Authors Note: Hello there! I'm back! I'm so sorry I've been gone, but I had this idea and just had to write it after re-reading Gusari's First Battle Deployment series. I promise I'll continue Jack of all Trades! The next chapter has been in progress for a while now, I'm just trying to line up the timeline properly hahahahahaha. Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Haikyuu, the characters or make any profit from this story. All characters and concepts belong to their respective owners. I just like writing. Please support official releases.
Chapter 1: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
"I won't let you go anywhere…"
"You belong to me and only me."
"I'll make you stay, even if I have to break you."
"Run all you wish, your fate leads you back to me, you are mine."
"I am the end all be all, think only of me."
"Please, I can save you from your pain."
Ash and dust fill her lungs as she coughs and hacks, looking up with tears in her eyes at the outstretched hand. She could hear them calling for her, telling her to return to them, but her eyes were locked with his.
"You said that they're your world, but there's more to the world than those guys," his voice is louder than anyone else's in the world right now. "you're not caged. You're free!" His truth finally reaches her, despite the walls of deception she had helped them build around her. Without another thought, she lunges for his hand, gasping in desperation.
Bang.
"Threads
Around and round
Twist and bind together-
If they (and we) meet not, what
Will become of my life's jeweled belt?"
kks-xi-483/
"Ne, Kotomi, what is that you're spouting?" The tanned young man looks up from his position, resting his head of royal blue upon the lap of a young girl with dark hair and the eyes of the cornflowers that grew in the garden outside their home. His short, wildly tousled hair tickles the bare skin of her thighs as he stares up at her with innocent, curious eyes the same royal blue of his hair. Her back is to the plum blossom tree that grew on the outskirts of their city.
"It's a classic poem from the Kokinshu, a collection gathered by the imperial court." Her voice is gentle and melodic as she rests raven locks against the bark, eyes scanning the lines of the poem as she reads it over and over, soaking in every word.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you know of such things, Kotomi-chan." A powder blue haired boy glances at her from his spot beside her, reading over her shoulder with a peaceful expression gracing his matching eyes, though his tone is of admiration. He was soft and child-like, hair seeming so pale and wispy that it felt like her hand would phase right through if she tried to run her hands through it.
"It's a lesser known collection," announces a forest green haired boy as he pushes his black frames up the bridge of his nose, reading a book of his own. Though, he seems much more interested in listening to Kotomi read, even while he's sitting on the opposite side of the tree. He was quite beautiful, with emerald green set in sharp, sternly-shaped sockets and equally sharp, petite features. He fiddles with a red clay teapot in his taped hands thoughtfully. His expression seems soft as he glances behind him to watch the girl study intensely, only to blush and look away when he catches Kuroko's gaze, huffing indignantly. "or should I say, one of the less popular ones."
"Even thought it's Japanese, its critics said that the influences were too Chinese, but I don't think it means you can't enjoy them. It seems like a nice day to read short, pretty things like this." A warm summer breeze caresses them as if to emphasize this, the grass blades undulating like a sea of green through the fields and towards the city, a distant backdrop to their idyllic scene. Bright green earth meets endless blue sky, two star-crossed lovers finding rendezvous in that distant city worlds away. The sight of the city is a painful reminder that this day wasn't like the others.
"You might be right about that…"
"Read something else, Koto-chin." The purple-haired giant yawns as he rubs his eyes, patting the now empty bag of cookies. He ate much slower when he was with Kotomi like this, but he still ran out far before his stomach was ready for him to stop. When he can't find anymore crumbs to lick, he settles for leaning on Kotomi again, resting his head on top of hers. "Or sing for us, but this is boring." Despite his massive height at 13, his violet-themed countenance was pretty within itself, alongside silky-smooth hair and droopy, deep-set eyes, he was more than easy to look at.
"But Kotomicchi's voice sounds so pretty speaking in that old Japanese," announces the golden blonde, using Kotomi's lap to rest his head as well. His hair was almost like the sun, framing his pretty face and long eyelashes. He could be a model, one day, though he announced he would hate that, since it meant that dating and marrying Kotomi before they turned 18 would be quite difficult.
"I can't even read some of those kanji, but she just seems to know them…"
"No one cares what you think, Kise-chin." The blonde gasps indignantly, huffing.
"So mean! Ne, Kotomicchi, comfort me!" He takes her hand, pressing it to his cheek and whining childishly. Kotomi giggles and pats his cheek affectionately.
