Disclaimer: Don't Own.
Word Count: 1684
Pairing: AoKuro
So I know this took me awhile to type up from the last chapter, but I've been trying to figure out how to cram it all into 3 more chapters (this one, and 2 more consecutively). I don't have the time to flesh it out further like I'd wanted. Please read the A/N at the bottom for more details on this.
Thank you everyone who's following the story, reviewing and the like. Love you all. Shouldn't need to be saying this but I will anyway. Unbeta'd, will get around to looking over it.
The boy continually returned to the sea after that dream in hopes that it really hadn't been a trick of the mind. It was a saddening thought, and several times he'd padded out knee-deep in contemplation before returning to his seat on the beach. When he meets ocean blue eyes for the first time he's shocked, but he welcomes it. Welcomes the changes meeting them brings.
He doesn't expect to meet another person who walked the land like himself and they're different. Not like ocean blue, but crimson flame and vibrancy.
X.x.x.x.X
Tetsuya learns that Taiga's travelled from the north and happened to come across the pale teen on his way through—he hadn't known that a village had been nearby. The boy's grandfather openly welcomes Taiga hospitality, clearing out a dusty, unused room in the resident school building for him to stay in while he remains. Tetsuya's not too keen on this however; Taiga seems to realize whenever he's around and follows which has gained him an unwanted and loud leech whenever he wants to simply watch the sea. Even more annoying, Daiki does not visit when the red head is around.
It's after a week that Taiga's curiosity gets the better of him after following Tetsuya to the beach. "Why do you sit here every day for hours on end? Don't you get bored?"
Tetsuya regards him silently, casting a glance to the red head before turning back to the sea. The waves are particularly high today, rising around three to five feet and the color is slightly muddy; he's aware it signifies a storm will soon be coming and that he should probably head back. The clouds were already starting to overcast. Tetsuya does not answer him in hopes that Taiga will leave him to sit in silence without needing to listen to the loud red head but his wish falls unheeded.
Taiga begins to speak and Tetsuya tries to tune him out, but with the way he leans over to poke and prod at Tetsuya when he does not respond prevents the bluenette peace of mind. It's with an exasperated sigh that he stands, the drop of rain slipping from his nose alerting him of the need to head back lest he get soaked. Tetsuya is pleased he's made it inside his door moments before it comes down in white sheets; he spends the next several hours watching the rain through the window and thinking of Daiki.
Its several days before the rain lets up yet again and the vulgar heat has decided to bid farewell to a more fall-like weather. There's a slight chill to the air but it's not cold and Kuroko wraps himself in a cloak to ward away another impending illness the change would bring. He doesn't spend time in the village or with his grandfather that morning; instead he heads straight to the beach where he's actually somewhat surprised to see a dark-skinned, sleek back as Daiki faces the water. Tetsuya is silent walking up to him, silent like he usually is and presence undetectable, and he drops to the sand besides Daiki without a noise.
He can't help the chuckle that bubbles from his lips from the squawk of surprise that erupts from the other; it's the first time Tetsuya's heard a noise other than the monotone one-word answers he sometimes manages to pull from Daiki. He decides he enjoys it and he thinks of ways to pull more sounds from him like that, because while Daiki's a wonderful listener—it's odd being the more talkative person for once—Tetsuya wants to hear him speak more because he likes his deep, smooth, and slightly raspy voice. It's got an elegant tone to it that he doesn't hear from people in his tribe and Taiga certainly doesn't have the same low drawl that's enough to seduce every maiden he may meet and maybe even Tetsuya too. He's glad he's managed to avoid Taiga too; it's annoying when he follows Tetsuya to the beach and he's sure Daiki would have left the moment he heard the brash red head.
Instead, the surprise of finding Daiki on the beach makes Tetsuya happy and they sit there quietly for some time just enjoying the cooled air. He vaguely wonders if Daiki isn't at all cold being entirely nude but Tetsuya's also the only one who wears a coat until late fall so it's probably warmer for him than it is for Tetsuya himself. At some point he leans over, pressing his head against Daiki's arm.
Instead of being pushed away, they stay that way and Tetsuya dozes off. Daiki's warm beside him he shifts towards that warmth, semi-curling into a ball and half in his lap; the feeling of fingers running through his fringe doesn't much help and he falls into a deep sleep. He doesn't expect to wake in his bed later on but he does and his skin practically tingles because the warmth he'd felt from Daiki is gone, replaced by his own body heat cumulated from the blanket he's beneath. The warmth is different and unfulfilling in the way he'd felt from being next to Daiki, and it's almost depressing. But Tetsuya also has the feeling it won't be the last time he's in contact with him in that way so he doesn't let it bother him.
