Could I have written not a single one-shot with a disability? Obviously not. Sorry not sorry.
The inspiration for this story came while listening to 'Truce' by twenty one pilots! That song really is something.
This may be a bit longer than others, but bear with me!
Hope you'll enjoy this!

Lullaby

Tetsuya doubted he had ever heard such a beautiful voice.

Indeed, as soon as the sound registered in his ears, the young teen stopped in his tracks completely. At first he thought he was imagining it. Most of the students, after all, were obliged to be gone from the building by this hour, only a few exceptions could be made. For example, in Tetsuya's case. He stayed to help one of his teachers to clean up the laboratory and afterwards the teacher in return decided to treat him with tea and cookies. The two immersed in a conversation for longer than either of them had thought, which led to the school being almost completely empty by the time they were finished. Tetsuya would be in no trouble, though, since he did help the teacher and he would vouch for him if needed. Not that it mattered, there was not a single soul in Tetsuya's way towards the exit, so he didn't fret about it.

That was why the boy was so surprised to hear someone singing, and not just in any way.

Sure, their Academy was meant for remarkably gifted students, be it in music, art or any other studies. However, strangely enough, there weren't a lot of singers, only a few and Tetsuya was rather certain he would be able to name all of them, since they were rather known throughout the school, but the boy was sure none of them sung like that. Not because they weren't good enough... There was simply... something strange about the way the music – or perhaps words, he was too far away to tell – flowed.

There was one other thing that bothered Tetsuya – for what reason were they allowed to stay this late? He doubted the mere excuse of music was enough. Their Academy had strict rules after all.

But it was none of his business. He should continue walking towards his destination and leave them alone. It was quite obvious whoever was singing didn't wish for an audience. Tetsuya should respect that. However, his curiosity was above the roof. He sincerely wished to find out who held such a magnificent voice. It wasn't every day such raw talent was being shown to the world after all. Perhaps a quick peak wouldn't hurt...

With that thought, Tetsuya walked past the exit and towards the beautiful sound. There was a thing he didn't notice before – not only was the person singing, but a piano was accompanying their song. Such soft, slow melody, sounding so... sad. Why was it sad? Tetsuya was still a bit too far to make out the words, but the emotion behind them was vibrant enough. Or perhaps emotions. Nevertheless, the teen had soon reached his destination, which, to no one's surprise, was one of the music rooms, yet the most remote one. Unfortunately, the door was closed, therefore the gorgeous sound was muffled. Tetsuya could just leave it at that, emerge himself only in the beautiful melody, but his curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, oh-how carefully the boy slid the door open just a tiny bit, just enough for him to catch a glimpse at whoever was performing this magnificent piece.

And with that, his eyes widened significantly due to the surprise he felt once his gaze landed on a person anyone would least suspect.

But the sight before him was as true as any other, even if it did feel as if from another world. Out of all people, it was Akashi who was sitting by the grand-piano, his hands delicately dancing over the many keys, creating beautiful, soothing sound, yet so strangely tearful. But his voice was the most surprising factor. It sounded so awfully fragile, vulnerable even. Albeit soft. So incredibly soft, careful perhaps. Now Tetsuya could understand why the words sounded strange, pronounced a bit unusually and at times unclear. But the song itself seemed heartbroken. The way the notes flowed sounded so smooth and polished, but also unbelievably emotional, the way Akashi occasionally leaned over the instrument a bit and closed his eyes at certain times, the way he looked so immersed in his song, so sincere- Tetsuya would have never guessed Akashi could sing like that. He would have never guessed Akashi could seem so vulnerable. The mask he always wore... Not a single trait of it was left at that moment. He was not the idol everyone knew and respected, feared and loved, but instead someone else, someone that didn't put up any acts, someone with a different name.

Nevertheless, even with all those factors included, the most shocking part was still the fact that it was Akashi of all people that sang.

Too immersed in the harmonious melody, Tetsuya didn't realize it was growing to an end until it was too late. Akashi pressed the last chord softly, the quiet notes ringing in the air for a couple of short moments, before he released an inaudible sigh. It took only a fracture of a second for his eyes to travel to the door for him to spot the mesmerized boy, who in return at that moment snapped out of his trance. However, it was already too late to change anything, for Akashi, greatly startled by the presence of a fellow student, immediately shot up and closed the grand-piano in a speed Tetsuya didn't believe was humanly possible. Not only that... His eyes may had been playing tricks on him, but for those couple of short seconds Akashi seemed not only shocked, but also frightened. Scared perhaps. However, those strange emotions quickly morphed into something else – pure anger mixed with irritation. At that moment the poor boy knew he would be in deep trouble.