"Play nice, you two."
"Tch', Kise, you're too loud. Shut up a little, you'll wake me up."
"You're ruining the atmosphere, Kise. Leave."
"Please quiet down, Kise-kun. I would like to hear Kotomi-chan a little better."
"Kurokocchi too!? You guys are so mean!" A soft laugh distracts them from their rising quarrel, cornflower blue disappearing behind long, fluttering lashes as she tilts her head to the side, a dainty hand reaching up to hide her smile, though the corners of her lips could be seen through the gaps of her slender fingers. It sends a collective throb to all around to witness it. Kise whines and nuzzles the skin of Kotomi's leg, which earns a choked sound from the green-haired boy.
"Ah, I could spend all day like this, though. You're so soft, Kotomicchi. You smell good, too."
"Kise, you're so improper…" Aomine grins wolfishly as her reaches up and wraps his arms around Kotomi's waist.
"Come on, Midorima, you just wish you could be here." Another choked noise escapes Midorima's throat as he turns a bright red color, taking on a Christmas theme.
"Mine-chin and Kise-chin are perverts. I'll crush the both of you…"
"I am also annoyed." Kotomi smiles tenderly at this, running gentle hands through royal blue and golden blonde, earning surprised, but embarrassed expressions from her childhood friends. Kotomi smiles at them, her eyes glittering in the early afternoon sun. Though her smile seems to deflate, saddening.
"We probably…won't be able to do this for a while, huh…? Once you guys start your training at the end of this week, and all…" The faces of the young boys around her falter from their previously peaceful demeanors, as reality began to rear its ugly head once more.
Kotomi and her friends had been born in the midst of a global war spanning over 150 years that essentially tore civilization apart. According to her history teachers, the area they lived in had once been part of a country called Japan, before foreign invaders and corruption destroyed its infrastructure and left more than 90% of the country in ruins.
What was left of the government managed to establish a cutthroat border around the perimeter of the city, protected by the finest soldiers the country hand-picked and trained for that very purpose. For the last century, the government has continuously churned out the perfect soldiers, sending them out to fight the threat directly in enemy territory, or having them guard the border here.
It was a cruel and unforgiving labor, with harsh conditions, murderous training, and little gratitude from the people, but the government rewarded them and their loved ones generously with plenty of food, electricity, and housing for free. All of them were orphans protected by the state and the Akashi family, but they had all made a promise to see to the end of the war however they could.
"The training is for three years…so we'll be back when we're 16…" Midorima states more to himself than anyone else, but the fact seemed to deflate their already dampened mood even further. Kotomi stares down at her poem book, particularly at the small paper crane book mark Midorima had folded for his Lucky Item once. Cable was rare. The government rationed it to a few hours a day, but Midorima never missed Oha-Asa, the fortune-telling program that old women and conspirators watched.
While he was of neither sort, he was definitely unique in that sense. Most Lucky Items typically sat in his room once the day was over, mostly waiting to be recycled again one day. But she admired its perfection so much that Midorima gave it to her with cutest embarrassed expression when they were 11 and she's had it ever since. The thought of all of them being gone for so long...
"It'll be hard without you guys here," She confesses, tearing up a little, wiping away the salty liquid before they could find purchase on rosy cheeks. "I want to go to training with you guys, too…" Kise flails a little and sits up, almost smashing his golden head into her nose if she doesn't move away in time, though her jerk to avoid him knocks a pensive Aomine out of his position.
"Oi!"
"Kotomicchi, don't even joke!" Kise despairs at the thought of Kotomi, a young slender girl of 13, bearing heavy tactical gear, carrying a gun, crawling through the mud and dirt, her hair getting caught in its barbs, her slender arms becoming bruised, her gentle spirit crushed. It was their fate.
With the exception of Kuroko, who was accepted on special exceptions, their athletic capabilities had them drafted. Their physical exams suggested they would excel without them trying very hard, but they couldn't let their childhood friend endure such a thing. Not when they've been protecting her and that gentility for all these years.
"I know it'll be difficult without us," Kuroko states, moving closer to her and brushing a strand of hair away from her face, so that he could peer into those cornflower blue eyes more clearly. "But we'll be back before you know it, and things will be the same."
"But we'll be a lot stronger!" Aomine nods triumphantly, flexing his muscles. "Strong enough to protect you from anything in the world!"
