interlude: back to bygone days.

chapter summary: "I love you..." The words slip from Tetsuya's mouth, easily, just like water flowing from a stream, "I love you, Seijuurou."

notes: i wanted to write something to clear some things about how Kuroko was banished from the realms, or what exactly he did and this was the product of that. i also wanted to write it in Akashi's point of view. yeeeehhh, so i hope you enjoy it!

-0-

For soul keepers, time moves slowly.

Every day they have a schedule of souls to fetch, a quota given to them by their elders.

Seijuurou is one of the oldest soul keepers, having been born three hundred years before Tetsuya's time.

When Tetsuya came to be, Seijuurou was out with a friend, a gate keeper named Midorima Shintarou to visit a muse named Kise Ryouta– who evidently had something to tell the red haired soul keeper.

They were sitting in the blonde's realm, the muses lived in a palace made out of gold, where water flows freely—the blonde had once joked that he had been 'dripping with good looks, which prompted Shintarou to whack him upside the head.

The muse approaches them in his white tunic, Seijuurou notices that Ryouta has a skip in his steps.

"He has come," Ryouta flashes one of those million-watt smiles of his, it's blinding almost.

"Who has come?" Seijuurou raises an elegant eyebrow at this.

"Someone that will be special to you. The stars told me just moments ago."

Seijuurou almost laughs at the idea of someone so special. He doesn't believe in it. Many of the seniors have told him that he will experience it one day as they all have. Even the most trusted Shuuzo has told him that it is a wonderful feeling to be with their… destined.

To be honest, Seijuurou has no time for it. He cares not if he's bound to this person. He has a job to do. He is made to collect souls, not to fall in love with this being– whoever he is.

-0-

There's a new soul keeper at their realm.

He hopes that it's not him who has to guide him.

"Seijuurou," The elder speaks, "I will be assigning him to you. Make sure he learns his duties well."

Well certainly the Creator hates him.

-0-

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, I will be in your care for now on."

-0-

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it fascinating Akashi-san?"

"What's fascinating about humans dying?"

"Well… they have such short lives."

-0-

Seijuurou's getting ready for the day. His house is located downtown, just minutes away from the gates where they come down to the human world to collect souls.

For the past century, Tetsuya has been "rooming" with him—more like living with him, but he doesn't want to admit to that. He's still not used to this, however, since he's lived three hundred years of his life alone.

Tetsuya isn't a messy roommate per say, just that he has a knack of disappearing.

"Will you stop that?" Seijuurou snaps as he's getting ambrosia and nectar from his–he refuses to call it 'their', cabinets.

"Stop what?" Tetsuya replies almost innocently with a sly smile on his face. That brat he knows exactly what he's doing, "Living? Akashi-san you and I both know you can't do that. Unless Death comes and unbinds me."

Seijuurou ignores his snide comments and readies himself for another day. He moves to get the list of souls he needs to collect for today. He buckles the belt on his waist that has a jar of where the souls go.

"You should hurry up," He reminds Tetsuya.

"Right behind you Akashi-san," Tetsuya answers.

Seijuurou unravels his golden wings and takes off.

-0-

"Good work."

Unlike the two of them, Midorima Shintarou is a gate keeper. He's a being who chooses where the souls need to go. He reviews the humans' lives and judges them if they either go to reincarnation or to rest.

"How do you know when to send them to reincarnation?" It's one thing that Seijuurou notices, Tetsuya is impeccably observant. Maybe it's because the young soul keeper has only been alive for one hundred years.

Tetsuya lets out the souls he's collected, white orbs of light flow, there's three of them. The soul of a soldier, a mother, and a young girl.

Shintarou inspects them closely touching each soul lightly, "The ones that get sent to reincarnation are the one's who have lived unfulfilled lives and those who have regrets."

Shintarou holds out the soul of the young girl. Her orb is smaller than the two and a lot dimmer, "Like this young one," The gate keeper explains, "She died of what humans call 'pneumonia'. She was only five when she died, she has not even made a mark for herself."

The gate keeper then takes a key from his chain and opens the gate. He clasps his hand in prayer as he watches the soul glide through the gate before closing again.

"The others however," The gate keepers gestures to the two remaining soul, "They wish to rest."

"...Five years is such a short time." Tetsuya murmurs under his breath.