Tetsuya did consider running at first, but he knew that would have been a futile attempt to escape Akashi's wrath. He was rather certain the redhead had already memorized his face, and they did attend the same school, even if in completely different sections and only shared a couple of classes. Not to mention Tetsuya doubted he would get far if Akashi decided to chase him, given that the other teen was much more physically capable than he was. So in the end the tealnet decided it would most likely be best to just live through whatever Akashi would throw at him. That did not, however, stop his blood from running cold as the redhead began striding in his direction, one hand already typing on his phone while a powerful glare was directed to him. It was a rather rare sight for anyone to see Akashi this displeased, and it was never a good sign. Those who survived his infamous icy stare told blood-chilling tales about their feared, yet deeply respected student council member. And now Tetsuya would first hand feel the redhead's anger. And yet, he didn't feel as scared as one would have thought. His fascination at the new discovery slightly toned that down after all.

Akashi stopped directly in front of the other student, sliding the door open fully and almost shoving the cellphone in the quiet tealnet's face. It held a single question:

'Are you alone?|'

Tetsuya hastily nodded.

Quickly, the message was erased and another took its place:

'Students are not allowed to stay this late at school. What are you doing here?|'

''I was helping my teacher to clean up and we stayed a bit late,'' the tealnet explained after reading the message. He had expected such a question. ''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt or spy on you, really. Please forgive me.''

Akashi narrowed his eyes at the teen's words suspiciously, his lips forming a perfect scowl. Swiftly, he erased the words and typed in a sentence that, honestly speaking, took Tetsuya aback.

'You did not see nor hear anything here, understood?|'

The boy didn't immediately answer.

Those words stirred something inside of him.

''...Akashi-kun, I...'' He didn't know how to finish, what to say. Akashi seemed in such a bad mood, he didn't want to irritate him further.

The redhead, after clicking his tongue in irritation, skillfully erased the first half of the sentence without looking in order to retain eye contact with Tetsuya, which in return shrunk a bit under such a cold stare.

'|understood?'

Tetsuya honestly didn't know how to answer. How could he just forget what he had heard here? Even if he wanted to, it would be impossible. Such sound couldn't be erased from one's memory so easily after all. But Akashi insisted it...

Why, though?

Why was he hiding this?

Why didn't he wish for others to know of his talent?

Of his voice?

Akashi didn't wait for an answer for too long. Obviously growing more irritated by the second, the teen simply walked past Tetsuya out of the room and closed the door shut a bit louder than it was needed. Without another word Akashi locked the room and began striding off down the corridor away from the frozen boy, most likely assuming he delivered the message through. No one in this Academy was foolish enough to disobey him after all.

However, the irritated (frightened) teen was quite taken aback when he felt a sudden tug on his jacket, making him stop in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder he rose a brow at the teal-haired student, who wore a rather unreadable expression, yet nevertheless Seijuurou could make out the almost invisible turmoil the boy was having inside of him. He seemed to hesitate for a few short moments before his lips finally began moving.

And Seijuurou had to muster up all of his composure skills to keep the surprise he felt at the other's words from appearing on the outside.

''That was very beautiful, Akashi-kun. You should sing more often.''

Beautiful?

It had been awhile since the last time those words were spoken to him.

Seijuurou simply stared at the quiet student for a couple of seconds before the latter finally released his hold, taking a small step back. Just for a short moment Seijuurou pursed his lips, allowing his eyes to travel to the ground before he once again turned back to the corridor and resumed his walk, not once glancing back, wishing to get away from the other teen as quickly as possible.

Once he was certain he was out of the teal-haired student's sight and far enough from him, Seijuurou let his stern mask to drop just for a short while. He slowed down until he came to a stop and leaned against the cold wall, exhaling a few deep breaths in the hopes of calming his racing heart.

That had been the first time he had ever been caught singing and playing in the school. Well, he did usually wait a bit longer to be completely sure no one would come across him, but this specific day was quite stressful for him and Seijuurou wished to indulge in his activities as soon as possible. That, obviously, was a stupid idea. Because of his foolishness a student now knew of his secret.

And everyone knew a secret known by more than one person becomes information.

Well, this certainly was a failure of an evening.

Or was it still a secret?

