Author's Note: This is my first time.. so be gentle, okay? ./shot. But yes, this is my first time writing fanfiction.. even though I've been reading it since forever. This first chapter and the planning took such an effort and an extremely long time.. I'm really respecting all you other fanfiction writers right now, ahahah. Reviews will be cherished; I'd love constructive criticism too.. don't hesitate to tell me what I'm doing wrong!

Uhm, this is rated T for now, but the rating may go up in the future, just to be safe.

A big thank you to my friend Rosie for checking this first chapter countless times.. and overall just being so supportive. I probably wouldn't have gathered the courage to this if it weren't for her.

Warning: BL/Yaoi, use of a disposable OC purely for plot purposes.

Disclaimer: I don't own KnB.

Beyond Expectations

Terrified shrieks tear through the countless ornate halls of a mansion; the accompanying, all-devouring flames only serving to heighten the fear of supposedly gallant nobles and servants alike. A menacing grey smoke hangs suspended in the air, making it increasingly hard to breathe; the desperate demand for more oxygen bringing out the worst in even the most composed and revered individuals. All around the death trap of a manor, people clamber about frantically, crushing priceless china with the soles of their shoes. Imprinted manners are easily discarded as cowards shove unfortunate victims out of their paths. Everyone seeks only an exit, a means of clinging onto their own fragile lives. It's every man for himself. A selfish race to see who could survive.

In the midst of the dancing ashes stands a lone figure with stunning blond hair and deep amber eyes. His composure is blatantly out of place in comparison to his quickly decaying surroundings; his well sculpted frame trembles- though not out of fear but excitement.

It's a moment of utter terror and yet, sixteen year old Kise Ryouta has never before been so exhilarated in his entire, sheltered life.

"Ryouta!" A familiar voice abruptly yanks him out of his adrenaline induced trance and Kise spies one of his servants by the name of Kasamatsu Yukio emerging from the tumbling smoke, concern plastered all over his stern features. Of all his servants, Kise is the most fond of Kasamatsu; he's the first and only person to ever have treated him as an equal. Sure, Kasamatsu's way of showing his affection for Kise is somewhat abusive but he much prefers it over the overly stiff and formal attitude of his other attendants. They act out of a fearful respect for their master which only reminds him of how different he is from others. It's amazing how status and material possessions- things that he's taken for granted for awhile now, can influence how everyone interacts with him. Sometimes he feels like he'd be nothing without them. Other times, he curses it and he wishes he weren't so bound by them.

"Yukiocchi! Shit, are you okay?" Eyes widening, Kise anxiously places a hand on Kasamatsu's back as the latter doubles over in a heaving coughing fit, guilty that he had forgotten about his closest friend in the chaos.

It takes Kasamatsu a few minutes but he recovers, serious gray eyes exchanging gazes with Kise's worried golden irises. "Never mind me- I'm fine. But Tanikah.. she's been kidnapped."

"W-what? How?" Kise mutters, evidently stunned by the news. Ignoring him, Kasamatsu starts to usher his dazed friend towards what Kise assumes is the exit, the two precariously avoiding the corpses of well attired noblemen and their wives as they weave through the numerous hallways. Unlike the others, Kise and Kasamatsu are more familiar with their surroundings after having stayed there for a few weeks and they successfully make it out in one piece after narrowly dodging a falling chandelier. The outside it seems, is just as hectic as the inside of the mansion; the remaining servants work futilely at extinguishing the roaring flames. The pair find a spot beside a tall palm tree. Exhausted their knees give way from underneath them. Kise leans against the tree, thankful for the cool, summer night's air that lingers heavenly on his pale skin. Only now does he take the opportunity to properly scan his friend over. As always, Kasamatsu's brows are furrowed into an eternal scowl and there's a few cuts here and there but none of them are life endangering. Kise breathes a sigh of relief, glad that Kasamatsu is relatively unharmed. He doesn't know what he would do if he found Kasamatsu among the numerous corpses. Kasamatsu, being the composed individual he is, dutifully begins to tend to Kise's wounds.

