Corpsekkuno - I'm not going anywhere

Scarf and Frost

5 years ago

It was already dark outside when Sykkuno was returning home from work. Usually he streamed by this time, but today he promised his colleague that he would take the shift for her. He still earned more at work than on the stream and somebody must pay the water bill.

Sykkuno walked at a brisk pace, not because he was afraid that someone would attack him, the streets were too quiet and peaceful for that. But it was freezing outside and he couldn't wait for a cup of hot cocoa and warm bed. Also he was wearing only a light coat that did not protect him too much from the night cold and his favourite green scarf.

He was maybe 3 blocks from his apartment when he noticed something, or someone, on the stairs a few entrances away. At first he didn't pay much attention to it, he thought someone was going outside to smoke a cigarette. The closer he got, the less likely it seemed. The person leaning against the door half-lying on the steps looked almost like a discarded corpse in the distance. It was a dark-haired man, younger than Sykkuno, dressed only in a black T-shirt, torn pants, and Converse of the same color. Half of his face was covered by a mask and his eyes were closed. Sykkuno cannot decide if the man was just asleep or something worse.

Sykkuno stopped a few steps away, watching him intently, hesitant about what to do. The man did not look like the homeless, which he occasionally saw outside lying at strangers' doors. He avoided them, the last time he wanted to try to help one of them, he was hit with a crutch in his shin. It hurt quite a bit, the man's insults even more. But this brunette didn't look like anyone like that, if his clothes were clean and without holes, he would look like a university student.

Sykkuno swallowed nervously, but eventually took two steps closer. He wanted to see if the lying man was visibly injured. As he approached, he noticed that the man beneath him was noticeably thin and trembling. He also saw a few bruises but luckily no scars and no smell of alcohol as well. He slowly reached out with the intention of trying to wake up the man, but in the middle of the movement he stopped. Sykkuno didn't notice that the young man was awake and now watching him, looking directly into his face, not at the hand which he reached out to him.

For a few seconds neither of them said anything, until finally Sykkuno cleared his throat and pulled his hand back. "Hey. Um... Sorry, I just-I, I was..." he paused and took a few breaths before continuing again. " Are you okay?" he managed to put together a continuous sentence, trying to sound honest, even though his voice was a little shaky. He was not afraid, of course... Maybe just a little bit.
The dark-haired young man said nothing, just raised his eyebrows a little and slowly shifted to a sitting position. Sykkuno wasn't sure, but it seemed as if every move hurt him. After a long pause of silence, he squatted down so he could look into his eyes.

"I don't want to bother you, I was just worried. It's cold outside, you know, you can't sleep here." he tried again, in a quieter but firmer voice. He wanted to help if he could. He also went through a bad period in his life so he tried not to judge too much. And the sitting man didn't look like someone who sleeps on the street at 2am because he ruined his life by using drugs or something like that. "C-can I help?" he stammered when no answer came from him.

"Why." It wasn't quite a question, the sentence lacked a question mark in the tone. His voice sounded as if he caught cold, if he could tell from a single word. Sykkuno frowned, it didn't matter why he suddenly caught a savior complex. But he understood that with speaking he would not go far, because this person obviously didn't want to talk with him. Which did not mean giving up.

"Because." He chose not to explain and instead straightened up again and began to take off his coat. Before the other side could start to protest he put his coat around man's shoulders. Then he took off his scarf and he placed it in the hands of now a confused staring man. Sykkuno didn't like saying goodbye to the green scarf because it was his favorite, but he definitely needed it more than him. "So, do you have something to eat?" Not like he could buy anything at the moment, everything was closed here. But for once he was willing to risk giving that man money even though he knew, he could buy anything but food with them.

He stared at him as if he had just told him that dragons existed. After a few seconds, he looked at the scarf in his hands and then back at Sykkuno.

"Why?" This time it was a question in his voice, which sounded like crackling embers, deeper than he would expect from someone who may be around 17 years old. He probably just looked younger than he really was, just like Sykkuno.

"People should help each other." He smiled a little and pulled a few banknotes from his pants pocket and placed them on top of fabric lying on his lap because he didn't seem to plan to move any time soon and take them. "Try to really spend them on something you need, not alcohol or something." He shuddered because of a sudden gust of cold wind, he had to go. He didn't know what more he could do and he was really tired. After all, it was night and he had a long shift. "Goodnight." He smiled at him and turned to leave.

"Wait," an urgent voice suddenly came from behind him, so Sykkuno stopped and turned back. Meanwhile a dark-haired man stood up heavily, one hand pulling the jacket more towards the body. "Thank you." Sykkuno smiled once again, now wider, and just waved his hand, as it's not worth talking about. Then he continued walking into the darkness.

// cover by @ corpsekunno on twt
More of my work on AO3 - link in bio