Don't own Kuroko no Basuke.
Don't own the cover art.
Eagle and Emperor
"I can't believe none of them thought I knew where I was going!" Shun exclaimed, mildly angry that he'd been brushed off so callously by his team.
Riko and he had gotten into an argument over where the hotel was as they walked through Kyoto. They were there for some kind of special training, but instead of relying on their point guard, the Seirin team decided Riko knew where she was going.
"This is ridiculous," Shun muttered. "She only has a sense of direction if one of her family's gyms is there, and they haven't expanded to Kyoto yet!"
But of course, Riko didn't know this herself, leaving the two to come to blows when she inevitably started going the wrong way. And the team, fearing the wrath of their coach, went along with her with the exception of a rather hurt Shun.
The eagle-eyed boy sighed. "Well, at least Furihata's with them to lead them to the hotel," he mused aloud, looking around the park he'd stormed to in interest. He had at least three hours before the others made it to the hotel, leaving him free to explore the city after dropping his bags of in the room checked out for them. He shouldered the bag he'd taken to carrying around after their last training escapade, and was moving to go deeper into the park when he heard a faint "Ote".
Turning at the word, he looked into the dichromatic eyes staring back.
Walking over, Shun sat in the chair that had just been vacated by an older man who'd lost against the freshman at the other end of the table. "May I have this game?" Shun asked, polite despite the slightly faster tempo his heart had taken up.
Akashi Seijuurou looked back blankly, before a smile tugged at his lips. "You may," he intoned, and the two began their game.
Tetsuya wasn't too concerned about where they were going. It was clear to the Shadow that Coach was lost, but as she hadn't figured it out herself yet, he refrained from bringing it up. They'd get to the hotel eventually, especially if Furihata was with them. The others may not have noticed it, but Tetsuya had seen the way Izuki began teaching the younger point guard small tricks for the position, and they seem to help Furihata with his sense of direction.
Twisting from his spot beside Kagami in the middle of the pack, Tetsuya looked at Furihata, who was walking at the back between Fukuda and Kawahara.
Furihata was frowning rather severely at Coach.
Well, it was to be expected. Furihata seems to genuinely look up to Izuki, and the row that had taken place between the coach and point guard would not put her on Furihata's good side. Especially since she was the one in the wrong.
Tetsuya hoped his senpai would be able to calm Furihata down once they met up with him again.
"So what exactly do you believe in, free will or predetermined destiny?"
Akashi looked up from the board, a puzzled glint in his eye. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Shun started, taking a knight and losing a lance in the process, "you said to Kuroko that you're absolute, and that since you always win you're always right. However, you also train and practice to become better and be more successful. So, do you believe that you will always win no matter what, or do you believe that you will always win because you train and become better than the other players?"
Akashi was quiet for a little while, and they played silently until he spoke up again. "I believe that the state of being absolute comes when one becomes the best among a group. I will always be right so long as I am the strongest, and therefore must continue to grow strong in order to always be right."
Shun frowned and stared at Akashi. "So…you believe in both? That by your will, you follow a path already laid out?" At the redhead's nod, Shun gave a blank look. "That doesn't make sense." Akashi shrugged, but the amused look in his eyes gave him away. "You're pulling my leg!" The other accused, and the first year finally gave it away with a small smirk. Shun stared at him for a long moment, before he finally gave in and let out a bark of laughter.
"You seriously had me going there for a moment!" he complimented, his eyes picking up a spark as he registered the redhead's joke.
Akashi shrugged, though he did look fairly pleased with himself. "I believe in free will," he finally revealed, making a move that had Shun hissing under his breath. "I am absolute because I work at it, always right because I became the best. If I did not train, I would not be as good, and I recognize that." He made another move on the board. "Ote."
"Thank you for the game," Shun said in response, much more relaxed than he had been originally. "Can we play again?"
"Of course," Akashi smiled. "I rarely find anyone willing to lose twice in a row."
"You're on." Shun grinned back, a competitive gleam in his eyes.
"Hello, we have some reserved rooms here. Seirin?" Coach smiled tiredly at the receptionist in front of her, trying to remain upbeat after three hours of searching blindly through the city for the hotel. She'd finally caved after she realized that they had gone in one giant circle through the city and still missed the hotel and asked Furihata for help. He managed to find the hotel in fifteen minutes.
Tetsuya wasn't surprised, but that didn't stop him from glaring at their coach's back along with the rest of the team.
"Hmm? Oh yes, that young man said that you would be arriving around this time." The old woman smiled at them and moved to get their key cards.
"Young man?" Coach repeated, confused.
"Yes, I believe he said his name was Shun. He came in around three hours ago and said that the rest of his team was out sightseeing and wouldn't arrive for about three hours. He was so polite."
If possible, the team's mood seemed to worsen.
Except Furihata, who had a rather amused smile on his face.
"So why have you put up with me for so long?" Shun took a seat at the rather nice teahouse Akashi had taken him to, cradling his drink carefully. Akashi sat opposite from him, a cup in his hands as well.
Shun had had a great time, all things considered. After playing a second game, and then a third (both victories going to the confident redhead), Shun had decided to go exploring, and Akashi had declared that, as Kyoto was his city, he would be a good host and show the older point guard around. They had finished the tour at the teashop, and were going to enjoy a cup before deciding what to do next.
"I mean no offense," Shun continued, reading the puzzled glimmer in Akashi's red eye (his gold eye tended to hide things better), "but by now most people have at least threatened me for my bad puns." And though he hadn't said as many as he might have normally, a few had still escaped when he wasn't looking, but Akashi hadn't so much as batted an eye at any of them.
