AN:So I'll be clear now from the start and say that homosexuality is accepted in this universe! It is not meant to be realistic or historically accurate!

'Italics' = internal thinking

Chapter 1

The Kiseki.

The ship of miracles, they called it. One of the largest and exquisite cruise ships in the world. Ever since its first voyage it had been praised for its functionality, speed and size. At least by the engineers and newspapers; the rich aristocrats cared more for its good service and luxuries.

For Kagami Taiga, however, it was nothing of the sort. Under different circumstances it may have been, for sure, but because the circumstances weren't different...he did not have very high opinions. Or expectations. To him, the Kiseki was a prison; a temporary one out at sea from which he could not escape. A temporary prison that would take him to a permanent one.

He was leaving Seirin, his home, to be shipped over to a country foreign to him and where he knew no one. No one except his current company; his fiance and her brother. And a few servants, of course, including one of Taiga's own.

"Kagami-kun," his valet said, a young man by the name Kuroko Tetsuya, "I shall go and inquire about your luggage."

Taiga nodded.

"Thank you, Kuroko."

It wasn't much, but he was very happy to have at least one person with him whom he considered a friend. His aunt, Alexandra Garcia, had been meant to join him as his chaperone, but business required her to stay in Seirin. There was no replacement for her; Taiga's father had not thought it necessary for him to be chaperoned in the first place. He'd made it clear that he trusted Tagia's future brother-in-law to keep an eye on him.

And speaking of which…

Akashi Seijuurou was the man who'd found him. A Teikou aristocrat who now at the age of 23 had become the new head of his family. And he'd thought it an excellent idea to find a rich Seirinian* heir for his younger sister. Since she was the second child, she was not entitled to inherit much of the family fortune and thus needed to marry a man able to provide for her. Of course, due to her status she could not marry just anyone, but someone with a decent fortune and position.

Someone like Taiga, more specifically.

Seijuurou had used his charisma and diplomatic skills on Taiga's father, and tempting him with promises of success and expansion of the Kagami Railway Company. Beneficial business deals...Taiga's father's greatest weakness. His company would grow and with it his influence and reputation, and his only son married to an aristocrat girl from one of Teikou's wealthiest families. Of course the man had not been able to refuse such an offer.

And Taiga had been in no position to refuse no matter how much he loathed the idea, unless he wanted to be disowned and left with nothing. When his father wanted something, he got it. And with Seijuurou's help the two youngsters were engaged a month after their first meeting.

Now, Taiga did not dislike her. Setsuna Akashi was a sweet girl. Quite pretty, but frail and sickly. Sometimes days could pass without her leaving the bed and often she'd be engaged in activities that required little movement. She was rather short and thin, with skin pale even by Teikou standards. Her hair was a pinkish red and reached down to her lower back in soft waves. Though usually it was tied up in the latest Teikou fashion with her favorite hairpin of gilded metal and pearls. Her eyes matched her hair in color but were framed by lashes of black. Quite often, on days when she was not feeling well, there would be darkened rings to be seen beneath said eyes.

But her personality Taiga liked quite well. She was gentle, patient and understanding. Not like her brother, whom Taiga did not like as much.

After Tetsuya left to speak with the staff about his luggage, Taiga took the time to study the Kiseki a bit closer. Around him people were doing the same and chattered excitedly, obviously enjoying the sight of it and looking forward to get aboard. There were also those who were seeing members of their families or friends off, waving like mad despite obviously not beeing seen from all the way up there.

"What's the big deal?" He asked with a careless shrug, "it's just a big piece of metal."

Behind him Seijuurou scoffed and with a smile of mild amusement went to stand next to him.

"A ship, Taiga", he said in that typical superior tone of his. It had become apparent to Taiga rather quickly that his future brother-in-law did not have the best sense of humor. Nor was he particularly receptive to sarcasm. He knew fully well that Taiga's choice of words was intentional, but just could not resist correcting him on it.

Seijuurou observed the ship with much appreciation while he continued to speak.

"One of the grandest in the world."

It was Taiga's turn to scoff.

"Grand," he said with small roll of his eyes, "what's that supposed to mean anyway? It's a wide term."

