Authors note: Read a drabble by Falare over on Tumblr and asked if I could write a continuation of it. I'm posting this here so I can prove to her that I'm really doing it. I changed the title from "Voices we Never Met" to "Voices we meet" for... reasons. The original drabble is beneath the line in italics. Please enjoy.


Sometimes at night as he lies in bed, white sheet pulled up to his chin like a shroud, he hears music: a light and scratchy voice singing songs he doesn't recognise, words he can't make out. Daiki has given up hope, or no longer has any need for it, but he imagines it all the same: the deep blue of the ocean, long limbs both tanned and pale, kicking up mingling clouds of sand and laughter, and then the light blue of the edge of the sky, spanning out to forever.

(He has no regrets, but on his last day, he peers into his neighbour's cell on his way past; it's empty and only as he cranes his neck as they are walking away does he see a faint outline against their shared wall, as if a memory or a dream or a shadow.)


On some days, the pain was bearable.

Other days, it wasn't. Sometimes, walking across the room felt like his bones would shatter. Sometimes, they felt like fire. The fatigue got to be so bad that he could barely pull himself out of bed.

On days like those, Riko was always by his side.

"Teppei, please try to stay in bed today, okay?" She asked, opening the curtains in his bedroom. "I'll try to convince the doctor to come again."

He hummed a response, smiling the best he could for her. "Please don't trouble yourself, Riko. I know that the Emperor gave up on me years ago. There's no hope of my returning to the guard." She paused before turning to face him.

"Come sit down." She did as she was told, and he placed a hand on her knee and smiled a stupid grin at her. "Listen, Riko, please don't worry about me. The emperor dropped me because I'm sick. He needs an army that can protect him. And his new captain is excellent at what he does."

"That doesn't explain why he won't help you, Teppei! All of the doctors are forbidden to help you! Explain that!"

He could tell from the tone in her voice that she was trying her best not to cry at his condition. Slowly, he reached up and took her face in his large hands. "Riko…"

A small cough came from his bedroom door. "Sorry to interrupt," Kagami announced. He leaned against the door frame, smiling smugly. Mitobe was at his side, carrying a basket.

Riko jumped and blushed. Teppei laughed loudly, trying to cover up the blush creeping on to his cheeks. "You're not interrupting anything!"

"D-did you need something, Kagami, Mitobe?" Riko asked, chuckling a bit herself.

Mitobe raised the basket he was carrying.

"We brought you guys some leftover food from the place we were helping out at earlier," Kagami explained.

"Thanks!" Teppei leaned against his headboard to sit up and see them. "Hyuuga should be back home soon for lunch. We can eat then."

"You two weren't working at the prison today?" Riko asked, offering them seats.

"We were, but figured we'd pick up some extra cash and help out that restaurant a couple blocks away. Got some extra food as a bonus." Kagami sat down at the edge of Teppei's bed. Mitobe set the food down on the table, and took a seat on the floor next to Riko's stool.

"Oh, that's nice. Did you hear Izuki got a new job? He's working as an animal trainer now, at the palace." Teppei smiled.

He looked happy, but tired. Kagami started noticing it, the more he saw him. He'd gotten skinnier. His cheeks were starting to grow more and more sallow. The bags under his eyes would get darker, and sometimes his eyes would be bloodshot and swollen. "Did you guys get to a doctor, or…?"

Teppei's smile lost its mirth. "They won't take me. It seems the emperor is keen on not letting me return to the guard by forbidding my treatment."

Mitobe looked alarmed, and Riko rushed to try and calm him down.

Kagami felt his heart wrench at the truth of the kingdom they lived in. It felt like the ground was dropping from beneath him, and he couldn't grab on to anything. It was in that moment that he resolved to contact Himuro.


He'd grown accustomed to hearing those songs. (He may have even felt a bit lonely without them.) Daiki liked to wake up, knowing that he was on the other side of that wall, hearing a song he couldn't quite make out.

His eyes started to droop as he listened to that song, an arm slung over his forehead as he lay on his prison bed. He thought of the ocean, of the sky, of his hair (and of his eyes). The discomfort of the bed beneath him was all too familiar, and all he could think of was blue, blue, blue. Memories washed over him like waves at the beach, or a cool summer breeze.

oOoOo

The sky was a clear blue the first day that they'd met. He'd recently been released from a small holding cell for an assault he'd committed. He remembered blinking hard against the change in light, and he remembered thinking he wanted to steal some fruit on his way to find a place to stay.

Daiki found himself sleeping in an empty house that night. He had no money, no food, no place to stay. Just the clothes on his back. He was known in the area for being a wild man with dark skin and blue hair, who didn't care about anything but himself. He didn't care what they thought.

Mindless people like them didn't matter.

Feeling restless, unable to sleep, he let his eyes wander around the house he was staying in. There wasn't much. He chuckled at the idea of somebody living in such a plain place. If he'd had a house, it'd be filled with things he'd stolen, with food in the kitchen, and fewer bookshelves. He wanted a big yard, like the Emperor had, so he had some space outside to sit. Daiki sighed. It was a far off dream, thinking like that. His eyes fluttered closed as he imagined the life he wished to live.

He woke up at the click of a door.

He sat up.

"Shit, I thought nobody lived here," he grumbled. The initial panic dissolved as he formed a plan. Depending on how this person reacted, he could either knock them out, or he could scare them and take off. He sidled behind one of the empty bookshelves in the room. He waited to hear footsteps. He waited to hear the door close. He waited to see someone, he waited for something.

But nothing came.

Squinting and grimacing, he peeked out from behind the bookshelf.

