A/n: This was deleted to be edited and refined back in 2012-2013 (?), except I never got around to putting it back up, or editing. Ouch. Please forgive me. I'm going to pump out the chapters, and then edit.

Prologue

''Do not ever come near me or my sister again.''

Those were the last words Takao heard from Midorima, before he figuratively and literally left his life. Quiet but scathing. He would have left regardless, but it hurt him most that a friendship of 4 years was severed over a simple misunderstanding….

Midorima had been leaving for America. As usual, he'd performed exceptionally well, one of the top in the state, and as a result, some prestiged medical university had accepted his application with no hesitation. However, this also meant that Midorima would be permanently leaving home, to a life in America. He said he'd come back for the summer holidays, but everybody doubted that.

Kise and Momo had naturally wanted to throw a farewell party the night before he would go to the airport. It was held at Midorima's house; partly because it was so damn big, and his parents were still out at work so Aomine was able to bring along a huge stash of booze. That also meant Hinata, Midorima's sister would be there.

It was just by chance that Takao had to go pee halfway through the speeches and stories Kise was shouting to anybody who would listen about their days at Teikou, and in the dark, he stumbled into Hinata.

''Oops.. Damn… sorry there Hinata, I can never seem to navigate through the maze you call this house, and the light switches aren't located for midgets like me.'' (The entire family was tall, in fact, even Hinata was taller than Takao, which stung.)

''Oh, hi Takao.''

He knew that tone of voice. Having a sister himself, it was something he had to put up with weekly. The slight tremor meant that she was crying.

''Hinata… are you… crying?''

''N-no… I'm just-''

Yeah, she was actually definitely crying.

''You're feeling sad about Shin-chan leaving right?''

At the mention of her brother, her body was racked with sobs, and she hid her face behind her fringe.

Luckily, Takao had uncovered a mostly fool proof formula to get younger sisters to stop crying.

''Hey Hinata, we're all really sad. And I know for you, it'll probably hurt the most because Shin-chan has always been there right? Yeah, but even though he's going to America, it won't mean all communication is cut off. You can Skype him, or write him mail, fuck, just phone him every single night! Even if it's 3 am over there! Because he loves you, and Shin-chan is just as sad to be leaving you. If we both stay strong, and don't worry Shin-chan, he'll finish his degree and come back as fast as possible, yeah?''

He pulled a bobby pin from his hair and pinned back her fringe.

''Th-thanks Takao. I'll do my best for my brother!''

''That's the spirit!''

He pulled her into a hug, because he needed reassurance just as much as she did. Except he couldn't really cry and ruin Shin-chan's night could he?

It was at that point that some dude from Aomine's team had also felt the urge to pee, and wandered into the same corridor. And unfortunately, his alcohol addled mind must've taken the hug the wrong way, and it wasn't long before a rumour reached Midorima's ears that his best friend had been feeling up his sister.

And fuck, neither he nor Hinata were even given time to explain. He was thrown out by Midorima, deaf to the protests of his friends.

That was 9 years ago.

Chapter one

It wasn't long after that Takao left his home too. The only person (other than his family) who knew was Midorima, who by then was on the other side of the world. It didn't matter, he had been desperate to leave by then. Desperate to get away from his friends who kept trying to fix things between himself and Midorima . He'd left without giving any of them his address; why bother trying to keep a bond stretching over 3000 kilometers?

He'd had been accepted by some university in Australia, so that he could do a degree in engineering. It was stimulating, and Takao had enjoyed his time in Australia. He had lived with his mother's sister's family, in their garage-turned-bungalow. And even though nothing would make up for the loss of Shin-chan and his friends and family, just the mere effort of doing well at his studies and improving his English, applying and getting Australian citizenship, and appreciating the vastness of Australia- he could have easily said they were one of the best years of his life.

Australia was what it was- a literal and metaphorical vast desert where he could forget about his old life and just appreciate nature. He went camping and fishing a lot, with other youths from his course. Abseiling in the Grampians. Swimming at Bondi. Snorkelling in the Barrier Reef. Joining the Army reserve. Caravanning around in the Northern Territory. He'd matured and cultivated a different, more crude sense of humour that all the Australians seemed to have.

And if he couldn't have fallen in love with Midorima, at least he had fallen in love with Australia. Following his completion of his Masters, the officers asked him to consider joining the regular army, as a second Lieutenant. They needed people, engineers specifically, to help with the disaster relief clean-up and what not in Indonesia. He didn't even hesitate.

A year later, or 7 years after leaving Japan, he found himself in Afghanistan. By then, he'd gone to Indonesia, East Timor and the Solomon islands. But that was just for peacekeeping. He was a complete fucking idiot to think Afghanistan would be similar.

It wasn't. It was hell. It was dust and heat, and hoping you wouldn't be blown up by IED's or grenades or RPG's from the Taliban, whilst you fixed all the fucked up armored vehicles; building checkpoints from sandbags and wire or counting the group that returned and noticing that the nice guy you could joke with wasn't there. It was all so fucked up. But what was even more fucked up? Takao could see himself doing this again in the future.

Because… as much as he hated it, a part of him loved it. Maybe it was the danger or the pressure. Putting his degree into use for a good cause. Helping the people who couldn't help themselves

6 months flew by under the heat and dust of the desert. Takao found himself sitting in his garage-turned-bungalow, with about 16 months to waste before the possibility of another tour, should he wish to go. His degree had taken him to the Middle East, heck, why not apply for a temporary job in some company firm and see where it would take him?

So that's just what he did.

A/N: So I've figured out how I kind of want to format and pace this story.

Basically, it's similar to how Sherlock BBC is; the soldier finds an apartment, makes a new (old) friend in the eccentric handsome man, solve a murder.

The chapters will be quite short, because I can only sit down and think for so long.

Oh and, I do realise there is a lack of Midorima so far. Midorima should turn up within the next 2 or three chapters.