It started small enough, nothing more than a dead bird here, a dead mouse there.
Kuroko Tetsuya saw them when he entered the school property, right after a girl let out a high pitched scream. Whispers broke out as the curious students were scattered by worried and hasty teachers. His misdirection helped him as he took steps closer, his own curiosity baring itself.
Curiosity killed the cat.
The first victim was a crow, the wings broken in multiple pieces, blood soaking the feathers and beak open in a shallow imitation of a human scream. The body had obviously been laid out carefully, the wings stretched wide out as though the bird would lift off. Kuroko jerked back as he realized that the bird was missing much of its ribcage, stumbling away from the scene and barely holding vomit back. This wasn't the deed of a cat or similar natural predator. No, this was the work of a human.
Unease held onto Tetsuya as he started his day like normal. Everything seemed to have shifted – his perspective skewed. When he looked to his classmates, he no longer saw them, but prospective killers. As lunch time arrived, Kuroko and Kagami both made their way to the rooftop. "The air here seems dead." Kagami had mumbled, eyeing the empty space warily. Kuroko only winced at his unfortunate word choice.
"What do you think about... it?"
Kuroko contemplated for a few short moments, his eyes staying on the fidgeting Kagami. What to say, what to do. He was decidedly uncomfortable with the dead bird, considering the fact that he had Nigou at home.
"Whoever it was, I hope they don't intend to include dogs in their spectrum."
Kagami started at his statement, frowning at the implication. "Do you think it was a person? And that they'll do it again?" Kuroko's face remained indifferent while an eye brow was raised by a fraction. "Kagami-kun, someone laid out the bird like that." He had read enough articles in the news to know incidents like these were rare but often lead to more. Kuroko raised his eyes and hand to wave at the approaching third years, Kiyoshi's voice already audible at this distance.
"And yes, I think they will."
–
After that day, similar incidents frequently kept happening in the area, many of which were in Kuroko's neighborhood. His grandmother would worriedly tell him each morning to please watch out, we don't want any trouble and send him on his way. His walk was usually quiet and restful, a time for him to mentally prepare himself for the coming day. He closed his eyes in bliss as the door closed behind him.
"Good morning Kuroko!"
His eyes snapped open in shock, realizing quickly that yes, that is Kiyoshi-senpai and no, I'm not dreaming. "Senpai? Not that it is unwelcome, but why are you here?"
The other sheepishly scratched his cheek with a guilty smile. "I was in the neighbourhood you see, so I thought I might walk with you."
Kuroko shrugged and nodded politely. "Let's go then."
It was only later that day when he heard that a dead cat had been found not two streets from his house.
–
Kuroko shivered in the corner, tightly pressing himself against the wall and covering his eyes with his hands. Footsteps fell louder and louder, immensely loud in the silence. He couldn't even cry as he sat there, too shocked to do much more than listen.
"Kuroko." A voice crooned, cracking slightly with emotion.
The bluenette tilted his head up, hoping with all his heart that what he had found out and seen was not the truth. He had found that each time a dead animal was found near his house, Kiyoshi would appear without fail by his house on that exact morning. He'd found other small hints, like the scratches on Kiyoshi's arms that the others had written off as a passionate lover and Kiyoshi had laughed it off, but never appeared again with scratches. Kuroko had decided to follow the tall young man one day, using his misdirection to its fullest, not expecting much to happen and completely horrified when it did.
He followed Kiyoshi to an empty factory building on the outskirts of town, definitely worried whether or not the other had gotten into trouble with the yakuza. Worried until he stepped into a scene right out a horror movie.
Kuroko walked in on Kiyoshi slicing into the skin of a very dead person, oh my god are those bones sticking out?! He felt the bile rise in his throat as he watched the guilty, yet ecstatic look on Kiyoshi's face. He watched as hands he had thought gentle snapped bones.
As fingers curled the skin away from the flesh. As the ribcage became visible. As Kiyoshi became covered in red.
Kuroko couldn't hold the bile back any longer and hurled, fingers tightly wound around the door frame. As Kiyoshi's shocked face appeared before him, he turned and ran, hoping that his misdirection would allow him to lose the much larger and faster male in the deserted building.
But alas, he here was with Kiyoshi right before him. He dimly recognized that the brunet was talking to him, but he could only focus on the blood splattered clothing and limbs. "Why?" The question tore itself loose from his throat, working around the tightness.
Kiyoshi stilled.
Leaning towards the sitting Kuroko, he seemed to tower above him. He gently cupped the younger male's cheeks, absentmindedly rubbing the red liquid onto pale skin. Kuroko could feel it, cold against his feverishly hot skin. He pulled his gaze upwards and stared into gentle, but guilty brown eyes. "Kuroko," Kiyoshi started again "I don't know why. I've always had this urge you see, but it wasn't bad. Purely thoughts." Anguish appeared in the face hovering above Kuroko's own. "But then I got to know you more and I kept thinking that you would look so pretty in red, that maybe cuts and scars would look becoming on you." He paused, unsure.
"That pain would make you beautiful."
A shudder ran through Kiyoshi as he knelt down before Kuroko. "I couldn't allow myself to do anything to you, Kuroko." He whispered, eyes downcast. "But it became too much. That urge." Tears fell down unto the dark floor, splattering against it like blood. Kuroko followed it's trail, silently mouthing the words he wishes he could say. His throat was too tight and constricted, so Kuroko lifted his hands to the ones cupping his cheeks. "I understand."
That single statement made Kiyoshi freeze. "No, you don't. You should stay as far as possible from me!" Kiyoshi almost shouted, vehemence clear in his voice as he made to rip his hands from Kuroko's. "I can't always control myself." He added, trying desperately to convince the other. Kuroko's hands stayed firmly gripped around Kiyoshi's, determination etched into his features. They both struggled, Kiyoshi trying and failing to remove himself from the younger male's presence. But he stilled, shoulders slumping and head tilted to the side. But deep brown eyes remained on Kuroko's face, tracing the features with fondness.
"Especially when I'm around you."