It is indeed.

-0-

Seijuurou looks at Tetsuya as he comes down from his bedroom.

He tries to hide his smirk at the sight of Tetsuya's bed head.

"I know it looks bad, don't try to hide it."

-0-

Tetsuya is a weird soul keeper.

"Akashi-san," He calls out as Seijuurou is about to take off to the sky, "Why don't we walk to the gates today."

"That will take more time than needed," Seijuurou deadpans, "What's the use of our wings if we don't use them for their purpose?"

"What's the use of our legs if you don't use them for their purpose?" The teal haired soul keeper retorts.

-0-

They walk to the gates that day.

They're incredibly late for their first assignment.

-0-

They visit the muse, Kise Ryouta. This is Tetsuya's first time at their place. The young soul keeper is amazed at the brand new scenery that he sees.

Seijuurou forgets that Tetsuya has yet to explore their realm and the people who live in it. The city is the capital, but there are more places, in this case, the palace of the muses.

"Ah! Akashicchi!" The male muse lightens when he sees the red head and Seijuurou could feel an incoming headache coming. Ryouta tends to get very loud when he sees his friends.

"Ryouta," Seijuurou greets in an elegant manner.

He hands Ryouta a package, "These are for you. The elders wanted to give you and your sisters this for all your hard work."

"Ah," The muse smiles, "Thank you very much! Please tell them I appreciate the things they do for us!"

The blond narrows his attention to the soul keeper beside Seijuurou who's been busy looking at the muse's palace, "Ah… so you're him."

Seijuurou knits his eyebrows confused.

Tetsuya then looks at Ryouta, "Excuse me?"

Ryouta gives that knowing smile, but he says nothing.

Seijuurou has an idea what the muse is thinking.

"Would you like to roam the realms with me?

Tetsuya nearly drops the scroll that he's reading, his face is blank but the slight widening of his eyes indicates the shock at Seijuurou's proposition.

"Am I dreaming... or did Akashi-san just ask me to do something with him?"

Seijuurou turns his head sidewards, his cheeks heating up,"Well, I don't have to invite you if you are so busy with your reading."

"... Akashi-san is cute when he is flustered like this," Tetsuya tells him in a teasing manner.

"If you're just going to make fun of me, I'm leaving you."

-0-

Tetsuya goes with him anyways.

-0-

"You like him."

"I do not, shut your mouth, Ryouta."

-0-

That doesn't stop him from taking Tetsuya to places he's never been to before.

-0-

"You definitely like him."

"I agree with Kise."

"You two are being imbecilic."

"And you're just being stubborn."

-0-

He takes Tetsuya to the place where stars are born and die.

They watch as gases form, hues of blue and violet forming new stars, some are red and yellow that explode into nothingness.

Most of the time though he watches the younger soul keeper. He wonders how such a thing could fascinate Tetsuya so much.

-0-

"Is it weird that beings like us don't die?" Tetsuya asks him one day while flying back to the gates. Tetsuya tends to be like this as he ages. He's three hundred years old now.

"It's not when we're given a purpose. We're not as fragile as humans are, Tetsuya."

-0-

"Akashi-san, can I call you Seijuurou?"

"...You may."

-0-

"Alright, stop lying to yourself. You definitely like him."

"I only tolerate him."

Ryouta's face is smug, "Mhmm."

-0-

They have a little time to spare that day. After they've collected the souls, Seijuurou takes Tetsuya to the shorelines of a tiny island.

The water is crystal blue, and they sit at the edge where the water meets the sand.

"I've never seen pink sand before," Tetsuya marvels as he picks up some watching it fall from his fingers.

The two of them sit down, their robes are getting wet but they couldn't care less.

Not when it the sun is setting down with an explosion of colours Seijuurou's had the privilege of witnessing. Not when Tetsuya rests his head on his shoulders. Not when their wings touch, gold with sky blue, almost like the sun and the sky itself.

Seijuurou understands. Ryouta is right. He has fallen hard.

"Beautiful."

He wasn't talking about the sunset.

-0-

Seijuurou likes to watch Tetsuya sleep.

They're at the gardens of their realm, lazing around for the day. All their duties have been dealt with beforehand so this is a welcoming break for the two of them.

