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"What the hell are you doing!?" Akashi made it across the rooftop just in time to grab the boy. Luckily the guy was light and it was easy to pull him up. He flung him back over the ledge and on to the ground but didn't let go. He wasn't going to give the guy a chance to try again.

It all happened so fast he hadn't even thought about his actions. His body just moved on its own. Now that the danger seemed to have passed, he took a good look at the male he was holding down. He was thin and dirty like he hadn't eaten or showered in days. His clothes were threadbare and sported holes in multiple places. Tears poured from dead blue eyes framed by dark circles, evidence of exhaustion, and a lack of will to continue. His hair was as blue as his eyes, although dirty. He was probably close to the same age as Akashi, maybe a bit younger. It was hard to tell.

After a moment to process what had happened, the boy studied the man above him as well. Red hair, heterochromatic eyes, an expensive looking business suit, and a scowl that looked almost as deadly as jumping from the roof. Obviously the man was rich. The boy would just have to wait a while. The man above him would get tired of him and then he could find a different building….or a car…or a train….. something more effective than jumping from a roof and harder to stop. How had this man even seen him? No one ever saw him. If they did see him, they never cared. Why had this man stopped him?

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Akashi growled impatiently.

"Uh…." What was he supposed to say? "I'm very sorry for taking up your time sir. I'll be going now." He tried to sit up but the man above him kept him pinned down.

Akashi looked at the boy curiously. What kind of response was that supposed to be? The boy didn't seem to be high or mentally unstable, except for the fact that he just tried to jump off a building.

"Where are you going? A different roof to jump off?" Akashi asked in spite of himself. The boy below him flinched and he knew he hit the mark. Without letting go of the boys arm, he stood up and pulled the boy up along with him. "Come with me."

The boy followed. It wasn't like he was being given a choice. The man had a strong grip. He was led off the roof, down the stairs, and through a wide and mostly deserted hallway into a large room. The room looked to be an office….a very fancy office.

"Sit." The red head pushed him down on a couch in front of a large executive looking desk. The man shuffled through some cabinets and fumbled with some type of machine on a counter top before returning with two mugs of coffee and a plate of cookies. Akashi set one mug in front of the boy along with the plate and gestured to it.

"Drink. Eat." He commanded. The boy eyed the offerings skeptically but couldn't think of a reason why they wouldn't be safe. He was starving and cold and it didn't really matter if it was poisoned. The temptation was too much.

Akashi sipped his own coffee and watched the boy gobble the cookies quickly and drink the coffee.

"What's your name?" Akashi asked once the food was mostly gone, startling the bluenette. In his joy over food and warm drink, he had forgotten where he was and why. Blushing, he looked at the man and replied in the most monotone voice he could manage.

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Why did you try to jump?"

"I….I…" This time he couldn't maintain his blank expression or tone of voice. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to cause you trouble." He looked down and fidgeted with his hands, all too aware of the intimidating glare he was receiving.

Akashi was indeed glaring at him. The bluenettes answers were both confusing and shocking. Why was he apologizing? Who tries to jump off a roof and then apologizes as if they accidentally bumped into you instead of almost making you witness a suicide!?

"That's not what I asked." Akashi lowered his voice to a more dangerous sounding tone in an attempt to get a better answer. The bluenette shifted uncomfortably and murmured another apology.

"Stop apologizing!" The red head let out an exasperated sigh and checked his watch. He needed to get to his next meeting but he wasn't going to let this guy walk out of here and try some other roof. If nothing else, the bluenette interested him in a strange way, not that Akashi would admit such a thing. Instead, he did his best to flash the most intimidating glare he could manage. "Stay here. Do not even think of leaving this room until I come back."

The bluenette nodded and Akashi stalked out. He told one of the security guards to watch his door and make sure no one came or left.

Kuroko didn't try to leave the room. He didn't even try to leave the couch. He sat there and waited patiently for the man to return. The office was fancy and Kuroko really didn't want to know how much the couch he was sitting on probably costed. Anyone else is his position probably would have tried to stuff their pockets with the various expensive looking trinkets lying around, but Kuroko never resorted to stealing. No matter how bad it got or how well off the other person was, he would not take from them. Having things taken from you was painful. He felt bad enough that he was getting the couch dirty and he probably didn't smell very good either. At least if he stayed put, he wouldn't do any more damage.

So that's how Akashi found him two hours later when he returned. Kuroko only glanced at him when he walked in. Akashi on the other hand, stared. The boy was in the exact same position in the exact same spot as when he had left, still sitting up straight without leaning against the back of the couch, hands in his lap and feet planted on the floor. He had his own way of being able to tell the boy hadn't moved and simply returned to the same spot.

"You can relax." It came out sounding more like a command than he intended. Kuroko didn't move. Akashi walked over and stood in front of him scowling. "I said you can relax. You can move around." He tried rephrasing in case the boy didn't understand. Kuroko only shook his head causing a frustrated groan to escape from Akashi.

"it's unnerving having you sitting there so stiffly!" He turned and walked to his desk.

"I can leave." The offer made Akashi turn his head and eye the boy carefully. He could usually read people pretty well but he couldn't understand even the slightest bit what could be going on in this guys head.

"I'm not letting you go find some other roof to jump off." The red head scowled and took a seat, shuffling through papers but still keeping an eye on his guest.

"I won't." He stated bluntly.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You didn't look to see if I had stolen anything while you were gone. Either you don't care if someone steals from you or you already trusted me once. Besides," he broke the eye contact the two had been holding by looking away. "Why should you care?"

"I already know you haven't moved an inch from that spot and in case you forgot, it was the roof of my building that you tried to jump off." This kid was really getting under his skin. It would be easier to let him go and not give a damn what happened to him, but he felt drawn to the bluenette in a way he couldn't explain and he wasn't about to let him just walk out.

"I sincerely apologize. I won't use your roof again." He replied with a bow from his seated position.

"That's not the point! Where will you go? You don't have anywhere to sleep for the night and you'll freeze without some warmer clothing. The temperatures are supposed to drop pretty low tonight."

"I will manage." The bluenette suddenly stood up and grabbed his small sack. The red head was faster though and took up position in front of the door.

The two stared each other down for several minutes before Kuroko finally sat back down. Akashi remained in front of the door just in case.

"It's getting late." The red head stated noticing the sun setting outside. He glanced at his watch. "You can stay at my place tonight."

Kuroko openly gaped at the business man and began frantically waving his arms in a gesture of refusal. "I can't. I'm a stranger and dirty and you have no obligation to do this. Just let me go. Please!"

Akashi could not wrap his head around this boy. He was so emotionless earlier, with the exception of the initial tears when Akashi pulled him back on to the roof, but offer him food and a warm bed, things he could obviously use, and he starts crying and begging to leave? Sighing, he walked forward and stretched out his hand to shake Kuroko's.

"My name is Akashi Siejuro, CEO of Akashi Corporations. You are Kuroko Tetsuya." He grabbed the bluenettes hand when the boy didn't give it to him and shook it firmly. "Now we are no longer strangers, and since it was my roof you saw fit to borrow for your suicide attempt and I do own a shower, there are no more excuses! Grab your bag. My driver is waiting."