He knows Daiki's aware of his weak constitution, so he's a little curious if he carried Tetsuya back—he feels something bubble in his stomach at that thought, of Daiki walking back with Tetsuya cradled in his arms and entirely nude for the entire village to see—or if someone else had come along and carried him back. The soft snore from beside his bed gives him his answer, as he looks down the side and is presented with the view of a sleeping Taiga sprawled across the floor. Tetsuya feels a little annoyed; why couldn't he have gone back to his place within the school after leaving Tetsuya beneath the covers? But he can't be mad, not when Taiga was kind enough to do so, and if he asked himself, it was probably to make sure he was okay.
More questions arise, however, when he's left to think. Did Taiga see Daiki? Talk to him? Or did Daiki hear him coming and leave Tetsuya sleeping in the sand like the way he was generally prone to do? He's left with more questions than he has answers for no matter how many times he thinks, and really, it's a tad frustrating, but he's never thought of these kind of questions before. He honestly feels a little strange, a little weary at his thought process, because Tetsuya thinks he sounds, if only a little, possessive of Daiki. He doesn't want Taiga to meet him, let alone the fact that he doesn't answer just why he sits at the Ocean every day.
Maybe he would've had no issues answering the questions before, because before he met Daiki, it'd been because of the pull he felt to the water and the beauty that came with it. But now, along with the pull, he goes just so he can meet Daiki again. It's a fascination stronger than he has for the sea which is kind of scary because he's never felt this way about anything before.
Tetsuya frowns as he hears Taiga snore again, glancing at the window to find it getting to be roughly evening. He reaches a foot out to press his toes against the red heads' shoulder and push, getting a grunt of protest but also resulting in red eyes cracking open blearily. Taiga seems to stare at the ceiling for several moments before he takes notice of his surroundings and looks up. He seems to fluster when he realizes where he's at and that Tetsuya's staring him down with an expression that, while mostly blank, also doesn't seem too amused with him.
"Ah, sorry, I fell asleep waiting on you to wake up," he murmurs while sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head and all but avoiding looking Tetsuya in the eyes.
Tetsuya just sighs, crawling from the blanket and shuddering from the chilled air, and moves to another part of the room. Taiga sits and watches him silently, as if Tetsuya was some fascinating, ethereal being; it bothers him a bit too, because those eyes feel as if they're burning through his skin. Eventually he turns around, eyebrow rising as if to ask you're awake now, so why are you still here?
Taiga doesn't seem to get the unvoiced question though; instead he launches into a conversation that has Tetsuya subtly annoyed. He's about to ask him to leave but stops short when Taiga asks, "Who was that guy you were with?"
Tetsuya inhales and licks his lips, debating whether to answer or not. But now he has an answer to his questions, somewhat. Taiga continues, though, complains how Daiki would not answer him, wouldn't say who he was, and for some reason Tetsuya feels oddly relieved. It's a little terrible of himself he realizes, but he really can't help it, and he decides he's not about to tell him about Daiki—it's none of Taiga's business. It's obvious to Tetsuya that Daiki is most probably something akin to being shy, what-with the way they'd met—of course, there are possible other reasons behind Daiki's behavior as well and Tetsuya's not one to assume.
Tetsuya finally gets annoyed enough by Taiga's badgering before he levels a blank stare at him and declares he's tired and that Taiga should leave so he can rest. This time, he gets the hint, and rises from his spot on the floor with a muttered apology. Just as he's slipping out the door, Taiga stops to comment, "You should be careful about falling asleep on the beach, that guy might take advantage of you." He's gone before Tetsuya can think up a reply, but when he does he just sighs and thinks that maybe Taiga's the one he should be more wary of.
A/N: I'm not going to have access to the internet or writing for a while, I'm pretty sure. I won't have a computer until I buy a laptop, which I'm not sure how long that'll be. I may or may not come back to this later on, when I can sit down and write again, but for now please bear with me as I wrap the story up. I have until the 27th to finish this story, so I'm going to try and update in a pattern of 5, 15, 25 or so, if not sooner on each. I have the ending written out already, so it's more or less to work up to it from now.
