This whole problem started when he got home the morning after Seirin won the Winter Cup. He'd asked his mother if they had any pictures of his childhood friend, Sei-something-or-other. With her crooked smile, she guided him over to the tiny cherrywood cabinet in their livingroom. Opening the doors, she knelt at eye level with the bottom row. Furihata followed her down.
"Well, they're not pictures of just Sei-chan. We never could get you two apart long enough by the time I thought to take pictures... Ah." Slender fingers tapped the plastic cover of an album. "This one is filled with the pictures. Got bright raspberry hair from Mrs. Akashi," she paid no mind when Furihata's breath caught, "and Sei-chan was just so stubborn looking like with those red eyes. I wonder if that child ever decided on a gender."
"Decided?"
"Sei-chan is intersex, though I'm not surprised you don't remember. Pretty big word for a four year old to know! Not that you cared what Sei-chan turned out to be, as long as you two could get married." Chuckling quietly she looked at Furihata while removing the album. "It's nice to see you don't seem to mind now either. We raised you well."
"M-mom!" Furihata flushed, refusing to meet her eyes. How was he supposed to reconcile the powerful emperor he'd faced with someone like Sei-chan whom he'd played with as a child? The only memory he really had of Sei-chan was a warm hand in his, the chill of rainfall, and red hair peeking out of a raincoat. That was what trust felt like. Akashi... Akashi was anything but. Akashi was the chilled metal of a crown, the dry heat of a summer night, and his hands felt cold.
"But yes, Mr. Akashi secretly hoped Sei-chan would be his heir, and he thought that meant a boy. Mrs. Akashi just wanted Sei-chan happy." Eyes darkening briefly, she sighed through her nose before handing over the album. "I'm a little scared her passing may have affected Sei-chan's choice. Did you think you saw them somewhere?"
"Ah... Yes, at my last match..."
"Oh! In the crowds? I mean, with hair like that, it's possible you caught a glimpse." It was true- Akashi's hair was vivid, but so were the rest of the Generation of Miracles. Not that his mom knew that. "So? Did you talk?"
"Not really. Sei-chan was our opponent."
"Oh my! How exciting that must have been. Did you two exchange phone numbers?"
"Mom,what part of we didn't talk did you forget? Geez."
"Well you better figure out a way to get it, young man! It sounds just like out of a romance, childhood friends reunited after promising to marry each other as kids... How romantic!"
"Mom! Akashi's the heir of some millionaire CEO, there won't be time for reconnecting with the poor boy next door. Calm down, I just... I wanted to know how it used to be."
"Oh, Kouki... Sei-chan got hot, huh?"
"No! Yes! I mean, uh, I suppose, but that doesn't mean anything. ThankyouforthealbumI'mgoingtomyroomnow,bye!" With her muffled laughter following him out, he raced upstairs to his room. Sinking to the floor, he stared at the album still in his arms. Fingers trembling ever so slightly, he opened the cover, finger hovering over the first picture.
The shot was just slightly blurred. Sei-Chan was leading him somewhere to the left, bright curiosity shining in deep red eyes as they stared back at Kou-kun. Plain as case be, grass stains on his shorts, and looking within utter adoration into Sei-chan's eyes, Kou-kun. They looked like they belonged together. There was a small note at the bottom that said "Red String of Fate, Day One" with no explanation.
The album was shut before Furihata even registered it. Blindly reaching for his bookbag, his entire body trembled. He needed to look at the rest of it, he knew, but... later. Maybe during a break in the library. Just, not now.
It never occurred to him that Kuroko was also a fan of the library, and would be able to tell that it was Akashi in all those photos. Of course not. He would never let Kuroko ask him instead of the other way around, because that would be so much more trouble than was necessary. Also, rather manipulative and cowardly. So he totally wasn't doing it because of that.