"There is much of it to be admired. Its size, for one, in relation to its speed. It made the headlines after its maiden voyage for arriving two days prior the estimated time, thus exceeding everyone's expectations. That in itself is grand, wouldn't you say? There is also, of course, the genius ingenuity. Its structure and the technology that drives it is recognized by many."

Taiga was still not convinced.

"And to some, it's the caviar they serve that is genius ingenuity. Grand caviar," he muttered sourly and took his eyes off the ship.

No, not convinced. And Seijuurou, in return, was no longer so amused. He had not made it a secret that he wasn't fond of Taiga's snide remarks, as it was unbefitting someone of his stature. Or at least, his future stature as a part of the Akashi family. Of course, he also had a low tolerance for disrespectful behavior. Mr. Kagami had warned him; that his son was a bit 'rough around the edges', as he'd put it. But Seijuurou planned to change that. If anyone could teach Taiga some Teikou etiquette and manners, it was him.

"As the heir to a railroad company, you really ought to learn how to appreciate industrial wonders such as this. Especially 'big pieces of metal'. Metal that may even improve the Kagami rails."

One of Seijuurou's servants, the big one whom Taiga had secretly named Gorilla, appeared to inform him that all of their luggage had been taken aboard, except for the green safe he carried under one of his big, muscled arms. The cars were being taken to the cargo hold and everything else seemed to be in order.

Pleased, Seijuurou gave the man a nod.

"Good. The safe is to be put in my suite when we board. Be very careful with it."

Gorilla, or Nebuya Eikichi as was his real name, offered a short bow.

"And stay behind Setsuna in case she needs assistance. She was quite exhausted yesterday and I do not trust the maids with the task."

"Yes, sir."

With the luggage taken care of, it was now time for them to board. Unlike the third-class passengers, Seijuurou, Taiga and the rest of their company were not obliged to go through the health inspection. And with the Akashi name behind them, they would be granted first place in the line.

"Well then, shall we?", he said without expecting an answer. But before he began to walk he addressed the young Kagami heir.

"Oh, and Taiga…"

"Hm?"

"Do try to mind your accent. No more it's and what's…and certainly no more y'all. It is not Teikou custom. Remember, as my sister's fiancé you have not only yours and her reputation to think of, but that of the whole family. Appearance is everything."

After his little lecture he gave a pat to Taiga's shoulder and began to make his way towards the boarding. Taiga glared after him and did not follow until he was joined by Setsuna at his side.

"The biggest boat I ever saw," she said jokingly to which Taiga gave a soft chuckle. He turned to her with a playful smirk.

"Ship, Setsuna," he said in a clear imitation of Seijuurou's voice, "one of the grandest in the world. I shall not tolerate the word boat in my presence."

Recognizing it for what it was, she could not help but laugh. There were few who would dare make fun of her brother, but she found it rather refreshing. Taiga himself was refreshing.

'Seijuurou will have a difficult time with him,' she thought to herself and found that she did not mind it as much as she probably should. Perhaps her brother would break the engagement if Taiga angered him enough.

Her laughter was a pleasant sound and Taiga figured that she would be his best option of company during this dreadful trip. While they had not found love in each other despite their engagement, they had become quite good friends.

"I like 'boat' better, though," he said and offered her his arm, "probably because your brother doesn't like it."

She chuckled again and took a gentle hold of his arm to accept him as her escort.

"Yes. Would it not be a shame if we forgot that fact a few times during our trip? He dislikes many things so no one would blame us for not remembering that particular one, surely."

They shared a mischievous look and through it came to a silent agreement.

"Boat it is from now on, then."

They walked in a relaxed pace and took in the surroundings of the harbor and the excitement of the people there. Eikichi walked behind them faithfully, ready to help the young mistress once they crossed the little bridge to the ship's first-class entrance. In the end he didn't have to as she was in better health today and Taiga was more than enough to help her.

Once they were all on the ship they'd gone straight to their cabins. And Taiga admitted, despite his prior disinterest, that his own suite was rather impressive. The walls were made of dark wooden panels with carvings painted in gold and the floor was completely covered by red carpet. The suite consisted of a large sitting room, a bedroom and bathroom. A bit dark and lacking in color, but all in all exquisite and comfortable. Spacious as well.