Honestly, Seijuurou didn't expect that student, whose name was Kuroko Tetsuya as he had learned, to actually keep quiet about his discovery. Sure, he had warned him to keep his mouth shut, but usually whenever anyone got any kind of information on Seijuurou, it would spread like wildfire despite his wishes for it to stay hidden. And initially he had thought that boy was no exception. These news would be so scandalous after all: Akashi Seijuurou, a perfect student in all academics who on numerous occasions had expressed his disinterest for art, a teen whose father was known to be a very strict man who would not allow his son to engage in any activities besides studying and preparing to take up the family's business, a boy who had never once attended music classes sang? The attention he so dreaded would shoot through the roof. However, no matter how many days passed, everything seemed as it always had been. He was still wary of the student that had seen him, yes, but slowly his defenses were lowering as he saw that his secret had indeed remained a secret. However, that was his unconsciousness' doing. Seijuurou on a logical level couldn't trust him after all.

That being said, Seijuurou didn't know how to react exactly when, after finishing all his extra work and being almost the last one to leave, he exited the Academy's main building only to find a certain teal-haired student lingering around campus around the front entrance. At the sight of the redhead, he immediately began approaching him with the same blank expression Seijuurou always saw him, yet a tint of doubt still managed to break through it. The taller boy could have easily ignored him and continued on his merry way, continue avoiding him as he had been doing all these days in the fear of someone learning about his secret, of someone knowing about his vulnerability, of someone hurting him, but something forced him to stay in place. To wait and see what that suspicious student had in stored.

''Akashi-kun, hello,'' Tetsuya greeted the redhead once he was close enough. This was one of those times when he was glad for his naturally composed demeanor, since he wouldn't have particularly liked if Akashi could see how anxious he actually was.

Seijuurou lifted a brow at the boy, a silent gesture encouraging him to continue already.

Tetsuya fidgeted in place for a couple of short moments before he spoke again:

''Could I talk to you for a bit?''

Seijuurou stared at him for a short while, as if contemplating about his words, before he swiftly took out his mobile phone and drifted his gaze to the screen in order to type in his answer. Soon enough Tetsuya was met with a pair of cold eyes and equally cold words:

'I'm busy, I must head home now.|'

''Could I then accompany you for a short while?'' Tetsuya refused to back down, trying not to take the coldness to the heart. He had to speak to Akashi if he wished for their relationship or whatever this hide and seek game was to change after all. ''I won't bother you for long, I promise.''

Seijuurou was reluctant to agree at first, no wonder, but in the end he released a soft sigh and gave a short nod, lifting Tetsuya's spirits. He didn't know what the boy wished to talk about, after all. And he didn't want to take any chances. Now they would be alone, so whatever Kuroko wanted to discuss would remain between them. Seijuurou would make sure of it.

The pair slowly strolled through the quiet streets for a bit in silence. Tetsuya was carefully picking his words while Seijuurou remained quite impassive, yet he kept glancing to the other out of the corner of his eye in case the tealnet decided to speak. Truthfully speaking, the redhead was a bit interested on top of suspicious in what Kuroko had to say to him, they had no relationship after all and haven't actually interacted with each other all that much (thanks to Seijuurou's actions). Well, neither of them were particularly social to begin with, Tetsuya due to his low presence and disinterest in big crowds of people and Seijuurou due to his distrust of others which was closely linked with his disability. So all in all, they weren't the best combination, and yet here they were.

''Akashi-kun,'' Tetsuya finally decided to speak, gaining the redhead's attention. Seijuurou glanced at him fully, gesturing to continue. Tetsuya took a deeper breath and exhaled afterwards before he began. ''First, I want to apologize to you again. I sincerely didn't mean to witness you playing, I understand why you would want to keep this interest of yours hidden, so I'm truly sorry for upsetting you. I... Please don't be mad at me, I really meant you no harm.''

Honestly, Seijuurou was a bit taken aback by the words Kuroko's lips formed. Was the tealnet really this concerned about that he thought of him? Or was it just for show, did the student simply didn't want to get on Akashi's bad side?

Nevertheless, Seijuurou sighed once more and quickly typed in a message and showed it to the anxious tealnet.

'I'm not mad at you.|'

He could play along for now and see where this would go.

''...Well, I'm glad,'' Tetsuya murmured. ''Though you did look very angry that time.''

The redhead clicked his tongue quietly and wrote down his response.

'Can you blame me? You were spying on me.|'

''I didn't mean to,'' the smaller teen immediately defended himself. ''Really. I was just... surprised to see you singing. Though I did figure you wouldn't be too pleased to find someone watching you, it was quite obvious you didn't want an audience after all.''

'If you knew how I would react, why didn't you leave when you saw me?|'

''I guess I couldn't,'' Tetsuya admitted quietly. It didn't matter anyway.

Seeing Akashi's questioning look the tealnet could only sigh softly.

''...I couldn't leave because I was too mesmerized by your performance,'' he explained slowly, lifting his eyes to his companion. A small smile graced his lips as he continued: ''I didn't lie when I said it was beautiful. I don't know if it means anything to you, but your voice is very nice. I can't forget it.''