They're under an old wisteria tree. Tetsuya lays his head on Seijuurou's lap. The red haired soul keeper threads his fingers through Kuroko's wings and the younger soul keeper sighs in his sleep.

"I love you..." The words slip from Tetsuya's mouth, easily, just like water flowing from a stream, "I love you, Seijuurou."

He leans forward and places a chaste kiss on Tetsuya's forehead, "I love you too, Tetsuya..."

-0-

The moment they enter Ryouta's room, the blond notices their fingers are intertwined and he smirks that all knowing smirk of his, "I told you so."

-0-

"...Seijuurou?"

"Yes?"

"Can I sleep next to you tonight?"

-0-

What used to be Seijuurou's room becomes 'their' room.

Their house. Their cups. Their furniture. Their place. Theirs. Theirs. Theirs.

"Let's go to our room?"

Ours.

-0-

"You and him are meant for each other. The stars told me so."

-0-

There's war on Earth.

The two of them along with the other soul keepers watch as swords clash with shields, watch as arrows fly, watch as humans fight each other.

"Why do think they do this?"

Seijuurou honestly doesn't know the answer to that.

They watch as fire swallow the humans whole.

-0-

"Why do you think we are given this job?"

"We are just made that way Tetsuya."

-0-

Seijuurou finds out that Tetsuya loves looking at the stars. Not the ones that are viewed closely, the ones that form and the ones that die, but the ones, millions and millions of miles away, on the human world, where they look like tiny dots on the sky.

He and Tetsuya are laying down together, with his arms around Tetsuya slim figure, he smells the scent of Tetsuya, the smell of ambrosia and fresh flowers that grow in the spring. A smell that Seijuurou's grown to love.

Tetsuya moves to look at the stars above,"Kise-kun says that the stars are where prophecies are made."

"Mhmm," He replies as he buries his face in Tetsuya's hair.

"I wish we could stay together like this."

"You know we can't. We have duties to attend to."

There's silence between them and Tetsuya quietly whispers, "I know."

-0-

Their first kiss is clumsy.

There's not an occasion for it, there were no star gazing, they were at home, at their room, and it just happened.

Tetsuya tugs him closer, and Seijuurou cups his face, Tetsuya leans closer and closer, and Seijuurou decides to go for it.

He leans forward meeting Tetsuya halfway.

Their teeth accidentally hit each other. They part and laugh at each other.

"We're so bad at this."

"Yeah..."

They try again.

Their lips touch and something is ignited.

And again.

It's addicting how Tetsuya feels under his touch.

And again.

Until they are out of breath and satisfied in each other's arms.

-0-

They kiss everyday.

They kiss in the morning when they wake up.

They kiss in the middle of duties.

They kiss at night when they're about to sleep.

And when the morning comes, they do it again, over and over and over again.

And it's the most wonderful feeling that Seijuurou's had the honour of feeling.

-0-

He loves Kuroko Tetsuya.

Through and through.

He finally understands.

-0-

Their kind can only fall in love once.

Seijuurou has fallen and he's fairly sure Tetsuya has too.

-0-

Tetsuya is the key to his heart.

He doesn't know what he would do if he were to lose him someday.

It's a good thing that their lives are eternal.

-0-

Tetsuya is five hundred years old when Seijuurou starts to notice something amiss.

"She got murdered."

"She did."

"It isn't fair."

"That's how life works for humans, Tetsuya. It's unexpected. It's unfair."

-0-

Tetsuya likes the human world, but he's never actually spent his time there. There's only a handful of places they go and it's always secluded. Tetsuya likes to see what humans do. How humans interact. He's very fascinated with them.

One night, Seijuurou takes Kuroko to a place Athens. It's a buzzing city, the streets are full of merchants, full of people, dancers, humans that Tetsuya is so transfixed with.

They hide themselves in red cloaks, a garment in which he got from Shuuzo, it's magical the older says, it conceals their true form and that's how they're about to walk around without being noticed.

"Where do we go?" Tetsuya asks.

Seijuurou smiles and ruffles his soft baby blue hair, "Wherever you want to, lead me to where you want."

Tetsuya gladly takes that offer. He clasps Seijuurou's hands and they run from stall to stall, trying human food, talking to merchants, chatting with the commoners and several passerby. Everything that Tetsuya wanted to do that night, they do.

-0-

One visit to the human world becomes two, then three, then more times than Seijuurou can count.

