Akashi Seijuro knows exactly what to expect at school. Although he is still only in middle school, his family has already taught him the ways of the real world that most kids his age could not even begin to fathom.
What he does not expect, however, is for a teacher to come barging into his classroom before it's even fifteen minutes into first period, frantically calling for Akashi himself.
Isn't that Atsushi's homeroom teacher?
Sure enough, when Akashi enters the classroom next door, he finds his purple-haired teammate curled on the floor in the fetal position, the action contrasting greatly with his towering height and stature.
"He says he won't talk to anyone but you," the teacher explains feebly.
As Akashi makes his way toward Murasakibara, he notices that the purple-haired boy's usual apathetic expression now contains a hint of smouldering rage. More details become obvious as Akashi comes closer—the scratches on Murasakibara's arms and legs, the multi-colored bruises that are beginning to surface.
Murasakibara looks up, his somber expression instantly brightening when he spots the redhead. But his delighted face soon contorts, once he realizes that Akashi's appearance can only mean one thing.
"Aka-chin—!" Murasakibara suddenly erupts into sobs that echo throughout the entire classroom.
Everyone exchanges nervous glances and some even try to leave the room, yet Akashi alone remains in control, as usual. He calmly makes his way over to the taller boy and places a hand on top of his head with surprising gentleness. Akin to comforting a six-year-old child, Akashi rubs and pats Murasakibara's head until the other boy's sobs dwindle to wails, then to hiccups, and finally to the occasional sniffles.
"What happened?" Akashi asks quietly, once he makes sure Murasakibara has completely calmed down.
"He was bad-mouthing Aka-chin," Murasakibara mumbles with a slight pout. "I got really mad."
Akashi finds himself appreciating Murasakibara's simple honesty and fervently wishing to preserve it.
"Who did?" the redhead asks.
"Haizaki was saying you stole Niji-chin's position as captain," Murasakibara continues, his voice slowly raising with anger, "When everyone knows Niji-chin willingly gave the position to you. Besides, Aka-chin will always be the best captain around."
Pretending he isn't touched by Murasakibara's sincere compliment, Akashi instead asks: "Where are they now?"
"I had to send him to the infirmary," says the teacher standing behind them.
Akashi whips around, fury suddenly glinting in his red hues as he stares straight into Murasakibara's frightened orbs.
"You physically assaulted him?" Akashi's voice is dangerously soft, making the taller boy wince.
"Well, yeah." Murasakibara cannot help but look away from that intense crimson gaze. "What else am I supposed to do when someone insults Aka-chin?"
Akashi seems to notice everyone staring at them and instantly regains his composure.
"Outside." Without another word, the redhead makes his way out the door. He doesn't need to turn around to know he is being followed without question.
Murasakibara shuts the door behind him. "Aka-chin, what's wrong—"
Akashi whirls around. "You should have ignored him!" he hisses, causing Murasakibara to flinch.
"Ehh? But why?" Murasakibara knows he is playing a dangerous game, questioning Akashi like that, but confusion and frustration spur him on. "What's wrong with defending your own teammates?"
"Try filling that hollow head of yours with useful thoughts for once." Akashi makes such a biting remark without hesitation. "If this incident doesn't get you kicked off the team, I will."
Murasakibara cannot do anything but gape in shock as Akashi makes his way back to class, his footsteps resounding off the walls with daunting finality. Although the redhead is barely tall enough to reach his shoulder, Murasakibara has never felt so small in his entire life.
By lunchtime, everyone at Teiko Middle School has heard about Murasakibara's fight. Of course, this news reaches the ears of the Generation of Miracles as well.
When the five boys and their female manager gather on the rooftop for lunch as they always do, they find that a certin purple-haired teammate is missing. This strikes everyone as extremely odd, for Murasakibara is usually the first to arrive, eager to collect everyone's sweets.
"Sei-chan, where's Mukkun?" Momoi asks, for she sees the two of them together more often than not.
Akashi simply shrugs, offering no words of reassurance.
"We know what happened," Aomine blurts out. Midorima elbows him in the side, but the words are already out.
"I saw him leave campus after first period," Kise adds, ignoring Akashi's piercing stare. "I tried to stop him, but you know how Murasakibaracchi's like—once he's motivated, nothing can stop him."
"He's probably lost downtown," Midorima lets out an exasperated sigh as he pushes his glasses back into place. "Not that I'm surprised—Libra is ranked lowest on Oha Asa today, after all."
"We have to look for him," Momoi insists, "Before he gets himself hurt."