Seijuurou wasn't sure. He kept searching for any ill intentions behind those blue eyes, but he found nothing. Perhaps Kuroko was simply too unreadable.

But that lovely smile did throw him off quite a bit.

For awhile Seijuurou didn't answer anything. He was debating with himself fiercely regarding what his response should be and whether he should just send Kuroko on his merry way and away from himself or investigate the boy further. He hadn't exactly come across such a situation in the past. Such a tricky puzzle...

Not that he would lose.

Slowly, the redhead erased his last message and typed in a new one. Once Tetsuya's eyes landed on the words on the bright screen, he couldn't keep the surprise from breaking through his cool demeanor.

'Would you like to listen again?'

''You... You wouldn't mind?'' Tetsuya asked with wider than usually eyes. ''I would love to, but I certainly wouldn't want to cause you any inconveniences or discomfort...''

Seijuurou tilted his head to the sides a few times with a light frown decorating his expression to show that he himself wasn't sure of it. Like the tealnet had said, he tended to avoid an audience normally.

''I could stay out of the room if that would be better,'' Tetsuya suggested. ''So you wouldn't feel uncomfortable due to someone watching you.''

The taller teen mused about his words for a while before he gave a small nod of affirmation.

''Thank you then, Akashi-kun,'' Tetsuya smiled once again to show his gratitude. Honestly, he didn't expect this talk to go this smoothly.

He certainly didn't think Akashi would suggest such a thing, not after how he reacted the other day. Perhaps there was more to it?.. It would make sense. If no one knew of Akashi's hobby, it must have meant they were very special to him. Something that showed his true side, his true name. Being exposed to someone like that would make anyone wary of that person and would want to make sure they wouldn't use that information against them...

Nevertheless, Tetsuya was certain he could change Akashi's mind.

If truth be told, Tetsuya didn't wish to listen to Akashi entirely for the music. Sure, it played a big part in it, but the tealnet was much more interested in the way Akashi played. Around others the redhead was always so composed, so distant, closed up if you may, but when he performed it was as if that mask dropped. As if he could feel every note, every sound with his soul and completely immersed in it, forgetting about anything else, forgetting about his status or name. Like for many others, music was his escape from reality.

It was so cruelly ironic.

Yet Seijuurou still chose to rebel against his fate.

It simply fascinated the teen.

He wished to learn more about this Seijuurou.

Such peacefulness often surrounded Tetsuya whenever he listened to Akashi's soft voice. It was interesting how the redhead sang only slow, gentle songs, sometimes even resembling lullabies. Was Akashi even aware how hypnotizing his voice was? And those piano keys only deepened the effect. Now, Tetsuya knew his fair share of songs and other musical pieces, even if his sector was visual arts, he simply took great interest in them, but never had he heard any of the songs performed by Akashi. It was a wild idea, yes, but could it be that the redhead himself composed them? It wasn't unlikely, if you listened to the words in between the lyrics more carefully that is. And one of those times as Tetsuya was catching every word, realization hit him: he always thought Akashi didn't lower his walls around him at all, no matter how much time they spent together, but he was doing just that by singing such songs.

It was something akin to a test, Tetsuya realized. Could Seijuurou trust Tetsuya with his emotions, or couldn't he? Perhaps that was why he rarely commented anything while the tealnet talked about his performances. Perhaps he was trying to see whether Tetsuya understood his messages or not. And how would he react to them, would he be able to treasure them? Not use them against him.

Tetsuya was trying to understand, honestly.

But sometime in the middle of it, the serenity and that softness got the better of him.

The next thing Tetsuya registered was him being gently shaken, and it took him a couple of moments to chase away the slumber that had unexpectedly crept upon him. The tealnet blinked a couple of times in confusion and only when he met a pair of glinting from amusement eyes did he realize he had accidentally dozed off while listening to the gentle music. Well, this was embarrassing.

''Ah, I'm sorry, Akashi-kun,'' Tetsuya murmured a bit fuzzily, rubbing one of his eyes to completely chase the remains of sleep away. ''Your music really got to me...''

Seijuurou shook his head lightly to show everything was fine. He straightened up and extended his hand to Tetsuya's direction, silently inviting him to take it. The tealnet stared at him a bit baffled for a few short moments, but in the end accepted it and with Seijuurou's help stood up from the rather cold ground.

''Have you finished already, Akashi-kun?'' he inquired curiously.

Seijuurou denied with a shake of his head and began retreating back to the room, not without beckoning Tetsuya to follow him, though. Such a gesture made the teen all that more confused. Did Seijuurou actually want him inside the room? What made him change his mind?

