Content note: some sexual activity in this chapter.

Sorry this has been a while, some offline problems got in the way. Hope you like the chapter!

Rushing to Forever

Chapter 3

Time was both Akashi's friend and his enemy. He had time to be patient, to plan, and to thrive. He was appreciative of this advantage and did not take it for granted as it had allowed him to secure his standing in the world. But time had also proven harsh – the cyclical punishment that he and Tetsuya had endured for centuries had made him hostile to time's limitations. Which was one reason he'd finally taken this step against Tetsuya's wishes, he'd simply had enough.

Now though, as he studiously crossed off another possibility from the list, he was feeling rather generous towards time. There were only two communities left – and given that one of them was the home of the magician who'd cursed them, Akashi was confident in surmising that Tetsuya's refuge was Seirin. He lightly traced an imaginary boundary around its location on the map as he considered this.

Akashi had not been to Seirin in many centuries, perhaps not since the community first received its charter. He'd never even taken Tetsuya there as Seirin's residents were relative upstarts among their kind. Seirin possessed several strong talents but none that would approach his own level. But even so…Akashi did not have even the slightest doubt the people of Seirin would know who Tetsuya was. The fact they did not get in touch with him about their guest was most irritating. Akashi would be sure to express his displeasure when he went to collect Tetsuya.

His agile mind weighed various approaches. He could treat Seirin's actions as an act of war and meet them with force. He doubted Tetsuya would appreciate that tactic though and given that one aspect of Tetsuya's powers could send him anywhere in the world, Akashi didn't want to risk Tetsuya fleeing somewhere less hospitable than Seirin. He'd never fully shared how hunted their kind was and he didn't want Tetsuya to learn it the hard way.

Akashi discarded the idea of a declaration of war. For the moment at least, he needed to proceed along a different route. His lips thinned as he contemplated simply using magic to extract Tetsuya from Seirin. Now that he knew where Tetsuya was, it would be an easy enough thing to arrange. If it wasn't for the possibility that Akashi might be viewed as a coward, he would truly consider it. He would not, however, tolerate anyone saying he had to force Tetsuya to return to Rakuzan.

It displeased him, but there seemed to be only one feasible possibility. Akashi was going to have to go to Seirin and convince Tetsuya to return of his own free will. Once decided, Akashi wasted little time. He composed a letter informing Riko and Hyuga of his intentions to visit and enclosed with it a sealed message for Tetsuya. It took only a wave of his hand to send the message on its way, although he doubted he'd receive much of a reply from any of them. He informed the others of his intentions and requested they be ready to leave once he had confirmation from Riko and Hyuga.

Their response arrived a short while later – long enough he knew they'd discussed it, quick enough to demonstrate they realized they had no real choice. It was the work of moments to transport themselves to Seirin's keep, and Akashi stood at the front of his entourage waiting for admission. It was a gesture of goodwill on his part, there was nothing to stop anyone from appearing directly in another community's stronghold, but it was considered rude to not wait to be let in.

To anyone watching that wasn't like them, it seemed Akashi's group was idly waiting in the middle of a random clearing. Seirin, like all their communities, was hidden by magic. Akashi wasn't the only one who sent a testing flick of energy toward the barrier; not so much as to cause any noticeable disruption, just enough to measure the strength of the spell. Akashi could tell it was strong and he approved on the grounds they were harboring Tetsuya, but he was amused by the relative simplicity of its construction.

He was far less amused to see that Tetsuya was not with the party that greeted them when a building seemed to appear from thin air and several servants ushered them in. Keeping his temper in check, Akashi allowed himself and his coterie to be led into Seirin's grounds. Soon enough they were offered refreshments and assurances that their leaders would soon appear.

Kise was looking around curiously, noting some of the differences between Seirin's holding and Rakuzan. This was a newer clan and they lacked the elegant styling that was common among the original communities, but that wasn't entirely bad. As he took in the cozy atmosphere, he could imagine Kurokocchi was comfortable there.