Akashi stared at him as if the answer were obvious. "The jokes are part of a mask too deeply ingrained into your person for me to do anything other than accept them," he answered, and some of Shun's shock must have been visible because the look the redhead shot him was wry. "My Emperor Eye sees all, Shun. All that you make plain to see, and all that you try to hide. Never doubt that."
"…I see." Shun took a sip of his tea, his heart calming already under his forced passivity. "Anyway, you never answered my question. Why put up with me at all?"
Akashi blinked back. "Outside of the basic fact that I have come to enjoy your company, your abilities intrigue me."
Shun snorted. "It's not nearly as impressive as the Hawk's Eye."
"Speaking of the Hawk's Eye, Shintarou told me that you recognized it almost immediately, and knew how Tetsuya counteracted it. Why is that?"
Shun waved his hand dismissively and took another sip of his tea. "My mother has the Hawk's Eye. That's how I got my own eye, how I knew its name, what it did, and even its weakness." Shun scowled into his cup. "That's also why I knew it was superior to my own vision."
"You are wrong." The second year looked up at this, startled, and Akashi snared his gaze. "Outside of the basketball court, my eyes show me a person's potential. Your potential hasn't fully awoken yet; your eyes are not fully developed." The redhead took this moment to snort. "Besides, a hawk will never be superior to an eagle."
While Shun mulled this over in his head and drank his tea, Akashi got his phone out and sent a brief text.
"So where do you think Izuki-senpai is?" Kagami asked him.
Tetsuya looked at his Light and shrugged, moving as little as possible from his spot on the sofa beside Captain. "I'm not sure. Unlike us, Izuki-senpai is not likely to get lost easily. He could be anywhere he wished, and looking for him will just lead to us getting lost once more." But Tetsuya was somewhat worried. Izuki hadn't texted any of them, not even Hyuuga, since he and Coach had gotten into that fight.
Just then, Tetsuya's phone beeped, indicating a new text message. Kagami looked over as the bluenette got his phone out in interest. "That could be him now." Tetsuya nodded, and checked the message.
He felt his insides grow cold.
Tetsuya,
I have found an interesting little bird in the park that I believe belongs to you. If you do not come and retrieve it soon, I will consider keeping it for myself.
Akashi
It felt like someone had punched the Shadow in the gut and shoved ice down his throat when he wasn't looking, though his face gave nothing away. "Izuki-senpai…" He began.
"What's wrong, Kuroko-kun?" Coach asked him, picking up on the rare note of apprehension in his voice. Everyone looked at the passing specialist curiously.
Tetsuya swallowed, and tried again. "Izuki-senpai is with Akashi-kun in the park."
The first year had never seen a group of people's faces pale so quickly. Furihata and Kagami in particular looked rather ill. Understandably, considering how they met Teikou's former captain last time.
"What're we waiting for? We have to save him!" Kagami yelled, jumping to his feet and running to the door with Tetsuya in one hand and Furihata in the other (most likely to not get lost, Tetsuya concluded). The others weren't far behind. When they finally reached the park, their fear tripled.
Izuki was sleeping, which wasn't the cause of their apprehension.
The fact that he was sleeping against Akashi Seijuurou was.
Red and gold eyes looked up, staring into all of their souls for a while, before the redhead shifted slightly. "Shun. Wake up."
Both Furihata and Kagami twitched, and Hyuuga needed to be held back, but the others hid their worry better. He's using his first name?!
The older point guard's muscles didn't even move as his eyes flew open, alert and immediately locking onto his team. He gave them a quiet smile and stood up, offering his hand to Akashi and helping him up out of courtesy.
The team watched on tensely as Izuki nodded his head at Akashi gratefully. "Thank you for everything. Call me if you're ever in Tokyo, and I'll be happy to help you out if you so need it."
The redhead nodded back and, when Izuki was surrounded by a ruffled Hyuuga and Kiyoshi, summoned Tetsuya to him. The two of them watched the rest of the Seirin team in silence before Akashi turned away.
"I hope your team takes better care of Shun," he warned. "I may not be as willing to return him next time."
He walked off after that, leaving Tetsuya staring after him with a small, pensive frown on his face.
*Omake*
"I don't see why you're all so scared of him," Shun complained as he was asked for the third time if Akashi had done anything to him. "He didn't do anything to me. Honestly, I've been with him for three hours; if he had done anything, I would have texted one of you!"
If anything, their horror increased tenfold.
"You were with him for how long?!"
*End Omake*
Sorry if I annoyed anyone with the whole, "eagles are superior to hawks" thing, I just find it odd that an ability called the Hawk's Eye would be better than an ability called the Eagle's Eye, when eagles are biologically superior to hawks. Maybe it's implying that, being the Eagle's Eye, that makes it have a sharper look at a smaller area, while the Hawk's Eye gives lesser detail of a larger area, but I like to assume at the moment that it means the Eagle's Eye has room to evolve or develop, or is better in the long run or better suited for something else.
I'm sorry if the "free will vs. predetermined destiny" thing doesn't make sense. I actually get a small headache every time I read that paragraph, so please don't question it too much.
As a note, I have a different head canon for Izuki's family. In this, his father is an inspector rising through the ranks of the Tokyo Police Force and his mother is a police detective. To give you another hint to my head canon, his mother is blonde.
Please review.
Ja ne!