However, instead of voicing out his questions, Tetsuya complied and followed the redhead back to the classroom. Seijuurou closed the door behind them and approached the grand-piano once again, taking his seat in front of it. Seeing as how Tetsuya was more or less fidgeting in place, though, Seijuurou instinctively made a few gestures, but stopped midway with a light frown, seemingly realizing that Tetsuya probably had no idea what he was saying. Nevertheless, the tealnet quickly caught on.

''No, no, I understand,'' he said hastily. He wasn't that dense.

Quickly scanning over the room, he found a nice seat and made himself comfortable in it. It was a nice change from his usual place on the ground, but the boy still felt quite bewildered by this sudden development. Not that he complained. It was supposed to be a good sign if Seijuurou let him into the room, right?

Most likely yes.

Perhaps he decided to venture in a bit further.

Either way, from that day that was their new routine: Seijuurou would perform each evening, immersed in his own thoughts, while Tetsuya would listen to him, mesmerized, completely silent throughout it. After each piece they would cast small smiles at each other and after Seijuurou was finished, they would walk home together.

With each day Seijuurou grew more and more frustrated. He couldn't understand the other boy at all. He didn't act like any others he had met. The redhead simply didn't know how to act around him, how to treat him accordingly and what to think of him anymore. Tetsuya never used any of the information he got from Seijuurou against him. Not once did he spoke anything ill, or his actions gave away such intentions. He tried to analyze his pieces, give his honest opinions and each time encourage Seijuurou to continue creating. All of it seemed so distant.

And honestly, Tetsuya never imagined he would enjoy such activities this much. Even if the two conversed quite little, with each day they grew more fond of the other. Seijuurou didn't even realize when it happened. It just seemed so natural that each day Tetsuya would wait for him, listen to his music, express his thoughts and lead him home. Seijuurou had forgotten how such contact felt, how actual human interactions felt. How... whatever this was felt.

This whole silence continued for a good couple of weeks.

As it did every time, the piece came to an end. The final soft notes filled the air for a stretched out moment, before Seijuurou released the white key. However, his eyes remained glued to the keyboard and didn't lift up to meet Tetsuya's gaze like always. The redhead for some reason seemed deep in thought, as if still lost in his song. The tealnet remained patient, yet it stirred his curiosity immensely regardless. What could be troubling Seijuurou this much?

Finally, after a good couple of minutes passed and the teen was still as lost in his mind as before, Tetsuya decided to act. Slowly, he stood up from his seat and cautiously approached the pianist. Carefully taking a seat next to him, Tetsuya lightly tugged on his sleeve to catch the boy's attention.

''Akashi-kun, are you okay?'' he asked once the redhead's eyes were on him.

Seijuurou weakly waved his hand in a swift motion to signal he was fine. Tetsuya wasn't too convinced.

''You seem like something is troubling you,'' the tealnet pursued him further, carefully observing the other's demeanor.

The taller teen released a soft sigh at that and lightly shook his head. After a moment of thought, he reached out to the notebook and pen on top of the giant instrument and quickly scribbled down a question. If truth be told, Tetsuya was taken aback when his eyes landed on it.

'Why do you continue to stay here?'

''Do you want me to leave?'' the tealnet immediately asked a bit concerned.

Seijuurou quickly shook his head in denial. Swiftly, he wrote another message.

'But don't you get bored?'

''Of you?'' Tetsuya asked quite bewildered. Where was this coming from? ''No, I don't, not at all.''

'But wouldn't you rather be somewhere else?'

''...Akashi-kun, is something wrong? Why are you asking me these things?''

He was only met with a shrug. Perhaps Seijuurou himself wasn't sure of the answer. Regardless, he seemingly decided to end his break and adjusted in his seat a bit more. Tetsuya took that as his cue to leave, but as he was beginning to stand up, Seijuurou quickly grabbed his hand and strongly shook his head. He wished for him to remain seated there? Wouldn't it cause inconvenience to him while playing, though? However, the baffled teen didn't protest and did as told, remaining on the seat they both shared.

Seijuurou didn't seem to mind Tetsuya's presence at all. His slender fingers flew over the keyboard as smoothly as ever, creating soft, serene melody, but his voice sounded a bit quieter that normally. Perhaps slightly more... careful. Unsure of itself. Then again, his voice usually seemed that way, but today it was especially fragile. Tetsuya wondered what could have been the reason for it. It was quite obvious something was on Seijuurou's mind, but he just wouldn't open up. The tealnet had no choice but to be patient.