Akashi was making similar realizations but shook them aside impatiently. It didn't matter to him if Tetsuya wanted to redecorate any of the properties he owned – that was a trifling concern. His expression was blank but he could feel his impatience simmering. Although it had probably only been moments, it felt far longer than that before he heard the tell-tale sounds of footsteps approaching. Keeping his eyes trained on the door, he immediately located Tetsuya once it opened again and a group entered.

Seeing that Tetsuya avoided looking at him, Akashi's mouth tightened briefly before he turned his attention to his hosts as they made their way over. Introductions were quickly dispatched and tension ran through the room so heavily that everyone was poised for something violent. Nobody had retaken a seat and the lapse in etiquette as they all silently evaluated one another was clear.

It was impossible to say how long the untenable situation may have lasted if Kuroko had not decided to intervene at that moment. "Riko-san, Hyuga-san, if it would not be too troublesome, might Akashi-kun and I use the smaller room next door for a while? I do not think our conversation will be a comfortable one for all of you."

Akashi hid the brief flare of amusement that shot through him, acknowledging the truth of Tetsuya's words. He ignored the worried looks Seirin's leaders wore and merely thanked them for their understanding as he and Tetsuya made their way to the designated space. He held no fear that his people would cause any great trouble in his absence, but he sent a glance toward them that communicated clearly, they were to find out whatever they could while he was gone.

Interestingly, the smaller parlor was far more formal than the receiving room they'd just left. Akashi correctly surmised that this room was not used as frequently. Tetsuya had preceded him into the room and ensconced himself in a chair that did not look particularly comfortable. Akashi took a seat on the couch opposite and waited, content to let Tetsuya speak first.

Kuroko didn't say anything for several moments, the span of which was measured by the steady beats of a pendulum clock. When he did speak, it was to ask, "If I said I didn't want to go back to Rakuzan with you, would you accept that decision, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi slowly tapped his index finger against his thigh a few times before he answered. "Not long term, no."

Kuroko nodded as if he'd expected that. "How long is the short term then?"

Akashi's smile was sharp and fleeting. "What a question to be asked. Do you have a particular time frame you'd like to propose? Can you regulate your emotions so precisely?"

Kuroko's head shook a denial and there was another span of silence between them as Kuroko shifted uneasily in his chair.

Correctly guessing the source of distress, Akashi offered a reprieve. "Tetsuya, that chair looks exceedingly uncomfortable. There is nothing to be gained from your discomfort. Come sit with me."

Looking up into Akashi's face, Kuroko couldn't quite read his expression or guess at his thoughts. He stood anyway and the short distance to join Akashi suddenly seemed to take ages to cross. He perched carefully on the edge of the cushion and had to stifle a flash of embarrassment at Akashi's knowing smile.

"And now that you have been so brave, perhaps a bit more?"

Akashi's voice had softened, invitation and temptation bound together, and Kuroko found his stomach tightening in response.

Taking the lack of denial as implicit permission, Akashi reached and with preternatural strength lifted Kuroko up and over into his lap, draping him sideways with a supporting hand on Kuroko's back and the other resting on Kuroko's knees. Kuroko nearly automatically adjusted to lean against Akashi, the position an old favorite.

"I missed you."

Kuroko didn't look up and tried to suppress the guilty wave that swept through him.

"I am sorry, Akashi-kun. But I need more time -"

Akashi raised his hand to gently cover Kuroko's mouth.

"There is little in the world I would not give you. Time is something I can be generous with if you are not running from me. However, I will offer this caution, don't imagine for a moment that I am going to forget about you. Whether it is because you forgive me or my patience ends, you will return to me eventually. Do you understand?"

Kuroko nodded, the warmth of Akashi's hand at his back and his mouth recalling other moments like this.

Akashi thought of that, too.

It was the most natural thing in the world for Akashi to replace the hand covering Kuroko's mouth with his lips. The instinctive way Kuroko's fingers crimped the fabric of his shirt and melted against him could have been taken from any of their prior lifetimes together.

Kuroko knew he should pull away, but in truth he did not want to. Akashi seemed brighter, more vibrant, and his charismatic allure had become nearly overwhelming with his powers fully restored. Kuroko's transformation let him see and feel the energy Akashi emitted in a new way, and it had sharpened all his responses.

