Past and PTSD (TW)

                                    

                                          
Kaito and Kokichi only stayed with the others for a few more minutes before they headed back to Kaito's dorm. Any pairs or groups who had ended up together with the classification would be placed in a bigger dorm to accommodate not only the larger amount of people who would be living there, but also to accommodate for the Littles. This was all happening within about two weeks, so Kaito had started packing his stuff up beforehand.
                          
Kokichi, however, was oddly silent as they headed back, not even quietly humming as he played with Meadow. Kaito found this a bit odd, because there was hardly ever a moment where Kokichi wasn't making some sort of noise. Just to be sure, Kaito glanced down at the small male to see that he was still awake. Okay; something was definitely wrong.
                          
Once they made it in, Kaito sighed softly as he sat down on the bed with his baby boy in his lap. "Kichi, are you okay..?" He asked softly as he gently carded through his baby's soft, violet hair. Of course, Kokichi leaned into his Caregiver's touch, though he didn't give much of a response besides attempting to cuddle a little bit closer to the astronaut. Whether or not Kaito knew that Kokichi was starting to get choked up again, the small boy didn't care. He just wanted his Daddy. Just act your age already..
                          
Kaito, as dense as he could be, was also pretty smart when it came to Kokichi and his needs. ".. Baby.. did what Miu said remind you of her..?"
                          
As soon as Kaito said that, Kokichi went wide-eyed, and he froze. Time came to a standstill as Kokichi was seemingly transported back to that time. All. Over. Again. 
                          
".. M-Mom..? I-I'm home!" Ouma called out timidly as he clutched the straps of his backpack. With each thundering footstep, he flinched, recoiling a little bit more.
                          
"Where the hell have you been?!" The tall woman exclaimed as she headed over to the frail boy. "Answer me, shithead, before I fucking make you!" Her arm started to raise as her hand balled into a fist.
                          
Undoubtedly afraid, Kokichi exclaimed, "I-I-I was at s-school, ma'am!" His heart was pounding faster than his racing mind could keep up with.
                          
"Jesus fuck, Kirino, didn't I fucking tell you to get home by 2:30 sharp?! It's already fucking 3:30, you worthless little girl! You're such a fucking pathetic child, and you can hardly even act your own fucking age half the time!"
                          
Kokichi didn't even bother correcting her. He knew he was born as a girl named Kirino, and even though his hair was long and pulled back into two high pigtails, he never felt that way at all. Ever since he was little, he'd always felt as though he wasn't born in the right body. Still, all that he could muster was a quiet, "S-Sorry, ma'am.. I-It won't happen a-again.." 
                          
"It better not, you horrible fucking excuse for a human being! If it does, you'll get a hell of a lot fucking worse than you're getting tonight!"
                          
Kokichi's eyes widened as he saw the woman pull out a belt— the same one she'd used as her 'punishment' more than once before. He couldn't think straight, or even at all.
                          
The next thing he knew, the hard leather was slashing across his back; his chest; his arms; his stomach— all he could do to keep from screaming out in pain was to bite down on his tongue as hard as he could— he definitely drew blood from that.
                          
"Alright, you filthy little bitch— get up! I want this whole damn house spotless by tomorrow morning, or it'll get so much worse for your pathetic self! I want dinner made in 2 hours, and it better not be shit!" For a moment, the woman left, only to return moments later with a sharp knife, which she carelessly shoved into Kokichi's hands. "You know what to do, you fucking pig." 
                          
The woman then stormed off, leaving Kokichi to his own devices. He knew exactly what she meant. If he didn't.. if she didn't see blood on his bony arms by the time dinner was done, she'd make it much, much worse.
                          
So he did.
                          
The knife slowly dragged across his skin as he choked back sobs with tears rolling down his freckles cheeks. The crimson red liquid wasn't far to follow as little pools of the stuff began to gather over the slit he'd made, but he knew that wouldn't be enough for her. So he did it again; making another slit, and another, and another still. He didn't stop until both arms had at least five of those same pools of blood. He didn't bother to clean them; his adoptive "mother" would only tell him to do it again— so he simply cleaned off the knife as well as he could before he headed off to make dinner.
                          
He wasn't a bad cook, but he was always miserable when making food, and for obvious reasons. Still, he hurried to make dinner before he was scolded again. But.. that was when he heard it. It was distant at first, but it soon got louder.
                          
".. Chi.."
                          
".. Kichi!"
                          
"Kokichi!"
                          
The small male was yanked out of the horrid memory and back into the present day, only to discover that he was sobbing and in the midst of a bad panic attack. He was able to make out Kaito and— Gonta? When did he get there?
                          
"Kokichi, it's okay. She's not gonna hurt you anymore, baby. She's gone and locked up for a long time, okay? You're safe. It's okay," Kaito comforted softly as he held his baby close. Kokichi had said several times that it was alright for Kaito to touch him during a panic attack, though this is the first one where he's been regressed along with it. 
                          
"D-Dada!! Dada!!!" The poor baby sobbed out as he clung to the other. He was hyperventilating and he had no clue what to do. He was shaking like a leaf and he just wanted his Dada and his Bubba. 
                          
"Poor Kichi.. he go through so much.." Gonta mumbled as he gently brushed through the frightened boy's hair. Knowing the duo, it'd all probably be explained if Kokichi's big again soon. He knew that he couldn't possibly know everything aside from a small portion of what happened, especially since Kaito's text was obviously urgent. 
                          
However, that was another topic for another time. For now, it was more important to get Kokichi calmed down.
                          
At least, until they can get Kokichi down for a nap.