"I agree." The monotone voice seems to come out of nowhere, making everyone jump back—except for Akashi, of course—as they finally notice the sixth phantom member standing right in their midst.
Kuroko turns to the redhead leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "What do you think, Akashi-kun?"
Akashi finally turns to the others, his expression unreadable as always. "I think Atsushi needs to learn how to take care of himself."
Momoi opens her mouth, ready to scold him for being so uncaring, but Akashi cuts her off. "Even if he is a child inside, we need to stop spoiling him. That's exactly what led to this whole mess in the first place."
With that, Akashi leaves the rest of the Generation of Miracles to their own devices as they stare after their team captain in shock.
"What the hell was that?" Aomine says to no one in particular.
No one gives an answer, for Akashi's actions today are even more unexplainable than usual. With everyone's appetite effectively ruined, they decide to use their lunch break to look for Murasakibara instead. The five of them walk into the purple-haired boy's favorite shop, notorious for its addicting snacks and sweets.
"Mukkun!" Momoi calls. "Are you in here?"
She receives no response, much to everyone's dismay.
They decide to split into two groups. Kise and Kuroko search every sweets shop in the area and even go as far as the supermarket, but to no avail.
"Unless Murasakibaracchi has somehow mastered Kurokocchi's misdirection, I don't see how someone so freakishly tall can just disappear like that," Kise sighs after exiting the seventh candy store thus far.
Kuroko gives the blonde a stern look. "Don't say that, Kise-kun. I'm sure Murasakibara-kun is close by. We just need to look harder." So he says, but his cerulean eyes are still tinged with worry.
Meanwhile, Momoi, Aomine, and Midorima aren't having much luck either. Midorima glances at his watch.
"Lunch ends in five minutes," the green-haired boy announces. "We should head back now if we don't want to be late."
"But Mukkun is still—" Momoi is cut off as Aomine literally sweeps her off her feet, carrying her princess style as they start walking back to campus.
"Chotto, Dai-chan!" the pinkette yelps.
"Quit squirming, Satsuki," says Aomine. "Haven't you noticed? He's been right behind us this entire time, searching alongside us."
Midorima nods. "Indeed. You can be rather perceptive when you try, Aomine."
"What's that supposed to mean, four-eyes?!"
"He will handle the situation without fail," Midorima assures Momoi, completely ignoring Aomine's indigniant cries. "He always wins in the end, after all."
Akashi scoffs as he watches the Generation of Miracles trudge back to school, their faces concerned and despondent. He almost laughs, for they have looked everywhere except the one place he knows Murasakibara would go in this situation.
In the end, Akashi knows his Atsushi best.
He finds the purple-haired boy near the basketball court across the nearest convenience store, lying on the grass with his eyes closed. A bag filled to the brim with snacks sits next to him as he sucks on a corn-flavored umaibo without a care in the world.
Akashi wordlessly makes his way over Murasakibara, casting a shadow on the taller boy's face. Murasakibara barely opens one eye and squints at Akashi, whose red hair is made all the more crimson by the sunlight.
"Aka-chin," Murasakibara murmurs lazily, giving the other boy his usual flowery smile. Then he seems to remember their previous argument as he shuts his eyes again, lips shaped in a slight pout. "Leave me alone."
Akashi does not comply. He simply stands over the other boy, awaiting the reaction he knows he'll get sooner or later.
"Does Aka-chin hate me now?" Murasakibara whispers. "I'm so sorry, Aka-chin. Please don't hate me."
No, this is not what he is supposed to say. Before he can stop it, the words pierce straight into Akashi's heart, leaving him at a loss for words for the first time in his life.
His arms seem to move on their own, wrapping around Murasakibara's neck and softly stroking the other boy's hair.
"I could never hate you," Akashi says quietly.
Murasakibara's eyes are wide open now, unable to hide their surprise and elation. He returns Akashi's embrace, nearly squeezing the breath right out of the smaller boy. But the redhead admits to himself, it is a nice feeling nonetheless.
"Aka-chin, do you really mean that?" Murasakibara's words hold so much hope and relief that the redhead almost groans out loud. Of all people, this childish giant has the power to thaw his cold heart. Akashi vows never to let him realize this.
"Have I ever lied to you?"
Murasakibara shakes his head vehemently, for the last thing he wants is to make his Aka-chin angry again. The action, oddly enough, reminds the redhead of a puppy.
"Come, Atsushi. Let's go back."
So they do, fingers interlocked right until they reach the corner leading to the school gate. For the first time in his life, Akashi is late to class.