Once the piece was finished, Seijuurou sat frozen for a couple of seconds before he unexpectedly placed his head on Tetsuya's shoulder and his eyelids dropped. The tealnet was quite surprised by this, but he didn't allow it to show. Slowly, he found Seijuurou's free hand and carefully grasped it, giving it a light squeeze. The troubled teen understood the sign and opened his eyes up, slightly adjusting his head to be able to see Tetsuya's lips.

''Are you tired, Akashi-kun?'' the tealnet asked softly.

Seijuurou nodded weakly, his heavy eyelids were proof of that.

Tetsuya quickly glanced to the clock on the wall before speaking again.

''Well, it's still quite early, would you like to rest for a bit? I'd watch over you.''

The redhead clumsily found his notebook and scribbled down his answer.

'It's fine, I don't want to trouble you.'

''I wouldn't mind at all,'' Tetsuya gave him a gentle smile. ''You seem exhausted.''

Without waiting for an answer, the boy stood up and pulled his companion up as well. Not releasing his hand, Tetsuya led Seijuurou to the many rows of chairs and sat down on one of them, looking up at the other teen.

''Lay down here, Akashi-kun.''

Seijuurou, not having another choice, sighed softly and complied. At first, he didn't exactly understand where he should be placing his head, but Tetsuya without hesitation guided it to his lap, which startled Seijuurou a bit. He wasn't particularly used to such intimacy after all. Did Tetsuya honestly didn't mind?..

''Rest for a bit,'' Tetsuya instructed him softly. ''I'll wake you up later.''

The redhead stared at him for a couple of moments before weakly nodding his head and adjusting to a slightly better position. Finally, he allowed his heavy eyelids to drop and tried to relax. He hadn't done this in a very long time, so it felt a bit strange. His companion thought about him much more than anyone else and Seijuurou seemed to lower his guard quite frequently around Tetsuya these days. He was practically forcing Seijuurou to start trusting him.

The boy wasn't sure whether he minded that.

However, he did know that he did absolutely nothing when he after awhile, when he was on the brink of sleep, felt how Tetsuya began oh-so gently combing through his hair. The sensation seemed to soothing, so soft and careful. Again, this was something he hadn't experienced in awhile.

He had forgotten how it felt like and how much he enjoyed it.

Really, Tetsuya managed to pull his strings so easily.

It certainly came as a surprise to Seijuurou when one of his maids informed him that a classmate of his came to visit him. If truth be told, initially he was rather annoyed for being woken up, since the headache hit with full force again, but curiosity overpowered that. See, he wasn't exactly the most social person, so very rarely did anyone came to him, and if someone did it was mostly due to some school-related matters. Could the one day he happened to miss be that important?

Seijuurou was with great difficulty propping himself up on the many pillows as the same maid returned, but this time with his guest. It would have been a lie to say the redhead was not taken aback when he saw that his visitor was none other than Tetsuya. For what reason would he be here? Sure, they shared a couple of classes, but none of them were that important. Could it possibly that he-

''Hello, Akashi-kun,'' Tetsuya greeted him with a small smile once they were left alone. He a bit gingerly walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge of it, lowering his bag to the ground. ''How are you feeling?''

Seijuurou sighed to express his exhaustion and gently rubbed his temple while momentarily closing his eyes and lightly frowning. It was enough for his guest to understand he wasn't fairing all that well. Afterwards the teen fished out his phone from somewhere under those pillows and swiftly typed in a message.

'What are you doing here, Tetsuya?|'

''I came to visit you of course,'' the tealnet answered while tilting his head to the side. ''I heard you were ill, so I also gathered all your notes for today and came to give it to you. But primarily I wanted to see how you were doing.''

'For mainly that purpose you could have texted me|.'

''That wouldn't have been the same,'' Tetsuya disagreed with a light shake of his head. ''You're my friend after all, I didn't want you to get lonely. Unless I'm bothering you, I don't want to make you feel worse by being here,'' the boy expressed his worry, looking troubled.

Seijuurou quickly denied by instinctively shaking his head, yet immediately regretted his action as the headache only increased due to the motion. He tried his best to conceal his pain along with his surprise at the boy's words. He didn't want him to get lonely? Now that was odd, he certainly hadn't heard of such a thing in a long while. Why would Tetsuya get out of his way just to make sure Seijuurou wouldn't get lonely?

'Still, you shouldn't have bothered.|'

''Don't be stupid, Akashi-kun, it's my duty as your friend to make sure you're okay.''

Seijuurou couldn't stop that small smile from appearing on his lips. He felt so strangely giggly inside, all mushy. Pleasantly, though.

The redhead quickly retyped his message and turned the device to Tetsuya.

