TheEmperor'sEmpress»

» I don't know why I wrote this. It's depressing. T_T Blame it on Click Five's song "Say Goodnight" — though why the hell am I listening to such emo songs in the middle of summertime when everything is supposed to be lively and all that stuff was beyond me.

Bear with me. I love AkaKuro and all, and I would definitely want them to end up together but then things happen and maybe I like sad endings or whatever, so this story happened.

Yeah.

*The Day You Said Goodnight *

"Tadaima."

Kuroko turned from the stove to see Akashi emerge from the entry hall, dressed in a suit and a tired look on his face. To an outsider, Akashi was anything but tired, but to Kuroko, who was good at observing people, knows better.

"Welcome home, Sei." Akashi placed his briefcase on the table and walked over to Kuroko, hugging him from behind and resting his chin on the crook of his beloved's neck.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, nuzzling Kuroko's neck.

"It's your favorite," the bluenette answered with a smile. When the redhead nipped at his earlobe, he laughed and raised an eyebrow at his smirking lover. "Sei, I'm cooking dinner."

"But I'm hungry," Akashi whispered in his ear, making him blush.

"That's what dinner is for," Kuroko answered with a snort. He shivered as Akashi licked his neck. God, this man will be the death of him. "Why don't you go take a shower first? I'll have this done by then, and you can stuff yourself with as much tofu as you want."

"I don't want to eat tofu. I want to eat Tetsuya."

Kuroko's blush turned Akashi-red. He almost dropped the ladle in his hands. "Sei!"

The redhead chuckled at seeing Kuroko flustered. He gave the bluenette one last squeeze before retreating to their bedroom, but not before asking the blushing bluenette in a husky voice, "Then can I have Tetsuya for dessert?"

There was a sound of something metallic falling to the floor.

Dinner was a lively affair. Akashi was being his unusually impish self, seen only by the eyes of one Kuroko Tetsuya, who was changing from one shade of red to another as Akashi would drop suggestive comments or tell him what he planned to do with 'his Tetsuya' later in the confines of their bedroom.

Akashi volunteered to wash the dishes despite Kuroko's protests, and dismissed the bluenette with a wave of his foam-covered hand, telling him to go amd shower and prepare for their 'activity' later.

"I never expected you to be this perverted, Akashi Seijuurou," Kuroko sighed as the redhead smiled at him seductively. His words only serve to make the man's smile to widen even more.

"Only when I'm with you, Tetsuya. Only with you."

Fearing that he will turn into a complete tomato if he was to stay any longer with Akashi, Kuroko shut himself in the bedroom and took a bath, finding himself actually anticipating a night with his lover in bed.

For the last time, he thought as he soaked lower into the tub. His conversation with another redhead in the same table that they had eaten from replayed in his mind.

When someone rang the doorbell to the door of their shared apartment later that morning, Kuroko has no idea of who the visitor would be, since they rarely have visitors. It cannot be Akashi himself — he had left for work earlier that day and from what the redhead had told him before he departed was that he was going to have a major meeting today with some important people. The Akashi heir was certainly in the middle of said meeting as of this moment. And if it was one of their friends, they would have told them in advance or sent him a message at least.

So who could this possibly be?

Kuroko stood up from the couch and reluctantly opened the door, and found himself face-to-face with no other than Akashi Masaomi, Akashi's father.

The man barged his way into the apartment without as much as a greeting, Kuroko following after him. He sat on the couch, and when Kuroko was about to prepare some tea or some kind of refreshment, the senior Akashi called his name and beckoned him to the seat across from him.

"Akashi-kun is not here, sir," he said nervously.

"Exactly. Which is why I came. Seijuurou will be busy for the next few hours, but this won't take long. I'm here to talk to you about a matter of great importance to my son's future."

"About Akashi-kun's future...?" The words tasted like sand in Kuroko's mouth.

"Yes. About Seijuurou's future. Of which you have no right and place to be." He smiled contentedly when Kuroko paled at what he just said.

