Chapter Includes :

Kokichi Ouma, Rantaro Amami, Insomnia, Anxiety, Oumami

Kokichi couldn't remember when he'd last slept. It was probably before the killing game started but he couldn't know for sure. Every night he'd just stare at the ceiling, tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep. He'd tried everything, from counting sheep, closing his eyes and attempting to make his mind go blank, imagining his body relaxing completely. Everything he'd heard might work online. But it never did for him.

The little ruler had dealt with insomnia before the killing game and it was something that haunted his everyday life, but after so many days of not sleeping, he usually managed to pass out. But ever since he'd woken up here, anxiety and fear of not knowing if he'd be alive by the end of the next day haunted him every second. With no escape in the slightest, Kokichi felt himself losing his mind.

"Someone could be planning a murder right now-you're awake and able to stop them and yet, all you do is lay in bed feeling sorry for yourself," a voice whispered in Kokichi's mind. The small boy pulled the pillow over his ears, knowing it wouldn't be able to save him from himself, but still doing it out of habit. The ticking of the clock was engraved in his brain and if he had any strength in his upper-half, or any half, Kokichi would have yanked it off the wall by now. 

Knowing he wasn't falling asleep anytime soon, the little ruler sat up and sighed. He didn't want to do this anymore, he just wanted to-

The small boy's train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Kokichi felt his heart begin to race as he wondered why was anyone knocking on his door this late. On edge, he stared at the door, waiting for another knock. There wasn't any. A few more seconds passed and he let out a huff of slight annoyance, knowing he was going to be an idiot and let curiosity take control. 

Not long later he was proven right as he grabbed the lamp on the side of his bed, Kokichi gradually made his way to the door. There hadn't been any sign of life on the other side since the first knock. Wrapping his small hand around the door, the boy slowly turned it and pushed. Immediately moving his other hand back to the lamp, the little ruler lifted it up, ready to swing at whoever was on the other side.

When the door creaked open though, nobody was there. Panicking, Kokichi dropped the lamp and slammed the door shut. Mind racing, the little ruler confirmed what had just happened in his head. Had he been hallucinating?

Confused, he opened the door again just to check. Still, nobody was there. Kneeling down to pick up the thankfully not broken lamp, Kokichi turned to walk away only to hear the knock again. Swinging around, he held the lamp directly in front of him, ready to attack whoever was there. 

"W-who's there?!" Kokichi called, waiting for a response. None. Shakily checking behind him worriedly, the little ruler hit his head in an attempt to clear it. This was like something from a horror movie. If someone was pulling a prank on him, Kokichi swore whoever it was wouldn't live to tell the tale. 

But just as the boy convinced himself he'd imagined it, the knocking came back but this time it didn't stop. Dropping the lamp for a second time, the small boy realized it wasn't just coming from the door, it was everywhere. Every area of the wall was creating the sickening noise. The room was just the center of it all, and in the center of the room, was Kokichi.

The boy pressed his hands to his ears, desperately trying to drown out the knocks. Where were they coming from? Who was causing them, what was happeningwhyhimhedidn'twanttodothisanymoreSTOP-!

Kokichi slammed his head against the back of his bed as hard as he could to make him temporarily deaf and the knocking went away combined with the building panic and anxiety.

Sighing in relief, the little ruler slid down till he was on the ground and buried his face in his hands. He just wanted to sleep. The ticking of the clock was back and the boy let out a groan at the consistent noise. 

Another knock. "Kokichi!?"

Jumping in surprise at the voice, the little ruler hesitated only slightly before running to the door, desperate for another person to be around. To keep him from going crazy.

As if forgetting everything about the killing game currently happening, Kokichi shoved the door open, and was met with the ultimate mystery himself, Rantaro Amami. The green haired boy's eyes widened upon seeing the little ruler, obviously surprised by Kokichi's exhausted and terrified appearance and posture. 

"Kokichi, what happened?" Rantaro asked, looking him up and down, a concerned expression on his face. 

"I-I really don't know," The little ruler said truthfully, feeling on the verge of a breakdown. Was the boy in front of him even real, he began to question feeling himself begin to shake uncontrollably. Rantaro worriedly watched Kokichi shiver nervously, seeming untrusting of even the walls around him.

Whenever his siblings had been scared at night or had a nightmare, Rantaro would always hug and sleep in the same bed with them. He didn't know what it was about Kokichi, but he felt the need to do the same with him.

Comfortingly, he wrapped his long arms around the little ruler's lithe body, he rubbed at his back and whispered sweet nothings in an attempt to calm him down. 

As Kokichi's heart rate went down to what he could consider to be normal, Rantaro tenderly kissed the smaller boy's forehead and felt a warm smile come to his face when Kokichi's turned redder than a tomato, stuttering as incomprehensible words poured from his mouth. 

Yawning, Rantaro picked the boy up and out of habit laid down in his bed, arms still wrapped around him. Kokichi's flustered babbling continued as he fought to work his way out of the other boy's embrace but eventually went limp upon realizing it was hopeless. Grumbling, the little ruler leaned into the touch and quickly told himself it was simply an instinctual reaction. 

"You can go to sleep, you're safe," Rantaro murmured into his ear tiredly, breathing evening out as he near instantly fell asleep. Normally Kokichi would have argued but somehow he felt safe with the walking mystery, and for probably the first time in his life, kept quiet.

The two lay like that for a while, Kokichi for some reason content with the soft snores coming from above him, and in the comfort and safety of the taller boy's arms, the little ruler managed to drift to sleep. 

(A/N : For some reason this one was difficult to write for me lol. Maybe because I didn't know what I should make the conflict be or something. Anyways, don't have much to say for this chapter other than sorry that's it short, but I hope you enjoyed it!)

Word Count : 1188