'Well... . I'm sorry if I'm not reacting the way I should, I'm not particularly used to this.|'

''It's fine, don't worry about it,'' the tealnet assured him with a dismissive wave of his hand. ''You're who's most important now. Speaking of which, can I get you anything?''

Seijuurou shook his head weakly this time and dropped down on the pillows. He just stared at his companion with a slightly dazed, yet content look, his thoughts wandering somewhere else. Perhaps about the fact that even with all the pain he was experiencing, he felt nice. Tetsuya actually came to visit him. People did that? How strange. Tetsuya was strange. Odd. Unusual. Lovely.

Lovely?

''What are you smiling at?'' the tealnet brought him out of his thoughts. He must have chuckled.

Seijuurou didn't even realize that content feeling had reached his lips in a form of a soft smile. But Tetsuya couldn't judge him, he himself was smiling as well. They must have looked idiotic.

The redhead half-shrugged and typed in his response.

'Nothing really, I was just thinking.|'

''About what?''

'You, honestly.|'

Tetsuya seemed a bit taken aback at first, but quickly his surprise morphed into amusement in a form of a chuckle.

''That's too blunt, Akashi-kun,'' the teen informed him while tilting his head to the side, the corners of his lips twirling upwards.

'Well, I was merely being honest. Was I supposed to lie?|'

''No, no, it's fine,'' Tetsuya shook his head. Really, Seijuurou was full of surprises. ''I'm glad I can make you smile. It suits you.''

How strange, Seijuurou couldn't help but laugh lightly at that. The way Tetsuya managed to provoke such foreign reactions from him... It was fascinating.

What was it about Tetsuya that separated him from hundreds of others?

'Could you pass me that notebook and pen?|' Seijuurou typed in as he gestured to the small notepad on the nightstand.

The tealnet nodded and quickly did as asked. Curious, he observed how Seijuurou scribbled something on it, tearing the page from the book and extending his hand palm up in Tetsuya's direction, silently asking for the tealnet's hand. Now more interested, Tetsuya complied and Seijuurou placed the small piece of folded paper in his open palm, curling his fingers inwards. After that was done, the redhead released a tired sigh and closed his eyes. He sincerely despised the fact that sickness made one's body exhausted in a very short period of time. He would have very much liked to interact with Tetsuya more, but his body was already demanding rest. And his friend seemed to understand that perfectly. Without words, he momentarily retracted his hand and placed the small paper into his pocket without looking immediately, then took hold of Seijuurou's hand with his own, gently caressing the burning skin. It was so odd, it must have been hot for him, but the sick teen didn't pull away from the intimate contact. He didn't seem to mind it one bit. And if Seijuurou was fine, perhaps even more than fine, why should Tetsuya object?

…

When he finally satisfied his curiosity by looking at what was written on that small piece of paper, Tetsuya couldn't help but smile warmly at it.

'Thank you'

The many commercials, the many advertisements, the many concerts... The musicians always seemed so immersed in their music, their hands dancing on various instruments with such passion, such love for their craft. And they seemed to simply live in the melody, sway along with the sound...

Now Tetsuya viewed those sights differently.

''Akashi-kun, I've been meaning to ask you something.''

Seijuurou lifted his slightly unfocused eyes from the keyboard to the boy sitting next to him and lifted a brow, signaling him to continue.

Tetsuya unconsciously fidgeted a bit in place, clearly at least slightly uncomfortable by whatever topic he was planning to approach. Perhaps a bit absentmindedly he softly pressed a couple of the lower keys, avoiding eye-contact with Seijuurou. Perhaps he shouldn't talk about it?..

''I don't know how exactly will you react to my question, but please don't think anything ill,'' the tealnet said with a light frown. ''And I understand if you won't want to answer, really...''

'Stop going in circles.|'

Tetsuya sighed at the text. Of course.

''Why do you play, Akashi-kun?'' he asked bluntly, finally lifting his eyes to his friend.

Seijuurou didn't seem too taken aback by his words. Maybe a bit surprised at first, but quickly an unreadable expression took over. Slowly, almost carefully he typed in his response.

'I was wondering when you were going to ask. It's natural, after all, that you may find it odd.|'

''Please don't misunderstand me,'' Tetsuya shook his head while softly nibbling on his lower lip. ''I think it's great, really, but I guess I'm just curious behind your reasons. If you trust me enough with such information that is...''

The taller teen cast a small, reassuring smile at him. A new response flashed across the screen in front of the tealnet.

'If I may ask, why do you think I play?|'

Tetsuya was quiet for a while. It was true that he had pondered about this matter on numerous occasions, but they were all just theories. And now...