"It'll be a pain, so prepare lots of snacks for us when we come back, okay, Koto-chin?"
"So long as I do all I can do, we will surely return to you in those three years. But for now…" Midorima pushes his glasses up his nose once again. "Keep coming to this tree and read like you always do. And think of us."
"Guys…" Kotomi covers her mouth, her eyes misty. That's right, she couldn't be so down. They were the ones going to war, eventually. She had to be strong for them. It was hard for them too. They've been through everything together, after all. They would miss her just as much as she would miss them. But that didn't mean she wouldn't do all she could from where she was as well.
"Ah! Midorimacchi made Kotomicchi cry!"
"Wha-!? I did not! Kise!" Kise wraps his arms around Kotomi and presses his nose into the top of her head, nuzzling her happily, one hand tangled in her hair and the other pulling her close by the waist.
"Ahh, Kotomicchi is such a good girl…"
"Kise. Get your hands off her."
"Kise-kun, please stop."
"What? I'm just comforting her!"
"Kise-chin, I'll crush you with everything I have."
"That's horrible!" Kotomi smiles serenely, her heart sad but full. She wished times like these would never end, though she wished that Momoi and Akashi were here to enjoy it, too.
"Sei-kun is probably waiting for us, so let's go, yes?" The rest of them seem to nod and relax, as if something in the air around her soothed any ills they held towards each other, for just a moment. Rivals for her affections or not, they were also the closest people to family they had.
As they all stand and start heading towards that distant city, Kotomi glances back, her eyes following the expanse lines of grass in the direction opposite to her friends, watching with an unreadable expression as the grass begins to thin and pale in color, shifting to an ugly brown of decay and desiccation as it disappeared into the horizon as well, and she could imagine the outline of a city that once was much like hers.
"Kotomi-chan, are you alright?" Kotomi blinks away some ebbing and flowing thought on the shores of her memories and turns to Kuroko, whose apathetic disposition read just an edge of concern for her behavior. Kotomi smiles and runs towards him, and the retreating backs of her other friends. She could already see Kise's far away silhouette waving to the both of them, though he seems to flinch as Aomine appears to chuck something at him. Kotomi blinks and giggles, covering her mouth.
"They're running off without us, even though they were so clingy just before." Kuroko offers his hand to her with a gentle smile of his own, and Kotomi finds her cheeks warming just a little. He was quite handsome himself, despite his lack of presence.
"I prefer that, so that I can be clingy as well." Kotomi takes his hand, returning the reassuring squeeze he gives her as they begin to head back, Kotomi's poem book tucked tightly under her arm.
"Tetsu-kun!" A pink haired blob flies at Kuroko the moment they return to the Akashi estate.
"Satsuki, you don't hafta do that every time…" Aomine sighs. Akashi Seijurou, a beautiful young boy with crimson hair and blood red eyes of a similar shade, chuckles as he comes to stand beside Kotomi with a warm smile.
"Momoi was working quite hard, Aomine, let her have this." Momoi was also an orphan rescued by the Akashi clan. A proud, powerful family, dating back even farther than the war, Akashi and his family were the sole reason any of them had survived. Akashi Seijirou's mother and father, Shiori and Masaomi, funded a rescue effort in the chaos of war to extract children from Japan's ruins.
Kotomi could vaguely remember rats and dripping water before a fireman found her and brought her to her new home in the Akashi estate in the heart of the city, where she met Kuroko and the others. She was 8 years old at the time. Where her parents were or how long she'd been surviving on her own, she didn't know. The doctors said it wasn't uncommon for traumatized children to repress their memories, and so Kotomi didn't think on it that much. It was probably for the best that she didn't look into it if she had forgotten it in the first place.
"Koto-chan!"
"Satsuki-chan!" Kotomi catches the cute pink haired girl in her arms, more prepared for the tackle than poor Kuroko, who was lying on his back, unconscious on the floor. "We missed you!"
"Barely." Aomine picks his nose while he looks away. The two were childhood friends, and his apathy was pretty commonplace.
"That's okay. I was getting everyone's data ready! I helped the teachers a lot! It's the least I can do for you guys. This way, you won't have to do the extra examinations and you can get right back to training! Then you can come back, faster…" Momoi's voice lacked its usually bouncy energy, and Kotomi realized her friend had been dreading this day as well, but she had been productive with her sadness. Kotomi seems a little put off by this. And here she had just been sitting around…
"Kotomi," Akashi's gentle voice snaps her out of her disappointment in herself. Cornflower meets crimson as she looks up at Akashi while he takes her hand, squeezing it affectionately. "I can see how refreshed everyone looks, thanks to you. You always seem to soothe the rest of them."