The intensity rose immediately, and Akashi was moving, shifting them over until Kuroko felt his back land against the cushions with Akashi over him. Kuroko's legs fell apart naturally in the move and one draped down to the floor, a grounding touch he needed.

When Akashi leaned down to kiss him again, Kuroko's fingers wound through Akashi's hair with a tentativeness that spoke more to his underlying realization they could not go far. This place did not belong to them and they had people waiting for them to return.

Akashi was ignoring those problems. If he had to leave Tetsuya there he was going to make damn sure Tetsuya didn't forget him. Akashi's mouth moved down from Tetsuya's, tasting and learning him all over again.

Tetsuya had to let go of Akashi's hair when he risked tugging it, halfway afraid Akashi would read it as a demand to stop. He mourned the loss immediately, but it was muted when Akashi raised his head from the skin at the base of Tetsuya's throat and sent him a hungry, pleased smile, as if he understood perfectly well what Tetsuya was thinking.

The nip of Akashi's teeth when he returned his attention there was light, more playful than anything. But it elicited a thrill of awareness from Kuroko anyway. He instinctively tilted his head back and closed his eyes, offering Akashi more skin to explore.

Then Akashi was slipping his hand under the hem of Tetsuya's shirt – a plain, grey thing with the sole advantage of being loosely fit for easier access – and his fingertips were busy running over the dips and ridges of Tetsuya's stomach.

Kuroko's eyes flew open at the direct contact with his skin, realizing that Akashi's amplified energy was adding a layer of stimulation he'd never felt before. He didn't know if it was because he'd been unable to sense it as a human, if Akashi at half-power hadn't had this ability, or if Akashi had simply decided not to hold back any longer. Either way, this was different and he knew it could overwhelm him.

Kuroko felt his stomach muscles tighten in response and he reached up to hold onto Akashi's shoulders, kneading into the musculature there with a restlessness they both understood.

Akashi moved faster than he might have in other circumstances, but he was aware of the limits of where they were. So as his hand skated down and rested lightly over the fastening of Tetsuya's pants, Akashi wasn't waiting for Tetsuya to catch up to what he wanted. He had the closure undone and was pressing, tracing, stroking – taking advantage of centuries of experience to get the response he was after.

Kuroko couldn't stop the anxious way he moved under Akashi, nor could he prevent the quiet gasp of Akashi's name, "Akashi-kun, please!"

It was a protest and plea together and it brought a gleam to Akashi's eyes. He didn't stop moving his hand between Tetsuya's legs, keeping the pace he'd set even as he answered.

"Please what, Tetsuya? It is certainly my intention to please you. Did you want something specific? It's yours if you ask for it." It was wicked and heated, a reminder of how compatible they were in this area.

Kuroko's face reddened and he closed his eyes from his embarrassment. This wasn't so unusual from Akashi, but normally he didn't tease Kuroko this way so early. At least then Kuroko's natural reserve was lowered by a haze of desperate arousal that allowed him a little more freedom to speak.

He couldn't answer, this was far too much, far too soon. He was doing his best to stay quiet, pressing his lips together so tightly they were turning white and minimized to a thin line as evidence of his efforts.

"Ah….you can't say it? Then we'll continue with this for now. Just here, I think…" Akashi trailed off, his attack changing as he ventured under the loose material of Tetsuya's boxers and was circling the sensitive skin at the tip with a diabolical precision.

Kuroko's hips were moving without his knowledge, Akashi's skill had never been in question, and now – Kuroko's body seemed even more attuned to sensation and he lacked a way to moderate it.

Akashi knew perfectly well what Tetsuya was feeling, it was one of the elements of their kind to feed into one another's energies this way. He might have warned Tetsuya about it, but honestly, Akashi didn't see the need. There was nothing to be gained from Tetsuya trying to tone down his response just because Akashi could more directly sense it. And naturally, this wasn't a conversation Riko or Hyuga would have anticipated needing to have with their guest.