A small man was standing at the bookshelf, setting books straight on the shelf. "Ah," he said (exclaimed? Yelled?), with a blank expression on his face. "What are you doing in my house?"

Daiki hesitated, staring down incredulously at the person before him. "I-I… l-look…" he stammered. Damn it, how could somebody live in such a plain place? "Look! You've got two choices, kid..."

"I'm friends with the captain of the Emperor's military, so if you hurt me, you'll be in trouble," the man stated.

Wait. Was that a threat?

"Well?" He asked.

"You've got some nerve, kid. I just got out of jail, you know that?"

"Of course I do," he replied, setting books on his shelf again. "Everybody in the area does. I can't imagine that you want anything to do with someone like me, so I wanted to know why you were in my house."

"I needed a place to stay."

"Well, as long as you don't do anything to me, I don't see any reason to report you to my friend."

Daiki scowled. He knew his friend. Kise was the guy that arrested him in the first place. He was the only person who stood a chance in a fight against him, and, really, the only guy capable of arresting him. But who was this kid?

"My name is Kuroko."

Damn it!

Daiki tried not to jump. Could he read minds? He wondered.

"And I know that you're Aomine-kun."

Daiki's eyes strayed from the man in front of him. This kid was weird, and it was making him really uncomfortable. He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. "You live in a place like this?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kuroko pout a little bit. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's so plain. Isn't it boring?"

Daiki looked straight back at him when he didn't answer. "Maybe," he began, "but I think I like it like this."

oOoOo


"You're deranged," he said.

Kagami chuckled a bit, finding himself in the same situation in the same back room he found himself in a few years ago. Nearly a week had passed since he'd seen Teppei and he'd started to form this vague plan in his mind. "You said that, then, too, you know," he noted.

The other man frowned. "Taiga," he said, "this is different."

"How?"

"You know perfectly well how different this is!" Himuro yelled, glaring at his friend. The steady beeping of a timer going off seemed to calm him down. He rose and, grabbing a thick towel on his way up, pulled out pans of bread and put them on a shelf to cool. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Taiga, but I don't know if it's possible."

"Why not?"

"Look. You know that we've only helped people who weren't guilty of anything. People who were wrongly convicted. They're easy to sneak out under the radar when we make deliveries, but this guy… he's a big one. I know for a fact they're not allowed out of their cells. He's someone that the Emperor keeps under tight watch because he has wronged him."

"Tatsuya, you don't know this guy. If you met him, you'd understand, but…" Kagami paused, trying to think of the perfect way to describe him. "A guy like him, you wouldn't expect anything from him. But he changed the notorious Aomine, and he rebelled against the Emperor. There has to be something about him."

A muffled voice came from the doorway. "You think he's the phantom Aka-chin always talks about? The dangerous one he mentioned to me?"

(Without turning to the doorway, Himuro smiled at the presence of his companion. "Atsushi, please don't eat the bread that's for the customers," he chided gently. Murasakibara mumbled an insincere apology through mouthfuls of bread.)

"There's no way it could be anyone else," Kagami decided. "I wondered why such a small guy was brought in, but it's starting to make sense. If we're going to make a move, we'll need him with us, on our side."

Himuro leaned on his arm, with his chin in his palm. He sighed quietly, staring at the racks of bread and dough as he tried thinking carefully about the situation. "It might be doable. It's dangerous, though. The Emperor might lose his good opinion of Atsushi. He might be able to track it back to us. To you. It's dangerous, Taiga."

Kagami stopped listening. A razor toothed, dark eyed smirk of excitement took over his face.

"It's doable."


oOoOo

Daiki woke up the next morning to humming, and the smell of toast. There was a blanket tossed over him. (Did he fall asleep with one on?) He sat up slowly, and, from his view from the sofa, he could see Kuroko cooking in the kitchen. He was spreading jam on his toast.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, he thought.

"Are you awake, Aomine-kun? Would you like some breakfast?"

Kuroko came out of the kitchen, carrying two plates: one for himself, and one for Daiki. He watched, dumbfounded, as Kuroko offered him a plate.

The two ate together, and Daiki (somewhat reluctantly) agreed to help Kuroko as he ran errands that day. He remembered the hushed, worried whispers around them, and the looks he'd gotten that day. Kuroko didn't seem to mind, and asked Daiki to carry his groceries.

"Do you mind if we stop by a friends place? I have a present for him," Kuroko asked.

"I don't care," Daiki scoffed back. Kuroko nodded, and Daiki followed him to a small house.

oOoOo

When he opened his eyes, the stone ceiling of the prison cell greeted him. Daiki stared at the stone, thinking that he missed the sun and the breeze more than anything. (Except maybe Kuroko, but he refused to admit that to himself consciously.) He heard the familiar scrape of a tray being put in to his cell.

Daiki rolled over and grabbed it. Mitobe nodded at him in a friendly way before moving on to the next cell. He ate quietly, and noticed that the song had stopped as well.

He'd hummed the first time they ever went out together. Daiki guessed it was how he expressed himself best, since facial expressions didn't seem to work. He didn't know what to make of the latest song his friend had taken to singing, while they were stuck in prison.

As he finished his meal and laid down again, he thought passively about what sort of song he would sing if they ever got out.


Himuro slammed the oven shut. Kagami jumped, and shrunk in his chair as Himuro turned to him. "You could have told me the reason that spurred your little interest in liberty, Taiga!" He yelled.

"T-Tatsuya, listen," Kagami suttered, "don't be so mad. I thought you'd be happy that I was planning like this."

"You aren't planning! You're an idiot!" Without realizing it, Himuro slipped back in to his native tongue. "When you start doing things for a selfish reason, you're hurting the cause! I'm helping people because what he's doing to them isn't fair! But what he did to that boy is fair, and what we're doing is dangerous! I don't know if you realize that!"

