Chapter Text
He slipped out of consciousness, the hooves of his beloved beasts beating in the distance. His body trampled. He did what he had to for everyone and that was okay.
Then Gundham was awake.
Far more suddenly and abruptly than the way he'd died.
With only one thought on his mind.
Where is Kazuichi?
Gundham wasn't supposed to be alive on so many levels. He'd sacrificed himself and another to save his classmates in the game, but the whole game was supposed to be a ploy anyway. His brain didn't feel despair fuelled any more. He was himself again, with all his memories of Hopes Peak, of being a remnant, and the simulation, all at once.
But only Kazuichi mattered. He had to know if he was okay.
He scrambled at the glass in front of him, trying to find the release on the pod he was in. He knew there was one. A button or something clicked and he was free. He walked around the room he was in. It was full of pods like his. He recognised the people in them as those who had died in the game before he did, plus Nagito. Then there were five other open pods. That meant Kazuichi had been here, right?
"Kazuichi?" he tried to call out. His voice was not as strong as usual.
Grabbing his scarf and coat from next to his pod he was on the move. He didn't know where he was going but he was going to find him. The door opened before he could get there and medical staff tried to approach but he pushed past.
"Gundham?" Hajime's voice rang through the chaos.
His hand reached out.
"Apologies my friend" Gundham turned and ran. He couldn't be held back.
He didn't know where he was going just that he had to go. He was frantic. The island didn't look familiar but a bridge in the distance reminded him of the simulation. Maybe this was the real island. He moved to go over the bridge and as he thought there was a central island with more bridges.
"Kazuichi?!?!" he found his voice. There was no response. He kept moving. Island one was their sort of home base in the simulation right? Right. He just had to find that bridge.
-
Kazuichi was in the dining hall with the other survivors. They were just making it through day by day. Slow starts and trying to avoid sinking back into the despair of what they'd done. Finding small ways to move forwards. Kazuichi was with Fuyuhiko, staring out at the beach from one of the balconies, drinking coffee out of paper cups. He saw movement on the bridge. He assumed it was one of the various staff members around the island and didn't pay them much mind. Except for one small detail.
"What colour are future foundation uniforms?" Kazuichi asked, eyes fixed to the now-empty bridge.
"Dunno, like black and gray and green maybe?" Fuyuhiko responded flippantly.
"Not purple right?"
"No not fuckin' purple what are you on about?" Fuyuhiko chuckled.
"I think I saw Gundham," Kazuichi turned to face him, eyes wide.
"I think you're losing it,” Fuyuhiko teased, “Hajime would have told us if anyone was up it'd be like a whole thing"
"Yeah but like-" Kazuichi paused as he heard a call in the distance sounding suspiciously like his name, "okay like did you hear that?"
"I know ya miss him but we just have to wait for news or we'll start seeing them everywhere,” Fuyuhiko placed a comforting hand on Kazuichi’s shoulder as he spoke.
"I guess… I just could have sworn-"
"KAZUICHI" the unmistakable voice boomed through their ears. The shock caused Kazuichi to drop his cup which would have made a very impressive shatter if it wasn't made of paper.
"Ok no what the fuck ignore me and go" Fuyuhiko said, pushing Kazuichi through the balcony door towards the exit.
Kazuichi flew down the stairs to where the cottages were, towards the main path of the island. He could have sworn that's where the voice came from.
"Gundham??" Kazuichi called out in response, restlessly moving back and forth trying to listen for any sign of him. He figured his best option would be to meet him at the bridge if he tried to exit the island.
"Kazuichi" the voice came from behind him before he could start his sprint. He spun on the spot and ran into his arms instead. Lips clashing together shortly after. Both of them desperate to be as close to each other as possible.
"You're back!" Kazuichi breathed as they broke apart, eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
"And you're safe," Gundham said, wiping tears from Kazuichi's cheek, ignoring the ones that were forming in his own eyes. He leant in again, meeting Kazuichi's lips in a more soft and tender kiss.
"There you are" Hajime called out "what was that abou-ohhhhhhh"
It made sense now.
They parted their lips from one another, but Kazuichi wrapped his arms more tightly around Gundham's waist as Hajime approached.
"I didn't know," Hajime stated apologetically, "I vouched for your character, but they are worried you're still on some remnants mission."
"Please don't go, please don't let them take him" Kazuichi's voice was panicked.
"Gundham you'll have to go to the medical precinct, just to get your test and checks done," Hajime explained.
Gundham nodded.
"It's just tests, I'll come back" Gundham tilted Kazuichi's chin to look at him
"What if you don't? We didn't know if you'd come back this time. I didn't know how much you meant to me when we made that decision to exit the game, and then to discover the future foundation didn't even want us left alive. I can't do this again, I can't lose you again" Kazuichi spoke frantically, voice cracking as he held back fearful tears.
Gundham's stomach dropped.
"How long has it been since you left the simulation?"
"About... 6, no 8 weeks? Yeah, two months I think,” Kazuichi said quietly.
Gundham turned to Hajime, "Surely something can be arranged?"
It was then that the future foundation workers caught up to them. The leader of the team stood directly behind Gundham.
"Tanaka you will have to come with us"
He didn't move.
Kazuichi gripped Gundham's coat, holding him tighter and scowling over the top of his shoulder.
"Soda, be reasonable," the team leader spoke to Kazuichi directly.
"No," he snapped.
The leader placed his hands on Gundham's shoulders and tried to pull him away. Neither man moved. Kazuichi's breathing quickened rapidly. Gundham's hands had remained on the small of Kazuichi's back, but with pressure being applied to his shoulders they shifted slightly. Hajime noticed Kazuichi's face flash with a new almost animalistic desperation. Just for a second, but it was enough for Hajime to trust what he was seeing as real. Kazuichi, with all his trust issues, had found someone whose first instinct was to go to him. And he found that in Gundham, the self proclaimed overlord of Ice, who barely allowed any contact with others, but was currently not wanting to let go of Kazuichi.
"Take both of them, keep them together" Hajime approached the leader.
"But we need to make sure they're not working together against us"
"They're not," Hajime sighed, "just do the regular medical tests"
"How can you be so sure?"
Hajime raised an eyebrow. It seemed pretty obvious to him at this point. Kazuichi was crying into Gundham's chest, Gundham was stroking his hair in return, whispering comfort between small kisses to the top of his head.
"I do apologise for my erratic behaviour," Gundham turned to speak to the team leader, "my priority was to confirm the wellbeing of my prince. I can assure no malice in my intention"
The leader had taken a step back
"As Hajime has stated, I will co-operate with your need to confirm the health and functionality of my mortal form if you co-operate in allowing my companion to stay by my side,”
The leader accepted and gestured towards the ambulance van that was to take them to the hospital site. Gundham walked arm in arm with Kazuichi, still sniffing but doing his best to support Gundham as they walked, he had used a lot of his existing energy already. He got settled into the stretcher bed and Kazuichi leant his head on top of it, just to feel connected, to feel close.
Little by little they would heal from their harrowing experience. They would come to know the other would always return. But for now they only wanted to be in each other's presence. Eyes and hands on the other at all times. Never forced apart again.