A/N: This chapter was heavily influenced by something I read previously, hence the start of this whole fic. I hope you enjoy :)


Kuroko breathed in the heavy air saturated with the thick scent of pine needles and the fading one of sakura. He flopped down on the wooden walkway, half of his body hitting the tatami at the opening of the room. Sweating profusely, he tugged at his t-shirt, while his other hand swiped his forehead, before he laid down flat and stretched like a cat that had just woken up.

"Tetsuya, are you sure I cannot have you entertain the idea of a yukata? You look like you are about to pass out."

He glared at the other occupant of the room, who was wearing a simple black yukata and was sitting casually at the low round table, calmly sipping at a cup of tea.

"How in the world are you not sweating?"

"Perhaps because I am not trying to fry myself by leaving half of my body outside for the sun to bake."

Kuroko pouted, reluctantly getting up on his knees to close the sliding shoji door, then proceeding to crawl tiredly to the table, finally slumping on the rather cool surface and giving out a small moan.

"So…? Why did you suddenly call me?"

Akashi Seijuro looked back at him, a rare amused smile crossing his face, "Did you not want to come?"

Kuroko cocked his head to the side, resting on his outstretched arm and peered upwards at the redhead, "Would that have been a problem?"

"No," Akashi raised an eyebrow, "only, people would usually put their significant others first, is it not?"

"Are you insulting me since I didn't put her first?"

The other chuckled, "Why would I ever insult you? It was merely a thought I had pondered on. But tell me, Tetsuya. Why did you leave behind your precious, finally captured, first girlfriend, whom you have not even kissed yet, to visit me?"

Kuroko laughed lowly, "You flatter yourself, Akashi-kun, and I'm mildly disturbed by how much you know. But if you must know, Ritsuke-san always seems to be busy with work, and Akashi-kun just happened to offer me an all-paid trip. Why would I refuse?"

"So you were just going along with the flow while sulking?"

"I am not sulking, Akashi-kun," he replied sharply, "it was also because you had not contacted me for such a long time."

"Oh, did Tetsuya miss me?" Akashi teased him lightly, leaning forward to trace gently over the blunet's faint veins that pulsed under the pale skin still covered with sweat, "Nevertheless, the Tetsuya who never fails to collapse in hot weather came to visit me when it's the hottest in Kyoto? For a tour of a city that he has gone to at least three times in school?"

Kuroko snuggled deeper into the nook provided by his arms, his eyes sliding off to the side, but Akashi could still see the red tips of his ears poking out from the unruly mess he called hair.

"You know it would have been alright to just have told me that you wanted to see me. Then again, that is a part of why I find you so interesting."

"Thank you very much, but I am not Midorima-kun, Akashi-kun."

Silence enveloped them again, and Kuroko sleepily relished in the cool fingertips that traced up his arm; it felt heavenly in this heat.

"Although, if I were to speak frankly, Akashi-kun would be the one in trouble, no?"

Akashi stared at the blunet for a moment before letting out a huff of air and gave him a dark smile, "Are you sure? I might not feel like returning Tetsuya back to Tokyo in a few days."

Kuroko raised his head to stare back at those pools of red and gold, "I take that back. I would be the one in trouble."

The redhead made a small noncommittal sound, as if agreeing with him, quietly observing the beauty of the boy before him.

They returned to the comfortable silence; the chirping of the crickets a soothing lullaby compared to the unrelenting grip of the heat.

- KnB -

"Ah, it's finally a bit cooler."

Kuroko got up and opened the shoji door, leaning against the doorframe as he gazed at the sunset underneath the sky now painted with splashes of red, orange, pink and purple.

"It's actually quite nice here once the heat is more bearable," Akashi commented as he got up as well and came up behind the blunet. Kuroko allowed himself to lean against the taller man; Akashi had gained another few inches while he himself had only sprung up to five foot four. Not bad, but he still felt slightly uncomfortable when the other male towered over him.

"I suppose so."