Seijuurou's suite was even more impressive and was located two doors down. Setsuna would reside in the opposite end of the hallway, with her maids close by.

She and Taiga were walking behind Seijuurou as a member of the staff introduced him to his personal solar deck connected to his suite. It had floor to ceiling windows lined up along the outer wall, giving a splendid view of the sea and during evenings it would have the sunset on its side.

"Is there anything else I may assist you with, sir?" He asked but Seijuurou dismissed him with a small gesture of his hand.

He glanced out one of the windows for a moment before turning to his sister and her fiancé who were having a quiet conversation.

"Setsuna, Taiga, the three of us shall have breakfast here every morning at nine thirty."

They turned to him in perfect sync, their conversation having reached an abrupt end, but were not given time to reply. Seijuurou was already on his way back inside and felt an answer to his command unnecessary. For a command it was and he fully expected compliance.

They looked after him as he left, Setsuna more bothered about Taiga's scowl than her brother. While she was used to him always getting his way, Taiga was not and during the short time they'd known each other, she knew that he did not like to be ordered around. But their engagement had been an order that he had not been able to disobey. If there was anyone who could force Taiga's compliance, it was his headstrong father.

Setsuna chose to say nothing of the matter as she knew it would be of little help at that moment. Instead she decided to leave as well and offered Taiga a sheepish smile.

"I am a little fatigued. I will go and rest for a while."

"Oh, alright. I'll see you at dinner, then."

She nodded and after she'd left with her handmaiden, Taiga was by himself which he found to be a great relief. It had been a stressful day and he needed some time alone; some peace and quiet. He went back to his own suite and sat there for a while before deciding to go outside for a turn around the ship.

There was no doubt in Aomine Daiki's mind that he was currently one of the luckiest people in the world. For someone of his position, poor and homeless, to be on one of the finest ships in the world was nothing short of a miracle. Quite fitting, considering that the Kiseki was considered the ship of miracles.

It wasn't often he tried his luck in gambling. He didn't have much to bet in the first place and he wasn't the best at bluffing either. But when he'd seen the prize at stake, a third class ticket to the Kiseki, he could not find it in himself to miss the opportunity.

Daiki did not understand why anyone would risk losing that in a game of poker, but he did by no means complain. Even less so when he actually won the thing.

Simply being lucky was a gross understatement.

After getting through the health inspection he went to find his room. It was on the third lowest floor, that much he'd known from the start, but navigating through the corridors that were filled with people who were also trying to find their cabins was somewhat more difficult.

"B-50…B-50," he muttered to himself as he moved through the maze of white walls, crowds and closed doors until he finally found it. With a triumphant cry he wasted no time and opened the door.

Inside were three others and all turned to him upon his entry. He cared little for the attention and simply gave them a greeting while placing his backpack on the last free bed.

"You all know each other?" He then asked and shook hands with the man closest to him, who introduced himself as Wakamatsu Kosuke.

"Those two are," Kosuke said and nodded towards the other two, "I met them in the line for the health inspection."

"Imayoshi Shouichi," the taller of the two said and offered his hand for Daiki to shake. The other one did the same afterwards.

"S-Sakurai Ryou. N-nice to meet you."

Imayoshi took the opportunity to add, "we're cousins. Going to Teikou for work."

"Aomine Daiki. Nice to meet you too."

Since their cabin was rather small even when built to hold four people in it, Daiki and Kosuke went outside, on the lower deck, to get some fresh air and share stories about their pasts and reasons for taking the Kiseki to Teikou.

Kosuke was from Seirin originally and had family there, but on his 20th birthday a week back his parents had given him the ticket as a present. He'd always wanted to go to Teikou, he told Daiki, and make something of himself. It was his dream and his parents wanted him to succeed, hence the contribution.

When it was Daiki's turn he'd simply shrugged and said "I won the ticket in a game of poker. I was born in Teikou and lived there for a long time so this trip is just me going back home."

