Quoted By:
"We don't have to stay."
Vox's eyes flicked over to where Ike was sitting, although his posture didn't change. They'd been cooped up in Vox's house all day together, reading comments. Rewatching the statement. Swallowing their own words as the chat replay zipped by. It wasn't the first time this week that Ike had tried to convince him to quit with him; it wasn't even the first time that day.
He sighed. "No, we can't. You and I both know this. We've talked about it, our contract--"
"Listen to me!" Ike burst, loud, but not from anger; his voice cracked in desperation as he spoke, almost a hiss. "We don't quit! We run! We run away!"
Vox wanted to believe him. He wanted to be excited by this, he really did. Seeing Ike sat there, bent forward on his sofa, white-knuckled and gripping at his knees, would usually be a sight that brings him to tears, or makes his heart skip a beat, or both. In that moment, it did nothing. He was tired.
"Run away to where?"
"Sweden."
"So? They'll follow us. A contract is still a contract in another country. You're a smart man, Ike, you understand..."
Ike stood up suddenly, looming over Vox as he hunched over his work laptop, his face dark and tearful. "Not if we die. They can't follow us if we're dead."
This elicited a reaction. A flicker of emotion ran up Vox's spine, lingering in his ribs. He couldn't identify the feeling. "Die?"
"No, not really, I mean--" Ike shifted his glasses upwards, pinching the bridge of his nose, knuckling his forehead. His eyes scrunched in concentration. "I mean we fake it. We put all the implications there. We secure your visa first, we move somewhere nice and rural, secretly, we, we- we fly back briefly, leave a suicide note and your car at a cliffside. Wait for someone to find it. Somewhere nice. Wales, maybe."
He took a moment to gasp for breath, his sentences having tumbled out one after another, like he was afraid he was going to run out of time. Maybe he was. Vox moved his laptop onto the coffee table and continued to stare upwards at Ike.
Ike swallowed dryly. "Please. Please, Vox. Nobody will know it's us there. We can buy a house. I'll work if we run low on money. The neighbors won't know or care who we arep. We can get chickens. Please." His voice was rough then, gravelly. Days of crying had taken its toll. "Vox. Vox, answer me."
He blinked. He was so tired. He was so tired, every slow thought hurt, screaming through his head as it's dragged clawing along the ground. His mouth was slow and clumsy, numb. "How... Would I possibly get a visa if not through Nijisanji? It'd have to be a work visa."
"Fuck Nijisanji!" Ike snapped, a whispering yell; the force is there and the volume isn't. "We don't NEED them! We don't need any of this! We're real people! We're real people, okay? We're real!"
He grabbed Vox by the head, fists balling into his hair. "We're REAL, and we'll do whatever we want!"
"The visa --"
"I'll marry you!"
A silence hung heavy in the stale air. Unsure if what he's hearing is real, Vox's mind wandered, wondering if he should open a window to circulate the air. How long has it been since they've been outside? How long has it been since they've bathed?
"Listen!" Ike begged. It was painful to cry, but against his will hot tears began to spill from him. His eyelids were sore. He's tired too. He cried anyway. "I'll marry you! I mean it. I'll marry you, then we can get you in. Please. Please, please, I can't do this without you. I won't do this without you. We've lost too much-- don't leave me there--"
Vox stood up slowly, his legs almost buckling under the basic motion. How long has it been since he ate? His scalp was going numb where it was still being pulled.
"Okay," he whispered, forcing the word. He tried again. "Okay. Let's do it."
Ike pressed his head into Vox's shoulder and let out a whimper.
They've made their resolve.
"Ike, I'll run with you. I'll die with you. Now, and in the future."
"Don't call me Ike. Call me..."
For the first time in days, Vox smiled. His cheeks hurt, his chewed lip split, but it persisted.
"How did I ever forget your full name?"
