayed silent. "I haven't... But they seem to love to, don't they?..."

"They... T-they do..."

"I'm so sorry that this is how you have to know, how I have to be the one to tell you so; they just crossed the line. It's just been too much time." Ein walked towards him, his arms out to try and show he could trust him, that there was nothing to worry about. 

"I'm so sorry, that you have to know, that no one even cared to tell you so." Ein's voice easily faked it, faked a voice meant to convince him that he was no threat. Zane didn't move from his spot, he looked to the ground, Ein only stopping a few steps away from him, arms held out wide.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry.,

Ein looked at him with a soft look, a look that was meant to reflect sadness, to reflect that he was showing sympathy and it worked. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The offer was set, if he hugged him he would show that he trusted him, or back away and say no and run away from everything again.

He wanted to say no, but somehow after everything that happened, the fight, the divorce, the emotions, the suffering, the constant calls from Garroth, the action didn't trigger; but instead, he did what he told himself not to do repeatedly.

Rush into things, and to trust those who you barely know.

'But I can't trust anyone around me... I'm a mess for trusting any of them.'

But it then reminded him of how easy he was he could be taken advantage of when things go wrong for him. How when he wanted something, if he needed something, like for someone to be there or some sort of comfort, it's always going to be taken away from him. How there was supposedly no pressure to say no but there was, that if he said no the only person he currently had right now would leave if he said no. He hugged him back.

He was stupid. He was wrong. He was pathetic.

But he still trusted him.

'I'm sorry...' 

. . .

Kawaii~Chan skipped down the street, a smile on her face, bag in hand, everything for her was great until she bumped into someone. She stumbled back quickly catching her balance and looked at the person she bumped into, apology ready. She saw someone she hadn't seen in a while, Zane, except he looked like something had happened to him, she could notice, she was good at these things; she went to college for things like this.

"You okay Zane~Kun?" She asked, he only nodded not looking up from the ground. "Okay then, Kawaii~Chan wasn't looking where she was going so she's sorry if she-" 

"I-It's nothing, nothing at all." He said, and the conversation grew quiet. "Are you okay Zane~Kun? It kinda looks like something happened in Kawaii~Chan's opinion." She asked a concerned tone in her voice.

He stayed silent, as she waited for an answer she looked to see if anything changed by the few times they had ever say each other, he didn't seem like one to leave without a reason. She studied his behavior, what he looked like, what was a sign that something was going on, it could be called creepy, but she did it to make sure her friends were okay because she cared for them. 

Kawaii~Chan went to college for things like this, side classes she took just to get enough credit so she could graduate with cooking like she really wanted. Human behavior, how to know if something was wrong or Behavior Analysis; she wasn't the best at it, she didn't get a good degree in them but she passed. So, she looked to see what was wrong, to study what was wrong.

Pretty much everything, and with that said she didn't wish to further push any situations, now. No wonder he hadn't been texting her back, stuff was starting to get out of control. From eyes slightly red which she could only assume was tears, bags under his eye's, from what looked like the complete lack of self-care, a sort of slouching posture, and many more things. She sighed, she wanted to help but at the same time she barely knew him and might have possibly creeped him out; she had a habit of that. 

She looked to the ground, they all had their own problems she'd let him deal with his own. "I'm fine, just... Did get that much sleep for the past few nights." Zane answered, Kawaii~Chan looked up with her casual smile. "Alrighty then! Kawaii~Chan has to go but she hopes you get some more sleep Zane~Kun!" Kawaii~Chan said, Zane only nodded and walked past her. As soon as he walked past her she could feel her smile turn into a frown.

'It's not my job, as much as you want to help you can't fix him, he has to fix himself.' And with that lost thought, she walked off into where she was originally going.

. . .

A/N: Some of us are just a little more than fucked up than people think we are.