Kosuke had believed the poker part to be a joke at first, but when he was convinced otherwise he was amazed.

"So, why are you going back? You got family there?"

Daiki shrugged.

"No, I'll be staying with a friend for a while. I worked at a few steel mills in Seirin to get some savings. I'm just going back because I feel like it; I never stay in the same place long."

"Then how about joining me? Once I've earned enough money I'll start my own thing"

"Yeah maybe."

Encouraged by the answer, Kosuke began to tell him about further details of his plans and for a while Daiki listened. But when he looked up towards the upper deck he was greeted by a sight that blocked out everything his new friend was saying.

Up there stood the most handsome and beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on. And he'd seen a lot of attractive men.

He was young; undoubtedly no older than twenty. Tall and a body build similar to Daiki's, although a little broader by the shoulders. His hair was a scarlet red, the tips a shade darker, and it matched his equally red eyes.

He was finely dressed, Daiki noted. Clothes of a true gentleman; elegant, expensive...and quite uncomfortable-looking, in Daiki's humble opinion. And when the young man hooked a finger into his collar, tugging on it with a slight frown, it seemed like he thought so too. He then loosened his tie and smiled to himself with what was clearly relief, happy to be freed from the tight piece of fabric.

Daiki continued to watch, ignoring Wakamatsu's hand that waved in front of him as a means to gain his attention. Not even the teasing remarks could pull him back from his current enchantment.

Yes, this man with the red hair and eyes was just that, enchanting. Daiki would remember him for as long as he lived.

'I wonder what his name is.'

The longer the thought lingered, the more he wanted to find out. Unfortunately it was most unlikely, if not impossible, for the two of them to meet or speak with each other. Despite the short distance that separated them, they lived in different worlds. His position on the lower deck and the other on the upper, was a symbol of that.

So without any knowledge of the man's name, Daiki decided to refer to him as 'Gorgeous' from then on.

Gorgeous was looking ahead of himself and seemed to be enjoying the view of the ocean ahead. His hair was constantly being ruffled by the wind and his arms were resting casually against the metal railing.

Then he was suddenly joined by another man; shorter and paler and even fancier dressed. His hair was red too, but a different shade that bordered on cerise. Daiki couldn't see it too clearly from where he stood, but this man's eyes seemed to be heterochromic. It could've just been the light for all he knew though.

But more interesting was the interaction between the two of them. As soon as the shorter one stopped in front of Gorgeous, his face grew hard and disapproving. His mouth moved as he spoke and he made a gesture towards Gorgeous's loosened tie and unbuttoned shirt collar.

In return, Gorgeous shook his head with that previously worn scowl of his and turned away, eyes now back towards the sea. The obvious attempt at ignoring did not sit well with the other who none too gently grabbed him by the arm.

Slowly Gorgeous turned to look at him again and yanked his arm free. He said something and walked back inside without looking back at his companion.

Daiki quickly decided that he did not like said companion. He could probably find more reasons if he searched for them, but currently there were three that affected his opinion. Firstly, this man -whom he decided to call 'Shorty' for now- had come and ruined his view of Gorgeous. Secondly, it brought unwanted questions about their relationship. Daiki knew he had no right or justified reasons to be jealous, but the thought of Shorty and Gorgeous together did not sit well with him. And as for the third reason of his mislike...there was something cold and dark in those strange eyes after Gorgeous went back inside. Yes, Shorty was still standing out there by himself and stared ahead with an expression that held some traces of ill intent.

"Aomine, let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry", said Wakamatsu and this time managed to gain Daiki's attention. He glanced up at the upper deck and scoffed. With the absence of his friend's object of affection, the enchantment was broken.

Daiki sighed and gave Kosuke a nod.

"Yes, let's go."

They made to leave the lower deck to go inside for the third class dining hall.

"Don't be so down! I heard there is stew for dinner tonight. With beef and all!" Kosuke chattered excitedly next to him as they went. Though Daiki was only half listening, he nodded again and before they got inside he glanced back at the upper deck that was now empty. Though he decided that he would visit this very spot as often as he could because it was at the moment the most likely way of him seeing Gorgeous again.

* Seirinian = a person from Seirin