Summary: Akashi is usually very calm and collected, even in the most stressful of situations. He takes on heavy workloads and responsibility without defiance, he excels in every task and never falls short-but is he really so strong as he appears? Is soon becomes evident to more people around him that his walls do crack and they can see he's starting to sink. But how can you help if your own problems are weighing you down? NijiAka and GOM friendship. Rating subject to change.


Akashi had been rather silent after the news of his mother's passing. While crying seemed like a more normal response, he didn't. But that was expected of him. He hadn't expressed many emotions from the start of his life, only sprouting the occasional smile or frown. This goes to say no one was shocked to see his blank gaze the day of the funeral. However, the sudden blood rising out of his mouth in the middle of the ceremony wasn't taken so lightly.

He hadn't had a cough. He had simply felt something rising up his throat while staring at a picture of his mother, and it was suffocating him. He coughed to get it out and blood splattered but he didn't feel any pain. A lot of blood came out, and his shirt and shoes were covered with it. It got on many hands, too. Was he going to end up like his mother? he had wondered.

The doctor couldn't find a cause even after monitoring him for a couple days. Plus, after the episode, he had returned to normal instantly (aside from the slight anxiety that came with the scare of all the blood). He was returned home and resumed his studies as normal. Nothing had changed and he was still as healthy as he always had been. This was nothing like what had been his mother's condition, he soon came to realize, and shook the event off without much thought. Even a year later, the incident did not reoccur nor show any signs of doing so. Before long, he was attending middle school and he was equipped with more responsibilities.


A/N: Chapters will eventually become longer and include dialogue, I'm just trying to build the foundation. If you have any questions about the setup, feel free to ask. Suggestions/constructive criticism always welcomed.