i'm not over you [c]

Atsushi tried very hard to be a good student, really. He didn't want anyone to think that he was ungrateful to be there, he definitely was, but things were rather awkward for him at times. The halls had too many confusing scents, to the point that it made his nose feel stuffy, never mind the throngs of people around...He dealt with it though, seeing as he had already been late to class on numerous occasions, from either oversleeping during a nap, missing the bell, or simply getting lost. The campus was huge and had so many areas and a freedom of movement that he had yet to get accustomed to.

When he managed to sidle into the room on time, he was feeling pretty proud of himself. Seeing as Algebra wasn't one of his best subjects, it was a pleasant start to what was normally a slog of a class. He settled down onto the chair at his desk, shrugging off his book bag and setting it near his feet. After a few moments he had pulled out his books and the various writing materials he needed to take notes. As he tried to relax, his nose crinkled up childishly as a strange smell hit his noise. It was oddly...familiar. It confused him, but soon he seen the teacher moving and had to focus on her face to read the lecture from her lips.

As he jotted down notes, that odd, familiar scent nagged at the back of his mind. He wondered what it was from...Or if he was even smelling it right. Honestly, maybe his nose was just confused. His senses weren't as sharp as older werewolves, and with how many people passed through the academy, it wouldn't be that surprising for things to get jumbled. With that thought in mind, he relaxed slightly. It was the only logical explanation, nothing to get upset over, really.

That's what he kept telling himself, over and over, as class stretched on. When it finally ended, he was all too eager to pack up his bag and get outdoors, where he could fill his lungs with fresh air. Slinging his backpack over his shoulders, he turned towards the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

What.

He blinked for a few times, dumbly staring at the vampire as his mind fought to catch up and comprehend the fact that yes, this was reality, no he wasn't dreaming...Aleksander was right there and, and...His gold eyes darted to the lock on the door, and a low whimper rumbled from deep within his chest. His first instinct was to sign Sorry while simultaneously backing up, his head turning to and fro as he desperately looked around. Where could he hide? He had ran away and now Aleksander was here and he knew that that meant he was a bad dog and he was probably going to be punished and...and...Atsushi didn't even want to think about it. He just wanted to get away, anywhere but here.

But there was nowhere to run.

No, no, no, no. The word cycled through his head, unable to really grasp at anything else. This. This couldn't be happening. Yet as the larger male took one step forward, then another, and another, the tingle of fear that shot down his spine made him realize it was no waking nightmare. His face flushed with his nervousness, and tension settled in his shoulders, muscles like tightly wound coils. He was ready to bolt at any moment. It didn't matter that there really was nowhere to go. His attention remained fixated on the man, his gaze drifting from his hands to his mouth and back again, not wanting to miss any telltale comment that his world was about to get a hundred times worse.

Instead, what he was confronted with was why. Why? He found himself echoing back, hands moving reflexively before he could stop himself. What did he mean why? Atsushi worried at his lower lip, teeth nibbling into the skin almost hard enough to draw blood. His mind tumbled, trying to grasp a coherent answer, and all he managed to sign out was a stilted, You hurt--I didn't want to die-- He hoped it was enough, though some part of him realized that it was likely that any answer he provided wouldn't be good enough. It was a lose lose situation.

Then the man was offering his hand, as innocent can be. Atsushi balked slightly, his brow furrowed, as he took another couple of steps back. He had fallen for that sweet act once before. He wasn't about to fall for it again. The obedient part of him wanted to obey, because obviously it would be worse if he continued to act like a bad dog...But...The other part of him, the half that housed his survival instincts, pushed him to get the hell out of dodge.

His options were limited. There really wasn't anywhere to go. The only thing in the room was the desks, and while he could maybe hide under them, that didn't seem good enough. Instead, he whirled around, to face the windows. Maybe--maybe he could get out that way? He sprung towards them and started struggling with the locks, whimpering softly as he fumbled in fear.

He felt a surge of endorphins as he felt the lock give way, and the glass start to move under his prying. Maybe, maybe he'd actually get away and things would be fine. He'd go find Denver and they'd have some pie, or he'd see how Ayuzawa-sensei was doing, or...All of these thoughts sped through his mind in mere seconds, and then his hope was completely shattered. Suddenly he was pulled away, and then all he could see was Aleksander and the anger smouldering in his eyes. Any last scraps of composure melted away then, and he started shaking, slim form trembling gently. He really was like a kicked puppy, just waiting for the blow to come. Knowing that it was coming didn't lessen the shock or the pain, though. The older man's hand connected with his face and his head turned from the force. A loud yelp tore free from his lips as the silver touched his skin. He didn't need to be able to see the damage to know what was done. A slight scent of singed flesh wafted across his nose and he knew it was his own.

