A/N: This actually started as a storytelling-ish drabble about Kise as a half-crane, half-human, in which Aomine still accepts him for who he actually is, and they actually get a happy ending, but then angst just suddenly took over and gave me so many ideas, and whoosh, this became a multichapter thing LOOOOOL, orz.

... I should've probably finish Last Breath first, though, orzorz ;;;;

This first chapter /might/ (or will) actually seem very messy because it's actually quite short, and I wrote the first few paragraphs sometime last year LOL when I wasn't very active in writing (and was/is still terrible at it) but I thought I should just edit some grammatical errors, add on more things and put it up first x)

feedback would be greatly appreciated! ;u; it's been a month since i wrote an actual thing to be very honest asdfg ;;;

Happy reading! （*´▽｀*）

As autumn ended with an uproar of leaves, the droplets of fluffy snow rained down onto the land with grace as the air turned chilly and clung to one's skin like a thin layer of ice. With each passing day, long gone was the orange breeze of fall season as an elusive mist of unpredictable temperaments faded in and took its place. It would be about a little over two months from now before anyone would have the chance to see the first light of cherry blossoms again.

That night, the wind was exceptionally harsh.

A figure trudged through the piling snow that stood in his path, holding his straw hat just above his face in an attempt to shield his field of vision from the brutal snow. Strapped to his waist was a cloth pouch bursting with burdensome coins from the firewood he had painstakingly made an effort to cut down with extreme constant precision and fetched high prices as a result. Exposed arms marred with faded bruises of experience began to weather the freezing storm for yet another time, and deep down, he silently wished that he could quickly find his way back home and into the welcoming arms of the hearth, where the warmth that awaited him would most certainly bring him comfort.

Just then, amidst the roaring winds, a faint croon echoed out into the distance. It was soft; almost inaudible, but it was loud enough to grab his attention for a brief moment.

The man willed himself to continue forward, but no matter how hard he tried, curiosity got the better of him, and before he knew it, he found his feet guiding him towards another direction, where the flood of snow seemed to be even thicker than before. He wondered what was it that was drawing him to something so minor, despite being in the middle of hail-like snow, but since he was already well on his way, he might as well go all the way till the end.

"Maybe there's actually a kind of crayfish that lives in the winter season?" he chuckled to himself, filled with the wishful thinking of a child that even he knew was nothing but part of an imagination shaped according to his own personality. He was expecting nothing more but disappointment, anyway; what was a mere farmer on the brink of poverty almost every single day supposed to expect?

Gold? Riches? No, that can't be, he shook his head in denial.

Dream on, Aomine, he scolded himself mentally, almost in an adult-like manner. What the hell are you thinking? Has the snow made you sick?

"... Perhaps," he muttered to himself in response. A small smile concealed by a thin curtain of mystery unconsciously graced his lips as the fuzzy image of family whirled into his head.

There's no one left waiting for me at home, anyway. He wordlessly looked up at the clouds that were dancing a wild tango in the middle of the night with an overwhelmingly chilling presence that seemed to be able to freeze the hearts of others.

Even if I died out here, no one would care.

A wistful smile was now plastered on his face.

Even if I didn't now, it'd only be a matter of time before -

Amongst the screaming winds and the painful snow, there was a sudden flutter of white; abnormal against the coordinated unpredictable movements of the snow, which snapped the man out of his reverie. He blinked once, twice, before cautiously stepping forward to check out the situation.

There was a strangled whimper that sounded almost human, that forced him to look up and watch the plight of the suffering... was there any?

Then, he saw it.

There it was, amidst the snow; a crane with its feathers pure white just like the snow that ominously surrounded him with a chilly aura. Through squinted eyes, he barely saw the frantic flapping of wings trying to summon a tiny glimmer of hope, heard the cries of help frantically fighting against the relentless winds, caught a glimpse of the most mesmerising pair of golden orbs he had seen in his entire life. He mustered up the strength to move forward just a little, before realising the root of the problem when his eyes darted to the snow-capped ground.

A rope was strangling the skinny ankle of the poor trapped bird, tied into a knot and was unwilling to let go. Instinctively, the man knew that it was nothing more than a hunter's trap that had slyly sneaked its way here during the dormant season of winter, and this crane had unfortunately been ensnared by it. Definitely, if he were to leave it alone, it would certainly die; either by the hands of starving hunters, or by continuously being subjected to hours of torture out in the open while being trapped and having nowhere to go.

Somehow, this reminded him of his own predicament years ago, when he was left to fend for himself alone...

He had no more family waiting for him then.

No one saw anything in him.

No one... but an elderly family who took him in.