"I do – look, Tatsuya – I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? Stop yelling." Kagami slammed his face in to his palms, rubbing his eyes roughly. "I do want to help you. But I want to help Kiyoshi, too, and… this is the only way I know how to do it. I know it's dangerous. I'm putting you in a difficult spot."

"Difficult?" He yelled. "Difficult, my ass! It was child's play before. Everybody involved will be put to death, if we're captured!"

Kagami slammed his fists on the table. "So, what then? You had one foot in the door, and one foot out before? If you weren't going to help the people that really need it, when they really need it, what's the point? You're just scared now, because there's no going back."

Himuro paused. He grabbed Kagami's shirt, pulled him up, and raised a fist. "How dare you?" His eyes narrowed, barely catching the light from beneath his bangs. "How dare you say that to me when you don't have any responsibility, other than yourself? When I have Atsushi and this bakery to take care of? When I'm the one who initiated all this? When you're only acting for yourself, and not for a better society?"

Kagami grabbed Himuro's shirt, a dangerous glare in his eye. "Don't act so high and mighty, Tatsuya…"

A large hand reached over Himuro's head and grabbed Kagami's face, shoving him back down in to his chair. The heated expression looking down at Kagami faded as Himuro looked upward.

"I don't know what you two are yelling, but you'd better calm down. Customers can hear you," Murasakibara said, hugging Himuro around the neck and resting his chin on his head. "Keep it down until we close, alright?"

"S-sorry," Kagami blurted out, dumbfounded. He stared blankly up at Murasakibara, offended and surprised that he'd been forced down.

"I'm sorry, Atsushi." Himuro quietly unwound himself from the taller man's arms and switched the bread in the oven before moving to wash his hands and continue baking. "Do you need help up front?"

He yawned. "I can handle it. But Kagami better stay here until we close, so we can sort things out." Though his face was apathetic, his voice was dripping with malice. Kagami sat quietly in his chair, while Himuro baked, and the two of them seethed silently for the next couple hours.

"Taiga," Himuro began, after those few, tense hours. He was faced away from Kagami, icing a cake. "I'm sorry. I lost my head."

"I should've told you everything. It's my bad, Tatsuya."

"Yeah, you should have." Himuro put his piping bag on the counter and started to cut some fruit. Every few seconds, Kagami would catch an upset expression with a furrowed brow on his friends face. "I know someone that may be able to help your friend."

"What? Really?" Kagami nearly tripped as he jumped out of his chair.

"If you'd told me earlier, I could have done something sooner. I'll ask him to visit your friend and see if he can do anything."

Kagami jumped across the kitchen and hugged his friend. "Thanks, Tatsuya! I owe you one!"

Tatsuya chuckled half-heartedly. "Does this change your opinion on a revolution?"

"No. I've come this far. I'm not about to leave you, alright?" He took a step back and put his hands on Himuro's shoulders. Tatsuya smiled. "But, unfortunately for you, I'm not done telling you about my half assed plans, so we might be in for a wild ride."

"I'll refine them, don't worry."

Murasakibara slinked in to the kitchen, eyeing the two suspiciously. "Have you two made up?" He asked, wandering over to the cake.

"It seems that way, Atsushi." Himuro looked over and smiled. (Murasakibara inspected the cake before adding a few finishing touches and boxing it up.) "And I'm afraid he's got some more ideas about our cause. We'll talk about them when you've finished closing the front."

Murasakibara stopped. He sighed. "Oh, great…"


Daiki looked at the food in front of him.

"You're not the guy that usually brings our meals to our cells," he commented, eyeing the redhead skeptically.

Kagami refused to shrink under his judgmental gaze. "We're short staffed today," he answered gruffly. "I work as the chef here. Do you guys know how annoying it is to feed you guys up here? You damn high security convicts aren't allowed to leave your cells…"

Daiki glared. "We know we aren't," he shot back curtly. He wanted his meal, not a damn conversation.

Kagami complied and slid a tray of food in to Daiki's cell. He walked down the row of cells, delivering meals to the prisoners. Daiki only saw him run back past his cell when a fit of coughs erupted from the cell next to his.

"Tetsu?" Daiki yelled in a panic. He pressed himself against the wall, reaching through the bars towards his partner in crime. "Tetsu, what's wrong? Answer me!"

He felt the small hand take his own. There was a bittersweet moment of bliss that exploded in his chest.

"I'm not feeling so well," he answered. It was good to hear his voice.

"Tetsu," he said again. He wanted to tell him to hang in there, that things would get better. He wanted to hold his hand forever, and go back to the time when they were free and could walk in the sunshine together.

Then he thought maybe it would be better to die.

"Aomine-kun," he said, "please take care of yourself."

The smaller hands' grip tightened. (He was yelling for help, but Daiki tuned it out. Kagami's words were empty. He didn't hear it.) He felt his grip loosen, then, lose its grip altogether.

"Tetsu! Hey, Tetsu!"

The overseer of the prison ran in to the corridor and unlocked Kuroko's cell. "Kurokocchi?" He called, faintly, nervously.

"Check his pulse, idiot!" Kagami yelled, shoving the blonde in to the cell. They exited Daiki's field of vision, and eventually, they pulled Kuroko's hand from his.

"I'm not getting anything…"

"Damn it!"

"Kurokocchi, come on! Kurokocchi!"

Daiki leaned against their shared wall and listened.

"Kise," Kagami's voice echoed gravely. "I think you have to call it."

He clenched his fists and inhaled sharply.

