And They Were Roommates

Another Nightmare

word count: 2631 || Kuroba & Kudou, Kuroba & Hakuba || angst & comfort

── ♤♡♧♢ ──

This one started out as another sagukai comfort thing but I decided to have it take place in my College AU and added some Kudou (and like one brief mention of Hattori) bonding.

── ♧♧♧♧ ──

It was hot. Much too hot. And it only grew more intense. The flames continued to grow as he sat there. The scorching heat began suffocating him as it burned his lungs with every shuddering breath he took. The flames had fully surrounded him now. He had maybe minutes left before they closed the distance left between him and the flames.
But none of that mattered. Hakuba was right there in front of him. Hakuba was lying right there in front of him. Hakuba was lying right there in front of him and bleeding. Hakuba was bleeding out fast. Hakuba was bleeding out as Kaito desperately pressed his hands against the wound in Hakuba's stomach.
But it was useless. Kaito was helpless as Hakuba's pained breathing grew shallower. Kaito was helpless as he watched those amber eyes once so full of sharp wit and challenge and determination and amusement and, and all the things he'd come to love, lose the last of their light. Kaito was helpless as Saguru went completely still underneath his hands. Kaito felt his own body grow numb despite all the heat, despite all the physical pain surrounding him, despite the flames that reached out to him, as the mental anguish became the only thing he could feel. Kaito screamed.

─ ♧♧♧♧ ─

Kaito jolted awake as a choked sob left his mouth. He quickly sat up and looked to the bed across the room from his. It was empty.His heavy breathing hitched as he nearly started to panic before recalling that Hakuba should be safe in London right now. That's right, he's attending his cousin's wedding for the weekend. Kaito closed his eyes as he took deep breaths. It's alright. It was just a nightmare. Hakuba is safe. Just a bad dream. Hakuba is safe. It wasn't real. Saguru is safe.

He opened his eyes at the sudden sound of a soft knocking at the door, "Kuroba? Are you alright?" it was Kudou's voice. It took him a few seconds to manage an answer just loud enough to be heard as he wiped at the tears on his face, "Yeah. I'm, alright"
A couple seconds later Kudou replied, "Can I come in?" Then added a second after that, "Please?"

Kaito wanted to immediately deny the request, to send his concerned roommate away and insist he was fine.
But then, Aoko and Hakuba would be disappointed in him. Aoko learned early on that he sometimes had nightmares after his father's death and had been insistent that he talk to others about it. And so he finally opened up to her about them when he was ready. But when he took up the mantle of KID, his nightmares also changed and he could no longer bring himself to share with Aoko. So he pretended like he had finally gotten over his nightmares and that was that.
Until he met Hakuba.

── ♧♧♧♧ ──

The first time Hakuba discovered Kaito had nightmares was one day during lunch back in high school when Kaito heard Aoko mention to Keiko the dream she had last night. "Ahh it was scary Keiko!"Kaito looked up from his bento, "Haa? you had a nightmare and didn't tell me about it?" Aoko turned towards Kaito with an embarrassment, "Ah well, I didn't want to bother you"
This only caused Kaito to send her an annoyed frown, "You always made me talk about my nightmares with you. Why didn't you tell me about yours?"
She tried to wave it off with her hand, "Because it wasn't really a nightmare, more of a small bad dream, just the usual that everyone gets on occasion." She shoved another bite of her food in her mouth, mumbling, "Not like the real nightmares you had."
This is when Akako decided to join the conversation, "Hmm? Did they perhaps have to do with Kuroba-kun's unusual fear of certain water dwelling creatures?"
Aoko sent Akako a pleading look, "Not exactly, just please forget Aoko said anything about it"
Kaito sighed, "I'm not a child anymore, it's okay to say I had nightmares about my dad after he died." He shrugged, "But that was when I was younger, I haven't had one for a couple years so I'm fine now, really."
Hakuba, who had been quietly observing the conversation, suddenly raised an eyebrow at that statement. It was that look he gave him when he didn't quite believe what Kaito had told him, usually when they danced around the topic of KID. Whatever, let Hakuba think what he wants, they all returned to idle chatter as they finished their lunch.
Although Kaito couldn't stop thinking about those glances Hakuba kept giving him. They had almost seemed... worried? But that can't be, the detective must have just been annoyed from trying to figure out his secrets.
Well too bad because he planned to keep his secrets.