Nightmares - naegami

Chapter 32

mild for CW blood

"Makoto, you're... hurt?" Byakuya started in horror at the blood smeared on his fingers. "Who did this? Was it Kirigiri? Did she try to hurt you? I knew you'd be in trouble, you shouldn't have gone, I'm not allowing you to go again-"

"Ow, Kuya you're crushing my arm, and what are you talking about?" Makoto winced and pulled his arm away from the taller man, rubbing the red part of his forearm. Byakuya realised his jaw was aching from the tension and unclenched it. He recomposed himself and took a breath.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Erm, she wanted to show me a room she'd found but it was in the boy's bathrooms and she wasn't able to go in there, so..." Makoto fidgeted their feet.

"But I was in the boys toilets, you weren't there," Byakuya interjected.

"I dunno you must've missed me, I went there a bit after our conversation," the short boy shrugged. "They're not great, smell like puke, why were you in there? I'd've assumed you'd go back to your room or something."

"I uh... I am the reason it currently smells like 'puke'," Byakuya looked away, feeling ill.

"Oh no what happened?" Makoto glanced at him with concern.

"Anxiety. Anyway what happened to you?" the blond dodged the question.

"So uh..." Makoto stared around the room. "We should probably sit down, I have a bit to say." Byakuya was anxious. Very anxious.

The two sat down on Byakuya's bed in uncomfortable silence. The blond felt sick. Please say something Makoto, please. I'm scared.

"So uh... I went down to meet Kyoko in the bathhouse and we sat there for a little to chat, which was uh, nice, she's a nice person to talk to," the boy started nervously. "And then it asked if she could-"

"It?" Byakuya muttered.

"Oh uh, yeah, she um... she noticed I'd been defending using they/them pronouns for Chihiro and asked if um... asked if I could use it/it's for her when other people aren't around er... please don't tell anyone, it only wants me to use them," Makoto explained, biting their lip.

"Oh, I see," the tall man pet Makoto's hair to distract himself. Makoto shifted closer. Byakuya felt a little more comfortable now. The small boy's presence made him feel a little safer.

"So uh, after a bit, Kyoko told me that it had something to show me and we went down to the boys toilets. It said it thought it'd found something in there, but because it's a girl it hadn't been able to check it out properly yet. Kyoko asked me to go and have a look, so I did. I guess you'd already been there by then..." the brunet leaned over onto Byakuya's shoulder. "There's a door behind one of the stalls. I went over, and there's uh stairs behind the door. I found this weird room full of books and stuff and I was gonna look through some of them, and then um..." The boy trialed off.

"... Makoto what happened?"

"... I don't wanna make you worry..."

"I won't, it's ok." Byakuya knew he would worry, but he couldn't say that.

"Ok... well, I felt something hit my head and then I... woke up on the floor. All the books were gone. I don't know where they went. I think someone came in and knocked me out and then took all the book, or, something. I dunno how they'd do that with that little time, but I also dunno who it was to be fair, they could just be really fast or something..." Makoto trailed off. Byakuya stared at him with hidden worry. He couldn't show he was worried right now, Makoto had trusted him with this. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise Makoto, you're simply telling me what happened."

"... I guess."

"Are you ok?"

Makoto pressed their face into Byakuya's arm. "My head hurts."

"Understandable," Byakuya responded, gently rubbing Makoto's head.

"I'm tired," the brunet said, looking up into Byakuya's eyes.

"C'mere," the blond pulled them over onto the bed and kissed them on the cheek. Makoto squeaked.

"Heh, hey," the boy wiggled to get more comfortable. "Hmmmmm you're nice."

"Why thank you," Byakuya replied, hugging them to his chest. Makoto buried their face in Byakuya's neck and sighed.

"Thank you for not getting angry..."

"And why would I get angry?"

Makoto looked up at him. "I'd... assume you would..."

"No? You didn't do anything wrong Makoto, you can't help getting hurt, we're not even in a safe situation I shouldn't expect you to be ok," Byakuya responded. "Why would you think you've done something wrong?"

"I dunno... you seemed upset..." Makoto mumbled.

"Yes because I was worried about you, which is reasonable I'd say, but that is ok, I cannot control you, you are allowed to do what you please," the hier traced the back of the small boy's neck with his fingers.

"Sorry for worrying you."

"Don't. You haven't done anything wrong."

"... thank you," Makoto murmured. Byakuya felt dampness on his neck. His partner was crying. But he didn't think it was bad.

He rolled over and pulled Makoto close to him. "It's ok, we're ok. Well. Not exactly ok seeing as we're well, stuck here, but... we're ok right now."

"Yeah, I know."

"We're gonna get out of this, aren't we?"

"..." Makoto paused for a moment, then, "yeah, I hope so."

"We'll be ok," Byakuya whispered.

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Uploaded this by accident without the end note, sorry-

I do not like school

Song: Snow by Ricky Montgomery