Through gritted teeth and gasps for breath, he announced, "time of death…"


It was the first time in a while that Himuro left his partner to run the store by himself. He knew that Murasakibara was more than capable of running the store, but he still worried. He knew he didn't like to do it by himself.

"Atsushi?" Himuro called gently up the stairs. "Atsushi, are you still awake?"

The lights were off in their room above the bakery. They'd closed a few hours ago, and Murasakibara had decided he wanted to shower and go to bed early. Himuro knew that his actions weighed heavily enough on Murasakibara's mind and heart, especially lately. He knew he was visibly more irritated, but he did his best to tell himself it was the right decision, because somebody needed to help innocent citizens.

It wasn't the first time it kept him up at night, and he always chose to busy himself with the bakery.

"I'm awake," he answered, his deep voice reverberating down the stairwell. "Do you mind cleaning up, Muro-chin?"

Himuro smiled a bit and made his way up the stairs in to the darkness as he slid on an apron. He could barely make out the silhouette of his partner, sitting up in his bed on the upper floor.

"I don't mind. Sorry I was out all day. I had to meet up with Taiga," he explained. "Oh, and I couldn't renew the business permits, so you'll have to do it tomorrow."

"What a pain," he grumbled, though he knew better. Meeting Kagami was never an innocent act. "How did it go?"

"It's hard to tell, as of now. We'll need to do some sort of damage check soon," Himuro decided, his mind racing with complex plans and ideas.

"But the guys at the office saw you?"

"They definitely saw me," Himuro answered, his lips catching the soft light shining in through the windows. Though his voice sounded normal enough, his mouth was caught in a worried frown.

Murasakibara nodded, running the scenario's through his mind. There was another problem. Something else was wrong. "Why wouldn't they let you renew the permits?"

Renewing permits was easy enough and only takes a few minutes. He shrugged. "Because I'm foreign."

There was the slightest wave of irritation, or maybe upset, in his voice, and Murasakibara could hear it. He snatched Himuro's apron and pulled him in to a hug, burying his face in the scent of dough and freshly cooked bread.

"Atsushi," Himuro gasped in surprise. He chuckled a bit and ruffled the others hair. "Stop it, you'll get flour in your hair."

"I don't care." Murasakibara hugged him tighter as Himuro's hands stopped moving to rest on his back.


The line of cells was quiet when he woke up.

He heard Mitobe slide the food in to his cell, but he ignored it. He wasn't hungry.

He heard his heart beat steadily, and he heard his shallow breathing, knowing in the back of his mind that he would never hear any of that from Kuroko again. He felt an emptiness in his stomach. He felt a darkness in his heart. He remembered before he met him. He'd felt like this then, too.

He'd felt no hope for himself, and he didn't care about anybody else.

Daiki rolled over to face the wall. He closed his eyes.

oOoOo

"You know, just because people think you're a certain way, doesn't mean you have to act like it," Kuroko told him, cleaning the battered knuckles of his friend.

"Shut up." Daiki restrained a hiss as Kuroko dabbed peroxide on his bloodied fists. "That damn Haizaki was asking for it when he threatened Satsuki."

Kuroko paused, holding Daiki's dark hands in his own. Daiki looked at him, curious as to why he stopped (but grateful, nonetheless). "Wh-what?" he asked nervously, their blue eyes locking.

He shrugged. "I'm glad that you're using your powers for good now, is all." Kuroko looked down and continued his work on Daiki's hands. His face heated, and he forced himself to look away from the other man.

oOoOo


"Murasakibara's brought a present, Emperor. He wishes to give it to you in person."

"Send him in, Shintarou."

"It seems he's brought his business partner, Himuro Tatsuya."

Heterochromatic eyes turned on the speaker. "I only wish to see Atsushi."

"Very well." He watched as his aide left to retrieve the baker.

"Mido-chin," he greeted. Murasakibara smiled, offering him a loaf of bread.

Midorima took it (reluctantly) before looking upwards. "The emperor only permits Mursakibara's entry. You can wait here, Himuro."

"Ah, is that okay, Muro-chin?"

"Yes, it's fine." Himuro smiled, and urged his partner to speak with the emperor alone. Midorima guided the taller man in to the throne room, and Himuro took this opportunity to slip in to the castles courtyard.

He smiled a different smile as he came upon the man he was looking for. His blonde hair was nearly blinding in the sunlight, and Himuro caught himself watching the figure has he practiced with a sword.

"Captain Kise Ryota, is it?"

The man stopped and turned. He relaxed at the sight of the baker. "And you are…?"

"My name is Alex Garcia." His look darkened. "I have a bit of a proposition for you…"


He was feeling well, for once.

"Hey, Hyuuga, let's go shopping!"

He looked over at Teppei, who had an idiot's look of excitement on his face, and braces on his ankles, knees, elbows, and wrists. He turned away slowly. He pretended not to see him, and took a long sip of coffee.

"Eh!" He gasped. "Hyuuga, don't be like that! I'm feeling well enough today! Let's go!"

He put his mug on the table gently before turning to his roommate. "Don't be an idiot," he said loudly. "Once we take a step outside, your strength will give out. And you know who's gonna have to bring you back here? Me."

"But I've been up all day, Hyuuga."

"I just got back from the store, retard."

"Oh." Teppei looked down, thinking hard.

"Look at yourself, Kiyoshi. You're wearing braces on literally every single one of your major joints. I'm sorry. I just don't think it's possible."

Teppei smiled without looking up. "I'm sorry, Hyuuga. It's been a while since I was feeling this good, so I got excited."

A twinge of guilt rushed through him. He sighed and pulled out a chair for his friend. "You can't be reckless, Kiyoshi," he said. "If you've got some strength, maybe you're recovering slowly. But if you do something dumb, you'll be back at square one. So it's fine to sit up and walk a little, but try to relax, alright?"