"Akashi-kun talks like they're wild animals." Momoi giggles, holding a hand to her cheek.
"Hey! What the hell?"
"Don't lump me in with them."
"Momoicchi!"
"Sa-chin, that's mean…"
"Oh, not you though, Tetsu-kun!" A quiet groan. He was still recovering.
"You don't have to comfort me, Akashi-kun, but thank you…I can't analyze data like Satsuki-chan can, but I know what I want to do to help you guys." Five of them tense, thinking she was going to express her desire to train again. Even Akashi seems a little wary, while Momoi seems concerned.
"Oh? What's that?"
"I'll train to become a medic!" Kotomi's eyes shine a little and they 7 of them breathe a sigh of relief. "That way, I'll be the first you see, and I can make sure you're being taken care of properly!"
"I think you'd be very good at it, Kotomi-chan."
"Have fun patching up these guys, I won't ever have a scratch on me!"
"But Kotomicchi will be touching other guys if she's a medic, won't she? I'll be super jealous!"
"You're so childish, Kise. She needs to heal everyone as a medic, she can't have any preference for her patients."
"Well…" Kotomi pokes her fingers together and smiles sheepishly, tilting her head to the side as she giggles a little. "I…I'm a little jealous that someone might get to welcome you home before I do, so…that's also why."
There a single heartbeat before Kise pounces. Aomine preemptively grabs Kotomi and pulls her out of the way before he can latch onto her. He was like a damn golden retriever, that Kise. As if he was going to let him cuddle up to her after she's went and said something so goddamn adorable. No way.
"Kotomicchi, marry me right now!"
"She'd never marry a loser like you, Kise."
"Please don't say such a cruel thing to Kise, Daiki…"
"See? She wants to marry me!"
"I never said that…"
"Then marry me."
"Aominecchi, you sneaky-!" Kotomi ducks out of the way before she can get caught up in that brawl, standing beside Akashi once more. He's smiling fondly as he glances at her.
"You'll make a fine medic, Kotomi-chan, and it will be a little lonelier without you and Momoi." Kotomi glances at him and smiles, offering her hand for him to hold.
"We'll work hard on our end, just work hard on yours too, okay? Though, I don't have to tell you that, do I?" His response is a soft chuckle.
"Of course not, the faster we finish training, the sooner we come back home." He reaches out as well, taking her hand and squeezing gently. Momoi watches the two of them with a teary smile, running and hugging Kotomi's arm.
"No matter how much time passes, we'll be together forever, won't we?" Kotomi nods firmly as she fondly watches as Murasakibara tries to bribe the blonde and bluenette from fighting with his snacks, albeit one Pocky stick, but that was considered an arm and a leg in Murasakibara's book; Midorima is trying to grab one of the, and Kuroko is just watching Aomine shove his foot in Kise's face. Kotomi laughs brightly, cheeks turning pink and nose crinkling.
"Yes! Forever!"
Their last few days together were spent in normalcy, trying to make it seem like this would just be a weekend apart. Kotomi lay awake in her bed the night before they'd be leaving, staring at the ceiling, sleep far away from her mind. If she had a choice, she would gladly join the military, as well. But Akashi would never allow it. She loved that she was so loved, but Kotomi wished they weren't so protective all the time. She felt like she would be able to do more as an on-field medic than one who waited for the bodies to come rolling in.
I want to do more. I have to do more. I can't just sit here while they go and risk everything…Kotomi sits up from her bed, hurrying over to her desk and searching aimlessly. What could she do for them? What did they need?
"You soothe them." Akashi's voice in her head makes her pause. She was searching so hard to find something useful, but Akashi had already given her the answer.
"I just have to think about what I want them to have." Kotomi smiles to herself and immediately goes to the last drawer in her desk, pulling out an array of fabric scraps, string, her sewing kit and paper, sitting down. "Seven hours until sunrise, eight until they leave. That gives me some time…" Murmuring, she sets to work on cutting apart the fabric, setting one out for the color corresponding to each of her technicolored friends.
Kuroko is awake before all the others, too anxious about what was coming. There was no secret that he was the least physically capable of his friends. As soon as he was able to understand what the Guard was, he had already resigned himself to stay behind to protect Momoi and Kotomi for the others.