"Idiot, how did you get this cut?" Kasamatsu prods at a fresh cut on Kise's cheek as roughly as ever and Kise yelps in pain, quickly batting the other boy's hand away. "Ouch! Geez, that's no way to treat an injured person.." He whines, nursing the wound with his lips curled into a slight pout.

Kasamatsu scoffs. "Wimp. You're barely injured at all."

"You're so meaaan.. ah- forget it. Do you know where the kidnappers went?"

"No, I didn't get to see any of them.." Kasamatsu stares at Kise heavily until the latter starts to fidget under the intensity of his gaze. "You're not thinking of going after them, are you?" Kise adverts his gaze, focusing his attention on a suddenly, particularly interesting pebble, causing Kasamatsu to narrow his eyes and whack him over the head. "Ryouta, you idiot! It's too dangerous!"

"I know but.."

Kasamatsu's gaze softens. " Don't worry about Tanikah. She'll be fine. You know her parents- they won't let them get away with it."

Kise gives a half-hearted smile and Kasamatsu takes this as a sign that he was worried for his fiancé; the two of them were nearly inseparable these last few weeks. So much so that he- Kise's personal servant and best friend, has hardly had a chance to talk to him at all. In all honesty, Kasamatsu's slightly jealous of his friend's doe-eyed fiance. Not that he would ever admit aloud to the dense idiot.

A crash of shattering glass and the discharge of orange flames into the endless, black sky causes the pair to jolt and as if on cue, Kise spots a conspicuous group of figures awkwardly trying to increase the distance between themselves and the mansion as quickly as possible. If that isn't suspicious, Kise doesn't know what is.

"Get someone." Kasamatsu gives him an incredulous look, as if he already knew what Kise intends to do. "Ryouta?" He mutters, his voice almost inaudible as it is smothered by panicked screams.

"Just do it." It isn't a request that time but a firm order. Kasamatsu knows that Kise never uses that tone when addressing him; more than often he would instead whine pathetically. For him to talk to him like that… there was no doubt that the normally dizzy-headed brat is actually serious for once. The blond heir has already gotten to his feet, his determination etched onto his face. However, he seems to realize just how unreasonable he's being and he smiles apologetically. "Please?" He waits impatiently for his friend's approval and it comes in the form of a tired sigh.

"..Do what you have to do."

"Thanks, I owe you one!" Kise disappears into the shrubbery in an instance, his long legs providing him with a speed advantage that other people lacked. Kasamatsu can only shake his head in exasperation and hope that his friend won't do anything… too reckless. It's too late to try and stop him. Despite how easy- and admittedly, fun, it is to bully Kise, when the idiot actually puts his mind to something, it's impossible to convince him otherwise.

Kasamatsu decides that he'll play along with Kise's selfish request for now but when he gets back.. his fist would pound the idiot's face in so hard to the point that his own family won't recognize him. Satisfied by that thought, he hurries off to alert the others.

Kise doesn't know what the hell he wants to achieve by tailing a group of extremely dangerous arsonists. Most people would understand the foolish and above all, life-endangering nature of the endeavour and give up almost instantly. But most people aren't the block-headed Kise Ryouta who acts first before his mind can catch up and think.

'Ahah.. maybe I should have waited for Yukiocchi to get someone..' He half laughs in the confines of his mind, already coming to regret his hasty decision. The night is a hindrance to his aimless searching and he's already lost the suspicious group of people while darting and weaving through the dark, deserted streets. The only word to sum up the entire situation is: pathetic. Kise's upbringing is advantageous and he's an educated individual; something that can't be said for many people in this unfair world. But while he can recite entire books from the back of his mind, the city of Talin is an entirely different case; Kise's freedom is painfully limited and never once has he been given the chance to explore beyond Tanikah's mansion. Soon enough, he slows his pace, trudging down the roughly paved street, fully intending to give up on his failed attempt at a wild goose chase. Eyebrows knotted, he gives an audible sigh. Not only has he lost the perpetrators, he also has no clue as to where the heck he is. 'Well, isn't this just great...' Drained, he falls back against a worn brick wall of a typical, tattered house but before he can properly relax, an all too familiar gruff voice has his muscles tense in an instance, reminding him exactly why he is here in the first place.