"Yeah, alright," he agreed.

"Now take off those fucking braces."

He laughed and started undoing the leg, arm, and wrist braces he'd put on a few minutes earlier. Hyuuga got up when there was a knock on the door.

A tall and slim man with long, dark hair smiled when he opened the door. "A friend of mine asked me to come. I'm here to see a man named Kiyoshi Teppei?"

Teppei rose, slowly, cautiously, as he looked at the man and offered him a seat.

A few moments later, he found himself sitting uncomfortably on the sofa while the doctor rubbed his legs in small circles. There was an uninterested look on his face.

"Who did you say you were?" Hyuuga asked impatiently. He was wary of the stranger.

"I didn't."

Hyuuga scowled. "Well, who the fuck are you?"

"I'm a doctor. My name is Mibuchi Reo."

Teppei repressed a spasm when as the doctor massaged the back of his knee. He tried to swallow the pain and attempted a smile. "I believe you helped me the first time I was sick, isn't that right?"

"Yes. I do a lot of work for the emperor and his guard. I'm surprised you remembered."

"You know that helping me is technically illegal, right?"

Mibuchi flipped his hair as he looked up, hands still on his knee. "Of course I know. Believe me, this isn't the first illegal thing I've done as a doctor, and I'm sure it won't be the last."

oOoOo

He found himself in the palace with orders to examine the captain of the emperor's guard. When he entered the room, expecting the scary face of a soldier, he was instead greeted with a smile, and a voice choking back tears of pain.

"Kiyoshi Teppei? I'm here to examine you, by request of the emperor. My name is Mibuchi Reo," he explained, setting down his bag and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'll have to ask you to sit up."

"Nice to meet you," he whimpered, a shaking smile on his face, as he used all his strength to push himself up.

Mibuchi forced himself to not outwardly cringe at the pain Teppei was in. He helped him take off his shirt and proceeded, then, to examine his joints and bones the best he could.

When he reported a disappointing prognosis to the emperor, the emperor glared down at him from his throne.

"So the chances of his recovery are slim, then?"

"Yes, sir. It seems that way. I'm afraid it's hard to pinpoint the cause of the disease, making it difficult to treat, so…"

"I see. Shintarou, make arrangements to promote the vice-captain. Have Kiyoshi formally dismissed."

Midorima's eyes widened in sync with Mibuchi's. "But sir," he stammered.

"He's sick! You can't fault him for this."

"Do not disobey me," the emperor said. "If he is weak, get rid of him. There's no room for the sick in my army. If you disagree, then I will find a new doctor."

oOoOo


Midorima was standing next to the emperor's throne. He didn't realize that his gaze and mind had wandered to the outdoors.

"Did you enjoy seeing Murasakibara today?" he asked absentmindedly.

"Yes. It's a shame he decided to open his own bakery, rather than to continue as our personal chef. But, the bread from his bakery is very good. We'll have some tonight at dinner."

"Mm." A bird passed by the window. Midorima watched it for the few fleeting seconds it was in his view.

"Shintarou." The quiet, threatening voice snapped him back to reality. "You're thinking of him again. I've told you, I want you to only look at me." The emperor's small hands took Midorima's face and brought it close to his own. He kissed the taller man.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you have work to do, Shintarou. I'll have you called down for dinner. Is that okay?"

"Yes." Midorima stood up straight, with a stone expression as he looked down at the smiling face of the emperor. He left the room and headed towards his own.

"Midorimacchi," a familiar voice drawled from the end of the corridor.

"What is it, Kise?" He could feel his patience wearing thin earlier than usual. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you. If you have something to say, say it."

Kise pouted, crossing his arms. "Don't be so mean, after all that I've done for you!"

"What are you talking about?"

The blonde's playful smile faltered. "I've done all that I can for him, but at this rate…" Kise paused, doing his best to avoid the wide eyes of his friend. "I'm afraid if he doesn't get some real help, he'll go blind."

Midorima felt his heart plummet down to his stomach. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mind was blank.

Kise put his hands on his shoulders. "It must be hard," he said. In a lower, more emotional, voice, he went on, "you don't need to stay, for anybody's sake. Good luck, Midorimacchi."

He walked away, leaving the green haired man gaping in the hallway.


oOoOo

"This is the first time I've ever been to the ocean, you know."

"Eh, no way!" Daiki stifled a laugh. Kuroko turned and glared ever so subtly (ever so sweetly) in his direction. "Well, it's good that we can go together, then, right?"

He shrugged. "I suppose there's nobody else I'd rather go with," he agreed. The two sat down next to each other. Daiki basked in the sun, lying on the sand, and admiring the back of his companion. Kuroko sat, his knees to his chest, and watched the ocean waves come in and go out over and over again.

Even then, he'd thought he wanted this moment to last forever.

oOoOo

He woke up to humming.

Daiki sat up, startled by the noise, from being woken up from such a good dream. He'd thought he'd gone crazy. Maybe that this was a dream.

But the humming was different. It was louder, deeper. More unrefined than his friends humming was.

It stopped.

He realized how heavily he was breathing, and tried to tell himself to calm down. He rested his face in his palms.

"It's quiet, without him singing, isn't it?"

The voice echoed down the corridor.

"I guess it must be hard to notice, for some people. He was in the cell across from mine, so I saw the whole thing. It's lonely without someone across from me."

It was the man from the cell across from Kuroko's. They'd never spoken before, but Daiki figured his abrupt awakening must've been louder than he thought it was.

"But you're hurting more than I am, right, Aomine Daiki-kun?"