"...No place in... h-his future...?"

"What I mean to say is that you, Kuroko Tetsuya, should get out of Seijuurou's life."

Kuroko's eyes widened in disbelief. "No!" he shouted, surprising them both with this sudden burst of courage. "I-I can't leave Akashi-kun! H-he —!"

"Do you think you have a choice in this matter? It's not a suggestion. It's an order."

"But why should I leave Akashi-kun? We both love each other and he promised that —"

Again, the man cut him off with a disgusted look. "I don't need to hear your reasons. Break your relationship with Seijuurou. If you don't, I will disown him, and all of his efforts will all go to waste. Do you want that to happen to him, Kuroko-kun?"

When Kuroko did not answer, he continued with a satisfied smirk. "Do it within this week. I'm sure you'll be able to say your proper goodbyes to him by then. But do not mention that I have a part in your 'break-up'. If you do, then Seijuurou will no longer be an Akashi, and he'll end up as the greatest failure of our family. Do you understand? You're a hindrance to him, and thus you must be removed. End this game of yours with him, Kuroko-kun. Or you'll be very sorry if you don't."

He was broken from his thoughts when Akashi entered the bathroom without warning.

"Sei! What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, sitting up in the tub and looking at a smirking Akashi dressed in nothing but a silk bathrobe.

"You were taking too long, so I got curious and decided to take a look."

Kuroko relaxed. "I'll be out in —"

"No, Tetsuya. You aren't going anywhere. Not right now."

"What do you mean— No, Sei!"

"Ah... Too late," Akashi said with a grin, moving around the side of the tub. And before Kuroko realized what was happening he'd climbed in with him, the robe now discarded on the tiled floor. Kuroko let out a shriek, dunking his head down under the water. A second later Akashi had hauled him up into his arms, chuckling.

"No escaping, Tetsuya." And he set his mouth on his.

He was delicious. In every sense of the word, Akashi thought, moving his knees between the bluenette's legs with no difficulty as he kissed his lovely mouth. Kuroko moaned, a small, weak sound that was pleasure and dismay, and he drank it in, reveling in it. He braced his arms on the side of the tub, letting his hips dance against Kuroko's, letting his erection float against the sweet juncture of his thighs as Kuroko's tongue met his. They kissed and he lifted one hand and cradled his neck, loving the feel of him. As they broke the kiss for need of air, Kuroko lifted his hands and stroked the sides of Akashi's face, pushing his damp hair back. The redhead raised his head to look at his lover, his thumb and fingers slowly rubbing the back of Kuroko's neck. His pale blue eyes were hazed with desire.

"...Sei?"

"Yes?" he answered. The bluentette held his breath for a moment.

"I want you," he said in a soft whisper. Akashi smiled then and nodded at him. He sat back on his knees. Kuroko's bare chest was exposed to him, the pink nipples soft and sweet. He leaned down and licked one, feeling it instantly bud against his tongue, and with sudden hunger he latched onto it like a hungry babe, sucking it into his mouth, clinging to it, hearing his quiet moan of pleasure. Kuroko's hands slid down to his shoulders, kneading, clinging, and his back arched with instinctive need. His hand reached down and held Kuroko's erect member, rubbing and stroking it as he sucked, sucked, and Kuroko's hips lifted in the water, wanting him. He reached down, caught his own erect penis in his hand and guided it to his entrance, then thrust, a little too hard, a little too fast, but Kuroko took it with only a faint cry.

Akashi moved his head, dropping it down on Kuroko's shoulder as he tried to control his breathing. He dropped his hands into the water and cupped his hips, pulling Kuroko up tighter against him, and the sound he made was one of unmistakable pleasure, arousing him further when he thought there was no place else to go. Akashi began to move, slowly at first, letting Kuroko get used to his invasion. The blue-haired male took him without protest, without restraint, catching the rhythm, moving with it, his eyes closed, his hips lifting to meet each plunging stroke, faster and faster, as the water splashed around them onto the floor. When Akashi felt that he can no longer hold it in, he whispered huskily in Kuroko's ear.