"The fuck were you doing, Bakagami! You nearly got us all killed!"

"Shut your trap, Ahomine! Not like you can do any better!" A second voice barks back, equally as infuriated as the first.

"Why you li-"

"Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun."Intervening just before the argument would probably escalate into a full out brawl, the third person is considerably more quiet than the other two and Kise has to strain his ears to hear what he's saying. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't alert the entire city of our presence."

It's them! Kise, maybe just a little too overexcited wants to jump for joy but he doesn't need a pissed Kasamatsu there to tell him that it's not exactly a smart move; without doubt, that would jeopardize his already delicate mission. He follows the sound of the bickering pair through a murky alleyway where the light that filters in from the full moon is minimal. Stealthily he darts behind an extremely convenient large crate, sneaking carefully timed peeks from behind his wooden shield. His vision is greatly limited by the lack of light but he is just barely able to make out the forms of the three males, each carrying a bagged load of what he assumes is their priceless loot from Tanikah's mansion. Tanikah herself however, was nowhere to be seen. The shortest of the three assists the others in transporting the goods back to lord knows where, but the bag he has slung over his shoulder is considerably smaller; all Kise can see is his back and tousled light blue hair that almost appears to be white as he stands precisely where the light shines through, casting a long shadow against the walls of the begrimed houses. A massive and ridiculously muscular red-head stands beside him; the two larger men have now begun to focus their complaints on the blue haired male who just replies calmly in response. "Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun... Akashi-kun will not be happy with us if we are late back to the ship." Eyes narrowing, Kise can't help that his attention is quick to latch itself onto the tallest of the trio, the one most enshrouded in the midnight's darkness. Kise's fists clenches tightly into a ball as he watches him reluctantly cool down.

"Fine. Let's go." The other two nod and walk away- the tanned bluenette too begins to leave but pauses as Kise stumbles slightly when he gets ready to pursue them, his legs numb after having crouched for awhile. It takes all of his willpower to keep from cursing at the horrible timing of his blunder and he briskly steadies himself, mentally chanting a steady stream of 'please don't find me, please don't find me..' as if his life depends on it. And having seen the extent of the turmoil that the men could create, Kise is sure that he needs all the luck he can get.

"Ahomine! What's the hold up?" The man snaps his attention away and growls disapprovingly at the nickname that the red-head has bestowed upon him. "Nothing. Probably just a rat." He says and with the agility of a stealthy predator, he breaks into a rapid sprint, quickly outpacing his companions who give him an inquisitive stare before running after him.

'…That was too close for comfort…' Standing, Kise exhales shakily then immediately brushes away his frayed nerves in the favour of chasing after the trio; there's no time to be freaking out or even calming down for that matter, for the chase has only just begun.

The rest of the journey is thankfully, uneventful, and Kise finds himself at the docks. The salty tang of the ocean and the repetitive pacing of waves, Kise decides, is all too calming for the urgent situation he's currently in. This time, his hiding place is behind a stack of barrels that hopefully isn't part of the cargo for the ship that the thieves have boarded.

'They aren't pirates, are they..?' He wrinkles his nose in distaste. Though he's never once seen an actual pirate, the stories he had heard of them didn't exactly say that they prided themselves on personal hygiene. Quite the opposite, actually. These thoughts- they weren't exactly something that a person in his situation should've been thinking... but the last thing he wanted was to die by having the suffocation of the stench of sweaty men create a lapse in his attention, causing his head to be chopped off. His right eye twitches slightly and he's slightly disturbed by the crazy scenario he has concocted in his mind. He blames it on his nerves. It probably doesn't help that one of the people hauling the loot on board is an unbelievably tall purple haired man whose height is enough of a reason for Kise to feel downright intimidated. His unblinking eyes remain latched onto the giant's form; he half expects to find the man looming over him if he so much as looks away for one measly second.