So Kuroko Tetsuya was conflicted when his results came back, and he had been assigned to stealth training, when the others had been assigned tactical combat training. He begged Akashi to get him in, though he normally wouldn't try to force his way with such an underhanded method as nepotism.
Kuroko pauses while he's changing into the tight, high collar spandex top that all trainees were supposed to wear. He had wanted to make a difference, and of course he was going to work hard. But he worried endlessly for Kotomi. He hated leaving her alone.
He still remembered the day she arrived at Akashi's house, just days after he had. She was an unkempt, ratty little thing with no muscle or fat, hollowed out cheeks. Kuroko was not much more than her, but he had had his elderly grandparents and his mother to care for him. He went to bed hungry a lot, but he was clean, warm, and loved.
He was inconsolable when raiders slaughtered his family. His lack of presence helped him hide in the laundry basket his mother placed him, just after kissing his head and hugging him one last time. But Kotomi had been alone a long time, according to Akashi. She spoke to no one, but she didn't cry or scream. She stared blankly at the walls of her room, ceasing only to take a bite of food or a sip of water before returning to her post.
The first time Kotomi had ever looked at anyone was Kuroko. He got tired easily during play, and the maids would ask him to sit with her to keep her company when he was resting, which Kuroko had been ambivalent about.
For hours upon hours while the others played, he just watched her. Even when she was skinny as could be, Kuroko thought there was something pretty in her eyes. Perhaps that's why he sat with her for so long. Then one day, she turned to look at him, her eyes widening, and she spoke. Her voice was raspy and small from disuse, but Kuroko was surprised that she chose him to be the first to hear it.
"When…did you get here?"
"I've been here." She blinks cluelessly, the first emotion he's seen on her face, and then she nods, as if she understood. And like that, they didn't speak another word to each other for the rest of the day, but Kotomi scooted closer to him, still staring at the wall. Perhaps it was just because she liked the warmth of another person, but Kuroko was glad she was alright with him, and even more amazed that even when everyone noticed him last, he was the first she acknowledged.
They've been together ever since, and Kuroko had watched her grow up, eat more, start to play right alongside him with the others. The maids used to joke about how Kuroko often followed Kotomi around when she was up and playing with the others, crying if she didn't pay enough attention to him. He even used to quarrel with Kise for her attention when they were just kids, though his roundabout way of scaring the small blonde or tripping him often went unseen.
He had the joy of watching her smile for the first time, gain weight and become healthy, he watched her limp, tattered hair become full and silky, and her eyes regain the light of life that had been missing when he first looked at them. Kuroko was only 9 years old when he realized that looking at her was no longer a pleasure, but a necessity. How was he supposed to go three years without her, now?
Knock knock. Were they supposed to gather already? Kuroko walks over to the door and is surprised to see the dark-haired teen at his door, smiling bashfully.
"Kotomi-chan, is something wrong…?"
"No, I…I wanted to give you something before you guys left. I couldn't wait, so…" She holds out her hand, which contained a small envelop of powder blue fabric, stuffed full of paper and sewn together to hold it in. It wasn't masterful sewing, but she was better at it than any of them. The string was looped, so that it could hang off something, and had the character for "Protection" clumsily sewn on it in dark blue thread. Kuroko open his palm and lets her drop it into his hand. Kotomi fidgets a little, poking her bandaged fingers together. A smile welled up and threatened to spill onto Kuroko's face, though he allows a small twitch of his lips.
"I got scared I was going to run out of time, so I rushed it. I'm sorry…
"Thank you, Kotomi-chan. It's very cute." She seems to sigh in relief at this, nodding.
"I just…I can't be there with you, so I want you to think of me when you hold that. Please…"
"I…I'm always thinking of you, Kotomi."
"Eh?" She's surprised when he suddenly drops the honorifics on her name, and even more so when he wraps his arms around her back, being the same height as her. Kuroko presses his face into the crook of her neck, rosehip filling his senses and calming the storm in his chest. Kuroko sighs, squeezing his new charm tight.
Kotomi's eyes fill with tears, and she places her hands on his back, just above his shoulder blades, squeezing him tight for a moment before she pulls away. She couldn't handle anymore, she might not be able to leave his side, at this point. Kuroko smiles gently at her, and Kotomi feels her cheeks warm again.
"See you soon." Her eyes brighten at this, and she nods, her smile growing and the bridge of her nose crinkling slightly.
