The first thing he noticed was the taste of the sand on his mouth and the bright sun over his head. The blinding sunlight impeded him to open his eyes during some seconds, maybe minutes, the truth is that he didn't know. For a moment he wished he could come back to his dark, calm dream, but the heat made it impossible for him to come back to such a pleasant state. Under his stiff fingers he recognized the rough feel of the torrid sandy ground on which he lay motionless. When he tried to straighten he felt a a sharp pang of pain in the back and a growl tore his dry throat. He had been lying there for a long time, or that he supposed. He stroked his dirty black hair that with all the dust and dirt mixed between his locks seemed of a light grey. In front of him a desert plain, arid land and a clear sky, dust particles floating around in the scorching atmosphere. Right at his feet there was a road whose ends disappeared into the distance, or at least to where his tired gaze could reach. Searching for a place to move, some meters to his right he saw the silhouette of a tall tree. His first reaction was to assume that it was a mirage, but walked toward it anyway. He couldn't bring himself to die lying in that place. Later, Kuroo though, he would have time to think about what was he doing in that desolated landscape.

Kuroo was surprised to see that his legs worked correctly, but he was even more surprised to find out that the tree was real. Its bark was cold, and the shade it provided was long and comforting. He wished for a glass of water, and this only thought remembered him that his thorat was completely dry, swallowing was almost a torture. Sitting under that tree he wasn't going to solve this problem, but at least the sun wouldn't be the one to kill him. He dropped his head back, trying to breathe deeply and fill his lungs with something that wasn't suffocating air. It felt as if he had become a desert himself, dry and cracked. The sound of his own breathing, forced and pitiful, caused him disgust. 'What a terrible way to die' he thought, almost sarcastically. He wasn't brave enough to open his eyes and look around one more time and discover that it wasn't a nightmare, that's why when the water fell on his face and mouth that he was so straightened on his site and felt the water slide down his throat in a painful but delightful way. His heart was racing fast, and he breathed heavily, enjoying the feeling of the air entering with ease now; it wasn't like swallowing broken glass anymore. When the initial fright was over, Kuroo could concentrate on what he saw. It was only for a moment when the water drew him from hiw agonizing reverie, but he saw it. Still with his hand grabbing his t-shirt, almost as if grabbing his heart, Kuroo raised his head. There, between the leafs, two bright yellow eyes stared back at him. For a moment, Kuro thought that it coul have been a cat, but now he could see tha it was just a boy, sitting -and crouched- in the thick branches of the tree, observing him with a blank expression on his face. No one of them said nothing during some seconds until finally, Kuroo tried to speak, not without feeling his throat burn slightly. He coughed in a very unpleasant way, and the not unfamiliar feeling of water crashing into his face made him shake his head. The boy in the tree just looked at him, and when he was sure that Kuroo wasn't going to cough again he kept his bottle in a corner that Kuroo couldn't see. Finally, Kuroo opted for being polite.

-Hello -he waited for an answer, but there was only silence-. Thank you for the water.

The boy blinked and said nothing. His sandy hair swayed along with the leaves of the tree, covering his face briefly.

-My name is...

'Kuroo Tetsurou'

-Kuroo Tetsurou -he looked around, only dust and a blue sky-. Can you tell me where I am?

For a moment the boy's eyes sparkled with curiosity but Kuroo couldn't see it. He was busy staring at the road that seemed to go on forever; there was nothing around except for that tree.

-You were dead.

It took Kuroo some seconds before realizing that the boy had talked for the first time. His voice was the first thing he had heard since he woke up, it seemed odd and out of place. Kuroo turned around and for the first time the boy looked away, hesitating before speaking.

-When I passed by your side you were dead.

Kuro said nothing, and his silence seemed to make the boy uncomfortable. Then Kuroo smiled, his lips were dry and cracked, but he didn't care.

-Well, now I'm not.

The boy seemed incredibly surpised by Kuroo's response and he couldn't help but stare at him with astonishment before looking away again in embarrassment.

-I guess -he replied.

-So were are we?

The boy's eyes hardened as they rested on Kuroo's dusty face.

-The Road