TITLE: Indefinitely Exploited
GENRE: Drama/Humour/Suspense
RATING: T [may change to 'M']
[PROBABLE and POSSIBLE] PAIRINGS: GoM/Kuroko, Kagami/Kuroko, Aomine/Kise, Momoi/Kuroko/Momoi, et cetera (…because they're teenagers!)
SUMMARY: A fortnight had passed since Kuroko Tetsuya's parents' supposedly due arrival. With his grandmother hospitalised and with his diminishing allowance, his worries began to pile up. However, a visit from three unknown men left him wishing he'd been oblivious with hospitals and allowances instead.
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CHAPTER ONE: WE WANT YOU
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Someone might have ruffled his hair, but he barely put much thought to it. Not to be dissuaded by his lack of response, whoever had his hand on his head should have little patience, for after a few seconds of not gracing him with his attention, his head was roughly shoved downwards. Ah, it hurt.
"What the hell, Kuroko? I've been calling you for five minutes! What's wrong with you?"
Kuroko looked up to see fiery eyes glaring daggers at him. He lightly frowned when he detected a tinge of worry there. "Kagami-kun."
Kagami sighed noisily and scratched the back of his head in annoyance. Then, lowly, he said, "Everyone's gone home."
The blue-haired teenager stared blankly at his partner to process his announcement before he nodded and stood up. "I apologise."
Kagami sighed again. "Let's just go already," he grumbled while he waited for Kuroko to gather his academic paraphernalia.
As per usual, they headed for basketball practice, where they were amply showered by an earful from Riko for their tardiness. Kagami protested by placing the blame on his figurative shadow. The less harsh treatment on Kuroko irked Kagami - their coach's demeaning nickname and adjectives were most certainly not appreciated. He didn't take them personally, though.
"Maa, maa, Coach, cut them some slack! Anyway, after that gruelling battle we all could use a break for at least a few days!" Koganei called from their captain's side in a wavering cheerfulness. He was wisely wary that Riko had shorter fuse than usual since the start of training. It might be her time of the month. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
Riko tutted like a scorned male and rubbed her forehead to calm down. Indeed, the Winter Cup had ended. She grudgingly allowed them to do whatever, ominously hinting every one of them would be drawing his last breath the next day.
Koganei shrunk when he received spiteful stares.
Kagami involuntarily quaked, feeling the sudden rush of desire to take the next flight to America, where normal people existed (Alex was still in Japan)! He attempted to catch a glimpse of Kuroko's reaction, only to be slightly alarmed that his comrade had successfully fled from the one-bomb minefield.
Kuroko, that bastard - he thought when their coach connected eyes with him.
"Well? What are you still here for? Get the fuck out of my sight!" Kagami jumped.
"Y-yes, Ma'am," he saluted, and then tried not to scurry away like a daunted animal. Later, he'd learn that a Riko with PMS was similar to a Hyuuga in Clutch Mode.
When he was at a safe distance the redhead blew out a huff.
"Kagami-kun should have left a while earlier." He let out a sharp yelp when Kuroko suddenly materialised before him. "KUROKO! YOU-!" He froze and felt his eye twitch. Kuroko was staring at him impassively. He was making that face again. "Tch."
Though, when he thought deeply into it, it struck him as strange. There had been something different about him all day. His sixth sense would usually kick in when it came to the phantom player's thoughts and emotions. Perhaps, this sixth sense could be similar to… (he stiffened) women's intuition. The hell…?
"Kuroko?"
"Yes?"
"You know you could talk to me if… s-something's bothering you, right?" Embarrassment effected Taiga's stuttering. The immediate respite made the meek tiger look up to see Kuroko hiding his face away from his line of sight and shaking. Bristling, he cuffed him on the head. "You brat! Are you laughing?!"
The pale teenager stared up at him dryly, at least in Kagami's opinion. "Of course not. You are imagining things." In spite of those words, his gaze somewhat softened as he drew a touch of smile. "Kagami-kun is really kind. Please do not worry yourself on my account."
