This fic was born because I have a serious Akashi/happiness ship and I absolutely adore Mibuchi Reo. So, together, they're beautiful. Seriously. (plus the guy calls Akashi 'Sei-chan' canonically! C'mon!) Also, although he is an Uncrowned King in the basketball community, even Hyuga called him an 'okama' which is a slur for a homosexual/transgender person in Japan. And if Hyuga called him that, then I'm 110% certain that some other uneducated cretin would do that too, since Reo is portrayed as rather feminine, in both appearance and expression. So yes, I did include some less than pleasant events for him at the start, since I have no doubt that even at a high-end school like Rakuzan, he would still get some shit for not being 'masculine enough'.

Again, apologies if some characters appear OOC - I know. Creative freedom and all.

Mibuchi Reo, despite being generally what others would call "uptight", actively participating in a very high-contact sport and being fairly good friends with Nebuya, was not a violent person. In fact, he was so far from violent that he not only allowed, but revelled in it when Hayama, a kouhai, called him 'Reo-nee' - contrary to popular belief, he saw nothing wrong with being linked with the embodiment of care, kindness and protection often associated with older sisters. He knows he is quite motherly, and that his preferred way of expression, from his hair to his gestures and favoured casual clothes borders on effeminate, yet he himself had long since accepted that, given the choice, he would always pick the 'mother-hen' role than that of a bully. And he never quite understood what was wrong with liking people of the same gender, or what business it was of others who he'd rather be with; call him old-fashioned, but he cared more about the personality of the person he would be courting than their genitalia.

Unfortunately, Rakuzan, being a conservative school for the children of the elite, who, more often than not were allowed to get away with atrocious acts of intolerance so long as they brought forth results and fulfilled the expectations of the schools motto - ("Accomplishment in both letters and arms" which Mibuchi thought was awfully corny) did not share his views. The "authorities" at the school did not care if you were the most narrow-minded person on the planet; keeping influencial parents happy was more important that making sure that their child would not grow up to be an ignorant ass.

Thus it was unusual, yet not unheard of, that Mibuchi would come to practice with a strategically placed wrist band or long sleeved shirt to mask bruises from being shoved into a locker by some football nut, or crescent marks on his wrists where his oppressor's nails dug in, or when he'd call Sei-chan asking to be excused from practice because 'his sister fell ill and he had to go home to look after her' when in reality he spent hours in the bath trying to scrub off the filth he felt covered his skin, trying to get rid of the bitter taste at the back of his throat at the lewd propositions occasionally directed his way due to his kind smiles and feminine disposition. Attending an elite school did not exclude the possibility of being hounded by perverts. But the worst, the absolute worst was when people tried to force themselves on him in dark corners or shadowed corridors, assuming that his femininity and non-violent attitude meant he would not fight back; he felt filthy for days afterwards, but he had yet to allow any of those cases to go all the way, a fact he prided himself more perhaps more than all his accomplishments in basketball.

It was on one of the days following such an event that he stayed at home, no word of warning to Sei-chan, aware that he would potentially regret it, but unable to face his beautiful, secretly caring captain, or Kotaro who had gradually become much like a real younger brother, or even Nebuya whom he had somehow struck a tentative friendship with. He would not face them feeling as weak and filthy as he did. So he stayed home, ignoring the calls, and the initially curious, then concerned messages inquiring about the whereabouts of 'Reo-nee', or even the gruff 'oi pretty-boy, do you have a death wish? He'll skin you alive and make you into shoes' from Nebuya. To his surprise, the one person he wanted to call him did not. So he stayed home the second day as well. This time, to his surprise, no calls or messages came during the day. Instead, he got one message in the afternoon, and, upon checking it, gritted his teeth in a mix of gratefullness and agitation; If you do not come to practice this afternoon, I will come to your house - the unspoken 'which do you prefer?' at the end was clear. Grudgingly, he pulled himself out of bed and dressed in practice clothes, choosing a long sleeved top to hide the newest bruises around his wrists and throat, for the first time thinking less than favourable thoughts about his beloved captain. Damn you, Sei-chan. Damn you and your manipulative, overbearing, self-absorbed, adorable little self. But he showed up to training nonetheless, greeted by a smack in the back from Nebuya that made him wince and an armful of excited Kotaro with a crooked grin directed his way, and a pair of sharp, accusatory, no-longer-mismatched eyes staring at him with a hint of barely-there concern apparent in the frown pulling at his brows.