"See you soon, Tetsuya."
Aomine chugs the bottle of water in his room, staring out the window at the night sky, which has shifted from its pitch black to a cerulean blue. Soon, the sun would come over the horizon, and so would the van that would take them away from the home they've known for the last nine years. Of course he was thrilled for a new adventure, a chance to become stronger, and a way to stop depending on Akashi and his family, but…there were things here that were too precious to leave. The knock at his door gets his attention, and he scoffs. If this was Kise saying he had a nightmare, the boy was getting a water bottle shoved down his throat.
"Kise, I'm not going to- "
"Uwah!" While the girlish shriek likely could have been Kise or Momoi, Aomine could recognize her voice anywhere. Not to mention she looked really cute as she turns bright red from embarrassment. "D-Don't surprise me like that!"
"I didn't, you're the one in front of my room." Aomine leans against the door frame and smirks. "But sneaking into a boy's room in the middle of the night? Has Little Miss Akashi Said Bedtime Is 8pm finally hit her rebel phase? You know what I could do to you." Kotomi rolls her eyes a little but she's smiling lightheartedly.
"As if you even know what that means. You just say what the older kids say at school. Remember when you asked the teacher about- "A hand claps over her mouth before she could say anymore. The dark red of tanned cheeks could be seen even at night, and hisses.
"Okay! I get it, sorry!" He slowly pulls his hand away, as if fearing that she would say more. He forgot about her spunky tendencies. It was hard to remember she was snarky, since she was so unassuming. "So? What's up?" Kotomi pulls Aomine's navy blue charm with white thread out of her little pouch, smiling.
"For you." Aomine looks down at the trinket and smiles brightly, clutching it tightly in his hand.
"Man, I already feel stronger." Kotomi blushes and she throws her arms around him, even if he smelled kind of bad.
"You smell like sweat, you should shower." Aomine is inches away from returning the hug before he raises his hands in embarrassment.
"It's your fault for coming here so suddenly-!"
"No, it's okay." Aomine isn't so sure about leaving when he hears what she says next. Kotomi is glad she only reached his chest, so he couldn't see her sad expression. Aomine was like a ray of sunshine, at times. She loved that about him.
"Hug me anyway, I want to remember you just like this until you come back to me." If only he could see the tender expression on his face as he wrapped his hands around her, though he tries to hide it with a pout, still clutching the flower charm tightly.
"I'll never let go." And as he tightened the hug ever so slightly, his doubts disappeared.
There were precious things, here.
When Kotomi finds the trail of snacks leading out of Murasakibara's room and down the hall, she sighs and heads for the kitchen. He really seemed like the only one not too concerned about going. When she enters the kitchen, she could see the light of the fridge casting a shadow upon the tall, lanky figure digging away into biscuits and slices of ham.
"Atsushi," the purple-haired boy pops out of from the fridge like a rabbit from its hidey-hole, eyes adorable wide, as he is caught quite literally with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Oh, Koto-chin, did you get hungry, too? Let's have snacks together." Kotomi walks over to the fridge, and Murasakibara preemptively picks her up by the waist and places her on the island kitchen, so that she could speak to him at relatively eye-level. They've been doing it since he was old enough to lift her up.
"I came to give you something." Murasakibara opens his giant hand to receive the charm, brow raising when he realizes it wasn't edible. Though, Akashi told him that he shouldn't show that he was upset when a girl gave him a gift he didn't want. It upset them, but Kotomi was one of the only girls he really didn't want to offend. It gave him a bitter taste in his mouth, and none of his snacks tasted good anymore.
"Thanks…" Kotomi laughs. He wasn't very good at hiding his confusion and slight distaste.
"Just think of me when you look at it."
"I don't need this. I'll remember Koto-chin whenever I smell something sweet." There was something odd about the way he said that, but Kotomi didn't get much time to question him on that before Murasakibara pushes a cookie in between Kotomi's lips, leaning in a moment later to take a bite from it and chewing with a satisfied hum.
"Sweet," Murasakibara licks his lips and smiles in rare satisfaction. "Goodnight, Koto-chin." As he walks away, Kotomi lets the other half of the cookie fall from her mouth, cheeks burning so hot she thought they'd boil tea.
What a sneaky kid…
"Kotomicchi! A late night visit? Oh! Are you finally going to elope with me?"