When the final bell rings, the Generation of Miracles meets at the school gates, ready to walk home together as they always do. Murasakibara has returned safely, much to everyone's relief. The feeling soon turns to chagrin, however, when they realize they are still missing one member.
"Where's Akashicchi?" Kise exclaims, annoyance clear in his voice. He wants to get to practice as soon as possible so he can challenge Aomine to another one-on-one.
Momoi turns to Murasakibara, a look of concern on her face. "Mukkun, do you know—"
"It's Aka-chin's turn to clean up after school today," Murasakibara says suddenly, startling everyone. "I'll go find him. The rest of you can head over to practice."
"Mukkun?!" Momoi tries to follow the purple-haired boy as he runs with surprising agility back into the school building, but Kuroko stops her.
"This is something the two of them have to work out together," the cerulean-haired boy says firmly. "Let's put our trust in Murasakibara-kun." He stares right into Momoi's eyes, making her blush slightly.
Midorima's phone buzzes, and he takes it out of his pocket and flips it open. "The Capricorn will be met with several surprises this afternoon," he reads. "That's all the proof we need."
Kise raises an eyebrow. "You know, Midorimacchi, I've never actually understood that part—"
"Can we just go to practice already?" Aomine says impatiently.
Kise grins. "I'll definitely beat you this time, Aominecchi!"
Aomine turns to the blonde, returning the grin with one of his own. "We'll see about that."
Murasakibara finds Akashi sitting at the foot of the stairwell, his back leaning against the wall.
"Aka-chin?" The purple-haired boy wears a quizzical look as he makes his way down the stairs. "What are you doing?"
"Studying," Akashi replies coolly without looking up.
"Ehh? Without your books?" As terrifyingly intelligent as his team captain is, Murasakibara thinks even Akashi still needs books to study.
The redhead grits his teeth. "Go to practice, Atsushi." Akashi's crimson gaze threatens to make all of Murasakibara's resolve disappear once more, but he won't have it. This time, he will help Akashi without fail, no matter the consequences to himself.
"Whatever you say, Aka-chin. Just let me get a snack first," says Murasakibara, even though there's already a piece of Pocky sticking halfway out of his mouth.
Murasakibara pretends to make his way toward the vending machine to Akashi's left. On the way, he purposefully nudges the other boy's ankle slightly. The effect is immediate, but subtle. Akashi winces for a millisecond and regains his composure so fast that anyone else would have it was their imagination. But Murasakibara knows better. Akashi thinks he knows Murasakibara inside and out, but he doesn't realize the effect can work both ways after a while.
"You did that on purpose," Akashi hisses.
"Yup." Murasakibara continues chewing on his Pocky stick without a care in the world.
They face each other in silence for a while, red and violet hues trying to stare each other down.
"I look pathetic, I know." Akashi breaks the silence first. His voice comes out strangled, as if desperately trying to hold back his true pain.
"No, Aka-chin looks beautiful," Murasakibara blurts out.
Akashi doesn't seem to hear him. "I can't go to practice now. I can't even go home." Akashi was taught never to indulge in self pity, but something about Murasakibara's presence makes him want to spill his guts. "No, truthfully, that prison cannot even be called my home. If my father finds out about what I did, he will surely—"
Before his sudden boldness has a chance to wear off, Murasakibara bends down and presses his lips against Akashi's. The redhead makes a sound of protest, but Murasakibara perseveres, deepening the kiss. Finally, he feels Akashi begin to reciprocate, parting his mouth to take in more of Murasakibara's. The taller boy takes this as a sign to continue and rakes his tongue over the inside of Akashi's mouth, begging for entrance. Akashi complies for once, but soon he is the one dominating the kiss, which Murasakibara doesn't mind one bit. Akashi pulls away first. The smouldering red hues gazing into Murasakibara's eyes evoke a foreign desire in him, one that goes beyond his usual, simple desire for snacks.
"You kissed me," Akashi states bluntly.
"So did you."
"Why?"
Murasakibara shrugs. "Aka-chin looked very delicious for a second there."
"Only for a second?" Akashi asks innocently. "What about now?"
Murasakibara suspects that they both know the answer to that one already.
In one swift motion, he picks up his small-statured captain by the waist and throws him over his shoulder like a backpack—albeit a very angry and flustered backpack.
"Wha—!" Akashi tries to squirm out of Murasakibara's strong grip, but to no avail. "Put me down, Atsushi—"
"If you can't go home, then don't," Murasakibara says simply.