Daiki could nearly hear the smile on this man's face. It was annoying as hell.

"If I'm right, you led a small, but effective rebellion against the Emperor. There were rumors of a phantom tactician who helped you execute the whole plan, who was placed in the cell across from me. You two were quite close, weren't you? Well, your reasons for rebelling were vague. Things like ill treatment of foreigners, oppression of the poor and sick, right?"

Daiki shifted quietly on his bed. "You sure like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

"You did quite a remarkable job, considering. It's too bad you guys were sold out by a man currently serving in the emperor's guard."

"Who are you?" Daiki asked finally.

He heard a faint chuckle. "My name is Takao Kazunari."


His stomach churned at the familiar, vague symptoms of his patient. It was impossible for him to make a clear diagnosis. There was little he could do, and he was sure to do it. He began digging through his bag.

"You're much improved since the last time I saw you, Kiyoshi. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. You were close to death last time, so I'm expecting you to only get better," he said without looking up.

"I appreciate the help, Mibuchi."

He pulled an opaque bottle of liquid. "This will help numb the pain on days where it's unbearable," he explained, setting it on Teppei's bedside table. "Use the cap as a measurement. Only take it twice a day, max. Drink lots of water. Are you taking note of this, four eyes?"

Hyuuga jumped at the sudden address. "E-eh, yeah, I got it!"

"Good. Keep an eye on this oaf." A small smile crossed Mibuchi's face as he zipped his bag closed. "I'll come again soon, but I'm not expecting much improvement. Continue resting, like you have been. Now, excuse me. I have another patient to go see before nightfall."

"Thanks, Mibuchi," Teppei said again. "Be careful."

Mibuchi tossed his hair behind his shoulder. "I've been alright so far," he answered haughtily before leaving.

It wasn't the first illegal job he'd done since he'd been fired, but it was arguably the riskiest. He knew he'd be messing with tabooed territory as soon as he offered to help the convict, but somebody had to. He was let in to the cell by the new captain, a pretty blonde boy.

oOoOo

Waiting inside was a small, black haired man. He had bandages wrapped tight around his head, covering his eyes, and his ankles were broken. He was lying on his bed, unmoving, even at the announcement of a doctor.

He recognized the nature of his broken bones. It was the emperor's specialty when he was forced in to combat. A swift, sweeping kick to the ankles and he could break them.

"This kid's a special one, isn't he?" Mibuchi mused. He sat him up. "Can you hear me?"

"I'm going blind, not deaf," he growled under his breath.

Mibuchi stifled an impressed laugh. "And what did you do to piss off the emperor so bad?"

He was silent for a moment as Mibuchi wrapped his ankles.

"I fell in love."

oOoOo


He'd heard that there was a new animal caretaker for the emperor, but he hadn't familiarized himself with him. He kept his distance from the people in the palace. He knew he'd be opening a whole world of ugly, painful feelings if he became close to anybody. In the back of his mind, he was scared of suffering like Midorima was – like he knew Midorima was. Like he was now.

"Hey, Captain," a voice drawled. "You sure have a serious look on your face."

Kise sighed, putting on a smile before looking up. "Eh? What do you mean, Hanamiya?"

The dark haired member of the guard marched up to Kise, smirking a wicked smile. "Is it because your friend just died in prison?" He paused. "Well, it's just as well. He was a filthy traitor of the kingdom anyway. Him and that dirty Aomine. They were in over their heads. They opened Pandora 's Box and they'll pay for it." Hanamiya rolled his head back and forth as he talked, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I'm glad I convinced the emperor to move up his execution date."

Kise stayed quiet, eyes narrowing as he watched the shifty bastard move.

"Should be interesting, right? I know how you hate killing. It's your first execution, right? I'll be happy to do it for you. It's lucky that damned kid of yours died in prison, or you'd have had to kill him yourself and –" a swift backhand sent him flying to the floor.

"Hanamiya," Kise cooed. "Please do not speak ill of the dead. If you have something to say, I'll be happy to send you after them so you can say it to their face."

He scowled up at the blonde.

"Is that understood?" He barked.

Hanamiya growled through clenched teeth. "Yes, Captain."

"Good." Kise turned and continued on his way.

He paused in front of the door of the new animal caretaker and heaved a sigh. The idea of being able to stop the unfair reign of his emperor shone like a beacon in his beliefs. But he knew what he was getting in to. If he decided to help Alex Garcia, his fate was sealed. But there was hope at the bottom of Pandora's Box.

He knocked on the door.

"Izuki-kun?" he asked nervously when the door opened.

The boy smiled. "Hello. Please come in."

Kise sidled in. He swallowed hard. "Alex Garcia told me to find you when I'd made my decision."

"And? What is it?"

"I'll help."

Izuki's face dropped in surprise. "We could be lying to you, you know. There isn't much benefit on your end, Captain. You do realize what you're getting yourself in to, don't you?"

Kise put on a brave face and smiled. "I realize. Please send a message to him about my answer." When the other man's expression didn't change, he chuckled. "You should be happy I'm agreeing to help. If anybody can change this kingdom, it's those two. If Kurokocchi's alive, then…"

He didn't realize his gaze had wandered to the floor until Izuki pat him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Captain. You can count on us. I'll send the letter once the emperor's gone to bed."


He didn't notice that he was hungry until he realized three meals had gone by uneaten. His stomach hurt, partially from hunger, and partially from the sadness of Kuroko's death. He was sitting against the bars of his cell, trying to get the best view of the night sky that he could. (Kuroko showed his some constellations once, but he'd be damned if he remembered any of them.) Daiki's stomach growled, and he mentally told it to shut up.

"You should have eaten, Aomine-kun."