"I'm not going to marry you, Ryota.." The blonde gasps, clutching his chest and backing up slightly, as if it were the first time he was hearing this, which it most certainly was not. Kotomi hands him the charm and waves to him, not able to stay long. She was going to run out of time, soon, and she still had to see Akashi and Midorima. She turns to go before she hears Kise speak, his bubbly voice suddenly lacking its energy.
"We're really leaving you…" She turns to look at him, eyes softened when she sees that his mask had cracked and chipped away, revealing the fear and anxiety he hid behind his smile Kotomi turns to face him properly, for once not taking his dramatics lightly.
"You're taking a trip. I'll still be here when you come back."
"And you won't be married?"
"I don't plan on being married at 16, Ryota."
"Not to anyone else but me."
"To anyone." She's smiling despite the firmness of her voice, slowly reaching to grasp his hand with both of hers, bringing the knuckle of his middle finger to her lips. Kise malfunctions a moment, eyes wide and starting to become a little blurry as his face warms.
"But I'll be waiting right here for you. Then you can try to win my heart." It wasn't as if she was turned off from the idea of marrying any of them, but at the moment, she didn't see any of them as more special than the other. Each one played a pivotal role in her life, and she wouldn't be able to live without them.
Kise's eyes brighten impossibly, and he throws his arms around her tightly, holding the small of her back and the back of her head so she can't push him away. If this was going to be the last time he was going to see her for the next three years, he wanted to feel her close to him.
For once, Kotomi allows it without any resistance, wrapping her arms tightly around him and sighing softly.
"I'll win your heart for sure. I like you more than anyone in the world, after all, Kotomicchi."
"I don't need a charm, I have my Lucky Item." Despite his words, Midorima seems a bit pleased about the little trinket she offers him, holding carefully between half-taped fingers. Kotomi takes his hand and looks up at him, smiling gently.
"Let me do it?" A small sound chokes his throat but Midorima nods stiffly, sitting down wordlessly, setting his new item on his nightstand, right beside his glasses, handing her a roll of tape. Kotomi sits across from him on the bed, starting to delicately wrap his fingers. She wasn't quite sure when this habit started, but she remembered how much he struggled as a kid, starting when he was 9 years old, his hands slipping and dropping the roll of tape and unwittingly letting it roll away from him, only to be trampled by a running Kise and Aomine. Before he could start crying, Kotomi was at his side, with Kuroko holding onto the back of her shirt as she sits across from him, just like now.
"I know you know how to do this, but I'm glad you let me, still."
"Just for tonight." Kotomi pauses as she's wrapping his ring finger down to the knuckle, smiling.
"Yes, just for tonight." There's a long but light pause, with only the sound of tape crinkling every now and then. "Shintaro?"
"Y-Yes…?"
"I'll miss you."
"…As will I." As Kotomi finishes the last finger, and Midorima pulls his hands back, eyes wandering over to the small clay flower again, Kotomi launches herself into him, with his hands wrapping themselves around her form, face turning red and fingers twitching as he tries to contain himself. His first instinct was to push her away and try to hide his embarrassment, but he knew he would regret upsetting her before she left.
Not to mention, if this was the last time for a while he would be able to see her and touch her so casually, then he couldn't push her away for either of their sakes. So while he doesn't hold her back, he looks away and sighs, closing his eyes. It smelled of rosehip and something sweet. He could feel her small, petite shoulders shaking. And he realizes he must do absolutely everything he could to return home safely to her, now and every time afterwards. He remembers Oha-Asa's fortune for the day.
"Keep your precious one close. Dark storms lie ahead! Don't be afraid to stand in the rain but shield others from the lightning! The rainbow afterward will be worth the trouble!"
As the sun rose in the sky, Kotomi realized that it would soon be time for them to leave, and for the first time in 9 years, they would be separated. As she walks to Akashi's room, her steps slow, her shoulders begin to droop, and her vision begins to blur. She had been holding it back for so long, she just had to endure Akashi's farewell, so…why was she breaking down now?
"Kotomi?" Kotomi looks up from the carpet, spotting Akashi.
"Oh, I…I have something for you! I'm glad you're already out. You always seem to know, don't you? Anyway, I wanted to give this to you!" She pushes the crimson charm with gold accents into his hand, holding his fist closed and hiding her face behind her bags, her voice already shaking. He had his bags and his training uniform on, consisting of the high collar top and bagging cargo pants. She bites her lip, throwing herself into his arms right after. He catches her without dropping a single bag, so Akashi-like. He can't help a small chuckle.