To him, it's such an obvious solution. As he walks home with his indignant team captain draped over his shoulder, he can't help but think that Akashi—despite all his leadership training and natural intelligence—can be a tad slow sometimes. In more ways than one.
Fortunately, Murasakibara's parents are out of town and his older siblings are still at school, so he skips practice and takes Akashi back to his home instead. Akashi insists on walking by himself and Murasakibara complies. Besides, it doesn't hurt so much if they go slowly.
Akashi lets himself in like he owns the place, not even bothering to say the usual, "Ojamashimasu!" It's not exactly the first time he's come over, after all. He makes his way to the living room and plops himself down on the sofa, resting his injured ankle on the ottoman in front. Without a word, Murasakibara comes over with a pack of ice and bandages and nurses Akashi's wounds with surprising gentleness and care.
"I couldn't stand it," Akashi says suddenly.
"Stand what?"
"Haizaki." Akashi's says the name with so much rage and hatred that Murasakibara's hairs stand on end, even though he knows none of those feelings are directed at him. "More importantly, how he got away with hurting you."
"I'm not hurt," Murasakibara insists. "Besides, Aka-chin trying to defend me in return is more than enough—"
"It didn't happen that way." Something in Akashi's tone makes Murasakibara look up.
He had assumed that in the process of fighting the ones who had insulted them, Akashi had been careless and accidentally gotten himself injured. If that wasn't the case—
"I confronted him after school," Akashi explains flatly. "I planned to send him straight to the principal's office, but his friends ganged up on me like the cowards they are. They finally cornered me on the stairs, and you know the rest. I know," he said, noticing Murasakibara's stunned expression, "I should have seen it coming. No, in truth, I did see it coming. But I decided to accept it as due punishment."
"Punishment for what?" Murasakibara still cannot believe what he's hearing.
"I was more concerned about my reputation than I was with the feelings of a teammate and friend." Akashi shakes his head slowly, as if unable to believe it himself. "I am truly sorry, Atsushi."
For a moment, Murasakibara is made utterly speechless by the sudden revelation and raw emotion in Akashi's voice.
Murasakibara knows he is bad with words, so he decides to say it all with a kiss. He caresses Akashi's face and leans forward. Akashi tilts his head so that their lips join perfectly. Soon, Murasakibara is on top of Akashi, supporting his hands on the cushions so he doesn't crush the smaller boy with his weight. Akashi devours Murasakibara's mouth in his, tasting something fruity and sweet. He doesn't mind one bit. The redhead wraps both legs around the other boy's back, forcing him to come closer. Murasakibara complies, and before he knows it, he's the one on the bottom.
Akashi grins fiercely when he sees Murasakibara's mildly surprised expression, and they continue where they left off. Akashi slides his hand under Murasakibara's shirt and runs his fingers playfully across the strong, hard muscles. Murasakibara groans, thinking that Akashi is the only one he wants to taste at this moment.
Akashi seems to read his mind, for he rips off the taller boy's shirt without hesitation.
"Aka-chin," Murasakibara breathes, purple hues smouldering with desire.
He may not have been the smartest member of the Generation of Miracles, but he is still a growing teenage boy. He knows this sudden development can only mean one thing—Akashi wants him just as badly as he does.
Akashi makes a throaty noise at the sight of Murasakibara's bare chest. He bends down and, starting at the nape of Murasakibara's neck, slowly runs his tongue along the center of his chest, leaving hot, passionate trails in its wake. He stops right at the hem of Murasakibara's pants, making the latter growl in frustration.
"No fair," Murasakibara complains. "Aka-chin has to strip too."
Akashi smirks. "Thought you'd never ask."
The redhead expertly removes his jacket and slowly, slowly unbuttons his shirt, which nearly drives Murasakibara insane with anticipation. As soon as Akashi throws his clothes to the floor, Murasakibara pounces. He nibbles on the smaller boy's lithe body, making the latter gasp with pleasure.
They continue like this for hours, both of them trying desperately not to drown in lust and ecstasy. Somewhere in between each make-out session, Akashi discovers a kind of pleasure that transcends even the victory he was taught to strive for from a young age. Murasakibara, in turn, learns firsthand that Akashi can be all at once mercilessly teasing yet unbelievably compassionate.
Was this really the same Akashi Seijuro that had ruthlessly shot him down this morning?
As soon as he asks himself the question, Murasakibara realizes it doesn't matter. In the end, they are both still his Aka-chin, whom he will always love unconditionally.