"Would you like to order for dinner now?"

"Alright, is there any Maji Burger nearby?"

"Ah, your milkshakes, hm? Still obsessed with them, aren't you?" Akashi patted him on the head, messing up his already gravity-defying sky blue hair.

"Akashi-kun!"

"Alright, alright. Yes, there is one nearby; I'll have them deliver your precious vanilla milkshake, in fact two if you would like."

"That will do," Kuroko gave him a satisfied look; to be spoiled like a child sometimes was one of the quirks along being with Akashi.

It was then that the tune of Bad Romance rang through the air, and Kuroko separated from Akashi to get the cellphone that was in his back pocket. The redhead obviously looked displeased, as a prominent frown dawning on his face and brows furrowed, that the blunet almost found it comical.

Just as he was about to let out a small giggle at Akashi's expression, he saw the call ID on the screen.

Onoe Ritsuke.

His thumb hovered on the phone button in the middle, hesitation in his form. Akashi was silent, watching the blunet from the side, waiting to see what he would do.

The button slid left and the phone fell silent.

Beside him, a smirk appeared as quickly as it disappeared from Akashi's face.

"Looks like I had the best moment in calling you?"

"For me it was the worst timing ever, Akashi-kun."

"Tetsuya, don't say that now."

"But I guess you're right," a bitter smile played on Kuroko's lips but his eyes were still as blank as slate, endless pools of blue.

"Is it going to be alright?"

"Huh?" He looked up with a confused expression.

"That girl, for you to not pick up her call."

The blunet looked down, his hair covering his eyes, "Yes...it's alright."

"Kuroko…"

The black of Akashi's yukata was suddenly all he could see, other than the fair skin that contrasted sharply with the colour of the thin material.

"Akashi-kun…?"

"Tetsuya…"

One hand reached up to caress the blunet's face, tracing his jawline, and Kuroko found himself leaning into the soothing touch. The slim fingers tilted his head back to stare into those commanding orbs of crimson and gold, and a shudder ran through him.

"Akashi-kun, I would hardly want to commit the same wrong and become a hypocrite."

The redhead chuckled lowly, "So you do acknowledge what is going on."

"I never said I didn't, Akashi-kun," he answered bluntly; his wide eyes staring blankly with disinterest. "Though, I never took you to be so interested in such matters."

"Of course I would be," Akashi leaned forward even more, until they were at eye level. Kuroko could feel the warmth from the forehead that went against his and he struggled to maintain eye contact with crimson orbs.

"How could I not when I've been waiting so long for you?"

"...Akashi-kun, surely you are not suggesting of our lack of contact? If I may mention, Akashi-kun was the one who would not answer my messages."

The other stiffened, his eyes darkening with what seemed to be pain and...regret?

Kuroko hesitated.

"But perhaps, you are all correct. Maybe I should confront Ritsuke-san soon; I must admit that my patience is wearing out considering that a decent portion of my income, which could have been used for vanilla milkshakes, is being used on something else."

Akashi blinked; surprise evident on his face as he took a few steps back.

The blunet indulged the redhead with one of his rare smiles, the edges of his lips lifting upwards ever so slightly.

"And I'll be waiting for whatever you have to say then, Akashi-kun."

Akashi laughed; the burst of amusement starting small, until it became a large resounding laughter that made him lose his usual perfect posture and wrap his arms around himself.

"Tetsuya, after all this and to think that your vanilla milkshakes are still your top priority," he managed to force out, his laughter slowly dying into small chuckles.

"Hmph," the blunet pouted adorably, his eyes slitting dangerously. "I'll have Akashi-kun know that one who cannot appreciate the beauty and goodness of vanilla milkshakes will be subjected to justifiable torture and punishment."

"Now, now, Tetsuya. Did I not promise you two vanilla milkshakes already?"

"Perhaps I may feel better with a vanilla cake added to that."

Akashi sighed, a resigned tone laced with happiness in his voice, "I suppose I could arrange that."