#katana-chan will always deserve its own tag

[chaoticdelinqueerwithglitter]

You'll change your name and change your mind (but you can't leave this fucked up place behind)

(Prompt #15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA | Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?")

Notes: Awww, did you all miss tl0 too? Worry not, because here we go again! This one it's settled in a very specific moment of canon, when our dear gremlin discovered katana-chan would always be the best way to defend Mikey's honor (no, it won't, but let him believe it is)

Also, I didn't specify exactly what happened to his classmates and left it open to interpretation on purpose. If Wakui can do it, I don't need to figure it out either, I'm just here for the angst!

Warnings: Blood and injury, dissociation (sanzu is clearly not okay), implied massacre with a katana.

Haruchiyo stood there, frozen in time like a bloody statue commemorating his victory. Fitting, considering Mikey's clock also stopped working properly so long ago. 

There was peace in the eerie silence that fell on the scene. No more mockings daring to defile the memories of his best friend, no more panicked screams, no more scared footsteps. Did they flee or did he manage to hush them forever? He couldn’t find it in himself to care now that his blinding rage had finally given way to calm.

Only his ragged breath and the constant dripping of blood could be heard — trickling from his katana, running down his face. Blood cleansing all his sins, a bizarre expiation dyeing the world scarlet.

Maybe he should feel pain, but he couldn’t. Impotence had rooted inside of him — his inability to do anything while his friend was wilting — but he might have found a way to get rid of it, to be able to breathe again. What was physical pain in comparison? Nothing. 

“Haruchiyo?” 

The voice, he knew that trembling voice, it belonged to the other half of his pain — but why did it sound so worried then?

“Look, Keisuke!” 

His smile might have looked weird because Baji didn’t seem pleased. Did he not understand how free Haruchiyo finally was? 

“You… you did this? Why?”

“Duh, they were badmouthing Mikey.” 

His friend only swallowed as an answer. Why was Baji so pale, what was going on? He was also starting to feel unease, his insecurities returning ten times stronger. 

“I did good, right?”

A plea, desperate for approval, for the confirmation that he didn’t fail Mikey this time. But nothing came, just silence — oppressive and charged of something he couldn’t pinpoint, long forgotten the previous peace. 

“Kei? Why are you acting so weird?” 

“Me?” 

He knew it was a mistake, that he shouldn’t have followed Baji’s gaze, that he should’ve ignored his choked whimper — no, he could never do that to Baji. His eyes widened when he finally registered their gruesome surroundings. 

“No.” A metallic noise echoed when he unconsciously dropped his katana. “No, no, no, no!”

Haruchiyo tried to cover his eyes, to stop seeing, but there was red everywhere, red threatening to engulf his vision forever. It was too much to process, he just wanted to disappear.

Suddenly, a pair of arms pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, grounding him back to the present — a present where someone was crying. No, not someone. 

“I only wanted to help… to protect Mikey...” It was a miracle that Baji was able to understand anything between his sobs and the sound of the sirens getting closer. “I didn’t… I…”

“I know, I know.” Of course, Baji always understood him better than himself. “I’m not going to abandon you, okay? We’re on this together.” 

No, they weren’t, he was the one who did something unforgivable — but judging by Baji’s tear-streaked face, maybe there was some truth in his words. 

“Please Kei, don’t leave me.” A quiet whisper again. “Please.” 

At least, he hoped there was. Because one thing was certain: Haruchiyo would go completely insane if he was left all by himself. 

Did I finish with this sentence as a reminder that Haru is going to have to deal with this completely alone in the future bc Baji won't remember shit and then will die? Yeah, totally, I'm evil, what can I say xD