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Kise opened his door at two o’clock in the morning and Akashi stood regally on his doorstep in a suit with a knapsack thrown over his shoulder. As if it was two in the afternoon instead and Akashi hadn’t woken Kise up from sleep with a phone call announcing he was there. For all Akashi sounded normal on the phone, Kise knew something was wrong. Akashi wasn't one to show up in the middle of the night, so Kise wasn't to upset by the wake-up call.
Kise silently moved to the side, Akashi took that as his welcome and strode through the threshold, Kise closed and locked the door quietly before he followed Akashi to his kitchen.
Akashi was distracted by something on his phone, with his head bowed over it and was typing something out, so Kise began to absent-mindedly prepare some tea, as he waited for Akashi to finish and break the silence. As curious as he was, Kise something told him that it wasn’t the time to push. Akashi would eventually tell him.
He set the cups on the table while he waited for the water to boil.
He paused as he took in the pallor of Akashi’s face, and then Akashi looked up. Kise's zeroed in on the slight purpling on Akashi’s right cheek. Kise forced a measured breath to calm himself as he turned around. He walked to his freezer, pulled out an ice pack and grabbed a cloth to wrap it in. Akashi’s face was stoic but his shaking hands betrayed him to Kise as Kise handed Akashi the cloth and Ice pack. Kise stared hard at his fridge, giving Akashi a moment of privacy.
When the kettle’s click echo in the silent kitchen, Kise finished preparing the tea. He set the teapot on the table while he sat across from Akashi.
As the tea steeped, Kise rubbed his eyes as he tried to get the last of the grains of sleep out of the corners. He had only caught a couple of hours before Akashi showed up, and he had some long nights from shoots in the past week.
“He hit me,” Akashi said vacantly, breaking the silence.
Kise took a measured and controlled breath as he waited feeling like there was more to it, he didn’t want to interrupt Akashi’s flow.
“I don’t even know why,” Akashi shrugged inelegantly, a sign of how out of sorts Akashi was over it, Kise could count of one hand the amount of time he witnessed Akashi shrug.
“We had come home from a company gala to the Toyko mansion. He was inebriated and I apparently embarrassed him during the gala at some point, so he backhanded me.”
Kise listened horrified as he began to pour tea.
“I was stunned. He had never done that before,” Akashi put the ice pack down to pick up the tea that Kise slide towards him, “He was more of the neglectful and emotionally abusive parent than physical.”
Akashi always spoke like it wasn’t a big deal that his father was emotionally abusive and emotional neglectful, it frustrated Kise (and the others) to no end but he didn't say anything letting Akashi talk.
“I walked to my room, grabbed my school bag. I left the house, I think my father had gone to bed, and I think I called a cab. Now I am here,” Akashi concluded with a sip of his tea.
It sounded like Akashi was had been and likely still in shock.
“I will lend you some sleepwear. You can stay with me tonight,” Kise decided to get the immediate needs out of the way. Akashi nodded robotically, lending credence to Kise’s shock theory.“Then tomorrow, we will figure it out,” Kise promised.
“Okay,” Akashi said softly.
He nodded as he stood up, “I will go get you something to change in to.”
Kise passed by Akashi only be stopped when Akashi’s hand gripped his. Akashi dropped is just as quick but Kise wasn’t going to let that stand. He grabbed Akashi’s hand.
“Come on, I don’t know what you like to wear to bed,” Kise lied. They both knew it, as they both attended the same training camps and then the couple more recent sleepovers the generation of miracles had set up. Akashi didn’t call him on it though allowing Kise to lead him out of the Kitchen. Kise flicked off the kitchen lights, as they passed, not sure if they would be back down and didn’t want to run up the bill.
Once they entered Kise’s room, Kise grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of his own sleeping pants, handing them over to Akashi.
“Stay,” Akashi muttered quietly before Kise could ask Akashi if he wanted Kise to step out of the room to change.
Kise nodded and sat on his bed looking towards his curtain-covered window while Akashi shed the formal clothes, and pulled on the sleep clothes.
“He hit me,” Akashi’s voice cracked.
Kise’s head snapped to Akashi who stood looking lost in the middle of Kise's room in the too big clothes that made him look smaller. Kise was by Akash’s side in a few strides, he communicated his movements in case Akashi didn’t want to be touched, and not to startle him, as he folded Akashi into a hug.
Akashi latched on Kise’s shirt, his face pressed against Kise’s chest causing Kise tightened his hold at the silent permission.
“It will be okay,” Kise reassured softly, “You are safe here.”
Akashi started to shake. Kise could feel a wet spot begin to form on his shirt. Kise slowly backed the two of them over to his bed, and laid the two of them down. Akashi curled in his side, shaking and crying.
Kise began humming one of the pop songs that was everywhere on the radio at the moment as rubbed soothing circles in Akashi’s back.
As Akashi’s shaking tapered off, Kise let his humming taper off as well until it was just Akashi and him breathing.
“Thank you,” Akashi breathed out.
Kise hummed nonchalantly, as he moved his hand from rubbing circles in Akashi’s back to combing threw Akashi’s feather-soft hair. Akashi melted under the ministrations, and Kise smiled.
“I am glad you came to me, Akashicchi,” Kise murmured.
“You’re safe,” Akashi muttered.
Kise smiled fondly at the top of Akashi’s head. When he found out he was one of the few miracles with a stable home, he had tried to make sure the ones that didn’t, (particularly Akashi and Kuroko), that he was a safe place to turn to if needed. He was glad it had sunk in.
“Sleep, Akashicchi,” Kise instructed, as he pulled the blanket he had thrown aside earlier over the two of them.
“I will be here.”
Kise flicked off the lamp and he glad for the scented wax melter his sister gifted him, it left the room a warm orange instead completely dark.
He returned to running his hands threw Akashi’s hair, Kise listened as Akashi’s breath evened and slowed as he was lulled asleep.
When he was mostly sure Akashi was asleep, he promised quietly, “I am gonna protect you, Seijuurou.”
As much as Akashi would let Kise, anyway. Kise closed his eyes and let himself relax, lulled by the repetitive breath that ruffled his shirt and heated his chest.
Tomorrow, they would figure it out. Together.