"Shut up," he said, out loud this time.

"How will you start a revolution on an empty stomach?" Takao's voice echoed quietly down the hall.

"Don't you get it? The revolution's over. There's no hope left."

Takao was quiet for a few minutes. "Not necessarily," he said. "There are other people out there who want change."

"How would you know?" He sneered. "You're stuck in here, just the same as I am."

He laughed. Daiki shivered as he heard it: louder than it's ever been. Closer than it's ever been.

He turned towards Takao's cell and caught sight of him, holding himself up by the iron bars of his cell. There were bandages tied thick around both ankles and bloodied, stained bandages tied around his eyes.

"I wasn't always, you know. In fact, I've been here for a shorter amount of time than you have."

Daiki tried to remember when Takao was brought in, but he found no recollection. He figured he must've brushed it off at the time and forgotten. Takao remembered it vaguely, through constant reminders of the pain he was still in daily. He dreamt of the day he was brought to the prison sometimes. He winced as he brought his hands to his eyes, straining to remember the exact details.

oOoOo

They were sitting in the garden together. Takao whistled sharply, and the birds all descended and landed in front of him.

"Cool, right?"

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "It's impressive, that you have such control over these animals."

He laughed. "The hawks and I get along best, but the other animals he has are nice, too." Takao leaned back, and their fingers brushed. Midorima did not pull away, and the look on his face softened a little. Without looking, Takao laced his fingers between the other mans.

"I hope you aren't implying that I'm one of his animals, Takao."

He laughed again. "Of course I'm not, Shin-chan."

Midorima turned to look over at Takao, his face dropping as he did. He pulled his hands away.

"Shin-chan?" Takao asked, following the direction of his eyes.

"'Shin-chan?' Is that what he calls you, Shintarou?"

Takao jumped up and fell to the ground in a bow. The birds took flight at his sudden movement. "E-emperor, s-sir."

The emperor smiled. "Look at me, Takao."

He raised his head slowly, swallowing hard. His eyes met the emperors heterochromatic ones.

"Who gave you permission to speak to Shintarou like that?"

Takao didn't answer. Midorima stood up. "Emperor, please…"

"Be quiet, Shintarou," he ordered. The emperor slowly walked circles around the kneeling Takao. "How bold of you, Takao, to try and take Shintarou away from me when you're nothing more than a peasant who happened to be good with my pets."

"I wasn't trying to take him away, sir."

Without hearing Takao's protest, he continued, "it's a shame. The hawk's really did seem to attach themselves to you. I'll have to find someone else."

Takao lowered his eyes.

"Did I mention I taught them a new trick?"

Takao heard him whistle, and the familiar sound of flapping wings. He looked up in time to see one of the hawks flying towards him, but not enough time to raise his arms in defense.

"Emperor, stop it! Call them off!"

The next thing Takao remembered was waking up a few hours later, unable to see his cell, with a dull, aching pain in his eyes and ankles.

oOoOo


There was a quiet knock on the backdoor.

It was dark outside, and the bakery was closed for the night. Himuro rubbed his tired eyes and opened the door quietly, welcoming the other man. Neither spoke until the door was safely closed and a lamp was dimly lit in the corner of the room.

"How's it looking, Leo?"

"It's Reo, Himuro," he shot back instantly, pouting a bit and crossing his arms.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Kiyoshi's fine, if he's who you're concerned about," he reported, setting his bag down on the table and taking a seat. "He's doing much better than the last time I saw him."

"I appreciate your help, Leo. Taiga's been worried about him." Himuro sat down again. "I know that this is dangerous work I've asked you to do for me."

"It's no more dangerous than going to the prison to help that poor boy who used to work for the emperor." Mibuchi shrugged. "Have you heard from the captain?"

Himuro nodded. "He's agreed to help. The execution will be in two days. Evidently, they've pushed it up because of Kuroko-kun's death."

"Oh?" Mibuchi leaned back in his chair. "That's impressive. How did you convince him? Surely it wasn't just for the good of the kingdom."

Himuro cocked his head at the question. "It didn't take much. I told him about his friend, and I told him that it wasn't completely hopeless. I know the conditions of those working for the Emperor. It isn't fun."

"Indeed it isn't," Mibuchi agreed softly.

"But this plan is even riskier than the first one, and it's all or nothing. If we mess up…"

"Don't dwell on the if's, Himuro. If I hadn't stopped working for the emperor several people would have died, but I would be safe. If you don't continue helping the oppressed, they will continue to be oppressed," he said. "Understand?"

Himuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes, of course I understand all that." He avoided looking at the doctor by turning and making him a plate of bread, cheese, and butter. He offered him some coffee, and started making a pot when Mibuchi accepted.

Mibuchi watched him carefully. It was funny how Himuro thought that smile would fool him.

"I went and checked on your sleeping beauty, as well."

Himuro stopped with his back still towards him.

"The poison I gave to you for him might have been a little strong."

Himuro spun around, his mouth gaping.

"Don't worry, he won't die," Mibuchi explained, a playful smiling sliding on to his lips. "He should have woken up by now, though. He'll wake up soon. I told Kagami to be careful about what he fed the boy when he wakes up."

Himuro relaxed and handed Mibuchi the plate and mug of coffee, sitting down across from him at the table. "Thank you, Leo. Thank you for all of your help."


oOoOo

Daiki was sitting on the couch, waiting for Kuroko to get home from work. The sunshine was pouring in through the window, and he started to doze off. He'd hadn't heard him when the door opened, but he heard the quiet thud of his head against the table. Daiki opened his eyes and peered in to the kitchen. He saw Kuroko, eyes closed, with his head on the table, shaking. He knew him, but this feeling of rage coming from him was unfamiliar.

