A/N: Deals with panic attacks and nightmares

Daichi's PoV

Neck hurts. Collar tight, too tight, so tight. Don't like it. No, no, no, not now. Can't hurt now. Have guests. Can't worry girls.

So tight.

Should go. Everyone's waiting. Might be in trouble. Left during club hour. But closet is safer.

Why so tight!

Crying. Don't want to. No, make it stop please. Might see. Not safe. Just wanna be safe.

Ah, why so TIGHT!

"It's all right, Daichi."

Eyes open. Yes, yes, finally, him. My senpai. Takes off the collar. Tells me to breathe. Want to. So badly. Trying. So hard. Takes so long. Pats my back. Feels nice. Feels... soft.

Like it.

He's here. Left club. My fault. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. My fault. "'M sorry. So sorry. Really, really sorry. 'M so sorry—"

"You have nothing to be sorry about. You didn't do anything wrong."

Not right. They tell me not right. My fault. Always my fault. Every time. Oh no, no, no. Sorry, senpai. So sorry.

"Focus on breathing, all right?" Focus? No. Too much focusing. Too tired. No! Not tired, tired bad.

"Too hard."

"It's not too hard. All you have to do is match me, Daichi." Hand on his chest. Heart beats. Slow. That's right? Slow beat. Deep breaths. Hmm... Feels nice. Soothing. "There you go."

Like it.

Finally. Breath calms. Eyes focus on him. Looks... worried, guilty. Oh no, no, no. My fault.

"Sorry."

"Don't," he says. "I'm perfectly fine. Do you feel better now?"

"Neck."

"Matsuda, that jerk. The collar left a little cut. It should be healed completely by the end of the week though. I called home. Father agreed you should come home early."

Really? He never gives breaks. "Club?"

"Tamaki had all of the girls go. They were all sufficiently shocked. The rest of the day we'll be taking off anyway, so don't worry about missing club... The others are all worried for you. Are you ready to come out?"

I nod. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Never better. No problems at all... Fine. Senpai takes my hand and helps me stand. He opens the closet door and leads me out.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

3rd Person

Tamaki is the first to approach Daichi. All he can do is manage a little sideways laugh. "Heh... It's weird seeing you without your collar on. Are you... okay, Daichi?" Daichi nods, but it's just a formality. Everyone is already sure that he's not fine. Why else would Kyoya had to have chased him to the closet?

Everyone else asks the same thing over again. The twins joke about how Tamaki had to pull them off that Matsuda kid. Honey says, if Kyoya would let him, he'd share all his cakes with Daichi. Mori, of course, doesn't say much, but he and Daichi share a meaningful look. Haruhi is last, and she wishes Daichi to feel better while making a couple jabs at Matsuda. Finally, Kyoya and Daichi leave the school, picked up by his personal driver.

The ride there and the following hour in their room is spent in silence. Kyoya changes Daichi into his favorite set of pajamas and has him lie in bed in hopes that he'll get some rest. But, as Kyoya works faithfully at his desk, he sees his boy isn't sleeping a wink. Sighing, he sets his glasses down and takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Daichi... You're having nightmares again, aren't you?" His soft voice coaxes the answer straight out of the younger as he nods. "I know I told you this before, but... Nightamares are different from dreams. Most nightmares are so evil, they could never happen in real life. But anything you dream, anything at all... it can come true. We can't always keep nightmares away, but all you have to do is remember that it can't come true if you don't let it. Now, I'll be right here the whole time, awake, so I can help you. Please, let your mind rest. You deserve it."

So Daichi falls asleep. Again, he has nightmares, but Kyoya crawls into the bed next to him and tries his hardest to cuddle them away. It's nothing magical. They don't disperse the second the boys touch, but they do slowly become less terrible throughout the night.

It's morning when Daichi wakes up and realizes he actually slept half-decent. Kyoya's getting him ready, going about the schedule as usual.

"Let's try today, huh? Do you know what color block today is?" he asks.

"Red."

Kyoya smiles proudly, kissing Daichi all over his face. "Amazing. Smartest boy in existence. Beautiful puppy. Here, have your medicine, and then I'll just put your collar on."

Daichi does as asked. Then Kyoya buckles the normal blue collar on over the little skin-colored bandage. Perfect.

Not perfect. Daichi knows it'll never be that good. But with Kyoya, he can say it's getting better every second.

A/N: Can't sleep cause of nightmares... ironic... Thought I'd update earlier than planned. Lemme know what you think :) thanks for reading