Tetsuya's becoming attached.

-0-

They watch as the world ends for the first time.

They're aware that this will be happening. A massive flood that will wipe humanity.

Soul keepers will busy collecting these them, Seijuurou contemplates.

He notices that Tetsuya's gone pale and he has a death grip on Seijuurou's hand. He notices Tetsuya's shredding tears.

He doesn't say anything.

He keeps his head straight.

Keeps looking at the scene that unfold.

Watches as humans gasp for breath.

He keeps his head straight, as he squeezes Tetsuya's hand, this is what they have to do. This is what they are meant to do. They're soul keepers.

"This is our job," He reminds Tetsuya.

"I know."

-0-

Humans are diverse creatures. In a few decades, the population is growing slowly, they're making towns, cities, countries, again.

-0-

He takes Tetsuya back to that island again. This has been one of Tetsuya's favourite places in the human world.

They sit down near the water and watch as the waves come up and go down again. It calming to his ears with the waves like this and with Tetsuya next to him. His arms are around Tetsuya's waist as he rests his head on Tetsuya's shoulders.

He wants to keep Tetsuya warm, wants to comfort Tetsuya's troubles, wants to protect him.

"You love the human world don't you?" He voices out his thoughts.

Tetsuya doesn't answer for a while, "Humans are very interesting creatures."

They watch as the waves come up and go back down again, "It makes me want to know more about them."

Seijuurou wraps his arms tighter, "You know you cannot."

"Maybe someday."

"There is nothing like that for us."

"Maybe someday." Tetsuya insists.

Seijuurou prays that that 'someday' will not come.

-0-

There's an incident that happens.

It's a rare occurrence and it happens unfortunately to Tetsuya.

Usually when souls depart, they would immediately go into a orb-like form, but this soul is different. She's still in her human form but she's translucent and glowing. When she sees Tetsuya she screams profanities at him.

Seijuurou tries to calm her, to tell her that she's made her purpose,that it's time to go, but she doesn't stop, "You claim my life! You kill me! You are death! You do not give me a chance!"

"N-no…" Tetsuya stutters, "I–"

"Please!" She screams, "Let me live! Give me my life back! I will do everything for you! Please, do not take me away!"

Seijuurou takes his own jar and uncaps it. Once the soul is inside he turns his attention to the younger soul keeper. Tetsuya's in front of him wide-eyed, clutching his hair, breathing heavily and his eyes glassy, pools of tears about to fall–

"Tetsuya…" Seijuurou tries to approach him.

Tetsuya drops to his knees and screams.

-0-

They go home that night and Tetsuya's murmuring apologies to the woman.

The two of them lay on their bed, Seijuurou wraps his arms Tetsuya's hips and pulls him closer. He listens to Tetsuya's broken sobs, his fractured sentences of apologies.

"I'm not… I–I'm not... T-this is…job…my job."

Seijuurou tries his best to soothe the younger, "It is, it's your job, you did nothing wrong."

"I'm so sorry."

-0-

Tetsuya drifts to sleep, while Seijuurou stays wide awake.

-0-

As the years pass, slowly, the light in Tetsuya's eyes goes dimmer leaving a hallow shell of what used to be a vibrant soul keeper.

"Let's go?"

"Okay." Tetsuya's voice is monotonic.

Seijuurou ignores the twisting pain is his heart.

-0-

Tetsuya barely smiles these days.

The only time that he does smile genuinely is when Akashi tells him that they don't have to collect souls for that day.

They go to their favourite places wasting their time.

And when the sun sets, they settle themselves under the wisteria tree where they first told each other their feelings, "…I wish every day…"

Tetsuya doesn't finish, his eyes close and he goes into deep slumber.

"We can't…" He whispers as he threads through Tetsuya's soft baby blue locks, "…but I wish I can give you that."

-0-

Seijuurou is surprised by Tetsuya one day.

"Make me forget. Make me feel loved."

-0-

"I love you."

"Always, Tetsuya, always."

It breaks his heart. He has inkling feeling that this will be the last.

He will lose Tetsuya tonight.

-0-

Seijuurou feigns sleep when he feels Tetsuya slip away from his hold. He doesn't open his eyes, but he could hear Tetsuya shuffle across the room.

The shuffling stops and he can feel Tetsuya's figure next to him.