"Tetsu?"

He looked to the side, his head staying on the table. "I'm sorry, Aomine-kun. I had a bad day at work. Did I wake you?"

"I was waiting for you to get home," he answered. He hesitated. "Are you okay?"

Kuroko sat up straight and turned so he wasn't looking at Daiki. "Aomine-kun," he began, "how do you feel about this place?"

Daiki stared hard at Kuroko.

"What?"

Kuroko sighed a little. "The kingdom. What do you think of it?"

"I think it's full of shit," he answered instantly. After a few seconds of thinking, he quickly added that, "maybe it's not so bad lately."

It seemed like a long time passed before either of them said anything else. Kuroko, still not looking at his friend, spoke first. "The Emperor… he – he doesn't think…" he stuttered; whether it was from anger or sadness, Daiki wasn't sure, "he doesn't believe the children here… need an education, and… and he's ordered us to shut down the school…"

Daiki went and sat down next to Kuroko.

"Not to mention the low access to medical treatment here…" Kuroko mumbled thoughtfully.

"What?" Daiki didn't know much about politics or economics, but he knew that he didn't like seeing Kuroko so upset. He knew that Satsuki was worried about him and Kuroko staying in such a low-income area. There was a throbbing anger that felt heavy in his head and fists.

"The Emperor's given up on people he doesn't see potential in."

Daiki bit his lip. "He offered me a position in his guard, but I'll be damned if I work for that prick…"

Kuroko smiled softly, finally looking at him. "I'm not surprised he offered you something like that…"

"If I'm good enough for him, I'm good enough to go against him, right?"

"But Aomine-kun…"

"We can do it. I'll protect your school. We can do it together, right?"

Kuroko smiled. "I suppose there's always a chance it could work."

oOoOo

It had been a long time since he'd thought of how this all started. The anger from that time resounded in his brain before it fell to his stomach when he sat up, recognizing the reality of the prison. He rubbed his eyes hard. Daiki only looked up when he'd heard footsteps stop in front of his cell.

A tall, slim blonde stood in front of his prison door. Daiki rose and walked to the door to meet him.

"What do you want, Kise?"

He'd tried to smile. "Don't be like that, Aominecchi."

"If you're here to talk, I'm not in the mood." Kise's face stayed the same, and Daiki recognized the dread on his face. "If you're here to tell me I'm going to die, I already know that."

"Tomorrow," he said softly.

"I'm being killed tomorrow?"

"Executed," Kise said. "Executed."

"Executed or killed, it's the same. All that matters is that I'm going to a place that isn't here, right?" Daiki scowled.

"Right," Kise agreed.

"It better be you that's doing it. Anybody else and I won't take it. I'll kill them."

He sighed, a small, pathetic excuse for a smile on his face. "It's me. I'm set to execute you tomorrow evening."

"Huh?" Daiki took a few steps back and fell on to his bed. "Don't they usually do these things in the morning?"

"Yes, but…" Kise swallowed hard. "But the Emperor wants to witness your execution himself." He looked away, biting his lip to stop himself from crying.

Daiki stayed quiet this time.

"I guess it's just as well, right?" He asked quietly, staring at the wall he used to share with Kuroko.

"I needed to ask if you had any final requests."

"No, nothing."

A brief moment passed.

"I'll come for you tomorrow, Aominecchi."

"Kise." He looked up. Daiki smiled. "Thanks. If anybody's taking my head, I'm glad it's you."

He smiled before leaving his line of vision.

He heard Takao mumbling down the hall. "It's the same as always, Mibuchi…"

Then a different voice. One he hadn't heard before. "Take off those bandages. Let me see how your eyes are doing."

"Mibuchi," Takao drawled, "I know you're worried about them. But please tell me the state of them. It's uncomfortable knowing how much they hurt sometimes, but not knowing if they'll heal." He undid the bandages despite his protests.

"It's not looking good, Takao. I don't have access to antibiotics since the Emperor revoked my license. The most I can do is sanitize it when I come see you, but the cuts are already infected," he explained, soaking a small towel in alcohol.

Takao winced as Mibuchi dabbed alcohol on his wounds, and as he spoke. "Be straight with me. Am I going to go blind?"

Mibuchi paused.

"I don't know."

Takao stayed quiet as Mibuchi bandages his eyes again and moved down to check his ankles. "How are these doing? Can you walk at all?"

"A bit, but it hurts when I do."

"Try to avoid it. They're still weak. It would help if you could get a decent meal, but the Emperor won't allow that, will he? At least you have good chefs working here." Mibuchi was rambling as he splinted Takao's ankles, mostly to himself, to keep his mind off what he felt was his failure as a doctor.

"Yeah, I'll try to be careful as I run laps around this tiny cell," Takao replied sarcastically.

Mibuchi sighed. "Take care of yourself. I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to get in here will be."

"Thanks."

Daiki sighed as he heard them close Takao's cell. He heard them walk further down the hall, the door for the hall open, and soft, now familiar voices speaking and fading in to echoes, and then in to nothingness. He closed his eyes and lay down.

"Does it hurt?"

"What, dying? I imagine it's not as bad as being stuck here."

"No, stupid," Daiki growled. "Your eyes. Do they hurt?"

Takao hummed to himself. He was surprised at the sudden interest. "Sometimes," he decided.

"What a half-assed answer."

Takao chuckled. "Are you scared, Aomine-kun?"

"No." The only hope he knew he had in him, was the hope of meeting Kuroko in whatever afterlife there was.


Author's note: This brings part one to and end. I have no idea when the second part will be finished. (Seeing as how I haven't started it...) Hope you enjoyed!