"Murasakibara-kun, Akashi-kun was looking for you."

"Akachin? Mmmh, okay. Maybe he wants me to silence that noisy girl.." And just like that, he's gone. Kise boldly sticks his head out from behind his spot and after deciding that the coast is clear, he creeps forward, diving behind a large barrel. Grabbing it with both hands, he manages to topple the barrel onto its side and with a heave, he begins to roll it away from the dock. He disposes of the high quality and obviously filched contents into the water, grimacing as the items don't drop and sink as soundlessly as he'd like them to Once the barrel is back in its original position, Kise climbs into it and manages somehow to put the lid back on awkwardly-it's not completely in place but it the sound of approaching footsteps tells him that it will have to do and he quickly withdraws his hands, curling up into a tight, defensive ball. Now, all he can do is wait.

Apart from his unwitting escort mentioning that his barrel is unusually heavy and that the swaying motion from being carried about so roughly is practically enough to give Kise sicknesses by itself, the trip onto the ship goes without a hitch. He's been carted off into some storage room, or at least, that's what he thinks seeing as the perpetual crashing of waves isn't as prominent anymore. With all this excitement, it doesn't come as a surprise that Kise wants to sigh like crazy- he'd been trying to even out his breathing, afraid that even that would lead to him being discovered. The darkness is also unhelpfully suffocating and Kise experiences a taste of claustrophobia for the first time. Remaining silent isn't normally considered an incredible feat but it is for Kise; in fact, Kasamatsu has often remarked that it's ridiculously hard to get him to shut up. Kasamatsu; Kise absently wonders if he's been able to contact Tanikah's parents. But maybe, he wouldn't need their help at all.

With a final thud, the last of the cargo is put into place and the door slamming shut is his signal to get the heck out of his miniature prison. Placing his hands against the lid, he pushes against it, only to find that it's firmly shut. Frowning, he remembers that the barrel had been properly sealed after he'd arrived in the room and he tries again. Still no luck. If he was nervous before, it's nothing compared to his rising panic and dread now. He begins to feel nauseous- what if they stacked another barrel on top of his one? It could be even worse; his barrel could be at the very back of the stack. He'd die from starvation! He begins to pound his fists against the lid now, tears threatening to escape. 'Shit! Someone, anyone, help me!' Not that anyone would; the situation would be equally as precarious if someone found him. Either way, it looks like he'll be royally screwed. He's about to scream in frustration when the lid finally gives way and the barrel on top crashes onto the floor beneath. He shoves his head out, taking a deep breath in. The salty ocean air has never smelled better.

"Excuse me. What are you doing here?" Yelping, Kise snaps his head to the side and he meets a pair of aloof, pastel blues that are undecipherable. "W-what? How long have you been there for!?" He blabbers and he instinctively looks for the exit. Fuck, he swears that he had heard the door shut. No one should be in here- not unless.. they knew that he was here all along.

"I see you've finally decided to greet us. Didn't they teach you manners back at the palace, prince Ryouta of Aquene?" Swivelling around, Kise finds himself pinned by the most confident, heterochromatic eyes he has ever seen. Sitting casually on the barrels behind him is a redhead he swears he can recognize but can't quite remember where or when. Said redhead flashes him a predatory grin and Kise feels his dinner doing back-flips in his stomach.

"So, what business do you have with the Generation of Miracles, hm?"

End notes: So, I hoped you like the first chapter of what I hope will be just the beginning of a long adventure. You may have a lot of questions right now, but that's how it's supposed to be like at the beginning, I suppose. Pairings will also be revealed later. Because I'm a tease.

Please review if you have the time. It means a lot to me.