He feels Tetsuya's lips on his cheek, a chaste fleeting kiss. A kiss goodbye.

"…I'm sorry Seijuurou, but I cannot live like this anymore."

He doesn't open his eyes until he's sure that Tetsuya's gone.

He gets up from where he lays, he thinks of Tetsuya.

He thinks of Tetsuya's sky blue eyes that held no secrets, he thinks of Tetsuya's soft hair, his voice, Tetsuya's kisses, the way Tetsuya felt under his touch.

Tetsuya. Tetsuya. Tetsuya.

The dam breaks and he cries.

-0-

Their kind can only fall in love once.

Seijuurou has fallen but his heart feels like it's been shattered to pieces

-0-

He does he his duties like always. It's routine. They get up, prepare for the day, check the list given to them one final time, fly to the gates, collect the souls, head back, give them to the gate keeper to check, go home.

He's done this for a millennia.

He waits for Tetsuya. Then he remembers that Tetsuya has left.

-0-

"He's left."

Shintarou almost drops the jar of souls, "…Where?"

"I do not know."

"He will be punished."

"I know."

-0-

Three days later, the guards find Tetsuya.

They bring him back to their house. Tetsuya is safe, not one cut to be found. Seijuurou visibly sighs at this. Tetsuya is safe. That's all that matters for now.

Tetsuya doesn't get up from the spot on the ground and Seijuurou approaches him grasping his shoulders.

Tetsuya is trembling, holding his hands close to his chest.

"How could you have done that?" Seijuurou knows why, knows the reason, but he needs to hear Tetsuya say it. He needs Tetsuya to tell him, "You've broken rules."

His tears are flowing silently as he waits for Tetsuya to say something, anything.

"But I cannot live like this." Tetsuya's voice is hoarse. He raises his head and meets Seijuurou's ruby eyes.

"We are made absolute," Seijuurou wipes his tears away, he feels so lost, they're lost, Tetsuya's tears are endless, "We are made absolute and what you have done, they will banish you."

They know full well of the rules. All beings in the realm are made absolute. They are to follow their rules, to do the job that is given to them, failure to do so will lead to punishment.

His chest is tight, he is so lost. He doesn't know what to do, Akashi Seijuurou, the best of their kind, ethereal, a being that made no mistakes, does not know what to do. His heart is aching, the mere thought of Tetsuya being away from him sends pains of agony in his heart.

Tetsuya as observant as he, sees through this. They look at each other and Seijuurou knows that this is what Tetsuya's decision is. He can't change that. Never can he tell Tetsuya what to do. He loves him far too much for that. He wishes he can tell Tetsuya to lie to the elders, that he will never stray from his responsibilities ever again, but he can't. He can't bring himself to make Tetsuya even more miserable.

Tetsuya brings their lips together and he savours that moment. Just the two of them, he thinks not of what will happen in the future. This is him and Tetsuya's time together.

This will be their last.

They part and he moves to place his forehead against Tetsuya's, he whispers

"What will become of me when you are gone?"

Tomorrow, Tetsuya will no longer be.

"I'll find you."

-0-

The elders call for Tetsuya as soon as the light came to their realms.

He finds Midorima and another soul keeper named, Mayuzumi Chihiro, outside their house. He's seen Chihiro in the realms but they've never made a conversation with each other aside from talking with each other for their work.

"The elders want to speak with you, Kuroko Tetsuya," Chihiro tells them, "You may also come Akashi Seijuurou."

They say nothing in return and follow Chihiro to the grand hall.

-0-

They walk inside, the place is made out of gold, just like the rest of their realm, there are tall pillars that decorated the room. Their elders stand behind tall desks, their hands folded, scrutinising them.

"We have called you here today for a grave crime Kuroko Tetsuya has made," A booming voice spoke, "Midorima Shintarou, is it true that the soul keeper Kuroko Tetsuya has neglected to do his duties?"

The gate keeper looks at them briefly, "Yes, it is true."

He could see the elder's face, they're disappointed, saddened by this, but rules are rules.

"Akashi Seijuurou," Another elder addresses him. He squeezes Tetsuya's hand.

"You have a choice," He continued, "We are made absolute, our beings are made with no mistakes."

Seijuurou nods at this. However, the elder points his look at Tetsuya.