The fragments of memories glimmered in his mind, and reflected off rays of light that seemed to blind him mentally. He shook his head, and before he knew it, he had already reached forward to loosen the rope clawing at the crane's leg, his fingers brushing against the taut knot.

Perhaps it was because he understood the desperate yearning of the crane to continue living that was letting him set the creature free. Perhaps it was just because it was the right thing to do. Or maybe it was actually nothing but pity that was driving him to sympathise with the trapped creature.

He held the now loosened knot in his hand, pulling the lasso wider so that the bird would be free. As the crane flapped its wings and took flight, it turned its head around and looked at him with its unique eyes of gold.

There was a mysterious twinkle amidst the shiny amber.

And it remained forever engraved into his memory, even as he stood there, rooted to the snow, watching with stunned amazement as the white majestic bird spread out its wings and took flight, disappearing into the black night sky dotted with animated snow.

Aomine Daiki could not stop thinking about a certain something.

Even after he had found his way home and settled himself down before the blazing fire, he found himself continuously being distracted by his thoughts, unable to put his heart into doing anything. The warmth of the fire had always managed to embrace him without fail, but that day, the cold mist that followed him into the house clung onto his skin like fishing hooks, rendering the fire ineffective. He wondered if it was because of the crane that he had saved; it had turned around to give him one last look before it took off into the harsh weather.

Shivering from the cold weather, he pulled out a blanket from his futon nearby and wrapped himself with it, before rubbing his hands together and blowing puffs of hot breaths in his hands in an attempt to keep himself warm. He quietly wondered if it was because of its most stunning feature that struck an impression in him, but whatever the matter was, all he could think of right now was not his priority to warm himself up, but of the crane instead.

I won't be there next time if you're caught again... I won't be able to save you a second time, so...

He couldn't help but worry if it made it safely back to where it rightfully belonged. Hunter traps were always on the loose, especially in winter where vision was affected and where the body would be submitted to piercing ice blades of the blizzard. Perhaps it was due to the expectations that were driven into him by society since young; to be compassionate towards others and lend a helping hand. The mere thought of it made him scoff at himself. Such a feat was impossible; he knew himself the best after all.

There's no way such a violent man like me could ever be compassionate my whole life, heh. I've beaten up so many others in the past; there's no way in hell that would happen.

His concentration kept drifting back to how the creature had turned its head to look at him, and he could not help but sigh in resignation.

But nevertheless... I hope you've made it back home safely.

Abrupt knocking sounds from outside interrupted his small train of thoughts, causing Aomine to look up and stare at the door in wonder. In this ungodly weather and at such a terribly late hour at night... who could it be?

He lethargically made his way towards the wooden door, watching the depressing snow rain down rapidly like hailstones from the window in the middle. There was only a blur of yellow that he could see from the snow-tinted glass, so he pulled the door open to get a better look...

... before freezing in shock.

What stood before him was a striking beauty dressed in a kimono as white as snow, with what seemed to be a wataboshi concealing her face from him. Long locks of gold trailed down her shoulders, the brilliant colour gradually fading to a pale yellow and finally white at the ends. The stranger looked up at Aomine, who immediately realised from facial features that the newcomer wasn't a she, but a he.

"Hello," he greeted with a gentle smile that was as dazzling as the sun, that seemed to magically calm his nerves. Even his voice seemed like music to the ears of a clearly dumbfounded Aomine. He watched the newcomer shake his head and fiddle with his thumbs nervoursly. "It's cold out here, and well... I... got lost while finding my relatives, ehehe..."

The curtain lying asleep in Aomine's mind was then blown away, revealing the truth in its naked form that struck him with sudden realisation that could have potentially sent him tumbling off his edge.

"May I stay over for just a night?"

He should have instinctively shut the door and yell at the stranger from behind the door that he was one hell of a sick guy for posing as a female, before rejecting his request, but what drew him in were those mysterious golden eyes of his, its colour as fulgurous as the rays of the sun, as striking as the shine of a jewel, and almost, just almost exactly the same as the pair of eyes he had seen in the white rain earlier on-

Or perhaps, they were actually the same.

Aomine took a small step back, distancing himself ever so slightly from the stranger. He eyed the snow-clad man warily, before realising that his skin had gone numb, unfeeling, unaware of the harsh cold weather anymore. Or rather, maybe he was the one that had become warmer as he realised he had lost all discomfort and started feeling at ease some time after the appearance of the blonde. He looked at him with some semblance of conviction, all sorts of words painlessly suffocating him.

He should be wary of someone he completely has no knowledge about, but the strange feeling of warmth that he was getting just from being around him didn't seem so much as foreign anymore. Or more accurately, it didn't start at all in the first place.

This person definitely isn't normal...

Who are you?