The redhead consciously averted his attention from his friend, a fluttery sensation brewing in his intestines and beginning to fluster him. "Eto… It would be bothersome if everyone started asking me about it, so…" In his mind, he cussed. Speaking for him, his mouth had just made him appear like a tsundere in front of Kuroko.
"Oi, oi, those two are turning more like a couple every day," Hyuuga observed dubiously. He passed the ball to Kiyoshi, who happily threw it into the hoop. "Well, I think our kouhai-tachi are being cutesy," the centre laughed at his personal joke.
Izuki decided to speak of his new pun, "Kouhai-tachi ha fuufu, da ne." The juniors are married couple. He nodded approvingly at his choice of words. Ah, yes, "kouhai" also means "married couple".
Hyuuga grimly caught the ball, facing his team mate. "Die, Izuki."
Their after-school activity proceeded as they normally would.
Their day had been sort of mundane, until a screaming horde of females interrupted Riko's cranky declaration of the end of the day. A number of Seirin members perked up when the girls entered their gymnasium.
"Kise-kun," Kuroko deadpanned, catching Kagami's interest.
Kise Ryouta brightened like a lamp and cried, "Kuroko-cchi!" The drivelling of the girls didn't seem to deter him from hearing his former mentor's soft voice. Oh, but little progress he did in escaping his human prison. "A-ah. Help me, Kuroko-cchi," he whined.
The model's devotees were becoming more disruptive by the minute. Kuroko's envious teammates had opted to turn their backs to the handsome bastard, taking pleasure in his obvious misery.
This is bad, Hyuuga thought apprehensively as the dark gloom around Riko continued to intensify.
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A few minutes later found Kiyoshi bidding good-bye to two of the former students of Teikou and Kagami in the locker room, to which they returned with the same gesture. The brunet smiled winningly and, afterwards, left.
Kise chuckled shakily. "Riko-san was scarier than usual," he commented. His two companions nodded in agreement. There settled a companionable silence while the Seirin players changed into their school uniforms.
"Anyway, what brings you here, Kise?" Kagami asked. He was fumbling with the loose thread on his shirt button.
"Kuroko-cchi and I are gonna sleep together!" Kaijou's small forward replied gleefully.
Kagami spluttered and snapped his head to Kuroko so suddenly the two remaining boys almost winced. "Is this guy serious?!" He asked the array of lockers. His shadow vanished.
Out of the blue Kise felt a burst of pain on the side of his ribs, rendering him crumbling onto the floor and struggling to alleviate the agony. "K-Kuroko-cchi…! R-re gasupu…! So… mean… tte…" he gasped pathetically.
"What?"
"I think Kise-kun meant 'le gasp'." The French phrase was a bit accented by Kuroko's tongue.
"'Le gasp'…? Oh. OH! Wow, I didn't you guys know about that."
"We're not idiots, Kagami-kun. Kagami-kun is the only idiot around here."
"Oi!" Kagami grabbed Kuroko and trapped him in a headlock. "Che! You know what? You're changing the subject. Like hell I'd fall for that!" As the redhead deliberately suffocated his teammate, the blond recovered just in time to see his beloved, frail, Kuroko-cchi being manhandled by a strong and vicious Kagami-cchi!
"NO, KAGAMI-CCHI! DON'T BREAK KUROKO-CCHI!"
Kagami relinquished his captive. Kise fussed over Kuroko.
"Please be calm," said Kuroko to Kise. He turned to his light. "Kise-kun was kind enough to let me stay at his house for a few days."
"That's right, Kagami-cchi. Poor Kuroko-cchi has only been eating boiled eggs!"
"Seriously?" It was the redhead's turn to fuss over the shortest teen. "You could've called me over to your house to cook." He paused as a memory occurred to him. He furrowed his brows, confused. "I thought you said your parents would be back weeks ago." He highly doubted Kuroko did something to incur their wrath so much so they would resort to boiling chicken ova and punish him with them. Besides, that was just plain cruel.