"Together, Tetsuya." Saying this, he put his hands between them, slid his fingers just above where they were joined, and held his pulsing member. It was all Kuroko needed. He let out a wordless cry as he tightened around Akashi's member, milking him, smooth, shuddering contractions as pleasure engulfed him, and Akashi emptied himself inside Kuroko. They stayed unmoving for a while, breathing heavily from their climax. When their heartbeats had finally slowed, Akashi rose, and held out his hand for Kuroko to take. They stepped out of the high tub, onto the wet floor, and wrapped themselves in the Turkish towels Akashi took from the cabinet. Kuroko wrapped himself in them like a cocoon, his whole body soft pink from the water and exertion. As he pulled them around his body, Akashi looked at him, and stilled for a moment. Kuroko's pale blue eyes were bright with unshed tears, and for a moment he was confused. Had he forced him without realizing it? Hurt him? He was still half-erect, or maybe growing so again, and he wanted Kuroko with a fierce need that he wanted to do it again.

"Tetsuya?" he asked in a hoarse voice. For a long moment he didn't move. And then Kuroko stepped forward, and kissed Akashi on the lips.

The two lost track of time. The hours passed in a blur, aided by the artificial light. They made love in the darkness, in the muted light, on the bed, and when Kuroko was too sore to take him inside, he had the bluenette use his hand on him, bringing him to an exquisite completion that had him trembling. Akashi did the same for Kuroko. There was no more need for talk. They understood each other's needs very well, and this is exactly what they want.

Kuroko was in heaven. All he wanted was this — Akashi's body, wrapped around his, sleeping against him, shattering in ecstasy, on top and beneath and beside him. He was awash in the touch of him, the taste and scent and texture of his skin. He wrapped his legs around Akashi's narrow hips, threaded his hands through his silky red hair and kissed him, over and over again, never tiring of it, having no idea how much time passed in that dreamy, dazed state. As Akashi was taking him once more, bringing him to the edges of sanity with such pleasure, Kuroko can ony think of one thing. He didn't want this to end, couldn't bear for it to be over.

"Sei?" Kuroko said as they were about to go to sleep. Akashi answered with a sleepy "Hm?"

"Thank you for everything."

The tone of Kuroko's voice confused Akashi. Looking into his pale blue eyes, he asked with a bit of worry, "Why're you bringing this up now?"

Kuroko buried his face in Akashi's chest for a moment then looked him straight in the eye.

"You've given me so many things — hope, friendship, love — while I ..." Here he trailed off, then cleared his throat and continued. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have continued playing basketball. When we first met, I was telling Aomine-kun back then that I'll be quitting the club, but then you appeared and gave me hope — that even a weak player like me can do something for the team. When I failed on my first try, you believed in me and never hesitated to get me to the first-string. You supported me and even made a special training menu for me because I cannot keep up with the rest of you. Even after all that, I wasn't able to help when the team was slowly falling apart. I was weak, useless..."

Akashi was speechless. Why the sudden reminiscing? "Tetsuya.."

"That's why I was happy when you finally got back. That time, when we won the Winter Cup, I wasn't rejoicing because of the trophy — it's because I finally saw you smile again... Even though it was framed with tears. When you approached me back then, that — that was the happiest time my life. And when I though I couldn't get any happier than that, you confessed to me right after our streetball game. It was the best birthday gift I ever had. And for all of that, I thank you. Words cannot even express how much I am grateful knowing someone like you."

Kuroko clipped his words, and hesitantly lowered his eyes.

"I'm glad I met you."

It came out as a whisper that he could barely catch. Reaching up, Kuroko pressed his lips against Akashi's. It was a chaste kiss, tender and full of love, unlike their heated ones just a while ago. However, there was something bitter about this kiss though, and it sent a dark ominous feeling deep inside the redhead's mind.

