Kuroko sighed tiredly as he rummaged through his pocket, trying to fish out enough money to pay for the meal he'd just been talked into buying. Seven years of this, and he was still falling for their tricks. He finally managed to pay for the meal, sending a flurry of apologies to the merchant as he gathered the food in his arms. Turning to the two children behind him, he managed a small smile and nodded toward the park across the street.
The children, one a little boy with powder blue hair and matching eyes, the other a little girl with bright fiery red hair and the same crystal blue eyes, beamed up at the bluenette and followed him happily, skipping as they linked arms.
"Daddy, can we play after we eat?" the little girl asked.
Kuroko sighed softly, a smile on his lips, though he was continuously almost dropping the food in his hands. He was very relieved when they finally arrived at the first available picnic table. As he filtered through the food, sorting it out for the children and himself, he glanced at the nearly empty playground just a few yards away.
"You can play, but only if you eat it all."
Both children beamed up at him before sharing an excited glance.
"We can play, Takeru!" the girl squealed.
"But we have to eat everything, Sakura," Takeru reminded.
Kuroko placed his hands on his hips, staring down at the two with a knowing look. "And no throwing the food on the ground."
Sakura grinned sheepishly, twirling in the way she always did when she was 'caught.'
"I would never~"
Kuroko laughed, gently pushing the piles of food toward their respective owners. "Sure you wouldn't, because that wasn't you that did that just last week, was it?"
The little girl laughed again before sinking her teeth into her food, her brother following suit. Kuroko smiled at them, a sudden wave of nostalgia washing over him. And with it, came pain. He shook the feelings away as he too began eating.
It wasn't long before both children held out their plastic plates, grinning like fools. "All done~" they sang together.
Kuroko inspected the plates closely, his brows furrowing as he hmmed at them. The children only laughed as he pulled back, nodding toward the playground. "Be safe, don't leave my sight."
"Yes, daddy!" they said in unison, running off before the words were fully out of their father's mouth.
Turning in his seat, the bluenette watched his children run around happily, his daughter's familiar screeches easily drowning out the few other children's voices.
After letting the children play for a couple of hours, Kuroko called them over, smiling halfheartedly at their slightly crestfallen expressions. "Ah, don't look like that, littles ones," he said, ruffling their hair. "We can come back tomorrow morning, real early, and you can play all day."
The children's faces were instantly brightened, and they each grasped one of Kuroko's hands, skipping as he led them through the streets. All was fine, until Kuroko paused at an intersection, releasing Sakura's hand as he fished out his vibrating phone.
As the bluenette replied to his friend Kagami's text, he failed to notice the little girl sneaking away. That is, until the 'walk' sign appeared on the sign, and Kuroko turned to find only one of his children with him. His eyes instantly widened with panic, searching through the crowd for his daughter. "Takeru, did you see where your sister went?"
The little boy merely pointed through the crowd. Squinting, Kuroko managed to see her small form, her eyes glistening as she appeared to be talking to someone. Sighing, Kuroko picked Takeru up in his arms and ran toward her.
"Sakura, what are you-"
"Daddy!" The little girl squealed in delight before wrapping her arms tightly around Kuroko's waist, which she could barely reach.
Brows furrowed and heart still hammering, Kuroko gently pushed her away. "What were you thinking? You know better than to run off like that!"
Sakura smiled sheepishly again, twirling in her usual fashion. "Sorry, Daddy," she mumbled, "but, he looks just like me."
Confused, Kuroko followed his daughter's finger, his eyes landing on the redhead that she had apparently been talking to.
The man smiled kindly, extending his hand, "My apologies, I was trying to find out where she came from so I could return her safely to her parents. I'm Akashi Seijuro."
Kuroko blinked before placing his hand into Akashi's. "Kuroko Tetsuya. Eh, thank you. For keeping her out of harm's way, I mean."
Akashi flashed a dazzlingly smile, unknowingly causing Kuroko's heart to beat erratically. "It was my pleasure. You have a smart girl there."
The bluenette smiled proudly. "I know," he turned to look down at the girl with a pointed look, "but she's a mischievous one."
The redhead laughed softly as Sakura twirled once more. "But Daddy, he looks just like me~" she sang again.
And looking between the two, Kuroko could see the similarities, most of which were drowned out by the same crimson hair they adorned. Akashi could have been Sakura's father. A hint of nervousness settled into Kuroko's stomach at the thought. For all he knew, he was her father. After all, Sakura, unlike Takeru, had been adopted.
Kuroko pushed the thought away to find Akashi staring at him, an unknown look dancing in his crimson eyes.
"Excuse me, if this is too forward but, would you like to have dinner some time?"