"You are made to collect souls, Kuroko Tetsuya. You have breached rules of our kind. You are no longer welcome into this realm."

No. No.

Seijuurou finds his voice and argues, "He is young!" His argument is shallow, the elders will not let this through, but he has to try, he cannot lose Tetsuya, "He does not know better, please spare him."

"Being young is not an excuse," A mellow voice came, "These rules are what we have followed for thousands of years. You know what will come."

"Pity," The other says, "He had becomings of being great, but what he has done is inexcusable."

"Now, you will have to make a choice."

"We know of your relationship. Kise Ryouta has told us all about it, but as you know our kind can only fall once. Akashi Seijuurou, we give you the choice of forgetting Kuroko Tetsuya."

He feels Tetsuya stiffen next to him, "Or you keep all your memories, his punishment is still the same, unbinding."

"What will you choose?"

He glances at Tetsuya and he knows that the other knows what he will choose.

"Seijuurou, no…" Tetsuya pleads, "Forget me. Forget me. Choose to forget me."

He pays Tetsuya no mind and looks back to the elders, "I will choose my memories."

"Very well."

"Elders," Seijuuro kneels, "Please let me make a compromise."

"I do not think you are in the right place for that Seijuurou," Another voices out.

He ignores them, "I have made my life to serve you, but please let me find him. Let his soul reincarnate in the human world and let me find him."

"Seijuurou!" Tetsuya gasps.

"Preposterous! Are you insinuating that you would clip your wings for him?"

He ignores them and keeps his head down, "Please, I beg of you. I cannot live without him. This is all I ask. Let me share this punishment with him. He is half of me. We only fall in love once, this is the person the Creator has made for me, please let me be with him."

There's silence and then a sigh, "Very well."

He stands up and finds his way to Tetsuya, "I'll find you," He promises, "I'll find you and we'll be together once again."

He places his lips on Tetsuya's forehead, "I swear it."

Before Tetsuya can speak, the winds begin to pick up and Tetsuya is violently ripped away from his grasp.

"Tetsuya!" He reaches for him but he's held back by Chihiro and Shintarou.

He hears Tetsuya scream.

He's only heard of stories of others being unbounded, but seeing it with his own eyes, is entirely different.

He can see Tetsuya's body being unthreaded one by one, the strings curling into his throat, Tetsuya is gasping for air, reaching for him.

Then he sees a dark cloaked figure appear next to Tetsuya, Death.

"No!" He screams, he claws his way through Tetsuya, but the two are persistent holding him to place.

"You can't!" Chihiro shouts back.

Tetsuya looks back, "D…ea…th."

Death touches Tetsuya's wings, they're frozen to the touch. Slowly, Tetsuya's sky blue wings freeze along with his threads.

"Tetsuya!" He watches as Death raises his hand and collides it with Tetsuya's wings.

Every thing shatters at that moment.

Death is gone, but so is Tetsuya. Not a single trace could be found.

The winds calm, and slowly the two let go of his arms. He falls down to his knees.

"Dismissed."

-0-

"Good work."

"Thank you." The red head turns back to make his leave.

"Akashi…" Shintarou calls.

The soul keeper turns back, "Yes?"

"Do you ever tire of waiting for him?"

The smile on Seijuurou's face is bitter, tired, "Why, Shintarou, I have a lifetime."

-0-

Ryouta calls for him once again, three millenniums have passed. Seijuurou has watched the world evolve to what is has become. Watched it fall many times in war. Watched as humans lived and died.

Three millenniums without Tetsuya.

"Akashicchi," The muse leads him to the golden basin. Ryouta dips his finger into it and the water ripples. When the water settles it shows the sight of eyes like the sky, light blue hair, chubby rosy cheeks, and pink lips.

"It's him," Seijuurou's heart swells.

Ryouta smiles, "It's him."

-0-

Seijuurou flies down to the human world the day after that.

Tetsuya is a toddler and he's adventurous, just like how he was when he lived at the realm. He loves to observe. He loves to go to places.

As young human walks up the hill he misses a step and evidently loses his balance. Seijuurou then swoops down to catch him.

He settles Tetsuya on the ground and pats his head.

Tetsuya gives him an adorable laugh in return and Seijuurou's beams.

"I found you."

-0-

to the future, when we are together once again

-0-