Over the next forty minutes, Akaashi was placed into a room where he was told that he would be going through some minor testing. His blood and bone marrow would be tested for various blood conditions, which stressed him out. 

Akaashi had a terrible fear for anything sharp or especially needles. Bokuto knew of this and sat by him on his bed, talking to distract him from thinking about the tray that would be there soon. 

"You know how this place has like no foot traffic?" 

"Mhmm." 

"Well I was thinking of moving my shop," Bokuto started. "It'll only be about two hours away. I found a pretty cute house with two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and a really nice kitchen." 

Akaashi nodded. "That sounds like something you should go for."

Bokuto fiddled with his hands. "Hey uh… Didn't Ren say you guys wanted to move when you get married?" 

"Mhmm." Akaashi leaned into the raised bed. He sighed, exhaustion threatening to make him fall asleep. 

"When is the wedding?" 

"We don't know." 

Bokuto stared. "Still?"

"Mhmm." 

"Are you sure these bruises aren't from him?" 

Akaashi laid there, silent. He knew for a fact that some of his injuries were due to his abusive partner. There was no denying it at all. "Kotarou. You know I don't like you saying things about what happened. These bruises aren't from him. He doesn't… He doesn't hit me." 

"But he has before." 

"He's changed." 

"People like him don't change. He has sent you to the hospital before." 

Akaashi closed his eyes. He was starting to feel sick. "Bokuto…" 

"It makes me mad. I have had to look out for you so much and you don't want to leave the man who hurts you." 

Akaashi blew out slowly. Bokuto was so stubborn. He always had been. Right now was not the moment for that. "Quit." 

"What?" 

Akaashi's breath picked up. "I… I think…" He opened his eyes but it seemed darker. 

Bokuto hurried to grab his hand, brows furrowing. "Deep breaths." 

Akaashi still struggled to stay awake, overwhelmed. It was getting harder to feel his body and he felt tingly. Bokuto grabbed a tissue from his pocket, trying to stop the nosebleed from starting in the younger male. 

"That's new…" 

Akaashi coughed, starting to tremble. His back arched and he choked, gasping. Bokuto was fast on his feet, going to the doorway as Akaashi seized. 

"HEY! HE NEEDS A FUCKING DOCTOR!" 

People rushed in and tried to calm Akaashi's convulsing. It took a moment for him to calm and get cleaned up but when he was there, just lying still. He looked beyond exhausted, sweating, and his shirt covered in red. 

He allowed nurses to draw his blood, hiding his face as to not see the process. Bokuto sat with him, holding him.

"Keiji…" 

"It's okay. I'm… Just very tired." 

"I can see that." 

Akaashi laughed softly. His phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?" 

It was quiet before Akaashi spoke up. 

"I'm at the hospital… Yes. I know. I- Ren- hey- Let me talk!" Akaashi sighed. "I had a seizure." 

Bokuto sighed. 

"I don't care if you don't care. Leave me alone!" Akaashi hung up. 

"Are you-"

"No. No. I haven't been okay for eight years. But I love that man. Maybe it's him gaslighting or manipulating me but I love him and it's painful."

Bokuto stared still. "Hey…"

Akaashi looked up. "He told me he'd be here soon." 

Bokuto sighed. "Do you need me to leave?" 

"No. I'd rather you stay." Akaashi heard the door open. "Needles?" 

"Yes actually. This is for the bone marrow sample." 

"Where is it going in?" 

"Your hip. Right now I'm going to numb it so it won't hurt too bad. Just a pinch." 

Bokuto covered Akaashi's eyes, watching as the nurse extracted something from a bottle and cleaned the skin of Akaashi's hip. She then stuck the needle into his skin and injected him with an anesthetic. Akaashi only gasped but had gripped his hospital bed hard. It hurt…

Bokuto hugged him, watching doctors pass back and forth. They all seemed worried or bothered by something but weren't expressing concern. 

A doctor did eventually come in and stick the needle into his hip. Akaashi started to cry, already overwhelmed by the aching in his joints and now there was more pain. Bokuto waited to lay down with him and try to ease away Akaashi's tears. "Everything will be okay…" 

"I'm so scared… What if this all means something really, really bad?" 

Bokuto shifted. It was weird comforting Akaashi in this state. He hadn't acted this way in a long time. "Then it's something bad. You can push through it." 

The younger of the two coughed, getting chills. He burrowed into Bokuto's warmth and just wished he never had to go home again. 

****

When Bokuto woke up it was warm. Something he'd missed. 

Akaashi was laying in his arms and fast asleep, more peaceful than he had been recent. 

By now it was nearly midnight and Ren wasn't there. Oda was though and was on the bed by Akaashi's feet. Had Ren seriously just dropped off a six-year-old at a hospital and left? Surely he wasn't so stupid.

Bokuto leaned over and picked up Oda. "Buddy…" 

"Bo!"

"Shhhh." Bokuto wrapped him in his jacket. "Where's your Dad?" 

"I dunno. Is Daddy sick?" 

"Mhmm. But he'll be okay." 

"Is it making him sad?" 

"No, why would you say that?" 

"Daddy doesn't smile." Oda pat Bokuto's hair. 

Bokuto smiled. He got up and rocked him a bit. "Let's go get you a snack and some water. You need to get to bed little guy." 

Oda yawned. "I get Daddy snuggles." 

"Goodness yes." Bokuto bought a pack of crackers and some water before going back to where Akaashi was laying. Oda ate and fell asleep on Bokuto's chest. He seemed comfortable. 

Ren came into the room near midnight, obviously not happy. Without even acknowledging Bokuto he slammed his bag on the bed by Akaashi. "Keiji!" 

Akaashi was startled awake, confused. "Ren?" 

"I told you no hospitals. You never fucking listen, do you?" Ren grabbed him. "You don't even have seizures. It was probably just you getting tired. You don't know how your body works." 

Bokuto stayed in his seat and waited to see if he needed to step in. 

Akaashi struggled, trying to get out of his grasp. "Ren. I can't leave."

"You can. I can sign you out." Ren forced him to sit up. "Stop struggling Keiji." 

Akaashi winced, sore from the extraction earlier. "You're hurting me!" 

Bokuto set Oda on the chair he was sitting in. Thank God the lights had been left out. 

"Please stop. Ren. Stop." 

"Will you be quiet?!" 

Bokuto heard a slap. He turned to see the outline of Ren's hand in the air. He flipped on the little lamp next to where he was sitting just to be sure that what he saw was what he was thinking. When he saw Akaashi holding his face and cowering he grabbed Ren. "The hell was that?!" 

"Oh great, he's whoring himself out to you. Why are you here?" 

"Not important," Bokuto stated. He began to hurry him outside. Akaashi got up, trying to stop whatever was going on. 

"Kotarou, stop! It's okay!" 

"Getting slapped is not okay! That is abusive and wrong Keiji! Does he hit you in front of Oda?!" 

Oda shrunk back into his chair. "I-I…" 

Ren glared at the child. Akaashi pried away Bokuto's hands from his partner, averting his eyes. "You're just letting him get away with it. Really?" 

Akaashi silently picked up Oda, going behind Ren. He knew for a fact that if he cried or said anything Ren would beat him black and blue. 

"You have got to be kidding me. You are just going to let him hit you?" 

Ren grabbed Akaashi's wrist and hurried him to an elevator.