Kuroko's fingers were nearly clawing at Akashi's skin, scrambling to get under his shirt and scoring frantic, harsh lines over Akashi's back. Akashi didn't mind. It was only fair in its way.

It told Akashi that Tetsuya was close and he added just a bit more strength and pressure to his touches, giving Tetsuya what he needed. Then it was just a low, coaxing whisper of encouragement and a soft, almost chaste kiss that somehow conveyed permission and assurance, before Tetsuya was lost to his climax and shuddering under Akashi.

Akashi closed his own eyes briefly, enjoying the echoes of the energy Tetsuya had unknowingly thrown out to him and slowing the movement of his hand as he felt Tetsuya start to come down.

Kuroko was breathing hard and his eyes were wild and wide, unprepared for the way he felt.

Akashi stopped stroking him, distracting him with a kiss while sending a spell down clean away any evidence of their encounter.

Kuroko recognized the feeling immediately, it was a spell Akashi had used on occasion before and it brought to mind why it was used – when they were not completely private and had to restore themselves to rights.

Blushing with that realization, he still couldn't stop his automatic, "Thank you, Akashi-kun."

He meant for the courtesy of the clean-up spell.

Akashi knew it, but he allowed a thread of something not quite innocent to be heard in his response anyway, "Believe me, Tetsuya, I am happy to be of service to you any time."

Kuroko frowned up at him before muttering, "Your sense of humor is as abysmal as always, Akashi-kun."

Perhaps it was, but Akashi was feeling relatively generous toward the world at the moment and didn't take offense. It wasn't his intention to go further than this and they both knew it. There wasn't enough time and neither of them wanted to be interrupted by the unnecessarily concerned parties waiting next door if they took too long.

Akashi had gotten the confirmation he wanted, Tetsuya was his. Despite Tetsuya's conflict over how their relationship had been changed, Tetsuya wasn't going to pretend he wasn't still attracted to, and wanted, Akashi.

In that light, Akashi was prepared to grant him some time away.

He nodded and then he was helping pull Tetsuya upright. They both resettled on the couch and Tetsuya awkwardly refastened his pants, still slightly embarrassed.

Akashi considered him for a moment before sighing quietly. He closed his eyes and concentrated, with Kuroko not interrupting what he knew was some form of magic.

When Akashi opened his eyes, a photograph appeared in his hands and he gave it to Kuroko.

"This is the couple I used for the substitution spell. You'll be able to find them on your own now by using your powers if you concentrate. I know you want to save them. Perhaps you can. I will help you to a certain extent, I think you know where I draw the line though, yes?"

Kuroko was torn. He was touched and proud of Akashi for giving this to him, but he was reminded of the sadness and how limited the options were.

"I understand. Thank you, Akashi-kun."

Akashi didn't acknowledge his thanks this time, merely choosing to stand and reach a hand out to assist Tetsuya. He pulled Tetsuya close once they were both on their feet and the kiss they shared was not quite a promise though it had that feel.

Akashi stopped it only to murmur against Tetsuya's hair, "Shall we go reassure them we didn't kill each other?"

Kuroko smiled briefly, though it wasn't truly happy. "Yes. Probably."

By the time they returned to the other room, there was nothing to suggest they'd been anything but civil to one another. When Kuroko relayed the news he would be staying if it was still okay, nearly every person in the room turned to stare at Akashi in shock – that was not the result they'd expected.

Akashi kept his expression impassive before looking at Seirin's leaders.

"Thank you for extending your hospitality. I hope to host you both at Rakuzan in the near future upon Tetsuya's safe return."

It was a subtle, fierce warning that neither Riko nor Hyuga misunderstood. He was entrusting Kuroko to their care for now, but they would be answerable to anything that happened to Kuroko.

The Rakuzan delegation left soon after, taking the nearly unbearable tension with them. Kuroko excused himself, feeling fragile and needing to be alone. He knew it was his own decision to remain, but it didn't stop him from feeling bruised.

That night as he went to sleep, Kuroko made doubly sure to blanket his powers to keep them under control. With the fresh memory of Akashi's hands and mouth on his skin and the loneliness in his heart, he didn't trust himself not to magic directly into Akashi's bed.