Blood Love

His Mask Is Slipping

Pairing: Togami/Naegi
Warning(s): Stalking, mentions of SA, canon-typical violence, mentions of vomit, spoilers

Togami sat in his room, sprawled out on his bed, trying to calm himself. He wore his usual white button-up and cross tie. His blazer was messily discarded on the back of a chair somewhere in his room. He had had a particularly bad encounter with Fukawa this morning, and he couldn't do anything about how disgusted he was at her advances without revealing his weak state of mind to the other participants. He had been out of sorts all day.

Fukawa hadn't done anything to him, but just the thought that she had tried to, that she wanted to, was enough to make him want to throw up. He breathed a deep sigh. A headache was incoming just from thinking about her. Suddenly, he heard the telltale ring of the doorbell. He eyed the door suspiciously, taking a glance at the time. It was barely an hour before the night time announcement went off. Who would be visiting at such a hour?

Brushing off the the thoughts of that wretched girl that had crossed his mind, he sat up and called out, "Who's there?" He waited for an anxiously long moment, dreading the answer to come, when finally the visitor revealed their identity. "It's Naegi," they said. Togami breathed a deep sigh at the fact he didn't even have to hear her voice, and got up to answer the door.

Naegi was, oddly enough, probably the person he trusted most in this cursed place. There was this strange aura about them that was almost calming to him. The tall boy wrenched open the door, looking upon the nervous boy that stood before him. "What do you need?" he asked, slightly curious about what he needed from him.

Naegi looked at Togami, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance."Well," he started, a bit of a nervous expression on their face, "I was wondering if you were alright, Togami." His inquiry took him quite aback. The boy was a kind and compassionate person, but he hadn't expected him to ask about his well being. Were they really that attentive to have noticed his slightly distracted behaviour?

"I'm fine, Naegi. Thank you... for asking if I was alright," he lied, adding the last part before he could regret it. Naegi was a bit surprised at the gratitude, which was understandable. "It's no problem," he said, placing a tentative hand on Togami arm, "I just noticed you seemed a bit off today. Of course, that's understandable in this kind of situation! But, uh- if you ever need to talk, I'm here." They smiled at him.

Togami stood there for a moment, thinking. He thought about the detestable girl that made him want to cry, or throw up, or both. Perhaps he wasn't completely alright. He didn't want Naegi, or anyone else for that matter, to know that, but there was a part of him that wanted to open up to Naegi. This strange, kind person who had shown up on his doorstep just to ask how he was doing.

Naegi watched him think with a funny look on his face. It was a bit like a smile, but also a bit worried. He decided he liked it. It was cute. He let a bit of a smile slip past his cold facade, a facade that had already broken too many times today for his liking. But he supposed one more crack wouldn't hurt. And he was graciously rewarded when the boy in front of him smiled as well.

He decided he liked this as well. He spoke again, deciding to let a bit of softness stay in his tone, "Goodnight Naegi. I'll see you tomorrow." Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would be cold and uncaring, but maybe it was okay to be weak for just tonight. Naegi giggled a bit, turning and walking down the hallway, and Togami closed the door.

He sighed, leaning against the now closed door, and pondering the strange interaction he had just had with Naegi. It was odd, and much different from the conversations he usually had with people, but he had definitely liked it. There was probably something wrong with him, but to be honest, right now he didn't particularly care.