"How long did you think you could keep it from me, Reo?" was the simple greeting, yet it shook the raven to the core. No... Not Sei-chan, everyone but Sei-chan, please... He didn't want the redhead to know of his shame, his weaknesses. He ignored Kotaro's curious gaze, eyes locked in a battle of wills with his captain, but after a few seconds Akashi broke the contact and called all the first and second string players to him with a wave of a hand, announcing that they shall have a practice match with mixed teams comprising of first and second stringers. Yet nausea did not hit him fully till the redhead announced it will be skins vs shirts, and Mibuchi sent a pleading look at his captain that went largely ignored. After Akashi announced that he was to be on the skins team, the raven stood frozen, making no move to remove his shirt, despite the warning elbow to the gut he got from Nebuya.

"Are you trying to defy me, Reo?" came Akashi's curious tone. Curious, instead of threatening nowadays, but no more appreciated by the raven at that particular moment in time. Mibuchi was tempted to ignore the potential threat to his wellbeing and reply with something snarky, but he resigned himself to the fact that the redhead probably already knew all the secrets that he hoped to hide anyway. He was absolute, after all, as he had proven on more than one occasion. So, with a dejected sigh, he tugged his shirt over his head and flung it aside.

There were a few shocked gasps. Kotaro next to him stilled completely, eyes widening. The others just stared with wide eyes and gaping mouths. He realised he must've looked even worse than he originally anticipated since even Nebuya did not attempt to crack a joke about a feisty girlfriend. And Akashi... Reo's eyes widened too when he realised the redhead was in no better shape than the rest of his teammates, eyes marginally wider and mouth slightly agape, seemingly frozen in place, and the raven had the sudden revelation that although his captain might've had an inkling as to why he was missing from school, he was still unaware of what exactly had transpired.

Suddenly hit with a wave of bitter regret, he allowed it to manifest on his face in the form of a brittle, bitter smile, and he turned to fully face his darling Sei-chan, dropping his hands to let him admire the extent of the bruising around his wrists, the clear black-and-blue handprint around his throat, the scratches down his ribs and arms. And Akashi, surprised out of his stupor by the look on the raven's face was reminded of lighter blue eyes that had also gazed at him with the same look of bitter resignation before his entire world came crashing down, and he vowed to not allow this team to get to the stage where Teiko had been after second year. Thus, resolve strengthening, he picked up Reo's shirt, tossing it at him, instructed Nebuya to lead the practice match, and headed towards the doors outside, turning only once to beckon Mibuchi to follow him. The Uncrowned King followed obediently, shirt back on, for the first time no mindless chatter filling the silence between them as the second year was looking down at the ground dejectedly, self-consciously tugging down the sleeves further over his wrists, and something in Akashi's chest tightened unpleasantly. He had only recently come to the realisation that - now that the Winter Cup game against Tetsuya allowed him to form more meaningful connections and assign more worth to relationships rather than just potential means to an end again - he was actually quite fond of his current teammates, Reo in particular, and he did not wish to see them hurt by anything other than his grueling training programme. Plus, the dejected, ashamed look most definitely did not belong on the face of the ever-smiling, confident Reo, and he was going to deal with it to make sure it never came back.

"I'm sorry, Sei-chan." came a sudden interruption to his musings, and it was something that he most definitely could not have predicted, with or without his Emperor's Eye.

"Why are you apologising?" Akashi inquired, genuinely curious yet still harsher than he intended.

"Because I could not stop them." the elder teen admitted, clearly ashamed of himself, and still adamantly refusing to look the redhead in the eye, and for once Akashi was grateful because he was sure that his face spelled bloody murder when he found out that Reo was assaulted by more than one person.

"I will need their names, Reo." he announced when he managed to make the haze of red go away.

The older boy finally looked up at him, a tiny frown marring his otherwise perfect face. "Why, Sei-chan?"