''...Maybe you always liked music?..'' Tetsuya tried his luck uncertainly. ''Or you're rebelling against something...''

Seijuurou's eyes glinted excitedly at that. This time he typed a bit longer.

'I like your thinking. Indeed, as you already know, I wasn't deaf all my life. And I did play a lot. Enough for all the sounds to be planted permanently inside my mind. So when I play, true, I don't hear it directly, but my mind composes the melody using my memory of the notes and sounds. And all the songs I sing are quite old, I've been repeating them enough for the words to flow correctly by now. That's one of the reasons.|'

''That's fascinating,'' the tealnet astonished. ''Just like... How was it... Beethoven, right?''

The deaf teen inaudibly chuckled at those words.

'I'm flattered that you compare me to such a genius, but my level still is way lower. But I suppose yes.|'

''...You said that knowing the sounds was only part of the reasons,'' Tetsuya returned back to his previous topic.

Seijuurou sighed softly and leaned back a bit, folding his arms. He stared somewhere in front of him, almost like in the distance. A lot of thoughts must had been twirling inside his mind. Finally, he once again took his phone and typed in a response to Tetsuya.

'You know, my mother taught me how to play the piano. Sing as well. Against my father's will, mind you. It was known from the beginning I'd be completely deaf eventually, so my father saw those music lessons as a waste of time. But even he couldn't completely control my mother's wishes. She always loved it when I sang. However, once she was gone...|'

''He didn't let you play anymore,'' Tetsuya finished his sentence quietly.

Seijuurou shook his head weakly. A low, almost bitter chuckle escaped his lips.

'Yes. By that time my hearing was completely lost too. I guess me still continuing to play and sing is like a foolish way of trying to rebel against him.|'

''It's not stupid at all,'' the tealnet quickly objected once he read the message, leaning in a bit closer. ''It's only natural for you to do what you find pleasure in, even if it would be going against your father's wishes. I'm sure he was only trying to look out for you and decide by himself what would be best for you. It's not... unreasonable why he wouldn't understand. I myself was initially surprised when I learned of your hobby. But that doesn't make it foolish.''

The redhead cast a small smile in his companion's direction. Tetsuya was one of the few people to whom he actually opened up, so naturally he was glad to receive such a reaction. And best of all, the tealnet actually seemed sincere.

'Perhaps. I know I won't stop, though. And not just because I want to rebel against my father's system or that I merely can.|'

''It's because you love music, right?'' Tetsuya once again finished his thought, the corners of his lips twirling upwards.

The content glinting in Seijuurou's eyes was all the answer he needed.

It was so easy to express one's feelings through sound, after all. Unspoken words and hidden emotions came alive with the help of music. The artist could tell the world a tale of his life and all they would need to do was listen. Not many had the patience or interest, though. Not many even wished to learn more about the performer, their struggles, hardships and joys. Who even took their time to analyze their music and read between the notes? Who even wanted to understand the artist better? Who even cared enough?

Tetsuya was quite startled when Seijuurou suddenly embraced him. He hugged the boy tightly, bringing him as close to his chest as possible. The smaller teen initially was at a loss of what to do, but quickly regained his composure and returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around him gently. In this position Tetsuya couldn't exactly ask or say anything, so he could only wait patiently for some sort of explanation for this spontaneous action. However, what awaited him, took him by far greater surprise.

If he hadn't heard this voice so many times before, he wouldn't have believed it.

''Okay, you win, Tetsuya,'' quiet, a bit strained words reached the frozen teen's ears. ''I will admit my loss this time. But somehow... I don't feel bad about it,'' His body shook his a light laugh. ''In fact, I feel glad. Thank you for that.''

Tetsuya didn't exactly understand what Seijuurou meant by any of that, but somehow he couldn't help but smile at it. His hold on the other boy tightened and he placed his head on the other's shoulder, nodding weakly. Somehow... the way his name rolled of Seijuurou's tongue, albeit a bit strangely, was so endearing. How he would love to listen to his voice on repeat and repeat...

It was so hilariously ironic.

Tetsuya pulled back a bit in order to face Seijuurou fully. Both of them wore those idiotic smiles from before, yet neither seemed to mind. Really now... Tetsuya had something to say as well.

''Thank you, Akashi-kun, for accepting me,'' the tealnet mouthed those words silently. Why, he wasn't sure himself. It just felt right.

Everything did.

A bit of irrelevant information, but the reason why I'm posting these works earlier than I should is because I'm in the middle of a certain contest (young philologists' to be exact, I'm super happy to be invited to the final stage) and we're busy from dawn to dust without any breaks, so I don't exactly have any time to post these stories normally. Hope you don't mind it.