Rules of the street

Chapter 9 - There's always a way out.

A/N angst warning I guess? 

Rule 11: There's always a way out.

Quite contrary to how I felt not a minute ago, I just wanted to sleep. Every step he took was hell, knives scraping along my insides. My eyes cracked open, trying to see what was going on. Everything was blurred, the wooden panels merging into each other, the shadows growing grinning faces. A few groans escaped my lips, and his arms tightened.

"Sho, he's awake!" It was too loud, it all was too loud, crashing into my ears, my head. Instinctively I tried to curl up, bringing a shaking hand to my temple.

"I'm here, we're here, breathe, just breathe for me, ok?"

That's right, I wasn't breathing, wasn't thinking, because I couldn't, I tried, I really tried, but I couldn't, and I had let them down-

"It's ok, breathe with me, just fucking breathe, Sho, help, he isn't breathing!"

The noises were too loud again, a throbbing pain building behind my eyelids, I whimpered softly, because they were already so worried, and I couldn't do that to them, but it was too late, they'd heard, Katsuki only pulling me closer.

"Move." The venom in Shoto's voice could have melted iron.

There was a beat of silence, as whoever was in their way presumably moved.

"This way."

The stranger sounded familiar, but with my mind in the state it was, I couldn't place them. They led us through dark halls, and my eyes slipped shut.

With a loud bang, it dropped several degrees. The cold seeped under my skin, through the various cuts and bruises I had acquired, and I shivered.

"He still isn't breathing, fuck, Sho, he's turning blue!" We'd stopped, to my relief. I felt strangely disconnected from my body like I was slowly slipping into something much, much bigger. My only tethers were two threads, strung around my heart. There was a sharp yank, tugging my consciousness back.

"Hey, HEY, stay with us!"

"Don't you fucking go anywhere, you nerd!"

They were right there, but so was this calming expanse that beckoned. It promised no more pain, no more worry, no more feeling.

But I wanted to feel.

I wanted to feel loved, to be happy, to experience life just a little bit more.

So, I latched onto those threads with what little strength I had left. And I heaved. Darkness teased my mind, and I made a desperate lunge, I couldn't lose them, they couldn't lose me, I needed to do this, I needed-

My eyes cracked open, wincing at the sudden influx of light. I shifted slightly, the silken covers of the bed rustling.

It was like someone had shoved a burning wire along my leg, my arm, my head.

Forcing my body to relax, I waited for the pain to subside. The door opened quietly, and although my vision was a little blurry, I could still make out the distinctive red and white hair.

He placed a hand on my chest, feeling the rise and fall of it. Not trusting my voice, I sighed instead.

"Are you awake?" His hand didn't move, still checking I was breathing, because I wasn't, after-