Released from the vampire's grip, the young werewolf sought distance again. Notsomuch as before, however, as he really wasn't keen on being hit again. He shuffled awkwardly back against the wall, pressing against it as he slid downwards to rest on his rear. Maybe, maybe if he was just quiet and kept his head down and just, didn't try anything, things would be okay. Maybe Aleksander would let him go. Deep down, he sincerely doubted it, but he was trying to find some glimmer of hope. The academy was supposed to be an escape, but now - now he wasn't so sure.

Curling one arm about his legs, he held them to his chest. If he could occupy as small of a space as possible, he hoped he would be less of a target. It didn't matter that there was no one else in the room for Aleksander to lash out at - his logic centers weren't exactly working at full capacity. He was flooded with adrenaline, fear, and nerves, and all he wanted to do was sit quietly and have things blow over. Atsushi knew it was never that easy, but he how he wished it was. He raised his free hand and rubbed gingerly at his cheek where the silver rings had marked him, hazarding a skittish glance upwards.

For a while, his tactic seemed to work. Seconds ticked by and he remained on the floor, untouched. If only it would stay that way. He inhaled slowly, tried to gather his wits, futilely trying to calm himself down. It was pointless. His mind was a chaotic mess, mostly cycling over multiple variations of what can I do and this can't really be happening. Atsushi huffed slightly, giving a slight twitch as he tried to push everything down and away. If only he wasn't so easily intimidated by the pain he received, or the mere sight of the vampire...He rubbed a bit as his cheek once more, dropping his gaze back to the floor after watching Aleks for a second or two.

He couldn't fathom what was running through the older man's head. He didn't understand what motivated him to do such things, all he could piece out was his anger and hatred, his disappointment, all negative emotions...It was rare for him to read anything good in his body language, and he had learned that if he did, it likely veiled something else entirely. Reflexively the boy tensed when the larger male approached and knelt next to him. His gold eyes drifted half-shut as the hand caressed over his face. Absently biting into his lower lip again, he fought to keep himself calm, trying not to think too heavily about anything at all--

Blocking out reality was exceedingly difficult when he was confronted with Aleksander's presence though. Atsushi whimpered softly when his hair was tugged on, peering up into the other's face, expecting the worst. When he was released, he tried to shake off a small shudder, then started to stand, the movement a little awkward as he tried to do it quickly so he would avoid another smack. What do you want? Somehow he managed the courage to sign the question to the vampire, and immediately he regretted it. He was afraid of what the answer would be. He was trembling again, he couldn't help it, the whole situation was sparking memories of that basement and--...he...he desperately didn't want anything like that happening again.

There it was. The obvious answer. Atsushi didn't really understand why, though, but he wasn't about to try to press his luck and ask further questions. Aleksander always seemed so angry all the time, never mind the occasional faux sweetness he offered. If he was such a bad dog and made the vampire upset all the time, he just didn't get why he wanted him so bad. Of course, there were deeper psychological quirks at work, but those were definitely beyond the boy's understanding. Dropping his hands to his sides, he balled them into nervous fists and dropped his gaze to the floor for a while. Gold eyes falling shut, he tried to focus on his breathing. Thinking pleasant thoughts was impossible when his version of the boogeyman was lingering nearby though, and thus any attempts to calm himself down continued to fail.

The waiting really was the worst. With Aleksander's inner workings a mystery to the young werewolf, all he could do was stand uncomfortably and wonder at what the other hand planned. Was he going to drag him away from the school? Shove him back into one of those dark, tiny cages? The memory sent shivers down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. His nostrils flared in agitation, and for a brief time he surveyed the room again. It was no use, though. If he tried for the window, he was sure he'd regret it. That fear kept him firmly in place, most of his attention on the tile beneath his feet.

Every now and then he flitted nervous glances upwards, just to keep an eye on the vampire. He didn't want to miss anything he said and get scolded for that, too. Glimpsing him go through papers, Atsushi furrowed his brow slightly. What was he looking for? Then he seen the question and paused. I'll be okay is what he signed awkwardly, then glanced back downwards. The boy didn't know what to do with himself, honestly. Standing there, left to his own devices, his mind started backtracking. So - so running didn't work, maybe - maybe he'd try to behave extra well? It was probably too late for that, but he didn't know what else to do. So with a tense gait, he slowly made his way over to where Aleksander was sitting, and sat down, curling in on himself near the floor by the older man's chair. At least - at least then there'd be less waiting when something bad happened.