In another life

Chapter 11

BZZT
Akaashi's phone vibrated against his forehead. He flinched and pulled his hand away to stare at the screen.
Bokuto:
[Look outside! (＠'∀｀)ノ]
"What?" Akaashi kicked his legs out of bed and strode to his window. "Impossible-" He pulled apart the blinds and looked down.
Out in the dead of night stood Bokuto, with the burgundy knit scarf around his neck, a jacket, jeans, and slippers. He looked up and grinned, and waved wildly in Akaashi's direction.
Akaashi's eyes widened. "No, no, no, no-" He pulled away from the windowsill and ran out of his room, straight downstairs and to the front door. He threw it open and faced Bokuto, who was jogging to him with a smile and a shiver in each step.
"May I come in?"
"No! No, we're-"
"Why not?"
"We're going back to the hospital right now. I'm taking you back." Akaashi reached his arms out and pushed Bokuto away.
"What? No!" Bokuto refused to budge. He pushed Akaashi back this time. "I just came from there."
"Exactly, because you belong there!" Akaashi felt that his words were a bit bitter, but he had no other way of telling Bokuto the truth. "You're sick, you need medical attention."
"So I can't sleep." Bokuto swatted Akaashi's hands away. "What's the big deal?"
"It's more than that!" He exerted more force into his arms, getting Bokuto to take a step back. "You've had two panic attacks this week already, and your hallucinations are getting worse. My home is not a place for you to be right now."
"I get panic attacks when you're not around," Bokuto answered simple-mindedly. "And my hallucinations aren't all that bad."
Akaashi clenched his jaw behind a mildly irritated face. "Stop trying to act like this isn't such a big deal... You may not think it is, but I..." He paused and reached his arms out to get in another shove. "Let's just go."
"I don't want to." Bokuto grabbed Akaashi's hands with his own.
"Bokuto, stop."
"I don't want to go back!"
"How did you even sneak out?"
"By sneaking out! They don't pay much attention to me anyways!"
Akaashi yanked his hands away and stared at Bokuto. As much as it infuriated him, he knew that Bokuto wasn't going to go anywhere unless he let him into his home first. He swallowed thickly.
"Get inside." Akaashi stepped to the side.
Bokuto's eyes did the familiar light up thing as he bounded into Akaashi's home. He removed his slippers and waited at the entrance for his friend to enter. Akaashi stepped in and shut the door behind him.
"You chose the perfect night." Akaashi said bitterly as he hobbled up the stairs. "My parents aren't home."
"It's not like I would've made any noise," Bokuto all but shouted, following after him.
Akaashi sighed. "I'll get you back to the hospital by seven in the morning."
"Fine by me! Imagine the looks on their faces when they see me coming in from the outside. Imagine their faces when they notice I'm not even in my room." Bokuto was elated.
Akaashi entered his room and shut the door behind Bokuto. "I'm going straight to sleep."
"But I thought you had that nightmare." Bokuto stood at the side of Akaashi's bed.
"I did..." He paused for a moment. "... Is that why you came here? Because of the nightmare?"
Bokuto stared at Akaashi. "Because you said you were okay, and I knew you weren't."
Akaashi was at a loss for words. He returned Bokuto's gaze, then looked down quickly afterwards. A hand tugged at his shirt weakly. "I see." He reached a hand out to turn on the lamp that sat on his nightstand.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck. "What was the dream about?"
Akaashi sat in bed and wrapped a sheet around himself. He tossed the navy blue one to Bokuto, remembering how fond he was of it the last time he'd come over. He watched as Bokuto gathered it up in his arms and threw it around himself. He then stared at Akaashi, waiting for his response.
He sighed. "I was drowning." His hands picked at the small lint rolls that stuck to his sheet. "Drowning in something black, sort of like tar. I was fighting and trying to get out, but... I had no power over it whatsoever. I was so weak, and it'd gotten to the point where I could barely breath. My face was the only thing sticking out." Akaashi cocked his head back to demonstrate this, with his finger tapping his chin.
"I was struggling. But in the end, I couldn't move. I was shouting, but no sound came out. No one could hear me. No one was around." Akaashi shrugged. "The liquid started flooding into my mouth and nose, and it wasn't until I was suffocating that I forced myself awake."
Akaashi didn't say another word afterwards. He only bundled himself up in the sheets that surrounded him. He turned his head to look out the window, eyeing the moon timidly.
Shifting in his seat, Bokuto pulled himself closer to Akaashi, one hand grasping the blanket that had been given to him.
Akaashi remained in place with the thought in mind that Bokuto would respect his personal space and sit a foot or two away from him, but to his apparent surprise, Bokuto leaned his head on Akaashi's shoulder and slipped an arm around him.
Akaashi squirmed in discomfort. "What are you doing?"
"Comforting?" Bokuto replied, lifting his head. "Isn't that what humans do?"
Akaashi watched him carefully. "Don't talk like you're not one..."
Bokuto chortled quietly and placed his head back on Akaashi's shoulder. They didn't speak for a moment, and the room was filled with the hushed sounds of the outside.