Kuroko parted his lips, but no words came out.
At that moment, Kise and Kagami were guiltily awed to see Kuroko like that. He suddenly looked a lot younger than his age; his petite stature didn't help either. As for Kise, as if seeing him for the first time, he marvelled that Kuroko's complexion could not seem to darken in the slightest, what with all the basketball-related trainings since middle school. He looked so weak, too. Could it be he was anaemic? He hoped not.
"I'm worried," finally, Kuroko murmured so faintly they almost didn't hear it.
The blond held the nape of his neck sheepishly, at a loss of what to do. He directed his eyes towards the tallest teen and effectively seized his attention. He tried to wordlessly convey his inability to deal with the situation. Getting the message, the other male sighed.
Kagami, with all his fierceness, genuinely wanted to lift this gentle boy's spirits, but his mind would show him zilch for apposite words of comfort. Every statement he could come up with was too awkward. He didn't do cuddling. He couldn't be his girlfriend who would arduously embrace him, would kiss him and would say it would be all right. Just how close were he and Kuroko?
In the end, he put all his feelings and thoughts in one ruffle of his dear friend's powder-blue locks, all the while regretfully wishing he could do more.
From under his big hand, Kuroko looked up at him.
"Come on, Kuroko. Let's get you to this idiot's house," he jerked his thumb crudely in Kise's direction.
"No fair, Kagami-cchiiii!"
"Thank you, Kagami-kun."
His smile left Kagami mentally feeling proud and Kise sulking in jealousy for the rest of the day. Kuroko, ignorant of their internal tumult, requested that they stop at his house first to retrieve his stuff and Nigou.
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When Kuroko slipped his shoes off at the foyer of his home, he immediately knew something was amiss. Nigou was not there to greet him. Nevertheless, the dog's lack of welcoming gesture had happened before, and hence he simply went for the stairs in the sitting area and for his room. He had already sorted out the things he needed for his stay in Kise's home. He only had to make last-minute arrangements before he sought Nigou and left.
By the doorway, his feet momentarily refused to move.
Sitting casually in the settee and facing him, a man he had never seen in his life flashed him a warm smile. Somewhere in his periphery, Nigou hostilely stood sentinel to the uninvited guest.
The man began to speak, "First of all, please remain calm. In no way I do mean to bring you any harm. I only wish to speak with you."
How did he get here? Remain calm? Who was he? Kuroko forced himself to relax. The logical part of his mind screamed that was the best thing to do at the moment. He had to assess the situation. When his thinking process was more or less organised, he became conscious of his aching hands. He was clenching them too hard - a habit to keep them from shaking.
Making sure that his emotionless mask was intact he asked, "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
The man nodded in approval. His smile widened disarmingly as if Kuroko had amused and impressed him. "Yes, my name is Dylin Baeyer. You may call me however you like."
By miscellany of appearance - auburn hair, grey eyes, odd shape of nose - name and the manner of how his words rolled off his tongue, Kuroko could safely conclude he wasn't Japanese. He tipped his head to let the man continue. He didn't trust himself to speak.
"Kuroko-kun," his fist twitched, "you may be wondering about your parents' wellbeing…" He raised his palm when Kuroko opened his mouth. "Please let me finish."
"That's the thing, Kuroko-kun. I'm pretty sure they're doing a fine job keeping their selves. Hell, my best men couldn't even locate them."
Kuroko frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Baeyer-san."
Baeyer gazed at him calculatingly in the eyes. "Kuroko-kun, your parents are very bad people, and to catch them, we want you."
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End of chapter one
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Author's note:
Yes, there are three unknown men. You'll understand in the next chapter. By the way, the story's, not the chapter's, title has double entendre, which will be revealed as it forges ahead. (I hope you won't hate Kuroko-cchi's old folks by then!) Furthermore, the result of the Winter Cup was intentionally made indeterminate.