As they parted their lips, Akashi spoke.

"Not a thank-you kiss, is it?"

"It's a good-night kiss."

'Good-night, huh.'

"Let's go to sleep, Sei," Kuroko said, snuggling up to him. "You're pretty intense tonight."

"The meeting was a bore. Besides, I miss being with you." Akashi replied, putting his arms around the bluenette's waist and burying his face in the vanilla-scented locks.

"Good night, Tetsuya."

"Hmmm. Sweet dreams, Sei."

"You too."

In the silence of the darkened room, the two fell asleep in a troubled state — one dreading the thing that he was about to do later, and the other thinking and trying to figure out that sinking feeling that was slowly worsening in the pits of his stomach.

Kuroko slowly raised himself from beneath the covers, careful not to wake the redhead beside him. Dressing himself as quietly as he could, he got the travel bag stuffed with his clothes that he had packed the day before and carried it with a bit of effort.

He had gotten so used to this room that he could find his way even in the dark. He padded stealthily to the door. He unlatched it, and before opening it, he turned back again. He listened carefully. There was not a noise.

Akashi was still lying peacefully, deep in his slumber. Looking at the sleeping redhead, a dull ache throbbed painfully in his chest.

There were so many things he still needed to tell Akashi. The joy of meeting him, the gratitude for everything he had done for him, and the profound respect he had for him ― Kuroko had not been able to get any of these adequately across.

I hadn't even told you just how much Iove you today, Sei.

I'm glad I met you.

That was all I was able to say.

Kuroko inhaled the air of the room deeply. There's no turning back. He has to do this. He had promised.

Even though it means hurting Akashi.

Kuroko placed the note he had written earlier that day on his usual spot on the sofa in the middle of the room. There's no way Akashi would miss it — in fact, that might be the first place Akashi would look for him come morning.

Please understand, Sei. It's killing me as much as it would to you later on. But this is for you. I love you, Sei - I love you so much I can't even put it in words. But if being with you becomes a hindrance to your dreams, I can't live knowing that.

Maybe we'll see each other in the distant future, but for now, I have to say farewell.

Kuroko took one last glance at the place where Akashi made love to him for the first time and committed everything to memory before quietly opening the door.

I'm sorry, Sei.

"Good-night kiss, you said..."

Akashi traced his lips with his fingers, and slumped back in his chair, the note held by his trembling fingers.

"Some liar you are."

He awoke to find himself alone in bed, the spot where his beloved was supposed to be be had long gone cold from the absence of that warm body. It was a Sunday morning, and it struck Akashi as very unusual for Kuroko to be out of bed so early on a weekend morning. Thinking that maybe the bluenette was having a rare case of insomnia (it happens once in a while, and in order not to wake Akashi up, Kuroko would go out to the kitchen and make some vanilla milkshake or anything that's vanilla-flavored), he stepped out of their bedroom, expecting to see him sitting at the sofa or at the kitchen counter perhaps, but no — Kuroko was not there. In his place was a handwritten note by the bluenette's own hand, saying that he was gone.

Gone for good.

For a long time, Akashi sat in the sofa, staring at the piece of blue Post-it Note that was the same color as Kuroko's hair. It was now late in the afternoon and he had not moved a single inch from his position since early morning. Something welled up from deep within. Sadness, loneliness ― it wasn't quite either. What was it? A hot bead rolled down his cheek. It took him a while to understand that they were tears. He had long forgotten what it was like to cry.

It tasted salty, like over-salted tofu soup.

Akashi propped his knees up and put his head down on them. Slowly, he swallowed the tears that seeped into his mouth.

***Well, that escalated quickly :D

I never expected to receive death threats telling me to write a sequel or else my readers will kill me. OMO***

Thanks for reading and posting such heartfelt reviews!

Fret not, the sequel is on its way... Maybe this weekend perhaps? So stay tuned!

TheEmperorsEmpress, signing out.