It All Started In Detention

Nineteen

~Akaashi~

Akaashi sat at his desk as the teacher's words floated around him, muffled. His eyes simply trained on the headphones and iPod he had set on his desk. He just stared at them, mind wondering...thinking...processing.

To be honest, he could barely remember the past day and a half. He knew he ran into Hachirō. But everything after he saw him was fuzzy. Distant. Unreal. The sickening touches felt equally like a dream—nightmare—and a flashback. It was hard to decipher what truly happened and what was just a memory of events that occurred months ago.

He remembers feeling like he couldn't breathe. Like he was suffocating. Head light and body weak to the point where his legs gave out and he ended up on the floor. That was the main thing he could truly remember even if it was a distant feeling.

It was almost like he wasn't even in his body when it all happened. Mind distancing himself from the physical touch and triggering words and sound of the boys' voice. Things that made him want to truly just die. Stop existing. Escape.

But he also remembers a sense of safety at one point. Strong arms. A calming voice. And then a distant acknowledgment of music floating through his mind, breaking up the vivid scenes that filled his brain. Making them blurry and then, nonexistent.

He has the fuzzy memory of black and white hair, worried gold eyes, and protective warmth. Then familiar faces that made his heart settle. The distant feeling of a strong warmth being replaced by recognized comfort.

Blurry recollection of walking and then suddenly laying under a blanket on his couch, faint background noise of people and a television. Soft hands in his hair, dull nails against his scalp. Safety.

Over the course of the night he slowly came back to reality. Being surrounded by his friends throughout the night. Hiding under a fort the next day, eating boiled rapeseed plants and onigiri. Watching his favorite movies, letting his friends just talk around him. But the sound around him was muffled.

He never took off the headphones.

He felt truly present by late afternoon yesterday. Being able to talk to his friends and parents when they returned, generally avoiding the subject except when his parents checked to see if he was ok. To ensure he wasn't sinking back into the state he was in months ago.

The incident happened Tuesday. It's now Thursday and Akaashi feels like he shouldn't be as out of it as he currently is.

It's the sudden sound of the bell that pulls him out of his head with a jolt, heart racing and eyes widening for a second before he relaxes, seeing he's just in class and their morning break has started. He sighs and lets his head fall into his hands.

He doesn't even know what this morning's lesson was about...he's better than this...

"Kaashi?" He looks up suddenly, being met with a small, calm smile from Kenma who pulled his chair over to his desk. "Are you ok?" Akaashi sighs and gives a weak smile.

"Yeah, I just..." He glances down at the headphones again, "I just kinda missed the entire lesson." He meets Kenma's gaze and shrugs, trying to seem unbothered even though he's starting to get anxious.

"Don't worry, you can just look at my notes when you are feeling more focused." Akaashi raises his eyebrows.

"You took notes?" Kenma nods. "You? Kenma, took notes..." Kenma sighs.

"Yes, Akaashi...I saw you seemed out of it when we came to school so I decided to take notes today since I know how anxious you get when you miss lessons." Akaashi's eyes widen a little before he smiles gratefully.