Panicing already, Daichi threw another hit at the demon in front of him. Once again it bounced off harmlessly.
Daichi desperately looked for someone to help him. His attacks should work on this demon, he'd beaten plenty of them before! Why wasn't anything working now?!
Just as Daichi was about to shout to the others, one of his own demons knocked away the demon he had been fighting in a single blow.
"Maybe that one has pierce?" he wondered, though he didn't remember that it did.
Still fighting down the shock of what had just happened, Daichi took off towards the next patch of demons. They were everywhere, and everyone was fighting so hard, there's no way I can just sit back and do nothing! I have to help out too!
Daichi spotted Hibiki and ran to back him up, but when he approached, Hibiki pushed Daichi aside.
"You're in the way!" he shouted, and Daichi swore he had never seen his friend with such a hostile expression on his face.
While he stood there shocked, Io appeared out of nowhere to blast a demon that had been approaching him, looking down at him scornfully.
"Pay attention, Daichi!"
Daichi scrambled to his feet and distanced himself from the others, still looking for somewhere he could help. He found Hinako, but before he could even start in her direction she shooed him away.
"We don't need you, Daichi, get out of here!"
Daichi froze dead in his tracks.
Was he really that worthless to everyone?
Was he really…
Useless?
Suddenly Daichi became aware of a set of jaws looming dangerously near.
He screamed for help, but no matter how he yelled, no one seemed to hear him. Turning with tears in his eyes to the rows of teeth only inches from his face, he thought, "maybe this is for the best…?"
Daichi's restless sleep was broken as the faint light of the hallway poured onto his face.
"Hey," Keita's face appeared dimly in the doorway, "I need you."
"You need…. Me?"
"Yeah."
With a quiet click, Keita slipped into the room, the darkness following him in. After some rustling of footsteps, Daichi felt a familiar pressure on his stomach.
"Don't ask what I'm doing, cus I don't know." Keita, from his new position, noticed the quick rise and fall of Daichi's chest for the first time. "Dude, you okay?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Here,"
Daichi moved so the edges of the blanket crossed over Keita's back. Annoyed, Keita moved off him and threw up the covers. As Daichi gawked in confusion, Keita slipped under the blankets back into his original position, except the covers now draped over them both.
The heat of their bodies trapped under the blankets was immediately overwhelming. Both their heads heavy with fatigue and the relief of the comfort the other provided, their minds wandered. Daichi was noticing the way their legs were tangled together, how Keita was cold and thin. Keita was realizing that Daichi had a unique scent, disgusting but familiar and oddly intoxicating.
Keita let his head fall forward, so that his forehead was resting against Daichi's cheek. He rested there for only an instant until he shot back up again.
"Wet… Don't tell me you were crying! 'I'm fine' my ass, you had a nightmare too!"
"Too?" Daichi moved to wipe his eyes and Keita caught his wrist, wiping the stray tear away himself. That done, Keita's thin fingers lingered on Daichi's cheek, his hand slowly cupping his face.
After a bit of hesitation, Daichi reached up and did the same, Keita's skin unexpectedly warm against his palms.
Neither of them noticed their faces slowly drawing closer together until, with a slight intake of breath from Keita, their noses brushed together. The heat already having brung the suffocating weight of sleep back to his mind, Keita let his face fall further, nuzzling into the space between Daichi's nose and cheek. Daichi, shifting Keita's face, turned to kiss him. To his surprise, Keita didn't argue or fight back, accepting the kiss peacefully. Neither had the strength to move, so they just stayed like that, their lips touching but neither of them moving, for a long time.
Keita lifted his head just before he fell completely asleep. When he closed his eyes, his senses were filled with Daichi's scent, and he felt himself relaxing even further.
Waking slightly from the movement, Daichi opened one eye groggily, his voice weak and muddled with sleep.
"You're leaving?"
"I told you I wouldn't sleep with you, pervert."
Saying this, Keita's head fell back against Daichi's shoulder, and shortly after their both fell into a deep sleep.