"We haven't even left yet, and you're crying already?" He takes note of her trembling shoulders, his smile turning more tender by the second. Kotomi allowed herself to be childish around Akashi. There was no debating that he was the big brother of their little makeshift, ragtag family. He was the one who brought them all together, kept them fed, happy, and loved. He was their beginning. There was no questioning that Kotomi was the most comfortable with him, and so she was able to spill the emotions she was holding back for the sake of the others. It was unfair to him, but she couldn't endure, anymore.
"How am I going to go on without you guys? I can't, my heart hurts, and I can't breathe when I think about you guys being gone." Akashi sets his bags down so that he could properly cup her cheeks, tilting her head up to look at him, smiling handsomely at her as he draws small circles into her soft, youthful cheeks with his thumb, staring warmly into her eyes.
"We all feel the same about leaving you. But I know you're strong, and you'll be alright. At least until we come back."
"How do you know?" Akashi brushes a hand through her hair, pressing her forehead into his shoulder, looking ahead of him.
"Because you made it to us by yourself. You have the capability, and you're strong, but you didn't have to be alone. For now, you'll have to be strong on own again."
"But I don't- "
"We're all doing things we don't want to do, Kotomi."
"… You're right, I'm being selfish, I'm sorry…"
"We do spoil you, so it's to be expected."
"Sei!" He laughs as Kotomi's head pops up to pout and whine at him, and he takes the opportunity to press his lips to her forehead, seeming to enjoy the way her cheeks turn pink and she pouts more, puffing her cheeks out.
If only you knew how much that makes me want to spoil you…
"Thank you for loving us so deeply, Kotomi." She smiles at this, something in her heart calming as she presses her forehead against his, a deep sigh settling her nerves. The morning sun finally arrives with the calm, and all is well.
"There there, Satsuki…" Kotomi is hugging her pink haired best friend tightly as the girl cries into her shoulder. They watch from the front door of the Akashi estate as their friends climb into a black van, placing their bags in one by one before entering through those big car doors. Kise, Akashi, and Kuroko are waving until they're just about to climb in, but Midorima, Aomine, and Murasakibara don't look back, climbing in without another glance.
Kotomi didn't hold it against them as she ran her fingers through Momoi's soft peach colored locks, patting her back in rhythm with her sobs. She felt like crying too, but her time with Akashi had calmed her heart. She offers them a gentle smile right up until the doors closed and the van finally disappeared through the gates of the property. Her tears well up again, but this time they don't fall. She was secure in her love for them, and in theirs for her.
"Satsuki, let's have some tea and biscuits, okay? Help me read my books for the medic exams…"
The van is silent as it drives down the near empty streets of the town. Despite its pristine conditions, it was rather empty. Not many people lived here, anymore, what with the elderly dying and the young being shipped off to die in battle, there wasn't much opportunity to procreate and fill the streets. In terms of manpower, they were solid. For how long it would remain that way, there was no telling. But it was a problem for another day. And it was the farthest thing from the minds of the teen boys who were being shipped off to become soldiers. Not long into the 8-hour drive to the training grounds, small sniffles fill the stagnant air.
"Oi, Murasakibara, quit crying. It's annoying."
"Mine-chin, you're the one crying."
"Am not. It's Kise."
"I…I miss Momocchi and Kotomicchi." Kuroko and Midorima were silent, but Akashi could feel their sorrow. Of course, they were acting strong in front of the girls as well. They couldn't let them worry anymore than they had to.
"Our girls are strong. They'll be alright. The best we can do is make this place safe for them to grow up at our sides." '
"Akashicchi…" The red-headed young man smiles as he pats Murasakibara's back comfortingly, trying to ignore the tiny ball of unease resting in his stomach. He had a better idea of what was coming than the others.
"We're strong, too. That's why we just have to endure. This is our chance to make a change in the world. And protect the things that are precious to us." At this, some of the tears dry, as they were able to picture a smiling pair of girls waiting at home for them. While the mood does not lighten, they don't break down, thanks to Akashi's steadfast certainty and the memories of home.
Next time:
"Welcome to basic training. I'm Captain Nijimura Shuuzo, and this is General Shirogane. We'll be doing things a little differently this year.
"So, Koto-chan, which of them would you marry?"
"My name is Oikawa Tooru, you better remember that!"