At that, Akashi decided to find some amusement in the bleak situation and replied in the most deadpan voice he could manage. "Nobody damages what's mine and gets away with it."

Reo's startled, flustered face nearly made Akashi's emotionless façade crumble. Nearly. Instead, he watched, inwardly amused and secretly flattered as the raven stumbled over his words and his steadily darkening cheeks. "'Y-yours' in what s-sense, Sei-chan?" then regaining some of that infamous spunk that Eikichi was most commonly on the receiving end of, he crossed his arms over his chest and hmpf'ed, though his cheeks were still dusted pink. "Because I do not appreciate being objectified, even if it is by you, Sei-chan!"

As Reo still had his eyes closed and chin tilted up in indignation, Akashi used that as an opportunity to get closer, til he was right in the other's personal space, and shocked ultramarine eyes stared at him, uncomprehending. Akashi smiled slightly, gesturing for the older boy to lean down so their faces were level. The other did so, slowly, cautiously, a visible shiver running through his body when the redhead's lips were nearly touching the shell of his ear, gentle puffs of breath caressing his neck as Akashi spoke. "Mine in every way you allow, Reo." and he backed away, surveying his work.

If Akashi was any more artistically inclined, he might've been tempted to draw Reo then and there, just to document the look on his face; his pale skin was flushed, the rosy tint covering his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes widened in that curious way between shock and hope. Akashi watched as Reo slowly composed himself and those impossible blue eyes met his almost coyly. "Do you mean that, Sei-chan?" he asked quietly.

"Every word." Akashi replied, not a second's hesitation. He nearly jumped when he found himself being pulled forward by his shirt, and into the warm embrace of the other teen. Huh, Akashi thought, slightly surprised as his cheek was pressed against the other's chest. I was expecting him to kiss me.

"Then how about me being yours by becoming your boyfriend, hm, Sei-chan?" Mibuchi murmured into his hair, his hand rubbing gentle circles on Akashi's back.

"I'd like that, very much." Akashi replied and suddenly his cheek was no longer pressed to Reo's chest, and instead there were hands on his face and a very watery grin directed his way before -

Ah, here's the kiss.

When they walked back into the sports hall a few minutes later, hands linked, Mibuchi chattering about something or other and positively glowing, while Akashi had a small, barely there smile on his face, Nebuya took one look at them and promptly fainted right there. Hayama gaped, eyes going from their linked hands, to Akashi's face, to Mibuchi's thousand-watt smile and smitten aura, back to their hands before he grinned and bounded right up to them. "Does this mean I can ask Miyaji-san out?! Can I, Sei-chan? Can I? Please?"

"Calm down, Kotaro, you're suffocating poor Sei-chan!" Mibuchi chided good-naturedly, still holding onto Akashi's hand. The redhead looked up at him to gauge his reaction to what Hayama was asking, and as the raven caught on, he shrugged, smirking in a way that told Akashi he was saying something like it would get him off your back for a few hours.

"Sure, Kotaro." Akashi agreed and inwardly smirked when the blond froze and gaped at him, clearly not having expected him to agree.

He recovered twice as fast and turned to Reo, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek and announcing "I have no idea what magic you're working on him, Reo-nee, but please keep at it!" before sprinting to the lockers humming cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the daggers Akashi was glaring into his back.

"You're gonna triple his training, aren't you?" Reo asked rhetorically, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

"Of course." Akashi replied easily, quietly relishing in the startled laugh the admission forced from Reo.

For the first time in his life, he was grateful for losing. Because if losing against Kuroko meant that he would get to have this all to himself, he would take Reo, high maintenance beauty queen with a secret possessive streak and a laugh that warmed Akashi from the inside, over some stupid trophy every day for the rest of his life.

As they walked out of the gym, Reo's hand held gently in his own, the raven's easy chatter and giggles filling the comfortable space between them, Akashi allowed a genuine smile to bloom on his face.

So this is what happiness feels like.

ah, my Akashi/happiness feels have been satisfied for a moment. Also, I can't NOT ship Hayama/Miyaji; I have a lot of love for obscure pairings. go figure.

Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the fic, drop me a line to tell me what you think!

lots of love,

I.S